Word from the Obama Admin is coming on mmj

[quadracer]

Medical Marijuana is not a synonym for California.

This clarification by the DOJ is only about FEDERAL POLICY.

if California has problems with California's marijuana policy then California needs to clear that up, NOT the DOJ.

Yeah that's what San Diego is doing. With the DOJ and DEA. That's working out real well.

I do need to spell it out for you, since you keep getting confused thinking this has anything at all to to with California's State law.

There are 13 MMJ states who are affected by this statement, yet completely unaffected by California's 'foggy grey areas'.

Since California has had medical marijuana laws on the books for the longest, and since California has several federal convictions, and since other states look toward California as an example, it is a good state to use as an example.

And even in California It IS COMPLETELY possible to be undeniably in compliance.

And even then the Federal government can still prosecute for violation of federal law.

The 'grey foggy areas' don't apply to every MMJ patient,
and if this clarification of policy keeps one person free who would otherwise not be,
then it is worth it and a good thing imho.

Good. Me too. Obama had a chance to already do this, but better late than never.

Sorry this step forward was not radical enough for you to hold your breath until it resolves. I agree there is much much further to go, and ALL we need from the feds is for them to stay out of people's business who are following their state laws... If they will do that, then States (maybe not CA, lol) can come up with easily understandable MMJ laws which are easy to demonstrate compliance with, and set up a workable system to provide patients with quality controlled meds.

Apology accepted.

 

[bigdaddyc9]

This may be what tips New Yorks hand and enables the state to go ahead with a vote on medical pot.Let us all hope it does just that.Peace BigD

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

This is all fine and dandy, but the bottom line is we will get nowhere in reality with the fedreal government, unless we can get them to take it off the schedule 1 list. This might be a step to helping force that though. Also other states will now now tbe so hesitant to let dipensaries open.

 

[Grat3fulh3ad]

Yeah that's what San Diego is doing. With the DOJ and DEA. That's working out real well.




Since California has had medical marijuana laws on the books for the longest, and since California has several federal convictions, and since other states look toward California as an example, it is a good state to use as an example.




And even then the Federal government can still prosecute for violation of federal law.



Good. Me too. Obama had a chance to already do this, but better late than never.






Apology accepted.

You just don't get it do you?
My commentary on this statement has nothing at all to do with California's inability to straighten out it's own problems.

The Statement by the DOJ today is about 8% concerned with California...

California is not the MMJ movement.
California is 1/14 of the Med states.

Why are ALL of your posts about CALIFORNIA LAWS AND POLICY? NONE of mine are... I'm talking about a statement of federal policy, if California law is too obfuscated for the new fed guidelines to mean anything, then you Californians need to do something about it instead of bitching because Obama didn't fix it for you.

This thread is not about California. California needs to work out it's own poorly written laws... There are 14 other states completely unaffected by California's greedy pot politics...

Thank you for admitting you wanted a solution instant enough to hold your breath through by accepting my apology... I'll reaffirm my point that no meal truly worth eating is gonna be hot and ready in under 5 minutes...

 

[Grat3fulh3ad]

Since California has had medical marijuana laws on the books for the longest, and since California has several federal convictions, and since other states look toward California as an example, it is a good state to use as an example.

That's true... other states have been able to benefit from the difficulties in California... One is always better off having learned from watching another's mistakes...

 

[IE2KS_KUSH]

Oh, Ok,
So I will give Ronnie Naulls a call tonight and tell him to go ahead and chop off his ankle bracelet lol.
He is now scheduled to go to Trial in Feb, pushed back again for the umpteenth time. He was in full compliance, I know for a fact, I was there. He is still under house arrest, he is still going to be going to trial, but I will be the first to say if he tells me he gets a magical letter from Obama telling him he's all done and not to worry about his pending federal case.
I will believe it, when I see it.

 

[IE2KS_KUSH]

This is all fine and dandy, but the bottom line is we will get nowhere in reality with the fedreal government, unless we can get them to take it off the schedule 1 list. This might be a step to helping force that though. Also other states will now now tbe so hesitant to let dipensaries open.

Give the man a prize, they can make any "policy" they want, the law is the law, and no one is going to lose their jobs for enforcing it as it is currently written, period. Someone wake me up and poke me w/ something sharp when cannabis is taken off the Sched for controlled substances, until then, all this hot air, is just that, hot air.
Hollow empty words, w/ no relevance to real life.

 

[Grat3fulh3ad]

no one's getting a magical letter...

This is a SMALL step in the right direction... not legalization.

 

[Grat3fulh3ad]

If this is truly of importance to BO & Co., why did it take 10mos to kick out a three-page memo?

He did inherit 2 wars and a crashing economy...

Plus he really wanted olympics in Chicago...

 

[IE2KS_KUSH]

no one's getting a magical letter...

This is a SMALL step in the right direction... not legalization.

According to his, "policy statement" Ronnie should not be prosecuted, nor should he continue to serve his house arrest going on 2 years now, he was not in violation of any state laws, he was in full compliance, yet despite this, and despite the fact that this horse shit "policy" position has been made, the CURRENT OBAMA ADMINISTRATION continues waste money and time on him w/ his case, as well as continues to have him serve time.

It's not small step my friend, it's a horse shit statement to appease the easily influenced, and those that want it to be so, nothing more. When Ronnie calls me and tells me that his case has been dismissed, then I will recant my statement pertaining to the insincerity of Obama's "policy", until then, Fuck Obama, fuck the DOJ, and fuck the DEA. He can take his "policy" and stick it up Holder's ass, it's meaningless and has no impact on real life.

 

[IE2KS_KUSH]

P.S

Grat3fulh3ad, you should apply your siggies to this conversation instead of being an apologist for someone who doesn't give a shit about you, me, her, him, he or she.

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

I wont be happy till I can buy up a napa vinyard, sell all the old grapes vines, and put in a huga variety of strains, and make 100% organic outdoor dank farm.

 

[IE2KS_KUSH]

^
LOL
Sorry Hash you probably won't be happy for a long long ass time then!

Case in point,
My sister just texted me, saying, "did you hear, Obama did it! He just made MMJ ok and the feds won't be going after anyone!"

She is typical of what I think most people think when they hear shit like this, can I remind everyone, that it was literally days after the first time that Holder stated the "policy" that the DEA conducted multiple raids in CA against MMJ dispensaries? Does anyone remember that?
I know I know, they were all "evil doers" and "bad guys" right? Even though no charges were filed and everything was put under a court seal huh? I guess we just take the fed gov word for it right?

I would not be surprised one bit if there were not some more raids getting ready to happen in the next week or so, based on recent history. I hope not, but it would not surprise me.

 

[SeniorBuzz]

According to his, "policy statement" Ronnie should not be prosecuted, nor should he continue to serve his house arrest going on 2 years now, he was not in violation of any state laws, he was in full compliance, yet despite this, and despite the fact that this horse shit "policy" position has been made, the CURRENT OBAMA ADMINISTRATION continues waste money and time on him w/ his case, as well as continues to have him serve time.

It's not small step my friend, it's a horse shit statement to appease the easily influenced, and those that want it to be so, nothing more. When Ronnie calls me and tells me that his case has been dismissed, then I will recant my statement pertaining to the insincerity of Obama's "policy", until then, Fuck Obama, fuck the DOJ, and fuck the DEA. He can take his "policy" and stick it up Holder's ass, it's meaningless and has no impact on real life.

Perhaps for the benefit of those of us not familiar with the Ronnie Naulls case, you could enlighten us on the case; what are the charges the Feds have against him.

Here's what I found

Ronnie Naulls
In Corona, CA, Ronnie Naulls operated the collective Healing Nations, a prominent contributor to the community via various charities and organizations, including the American Cancer Society and God’s Kitchen. The collective had a seller’s permit from the State Board of Equalization and was paying taxes regularly.
On July 17, 2007, the DEA raided Healing Nations and the home of Naulls. Officers seized his property, personal accounts, and the collective’s assets. Naulls was arrested and federally charged with distribution of medical cannabis. Officers also alerted county child protective services, who took Naulls’s three little girls, ages 1, 3, and 5, and charged his wife with felony child endangerment. After a grueling 5 weeks, the girls were returned to their parents by the state judge over the objection of CPS. Mrs. Naulls was forced to plead guilty to felony child endangerment or face trial because of the presence of medicine in the home, and is currently serving her probation.

Naulls' pre-trial hearing is scheduled for October 13, 2009 in front of Judge Stephen Larsen in the U.S. District Court located at 3470 Twelfth Street in Riverside, CA 92501.

 

[richyrich]

What I find odd is that most do not realize that it, also, takes the house of reps and the senate to write laws. When a presidential candidate is spewing what they will do, they really can't do much without the other two. Not to mention all the other lifers that have been in agencies (positions of strong influence and power) that really pull the strings behind the curtain; not to mention chronies. I don't look for much to come from any president. They are in and out of office in a blink. Whose behind the curtains is where it's at. And they are behind the curtain -- hidden.

 

[Grat3fulh3ad]

Whatever...
Under Bush it was... "fuck all potheads"
Now it's "lighten up on the really sick ones..."

No step?

Guess that's all in perspective...

 

[richyrich]

I guess we just take the fed gov word for it right?

The government is not one person. The government is a mass of agenda conflicted persons, interests, business, agencies and etc..

 

[IE2KS_KUSH]

Perhaps for the benefit of those of us not familiar with the Ronnie Naulls case, you could enlighten us on the case; what are the charges the Feds have against him.

Possession
Intent to Distribute
Conspiracy to Distribute

Nothing else, literally the bare minimum that you could be charged w/ operating a disp.
No tax bullshit, he paid all his state taxes, until he was raided and they took everything, his last payment to the BOE did not happen for obvious reasons, no state of local violations, nothing. I will talk to him tomorrow to confirm that those were his specific charges, but I am 99% sure that was it, they did change them for the original charges that he had, not sure why, and it really wasn't a significant difference.
He qualifies for the reduced sentencing, no priors etc... could get off w/ serving 3 yearsish, which he may have time served by the time he actually goes to trial at the rate they are going.

The jist of it was this, he opened up in Corona, the city attempted to shut him down, he fought them in court, won, then the city brought in the heavies seeing no other way to get rid of him. Prior to the raid he had just opened a second place in Perris which was also shut down obviously.

I don't know what they "thought" they had on him, but it's apparent that they don't have much, as the prosecutor keeps pushing his case to the back burner.

I have very intimate knowledge of what he was doing, I was there, I knew what he was going to do before he ever did it, he was in full compliance w/ state law and took great pride in that fact. He always thought that because of that he would not be targeted, obviously he was wrong. Hindsight being 20/20, politics matters, and even if you comply w/ state law, and legally battle and win over a city to operate, all it takes is a phone call and you are done.

He told me it's funny, that when meeting w/ the prosecutors, they ask him all kinds of shit, and he tells them, you have all my records, everything was documented etc...what more do you want?

And after almost 2 years of blowing tax money on him, all they have is that yup, he operated a disp, and yup, he had cannabis.
Big shocker, they could have knocked on his front door and interviewed him and he would have told them that.

 

[IE2KS_KUSH]

Perhaps for the benefit of those of us not familiar with the Ronnie Naulls case, you could enlighten us on the case; what are the charges the Feds have against him.

Here's what I found

Ronnie Naulls
In Corona, CA, Ronnie Naulls operated the collective Healing Nations, a prominent contributor to the community via various charities and organizations, including the American Cancer Society and God’s Kitchen. The collective had a seller’s permit from the State Board of Equalization and was paying taxes regularly.
On July 17, 2007, the DEA raided Healing Nations and the home of Naulls. Officers seized his property, personal accounts, and the collective’s assets. Naulls was arrested and federally charged with distribution of medical cannabis. Officers also alerted county child protective services, who took Naulls’s three little girls, ages 1, 3, and 5, and charged his wife with felony child endangerment. After a grueling 5 weeks, the girls were returned to their parents by the state judge over the objection of CPS. Mrs. Naulls was forced to plead guilty to felony child endangerment or face trial because of the presence of medicine in the home, and is currently serving her probation.

Naulls' pre-trial hearing is scheduled for October 13, 2009 in front of Judge Stephen Larsen in the U.S. District Court located at 3470 Twelfth Street in Riverside, CA 92501.

That's the jist of it, I mean, he paid both state and fed income taxes, did everyting as any other legit business would have, paid business lawyers to be sure of that etc....

Since the chaos, he has had another beautiful girl, and he just told me he passed his first of three tests for the CA Bar Exam, he wants to be a biz attorney. He has gone through alot of hell, but he stays positive, and laughs his ass off at all the Obama bull shit w/ regard to MMJ, just shakes his head and points to the ankle monitor.

That hearing, was moved back from earlier this month to Feb, for the umpteenth time. So he just sits and waits, like I said, what Obama's "policy" is doesn't mean shit, he is just one of many examples of people paying for doing nothing illegal in the state they live in. PAYING CURRENTLY W/ NO EXPECTATION OF ANYTHING CHANGING.

 

[quadracer]

You just don't get it do you?
My commentary on this statement has nothing at all to do with California's inability to straighten out it's own problems.

The Statement by the DOJ today is about 8% concerned with California...

California is not the MMJ movement.
California is 1/14 of the Med states.

Why are ALL of your posts about CALIFORNIA LAWS AND POLICY? NONE of mine are... I'm talking about a statement of federal policy, if California law is too obfuscated for the new fed guidelines to mean anything, then you Californians need to do something about it instead of bitching because Obama didn't fix it for you.

This thread is not about California. California needs to work out it's own poorly written laws... There are 14 other states completely unaffected by California's greedy pot politics...

The majority of my posts is how this wont change much, but you seem to only focus on me focusing on California.

But I'm willing to bet that there will still be a DEA presence in California, and maybe the left coast as a whole.

Thank you for admitting you wanted a solution instant enough to hold your breath through by accepting my apology... I'll reaffirm my point that no meal truly worth eating is gonna be hot and ready in under 5 minutes...

You are once again putting words in my mouth. Expecting more out of Obama is hardly asking for a hot meal, especially considering how this steaming pile took over a half of a year to produce. Feel free to eat away.

That's true... other states have been able to benefit from the difficulties in California... One is always better off having learned from watching another's mistakes...

I'm sure Rhode Island will be greatly affected by these guidelines... Oh wait...

The new Justice Department policy that tells federal prosecutors to back off on licensed users or distributors of medical marijuana is not expected to have much of an impact in Rhode Island. That’s because the local office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has not been targeting them anyway.

“I can’t recall a case involving medical marijuana,” said Tom Connell, spokesman for U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha.

http://www.projo.com/news/content/RI_POT_10-20-09_IOG54JL_v7.3a66c97.html


Hmm.. I wonder where they've been.