There will be no going back but...
Look at the history of Prohibition. Before Prohibition, no rules, or very localized and fragmented rules. After Prohibition, rules, lots of rules, many that we live by today.
Reverberating his dad’s sound logic and theoretical talking points like ending the ill-fated federal war on drugs. One of the more interesting observations made by Sen. Paul was that the GOP and the remainder of America needs to take a long close look at the common sense deployed in the states of Washington and Colorado and work hard to catch up with them.
“I think for example we should tell young people, ‘I’m not in favor of you smoking pot, but if you get caught smoking pot, I don’t want to put you in jail for 20 years,’” Paul says.
This week, Paul also plans to re-engage with Leahy and others about his stance on marijuana, saying it makes little sense to have tough laws against possession that could destroy a young person’s life.
After Colorado and Washington state each approved recreational use of marijuana in ballot initiatives last week, Paul said it “wouldn’t hurt” for his party to take a softer stand on the issue, saying it would show that the GOP is a “little bit rational” and “reasonable” if penalties for pot possession were weakened.
“I don’t think we should put people in jail for mandatory sentences of nonviolent drug crimes, particularly 20-year sentences,” Paul said. “I’d just hate to see somebody’s kid get put in jail for 20 years for making a mistake.”
“I don't want to promote that but I also don't want to put people in jail who make a mistake," Paul explained. "There are a lot of young people who do this and then later on in their twenties they grow up and get married and they quit doing things like this. I don't want to put them in jail and ruin their lives."
That led Paul to mention some bigger figures who have been linked to marijuana in the past -- Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush.
"Look, the last two presidents could conceivably have been put in jail for their drug use, and I really think, you know, look what would have happened, it would have ruined their lives," Paul added. "They got lucky, but a lot of poor kids, particularly in the inner city, don't get lucky. They don't have good attorneys, and they go to jail for these things and I think it's a big mistake."
I just did time in the state of Colorado for growing and with the low plant limits and all the restrictions I don't see it as being all that legal myself if I was to grow the number of plants I would like to grow I would be breaking the law yes it is legal for a small number of business's here and a person can walk into a store and buy some but that don't seem all that great to me. And I will never be allowed to work in the industry in Colorado no matter how much I know about mj.
This could reflect in a more balanced way, what his stances are.
My take he is not going to promote it ,because its not his job, but he does not think anyone should be put in prison for it. He is working to end the current mandatory minimum sentencing and wants to release non-violent offenders currently incarcerated. He is also a stong proponent of hemp, and wants to have the definition of hemp removed from that of the federal definition of marijuana so people can use it.
He is really playing, politics, his dad was straight forward and I admired that but he made the GOP very uneasy and therefore they faught tooth and nail against him. Rand is playing his hand more carefully to bring in the greatest possible amount of voters while not alienating his own grass roots supporters and the GOP establishment. It looks like its working too.
Rand Paul, Legalizing Marijuana And 2016
Welcome to the Rand Paul evolution
Rand Paul: Marijuana Use Is Not Something To 'Promote,' But 'It's A Big Mistake' To Jail People Over It
Yeah, lots of room for local variability. The end of prohibition deal split the rule making between the feds and the states mostly. There will be rules for legal weed. There is already a bewildering diversity of weed rules. Maybe they will become less difficult to avoid.
Rand Paul speaks with forked tongue. How is Obama supposed to enforce federal MJ law in CO & WA if he's not throwing people in jail, anyway?
^^^
None of that has anything to do with Rand Paul's contradictory stances.
Don't let what you want to believe get in the way of rational evaluation of what political figures actually do & say. I realize that the Pauls have been painted as Libertarian darlings, but that doesn't mean they really are. What Rand Paul alludes to isn't legalization, at all, but rather the same bullshit "decriminalization" being thrown up as a roadblock.
It'd still be illegal to grow it or sell it under such rules, maintaining the black market & the prison industrial complex. There are better ways, and we intend to prove that in Colorado with a little slack from Obama & Holder. They could have gone the other way, stopped Colorado's retail cannabis in its tracks, but they never even tried, even in the face of the desires of federal law enforcement in general. That took some nerve that few other politicians have shown.
I think MJ is just being thrown in here to rile people up, the real motivation for the repubs is Obummercare and immigration and all of the other laws Obama chooses not to obey.
The MJ thing was voted in by the people which is a little different then the emperor just choosing not to obey laws whenever it strikes his fancy.
This is probably a democrat biased article, written on a slant to demonize Rand. When in reality Rand is one of the only guy that gives a shit about your personal freedoms.
I'd take this article with a grain of salt.
Rand Paul is a nutjob, he is from Kentucky. News Flash, Kentucky is a state full of pot smokers that votes for politicians that make some of the harshest pot laws in America. It's full of nutjobs for that reason alone, he represents well. Vote right wing Kentucky, stick to the plan, soon you'll just have prison guards and prisoners and no one else left.
But standing around and expecting a POTUS to unilaterally break the law then you must expect the same from the opposite party when they elect a POTUS. Which is a bad thing.
There's no need to demonize a demon!
He does it to himself. Rand is all about 'rights' unless he doesn't approve of them as 'rights'.
Then he just calls it 'common sense'.
Keep in mind that the Tea Party was started by Big Money and is maintained by Big Money.
Also, Keep in mind that the Republican Party was originally taken over by Religious Zealots..... (why I left)
Much like the Democrats have allowed the Anti Gunners to go 'un-muzzeled'.
Originally, I thought I could find much common ground with the 'tea party', but the party's over they are just way too controlling, bigoted, and superstitious, for my taste.
Rant over.
The differences are clear.It matters not if it is a left boot or right boot steeping on your kneck. Stop thinking of two party's as it is only one and you're not in it.
OH GOD! Its MAGIC SOULS TIME!!!!I think you might mean privileges.
We are born with our rights, and if you follow that logic to its conclusion,http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu107/bentom187/thNES6J138_zps53b36a2c.jpg