[moose eater]

Originally Posted by Jhhnn

It's rare that I agree with vta about much of anything but he's right about this. I'd be very surprised if any regional US Attorney takes the opening that Jeff gave them. They'd be stuck with it if he commanded but he didn't do that at all. He just put out some mealy mouthed jive to stir the shit & keep his name up in lights.

I understand the amendments as riders in the budget/finance bill that keep this from becoming a reality, but those amendments have been regularly teetering on a month-to-month survival.

If they do make a move to try and kill this legalization trend with federal intervention, it makes perfect sense that they'd try to do it before it reaches any sort of maturity (*per my earlier comment re. wrestling alligators and the size of their teeth).

And some of the governing bodies, such as our Borough Assembly, and others, whose fingers are on the pulse of approving or not approving licenses, are apt to be further pressured by the likes of our prominent prohibitionists on the Assembly, to heed the fact that the Cole memo, previously used as an argument that provided a shielding of their official actions, is now more or less moot. One more or less (at least temporarily) binding aspect of Sessions' memo.

These are often political weasels who fear legal liability and voter misperception more than they fear their priests and mothers. And they have regularly cited the Cole memo as their path to righteousness in their positions as local leaders.

[moose eater]

But then, we've survived here for 42 years+ with waxing and waning protections for privacy where cannabis was concerned, through Reagan's era of our tolerating a zero under his 'zero tolerance,' and more, to include the unconstitutional 1990 recrim vote that took 11 years to over-turn.

So being outside of federal law where weed is concerned isn't exactly a new trip for our State. And as often as not, during those years, the feds reserved their efforts for larger operations, provably long-term operations (operating a continuing criminal enterprise, etc., under RICO), and those they chose to make an example of for political reasons; with some of those groups sometimes over-lapping..

So for those of us living on the fringe of things, little has changed. Just another moving of the chain to establish whether or not there's been a 1st down completed or not.

And I didn't care much for the referees in question in the first place.

[Jhhnn]

Originally Posted by moose eater

I understand the amendments as riders in the budget/finance bill that keep this from becoming a reality, but those amendments have been regularly teetering on a month-to-month survival.

If they do make a move to try and kill this legalization trend with federal intervention, it makes perfect sense that they'd try to do it before it reaches any sort of maturity (*per my earlier comment re. wrestling alligators and the size of their teeth).

And some of the governing bodies, such as our Borough Assembly, and others, whose fingers are on the pulse of approving or not approving licenses, are apt to be further pressured by the likes of our prominent prohibitionists on the Assembly, to heed the fact that the Cole memo, previously used as an argument that provided a shielding of their official actions, is now more or less moot. One more or less (at least temporarily) binding aspect of Sessions' memo.

These are often political weasels who fear legal liability and voter misperception more than they fear their priests and mothers. And they have regularly cited the Cole memo as their path to righteousness in their positions as local leaders.

Oh, I get all that. The local posturing & pandering is part of the process of conservative branding, putting their name up in lights just like Sessions. There's a whole complex of insincerity & mistaken culture warrior belief at work. They're all just trying to latch on to that big right wing political donor tit in the sky & get fat off it.

They're still snake bit, however. We'll obviously see a lot of drama & denial before the inevitable comes to pass. When Obama allowed legalization to proceed it was like them losing the battle of Stalingrad. They'll fight on but the losses are already too great for them to prevail.

[moose eater]

We gained a foothold for sure. But what we have where I am is a staunch reserve, however limited in number, of real true believers. Born-agains who will look the camera in the eye, say that "marijuana equals death" and MEAN it. At least one of them a former toker, who, due to his own need for deliverance from his evil, found Jesus, and truly believes his own bullshit.

When he pressures the remaining fence-sitters who have used Cole as the ultimate approval for what otherwise might be perceived by some as participating in prosecutable RICO acts, right down to conspiracy, he'll have more of their ears than they would be comfortable admitting to those who've voted for them.

Most of our leaders have never been real leaders at all, which is why meaningful change has almost always been a bottom-up process.

If I had a dollar for every stuffed shirt in office, I wouldn't need to grow weed for anyone but myself. ;^>)

[mojave green]

Under RICO the entire supply chain is at risk!

[Betterhaff]

Do you know what really pisses me off...families moving in order to care for love ones. The CBD thing is a part of that. But NIDA and etc. etc. etc have touting the evils. There are benefits. Do they know?

[brown_thumb]

Let's all just save ourselves the heartache, and give up hope. Most US politicians are corrupt morons.

[St. Phatty]

Originally Posted by brown_thumb

Let's all just save ourselves the heartache, and give up hope. Most US politicians are corrupt morons.

Never thought hope was very useful in solving problems anyway.

Sessions' position depends on t-Rump. t-Rump is unstable enough that I wouldn't bet on him being in office in a year. Of course, he could survive his unique fast food & no exercise regimen for 3 more years - but most 70 year old men with stressful jobs who 'don't keep up' physically, don't last long.

The American Drug War is a make work program. Sessions' action on reversing the Cole Memo will give license to the DEA. They will probably launch some actions / ruin some lives, it's how they rack up the hours that yield the paychecks.

No busts, no hours, no pay-checks.


It will be interesting to see the voting next time there is a motion/ proposition etc. for Secession.

Any serious interference by the federal government in the State's marijuana programs, and I'm pretty sure those Secession propositions will seem less wacky to the general population.


So, how do you find an honest bookie who is willing to take bets on these kinds of things ?

[igrowone]

some more mainstream news, Ron Paul weighs in
nothing too surprising, but so far i've yet to see anyone notable praise session's action
perhaps the branch he's on is getting ready to snap


Ron Paul: Jeff Sessions should be fired over marijuana decision

By Alexandra King, CNN

(CNN)Ron Paul, the former GOP congressman and onetime presidential candidate, called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to step down Saturday after he moved this week to rescind the Obama-era policy of restricting federal enforcement of marijuana laws in states where the drug is legal.
Sessions' action essentially shifts federal policy from the hands-off approach adopted under the Obama administration to unleashing federal prosecutors to decide individually how to prioritize resources to crack down on pot possession, distribution and cultivation of the drug in those states.
Currently, recreational marijuana is legal in eight states and the District of Columbia. Twenty-two states also allow some form of medical marijuana, and 15 allow a lesser medical marijuana extract.
Paul told CNN's Michael Smerconish that Americans should have a choice on marijuana use, and he called Sessions' actions "unconstitutional."

"He represents something that is so un-American, as far as I'm concerned," the Texas libertarian said.
"The war on drugs, to me, is a war on liberty. I think that we overly concentrate on the issue of the drug itself, and I concentrate on the issue of freedom of choice, on doing things that are of high risk," he said. "And we permit high risk all the time. ... Generally, we allow people to eat what they want, and that is very risky. But we do overly concentrate on what people put into their bodies."
Paul called the war on drugs a "totally illegal system."
"Just because you legalize something doesn't mean everyone's going to do it, and then if you look at the consequences, of the war? Why don't the people just look and read and study Prohibition? ... (a) total failure. And the war on drugs is every bit as bad and worse," he said.
"People should have the right or responsibility of dealing with what is dangerous," Paul insisted. "Once you get into this thing about government is going to protect us against ourselves, there's no protection of liberty."
However, he said, he didn't expect Sessions to be successful.
"I predict that Sessions is not going to be victorious on this," Paul told Smerconish.
"And unfortunately, it's for reasons that I don't get excited about. It's because the states want to collect all of those taxes (on marijuana), so it becomes this tax issue," he said.

[Easy7]

You have to be awfully frustrated to be the religious right in America. Sessions will fail against cannabis and over state his victories. Like all the religious right in the States.

They will catch some people who were not being very safe about their biz. Over state their successes and ignore their out right failure.