‘Game over’:
“I think it’s game over in less than five years,” said Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) during an interview Monday with The Huffington Post.
Two states – Colorado and Washington – already allow legal recreational use, while 20 more permit its use for medical reasons, and more than 10 states are expected to legalize marijuana in some form over the next few years.
“There’s no question that we’re likely to see another state or two this year legalizing (recreational) use,” Blumenauer said. “We’re going to see more medical marijuana progress. The crazy prohibitions on bank services and probably the tax disparities – these are all eroding.”
Marijuana Prohibition was one of the largest crimes of the 20th Century, spilling over into the 21st Century with a vengeance, getting a massive booster shot once George W Bush was given the White House. Despite millions of people working for its reform since before Nixon made reefer madness a central feature of GOP ideology.
Now, despite $20 billion a year being blown to prevent reality for taking its course, we have nearly 20 years of medical marijuana in California, Washington State and Colorado have fully legalized the plant while the assholes in the federal government dig in to make sure they come across as the assholes they truly are.
And this particular Democrat is showing you what ALL Democrats should be supporting:
The Oregon Democrat has sponsored three bills — States’ Medical Marijuana Patient Protection (H.R. 689), Marijuana Tax Equity Act (H.R. 501), and the Small Business Tax Equity Act (H.R. 2240) – and has supported other measures to ease restrictions on making access for legal marijuana businesses and even the complete end to federal marijuana prohibition.
Steven Rosenfeld, writing at Alternet, reports on
The Truth About the 'Marijuana Effect' in America's Elections
“We’re very excited about our marijuana numbers in this poll, not only for personal consumption to get through this election, but in terms of turnout," Lake told USA Today. “What’s really interesting and, I think, a totally unwritten story is that everyone taks about marriage equality hitting a tipping point (of acceptance). Marijuana is hitting the tipping point. It’s really astounding how fast it’s moved.”
Lake’s findings may be good news for the legalization movement in the long run. But Democrats should not conclude that the presence of pot issues on a handful of ballots in 2014 will bring out a wider youth vote and help them stay in power nationally. That’s because there aren’t many states with marijuana initiatives on the ballot in 2014—just Alaska and Florida so far, although Oregon is expecting a measure on the fall ballot. Pot may help turn out voters in those states, but that’s not unfolding on a scale that would impact whether the Senate keeps its Democratic majority.
Democrats have been seeking an electoral silver bullet for this year’s federal elections. They keep on hearing that constituencies that twice helped elect President Obama will skip voting this year. On Monday, the Times said that Latinos were deeply frustrated with both parties, blaming the GOP for blocking immigration reform and Obama for deporting millions of family members.
The #1 reason that the 'marijuana issue' is not currently paying off for Dems LIKE IT SHOULD is that Dems have continued to be WAY too timid and wussy-like on the issue. they have NOT jumped on this issue like they should have and like there is still time to do.
Paul Armentano of NORML suggests
Nearly four out of ten participants in the nationwide survey said that they would be “much more likely” to go to the polls if an initiative seeking to legalize marijuana appeared on the ballot. An additional 30 percent of respondents said that they would be “somewhat” more likely to participate in an election that also included a marijuana-specific ballot measure.
Presently, two statewide cannabis reform measures have qualified to appear on the 2014 ballot. Alaska voters will decide whether to allow for the commercial production, retail sale, and use of cannabis by those over age 21. The measure will appear on the August 19 primary ballot. According to the results of a February Public Policy Polling survey, 55 percent of registered Alaska voters “think (that) marijuana should be legally allowed for recreational use, that stores should be allowed to sell it, and that its sales should be taxed and regulated similarly to alcohol.”
Marijuana will be relegalized and Dems should be chasing the glory that WILL belong to those who do - finally - fix this inexcusable clusterfuck.