A step in the right direction ?

Colorado, Washington Pot Legalization Deals Drug War Major Blow

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/colorado-washington-pot-legalization-_n_2086023.html

Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize recreational marijuana in the prohibition era on Tuesday, dealing a major blow to the war on drugs. Medical marijuana was also legalized in Massachusetts, underlining long-running trends in public opinion toward more permissive attitudes on drugs.

"To put this into historical context, there is no historical context," said Tom Angell, spokesperson for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. "It's the first time any state has ever voted to legalize marijuana -- and two of them did it."

The votes marked a significant shift from decades of tough-on-crime policies that burned through $1 trillion in tax dollars over 40 years, led to the arrest of 850,000 Americans for marijuana law violations in 2010 alone, and fueled the rise of deadly drug cartels abroad. But even as pot reformers celebrated their long-sought victories, the threat of a confrontation with the federal government loomed.

Both ballot measures would legalize recreational marijuana use only for adults, and cannabis would remain a controlled substance under federal law.

In Colorado, Amendment 64 won with 54 percent of the vote in favor to 46 percent opposed. The measure allows the cultivation and sale of marijuana. In Washington, Initiative 502 carried the day with 56 percent of the vote in support and 44 percent against with half of precincts reporting.

"To put this into historical context, there is no historical context," said Tom Angell, spokesperson for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. "It's the first time any state has ever voted to legalize marijuana -- and two of them did it."

The votes marked a significant shift from decades of tough-on-crime policies that burned through $1 trillion in tax dollars over 40 years, led to the arrest of 850,000 Americans for marijuana law violations in 2010 alone, and fueled the rise of deadly drug cartels abroad. But even as pot reformers celebrated their long-sought victories, the threat of a confrontation with the federal government loomed.

Both ballot measures would legalize recreational marijuana use only for adults, and cannabis would remain a controlled substance under federal law.

In Colorado, Amendment 64 won with 54 percent of the vote in favor to 46 percent opposed. The measure allows the cultivation and sale of marijuana. In Washington, Initiative 502 carried the day with 56 percent of the vote in support and 44 percent against with half of precincts reporting.

Oregon was the lone state where legalization appears to have lost, with 55 percent of voters opposed. Support there may have been hamstrung by the public profile of Measure 80's primary backer, pot entrepreneur Paul Stanford, who was charged with failure to pay state income tax in 2011.

In California, a proposition that would reduce the severity of the state's harsh "three strikes" law appeared to be leading in early returns, which could signal a general move toward more rehabilitative stances on criminal justice.

The successful pro-pot campaigns prominently featured the voices of law enforcement officials who testified firsthand about the corrosive impact of the war on drugs. There was no reason to prohibit marijuana, they suggested, when far more destructive drugs like alcohol were legal.

Elsewhere in the nation, voters sent mixed messages on marijuana for medical use. Massachusetts legalized medical marijuana by a wide margin, becoming the 18th state to do so. The state of Arkansas, however, failed to become the first in the south to allow cancer patients and others relieve their pain with cannabis.

But there was reason for pause about marijuana reform as signs emerged that the Justice Department could move to block key elements of the ballot measures like tax collection. On Sunday, a former senior adviser to the Obama administration's Office of National Drug Control Policy, Kevin Sabet, told NBC News that "once these states actually try to implement these laws, we will see an effort by the Feds to shut it down."

“The voters have spoken and we have to respect their will," said Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, who opposed legalization, in a statement. "This will be a complicated process, but we intend to follow through. That said, federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug, so don’t break out the Cheetos or goldfish too quickly.”

"What an insult to the majority of voters who did not follow your recommendation, governor," responded Angell. "I wouldn't be surprised to see that comment bite him in the ***."

In both Washington and Colorado, action from the Justice Department could jeopardize marijuana tax revenues meant for state treasuries, a key element of selling legalization to undecided voters.

"Our work in Colorado and Washington is not yet done," Angell said. "We still need to work on effectively implementing these laws … so that we can show that when you legalize marijuana, the sky doesn't fall."

[specialmom]

Other than medical use, I sincerely doubt anything good will come from legalizing pot.  Scary times ahead I'm afraid.  But I'm one person and way outruled in my thinking here.  :>)

[brice1967]

I think I get what and how you're thinking.  I understand it... Looking at alcohol as a model, with all of the laws surrounding alcohol, its legal consumption, possession, sales etc.... it still ends up in the hands of minors or other people who are not so responsible.

I imagine the same thing will happen with weed, when and if it gets legalized.  But the fact remains, it is still getting into the hands of children/adolescents and some people who are not so responsible.  We talked about it before, perhaps on another cause, but where is the personal responsibility here?  

As a parent, it scares the $hit out of me regarding all of the crap out there that my kids may try.  I just have to hope that every single talk we've had about the subject sinks in.  Even as adults and making their own decisions, I really hope they stay away from all of that garbage.  I don't think weed is necessarily worse than alcohol, but I've seen alcohol ruin a lot of lives.... weed, not so much.

I've got a personal responsibility to not only my kids but to my wife and myself for flying right and its pretty easy to do.  I just hope all of the good examples around outweigh and of the negative examples out there.  

[rivll]

imagine the same thing will happen with weed, when and if it gets legalized.  But the fact remains, it is still getting into the hands of children/adolescents and some people who are not so responsible.  We talked about it before, perhaps on another cause, but where is the personal responsibility here?  

Well said, Brice. I couldn't agree more.

[el_em_en_oh]

Nothing good will come of this...

[Vance2335]

The federal government will not let this go through.

[rivll]

Hi guys :-)

[R Glass]

I personally don’t smoke it simply because I don’t like it. I guess I out grew it. If someone allows pot to control their lives, they’re to blame not the laws. If someone is going to be a skrew up, they’re going to be a skrew up. There will never be a Law that can stop them.

[orphanedhawk]

Well, I think it's a good thing. I think having someone arrested every 42 seconds in the US for marijuana is a bad thing.

I drank coffee every morning for years. I never offered it to my kids until they were adults. Nobody is making pot accessible for kids.
Where I live there are dispensaries and you have to have a state issued card just to step in the front door.
I've passed adults smoking on the street, but not kids.
When I was in schoolchild, I remember kids smoking in the woods and that was years ago.  Illegality has never kept it out of kids hands. In fact, it makes it more enticing to some.

Pot indeed has many medicinal uses and I don't mind anyone smoking a joint OR having a glass of wine to relax with.What adults do to relax is none of my business. I don't want them driving or offering it to kids but this law is not about that.

This law is common sense. Prohibition on pot has only succeeded in filling jail cells.

[adgal]

It truly does come down to people being responsible.  I know that I am one mother who will not allow her child to drink alcohol until he is of legal age.  Just the way I feel about it. Same thing with smoking, pot use, any of those things.  And hopefully I can teach him that although all of these things are in fact legal, they are not in his best interest.  As for folks that will sell it illegally - if they sell to a minor the repurcussions should be twice as tough as if they sell to an adult.  They need to get really really tough with dealers - way tougher then they currently are (at least in my country, perhaps the laws are tougher in the US).

I still maintain that the answer to drug use lies in education and rehabilition, not arrest and imprisonment.  The current war on drugs hasn't changed anything, so perhaps it is time to see if something else works.

SM, I so completely understand where you are coming from on this, I truly do.  My friend, I honestly hope your fears prove to go unfounded, for all of our childrens sake.  I know you hope that too.  At the end of the day we both want our kids to be safe and healthy and make good choices.

[MrsPincince]

I'm moving to CO..LOL

[hrsepwrguy]

Very well said !!!!

[orphanedhawk]

I just saw this and thought of this thread.
Scroll down to the 16 facts about marijuana and the economy.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/06/amendment-64-passes-in-co_n_2079899.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular#slide=more221587

[hrsepwrguy]

I read that one this afternoon and was going to post it but I didn't want to seem like I was gloating :)

[hrsepwrguy]

Marijuana Legalization Victories Could Be Short-Lived

Nov 7 (Reuters) - Votes making Colorado and Washington the first U.S. states to legalize marijuana for recreational use could be short-lived victories for pot backers because the federal government will fight them, two former U.S. drug control officials said on Wednesday.

They said the federal government could sue to block parts of the measures or send threatening letters to marijuana shops, followed up by street-level clampdowns similar to those targeting medical marijuana dispensaries the government suspects are fronts for drug traffickers.

"This is a symbolic victory for (legalization) advocates, but it will be short-lived," Kevin Sabet, a former adviser to the Obama administration's drug czar, told reporters.

"They are facing an uphill battle with implementing this, in the face of ... presidential opposition and in the face of federal enforcement opposition," Sabet said.

Colorado and Washington state legalized the possession and sale of marijuana for adult recreational use on Tuesday through ballot measures in defiance of federal law, while a similar initiative was defeated at the polls in Oregon.

The initiatives appeared to reflect growing national support for liberalized marijuana laws, as indicated by a Gallup poll last year that found 50 percent of Americans favored making it legal, versus 46 percent opposed.

The U.S. Department of Justice, which considers marijuana an illegal drug liable to being abused, said enforcement of the federal Controlled Substances Act "remains unchanged."

"We are reviewing the ballot initiatives and have no additional comment at this time," a government statement said.

Sabet said he expected the Obama administration would at some point file a federal lawsuit to challenge and seek to block aspects of state-level legalization measures and that this "is going to be caught up in the courts for quite a while."


HARD TO ROLL BACK CLOCK

But federal action was not expected to snuff out state-sanctioned marijuana in those states - especially the ability of individuals to possess an ounce or less of the drug without risk of arrest by local police.

Sabet, who opposes legalization, acknowledged that states were free to eliminate their own penalties for possession. But he said U.S. Attorneys could send letters to Colorado and Washington governors warning them not to implement provisions to regulate and tax marijuana at special stores.

Or the federal government could wait until such a system is created and sue to block it, he said.

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, had said he personally opposed his state's legalization measure. But he has since said he plans to respect the will of voters.

In Washington state, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jay Inslee, who was leading in the vote count in a tight race, has spoken out against his state's initiative but is committed to implementing it, campaign spokeswoman Jaime Smith said.

If the Obama administration reacts too harshly, it could suffer politically with younger, more left-leaning voters who chose legalization and typically lean Democratic.

But President Barack Obama also faces pressure from anti-drug groups to protect young people from harm they say would result if states set up a regulated and taxed marijuana trade.

Robert DuPont, who served as drug czar for former Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford and opposes legalization, said he welcomed a confrontation.

"I think it's time to resolve it," he said.

Ian Millhiser, senior constitutional policy analyst with the left-leaning Center for American Progress, said the federal government, even if it sues to challenge the Colorado and Washington initiatives, cannot force police in those states to arrest people for marijuana infractions.

"If I were Barack Obama, I would look at this and say I would rather have young voters with me," Millhiser said. (Additional reporting by Jonathan Kaminsky in Olympia; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Jim Loney)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/08/marijuana-legalization_n_2090625.html

[specialmom]

so, something I didn't realize as mj is not legal here.  My niece worked in California and talked to me about the shops.  That they have 'doctors' in the shops to write you your script for medical marijauna if you have any symptoms that are on the store front (such as headache and other things that EVERYONE has from time to time.).  This was never what I thought of for medical marijauna.  I thought oncologists IN THEIR OFFICE or other specialists/primary care doctors would look at the treatment plan of someone suffering a chronic illness and then write a perscription.  

ugh.  Now I'm not sure about medical marijauna either.  

[rivll]

That they have 'doctors' in the shops to write you your script for medical marijauna if you have any symptoms that are on the store front (such as headache and other things that EVERYONE has from time to time.).  

In order to be approved by their Dr. one needs to bring in a letter (Official) to be reviewed stating your health problem.
I am sure there are abuses to the system. So what,it is still preferable than buying it off the street and supporting the dealers and ultimately the Cartel.
MJ use will not stop because it is illegal, so we need to create safeguards and regulations to do this right, not to mention adding revenues for the State.

[teko]

I heard on the news this morning that there is a new strain of mj being used medically. It has virtually no htc in it and therefore virtually removes the high you get from using it. They are using it for medical use and the people that had used it said, it literally changed their life. Im good with that!

[adgal]

That's interesting.  I can tell you for absolute certain that one of the problems with buying MJ on the streets is that it is rarely the real mccoy.  It's all genetically modified or has something added to increase the high - it's not pure.  Stuff sold legally shouldn't have that issue.  That's a positive thing.

[el_em_en_oh]

"...the federal government could sue to block parts of the measures or send threatening letters to marijuana shops..."

Oh Noes... not threatening letters!!!

[orphanedhawk]

There is little assuarance to what one is getting when one buys pot.
That is why the lab here in Northern Ca that was doing testing was ground breaking. They're the ones that came up with the tincture that has no 'high' but was helping kids with seizures.

But the feds are trying to break it all up. The theory is now the big pharmaceutical companies are not happy about people getting their medicine without them getting a cut.
( For more info google legalizationnation)

SM~ Yes, many people get scripts for anything it seems to get their hands on pot. On the other hand, people with terminal cancer are also seeking relief and for many people in hospice, it is truly wonderful.

[nursegirl6572]

I've only seen the FDA approved pill "Marinol" like maybe 5 times...of course in a controlled health care setting.  It was mostly used as an appetite suppressant for people going thru chemo.

Of course, that really has nothing tio do with the conversation at hand.  I just wanted to say something.

So there.  ;0)

[hrsepwrguy]

"They said the federal government could sue to block parts of the measures or send threatening letters to marijuana shops, followed up by street-level clampdowns similar to those targeting medical marijuana dispensaries the government suspects are fronts for drug traffickers"

"But federal action was not expected to snuff out state-sanctioned marijuana in those states - especially the ability of individuals to possess an ounce or less of the drug without risk of arrest by local police"

These are the parts of the article that I found interesting, what it says to me is that the feds are willing to spend money to keep from making money, they can't change the fact that it will be legal to have under an once of MJ if you are above 21, but they will go after the stores paying state and federal taxes.

Now that is a brilliant train of thought on their part.  LOL