Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

CountAllVotes

(21,046 posts)
Sat Dec 26, 2015, 04:14 PM Dec 2015

Congress Quietly Ends Federal Medical Marijuana Prohibition



Buried in the 1,600 pages of Congress' new spending plan is a quiet little passage that radically alters the way America treats medical marijuana.

The provision ends the federal prohibition on medical marijuana and bans federal agents from policing its users or raiding dispensaries in any state or district where it is legal.

The spending plan, and the medical pot provision within it, became law on Friday (which was YESTERDAY, December 25, 2015), with President Obama's signature.

Read more here: http://wokerepublic.com/congress-quietly-ends-federal-medical-marijuana-prohibition/

***************

There ya'll go -- some real good news for a change!!!

and a huge THANK YOU for the Christmas present from our President, Barack Obama!

34 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Congress Quietly Ends Federal Medical Marijuana Prohibition (Original Post) CountAllVotes Dec 2015 OP
BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER!! wendylaroux Dec 2015 #1
This is great news but how does Obama get credit? Up until recently raiding medical marijuana rhett o rick Dec 2015 #2
The man hath changed his mind CountAllVotes Dec 2015 #3
Show me something that says he has changed his mind. Who gets credit here? HRC has made it rhett o rick Dec 2015 #4
Who cares what she thinks? CountAllVotes Dec 2015 #7
sadly i think the point is...the repub congress did this questionseverything Dec 2015 #9
Because unfortunately we have a few authoritarian types in our party. Warren DeMontague Dec 2015 #10
On most issues. ChairmanAgnostic Dec 2015 #16
Indeed. Warren DeMontague Dec 2015 #22
Who gets the credit? passiveporcupine Dec 2015 #11
I think there is a tremendous amt of institutional inertia on the drug war. Warren DeMontague Dec 2015 #12
Obama's people were busting marijuana dispenseries right and left up until about a rhett o rick Dec 2015 #18
Like i said, I think there is a tremendous amount of institutional inertia. Warren DeMontague Dec 2015 #19
I hear what you are saying, but I think this is one area where he could have easily rhett o rick Dec 2015 #20
With all of the help we get from R's, it probably takes lawyers years to make any decisions. Gregorian Dec 2015 #5
+1,000 !!! CountAllVotes Dec 2015 #8
Yep. Part of what has turned it around, they just cant get juries to cooperate, at least out west. Warren DeMontague Dec 2015 #13
Very interesting... Gregorian Dec 2015 #29
I know some folks in Federal Prison safeinOhio Dec 2015 #6
Agree.. and a felony conviction takes away the right to vote mountain grammy Dec 2015 #14
Will this be like gay marriage? SCVDem Dec 2015 #15
States and localities that voted for it elmac Dec 2015 #27
So... in CA where medical marijuana is legal, if CA says I can grow at my house cui bono Dec 2015 #17
K & R SunSeeker Dec 2015 #21
Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe Dec 2015 #23
Damn Right! libodem Dec 2015 #24
So it remains a schedule 1 controlled substance 6chars Dec 2015 #25
SOME SANITY AT LAST! THANKS! RKP5637 Dec 2015 #26
I think that all this is showing sadoldgirl Dec 2015 #28
Coauthored by a republican. This spans parties. Gregorian Dec 2015 #30
Yay! tazkcmo Dec 2015 #31
A distraction that help a lot! CountAllVotes Dec 2015 #34
the tide is strong... Jesus Malverde Dec 2015 #32
BTW Jesus Malverde Dec 2015 #33
 

rhett o rick

(55,981 posts)
2. This is great news but how does Obama get credit? Up until recently raiding medical marijuana
Sat Dec 26, 2015, 04:38 PM
Dec 2015

dispensaries was a top priority of his administration, even in states where it was already legal.

CountAllVotes

(21,046 posts)
3. The man hath changed his mind
Sat Dec 26, 2015, 04:46 PM
Dec 2015

Seems to me!

Happy New Year 2016 to all all the sick folks out there that know the value of this medicine that are sick & tired of the War of Drugs, the War on the Sick and being treated like criminals for no good reason at all, card or no card!


 

rhett o rick

(55,981 posts)
4. Show me something that says he has changed his mind. Who gets credit here? HRC has made it
Sat Dec 26, 2015, 04:51 PM
Dec 2015

clear she thinks the issue should be studied more.

CountAllVotes

(21,046 posts)
7. Who cares what she thinks?
Sat Dec 26, 2015, 04:57 PM
Dec 2015

In the words of Rhett Butler, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!". And that goes for me and millions of other Americans!



questionseverything

(10,072 posts)
9. sadly i think the point is...the repub congress did this
Sat Dec 26, 2015, 05:07 PM
Dec 2015

why in the heck would dems let repubs be the ones to win on this issue?

Warren DeMontague

(80,708 posts)
10. Because unfortunately we have a few authoritarian types in our party.
Sat Dec 26, 2015, 05:19 PM
Dec 2015

Witness debbie wasserman schultz's track record on this issue.

passiveporcupine

(8,175 posts)
11. Who gets the credit?
Sat Dec 26, 2015, 05:21 PM
Dec 2015

For this one, the public does. We've been speaking up for some time now and slowly changing minds with our voices and our votes.

Intelligent politicians will go with the flow. Not so much authoritarians, like Clinton.

Warren DeMontague

(80,708 posts)
12. I think there is a tremendous amt of institutional inertia on the drug war.
Sat Dec 26, 2015, 05:23 PM
Dec 2015

I believe that after CO and WA legalized for recreational use, the drug warriors were demanding wholesale and immediate action, probably something to the tune of mass arrests and widespread incarceration of millions of pot users.

Obama, i believe, stood up to them and kept the door open to let legalization proceed.

I do not have a shitload of faith that HRC would have behaved accordingly, had she been head of the executive branch at the time.

Fortunately, its a little too late now. Horse has left the barn.

 

rhett o rick

(55,981 posts)
18. Obama's people were busting marijuana dispenseries right and left up until about a
Sat Dec 26, 2015, 06:00 PM
Dec 2015

year ago. Sending people to prison for 20 years. And in California where medical marijuana use was legal. One of the most important powers of the president is the power to pick and chose where to put his enforcement priorities. He has chosen up until a year ago to very aggressively raid and prosecute medical marijuana dispensaries in states where it was legal.

Warren DeMontague

(80,708 posts)
19. Like i said, I think there is a tremendous amount of institutional inertia.
Sat Dec 26, 2015, 06:08 PM
Dec 2015

And people who have built their entire careers on the anti-pot gravy train.

Not to mention disasters like US atty. Melinda Haag who made it a personal crusade.

My opinion is that Obama, particularly after reelection and the voters of 2 states making their views known electorally, has been able to move the ball both institutionally and culturally on the drug war, more than any president in my lifetime.

That does not mean he has been perfect, or immune to criticism. But i believe he has made some progress.

It is worth noting that there was always a discrepancy between raids in CA and raids in, say, CO- arguably because CO had a much tighter and well-constructed regulatory framework for MMJ, whereas until recently CA was totally ad hoc.

Im certainly not interested in defending the track record of raids, mind you. And I think it should be legal, regulated, and taxed for consenting adult use, and the prisoners of the stupid drug war should be pardoned en masse. Full stop.

But i still hold the opinion that Obama has been better on this than a list of alternatives would have been. JMO.

 

rhett o rick

(55,981 posts)
20. I hear what you are saying, but I think this is one area where he could have easily
Sat Dec 26, 2015, 06:10 PM
Dec 2015

told the "institutions" to back off and concentrate their resources elsewhere.

Gregorian

(23,867 posts)
5. With all of the help we get from R's, it probably takes lawyers years to make any decisions.
Sat Dec 26, 2015, 04:51 PM
Dec 2015

It's a huge system, and the other side is actively tearing it down before, during, and after we finish building it.

So tons of time has to go by while he tries to outmaneuver his opponent on things like this, and closing bases. Or so I would hope that's what he does.

I can't wait to see the look on a friend's face when I see him next. He was one of the last dispensary busts, and he had cash, and he had a gun. The guy is the friendliest, kindest person I think I've ever met. They also beat the rap. It was their case that began turning this around. They went through hell. So hopefully this will cascade down. Hell, there is no hopefully, even if we get a shit in office, because as we can all plainly see, the world is changing. Reality is becoming real again.

Warren DeMontague

(80,708 posts)
13. Yep. Part of what has turned it around, they just cant get juries to cooperate, at least out west.
Sat Dec 26, 2015, 05:25 PM
Dec 2015

Not anymore.

People on the east coast seem to still embrace more of a "get tough on teh drugs" mentality.

 

elmac

(4,642 posts)
27. States and localities that voted for it
Sat Dec 26, 2015, 07:07 PM
Dec 2015

and are run by repugs are still making it hard on the growers and dispensaries, usually using the fed prohibition as an excuse. I wonder what their excuse will be now?

cui bono

(19,926 posts)
17. So... in CA where medical marijuana is legal, if CA says I can grow at my house
Sat Dec 26, 2015, 05:59 PM
Dec 2015

no one can take my house away from me for doing that now, right?

.

6chars

(3,967 posts)
25. So it remains a schedule 1 controlled substance
Sat Dec 26, 2015, 07:00 PM
Dec 2015

considered highly dangerous with no medical use, and therefore can still get a person sent to federal prison as a felon. the hypocrisy is amazing.

sadoldgirl

(3,431 posts)
28. I think that all this is showing
Sat Dec 26, 2015, 07:28 PM
Dec 2015

is the change in the country's perception. It will come in
the same way as the "gay" marriage issue: State by state.
Once it reaches about 30 states, it will become obvious
that this issue has been decided by the people. Then the
recreational permission will follow.

I don't think that the POTUS has anything to do with it,
at all. The budget bill had to be signed, which was the most
important issue for him.

tazkcmo

(7,419 posts)
31. Yay!
Sun Dec 27, 2015, 12:40 AM
Dec 2015

Thank Dog! Pot is the only thing that makes my pains bearable. I've been given some very powerful narcotics that would knock me out. No way I could function and I don't want to become addicted. Pot doesn't really do away with the pain but it makes my mind able to ignore it and I'm able to work. This is great news!

CountAllVotes

(21,046 posts)
34. A distraction that help a lot!
Sun Dec 27, 2015, 11:28 AM
Dec 2015

Glad to know this helps you!

That is what MMJ is all about, helping those suffering and wow, there sure are plenty of people out there that suffer horribly and there seems to be not much help.



Jesus Malverde

(10,274 posts)
32. the tide is strong...
Sun Dec 27, 2015, 11:14 AM
Dec 2015

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.

Jesus

Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Cannabis»Congress Quietly Ends Fed...