Booker introduces bill to legalize marijuana nationwide
Source: Politico
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker is proposing a far-reaching bill that would both legalize marijuana at the federal level and encourage states to legalize it locally through incentives.
The New Jersey Democrats bill, called the Marijuana Justice Act, has virtually no chance of passage in the Republican-controlled Congress and in a presidential administration thats decidedly anti-marijuana.
You see these marijuana arrests happening so much in our country, targeting certain communities poor communities, minority communities targeting people with an illness, Booker, the former mayor of Newark, said in a Facebook Live roll-out of his legislation.
The bill would remove the federal prohibition on marijuana and withhold federal money for building jails and prisons, along with other funds, from states whose cannabis laws are shown to disproportionately incarcerate minorities.
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Read more: http://www.politico.com/states/new-jersey/story/2017/08/01/booker-seeks-federal-marijuana-legalization-113716
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)He's well out in front of Kamala Harris and every other potential 2020 rival not named "Bernie Sanders"
leon8822
(82 posts)haele
(12,692 posts)Buchanan's niece was his first lady, Cleveland got married 2 years after he was elected.
So long as Booker doesn't have any really nasty scandals and can appoint someone who can handle the part with aplomb, I don't think there should be any issues.
Haele
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)Volaris
(10,278 posts)Just because it's normally the political role of the President's wife, there's no Law that says it has to be.
He could hire martha fucking stewart, and as long as the appropriate china gets picked out for State Dinners, who gives a fuck?
To paraphrase the admiral from the West Wing,
'We got real battles to fight and win for our side and for our country...why would we want to waste time on the Fake Ones?'
YOHABLO
(7,358 posts)CrispyQ
(36,557 posts)Initech
(100,138 posts)Along with a whole slew of other things we shouldn't have made profitable, like prisons.
Initech
(100,138 posts)VaBchTgerLily
(231 posts)Not Ruth
(3,613 posts)Localities can still override it, they do now. Marijuana is currently legal in some areas, and alcohol is illegal in some areas, in opposition to federal laws. What is the expected change?
SpankMe
(2,972 posts)Localities really can't override federal law in this case. It's just that the feds have so far declined to wield their power to go in and enforce the national ban when whole states have legalized. The don't want to provoke a civil war. The current administration may change this and try to go in and make a few examples. They're entitled to under the law.
While still being illegal at the federal level, it entitles federal law enforcement (FBI, DEA, etc.) to swoop in and make arrests/trials/convictions even in states where MJ is now legal for rec use. So, places like California, Washington and Colorado have this "hanging over their heads" so to speak as they try to hammer out regulatory frameworks.
While still being illegal at the federal level, most banks refuse to open accounts or provided any banking services for any MJ-related business. This is because almost all banks operate through national (read: federal) banking infrastructure (data networks, clearing houses, federal reserve, wire transfers, etc.) and, thus, could be prosecuted for aiding in the drug trade since all this infrastructure crosses state lines and utilizes federal resources.
While still being illegal and on the federal schedule, most universities that receive federal funds would be prohibited from conducting MJ-related research. They could lose their funding at best, and face the arrest of professors, school admins at worst.
It's best to have something legal across the board while letting localities make up their minds about permissibility and regulation than it is to have it banned across the board and force localities to thwart national law and permit and regulate at great risk.
They really need to take this stuff off of the federal schedule as soon as possible.
cannabis_flower
(3,769 posts)it makes these businesses have to be cash businesses. This makes them vulnerable to robberies and theft.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)LittleGirl
(8,292 posts)today to get my MMJ certification to purchase legally.
IronLionZion
(45,626 posts)This would free up a lot of law enforcement and prison resources and states can collect tax revenue from it. Colorado has made out like bandits.
They could lower taxes in other areas. Some Republicans would like that. So I wouldn't rule this out just yet. It could gain some traction.
Not Ruth
(3,613 posts)Because that should be part of it.
IronLionZion
(45,626 posts)they should have some policy for release if using was the only crime.
Not Ruth
(3,613 posts)Assuming that if marijuana put you in prison for the 3rd strike, you were not getting a 4th, because the 3rd strike is effectively life.
Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)I could try mary jane to see if it helps aches & pains, or relieves stress. I don't drink alcohol, but if someone drinks alcohol, this might be a better alternative. Of course, driving under the influence is ILLEGAL and dangerous.
It's ridiculous for the fed to continue to go after marijuana like it's some dangerous substance causing untold suffering in our country. Alcohol does THAT, and prohibition didn't work.
panader0
(25,816 posts)I've been smoking for 50 years. Now days just a few hits in the evening.
It works. And it makes me pick up my guitar. Sleep like a baby.
mobeau69
(11,167 posts)Especially if you have some good music going on.
alfredo
(60,082 posts)And that lowering of anxiety is a big deal. It helped me during radiation and Chemo.
kristopher
(29,798 posts)Note the difference in findings when properly calibrated and completed analysis is done vs those that draw premature conclusions on poorly analyzed data.
(2016, December).
Drug and alcohol crash risk: A case-control study
(Report No. DOT HS 812 355).
Washington, DC:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Abstract
This study used a case-control design to estimate the risk of crashes involving drivers using drugs, alcohol or both. Data was collected in Virginia Beach, Virginia, for 20 months. The study obtained biological measures on more than 3,000 crash drivers at the scenes of the crashes, and 6,000 control (comparison) drivers. Control drivers were recruited one week after the crashes at the same time, day of week, location, and direction of travel as the crash-involved drivers. Data included 10,221 breath samples, 9,285 oral fluid samples, and 1,764 blood samples. Oral fluid and blood samples were screened and confirmed for the presence of alcohol and drugs. The crash risk associated with alcohol and other drugs was estimated using odds ratios that indicate the probability of acrash occurring over the probability that such an event does not occur. If a variable (alcohol and/or drugs) is not associated with a crash, the odds ratio for that variable will be 1.00. A higher or lower number indicates a stronger relationship between the probability of a crash occurring and the presence of that variable (alcohol and/or drugs in the driver). Confidence intervals (CIs) of an odds ratio indicate the range in which the true value lieswith 95 percent confidence.
Alcohol: Alcohol was the largest contributor to crash risk. The unadjusted crash risk estimates for alcohol indicated drivers with a breath alcohol concentrations (BrACs) of .05 grams per 210 liters (g/210L) are 2.05 times more likely to crash than drivers with no alcohol. For drivers with BrACs of .08 g/210L, the unadjusted relative risk of crashing is 3.98 times that of drivers with no alcohol. When adjusted for age and gender, drivers with BrACs of .05 g/210L are 2.07 times more likely to crash than drivers with no alcohol. The adjusted crash risk for drivers at .08 g/210L is 3.93 times that of drivers with no alcohol.
Drugs: Unadjusted drug odds ratio estimates indicated a significant increase in crash risk. For the active ingredient in marijuana, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), this yielded an unadjusted odds ratio of 1.25. However, after adjusting for gender, age, race/ethnicity, and alcohol, there was no indication that any drug significantly contributed to crash risk. The adjusted odds ratios for THC were 1.00, 95 percent CI [.83, 1.22], indicating no increased or decreased crash risk. Odds ratios for antidepressants were .86, 95 percent CI [.56, 1.33]; narcotic analgesics were 1.17, 95% percent drugs as an overall category were .99, 95 percent CI [.84, 1.18], and prescription and over-the-counter medications were 1.02, 95 percent CI [.83, 1.26].
Alcohol and Drugs: Analyses found no statistically significant interaction effects when drivers were positive for both alcohol and drugs. Although initial analyses suggested that the combination of alcohol and other drugs were contributors to increased crash risk, additional analyses adjusting for other risk factors indicated no significant effect. When both alcohol and other drugs were consumed, alcohol alone was associated with crash risk.
Breaking down the relevant findings 9emphasis added):
Drugs:
Unadjusted drug odds ratio estimates indicated a significant increase in crash risk.
For the active ingredient in marijuana, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), this yielded an unadjusted odds ratio of 1.25.
However, after adjusting for gender, age, race/ethnicity, and alcohol, there was no indication that any drug significantly contributed to crash risk.
The adjusted odds ratios for THC were 1.00, 95 percent CI [.83, 1.22], indicating no increased or decreased crash risk.
Odds ratios for antidepressants were .86, 95 percent CI [.56, 1.33];
narcotic analgesics were 1.17, 95% percent
drugs as an overall category were .99, 95 percent CI [.84, 1.18],
and prescription and over-the-counter medications were 1.02, 95 percent CI [.83, 1.26].
Repeat, odds ratios for:
- THC were 1.00, 95 percent CI,
- prescription and over-the-counter medications were 1.02, 95 percent CI
Are you impaired with Afrin?
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)Not Ruth
(3,613 posts)IronLionZion
(45,626 posts)so stranger things have already happened.
There's only one way to find out.
Voltaire2
(13,257 posts)am I right?
Cairycat
(1,711 posts)alfredo
(60,082 posts)JHan
(10,173 posts)for real , this is good news. Good on him.
JCanete
(5,272 posts)snort
(2,334 posts)pwb
(11,308 posts)We would all be smoking American marijuana, properly grown by American farmers. We would pay a fair tax and start to empty our jails and prisons.
BlueJac
(7,838 posts)finally a chance, but slim.
Maxheader
(4,374 posts)stock is up again...
RKP5637
(67,112 posts)than the prohibition on alcohol was. Damn, I often step back and look at humanity, how so totally fucked up is humanity. The human race creates all of its problems.
LakeArenal
(28,867 posts)EL34x4
(2,003 posts)Too much pork in the terms of community reinvestment money and the ability for those people convicted of marijuana comes o sue for recourse.
Baby steps.
let's get a straight marijuana decriminalization law on the books and expand from there.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)lordsummerisle
(4,651 posts)a bipartisan bill about marijuana being worked on by Al Franken among others?
YOHABLO
(7,358 posts)Still haven't forgiven her for that.
GReedDiamond
(5,319 posts)...carved into a monkey face with a wide open mouth.
It was stashed way in the back of my bedroom closet, back behind a bunch of stuff.
My dad found it, but instead of flushing it all, he pulled it out of the closet and left it sitting on my desk.
He never said a word to me about it.
I found another place for it.
SonofDonald
(2,050 posts)Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(108,429 posts)raven mad
(4,940 posts)$500,000+ in tax revenue!!! Go, Sen. Booker - progress is good!
https://www.adn.com/alaska-marijuana/2017/08/01/alaska-marijuana-tax-revenue-jumps-to-over-500000-in-june/
Voltaire2
(13,257 posts)But in general the party has been too timid and scared to realize the political potential.