Congress ends federal ban on medical marijuana
By Evan Halper, Los Angeles Times
Tucked deep inside the 1,603-page federal spending measure is a provision that effectively ends the federal government’s prohibition on medical marijuana and signals a major shift in drug policy.
The bill’s passage over the weekend marks the first time Congress has approved nationally significant legislation backed by legalization advocates. It brings almost to a close two decades of tension between the states and Washington over medical use of marijuana.
Under the provision, states where medical pot is legal would no longer need to worry about federal drug agents raiding retail operations. Agents would be prohibited from doing so.
The Obama administration has largely followed that rule since last year as a matter of policy. But the measure approved as part of the spending bill, which President Obama plans to sign this week, will codify it as a matter of law.
Pot advocates had lobbied Congress to embrace the administration’s policy, which they warned was vulnerable to revision under a less tolerant future administration.
If you don’t like marijuana, you are not going to like the future.
Why? Are we going to be required to smoke it??
That is the truth , So help me God The truth ,nothing but the truth ,so help me GOD.You put a man on earth ,or women to plant a seed for medicine to help those in need,Thank you God.
nicely stated, Dogula. I find organized religion and Country music extremely offensive and intolerable to me personally. But I do not require the rest of the world to share my feelings. Thus, regardless of how I fell about Marijuana, I am delighted to hear of its decriminalization. As long as alcohol, cigarettes, and Country music are legal, there is no argument for marijuana to be illegal.
Wow J, Amen on that one. Alcohol is the downfall of our society. Big money talks but this is a victory for Everyman. Good news!
Actually, the drug warriors need not panic over the DEA MMJ defunding amendment. Senator Andy Harris (R -MD),who sponsored the amendment to neuter Washington DC’s legalization initiative, and other drug warrior Republicans only have to cool their heels until January 1, 2015 when the new Congress convenes with sizeable Republican majorities in both houses. They can then introduce a bill to repeal the defunding “rider” to the Ominous Budget Bill. The bill could not only restore the funding, but could conceivably provide a substantial increase to the DEA. It’s OK to gut the Environmental Protection Agency but it’s a patriotic duty to wage holy jihad against any state that dares to even think about medical marijuana let alone legalization.
This could be interesting, law enforcement has always used the crutch that if marijuana is illegal federally then officers were banned from committing that federal crime. My question is is the public cool with a cop getting a 215 card for any reason and smoking up every night after shift? Just would like to see how the public views this.
Mr Kubby, I don’t think anybody is “panicking” over decriminalization. Most think legalization is just fine, a lot of other people don’t give a rat’s patootie. You’ll have to talk to the government money people about why they’re so hung-ho on their drug war. Because that’s really what it’s about. If the drug war ends, half of federal law enforcement and a lot of state law enforcement people are out of a job.
The horror.
But for somebody who claims to be a libertarian, I surely don’t understand why you are FOR EPA funding! That’s hardly a libertarian stance.
I think I’ve posted this site before, but just in case you’ve never seen it:
http://www.leap.cc/
Copper, Good link to “Law enforcement Against Prohibition.” I saved it to peruse as time allows.
I’ve spoken with Police Chief Brian Uhler about the illegal grow houses on So. Shore. He was very helpful about how people growing need to have the home inspected by the building dept. and then get a permit. And to top it off, he had a sense of humor as well!
Who would have thought this old hippy would be laughin’ on the phone with the police chief?
Brian Uhler, care to respond? OLS
This is another bad idea as most of these pot shops are laundering money in large amounts, not paying proper income tax amounts and attracting many felons and criminals who want in on it or want to rip them off. People don’t want these operations in their towns or neighborhoods. People who want their cannabis as medicine can get it in a non-thc pill or other non-thc strain in a juice form from their doctor and save their brain from psychosis and their lungs from cancer from smoking a drug.
Come, come Justice for many its not about the medicine its about the high. I know a great many people who have their cards when they tell me they dont need it but they like the high.(in otherwords they scamed some doctor with a sickness they dont have) I have asked them what you need to tell the doc to get a prescription and they have a whole script of non verifiable items, but you have to go to a doc whos whole practice is issuing pot cards.
AAAArgh! The stupid… it burns
BigPharma is pooping their pants right now.
@J…agreed. with the exception of Nancy Griffith, Johnny Cash, Emmilou Harris, Lyle Lovett, Alison Krauss(Dan Tyminski), and Kasey Chambers most country music SUCKS the Big Wazoo!!! In my not-so-humble opinion. Ok, Dwight Yoakam’s cool once in a while. Shania Twain once in a great while. Bluegrass Rocks!
Now if y’allexcuse me I gotta put my dog Jake and my rifle in my pickup to drive to the train station in the rain to pick my mamma up-she’s gettin’ outta prison today-Yee-Haw!
Hmmm, You get an A+ for the David Allan Coe reference. A perfect country and western song. Written by Steve Goodman with additional lyrics by David Allan Coe.
“So I’ll hang around as long as you’ll let me, darlin’ , but I never minded standin’ out in the rain”. Sung in a loud voice with lots of feeling!!!
A classic album. OLS
With Nanci, Emmilou and Alison, you nailed the distaff side (there’s a concept to daydream about), but among the guys, you forgot Guy Clark and Chris Kristopherson. In my ever humble opinion, of course.
Watchful,
If they did, they might know the meaning of “I can’t breath”.
We would also need more donut shops in town. :-)
@Copper…if you have not heard of Kasey Chambers(started playing in her parents band in the Australian Outback as a teenager doing backups, then became the headliner….then became the biggest country musician in Australia before coming to the US) check her out. If you’re a ‘Soprano’s” fan(I’m not) you’ve heard her song “The Captain” She does a Fred Eaglesmith cover -‘Water in the Fuel’ that will stop you in your tracks from the first line! Anyhow she’s got a boatload of music in Youtube, well worth checking out. Her voice is that amazing blend of strength and vulnerability….kind of what Nanci Griffith and Patty Griffin are known for.
Right now enjoying OCMS and Gillian Welch!
Happy listening. Crank them tunes!
Wow, justass actually stated that he thinks the potgrowers/processors are bad cuz they dont pay the proper taxe’s. Im shocked. Usually his rants slam taxation of any kind.
I just dont want the growers in my neighborhood. They attract an unsavory clientell and it stinks. Pot does affect how people drive despite what Kubby and Kathy say.