Reply #11: There is a history of this... [View All]

In the late 80s, G H W Bush stoked up the W.O.D. by using a tortured version of admiralty law which allowed LEOs to confiscate property (real, vehicle, capital goods, etc.) associated with the possession/manufacturing of pot. This allowed local LEOs to enrich themselves greatly by seizing property, liquidating same, and using the cash for whatever purposes; it was up to the property owners to sue if, say, someone was growing a truck patch of dope on his/her 500 acre ranch without the owner's knowledge. The process was long and often unsuccessful. This allowed (unlike with alcohol prohibition) incentives for local LEOs to carry the burden of W.O.D. enforcement.

But enough of the victims of this scheme were rather wealthy folks, folks who voted GOP. Those parts of the law were weakened (I believe Rep. Hyde (R)) saw the abuse and changed the law. Democrats, of course, are always cowed down on this issue, so it took the GOP to clean up their own shit. Evidently, there is something of a comeback on this approach; after all, there is no opposition to anything the far right is doing.

Prohibitionism -- be it gays, ganja, guns, gin and the upcoming new kid on the block, tobacco -- WILL BE PURSUED by the feds, if necessary by-passing the states, and most especially through the executive branch. A passive center-right president (Obama is that) will not stand in the way. The move against California's growers and dispensers was predicted, and it will be aggressive and confrontational.