Feds not changing marijuana policy, even if 3 states legalize it, US official says

[BigTex]

...on 60 Minutes tonight...

A top Justice Department official has said in a television interview that the federal government is ready to combat any "dangers" of state-sanctioned recreational pot, amid criticism of the Obama administration for its relative silence on legalization drives in three states.

Voters in Colorado, Washington state and Oregon are set to vote Nov. 6 on whether to legalize and tax marijuana sales, raising the possibility of a showdown with the federal government, which views pot as an illegal narcotic.

Deputy Attorney General James Cole, in comments to "60 Minutes" said his office's stance on pot would be "the same as it's always been" if voters approved legalization.

I say everybody that lives in America, votes, and smokes it is your public duty to personally let this man and his office know how you feel about this issue. I think we should flood his office with letters this week. Let him know he is fighting a losing battle and remind him that he is out manned and out financed. I am certainly doing my part. Let's take the fight to him instead of him bringing it to us!

Office of Deputy Attorney General James Cole
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001


Fight for your rights!

-BigTex

 

[supermanlives]

good maybe it will take the heat off of cali for a while.

 

[BigTex]

good maybe it will take the heat off of cali for a while.

Don't count on it.

 

[trichrider]

Feds not changing marijuana policy, even if 3 states legalize it, US official says


By Reuters

LOS ANGELES - A top Justice Department official has said in a television interview that the federal government is ready to combat any "dangers" of state-sanctioned recreational pot, amid criticism of the Obama administration for its relative silence on legalization drives in three states.


Voters in Colorado, Washington state and Oregon are set to vote Nov. 6 on whether to legalize and tax marijuana sales, raising the possibility of a showdown with the federal government, which views pot as an illegal narcotic.

Deputy Attorney General James Cole, in comments to "60 Minutes" posted on Saturday to the website of CBS affiliate KCNC-TV in Denver, said his office's stance on pot would be "the same as it's always been" if voters approved legalization.

"We're going to take a look at whether or not there are dangers to the community from the sale of marijuana and we're going to go after those dangers," Cole told "60 Minutes" in an outtake from a report on Colorado's medical marijuana industry due to air Sunday, according to the CBS affiliate.

Cole's statement is an indication the federal government, which has raided medical pot dispensaries in several of the 17 states that allow cannabis as medicine, could also take aim at state-sanctioned recreational marijuana.

It also represents a break with the Obama administration's relative silence about the pot referendums, which has led to uncertainty about whether federal officials would stop states from taxing and regulating sales of pot in special stores to those 21 and older, as proposed under each of the three state initiatives before voters.

Representatives for the Justice Department did not return calls or emails seeking comment on Cole's remarks.

A top legalization backer, however, dismissed them as "innocuous," unlike the stance Attorney General Eric Holder took in 2010 just weeks before a failed California referendum to legalize pot.


Voters in three states will decide next month on whether to become the first states to legalize marijuana for recreational use and doing so would put Colorado, Washington and Oregon in direct conflict with the federal law. The Huffington Post's Ryan Grim discusses.

'Wait and see'
In 2010, Holder issued a toughly worded letter that said his office "strongly" opposed the California proposal and would "vigorously enforce" drug laws against participants in the recreational pot trade, even if state law permitted it.

Holder's statement is credited with helping to persuade some California voters to reject the proposal.

"Compared to what they did two years ago in California, to have their federal posture be essentially a wait-and-see approach is encouraging," said Ethan Nadelmann, head of the Drug Policy Alliance, which through affiliates has funded marijuana legalization campaigns.

Polls show the American public is increasingly leaning toward legalizing pot, but no state has taken that step.

Nadelmann said pot legalization is popular with young people and independents, two groups of voters crucial to President Barack Obama's re-election campaign, and that his administration is "being smart in basically not weighing in at this time."

Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. Pot activists say prohibition fails to prevent its use and enriches criminal cartels, but opponents of legalization say it would endanger health and public safety.

Former heads of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in September sent a letter to Holder urging him to publicly oppose the legalization referendums. On Monday, a former federal official expressed dismay at the Obama administration's silence.

"It's shocking, because all you have to do is say things that this administration's already said," John Walters, who served as "drug czar" to former President George W. Bush, told reporters on a conference call.

Cole's remarks to "60 Minutes" were in response to a question about the possibility of recreational pot being allowed in Colorado, according to the station, which posted a video with the outtake on its website.

"I think it is pretty clear from this video that the Obama administration won't take any legalization measure lying down," Kevin Sabet, a former adviser to Gil Kerlikowske, the Obama administration's drug policy director, said in an email.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/201...-legalize-it-us-official-says?lite&ocid=msnhp

it is on...

 

[NEW ENGLAND]

The GOV has no issues with liquor stores and Bars on every corner though.
How many Drunk Driving Deaths would it take for the Feds to ban Alcohol?
There is no answer to this because no matter what the number,100,00....200,000
anually.There is no number high enough to reverse thier stance on booze.
We live in a fucked up society.If they hired more first responders to extricate familys
from the wreckage,our gov would put thier spin on it saying"We are creating jobs".

 

[KSP]

Nadelmann said pot legalization is popular with young people and independents, two groups of voters crucial to President Barack Obama's re-election campaign, and that his administration is "being smart in basically not weighing in at this time."

It may be smart on O's part in terms of fooling those voters (again) but I don't see how that necessarily means it is good news for the end of prohibition. I may be reading it wrong, but I think that guy is deluding himself, just as many others did in 2008.

 

[Hammerhead]

The more states the legalize the harder there job will be. They are already losing this war. IMO the citizens if the USA wont continue to let them spend all that cash on a substance that's legal. I know that there is going to be a big debate weather cannabis should be allowed to be used as a recreational drug. This is where the feds dont want to let go. The use of medical Cannabis and its class 1 schedule will be changed first before the feds let any rereational use happen IMO...

 

[trichrider]

not good news is how i saw this. more pandering to fools and idiots with the wait and see.

even with general agreement that cannabis should be legalized, these asshats insist they are protecting us from the evil weed. nevermind that they cannot continue the coverup, they are in control...

makes one puke.

 

[DryNobBob]

Not surprised a bit. IMHO, its not gonna pass in or, somebody said the offices for it have already closed up, or some of them, but they say it may in wa, and I haven't heard much on co. Im afraid it will just give them more fronts to spend the drug war money on, they won't quit hitting the big or loud boys, if for anything else appearances sake. Im really surprised at the language in the or bill, they just weren't thinkin clear when they wrote it, go figure, lol.

 

[StayHigh149]

OOOOVVVVVVEEEEERRRRRRGGGGRRROOOWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When/if they crackdown, the cities need to file lawsuits in fed court, just as the city of Oakland has done.

"We" also need to mobilize our friends that smoke to actually take some type fo ACTION, other than just packing a bowl.....

 

[StayHigh149]

Positive vibes: Colorado & Washington WILL pass.

Cali WOULD have passed, if the divide & conquer theory did not work.....too many people that are pro mj voted against it due to greed & fear of big business.

 

[igrowone]

last time with 19, DOJ and their minions spread the fear
recreationally legalize it and we'll make you wish you didn't, and the fear seemed to have an effect on the vote
this time, not so much fear
still talking trash, but not with vigour they had 2 years ago
weaker and weaker, the trend is not a federal friend

 

[Wise]

The Fed's ignoring individual state law is what makes the case of Americans For Safe Access Vs. DEA for rescheduling marijuana is so important.

 

[whodare]

FUCK THE FEDS

 

[whiskeytango420]

Fuck the feds indeed....

Good vibes

 

[Holdin']

Positive vibes: Colorado & Washington WILL pass.<br />
<br />
Cali WOULD have passed, if the divide & conquer theory did not work.....too many people that are pro mj voted against it due to greed & fear of big business.

Due to the details of the WA state I-502, it is not very popular amongst the MMJ community here. The concern is due to the "drugged driving" aspect of it. I am not a scientist nor am I in the medical field, but I am pretty sure that 5 nanograms per milliliter is present in your bloodstream quite a while after the last time you smoke. I dont know exactly how this will be enforced, but I know that many MMJ patients are worried and are spreading the word "vote NO on I-502." Then youve got your old fashioned folks that dont "support dopeheads" (as I just learned a mirrored opinion from my old boss), so I am really not sure which way this vote will go.

It will be interesting though, and either way is forward progress for the ultimate goal.

But the word seems to be it is looking good for CO....

Either way, very interesting to see what happens with the ballots and the FEDS......

 

[StayHigh149]

I would hope that Wa would pass it as is & ammend that 1 thing later, if it could b ammended. If it couldn't b amended then I understand. I have a few friends in Wa & things seem pretty "relaxed" as it is now, so maybe full legalization isn't all that important there.

I wouldn't expect everything to b perfect up front....if I waited on all of the stop lights between my house & my job to be green before i left my house to go to work, then I would never leave the house.

As a side note, the drug test policy for mj should be changed all the way around.

 

[budman678]

if the drugged driving issue is the only concern with this bll, then your friends are pretty short sided....

 

[supermanlives]

if i was head of feds i would be hitting colorado in force. good luck all