Quote:

House Republicans on Wednesday blocked funding for a new D.C. law that would eliminate the threat of jail time for pot possession, leaving the fate of one of the country’s most liberal decriminalization efforts unclear.

The D.C. law, which is to take effect next month, makes possession in the nation’s capital punishable by a fine of just $25.

...

Harris’s amendment, or “rider” on a a multibillion-dollar spending bill, would preclude the District from spending any money “to enact or carry out any law, rule, or regulation to legalize or otherwise reduce penalties associated with the possession, use, or distribution of any” federal controlled substance.

It was one of several riders on D.C. spending House Republicans passed Wednesday, the others including a prohibition on D.C. spending its own money on abortions for poor residents and one cutting funds for D.C. police officers to drive their cruisers to and from their homes if they live outside the city.

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Shroomin Capote said:

no biggie.  Soon it will be federally legal

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Also,

berdinwall said:

Im confused...so it passed but then it got blocked by a rider?

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Prisoner#1 said:

berdinwall said:

Im confused...so it passed but then it got blocked by a rider?

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a rider is a little something tossed into a bill that has nothing to do with
the bill, sometimes the rider is what gets the bill blocked but usually it's
the remaining content as is this case in which republicans are voting down
spending bills such as this one. most times these riders are tossed in as
political smoke and mirrors so that one party or another can say the other
side blocked a bill that would have done X

now here's the fact of the matter, the decriminalization bill wasnt blocked
by anyone, it passed, it imposes a $25 fine instead of jail (at least for
the first offense) but someone tossed some shit into this SPENDING BILL to
supposedly fund this decriminalization crap which is nonsense since the
fines would be collected with or without added funding

maybe koods can explain why DC needed more money to eliminate jail time
and fine people $25 for possession of marijuana since as I understand
things, fewer people in jail means less money spent on the jails and fines
mean more revenues.... ever wonder why this country is in so much debt?

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koods said:

Back in the late 90s, DC had a medical marijuana measure on the ballot. Some asshole Republican in congress didn't like this, and blocked the city from COUNTING the votes.

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I think if you're still thinking it's a republican vs democrat subject you've missed the plot.  Without getting all on everybody can we at least agree that there are anti cannabis lobbyists fucking the legalization movement up right now.  Privatized prisons, the Big Pharmaceutical companies, Tobacco, textile industries...  This is a much bigger problem than democrat/republican.  This is a fucked politician problem to which the only cure will likely either be revolution or years and years of our personal freedoms being raped. 
Look all I'm saying is look at the civil rights era.  They don't hand freedoms out people.  This is dope-ism, and it's not going away until people aren't afraid to talk to their neighbour honestly about smoking a joint.  Nancy Regan did a number on the American Psyche. It's a fucking shame how some people just fall in line like sheep.

koods said:

Prisoner#1 said:

berdinwall said:

Im confused...so it passed but then it got blocked by a rider?

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a rider is a little something tossed into a bill that has nothing to do with
the bill, sometimes the rider is what gets the bill blocked but usually it's
the remaining content as is this case in which republicans are voting down
spending bills such as this one. most times these riders are tossed in as
political smoke and mirrors so that one party or another can say the other
side blocked a bill that would have done X

now here's the fact of the matter, the decriminalization bill wasnt blocked
by anyone, it passed, it imposes a $25 fine instead of jail (at least for
the first offense) but someone tossed some shit into this SPENDING BILL to
supposedly fund this decriminalization crap which is nonsense since the
fines would be collected with or without added funding

maybe koods can explain why DC needed more money to eliminate jail time
and fine people $25 for possession of marijuana since as I understand
things, fewer people in jail means less money spent on the jails and fines
mean more revenues.... ever wonder why this country is in so much debt?

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“The federal government has a unique relationship with the city of Washington, D.C.,” said Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla.). “We, the federal government, pay for the city’s courts, we pay to house their prisoners, and I think we pay for a few other things . . . so the Constitution says we have the power to exercise — in all cases — over this District. And that is what we do.”

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Illyabo said:

Decriminalization is the future of America

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TheGreenArrow said:

koods said:

Back in the late 90s, DC had a medical marijuana measure on the ballot. Some asshole Republican in congress didn't like this, and blocked the city from COUNTING the votes.

---

I think if you're still thinking it's a republican vs democrat subject you've missed the plot.  Without getting all on everybody can we at least agree that there are anti cannabis lobbyists fucking the legalization movement up right now.  Privatized prisons, the Big Pharmaceutical companies, Tobacco, textile industries...

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Prisoner#1 said:

TheGreenArrow said:

koods said:

Back in the late 90s, DC had a medical marijuana measure on the ballot. Some asshole Republican in congress didn't like this, and blocked the city from COUNTING the votes.

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I think if you're still thinking it's a republican vs democrat subject you've missed the plot.  Without getting all on everybody can we at least agree that there are anti cannabis lobbyists fucking the legalization movement up right now.  Privatized prisons, the Big Pharmaceutical companies, Tobacco, textile industries...

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no, it's a bunch of dickheads on capitol hill playing politics with the
media pushing their favorites.

maybe you can show is this anti cannibis lobby and it's strength, if you
believe that with fewer than 10% of prisons being privatized makes for
strength or that big pharma and tobacco isnt ready to capitalize on
marijuana then you're fooling yourself. as for the textile industry, it's
no longer in the US, there's some cotton but it takes little to move from
growing one to the other

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