Obama's War On Weed In California

[Cancel 2018. 3]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/28/obamas-war-on-weed-in-california_n_1835290.html

SAN FRANCISCO -- It's been less than a year since the Obama administration launched an aggressive crackdown on medical marijuana in California, and the government's actions have already taken a significant toll on the economy.

Since Department of Justice officials announced last October that they would be going after cannabis operations throughout the state, hundreds of dispensaries from San Diego to Yuba County have been forced to shut down. Thousands of employees at said businesses have lost their jobs as a result, and California is losing out on much-needed sales tax revenue.

"The average dispensary employs half a dozen to ten people and has gross revenues on the order of $500,000 to $1 million per year," Dale Gieringer, director of the California chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), told The Huffington Post. "Therefore we are talking about thousands of legal jobs and tens of millions in tax revenues lost."

 

[I'm Watermark]

Come back, Mr. Ginsberg!

 

[Cancel 2018. 3]

i seriously don't know why obama does not do more to reclassify marijuana or at a minimum, tell them to focus their energies on other things

the guy wrote about how awesome it was to smoke weed when he was college

 

[I'm Watermark]

i seriously don't know why obama does not do more to reclassify marijuana or at a minimum, tell them to focus their energies on other things

the guy wrote about how awesome it was to smoke weed when he was college

I agree 100%. The government has it's uses, but this - prohibition - is not one of them.

 

[Grecian]

I'm surprised, myself. One would think that the President would celebrate legalized marijuana use.

 

[gui1tars]

President Obama made it very public a few months ago that the federal government had "bigger fish to fry" than to go after states that legalize or people that use marijuana. It is now a non-issue insofar as the federal government is concerned. This is not to say that there won't be some overly zealous idiots with a badge trying to push a point because of the letter of the laws that continue to exist. Whether the Prez asks the justice department to stand down on marijuana issues is irrelevant in the case of a non-compliant congress that refuses to change the present laws. The Dems are ready to do so. Some of you rightwingers need to get after your reps!!!!!!!! After all, it's the RIGHT thing to do, isn't it?

 

[Cancel 2018. 3]

so it is another obama saying one thing and doing another...thanks gatorman

 

[Bonestorm]

I love the people that say Obama is a tyrant that acts like Congress doesn't exist and who also think he should unilaterally reclassify marijuana and stop enforcing the Controlled Substances Act.

 

[Cancel 2018. 3]

I love the people that say Obama is a tyrant that acts like Congress doesn't exist and who also think he should unilaterally reclassify marijuana and stop enforcing the Controlled Substances Act.

who said he should unilaterally reclassify marijuana? as to enforcing the act, he has discretion to not go after medicinal marijuana and instead could focus on the drug cartels. after all...that is what he said he would do.

 

[The Dude]

I have defended him to a fault!
He could do way, way, way more Han he has
And he should

 

[Althea]

President Obama made it very public a few months ago that the federal government had "bigger fish to fry" than to go after states that legalize or people that use marijuana. It is now a non-issue insofar as the federal government is concerned. This is not to say that there won't be some overly zealous idiots with a badge trying to push a point because of the letter of the laws that continue to exist. Whether the Prez asks the justice department to stand down on marijuana issues is irrelevant in the case of a non-compliant congress that refuses to change the present laws. The Dems are ready to do so. Some of you rightwingers need to get after your reps!!!!!!!! After all, it's the RIGHT thing to do, isn't it?

Thus far, he hasn't gone after the new marijuana laws in states that actually legalized weed.

However, California's attempted end run around marijuana laws, under the guise of 'medical' usage is not going to fly.

If Cal. is able to legalize weed, we may see a change. Of course, the growers consistently vote against legalization, so it may be a tough sell.

 

[Timshel]

Thus far, he hasn't gone after the new marijuana laws in states that actually legalized weed.

However, California's attempted end run around marijuana laws, under the guise of 'medical' usage is not going to fly.

If Cal. is able to legalize weed, we may see a change. Of course, the growers consistently vote against legalization, so it may be a tough sell.

Why won't it fly and how is it an end run around anything? Obama indicated support of MM. California changed their law just as Colorado has.

Is there any proof that growers consistently oppose legalization? There was some grumbling about the effect of legalization by some growers in the last push to legalize in California. Many within the movment for legalization felt that Richard Lee rushed ahead too soon and it did hurt cohesion. But he proved that we were much closer to success than most of the critics thought. If they had jumped on board sooner and helped I think California would have been the first to legalize. Next time you can expect full support from the start and I am guessing it will pass easily.

 

[Crashk]

President Obama made it very public a few months ago that the federal government had "bigger fish to fry" than to go after states that legalize or people that use marijuana. It is now a non-issue insofar as the federal government is concerned. This is not to say that there won't be some overly zealous idiots with a badge trying to push a point because of the letter of the laws that continue to exist. Whether the Prez asks the justice department to stand down on marijuana issues is irrelevant in the case of a non-compliant congress that refuses to change the present laws. The Dems are ready to do so. Some of you rightwingers need to get after your reps!!!!!!!! After all, it's the RIGHT thing to do, isn't it?

Who Is Secretly Working to Keep Pot Illegal?

Cops, Alcohol and Tobacco

“No group is more opposed to the legalization of marijuana than law enforcement,” says NORML spokesman Allen St. Pierre. “They aren’t just arguing for preserving the current status quo—they want stiffer penalties and more restrictions and the reason is simple: it’s job security.” According to St. Pierre, at least 30 percent of the work of law enforcement currently revolves around marijuana prohibition, with pot accounting for more than 50 percent of all drug arrests...

Simply put: the tobacco and alcohol companies are worried about losing market share to weed.

In 1991, NORML used a Freedom of Information Act request to examine the funding records of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, a nonprofit that provides anti-drug resources to parents. They discovered that 50 percent of the organization’s capital came from the alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceutical industries. So embarrassing was this revelation that, according to St. Pierre, “ever since, these industries have tried to hide their marijuana opposition.”
http://www.trutv.com/conspiracy/in-the-shadows/pot-illegal/cops-alcohol-tobacco.html

Even though he doesn’t drink, smoke or gamble, Mitt Romney is scoring big campaign contributions from the sin industries.

Team Romney has raised nearly $11 million from gambling, liquor and tobacco businesses.

That dwarfs the $531,426 President Obama has collected from the same interests, according to an analysis conducted by the Center for Responsive Politics for The Post.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/for_gop_vice_nice_g6jZbdal3jS02Ny6uz1JdJ

Geez who woulda thunk it?

Do you conservatives understand you're on the wrong side of this issue too?

 

[Althea]

Why won't it fly and how is it an end run around anything? Obama indicated support of MM. California changed their law just as Colorado has.

Allen St. Pierre has come out against legalisation, and calls MM a sham. I don't feel the same way about specific medical benefits. I feel the 100 fold increase in dispensaries, as well as growers indicates that the Cal. mm industry is a sham. I have some Cal. weed in my freezer, and I live thousands of miles from California. Obama didn't support this type of explosion. He stated that he wasn't interested in busting cancer patients.

That opened the floodgates for those who thought that they'd make an end run around fed. law.

Is there any proof that growers consistently oppose legalization? There was some grumbling about the effect of legalization by some growers in the last push to legalize in California. Many within the movment for legalization felt that Richard Lee rushed ahead too soon and it did hurt cohesion. But he proved that we were much closer to success than most of the critics thought. If they had jumped on board sooner and helped I think California would have been the first to legalize. Next time you can expect full support from the start and I am guessing it will pass easily.

I'm sure your google button works as well as mine. You may be correct about future votes, but for now, Cal. can't get it passed.

 

[Timshel]

Allen St. Pierre has come out against legalisation, and calls MM a sham. I don't feel the same way about specific medical benefits. I feel the 100 fold increase in dispensaries, as well as growers indicates that the Cal. mm industry is a sham. I have some Cal. weed in my freezer, and I live thousands of miles from California. Obama didn't support this type of explosion. He stated that he wasn't interested in busting cancer patients.

That opened the floodgates for those who thought that they'd make an end run around fed. law.



I'm sure your google button works as well as mine. You may be correct about future votes, but for now, Cal. can't get it passed.

You are claiming there is some sort of cohesive opposition amongst growers. Where is the proof? I am well aware that there was some concerns amongst growers but many of their concerns were answered. Most of the growers want it legal.

Had to google Allen St Pierre. He does not appear to be related to George, which might make me care about what he thinks.

California changed their laws. Whether you feel it adequately regulates mm to keep it's use restricted to patients is not really relevant to the federal response.

California was a leading producer of marijuana before mm and would be with or without it.

 

[The Dude]

Growers get $300 oz which would plummet upon legalization.
Not many in the legalize community don't see the connection.

Further if legal the altria's of the world will invest billions to their already proven cigarette manufacturing.

 

[Timshel]

Growers get $300 oz which would plummet upon legalization.
Not many in the legalize community don't see the connection.

Further if legal the altria's of the world will invest billions to their already proven cigarette manufacturing.

Their costs/risks will plummet, as well.

 

[NOVA]

who said he should unilaterally reclassify marijuana? as to enforcing the act, he has discretion to not go after medicinal marijuana and instead could focus on the drug cartels. after all...that is what he said he would do.

So the president should pick and choose what laws he will uphold and which he will ignore.....is that it ?

 

[The Dude]

Their costs/risks will plummet, as well.

Growers are lower socioeconomic level already, a plummeting price would have them working elsewhere.

 

[Althea]

You are claiming there is some sort of cohesive opposition amongst growers. Where is the proof? I am well aware that there was some concerns amongst growers but many of their concerns were answered. Most of the growers want it legal.

I think we have to distinguish between guerilla growers, and those who I reference. The latter are already growing legally, and making a fortune. And they always vote against legalization. I assume your google button is broken.

Had to google Allen St Pierre. He does not appear to be related to George, which might make me care about what he thinks

.I'm a big GSP fan as well, and was impressed with his recent comeback fight. If you aren't interested what the head of NORML thinks, then I'm not sure why you're even in this discussion?

California changed their laws. Whether you feel it adequately regulates mm to keep it's use restricted to patients is not really relevant to the federal response

. You should wait til you aren't stoned to post in this thread. The quote above makes no sense. The abuse of mm laws is EXACTLY what this discussion is about.

California was a leading producer of marijuana before mm and would be with or without it.

Agree. Which is why all the whining about Obama makes no sense. People should just go buy some fuckin weed and shut up already.