House and Senate negotiations for the 2010 Appropriations bill have been completed. This is the huge federal budget bill and it just so happens that Washington DC is a federal district and its spending is controlled by Congress.
In 1998, DC passed a medical marijuana bill overwhelmingly, but Congressional drug warriors led by Rep. Bob Barr of Georgia prevented DC from spending any federal money to count the votes (that’s right, in our democracy’s capital, our leaders conspired to prevent citizens from counting votes in a legal election). When that was deemed unconstitutional, they spent the money to count the votes, showing that 69% of DC supported medical marijuana. So Rep. Barr created the “Barr Amendment” that prevented DC from spending any money to implement the medical marijuana program they had voted in.
Well, today’s 2010 Appropriations bill changes all that. In addition to removing bans on abortion, domestic partnerships, and needle exchange, Congress has given the go-ahead to begin implementing DC medical marijuana!
(US Senate) Removing Special Restrictions on the District of Columbia: Eliminates a prohibition on the use of local tax funds for abortion, thereby putting the District in the same position as the 50 states. Also allows the District to implement a referendum on use of marijuana for medical purposes as has been done in other states, allows use of Federal funds for needle exchange programs except in locations considered inappropriate by District authorities, and discontinues a ban on the use of funds in the bill for domestic partnership registration and benefits.
DC’s medical marijuana bill was written with the same sort of open language as was passed in California… will we be seeing marijuana dispensaries on K Street anytime soon?
Absolutly Wonderfull.
its about damn time!
That’s great for D.C. Hopefully they don’t get “late night back doored” again.
Wow! So does this mean we will be seeing federally legal medical marijuana?
The rising of the prohibitionist evil empire has failed again.
Finally, a vote By the PEOPLE, is being taken back from political self-interest corruption. May those who benefit from MMJ in DC celebrate that they will be able to use their medicine without being labeled a “criminal”. 8)
Wow, this is really a great step to getting people the medicine that they need. I personally think that this is the govt’s way of tearing down the walls of prohibition quickly, by giving the green light to appropriate funds towards this bill while not getting too much flak from the prohibitionists. This is the beginning of the end folks!
This seems like its bigger news than we realize. Is that true? So MedMJ is now legal in DC? Would that be considered a federal “stance” on the issue?
I like how our “represenatives” can legally withhold votes from being included and/or acted upon once counted.? Clearly, their definition of Democracy is not even close to the rest of general society.
O’ yeah. we are free alright……free to get hood-winked by BIG-brother gov’t.
This is fantastic. Hopefully this will start a huge snowball effect. Please let georgia be next!
good news
the times, they are a-changin
Ya know, I glanced at the thing for a second, and something sprung to mind. Their whole point in keeping cannabis illegal is due to a loss in money. Our argument is they’ll have more money if they would just regulate it. Well, all those figures of how much money we would save, in addition to the tax revenues – how about the money we could collect from past dealers with the tax evasion laws? Think about it – all of those millions of people in jail for simple possesion and dealing. The gov’t could cut a deal with them. You can either finish your sentence where you are now, or pay taxes on the amount you were busted with. They could do this with all the dealers and users. I’m not talking heroin kingpins also there for murder – but users and dealers of cannabis and other lighter drugs. If you look at someone in for life for possesion of about 200 lbs. with intend to sell – $35 per ounce X 16 OZ = $560 per pound X 200 lbs = $112,000 just on one person. This is a low estimate, but say 10,000 people are in for roughly the same charge. That would be $112,000 X 10,000 people = $1,120,000,000 – that’s over one billion dollars just in back taxes on fellony cannabis kingpins. As I said, the number of people is probably low, but hey – cool idea I think. People in for an oz or what not probably would choose to sit for the remainder of their time – but maybe not ($35 and you’re out? I would). But someone in for life, in a non-MMJ state, for growing a few plants for his medical/personal needs – you bet your stoned ass they would ALL jump on this.
I had no idea that there was a medical marijuana bill in DC. I’m enraged (but not surprised) that the Barr Amendment has been “barring” DC from spending money on the program. I’m glad that that’s changing though. I live in northern VA and would love to see medical marijuana closer to me on the east coast.
Chaulk up another Victory!! (albeit a minor one.)
But non the less its good to see that the pimps and hoodlums in washington are going to have to bend to the will of the people. Its about time we got back to what is important. There is still alot of work to be done.
Keep your head up.
W. Phisterbautem
I just read the initiative using the link you provided. I didn’t see anywhere in there a place wording requiring a local physician, i.e. out of are, say a california recommendation, would protect a visitor in Washington D.C. for their duration of their vacation?
so when does this take effect?
Great news. I wonder about Barr though, since he is now supposedly a Libertarian. Or is he?
2010 will be THE YEAR for marijuana reform.
Neat-o… I sent this story to you guys earlier today, wondering if you were going to post it.
Well I cant wait to see all the new activists popping up in DC. It always helps a Cannabis movement when a fair portion can come out of the closet. How much longer can Politicians ignore people benifiting from Medical Cannabis when their sitting in their lap?
Also does this mean patients from other states will be able to come lobby Washington and use Medical Cannabis on their visit?
This is great news! I sure hope we see some dispensaries on K street sooon. The smell of change is in the air.
Hell yeah!
Me thinks there is a few politicians finally getting there heads out of there ass!
IT WOULD SEEM TO ME…because cannabis [cannot] be synthesized, the only valid reasearch must be conducted on humans with whole plant material. IT SEEMS TO ME…that God in his infinite wisdom, made sure that man in his infinite idiocy couldn’t mess with God’s very own medicine. “THE WHOLE PLANT MATERIAL IS THE ONLY WAY TO DETERMINE ALL OF ITS EFFICACY.” One would think that after 17,000 positive studies, it’s way overdue to release findings on human efficay. The government can and should release “ALL OF ITS FINDINGS”…and…if government resists the release of “ALL OF ITS FINDINGS,” THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT, not to mention the DATA QUALITY ACT should be enforced. Government can’t deny the truth forever. The truth will prevail, if left to itself. In a word or two…”THERE SHOULD BE ABSOLUTELY NO MORE RESTRICTIONS ON RESEARCH DATA, OR ITS RELEASE. NO MORE SUPRESSON OF THE TRUTH.
From the two studies, government itself has commissioned, we know four facts, straight from the horse’s mouth.
1. Cannabis is a harmless substance.
2. Cannabis is not addictive.
3. Cannabis is non-toxic.
4. Cannabis is not a gateway drug.
Government has trashed both of these studies because they simply reveal and refute government’s mendacious propaganda. Their own studies have made them out to be liars, schemers, and gives credence to the suspicions of govrnment’s monopoly to “PROFIT FROM ITS ILLEGALITY”…the very reason cannabis collectives, and their dispensaries get raided…”MAKING A PROFIT.” IT SEEMS TO ME…”WHAT’S GOOD FOR THE GOOSE [IS NOT] GOOD FOR THE GANDER.” Talk about your double standards! Talk about setting shining examples!
Frankly speaking…what’s done is done! We can’t turn back the hands of time, or push the water back up stream. What we can do is…every single day…hold true to our commitment and mandate to
“LET UNOBSTRUCTED SCIENCE PREVAIL.”
and not abandon the rationale to break government’s grip on a harmless substance of great medical utility.
This is huge…. ^.^
It’s about time. It only took eleven years. I hope Barr gets hit by a truck and dies.
Man , talk about an arm & a leg! I don’t know if I like the lifting of a prohibition of abortion funding for even this cause ! Seems like the ends don’t justify the means! Seems like a awful steep burden to have to LIVE with ! Ahhh, keep your prohibition ! thank you ! If this is the price we must pay in D.C.
Dispensaries in DC would be amazing… The feds would have the facts shoved in there faces. How could they continue to ignore the safety and efficacy of mmj (beyond the fact that many are totally irrational and such)?
It took a while but we won. maybe we should take a collection to send ol bob barr some flowers and a sorry you finally got your ass handed to you note.
I know gloating is bad karma and bad sportsmanship but after the judicial homocide of jonathan magbie by that lowlife judge retchin I figured a lil gloating is in order. Its just a shame this could not have been done befoe the loss of Mr. Magbie and who knows how many other’s who could have been helped if not for the cruelty greed and cowardice of Bob Barr and the others who think it OK to deny people who are suffering relief so they can protect their own finacial intersts.
From the Barr amendment page (http://www.levellers.org/dcbarr.htm)
“Mr. Chairman, history dictates to us that these drug legalization people do not give up. What they will try and do is they will try and come back again and again and again”
Damn right we will come back again and again and again until we the people’s voice and the democratic process is respected. Two big middle fingers towards anyone who blocks the voices of sick and dying from being heard at the policy level.
Remind me what the purposes of government are again? It is imperative we put an end to this pattern of oppression. Regulate this amazing plant!
highlarious how all these politicians are so against the “devils weed” betcha a million dollars 98% of them smoked dopes before. they say they represent the people when they only support their archaic mentality. Narcissists all of them
just my two cents
The walls of prohibition are starting to crumble. I hope everyone in the country is paying attention.
Our ultra corrupt government will drag this senseless war into the dirt it seems. Pretty soon, 90% of America will have guns (metaphorically speaking) pointing at the federal government and I guarantee they will still say it is a “dangerous” drug.
awesome, what do you have to do to be able to open a dispesory in DC????
I would to open one.
Still nothing about it in the major media though…no surprise. If it does make a brief appearance between the Tiger or White House Party Crashers stories it will be followed by a couple of negative pot stories like “some drunk who ran killed several kids also had marijuana in her system”.
Grrrrrr.
oops….”ran over and killed”
Grrrrrrrr. I’m out of my meds
yea thats real great for DC. what about new york ?! this is gettin really annoyin and i would like some answers.
there is a bill for new york too. were is a full article on that ?
I wrote my Georgia Reps last year about this, my congressman, who is an MD, wrote back about the FDA had some approval process for meds.
According to this, the people have the approval process.
By the way, Bob Barr, former Rep from Georgia, now speaks about legalization, and ran as the 2008 Libertarian presidential canidate. I wonder how many of these “elected officals” will be switching sides when the are “not re-elected” due to their current position?
DC HERE I COME!!!!
hope this momentum keeps on going!!
Can we just do away with the foolishness and pass a national law already? Cripes sake, if you can have it in the capital…
This is awesome news, now they just need to make it federal law for all states. Hopefully those latenight sessions wont screw everyone over on this.
And tomorrow they are to review the SB 714 (I believe that is correct). Lets hope something else comes from this and this pushes the discussion for legalization of cannabis. These are exciting times but lets stay vigilant in pushing to see this reform is fully voiced at the foot steps of congress.
So what exactly does this mean? I’m a Maryland resident that is disabled by lyme disease and other associated pathogens, which has a large pain component as well. I’d love to be able to try medical marijuana to supplement opioid pain relievers which are some of the only options that work thus far.
Does this bill mean there will have to be another vote to totally legalize medical marijuana? If medical marijuana is legal in the district, can physicians from other states prescribe it so long as the MJ is obtained in DC? Will a DC medical marijuana “card” allow patients outside DC to grow their own marijuana through any sort of reciprocity agreement?
I really hope that dispensaries and grow programs start soon – some of us ill really can’t afford to wait!
So based on the bill the Director of the Department of Health will formulate the delivery method. Did some digging this is our guy to make the decision: http://doh.dc.gov/doh/cwp/view,a,3,q,573100.asp
im glad borat fed him cheese made from his wife’s teat.
I can’t wait this is huge, I can’t wait till the media catches one of the opposition in the senate or congress using mmj then we got them, Its like hookers and bribes they won’t be able to resist lol, I will go to bed with a smile on my face tonight waiting for the other shoe to drop. Just drop one of these dispenaries around the corner from the white house and this prohibition will end
I have one word to say about this……..
FANTASTIC !
Baby steps…. Thank goodness!!! one more down!!
“Barr would later reverse his position on medical marijuana, joining MPP as a lobbyist five years later. In a June 4, 2008 interview with Stephen Colbert on the Colbert Report, Barr confirmed that he now supports ending marijuana prohibition, as well as the War on Drugs for which he once vehemently fought.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Barr#Marijuana_Policy_Project
[Editor’s note: As Bob Barr is a lobbyist for hire, one wonders how much was he paid to change his position?]
the government doesn’t care about the rights of it’s citizens. They’d rather see states like Florida become huge pill mill states, and see thousands overdose on prescription drugs.. just watch the “oxycontin express”
None have overdosed on cannabis as we all know.
It is quite horrifying to see the damage done by these prescription drugs, and at the same time cannabis is still considered the devils weed and people and patients have no rights or ability to get this product in a SAFE manner. Thus creates the black market which instantly spawns a thousand of other abuses. We need a controlled and regulated market stop the insanity.
Dear Norml, this is fantastic…
you tout the numbers for states who have passed medical marijuana & decriminalized possession.
Don’t know if anyone has pointed this out, but in 2010 there NO LESS than FOUR states (Rhode Island, Mass, Cali and Wash) that have pending legislation for full regulation/taxation/legalization. FOUR STATES. The only question is: who will get there first?!
Thats awesome. Federal policy change? The whole country should now be covered. We could only hope. I am sure it doesn’t work like that.
How awesome would it be to see a dispensary in the capital?
Barr should be arrested. Or better yet, executed.
Congrats D.C. We are cheering for you in Michigan!
An absolutely incredible step. Congress (kinda) taking a stance on weed (in their own back yard). Hopefully not much longer to wait for medical MJ in MD? Then not much farther til weed crabcakes.
number 47 i looked into this guy he headed a substance abuse program i wouldn’t count on him to be kind in any decision concerning marijuana but thats what you get from somebody that made money off human suffering we all know reefer madness was 100% true
once upon a time, we shipped men all over the world to fight Nazis, i say we start fighting them in our on backyards
I hope those who are angry with Mr. Barr realize that it was his lobbying for MPP that was instrumental in getting the Barr amendment repealed.
Some people really do change.
[Editor’s note: Barr was not instrumental in ending the terrible and liberty-destroying Amendment that he birthed. In fact the people of DC and the City Council never supported the Barr Amendment…so his lobbying against something no one in DC supported had little to no effect. What in fact changed was the election of a Democratic Congress in 2006 and a Democratic president in 2008. Otherwise, there would absolutely still be a Barr Amendment on the books.
The hiring of Barr is inconsequential to the political changes underway re cannabis in America. Many in cannabis policy law reform would like to know how much Barr has been paid for his conversion, and just how genuine is his conversion from a long career as an oppressive prosecutor and legislator to liberating Libertarian? Is Barr a genuine lover of freedom or of money and public attention?]
This could be so great!
i can’t wait to see what happens. hopefully it turns into another cali :]
Just wondering.. its alright to drink alcohol (which is more addictive and damaging) but its illegal to toke weather its beneficial or not..
Congrats D.C. from a person who was called to jury duty last week in Georgia to try a man for misdemeanor marijuana possession. And I though we were in a recession. What a waste of tax payers time and money…
WOW.. Bob Barr really seems like an awesome guy. LOL
In addition to removing bans on abortion, domestic partnerships, and needle exchange, Congress has given the go-ahead to begin implementing DC medical marijuana!
I do not think it is wise to lump cannabis in with abortion, domestic partnerships and needle exchange. The prohibitionists are usually the same people who are against abortion, domestic partnerships and needle exchange. Keep cannabis seperate and don’t antagonize the devil.
Can’t wait to see all those congressmen lining up to get their cert to buy Cannabis for themselves.
Thats just great, congress needs to smoke cannabis but it looks like they will enjoy our liberty to do so long long before the citizen get too.
I just want to thank Congress for continuing with the Constructive Fraud, for their willingness to continue the lies about cannabis while they enjoy their liberty to smoke cannabis while sending others to prison and jail for same said liberty. Only in America can we act so dam backwards.
I have no respect for this Government, they have not earned it and they continue to demostrate why. It looks like they will never gain respect with these Jim Crow Laws still on the law books.
JURY NULLIFICATION
KNOW IT
TEACH YOUR CHILDREN WELL
PRATICE IT
Force change of the Cannabis Laws in America
Remember: The POWER is IN the PEOPLE, and we may show our power through Jury Nullification and Jury Lawlessness when Congress and the Excutive Braches fail to hear the people’s voice.
It the South and the KKK can use it to set free murders we can use it to free cannabis users from the unjust law.
In response to # 12’s idea to tax cannabis prisoners retroactively; that would be a post ex facto application of the law, and is illegal. Cannabis is currently an untaxed commodity. If a law were passed legalizing and taxing cannabis tomorrow, cannabis would be a taxable commodity as soon as the law took effect. At that point, you would be able to prosecute unlicensed dealers for tax evasion. However, you can’t prosecute people for tax evasion if they sold before cannabis became a taxable commodity. If you undertake an action while there is no law governing that activity, you can’t be held liable under laws which may be written later to regulate that activity. It’s simply illegal.
oops, that should be ex post facto, my mistake
I think this is big news.. Representatives will come from states that don’t have mmj and will have it in their faces in DC. This might affect their personal opinions once they see what it really means.
There was a time in this country when there was no illegal drug use. Individual citizens and American society as a whole were much better off then than now. Currently we are forced to live in a police state, courtesy of the “war on drugs.” This could have all been avoided if those elected simply upheld and defended the Constitution, like they swore to do when they took office. But that would mean politicians did not lie, something obviously beyond their capability.
I am all for the legalization of MMJ at the Federal level, but not at the expense of innocent children. I beleive in medical and/or ritualistic Marijuana, but I dont beleive in abortion.
Medical marijuana funding and abortion funding need to be totally seperated. I vote yes on funding MMJ but no on funding abortion.
number 12, Luke……..you are a fucking genius
WAIT…….damnit!!! # 70 is right. Sorry 12.
I think the planets are starting to align or something.
Past sellers of mj are, however, required to pay income tax on income derived from selling mj. The income tax laws apply to income from whatever source, whether legal or illegal.
That seems like a moot point, however. A person in prison _probably_ has access to relatively little money. The net effect of the buy-your-way-out plan would likely be that big-time dealers might have enough money in the bank to make the deal, while the poorer folks who got busted by some number-happy prosecutor would continue to rot in jail for a couple of ounces.
The socioeconomic and racial disparity would likely be enormous. How about we just pardon everyone busted for simple possession of less than some limited amount and also those charged with growing less than some number of plants. Anybody on board for that?
good job dc-Iowa is next !!!
Wow, I am personally not a Barr fan (but I am a libertarian) but man the hypocrisy of NORML editors just never ceases to amaze me. Barr has legitimately apologized for his neo-con positions. He is now an avid supporter of Marijuana reform and does a lot of work to change people positions. I will personally never vote for him for anything because although I can FORGIVE his past, he is not a viable candidate for that. But, unlike NORML, I welcome EVERYONE who sees the light, apologizes for past ideologies, and now will work with us to facilitate change.
NORML editors are hypocrites because they were so quick to praise Obomba and forgive (or ignore) his outrageous laughter at the idea of legalization. NORML, don’t you want people to join the cause? Sure, don’t ignore what Barr has done in his past to hurt the cause, but why so cynical and why not embrace the fact that he has changed his opinion. It would actually make your case stronger. No, you are in the game of politics even though you claim not to be. Good luck with that.
[Editor’s note: The pain and suffering caused by Bob Barr is not easily forgiven, especially if his conversion is fueled by money.
While NORML is non-partisan, and chides the president (and his employees) far more than praise his cannabis-related policies, but at least it can be said that while the man has the reins of power in his hands, he has affected more positive changes regarding the federal government’s cannabis policies than any previous president since Carter. What did Mr. Barr do when he was in power? He sought to arrest, prosecute and incarcerate cannabis consumers by the hundreds of thousands annually. From NORML’s point of view, former uber-drug warrior Bob Barr will have to show considerably more contrition for his actions as an anti-cannabis prosecutor and Congressman, and not while being induced with easy lobbying money.]
How about in florida we need it legal here to screw the old farts who say otherwise and some young farts.
This is absolutely amazing!!! It’s 2009 and it’s about time that they start reforming laws to fit the times.
Yes, the smell of freedom is in the air, and it smells like a dead skunk. 🙂
Please call
What wonderful news! Democracy finally rules in DC! What a great Christmas gift, the mental picture of medical marijuana dispensaries on K Street…
But in our joy that Congress has, eleven years-late, finally seen their way to allow the DC voters to decide for themselves, please do not forget the many people hurt over the years by the Barr Amendment, people like Jonathan Magbie, the wheelchair-bound paraplegic who died in October just seven years ago in Washington DC while serving a ten-sentence for possessing one single lousy joint!
Isn’t it interesting that Obama himself will have to eventually sign this bill? Don’t you think this will have some effect on his view towards cannabis related issues? Imagine him taking a walk to his favourite diner, passing by a despensary, and being stopped by a medical medical marijuana patient who is in tears. She thanks him for this gracious act of compassion and goes about her day. Tell me he won’t be affected by that.
MMJ will open the door to tolerance from society, so it’s always a good thing. Remember, though, that it’s full legalization that we need.
We need to expose marijuana much more to society if you want to see it legal. Organize more activities like Seattle’s Hempfest in more cities, especially in marijuana-tolerant ones. Once we draw enough people, change can start from the bottom-up.
Just my two cents.
thumbs up DC!! spread the love!
When can one grow mj in D.C.?
we have come a long way,but we got a long way to go. its just a matter of time. and the enemy knows this.
patiance friends 😉
This is hugely awesome ! Finally now democracy in the heart of the US of A. And this mmj law is basically the same as Cali’s, where their are no required medical qualifications, just a doctors recommendation ? let freedom ring ! o and bob barr, i will never forgive you.
Conner: Obama won’t be at all, never in a gazillion years be affected by that scenario of yours.
Sorry but all the documented/recorded condescending statements from the fearless leader regarding cannabis legalization is contrary to someone who has compassion for people requiring medical cannabis.
Lt. Curtis Spiers, commander of the Narcotics Task Force of Jackson County, missishitpee = Dick Head Nazi
The Dawn Of Man
Many years ago there was a release of magnicent amounts of energy in what we call the vacume of space.This relese of energy is often reffered to as the “Big Bang Theory”,I am not a pyhsasist so I dont agree with all of the scientic data.To me this was not “accidental” ,but was a devine creation of all the heaven and earth.In short it was the creation of all man knows.At that moment all that was meant to be came into motion not as coincidence but as God designated it to be.This tremendous creation created all atoms which are the building blocks of all molecules found in the universe today.The Bible states that god created all plants and that includes the Cannibis plant,therefore banning this plant or saying it is illegal is rediculous, it also is a persecution of ones religous freedoms.I will not dable into religion to much further than that but that is my basic vision of it all,how can man make a creation of god “illegal’?Please have the ability to see thru what society has programed you to believe.The Native Americans have plants that they can legally use for religous purposes,so why is it that any natural plant not be allowed for use to help bring one closer to there god whatever their personal beliefs might be!The goverments of the world protect animals from extinction but there are plants that the would would completely eradicate without any concern like they were trash,if God didnt want these plants he wouldnt have created them.I for one am tired of being told what to do by a clearly corrupt goverment that pisses away our hard earned money to satisfy their parties agendas.If this is still a country that protects ones religous beliefs then we must be allowed to consume Gods creation in any way we see fit.
Some are reporting 1998 law will go before council to be enacted.Others say there will be a new public referendum.anyone know the actual facts?
Looks like I gotta eat part of my words from post #35. Just saw this story on AOL….lets see how long it stays up and what kinda storie follow to see if I have to eat all of that post.
Even the ONE man that was responsible for prohibition begged, cried, and pleaded for relief of his pain while he was dying from cancer. The doctor told him the only medicine that could help him is unattainable, Harry Anslinger who was only able to get morphine to ease the pain of his prostate cancer ask the doctor to help him, they told him he is the reason he couldn’t be helped.
As Anslinger realize what he did, he soon discovered that he was the most hated person in the history of the USA in those times.
People would come to the hospital and his house just to laugh to his face and mock him. Some spit on him, some would light up a joint in his view and he would be too weak to do anything about it. Here is a wildly unknown Fact to many, Harry Anslinger is today responsible for claiming more American lives than the Vietnam war, but on his own soil, that’s the sad part. Let’s support John Wilson before he is Anslingers’ next victim.
#81 Give Me Liberty’s comments gave me the shits and giggles which is certainly more justifiable then #81’s complete disregard for the pain and suffering that Barr has cause terminally ill Americans over the years by his acts of evil!
Ultimately Bob Barr is accountable for our tribe members currently being incarcerated accross the United States. His actions in the passed gives him ownership of all cannabis prohibition in the 20th and 21st century.
He’s a soft political hasbeen and lackey who wants NO forgiveness for his evil actions of the passed. If this man were seriously into gaining our tribes forgiveness he’d become actively involved in getting us out of jails and prisions.
did anyone besides me watch the show on growing weed in cal?i wish i could grow plants like that in mass.i would be real happy.
i tell people i ame an athiest now. i had a lotof bad things happen in my life. tha war on drugs is one.when my mother was killed the cops wanted me too confess but i was at work three hours before she was stabbed .the cops knew this.i have no choice but too be an athist.
Hey guys! I think all of you are putting your priorities ass backwards. You are all happy about pot becoming legal but non of you are sad that innocent babies are going to be murdered by their own mothers before they take a single breath of air. I’m sorry, but as much as I want pot to become legal in this country I beleive that protecting innocent babies comes first. Yes on funding medical MJ, NO on funding abortion. And if it means sacrificng legal pot to save innocent babies then thats a sacrifice I’m willing to make until Obama draws up a plan that funds MMJ without funding abortion. I cant beleive he calls himself a christian yet he is willing to fund abortion. That is not standing by God’s law at all. God says yes to ritualistic pot, but he says know to killing unborn children. I cant beleive you guys are all happy about the legalization of pot at the expense of innocent babies. That is sick man!!!
[Editor’s note: This is a cannabis law reform blog and comment section…it is not a proper place to politicize your personal views on abortion, Obama, etc.
You may want to impale yourself on the abortion altar and employ it as a major deciding factor in your world view, but having the Barr Amendment end, which also just happens to include parochial issues to DC–ie, how the city spends its taxpayer dollars, from needle exchange to funding abortions to implementing a medical cannabis program–should not be used to divide the great majority of cannabis consumers, be them pro-‘choice’ or pro-‘life’, in supporting the potentially major changes that are afoot in DC.
Ending cannabis prohibition and debates about abortion have nothing to do with each other.]
I meant “no” to killing unborn children, not “know.” I dont know why I typed “know” instead of no. sorry for the typo.
As a DC resident who voted on this more than 10 years ago, I am happy it looks like it may finally come to pass. I say “looks like” because I don’t have much confidence that the hill will ever take the votes of the citizens of this city seriously. There are a lot of comments here saying we finally have democracy in DC. That is just not so. Until we have a vote in the house and senate, there is no real democracy for the citizens of the nations capitol. Too many people don’t even know that. We citizens of DC are simply colonists.
As to the people complaining about abortion funding, it simply puts us in the same position as every other state in the country in that we can determine where our tax dollars are spent. And every other state in the country has some sort of funding for abortion and reproductive health services.
To the “Editors note”
Is this blog simply about legalizing pot, because I thought it was about the 2010 appropriations bill plan to fund Medical Marijuana, as well as a number of other things. Is this not NORML? Are we not fighting for the constitutional right of Americans to pursue their religious freedom to use cannabis? Why are you editing my freedom of speech? That seems to go against the theme of NORML? Look, like I said before I am supporter of medical and religious marijuana. I wrote to my representatives many many e-mails urging them to change marijuana laws. I’m sorry, but I cannot support an appropriations bill that funds abortion, even if it funds the medical marijuana I have been fighting and voicing for. I have my priorities straight. Innocent babies come before medical marijuana. The reason I brought up the abortion issue is because its part of the same appropriations bill. I am not willing to support something that will fund the killing of innocent babies just so I can have my medical marijuana. I have my priorities in order. Its sad to see that so many others do not.
[Editor’s note: So you support denying women the full range of reproductive rights, but are OK if medical patients die or get arrested because of cannabis prohibition? You may see your ‘priorities’ as straight, others may view them as inconsistent and disrespectful of personal liberty and freedom.
Well, such are your priorities…
Government’s spend money on policies that individuals find objectionable everyday, but that should not retard a person’s ability to parse the difference in these bills, because in buying into the omnibus spending measures–either for or against individual components rolled into the whole–you’re buying into the trick of modern politicians who create an ‘either or’ dynamic, when it does not exist in any natural way.]
look, the bill could have been drawn up exactly the way it reads with the exception of funding going to abortions, but it wasnt, and nobody here seems to care about it except for me. To you it may seem indifferent, but to me its a sign of the times.
[Editor’s note: These appropriation bills are designed to ensnare single issue voters like you (and many elected officials). Why fall for it?]
Yes we are all part of NORML to help reform marijuana laws, but at what expense? I’m not willing to sacrifice innocent unborn babies to get medical marijuana funding, but it looks like you and everyone else here is. Thats pretty sad.
[Editor’s note: Yes, at what expense? Your individual values inform you that denying women the full range of reproductive choices is a priority. On a pro-cannabis reform board it should not surprise you that the priority is cannabis law reform, not pushing individual values onto long-established groups that are otherwise united on a common goal.
Your holier than thou attitude about your values being superior to others who don’t vocalize their support for your views is not going to galvanize or advance the issue at bar: cannabis law reform.
There are numerous so-called pro-life supporters of cannabis law reform, but that does not mean that they swallow legislative poison pills.]
i am pro choice.if im not invoved screw it.im for legal pot.i didnt get anyone pregnent so i have no say in the matter.legal pot is my concern.i am disabled and i think the pot laws suck.
oya what about some citys have needle exchange but nothing about legal reefer what is worse
Not killing innocent unborn children outweighs legalizing pot. They need to take out the part about funding abortion. Thats the right thing to do.
[Editor’s note: And some believe that respecting the rights and privacy of adults outweighs the government banning men and women from deciding their own biological destinies…again, reproduction rights, and the efforts some make to deny them, is not an issue for cannabis law reformers.
Denying people free choice…where have cannabis consumers and reformers heard that before?]
can we please remove the pro-lifers from this conversation?
Who is this K person? And why are they going off on such a tangent? Go to an anti-abortion website if you wish to support that movement.
I for one recommend you do not support an anti-abortion movement because that is the same backwards ass thinking that got us into a marijuana prohibition in the first place.
It says clear as day that these comments are moderated for appropiateness, can you seriously not read that?
No one is trying to ban your freedom of speech on abortion, but you are trying to ban someone from making their own decision about abortion.
You, sir or madam, should maybe use some of that medicine we are trying to legalize and rethink your position on rights.
smoke a joint and lighten up
lets hope so
I do smoke herb. Herb is part of the reason why I have such strong convictions against abortion. I know more about herb then most people do. Did you know that the bud of the marijuana plant is the forbiddden fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil spoken about in the book of Genesis. It is also the main ingredient in the incense blend that God commanded the ancient Hebrews to burn during the holy burning of incense. God also commanded man not to abuse it. God said that if anyone were to make incense from the same ingredients for himself that he would be cutt off from his people.
K
I’m sorry you are relgious. Please stop bringing it around this forum. This is NOT a religious forum and you are totally allowed to be religious on your own time.
I live in D.C.!!!
Fin,
I am not religious! I have faith, morals, and respect for the preciousness of life. If you smoke pot for no reason but just to get “high” and have a “good time” then you are the one who is religious because religion is doing something out of habit with no faith behind it. Wherever there is Marijuana there will be faith and religion butting heads against eachother. Its the ying and yang of life my friend. Deal with it instead of telling me not to come around this forum. This is just as much my forum as it is yours. How much did you donate to NORML???
Heaven on earth = put coin in machine – remove MJ from machine….
So, what’s the word on this? How long do we have to wait until I can legally get some marijuana for my *knee pain* and *headache*?
Im looking into opening a medical marijuana dispensary in D.C according to section 7 only non profit organizations can dispense MMJ. Does anyone know if they are planing on amending this or am i going to be stuck having to run it as a non profit?
I tend not to leave a great deal of remarks,
but after reading through a lot of remarks here Congress allows DC to implement
1998 medical marijuana law | NORML Blog, Marijuana Law Reform.
I actually do have 2 questions for you if you do not mind.
Could it be simply me or does it look like like some of the comments appear
like they are coming from brain dead people? 😛 And, if you are writing
at other social sites, I would like to keep up with everything
new you have to post. Would you list of the complete urls of your public pages like your Facebook page,
twitter feed, or linkedin profile?