Bill unveiled to legalize medical Cannabis

[RetroGrow]

A bill is being introduced to legalize (I hate that term. Should be decriminalize) cannabis on a federal level.
It seems more & more that we will see decriminalization.

"Flanked by more than 150 advocates from around the country, Oregon Democrat Earl Blumenauer on Monday put forward his legislation allowing states to legalize medical marijuana in an effort to end the confusion surrounding federal pot policy.

Blumenauer’s legislation, which has 13 co-sponsors — including GOP Rep. Dana Rohrabacher of California — would create a framework for the FDA to eventually legalize medicinal marijuana. It would also block the feds from interfering in any of the 19 states where medical marijuana is legal.

At a press conference outside the Capitol, Blumenauer didn’t attack the Drug Enforcement Administration for targeting marijuana dispensaries or blame the Justice Department for forcing marijuana businesses to operate in a legal gray zone. Instead, he pitched his legislation as a solution to the confusion surrounding federal marijuana policy.
“Frankly, the people in the federal hierarchy are in an impossible position,” Blumenauer said, adding: “It gets the federal government and the Department of Justice out of this never-never land.”
On the heels of successful referendums legalizing marijuana in both Colorado and Washington state, Blumenauer and Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) introduced legislation to end federal marijuana prohibition and set up a scheme to tax the drug.
The activists surrounding Blumenauer had just come from a four-day conference on medical marijuana, and many of them were veterans of campaigns to legalize the treatment in their home states. Some held a sign that wouldn’t be out of place at a tea party rally against the Affordable Care Act — “GET POLITICS OUT OF MY MEDICINE.”
Karen Munkacy, a doctor who helped lead the pro-medical marijuana side of a successful referendum in Massachusetts, said her breast cancer diagnosis forced her to “choose between breaking the law and suffering terribly. And I chose to suffer terribly.”
Scott Murphy, an Iraq War vet, said medical marijuana could help returning soldiers handle post-traumatic stress disorder or physical injuries. Murphy noted 22 veterans killed themselves each day in 2012.

“If medical marijuana could help just one veteran, it would be worthwhile,” he said.

Blumenauer’s bill isn’t likely to pass, but Americans for Safe Access Policy Director Mike Liszewski said bills in four states — New Hampshire, Illinois, New York and Maryland — have a chance of becoming law this year. In New Hampshire, where backers fell just a few votes short of overriding a governor’s veto last year, advocates are “really confident.” The state’s new governor, Democrat Maggie Hassan, supported medical marijuana as a state legislator."

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=457C5041-331D-4C39-99E4-14FC0F16192B

 

[DemonPigeon]

I think Legalization has an edge over decriminalization:

1) If tax is paid it'll still be cheaper over illegal purchases
a) It'll make the government reluctant to lose that revenue
b) Challenge the idea of stoners who don't "contribute" to society or the economy

2) We can't get hit by civil sanctions either, remember decriminalisation doesn't mean you can't be forced into rehab or fined as a civil offender, just not imprisoned as a criminal offender.

I hope it does go legal, maybe then the UK will follow suit soon
Though it seems a long way away from us at the moment.

 

[wantaknow]

it will be like prozac if you recorded as having it for medical reasons you cant own a gun ,

 

[Hydro-Soil]

I think Legalization has an edge over decriminalization:

1) If tax is paid it'll still be cheaper over illegal purchases
a) It'll make the government reluctant to lose that revenue
b) Challenge the idea of stoners who don't "contribute" to society or the economy

2) We can't get hit by civil sanctions either, remember decriminalisation doesn't mean you can't be forced into rehab or fined as a civil offender, just not imprisoned as a criminal offender.

I hope it does go legal, maybe then the UK will follow suit soon
Though it seems a long way away from us at the moment.

My plan is different.

No matter what legislation is passed that makes it legal, I plan on teaching as many people to grow as possible. I, for one, am working toward the day when there's almost no taxes to be made because everyone and their neighbor is nearly self-sufficient.

Colorado is slowly warming up to be a wonderful foothold against the feds.

We'll storm the U.K. after we cover America. LOL

Stay Safe!

 

[Morcheeba*]

i could care less if its decriminalization or legalization as long as the FEDS gets out of the way and allow the states to decide for themselves.

plus w/the feds out of the way a Re-Scheduling is more likely.

im in the deep south where mmj is still mocked but if the feds stepped aside then im a less likely target for arrest / prosecution for growing my meds........sure i could still face arrest if my state rejects legalization / decrim / mmj but ill take my chances in front of a jury.


the end of Cannabis Prohibition is near.


peace

 

[BudToaster]

okay, so taxes are a policy tool, a way to influence behavior ... so taxing medical marijuana is taxing sick people. Is this to encourage them to stop being sick? thereby not needing the substance anymore? prisons do that, too.

 

[GP73LPC]

these five things must be dealt with before the feds will move forward.

1. Prison Industrial Complex
2. Law Enforcement Profits
3. Alcohol Companies
4. Tobacco Companies
5. Big Pharma

money is being made bigtime on keeping MMJ illegal. until these 5 things are addressed i don't see the feds changing shit unfortunately.

but at least we are starting to see politicians talking

 

[RetroGrow]

these five things must be dealt with before the feds will move forward.

1. Prison Industrial Complex
2. Law Enforcement Profits
3. Alcohol Companies
4. Tobacco Companies
5. Big Pharma

money is being made bigtime on keeping MMJ illegal. until these 5 things are addressed i don't see the feds changing shit unfortunately.

but at least we are starting to see politicians talking

I disagree. The tide is finally changing. At some point, rationale will prevail over ignorance, prejudice, and demagoguery. These things belong in the past, and we must move forward. Build schools, not prisons. We must not be denied to make our own medicine. Big pharma kills and addicts millions. Even President O'hypocrite is beginning to loosen up, and it being his last term, I feel he will come around to the rationale, despite all the bribery by alcohol/big pharma. Public opinion can't be ignored by politicians. We will prevail in the end, because, after all, we have been right all along.

 

[DreamsofTesla]

My plan is different.

No matter what legislation is passed that makes it legal, I plan on teaching as many people to grow as possible. I, for one, am working toward the day when there's almost no taxes to be made because everyone and their neighbor is nearly self-sufficient.

Colorado is slowly warming up to be a wonderful foothold against the feds.

We'll storm the U.K. after we cover America. LOL

Stay Safe!

Overgrow the government! That's what I'm talkin about!!

 

[2 Legal Co]

As I expected, I'm finding that with our Colorado Constitutional Amendment 64 having passed. I really don't use alcohol anymore. It's very rare that I feel the urge to take a drink now.

With my pipe at the ready, not hidden away. It's just way more convenient to take a puff. Well everyone here knows what I'm talking about.

Overgrow the Government is a reality here anyway.

Now that I've found that Marijuana really is a weed AND grows like one....

All I need is more seeds.
Growing additional strains will be an interesting process too.

Everyone just needs to keep up the pressure on our elected officials. They'll co-operate when they see the handwriting on the wall. Especially the ones who don't want to lose their jobs!

 

[highonmt]

http://www.marinol.com/http://www.gwpharm.com/sativex.aspx


Schedule I controlled substances

Schedule I substances are those that have the following findings:
The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.
The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.
There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.[26]
No prescriptions may be written for Schedule I substances, and such substances are subject to production quotas by the DEA.
Under the DEA's interpretation of the CSA, a drug does not necessarily have to have the same abuse potential as heroin or cocaine to merit placement in Schedule I (in fact, cocaine is currently a Schedule II drug due to limited medical use.)
[W]hen it comes to a drug that is currently listed in schedule I, if it is undisputed that such drug has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision, and it is further undisputed that the drug has at least some potential for abuse sufficient to warrant control under the CSA, the drug must remain in schedule I. In such circumstances, placement of the drug in schedules II through V would conflict with the CSA since such drug would not meet the criterion of "a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States." 21 USC]] 812(b).[27]

This is the real problem Two! FDA approved pharmaceuticals containing the two most active cannabinoids in the Cannabis plant! NO ACCEPTED MEDICAL USE?????? WTF how can this not have been successfully challenged in the courts... What judge could look at this and not say " hold on this plant must have medicinal use it's active components are approved for use by the FDA" As a chemist I can tell you this is an extremely rare thing to have unaltered plant compounds approved for use by the fda. These natural products are NOT patent-able and most companies would never touch them. SO In reality anyone could market sativex and marinol clones...ohh wait a minute....you would end up in federal prison. When will GW pharma get busted.... Something smells fishy here. How can drug companies be peddling these terrible high risk schedule I narcotics to innocent sick people and be making money with no competition. Grandparents with cancer are being sent to prison for making the stuff...Where are the anti trust suits...

 

[GP73LPC]

I disagree. The tide is finally changing. At some point, rationale will prevail over ignorance, prejudice, and demagoguery. These things belong in the past, and we must move forward. Build schools, not prisons. We must not be denied to make our own medicine. Big pharma kills and addicts millions. Even President O'hypocrite is beginning to loosen up, and it being his last term, I feel he will come around to the rationale, despite all the bribery by alcohol/big pharma. Public opinion can't be ignored by politicians. We will prevail in the end, because, after all, we have been right all along.

i would like to agree with you and the people can overcome the govt but it will be a VERY, VERY SLOW process.

i fear you underestimate the power of crooked politicians and evil, greedy lobbyists.

local police, the dea, federal agents and prison guards/employees all stand to lose their jobs. they are gonna fight that to the end.

big pharma knows what MMJ can do and they stand to lose billions, so they will fight to end.

alcohol companies and tobacco also stand to lose millions if not billions.

these groups are not going to go away easy.

the people can overcome and it is happening, but it will not be easy. it will be painfully slow and many families and individuals will suffer greatly because it.

 

[GP73LPC]

http://www.marinol.com/http://www.gwpharm.com/sativex.aspx


Schedule I controlled substances

Schedule I substances are those that have the following findings:
The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.
The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.
There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.[26]
No prescriptions may be written for Schedule I substances, and such substances are subject to production quotas by the DEA.
Under the DEA's interpretation of the CSA, a drug does not necessarily have to have the same abuse potential as heroin or cocaine to merit placement in Schedule I (in fact, cocaine is currently a Schedule II drug due to limited medical use.)
[W]hen it comes to a drug that is currently listed in schedule I, if it is undisputed that such drug has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision, and it is further undisputed that the drug has at least some potential for abuse sufficient to warrant control under the CSA, the drug must remain in schedule I. In such circumstances, placement of the drug in schedules II through V would conflict with the CSA since such drug would not meet the criterion of "a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States." 21 USC]] 812(b).[27]

This is the real problem Two! FDA approved pharmaceuticals containing the two most active cannabinoids in the Cannabis plant! NO ACCEPTED MEDICAL USE?????? WTF how can this not have been successfully challenged in the courts... What judge could look at this and not say " hold on this plant must have medicinal use it's active components are approved for use by the FDA" As a chemist I can tell you this is an extremely rare thing to have unaltered plant compounds approved for use by the fda. These natural products are NOT patent-able and most companies would never touch them. SO In reality anyone could market sativex and marinol clones...ohh wait a minute....you would end up in federal prison. When will GW pharma get busted.... Something smells fishy here. How can drug companies be peddling these terrible high risk schedule I narcotics to innocent sick people and be making money with no competition. Grandparents with cancer are being sent to prison for making the stuff...Where are the anti trust suits...

pretty fucked up, huh ???

 

[RetroGrow]

i would like to agree with you and the people can overcome the govt but it will be a VERY, VERY SLOW process.

i fear you underestimate the power of crooked politicians and evil, greedy lobbyists.

local police, the dea, federal agents and prison guards/employees all stand to lose their jobs. they are gonna fight that to the end.

big pharma knows what MMJ can do and they stand to lose billions, so they will fight to end.

alcohol companies and tobacco also stand to lose millions if not billions.

these groups are not going to go away easy.

the people can overcome and it is happening, but it will not be easy. it will be painfully slow and many families and individuals will suffer greatly because it.

It's over for them. They are not going to go easy, but they are going to go. I've been fighting for 44 years, so I know the process is slow, but now we are on the doorstep, and we are going to kick that door in. Nothing can stop us.

 

[DreamsofTesla]

Agreed. The wisdom of trying to render plants illegal... I'm surprised it lasted this long.

Noam Chomsky had some interesting things to say about the WOD and how it's even skeevier than we think.

He discussed how the US military will declare that some area of Central/South America is a big cannabis producing region. They then do a mission to spray something like paraquat on the area (Monsanto rakes in the dough). Of course they're not real careful about who and where they spray, they basically just poison vast areas of farmland. He describes it as chemical warfare against the poor.

The poor people then have to abandon their poisoned fields. Their governments can then claim rights to the "abandoned" areas and lease them dirt cheap with kickbacks to American mining and oil/gas companies.

Funny how that all works out.

 

[godsgift402]

Colorado is slowly warming up to be a wonderful foothold against the feds.

Didnt Colorado just past some crappy guns laws sounds like your really stepping up to the feds.

 

[2 Legal Co]

The only way to get the Federal Legislation changed, is to call, email, tweet,twitter, and twerp, etc....

That's what was done here in Colorado. It works. These people don't want to find a new avocation. They WILL respond, but we have to overcome the 'comfort zone' of corporate Dollars they enjoy campaigning with.

When it looks like their seat cannot be retained with Dollars they will act. Point of reference; the fact that Finally the US Congress is now subject to 'Insider Trading' laws. I suspect that most of us thought they already were, Years ago.... But they are now.

Prohibition stayed on the books for years, even when the simple majority of citizenry were against it. Something like 5 or 6% of the population held the majority hostage, by virtue of the Fear of losing their seat in Congress.

So PLEASE. Remember that if we can organize even that small of a percentage of the voting public. If we are vocal about it they Will respond.

When contacting your elected officials; ALWAYS refer to yourself as a VOTER, and stipulate that you represent a group of Voters as well.

We Can effect Change........ We have Internet Connectivity (a most formidable tool).

 

[2 Legal Co]

If you don't believe the leverage we have....

Look at the few rabidly vocal 'Christians', who continue to maintain their beliefs as 'the way of the country'. These are superstitious people who control our country, who we must 'out shout'.

If you don't believe this; Go find out how much TAXES they don't pay. Even small upstart churches, can afford to buy whole strip malls, Because they pay ZERO taxes.

BE VOCAL!!!

 

[Wise]

www.wolf-pac.com - Get money out of politics.

 

[DreamsofTesla]

The only way to get the Federal Legislation changed, is to call, email, tweet,twitter, and twerp, etc....

That's what was done here in Colorado. It works. These people don't want to find a new avocation. They WILL respond, but we have to overcome the 'comfort zone' of corporate Dollars they enjoy campaigning with.

When it looks like their seat cannot be retained with Dollars they will act. Point of reference; the fact that Finally the US Congress is now subject to 'Insider Trading' laws. I suspect that most of us thought they already were, Years ago.... But they are now.

Prohibition stayed on the books for years, even when the simple majority of citizenry were against it. Something like 5 or 6% of the population held the majority hostage, by virtue of the Fear of losing their seat in Congress.

So PLEASE. Remember that if we can organize even that small of a percentage of the voting public. If we are vocal about it they Will respond.

When contacting your elected officials; ALWAYS refer to yourself as a VOTER, and stipulate that you represent a group of Voters as well.

We Can effect Change........ We have Internet Connectivity (a most formidable tool).

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