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RA: While I fully understand the notion of guilt by association, I'm having a difficult time processes how any of this directly relates to MJNA. What is your assertion here? You claim that others should perform due diligence with regard to this post. If you feel that this has any bearing on MJNA, and your intention is to be informative, why not post links to the progress you have made. Thanks for your help!
What Does the Election Mean For Medical Marijuana Patients?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steph-sherer/medical-marijuana-ballot-intiatives_b_2067347.html
You've read pundits on the impact of the tight presidential race on the budget, on taxes, even on the weather. One important issue that could be decided by Tuesday's election is medical marijuana. With federal and state policy in conflict and in flux, medical marijuana is one of America's highest-profile unresolved issues. After this election, resolution may be a step closer.
My organization, Americans for Safe Access, has been leading the fight for medical marijuana patients for ten years, and we were not going to sit back during this important election just because Obama says he's friendlier to our cause than his opponents. There have been more DEA raids against medical marijuana facilities in the four years of the Obama administration than there were in eight years of Bush, but President Obama was the first president to publicly express sympathy for suffering patients who can be helped by medical cannabis. Rather than attacking Obama's poor record on the issue and siding with another candidate, we helped rally patients and supporters to ask him to back off the raids, by launching CampWakeUpObama.com and staging rallies and actions across the nation.
Did we wake up Obama? Only time will tell -- if he earns another term -- but certainly the issue of medical marijuana was in the spotlight as Governor Romney and Representative Ryan were forced to answer questions about it. More often than not, it seemed, their somewhat sympathetic statements about cannabis had to be retracted by their campaigns. If the Republicans win the presidency, along with ever-increasing numbers of Republican Congressmen supporting the cause, patients will continue to press for friendlier federal laws.
We will press on no matter who wins the federal election because state laws are continuing their trend toward greater access to marijuana for patients and researchers. Right now, about a third of the country lives in a state with a medical cannabis law. Cities and states are confronting federal law enforcement in court over medical cannabis facilities and regulations. Medical marijuana is in need of a resolution at the federal level.
The president and Congress each have the power to end the federal-state divide over medical marijuana policy. In the next weeks or months, the judiciary may prod the policymakers to act by ruling on the patients' lawsuit heard by Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on October 16th. Americans for Safe Access v Drug Enforcement Administration, as the lawsuit is named, argues that the rejection of marijuana's medical value by federal policy is not based on a reasonable understanding of the available science, and does not conform to the letter or spirit of the Controlled Substances Act. A similar argument is being advanced by noted physicist Dr. John Schwarz, the father of Superstring Theory, who has authored an op-ed urging President Obama to uphold his promise to put science before politics, and base marijuana policy on its demonstrated medical value. Meanwhile, patients can take matters into their own hands, by using tools like VoteMedicalMarijuana.org to inform themselves on their Representative's record before casting a ballot.
Beyond your vote, you can help the three medical marijuana campaigns with a donation or with your time. There are active, closely-fought initiatives for medical marijuana access that could use help, in Arkansas, Massachusetts and Montana -- click on the state for a link to the campaign. I traveled to Arkansas this week, and I'm making signs and distributing them to activists around the state to help get out the vote. Your help will make a difference as well.
With states voting on whether to adopt medical access to marijuana next week, and many bills pending in state legislatures, the tension between state and federal positions on marijuana will only rise. The president, congressmen and state and local officials that we elect next week will be empowered to settle this issue once and for all -- if they choose to.
Don't get me wrong. I wasn't trying to give Bubba anymore credit than he actually deserves. However, i would take him back, in a heartbeat, over the empty chair. They spin the numbers to suit their needs. Kinda like last months "stellar" job report.
You're probably right. I don't know if i can take another today, either!
This is in federal court, not VA state court.
Yeah, I know. But as far as we know for today they are still there. They should've been out by 5P.
I don't think that the Court would be holding the jury over tonight if there wasn't an expectation for the case to be resolved in the next few hours.
Hahaha. Have a good weekend!
Huh? Do you have a link documenting what you wrote about MJNA acquiring COIN?
Haha
Oh well, but I'll take 10% on most days!
You have a link?
It wouldnt be unheard of for court staff to get a cell phone in, but it's hard to text and type at the same time, especially right in front of the judge.
This is VA, not WV!
Wait, for a minute I thought this was YMB. Assclowns!
We could get there.
My bad. False alarm. It just jumped pretty quickly.
Here we go!
The judge erred on the laches decision. Either way, loss risk v. potential upside DD is kind of pointless. It all comes down to verdict, a classic binary play. It either shoots up or down. People shouldn't put more in than they are willing to lose IMO.
Pretty much.
I always follow up with antibacterial wet wipes. Concession from those with the wrong views is always welcome and encouraged. I love it!
I usually wipe with Modernist articles, but I'll take this one, I think.
I've been patiently waiting for something to happen all day. You?
Some people will never get it. It's easy to talk a bunch of bs from cozy homes in the US. I challenge anyone to spend some time in Iraq, Afghanistan, or the like. Perspective is key. Driving down the interstate is peaceful when you don't have to keep an eyes for IEDs and people who will kill you for the hell of it. Freedom is not free.
Number 1: we had a surplus under Clinton.
Number 2: he is not MY commander.
Number 3: I'm pretty well versed in US History.
Number 4: For you to use the words best president and Carter in the same sentence speaks volumes about your fluency with regard to US History. Truly LMAO!
Will do. Thanks for the insight.
He is a better OVERALL candidate than the alternative. If I thought it wouldn't be a wasted vote, I'd support Johnson. We've already witnessed how the Feds have responded to MMJ under Obama. At least with Romney there's hope that Ryan can sell him on a state rights stance. It seems that Mitt's issue with MMJ is Big Pharma and religiously induced. Those can be overcome.
HAHA. Worst, at least in your lifetime, was Carter. That is, of course, until the current debacle. I suppose you agree with the handling of BenghaziGate by the administration also. Awesome how we go from the strongest country in the world to looking up to others like Canada. 4 more days!
I just finished going through them. Can you post the link to D's exhibits?
After a quick glance, the exhibits do a excellent job of breaking down the technical jargon. Did you find anything that could be construed as negative?
Review: Marijuana and the 2012 Election
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/drug-law/2012-marijuana-ballot
On December 5, 1933, the 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, and our failed experiment with alcohol prohibition was put to rest. Americans grew tired of the ever-worsening violence associated with the rise of the criminal alcohol market that developed in the absence of a legally recognized and properly regulated industry. As a society, we came to realize that the dangerous and unavoidable collateral markets created by prohibition were in fact more detrimental to society than alcohol itself. On November 6, 2012, some 79 years later, many Americans will have the opportunity to strike the very important first blows against another failed prohibition: marijuana’s.
The upcoming General Election will allow millions of Americans to bypass the legislative process and decide for themselves whether prohibitive marijuana policies should stand. Three states – Colorado, Washington, and Oregon – will be voting on measures to end the state prohibition on adult marijuana possession and use. Two states – Arkansas and Massachusetts – will be voting on whether exemptions should be carved out of their state criminal codes to allow possession and use for the seriously ill. One state – Montana – will vote on a referendum to repeal a law that gutted their previously enacted medical marijuana law. Finally, a host of cities and towns across the country will be voting on measures that either reform city codes or send symbolic messages that greater reform is needed.
State measures to end marijuana prohibition
Three states will be voting on measures to tax and regulate marijuana, and odds are at least one will pass. There has been steady majority or plurality support for both Colorado’s and Washington’s initiatives, and Oregon’s question has seen a recent uptick in the polls as well. If any of the three do pass, it would represent a sea change in American marijuana policy.
While the minutia of all three measures differ – and I highly encourage voters in Colorado, Washington, and Oregon to read their measures – they are born of common goals. The idea is to devise a system where marijuana sales are brought out of the criminal market and instead subjected to careful regulation and taxation. With tight controls, marijuana would be legally grown and sold by law-abiding, tax-paying businesses, as opposed to the criminal enterprises that currently hold a monopoly over the lucrative marijuana market. Creating a legal and regulated market ensures safety and transparency with regard to potency by allowing cultivators to legally test their product. Strict age limits on sales will create barriers to underage consumption by imposing penalties on businesses that sell to minors (when was the last time a drug dealer asked for ID?). A taxed and regulated market also means that states will see added revenue that can help with funding education projects, medical research, etc. The current system ensures that states capture no revue on marijuana sales.
So what will the effect of passage be and what will the feds do? The first question is pretty easy: if one, two, or all three of these pass, millions of Americans 21 and older will no longer be subject to arrest for the possession or private use of a plant proven safer than alcohol. It is clear that states can, and do, create their own criminal laws. In addition, 99% of all marijuana arrests are made under state law. So if states remove their criminal penalties against marijuana possession and private use, we can expect to see a significant drop in marijuana-related arrests.
The second question – how the feds will react – is difficult to predict. The feds can choose to allow the states to proceed with implementation of the regulatory structure without interference. This would be what I like to call the ‘laboratory of democracy’ approach. We already know the results of the marijuana prohibition experiment: control in the hands of criminals, laced product, exposure to all kinds of other illicit drugs, violence, and no decrease in use or abuse. It’s high time a state tests a different approach. Although taxation and regulation may not lead to a decrease in use or abuse, it will certainly eliminate or greatly reduce the negative collateral consequences that are inherent in marijuana prohibition.
The feds could also sue to enjoin the implementation of the new regulatory schemes. At first blush, this may seem scary, but as Dominic Holden recently stated, this too represents a major opportunity for change. A suit against Colorado, Washington, or Oregon would force us to have a national dialogue about our current marijuana policies. With 50% of the population – not to mention an ever-growing list of opinion makers – arguing for the end of marijuana prohibition, it’s a conversation that needs to happen. Look at the increase in support for gay marriage after the first lawsuit was filed challenging California’s Prop 8. If we can have an open and honest conversation, we can expedite policy reform.
Either way, we’re not going to know until a state votes to change their marijuana policies. If you live in Colorado, please vote “yes” on Amendment 64. If you’re in Washington, you’re voting “yes” on I-502. For those of you in Oregon, please vote “yes” on Measure 80. To all of you, I’m envious of your ballot.
State medical marijuana questions
In addition to the three states voting on measures to regulate and tax the adult sales of marijuana, two states have initiatives on the ballot that will create medical marijuana programs. Arkansas and Massachusetts, if passed, will become the 18th and 19th medical marijuana states. They will join the District of Columbia and 17 other states that currently recognize the legitimate medical use of marijuana.
The number of medical marijuana states continues to grow despite obstruction and interference from the federal level, and for the most part, the previously enacted laws continue to thrive. Passage of one or two more laws come November 6 will not only protect citizens of Arkansas and Massachusetts from arrest and prosecution for using a medicine recommended by their physicians, but it will further the momentum and send a loud message to federal policy makers: reform your punitive and unscientific marijuana laws.
Unfortunately, the federal government’s attempt to undermine state medical marijuana laws worked in at least one state, Montana. This past legislative session, Montana lawmakers debated a series of bills that proposed severe restrictions and even outright repeal of the voter-approved medical marijuana law. The amendments the legislature settled on are onerous enough that many took to calling it “repeal in disguise.” After passage, enough signatures were gathered to put the new restrictive law to the voters as an up or down referendum. By rejecting the ‘repeal in disguise’ law, voters in Montana can once again affirm their desire to see sensible marijuana policies.
Reform on the local ballots
Reform comes not just from the state level, but from the local level as well. Municipalities across the country will have marijuana policy related questions – some binding, others not – on their ballots.
Five municipalities in Michigan will be voting on marijuana policy measures. Kalamazoo will be voting on whether to allow three medical marijuana dispensaries to operate within city limits. Residents of Detroit and Flint will decide if their city codes should be amended to remove criminal penalties for possession of less than one ounce of marijuana on private property. Grand Rapids will ask its residents if the code should be amended to replace the possibility of arrest for marijuana possession with a nominal civil fine. Finally, Ypsilanti voters will decide on a measure to make the use and/or consumption of one ounce or less of marijuana by adults 21 years or older the lowest priority for law enforcement personnel.
In addition to voting on medical marijuana, voters in certain districts in Massachusetts will also vote on non-binding public policy questions that direct elected officials to support taxing and regulating marijuana. While they do not have the effect of law, passage of the questions would send a strong message to the representatives of those districts that their constituents support taxing and regulating marijuana. Further north, voters in Burlington, Vermont will be asked if the city should “support the legalization, regulation, and taxation of all cannabis and hemp products?”
Finally, many cities and localities across California will be voting on measures to allow or ban medical marijuana dispensaries from operating in their municipality. Unlike most laws with regulated distribution, California’s medical marijuana law allows localities to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries as opposed to the state.
High-level political support for marijuana policy reform
It is worth pointing out that marijuana policy reform is not just relegated to a ballot issue. There are many top-level politicians who are starting to either speak up, or speak louder, on the need to reform our marijuana policies. For instance, Gov. Pete Shumlin in Vermont has long supported decriminalizing the possession of marijuana. The Democratic Attorney General and candidate for Governor in Montana, Steve Bullock, opposes the recent assault on patients rights’ and will vote against IR-124. More impressive is the fact that the entire political delegation representing Seattle, Washington, including Mayor Mike McGinn, supports taxing and regulating marijuana like alcohol.
The beginning of the end of marijuana prohibition
We very well may remember Wednesday, November 7 as the morning we woke up to discover marijuana’s been legalized. If not, then we most certainly will have seen the most support for a regulation and taxation measure to date. Regardless of the outcomes of the various questions, we will have advanced the conversation in a major way. Marijuana policy reform is not about letting a bunch of people get high. It’s about adequately addressing the harms that are associated with marijuana use while stamping out the atrocities that were born from marijuana prohibition. The ballot measures in Colorado, Washington, and Oregon would do just that, while the medical questions being asked of the citizens in Montana, Massachusetts, and Arkansas and the various municipal questions would impact the marijuana policy conversation as well. As a nation, we are moving ever closer to acceptance of a taxed and regulated marijuana marketplace; it’s now just a matter of time.
Thanks, posted while I was typing!
When is break for lunch? Looks like this might take all day or go into the weekend, but I'm sure neither party and jurors especially want to wrap this up.
Agreed. I know of fellow veterans who were taking 10+ prescriptions from the VA for PTSD, etc. Upon making the switch, regardless of delivery (smoking, vaping, eating, etc.) have gone from 10+ scripts to ZERO. That's why I asked about the court case earlier. Current prohibition on access is seriously a slap in the face to veterans, especially those who happen to reside outside of MMJ states.
When it does we'll know it. It will shoot in either direction before anyone has time to type a post here.
It's a very dreary day for both Norfolk, VA and VRNG shorts. Good luck with that.
Too bad though. Big Pharma seems to have been what has been holding back legalization and medical initiatives. Greed makes the world go round! Who wants to pay $1+ for a pill, when they can just pop a seed into some soil? At least Big Tobacco and alcohol initiatives could open the door for some much needed change, IMO.
Before long we'll be adding and arguing over BUD, PM and PFE in the MMJ sector. The first one listed at least has the appropriate ticker!
Yeah, because that's how things work here...Let me guess, you're a foreign investor?
Nice try, buddy. Time to cover your shorts.