RNC vs. DNC -- Will Medical Marijuana Decide the Election?

[oscar169]

This week, as the average American begins to pay close attention to the Presidential race during the party conventions, my organization, Americans for Safe Access, is preparing to flood America -- and especially swing states -- with a poster that asks the question, "Can Broken Promises Lose an Election? 1 Million Medical Marijuana Patients Will Decide." This message is controversial, and many liberals who support President Barack Obama as well as compassionate use are asking why we are targeting a President who once made the boldest pro-access statement in history.

We are sending a message to President Obama and his supporters because he is our President, and his decisions have grave consequences for medical cannabis patients. His administration has rejected our petition to overturn the federal definition of marijuana as without "accepted medical use in the United States" -- a decision that we will challenge in court on October 16th. Obama's administration has raided more medical marijuana facilities in three and a half years than Bush's administration did in eight. And his appointed U.S. Attorneys are shutting down dispensaries left and right, including model operations whose medicine is a lifeline for patients.
ASA has been accused of creating a propaganda campaign that will help Mitt Romney. But that's not the reality on the ground. We are hearing from our grassroots -- and reading in polls -- that medical marijuana patients and their loved ones are considering voting for third-party candidates or not voting at all. This trend is most pronounced in the medical cannabis states that are also swing states, like Colorado and Nevada. In a close election, a few percentage points peeled off to a third party could make the difference in the Electoral College, and we want to wake Obama up to that fact.
Medical marijuana does not have to be a partisan issue -- lawmakers on the Republican side of the aisle have supported and led efforts to respect state laws on compassionate use in state capitols and in Congress. Republicans and Republicans-turned-Independents such as Ron Paul and Lincoln Chaffee have vocally supported medical cannabis access and efforts to reschedule cannabis in the Controlled Substances Act -- a position we will advance in court just weeks before the election.
Patients Are Fed Up
Medical marijuana patients are sick and tired of being sick and tired. We don't want our issue to be treated like a criminal justice issue, but as a healthcare issue. We need leadership that respects our medical needs. Obama's biggest mistake was trying to deal with medical cannabis in a brief memo. He should have put together a team of agencies along with governors of medical cannabis states to find a long-term solution.
This is not in my control, it is in Obama's hands. If I tried to rally support for Obama, I wouldn't get very far, because the patients and their supporters who tell pollsters they support third-party candidates wouldn't listen. If Obama doesn't wake up to the needs of medical marijuana patients with an indication that his hard line could be softened, these votes will be lost.
That is why I and other medical cannabis supporters are distributing posters throughout the nation. We want Obama's campaign to know that the reason they aren't meeting their volunteer goals in deep-blue counties, or are uncomfortably close in polls in key swing states, is that people who would otherwise be strong supporters are finding this president's policies on cannabis too hard to swallow. And we want Republicans to know that our movement is not just a wing of Democratic party: we are looking for compassionate leadership where we can find it.
Obama can make the difference
It's not too late for the president to turn this around. We want to hear that the Obama administration's historically harsh crackdown on medical cannabis access will be reconsidered, and only then we can begin efforts at rallying supporting in states like Colorado and Nevada. With polls showing the public's overwhelming acceptance of state compassionate use laws, and with an outdated Controlled Substances Act the subject of our court battle in October, there is no reason for President Obama to go down in history as America's latest hardline drug warrior.
If the subject of our posters bothers you, please email the Obama campaign and not me. I am just articulating the sentiment of the one million legal medical marijuana patients. Only Obama can ask for their votes.

 

[HashZeppelin]

neither party cares they are both run by the federal reserve banks.

 

[Dz1PnK]

a better question is would a pro mmj stance by one of the candidates buy your vote?

does it matter? obama is not pro mmj, but you think a mormon is gonna be? remember theyre not even allowed to have caffine...

 

[HashZeppelin]

^They can drink pepsi though because the mormons own pepsi. seriously not making this shit up. pepsi brand caffine is ok! lol

 

[caveman4.20]

Politicians.......enough said

 

[Kyle mccall]

a better question is would a pro mmj stance by one of the candidates buy your vote?

does it matter? obama is not pro mmj, but you think a mormon is gonna be? remember theyre not even allowed to have caffine...

True although sure i seen that fecker with a coffee hahah peace :D

 

[azmmjadvocates]

Here is my 2 cents and why I'm voting for Obama. I am a Ron Paul supporter, and if Romney and the republican party took the bitch slap by RP seriously Romney wouldn't have made the recent comment "I will fight medical marijuana tooth and nail", well im going to fight Romney tooth and nail, and I hope every RP supporter will bail on the Republican party to make a point, shove it in their faces so it wont happen again. Romney should have said it's a states right issue, but he didn't WHY?

He will be a walking clone of Reagan as far as drug policy is concerned they will be hiring DEA agents bigtime, all the boys coming back from war will go to work kicking in our doors. State private prisons will be doing great business under his watch locking up folks like you and me who have came out of hiding.

Put yourself in Obama's shoes, he said it in the Rolling stones interview that he can only do so much, the stage is set for the second term. I wouldn't tackle MMJ until my second term either, those close to him have hinted at that.

Here in AZ compassion clubs were raided by the DEA, charges droped. I think that's a message from the feds through obama's NEW POLICY, he put it writing. There are rougue agents and yet the department of health contradicted the memo's but was that approved by obama? i'm not so sure. One thing is for sure if Romney gets in the dogs that have at least been somewhat restrained will be let loose.

With that said Obama doesn't want MMJ business, lets be honest that's what this is all about, us patients are between the Govt and those in sheeps clothing. Im fine with no dispensaries, I'll grow my own and they have said basically in memos that I"M ok, Dispensaries aren't.. So if your a dispensary and someone looking to make bank off of MMJ then I can understand the winning. Right now i'm more fearful of the State police and not the feds, if Romney gets in, it's all over for me.

So the question is, will your poster do more harm than good? If Romney is elected it's over, he won't care how many people he locks up, he will put lots of money in the DEA targeting US SPECIFICALLY, right now satus quoe is the DEA doesn't like the shackles that "Obama" has placed on them.. he has done something, if you don't believe that read the memos. The problem is a lot of fools have made us look bad from greed, grow your own, no dispensaries. The devil you know is sometimes better than the devil you don't.

 

[squiggly]

It's disgusting to me that people would attack the president for allowing his administration TO UPHOLD STATE LAWS.

In EVERY SINGLE INSTANCE thus far during his presidency--there have been accusations and evidence which support the idea that those being charged have circumvented state law, were operating outside of the confines of said law, and in many cases were providing marijuana to non-medical consumers.


There has not been a single instance of a PATIENT being targeted in the last 4 years. WHICH IS IN EXTREMELY STARK CONTRAST WITH BUSH'S ADMINISTRATION AND THE POLICY WHICH WE WOULD ALL COME TO KNOW AGAIN UNDER ROMNEY.

Legal attacks on patients are something which were prevalent under George Bush, and will return to prevalence under Romney.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Should Mitt Romney win the election--I wish indictments on every grower who votes for him, and I'm fairly certain my wish will be granted, at least in part.

I, for one, CANNOT WAIT to laugh in the face of such people's, well-deserved, plight.


Republicans made weed illegal in the first place, believe it should be illegal, and have said as much since the 1930's without ever wavering.

The party of family values is the party of personal liberties, so long as those liberties do not include:

1. Control over what substances will enter one's body.
2. Control over whom to love regardless of gender or creed.
3. Control over religious choices (or lack of them).
4. Control over how to raise one's children
5. Control over whether or not to adopt a child.
6. Control over whom to pass benefits earned with distinguished military service to (death benefits, etc.).
7. Control over whom may retain legal custody over children in the event of a parent's untimely death.

If you vote for Mitt Romney because you buy into this bullshit--you deserve the broken door, destroyed plants, prison sentence, and anal rape that you will receive. My only hope is that your vote won't affect those who realize this danger, and that you will absorb the full blow the federal government will bring down upon growers should Romney be elected.

Just how stupid and gullible are we willing to be as Americans?

Next republicans will be telling us they are the party of social welfare.
If a single one of you can provide proof that any of the indictments under Obama's administration did not involved circumstances where state law was not being followed--I'd love to see it.

You cannot provide such evidence, because it does not exist. In fact, in all cases--there is a litany of evidence which make a contrary claim to this: That in fact those indicted (individuals and businesses) were operating well outside of state law.
That falls completely, 100%, in line with what Obama's administration has said since the beginning.

This is actually quite an accomplishment by the president, because Leonhart made it very clear that she did not agree with this policy from the onset--but she has followed it nonetheless. I guarantee you that as court proceedings move forward in each of these cases that ample evidence will be presented by the federal government that state laws in place were being broken/not followed.
I used to work at a gas station. One of our employees at the gas station failed to card a minor, and sold cigarettes to a 15 year old. The gas station was:

1. Shut down initially
2. Lost its license to sell tobacco products.
3. Was fined considerably
4. The employee was charged with a crime.

I can't, for the life of me, see the rhyme or reason as to why the cannabis industry should not have to adhere to the same strict rules as it regards proliferation of regulated substances as businesses in other industries do.

To say that not a single non-medical patient received MJ from those dispensaries is an absolute un-truth, and you know it. The DEA will prove it come time for court, of that I am certain--because this has been their impetus in processing indictments for the past 4 years. I wouldn't be surprised to find that each of these dispensaries were hit by sting operations which showed that the law was not being followed.
Go ahead and elect Romney if you think that's what is good for the industry. However, by that right--you might as well vote for a Democrat according to their dedication to ensuring that this country's laws are based on Judeo-Christian values. See what I did there? I suggested something that makes as much sense as voting for a republican according to their dedication to seeing MMJ and the patients it helps protected.

If you are sick, and you NEED your MJ--a vote for a republican in ANY election, presidential or otherwise, is a vote against yourself.

 

[squiggly]

Obama can make the difference
We want to hear that the Obama administration's historically harsh crackdown on medical cannabis access will be reconsidered, and only then we can begin efforts at rallying supporting in states like Colorado and Nevada.

These words are chosen poorly. HISTORICALLY SPEAKING, Obama's administration is the least harsh on medical cannabis. This is indisputable.

 

[caveman4.20]

You think maybe one politician could execute a platform in which gets them elected....politicians are fukin comedians if we keep laughing at their jokes theyll keep getting the stage...Leaders are only as great as their followers they say so whats that say about us

 

[caveman4.20]

My MAIN issue with Obama is how the American Recovery Act cut disabled veterans benefits almost in half for two years and make them pay a co-pay... never understood why politicians cut where they do...this is almost if not worse then cutting education, social programs or healthcare for poor....
And im not voting for the lesser of two evils... thats why people like me dont have a true representative because we settle for the lesser of evils they put in front of us.... the people who would truly represent us in office dont even run anymore if anyone is a sleeping giant its all of them who gave up on us... I mean honestly its obvious im no Poli Sci genius but does it really matter if we vote???
If i ever vote its none of the above because maybe then it will be reported that we arent a sleeping giant, were more like a giant desensitized to being bamboozled and maybe a none of the above vote will wake up leaders who were sleeping cuz they think were sticking with the typical capitalist connumist they throw in front of us.....
I really just vent on here when i get a chance but maybe someone else can make sense of what i mean

 

[squiggly]

I mean honestly its obvious im no Poli Sci genius but does it really matter if we vote???

When you say this--you essentially prove the first part of your statement by saying the last part of it, if that makes sense.

The answer is yes, it does matter.

You can abstain from voting till you are blue in the face but if EVEN ONE person votes in this country--a non-vote is a vote for the victor.

Let's say you have a life-saving anti-serum to a virus. A person collapses in front of you dying of the virus (imminently). You choose not to deliver the anti-serum to that person. Did you kill them?

Not exactly, but you COULD have saved the person.

It's essentially the same with voting.

If Romney wins, and you didn't vote--did you vote him in? Not exactly, but you COULD have voted against him--which may have prevented him from winning.

For this reason, as well as the understanding that in a self-governed society it is the duty of citizens to choose the most appropriate leader by voting, it does matter if we vote or not. Not the perfect leader, not the leader whom isn't on the ballot. The most appropriate person on the ballot.

I understand the feeling that neither of them are appropriate--but I would argue that the two men are not perfectly equal, and that one of the two is more appripriate than the next guy. Hence, the most appropriate.

The way to combat the system in this country is not by refusing to vote. It is by, as you say, choosing the best of the two evils--and in SUBSEQUENT elections, being a part of the process which is attempting to put non-partisan politicians on the ticket.

Make no mistake, if you do not vote--you are voting for the victor.

The quote goes:

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

Take that with a grain of salt, as I'm not trying to be overdramatic (let's just assume the word evil there is replaced by the word mediocrity). The idea is the same, however, if you do nothing all you accomplish is the removal of your voice from the political process.

We ACTUALLY NEED people who believe the way you do to reinsert themselves in the political process in this country. Nothing is worse for America than a poor voter turnout. Nothing.

So much of the country has become disillusioned with the electoral process that they have left the ENTIRE THING up to the fools who ARE NOT disillusioned with it. They say, "what's the use" and in so doing, essentially leave the country to a bunch of retards.

The reason WHY the political parties seem so retarded, and seem more worried about propaganda than truth is because the only voters they expect to turn up are the fucking crazies.

It is abandonment of this process by people such as yourself that has skewed the political message in this country (on both sides) to a bunch of fucking morons.

Go.

Fucking.

Vote.



Seriously.

I'd rather you vote for Romney than not vote, it is that serious. The loss of interest/faith in our political process in this country is more damaging to our future than any one president ever could be.

Can you imagine, just for a second, what the political process would look like in this country if 100% of Americans voted? There would be infinite amounts more accountability expected from candidates.

Details, with supporting evidence and figures, would be absolutely DEMANDED. Wouldn't you demand them?

As it stands now the majority of people who vote are idealogues--and they are fucking stupid as shit. Hence why every time you hear a politician you're thinking to yourself : What am I, fucking stupid?

No, you're not--they're not talking to you, because they don't expect you to vote. They are talking to the moron who will be at the polls.

 

[azmmjadvocates]

Caveman wrote; "does it really matter if we vote??? If i ever vote its none of the above." There are a lot of people with that mindset, i'm independent and wont waste my vote, I look at it like voting against someone.. I'm voting against Romney, up to his comment "i'll fight MMJ tooth and nail" I thought he might stay out of the fight and learn some facts from Ron Paul on the issue.

Guess if all of us MMJ advocates vote for none of the above the anti Marijuana folks will thank us for that lack of stance. They think we cant get off the couch anyway, but we did to elect obama huh? That is my point exactly with this poster, it will get a lot of people to vote for none of the above, hell they will just stay home on the couch.

 

[azmmjadvocates]

Caveman wrote; "does it really matter if we vote??? If i ever vote its none of the above." There are a lot of people with that mindset, i'm independent and wont waste my vote, I look at it like voting against someone.. I'm voting against Romney, up to his comment "i'll fight MMJ tooth and nail" I thought he might stay out of the fight and learn some facts from Ron Paul on the issue.

Guess if all of us MMJ advocates vote for none of the above the anti Marijuana folks will thank us for that lack of stance. They think we cant get off the couch anyway, but we did to elect obama huh? That is my point exactly with this poster, it will get a lot of people to vote for none of the above, hell they will just stay home on the couch.

IMHO, that poster should state exactly what Squiggly points out that those prosecuted deserved it, that Obama has done something, that it's going to be much worse if Romney gets in. Not to mention there has been a push setting up MMJ in the second term, Romney gets in, it's by by. Mark my words

 

[squiggly]

My MAIN issue with Obama is how the American Recovery Act cut disabled veterans benefits almost in half for two years and make them pay a co-pay... never understood why politicians cut where they do...this is almost if not worse then cutting education, social programs or healthcare for poor....

Also worth mentioning is that the MAIN issue you have with Obama doesn't exist as you've described it. The ARRA actually spent a huge amount of money on veterans, and improving care.

Obama HAS proposed a few cuts in his deficit reduction plan--but they don't take the form you're describing.

First an excerpt describing the ARRA effect on veterans care:

​

VA Announces Recovery Spending
April 2, 2009
Printable Version
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WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will spend more than $1.4 billion as part of President Obama’s economic recovery plan to improve services toAmerica’s Veterans. VA’s Internet site – www.va.gov/recovery – provides current information about VA’s work to deliver its portion of Recovery Act funds into the economy to benefit Veterans.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) enables the VA to improve medical facilities and national cemeteries, provide grants to assist states in acquiring or constructing state nursing homes and extended care facilities, and to modify or alter existing facilities to care for Veterans.
VA will dedicate ARRA funds to hire and train 1,500 temporary claims processors to speed benefits delivery to Veterans and pursue needed information technology initiatives for improved benefits and services. Funds will also be used to oversee and audit programs, grants, and projects funded under ARRA.
As part of the President’s Recovery plan, VA will also make one-time payments of $250 to eligible Veterans and survivors to mitigate the effects of the current economy. These payments will be issued as early as June 2009. VA estimates $700 million in payments will be made to eligible beneficiaries as part of this measure.
To be eligible for the $250 payment, VA beneficiaries must have received compensation, pension, dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC), or spina bifida benefits at any time between November 2008 and January 2009. Also, beneficiaries must reside within the United States or Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands,American Samoa, or the U.S. Virgin Islands. No application is necessary. VA will use its existing payment records to determine eligibility for the $250 payment.
Beneficiaries will receive their payments the same way they receive their monthly VA benefits (either by direct deposit or mail). VA will inform beneficiaries and the public when releasing the payments. This payment is not countable in determining eligibility for VA pension or Parents’ DIC. The law allows one $250 payment per individual. The payment is tax-free. VA beneficiaries who also receive benefits from the Social Security Administration or Railroad Retirement Board will be paid through those agencies, and will therefore not receive the payment from VA.

​

Second an excerpt (from a fact-checking website) describing the ACTUAL cuts Obama has suggested (which have not passed):

Santorum vs. Obama: Cutting Veterans’ Benefits​

Santorum criticized Obama for proposing cuts in military veterans’ benefits.

Santorum: We have the president of the United States who said he is going to cut veterans benefits, cut our military, at a time when these folks are four, five, six, seven tours, coming back, in and out of jobs, sacrificing everything for this country.​

Much has been written about the president’s plans to reduce the size and cost of the U.S. military, but what about veterans’ benefits? The president’s deficit reduction plan does indeed propose some changes in military health and retirement programs. The plan would:

• Impose a $200 annual fee on TRICARE for Life recipients. TRICARE for Life is a supplemental health insurance program for veterans 65 and over. It covers certain out-of-pocket expenses not covered by Medicare. Currently, TRICARE for Life does not charge fees or premiums. The administration estimates the proposal would save about $6.7 billion over 10 years.
• Increase prescription drug benefit co-pays. The administration estimates this proposal would save $20.6 billion over 10 years.
• Create a commission to study military retirement benefits. The deficit-reduction plan says the current benefits are “generous” and “out of line with most other Government or private retirement plans.”

The proposal was submitted in September, and has not become law.

 

[squiggly]

Guess if all of us MMJ advocates vote for none of the above the anti Marijuana folks will thank us for that lack of stance.

I couldn't have said it better myself--and I have tried.

Alot.

 

[azmmjadvocates]

To prove my point, how much cite traffic and posts do you think will be diminished on THC farmer after Romney wins? Hell Bill Montgomery basically told us here in AZ he doesn't care that the voters approved prop 203 it's illegal to cultivate by anyone, patients included. It was crickets on this site in the AZ section afterwords. like prarrie dogs running for the ground, i'll be with squiggly laughing, Ill be in the open advocating in pain and not using MMJ if need be. I'll say I told you so to every Romney cultivating supporter he throws in jail. it will be back to the old days where the only pot grower you know is the one you meet in jail.

 

[azmmjadvocates]

Another thing too, i fight for artists rights as well, freedom of speech, if they go after us, you don't think a president fighting tooth and nail won't step on freedom of speech here? Just remember what Ronald Regan did to Herer for his protesting and freedom of speech. At least a great book was created by him becoming a political prisoner, and that's what we will become, political prisoners.

 

[squiggly]

To prove my point, how much cite traffic and posts do you think will be diminished on THC farmer after Romney wins? Hell Bill Montgomery basically told us here in AZ he doesn't care that the voters approved prop 203 it's illegal to cultivate by anyone, patients included. It was crickets on this site in the AZ section afterwords. like prarrie dogs running for the ground, i'll be with squiggly laughing, Ill be in the open advocating in pain and not using MMJ if need be. I'll say I told you so to every Romney cultivating supporter he throws in jail. it will be back to the old days where the only pot grower you know is the one you meet in jail.

If he's elected--you won't see me here anymore, sadly.

Secure Socket Layer or not--its just not safe. I already don't post pictures for fear of prosecution (I'm in a non-med state).

At the very least you can expect traffic from non-med states to this website to dry up. At worst everyone will go into hiding. Hopefully the Romney supporters believe that he's got their back and are the ones left waving the "arrest-me-please" flag, and that might take some of the heat off of those of us who are smart enough to know that he means what he said when he claimed he'd fight legalization tooth and nail.

When you consider who the DEA takes marching orders from, that statement is very disturbing. It's about the only thing Romney has said which:

1. He hasn't flip-flopped on.
2. He says with real, tangible, conviction.
3. I believe.

 

[caveman4.20]

My answer to whats worse is when the popular vote goes and votes and wins then the electoral vote over turns it and again im not too proud to state im not even smart with government stuff but I have trust issues and many of them are with the gubment....i hope the good guys are really making a change for the better, not just for weed, behind the curtains instead of having a beer or coffee

much props though to the people who do fight it tothe nail and hold their elected officials accountable atleast for what they claim to beleive in by sending letters making phone calls and even showing up in person