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Medical Marijauna, legal or not

ricksfolly

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Back in 2005 the Supreme Court ruled 6 to 3 that people who smoke marijuana because doctors recommended it to ease pain could be prosecuted for violating the Fed Drug laws, and now states are allowing thousands of people to grow and sell it in designated areas.

Are the states defying fed law, or has the Supreme Court reconsidered?

ricksfolly
 
Back in 2005 the Supreme Court ruled 6 to 3 that people who smoke marijuana because doctors recommended it to ease pain could be prosecuted for violating the Fed Drug laws, and now states are allowing thousands of people to grow and sell it in designated areas.

Are the states defying fed law, or has the Supreme Court reconsidered?

ricksfolly

No, the dea makes too much money off of the persecution of pot heads.
 
Medical marijuana dispensaries are technically in violation of federal drug laws, yes. It just goes (mostly) ignored.
 
Back in 2005 the Supreme Court ruled 6 to 3 that people who smoke marijuana because doctors recommended it to ease pain could be prosecuted for violating the Fed Drug laws, and now states are allowing thousands of people to grow and sell it in designated areas.

Are the states defying fed law, or has the Supreme Court reconsidered?

ricksfolly

Technically, yes I think the States are defying federal law, but I also think there's an understanding between the Fed and the States that there are benefits to some people who can and do benefit from medical marijuana. The Fed sometimes cannot tell the difference between a sick person with a script and a person growing and selling. It's all a gray area and depending on the information available, some people who have a need are arrested. I think either government should own it (nationalize) and be the only provider (State by State) or it should be illegal. However, those who grow it for their own use and do not distribute - well big brother will never know about it if it's done properly. The amount of people who use it recreationally for themselves is probably far greater than anyone really knows.
 
Technically, yes I think the States are defying federal law, but I also think there's an understanding between the Fed and the States that there are benefits to some people who can and do benefit from medical marijuana. The Fed sometimes cannot tell the difference between a sick person with a script and a person growing and selling. It's all a gray area and depending on the information available, some people who have a need are arrested. I think either government should own it (nationalize) and be the only provider (State by State) or it should be illegal. However, those who grow it for their own use and do not distribute - well big brother will never know about it if it's done properly. The amount of people who use it recreationally for themselves is probably far greater than anyone really knows.

Wait. You want socialized marijuana? Maybe you should change that political slant tag, you freaking hippie! ;)
 
Wait. You want socialized marijuana? Maybe you should change that political slant tag, you freaking hippie! ;)

I know... I know... but I have an alterior motive so hear me out. The government can sell and take the profits and actually use that money to reduce the tax burden or put it towards the deficit (long shot I know, but I can dream). A government agency that would actually CREATE revenue instead of taxing for it... the alternative would be to control it through the private sector, but that would then require a large bureacracy to control and oversee the private sector as well as a multitude of new laws, regulations, etc... which would probably COST more than the government could bring in with the sale of medical marijuana. That wouldn't be good.

Of course the alternative is to just legalize growing, posession and use up to a certain amount - say no more than 3 ounces / 2 plants per household --- and triple the fines / jail time for distribution. But I'm too cynical to think most people could handle such a responsibility. Portugal seems to be okay with it, but I'm not sure the U.S. would handle it as well.

So what do you think --- I need to change to Slightly Conservative given this view or am sick with full blown Liberalism? Tell me straight... I can take it!! :sick:
 
Like many other areas of federal law, it's an example of something that is technically illegal but is rarely prosecuted. The Obama DoJ revised its policy on this issue to direct local agencies not to focus on law-abiding growers, though enforcement agencies outside the DoJ appear willing to ignore those suggestions from time to time.
 
I know... I know... but I have an alterior motive so hear me out. The government can sell and take the profits and actually use that money to reduce the tax burden or put it towards the deficit (long shot I know, but I can dream). A government agency that would actually CREATE revenue instead of taxing for it... the alternative would be to control it through the private sector, but that would then require a large bureacracy to control and oversee the private sector as well as a multitude of new laws, regulations, etc... which would probably COST more than the government could bring in with the sale of medical marijuana. That wouldn't be good.

Of course the alternative is to just legalize growing, posession and use up to a certain amount - say no more than 3 ounces / 2 plants per household --- and triple the fines / jail time for distribution. But I'm too cynical to think most people could handle such a responsibility. Portugal seems to be okay with it, but I'm not sure the U.S. would handle it as well.

So what do you think --- I need to change to Slightly Conservative given this view or am sick with full blown Liberalism? Tell me straight... I can take it!! :sick:

They already are making a killing off of the most addictive drug there is, nicotine.
 
They already are making a killing off of the most addictive drug there is, nicotine.

Exactly - but the difference is, they're making a killing only off the tax.
 
I blame the super hypocrite, Waxman, of California. His deeds in congress have done nothing but punish the poor with taxation without representation.

They should at least mandate that some of the tobacco tax go to the addicted users who want to quit but can not afford to. Nicotine addiction is harder to kick than most hard drugs.
 
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