tvashtarkatena

newapproachwa.org has a whole section on the science behind the DUI limit. You might have taken the time to actually visit the website - it would have addressed most, if not all, of your concerns here. In addition, there's no way law enforcement and criminal justice professionals would have gotten behind this measure as they have without a DUI provision. Finally, a DUI provision makes the measure that much more defensible against federal interference. There is nothing in I 502 about regulating the strength of marijuana. You're an attorney - I provided the link to I 502. Presumably you can use your 'find' feature to verify the accuracy of claims like this before parroting them, no? If, at some point in the future, the state require labeling of THC content, as it does alcohol content for booze, is this not information a consumer should be armed with before ingesting? Why would this be a bad thing? There would be nothing simple about simple repeal of existing laws. First, the public in WA will not vote to legalize weed without regulation. NWA studied the defeat in California extensively - and that was the number one reason voters cited as to why they voted against. Polling in WA indicates the same sentiment here, so the assumption above is incorrect. In order to legalize, we must regulate. Secondly, I 502 wasn't 'cobbled together'. It was carefully considered and drafted by two of the most talented public policy attorneys in WA, employing the experience from over a decade of drug policy reform efforts both here and in other states. It was drafted with political considerations in mind - a necessity for actually passing the initiative that seems to be lost on some critics. To pass a controversial, landmark change in policy like this, one needs to 'cobble together' many pieces - credible endorsements (criminal justice, education, and health professionals particularly), legislative support (many years of lobbying), funding (over $7 M worth), voter support (polls indicate a narrow lead, even with all these efforts in place), public education and high profile spokespeople, and messaging. The campaign isn't targeted at potheads - its targeted at swing voters like soccer moms and the elderly who are neither familiar nor comfortable with the issue, but who can be persuaded by civil liberties, waste of law enforcement, and fiscal considerations. This is also lost on our critics - without those non-pothead voters, any legalization effort will fail in WA, period. Far from being 'just what we could come up with for now' - if I 502 passes, it will serve as a model for other states. It IS the 'better proposal' - its passing, particularly after the dismal failures of previous proposals, which have closely resembled the ideas you've put for here (yup, they've been tried already), will prove that. Who, exactly, would come up with this 'better proposal'? Anyone can write up an initiative. Raising a million bucks to get 300K signatures - not so easy. Constructing and executing a 7 million dollar campaign to victory, with all the considerations I've listed above, and timing it during a presidential election to raise its visibility and voter turn out? Not easy. Populating your campaign with the most experienced drug policy experts in the country? Even harder. This is as good as it gets, and failure means you don't get another opportunity - from cashed out donors, from weary voters, from legislators concerned with being lampooned from across the aisle, for years to come. Finally, we arrest nearly 10,000 people a year in WA for weed. Wait for a better proposal? How many tens of thousands of people are we going to 'wait' for? (40,000? 100,000?), just so a few irresponsible potheads can drive around stoned?

While Romney's rhetoric on the issue may seem extreme, he appears to be largely in step with President Barack Obama when it comes to marijuana enforcement. The tone from candidate Obama gave hope to marijuana reformers, but according to all measurable figures, the administration has increased crackdowns on medical marijuana facilities in states that have legalized the substance Cuts both ways apparently. Or not: The DOJ has stated they are only busting dispensaries and grow ops in violation of state law (the busts are carried out by multi agency task forces that include state and local cops, actually). Alison Holcomb, Director of New Approach WA, told me that she has not received any information to the contrary. What we've been seeing is a clean up of dirty operations - and that's a good thing for bolstering public confidence. The DOJ's currently policy is not to preempt state MJ laws. So far, we've seen no evidence to the contrary.

God a hate that movie! you got...a...dog? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Step one: seal all of your climbing gear in a hardened bunker. Trust me on that.

Attitude varies by situation and mood and doesn't indicate much of anything really, particularly through the narrow lens of the web. Hoomanz have a tendency to take a data point and construct a hypothetical planet out of it, but that's not a very data driven approach, which leads me to politics. I work with a lot of activists and they come in all shapes, sizes, and attitudes - but unite for a common goal no problem. People vary. It's good to be flexible and not assume too much about em too fast. Honey attracts more bees than vinegar for sure - I'm sweet as pie most of the time, particularly when dealing with the John Q, but you might not know it on certain days, no? The centrist dems are data driven, the GOP (which doesn't seem to have much of center anymore) is ideologically driven. Look at Mitt's 'policies' - none of which survive the light of analysis or history, and you see what I mean.

Do I hear a Big Man selling himself Short?

I never dreamed I'd actually like Christie, however briefly it may last. Perhaps a tiny heart beats within this stone cold breast after all.

Always look at the endorsement list.

Stoners rank too low on the Americaness scale to deserve representation.

There can only be one Bloomberg ego per known universe. Two would rend the very fabric of spacetime like an elephant farting into a condom.

The Times is on FIRE this week. I actually feel a little sorry for the Fox unpaid interns. They're probably mainlining EPO n meth to keep up.

Shopped. There's no way his arms could be that huge.

Christie was bigger news.

Not really. I'm actually your father.

You'd think hurricanes interested in the survival of their own kind would lean GOP? Apparently not.

From: Taxes and the Economy: An Economic Analysis of the Top Tax Rates Since 1945 by the Congressional Research Service, an non-partisan arm of the Library of Congress, Sept 12, 2012 "Analysis of such data suggests the reduction in the top tax rates have had little association with saving, investment, or productivity growth. However, the top tax rate reductions appear to be associated with the increasing concentration of income at the top of the income distribution" GOP Congressmen protested the report and had it taken down from the Government's website: Article

Bottom line is neither I nor my ego chair can predict where this will go politically. We just have to start by starting and figure it out, cuz what we've been doing fucking sucks from a criminal justice, civil rights, personal liberty, public health, and fiscal standpoint. Being a sociopath, of course, I enjoy the luxury of not giving a fuck.

Gregoire has approached the feds about rescheduling pot, which would get rid of any ambiguity entirely. The feds have played 'hide the money' to get states to increase drinking ages to 21 and such, but, given that 502 already has a 21 and DUI provision, their justification might not stand up in court. Gotta treat all the states the same in that regard unless they've got a compelling interest not to - Equal Protection Clause, 14th Amendment baby. Regarding drug tourism, it would be impossible to measure or monitor without controlled borders, and Kanuckistanis have little reason to head south for that purpose. Portugal decriminalized all drugs in 2001, and they did not become a drug tourist attraction. Not an apples to apples example, but its something. The red light district of Amsterdam, where pot has always been illegal but tolerated, is a drug tourism destination, but its also just a tourist destination with lots of other things to offer the repressed British football yob. Kristiania, in Copenhagen, is not a drug tourist destination, however, despite open hash markets (and plenty of bakeries) - probably because its a crime ridden shit hole inhabited by hippy squatters.

Sociopaths aren't always psychopaths but they're always irish It's cuz we love too much.

Holy shit, speaking of psychopaths, I wished you'd pruned the neighbor's trees instead of the Hmong Butcher Brigade yesterday. Pretty ashes, too...past tense. Fucking tools weren't even sharp. Awful.

You flatter me, sir. If I was a psychopath, I'd be making a LOT more money! No, I'm just a humble Irishman, as common as dirt and just as potty mouthed.

It actually IS pretty simply stated in the US Constitution. Enforcement in the event of a conflict can be, of course, a delicate matter. Article 1 Section 10: Power Prohibited to the States "No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility. No State shall, without the Consent of the Congress, lay any Imposts or Duties on Imports or Exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing it's inspection Laws: and the net Produce of all Duties and Imposts, laid by any State on Imports or Exports, shall be for the Use of the Treasury of the United States; and all such Laws shall be subject to the Revision and Controul of the Congress. No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay." Article 6, Clause 2: Supremacy This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding. Aaaand, who can forget Article 1, Section 8, Powers of Congress which helped kick off the fireworks: To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings; Ei: "we want these forts" "Can't have em"

All i know is that every time Pink plays Farm Animal or whatever, I get notified. Can anyone log onto FB and NOT expect to get hacked? It's like fucking a whore a day and being surprised when yer John Thomas goes Freddy Kruger on ya.

Isn't the country's most high profile states rights dispute taught in, like, preschool? Your gentility regarding this matter is admirable, sir.

Fuck me, who cares? FB's got more ads than Lindsey Lohan's got court dates. It's hardly a case of election tampering. I get Christian Singles ads. Do I file a lawsuit against Jesus? Christ, pick a real issue.

Given what we've seen of the man, I think we can expect everything Romney has ever promised to be erased by his inauguration, should the poo flow that direction. My biggest hope would be that the pragmatic technoweenie side of Mittenz would reconstitute itself, but I'm still not sure how much good that would do given a Tea Bagged House, who will continue to want blood to flow. People say "oh, but he was governor of MA". He was a shitty governor of MA. Case in point - who do you think quashed that Boston pharma biz that's now killing shitloads of people with meningitis. Yup. That shit will still be killing lots of folks for years - its just gotten the weakest ones so far.