"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
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)
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.
"...the federal government could sue to block parts of the measures or send threatening letters to marijuana shops..."
Oh Noes... not threatening letters!!!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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
I read that one this afternoon and was going to post it but I didn't want to seem like I was gloating :)
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
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.
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.
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.
The federal government will not let this go through.
Nothing good will come of this...
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.
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.
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. :>)