Obama's Pot Problem

[unokitty]

"Legalization has set Colorado and Washington on a collision course with the Obama administration, which has shown no sign of backing down on its full-scale assault on pot growers and distributors. Although the president pledged to go easy on medical marijuana – now legal in 18 states – he has actually launched more raids on state-sanctioned pot dispensaries than George W. Bush ....

"There are not many friends to legalization in this administration,"... In fact, the politician who coined the term "drug czar" – Joe Biden – continues to guide the administration's hard-line drug policy. "... "As long as he is vice president, we're very far off from legalization being a reality."

"If Obama were committed to drug reform – ...he could immediately end DEA raids on those who grow and sell pot according to state law, and immediately order the Justice Department to make enforcement of federal marijuana laws the lowest priority of U.S. attorneys in states that choose to tax and regulate pot."

Complete article at Rolling Stone.

Is the President voting present on legalizing pot?

Uno

 

[Nintendesert]

It's ultimately up to Congress to overturn their own legislature. The zeal however that Obama has enforced the law in this regard is what's disconcerting. So it'll be interesting to see just what happens.

 

[piasabird]

Just legalize it at the federal level and then tax and license it as a controlled substance. That way you will know someone is monitoring the production and helping to insure a quality product. If you illegally buy pot you dont know if it is laced with PCP or what?

 

[piasabird]

Imagine the taxes you could earn off of selling pot like a tobacco product!

 

[Hugo Drax]

It's ultimately up to Congress to overturn their own legislature. The zeal however that Obama has enforced the law in this regard is what's disconcerting. So it'll be interesting to see just what happens.

Democrats and Republicans are two sides of the same coin. They report to the same folks and offer false choice.

Too much money in the Drug war and in the Pharm and Alcohol&Tobacco industry.

 

[MiniDoom]

Just legalize it at the federal level and then tax and license it as a controlled substance. That way you will know someone is monitoring the production and helping to insure a quality product. If you illegally buy pot you dont know if it is laced with PCP or what?

you have to be a complete moron or never smoked pot before to not notice pcp laced pot. it reeks of chemicals.
also, most drug dealer actually want to please their clientele so they return.

 

[ichy]

IMO until federal law changes I think the best thing the feds could to would be to say that they will investigate and prosecute interstate trafficking of marijuana. Pot that stays within the boundaries of one state would be the responsibility of state and local law enforcement.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

The big issue with legalization sans regulation & taxation is that the criminal cartels are the most established marijuana manufacturers out there and their experience and capital would crush any start-up enterprises here in the US. 30 years of the war on drugs has made them lean and mean. I do not feel that Cartels that are responsible for tens of thousands of deaths should be rewarded in such a way.

Its kinda like what happened in Egypt's Arab Spring. Everyone had all these good feelings about democracy and all the liberal groups were singing kumbaya but after years of evading the Mubarak government the Muslim Brotherhood was the most organized and cohesive political party out there and look at the no win mess they're in right now.

I fully support Marijuana legalization, but it has to be done intelligently with permits only handed out the US citizens with no prior underworld ties otherwise all the wrong people are going to come out ahead. I would rather Obama take that approach than the status-quo crap he's peddling right now.

 

[Moonbeam]

Fundamentalist Christians have recreated the Spanish Inquisition with drug laws. Nobody shall dare enjoy their inner selves on drugs without tithing and suffering. A week off a year and one on Sunday is enough joy for anybody. Only suffering and long prayer is the proper way to heaven. The body is evil and so is the mind. We are all abject sinners. You will understand when you know your self hate.

 

[piasabird]

Around St Louis, MO there has been a problem with pot drug dealers getting people hooked on Heroine. They will say they dont have any pot but offer some free heroine. After one try you are hooked for life. It will probably kill you in the end.

 

[MovingTarget]

Honestly, the only way for the failed war on drugs to end is if Republicans decide to end it. Many Democrats, including Obama, might have to be dragged kicking and screaming to do this but they would ultimately go along with it. Most are open to the possibility though. The Democrats' political calculus is still such that ending the drug war would be a net negative. If they unilaterally decide to do it, they get labelled as soft on crime, hippies, druggies, etc....not to mention they lose it as an issue in future elections.

 

[unokitty]

Honestly, the only way for the failed war on drugs to end is if Republicans decide to end it. .

Read the Rolling Stone Article.

All the President has to do is direct the Justice department to make pot a low priority.

The President controls the DEA funding and priorities...

This is completely within the President's authority. Doesn't have anything to do with political parties... Doesn't require a vote.

Uno

 

[IGBT]

all the opportunities the liberals have had at the federal level to legalize dope..and they haven't.

 

[Kadarin]

Fundamentalist Christians have recreated the Spanish Inquisition with drug laws. Nobody shall dare enjoy their inner selves on drugs without tithing and suffering. A week off a year and one on Sunday is enough joy for anybody. Only suffering and long prayer is the proper way to heaven. The body is evil and so is the mind. We are all abject sinners. You will understand when you know your self hate.

Agreeing with Moonbeam here (am I really saying this?). There's an attitude among a lot of people that is possibly based in religion where it is apparently immoral to feel drug-induced euphoria.

 

[Nintendesert]

Agreeing with Moonbeam here (am I really saying this?). There's an attitude among a lot of people that is possibly based in religion where it is apparently immoral to feel drug-induced euphoria.

Not sure which religion since the first miracle Jesus performs is turning water to wine. Christianity is about partying! :thumbsup:

 

[WHAMPOM]

Feeling good is a sin and anything that makes you feel g*o*o*d must be made illegal. And it is a double sin if you can grow your own "feel good" and not put money in some rich man's pocket.

 

[WHAMPOM]

Not sure which religion since the first miracle Jesus performs is turning water to wine. Christianity is about partying! :thumbsup:

That "love your neighbor" thing is so out there!

 

[xj0hnx]

They will say they dont have any pot but offer some free heroine. After one try you are hooked for life. It will probably kill you in the end.

That is beyond a lie. You sound as ignorant as the Reefer Madness movie.

 

[Fern]

IMO until federal law changes I think the best thing the feds could to would be to say that they will investigate and prosecute interstate trafficking of marijuana. Pot that stays within the boundaries of one state would be the responsibility of state and local law enforcement.

Sounds like a good idea.

Fern

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

The big issue with legalization sans regulation & taxation is that the criminal cartels are the most established marijuana manufacturers out there and their experience and capital would crush any start-up enterprises here in the US. 30 years of the war on drugs has made them lean and mean. I do not feel that Cartels that are responsible for tens of thousands of deaths should be rewarded in such a way.

Its kinda like what happened in Egypt's Arab Spring. Everyone had all these good feelings about democracy and all the liberal groups were singing kumbaya but after years of evading the Mubarak government the Muslim Brotherhood was the most organized and cohesive political party out there and look at the no win mess they're in right now.

I fully support Marijuana legalization, but it has to be done intelligently with permits only handed out the US citizens with no prior underworld ties otherwise all the wrong people are going to come out ahead. I would rather Obama take that approach than the status-quo crap he's peddling right now.

So people would choose to buy from a shady cartel dealer over picking up a pack at the local corner store if it was made legal? I seriously doubt that.

 

[DucatiMonster696]

The war on anything is a nice way to grow the Fed and keep demanding more money. So no,I don't expect Obama to do much of anything over the issue in regards to furthering legalization at the Fed level and if past history demonstrates anything his administration will increase its actions in terms of going after pot and its sellers and users and then demand more Federal tax payer money to fund this war.

 

[Juror No. 8]

Imagine the taxes you could earn off of selling pot like a tobacco product!

Since taxation is theft, one can't "earn" anything by taxing it.

Is a pickpocket earning money when he steals your wallet?

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Repost @_@

 

[Texashiker]

the beauty in this, states are not required to enforce federal law.

As more states legalize weed, the federal government will find it impossible to enforce its own laws.

 

[Darwin333]

The big issue with legalization sans regulation & taxation is that the criminal cartels are the most established marijuana manufacturers out there and their experience and capital would crush any start-up enterprises here in the US. 30 years of the war on drugs has made them lean and mean. I do not feel that Cartels that are responsible for tens of thousands of deaths should be rewarded in such a way.

Except we now have a bunch of actual real world data that says exactly the opposite. There are some towns in Cali that are being kept afloat by the taxes that legal and tax paying citizens pay from legally growing pot. Sorry, the cartels are great at sending massive amounts of low-mid grade stuff over the border but that is NOT what the dispensaries are selling. Besides, that is absurdly easy to protect against by simply requiring the dispensaries to keep a paper trail of their suppliers (or perhaps submit it to a state agency that the Feds couldn't strongarm?)