[DiscoBiscuit]

Marijuana-legalization push gets voice on Capitol Hill


By Rob Hotakainen | McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — The cannabis industry has flexed its muscles in 15 states where it's legal to smoke marijuana for medical purposes. Now the industry is ready to go to work in Washington.


A new trade group, called the National Cannabis Industry Association, is an attempt to bring together sellers, growers and manufacturers and to promote pot on Capitol Hill.


"Our intent is to be the go-to organization in Washington for this industry," said Aaron Smith, the group's executive director.


For the past five years, Smith worked as the California director of the Marijuana Policy Project.


"Coming out of California and expanding into this national field is pretty exciting," he said. "There's been a lot of enthusiasm. ... It's pretty clear that the medical marijuana industry is becoming recognized more and more by the mainstream as a fully legitimate part of the economy."


Even though California voters last month rejected a ballot initiative to legalize marijuana for all adults, Smith said it was just a matter of time before the drug was fully legalized.


"Legalization is looking inevitable," he said. "It didn't happen in 2010, but it's likely to happen in 2012. ... It's going to be relatively soon we're going to see states move from medical marijuana into broader legal markets. And the federal government needs to catch up. Frequently the American people are ahead of the Congress."


But Smith will have a hard time finding many marijuana advocates in Congress.


On Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted 400-4 to back a resolution sponsored by California Republican Rep. Wally Herger that calls on authorities to get tougher with those who cultivate marijuana on federal land.


In a speech on the House floor, Herger said the presence of Mexican marijuana cartel operations in national forests in Northern California "poses a serious threat to our public safety and use of our public lands."


Democratic Rep. Steve Kagen of Wisconsin called medical marijuana "a misnomer," adding: "There is nothing safe about smoking. There is nothing safe about smoking an illicit product called marijuana."


Smith said the association officially formed this month, putting together a 23-member board that includes leaders in the cannabis industry, who represent dispensaries, operators, publications and insurance providers, among others.


The association's first target will be a federal law that prohibits marijuana use even if states have legalized it. The law has resulted in confusion amid overlapping jurisdictions, with state authorities enforcing state laws and federal officials enforcing federal laws.


But President Barack Obama's administration has been easing up. Last year, Attorney General Eric Holder ordered federal prosecutors to back away from cases against medical marijuana patients and to focus on higher-level traffickers or money launderers.


"I'd like to see that codified by Congress, to become the law of the land, not just an executive order," Smith said. "This industry's biggest challenges are the obstacles presented by federal law, so that's why we're focusing on the change to federal law first and foremost."


With Republicans poised to take control of the House, Smith said: "I can't say that I'm super optimistic, but we'll definitely be pushing the message of federalism, which the Republicans should listen to. All we're really asking for is to allow the states to essentially make up their own minds on marijuana policy."


Smith noted that the issue of medical marijuana has bipartisan appeal: Republican candidates won a clean sweep in Arizona last month, but voters still approved the use of medical marijuana.
"This is not a left issue," he said. "This is a mainstream issue, and Republicans should embrace it."

https://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/12/1...push-gets.html

[Huggie bear]

Democratic Rep. Steve Kagen of Wisconsin called medical marijuana "a misnomer," adding: "There is nothing safe about smoking. There is nothing safe about smoking an illicit product called marijuana."

Dahhhh, ya don't have to only smoke it smarty!
Clearly showing major ignorance that plagues the medical Marijuana Movement!

[BiG H3rB Tr3E]

Originally Posted by Huggie bear

Democratic Rep. Steve Kagen of Wisconsin called medical marijuana "a misnomer," adding: "There is nothing safe about smoking. There is nothing safe about smoking an illicit product called marijuana."

Dahhhh, ya don't have to only smoke it smarty!
Clearly showing major ignorance that plagues the medical Marijuana Movement!

yeah mj is so dangerous. thats why it kills 500,000 people every year. oh wait. thats alcohol and tobacco....:banghead:

[VIKINGtrich]

Well thats great..I can only hope that the assholes that are elected to be the voice of the people will listen to THE PEOPLE! If it only worked that way, we wouldn't be living in a complete shit-hole controlled by our corrupt and disruptive Government.

One day, I hope i can grow my plants without fear that my door will be kicked in and my wife and kid will be subjected to seeing me on the floor with a machine gun in my face and my big, mean, Black Lab lying on the floor beside me dying of 10 gun shot wounds....One can hope.

[igrowone]

i know we hear much of the same f'd up rhetoric from morons that should be in jobs with less opportunity to wreck harm

but there are possibilities this year, not legalization so much, but some more realistic change in federal law

rescheduling in 2011 if only to schedule 2? moral victory if nothing else

but there is a grudging realization that change will come from congress, or the states will continue to go MMJ, the status quo is not an option

How many MMJ dispensaries have you seen in Redwood National Park?

Fucking morons.


im talking about the article btw lol

[timmypark]

failed..

[LiveFreeOrDie]

What we need to do is UNITE and bring marijuana legalization to the forefront of the 2012 presidential elections.

If we make it an issue, they have to address it!

[mrcreosote]

Democratic Rep. Steve Kagen of Wisconsin called medical marijuana "a misnomer," adding: "There is nothing safe about smoking. There is nothing safe about smoking an illicit product called marijuana."

Well, he got that partly right...
The only danger from smoking MJ is from the legal system.

You will never see cannabis legalized unless the following conditions occur:

1. The MSM must become more objective in their reporting the obvious failure of prohibition. It never reports the connection between prohibition and the tens of thousands murdered each year by drug gangs, cartels and law enforcement around the world. As long as there is a huge demand for cannabis and huge profits to be realized, organizations both large and small will fight to maintain and grow their tax free profits.

2. Laws must be enacted to stop politicians from receiving huge amounts of cash from special interests whose intent it is to maintain the prohibition status quo. Government officials, news media, corporations, law enforcement, drug cartels and most voters are keenly aware of the connection between "campaign contributions" and the action or inaction taken by legislators in response to the money received. You have to be fucking deaf, dumb and blind to not know how the "system" works and that it is nothing more than blatant corruption.

3. The research and testing of cannabis for its' potential to help the sick and disabled has been prohibited by our government. There is no reason for this other than to prevent the obvious truth about cannabis from ever seeing the light of day. When you have no objective information with which to base a decision on the legalization of cannabis, or for that matter the prohibition of it, special interests and paid off politicians can spin their lies and deception with no contradiction. The public needs to know how this works.

4. The cannabis community must realize that their own members are hoping to keep cannabis illegal so that they can continue to realize the easy and tax free income they are enjoying.