Marijuana is against federal law. Its classified as a schedule 1 drug with zero medical value. Despite that, supporters of marijuana are trying to change state laws to allow it having states break federal drug laws. Whether or not marijuana really is helpful to some people and does have legitimate medical use, instead of working to change state and local law, why not try and get federal law changed first? Thats the real problem! Since Federal law trumps state law, why are the proponents of medical marijuana only focusing on changing state laws putting states at risk and not going after changing federal law which is the real threat? Changing federal law and getting marijuana out of schedule 1 is the only solution so states can get to decide their marijuana policy the way their citizens see fit. What do you think of this and why? Do you think its a good idea to get states to violate federal marijuana laws and have dea raids and people in jail with their lives ruined instead of getting federal law changed first?
It's harder to do that since the majority of people have less of a voice when it comes to Federal matters. But for the states, I'm hoping it won't be long before all of them recognize the medicinal value of cannabis.
Rare to see a logical thought concerning legalization; Sadly, I'm sure the experts will come in and explain the rationale behind the movement which quickly becomes more complicated than I can follow. Perhaps that's part of my reason for not investing myself in the efforts; that and my firm conviction that power hungry, greedy, antisocial assholes actually run the world and silently laugh at the plight of the common man. I am a huge cynic and feel like they work both ends of the game; create the problem by making weed illegal and then profit from their clandestine ownership of the blackmarket. My solution was to remove myself from their hamster wheel and grow my own; legality be damned.
You have to do both. When the country sees that there's no anarchy in the streets where states legalize cannabis they'll realize the federal crackdowns are silly and politicians will be forced to recognize the changes in public sentiment. Kind of like seeing innocent black people getting hosed down and attacked by dogs for simply wanting to be treated equally changed America's stance on segregation.
What makes you think that activists are NOT trying to change federal law? Please review the history of the reform efforts pertaining to federal law. The battle against the Schedule I status of marijuana goes back a long way. Oh, and for the record, federal law trumps state law only when there is direct conflict. When states carve out exemptions to their laws for medical use they are not coming into direct conflict with federal law. AND, even if marijuana was rescheduled on the federal level TODAY, it would still be illegal for non-medical use in all 50 states of the union. As Messiah Decoy pointed out, you have to reform state AND federal laws.
I see changing state laws as battles and changing federal law as the objective of the war. If we can win the individual battles in enough states then the rest should fall into place. Well that's the idea anyway...
Since the FEDS hold patents on cannabis, and are sitting back and waiting for the right time to pick their corporate partners to produce pharmaceuticals from it and make untold billions, what are the chances of getting Federal law changed? People should be viewing the Feds as a hostile foreign occupier getting their marching orders from the world elite banksters. Given the Fed statutes point to the U.N. single convention narcotics treaty as the basis for these laws, may as well advocate changing the treaties of the U.N. or our succession from it altogether. Since we have no representation in the U.N. that we have any control over, chances are, getting FED law or U.N. treaties changed is a tall order.
It usually starts by state-wide legislation. If it were honestly legalized by state law, the Feds would be in a harder spot than they ever have been. It's how alcohol prohibition ended, they can't arrest a whole state. After this, it's irrefutable evidence that marijuana has medicinal value and HAS to be changed. Currently we can't change Federal law at the flick of the wrist because there are laws that make it ILLEGAL to change Schedule 1 drugs. People like the Drug Czar are required to make up shit (it's their job) to keep the bad drugs..bad.. How bananas is that?
For those of you who don't know much about international legalization movements, the rest of the world is basically waiting for the US to take the first step. Why? They don't want to make the US mad since they're the tough kid in the schoolyard who protects them. They also don't want to be in the international spotlight for it, some New Zealand politicians have clearly stated that. They aren't necessarily opposed to legalization but they definitely don't want to be stigmatized. The US needs to take the first step, then and only then will the rest of the world change their laws. I'm no expert on the US political system but I'd imagine getting through to the federal government would be extraordinarily difficult. I'd say just keep up the good work that's already happening. Legalization isn't set to happen overnight but it's hard to deny that progress is being made.
Almost every kind of law has to start at the state level to build enough support for the federal level.
How do we do that? Where do we vote on federal law? Oh yeah...We can only vote for corrupt representatives who do whatever they want once elected and completely ignore the will of the people despite all of the logical and science/fact based evidence. Look no further than Nobamas complete 180 on this issue. The way to change this is to legalize it statewide and force the feds to confront this. Otherwise they'll just bury it under the rug for the next 50 years.
Not even close to how politics is working these days. Feds dangle the financial carrot on a stick and states react and accept the policies/laws to obtain said funding. Look at the schools for instance, "Race to the Top" under Obummer, and "No child left behind" under the shrub. Hell, look at the drug war if you want something that hits close to home. Fed down approach, not the states in control. Money, money, money. Dangle that carrot.
If you can't change the federal law, change the states, 1, or 3 at a time. Once Colorado, Oregon, and Washington have passed it, it will be a shining example to the rest of the country. And soon the other 47 will follow. Trying to change federal law before state laws is like planting a bean in your yard and expecting a beanstalk to grow and take you up to the clouds. Just not gonna happen, bro.
Teamwork, divide and conquer, eat an elephant one bite at a time... What ever you want to call it, winning small battles is much easier than winning a war. There is too much $ at stake at the federal level to roll it over quickly. We need to let the people in charge see the will and the power of the states so those with the $ can re-invest their $ in MJ products. Can't have the big dogs loosing money.
Yes no doubt is about money and obviously bad policy. My biggest thing is the issues surrounding the brainwashing of it all. It is really destructive for individuals in the communities in so many ways. I think many of us grew up hearing about how marijuana is "evil" and bad things will happen. Then once I tried it and bad things didn;t happen I was a little confused and not to mention I was taught that marijuana is bad and bad people smoke marijuana.... I believed I was a bad person ..... and who is to say that if someone belives they are bad they won't do bad things? They say the "drugs made him do it" no the reality is people are damned retarted. Psychological brain fuck. Well I am not believing these lies today and I personally will speak out.
as some people have mentioned you also have to think of the International community because of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs /excerpt/ Cindy Fazey, former Chief of Demand Reduction for the United Nations Drug Control Programme, has pointed out that it would be nearly impossible to loosen international cannabis regulations. Even if the Commission on Narcotic Drugs removed cannabis from Schedule IV of the Single Convention, prohibitions against the plant would remain imbedded in Article 28 and other parts of the treaty. Fazey cited amendment of the Articles and state-by-state denunciation as two theoretical possibilities for changing cannabis' international legal status, while pointing out that both face substantial barriers. TL;DR - when the U.S. made MJ illegal. they made it very difficult for it to become legal again.