General Discussion

Uncle Joe

(58,424 posts) Fri May 30, 2014, 01:34 AM May 2014

The Dam is Cracking.

http://blog.norml.org/2014/05/30/us-house-votes-to-prohibit-doj-from-interfering-with-state-medical-marijuana-or-industrial-hemp-programs/

US House Votes to Prohibit DOJ From Interfering With State Medical Marijuana or Industrial Hemp Programs

After a long debate and vote process that had the US House of Representatives in session until after midnight, the lower chamber of Congress cast a historic 219 to 189 vote to restrict the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration from using taxpayer funds to interfere in state-sanctioned medical marijuana programs.

This measure was co-sponsored by Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.), Reps. Rohrabacher (R-Calf.), Don Young (R-Alaska), Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Paul Broun (R-Ga.), Jared Polis (D-Colo.), Steve Stockman (R-Texas), and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.).

“It would be hard to overstate the importance of tonight’s vote,” said NORML Communications Director Erik Altieri, “Approval of this amendment is a resounding victory for basic compassion and common sense.”

The House also approved amendments that prohibit the DOJ and DEA from using funds to interfere with state sanctioned industrial hemp cultivation.

24 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

The Dam is Cracking. (Original Post) Uncle Joe May 2014 OP

Wow! That is amazing! And, I'll just add.... wtf?? nt ChisolmTrailDem May 2014 #1

Double WTF????? dixiegrrrrl May 2014 #13

It's the correct position if you want to be re-elected? Enthusiast May 2014 #18

Probably done to spite the President LordGlenconner May 2014 #24

I think they see $$$. nt tridim May 2014 #19

All right! CaliforniaPeggy May 2014 #2

That would be huge. temporary311 May 2014 #3

If it passes the Senate, Uncle Joe May 2014 #5

This message was self-deleted by its author TexasTowelie May 2014 #4

This message was self-deleted by its author Art_from_Ark May 2014 #7

You are correct and I'm self-deleting the post. TexasTowelie May 2014 #8

I will self-delete mine as well Art_from_Ark May 2014 #9

Holder only has ten fingers, and PatrickforO May 2014 #6

You got that right, PatrickforO Uncle Joe May 2014 #10

Welcome to DU, PatrickforO! calimary May 2014 #11

I remember that soon after I graduated from college in 1987 my alma mater was beginning to look at TexasTowelie May 2014 #12

k&r for exposure. n/t Laelth May 2014 #14

Pubs know if they don't support legal weed they have ZERO chance of getting the yute vote Exposethefrauds May 2014 #15

Good news, and ProSense May 2014 #16

It is good news and Uncle Joe May 2014 #20

Wow, an outburst of rationality - and among politicians! hatrack May 2014 #17

This issue is up for grabs, and GOPers know it. Eleanors38 May 2014 #21

du rec. xchrom May 2014 #22

K & R Raksha May 2014 #23

ChisolmTrailDem

(9,463 posts)

1. Wow! That is amazing! And, I'll just add.... wtf?? nt

Reply to Uncle Joe (Original post)

Fri May 30, 2014, 01:36 AM

May 2014

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)

13. Double WTF?????

Reply to ChisolmTrailDem (Reply #1)

Fri May 30, 2014, 05:29 AM

May 2014

Did someone slip some sanity juice into the House drinking water?
and a Republican from Georgia and Texas voted for it?

wow....just

Enthusiast

(50,983 posts)

18. It's the correct position if you want to be re-elected?

Reply to dixiegrrrrl (Reply #13)

Fri May 30, 2014, 08:10 AM

May 2014

Maybe.

LordGlenconner

(1,348 posts)

24. Probably done to spite the President

Reply to dixiegrrrrl (Reply #13)

Fri May 30, 2014, 12:42 PM

May 2014

That would be my guess since they've been kind of "meh" on the issue of medical and legal pot.

In this case, it actually works out for the best.

tridim

(45,358 posts)

19. I think they see $$$. nt

Reply to ChisolmTrailDem (Reply #1)

Fri May 30, 2014, 08:20 AM

May 2014

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,712 posts)

2. All right!

Reply to Uncle Joe (Original post)

Fri May 30, 2014, 01:36 AM

May 2014

temporary311

(955 posts)

3. That would be huge.

Reply to Uncle Joe (Original post)

Fri May 30, 2014, 01:40 AM

May 2014

Wonder what the chances are it passes the Senate and doesn't get a veto.

Uncle Joe

(58,424 posts)

5. If it passes the Senate,

Reply to temporary311 (Reply #3)

Fri May 30, 2014, 01:48 AM

May 2014

I highly doubt President Obama will veto it.

Regardless of that, the momentum is clearly on our side, it wasn't that long ago when this wouldn't have been considered possible.

Response to Uncle Joe (Original post)

TexasTowelie This message was self-deleted by its author.

Response to TexasTowelie (Reply #4)

Art_from_Ark This message was self-deleted by its author.

TexasTowelie

(112,443 posts)

8. You are correct and I'm self-deleting the post.

Reply to Art_from_Ark (Reply #7)

Fri May 30, 2014, 02:38 AM

May 2014

He actually co-sponsored a similar bill before the primary election.

Art_from_Ark

(27,247 posts)

9. I will self-delete mine as well

Reply to TexasTowelie (Reply #8)

Fri May 30, 2014, 02:46 AM

May 2014

PatrickforO

(14,592 posts)

6. Holder only has ten fingers, and

Reply to Uncle Joe (Original post)

Fri May 30, 2014, 02:24 AM

May 2014

there's many more holes in the dike. Too many now for him to plug...

Prohibitions have never, do not now, and will never work. This war on drugs has wasted upwards of a trillion on what? What came of it except vicious drug cartels, a huge, wasteful bloated law enforcement bureaucracy that has way too much authority and not enough accountability, and big banks that don't get in trouble even though the Secret Service KNOWS they are laundering drug money.

Time for some common sense. Maybe make college more affordable instead of throwing billions into a lost effort.

Uncle Joe

(58,424 posts)

10. You got that right, PatrickforO

Reply to PatrickforO (Reply #6)

Fri May 30, 2014, 02:48 AM

May 2014

and welcome to D.U.

calimary

(81,500 posts)

11. Welcome to DU, PatrickforO!

Reply to PatrickforO (Reply #6)

Fri May 30, 2014, 03:00 AM

May 2014

Glad you're here! Both those ideas are good. Give it up about marijuana - leave it ALONE forcryingoutloud and get out of our faces about it! AND making college more affordable.

They'd hate me as president. One of the first things I'd do is issue some executive order forgiving all student loads. Period. Don't know if that's within a president's range of powers, but I'd do it anyway. A president can formally "forgive" or commute sentences, pardon whatever supplicant seems fitting, correct? Why not this? For Pete's Sake, give the kids a break! They'll have enough of a financial challenge just trying to make their way in the world after school. Besides, it's not supposed to be that damned expensive!!! It's costlier for all of us under the present system!!! We need more highly-educated people to help think us out of the problems we face!!!

TexasTowelie

(112,443 posts)

12. I remember that soon after I graduated from college in 1987 my alma mater was beginning to look at

Reply to PatrickforO (Reply #6)

Fri May 30, 2014, 03:09 AM

May 2014

ways to provide a tuition-free college education. They were sitting on an endowment of about $250M at the time and there were slightly over 1,000 students. While my alma mater provides generous scholarships, I haven't heard any further push regarding that proposal in the last couple of decades.

Laelth

(32,017 posts)

14. k&r for exposure. n/t

Reply to Uncle Joe (Original post)

Fri May 30, 2014, 05:44 AM

May 2014

-Laelth

Exposethefrauds

(531 posts)

15. Pubs know if they don't support legal weed they have ZERO chance of getting the yute vote

Reply to Uncle Joe (Original post)

Fri May 30, 2014, 05:45 AM

May 2014

ProSense

(116,464 posts)

16. Good news, and

Reply to Uncle Joe (Original post)

Fri May 30, 2014, 07:56 AM

May 2014

170 Democrats and 49 Republicans voted in favor of the amendment, 172 Republicans and 17 Democrats voted against it.

<...>

These amendments were made to the 2015 Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Bill, which now must be approved by the Senate and then signed by President Obama.

...only 17 Democrats voted against it.

Roll call: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2014/roll258.xml