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mpd
Lammen Gorthaur



Registered: 10/22/12
Posts: 9,660
Loc: Mostly at home... Mostly....
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Colorado Vows to Defend Pot Law from Other States' Challenges...
#20998333 - 12/19/14 10:32 AM (9 years, 2 months ago) |
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DENVER – Colorado's top law enforcement official promises to vigorously defend the state's historic law legalizing marijuana after Nebraska and Oklahoma asked the U.S. Supreme Court to declare it unconstitutional, saying the drug is freely flowing into neighboring states.
The two states filed a lawsuit seeking a court order to prevent Colorado from enforcing the measure known as Amendment 64, which was approved by voters in 2012 and allows recreational marijuana for adults over 21. The complaint says the measure runs afoul of federal law and therefore violates the Constitution's supremacy clause, which says federal laws trump state laws.
Colorado Attorney General John Suthers said the lawsuit was without merit.
"Because neighboring states have expressed concern about Colorado-grown marijuana coming into their states, we are not entirely surprised by this action," he said. "However, it appears the plaintiffs' primary grievance stems from non-enforcement of federal laws regarding marijuana, as opposed to choices made by the voters of Colorado."
The lawsuit says Colorado marijuana flows into neighboring states undermining their efforts to enforce their anti-marijuana laws.
"This contraband has been heavily trafficked into our state," Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning said at a news conference in Lincoln. "While Colorado reaps millions from the sale of pot, Nebraska taxpayers have to bear the cost."
Colorado has raised more than $60 million in taxes, licenses and fees from medical and recreational marijuana, which has been sold in stores since January.
The lawsuit says the sales have strained Nebraska and Oklahoma's finances and legal systems. Police are spending more time and money making arrests, housing inmates, impounding vehicles, seizing drugs and handling other problems related to Colorado pot.
Bruning, a Republican, blamed U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder for failing to enforce the federal law's ban on drugs in Colorado.
In a policy statement last year, the U.S. Justice Department noted it doesn't have the resources to police all violations of federal marijuana law. It laid out eight federal law enforcement priorities that states need to protect if they want to authorize "marijuana-related conduct." They include keeping marijuana in-state — something Oklahoma and Nebraska says Colorado has failed to do. The suit doesn't contain statistics to support the claim.
Law enforcement agencies have long said anecdotally that they are feeling the impacts of Colorado's legal weed, making more marijuana arrests and seizing more of the drug.
But there's no way to know exactly how much legal pot is leaving Colorado.
The Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area wrote in a recent report that the amount of Colorado pot seized on highways increased from an annual average of 2,763 pounds between 2005 and 2008 to a yearly average of 3,690 pounds from 2009 to 2013. The weed was headed for at least 40 different states.
Scotts Bluff County Sheriff Mark Overman, in western Nebraska, said Colorado marijuana is extra potent, making it worth more in his region and giving sellers a greater financial incentive to do business there.
"I think this is overdue, and I think other states should jump on board," Overman said of the lawsuit. "I'm very frustrated. I take an oath of office, as does every other police officer in this country. I don't just get to pick and choose which laws I enforce."
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper told The Denver Post he spoke with Nebraska and Oklahoma officials about their concerns.
"I'm not sure filing a lawsuit is the most constructive way to find a solution to whatever issues they are," he said.
Legal scholars say it's too early to know how the Supreme Court might handle the case or if it will even accept it.
"Right now, these regulations exist in legal no-man's-land," said Sam Kamin, a University of Denver law professor. "It's incredibly unusual for a state to be suing another state. (The lawsuit) certainly was a surprise to me given the movement at the federal level, which seems to be in favor of allowing states to experiment."
It was unclear if other neighboring states would take similar action. Attorneys general in Utah and New Mexico said they had no immediate plans to join the suit.
Brian Vicente, a Colorado attorney and legalization advocate who wrote Amendment 64, said the challenge is "political grandstanding" without merit. He said 23 states have enacted medical marijuana laws, and none have been overturned because of federal law.
"I think it shows they are on the wrong side of history," Vicente said. "Colorado voters passed this measure, and more and more states are passing these laws. If the attorney general has a problem with how federal laws are being enforced he should bring that up with the U.S. attorney."
Source: FoxNews ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All these law suits sound like sour grapes to me. What about you?
-------------------- There is no truer calling for mankind than that of true conservatism.
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Dark_Star
train driver pervading a desktop


Registered: 08/20/04
Posts: 31,859
Loc: Uranus
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Re: Colorado Vows to Defend Pot Law from Other States' Challenges... [Re: mpd]
#20998342 - 12/19/14 10:34 AM (9 years, 2 months ago) |
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Supreme Court probably won't even hear the case. Also, Nebraska & Oklahoma are shitstates. Figures that they'd be the ones whining.
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searching



Registered: 06/08/11
Posts: 4,128
Last seen: 5 months, 29 days
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Re: Colorado Vows to Defend Pot Law from Other States' Challenges... [Re: Dark_Star]
#20998377 - 12/19/14 10:43 AM (9 years, 2 months ago) |
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Nebraska and Oklahoma are like those kids in high school that were still brainwashed by dare and tell the teacher when someone is high in school. Fuck off Nebraska and Oklahoma, mind your own goddamn business.
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Dark_Star
train driver pervading a desktop


Registered: 08/20/04
Posts: 31,859
Loc: Uranus
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Re: Colorado Vows to Defend Pot Law from Other States' Challenges... [Re: searching]
#20998383 - 12/19/14 10:45 AM (9 years, 2 months ago) |
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Fortunately, like high school the teacher smoked weed at one point...maybe still does, and will tell the nosey-bodies to mind their own business.
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jewunit
Brutal!


Registered: 01/11/07
Posts: 34,264
Loc: Ohio
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Re: Colorado Vows to Defend Pot Law from Other States' Challenges... [Re: Dark_Star]
#20998426 - 12/19/14 10:55 AM (9 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
Dark_Star said: Supreme Court probably won't even hear the case. Also, Nebraska & Oklahoma are shitstates. Figures that they'd be the ones whining.
I'm surprised Kansas isn't in on it.
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DragonChaser
Ice in Her Ass and Pussy



Registered: 04/27/06
Posts: 7,212
Last seen: 6 years, 3 months
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Re: Colorado Vows to Defend Pot Law from Other States' Challenges... [Re: mpd]
#20998434 - 12/19/14 10:57 AM (9 years, 2 months ago) |
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Butthurt on a multi-state level.
-------------------- My name is Mud
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misterogerz


Registered: 06/07/02
Posts: 1,433
Loc: Gulf Coast
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Re: Colorado Vows to Defend Pot Law from Other States' Challenges... [Re: Dark_Star]
#20998441 - 12/19/14 10:59 AM (9 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
Dark_Star said: Fortunately, like high school the teacher smoked weed at one point...maybe still does, and will tell the nosey-bodies to mind their own business.
My art teacher knew Bob Ross, and I made a ceramic mushroom(cubensis) that was visibly accurate with colors closest with what I had to work with(slightly stained blue too) and a friend of mine made a mini bong body (without slide) used it as a roach killer. He was cool
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MinnesnowtaNice
FriendofHagrid


Registered: 09/18/13
Posts: 1,316
Last seen: 2 years, 4 hours
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Re: Colorado Vows to Defend Pot Law from Other States' Challenges... [Re: jewunit] 1
#20998446 - 12/19/14 11:01 AM (9 years, 2 months ago) |
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Wow this is ridiculous, hey Nebraska and Oklahoma instead of wasting time creating law suits for something as harmless as cannabis coming across the state lines, why don't both of you spend some time dealing with your states growing meth and heroin use, more meth labs per square foot in Nebraska than any other state.
-------------------- we are all thought forms in a cloud of synchronistic events.
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mpd
Lammen Gorthaur



Registered: 10/22/12
Posts: 9,660
Loc: Mostly at home... Mostly....
Last seen: 8 years, 8 months
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Re: Colorado Vows to Defend Pot Law from Other States' Challenges... [Re: MinnesnowtaNice]
#20998555 - 12/19/14 11:32 AM (9 years, 2 months ago) |
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Really? I didn't know that. Huh.
-------------------- There is no truer calling for mankind than that of true conservatism.
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MinnesnowtaNice
FriendofHagrid


Registered: 09/18/13
Posts: 1,316
Last seen: 2 years, 4 hours
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Re: Colorado Vows to Defend Pot Law from Other States' Challenges... [Re: mpd]
#20998582 - 12/19/14 11:41 AM (9 years, 2 months ago) |
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That's just what I've heard I could be wrong Maybe not per square foot but it's a big problem there. Hell it's a problem everywhere.
-------------------- we are all thought forms in a cloud of synchronistic events.
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aciddrop
Lich King



Registered: 07/08/14
Posts: 470
Loc: Hell
Last seen: 7 years, 10 months
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Re: Colorado Vows to Defend Pot Law from Other States' Challenges... [Re: MinnesnowtaNice]
#20998618 - 12/19/14 11:53 AM (9 years, 2 months ago) |
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They should quit being bitches and legalize it.
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abltsandwich
JFK = Jelly Donut




Registered: 06/16/09
Posts: 11,537
Loc: Dildoville
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Re: Colorado Vows to Defend Pot Law from Other States' Challenges... [Re: mpd]
#20999169 - 12/19/14 02:35 PM (9 years, 2 months ago) |
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So Nebraska and Oklahoma's failure to uphold their own laws in their own towns is now the fault of another state. 
Any authority can declare something illegal, but whether that authority can enforce the law is an entirely different task.
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Dark_Star
train driver pervading a desktop


Registered: 08/20/04
Posts: 31,859
Loc: Uranus
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Re: Colorado Vows to Defend Pot Law from Other States' Challenges... [Re: abltsandwich]
#20999360 - 12/19/14 03:27 PM (9 years, 2 months ago) |
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It would be hilarious if the Supreme Court would decide that anti-marijuana laws were unconstitutional, and legalized it federally.
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SunnyD
WiZarD oF LoVe



Registered: 04/29/13
Posts: 25,236
Loc: Planet earth
Last seen: 2 months, 16 days
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Re: Colorado Vows to Defend Pot Law from Other States' Challenges... [Re: Dark_Star]
#20999367 - 12/19/14 03:30 PM (9 years, 2 months ago) |
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Oklahoma and nerbraska can eat it!
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        And to everyone who thinks life is just a game, Do you like the part you are playing? This is the time in life I am living! And I face each day with a smile My music Library of Synthesizer goodness
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misterogerz


Registered: 06/07/02
Posts: 1,433
Loc: Gulf Coast
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Re: Colorado Vows to Defend Pot Law from Other States' Challenges... [Re: Dark_Star]
#20999377 - 12/19/14 03:32 PM (9 years, 2 months ago) |
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Yeah I was thinking shove legalization down their throats now like they forced all hemp farmers and such to give it up back when they outlawed it. Even people in dry counties can get booze after a short drive or so.
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