Pubdate: Thu, 25 Dec 2014
Source: Sacramento News & Review (CA)
Copyright: 2014 Chico Community Publishing, Inc.
Contact:  http://newsreview.com/sacto/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/540
Author: Ngaio Bealum

POT PROGRESS TAKES DILIGENCE

OK, so this federal budget thing passed and I am confused. Is medical 
marijuana legal or not?

- -Paul Ahseewonk

Marijuana is still illegal under federal law. However, the new budget 
contains an amendment written by Dana Rohrabacher, R-Orange County, 
and Sam Farr, D-Central Coast, that prohibits federal agents from 
raiding medical cannabis facilities in states that have medical 
cannabis laws. By the way, 32 states and the District of Columbia 
have passed laws allowing the use of medical cannabis, so this is 
kind of a big deal. Not only that, the new budget also strengthens 
protections for hemp farmers. And, like I mentioned last week, the 
Department of Justice has said that Native American tribes can grow 
and sell cannabis on tribal land. All in all, Obama has been a really 
good president when it comes to marijuana. I didn't like him all that 
much in 2011, when it seemed like damn near all the clubs in 
California were getting raided and shut down, but his policy work 
since then, and especially during his second term, has been excellent.

The next question is: Can we keep it going? Obama leaves office in 
2017. Will the next president still be as willing to support 
marijuana law reform? The federal laws haven't changed. Cannabis is 
still listed as a Schedule 1 drug. The next administration could 
decide that cannabis legalization is a bad idea and start arresting 
people and shutting down clubs and businesses all over again. Think 
of how easy it would be: All of the recreational club owners in 
Washington and Colorado are registered with their states. It wouldn't 
take much effort by the Drug Enforcement Administration to bust 
everyone. It is up to cannabis activists and right-thinking 
individuals to make sure that cannabis law reform keeps moving in the 
direction of total legalization across the United States.

I heard Nebraska and Oklahoma are suing Colorado over marijuana. 
What's the deal?

- -Smokie from Muskogee

You heard right. Apparently the cops on the Colorado border are 
getting tired of arresting people for marijuana possession. No one 
says whether the cops are just randomly pulling over people with 
Colorado license plates or if they just automatically go after people 
returning from Colorado. The cops say they are running out of jail 
space and money to pay officers for increased overtime due to more 
court appearances and such.

This is all BS. Their suit doesn't really stand a chance. Oklahoma 
and Nebraska can't force Colorado to change its constitution. Also, 
Nebraska should shut its fucking mouth, seeing how the small-ass town 
of Whiteclay has been selling millions of dollars worth of booze to 
the denizens of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota for 
years, despite the tribal ban on alcohol possession and consumption. 
If Oklahoma and Nebraska had any sense, they would also legalize 
marijuana. They could then use the money they make to fund actual 
police work, like stopping rapists and other criminals, instead of 
arresting tourists.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom