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Smoke ’em if you got ’em Legalize Marijuana??
[link=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2011/06/ron-paul-barney-frank-marijuana-/1]http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2011/06/ron-paul-barney-frank-marijuana-/1[/link]
Ron Paul, Barney Frank team up to legalize marijuana
Here’s one of the strangest pairings of late in Congress: Reps. Ron Paul and Barney Frank are teaming up today on legislation that would legalize marijuana.The legislation by Paul, a libertarian-thinking Texas Republican running for president, and Frank, a liberal Massachusetts Democrat, is being touted by the advocacy group Marijuana Policy Project (MPP).
The bill to be introduced by Frank and Paul would allow states to “legalize, regulate, tax and control marijuana without federal interference.”
[link=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2011/06/ron-paul-barney-frank-marijuana-/1]Click link for rest of story[/link]
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100 Replies
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What does the opposition say about it?
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Makes sense form a Libertarian/Liberal point of view. Not to mention, like alcohol tax after Prohibition, has the promise of some high revenue.
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ORIGINAL: Frumious
Makes sense form a Libertarian/Liberal point of view. Not to mention, like alcohol tax after Prohibition, has the promise of some high revenue.
Remember reading once about how, apart from being a dismal failure in terms of regulating behavior and turning a large chunk of the populace into criminals, one driving factor behind the repeal of prohibition was that governments (federal, state and local) were sorely strapped for cash by 1933 as the Depression ground on.
I’m not so sure about ‘powder’ drugs (e.g. cocaine, meth, heroin) but having marijuana criminal seems like a colossal waste of time and resources. -
ORIGINAL: Frumious
Makes sense form a Libertarian/Liberal point of view. Not to mention, like alcohol tax after Prohibition, has the promise of some high revenue.
Doesn’t it make sense from the conservative point of view too?
Perhaps it a chicken and egg problem of not having any marijuana companies around that can formally lobby any Congressional treasure chests. If the pot lobby could get its foot in the door between visits from the tobacco and alcohol companies and start greasing palms (er, I mean offering campaign contributions), then pot legality would have a better chance.
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I am totally in favor of legalization of marijuana. It is idiotic. Our current drug policy makes no sense, and has never worked.
As for the more hard core drugs…I have a medical problem with that, because they can have such immediate deleterious effects. But good ole MJ? It should be regulated exactly like alcohol.
It is a weird coalition of liberals and libertarians though. The problem is, most mainstream politicians of both parties want no part of this, because they don’t want to look ‘weak’ on crime.
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Hopefully once it is made legal, they will be able to advertise on TV. I cannot wait for the marijuana adds to come on during football Sundays. It would keep me glued to the TV during the legion of timeouts that occur during NFL games.
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Calling Cheech & Chong,
“No stems no seeds that you don’t need,
Acapulco Gold is bad-ass weed…
Take 562”
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ORIGINAL: MISTRAD
The problem is, most mainstream politicians of both parties want no part of this, because they don’t want to look ‘weak’ on crime.Crime stats on marijuana? Where are they; next to the crime states on [u]crayons[/u]?
I found this site:
http://crimeinamerica.net/2010/03/02/more-on-marijuana-and-crime-crime-statistics/
…but I consider it at least partially suspect because of its implication of “dependence” on marijuana and its reference to “impaired driving skills” (after all, eating an apple while driving can be shown to result in “impaired driving skills”) and its use of correlation, rather than cause, as an arugment against legalization.
Is there anything REAL that would make a politician look “weak on crime” by supporting the legalization of pot?
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Lux, I didn’t say it makes sense…Just saying that is why they don’t support these bills.
The rational approach would be to legalize drugs that are not immediately detrimental, tax them to oblivion like cigarettes, and move on.
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I meant no challenge to you, MISTRAD. I tend to agree that most politicians are wimps who are so engrossed in walking on eggshells they can’t see past their nose without being surrounded by staffers who do all the work for them. God help them if they actually have to THINK about something or apply any modicum of COMMON SENSE.
I was only expressing my frustration.
The post wasn’t directed at you.
Sorry for the misunderstanding.-
No, that is fine.
I frankly think that there is no thinking about drugs in this country. We have spent billions, and have drug addicts now than 30 years ago.
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With respect to Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders …. Hey, ho, way to go, Ohio!
[url=http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2015/08/marijuana_legalization_amendme.html]Marijuana legalization amendment approved for Ohio’s November ballot[/url]Ohio voters will decide this fall whether to legalize marijuana in the Buckeye State for recreational and medical use.
ResponsibleOhio’s marijuana legalization constitutional amendment was certified Wednesday by the Ohio secretary of state. It will appear as Issue 3 on the statewide ballot for the general election on Nov. 3.
If approved by voters, Ohio would be the fifth state to legalize marijuana for recreational use and the first to do so without first having a medical marijuana program.
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it’s time to puff, puff, pass it. The people that smoke weed are doing it anyway. Might as well make some money on it.
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Quote from DICOM_Dan
it’s time to puff, puff, pass it. The people that smoke weed are doing it anyway. Might as well make some money on it.
If my facebook feed is any representative sampling, then it will pass by large margin. (Even with the monopoly concerns)
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Making it legal wont make much of a difference in our prison populations. It’ll be a great disappointment.
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Quote from fw
Making it legal wont make much of a difference in our prison populations. It’ll be a great disappointment.
Cite?
Why not? Drug offenders make up roughly 50% of the US prison population, and marijuana violatons make up the largest subset of those. State-by-State legalization won’t immediately end the war on drugs and its effects on incarceration, but it sure it a positive start.
That said, I would look at decreasing marijuana-related prison population numbers as a secondary (or even tertiary or quaternary or quinary) goal of legalization.
The first is a simple “freedom” issue.
The second is elimination of a black market and the economic, criminal, and social effects that come with it.
The third is the decompression on law enforcement responsibilities, allowing them to focus on other [i]real[/i] criminal activity.
The fourth is revenue generation.
Then maybe after that prison populations.-
Law enforcement is opposed to legalization or even de-criminalization because their revenue stream will drop as a result in many ways, whether the “war on Drugs” campaign, seizure or private prisons.
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Quote from dergon
Why not? Drug offenders make up roughly 50% of the US prison population, and marijuana violatons make up the largest subset of those.
Goebbels would be proud !
The majority of people in prison are there for violent offenses. The percentage of prisoners who are in prison for cannabis violations alone is below 5%. Overall, the number of offenders in prison for drugs is around 25%, most of them for drugs other than cannabis.
Legalizing cannabis will have a negligible effect on the prison population as it is dominated by the state system. There are a number of cannabis related offenders in the federal system, those are the higher level traffickers. The feds dont get out of bed for less than 500lbs. As long as the states put onerous taxes on MJ, there will be an illegal market and the feds will continue to lock up those high level traffickers [size=”1″](that’s btw. where the 50% number comes from, BOP sees mostly federal drug convictions and yes, a good number of them are high level cannabis dealers.)[/size]The first is a simple “freedom” issue.
Yup, I am all for it. Legalize it along with meth, heroin, cocaine and bath-salts. Just dont tell me that I have to accept druggies as employees or customers.The second is elimination of a black market and the economic, criminal, and social effects that come with it.
There will always be the next hustle. Freddie Gray, the new hero of the left, never dealt in MJ. His main line of business was heroin and cocaine base and stolen prescription drugs. Cannabis could be 100% legal and Freddie would still be 100% dead.
The third is the decompression on law enforcement responsibilities, allowing them to focus on other [i]real[/i] criminal activity.
That would be so awesome. Actually locking up violent offenders. Simple assault should get you a year without work release, burglary 3 years, armed robbery 10 years. All using the federal system: no parole, you serve 85%. Also no more excuses for being high or drunk at the time of commission.The fourth is revenue generation.
Colorado is already seeing the results of their greed. The taxes and regulations on legal cannabis are so onerous that the majority of weed in the market is still illegal.Then maybe after that prison populations.
But that’s not how the proponents of ‘universal high’ argue. They claim that the prisons are full of cannabis users who are there for no other reason than being caught with a single joint.-
Cannabis is not the equivalent of heroin or meth in any way. It is a false equivalency.
As for reporting to work intoxicated, who is for that? A canard.
The problem is making possession a felony and criminalizes possession of a small amount for personal use. It manufactures criminals. “Reefer Madness” is not a reality, it is a propaganda film.
At least decriminalize marijuana if not make it outright legal & then control use like alcohol. Alcohol is legal yet you would not normally hire an alcoholic, more of a reality than a meth head or heroin addict or someone reporting to work with a marijuana high.
Why would you want to imprison a cannabis user anyway, whether for a single joint or for a quarter of an ounce?
We are wasting efforts in the war on drugs as we have been doing it. We need to do things differently. Stupidity is doing the same failed thing over and over again expecting different results.-
Quote from Frumious
Cannabis is not the equivalent of heroin or meth in any way. It is a false equivalency.
Says who ? All mind altering substances. Its not like heroin makes you commit crime or something. Why should a recreational heroin addict not have the right to spend the weekend zonked out ?
As for reporting to work intoxicated, who is for that? A canard.
Do you employ people ? I do and had to fire someone who showed up high (and smoked in the company car).
The problem is making possession a felony and criminalizes possession of a small amount for personal use. It manufactures criminals.
Household level amounts are not a felony.
“Reefer Madness” is not a reality, it is a propaganda film.
The presence of THC in the system of many individuals arrested for violent crimes (and their victims)suggests that the movie was closer to reality than we like to admit.
At least decriminalize marijuana if not make it outright legal & then control use like alcohol.
All for it. Just dont expect the prisons to empty and structural criminals to reform their ways just because weed is legal. The dealers will just move to meth, pcp, heroin and spice. If the theory that the ‘war ondrugs’ is the problem with drugs, we need to legalize those too.
Why would you want to imprison a cannabis user anyway, whether for a single joint or for a quarter of an ounce?
First offense with a quarter ounce is a drug-court, outright dismissal or probation before judgemend/ACD almost everywhere. The story that the prisons are full of low level users for their use alone is a canard.
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“Mind-altering substances?” You are Mormon? There are many “mind-altering substances.” Take coffee. And last I looked, heroin is a narcotic while cannabis is not. If you just mean getting “zonked,” that fully applies as well to alcohol. I did not realize decriminalizing cannabis also meant decriminalizing heroin or meth. If you are proposing that & asking the question, “What’s the difference?” I’ll refer you to the arguments regarding gay marriage & marrying your horse or dog or a child. Make your argument but that’s not what I was arguing.
Again, who is arguing for showing up to work intoxicated? You fired someone smoking pot in their car. Fine. Would you do the same for drinking in the car during lunch? I would hope you would address that. Whether I have employed people is another example of misdirection. Not relevant to the discussion at hand.
3/4 oz marijuana is enough for a felony charge. And a misdemeanor charge can still land you in jail for several days or a year. Why? So saying, “It’s not a felony” is a rather large split hair.
There is no evidence that THC causes or in any way encourages violence. There is no evidence, medical or legal that such is true or even suggesting that it might be true. Alcohol on the other hand has much evidence of such behavior.-
Quote from Frumious
“Mind-altering substances?” You are Mormon? There are many “mind-altering substances.” Take coffee. And last I looked, heroin is a narcotic while cannabis is not.
So ? What difference does it make ? The only difference is that you can kill yourself with heroin, cocaine and meth and this is not a direct effect of THC. But that’s personal freedom for you. Go ahead, off yourself, why should society stand in your way ?
If you just mean getting “zonked,” that fully applies as well to alcohol. I did not realize decriminalizing cannabis also meant decriminalizing heroin or meth.
And I didn’t know that decriminalizing alcohol also meant decriminalizing cannabis. See how that works ? The legality of alcohol comes up in every discussion about pot. If pot equals alcohol, why doesn’t alcohol equal opiates ? Both make you mostly sleepy.
Again, who is arguing for showing up to work intoxicated? You fired someone smoking pot in their car. Fine.
Not their car. [u]My[/u] car provided for use on company business.
Would you do the same for drinking in the car during lunch?
If you show up intoxicated after lunch break and I find beer cans in the car, sure.
Whether I have employed people is another example of misdirection. Not relevant to the discussion at hand.
Quite relevant. If pot is legal, it becomes much harder to enforce a drug free workplace policy. You wouldn’t know or care about those things if your are not an employer.
If this goes through nationwide, a line of business to invest in is the random drug screen racket.3/4 oz marijuana is enough for a felony charge.
In two or three states (for first time offenders):
[link=http://www.drugtreatment.com/expose/marijuana-felony-amounts-by-state/]http://www.drugtreatment….lony-amounts-by-state/[/link]
The rest have the felony threshold at 1, 4, 8 ounces and in some areas a pound or up to 60lbs.
And a misdemeanor charge can still land you in jail for several days or a year. Why? So saying, “It’s not a felony” is a rather large split hair.
Giant ginormous huge difference. A misdemeanor is comparatively easy to expunge after a couple of years of good behavior. A felony usually needs a governors pardon and in some states is near impossible to clear.There is no evidence that THC causes or in any way encourages violence. There is no evidence, medical or legal that such is true or even suggesting that it might be true.
Just because the experience of white liberals during their college time was that they got happy and mellow while intoxicated doesn’t mean that this is a universal response. The high rates of THC intoxication in perpetrators of violent crimes suggests that individual reactions to THC vary. -
one problem that they did not have in the 60’s is that cannabis now is stronger and more pure..the type of reaction people have depends on the type of cannabis( indica versus sativa)..the medicine that was given to the child in CNN Sanjay Gupta piece on charlotte who had seizures was very low in the chemical that gives people the buzz/ of course the medical cannabis store that they got the medical cannabis from said that brand was not their top seller/basically sat on the shelf
Quote from fw
Quote from Frumious
“Mind-altering substances?” You are Mormon? There are many “mind-altering substances.” Take coffee. And last I looked, heroin is a narcotic while cannabis is not.
So ? What difference does it make ? The only difference is that you can kill yourself with heroin, cocaine and meth and this is not a direct effect of THC. But that’s personal freedom for you. Go ahead, off yourself, why should society stand in your way ?
If you just mean getting “zonked,” that fully applies as well to alcohol. I did not realize decriminalizing cannabis also meant decriminalizing heroin or meth.
And I didn’t know that decriminalizing alcohol also meant decriminalizing cannabis. See how that works ? The legality of alcohol comes up in every discussion about pot. If pot equals alcohol, why doesn’t alcohol equal opiates ? Both make you mostly sleepy.
Again, who is arguing for showing up to work intoxicated? You fired someone smoking pot in their car. Fine.
Not their car. [u]My[/u] car provided for use on company business.
Would you do the same for drinking in the car during lunch?
If you show up intoxicated after lunch break and I find beer cans in the car, sure.
Whether I have employed people is another example of misdirection. Not relevant to the discussion at hand.
Quite relevant. If pot is legal, it becomes much harder to enforce a drug free workplace policy. You wouldn’t know or care about those things if your are not an employer.
If this goes through nationwide, a line of business to invest in is the random drug screen racket.
3/4 oz marijuana is enough for a felony charge.
In two or three states (for first time offenders):
[link=http://www.drugtreatment.com/expose/marijuana-felony-amounts-by-state/]http://www.drugtreatment….lony-amounts-by-state/[/link]
The rest have the felony threshold at 1, 4, 8 ounces and in some areas a pound or up to 60lbs.
And a misdemeanor charge can still land you in jail for several days or a year. Why? So saying, “It’s not a felony” is a rather large split hair.
Giant ginormous huge difference. A misdemeanor is comparatively easy to expunge after a couple of years of good behavior. A felony usually needs a governors pardon and in some states is near impossible to clear.
There is no evidence that THC causes or in any way encourages violence. There is no evidence, medical or legal that such is true or even suggesting that it might be true.
Just because the experience of white liberals during their college time was that they got happy and mellow while intoxicated doesn’t mean that this is a universal response. The high rates of THC intoxication in perpetrators of violent crimes suggests that individual reactions to THC vary.
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[url=http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/marijuana-issue-ballot-language-must-change-ohio-s/nngjN/]
Marijuana issue ballot language must change, Ohio Supreme Court says[/url][/h1]
In a 6-1 decision, the court concluded that the language approved by {Ohio Secretary of State Jon } Husted and the Ballot Board at an Aug. 18 meeting inaccurately states pertinent information and omits essential information. The cumulative effect of these defects in the ballot language is fatal because the ballot language fails to properly identify the substance of the amendment, a failure that misleads voters.
The court said the boards wording was inaccurate or misleading on four issues. They relate to a ban on locating a marijuana shop within 1,000 feet of a library, school, church or day-care center; the ability of individuals to possess one ounce of purchased marijuana and eight ounces of home-grown marijuana; local control of retail marijuana businesses, and the possible addition of a new marijuana cultivation facility after four years.
The court sided with Husted on two issues, allowing the title of the amendment, which uses the disputed word monopoly, to remain in place, and rejecting ResponsibleOhios complaint that the language improperly uses recreational in reference to marijuana use by anyone 21 and over.-
It’s absurd that the government outlaws a plant.
A plant that existed on this earth long before the US existed. Give me a break. F off herb haters.-
[img]http://content.gallup.com/origin/gallupinc/GallupSpaces/Production/Cms/POLL/bplgz4vavkyps762r8vilq.png[/img]
[url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/186260/back-legal-marijuana.aspx?g_source=Social%20Issues&g_medium=newsfeed&g_campaign=tiles]In U.S., Record High Number (58%) Back Legal Marijuana Use [/url]
It’s a national survey as opposed to Ohio-specific, but looks like the ballot issue might be hitting at the right time.
Ohio polling at a dead tie (46%/46% with 8% undecided)
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Sometimes I think some LEOs are hired specifically as a jobs program for the handicapped. Looks like growing okra can be dangerous as the police think it looks suspiciously like marijauna.
[link=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2014/10/06/heavily-armed-drug-cops-raid-retirees-garden-seize-okra-plants]https://www.washingtonpos…rden-seize-okra-plants[/link]
Georgia police raided a retired Atlanta man’s garden last Wednesday after a helicopter crew with the [link=https://dps.georgia.gov/gtf-overview]Governor’s Task Force for Drug Suppression[/link] spotted suspicious-looking plants on the man’s property. A heavily-armed K9 unit arrived and discovered that the plants were, in fact, okra bushes.
The officers eventually apologized and left, but they took some of the suspicious okra leaves with them for analysis. Georgia state patrol [link=http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/okra-mistaken-pot-mans-garden/nhbHW/]told WSB-TV in Atlanta[/link] that “we’ve not been able to identify it as of yet. But it did have quite a number of characteristics that were similar to a cannabis plant.”
Indeed! Like cannabis, okra is green and it has leaves.
The Cannabis Eradication programs have historically inflated the size of their hauls by including non-psychoactive “ditchweed” in their totals of plants seized. In past years, ditchweed accounted for [link=http://norml.org/news/2006/09/07/98-percent-of-all-domestically-eradicated-marijuana-is-ditchweed-dea-admits]up to 98 percent[/link] of seized outdoor plant totals. According to the ONDCP, ditchweed still makes up an [link=http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/ondcp/policy-and-research/ndcs_data_supplement_2014.pdf]unspecified percent of outdoor plants seized[/link].
It is also unclear how many of the seized plants are actually okra.
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Quote from dergon
Ohio polling at a dead tie (46%/46% with 8% undecided)
So much for the reliability of political polling:
[link=http://www.wsj.com/articles/measure-to-legalize-marijuana-in-ohio-is-defeated-1446608810]http://www.wsj.com/articles/measure-to-legalize-marijuana-in-ohio-is-defeated-1446608810[/link]
Wasn’t even close.-
No sh*t….. went down nearly 2:1
And that was despite the backers of the “Yes” campaign flooding airwaves with campaign ads-
Quote from dergon
No sh*t….. went down nearly 2:1
And that was despite the backers of the “Yes” campaign flooding airwaves with campaign ads
It may have been [u]because[/u] the backers were flooding the airwaves. With the intense air campaign, it was clear that this initiative was an astro-turf operation backed by mafia money and political consultants, not a grassroots effort.
Not sure why they thought they could succeed in Ohio.-
There was also the “monopoly” issue.
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Ohio said no to a group of ten..go ohio
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Pew Research: [url=http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/10/12/support-for-marijuana-legalization-continues-to-rise/]Support for marijuana legalization continues to rise[/url]
The share of Americans who favor legalizing the use of marijuana continues to increase. Today, 57% of U.S. adults say the use of marijuana should be made legal, while 37% say it should be illegal. A decade ago, opinion on legalizing marijuana was nearly the reverse just 32% favored legalization, while 60% were opposed.
Young adults have disproportionately driven the shift toward public support of the drug, though support is rising among other generations as well. Millennials those ages 18 to 35 in 2016 are more than twice as likely to support legalization of marijuana as they were in 2006 (71% today, up from 34% in 2006), and are significantly more likely to support legalization than other generations.
Support for marijuana legalization has also increased among members of Generation X and Baby Boomers (ages 36-51 and 52-70 in 2016, respectively). More than half of Gen Xers (57%) support legalization, a considerable jump from just 21% in 1990. A majority of Boomers (56%) also support legalization, up from just 17% in 1990.
[img]http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2016/10/FT_16.10.11_marijuanaLegal_trend.png[/img]
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[url=http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/345413-justice-dept-task-force-on-marijuana-recommends-more-study-no]Federal task force reportedly recommends more marijuana study, no crackdown[/url]
The task force Attorney General Jeff Sessions established to crack down on marijuana use has come up with no new policy recommendations for the attorney general, The Associated Press reported Friday.
Marijuana advocates feared that a report released by the Trump administration’s Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety would link violent crime to marijuana. But the AP, citing portions of the report it had obtained, said that the document recommends that officials continue weighing whether to change or rescind the Obama administration’s largely hands-off approach to enforcement.
The task forces recommendations reflect the fact that the Dept. of Justice has more important priorities than harassing legitimate, taxpaying businesses. In states that have approved marijuana for medical or adult use, these businesses are creating jobs, generating revenue, protecting consumers, and making their communities safer,” Don Murphy, the director of conservative outreach at the Marijuana Policy Project, said in a statement.[/QUOTE]
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What’s to study? Is everyone in the government living in a closet. Marijuana use is already prevalent in society. Legal or or not people are using it. So legalize and regulate to get all those things. Revenue, protect consumers, crack down on bad actor dealers. I’d venture that most people reading this might have tried marijuana, smoke it the,selves, or know someone who does smoke. People on TV even come right out about it. Bill Maher, the Rapper 2 chains etc….
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Would federally decriminalize. States should be able to legalize (or decline to do so) on their own accords. I think it a good thing that Colorado (and possibly more states – I don’t follow this closely) already has; it’s sort of a running experiment for the rest of the country.
But I’m not naive. There are plenty of ways in which this could go wrong.
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It’s already an industry. I’d rather see it federally regulated. They claim to want to crack down on bad hombres. We’ll take their business from them. The problem with this being state only is that the Feds still loom over the state. You could face federal charges if they wanted to crack down.
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Quote from Jan the Third
Would federally decriminalize. States should be able to legalize (or decline to do so) on their own accords. I think it a good thing that Colorado (and possibly more states – I don’t follow this closely) already has; it’s sort of a running experiment for the rest of the country.
But I’m not naive. There are plenty of ways in which this could go wrong.
I’m from Colorado. It’s a cash cow for us. Not only in city and state revenue via sales tax, but added tourism. In addition, traffic law enforcement revenue is going through the roof as well. You’re hit with the same cost and similar penalty as a DUI. New “Better Call Saul” billboards showing up. Since a moderate amount of people still text while driving, and drive like clowns, it only gives law enforcement an additional reason to stop you.
The interesting part is recreational usage via edibles and not smoke is making it a cleaner hidden choice for pot heads.
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Quote from CudaRad
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I’m from Colorado. It’s a cash cow for us. Not only in city and state revenue via sales tax, but added tourism. In addition, traffic law enforcement revenue is going through the roof as well. You’re hit with the same cost and similar penalty as a DUI. New “Better Call Saul” billboards showing up. Since a moderate amount of people still text while driving, and drive like clowns, it only gives law enforcement an additional reason to stop you.
The interesting part is recreational usage via edibles and not smoke is making it a cleaner hidden choice for pot heads.A good time to be a drug recognition expert (DRE) in the PD. Or a defense attorney.
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Sounds like a detractor if people are getting busted for driving high at an increased rate.
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Over the opposition of Sessions, Congress renewed the restriction on DOJ from using any of its funding to interfere with state medical and recreational marijuana programs.
Poor Sessions. He was all set to reenact scenes from [i]Refer Madness[/i].
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NY times article
COTTON PLANT, Ark. Mayor Willard C. Ryland looked everywhere for salvation for his dying town. He tried luring a vegetable packing company. An Asian carp processor. A Dollar General store. But he struck out again and again.
Then came marijuana and hope.
Arkansas voters decided in 2016 to legalize the plant for medical use, giving the state an opportunity both to develop a new industry and to address nagging social problems. The states licensing program encourages legal marijuana growers to set up shop where the new jobs are needed most, in perennially poor communities.
[b] [/b][i] [/i][u][/u][strike][/strike]
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A 4/20 Announcement: [url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/democratic-senate-leader-announces-plans-introduce-bill-decriminalize-marijuana-n867781]Chuck Schumer to announce a bill to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level[/url]
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office announced Friday that he plans to introduce legislation to decriminalize pot at the federal level.
The legislation is long overdue, the New York Democrat said in an earlier interview on VICE News. Ive seen too many peoples lives ruined because they had small amounts of marijuana and served time in jail. Ultimately, it is the right thing to do.
The announcement, which came on [link=http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-27039192]4/20[/link], marked the first time the Democratic leader has publicly advocated for removing weed from list of Schedule 1 substances under the Controlled Substances Act, a category that includes drugs such as heroin and cocaine which are considered to have no medicinal value, great potential danger and a severe risk of abuse.
[/QUOTE]
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Jeff Sessions must have his hackles raised.
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Quote from dergon
A 4/20 Announcement: [link=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/democratic-senate-leader-announces-plans-introduce-bill-decriminalize-marijuana-n867781]Chuck Schumer to announce a bill to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level[/link]
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office announced Friday that he plans to introduce legislation to decriminalize pot at the federal level.
The legislation is long overdue, the New York Democrat said in an earlier interview on VICE News. Ive seen too many peoples lives ruined because they had small amounts of marijuana and served time in jail. Ultimately, it is the right thing to do.
The announcement, which came on [link=http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-27039192]4/20[/link], marked the first time the Democratic leader has publicly advocated for removing weed from list of Schedule 1 substances under the Controlled Substances Act, a category that includes drugs such as heroin and cocaine which are considered to have no medicinal value, great potential danger and a severe risk of abuse.
[/QUOTE]
Smooth move by Chuck. He knows that McTurtle will never allow it to be voted on this session…he’s looking past the mid-terms. If the senate goes blue in November, he’ll (the new majority leader) allow it to come back. High time.-
Stupid viewpoints by people like Sessions, we have an opioid addiction crisis in the country and he’s worried about people smoking or ingesting cannabis. His solution is to throw people with addictions to opioids into prison as well as users of marijuana.
All these decades of the same solutions to the same old problems and we have advanced the solutions how far with the problem? No more addicts anymore? We’ve reduced addiction to almost nothing using solutions like his.
Prisons are cheaper than health care he thinks and there is the moral certainty of prisons to simpletons like Sessions.
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[url=http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/390576-nc-considers-legalizing-possession-of-small-amounts-of-marijuana]North Carolina considers marijuana legalization[/url]
North Carolina’s legislature is considering a pair of bills that would make it legal to possess up to four ounces of marijuana for personal use.
Sen. Paul Lowe (D-Forsyth), the bill’s main sponsor in the upper chamber, [link=http://www.journalnow.com/news/crime/nc-bills-would-legalize-possessing-up-to-ounces-of-marijuana/article_7649b9d2-2d26-551c-8940-fa3d5f62354a.html]told the Winston-Salem Journal[/link] that he introduced the legislation with the intent to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana.”
“This is heading in the right direction,” he added.
Senate Bill 791 and House Bill 994, as they are currently written, would legalize the possession of up to four ounces of marijuana for personal use, according to the Journal.[/QUOTE]
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Ohio is going to announce dispensaries soon for the mary jane. Should be interesting. Fighting the opioids is a big deal and the 5 hospitals with Cleveland footprint have an opioid task force. Stop prescribing oxy and start prescribing weed and yoga.
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Since I’m from Colorado… the Pot business has been a cash cow for us not only in tax revenue but… local law enforcement and fines while DUI. I have no issue with personal use. It’s just the stupid people that believe they can still drive (while texting); work on machinery, Administer meds; use a band saw; solve math problems with out consequences or repercussions. A sedated society is not a functional society. But again, Enjoy yourself. As long as you stay in your house, and don’t drive.. I’m cool. Like DUI’s.. I have no tolerance for it. (Too many ER cases and outcomes)
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Just a guess but the same people doing all the stuff you describe we’re already doing it before it was legal. People are smoking up legal or not.
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I think many who had dabbled in pot before, but did not pursue further usage because of professionalism or concerns of law enforcement… are now using it more. The stats will change and there will be an increase in society being higher than before. I’m not complaining, I’m just making a fact that Legalization doesn’t mean the user can do whatever they want without societal consequences. That was the shocker here in Colorado. Many thought they could handle being stoked while driving, or at work and that no one would notice. Drunkenness (smell) vs. Stokenness. Law enforcement had to come up with a better identification of over indulgement to make their money and protect the public. It’s all good. Do want you want but follow the laws.
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Poll finds record high support for marijuana legalization[/h1]
[link=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/439694-poll-record-high-support-for-marijuana-legalization]https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/439694-poll-record-high-support-for-marijuana-legalization[/link]
A record high number of Americans, 65 percent, believe that marijuana should be legalized, according to a [link=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/support-for-marijuana-legalization-hits-new-high-cbs-news-poll-finds/]CBS News poll[/link] released Friday.
Most Americans believe marijuana is less harmful than alcohol and other drugs, and support for legalizing pot has grown among groups that have historically been opposed to the idea.
About 56 percent of Republicans say they support legalization, the first time a majority of the group has supported the proposal in CBS News polls. Nearly half, 49 percent, of Americans aged 65 and older, a demographic historically opposed to marijuana legalization, also now support ending the prohibition on cannabis.
A majority of Americans also believe legalizing weed wouldnt have negative impacts on the economy or crime rates. About 52 percent believe legalization would be good for local economies, while a combined 70 percent believe it would either decrease violent crime or not have much effect on crime rates.
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I doubt marijuana legalization will extend to physicians. If anyone works in a state with legal marijuana, what has been your employers policy on marijuana?
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Really who cares if you indulge at home. If you go to work impaired that’s a totally different problem but then that’s true of everything especially including alcohol, the most abused drug of all. If I passed a physician smelling of alcohol it would definitely require some concern. I’d trust an inebriated physician much less than one who had a joint.
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Quote from Frumious
Really who cares if you indulge at home. If you go to work impaired that’s a totally different problem but then that’s true of everything especially including alcohol, the most abused drug of all. If I passed a physician smelling of alcohol it would definitely require some concern. I’d trust an inebriated physician much less than one who had a joint.
Once again, rarely… we are in agreement Frumi. Bring it on, It’s a Local Services (Police/EMS) Cash cow for revenue. l live in Colorado. My County has made a Ton of Money from people driving while stoned. If Law enforcement slightly suspects, you’re in the Pokie. You don’t have to reek of Cannabis any more due to edibles. Slurred speech, Glassy eyes, Delay in answering? Ka-Ching! Money! Same with Alcohol as well. Our slogan is “Driving Drunk or Buzzed? You cant Afford it”.
So all you POTarians! Think who you hang around with before-
Where did I advocate driving or working while altered? I specifically said at home, like drinking.
Please stay real.
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Legal or not people are doing it anyway. Drive Drink or buzzed thing is the slogan everywhere.
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[link=https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1305606924948439040]https://twitter.com/there…us/1305606924948439040[/link]
It didn’t get a ton of press…
But Kamala Harris pledged that the Biden/Harris administration would de-criminalize marijuana and expunge marijuana use convictions: This is no time for incrementalism … there needs to be significant change in the design of the system.
She’s doing the pivot for Biden.
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So I guess the extreme risk aversion doesn’t extend to marijuana. Good to know.
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Risk aversion?
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Yep. The extreme risk aversion of modern society as illustrated by a number of issues, especially covid, need not apply to marijuana apparently.
Not ONE person can die from covid according to our overlords.
Do you think legalizing marijuana will result in more or less marijuana related deaths per year? We have the 100% power to not legalize it. Do those deaths just not matter or is it just political pick and choose deaths? -
Wow. That was a real bank shot of an argument
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Quote from Cubsfan10
Yep. The extreme risk aversion of modern society as illustrated by a number of issues, especially covid, need not apply to marijuana apparently.
Not ONE person can die from covid according to our overlords.
Do you think legalizing marijuana will result in more or less marijuana related deaths per year? We have the 100% power to not legalize it. Do those deaths just not matter or is it just political pick and choose deaths?
This is all going on anyway. What is a marijuana related death? Are you talking about OD? There’s no logic in criminalizing weed. I’ll say it 1000x but people who are doing it are doing it anyway. Arguably it’s safer to bring it all above board. And really you could almost change this to smoke ’em if you got ’em. It can be smoked, drops, eaten, candies, gummies etc…
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Just applying the same societal risk aversion to all issues. I personally don’t give a crap if people want to screw themselves up on weed/alcohol/etc. just as I don’t give a crap if people want to go out to Target without a mask. You can take your own risks. I just find it ridiculous that the same politicians who have been over the top on covid risk aversion and telling society what to do, don’t really care about legalizing something that will undoubtedly kill more people than if it was still illegal. Not just OD but car accidents, etc. Not to mention the increase in mental health problems and the other issues. But who cares right? Weed and covid shutdowns get the right kinds of votes. What are personal freedoms and principles anyway
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Argument out of left field
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No it’s not. You just haven’t ever grasped the concept of internal logical consistency across different societal risks. We’ve had this discussion repeatedly.
If you want something closer to home, the current risk from covid in most of the states is the same/slightly less than the risk of the peak of an influenza season. Logic would dictate that we should wear masks and social distance for every flu season from now on if you believe in what we are doing now for covid.
There are people who wear/want everyone to wear masks while walking outside where the risk of catching covid is ~0. Logic for them would dictate that they wear a mask everyday for the rest of their lives given the similar chance of catching any airborne disease at any time.
None of us are entirely logically consistent but we can at least try to be close. -
internal logical consistency?
AKA, gobbledygook. -
[link=http://rssfeeds.usatoday.com/~/640434588/0/usatodaycomwashington-topstories~New-Jersey-legislators-pass-bill-to-decriminalize-marijuana-possession-up-to-six-ounces/]New Jersey legislators pass bill to decriminalize marijuana possession, up to six ounces[/link]
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This is a significant issue. I’d like to see tech that can determine whether someone is currently inebriated. I suspect that, as physicians, the numbers of alcohol-related medical issues we’ve seen dwarf the number of patients suffering from MJ abuse.
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Whether someone is inebriated? A breathalyzer works very well.
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[link=https://thehill.com/changing-america/respect/equality/536796-oregon-will-offer-support-treatment-instead-of-prison-as]Oregon will offer support, treatment instead of prison as the first state to decriminalize all drugs[/link]
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It seems like low hanging fruit to just decriminalize marijuana. Just do it.
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Imagined worries about “moral hazard.”
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[link=https://nypost.com/2021/03/19/biden-white-house-fires-staffers-over-past-marijuana-use/]https://nypost.com/2021/0…er-past-marijuana-use/[/link]
[h1]Biden White House asks staffers to resign over past marijuana use[/h1]
A number of White House staffers were asked to resign or demoted for past marijuana use regardless of whether those employees had been in one of the 14 states where the drug is legal, according to a report.
The Biden administration had required workers to disclose past marijuana use on a background check form, but told some new hires that it would overlook those who answered yes, the [link=https://www.thedailybeast.com/biden-white-house-sandbags-staffers-sidelines-dozens-for-pot-use?ref=home?ref=home]Daily Beast reported[/link].
Despite this, White House director of management and administration Anne Filipic reportedly led a series of one-on-one calls with staffers this month, asking those who admitted to past marijuana use to resign or be placed in a remote work program.
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Biden admin is a bunch of narcs. Didn’t have that on my bingo card.
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Classifying marijuana as a Schedule I drug was a very dumb idea never rooted in any science.
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Convenient way to weed out the Bernie Bros.
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New York Set to Legalize Recreational Marijuana[/h1]
[link=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-24/deal-reached-to-fast-track-legalizing-marijuana-in-new-york?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_content=business&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&cmpid=socialflow-twitter-business&sref=fjrBr5qu]Bloomberg[/link]: New York is ready to legalize recreational marijuana. The state would impose special pot taxes and prepare to license dispensaries under an agreement reached by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders.-
Another domino falling. The only state that has no legal weed is Idaho. It’s time to let it go. Have people buy it through licensed dispensaries. Think of what this could do to some of the illicit drug trade.
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[link=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-31/cuomo-makes-new-york-16th-state-to-approve-legal-cannabis?srnd=premium]Cuomo Makes New York 16th State to Approve Legal Cannabis[/link]
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[b]Schumer Wants Senate to Act on Marijuana [/b]
[link=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-31/schumer-pushes-senate-on-pot-legalization-as-states-leap-ahead?srnd=politics-vp]Bloomberg[/link]: Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is pushing the Senate toward lifting the federal prohibition on marijuana with legislation that would represent the biggest overhaul of federal drug policy in decades.
The bill that Schumer is drafting with Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden of Oregon and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker is still being written. Though they avoided the term legalization when announcing their plan, it is expected to remove marijuana from the list of controlled substances and tax and regulate it on the federal level while leaving states able to enforce their own laws regarding the drug. -
[link=https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/545928-new-mexico-lawmakers-send-recreational-marijuana-legislation-to-governor]New Mexico lawmakers send recreational marijuana bills to governor[/link]
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[h1][b]Schumer Will Hold Vote on Legalization[/b][/h1]
[link=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/03/schumer-senate-marijuana-legalization-478963]Politico[/link]: President Joe Biden has been a conspicuous outlier among Democrats when it comes to supporting marijuana legalization. But Schumer said Bidens reticence wont deter the Senate from taking aggressive action to loosen federal restrictions.
Said Schumer: I want to make my arguments to him, as many other advocates will. But at some point were going to move forward, period.
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I saw a poll that showed 70/30 support vs non-support for legalization. Its time to legalize. Keep people of jail for it unless theyre doing dumb stuff like driving while high. Cut into illicit drug business. Let people grow a little. Let dispensaries sell and pay taxes. Have age restrictions like alcohol. Make some rules that you need to stand away from people if your smoking in public.
If you can buy a beer you should be able to smoke a joint.
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