Donald Trump Vs. Marijuana: Here’s Who Will Win

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indicabush

indicabush

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By now, many have seen the headlines: "White House Spokesman Predicts More Federal Action Against Marijuana" (NPR), "White House: Feds will step up marijuana law enforcement" (CNN), "Marijuana entrepreneurs try to stay calm after Spicer comments on weed" (CNBC). It is hard to believe a minute and a half out of an hour-long press briefing could cause so much commotion.

Let's examine what White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer actually said. He essentially said two things. He distinguished medical marijuana from adult use, and he believes "you'll see greater enforcement" of the Controlled Substance Act against recreational use.

Mr. Spicer did not say there were any imminent actions from the U.S. Department of Justice, the agency charged with enforcing federal law. In fact, he said the question of enforcement would be better addressed by the DOJ itself. Mr. Spicer was stating what he believes.

Here's what I believe. I believe Mr. Spicer's acknowledgement that the president supports state's rights when it comes to medical marijuana is a positive development. Mr. Spicer also referenced the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment, first passed in 2014, which currently prohibits the federal government from prosecuting medical marijuana in states where it is legal.

"The president understands the pain and suffering that many people go through who are facing especially terminal diseases and the comfort that some of these drugs, including medical marijuana, can bring to them," Mr. Spicer said.

So at least on the question of medical marijuana, there seems to be broad consensus. Medical marijuana is now legal in 28 states and accounts for about three quarters of the burgeoning legal cannabis industry.

"Americans are realizing that prohibition has not stemmed consumption and only served to enrich drug cartels and unfairly imprison millions of people."
But here's the thing. Mr. Spicer's opinion notwithstanding, there is growing consensus on adult use as well. The majority of Americans support full legalization. The number of states that have approved legalized recreational adult use doubled last November to eight, including my home state of California, the nation's most populous state.

Americans are realizing that prohibition has not stemmed consumption and only served to enrich drug cartels and unfairly imprison millions of people. Whether you are for or against adult use, more and more people are realizing that the better path is to have a well-regulated industry, much like alcohol is today. It is safer for consumers, it is safer for the public, not to mention it creates tax revenue and jobs.

A week before Mr. Spicer spoke, something even more significant for the cannabis industry happened, but it didn't get as much notice as the White House press briefing. A bipartisan group of congressional leaders announced the formation of the first ever Congressional Cannabis Caucus. The founders, U.S. representatives Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), Don Young (R-Alaska), Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.), vowed to sponsor and pass federal laws that protect states' rights on cannabis issues, including adult use.

Mr. Rohrabacher, a long-time advocate of marijuana causes, earlier introduced the Respect State Marijuana Laws Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to prohibit federal prosecution of marijuana buyers and sellers who comply with state laws.

Elsewhere in Congress, prominent legislators like U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) have called for further reform, including clearer banking regulations and tax laws for the legal cannabis industry.

In the long-term, I see momentum building in favor of full legalization. Congress and the American people are on the right side of this issue, and we fully expect that the rest of the federal government will follow suit.

To Along With The Above...............

White House: Feds will step up marijuana law enforcement

The White House said Thursday it expects law enforcement agents to enforce federal marijuana laws when they come into conflict with states where recreational use of the drug is permitted.
"I do believe you will see greater enforcement of it," White House press secretary Sean Spicer said regarding federal drug laws, which still list marijuana as an illegal substance.
That's a reversal from the Obama administration's stance, which laid out in an official memo that the federal government wouldn't interfere in states where nonmedical use of marijuana is allowed.

That guidance was issued after two states -- Colorado and Washington -- voted to legalize recreational use of marijuana. Obama said in the immediate aftermath of those votes that the federal government had "bigger fish to fry" than cracking down on marijuana use in states where it's considered legal.
Most drug enforcement operations are carried out by state and local authorities, with little involvement by the federal government. Enforcing marijuana laws has been considered a lower priority for federal drug agents, who have remained focused on curbing narcotics trafficking and combating a nationwide epidemic of opioid abuse.
Spicer on Thursday, however, linked marijuana use with the widespread abuse of painkillers, suggesting that allowing recreational use of marijuana could be interpreted as condoning drug use more widely.
"When you see something like the opioid addiction crisis blossoming in so many states around this country, the last thing we should be doing is encouraging people," Spicer said. "There is still a federal law that we need to abide by when it comes to recreational marijuana and drugs of that nature."

He was careful to distinguish between use of medical marijuana and recreational marijuana. President Donald Trump, he said, understood that marijuana could help ease suffering for patients with terminal illnesses.
Trump took varying positions on marijuana during his campaign for president. He said during remarks in June 2015 that legal recreational use was "bad," adding he felt "strongly about it."
But later that year he suggested the issue should be decided by individual states and not by the federal government.
"In terms of marijuana and legalization, I think that should be a state issue, state-by-state," he said in Nevada in October 2015.
He's remained staunchly supportive of medical marijuana, telling Fox News host Bill O'Reilly he was "in favor of medical marijuana 100%."
"I know people that have serious problems and they did that they really -- it really does help them," he said.


 
Junk

Junk

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Seems like having a med card may be beneficial after all.

It seems like they should have bigger things to worry about. Especially since the states have decided they no longer want to put people in prison for this. But, the prisons need tenants, the military needs soldiers, and that 598B military budget needs to be spent on something.
 
Junk

Junk

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Here is what I don't get.

You can google it, and hear it now (it's been released) the Nixon camp is on tape, saying they were going to make/enforce cannabis laws, in order to jail more "Negros." Seeing as how that's how this started, it seems like they should repeal that.

Then, you have 24 states, plus D.C., plus 7 more states with legislation pending for medical cannabis. They have it scheduled as having no medical benefit?!?!?!

They are clogging up prisons with non-violent people.

And it could dig states etc out of huge financial deficits.

Yet, they haven't changed it. I just don't get it.
 
indicabush

indicabush

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Here is what I don't get.

You can google it, and hear it now (it's been released) the Nixon camp is on tape, saying they were going to make/enforce cannabis laws, in order to jail more "Negros." Seeing as how that's how this started, it seems like they should repeal that.

Then, you have 24 states, plus D.C., plus 7 more states with legislation pending for medical cannabis. They have it scheduled as having no medical benefit?!?!?!

They are clogging up prisons with non-violent people.

And it could dig states etc out of huge financial deficits.

Yet, they haven't changed it. I just don't get it.

Economics/Theory/Analysis....agency relationship benefactor (evil doer/profit) verses benefits (serve/improve). Representation/Representatives all acting on their own behalf are the variables.

Nullification/Affirmation...lay down the law, last word (Federal Government).

Federal aid to states; willing states to loose Transportation, Medicare, Education and other entitlement programs administered. Cannabis taxes and such do not equate to those large numbers when put into perspective. So the deficit still remains and bankruptcy hurts us all.
 
1diesel1

1diesel1

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Bottom line for the Feds to enforce the law is $. Ain't no joke,take the largest dispensaries and growers that are chuck full of cash. They can't put it in a bank. Go one step further the legal states technically are taking in millions of illegal dollars from the illegal industry that they have created. What's to stop the Feds from taking it? I'm keeping my medical card even though the shit heads that run this state doubled the price per year. BASTERDS!!!!!!!!!!
 
Junk

Junk

1,754
263
Bottom line for the Feds to enforce the law is $. Ain't no joke,take the largest dispensaries and growers that are chuck full of cash. They can't put it in a bank. Go one step further the legal states technically are taking in millions of illegal dollars from the illegal industry that they have created. What's to stop the Feds from taking it? I'm keeping my medical card even though the shit heads that run this state doubled the price per year. BASTERDS!!!!!!!!!!
I also continue to pay for a med card. Even though it's legal in my state now. I feel like if anything ever were to go down legally, it's advantageous to my argument. It's proof that I need to use it (I'm the real deal there, uncontrollable seizures) and proof that I've followed the guidelines my state has issued.

Basically I treat the card now almost like a tiny piece of insurance.
 
guymandude

guymandude

605
143
keep this in mind people, there's so much misinformation being spread on social media and by the extremely biased mainstream media that you truly need to dig and find the truth. it's out there. It's not on the front page, that's for sure.

be smart. don't be a sheep. find the truth
 
LocalGrowGuy

LocalGrowGuy

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I got locked out of my "political" post. Are we good now?
Until someone gets offended, because being offended is a state of mind with millennials now. DrMcSkunkins, diesel is correct, there is simply too much money in pot being illegal. The prison industrial complex would suffer greatly, our courts would be void of activity and employment of judges, attorneys, security, probation/supervision, drug testing, education and 'therapy', and cops would have to do actual work instead of waiting for neighbors to piss each other off or looking through paperwork. You know, cop stuff. Enforcing marijuana is easy. The vast majority of offenders are non-violent, and aren't armed. Cops like those types of situations, why would they make their own jobs more difficult?
 
guymandude

guymandude

605
143
it does look like The Donald will cause our cause to step back a mile or two. I, for one, was hopeful
 
whitepistols

whitepistols

174
63
Doubt its going to be Trump. Simple reasoning is this. Those that cadone canna still hold and have the power. Good news is they are a dying breed, soon in a few years they will be out numbered.

A better question is if the feds do crush rec usauge how many will keep firing bulbs off? For a lot it doesn't matter because there not med or rec state.

Now the twist is this. As much as big corp are hated also know without them it will not go farther. Without corp interest and lobbyist things will progress slower. Hate Monsanto or Scotts all you want but because of them you can buy a tent and a flood and drain set up through home depot now.
 
lino

lino

2,637
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In colo, the Feds are here taking down the big home Grows, local cops hit some home grows also. IMO - But what I'm seeing is;
HickNpoop, our Governor, is coming after home grows! The dispense have been left alone so far. We had reports yesterday that ppl dressed like utility workers were coming to homes trying to gain access w/o warrants. I'm have many reasons to believe this was undercover cops not Xcel Energy.
 
GT21

GT21

I like soup
Supporter
10,114
438
Here is what I don't get.

You can google it, and hear it now (it's been released) the Nixon camp is on tape, saying they were going to make/enforce cannabis laws, in order to jail more "Negros." Seeing as how that's how this started, it seems like they should repeal that.

Then, you have 24 states, plus D.C., plus 7 more states with legislation pending for medical cannabis. They have it scheduled as having no medical benefit?!?!?!

They are clogging up prisons with non-violent people.

And it could dig states etc out of huge financial deficits.

Yet, they haven't changed it. I just don't get it.
It comes down to jobs...
Cops
Prison guards
Cps
Piss testers
Probation
Judges
Oil
Tobacco
Pharma
Cotton
Lumber

All take hits in funding if we legalize and use this plant to its full potential. Not to mention the loss of control in income/tax. Mainly jobs though.. many folks would not have the middle class life they have without a drug war. Hell i know prison guards that are so dumb they couldn't cross train to dip fries in hot grease. And so it rolls on... we keep a failing drug war (heroin epidemic and kill our youth and imprison non violent criminals) so useless people can live and buy new houses and cars and jet skis.
 
nazarbattu

nazarbattu

458
93
It comes down to jobs...
Cops
Prison guards
Cps
Piss testers
Probation
Judges
Oil
Tobacco
Pharma
Cotton
Lumber

All take hits in funding if we legalize and use this plant to its full potential. Not to mention the loss of control in income/tax. Mainly jobs though.. many folks would not have the middle class life they have without a drug war. Hell i know prison guards that are so dumb they couldn't cross train to dip fries in hot grease. And so it rolls on... we keep a failing drug war (heroin epidemic and kill our youth and imprison non violent criminals) so useless people can live and buy new houses and cars and jet skis.
That is precisely correct, look at kratom, they tried to illegalize due to its efficacy in minimizing opiate withdrawls... jus saying.
naz
 
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