Northwest Indiana Discussion

That's only because you haven't considered it as a whole like I have. I USED TO think the same thing until I learned the entire truth.

Yes Please.

Alcohol Lobby Now Openly Spending Against CA's Legal Pot Initiative in Alliance with Police Industrial Complex
Big Alcohol's decision to squash marijuana law reform to protect its bottom line is simply politics as usual.

It is said that politics makes strange bedfellows, but there are arguably few stranger than the emerging alliance between two of California's most powerful political players: the police-industrial complex and Big Alcohol. Campaign finance reports from the Golden State disclose that the California Beer and Beverage Distributors -- a trade organization that represents over 100 beer distributors statewide -- is one of the primary backers of the lobby group Public Safety First, sponsors of the No on Prop. 19 campaign.

According to the California Secretary of State's office, the beer lobby donated $10,000 to Public Safety First on September 7, 2010. The donation came just days before PSF issued an online mailing alleging that the passage of Prop. 19 -- which would legalize the private adult use and cultivation of limited amounts of cannabis, and allow local governments the option of regulating its commercial production and retail distribution -- would inevitably lead to stoned school bus drivers and crossing guards, and will cause California public schools to "lose as much as $9.4 billion in federal funding." (Needless to say, passage of the measure would do none of these things.)

While it's hardly astonishing that the corporate beer lobby would oppose efforts to legalize marijuana, a non-toxic, ostensibly safer alternative to alcohol, it is surprising to see how quickly the law enforcement lobby -- to date the largest supporters of PSF -- is willing to get into bed with big booze. So far, the Cal Beer and Beverage Distributors $10,000 appropriation is one of the largest monetary donations received by Public Safety First, third only to the $30,000 donated by the California Police Chief's Association and the $20,500 donated by the California Narcotics Officers Association. (Overall, PSF has had a notoriously difficult time raising money for its effort. Last month, the East Bay Express reported that total financial contributions to the Prop. 19 campaign were well ahead of those reported for Public Safety First, which at that time had only raised $61,000, with just one citizen donor.)

There really are only 2 reasons why pot is illegal, or 3 if you count the liquor industry that pushed for the ban in the 1st place along with the Progressive Movement decades ago. Church goers saw the movie Reefer Madness and took it as gospel never realizing it was paid for by the beer barons of the day and because the government loves all that tax money they expect to lose if you could grow your own in the backyard. That said I have no desire to fire up a doobie. But we have a problem just about as bad as with the Prohibition Era gangsters when it comes to smuggling.

Note that we never stopped the Capones in this country until we made booze legal again, taxing it of course, and trumped up a tax evasion charge or two.

November 2012.

California Governor Signs Marijuana Decriminalization Bill

by Phillip Smith, October 01, 2010, 03:25am
Posted in:

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) Thursday signed into law a bill that decriminalizes the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana. The bill reduces simple possession from a misdemeanor to an infraction.


Currently, small-time pot possession is "semi-decriminalized" in California. There is no possible jail sentence and a maximum $100 fine. But because possession is a misdemeanor, people caught with pot are "arrested," even if that means only they are served a notice to appear, and they must appear before a court.

That has happened to more than a half million Californians in the last decade, and more than 60,000 last year alone. Every one of them required a court appearance, complete with judge and prosecutor. That costs the cash-strapped state money it desperately needs.

Under the bill signed today, SB 1449, by Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), pot possession will be treated like a traffic ticket. The fine will remain at $100, and there will be no arrest record.

In a signing statement, Schwarzenegger said he opposed decriminalization for personal use—and threw in a gratuitous jab at Proposition 19, the tax and regulate marijuana legalization initiative—but that the state couldn't afford the status quo.

"I am signing this measure because possession of less than an ounce of marijuana is an infraction in everything but name," said Schwarzenegger. "The only difference is that because it is a misdemeanor, a criminal defendant is entitled to a jury trial and a defense attorney. In this time of drastic budget cuts, prosecutors, defense attorneys, law enforcement, and the courts cannot afford to expend limited resources prosecuting a crime that carries the same punishment as a traffic ticket."

"Gov. Schwarzenegger deserves credit for sparing the state's taxpayers the cost of prosecuting minor pot offenders," said California NORML director Dale Gieringer. "Californians increasingly recognize that the war on marijuana is a waste of law enforcement resources."

The law goes into effect January 1. Even if Prop 19 passes in November, it leaves in place misdemeanor charges for smoking in public or in the presence of minors. Those misdemeanors would become infractions under the new law.
Sacramento, CA
United States

With a $100 fine and knowing the CA labor costs sounds like they are losing money by bothering to cite anyone. The only reason I can think of why they keep it on the books as an offense is so they don't lose Federal grant money of some sort or another. That and maybe so cops have an excuse to haul in gangbangers hoping to reap some information or to buy time to build a case on an unrelated offense.

Fox News was talking about this issue in terms of the state not having the money to prosecute these users. But it dawns on me that by going this route and not allowing people to grow their own what they actually have done inadvertently is support the illegal import of pot. Of course the only way any government would ACTUALLY legalize pot fully is not to let you grow your own but instead allow tax paying, sanctioned growers who will then offer a product to generate sales tax revenue much like the liquor industry. Yet another case of the government not allowing you the freedom to do something yourself on the cheap because it demands the tax be paid.

My opinion is that is you don't legalize home growing of at least a limited quantity out in the open you really are just promoting criminal importation. And yes I know about the domestic super grow houses disguised in plain sight as an ordinary residence but that's almost an issue all of it's own as some have called it pot on steroids due to the growing methods used.

But I can almost see it now if home growing in any fashion were made legal. Call to 911 - Help my neighbor copped my stash!

sure...just like the casinos did for NWI Indiana

dork...

Mexican Police Seize Pot Worth $340 Million In Tijuana Raids



Mexican security forces seized at least 105 tons of U.S.-bound marijuana in the border city of Tijuana on Monday, by far the biggest pot bust in the country in recent years.

Soldiers and police grabbed the drugs in pre-dawn raids in three neighborhoods after police arrested 11 people following a shootout, army Gen. Alfonso Duarte Mujica said at a news conference.

The marijuana was found wrapped in 10,000 packages, which were displayed to journalists by soldiers in masks. Duarte said the drug had an estimated street value in Mexico of 4.2 billion pesos, about $340 million.

You actually use pot to enhance your stupidity? I vote NO...

Dave Hein