Legalized Marijuana and the Crime Question

[Dos Equis]

The story doesn't make a connection between the increase in crime and pot smoking, but it makes you wonder.

Seattle facing rift between police and politicians over jump in crime, open pot smoking
By Dan Springer
Published December 09, 2013
FoxNews.com

Whether it’s commercial airplanes, coffee or computers, Seattle has long been a city known for being ahead of the curve. But now, a range of issues – including a jump in serious downtown crime and open pot smoking – are threatening to open a rift between police and politicians that could damage the city’s image.

“We were getting more and more comments from people who are working downtown, owning a business, living downtown or visiting, that they just weren’t feeling comfortable anymore,” says Kate Joncas, Executive Director of the Downtown Seattle Association.

Joncas wrote a letter to the city council saying the level of violence downtown was unacceptable and was putting Seattle’s economy at risk.

One business apparently not hurting is marijuana sales. But while recreational pot is now legal statewide, it is still against the law to smoke it in public.

Minors are barred from lighting up anywhere. But whether at the annual hempfest event or on the streets downtown, it remains a law that is largely ignored by both public and police.

Meantime, violent crime in the downtown business district jumped. Among the highest profile crimes were the fatal stabbing of a soccer fan by a homeless man and a city bus shooting that left the driver injured and shooter dead.

At the same time, Seattle police have been accused of de-policing. Recently City Attorney Pete Holmes levied the charge, saying there was evidence officers were no longer dealing with nuisance crimes like urinating in public and open drug use.

But officers have turned the tables,saying Holmes, an ardent supporter of legalizing marijuana, wouldn’t prosecute even if they did enforce the laws. Holmes calls that a cop out.

“If you ever hear an officer saying, ‘I’m not going to (enforce the law) because of x, y and z,’ I don’t care what the reason is, recognize that you got an admission that they’re not doing their job.”

Holmes acknowledges the city asks a lot of the officers. Under the mayor’s Center City Initiative, police are required to direct many of the poor and mentally unstable offenders into social services before arresting them for their crimes.

Complicating the issue is the fact that the Department of Justice found the Seattle Police Department frequently violated civil rights by engaging in a pattern of excessive force.

The city entered into a consent decree and is now under the watch of a federal monitor. In his preliminary report, police reformer Merrick Bobb said there was significant resistance to his oversight and troubling rumors of de-policing among the rank and file officers.

But interim Police Chief Jim Pugel denies his cops are turning a blind eye. Yet, he also argues his officers’ hands are frequently tied by City Hall.

“We do have somewhat of a fickle group of folks that we serve,” says Pugel, “They want order, they want a crime-free area, but they want it done in a particular, what we call the Seattle way.”

Seattle officers are not allowed to speak with reporters on the record, but several told Fox News off camera that while there’s not an organized effort to de-police, cops are less willing to enforce the so-called quality of life crimes, saying elected leaders, including the city attorney, don’t have their back.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/12/09/seattle-facing-rift-between-police-and-politicans-over-ump-in-crime-open-pot/

[Dos Equis]

NYS Lawmakers Roll Out Measure To Tax, Legalize Marijuana
Krueger: State Could Pull In Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars In Revenue
December 11, 2013

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — A New York State lawmaker outlined her proposal Thursday to raise revenue by making marijuana legal.

State Sen. Liz Krueger’s measure — the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act — would legalize, regulate and tax marijuana under state law.

“It will take the market in marijuana away from the criminal enterprises, just as happened when alcohol prohibition was ended,” she said at a City Hall press conference.

Krueger, a Democrat from Manhattan, said her bill would bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the state. New York State Assembly Health Committee Chairman Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan) signed onto the measure.

“It would establish an excise tax of $50 an ounce of marijuana and authorize localities to charge a sales tax on retail sales if they wish to,” Krueger said.

Towns and cities could also opt out of marijuana sales.

“I last smoked marijuana when I was a sophomore in college. It was 1976. It was a Cheech and Chong movie. I don’t intend to smoke it ever again,” the lawmaker noted.

The bill would allow the purchase of 2 ounces of pot by people 21 and older. It makes the minimum age for marijuana possession and consumption 18.

Krueger said recent surveys show that right now, it is easier for a high school student to buy marijuana than to purchase beer or cigarettes.

New Yorkers hearing about the proposal for the first time had a mixed reaction, CBS 2′s Lou Young reported.

“Look at all the problems we have with people driving while impaired. No, don’t legalize it,” said Maggine Mills of Rockland County’s Nanuet.

“You know, you might as well say ‘yes,’ because they’re doing it anyway and don’t pay taxes on it,” added Frank Tornese of West Nyack.

City Comptroller John Liu, who has studied the issue, said the economic impact from a pot tax is substantial.

“We have close to a million people who use it on a regular basis. It’s a market of $1.65 billion here in New York City every year, so it makes sense, seeing as so many people are using it on a regular basis, to decriminalize it,” Liu said.

Liu estimates that a pot tax would generate $431 million in New York City alone.

“There’s unfair enforcement, particularly against minorities and minority youth, and also people are using it. The medical experts say it is not as dangerous as alcohol. Marijuana does not get people into a violent state whereas, unfortunately, alcohol does,” Liu said.

Albany watchers say the bill faces long odds for quick passage, but proponents say just introducing it with so many backers is an important first step, Young reported/

Colorado and Washington state have already enacted similar legislation.

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/12/11/nys-lawmakers-roll-out-measure-to-tax-legalize-marijuana/

[Dos Equis]

DEA's Anti-Pot Campaign Is Losing Teens Thanks To State Legalization Efforts
Posted: 12/20/2013 4:23 pm EST  |  Updated: 12/20/2013 7:19 pm EST

WASHINGTON -- The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration is blaming the legalization of marijuana in certain states for the fact that an increasing number of American high school seniors don't see regular pot use as harmful.

"The mixed messages being sent to America's teens about the harmfulness and legality of using record-high-potency marijuana are obscuring kids' awareness of the effects their use will have on them," DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart said in a statement on Friday.

A survey released by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institutes of Health this week found that just shy of 40 percent of high school seniors viewed regular marijuana use as harmful, down from more than 44 percent in 2012. The survey also found that 36 percent of high school seniors said they had smoked marijuana in the preceding year, compared to 12 percent of eighth-graders.

"Those who aspire to see their own or others' children accomplish great things in life or who want to live in a nation of increasing prosperity should be very concerned about the increase in marijuana use by teenagers, including the fact that a staggering 12 percent of 13 and 14-year-olds are abusing the drug," Leonhart said.

Washington and Colorado recently legalized recreational marijuana use for adults, and the Justice Department has said it will allow the states' regulatory systems to go forward.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/20/dea-marijuana-legalization_n_4481989.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

[OzmO]

DEA's Anti-Pot Campaign Is Losing Teens Thanks To State Legalization Efforts
Posted: 12/20/2013 4:23 pm EST  |  Updated: 12/20/2013 7:19 pm EST

WASHINGTON -- The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration is blaming the legalization of marijuana in certain states for the fact that an increasing number of American high school seniors don't see regular pot use as harmful.

"The mixed messages being sent to America's teens about the harmfulness and legality of using record-high-potency marijuana are obscuring kids' awareness of the effects their use will have on them," DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart said in a statement on Friday.

A survey released by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institutes of Health this week found that just shy of 40 percent of high school seniors viewed regular marijuana use as harmful, down from more than 44 percent in 2012. The survey also found that 36 percent of high school seniors said they had smoked marijuana in the preceding year, compared to 12 percent of eighth-graders.

"Those who aspire to see their own or others' children accomplish great things in life or who want to live in a nation of increasing prosperity should be very concerned about the increase in marijuana use by teenagers, including the fact that a staggering 12 percent of 13 and 14-year-olds are abusing the drug," Leonhart said.

Washington and Colorado recently legalized recreational marijuana use for adults, and the Justice Department has said it will allow the states' regulatory systems to go forward.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/20/dea-marijuana-legalization_n_4481989.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

Maybe because Just like most anything else, responsible and moderate use isn't.  However, just like booze it should not be open for minors to use.

[Dos Equis]

What a clown.

MSNBC’s Touré Neblett Insists He’s Living Proof Marijuana Doesn’t Harm Intelligence
By Matthew Sheffield | January 4, 2014 9

On Friday we learned that New York Times columnist David Brooks does not approve of marijuana legalization on account of his belief that the drug dulls the minds of its habitual users.

Sure, that’s what a lot of those pointed-headed scientist types think but why should we listen to them? Instead, we should take the word Touré Neblett, currently an MSNBC pundit and quite possibly one of the dumbest people ever to appear regularly on television.

Reacting to the Brooks column in a Friday segment on MSNBC’s The Cycle non-debate debate program, Neblett confidently asserted that moderate marijuana use does not negatively impact people’s lives:

“You can integrate a small amount of marijuana into your life without wrecking your mind or losing your life or losing your marriage or all these sorts of things,” he stated.

When asked by his co-host Krystal Ball why he would know such a thing, Neblett replied that his own “personal experience” proved that Mary Jane doesn’t rot the brain.

“I do know that from personal experience and I’m not afraid or embarrassed to admit that,” he said.

Neblett continued: “Brooks has this argument that if you smoke weed, it makes you dumber, right? I mean, like, I read his article, I feel like that made me a little dumber, too.”

Despite his stated beliefs, if one were to look solely at his actions, an impartial observer would have to conclude that Neblett is actually trying to prove that David Brooks was correct. In the year and a half since he started with The Cycle, Neblett has really distinguished himself for his stupidity. That’s saying a lot considering the intramural competition.

In November, for instance, Neblett implied that gerrymandering, the politicized redrawing of congressional districts, can have an impact on the election prospects of U.S. senators. One month later, he deliberately stated that black CNN anchor Don Lemon is a “white leader.” He also appears to believe that California Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein are not actually from the same state.

And who can forget the MSNBC host’s cocksure pronouncement that George Zimmerman was not Hispanic but rather a “Peruvian American?”

Besides being a 9/11 truther, Neblett has stated that he thinks that his fellow Democrats as a party do not use “racial code.” He said this literally less than one month after Vice President Joe Biden told a mostly black audience that Republicans were “going to put y’all back in chains.”

Neblett’s comment also came less than a month after the MSNBC pundit himself accused Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney of conducting a “niggerization” campaign against President Barack Obama.

For the children, one hopes that someone passes a law banning Neblett from reading any future David Brooks columns. Were he to become even “a little dumber,” the vacuum that might result could trigger a cosmic singularity.

Hat tip: Noah Rothman.

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-sheffield/2014/01/04/msnbc-s-tour-neblett-insists-he-s-living-proof-marijuana-doesn-t-#ixzz2pkBmnzmm

[Dos Equis]

Colorado pot shops likely targets of cartels, say experts
By Joseph J. Kolb
Published January 10, 2014
FoxNews.com

Employees roll joints behind the sales counter at Medicine Man marijuana dispensary in Denver. (AP)
As the smoke settles from the first week of legal marijuana sales in Colorado, experts are warning that sanctioned pot dealers could become targets for the very folks they put out of business.

Taking over a trade once ruled by drug cartels and turning it into an all-cash business could make pot shops prime targets for extortion, black-market competition and robbery. One veteran border narcotics agent told FoxNews.com Colorado's legal pot industry will find it hard to keep the criminals from horning in on a lucrative business they once controlled.

"What is quite possible is that cartels will hire straw owners who have clean records who can apply for  a license, then sell large quantities both legally and on the black market."
- Denver DEA office spokesman Albert Villasuso

"Mexico is already in Colorado without the risks," the agent, who requested anonymity, said of the state's heavy pre-existing cartel presence. "Legal businesses will likely see a rise in extortion attempts while law enforcement will see a lot of backdoor deals being made."

Cartels, especially the Juarez and Sinaloa, who have a strong presence in Colorado, could not have been happy with the estimated $1 million in sales Jan. 1, the first day of legalized retail sales. In 2012 the Mexican Competitiveness Institute issued a report saying that Mexico’s cartels would lose as much as $1.425 billion if Colorado legalized marijuana. The organization also predicted that drug trafficking revenues would fall 20 to 30 percent, and the Sinaloa cartel, which would be the most affected, would lose up to 50 percent.

Faced with such losses, the violent cartels could force their way in as black market wholesalers or simply rob pot dispensaries, which take only cash and have not been able to establish accounts with banks because of lenders' fears of violating federal laws. But the general consensus is that the Mexican cartels will not quietly relinquish the Denver market.

The owner of the Colorado Springs dispensary told the Denver Post he is planning to get a concealed-weapons permit, for protection when he has to move money out of the store.

"Any way you plan it out, there's going to be a large amount of cash around," he said. "And that's extremely scary."

Denver police are taking a wait-and-see posture as to what may emerge.

“It’s only been a week, so we still have to sit back and see how this will play out,” Denver Police spokesman Sonny Jackson told FoxNews.com. “We’re a police department, we’re always concerns about what may happen.”

Jackson said he would not speculate as to if or which cartels may decide to infiltrate the legitimate businesses or how.

“We’re concerned with the public consumption right now,” Jackson said.

The Marijuana Enforcement Division of the Colorado Department of Revenue, the primary enforcement office responsible for overseeing the production and sale of the retail marijuana, did not return repeated attempts by Fox News.com for comment.

Denver DEA office spokesman Albert Villasuso said with some 50 retail outlets in operation, the agency can only monitor if, how and when the cartels decide to move in to the legalized retail industry in Colorado.

"What is quite possible is that cartels will hire straw owners who have clean records who can apply for  a license, then sell large quantities both legally and on the black market," Villasuso said. "We still don't know what the fall out will be but when there is this much money involved the potential is great for groups to want capitalize."

Villasuso also said that even if legal stores do face extortion efforts by cartel groups it is unlikely law enforcement will even be made aware of it if merchants are too frightened to come to police. Extortion has proven to be a lucrative ancillary enterprise for cartels in Mexico resulting in thousands of businesses closing rather than pay the quota, as it is called, or the store owners face the threat of death, which too has occurred.

One group who hopes to mitigate any risks is the Blue Line Protection Group, which specializes only in security for the marijuana stores.

Seeing a growing market, Ted Daniels started the company and uses ex-military and law enforcement to provide security for the stores' money and supply shipments, and the growing operations. The highly-trained and combat-experienced guards are heavily-armed with assault rifles and protective vests.

"This was an industry here that created a lot of challenges," Daniels told WDVR television news in Denver Jan. 7.  "This group I put together is designed specifically to protect product, people, and money."

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/01/10/colorado-pot-shops-likely-targets-cartels-say-experts/

[Dos Equis]

Good commentary.  I like this guy.

America ill-prepared for marijuana mayhem
By Dr. Keith Ablow
Published January 10, 2014
FoxNews.com

With many states legalizing medical marijuana, and Colorado legalizing recreational marijuana, we are about to learn what I already know as a practicing psychiatrist: Marijuana is not harmless and will lead many millions of people into addiction, depression, psychosis, anxiety and lack of motivation.

I support legalizing marijuana, because I do not support the government making the decision whether people use it or not.

I also don’t like jailing people for the same behavior (drug use) that so many of our elected officials have engaged in. And I believe strongly that, in carefully selected cases, marijuana (and other potentially addictive drugs, by the way) can be very useful, medically.

We are way behind the curve educating people about the risks of marijuana abuse and dependence—which could cost us many billions of dollars and ruin many, many lives.

Here’s the big trouble, though: We are way behind the curve educating people about the risks of marijuana abuse and dependence—which could cost us many billions of dollars and ruin many, many lives.

I know this sounds alarmist, but it is true, and we are completely unprepared for the fallout.

Research studies show that cannabis users are at a 40 percent increased risk of psychosis. Research studies show that marijuana may well be a risk factor for schizophrenia, depression and anxiety disorders.

And research shows that marijuana is linked to a syndrome in which people have little motivation to pursue goals and interests that they once found compelling.

In my own practice, I find that people addicted to marijuana can have lives veering out of control—without the energy to pursue employment, with relationships failing, with grades dropping—yet insist that their chronic, daily marijuana use has nothing to do with it.

And this kind of disregard for cause and effect, even a disregard for the broken parts of one’s existence—a new drug-induced variant of the philosophical posture which the French call la belle indifference—may now become epidemic.

There is no chance, whatsoever, that the states which have legalized medical marijuana (never mind recreational marijuana) are policing its use in any real way.

Prescription mills are offering medical marijuana certification to anyone who claims any kind of chronic pain, or any symptoms of a number of other ill-defined conditions. Millions will become frequent users and will become less than they were.

Just as disturbing, marijuana will join Facebook and iPhones and video games in removing people from reality, making them less empathetic and less autonomous.

Is it an accident, a meaningful coincidence or part of a toxic slippery slope that we have a disempowering government in Washington and a new way to stay weak wafting like a smokescreen over the land?

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/01/10/america-ill-prepared-for-marijuana-mayhem/

[Option D]

I dont smoke weed....but the Ban on pot is just about the most backwards shit in the country at this time. Its based on total lies and science doesnt support the reason it was banned in the first place...


People who support the ban on weed are retarded

[Dos Equis]

I dont smoke weed....but the Ban on pot is just about the most backwards shit in the country at this time. Its based on total lies and science doesnt support the reason it was banned in the first place...


People who support the ban on weed are retarded

I don't really know what I think about whether it should be legal at this point.  No easy answer.     

Ablow is intellectually honest about the whole subject.  He thinks it should be legal, but doesn't deny the health implications. 

[Dos Equis]

Advocates of marijuana legalization turn attention to Massachusetts
By Joshua Miller  /  Globe Staff /  January 12, 2014

Advocates of marijuana legalization, emboldened by successes with ballot questions in Colorado and Washington state, are laying the groundwork for a similar battle in Massachusetts in the next presidential election year.

“In 2016, Massachusetts will find itself in the crosshairs for cannabis reform,” said Allen St. Pierre, the executive director of NORML, a national group in favor of the legalization of marijuana.

Massachusetts voters passed measures that decriminalized possession of small amounts of the drug in 2008 and allowed its use for medical purposes in 2012 — both with more than 63 percent support. Buoyed by such results, advocates have launched a similar effort to both get a question calling for the drug’s legalization on the 2016 ballot and to raise enough money for victory.

But some critics and lawmakers caution that passage is far from guaranteed. Despite its liberal reputation, Massachusetts, analysts say, has a strong traditional strain that will make legalized marijuana a tough sell.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2014/01/13/advocates-marijuana-legalization-turn-attention-massachusetts/MrAdSmnUclODSIk2BrmuQK/story.html

[blacken700]

I dont smoke weed....but the Ban on pot is just about the most backwards shit in the country at this time. Its based on total lies and science doesnt support the reason it was banned in the first place...


People who support the ban on weed are retarded

[Dos Equis]

Welfare for weed in Colorado? Lawmakers worried, but sellers say it doesn’t happen
By Eric Boehm
Published January 14, 2014

At Colorado’s newly minted recreational marijuana shops, cash is king.

Because the drug is still illegal at the federal level, most pot shops in Colorado are not taking credit cards or other forms of electronic payment, thanks to the complications that could come from federal authorities tracking down customers and store owners through those transactions. It’s a legal business, but one that’s forced to operate as if it were still partially in the black market.

To make things easier for their customers — and to keep people from having to carry large stacks of cash with them as they come and go, which could attract criminals — many shops have installed ATMs inside.

“That was something that was really important to the police officers that we met with before we opened. They didn’t want people bringing in a lot of cash,” said Jay Griffin, manager of Dank Colorado, a pot shop in Denver that has an ATM.

But what if the cash coming out of those ATMs is coming straight from the taxpayer?

Three Colorado state lawmakers worry it might be.

They have introduced a bill that would ban the use of food stamps and other forms of electronic welfare benefits from being accessed at ATMs located inside marijuana dispensaries, as the pot shops are legally known. The measure, Senate Bill 37, would also block access to welfare benefits at strip clubs.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/01/14/welfare-for-weed-in-colorado-lawmakers-worried-but-sellers-say-it-doesnt-happen/?intcmp=latestnews

[Dos Equis]

Obama: Marijuana No More Dangerous Than Alcohol
The Huffington Post  |  By Mollie Reilly   
Posted: 01/19/2014

With a majority of Americans now in favor marijuana legalization, President Barack Obama is now saying weed is no more dangerous to individuals' health than alcohol.

In an interview with the New Yorker's David Remnick published Sunday, Obama said while he believes marijuana is "not very healthy," the drug isn't as harmful as some insist.

“As has been well documented, I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life. I don’t think it is more dangerous than alcohol," Obama told Remnick.

When asked if he believes marijuana is less harmful than alcohol, Obama said it is less damaging "in terms of its impact on the individual consumer."

"It’s not something I encourage, and I’ve told my daughters I think it’s a bad idea, a waste of time, not very healthy," he added.

Marijuana is currently classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration as a Schedule 1 substance, which the DEA considers "the most dangerous class of drugs with a high potential for abuse and potentially severe psychological and/or physical dependence." Other Schedule 1 drugs include heroin, ecstasy and LSD.

Obama said his focus on reforming laws that punish drug users, noting the racial disparity in drug arrests.

"We should not be locking up kids or individual users for long stretches of jail time when some of the folks who are writing those laws have probably done the same thing," he said.

In August, the Obama administration announced it would not stop Washington and Colorado from legalizing recreational marijuana use, marking a major step away from the administration's war on drugs.

In the New Yorker interview, Obama said he believes these new laws are "important."

“It's important for it to go forward because it’s important for society not to have a situation in which a large portion of people have at one time or another broken the law and only a select few get punished," he said.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/19/obama-marijuana-alcohol_n_4627740.html

[Dos Equis]

Marijuana and the military: Can an active-duty spouse sell pot?
By Tad Sooter

SOUTH KITSAP — Kathy, a South Kitsap resident, saw once-in-a-lifetime potential in the newly legalized marijuana industry.

She spent months last fall combing through the state’s Liquor Control Board rules, lining up investors and nailing down locations for three retail stores. After filing applications with the state, she had one more thing to do: tell her husband.

Kathy’s spouse is an active duty military service member. He happened to be deployed and out of contact during the months she was making her plans. Kathy broke the news of her planned business venture when he returned this month. He was surprised but supportive.

“He said ‘it sounds like a great opportunity, let’s do it,’” said Kathy, 29, who asked her last name and details of her husband’s service be withheld.

The question now is whether her husband’s military employers will be so understanding.

Initiative 502 legalized limited possession and consumption of recreational marijuana in Washington. It also allows production, processing and sales of marijuana through licensed businesses — the kind Kathy applied for.

The state law is in direct conflict with federal law and the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which criminalize possession and distribution of pot. A service member who is found carrying drugs, or tests positive for them, may face administrative separation or worse. Security clearances can also be jeopardized.

How the military will view a service member whose spouse is, by federal standards, a drug dealer, remains to be seen.

“The spouse is technically violating federal law, even if she’s following state law,” said Steven Krupa, a Pierce County defense lawyer who also serves as a Command Judge Advocate at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. “If your husband gets into any sort of connection to this, they could get into trouble,”

Lawyers say the conflict between legalized pot and military code creates a treacherous gray area for service members and their families. Initiative author Alison Holcomb, who serves as criminal justice director for the ACLU of Washington, said it’s a wrinkle of the new marijuana law that has yet to be explored.

“I simply don’t know where the military comes down on this,” Holcomb said.

A spokeswoman with Submarine Group 9 at Naval Base Kitsap — Bangor said the Navy has no specific policies addressing legalized marijuana in Washington. A U.S. Department of Defense spokesman pointed to federal statutes already on the books and said his office could not comment on hypotheticals.

Kathy said her husband has inquired with his superiors to determine if her proposed enterprise could jeopardize his career.

Krupa has already seen a number of drug violations involving service members whose spouses had medical marijuana cards. Some argued they’d had incidental contact with their spouse’s legal pot. The success of the defense was varied, Krupa said. Much depends on how staunchly local commands enforce code.

Kathy said she has done everything she can to dissociate her husband from her proposed stores. He won’t be part of the ownership, help with the operation or have contact with the inventory.

“He’s going to have no involvement in the company whatsoever,” she said.

With more than 7,000 marijuana business applications filed statewide — 216 in Kitsap — there are likely more military spouses testing the uncertain legal boundaries.

Kathy said she’s never smoked marijuana. She has no interest in trying it. Her interest is in the profits, which she believes could be substantial, especially for retail stores. Only 10 will be allowed in the county. Retail licenses will probably be issued this summer.

Kathy envisions clean, secure shops serving a middle-class clientele.

“I don’t see why it has to be any different from an upscale wine shop,” she said.

http://www.stripes.com/news/us/marijuana-and-the-military-can-an-active-duty-spouse-sell-pot-1.262841

[Dos Equis]

Florida to vote on legalizing medical marijuana
CNN's Ashley Killough

(CNN) – Florida voters will get a chance to vote on legalizing marijuana in November.

The Florida Supreme Court on Monday approved wording that can appear as a ballot initiative during the midterm elections later this year.

The use of marijuana for medical reasons is legal in 20 states and the District of Columbia, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

New York governor announces plan for medical marijuana at hospitals

Former Gov. Charlie Crist, who's challenging incumbent Gov. Rick Scott this year, released a statement Monday in support of the amendment proposal.

"This is an issue of compassion, trusting doctors, and trusting the people of Florida. I will vote for it," he said.

With the marijuana issue seeing more support from Democrats than Republicans in recent polls, it's no surprise that Crist, a former Republican governor turned Democrat, would support having a marijuana ballot initiative on the same ticket as his race against the incumbent GOP governor. The amendment could drive more voter turnout in Crist's favor.

According to a Quinnipiac University Poll released in November, 82% of Florida voters support legalizing medical marijuana, while 16% oppose it. Breaking it down by party lines, 87% of Democrats support it, compared to 70% of Republicans.

The governor says that he would vote against such an amendment.

"I have a great deal of empathy for people battling difficult diseases and I understand arguments in favor of this initiative," he said in a statement provided to CNN by a spokesman. "But, having seen the terrible affects of alcohol and drug abuse first-hand, I cannot endorse sending Florida down this path and I would personally vote against it."

"No matter my personal beliefs, however, a ballot initiative would be up to the voters to decide."

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/01/27/florida-to-vote-on-legalizing-medical-marijuana/

[Option D]

Weed=Illegal because of William Randolph Hearst.
Weed stayed illegal to justify the budget for the Prison Industrial Complex....
It is Job security for the DEA, sort of like giving the government welfare.
They must justify their budgets.

those are the cold hard facts

[Dos Equis]

In the weeds: Paul, Christie, Perry open to softer pot laws ahead of 2016
By Seth McLaughlin-The Washington Times
Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Republicans eyeing the White House in 2016 are pushing their party to change its stance and accept a softening of federal marijuana laws — a dramatic shift from the GOP’s most recent contenders who railed against the drug and questioned its medicinal value.

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has arguably been the most vocal on the subject, saying the federal government should leave the issue entirely to the states. Texas Gov. Rick Perry also argues that marijuana’s legal status should be a state issue, and he points to drug courts in his state that he said have helped move Texas toward decriminalization.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, meanwhile, has vowed to scrap the “failed war on drugs” altogether — more than four decades after President Nixon, a Republican, set it into motion by naming drug abuse as “public enemy No. 1 in the United States.”

“Certainly, the Republican Party has been a lot slower moving on this issue than on the Democratic side, but particularly in the past several months some prominent figures have sort of recalibrated themselves when it comes to the issue of marijuana,” said Erik Altieri, a spokesman for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

“This is something that probably would have been unimaginable in 2008: that GOP front-runners for president would be talking in terms of being smart on crime rather than hard on crime.”

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has called the war on drugs a failure and has talked about ending it.
Enlarge Photo

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has called the war on drugs a ... more >
In 2012, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney promised to fight “tooth and nail” against marijuana legalization, even for medical use, and the 2008 nominee, Sen. John McCain, said scientific evidence shows that pot is a “gateway drug.”

Mr. McCain, though, signaled an attitude change in September by saying that “maybe we should legalize” marijuana.

The shift has happened in both parties. In a New Yorker interview published this month, President Obama — who has acknowledged using pot in his youth — said marijuana may be less dangerous as a drug than alcohol.

But some are imploring both parties to hold firm.

“Let’s protect our kids and communities. Do we want a massive dumbing down of our young people in our country?” said Calvina Fay, executive director of Drug Free America Foundation and Save Our Society From Drugs. “There are many solutions to this problem that do not include giving up and legalizing and normalizing drug use.”

Public opinion is headed the other direction, however. Voters in two states — Colorado and Washington — have approved referendums allowing people older than 21 to possess a limited amount of marijuana for personal use, and more than 12 states have decriminalized possession of small amounts. Since 1996, when California became the first state to enact legislation allowing medical marijuana, 20 other states have followed suit.

Sixteen states have decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana, and some are positioned to follow Colorado and Washington by allowing recreational by adults.

In states that permit medical marijuana, it is commonly prescribed for chronic pain, nausea from cancer chemotherapy, glaucoma and some other conditions.

An NBC/Wall Street Journal Poll released this week found that 55 percent of those surveyed would support efforts in their states similar to those in Colorado and Washington.

Under federal law, marijuana is classified as a Schedule I substance, making it illegal for anyone to manufacture or distribute the drug.

. . .

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jan/29/republicans-eyeing-a-presidential-run-in-2016-star/#ixzz2rw5200Lz

[Dos Equis]

Reminds me of the states that started lotteries to help with education expenses and their education system still stinks and the states are broke.

Colorado's pot tax revenues could go up in smoke, says lawmaker
By Joseph J. Kolb
Published January 31, 2014
FoxNews.com

Much of the $40 million in sales tax revenue Colorado hopes to collect from legal pot sales could be going up in smoke because banks and credit card companies refuse to work with sellers, claims a state lawmaker.

Unless banks can get a clear signal from federal regulators that it is okay to work with pot dealers without running afoul of laws aimed at launderers of drug money, the marijuana trade will remain what it is in Colorado – an all-cash business. State Sen. David Balmer says that makes it ripe for unreported – and untaxed - transactions.

“So far Colorado has not been able to come up with a solution to the banking problem,” Balmer said. “The vast majority of sales will not be accounted for.”

“The vast majority of sales will not be accounted for.”
- Colorado state Sen. David Balmer

Marijuana is considered an illegal drug by the federal government, and laws such as the Bank Secrecy Act carry severe penalties for banks. Last week, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the feds will soon issue regulations opening banking services to state-sanctioned marijuana businesses.

"You don't want just huge amounts of cash in these places," Holder said in a speech 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."

Balmer said the new rules can’t come soon enough. He believes the state was ill-prepared for what has become a booming business since the beginning of 2014. In addition to the banking issue, he said Colorado does not have enough field agents to regulate the industry.

Officials expect retail marijuana sales tax to put $19,729,867 into state coffers in the current fiscal year and more than twice that in the next.

But for now, tracking sales is all but impossible. Businesses have no bank statements to confirm revenue or deposits, and many have expressed concern about the robbery risk associated with handling large amounts of cash. Some have set up limited liability corporations to create one-degree of separation to try to open bank accounts, but if banks know about the arrangement, they often balk, according to Balmer.

And they often can tell where the greenbacks come from.

“The large cash deposits smell like marijuana, so some of the businesses are spraying the cash with room freshener or perfume to hide the marijuana smell,” Balmer said. “The banks are even more suspicious when they have a person trying to deposit a large cash deposit that smells like perfume.” 

With the above realities, said Balmer, the marijuana businesses have begun buying enormous safes to store cash and are hiring armed guards to protect their stores 24/7.

According to Casey Bauer, spokesman for the state Department of Regulatory Agencies, the Department of Revenue has created regulations with the understanding that obtaining banking services can be difficult for members of Colorado's marijuana industry. The business licensees are expected to keep detailed records and provide the Department of Revenue with full financial and inventory accountability. The Department has the authority to go into a business licensed by the state to inspect books and records, which could lead to a third party audit.

“There is a new inventory tool that was launched on Jan. 1, 2014, which tracks inventory from seed to sale,” Bauer said. 

The tool Bauer is referring to is the Marijuana Inventory Tracking Solution (MITS) which she said is one piece of the robust and comprehensive regulatory scheme that the Department of Revenue has created and will continue to refine over time.

Department of Revenue spokeswoman Daria Serna said her office accepts state tax revenue in a number of ways and cash is one of them.

“The launch of retail marijuana has given the Department an opportunity to review its processes and make improvements,” she said. “We cannot go into detail about our processes and procedures, because it would compromise security, but we want tax payers to know that safety is our number one priority.”

Serna admitted that from a regulator perspective it would be helpful to have bank records from licensed businesses. 

“We have crafted our regulations with the understanding that obtaining banking services can be difficult for members of Colorado’s marijuana industry,” Serna said. “Our licensees are expected to keep detailed records and provide us with full financial and inventory accountability.”

This provides little solace to Balmer, who sees a system ripe for not making appropriate tax deposits but criminal activity.

“The majority of our marijuana retailers are trying to be honest,” he said. “But this is the Wild West and nobody really knows how to be lawful because this still violates federal law.”

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/01/31/colorado-pot-tax-revenues-could-go-up-in-smoke-says-lawmaker/

[RRKore]

Reminds me of the states that started lotteries to help with education expenses and their education system still stinks and the states are broke.

Colorado's pot tax revenues could go up in smoke, says lawmaker
By Joseph J. Kolb
Published January 31, 2014
FoxNews.com

Much of the $40 million in sales tax revenue Colorado hopes to collect from legal pot sales could be going up in smoke because banks and credit card companies refuse to work with sellers, claims a state lawmaker.

Unless banks can get a clear signal from federal regulators that it is okay to work with pot dealers without running afoul of laws aimed at launderers of drug money, the marijuana trade will remain what it is in Colorado – an all-cash business. State Sen. David Balmer says that makes it ripe for unreported – and untaxed - transactions.

...

"You don't want just huge amounts of cash in these places," Holder said in a speech 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."

...

Officials expect retail marijuana sales tax to put $19,729,867 into state coffers in the current fiscal year and more than twice that in the next.

...

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/01/31/colorado-pot-tax-revenues-could-go-up-in-smoke-says-lawmaker/

With millions of dollars' worth of tax revenue at stake, I think the gov't will be finding a solution to this problem sooner rather than later.

I'm not clear on why this situation would remind anyone of the lottery & crappy schools situation.  It seems very dissimilar to me.

[Dos Equis]

With millions of dollars' worth of tax revenue at stake, I think the gov't will be finding a solution to this problem sooner rather than later.

I'm not clear on why this situation would remind anyone of the lottery & crappy schools situation.  It seems very dissimilar to me.

California, for example, started a lottery to use the money for education system.  The system still stinks and the state is broke.  

If they're trying to use drug money to raise revenue, and the revenue never materializes, then to me it's similar to what happened with lotteries.  It may not be the cash cow people think.  

In fact, government attempts to raise money rarely produces a windfall.  

[RRKore]

California, for example, started a lottery to use the money for education system.  The system still stinks and the state is broke.  

If they're trying to use drug money to raise revenue, and the revenue never materializes, then to me it's similar to what happened with lotteries.  It may not be the cash cow people think.  

In fact, government attempts to raise money rarely produces a windfall.  

Don't let the facts get in the way of your argument but I guess you live in Hawaii (and not CA), right? 

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303393804579310603091572462
(This article is from Jan 9, 2014)

California Budget Increases Spending as State Enjoys a Surplus
Gov. Brown Urges Fiscal Restraint While Proposing More Funds for Schools, Debt Repayment

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—A resurgent stock market and a voter-approved tax increase has given California a windfall of several billion dollars, resulting in a rapid turnaround from the state's massive budget gaps of recent years.

On Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown called the improvement in the state's fiscal house "good news," and he proposed spending an additional $10 billion annually for California's schools. But anticipating calls for further increased spending and preparing for a likely re-election bid, he also urged fiscal restraint as he officially proposed a $154.9 billion budget.

"By no means are we out of the wilderness, we have serious issues before us in terms of long-term liabilities, debts, and we must be very prudent in the way we spend public funds," Mr. Brown said. However, "after years of drought, and cutbacks and pink slips for the teachers, we are finally able to provide a substantial amount of new money for all the schools of California."

If lotteries aren't making as much money for the state as some folks thought they would, it's because people aren't buying enough lottery tickets.
Weed, OTH, is selling like hotcakes and if it's not raking in as much tax revenue as it should right now, it's due to banks essentially forcing weed selling businesses to accept cash only and also being very hesitant to accept the cash deposits (which will likely lead to under-reporting of sales).

Like I said, though, the gov't loves tax revenue (and banks love money, too) so this problem will likely be fixed very soon.

I get that you want to find fault with MJ legalization, but this temporary tax issue is a weak way to do it.

[Dos Equis]

Don't let the facts get in the way of your argument but I guess you live in Hawaii (and not CA), right? 

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303393804579310603091572462
(This article is from Jan 9, 2014)

California Budget Increases Spending as State Enjoys a Surplus
Gov. Brown Urges Fiscal Restraint While Proposing More Funds for Schools, Debt Repayment

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—A resurgent stock market and a voter-approved tax increase has given California a windfall of several billion dollars, resulting in a rapid turnaround from the state's massive budget gaps of recent years.

On Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown called the improvement in the state's fiscal house "good news," and he proposed spending an additional $10 billion annually for California's schools. But anticipating calls for further increased spending and preparing for a likely re-election bid, he also urged fiscal restraint as he officially proposed a $154.9 billion budget.

"By no means are we out of the wilderness, we have serious issues before us in terms of long-term liabilities, debts, and we must be very prudent in the way we spend public funds," Mr. Brown said. However, "after years of drought, and cutbacks and pink slips for the teachers, we are finally able to provide a substantial amount of new money for all the schools of California."

If lotteries aren't making as much money for the state as some folks thought they would, it's because people aren't buying enough lottery tickets.
Weed, OTH, is selling like hotcakes and if it's not raking in as much tax revenue as it should right now, it's due to banks essentially forcing weed selling businesses to accept cash only and also being very hesitant to accept the cash deposits (which will likely lead to under-reporting of sales).

Like I said, though, the gov't loves tax revenue (and banks love money, too) so this problem will likely be fixed very soon.

I get that you want to find fault with MJ legalization, but this temporary tax issue is a weak way to do it.

How do you get that I "find fault with MJ legalization"? 

And speaking of facts getting in the way, here are a few:

1.  California's lottery was established in 1984 and was designed to provide revenue for schools. 

2.  California has had a budget crisis for years, including billion dollar deficits up through 2012, so citing a surplus in 2014 is silly.

3.  In November 2012, the voters passed the Temporary Taxes to Fund Education, which increased taxes on Californians to provide additional funding for schools.  Why the heck would this be necessary if the lottery, which had been established 28 years earlier, had been successful??

4.  Lottery players already provide over $1 billion annually.  From 1985 through 2012, the lottery provided more than $25 billion to fund education.  In spite of that, they still raised taxes to fund education.  So the argument people need to buy more tickets is absurd. 

Overall, the problem is government is a horrible money manager.  Giving government more money is not a solution. 

[RRKore]

Sorry if I incorrectly inferred that you're against ganja.  My bad.

As far as your other points, couldn't it be argued that a big part of the reason for CA's budget woes of past years has been because taxes weren't high enough?  (Related to prop 13 related problems with raising taxes, maybe?) 

And doesn't the fact that this year there's a surplus (so no deficit but still a large outstanding debt) after raising taxes support this point?

And isn't it fairly reasonable that, however bad the debt situation has gotten with lottery tax revenue, the situation would be worse without it (ceteris paribus, of course)?

So does your comparison boil down to, "The government often doesn't manage money well and often over-promises what can be done with the money"?   

If so, I guess I agree, in general, but I'd point out that the #1 job of government isn't balancing the budget. 

Some things are important enough to "go into the red" over.

[Dos Equis]

Sorry if I incorrectly inferred that you're against ganja.  My bad.

As far as your other points, couldn't it be argued that a big part of the reason for CA's budget woes of past years has been because taxes weren't high enough?  (Related to prop 13 related problems with raising taxes, maybe?) 

And doesn't the fact that this year there's a surplus (so no deficit but still a large outstanding debt) after raising taxes support this point?

And isn't it fairly reasonable that, however bad the debt situation has gotten with lottery tax revenue, the situation would be worse without it (ceteris paribus, of course)?

So does your comparison boil down to, "The government often doesn't manage money well and often over-promises what can be done with the money"?   

If so, I guess I agree, in general, but I'd point out that the #1 job of government isn't balancing the budget. 

Some things are important enough to "go into the red" over.

No worries.

Yes you can argue that budget woes are the result of the lack of revenue (i.e., taxes), but I don't think it's a very good argument.  The problem with running government isn't lack of funding.  The amount of money the government takes from taxpayers is obscene.  Government has proved, conclusively, that it cannot manage money. 

They could tax people at 90 percent and we'd still have pork barrel spending, mismanagement, waste, fraud, abuse, etc.

Here, our public education system is terrible.  But education takes up the largest portion of our state budget.  The problem isn't money, it's how the money is being spent. 

I never said the government's no. 1 job is to have a balanced budget, but the government should not be operating in the red.  It should be operating within its means without abusing taxpayers. 

But back to my overall point:  there is no goose that lays the golden egg when it comes to government spending. 

[RRKore]

Reminds me of the states that started lotteries to help with education expenses and their education system still stinks and the states are broke.

Colorado's pot tax revenues could go up in smoke, says lawmaker
By Joseph J. Kolb
Published January 31, 2014
FoxNews.com

Much of the $40 million in sales tax revenue Colorado hopes to collect from legal pot sales could be going up in smoke because banks and credit card companies refuse to work with sellers, claims a state lawmaker.

Unless banks can get a clear signal from federal regulators that it is okay to work with pot dealers without running afoul of laws aimed at launderers of drug money, the marijuana trade will remain what it is in Colorado – an all-cash business. State Sen. David Balmer says that makes it ripe for unreported – and untaxed - transactions.

“So far Colorado has not been able to come up with a solution to the banking problem,” Balmer said. “The vast majority of sales will not be accounted for.”

“The vast majority of sales will not be accounted for.”
- Colorado state Sen. David Balmer

Marijuana is considered an illegal drug by the federal government, and laws such as the Bank Secrecy Act carry severe penalties for banks. Last week, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the feds will soon issue regulations opening banking services to state-sanctioned marijuana businesses.

"You don't want just huge amounts of cash in these places," Holder said in a speech 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."

Balmer said the new rules can’t come soon enough. He believes the state was ill-prepared for what has become a booming business since the beginning of 2014. In addition to the banking issue, he said Colorado does not have enough field agents to regulate the industry.

Officials expect retail marijuana sales tax to put $19,729,867 into state coffers in the current fiscal year and more than twice that in the next.

But for now, tracking sales is all but impossible. Businesses have no bank statements to confirm revenue or deposits, and many have expressed concern about the robbery risk associated with handling large amounts of cash. Some have set up limited liability corporations to create one-degree of separation to try to open bank accounts, but if banks know about the arrangement, they often balk, according to Balmer.

And they often can tell where the greenbacks come from.

“The large cash deposits smell like marijuana, so some of the businesses are spraying the cash with room freshener or perfume to hide the marijuana smell,” Balmer said. “The banks are even more suspicious when they have a person trying to deposit a large cash deposit that smells like perfume.” 

With the above realities, said Balmer, the marijuana businesses have begun buying enormous safes to store cash and are hiring armed guards to protect their stores 24/7.

According to Casey Bauer, spokesman for the state Department of Regulatory Agencies, the Department of Revenue has created regulations with the understanding that obtaining banking services can be difficult for members of Colorado's marijuana industry. The business licensees are expected to keep detailed records and provide the Department of Revenue with full financial and inventory accountability. The Department has the authority to go into a business licensed by the state to inspect books and records, which could lead to a third party audit.

“There is a new inventory tool that was launched on Jan. 1, 2014, which tracks inventory from seed to sale,” Bauer said. 

The tool Bauer is referring to is the Marijuana Inventory Tracking Solution (MITS) which she said is one piece of the robust and comprehensive regulatory scheme that the Department of Revenue has created and will continue to refine over time.

Department of Revenue spokeswoman Daria Serna said her office accepts state tax revenue in a number of ways and cash is one of them.

“The launch of retail marijuana has given the Department an opportunity to review its processes and make improvements,” she said. “We cannot go into detail about our processes and procedures, because it would compromise security, but we want tax payers to know that safety is our number one priority.”

Serna admitted that from a regulator perspective it would be helpful to have bank records from licensed businesses. 

“We have crafted our regulations with the understanding that obtaining banking services can be difficult for members of Colorado’s marijuana industry,” Serna said. “Our licensees are expected to keep detailed records and provide us with full financial and inventory accountability.”

This provides little solace to Balmer, who sees a system ripe for not making appropriate tax deposits but criminal activity.

“The majority of our marijuana retailers are trying to be honest,” he said. “But this is the Wild West and nobody really knows how to be lawful because this still violates federal law.”

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/01/31/colorado-pot-tax-revenues-could-go-up-in-smoke-says-lawmaker/

Like I said, because of the amount of tax money at stake, the government was likely to find a solution to this problem pretty quickly.  About 2 weeks after that Faux News story:

Banks cleared to accept marijuana business

By Evan Perez, CNN Justice Reporter
February 17, 2014 -- Updated 1339 GMT (2139 HKT)

(CNN) -- The U.S. government issued rules on Friday for the first time allowing banks to legally provide financial services to state-licensed marijuana businesses.

The Justice Department issued a memorandum to prosecutors that closely follows guidance last August largely limiting federal enforcement priorities to eight types of crimes.

These include distribution to children, trafficking by cartels and trafficking to states where marijuana isn't legal. If pot businesses aren't violating federal law in the eight specific priorities, then banks can do business with them and "may not" be prosecuted.

The Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued guidelines that Director Jennifer Shasky Calvery said was intended to signal that "it is possible to provide financial services" to state-licensed marijuana businesses and still be in compliance with federal anti-money laundering laws.

More at link below:
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/14/politics/u-s-marijuana-banks/?iid=EL