President Donald Trump

[baldgriff]

You're speculating that they won't be involved in some way...that's speculation that I'm not willing to make.

And growing your own isn't nearly as simple as people like to think...it's a hell of a lot easier to go to the dispensary and find just the right strain of weed for your needs.

There are many industries that could stand to lose a great deal of money, aside from big pharma, if pot and hemp were legalized. Legal hemp could really damage many industries. Pot will change the medical landscape and likely bite into the cigarette profits. Lots of large donors against Pot/Hemp.

[baldgriff]

You're speculating that they won't be involved in some way...that's speculation that I'm not willing to make.

And growing your own isn't nearly as simple as people like to think...it's a hell of a lot easier to go to the dispensary and find just the right strain of weed for your needs.

I dont disagree - though I have never been to one. However, for the industrious individual that wont want to pay the high "sin" tax that will be placed on it. There are certainly ways. I have relatives that have grown their own before and it didnt sound to difficult. The person growing their own for personal usage isnt going to need the hydroponic grow rooms needed to grow large quantities of what they are looking for.

[Hornsby]

I dont disagree - though I have never been to one. However, for the industrious individual that wont want to pay the high "sin" tax that will be placed on it. There are certainly ways. I have relatives that have grown their own before and it didnt sound to difficult. The person growing their own for personal usage isnt going to need the hydroponic grow rooms needed to grow large quantities of what they are looking for.

It has nothing at all to do with grow rooms or anything like that. it's different strains of Marijuana that a single person just can't grow...it's much easier and more cost effective to just buy the stuff. Same reason you may go to the liquor store when you can distill your own Vodka or Whiskey. Their product is far better than yours, and likely to be cheaper as well.

And so far I haven't see any big opposition to legalizing weed by large corporations in states where it's happened. And the price for Pot in Washington State has dropped dramatically since it was legalized.

[baldgriff]

Its easier for me to buy tomatoes, peppers an onions at the store also. Yet here I sit in AZ with a garden of beans and salsa makings. I also have a lemon and grapefruit tree. For many its not about the "ease" its that they like to do it themselves. Buying my bottle of Canadian Club every couple weeks is more about convenience as there are only so many projects and things that I want to do myself. I dont own cows because I want milk or steak.

If I could grow my own legally - I probably would. I have smoked pot on very rare occassions, if it was legal, I would likely choose it over alcohol. If I could grow it myself for the specific strain that I want (more indica than setiva) I likely would do it. Im sure when pot becomes legal, someone will sell seeds.

[Hornsby]

Its easier for me to buy tomatoes, peppers an onions at the store also. Yet here I sit in AZ with a garden of beans and salsa makings. I also have a lemon and grapefruit tree. For many its not about the "ease" its that they like to do it themselves. Buying my bottle of Canadian Club every couple weeks is more about convenience as there are only so many projects and things that I want to do myself. I dont own cows because I want milk or steak.

If I could grow my own legally - I probably would. I have smoked pot on very rare occassions, if it was legal, I would likely choose it over alcohol. If I could grow it myself for the specific strain that I want (more indica than setiva) I likely would do it. Im sure when pot becomes legal, someone will sell seeds.

I'm betting that at least 90% of the population just buys it, like they do beer, even though you can brew your own. If you grow your own, you'd be in a very small minority.

[baldgriff]

I dont disagree with you that 90% will just buy it.

[Sour Masher]

Im a libertarian - and not a smoker - I am also pro-legalization of pot and hemp products. Im not libertarian because Im for pot legalization. Anyone that was pro-pot should not have voted for either major candidate as they both were against it to some form.

I wasn't trying to imply that all libertarians have pot as a major issue for them, or that being a libertarian made one a trump supporter, or anything like that. I was merely focused on the smaller subset of those folks who are small government, personal rights (libertarians) who also happen to be highly vested in pro-legalization of pot. Like you, I did not get them supporting trump, as his campaign and his connection with sessions always made it clear to me that a trump admin would be bad for pro-pot people. I realize that there are many other issues in play that effect one's vote, but I do know at least one person for whom legalized pot is a top 3 issue who still supported trump the whole way, thinking that he wouldn't go this route.

[Sour Masher]

Latest poll that I could find show that over 60% of the US citizens favor making Pot legal, and 88% say that it should be allowed to be used medicinally...that's a pretty overwhelming percentage IMO.

http://www.newsweek.com/marijuana-le...oll-pot-588105

It is, which is why I love the idea of trump/sessions going against the majority on this. Any and everything that they do that might shave off some voters is a good thing, as long as it doesn't do irreparable harm. Them foolishly trying to stop legalization is a relatively harmless stance (I know it is still harmful, but less so that many of the things Trump says and does) that I hope most sincerely further erodes Trump's support.

[In the Corn]

IMO, when parties start dicking around with social issues they have a tendency to lose the middle/independent vote. Clamping down on legal pot is only another nail in the Republican grave come November 2018.

[Redbirds Fan]

Just for the sake of clarity...the issue isn't just legalizing pot. For pot to be legal, the feds would have to decriminalize it PLUS the states would have to decriminalize it. A number of states have done so already, but not all.

What Sessions has done is to reverse Obama-era Justice Department policy of "hands off" the little guys...users, the local pot dealer, etc.

One option would be for the Feds to just say they aren't going to enforce against the little guys or in states which have legalized pot. Another would be for Congress to pass a law leaving it up to the States to do what they like. Hmmm...states' rights. What a concept.

What the Obama Justice Department was pretty much leave it up to the individual states. As it works out, it is primarily blue states which have legalized pot. How odd that those blue states are now the targets of Jeff Sessions and his new anti-pot initiative. Jeff gets his jollies without losing a lot of GOP votes.

[revo]

Can we officially declare that Trump is just the President of the Red States of America?

[revo]

IMO, when parties start dicking around with social issues they have a tendency to lose the middle/independent vote. Clamping down on legal pot is only another nail in the Republican grave come November 2018.

And the Gen X or Milennials or whatever they want to be called.

[onejayhawk]

Just for the sake of clarity...the issue isn't just legalizing pot. For pot to be legal, the feds would have to decriminalize it PLUS the states would have to decriminalize it. A number of states have done so already, but not all.

What Sessions has done is to reverse Obama-era Justice Department policy of "hands off" the little guys...users, the local pot dealer, etc.

One option would be for the Feds to just say they aren't going to enforce against the little guys or in states which have legalized pot. Another would be for Congress to pass a law leaving it up to the States to do what they like. Hmmm...states' rights. What a concept.

What the Obama Justice Department was pretty much leave it up to the individual states. As it works out, it is primarily blue states which have legalized pot. How odd that those blue states are now the targets of Jeff Sessions and his new anti-pot initiative. Jeff gets his jollies without losing a lot of GOP votes.

The state's rights approach might work with the current makeup of Congress.

Another approach would be to revisit the CDAPC act, which is Nixon era. They could also address some of the ridiculous opioid practices, thus truly bi-partisan.

J

[Hornsby]

IMO, when parties start dicking around with social issues they have a tendency to lose the middle/independent vote. Clamping down on legal pot is only another nail in the Republican grave come November 2018.

Yeah, it's got the potential to be a pretty powerful tool for the 2018 and 2020 elections for sure. As RB has pointed out, it's essentially a states rights issue that Sessions seems to insist messing with, something that SHOULD get the GOP voters riled up, but likely won't since the targets will likely be disproportionately poor and minority.

Since legalization, marijuana has generated $617,767,334 in tax revenue. Instead of going to drug cartels, that money helps fund our schools and addiction treatment programs for more dangerous drugs.

This from Colorado Democrats twitter feed...

Just a silly little thing that shows just how cowardly Trump is: Today he actually recorded a video to be played at the daily press briefing...he was 150 yards down the hall at the time and could have easily delivered his message in person. He's had exactly ONE press conference since he took office...Richard Nixon had SIX pressers in his final year in office.

[mjl]

Just a silly little thing that shows just how cowardly Trump is: Today he actually recorded a video to be played at the daily press briefing...he was 150 yards down the hall at the time and could have easily delivered his message in person. He's had exactly ONE press conference since he took office...Richard Nixon had SIX pressers in his final year in office.

From https://www.gq.com/story/white-house-no-faith-in-trump, from an excerpt from the Wolff book:

"(The passage includes several alarming anecdotes about Trump's cognitive ability, which has allegedly taken such a nosedive that staffers now steer him away from interviews in which he hasn't received the questions in advance.)"