What's Next For Marijuana Laws? (CBS News)

[RainDog]

...Lawmakers are waking up to the fact that their constituents are clearly calling for some kind of change in the nation's drug laws. A group of congressmen is urging the federal government to leave Washington and Colorado alone for now. Additionally, some lawmakers have filed legislation to amend the Controlled Substances Act.

"It's just a matter of time for the laws to catch up to reality," Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., told CBSNews.com.

For the time being, individual marijuana users in Colorado and Washington should be "well insulated" from federal authorities, according to Sam Kamin, a professor at the University of Denver's Sturm College of Law who researches marijuana policy.

...supporters of recreational marijuana shouldn't hold their breath. The establishment of a commercial marijuana market, he said, "is exactly what the federal government has said it won't permit."

A good article worth reading. I can't post all the points, pro and con, the article mentions b/c of fair use, so...

More at the link...

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57553346/whats-next-for-marijuana-laws/?fb_action_ids=10151302063251007&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_ref=fbrecT&fb_source=timeline_og&action_object_map=%7B%2210151302063251007%22%3A409199782481793%7D&action_type_map=%7B%2210151302063251007%22%3A%22og.recommends%22%7D&action_ref_map=%7B%2210151302063251007%22%3A%22fbrecT%22

[RKP5637]

1. ... but people can drink their brains out at that is OK. This is a very confused country. n/t

[RainDog]

2. It took time for alcohol prohibition to sort out, too

and it wasn't illegal for nearly as long.

However, I think, as I have said since 2010 - we have reached the tipping point on this issue. When CA put legalization on the ballot, it was just a matter of time, considering how many votes it got.

I TRULY hope Democrats lead on this issue at this time.

State Democratic parties should start working now with pro-legalization groups to put questions on ballots, AT THE LEAST for 2014 - and legalization on as many ballots in as many states that allow direct votes.

Liberals and Libertarians and fiscal Republicans are all in accord on this issue.

Social conservatives are the only hold outs, and we saw how they did in this last election.

[Arkansas Granny]

4. And when the government figures out how to tax weed and give big pharma

the exclusive rights for distribution, it will be legal at the federal level.

[RKP5637]

5. Yep, that's what it's all about, isn't it ... the

supposed morality around pot makes me

[RainDog]

8. The Drug Czar people, etc.

who have lobbied for Sativex (a spray version of cannabis already legal elsewhere) have tried to argue that Sativex isn't the same as cannabis because of its preparation.

but that's not true.

But they want to make it legal for a British Co. in biz with Bayer, to sell this while keeping cannabis illegal otherwise (they would grow the cannabis in Japan rather than here.)

That's just not going to stand and if the fed bureaucrats do this, it will be the final straw in their hypocrisy on this subject, imo.

[Ruby the Liberal]

3. Something they neglected to mention

Part of the Patriot Act is restrictions on banks doing business with companies who are operating outside of state/local/federal laws - which also includes some industries that are suspect for money laundering too (like casinos).

They aren't going to be able to open merchant accounts unless they find a financial institution that isn't impacted by this. Like maybe a local, privately held Credit Union type of services company.

[RainDog]

6. Interesting

Local script is something various communities have tried to be able to exchange goods and services within small areas.

almost like going into a different country and buying currency to use there...

[Ruby the Liberal]

7. This was a huge issue in Washington State earlier this year.

The MMJ dispensaries couldn't find anyone to do merchant accounts (debit/credit cards) because of federal MJ laws putting them in violation of the Patriot Act. NORML has documented this.

CBS did a great job with that article (and the note about potential IRS pressure was something I had not considered), but do wish they would have mentioned the operational headaches that the federal government can cause PRIVATE business partners as well due to seemingly 'unrelated' laws on the books.

[leftlibdem420]

9. And suddenly conservatives love big government...

As big as Rush Limbaugh's fat ass when it helps further the police state.