23536;11113633 said:
why is a new law required to simply detail a procedure to enforce an existing law?23536;11113633 said:
alasdair
Feds remain AWOL as public pot smoking begins
- Thread starter alasdairm
- Start date
alasdair
A federal showdown with Washington state over its newly realized marijuana law has gone up in smoke, as people puffed pot in public this week with no repercussions.
The blatant disregard of federal and local threats about using marijuana in public echoed public sentiments in 1933, as the nation saw the end of Prohibition on the horizon, and it started to party in its own way with alcohol.
On Wednesday, the Obama administration issued its first detailed statement on legalized marijuana in Colorado and Washington, a development that conflicts with federal law.
U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan issued the following statement:
“The Department of Justice is reviewing the legalization initiatives recently passed in Colorado and Washington State. The Department’s responsibility to enforce the Controlled Substances Act remains unchanged. Neither States nor the Executive branch can nullify a statute passed by Congress. In enacting the Controlled Substances Act, Congress determined that marijuana is a Schedule I controlled substance. Regardless of any changes in state law, including the change that will go into effect on December 6th in Washington State, growing, selling or possessing any amount of marijuana remains illegal under federal law. Members of the public are also advised to remember that it remains against federal law to bring any amount of marijuana onto federal property, including all federal buildings, national parks and forests, military installations, and courthouses.”
At the same time, Seattle issued a statement to its citizens, if they attempted attend a planned celebration at the city’s Space Needle at midnight on Wednesday, to take part in a large pot-smoking party in public.
“If you’re smoking in plain public view, you’re subject to a ticket,” Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes said during a news conference. The fine in Washington for such an offense is $100.
Midnight came, dozens of pot smokers descended on the Space Needle, and a large cloud of smoke headed skyward. No arrests were made and no federal officials were at the scene. A bigger crowd was expected Thursday night.
Local police weren’t even at the midnight smoke-in, partly because the state hasn’t passed a law to detail the procedure for busting people for public pot smoking.
Federal officials already have the power to bust people for possessing marijuana, but not the budgetary funds to station agents in Colorado and Washington. In reality, while federal agents have shut down medical marijuana facilities in states, they haven’t gone after people for the act of smoking marijuana.
Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/feds-remain-awol-public-pot-smoking-begins-111610927.html
I'm interested in seeing how the feds will respond (if they respond at all) to the blatant disregard of federal drug laws in Washington and Colorado. Will the states be stripped of federal aid and funding? Will the politicians who voted yes be yanked from their post? Will judges who've dropped any and all charges related to the possession/trafficking of marijuana be stripped of their bar license(s); or is that license granted from state to state?
December 6th was the deadline for the feds to take a hardline approach to this. People turned up to the space needle in numbers all smoking a schedule 1 narcotic and weren't raping and pillaging the whole town so their argument just got that much weaker. It seems like they may just not make a definitive statement ever and just turn a blind eye to it. The political climate the way it is it would be suicide for any politician to be seen as not respecting states rights. I think (hope) we finally won.
this is great
BEAUTIFUL!! thats all i can say..
viva la revolution
But who's in charge of the fed ? Doesn't (s)he depends of the Obama administration that made this statement ?
Maybe I'm naive but it seems to me that this could be the first step of something big. (crossing fingers, praying )
We (the rest of the world) should do the same thing in every big city to show that it's stop to end the hypocrisy. Facebook could be a way to spread the message, we can share this thing and organize public smoking. If we are numerous enough they'd not be able to do much.
Maybe I'm naive but it seems to me that this could be the first step of something big. (crossing fingers, praying
)We (the rest of the world) should do the same thing in every big city to show that it's stop to end the hypocrisy. Facebook could be a way to spread the message, we can share this thing and organize public smoking. If we are numerous enough they'd not be able to do much.
In other news, local Seattle eateries experienced a record number of sales...
Well done
Well done
Re. Federal Law Enforcement -
The federal government is prohibited from exercising general police powers due to restrictions in the constitution, because the United States is organized as a union of sovereign states, which each retain their police, military and domestic law-making powers. For example, the State's National Guard is the state's military. The constitution gives the federal government the power to deal with foreign affairs and interstate affairs (affairs between the states). For policing, this means that if a non-federal crime (yes I know that possession of weed is a federal crime and that there's a difference, but it's late and I'm going to sleep) is committed in a state and the fugitive does not flee the state, the federal government has no jurisdiction. However, once the fugitive crosses a state line he or she violates the federal law of interstate flight and is subject to federal jurisdiction, at which time federal law enforcement agencies may become involved.
There is however the FBI Police -
--The Federal Bureau of Investigation Police are the uniformed security police division of the FBI who are tasked to protect FBI facilities, properties, personnel, users, visitors and operations from harm and may enforce certain laws and administrative regulations.
--They are endowed with full police powers of crime prevention, arrest, law enforcement and investigation within the following FBI facilities (which are located in the following 4 states):
The J. Edgar Hoover Building (FBI Headquarters) in Washington D.C.
The FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia
The FBI Laboratory, also in Quantico
The New York City field office in Lower Manhattan
The Criminal Justice Information Services Division in Clarksburg, West Virginia
--The 240-plus FBI Police officers are classified as professional staff, which also includes intelligence analysts, language specialists, scientists, information technology specialists, and other agency professionals.[1][2]
--While a federal agency the FBI Police enforce community level laws and social order in and around FBI facilities.
---------------------------------
So from what I understand, if a toking resident of Washington or Colorado decide to take a trip out of state with some weed, the feds might come after you (unlikely). Also, if you happen to reside in Washington D.C, Virginia, West Virginia, or NY, unfortunately the so-called FBI Police have opened up shop in your state (just a heads up).
My point being, I doubt that potheads living in Washington/Colorado will be hearing sirens (local, state or fed) and a knock/bang on their doors anytime soon due to being seen smoking weed in public (for now at least, until state laws are properly amended). In fact, I doubt very much that (for example) the DOJ will even bother to persue/bust any and all tokers who lit up in public in Seattle. Their resources are likely allocated to more pressing matters, such as drug kingpins, terrorists and carrot top.
The federal government is prohibited from exercising general police powers due to restrictions in the constitution, because the United States is organized as a union of sovereign states, which each retain their police, military and domestic law-making powers. For example, the State's National Guard is the state's military. The constitution gives the federal government the power to deal with foreign affairs and interstate affairs (affairs between the states). For policing, this means that if a non-federal crime (yes I know that possession of weed is a federal crime and that there's a difference, but it's late and I'm going to sleep) is committed in a state and the fugitive does not flee the state, the federal government has no jurisdiction. However, once the fugitive crosses a state line he or she violates the federal law of interstate flight and is subject to federal jurisdiction, at which time federal law enforcement agencies may become involved.
There is however the FBI Police -
--The Federal Bureau of Investigation Police are the uniformed security police division of the FBI who are tasked to protect FBI facilities, properties, personnel, users, visitors and operations from harm and may enforce certain laws and administrative regulations.
--They are endowed with full police powers of crime prevention, arrest, law enforcement and investigation within the following FBI facilities (which are located in the following 4 states):
The J. Edgar Hoover Building (FBI Headquarters) in Washington D.C.
The FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia
The FBI Laboratory, also in Quantico
The New York City field office in Lower Manhattan
The Criminal Justice Information Services Division in Clarksburg, West Virginia
--The 240-plus FBI Police officers are classified as professional staff, which also includes intelligence analysts, language specialists, scientists, information technology specialists, and other agency professionals.[1][2]
--While a federal agency the FBI Police enforce community level laws and social order in and around FBI facilities.
---------------------------------
So from what I understand, if a toking resident of Washington or Colorado decide to take a trip out of state with some weed, the feds might come after you (unlikely). Also, if you happen to reside in Washington D.C, Virginia, West Virginia, or NY, unfortunately the so-called FBI Police have opened up shop in your state (just a heads up).
My point being, I doubt that potheads living in Washington/Colorado will be hearing sirens (local, state or fed) and a knock/bang on their doors anytime soon due to being seen smoking weed in public (for now at least, until state laws are properly amended). In fact, I doubt very much that (for example) the DOJ will even bother to persue/bust any and all tokers who lit up in public in Seattle. Their resources are likely allocated to more pressing matters, such as drug kingpins, terrorists and carrot top.
My music teacher from last spring brought his kids.... and an ounce....
#mycity'sfilthy
#mycity'sfilthy
Fair do's!
I think this is really great and progressive.
Now that this is happening I hope people can get a hold of themselves quickly and realize that blazing in public as you walk down the street is not acceptable.
Go to a bar, go to the park in a secluded spot, the forest, - fine. But blazing up in front of children is not a good thing, and I hope people will remember that setting a good example in front of children is paramount, and be respectful and mindful of the spot they choose to blaze up.
I think this is really great and progressive.
Now that this is happening I hope people can get a hold of themselves quickly and realize that blazing in public as you walk down the street is not acceptable.
Go to a bar, go to the park in a secluded spot, the forest, - fine. But blazing up in front of children is not a good thing, and I hope people will remember that setting a good example in front of children is paramount, and be respectful and mindful of the spot they choose to blaze up.
I think the feds are just feeling a little slow right now, maybe a little high, they'll get around to it when -- HOLY SHIT we missed it! federal version of dazed and confused. maybe theyre in denial that it actually happened, or maybe they will just issue a statement saying that colorado and washington are just imaginary places.
B1tO'RoughJack;11120083 said:
Yeah, and people shouldn't smoke cigarettes in public, but they do. Are we to outlaw that as well?
B
not seeing a pic and the page isn't hitting for "black" or "african". am confuse.