Amsterdam Coffeeshop Directory Forums

Attorney General Eric Holder says the federal government will enforce its marijuana laws in California even if voters next month make the state the first in the nation to legalize the drug.

The Justice Department strongly opposes California's Proposition 19 and remains firmly committed to enforcing the federal Controlled Substances Act in all states, Holder wrote in a letter to former chiefs of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the letter, dated Wednesday.

"We will vigorously enforce the CSA against those individuals and organizations that possess, manufacture or distribute marijuana for recreational use, even if such activities are permitted under state law," Holder wrote.

Source & Full Text

Good luck enforcing that, California is completely broke.
The Feds are just talking big.
From what i have read, the state of California has every right to legalise if they wish and there is not a damn thing the feds could do about it.
They threatened the exact same things with MMJ.
They just know if California passes `19 ( doubtful they will get the votes ) that other states like Oregon and Nevada will see the tax being generated and follow suit.

Federal law supersede state law, so how does Cali. have the right? I don't think it will pass anyway.

Peace,
Balou

it will pass and then the feds can try that....I will have a laugh after it

My guess is Prop 19 wont pass anyway mainly due to the medical users in cali, a lot are expressing a dislike to to the restrictions of having just 25 square foot to grow in plus the reported $15,000 a year it'll cost in taxes (growing??).

oh its a law for rich patio owners then?

I am no American legal expert, but the quote below is pretty cut and dry.
As pot is not expressly forbidden in your constitution, it is up to the State to make its own decision.
They had a legal expert on CNN on friday, and it seems the federal government does not have a law to fall back on to back up its threats against California.


"10th amendment...


Quote:
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

Iko wrote:I am no American legal expert, but the quote below is pretty cut and dry.
As pot is not expressly forbidden in your constitution, it is up to the State to make its own decision.
They had a legal expert on CNN on friday, and it seems the federal government does not have a law to fall back on to back up its threats against California.


"10th amendment...


Quote:
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

In the US you have to have one of these for it to be legal.

To get one you have take your weed to the feds, therefore incriminating yourself. The states don't have the authority to issue one. What I don't understand is why everyone thinks this is great. Think about it, it just decriminalizes less than an oz. It does not give you access to the MMJ from the dispensaries. So you still have to buy it illegally from a dealer who sales hard drugs also. It's just not fixing anything, IMO it might set the fight back. And who knows the feds could try and pull funding from some of the Cali state programs, ie infrastructure.

Peace,
Balou

Boner wrote:My guess is Prop 19 wont pass anyway mainly due to the medical users in cali, a lot are expressing a dislike to to the restrictions of having just 25 square foot to grow in plus the reported $15,000 a year it'll cost in taxes (growing??).

I'm losing hope as well, theres a LOT of negative talk about Prop 19 in the stoner community. What reall annoys me is that most of the complaints are coming from medical marijuana industry and users, who say things like 'we like the way it is now'. Fuck everyone else who is going to jail and getting criminal records, as long as the medical users have theirs

They do have a legitimate concern about taxes though - the $15,000 figure is just a made up number, but apparently Prop 19 does leave the taxes open to each city, so its possible some cities could introduce a ridiculous tax like that. But if they did, well obviously people would just continue growing underground like they do now. But you'd have the additional benefit of pot being VERY widespread, prices would tumble (including seeds and grow equipment).

bleak wrote:I'm losing hope as well, theres a LOT of negative talk about Prop 19 in the stoner community. What reall annoys me is that most of the complaints are coming from medical marijuana industry and users, who say things like 'we like the way it is now'. Fuck everyone else who is going to jail and getting criminal records, as long as the medical users have theirs

+1, it was ok for the MMJ users to jump on the legalisation bandwagon then fuck off once they get what they want, sort of an "I'm all right jack attitude".

It is an unfortunate trait of most humans that they will shelve their principles today for a little extra dollar tomorrow.

bleak wrote:

Boner wrote:My guess is Prop 19 wont pass anyway mainly due to the medical users in cali, a lot are expressing a dislike to to the restrictions of having just 25 square foot to grow in plus the reported $15,000 a year it'll cost in taxes (growing??).

I'm losing hope as well, theres a LOT of negative talk about Prop 19 in the stoner community. What reall annoys me is that most of the complaints are coming from medical marijuana industry and users, who say things like 'we like the way it is now'. Fuck everyone else who is going to jail and getting criminal records, as long as the medical users have theirs

Exactly. This is why when a Republican governor and/or president takes over(it happens in cycles in the US) and starts cracking down on all the people who have a MMJ card for vague and/or non-existant reasons and California stoners start asking people out of state to get involved I will most likely become "unable to hear their concerns".

HasAnyoneSeenMyPipe wrote: +1, it was ok for the MMJ users to jump on the legalisation bandwagon then fuck off once they get what they want, sort of an "I'm all right jack attitude".

Yes, its amazingly selfish.

They are actually using the argument that cannabis should stay illegal because Prop 19 would destroy the cannabis industry.

IMO Prop 19 is a poorly written POC dreamt up by "Cannaceleb" Richard Lee. It is far too complex and restrictive. Legalization proposition should just say "Henceforth Cannabis shall be governed by the laws which currently apply to alcohol and tobacco. That said, I voted for it just to "kick the can down the road". No doubt, when it passes, which I think it will, the Feds will bust a large project and ultimately it will go to the Supreme Court (sadly).

Peace

Won't pass, the stoners in Cali don't want to pay the tax and they're happy with the system they already have. It's way to easy to for them to just run down to "Dr. Cannabis" down at Venice Beach and claim back pain or insomnia, get a reccomendation and go to the candy store for their "medicene". If marijuana wasn't already medicinal in Cali it would be a completely different story. The voters would be dreaming of a coffeeshop utopia in the sunshine. Instead they're dreading a tax and a reduction in growing capacity. Kinda sucks it won't pass, I would love to be able to vacation and sample some of Cali's finest.