Thursday, October 06, 2011

It's About Darned Time

I support the legalization of marijuana, but I support our system of laws even more. Federal law is superior to state law, so California's law regarding so-called medical marijuana must yield.
Federal officials are warning California medical marijuana dispensaries they must shut down within 45 days or face criminal prosecution and having their property confiscated.
This is the only outcome that's acceptable until federal law changes.

9 comments:

maxutils said...

Wrong, wrong, wrong. Federal law trumps state law, when it's constitutionally justifiable. Please explain how the Feds have jurisdiction over a local pot store, not selling across state lines? And, don't cite the Supreme Court, who have been collective asses on these issues. Find the spot in the ACTUAL Constitution.

maxutils said...

And, while we're at it -- so much for Obama's promise not to prosecute pot buyers. Why do the 9th and 10th amendments even exist?

Darren said...

If you want to re-argue Marbury v. Madison, you ahead--but the justices are all dead.

maxutils said...

Two links:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/us/19holder.html

http://www.latimes/news/local/la-me-pot-crackdown-20111007,0,313880.storytrack=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed%3A+mostEmailed+%LA+Times+E-mailed+stories%utm_Google+feedfetcher

Darren said...

Again: Marbury v. Madison.

mmazenko said...

Decriminalize? Yes. Legalize. Not a good idea. Not in any way.

maxutils said...

And, while you're undoubtedly right that medical marijuana is abused by those who don't need it? When the arthritis in my knees was preventing me from doing anything but writhing around in bedabout 6 years ago? I could take two puffs of my exwife's pot, fall asleep, and wake up rested. So, 'so-called', at least in my case, wasn't. As an analgesic, it was far superior to anything else I'd tried.

mmazenko said...

Loved the picture of the CA district attorney holding up signs for marijuana popcorn on sale at a dispensary in Sacramento. What a farce. Max, the point is CA's law was for medical marijuana for seriously, chronically ill people - though the law was weakly written. Federal supersedes that state law when the federal law is being violated. And the CA law is enabling hard core drug dealers selling to recreational users to flout federal law. It's that simple.

maxutils said...

Mazenko -- CA's law was weakly written SO that it could be abused. Everyone in the state knows that. But, that is the foot in the door to a better end. And, I really don't care if people who don't need it, get it. What harm are they doing anyone else? And to those, like me, who found it to be a good analgesic (I haven't smoked in at least 5 years) or an appetite stimulant, good for them. The idea of decriminalization is nonsensical: either you can have it, or you can't. either you can tax it, or you can't. No matter what you do? Virtually the same exact number of people will be smoking. The only difference will be the cost to society.
And, I'm still awaiing the Constitutional grounds that allows the Feds to trump this with their law. And, I will continue to wait, because it's not there.