The Associated Press has picked up this story and it is taking off. Charlottesville City Council has adopted a resolution supporting a relaxation of our states Marijuana laws.
Meanwhile the District of Columbia is slowly implementing the only Medical Marijuana law in the Nation that has been supported by the United States Congress. Our nations capital is about to experience a Renaissance unheard of in our times. I kind of feel sorry for the poor folks living there now, they won't be able to afford the rent with all the upscale white people trying to move in and smoke their weed. All of this will happen under the noses of the DEA, FBI and everybody else. I don't see how the DEA can even interfere. This has been approved by the United States Congress who for years voted to disallow the Medical Marijuana law that was approved by DC voters and backed up by DC City Council. That all changed in 2009 when Congress removed the Barr amendment from the yearly bill funding the district. Congressman Barr himself even supported removing the amendment that he wrote. His turn around is a sign that "The Times, They are a Changing" if there ever was one.
About a year ago I told you how one of our states leading religious figures thinks Marijuana should not be against the law. Televangelist Pat Robertson is again in the news. “I really believe we should treat marijuana the way we treat beverage alcohol,” “I’ve never used marijuana and I don’t intend to, but it’s just one of those things that I think: this war on drugs just hasn’t succeeded.”
You now Pat might be coming around. This is your opportunity to tell your politicians that as a Christian you don't believe we should be putting people in jail for smoking weed.
Virginia has been criticized for the way we run things. This article details some of the stuff that goes on behind the scenes and how laws are composed in the Commonwealth. If more people knew things would probably change.
President Obama has again let the public ask questions. Like before the most popular questions were about his failure to change or even discuss the archaic laws prohibiting the use of marijuana or the continued assault on the providers and users of medical marijuana in the states that allow its use. As before these questions were ignored. If the government and the big business interests that control it behind the scenes could figure out how to profit from our favorite product of nature the situation would change overnight.
Here in Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Agents have been busy eradicating Moonshine Whiskey from the Commonwealth. We need to stand together and support the effort to get our legislature to consider allowing the ABC board to market Marijuana in our state. We all know it is really about the money. ABC has lots of experience collecting the taxes imposed and preventing the products they control from getting into the hands of minors.
Delegate David Englin from Alexandria has introduced a couple of measures we need to get behind.
House Joint Resolution 140 seeks to establish a joint subcommittee to study if Marijuana should be sold in Virginia ABC stores. It wasn't very long ago that Alcoholic beverages were against the law. Our ABC stores have the experience and manpower to deal with whatever regulations might be established. The same people who check your ID if you want a pint of whiskey (or half a gallon of cheap vodka) could easily verify the age of Marijuana customers. The Virginia ABC stores have contributed untold millions of dollars to the state treasury. Marijuana sales could provide the money needed to balance the state budget or build badly needed roads in our urban centers. We could use that money to provide a University Education to everyone who graduates from High School with a B average or better. The list just goes on and on.
House Joint Resolution 139 will request that the Governor petition the Administrator of the DEA to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II, and it will require that he report on his progress by the time the General Assembly convenes in 2013. Virginia already has a Medical Marijuana law and this tells our governor to seek the implementation of our law. States Rights are suppose to be a big issue to conservative politicians and this is the perfect opportunity to make that argument. The governors of several states have already done this in a very public manner.
Meanwhile the District of Columbia is slowly implementing the only Medical Marijuana law in the Nation that has been supported by the United States Congress. Our nations capital is about to experience a Renaissance unheard of in our times. I kind of feel sorry for the poor folks living there now, they won't be able to afford the rent with all the upscale white people trying to move in and smoke their weed. All of this will happen under the noses of the DEA, FBI and everybody else. I don't see how the DEA can even interfere. This has been approved by the United States Congress who for years voted to disallow the Medical Marijuana law that was approved by DC voters and backed up by DC City Council. That all changed in 2009 when Congress removed the Barr amendment from the yearly bill funding the district. Congressman Barr himself even supported removing the amendment that he wrote. His turn around is a sign that "The Times, They are a Changing" if there ever was one.
About a year ago I told you how one of our states leading religious figures thinks Marijuana should not be against the law. Televangelist Pat Robertson is again in the news. “I really believe we should treat marijuana the way we treat beverage alcohol,” “I’ve never used marijuana and I don’t intend to, but it’s just one of those things that I think: this war on drugs just hasn’t succeeded.”
You now Pat might be coming around. This is your opportunity to tell your politicians that as a Christian you don't believe we should be putting people in jail for smoking weed.
Virginia has been criticized for the way we run things. This article details some of the stuff that goes on behind the scenes and how laws are composed in the Commonwealth. If more people knew things would probably change.
President Obama has again let the public ask questions. Like before the most popular questions were about his failure to change or even discuss the archaic laws prohibiting the use of marijuana or the continued assault on the providers and users of medical marijuana in the states that allow its use. As before these questions were ignored. If the government and the big business interests that control it behind the scenes could figure out how to profit from our favorite product of nature the situation would change overnight.
Here in Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Agents have been busy eradicating Moonshine Whiskey from the Commonwealth. We need to stand together and support the effort to get our legislature to consider allowing the ABC board to market Marijuana in our state. We all know it is really about the money. ABC has lots of experience collecting the taxes imposed and preventing the products they control from getting into the hands of minors.
Delegate David Englin from Alexandria has introduced a couple of measures we need to get behind.
House Joint Resolution 140 seeks to establish a joint subcommittee to study if Marijuana should be sold in Virginia ABC stores. It wasn't very long ago that Alcoholic beverages were against the law. Our ABC stores have the experience and manpower to deal with whatever regulations might be established. The same people who check your ID if you want a pint of whiskey (or half a gallon of cheap vodka) could easily verify the age of Marijuana customers. The Virginia ABC stores have contributed untold millions of dollars to the state treasury. Marijuana sales could provide the money needed to balance the state budget or build badly needed roads in our urban centers. We could use that money to provide a University Education to everyone who graduates from High School with a B average or better. The list just goes on and on.
House Joint Resolution 139 will request that the Governor petition the Administrator of the DEA to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II, and it will require that he report on his progress by the time the General Assembly convenes in 2013. Virginia already has a Medical Marijuana law and this tells our governor to seek the implementation of our law. States Rights are suppose to be a big issue to conservative politicians and this is the perfect opportunity to make that argument. The governors of several states have already done this in a very public manner.
Delegate Onzlee Ware has again sponsored legislation to expunge drug convictions after 5 years if certain requirements are met. We need to support HB485, Expungement of certain drug charges.
There are numerous attempts to force drug testing on the citizens of our Commonwealth. If you need public assistance expect to be drug tested in the near future. There are at least six different bills that require some form of drug screening to receive public assistance. It’s not going to be popular to oppose these attempts to legislate morality with so many people taking drug tests so they can work. HB148 and HB562 if passed will require drug screening before you can receive unemployment. HB73, HB221, HB249 and HB598 require substance abuse screening and assessment of public assistance applicants and recipients.
One exception to this trend is HB420 which would allow those convicted of drug related felonies to receive benefits if they can prove they have done everything the court requires and pass all drug tests.
There are also bills to establish Drug Courts. Drug Courts can provide an alternative to the harsh punishment non violent offenders would otherwise receive and maybe prevent a criminal record from ruining the rest of somebody's life. Why does every locality need it’s own bill if they want a Drug Court? This should be statewide by now. Until Marijuana can be used lawfully we support anything that has the potential to reduce the punishment and harm caused by the current state of our laws. HB563 authorizes the establishment of a drug treatment court in the City of Danville. HB136 provides that drug treatment courts shall be established in the Counties of Buchanan, Dickenson, Goochland, Montgomery, Russell, Smyth, and Washington, and that a drug treatment court shall be established in the County of Wise to serve the City of Norton and the Counties of Lee, Scott, and Wise.
Delegate Gregory Habeeb has introduced a bill that would expunge court and arrest records for anybody whose case is not prosecuted procedurally (nolle prosequi). In other words, If you get out of trouble by telling on your friends nobody will know you were ever arrested after two years. HB227 ; provides for expungement of police records and court records two years from date Nolle Prosequi is taken. To be fair this would also apply if you are not prosecuted for another reason, like you didn't do it.
I'm not sure what to make of HB271 which, if passed would establish the Substance Abuse Recovery Support Services Grant Program. In recent years courts have forced people into rehab for possession of Marijuana, thereby inflating the numbers of patients admitted for Marijuana use and the statistics to make it like there are a lot of people addicted to it. There are people using hard drugs who will benefit from any support they can get, I don't agree that Marijuana users need to be lumped into that group. Rehab can be a place people are introduced to drugs that cause real harm or the connections to get them. These programs need to get their money somewhere and the state is just as good a place as any.There is an attempt to expand the drug and gang free zone laws. HB528 would add old folks homes to the list of places drugs and gangs need to stay 1000 feet away from.
Legalize Cannabis Marijuana Pot Weed Reefer Grass Zig-Zag EZ Wider Bong
Bowl Marihuana Cronic Home-Grown Drugs THC Decriminalize Medical Blunt
Dugout 420 4:20 Kind Bud News Freedom of the press First Second Third
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