Washington counties drop marijuana cases

[sailingaway]

(CNN) - The prosecutor's offices for two Washington counties -- including the one that contains Seattle -- announced Friday they will dismiss 175 misdemeanor marijuana possession charges, days after the state's voters legalized the drug.
The dropped cases all involve arrests of individuals age 21 and older for possessing one ounce or less of marijuana.

Washington state voters passed Initiative 502 on Tuesday, thus legalizing and regulating the production, possession, and distribution of cannabis for people ages 21 and older.

The initiative is set to take effect December 6, though King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg decided to act before then.

"There is no point in continuing to seek criminal penalties for conduct that will be legal next month," Satterberg said in a news release.

The King County Sheriff's Office subsequently announced that, in light of the county prosecutor's decision, its deputies "will not be directed to arrest or charge individuals caught with one ounce or less of marijuana."

This decision affects efforts only in the unincorporated part of the county, with the sheriff's office noting that leaders in 12 municipalities in the county will decide how deputies act between now and December 6 in their locales.

Mark Lindquist, the prosecutor for Pierce County in Washington state, said his office will dismiss simple marijuana possession cases as well. But cases in which a person is charged with other crimes, in addition to marijuana possession, will still stand, Lindquist said.

more at link: http://m.wesh.com/nationalnews/Washington-counties-drop-marijuana-cases/-/16025184/17349898/-/4ep7c6/-/index.html

[UWDude]

Say what you will, but Washington State has almost always been ahead of the curve on so many things.

[talkingpointes]

Government doing something that complies with both freedom and common sense. I will be in Seattle tomorrow hopefully. Wish the weed was legal already though. Not that I smoke or anything....

[Philhelm]

Government doing something that complies with both freedom and common sense.

I'm shocked. I would have thought they would try to lock up as many people as they can until official initiation of the decriminalization.

[tod evans]

Kudos to those government employees for saying the right thing.

I hope they follow through.

[nobody's_hero]

Damn, local counties ain't wasting no time. This is awesome. I guess it's too much of a cost burden on them and they've been hoping the law would be changed for a while now.

[nobody's_hero]

I'm shocked. I would have thought they would try to lock up as many people as they can until official initiation of the decriminalization.

I believe it was a Washington city a few years back (Seattle? I can't recall) that was already taking steps not to prosecute petty possession.

[Lafayette]

Will they be releasing anyone in jail for just pot charges? Or reducing jail times for those with pot charges as well as other crimes?

[nobody's_hero]

Sounds like they're just dropping pending cases for now?

[ShaneEnochs]

That's great! Now release the non-violent offenders from prison.

[Victor Grey]

They need to follow up with a second ballot initiative the next election, or 4 years from now.

Allow for 25 plants per household.
Make selling to people underage a crime.
Make transport require a paper bag. Similar to open container.

Why?

Because it'd pass, and the real goal is to increase the amount above 1 ounce. With that restriction, they're still able to throw hundreds of people in jail. 1 ounce is still not quite near to a yearly supply for most smokers. They'll still in practice have to rely on dealers, imported things from cartels, or risk getting raided whenever someone doesn't like them. Somebody's going to be growing it, and a single ounce is less than a single plant can produce. Self-growers would be in constant danger from the state government as well as the feds.

The rest of the bill would be just filler to make people otherwise opposed to it feel good and vote in support. That stuff's going to come anyway.

[ShaneEnochs]

I don't know anything about marijuana. How much is 1 oz of marijuana? Is that enough for like 10 joints? 50?

[tod evans]

There are thousands of folks imprisoned in every state for charges axillary to weed possession, the terminology "non-violent" is often times a misnomer that will be used to keep many good people locked up.

But this is a good start.:o

[tod evans]

I don't know anything about marijuana. How much is 1 oz of marijuana? Is that enough for like 10 joints? 50?

An oz is roughly 28 grams, a Marlboro weighs 1 gram, that said a joint about 3/8" diameter weighs about 1/2 gram.

[ShaneEnochs]

An oz is roughly 28 grams, a Marlboro weighs 1 gram, that said a joint about 3/8" diameter weighs about 1/2 gram.

Ah, so between 50 and 60 joints. That seems like quit a bit.

[Victor Grey]

Ah, so between 50 and 60 joints. That seems like quit a bit.

Not shabby, true.

Still think about that though. There's 52 weeks in a year. Say your average user, caller her Mary, smokes merely 2 a week on Saturday evening. She grows her own and the plant produces exactly 1 ounce on the dot, always every time. By July, merely smoking 2 a week she's out. She'll have to either rely on someone else as a source, or by producing more of her own, which as at some point would result in her to be holding over 1 ounce.

Someone in that society, somewhere, has more than 1 ounce of marijuana hanging around. Whoever that someone is, is living daily in the danger of going to jail at the state's prerogative.

They're also likely to be holding a product that may of came from a southern drug cartel.

Say she's married. Does 2 ounces lumped together make for a crime?

Do seeds count toward that ounce?

Lastly, I've heard from a friend of mine as well, that one ounce of marijuana can go by reasonably fast when you're regularly entertaining house guests.

I just believe that arbitrary amount should be increased a bit.

[ShaneEnochs]

Not shabby, true.

Still think about that though. There's 52 weeks in a year. Say your average user, caller her Mary, smokes merely 2 a week on Saturday evening. She grows her own and the plant produces exactly 1 ounce on the dot, always every time. By July, merely smoking 2 a week she's out. She'll have to either rely on someone else as a source, or by producing more of her own, which as at some point would result in her to be holding over 1 ounce.

Someone in that society, somewhere, has more than 1 ounce of marijuana hanging around. Whoever that someone is, is living daily in the danger of going to jail at the state's prerogative.

They're also likely to be holding a product that may of came from a southern drug cartel.

Say she's married. Does 2 ounces lumped together make for a crime?

Do seeds count toward that ounce?

Lastly, I've heard from a friend of mine as well, that one ounce of marijuana can go by reasonably fast when you're regularly entertaining house guests.

I just believe that arbitrary amount should be increased a bit.

But you could just buy more, right? I mean having the plant is nice and all, but from what I understand they take a lot of maintenance. If you're into that sort of thing, fine, but I'm certainly not going to grow an apple tree just because I love apples. I'm going to go buy apples whenever I want some and don't have any.

[tod evans]

Ah, so between 50 and 60 joints. That seems like quit a bit.

When do you weigh pot?

Do you include stems-n-seeds?

The feds in their infinite wisdom have sentenced hundreds of thousands of people for "manufacturing" pot. The formula they use is that every sprouted seed is equivalent to one kilo, 2.2 pounds!

Any time lawyers and cops conspire with media and demonize anything it turns into a catastrophe for those whom the law affects.

If you as an unknowing novice weed farmer decide to convert your spare bedroom into a grow room and use egg cartons to germinate the seeds, say 2 egg cartons, the feds come visit you all nice and polite in their black outfits and confiscate your "manufacturing operation" you will be charged in federal court for conspiracy to manufacture 52.8 lbs of weed....All for two egg cartons with germinated seeds.

But by-golly you were breaking the law damn it! :mad:

[MozoVote]

When do you weigh pot?

Do you include stems-n-seeds?
The Feds weigh everything. Leaves, stems, roots, and dirt hanging on the roots.

OK I've only "read that" on the internet somewhere. But it sounded believable to me. Fat chance, that prosecutors would put the time and effort to isolating the buds off a plant and weighting only those.

[Demigod]

You really need to be bored to enforce a 28 grams rule.

[tod evans]

I'd love to be a fly on the wall in the prosecutors office, my gut tells me that if the state isn't pushing for conviction the feds will step in and charge those who've been arrested...

Those SOB's conspire with one another behind closed doors more than the public can immagine.

[MozoVote]

There will probably be some lenient prosecutors in the future. Jail and courtroom space is at a premium everywhere. Police will gradually discern where the level really is, for a "pot only bust" with no other violations, to really be worth writing up.

Small grows will just be stamped out, without any real investigative effort to track down the planters.

This is how the legal system copes with changes in society.

[Dr.3D]

But you could just buy more, right? I mean having the plant is nice and all, but from what I understand they take a lot of maintenance. If you're into that sort of thing, fine, but I'm certainly not going to grow an apple tree just because I love apples. I'm going to go buy apples whenever I want some and don't have any.
From what I've heard, growing them in the garden is about as hard as growing tomatoes, except people don't usually steal your tomatoes.

[tod evans]

I really hope your vision of their behavior is accurate.

I fear "government", the self-serving monster that it is, will find ways to skirt the will of the people.....There's just too much money being made by those involved in the system as it is.


There will probably be some lenient prosecutors in the future. Jail and courtroom space is at a premium everywhere. Police will gradually discern where the level really is, for a "pot only bust" with no other violations, to really be worth writing up.

Small grows will just be stamped out, without any real investigative effort to track down the planters.

This is how the legal system copes with changes in society.

[DerailingDaTrain]

I don't know anything about marijuana. How much is 1 oz of marijuana? Is that enough for like 10 joints? 50?

I believe that an ounce of marijuana is 28 grams but the answer to your second question really depends on how big you roll your joints.

Ex. If you roll them with 1 gram of dried cannabis inside then you would have enough for 28 joints.

I don't many people who roll joints (or blunts) these days.

[MozoVote]

Google is your friend. Cannabis is called a weed for good reason. It grows wild along rail roads tracks in the midwest, (although the feral plants have low THC and would be full of seeds, so are not worth smoking).

I've seen plants pop up in city street medians, I suppose from discarded seeds out of joints.

[Victor Grey]

But you could just buy more, right? I mean having the plant is nice and all, but from what I understand they take a lot of maintenance. If you're into that sort of thing, fine, but I'm certainly not going to grow an apple tree just because I love apples. I'm going to go buy apples whenever I want some and don't have any.

What me into it? Nah. Maybe in another life ago.

That's the kicker though ShaneEnochs. That part there; "but you could just buy more, right?"

Well yeah, naturally. That's the question though; from who. Where.

I can foresee only about two options to answer that one. Either from somebody else, or what I'm worried about, from the state government.

If it's somebody else, that somebody's probably going to have more than that one ounce on them. Well what's that mean. It means they're breaking the law. & that to me means, the washington state police department either turns a blind eye, and the ounce law means nothing much, or that they're kicking in somebody's door somewhere someday trying to find that guy with the half pound of pot.

It also means, why would that somebody, or specifically all of those somebody's who would be selling marijuana to buyers, let's call them growers and dealers, all grow it right in Colorado, when the Mexicans down south have been growing large amounts for years. Particularly since growing larger than personal-use amounts would still be technically a crime, and pretty noticeable.

So, you're still stuck, though not as badly, true, with roughly the same problems now. Money flowing down to gangs, a portion of products being created locally but not fully enough, and a government still sticking it nose into affairs too much.

The other alternative I mentioned, I just don't like. That being, if they regulated marijuana production to be a state function, or that in effect.
I worry about that being the case. They do that stuff for alcohol in other countries, sweden IIRC. The state in essence controls all sales and production of alcohol. Else it's them handing out the licences to produce, only to what companies can lobby for the permission, and squeezing out everyone else.

I don't want that to happen to marijuana. You'd just end up with moonshiners for pot. That would mean more calls to further regulate, because people are indeed, technically breaking the law any time anyone has over 1 ounce at any moment.
The DEA still would have it's strongest reason for existence as a large scope, and it's hand still firmly in the weed market.
Just like the A in the BATF, despite prohibition ending years ago.

I see this legalization of one ounce as just the first step. An important first step yes, keeps the majority of people out of jails, but merely still a first step.

I believe the goal, the true goal, should be to get marijuana along the lines of home brewers of beer or wine.
IRRC those people can brew like, 100 gallons a year or something like that? Maybe it's quite a bit less, but at any rate,

to a point where any person willing, could produce enough product to where they and a small cottage circle of people could be self-reliant, and not have to need either outsite drug dealers, or the state taking the role as the new cartel. That's what I think would be best.

Throw in some laws for personal responsibility to keep the concerned happy and things could go well on all this.

[Dr.3D]

Google is your friend. Cannabis is called a weed for good reason. It grows wild along rail roads tracks in the midwest, (although the feral plants have low THC and would be full of seeds, so are not worth smoking).

I've seen plants pop up in city street medians, I suppose from discarded seeds out of joints.
Many years ago, the seed was found in commercial bird seed mixes and the stuff would be found growing around bird feeders.

[tod evans]

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Victor Grey again.

[MozoVote]

I expect within a few years, being caught with 2 or 3 oz in parts of Washington or Colorado will be like driving 70 in a 55 zone is. Maybe you get a ticket, maybe you get a warning. Maybe the cops just shrug and keep watching for more flagrant violations.

[DerailingDaTrain]

It's not very hard to grow. It has its own set of challenges compared to other crops but do some research, make a few mistakes along the way, and you'll get the hang of it evenually (so I'm told...) If you have grown other plants before and have some gardening experience that will most definitely help out.

[tod evans]

I expect within a few years, being caught with 2 or 3 oz in parts of Washington or Colorado will be like driving 70 in a 55 zone is. Maybe you get a ticket, maybe you get a warning. Maybe the cops just shrug and keep watching for more flagrant violations.

Boy I hope you're right!

[Peace Piper]

Many years ago, the seed was found in commercial bird seed mixes and the stuff would be found growing around bird feeders.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o__pdWbLTb0

Hemp for Victory (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp_for_Victory) is a black-and-white United States government film made during World War II, explaining the uses of hemp, encouraging farmers to grow as much as possible.

The film was made to encourage farmers to grow hemp for the war effort because other industrial fibers, often imported from overseas, were in short supply. The film shows a history of hemp and hemp products, how hemp is grown, and how hemp is processed into rope, cloth, cordage, and other products.

Before 1989, the film was relatively unknown and the United States Department of Agriculture library and the Library of Congress told all interested parties that no such movie was made by the USDA or any branch of the US government. Two VHS copies were recovered and donated to the Library of Congress on 19 May 1989 by Mia Farrow, Carl Packard, and Jack Herer...

http://www.erowid.org/culture/characters/herer_jack/images/herer_jack3_med.jpg
rip jack

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp_for_Victory

[jkr]

oz per month 4 daily use is not unheard of i hear

[qh4dotcom]

Say what you will, but Washington State has almost always been ahead of the curve on so many things.

They screwed up and voted for Obama...it was useless for them to legalize marijuana if Obama is going to continue the drug war there,

[Ekrub]

Say what you will, but Washington State has almost always been ahead of the curve on so many things.

Somewhat, we did just take away alcohol distribution from the state and they are taxing the hell out of it

[MozoVote]

The justice department has been most agrressive where state law is vague. Obama won Colorado by a slim margin and I'm sure he wants to keep it in the Dems column for 2016.

The Feds and state officials have a pretty fair chance at hammering out an understanding, IMO.

One funny irony about it all, is that there will be a subsequent referendum to approve the cannabis tax, in order to comply with TABOR in Colorado. Most of the money will go to fund school construction. So, those commercials will be saying "Vote for the marijuana tax, it's for the children!" haha

[NoOneButPaul]

This was the best thing to come from election night.

I hope our pothead President has the good conscience to tell the Feds to fuck off.

[tod evans]

Somewhat, we did just take away alcohol distribution from the state and they are taxing the hell out of it

Time to learn how to distill, let the state tax the commercial distillers if they want, trade shine for weed and keep their grubby paws out of it.

[HOLLYWOOD]

This needs to be tracked and used as an economic issue.

Frees up Police forces to go after criminal politicians and violent crime.

Reduces financial burden of communities, counties, states, FEDERAL, FAILED WAR on DRUGS.

Reduces the costs throughout the judical system processes... jails/prisons/parole systems, taxpayers.

Economically can boom with revenue on taxed sales on MJ. Tourism to Washington, Colorado, et al.

Reduce the police force/FED enforcement budgets... lol!


Takes a MAJOR bite out of the central/south American drug cartels. Even reduces the costs to CIA false flags, drug gun/drug illegal immigrations and the bad CIA aircraft crashes will be reduced. :o

[tod evans]

Reduces the costs throughout the judical system processes... jails/prisons/parole systems, .


These reasons alone are going to cause major problems!

I really hope all the sunshine-n-rainbows folks are right but I just can't see those in power giving up without a fight..

[QuickZ06]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3rsifcC0zc

I don't think obama was the worst choice concerning marijuana laws.

He and his goons have been busting the medical marijuana dispensary extremely hard. And I am almost sure he has or is on track to bust more than Bush did. The guy is a suit and look out for special interest.

[Brian4Liberty]

The Feds weigh everything. Leaves, stems, roots, and dirt hanging on the roots.

OK I've only "read that" on the internet somewhere. But it sounded believable to me. Fat chance, that prosecutors would put the time and effort to isolating the buds off a plant and weighting only those.

Yeah, it seems like at harvest time a person may have a lot. They need to get rid of these weight restrictions.

[Dr.3D]

Yeah, it seems like at harvest time a person may have a lot. They need to get rid of these weight restrictions.
Yep, maybe I missed something, but how can one grow 25 plants and then not go over the one ounce limit? Are they saying you can have more than one ounce in your home?

[presence]

social revolution!

[tod evans]

When do you weigh pot?

Do you include stems-n-seeds?

The feds in their infinite wisdom have sentenced hundreds of thousands of people for "manufacturing" pot. The formula they use is that every sprouted seed is equivalent to one kilo, 2.2 pounds!

Any time lawyers and cops conspire with media and demonize anything it turns into a catastrophe for those whom the law affects.

If you as an unknowing novice weed farmer decide to convert your spare bedroom into a grow room and use egg cartons to germinate the seeds, say 2 egg cartons, the feds come visit you all nice and polite in their black outfits and confiscate your "manufacturing operation" you will be charged in federal court for conspiracy to manufacture 52.8 lbs of weed....All for two egg cartons with germinated seeds.

But by-golly you were breaking the law damn it! :mad:


Yep, maybe I missed something, but how can one grow 25 plants and then not go over the one ounce limit? Are they saying you can have more than one ounce in your home?


Yeah, it seems like at harvest time a person may have a lot. They need to get rid of these weight restrictions.

The feds really will attribute 2.2# to every plant no matter their size........I'm not kidding:o

[Dr.3D]

The feds really will attribute 2.2# to every plant no matter their size........I'm not kidding:o
Screw the feds... how about local law and the one ounce limit? Twenty-five plants would come out to over a pound anyway you look at it?

[RabbitMan]

Just to clarify, an ounce of possession in PUBLIC is a punishable offense. You can have whatever you want in your home, kind of like beer. Medical marijuana patients are not affected by this bill and can still grow on their own. Every other person will go to State Run dispensaries featuring trained and educated employees, and all marijuana will be pesticide and mold free, and grown in Washington by state licensed 'producers' determined by lottery.

This is a really, really good bill and the specifics are going to be determined by a kind-hearted intelligent and charitable anti-drug war freedom fighter I know. There is no need to be a buzzkill. The primary reason for not allowing more than an ounce ON YOUR PERSON is to safeguard against drug traffickers trying to bring it across state lines and sell it where the people have not approved of it. Its a matter of States Rights that I think Republicans need to be championing moreoften.

[tod evans]

Screw the feds... how about local law and the one ounce limit? Twenty-five plants would come out to over a pound anyway you look at it?

I agree it would...

The feds scare the shit out of me.......Just wanted to point out policy before somebody gets bit:o

[tod evans]

From the other weed thread...

Really not wanting to be a "buzz-kill" just want folks to be careful.

These folks are evil!





It's happening here in AZ wrt medical mj too.

Arizona Medical-Marijuana Law Debated in Court; Judge Criticizes Wording of 2010 Law
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2012/10/arizona_medical-marijuana_law.php



"Maybe the lesson to be learned is voters ought not have been so directed in telling the state how to enforce its statutes."

Those quotes from the judge, as relayed by Wingett-Sanchez, seem to indicate that Gordon doubts that the law, as it's written now, can handle the challenges presented by anti-marijuana state officials Tom Horne, the state Attorney General, and Bill Montgomery, Maricopa County Attorney.

The two Republicans don't like what voters have done, and they're bent on demolishing it.

In August, Montgomery and Horne jumped into a lawsuit filed against the county by the White Mountain Health Center, a company that plans to open a medical-pot dispensary in Sun City. County officials denied the company any information about zoning rules, making it unable to comply with a state regulation that requires zoning rules to be listed in a dispensary's application. The two lawmen figure the case is the perfect opportunity to argue that the law itself is unconstitutional and should be nixed because, in their view, it authorizes the breaking of federal law.

[Dr.3D]

Just to clarify, an ounce of possession in PUBLIC is a punishable offense. You can have whatever you want in your home, kind of like beer. Medical marijuana patients are not affected by this bill and can still grow on their own. Every other person will go to State Run dispensaries featuring trained and educated employees, and all marijuana will be pesticide and mold free, and grown in Washington by state licensed 'producers' determined by lottery.

This is a really, really good bill and the specifics are going to be determined by a kind-hearted intelligent and charitable anti-drug war freedom fighter I know. There is no need to be a buzzkill. The primary reason for not allowing more than an ounce ON YOUR PERSON is to safeguard against drug traffickers trying to bring it across state lines and sell it where the people have not approved of it. Its a matter of States Rights that I think Republicans need to be championing moreoften.
Thanks for the clarification.

[Tudo]

A little Three Kings to zeee bowl in celebration:)

[Root]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEkLIlDN3UI

[Confederate]

220 marijuana cases already dismissed in legalized Washington
"There's no point continuing to seek criminal penalties," said prosecutor

NATASHA LENNARD
Salon.com


Less than a week ago, voters in Washington State approved the legalization of recreational marijuana use. Prosecutors in the state are already acting on the decision. Around 220 misdemeanor cases involving pot possession of less than one ounce by individuals over 21 (which will be legal under the new law) have already been dismissed in the Seattle area.

“Although the effective date of I-502 [the legalization bill] is not until December 6, there is no point in continuing to seek criminal penalties for conduct that will be legal next month,” King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg told the Seattle Times, adding “I think when the people voted to change the policy, they weren’t focused on when the effective date of the new policy would be. They spoke loudly and clearly that we should not treat small amounts of marijuana as an offense.”

According to the Seattle Times, “Satterberg is the first prosecutor to change charging policy after I-502, but other prosecutors are also considering these cases. Tom McBride of the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys said his office ‘just starting to work through those issues.’”

Although legalization ballot measures passed in both Washington and Colorado, state legislatures are still in the process of deciding details regarding sales licensing, regulations and taxes. News of dismissed misdemeanor cases in Washington will no doubt please the pro-legalization advocates, many of whom highlighted the problems with marijuana arrests in states where the drug was already decriminalized (such as Colorado prior to last week’s full legalization decision).

As Salon reported, a report released ahead of last Tuesday’s vote found that, of the more than 200,000 people who have been arrested in Colorado for marijuana possession since 1986, a disproportionate amount of black and Latino young people were targeted. The report highlighted the potentially ruinous effects of even misdemeanor charges. For 220 individuals in Washington with marijuana possession cases already dismissed, these risks are already history.

http://www.salon.com/2012/11/12/220_marijuana_cases_already_dismissed_in_legalized _washington/

[KCIndy]

That's good news!

But the biggest threat is - and has always been - action by the Federal government. If the states which have legalized or decriminalized recreational use can dig in their heels and wage a successful fight against incursions by the Justice Department, we'll finally be on the road to victory.

[fisharmor]

When do they start emptying the prisons?

[Confederate]

When do they start emptying the prisons?

They won't. Most people busted on pot don't serve time.

Anyway, the important thing is that money isn't going to be wasted prosecuting recreational users.

[MozoVote]

deleted

[Toureg89]

this is more depressing than anything else.

with just the stroke of a pen, over 200 people who had not harmed anyone were released from their kidnappers. had that pen not been placed to paper they would still be held captive.

and most of America could care less. sure, they agree that marijuana should be legal, but that doesn't change the fact that most are still sociopaths that go to the voting booths to order blue-costumed thugs to kidnap other people for other equally appalling reasons, and such reasons for which one can be kidnapped as determined by the "democratic majority" could number in the hundreds of thousands.

this is a one-step-forward, in a 2-steps-backward-one-step-forward march, and i am just disappointing myself now when i see "progress" so that i am not overly disappointed when i see us "congress".

[tod evans]

Most people busted on pot don't serve time.


Hooey, I call bullshit!

People who RAT don't serve time...

[Confederate]

Hooey, I call bullshit!

People who RAT don't serve time...

Possession is usually a misdemeanor and the majority of people plead out.

[osan]

That's good news!

But the biggest threat is - and has always been - action by the Federal government. If the states which have legalized or decriminalized recreational use can dig in their heels and wage a successful fight against incursions by the Justice Department, we'll finally be on the road to victory.

In principle the solution is simple: any federal agent acting to interfere with any person in such a state is arrested, tried on human rights violations, convicted, and sent to state prison for not a day less than 20 years. Any citizen killing an agent so acting faces no prosecution and so long as they are within the boundaries of that state, they are under said state's active protection against any federal action.

We're not likely to see this any time soon.

[tod evans]

In principle the solution is simple: any federal agent acting to interfere with any person in such a state is arrested, tried on human rights violations, convicted, and sent to state prison for not a day less than 20 years. Any citizen killing an agent so acting faces no prosecution and so long as they are within the boundaries of that state, they are under said state's active protection against any federal action.

We're not likely to see this any time soon.

Now that I'd vote for!

[KCIndy]

In principle the solution is simple: any federal agent acting to interfere with any person in such a state is arrested, tried on human rights violations, convicted, and sent to state prison for not a day less than 20 years.

You're right!


Any citizen killing an agent so acting faces no prosecution and so long as they are within the boundaries of that state, they are under said state's active protection against any federal action.

You're right again!!


We're not likely to see this any time soon.

You're right (damn it!!) again! :(:( THIS is the part that worries me, because in my opinion most states don't have enough backbone or balls among the citizenry to take a stand against the Feds.

[evilfunnystuff]

They won't. Most people busted on pot don't serve time.

Just because most don't doesn't mean there aren't a lot who do.

[GunnyFreedom]

In principle the solution is simple: any federal agent acting to interfere with any person in such a state is arrested, tried on human rights violations, convicted, and sent to state prison for not a day less than 20 years. Any citizen killing an agent so acting faces no prosecution and so long as they are within the boundaries of that state, they are under said state's active protection against any federal action.

We're not likely to see this any time soon.

That's called "Nullification with interposition" and while it exists it's exceeding rare, because State gov is too spineless to claim the powers the US Constitution grants them. Probably because too many State Legislators have designs on Federal offices and don't want to piss off the gatekeepers.

[GunnyFreedom]

Now that I'd vote for!

I introduced 3 such bills in NC and not one of them received a committee hearing. Not because the citizenry thought they were too controversial, but because the House GOP leadership thought they were too controversial.

[ClydeCoulter]

Let Freedom Ring ! I bet there are 220 (plus spouse/close-friend(s)) people that are partying and happy :D

[tod evans]

I introduced 3 such bills in NC and not one of them received a committee hearing. Not because the citizenry thought they were too controversial, but because the House GOP leadership thought they were too controversial.

Out on their collective asses!

(Oh shit I forgot my crown) ;)