420 news!

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Congress quietly ends federal government's ban on medical marijuana
From Dec. 14th, but news to me.

Tucked deep inside the 1,603-page federal spending measure is a provision that effectively ends the federal government's prohibition on medical marijuana and signals a major shift in drug policy.

The bill's passage over the weekend marks the first time Congress has approved nationally significant legislation backed by legalization advocates. It brings almost to a close two decades of tension between the states and Washington over medical use of marijuana.

Under the provision, states where medical pot is legal would no longer need to worry about federal drug agents raiding retail operations. Agents would be prohibited from doing so.

Should the U.S. legalize marijuana?
Bloomberg's Olivia Sterns reports on the New York Times' advocacy of the legalization of marijuana.
The Obama administration has largely followed that rule since last year as a matter of policy. But the measure approved as part of the spending bill, which President Obama plans to sign this week, will codify it as a matter of law.

Pot advocates had lobbied Congress to embrace the administration's policy, which they warned was vulnerable to revision under a less tolerant future administration.

More important, from the standpoint of activists, Congress' action marked the emergence of a new alliance in marijuana politics: Republicans are taking a prominent role in backing states' right to allow use of a drug the federal government still officially classifies as more dangerous than cocaine.

Continues.

[Solitary]

It's about time they realized prohibition only makes more criminals out of law abiding citizens, and gives the real criminals a chance to grow into cartels and crime syndicates. And marijuana is not a narcotic scientifically.  Solitary

[stromboli]

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/03/14/this-historic-bill-could-pave-the-way-for-medical.aspx

The momentum behind marijuana is simply undeniable.

Over the past decade, consumer opinions on whether the drug should be legalized for recreational or medical purposes has dramatically shifted to the point where a majority of Americans are now in favor of its legalization -- although support for using marijuana for medical purposes often outweighs support for legalizing it from a recreational perspective.

A 2013 Gallup poll showed that 58% of respondents were in favor of legalizing the drug, while millennials from both the Republican and Democratic parties are widely in favor of legalizing marijuana based on recent Pew Research Center poll.

The economics behind marijuana
Aside from supporters simply wanting marijuana use to be free of federal or state prosecution, the legalization of marijuana has two key purposes.

First, recreational and medical marijuana are subject to state, local, and excise taxes. If the federal government ever changed its stance on marijuana, it could probably implement marijuana taxes as well. This tax revenue, as well as license fee revenue collected by individual states, can help close budget gaps, ensuring some government employees keep their jobs, and other social programs within a state stay funded.

Also, legalizing medical marijuana could open new possibilities in terms of clinical research for pharmaceutical companies and give terminally ill and sick individuals access to marijuana for diseases and disorders where it may demonstrate a clinical benefit.

I stay on  top of this because my wife would benefit greatly from medical pot. Good news all around.

[Solitary]

My youngest son has been in pain since birth, and he can't use marijuana because the insurance company won't pay for his pain treatments if he uses it. Ironic isn't? He was told this after he tested positive even though he only got second hand smoke from my wife and I smoking it. I was an investigator for insurance companies and hated them even more after I worked for them. All they care about is making a profit, and if you don't fit their profile after an investigation they can legally drop your insurance contrary to what people think.  :fU:

[Munch]

Its funny I was walking home today and began to think how many studies there have been into the animal species which shows they themselves eat substances in nature that gives them high, or drunk, and how its been proven to be a naturally recurring thing in the animal kingdom. The only reason why its dangerous to humans isn't the effects, so much as how much humans consume of those substances, and how it effects the things humans do day to day, like driving cars, flying planes, handling deadly machinery.

If we were just a species like most apes hanging out in a forest, smoking and drinking wouldn't be an issue, we'd just fall over and get humped in the butt without even knowing about it.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Its funny I was walking home today and began to think how many studies there have been into the animal species which shows they themselves eat substances in nature that gives them high, or drunk, and how its been proven to be a naturally recurring thing in the animal kingdom. The only reason why its dangerous to humans isn't the effects, so much as how much humans consume of those substances, and how it effects the things humans do day to day, like driving cars, flying planes, handling deadly machinery.

But you have to admit that it made their technology completely ineffective.

If we were just a species like most apes hanging out in a forest, smoking and drinking wouldn't be an issue, we'd just fall over and get humped in the butt without even knowing about it.

Ah, college days.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Odd that this is the first I've read about this.. Time to check out the other news sources for details..

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Hold on to your roach clips.. It's only been introduced to the senate..it hasn't passed.

Earlier this week, three U.S. Senators -- Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) -- introduced a bill into the Senate that would put an end to the federal ban on medical marijuana.

Sen. Rand Paul. (R-Ky.). Source: PBSNews Hour via Flickr.

Known as the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States Act, or CARERS Act, it would "allow patients, doctors, and businesses in states that have already passed medical marijuana laws to participate in those programs without fear of federal prosecution." The proposed bill is also designed to ensure that veterans receive access to medical marijuana in states where medical marijuana is currently legalized.

It's important to note, however, that proposing a bill to legalize medical marijuana on the federal level doesn't mean marijuana would become available in all 50 states in the blink of an eye. This bill would need sufficient votes in the Senate, then House of Representatives, and would need the signature of President Obama in order to be enacted into law.

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/03/14/this-historic-bill-could-pave-the-way-for-medical.aspx

The first part of the above OP article is from the same link..

[stromboli]

Several states have bills in play to either legalize medical or recreational pot. Georgia, Maryland and Texas off the top of my head. Oregon will legalize it soon. Utah will probably legalize medical pot-good news for my wife- It will happen eventually everywhere, because 58% of US citizens polled are for it, and numbers are continually going up.

State laws in the past have not deterred the DEA from still criminalizing it, but loss of federal funds will be a big help. There are still state task forces on drugs, but much of the funding has been from the DEA.

Like I said I keep up on this shit.

[Mr.Obvious]

A mellow america, i'd love to see that Some day :). Here's to hoping 'brightly lit' future!

[stromboli]

I spend time on ex-mormon forums. It seems that people leaving the church have access to pot that I don't. Need to start attending their gatherings for some leads. But if they legalize medical pot here, the dude is going to develop a condition......

[Green Bottle]

 

[AllPurposeAtheist]

There is still going to be a HUGE push back from the nice people at CCA, Look for a private, for profit prison in your grocers freezer soon!
Sadly those nutfucks hold huge sway in congress.. They'll grease enough palms and the issue will become not about medical use, but about CRIME CRIME AND CRIME! After all, everyone knows the only people who smoke pot are black kids with hoodies and skittles!

[Solitary]

I just hope people aren't so dumb as to do it at work and ruin it for everyone. I sent four hours changing brake pads on a Fiat that should only take about 30 minutes.  Solitary

[Jason78]

It's about time they realized prohibition only makes more criminals out of law abiding citizens, and gives the real criminals a chance to grow into cartels and crime syndicates. And marijuana is not a narcotic scientifically.  Solitary

I hear that in Colorado they are worried that they wont be able to spend all the tax they've made.