Marijuana is now mainstream

[RainDog]

http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2014/02/10/tip-neill-former-caddy-spearheads-push-for-legalizing-marijuana-across-country/L4tGZTZNscQO9ThB8nbieI/story.html

Not long ago, Allen St. Pierre couldn’t get an audience with many politicians. When he tried to send them campaign contributions, the checks were returned. His efforts to persuade the political establishment to take seriously the legalization of marijuana were met with blank stares, or worse.

But now lawmakers are beating a path to his door for meetings and advice, hoping to harness this new energy behind an issue that had been on the fringe of American politics. The once-quixotic goal of St. Pierre’s group — NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws — is now one of Washington’s most-discussed issues.

...He would not reveal which prospective presidential candidates have contacted his organization, but he did note that no one from Hillary Clinton’s network has reached out — though he suspects they will as public opinion continues to move in his direction.

...A movement once seen as fringe is now seen as something historic. As a result, the W.E.B. Du Bois Library at University of Massachusetts Amherst has started archiving NORML’s files, including many of St. Pierre’s personal papers. They have moved 200 cartons, 7,500 pounds, and thousands of videos.

and and to the legislators and voters in Washington State and Colorado for their pathbreaking votes!

[Bennyboy]

1. HEY NORML, how about never ever letting anyone refer to cannabis as marijuana.

Yeah I get it, it is in your name. But time to take a stand while you now seem to have all the clout and that is change the vernacular. The racist vernacular invented to make cannabis sound more Mexican.

FLIP THE SWITCH.

[socialist_n_TN]

6. What's wrong with Mexican?

Seriously though, I don't have a problem with marijuana. It's what it was called when all of my little white boys buddies were smoking it in the 60s/70s. like "freak" the name has been co-opted by supporters. Algo de mi Mexicano amigos dice "mota" tambien. Estas bien tambien.

[Comrade Grumpy]

11. Have a drink of ethanol and calm down.

Cannabis is a sciency name. Marijuana is common usage, although it sounds increasingly old-fashioned to me. I usually go for pot or weed.

Also, consider the NAACP. Who says colored people anymore, but they keep the name.

That is all.

[Major Nikon]

22. How about Prince Albert in the left handed can?

[arcane1]

2. "which prospective presidential candidates have contacted his organization"

If the Democrats let the repubs run with this issue, they will be miserable failures for doing so.

[Fumesucker]

4. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see the Republicans snatch this issue away from the Dems

If there's one thing Republicans are good at it's doing a to-the-rear-march in perfect lockstep if they think it will give them a slight advantage. They aren't encumbered by worry over looking like hypocrites or anything like that, pure advantage is all they care about.

The main reason the Dems won't embrace legalization is because the Very Serious People like David Brooks will say mean things about them for not punching hippies enthusiastically enough.

The Republicans have no such problems, they don't care what anyone says about them as long as they get more votes.

[RainDog]

7. The reaction to Brooks, et al was interesting

Across the internet, among journalists who wrote about that moment - the near-universal attitude was to laugh at Brooks and others in the beltway acting like... I did it, but you can't. They're a couple of decades behind the curve - on this and other issues.

The beltway is sort of insular and a small town, it seems to me.

There are sound fiscal reasons to legalize, but many Republicans have cast their lot with the private prison industry. It would be interesting to do a comparison between donors and positions on legalization.

[Logical]

3. K&R

[Blue Owl]

5. Wake & Bake, fuckos

[rhett o rick]

8. Well not quite. The banks wont process the money. nm

[RainDog]

9. But Holder has said he'll issue guidelines

cause, heaven forbid banks should launder money and not face a penalty for the same... oh wait... that's only if you're international in scope, maybe (cough HSBC).

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2014/01/24/federal-government-marijuana-banking-regulations-eric-holder/

U.S. Treasury and law enforcement agencies will soon issue regulations opening banking services to state-sanctioned marijuana businesses even though cannabis remains classified an illegal narcotic under federal law, Attorney General Eric Holder said Thursday.

Holder said the new rules would address problems faced by newly licensed recreational pot retailers in Colorado, and medical marijuana dispensaries in other states, in operating on a cash-only basis, without access to banking services or credit.

Proprietors of state-licensed marijuana distributors in Colorado and elsewhere have complained of having to purchase inventory, pay employees and conduct sales entirely in cash, requiring elaborate and expensive security measures and putting them at a high risk of robbery.

"You don't want just huge amounts of cash in these places," Holder told the audience at the University of Virginia. "They want to be able to use the banking system. And so we will be issuing some regulations I think very soon to deal with that issue."

[rhett o rick]

10. The hell with Holder. nm

[Comrade Grumpy]

12. I have to give him some credit on pot policy.

Yeah, there have been some raids and prosecutions, but, goddamn, he and Obama have basically instructed the Justice Department to basically get out of the way of legalization. They could have been real hard-asses and fought it tooth and nail. They didn't. They basically rolled over in the face of looming reality.

[rhett o rick]

13. Are you kidding. They fought like hell up until very recently. In Calif

they were putting medical marijuana sellers in prison for 20 years. For selling legal marijuana in Calif.

[Jesus Malverde]

15. Bummed his recent talk on justice for drug prisoners was restricted to crack.

[bemildred]

18. I give him credit for bowing to neccessity, not for wanting to be sensible in the first place. nt

[Jesus Malverde]

14. Fear no more, the times are a changing.

One day we'll live free and no longer in fear. Fear of losing jobs, fear of being raided, your dogs shot, your children kidnapped by the state. Your land stolen, and maybe even your life lost. Fear no more, the times are a changing.

to you RD for all your posts.

[RainDog]

16. thanks to you, too!

[B Calm]

17. I'm pretty sure Hillary Clinton is against legalization of marijuana.

She continues down that road, I think she'll regret it!

[RainDog]

19. I think her position can change

She also toked when she was younger.

With most all politicians - few are going to get ahead of the majority of the American public on this - and most are far behind, if support for medical marijuana is any guide - since it took two decades for widespread acceptance among politicians - and even that support is tepid in many cases.

[B Calm]

20. Will see. . . .

I hope like hell she does!

[RainDog]

21. Hopefully this issue will have changed before 2016

A lot can happen in two years.

I think CO and WA are forcing the feds to deal with this issue now.

Today a vote is being held on decriminalization of mj in D.C... Congress needs to address the issue via the Polis and Blumenauer legislation to change the current outdated law.

[Enthusiast]

24. I'll vote against her anyway.

[Ohio Joe]

23. Here in Colorado it is no different then going to get some alchohol

I go to the store... I make my selection... I bring it home and consume it.

Until you see how it is working, you cannot imagine how freakin sweet it is. It should have been like this a long, long time ago.