420 Policies and Laws

[Crow]

So the vote to legalize in Washington, Colorado did not result in legalization?

Good question, but it's a little difficult to explain (especially to a foreigner)..... The short answer is: Yes, the vote resulted in legalisation in the states of Washington and Colorado. However, there is more work to be done (at the Federal level).

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Here is a routine traffic stop, post-legalisation... As you can see, law enforcement has reformed in light of the new law (which took effect last month on 6. December)

[crullers]

According to the federal government these states do not have the authority to legalize. According to the states they do so some dispensaries are raided but its a tricky situation.

So the vote to legalize in Washington, Colorado did not result in legalization?

We do not have sin taxes here im sure a tax on weed will be about like taxes on tobacco ever increasing in the states like new york and california and pretty much non existant in some southern states much like tobacco. It also leads a lot of dealers with no income and forced to find work or turn to a life of actual crime.

Taxes applied to items such as alcohol and tobacco are considered "sin taxes" and are at the whim of federal and regional governments (state, province, county, etc.). So you do in fact have sin taxes albeit lower than in other societies. The rationale behind sin taxes is that the revenues generated go into the pool to treat those that have encountered health problems related to the use of these *legal* items. Your sin taxes are lower in the states because you have to pay insurance companies or the health care provider (if you have no insurance) to fix you for your ill health rather than the government through taxes. So you might want to put aside a few bucks every time you have a smoke or a drink.

I see Marlboro and camel giving you a nice 20 pack of nicely rolled joints. Might be something i dabble in while on a nice vacation from work if it even becomes legal here.

Why wait for it to become legal? Oh yeah, you'll be thrown in a federal penitentiary for smoking a joint.

But with that being said about taxes its far better than Canada. I think Canada has the little half cans of dip for like 3 times the price of a full can we have here. The cans they get in Canada are like the little half ones they hand out at redneck festivals here.

Nope, we get the same size cans here it just costs more. $15.75 at my local variety store. $10-$11 at the native reservation. Not sure where you got that information from.

[Thunder_Snus]

I would be very concerned about the taxation of marijuana being controlled by your federal government. What a perfect opportunity for them to impose outrageous sin taxes. If you are in Washington do the feds have jurisdiction to bust you for cultivation even though its been legalized? If so the vote for legalization was a sham. Sanctioning by the federal government may seem like a step in the right direction as far as gaining acceptance but I bet your dime bag will go up by some 500%.

According to the federal government these states do not have the authority to legalize. According to the states they do so some dispensaries are raided but its a tricky situation. We do not have sin taxes here im sure a tax on weed will be about like taxes on tobacco ever increasing in the states like new york and california and pretty much non existant in some southern states much like tobacco. It also leads a lot of dealers with no income and forced to find work or turn to a life of actual crime. I see Marlboro and camel giving you a nice 20 pack of nicely rolled joints. Might be something i dabble in while on a nice vacation from work if it even becomes legal here. But with that being said about taxes its far better than Canada. I think Canada has the little half cans of dip for like 3 times the price of a full can we have here. The cans they get in Canada are like the little half ones they hand out at redneck festivals here.

[crullers]

I would be very concerned about the taxation of marijuana being controlled by your federal government. What a perfect opportunity for them to impose outrageous sin taxes. If you are in Washington do the feds have jurisdiction to bust you for cultivation even though its been legalized? If so the vote for legalization was a sham. Sanctioning by the federal government may seem like a step in the right direction as far as gaining acceptance but I bet your dime bag will go up by some 500%.

[Thunder_Snus]

Cool. I'd probably give the herb a try if it was legalised. I've just got an addictive personality no matter if the substance is addictive or not. Would hate to add another expense to my life for something that is currently illegal to obtain.

[Crow]

Everything You Need to Know About the New Federal Marijuana Legalization Measures

by Erik Altieri, NORML Communications Director (Posted 5. Feb 2013)



Today, Representatives Jared Polis and Earl Blumenauer introduced two legislative measures that would end the federal prohibition on marijuana and permit for the regulated production and retail sales of cannabis to adults in states that have legalized its consumption.

Representative Polis’ legislation, The Ending Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2013, would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act, transfer the Drug Enforcement Administration’s authority to regulate marijuana to a newly renamed Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana and Firearms, require commercial marijuana producers to purchase a permit, and ensure federal law distinguishes between individuals who grow marijuana for personal use and those involved in commercial sale and distribution.

Speaking on the bill, Rep. Polis stated, “This legislation doesn’t force any state to legalize marijuana, but Colorado and the 18 other jurisdictions that have chosen to allow marijuana for medical or recreational use deserve the certainty of knowing that federal agents won’t raid state-legal businesses. Congress should simply allow states to regulate marijuana as they see fit and stop wasting federal tax dollars on the failed drug war.”

Representative Blumenauer’s legislation is aimed at creating a federal tax structure which would allow for the federal government to collect excise taxes on marijuana sales and businesses in states that have legalized its use. The Marijuana Tax Equity Act, would impose an excise tax on the first sale of marijuana, from the producer to the next stage of production, usually the processor. These regulations are similar to those that now exist for alcohol and tobacco. The bill will also require the IRS to produce a study of the industry after two years, and every five years after that, and to issue recommendations to Congress to continue improving the administration of the tax.

“We are in the process of a dramatic shift in the marijuana policy landscape,” said Rep. Blumenauer. “Public attitude, state law, and established practices are all creating irreconcilable difficulties for public officials at every level of government. We want the federal government to be a responsible partner with the rest of the universe of marijuana interests while we address what federal policy should be regarding drug taxation, classification, and legality.”

You can use NORML’s Take Action Center here to easily contact your elected officials and urge them to support these measures.

These two pieces of legislation are historic in their scope and forward looking nature and it is likely you have many unanswered questions. NORML has compiled the below FAQs to hopefully address many of these inquiries.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: Would this make marijuana legal everywhere?
A: No, but it would allow states who wish to pursue legalization to do so without federal incursion. Currently, the federal government claims that state laws which have legalized medical and recreational marijuana use are in conflict with federal law. It is under this claim that they raid medical marijuana dispensaries, arrest consumers, etc. If these measures were to pass, marijuana law would be the domain of the states. If a state choses to legalize and regulate its use, it can do so in the way it would any other product and the federal government would issue permits to commercial growers and sellers and collect tax revenue. If a state choses to retain marijuana prohibition, they may as well, and the federal government would assist in stopping flow of marijuana into the state’s borders, as transporting marijuana from a legalized state into one retaining prohibition would still be illegal under this legislation.

Q: What does this mean for scheduling?
A: Marijuana would be removed from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and be listed under Title 27 of the US Code, alongside the provisions for intoxicating beverages.

Q: What does this mean for Washington and Colorado?
A: Colorado and Washington would be empowered to continue moving forward with implementing their marijuana legalization laws and no longer have to worry about federal intervention. Once cultivators and retailers were operational in those states, Rep. Blumenauer’s bill would allow the federal government to collect excise tax from those commercial entities and issue them permits.

Q: What happens to the DEA?
A: The DEA would no longer oversee marijuana law enforcement in this country. Control of marijuana enforcement would move to the newly named Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana, and Firearms and the Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Bureau.

Q: What about home cultivation?
A: If you live in a state, like Colorado for example, that passes laws permitting citizens to grow for personal use you would be allowed to do so without running afoul of state or federal law. Federal permits and taxation apply to those engaged in commercial marijuana enterprises.

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Source

[Crow]

I posted this one in the Chatbox, but I figured you dopesters could use a laugh.......or a bag of Funyuns...

[Crow]

Packed hearing on new pot law

A state Liquor Control Board hearing in Seattle about implementing the marijuana law drew an overflow crowd.

They came in suits and cowboy hats, with cropped gray hair and long ponytails, and they filled one room at Seattle City Hall and spilled into another, about 400 strong.

Some had waited decades for an event like this. Some thought they’d never see it. They were there to express views about the state’s new legal-marijuana law enacted last fall by Initiative 502.

“Wow, there’s one heckuva lot of interest in 502,” said Sharon Foster, chair of the Washington state Liquor Control Board, the agency charged with implementing the new law. The crowd had started lining up three hours before the event.

Foster told audience members if they kept their remarks to two minutes they’d get a “brownie point.” That prompted several in the crowd to giddily ask, “What kind of brownie?”

Chris Marr, another liquor-board member, said, “When I was watching Cream at the Fillmore many years ago, I never envisioned this.”

The second of six statewide forums on legal marijuana, this was part rally, part policy conference.

Growers, breeders, sellers and advocates came out to push a variety of platforms. Some wanted the system to allow smaller growers. Others stressed the need for bigger breeding operations. Some begged to be taxed. Others said the law’s high taxes would drive customers to the black market.

Kevin Oliver, executive director of Washington NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), was one of the first to speak. “Indeed the whole world is watching,” Oliver said, noting he’d been interviewed by a popular French TV show before the forum.

Wearing a suit adorned with a gold pot leaf, Oliver first suggested the liquor board add “cannabis” to its name, which drew huge applause. He went on to call for both big and small growers. “Think Budweiser and microbrews,” he said.

Continued...

[Sato]

that's meth, bro

[Crow]

Upcoming dates (for those that are interested)...

Public forums on implementing pot legalisation

Open houses begin at 6 p.m. and meetings for public comment to the state Liquor Control Board begin at 7 p.m. The schedule:

Thursday: Seattle City Hall, Bertha Knight Landes Room, 600 Fourth Ave., Seattle

7. Feb: Clark College, Vancouver, Foster Auditorium, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, Wash.

12. Feb: Spokane City Hall, Council Chambers, 808 W Spokane Falls Blvd., Spokane

19. Feb: Skagit Valley College, Mt. Vernon, Theater, 2405 East College Way, Mount Vernon

21. Feb: Yakima City Hall, Council Chambers, 129 North Second St., Yakima

[Crow]

Hey Crow, Did you miss my question back on page 6? Or just choosing not answer?

Sorry bud.. I missed it...

Crow, do they work with BHO that is "shatter" or hard like candy? Or will it need the glycerin or whatever that is that gets added to e-cig liquid?

Yep, I've used shatter (candied) BHO... It works with all sorts of concentrates.

[BadAxe]

Hey Crow, Did you miss my question back on page 6? Or just choosing not answer?

[sgreger1]

Not sure if I mentioned but I got the Pax by Ploom vape and it is faaaantastic. It's my sole device at this point. It's like an iphone that vaporizes. Worth every penny. There was a Pax Ploom thread someone else around here if I can find it again, I don't think anyone has commented on it other than me in the last year.

[Crow]

Inslee encouraged by pot talk with AG Holder

Gov. Jay Inslee said his conversation with Attorney General Eric Holder was “very satisfying” and a “confidence-builder” about the state’s ability to move forward implementing legal marijuana.

Gov. Jay Inslee said his conversation Tuesday with U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder convinced him Washington state should continue making rules for a legal marijuana industry as mandated by voter-approved Initiative 502.

Inslee and state Attorney General Bob Ferguson met with Holder because of the conflict between federal law, which bans all marijuana, and the state’s law, which makes possession of an ounce of pot legal for those 21 and older.

Inslee said the 45-minute conversation was “very satisfying” and a “confidence-builder” about the state’s ability to move forward implementing legal marijuana. “We went in thinking we should continue with rule-making and nothing I heard should dissuade us,” Inslee said.

At the same time, he stressed that Holder said nothing dispositive about the federal government’s intentions and whether it would crack down on Washington state or look the other way.

Inslee said he did not press Holder for a clearer signal, or position, because he considered their talk a preliminary meeting with more discussions to follow.

Noting that the state is moving ahead with rule-making, Ferguson said he emphasized that the state would like answers soon. “We made it very clear that while we’re moving forward, some deadlines are coming up soon. I think Attorney General Holder understood that we’d need guidance in months to come,” Ferguson said.

Inslee said several times the state would provide Holder with details about how it would prevent its legal marijuana from leaking into other states.

“We spent some time talking about how the initiative would work, how the regulatory process would work. He listened with great interest, and I appreciated that,” Inslee said.

The law will be implemented by the state’s Liquor Control Board, which on Tuesday held the first of six meetings planned to take public comment about the law. The second meeting will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at Seattle City Hall.

The governor added that Holder’s questions show he is “going to be fully attentive” to Washington’s evolving law. Inslee said it’s no surprise that Holder would take his time to fully evaluate the implementation of I-502.

In case the federal government decided to oppose the law, Ferguson has a team of lawyers in his office preparing to make the best legal case for upholding I-502.

“I said we want to avoid a legal fight,” Ferguson recounted during a news conference after the meeting with Holder. “We want to find a pathway forward. But if it comes to it, the Washington Attorney General’s Office will be prepared for legal fight.”

President Obama has said recreational pot smoking in Colorado and Washington, the two states that have legalized it, is not a major concern for his administration.

“We’ve got bigger fish to fry,” Obama said in an interview with ABC News last month. “It would not make sense for us to see a top priority as going after recreational users in states that have determined that it’s legal.”

Source

[Ansel]