Colorado passes legalization of recreational pot,

[Baron Von PWN]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/0 ... endment-64

[nietzsche]

I can't wait for the ep of Southpark dedicated to this.

[saxitoxin]

A symbolic victory only. Colorado already legalized medicinal pot and, as soon as dispensaries opened, the Obama administration sent hundreds of federal police backed by armored cars and helicopter gunships in to shut them down, saying federal law preempted the state. They'll bomb Colorado into the stone age before the first joint gets legally lit in Denver.

Since then, the administration has unleashed an interagency cannabis crackdown that goes beyond anything seen under the Bush administration, with more than 100 raids, primarily on California pot dispensaries, many of them operating in full compliance with state laws. Since October 2009, the Justice Department has conducted more than 170 aggressive SWAT-style raids in 9 medical marijuana states, resulting in at least 61 federal indictments, according to data compiled by Americans for Safe Access, an advocacy group.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/2 ... 51744.html

[MegaProphet]

A small step closer to ending the War on Drugs. And it's not just Colorado it's Washington too.

[Baron Von PWN]

A symbolic victory only. Colorado already legalized medicinal pot and, as soon as dispensaries opened, the Obama administration sent hundreds of federal police backed by armored cars and helicopter gunships in to shut them down, saying federal law preempted the state. They'll bomb Colorado into the stone age before the first joint gets legally lit in Denver.

Since then, the administration has unleashed an interagency cannabis crackdown that goes beyond anything seen under the Bush administration, with more than 100 raids, primarily on California pot dispensaries, many of them operating in full compliance with state laws. Since October 2009, the Justice Department has conducted more than 170 aggressive SWAT-style raids in 9 medical marijuana states, resulting in at least 61 federal indictments, according to data compiled by Americans for Safe Access, an advocacy group.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/2 ... 51744.html

symbolic yes, but interesting none the less. How long can the feds keep saying no while an increasing number of states support legalisation?

it hints at a growing momentum for legalisation if votes on legalisation are wining. Presumably political candidates are getting behind the motion as well.

[Nola_Lifer]

If the people voted for legalization then how can the government tell the people no?

[bedub1]

<Removed>

[Funkyterrance]

I've got nothing against pot, I've consumed my share. If it makes a Mc Donalds employee's life easier to do his job high, so be it. Just don't screw up my order or heads are going to roll.

[Frigidus]

If the people voted for legalization then how can the government tell the people no?

The state government can't, but send in the FBI and there isn't much anybody on the state level can do. Fun fact, Obama promised before his first election that he wouldn't crack down on drug use in states that legalized it. Turns out he was full of shit but nobody cares.

[saxitoxin]

Video of Obama's paramilitary forces (DEA and Federal Marshals) after they swept through California seizing marijuana and arresting licensed sellers following California's legalization move. Local police initially refused to help the feds with crowd control until Obama threatened to unleash battle-hardened Army troops into the streets of Oakland if they didn't.

[nietzsche]

If the "war on drugs" ended I don't know what would happen in Mexico.

Plenty of idiots with guns and no lucrative business... kidnaping and extortion would skyrocket.

[Commander62890]

If the "war on drugs" ended I don't know what would happen in Mexico.

Plenty of idiots with guns and no lucrative business... kidnaping and extortion would skyrocket.

Yes, organized crime would find another way to make its money... maybe human trafficking?

[Symmetry]

If the "war on drugs" ended I don't know what would happen in Mexico.

Plenty of idiots with guns and no lucrative business... kidnaping and extortion would skyrocket.

Yes, organized crime would find another way to make its money... maybe human trafficking?

That's not what the founding fathers wanted!
















...oh wait, they were pretty much ok with the human trafficking stuff.

[saxitoxin]

Earlier today Obama's Department of Justice issued a statement confirming Obama will use armed police to arrest and imprison anyone caught with pot in Colorado or Washington, regardless of what new state laws say.

The Department of Justice is reminding Americans that marijuana remains illegal — despite ballot measures passed by Washington and Colorado legalizing the substance for recreational use.

The conflict sets up a major clash between the federal government and the states. Obama expressed tepid support for leaving medical marijuana to the states during the 2008 campaign, but the federal raids have continued unabated on dispensaries across the country, and the DOJ never promised to back away from cracking down on recreational distribution of pot.

http://www.politico.com/politico44/2012 ... 48901.html

[Nobunaga]

This is what I don't get. Pot is (generally) illegal. For selling it one can do actual prison time. Smoking it - depends on where you live.

When was the last time you heard or read about somebody smoking a joint, then beating the shite out of their wife and kids?

Now how about alcohol?

It makes no sense.

[Funkyterrance]

Earlier today Obama's Department of Justice issued a statement confirming Obama will use armed police to arrest and imprison anyone caught with pot in Colorado or Washington, regardless of what new state laws say.

The Department of Justice is reminding Americans that marijuana remains illegal — despite ballot measures passed by Washington and Colorado legalizing the substance for recreational use.

The conflict sets up a major clash between the federal government and the states. Obama expressed tepid support for leaving medical marijuana to the states during the 2008 campaign, but the federal raids have continued unabated on dispensaries across the country, and the DOJ never promised to back away from cracking down on recreational distribution of pot.

http://www.politico.com/politico44/2012 ... 48901.html

This just tells me that before you start lighting up in public you should probably do your homework lol.

[Nola_Lifer]

Well we already had a war over this issue: state rights vs federal.

[Funkyterrance]

Well we already had a war over this issue: state rights vs federal.

Yup, those potheads are a force to be reckoned with.

[2dimes]

This is going to be tough on a lot of B.C. Potheads when they go to cross the border and start trying to declare their weed. Should make for some comedy though.

[stoicbird]

Did the state politicians get arrested as it seems to me that they broke federal law and not the dispensary's.

I'd say legalize it for use in private. I wouldn't want kids seeing people walking around smoking weed in public. Obama could raise some taxes from weed too.Alcohol is far more mind altering than weed in heavy useage.

[greenoaks]

This is what I don't get. Pot is (generally) illegal. For selling it one can do actual prison time. Smoking it - depends on where you live.

When was the last time you heard or read about somebody smoking a joint, then beating the shite out of their wife and kids?

Now how about alcohol?

It makes no sense.

i always thought the war on drugs was for 2 reasons.

Racism - Chinese workers enjoying opium. other races same deal.
Money - those drugs are not manufactured/sold by Americans

keeping certain drugs illegal protects prescription medication + parliament is generally made up of old white men who favour their drugs of choice - alcohol/tobacco

[Nola_Lifer]

The U.S. government has a patten on medical marijuana and actually sells it to Brazil. On a side note looks like the U.N. is stepping in. http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/1 ... -treaties/

[Phatscotty]

can't wait until the state becomes dependent on the tax revenues from pot. The money raised through taxation will most likely get linked to funding children's health or children's education, something that will guarantee little resistance to outrageous tax increases on the pot in the future.

"The tax is only getting raised on the pot heads. we don't give a shit about the stoners! raise the taxes!" Marijuana users will be repeatedly pitted against whatever cause the money funds, and the burnouts aren't going to get many sympathy votes from the legislature.

...and then they will really crack down on "unauthorized sales", because the state does not like competition. And then of course you will only be able to get it on certain days, during certain hours. Don't forget to factor in the cost of all the new regulation into the price of the product. The price stability you have known all your life will double in about 36 months,

Government legalization is the last thing you guys should want. What's the big problem with the way pot is treated now anyways? The price has went down, you can get the shit anywhere, there are no taxes.....sure, you can go to jail or get a ticket, but seriously, does anyone here know someone who is in jail for smoking a joint?

WTF????

The better answer, IMO, is to decriminalize marijuana. Get the government OUT of it. Basically, the exact same argument I have been making about marriage.

[Baron Von PWN]

can't wait until the state becomes dependent on the tax revenues from pot. The money raised through taxation will most likely get linked to funding children's health or children's education, something that will guarantee little resistance to outrageous tax increases on the pot in the future.

"The tax is only getting raised on the pot heads. we don't give a shit about the stoners! raise the taxes!" Marijuana users will be repeatedly pitted against whatever cause the money funds, and the burnouts aren't going to get many sympathy votes from the legislature.

...and then they will really crack down on "unauthorized sales", because the state does not like competition. And then of course you will only be able to get it on certain days, during certain hours. Don't forget to factor in the cost of all the new regulation into the price of the product. The price stability you have known all your life will double in about 36 months,

Government legalization is the last thing you guys should want. What's the big problem with the way pot is treated now anyways? The price has went down, you can get the shit anywhere, there are no taxes.....sure, you can go to jail or get a ticket, but seriously, does anyone here know someone who is in jail for smoking a joint?

WTF????

The better answer, IMO, is to decriminalize marijuana. Get the government OUT of it. Basically, the exact same argument I have been making about marriage.

The problem with the current system is you can go to jail for it. The problem if you just decriminalize it, is you could still go to jail for producing it or police could fine you for possessing and then confiscate your pot. If the state did as you suggest they would. I see no reason why they would, you could have made the same arguments during alcohol prohibition, it would just go underground again.

[_sabotage_]

I spent 5 years 9 months and 21 days in jail for marijuana and only marijuana, 9 ounces. The government informed my family that I was arrested with 250 kg of heroin. Maximum security, where I spent nearly 3 years, was half drug cases. General population was also half drug cases. We find a problem and then build walls and systems around it. The systems become self serving, ie it makes no sense to destroy your income source, drugs, since this would put you out of business. It's much better to increase the flow so you can increase arrests and make your department stronger. When Anslinger first pushed for criminalization of marijuana, he falsified all the evidence surrounding it and the only scientific research was ignored, they actual told the doctor that his study of 40k people was of no value in the decision. Anslinger later moved to the UN and had marijuana outlawed internationally, incorporating its illegality as a fixed condition to join the WTO and UN council.

We now have 1,800,000 drug arrests each year. This is taxpayers money being used to build a police state against their own people. It amuses me to hear the discourse on the drug war. If marijuana and other drugs were legal, half of the American justice, police, prison and legal systems would be redundant. Do you really think that the government is going to allow freedom of choice in exchange for half of its muscle? Do you think that the president who is surrounded by this consortium of people whose livelihoods depend on destroying families and doing the governments dirty work is going to help my former cell mates who have long given up hope?