House votes to block federal gov interference with state medical marijuana law!!!

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Thebobo

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Jun 19, 2006
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House votes to block federal government interference with state medical marijuana laws

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...rgeting-medical-marijuana-in-states-where-it/

The GOP-controlled House voted early Friday in favor of blocking the federal government from interfering with states that permit the use of medical marijuana.

The somewhat surprising 219-189 vote came as the House debated a bill funding the Justice Department's budget.

The amendment by conservative GOP Rep. Dana Rohrabacher of California -- the first state to legalize medical marijuana -- came as almost half the states have legalized marijuana for medical uses, such as improving the appetites of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
 
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shira

Diamond Member
Jan 12, 2005
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If similar legislation can be passed in the Senate (will the Republicans agree not to filibuster?), I don' think that Obama would veto the reconciled bill. This would be a nice step toward a similar act related to state legalization of MJ.
 

unokitty

Diamond Member
Jan 5, 2012
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From the Christian Science Monitor
“It looks like Republicans may be gradually recovering from a cannabis-induced fog that made them forget the Constitution,”...

So-called “respect state marijuana laws” bills have been tried several times since 2003, but have always failed because of GOP opposition. But on Friday, the leading Republican supporter, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, of California, found enough support to win passage among a broad gallery of conservatives, including tea party champion Rep. Paul Broun of Georgia, Steve Stockman of Texas, and California’s Tom McClintock.

To be sure, that contingent still looked small since Republicans voted against the amendment by a 3-to-1 margin. But political analysts said the fact that 49 Republicans voted for what was in essence a historic pro-pot amendment nevertheless represents a significant shift inside the GOP – especially given that only 28 Republicans voted for a similar measure last year.

... In Sacramento, the Marijuana Policy Project, a pro-legalization advocacy group, has endorsed Igor Birman, a tea party politician looking to unseat a Democratic Congresswoman. MPP lobbyist Dan Riffle said Mr. Birman “is among the growing number of Republicans with common sense views on marijuana.”

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said recently that the state may find an administrative way to allow medical marijuana dispensaries – which, if it happens, would be the first real entrée of legal marijuana into the Bible Belt.

And then there are shifts in public perception among Republican voters.

The Pew Research Center found recently that 61 percent of Republican voters believe medical marijuana should be legal. Only ten years ago, Americans on the whole opposed marijuana legalization by a 2-to-1 margin.

Such shifts suggest that rolling marijuana legalization into a states’ rights wrapper could be a political winner for a party struggling for relevance in an increasingly tolerant US society.

For one, the fervent, tea party-inspired debate on the right about states’ rights gives Republicans a way to defend a pro-marijuana stance.

“The rise of the tea party … has given an unforeseen boost to the legalization movement,” writes Evan Halper, in the Los Angeles Times. “The reason: More Republicans are coming around to the view that prosecuting medical marijuana dispensaries is a violation of states’ rights.”
From a legalization perspective, I think that this is great news. Anytime both political parties can agree on legalization/decriminalization of marijuana, the citizens will win.

Admittedly, its a bit oblique to see the Tea Party and the Democrats on the same side of an issue, or a trend, but I'm okay with it. And I'm okay with all the political parties sharing credit... Hope that they continue to find common ground.

Great News!
Uno
 
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shira

Diamond Member
Jan 12, 2005
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From the Christian Science Monitor
From a legalization perspective, I think that this is great news. Anytime both political parties can agree on legalization/decriminalization of marijuana, the citizens will win.

Admittedly, its a bit oblique to see the Tea Party and the Democrats on the same side of an issue, or a trend, but I'm okay with it. And I'm okay with all the political parties sharing credit... Hope that they continue to find common ground.

Great News!
Uno
This is only a MEDICAL mj law. Nice, but we'll really have arrived when Congress legislates "hands off" with respect to state mj-legalization laws, not just medical mj laws.
 

Thebobo

Lifer
Jun 19, 2006
18,592
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This is only a MEDICAL mj law. Nice, but we'll really have arrived when Congress legislates "hands off" with respect to state mj-legalization laws, not just medical mj laws.

Very true, but at least its a step. And I would of never thought it would of happened before the election cycle.
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
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Very true, but at least its a step. And I would of never thought it would of happened before the election cycle.

I agree.

my thoughts are they should just go ahead and make it legel. but i am happy to see that medical use is gaining momentum.

IL is in the process of doing it. but man the restrictions they want to place..
 

unokitty

Diamond Member
Jan 5, 2012
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In a bipartisan vote, lawmakers passed an amendment that would bar the DEA from messing with state marijuana laws, prohibiting the agency from spending any of its funding on targeting legal weed operations and users.

It was a shocking moment of clarity for an institution that has spent the past three decades propping up the federal government’s failing war on drugs. Even more surprisingly, the amendment passed the infamously gridlocked chamber on the strength of both parties, with a final vote tally of 219 to 189. Although Democrats predictably carried the measure, 49 Republicans also voted yes, reflecting the party’s gradual shift toward embracing more libertarian views on drug policy.

...the DEA remains staunchly against medical marijuana. In fact, a report issued by the agency earlier this month warns that “Organizers behind the “medical” marijuana movement did not really concern themselves with marijuana as a medicine—they just saw it as a means to an end, which is the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes.”
From my perspective, the government lost the war on drugs some time ago... Anything that will impact the flow of money to the Drug War Zombies, such as the DEA, is a good thing...

Another perspective:
In 2010 there were 853,838 marijuana-related arrests in the U.S.,.

For the law enforcement involved, it means more drug arrests, requiring more police officers, more employment opportunities. It means more confiscations of houses, cars, boats, planes, cash, all to be used for the benefit of law enforcement, making the drug war highly profitable for law enforcement agencies, like the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office.

It is little wonder that Sheriff Nienhuis opposes the legalization of “medical marijuana.” It provides his department with cars, and boats, and houses. The cash is used to buy fast cars with fancy paint jobs for his resource officers to drive.
Time to end the gravy train for the Drug Warriors...

At least, that’s the opinion of this former military policeman.

Uno
 

mnewsham

Lifer
Oct 2, 2010
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I agree.

my thoughts are they should just go ahead and make it legel. but i am happy to see that medical use is gaining momentum.

IL is in the process of doing it. but man the restrictions they want to place..

In MD we have technically had medical marijuana for years, however it wasn't until last year that they decided to allow dispensaries. Unfortunately Maryland politicians in their ultimate wisdom decided to ONLY allow hospitals or other medical facilities to register as a dispensary. Essentially unless you were a teaching hospital or something similar, you couldn't distribute pot. Not a single medical facility in the entire state signed up for the project. It wasn't until last month we finally signed a bill for medical marijuana dispensaries to be set up for the sole purpose of selling medical pot. Finally! So in the next few years Maryland may actually have real medical marijuana. Very exciting, it takes time but even with stupid restrictions we eventually came around to a smart medical program. IL will get there. Just takes time.
 

cabri

Diamond Member
Nov 3, 2012
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I agree.

my thoughts are they should just go ahead and make it legel. but i am happy to see that medical use is gaining momentum.

IL is in the process of doing it. but man the restrictions they want to place..

Many of the extra restrictions are due to the open fraud that has been perpetuated on the public by MJ proponents when people are using MMJ as a false flag for general MJ use.
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,145
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Many of the extra restrictions are due to the open fraud that has been perpetuated on the public by MJ proponents when people are using MMJ as a false flag for general MJ use.

I don't mind restrictions. I do mind that you give up your 2nd amendment rights to have MMJ in il.
 

werepossum

Elite Member
Jul 10, 2006
29,873
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Kudos to Bohner for allowing this to come to a vote. And kudos to a quarter of House Republicans for overcoming a knee-jerk opposition to join with Democrats.
 
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