Let me say this at the outset:
1. I do not condone drug use.
2. Society should not be held financially responsible if persons who indulge fail to earn enough to support themselves over their lifetime.
3. I believe it is a states rights issue.
4. I think the federal government should be using all of its law enforcement manpower to put murderers and thieves behind bars. Not waste time with stoners.
That said, a young man from suburban Denver named Chris Bartkowicz was taken to jail and charged in federal court on one count of possession with intent to manufacture, dispense, or distribute a controlled substance. He appeared in court Tuesday and will remain in custody until his next hearing Thursday. His case, however, will be the first of its kind.
Other states, like California, provide only statutory protection for medical marijuana. Colorado, however, added medicinal marijuana specifically as a right to its state Constitution. Add to that the fact that Bartkowicz is one of the only people nationwide to face federal charges since an Obama Administration memo in October telling federal agents to respect medicinal-marijuana laws, and you have the ingredients for the perfect storm.
“There are complex legal issues that haven’t been addressed in this state,” said Bartkowicz’ attorney. The U.S. Supreme Court, however, has ruled in a prior case that the federal government can regulate marijuana, even if it is grown, sold and used entirely in a medical-marijuana state. Read more
Medicinal marijuana is becoming a hot topic business. My neighbor rents out bedrooms in his home and he told me he is renting two rooms to young men from California. One is from LA County, the other from north of Sacramento. Both are out to see what Colorado is doing right about its medicinal dispensaries.
Ever since National Geographics celebrated broadcast on the Emerald Triangle the gold rush for marijuana cultivation has taken the west by storm. Bills are moving through state legislatures to move marijuana into the mainstream. Will we see taxing and legalization before the year is out?
Legalization if done properly, will allow the authorities to help keep marijuana out of the hands of minors and also reduce the money that flows into gangs and drug cartels.
A part of the money from these taxes should be targeted to rehab, prevention and education programs.
I have my own , unbiassed individual experience with blazing pot, and regardless how often people today state “it’s beneficial for this” and “good with regard to that”, Let me tell people that it almost ruined my life man! Look, I recognize that there are folks that can just up and stop, yet there are many other folks that have the hardest time wanting to stop smoking pot. The root trouble with being enslaved bud would be that the cravings is really a mental one, not really physical.
As a recovering alcoholic/addict myself, I believe the only way to end this drug war is to legalize them all. Just because I quit drinking 17 years ago does not mean I want the Jack Daniels distillery to shut down. I am more than competent to make my own choices in regards to what I put in my body. As long as I don’t harm anyone else with my decision or coerce people into doing thigns against their will, why should lighting up a joint, snorting a line of coke be illegal. I believe that if we focused our efforts on harm reduction rather than prosecuting sick people and addicts and collected the tax revenue from Schedule I drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, etc which do have some medicinal benefits to it, we could dig ourselves out of this ridiuculous debt that we’ve accumulated. We’ve spent billions of dollars on this stupid Drug War and in the process helpped create a greater divide in race relations and violated many a person’s civil liberties.
I know where Campbell stands on continuing this Drug War, but the silence is evident from the Krom camp. Likewise for the two major party candidates that are running for DeVore’s seat in AD 70 (I presume they are both Drug Warriors and subscribers to the paranoid “Reefer Madness” propoganda. Prohibition of alcohol was a dismal failure years ago and we sure as hell haven’t learned our lessons with the number of lives ruined and lost with the Drug War.