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fiscal cliff

President Obama Officially Starts His Second Term

obama inauguration

Earlier today America watched the President of the United States be sworn in for his second term.  There was an enormous crowd on hand to witness the historical event.  Unfortunately, in modern day politics, the day would not be complete without House GOP members playing politics with the Presidential Inauguration.  Many skipped the event with critics accusing them of making America “look like brats.”

It does not feel as if four years have passed since we lasted watched Barack Obama recite the oath.  There was optimism in the air for activists when President Barack Obama became president in 2009.  The self proclaimed fan of marijuana took a progressive stance on our failed marijuana policy.  He informed the public that marijuana was a low priority and that he did not envision the Department of Justice using significant resources to attack the medical marijuana industry.  Over the course of the last year and a half, however, those statements seemed to be challenged by federal raids in California, Colorado, and Montana.

As we have already covered in previous articles, 2012 looks to be serving as a key turning point in the marijuana reform movement.  If the recent tax and “fiscal cliff” debate are any example, then finances are going to be a point of contention for some time.  It is time for this president to re-prioritize our resources.  America wants our children protected and lack of funds for mental health facilities, or additional police officers for schools will be considered unacceptable by the public.

Marijuana.net recently reported that a high profile Obama ally, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, has publicly discussed reforming marijuana laws in his state.  Cuomo may be testing the waters for future political action.  Since his statements have not resulted in a political suicide, we hope the president takes note.  Any president is conscious of his legacy and we wonder exactly what President Obama was thinking as he placed his hand on that bible and said “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Somewhere in that Constitution we are pretty it says something about protecting the rights of the people.

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After an Up and Down 2012, Americans Welcome 2013

2013

The new year represents a fresh start for everyone.  Last year was eventful and saw difficult times especially toward the end. The Newtown school shootings (among the other horrific acts which include3 the Aurora movie theater massacre) and Hurricane Sandy have made the end of this year painful for so many.  A tense election and the so-called “fiscal cliff” left a sour political taste for many Americans.

However there were many highlights in 2012 as well.  The November election saw one of the rarest sights in America.  Individual rights were returned to the people in several ways.  Several states legalized and/or voted down amendments to outlaw same sex marriage.  Children brought here through no fault of their own illegally, will be allowed to stay since President Obama signed an executive order in June.  Of course, there were marijuana victories as well.  Connecticut and Massachusetts will join the growing list of states that will provide relief for patients through medical marijuana.  New Jersey also served its first patient, after years of bureaucratic delays.  Of course, the biggest developments in marijuana reform took place in Colorado and Washington where recreational marijuana will now be taxed, regulated, and distributed by state governments.

The ripple effects from Colorado and Washington appears to be putting pressure on the federal government to stand aside.  There is much to look forward to in 2013, including the future of a bill introduced in Congress that would prevent federal agents from interfering with state marijuana laws.  The bill, which is being referred to as “The Citizens Rights Act” and “Respect States Act”.  This bill would allow federal law to remain intact, but it would step aside and not take precedence over state laws.  Although 2012 was a wild year, we have high hopes for 2013.  We wish everyone a happy and safe new year!

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Marijuana Decriminalization Has Immediate Impact On California Youth Crime Rates

teen crime

The unnecessary arrests of our teens is one of the most troubling byproducts of American marijuana law.   Besides the high economic cost, the social implications can ruin lives.  Marijuana possession arrests can provide an early entrance into legal system for juveniles.  Incarceration of so many young people produces a

The need to alter America’s direction in the war on drugs has been apparent almost since the inception of Nixon’s plan.  This is perhaps why even as early as the 1970s states started to take the initiative and enact decriminalization laws.  Decades later, we are still awaiting federal action, but it only takes a brief glance at the 112th Congress (who has passed the least amount of bills in history) to lose optimism.  Hopefully the 113th Congress is less bitter, partisan, and ineffective.  It is not desirable for state lawmakers to enact legislation that is in direct opposition to state law, but a lack of movement on the federal government’s part has left states with few options.

Critics and misguided fans of the war on drugs are always skeptical of decriminalization and often argue that crime and deviant behavior would increase and run rampant.  Newly published research by the Center on Juvenile & Criminal Justice paints an entirely different picture.  The group found that California’s new (which took effect January 1, 2011) decriminalization laws have resulted in a drastic reduction of juvenile arrests. The 20% overall drop now brings juvenile crime rates to their lowest levels since California started keeping such records in 1954.  When analyzing the numbers further, it is interesting to note that underage violent crime dropped by 16%, homicide dropped by 26%, and drug related crimes plummeted by 50%.

Marijuana reform can address many pressing issues in the United States.  Although many critics are unable to understand the complexity of modern economics, financial actions are rarely isolated.  Locking away our youth has a devastating toll on lives, but also a hefty financial price tag.  Lately, the point has been made countless times but the debate regarding the so called “fiscal cliff” and the money required to rebuild the areas devastated by Hurricane Sandy, it is clear we no longer have money to waste on acting “tough” on drugs.

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Col. Gov Hickenlooper Shows He is Serious About Legal Marijuana By Seeking Task Force

hickenlooper

Marijuana activists scored major victories several weeks ago on election day.  Colorado residents voted to legalize, regulate, tax, and distribute marijuana.  However, the decision is much more complex than simply saying “now everything is ok”.  There many questions to be answered such as the future of current medical dispensaries, tax rates, and law enforcement concerns.

Because of the complexity of the situation, Governor Hickenlooper is seeking to put together a task force to deal with the situation.  He recently said “We are working to create a task force to identify the policy, legal, and procedural issues that need to be resolved related to Amendment 64.”  There are not many more details as to how the new law will move forward.  However, Colorado lawmakers do appear serious in making sure the new law is upheld. Once the Amendment 64 goes into effect (Dec.6), adults 21 and over will be allowed to possess up to one ounce of marijuana for personal use.  Some prosecutors in Colorado are not waiting until December 6th, and have dismissed current marijuana possession cases that would be legal next week.  Authorities in Washington have also taken similar steps.

The situation in Colorado and Washington is showcasing that the conversation has turned an important corner.  The economy needs new ideas and a decades long expansion of government has made the public weary.  Marijuana reform could generate jobs and tax revenue and also provide the rare expansion of civil rights.  Federal authorities could still try to desperately flex their muscle, but as more jobs and revenues are contingent upon legal marijuana it could become increasingly difficult for the feds to simply disregard state laws.  So far Attorney General Eric Holder has been silent on the issue.  Analysts are unsure if this shows he wishes to avoid the issue and permit the states to operate as they will.  Others believe Mr. Holder will soon step down and already a lame duck so he may be waiting for successor to handle the issue.

We at marijuana.net are hopeful that elected officials will work alongside the people and abandon the failed policy of aggressively persecuted its own people for non-violent crimes.  Additionally, Americans are ready for compromise.  In a divided country, the word compromise has seemed to fallen by the wayside recently, but we want to see people behave as adults and work together.  We may finally see this with the so called “fiscal cliff” debate as both parties appear ready to strike a deal.  We may be seeing the same situation in Colorado as Governor Hickenlooper publicly voiced his opposition to Amendment 64 on multiple occasions.  However, we are pleased to see that despite his personal view, he is recognizing his function and job as an elected official.

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