Pot

[Mr. Sandman]

I have not kept up on the legalization of this stuff but can someone explain to me how a state can legalize a drug that still
remains a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law as of 2013?

How come the feds don't move in and shut them down?

[JohnR]

The Feds "selectively" enforce.

Remember, it is not about the laws, its just the ones determined to be enforced that are important.

[Raven]

The OBAMA Administration informed the FEDS to BACK OFF
and not to interfere with STATE law regardless of the FAKE scheduling
of cannabis as a totally harmful substance.... which it isn't

there are people with Babies that have up to 300 epileptic seizures per day
that have to be basically knocked out 24/7 just to survive
and are taking 2000 milligrams (an adult dosage level) of a drug
that stops the seizures from happening but the infant might as well be
in an induced COMA which for all practical reasoning ..... and ...it IS.

i was just reading about a couple from Tennessee that pulled up stakes
and split to Colorado so they can switch off of the meds and over to Cannabis
which isn't full of THC that gets people high...it has been bred by specialists
to have 98 % cannabinoids INSTEAD and when the children get this much needed medication
it's LIKE a MIRACLE because they wake up and act totally normal again.

[Raven]

the other reason is because in our NATIONS capital which is
very close to making it legal ...or more legal i should say
BLACKS have been unfairly and dis-proportionally busted/ jailed for
small amounts of cannabis which amounts to illegal persecution
resulting in an inability to seek employment afterwards because
of their criminal past.

[Nebe]

In 10 years it will be totally legal in most states and in 20 years we will look back and say that was all really unnecessary. Just look at how prohibition worked out... Same deal. Booze is a thousand times more deadly than ganja.
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[Fly Rod]

Even tho there is a federal law aganist it the feds do not have enough man power to go after all the shops and prosecute...also one high ranking fed agent on 60 minutes had said that they doubt that they could get a jury to convict....never heard of Obama saying hands off.

Take California for instance,over 50% of the population is on non prescribed drugs...Alaska is 60% of the population R on non prescribed drugs.... how do ya get a conviction?...not only does a person driving has to worry about a drunk driver now ya have to worry about a pothead and any pothead will tell ya it does not interfer with their driving.

[Mr. Sandman]

We are a nation of laws...you want to change the law, fine change the law but the law is the law. They should enforce it. Obama took an oath to enforce the law as written not selectively interpret it has he sees fit.

Personally I don't have a problem with legalizing it, if that is what the country wants, but I have a real problem with not enforcing federal law as written. That is what the federal government is suppose to do.

[spence]

Originally Posted by Mr. Sandman

We are a nation of laws...you want to change the law, fine change the law but the law is the law. They should enforce it. Obama took an oath to enforce the law as written not selectively interpret it has he sees fit.

There's simply not enough Federal resources to enforce all laws so they have to prioritize...

Would you rather then invest in busting a dope smoker or terrorism cell?

-spence

[Mr. Sandman]

Nonsense. Man power? come on...there are a small amount of shops selling this stuff in hand full of states, they could shut this down if they wanted...How many have they busted so far? Zero that I have heard of. Besides if they just took out a few, then fewer would be eager to get to market.

It is not the feds job to selectively pursue a case because they don't think they can get a conviction...their job is to enforce the law.

Besides many terrorist cells probably have some drug connections so you get a twofer when you make a bust.

[Nebe]

The reality as I see it is this... It's all about the bottom line. Tax revenue. Raise taxes or legalize weed and tax the crap out of it.... Sounds like a good idea to me.
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[spence]

The resource issue isn't to shut the shops down...you have to prosecute. Who wants all these cases clogging up the system when the public isn't behind it?

-spence

[Mr. Sandman]

If there is so much public support for it then federal law should have been changed prior to any state making it legal. Once the federal laws change tobacco companies will monopolize the business and crush these head shops.

[bassballer]

Originally Posted by Mr. Sandman

If there is so much public support for it then federal law should have been changed prior to any state making it legal. Once the federal laws change tobacco companies will monopolize the business and crush these head shops.

Thats what alot of the NEW companies are hoping for. Alot of these companies now producing medical juices, lolipops, candybars ect are hoping when that federal law changes they will be bought by a major corp. Alot of start ups getting in on the ground floor will have a nice pay day coming. The fed laws will change.

[JohnnySaxatilis]

Pot is the number one seller of giant criminal organizations. Its all connected unfortunately so federal prosecuters want pot illegal when tieing together different criminal elements. Its still federally illegal yes, but this is really intended for gargantuan busts, large scale distribution often tied into a lot of other hard drugs.

[massbassman]

Decriminilize and legalize it. Tax it similar to cigarettes, and keep the billions of dollars that each year go to the countries that are supplying and taking the $$ back to their countries. Think of the millions of dollars that would be saved in law enforcement, not to mention how it would benefit the overcrowding problem in our prisons from repeat offenders. We have been battling the drug war for decades and haven't put a dent in it, in fact losing it.
Maybe take some of this money and use it for something like... Gee I don't know... maybe some help and services for some of our wounded men and women in the Armed Services?!!
The war on drugs will never be stopped and it's time that this country wakes up to that fact, and realize that it its working against itself, and with proper laws and federal control, could turn this into billions of dollars for programs that will benefit everyone. Legalization will happen, it's just a matter of how much more time we waste.

[Fly Rod]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/defa...er_-_final.pdf


As we all know Mass. is ready to accept applications for pot sales...in Essex Mass. there R 2 applications to sell pot legally....as more states and there cities approve the sale it will put the illegal dealer out of business...and I'm dam sure that some illegal dealers R applying for a license...it cost big bucks to apply. The state requires $1.3 million for start-up capital — $500,000 for the first location and $400,000 for each additional site...Mass had over 180 applications.

[detbuch]

Originally Posted by Mr. Sandman

We are a nation of laws...you want to change the law, fine change the law but the law is the law. They should enforce it. Obama took an oath to enforce the law as written not selectively interpret it has he sees fit.

Personally I don't have a problem with legalizing it, if that is what the country wants, but I have a real problem with not enforcing federal law as written. That is what the federal government is suppose to do.

It may be a matter of protecting turf. The Federal prohibition of marijuana is given legal authority under the overbroad misuse of the Commerce Clause. On the one hand, the current government may wish to let the States decide the issue, which would be constitutionally correct. On the other hand, it may not wish to allow any intrusion on its unconstitutional overuse of the Commerce Clause. It's just too handy an instrument to be used whenever the Federal Government wishes to further intrude in our lives with whatever regulations it wishes to impose. The Court has already decided, incorrectly in my opinion, on the side of the Federal Government's right to prohibit. So a reversal would require more litigation, and any chance to lose their Commerce Clause power in this case could spread into other of the many areas where it regulates under that power.

So, it is better to leave the law stand, but not to enforce it. Win, win.

[detbuch]

Originally Posted by spence

There's simply not enough Federal resources to enforce all laws so they have to prioritize...

Would you rather then invest in busting a dope smoker or terrorism cell?

-spence

There are WAY more resources (money) available for the Federal Government to enforce and properly run its business--if it would stick only to the business constitutionally granted to it.

There will never be enough "resources" for a centralized bureaucracy to intrude into every aspect of our lives and then enforce that intrusion. If for no other reason, constitutional or otherwise, that should be enough to limit it from overreach.

[Nebe]

I just hope no one asks that baker to make them a ganja cake!!!!

[Saltheart]

Alcohol and tobacco are legal but pot is not?? No drug is more dangerous than a bottle of tequila and no bad habit is worse for your health than smoking tobacco.

Legalize it all and rip the heart (financing) out of gangs and organized crime .

[Raven]

sandman
i understand your point of view and respect your right to express it
but here is what was said
quote
“Allowing state law enforcement to ignore state decriminalization law—by relying on federal prohibition law—
violates fundamental constitutional principles of the separation of powers among the branches of state government,
and of federalism’s respect for state sovereignty,
~
that being said it's now a matter of Economics
the federal government has poured in more than a trillion dollars into
the war on drugs or the pot prohibition... since 1950
that's more than all the money spent in the gulf wars
and it did not accomplish the goal intended

cannabis is now hands down the united states biggest cash crop
and allowing the black market to be the only people making a profit
can no longer be tolerated given the "CHANGE" nationwide towards medical cannabis
which the government swore on a stack of bibles HAD no medical
uses what so ever... this coming from a government that was growing and distributing cannabis
just like tobacco as pre rolled cigarettes to a couple dozen Patients with various medical problems.

So the times they are a changin..... it seems
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NEBE Taxing the Hell out of Something isn't right either
I mean that's how the Revolutionary war got Started when
England began to over tax the tea and then the Boston Tea Party
basically Flipped the Bird @ the queen sayin F-You Queen Beotch
and soon the red coats were coming.... and Paul Revere was riding
~
One thing i can tell you after reading many hundreds of comments
on blogs discussing this subject is that there is NOTHING more controversial than prohibition ..... NOTHING

i want it to earn tax revenue for each state Fairly but not to the point
it's utterly ridiculous any more than beer should be taxed @ $20 dollars per bottle.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

referencing the Obama administration’s vow to keep their hands off of the shift in laws applicable to marijuana legalization at a state level. “The SJC has interpreted the law that if you do shake someone down, then that evidence goes out the window. You can’t use federal law to bypass the state law. [The Cruz decision] is the law—like it or lump it, it’s the law.”

the Cruz case

http://masscases.com/cases/sjc/459/459mass459.html

[ThrowingTimber]

taxing something at 25% even if federally legal, will stop mexican cartels (as well as other bad actors) from smuggling it in... riiiiight... because people are anxious to pay more for something that isnt taxed already... and seems to be readily available.

[Raven]

the other thing that irks me to NO end
is how it seems impossible for news casters and people in general
to have a serious conversation about it without
referencing the weed jokes about twinkies and munchies
everyone starts laughing giggling and can't keep a straight face to save their life.
it's like they are talking about Herman Munster or the Batman.

[Raven]

my interest in it actually began in 1971 when i discovered the Aphrodisiac properties of the herb...and after reading up on it i have been studying
aphrodisiac's ever since and health ever since.

There have been ancient graves discovered that were incredibly old before the time of Christ... that had urns full of it for the after life as it was considered then to be something sacred

[cheferson]

Glad I bought a bunch of mdbx stock at 11 bucks right before,it went legal in Colorado !!!!! Almost $38 today! Up 38% just today! Easy money , screw grunting it out on the line !
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[Swimmer]

Originally Posted by Raven

the other reason is because in our NATIONS capital which is
very close to making it legal ...or more legal i should say
BLACKS have been unfairly and dis-proportionally busted/ jailed for
small amounts of cannabis which amounts to illegal persecution
resulting in an inability to seek employment afterwards because
of their criminal past.

Craig have you checked the ratio of residents in our nations capital of whites v.s. blacks? I think probably its 95% black and then everyone else. So if a drug arrest occurs it can be pretty much assume to be a black person.
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[Swimmer]

Originally Posted by Fly Rod

Even tho there is a federal law aganist it the feds do not have enough man power to go after all the shops and prosecute...also one high ranking fed agent on 60 minutes had said that they doubt that they could get a jury to convict....never heard of Obama saying hands off.

The U.S. attorney general most certainly said we will not prosecute! We will stay out of it. Thats one of Obamas felllow Chicago boys. That was and is an Obama decision.

Take California for instance,over 50% of the population is on non prescribed drugs...Alaska is 60% of the population R on non prescribed drugs.... how do ya get a conviction?...not only does a person driving has to worry about a drunk driver now ya have to worry about a pothead and any pothead will tell ya it does not interfer with their driving.

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[Swimmer]

The whole movement is a joke. It will cost us more than we will ever take in from a tax perspective.
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[cheferson]

Originally Posted by Swimmer

The whole movement is a joke. It will cost us more than we will ever take in from a tax perspective.
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How will it cost more ? Please explain ...
Will it cost more then the impact of legal pharmaceuticals? You know how many idiots I've worked with who are on suboxone ?
Also Washington, D.C. Is not 95% black .....

All I know is my Ira is up about 15k+ in 2 weeks, thanks to legal marijuana and med box (up another $17 today!)
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[The Dad Fisherman]

Interesting Town DC.....50% black and the Gayest city in the Country

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/11000.html

http://newsfeed.time.com/2014/01/06/...-is/?hpt=hp_t3