amendment 64
Col. Gov Hickenlooper Shows He is Serious About Legal Marijuana By Seeking Task Force
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.
Medical Marijuana Industry News October 12, 2012
Melissa Etheridge Becomes Newest Celeb to Endorse Marijuana Legalization…
Melissa Etheridge, has provided inspiration to many people through her music and her successful fight against breast cancer. The singer of popular songs such as “Come to My Window” has now come out in support of Colorado’s Amendment 64. She appears on an advertisement and says she supports the legalization initiative “because a few years ago I was going through cancer chemotherapy and I was suffering.” She also goes on to say “Prescription drugs were not helping. The only thing that allowed me to function and regain my strength was marijuana and I’m grateful for the relief it provided me. You know before I needed to use marijuana I just accepted the laws that treated marijuana users as criminals. But it’s funny how a serious illness can give you a new outlook on life. I now see that it’s wrong to arrest adults for using marijuana and it’s even more wrong to allow gangs and cartels to profit from selling marijuana. Instead we should allow adults to possess limited amounts of marijuana and we should regulate marijuana sales in order to generate tax revenues for public schools construction and other community needs. To me, regulating marijuana is simply the right thing to do. Please vote yes on Amendment 64.” Residents will have the opportunity to vote on passing the marijuana legalization law. If they do so, marijuana will be treated in a similar way to alcohol with those 21 and over being to purchase it in a controlled, regulated, and taxed manor.
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Study Shows Missouri Could Make $149 Million off of Marijuana Legalization…
Last night America watched the two vice presidential candidates argue over taxes and the economy. We did not hear any fresh ideas, but thankfully, a study in Missouri will provide us with information as to how we can jumpstart the economy. Three states will have their residents vote on whether or not to legalize, regulate, and tax recreational marijuana. In the above story we already mentioned Colorado, but Oregon and Washington State will also be putting similar measures to the people. Missouri may join these states in the future as a study released by the groups National Cannabis Coalition and Show-Me Cannabis with the help of Harvard University economist Dr. Jeffrey Miron. According to the groups Missouri would generate over $149 million if the state legalized marijuana. This statistic includes $90 million saved by reducing funds associated with incarcerations, arrests, and prosecutions of marijuana offenders. The additional $59 million would come through taxes placed on marijuana sales. Dr. Miron said “The main thing I hope people think about is, ‘Why should the government be intervening with individuals using marijuana?”
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City Of Oakland Stands Up For Patients and Local Collectives….
Federal agents have been targeting the world’s largest medical marijuana dispensary, Harborside Health Center, for some time now. Harborside is known to serve many patients and has gained even more attention as they were the focus of a Discovery Channel show, Weed Wars. The Feds are attempting to seize the property that Harborside Health occupies, however, in what may be an unprecedented move, the City of Oakland is not sitting idle. They have filed a lawsuit contending the federal government’s right to do so. City Attorney Barbara Parker said “This lawsuit is about protecting the rights of legitimate medical patients. “I am deeply dismayed that the federal government would seek to deny these rights and deprive thousands of seriously ill Californians of access to safe, affordable and effective medicine.” Harborside’s famous Executive Director, Steve DeAngelo said “It is heartening to see the city stand up and support us.” Oakland is notoriously struggling financially and many analysts are wondering how big the impact would be if Harborside was closed. The dispensary paid $3.5 million in taxes with over $1 million going directly to the city of Oakland.
Colorado Governor Accused of Gang Mentality
The gang mentality of protecting your turf and merchandise is not a new concept, it may even be one of our oldest social norms. The idea has been well represented in movies and shows such as The Godfather, Goodfellas, New Jack City, The Wire, and Boardwalk Empire. Corporations in the real world, use lobbyists and economic leverage to accomplish similar goals. However, even if this sounds naïve, we are supposed to expect that our elected officials would refrain from these types of turf wars.
Governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado has actually been accused of operating like a “Drug Dealer Protecting his Turf” in an article appearing on heraldnet.com. The Governor recently made statements against Colorado voters possibly legalizing marijuana in November. Despite a solid majority support for legalization in the polls, he recently said “detracting from efforts to make Colorado the healthiest state” and for “sending the wrong message to kids.” The statement is odd for several reasons. For one, while politicians are not accustomed too (by the looks of how many ballot initiatives are out there they would be well served to get used to it quickly) the people’s voices being accounted for, it may be unwise to lecture and condescend to the electorate. Children are always put in the middle by those defending failed marijuana policy, but does the Governor truly think the majority of his state are terrible and selfish parents who never took their children into consideration? Second, Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol has addressed this for months by making concerned parents a significant part of their message. However, these parents actually WANT a regulated system so they can ensure it stays out of their children’s hands. The current and illegal/unregulated street vendor system can offer such protection.
Another reason why Governor Hickenlooper’s statements are out of place have to do simply with his choice of drugs. The Heraldnet article makes the “Drug Dealer” comparison because Mr. Hickenlooper is an avid brewer of beer. In fact he proudly has said “I’m the first brewer who’s ever been a governor.” When talking about tasty hops and barley the Governor seemed to have no issue with children’s health even as alcohol results in far more fatal car crashes, weight gain, and addiction. Additionally, we have to ask ourselves exactly how try to keep alcohol out of children’s hands. Instead of ignoring it, we as a nation have decided it would be a better idea to regulate, check identification to purchase, and even tax alcohol sales. However, if the Governor does not agree, is he merely protecting himself, and his turf as the facts betray his statements?
Politicians should have seen the writing on the wall and come up with new talking points years ago. The will of the people trumps any political rhetoric the Governor may recite. Challenging the people on a consensus issue seems to be a very nearsighted action. We truly live in a republic, so when the people get to participate in legislation directly, it is the most pure form of democracy offered in The United States, easily nullifying the contradictory statements of one lone Governor.
Both Current and Former Police Officers Urge Passage of Marijuana Legalization
When talking about marijuana reform and the war on drugs it is often assumed that law enforcement officials support the status quo. That assessment may be insulting to many officers as the war on drugs has proven to be a failure. It has taken many unnecessary lives, incarcerated teens, put an a strain on the legal system, and still provides no system of regulation. Voters in Colorado may approve Amendment 64 which would regulate, tax, and legalize marijuana. It appears that many current and former police officers are also joining the cause. They are part of a activist group called “Law Enforcement Against Prohibition” (LEAP). Tony Ryan now serves on the group’s board but was Denver police officer for 36 years. He recently said “I’d been thinking about this much of my career, I saw that marijuana wasn’t the cause of disturbances, crimes, or homicides—something like alcohol was.” He also described how much time he noticed officers spent processing low level marijuana charges. He said it could an officer hours and “That perturbed me, It detracts from the police officer’s job in my mind.”
Colorado Residents Appear Ready To Legalize Marijuana
Many states have now joined the marijuana reform movement and it appears more on the way. At one point, certainly 12 years ago, passing legislation to allow for the use of medical marijuana was a much more controversial move. With only a handful of states previously legalizing medical cannabis, Colorado voters passed Amendment 20 and officially altered the state’s constitution.
This November, Colorado residents will have another controversial choice when they enter the voting centers. Thanks to the efforts of many residents and groups such as Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, Colorado residents may take the next logical step in providing relief and adopting new progressive strategies for a struggling economy and new age safety measures. If residents pass amendment 64, they will effective legalize, tax, and regulate the sale of marijuana even for recreational use. While the usual detractors have and will continue to dust off the same decades old talking points memo, many want to see a different approach. Amendment 64 even has the support of many parents who would rather see safety mechanisms in place to prevent their teens from purchasing marijuana as opposed to just hoping they do not seek out street vendors.
A similar bill was voted on in 2006 and narrowly failed. However, in the previous six years Colorado has seen its demographics change considerably. While this can be measured by Census figures, it only takes a copy of the 2008 electoral map, and current polling data to show Colorado has changed drastically in the political arena and now appears to be a lean Democrat or at the very least a toss-up state. Other than Bill Clinton in 1996, no Democrat has won Colorado in a modern election besides Obama. A new poll seems to highlight the shift and now shows that Colorado residents are leaning heavily toward enacting Amendment 64. The poll was conducted by The Denver Post and shows that Colorado residents are in favor of the bill by a margin of 51-40% (with 8% undecided).
Even if passed it does not guarantee that Federal agents will not interfere. However, now many more tax dollars and jobs will be at stake should the Feds decide to demonstrate their legal authority. However, if that fear governed Colorado residents before, they would not have persevered through the last 12 years. With more national support that ever, and certainly than in 2000, Colorado residents again seem poised to bring about major change.
Medical Marijuana Industry News August 17, 2012
Los Angeles Marijuana Dispensaries Ordered To Close on Sept 6…
Several weeks ago the Los Angeles City Council decided to issue an order to ban all marijuana dispensaries within city limits. The move has caused a fair amount of commotion and legal experts do not even know for sure if they city is operating within their rights. A recent decision by California’s second District of Appeals ruled that local municipalities cannot outlaw marijuana dispensaries. Earlier in the week, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office sent out 1,000 letters to buildings they believe are dispensaries informing them that they need to close their doors or face possible fines of $2,500 per day fine after September 6th. There is a considerable amount of legal confusion in the air. Besides the 2nd district decision, there are also referendums in the works with activists collecting signatures. This could also delay or eliminate the city’s ban. Kris Hermes of Americans for Safe Access said “We don’t have a clear-cut response for them on what’s going on. It would be imprudent to tell them to stay open. But at the same time, there is all this other activity going on that could change the situation in a matter of weeks.”
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Colorado Legalization Initiative Could Mean Big Bucks for State…
Earlier in the week marijuana.net ran a story that described how much money could be made in the state of Washington should residents vote to legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis. Colorado has also released a report that shows how much money could be generated if their similar law, amendment 64 is passed. A report released by The Colorado Center on Law and Policy (CCLP) indicated that in the first year alone legalizing cannabis could generate $60 million in its first year and rise to $120 million by 2017. Of the $120 million $80 million would go toward alleviating financial burdens of local and state government with the remaining $40 million being directed to a fund that would construct new schools. Showing its potential for job creation the program would create 350 new construction jobs. This is independent of the jobs created for medical personnel, dispensary workers, security companies and several other industries.
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New Jersey Off to Slow Start in Registering Patients…
Matching the snail’s pace of the launching the entire medical marijuana program in New Jersey, only 50 patients so far have been approved to be legal cannabis patients in the Garden State. The good news is that the program is moving forward after almost no action for two years after it was approved by exiting former Governor Jim Corzine. So far state lawmakers have delayed the program for as long as they can and the small patient registration numbers come as no surprise. The point of the program is to prevent patients from having to secure their medication from illegal sources. So far the program is doing the opposite. Chris Goldstein, a spokesperson for The Coalition for Medical Marijuana in New Jersey said “Patients meanwhile are going on the underground market. “It’s not like they’re not accessing medicine out there.” New Jersey aimed to be a state with strict guidelines but has been outpaced by other known strict medical marijuana states such as Arizona. However, there is reason to believe that patient registration will pick up as every aspect of the program has been hastened by the threat of lawsuits. Expect more of the same as advocates will surely pursue the legal route if patients are not being accepted into the program.
State Legislators show Support for Marijuana Legalization in Colorado
In a matter of a few years marijuana has made tremendous strides in shedding its taboo status and gaining mainstream acceptability. Polls are regularly showing an increase in positive views on medical marijuana and marijuana legalization. Is our elected representation shifting their attitudes as well?
How many high profile state democrats would have backed marijuana legalization in the 1970s, 1990s, or even 2005? The efforts of Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol have played a large roll in changing the political atmosphere in Colorado. RMLA helped to collect more than the 86,000 signatures needed collected to get amendment 64 on the ballot. If passed the bill will legalize marijuana and set up a system, as the name suggests, to regulate marijuana like alcohol. The chair of the Denver Democratic Party, Cindy Lowery-Gra ber, has recently stated her support for bill and said “this is a mainstream issue. Polls show that more than 60 percent of Democrats and a solid majority of independents believe marijuana should be treated like alcohol. A broad coalition is forming in support of Amendment 64 and I am proud to say that it now includes the Colorado Democratic Party.”
The endorsement comes from the right person at the right time. Democrats have a strong presence in Colorado and the state’s residents may be poised to be the first (several other states like Washington will also vote on legalization in November) state with totally legalized marijuana on a state level. Colorado has taken precautions to avoid the legal mess in California as they have put a more structured program run by the state. This singular authority eliminates the problem of individual municipalities interpreting medical marijuana law as they see fit. It seems many elected officials agree with Cindy Lower-Graber as 8 of the 10 largest counties in Colorado support amendment 64.
The fight for marijuana reform is no longer being fought solely by hardcore activists. Although the feds seem intent on fighting its own people over a healing plant, many other government officials have now joined the movement. As stated above, supporting marijuana publicly was a difficult political platform previously, but in a few years it may be a difficult position not to support it.