Why The Next President May Have To Support Marijuana Legalization

[DickAnubis]

I agree with you on Warren, Retro, but she has made it clear that she is NOT seeking the nomination. I hope this changes but it may not.
So who are we stuck with?
No choice is a good one right now.
Will some dark horse ride out of the mist? Will they be any better?
A lot of questions, no answers.
Perhaps we should take a cue from the Richard Pryor remake of Brewster's Millions and vote :None of the Above.

As far as full legalization. I see weed going the path of tobacco. Take over by corporate mega-farms, GMo'd to be toxic enough to cause cancer (thus securing the medical establishemnts support) and sold in over price weakened adulterated forms, with a nicotine chaser.

The AFT will have an "M" added to their name and the people will once again be deprived of their right to cultivate.

I'm a firm supporter of the over grow and established seed banks. This is the only way to keep government and Monsanto out of OUR crop.

DA

 

[armedoldhippy]

As far as full legalization. I see weed going the path of tobacco. Take over by corporate mega-farms, GMo'd to be toxic enough to cause cancer (thus securing the medical establishemnts support) and sold in over price weakened adulterated forms, with a nicotine chaser.

The AFT will have an "M" added to their name and the people will once again be deprived of their right to cultivate.

I'm a firm supporter of the over grow and established seed banks. This is the only way to keep government and Monsanto out of OUR crop.

DA

tobacco is grown on thousands of family farms. there are no laws (to my knowledge) that prevent you from growing your own tobacco and rolling your own cigars etc, or making your own chewing tobacco. alcohol is also under the "watchful eye" of ATF, yet millions of people make their own wine/beer with no problems at all. yes, moonshine is still illegal for individuals to produce, but go look on ebay at all of the different copper stills available for sale. where you get in trouble is selling it. at the VERY worst, under legalization we will still have a black market in seeds and hidden home-growing like now, but I don't expect the worst. I am prepared for it, but do not expect it. not going to jail/losing your job/house/car for possession is worth the risk in my eyes.

 

[DickAnubis]

You're right AOH, I misspoke. I was thinking about selling it.
I guess many do grow their own baccy for home use.
Of course us weeders can't without special permission which can be revoked at will of the authorities.
The biggest crime to me is the heavy penalties just about all states carry for paraphenalia.
Where I live its an automatic year in jail and $5,000 fine. Just for a resiny pipe.

Well thanks for the correction.
Keep on tokin'

DA

 

[armedoldhippy]

You're right AOH, I misspoke. I was thinking about selling it.
I guess many do grow their own baccy for home use.
Of course us weeders can't without special permission which can be revoked at will of the authorities.
The biggest crime to me is the heavy penalties just about all states carry for paraphenalia.
Where I live its an automatic year in jail and $5,000 fine. Just for a resiny pipe.

Well thanks for the correction.
Keep on tokin'

DA

i quit carrying a bowl for that very reason. penalties for pipes here are the exact same as for possession. now, if i'm going camping or something, i just toss a few empty Coca-Cola cans in the floorboard, and crush them for recycling when i am done re-purposing them... $5000 fine? fuuuccckkkk... that is even worse than HERE! keep your head down, bro!

 

[Boyd Crowder]

and another hat in the ring

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/19/bernie-sanders-marijuana_n_7337454.html

or here :
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Tuesday that he supports the decriminalization of marijuana possession and the legalization of medical marijuana, and suggested that he's also open to considering further reforms when it comes to recreational marijuana.

"Let me just say this," Sanders began in response to a question about his position on the war on drugs during a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" style interview. "The state of Vermont voted to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana and I support that. I have supported the use of medical marijuana. And when I was mayor of Burlington, in a city with a large population, I can tell you very few people were arrested for smoking marijuana. Our police had more important things to do."

With regard to full marijuana legalization, Sanders said he will look to Colorado, where recreational marijuana is legal, to see the effects of such a policy change. Colorado was the first state to legalize the drug for recreational purposes. It's now fully legal in four states and in Washington, D.C., though sales remain banned in the District.

"Colorado has led the effort toward legalizing marijuana and I'm going to watch very closely to see the pluses and minuses of what they have done," Sanders wrote on Reddit. "I will have more to say about this issue within the coming months."

Sanders, who announced in April that he will run for president in 2016, has acknowledged using marijuana when he was younger. The senator has been a vocal critic of the decades-old war on drugs, telling Time magazine in 2014 that he had "real concerns" about U.S. drug policy.

"We have been engaged in [the war on drugs] for decades now with a huge cost and the destruction of a whole lot of lives of people who were never involved in any violent activities," he told Time.

Sanders' home state is one of 23 that have already legalized marijuana for medical purposes. It's also one of 19 that have decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use. In addition, Vermont is one of a handful of states currently exploring legislation that would legalize recreational marijuana. At least 10 states, including Vermont, are expected to consider these or similar legalization measures by 2016.

A string of recent polls have shown that a majority of Americans support the legalization of marijuana. Yet the federal government continues to ban the plant, classifying it as one of the "most dangerous" drugs alongside heroin and LSD.

"It's really exciting to have Sen. Sanders express unequivocal support for decriminalization and medical marijuana," said Tom Angell, chairman of the drug policy reform group Marijuana Majority, to The Huffington Post. "And reading between the lines, it seems to me like he's getting ready to endorse full legalization soon. A growing majority of voters supports marijuana reform, and more candidates are starting to recognize that it makes good political sense to court the cannabis constituency instead of criminalize us."

 

[J-Icky]

Hate to burst everyones bubble but it doesn't matter who gets elected. Once they are in office all their campaign promises and talk go out the window and the party agenda takes over. If ever called on why they didn't work on the whole legalization thing they will just go with the terrorist threats, economy troubles and other bigger more important issues.

The only way we will ever have a president stand up and use executive order to legalize cannabis is if Obama did it on his way out. After that the next president won't even think about it until they are comfortably in their second term as they would never do it during the first 4 years fearing it would hurt their chance at reelection.

Politics has not been about "the people" since the sherman antitrust act. That started companies hiring lobbyists and that quickly turned the government from protecting the people from being taken advantage of by big companies to the government helping big companies take advantage of the people. In fact thats a major part of why cannabis is illegal in the first place. They don't care about the people unless its a way to get more of the peoples money into big business bank acounts. so basically the government won't do anything for legalization until mansanto, the pharmaceutical companies, and big tobacco/alcohol can find a way to monopolize the industry.

 

[Mr.Miner]

Go Bernie

 

[J.V]

The President is more of a figure head this day and age, he does what he is told.....The people who call the shots are the likes of Henry Kissenger and his chronies.....Rockefellas etc.

Bush.....Clinton, It doesn't make a difference. They are all apart of the same club.

 

[genedigger]

democrats and republicans are the same.it blows me away folks dont realize this.neither one of these parties would ever legalize.if it does happen its to cause a distraction from other shit that effects us more.this is why pot legalization,gay marriage,trangender issuses,and religon are all in the spotlight.our culture cares more about silly shit then important shit,like what kinds of new poisons will they be using on the u.s. potato crops this year.gay marriage and pot legalization wont effect your health or well being but poisoned food will,and thats just the tip of the iceberg of the shit our country is doing to kill its citizens or make them sick.stop worrying about these silly issuse and worry about what the governments dirty hand is doing behind its back while your all mesmerized by the hand they are flashing in all yo faces

 

[VisineDeficient]

It may not feel like it sometimes but the people still have power. Voting just communicates intention but the motion of change doesn't end at the voting booth. Presidents sometimes act like royalty but the truth is that the power is and always will be with the people - the people just need to remember that. If the people want legal weed, they will eventually get legal weed.

 

[genedigger]

how the fuck does your vote count when we still use an electorial college?it doesnt.voting is a stupid mans game.its not your vote its who your state sends to vote anbd who they want in office.holy shit americans are dumb mo fos

 

[genedigger]

the folks living in myanmar are freer than us.at least they know their government is fucking them over.people in the u.s. think they live on the best place on earth.the illusion of freedom is more dangerous than knowing you are not free.the people in america dont know how are political system works,but i bet they could tell you who won american idol last week.this shit makes me want to vomit.

 

[snake11]

It may not feel like it sometimes but the people still have power. Voting just communicates intention but the motion of change doesn't end at the voting booth. Presidents sometimes act like royalty but the truth is that the power is and always will be with the people - the people just need to remember that. If the people want legal weed, they will eventually get legal weed.

Maybe people would still have the power if we lived in a democracy but we do not. We live in a democratic republic. There is a big difference and it seems not very many people remember this.

 

[rbt]

how the fuck does your vote count when we still use an electorial college?it doesnt.voting is a stupid mans game.its not your vote its who your state sends to vote anbd who they want in office.holy shit americans are dumb mo fos

Simply it is a representative government hence the term republic. So Initially it was set up that congress represented the voters in each state and the amount congressmen from each state was a electoral vote. There got to be to many Congressmen so they changed the rules to stop at 435 and change the congressional districts after each 10 year census. This gave the Northeast region fantastic leverage in forming the rest of the country. Very much put a economic stronghold on the west grabbing land stopping competition . time have change and now just as many people live west as do east. So now they should break up the Senate to Census guideline say for every 4.35 congressman gets a Senator. Really when you think that the Senators from Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, Delaware. Have more say on what happens to land in the west and have less population that Phoenix.

 

[VisineDeficient]

I see what you guys are saying and like I said, voting alone does not prevent the powers that be from doing whatever they were planning to do anyway. However, I don't think voting is meaningless because it gives a voice so the powers that be can gauge public consensus. If people are strongly for or against something, they are forced to work around that to prevent revolt. But political systems that consistently abuse their powers without heeding the public voice (votes) will eventually be overturned in one way or another if we're to believe history. Smart politicians (it seems like an oxymoron but think back through history) listened to the people. Look at the Roman Empire. When they listened and worked in their people's best interest, it worked. When they became bloated and arrogant, it fell.

 

[rbt]

Why is it that 75% of the countries wealth is in one area of New York Upper East Side? Why is it these great society people are holding Humanitarian and public land trusts. Holdings that control every bank and political action in this country. They ripped the Blacks and when justice was called for they punished every American with affirmative action. And built trust or foundation they manage it in the name of Justice.

Did you see where the bankruptcy courts let Leman brothers & certain bond holders keep everything under an undisclosed trust while other lost billions. Can you Say the holdings of the Kennedy's the Clintons Warners Turner's and hundreds more? good luck of getting any court to hear about the federal courts Bankruptcy courts ability to not disclose holders of trusts?

 

[snake11]

Simply it is a representative government hence the term republic. So Initially it was set up that congress represented the voters in each state and the amount congressmen from each state was a electoral vote. There got to be to many Congressmen so they changed the rules to stop at 435 and change the congressional districts after each 10 year census. This gave the Northeast region fantastic leverage in forming the rest of the country. Very much put a economic stronghold on the west grabbing land stopping competition . time have change and now just as many people live west as do east. So now they should break up the Senate to Census guideline say for every 4.35 congressman gets a Senator. Really when you think that the Senators from Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, Delaware. Have more say on what happens to land in the west and have less population that Phoenix.

One vote should equal one vote. We don't need these rich assholes making decisions for us. We need to move towards a democracy. There is no logical reason for the electoral college anymore except to control the American political system.

 

[rbt]

Really no reason OK then figure this we have 100 Senators 26 or 1/4 of the senate is only 7% of the population. In the west the senators from small populated states the majority of those lands are held by the federal government and need congress for monies they are just a vote for the way money goes. Some state in the West have a congressman like Wyoming just because it is a state but other wise would not have enough people. so making a statement one man one vote is well just a statement other were asking why.

So to answer if you want to get rid of the electoral college two way's get the senate to give up power by amendment or legislation. Or by revolution or you just going to state one man one vote and not look at how the supreme courts look at voter districts after the census. They look at it by groups then in those groups you will get majorities to be fair with other majorities or past majorities LMFAO and then they say I am LIBERAL I vote Democratic dumb fuckers

Get this populations of states with 2 senators and populations under the population of St Louis
WY ND,VT,AL,SD.MN,RI,NB,HI,UT,ID,WV, NM, and you want to change that how?