cannabisnews.com: The Federal War on Medical Marijuana Is Over
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The Federal War on Medical Marijuana Is Over
Posted by CN Staff on December 17, 2014 at 05:50:22 PT
By Josh Harkinson
Source: Mother Jones
USA -- Good news for medical pot smokers: The $1.1 trillion federal spending bill approved by the Senate on Saturday has effectively ended the longstanding federal war on medical marijuana. An amendment to the bill blocks the Department of Justice from spending money to prosecute medical marijuana dispensaries or patients that abide by state laws."Patients will have access to the care legal in their state without fear of federal prosecution," Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.), a supporter of the rider known as the Hinchey-Rohrbacher amendment, said in a statement. "And our federal dollars will be spent more wisely on fighting actual crimes and not wasted going after patients."
The Department of Justice last year pledged not to interfere with the implementation of state pot laws, but the agency's truce left it with plenty of room to change its mind. Earlier this year, for instance, the DOJ accused the Kettle Falls Five, a family in Washington State, of growing 68 marijuana plants on their farm in Eastern Washington, where pot is legal. Members of the family face up to 10 years in jail—or at least, they did; the amendment may now stop their prosecution.More broadly, the change provides some added peace of mind for pot patients in California, where the DOJ's pledge appeared not to apply. The Golden State's 1996 medical pot law, the first in the nation, has long been criticized by the DOJ as too permissive and decentralized.Medical marijuana activists hailed the amendment's passage as a landmark moment for patients' rights. "By approving this measure, Congress is siding with the vast majority of Americans who are calling for change in how we enforce our federal marijuana laws," said Mike Liszewski, Government Affairs Director for Americans for Safe Access.The CRomnibus spending bill wasn't a universal victory of marijuana advocates, however. Another rider aims to prevent the District of Columbia from legalizing marijuana; it prohibits federal funds being "used to enact any law, rule, or regulation to legalize or otherwise reduce penalties associated with the possession, use, or distribution of any schedule I substance." But Reason's Jacob Sullum notes that the rider may be moot because DC's pot law has already been "enacted" by voters—it passed at the polls in November by a 2-to-1 margin.Whatever the outcome in DC, the appropriations bill is an undisputed win for pot smokers. As Slate's Josh Voorhes points out, "the District is home to roughly 640,000 people; California, one of 23 states were medical pot is legal, is home to more than 38 million." In short, Congress has done a bit of temporary weed whacking in its backyard, but it's acknowledging that stopping the repeal of pot prohibitions by the states is all but impossible.Source: Mother Jones (US)Author: Josh Harkinson Published: December 16, 2014Copyright: 2014 Foundation for National ProgressWebsite: http://motherjones.com/Contact: backtalk motherjones.comURL: http://drugsense.org/url/36XnASxvCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help
Comment #27 posted by afterburner on December 21, 2014 at 09:24:35 PT
Good Video - Enjoy
Legalizing Pot: The Illuminati's Worst Nightmare - YouTube
(27:25 mm:ss)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jm5oNTgyHA
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #26 posted by afterburner on December 21, 2014 at 07:31:24 PT
Moving Forward - The Healing Has Only Begun
HOME / BUSINESS /
6 Ways to Use Hemp and Marijuana That You Never Expected
Sam Becker
December 20, 2014Read more: http://wallstcheatsheet.com/business/6-unexpected-uses-for-hemp-and-marijuana.html/?a=viewallDon't live in a world controlled by terrorist atrocities, government misinformation, business greed, law enforcement paranoia and NIMBYism. War on cannabis is over, if you want it. Cannabis is for the healing of the nations. Happy solstice, merry Christmas and a wonderful new year.
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Comment #25 posted by PatrioticDissension on December 20, 2014 at 06:21:10 PT
runruff
Just so you know Mark souder used to be my next door neighbor in Grabill Indiana, and i Know as a child I pissed him off a couple times hehehehe I'm 29 by the way.
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Comment #24 posted by runruff on December 19, 2014 at 18:25:57 PT
Hello Indiana!
This is great news because this is Mark( Bubble Boy)Souder's state. His neighbors will soon be growing pot! The next bubbles you hear will be bong hits next door! Lol!Indiana is the major pill state! Ha, this is like when the hens come home to roost.
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Comment #23 posted by PatrioticDissension on December 19, 2014 at 17:03:18 PT
correction to the link
http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/indiana-senator-plans-medical-marijuana-proposal thanks for letting me know FOM
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #22 posted by FoM on December 19, 2014 at 16:13:15 PT
PatrioticDissension
The link didn't work because it was too long. Could you post the link directly in a comment? That will work!
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #21 posted by PatrioticDissension on December 19, 2014 at 15:49:06 PT
the ball just got rolling
Senator Karen Tallian is introducing a bill to legalize medical cannabis in Indiana on the heels of the newly passed omnibus
Indiana senator plans medical marijuana proposal
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #20 posted by afterburner on December 18, 2014 at 17:47:11 PT
Good Video from Sanjay Gupta about How MMJ Works
This is your body on weed (1:39)[m:ss]
http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/health/2014/03/10/orig-brain-on-weed-sanjay-jr-jt.cnn.html
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #19 posted by Hope on December 17, 2014 at 21:09:13 PT
Comment 16
Now my eyes are stinging and about to spill over. But it's a happy feeling. I remember weeping more than a few times over some of these articles. Those were bitter tears of anger and grief. These are good tears. Tears of joy, relief, and thankfulness.Richard did a lot towards this article happening. In Mother Jones.... so fitting. Didn't we always love it?
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #18 posted by Hope on December 17, 2014 at 21:01:12 PT
The GCW
Indeed, he did.Indeed, you did.I am so honored to have met so many amazing and wonderful people over these years that have been so heavily involved in this struggle. Both in person and online. Yay for us. Especially, some of us. We saw something was wrong. Bad wrong... and we knew we had to say something... and God knows, it was hard... and it was scary.Most assuredly, that's including you, The GCW. The Green Collar Worker. I'm blessed to know you.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #17 posted by The GCW on December 17, 2014 at 20:45:47 PT
About the news
Richard Lake helped Me too. And His help helped Me help the world.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #16 posted by FoM on December 17, 2014 at 20:16:11 PT
Hope
Thank you! Richard gave us a good foundation and I enjoyed the DrugSense chats a lot. Hope, I am so glad we met. RIP Richard. A job well done!
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Comment #15 posted by hope on December 17, 2014 at 18:47:08 PT
Thank you, Richard.
You are one of my heroes. You made a difference. You helped change the world into a little bit better and safer place. You will be missed.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #14 posted by Hope on December 17, 2014 at 18:43:09 PT
Richard Lake and the Media Awareness Project
Introduced me to the power of activism through letters to the editors of newspapers, magazines, television, and computer media and compiling an accurate and daily news feed concerning every aspect of drug policy news and where and how to write those letters to tell our side of the story. He and other Mapsters patiently taught me how to use my computer and pen and ink to make a difference. The Media Awareness Project trained us and made us into a force capable of really making a difference. Richard helped make us into fighters... troops for the truth. It worked. We made a difference. Some of us, not me, made a huge difference. Some of our own right here at C-News come to mind.Richard introduced me to FoM and Cannabis News. Our weekend, hours long, chats in the Drug sense chat room for, I guess, several years,laid a strong foundation in me that will never fail as long as I'm alive and cognizant.
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Comment #13 posted by MikeEEEEE on December 17, 2014 at 16:01:15 PT
Great News!!!
Now we need the insurance companies to cover their medicine.
But these corporation$ will always$ find an excuse not to pay, such as not covering OTC meds.
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on December 17, 2014 at 13:39:08 PT
afterburner
Thank you!
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #11 posted by FoM on December 17, 2014 at 13:38:27 PT
A Little More Good News
List of 20 Convicts Granted Clemency by Obama~~~WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Wednesday commuted the sentences of the following eight people convicted of drug crimes:URL: http://news.yahoo.com/list-20-convicts-granted-clemency-obama-205429946.html
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Comment #10 posted by swazi-x on December 17, 2014 at 12:17:23 PT
Follow Through
I sure hope this rider means all federal interference has been gutted - at least there's something in writing instead of simply another empty promise like the Ogden Memo. I wonder if the D.E.A. "brain trust" has a way around this - they use federal funds but they're so rabid to protect the cash-cow that is illegal cannabis, who knows what monkey business they'll come up with to circumvent these new restrictions?It's a good day though - even baby steps are progress, and it's all good.
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Comment #9 posted by afterburner on December 17, 2014 at 11:59:42 PT
FoM #1 Comments Navigation Help re/ Richard Lake
Allan comment at Dec 15 2:23 pm.DdC comment at Dec 15 4:05 pm.
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Comment #8 posted by afterburner on December 17, 2014 at 11:49:39 PT
FoM #1
Alan & DdC at drugwarrant posted some links to Richard Lake and his work.
http://www.drugwarrant.com/2014/12/open-thread-355/comment-page-1/ Blessings to Richard's family in their time of sadness and thanks to the man for his dedication to our shared cause.
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Comment #7 posted by afterburner on December 17, 2014 at 11:37:08 PT
schmeff #5
I thought of the same solution you mentioned, just today at about the same time. Canada has had cannabis in schedule 2 for years now. It's time for individual sovereign states to reschedule or deschedule as well. That would put more pressure on U.S. Congress to do likewise.
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on December 17, 2014 at 10:37:15 PT
schmeff
President Obama just might do that. After what he did today with Cuba. What a great day!
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #5 posted by schmeff on December 17, 2014 at 10:32:48 PT
D.C.
The rider that throws a monkey wrench at D.C.'s recreational pot law specifically bars federal funds from enacting any laws that decriminalize a Schedule I substance. If a certain lame duck were to reschedule cannabis, the rider is rendered moot.
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on December 17, 2014 at 10:32:36 PT
Richard N. Lake
Richard N. Lake Resided in Bark River, MIDied December 07, 2014Richard N. Lake, 74, 5212 F Road, Bark River, passed away on Sunday, December 7, 2014 at Marquette General Hospital.He was born in Hibbing, MN, son of Eli and Aurelie (Sandstad) Lake. Richard was raised in Chishlom, MN and attended Hibbing High School.Richard was a personal warrant officer for the Army for 20 years.He was the founder and honorary member of the Mesabi Rock and Mineral Club in Hibbing, MN.In 2000, he moved to Bark River.Among survivors include his son, Michael Lake of Bark River; sisters, Linda (Glen) Hammond of Virginia, MN and Jean (Jim) Humeniuk of Bimigy, MN; and sister in law, Sandy Aylward of Daggett, MI.He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Anita.In keeping with Richard's wishes, there will be no public service.The Crawford Funeral Homes are assisting the Lake family with arrangements.http://crawfordfuneralhomes.net/obit_view.php?ID=182
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on December 17, 2014 at 10:27:53 PT
Hope
I know we had some good chats and good conversations in the early days. They will never be forgotten. Richard has been on my mind recently and now I know why.
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Comment #2 posted by Hope on December 17, 2014 at 09:23:15 PT
Oh no!
Richard Lake has been such a powerful force in our movement to change these laws.I loved and appreciated Richard and all he did. RIP, Richard.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #1 posted by FoM on December 17, 2014 at 08:37:40 PT
RIP Richard Lake
I read that Richard passed away. He did so much for drug policy reform and he will not be forgotten.
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