cannabisnews.com: The Feds Say No Way
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The Feds Say No Way
Posted by CN Staff on October 19, 2010 at 18:15:08 PT
Editorial
Source: Los Angeles Times 
Calif. -- If California voters were still under the illusion that Proposition 19 would legalize marijuana, U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. sought to disabuse them of the notion last week. "We will vigorously enforce the [federal Controlled Substances Act] against those individuals and organizations that possess, manufacture or distribute marijuana for recreational use, even if such activities are permitted under state law," Holder wrote in a letter to nine former heads of the Drug Enforcement Administration who had lobbied the Obama administration to forcefully oppose California's overreaching ballot initiative.
Proposition 19 would allow people 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and would authorize cultivation of cannabis plants on up to 25 square feet of land. But only under state law; under federal law, smoking a joint would still be a crime. It isn't news that federal officials oppose Proposition 19 — President Obama himself has said he's against legalizing marijuana — but supporters of the Nov. 2 ballot measure appear to have hoped the administration would be as tolerant toward recreational users as it has been toward medicinal marijuana users. That's not going to happen.If the proposition is approved, the result would be a legal morass. DEA raids would nab Californians who think they're complying with the law, only to face federal penalties. Fear of such raids would deter legitimate distributors from getting into the business, worsening the gray-market lawlessness that already pervades California's medical marijuana industry. Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca has vowed to continue arresting people who grow marijuana, but such arrests would be certain to result in litigation. Courts also could be clogged with lawsuits over the measure's impact on the workplace if it becomes illegal for employers to conduct drug tests or to discipline workers who get stoned on the job.We can understand the frustration that led to the drafting of Proposition 19. It is absurd that the federal government lists marijuana as a Schedule I drug, meaning that it has no medical uses and is considered as dangerous as heroin or LSD, when it may have therapeutic benefits and is less addictive and harmful than alcohol or tobacco. Yet, as we've said in our ballot endorsements, Proposition 19 is not the answer. Besides the legal problems, it would create regulatory chaos as each of California's 478 cities and 58 counties comes up with its own rules on growing, possessing, distributing and taxing the drug.Marijuana users in California already face negligible penalties; last month, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill downgrading possession of less than an ounce from a misdemeanor to an infraction. There's no need for a battle with Washington that the state is unlikely to win.Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)Published: October 20, 2010Copyright: 2010 Los Angeles TimesContact: letters latimes.comWebsite: http://www.latimes.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/J4ViL2AuCannabisNews  -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml 
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Comment #20 posted by museman on October 21, 2010 at 08:59:50 PT
Tulare County
Was where I got my first bust; one of those 'decriminalized' ounces Arnie tried to make like he did some thing about,...Well, the statute of limitations kicked in about 10 years ago, so its safe to say to Tulare cops; 'Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah!" - they arrested me three times, but I still didn't pay. Never did, never would, never will. Stick that in your donut and munch on it!It took almost 30 years of deliberate civil disobedience to achieve the goal of not giving in to bullshit, and a couple other visits to the kangaroo sessions called 'court,'-but the most they ever got, or will get from me, is 'community service' to which I have contributed in more ways than the SQAKs have means to count, and I never considered that 'service' to be 'punishment' for my choices of personal liberty.LEGALIZE FREEDOM
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Comment #19 posted by afterburner on October 21, 2010 at 07:42:32 PT
The GCW #2 
So, Tulare County has no homeless people, no unemployed, no people starving? $550,000 would buy lots of food for the needy.What a tragedy of misplaced priorities. Vote them out!
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Comment #18 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on October 20, 2010 at 16:55:51 PT
runruff - The Black Knight always triumphs!
I love that scene! (I love that movie!)Black Knight/Feds (after his arm is cut clean off): It's only a flesh wound.King Arthur/Prop 19 (after the BK/F has lost both arms and a leg): What are you going to do, bleed on me?KA/P19 (after he cuts off BK/F's last limb, leaving nothing but a torso with a head, still in denial): Alright, we'll call it a draw.
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Comment #17 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on October 20, 2010 at 16:39:39 PT
greenmed 5 & 6
Thanks!
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Comment #16 posted by Totalrod2 on October 20, 2010 at 11:49:49 PT
runruff
I love your analogy of the knight in Monty Python's Holy Grail. I couldn't have said it any better! haha
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Comment #15 posted by Hope on October 20, 2010 at 10:40:20 PT
Oh gosh...
these things... editorials and articles like this make me furious.They should make everyone furious.
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Comment #14 posted by b4daylight on October 20, 2010 at 09:08:58 PT
hmmmm
 Proposition 19 is not the answer.  
But it is a good start. 
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Comment #13 posted by museman on October 20, 2010 at 09:05:46 PT
runruff
are you sure it's not; "All a$$ and no head." ?The hot air has a distinct aroma....LEGALIZE FREEDOM
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on October 20, 2010 at 08:51:46 PT
sevenleaves 
Welcome to CNews. I think your link was too long and it broke. If you paste it in a comment it will work.
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Comment #11 posted by sevenleaves on October 20, 2010 at 08:20:46 PT:
The Lawyers are with Us
To FoM,
Ballot-Pedia has a great article on Prop 19 and it illustrates very clearly that almost no intelligent individuals stand behind the marijuana prohibition. There are dozens of Law Professors around the country endorsing Yes on 19 and not a single Law Prof has endorsed no on the ballot measure. Looks to me like reason and compassion are gaining headway after all.
Ballotpedia for Prop 19
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Comment #10 posted by JoeCitizen on October 20, 2010 at 07:54:35 PT
runruff, it's the LAT
runruff,Yes, Holder said what he said. He hasn't repeated, reiterated, or strengthened it since then. This whole article is conjecture by the LA Times, and not very well conceived conjecture at that."DEA raids would nab Californians who think they're complying with the law, only to face federal penalties. Fear of such raids would deter legitimate distributors from getting into the business, worsening the gray-market lawlessness that already pervades California's medical marijuana industry."With whom, with what officers and equipment? DEA relies on State cops to do 99% of their dirty work. If the cops are barred by state law from working with them, where will the DEA find thousands of officers to stage all these supposed raids?This stance by the LAT is the third stage of denial. First they claim there is no problem, the law doesn't need to be changed. Then, when it is painfully obvious that it does need changing, they move on to stage two, harping about "more study is needed." When the evidence is perfectly clear and undeniable and we move forward with legislation, they switch to stage 3, and protest the letter of the law. They say, "We're all in favor of changing the bad law, but not through THIS flawed bill." If you ask them, "Where is your alternative language? Where is YOUR bill?" Crickets.I'm not happy with what Holder said, but I'm even less happy that the LAT would spin it into their fantasy of what will happen. It's a load of crap.
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Comment #9 posted by RevRayGreen on October 20, 2010 at 07:26:05 PT
Check the fresh ink video
Rev Ray Green LOGO Tattoo by JADED LOTUS DSM IA 10/18/10Awesome concept by Tattoo Artist Bob Parr owner of Jaded Lotus Tattoo and Piercing DSM IA 1723 Grand Ave 515-288-0851 Jaded Angel Ames IA 122 Welch Ave Ames IAhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG59X-1wJGs
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Comment #8 posted by runruff on October 20, 2010 at 07:09:12 PT
 The Feds Say No Way!
Well Kids, it looks like recess is over?Time to hang up my rolling papers, turn my bong into a flower planter, visit my doctor to replace my herbal medicine with some of those FDA certified liver rot!It looks like they were only kidding with us these last 40 years but now they are serious. A little heads up to all my friends, the feds are now going to get serious and just say,"no way!"-[ooooh, veddy sceddy!I cannot believe the hubris of this this gov? they remind of the Knight that says "ne"!Monty Python in the Movie "In search of the Holy Grail", Showed a knight who lost everything but his head, As his head sat on the ground [bodiless] the knight was still making treats. A talking head without any power what so ever was going to take down the standing more powerful, out numbered, foe! All mouth and no a$$, that's the fed! ]
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Comment #7 posted by The GCW on October 19, 2010 at 22:57:28 PT
Why moms?
Lots of reasons.*Cops compete with schools to get money for their discredited cannabis prohibition as seen in comment #2, below... The schools suffer.* about 10,000 children have been orphaned because of drug-cartel violence that exploded in 2008 in Mexico. (60-70% of cartel business is with cannabis)...http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n834/a03.html?1360 Mexico: Juarez Violence Leaves Thousands of Children Orphaned*As past N.M. Governor Gary Johnson said in an interview recently (Fox news I think -saw it linked at MPP) He doesn't want His kids smoking cannabis but especially doesn't want His kids caught up in the legal system...*Cannabis prohibition causes increased hard drug addiction rates.*Too many more to list.
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Comment #6 posted by greenmed on October 19, 2010 at 22:43:14 PT
Moms Against Prohibition
http://dpft.org/images/Prohibition.jpghttp://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/history/e1930/ProhibitionRepealPoster.jpg
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Comment #5 posted by greenmed on October 19, 2010 at 22:28:25 PT
Sinsemilla Jones
Moms against Prohibition:http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/show_image.php?i=alcohol/poster_anti-prohibition1.jpg
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Comment #4 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on October 19, 2010 at 22:16:17 PT
Moms announce support for Proposition 19
"...a group of mothers spoke out in support of Proposition 19, saying it will create safer communities for all kids by reducing gang violence and eliminating the marijuana black market....The moms say regulating and taxing marijuana could mean more resources for schools, while also making it harder for kids to get pot."http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/politics/local_elections&id=7734534I think it's in The Emperor about how towards the end of alcohol prohibition, mothers organized to support legalization "for the sake of the children".That mothers are realizing that thinking of the children means supporting legal control of cannabis distribution, rather than the opposite which the prohibitionist have argued for so long, is not only very gratifying, it really makes me think we're finally going to win this thing.
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Comment #3 posted by John Tyler on October 19, 2010 at 20:15:56 PT
politics
Politics is about power, how it is divided up, who gets what, and who much they get. Cannabis is a political item. In the Drug War power is used to redirect wealth to some groups, while being used to oppress other groups. The tide is changing now. The oppressed groups are finding their political voice and are demanding that the political power around cannabis be rearranged. The people against the redistribution of political power, the prohibitionist, are resisting this change, because they do not want to see a change in the political power structure that could threaten their own power. Their reasoning is flawed and illogical. They don’t realize it, or don’t care as it the only arguments they have to try to hang on to a system that is changing against them. 
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Comment #2 posted by The GCW on October 19, 2010 at 19:51:09 PT
The half million dollar EXAMPLE
US CA: Supervisors to Consider $550k in Grant Funds for Pot EradicationThe Tulare County Sheriff's Department is requesting the Board of Supervisors approve an operational agreement for the South Valley Marijuana Suppression Program. To underwrite these efforts, both Tulare and Fresno counties use a combination of general fund and grant money. The state's Marijuana Supression II Program requires that counties create a joint marijuana suppression team to apply for funding with one county serving as fiscal agent for the grant, a staff report states. The proposed grant, in the amount of $550,000, would pay for the following: . Salary and benefits for a full-time Tulare County Investigator's aide; . Overtime by Tulare County detectives; . Salary and benefits for a full-time detective with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office; . 50 percent of the salary and benefits for a deputy District Attorney with the Tulare County District Attorney's Office; . 50 percent of the salary and benefits for a deputy District Attorney with the Fresno County District Attorney's Office; . Specialized training and investigation equipment for the project team. If approved, the County will fulfill the fiscal agent role if awarded funding under the program. The Sheriff's Department will be the lead agency in implanting the grant program. Cont.http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n852/a05.html?397-0-What an example of why law enforcement agencies want to continue cannabis probition and extermination (they use the words suppression and eradication but We know it's really extermination).And what great timing to expose it.God bless Prop. 19.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on October 19, 2010 at 18:19:14 PT
Law Profs Say Yes To Legalizing Pot
October 19, 2010URL: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/19/law-profs-say-yes-to-prop_n_768702.html
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