The Marijuana Question.
English: Discount Medical Marijuana cannabis shop at 970 Lincoln Street, Denver, Colorado. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
So… along with there being 18 U.S states with legal medical Marijuana laws on the books there is now 2 states with legal Recreational Marijuana use. Yet despite this obvious shift in the national conciseness, the federal laws still will be in effect in direct conflict with state laws.
How can this work? There are some interesting contradictions that could and should be looked at. Lets start with California.
One good example is this… Early Experiences with Four States’ Laws That Allow Use for Medical Purposes.
It’s a 63 page report but there is a section that states,
“Several law enforcement officials in California and Oregon cited the inconsistency between federal and state law as a significant problem, particularly regarding how seized marijuana is handled.
According to a California Attorney General official, state and local law enforcement officials are frequently faced with this issue if the court or prosecutor concludes that marijuana seized during an arrest was legally possessed under California law, and law enforcement is ordered to return the marijuana.
To return it puts officials in violation of federal law for dispensing a Schedule I narcotic, according to the California State Sheriffs’ Association, and in direct violation of the court order if they don’t return it.”
It also seems the Federal Government is sending its own mixed signals about its own policy.
)The confusion stems from a 2008 interview where Obama told the Oregon Mail Tribune that ”I’m not going to be using Justice Department resources to try to circumvent state laws on this issue.” Upon taking office, the Justice Department also announced a shift in policy where it would allocate prosecutorial resources away from states where marijuana is legal — but critics say the raids continue unabated. (www.politico.com)
My personal feelings on this are this….. there are plenty of studies on the medicinal properties of Medical Marijuana. and i believe Marijuana is WAY more safe than a good majority of prescription drugs. Some of the drugs out there put out by Pharmaceutical companies are frankenstienish if you ask me. How many 45 second commercials do you see where 30 seconds of it tell you the multitudes of terrible side effects their great drug could cause, including death. The whole time some pristine fairytale scene in the background. The people are speaking, and they are saying that Marijuana is not a big concern to them. When will the government start respecting the will of the people?
I highly encourage comments on this subject.
Related articles
- Marijuana Legalization a Step in the Right Direction for Social Progress, Says United Patients Group (prweb.com)
- Colorado and Washington vote to become first US states to legalize marijuana (weeklyintercept.blogspot.com)
- 18 and Counting: Massachusetts Voters Nullify Federal Marijuana Laws (tenthamendmentcenter.com)
