Legalized Or Not, L.A. Lawmakers Will Go After Pot

[MedicalNeed]

Los Angeles County's top lawmakers say they'll continue to enforce current marijuana laws, even if a state ballot measure to legalize the drug passes next month.

At a news conference Friday, County Sheriff Lee Baca and District Attorney Steve Cooley said the law would be unenforceable because it is trumped by federal laws that prohibit marijuana cultivation and possession.

If passed, Proposition 19 would allow Californians to legally possess up to one ounce of the drug and grow small gardens on private property.

Baca says his deputies don't and won't go after users in their homes, but public use of the drug will be targeted.

Cooley, who is running for California Attorney General, says he believes Proposition 19 is unconstitutional and would be unenforceable.


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Website:Legalized or not, L.A. lawmakers will go after pot

 

[free2blaze]

Cooley, who is running for California Attorney General, says he believes Proposition 19 is unconstitutional and would be unenforceable.

do these people even know the constitution? how is it unconstitutional for states citizens to vote for there rights?

 

[DrProfessor]

Explain to me on how voting something you believe in is wrong Cooley is a idiot. That's the USA you vote on laws and if there approved you move forward it's called a democracy which I know is a stretch. Cops are dumb!!

 

[Slizzard]

Yeah, that guy is a moron. Not to mention i read an entire debate pretty much saying that Prop. 19, even though going against Fed law, DOESN'T violate specific parts of the constitution, so the Feds really aren't even going to be able to do as much as everyone thinks anyway. Prop 19 merely makes marijuana an availability, not a mandatory product. Plus it's use will be kept away from those who don't wish to be near it. So it DOESN'T violate our constituion in any way

 

[Odin]

Yeah, that guy is a moron. Not to mention i read an entire debate pretty much saying that Prop. 19, even though going against Fed law, DOESN'T violate specific parts of the constitution, so the Feds really aren't even going to be able to do as much as everyone thinks anyway. Prop 19 merely makes marijuana an availability, not a mandatory product. Plus it's use will be kept away from those who don't wish to be near it. So it DOESN'T violate our constituion in any way

The Feds "really aren't even going to be able to do as much as everyone thinks".

Keep holding onto that pipe dream. Hope its not your friends and family that go down when Prop 19 passes.

 

[DrProfessor]

Shit they can't stop shit and they know it.....shit talk is what I call it!

 

[Liquid Metal]

unconstitutional? wouldnt it be unconstitutional for them to do such a thing even if such a law passes?

even thou fed law trumps state law this would be a job for feds to take care of, not Los Anageles.

im seeing a shit load of law suits coming their way that will continue to flood the system.

can't they just leave well enough alone.

 

[Slizzard]

the thing is, it wouldnt be the people who are being unconstitutional would it. nope, you are right. it would be the feds. you dont, feds or not, try to tell the largest state in the country thats about to pass a proposition with the majority vote of the citizens, that they cant have what they just voted on. THAT is unconstitutional. apparently Fed law isnt whats in the best interest of its ppl anymore if the largest state is about to, with a majority vote, pass a proposition going against it. Aside from this, the feds really dont have the manpower needed to stop this even if they wanted to, So in the end, it will be up to the people. Im just thankful that this time around, it's the people who are voting FOR Prop 19 who are sounding legit and educated for once. The people against it just sound repetitive and have to resort to their lies. For example, its just so pathetic to see ppl arguing against 19 by saying marijuana is bad for you. HAHAHA! First off, marijuana is NOT bad for you in any way other than the simple fact that you are inhaling burnt plant matter, and THC, (TetraHydraCannabinol), the active ingredient in marijuana has actually been proven to reduce cancer, tumors, etc. Tobacco and Alcohol each alone are at least 10x worse for you and they are both legal so this is such a bullshit arguement. It makes me smile every time i see it bc it just shows that the supporters of YES ON 19 are winning this vote. The NO supporters are having to resort to past lies and try to scare families into voting no by lying and using key fear words such as "children, kids, and health." To be completely honest, children and kids are both arguements FOR legalizing marijuana. If legalized, there will be an age restriction on marijuana. Something that the herb does not have as of now, with dealers who dont ID. It is easier for children and kids to get marijuana than alcohol bc for alcohol you have to show your face at a store and present id.

 

[Liquid Metal]

thats right the feds would also be the ones caught in the middle of this as they would be the ones to back them up and i dont think they want that either..

They have enough to deal with right now. "Virginia judge on health care reform suit" <--off topic but same scenario.

But yea both these clowns Baca and Cooley are going about this ass backwards..

 

[G-Dog]

County Sheriff Lee Baca and District Attorney Steve Cooley are LA County Employees, Not Federal. If they attempt to prosecute users after passing Prop 19, they are Out Of THEIR Jurisdiction. Their Oath's of Office are to enforce and prosecute the Laws of California and LA County. If California passes Prop 19, it is State Law. Their Real responsibility would be to defend the laws of the State of California.

The argument about public intoxication may be the only valid point they can make.

 

[Slizzard]

^ Exactly

 

[stonedrock]

Your votes don't make a diff in Obama's eye........ until he's up for re-election, but he will not get the votes. f them.

 

[Slizzard]

It doesnt really matter either way. Bc even if this Proposition doesn't pass, which i am pretty convinced it will, BUT IF it doesn't then it won't be long before they reword it and try again and then that would be when it is passed bc i've read pages and pages of countless arguements against prop 19 and the ONLY legit one that the say no campaign has is that the Proposition is poorly worded leaving too many loop holes. This is pretty much the ONLY "No to 19" argument that is of any value. So if need be, the proposition gets reworded and passed next try. Its pretty safe to call it lose/lose for Say NO campaigners

 

[CanbisMxmus]

I.M.H.O. the feds don't want to legalize, because they make too much money off "the war on drugs". The constitution was designed for local government to have the most power, then the state, and then the feds. What we have is a federal gov't takeover of power, they believe the people are too stupid to know what is good for them. If Cali wants to tax and regulate, that should trump fed law in Cali. Federal law should be nothing but guidelines for states to take independent action on through the voice of the local communities. We as Americans owe it to ourselves to take our power back.

Another added benefit of the proposal passing would be a 4% cut in Cartel drug money. It might not sound like much, but what if all the states did it? California, generally sets the precedent for the rest of the country, what happens here usually is law in other states within 10 years.

I voted. Have you?

 

[Slizzard]

Well said. And yes, your opinion is correct. The government makes far too much money off of this war, it is proven, to want this proposition to pass. This is one of the main "off the record" reasons.

 

[Slizzard]

This outlook of theirs also proves that what they do is for them, not us.

 

[G-Dog]

You have the entire Empires and a food chain:
1. DEA
2. Local Drug Task Forces
3. Prison Guards and other Employees
4. Counselors
5. Rehab centers
6. Trial Lawyers, Prosecutors and Judges
7. Cartels

All Funded in the war on drugs. What is the most commonly used illicit drug? MJ.

Then you have property and money that is taken in all drug raids. Real Estate, Boats, Planes, Cars and Cash.

So always it is about money. What is going to happen to the economy if MJ is legal? It is serious business and probably the only real concern for many. Even the bootleggers are concerned what a pound of pot will be after this passes.

It is exciting what kind of shake up this is all going to cause.

 

[gromper]

The feds will still have plenty to do finding big, illegal grow operations - at least until Philip-Morris gets into the act and mass produces and distributes their own brands. There is plenty to do in the continuing "War on drugs" that doesn't involve consumers and the small scale legal grow operations - which the feds hopefully won't have time for.

Once we get Cali on the taxation wagon, other states will want to get a piece of their Pot-Pie and will hopefully follow suit.

 

[Slizzard]

Even the bootleggers are concerned what a pound of pot will be after this passes.

If you are talking about "what a pound of pot will be" pricewise, then it is most likely going to be starting off a very little bit higher than street value bc of the tax that will be imposed, and then go down drastically over time. I read something about how some ppl who would be setting prices were blown away by the fact that ppl are paying $100 or more for as little as an ounce on the street. They were talking about how this (ungodly high pricing of the plant) will be one of the first things to go. They were talking about selling an ounce (starting out) around $88-91 and then having a $50 tax per ounce (an eigth would have a $5 tax). So yeah, the price will be just a little higher than normal starting out but after a short while they plan to significantly lower the tax rates and prices. Bc if they are planning on keeping higher prices than the street then what would be the point of legalization and regulation? They would be better off to just decriminalize it rather than legalize it. No one would even buy legally if this would be the case. To force the dealers out of business, their ultimate goal is to sustain a much lower price than you would find on the street.

 

[Slizzard]

There is plenty to do in the continuing "War on drugs" that doesn't involve consumers and the small scale legal grow operations - which the feds hopefully won't have time for.

Once we get Cali on the taxation wagon, other states will want to get a piece of their Pot-Pie and will hopefully follow suit.

I was reading something earlier that said the Feds pretty much aren't going to bother themselves with people in their own homes. And its supposedly going to be a major losing battle for them if they actually come start busting dispensaries. They just really don't have the manpower to redirect into Cali for this when there are so many other things they already have to be keeping up with.