cannabisnews.com: Delegation Blasts Federal Gun-Marijuana Memo
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Delegation Blasts Federal Gun-Marijuana Memo
Posted by CN Staff on September 30, 2011 at 08:56:48 PT
By Charles S. Johnson, Gazette State Bureau
Source: Billings Gazette
Billings, MT -- Members of Montana’s congressional delegation have denounced a recent memo from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that says it’s illegal for licensed medical marijuana cardholders to own or possess firearms or ammunition.Montanans voted in 2004 to legalize the use of marijuana for certain medicinal purposes. As of Aug. 31, the state had 26,492 medical marijuana cardholders.
Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, in a letter Wednesday to Attorney General Eric Holder and the memo’s author, Arthur Herbert, assistant director of federal bureau, urged them to “immediately reconsider this misguided effort.”He was referring to Herbert’s Sept. 21 memo clarifying that it’s illegal for a medical marijuana cardholder to buy, use or possess firearms and ammunition and illegal for dealers to sell these products to them.“These regulatory changes infringe upon the privacy and Second Amendment rights of Montanans while placing an unreasonable burden upon the small-business owners who sell firearms and ammunition,” Tester said.He added, “It is unacceptable that law-abiding citizens would be stripped of their Second Amendment rights simply because they hold a state-issued card authorizing the possession and use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.”Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg, through spokesman Jed Link, also criticized the policy and went on to condemn the Obama administration.“Between the ATF clamping down on gun rights and two new anti-gun Supreme Court justices, Montanans’ Second Amendment rights are once again under fire from Washington,” Link said Thursday. “Denny’s going to keep fighting to protect this critical right from Washington overreach, whether it is legislative, executive or judicial.”Democratic Sen. Max Baucus also condemned the federal government memo.“Our Second Amendment rights are a part of who we are as Montanans, and I’ve always fought hard to protect our right to bear arms,” Baucus said. “I’m concerned to hear ATF may be impeding the rights of law-abiding folks. Individual gun rights must be protected and I’ll never stop fighting to make sure they stay intact.”A recently formed group asked delegation members Thursday to introduce legislation to exempt medical marijuana from federal law enforcement in states that have legalized medical pot or are considering it.The Montana Coalition for Rights also wants the legislation to respect the sovereignty of states when it comes to medical marijuana laws. Montana and 15 other states and the District of Columbia have legalized the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.“We are hoping to encourage Montana’s senators and congressman to stand up for Montana and enact some legislation that will give federal agencies clear guidance on respect to states’ sovereignty and the will of the voters in states that have enacted medical cannabis laws,” said Nathan Pierce of Missoula, a founder and board member of the group.The group, formed about three months ago, announced a proposed ballot measure to amend the Montana Constitution to protect voter-passed ballot measures from being amended by the Legislature.It would stipulate if the Legislature made any changes to voter-passed measures, they would have to be sent back to voters for their approval or rejection.The group asked the members of Montana’s congressional delegation to respond by Oct. 5 whether they will sponsor the requested legislation.Newshawk: josephlacerenzaSource: Billings Gazette, The (MT)Author: Charles S. Johnson, Gazette State Bureau Published: September 29, 2011Copyright: 2011 The Billings GazetteContact: speakup billingsgazette.comWebsite: http://www.billingsgazette.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/ExIBOX92CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #10 posted by afterburner on October 04, 2011 at 10:49:40 PT
Freedom Cannabis: Part of the New Progressive View
The Big Picture: A 40-Year Scan of the Right-Wing Corporate Takeover of America.
Author and public intellectual Colin Greer tells us how we got where we are today. It's not a pretty picture, but hope is on the way.READ MORE.
Don Hazen, Colin Greer / AlterNet.
October 3, 2011
http://www.alternet.org/story/152605/the_big_picture%3A_a_40-year_scan_of_the_right-wing_corporate_takeover_of_america__?page=entireWill Occupy Wall Street develop a comprehensive leadership to fight the abuses of the 40-year-old right wing coup d'état? Like the Arab Spring protesters, we cannabis activists just keep coming back. We shall overcome if we won't back down.
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Comment #9 posted by dongenero on October 03, 2011 at 12:45:25 PT
afterburner
Great comment. You hit the nail on the head on all points.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #8 posted by afterburner on October 03, 2011 at 09:13:19 PT
Sam & joseph
The second amendment is an important part of the Checks & Balances that worked fairly well to govern abuses of any branch of federal government. My dad told me he was opposed to gun registration because the real Nazis used government gun registration lists to round up guns and thereby to render the populace powerless and easy to defeat. The neocons have made small government, except to the police and the army, an issue of faith to be unchallenged. This pledge has been used to foster a climate of deregulation that led to the sub-prime housing crisis and the bank & auto bailouts. Now, the Tea-publicans want to bring back those good old reckless days of limited government oversight to give Big Business and Biggie Rat another kick at the can while the middle and working class members lose their homes, jobs & security.I have the same reservation my dad did about government medical cannabis patient lists, especially where and when the police have access to these lists. The police are well-known for going on "fishing expeditions" to entrap people. The federal raids, with or without local police assistance, have frequently seized patient lists, supplier lists, product and money without even laying charges: pure theft and dereliction of duty!!! Gravely ill MMJ patients with nothing to lose but their pain and suffering, I salute them for their trust and courage. Please, Uncle Sam, get the patients off the battlefield!
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Comment #7 posted by josephlacerenza on October 02, 2011 at 07:12:54 PT
it's not about the gun, It's about my RIGHTS
You may not believe in the 2nd amendment, but it is there for a reason! In one state, you can go into a local watering hole with a concealed weapon as long as you are not drinking! I remember when Oxy first came on the market. Junkies where targeting older patients going into pharmacy's for their prescriptions... There is no reason to take a persons right to protect themselves. The NRA's silence is deafening.1/2 of ALL Americans live under a MMJ law/act in their state. http://blog.norml.org/2011/05/31/americas-one-million-legalized-marijuana-users/ Over a million patients in California, 3% of Montanan's had a green card. These are REAL people, millions of them! I will restate, this is NOT about a gun, it is about MY RIGHTS as an American!
My 2nd Amendment Right
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Comment #6 posted by ekim on September 30, 2011 at 19:25:36 PT
Lou Dobbs seemed genuinely upset tonight
when he reported this story.hope he is upset enough to ask the GOP candidates running for President if they would support HB 2306 and any other elected lawmaker for that matter.
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Comment #5 posted by keninsj on September 30, 2011 at 19:09:12 PT:
Guns and Alcohol
The only time I ever saw an accident with a firearm was at a New Years eve party. This guy grabs a shotgun out of the closet and proceeds to the door, his plan was to fire off the shotgun in the air when the clock struck midnight. The guy was drunk of his butt. As he was heading out the door and before any of us sober folks could stop him, he trips on the threshold and proceeds to blow a hole just above the door jam.I guess according to the ATF this is perfectly fine behavior.
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Comment #4 posted by The GCW on September 30, 2011 at 17:17:02 PT
In the works???
How about: -Medical cannabis users are not allowed to own property.- Is this what's next for the dinks?
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Comment #3 posted by Sam Adams on September 30, 2011 at 16:56:04 PT
easy choice
so it's come down to this? You must choose your culture....guns, alcohol, and pills, or cannabis and no guns.This is just like chronic pain clinics where they urine test you for cannabis and take away all your presciption meds if you test positive. They're making you choose: cannabis or our drugs, not both. Sort of like taking the anti-communist pledge in the 50's. In or out. On another note this is a great example of why I'll never register with the state to use cannabis, under any circumstances.
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Comment #2 posted by Oleg the tumor on September 30, 2011 at 12:12:35 PT:
Interesting Legal Question
Don't expect Eric Holder to turn into an Oliver Wendell Holmes anytime soon. A box of rocks is a box of rocks.
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Comment #1 posted by Storm Crow on September 30, 2011 at 09:34:00 PT
Just GREAT!
I THOUGHT I lived in AMERICA, LAND OF THE FREE!Why not just put pot leaf armbands on all of us medical cannabis patients, so we are even easier for cops, rippers and thieves to find? What's next? Maybe tattoo our medical registration number on us? Will they take green paint and scrawl a pot leaf on our doors so there is NO chance a thief won't know that there is a sick and unarmed victim just waiting to be robbed and murdered!I think this is because the cops want even easier "pickin's", it's not enough that we are sick and being persecuted for using herbal medicine, now we have to be even more helpless for them as they shoot our dogs and terrorize our families!
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