September 25, 2012

"Federal authorities on Tuesday took legal action against 71 medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles County..."

"... part of an ongoing campaign to crack down on the establishments."
“Over the past several years, we have seen an explosion of commercial marijuana stores -– an explosion that is being driven by the massive profits associated with marijuana distribution,” said U.S. Atty. André Birotte Jr. in a statement.  “As today’s operations make clear, the sale and distribution of marijuana violates federal law, and we intend to enforce the law. Even those stores not targeted today should understand that they cannot continue to profit in violation of the law.”
That makes it sound — it's strange and yet familiar — as though what the government opposes is profit. Not drugs.

33 comments:

Brennan said...

Yes he did.

Now watch this drive. And, throw a few bucks in the till for a chance to drink with me.

- The President

Amartel said...

Haha. The push to legalize marijuana was, and continues to be, sponsored by big time pot businesses aided and abetted by a state government bureaucracy that loves tax dollars like Willie Nelson loves a joint. Get it? It's an addiction. Big Government and Big Pot don't care about the little guy, either the little guy consumer or the little guy start up business owner. That's who's being hosed down here, by the way. That was never the point of these laws. Suckers. The point was crony capitalism. Remember that when they hike the price. Again, and again and again. Annually. And don't think that voters will hesitate for one second to vote for more tax hikes on your precious weed. For the kids, of course. And now I'm gonna go all Crack on you and say, in advance, I told you so.

dbp said...

True potheads know that Obama is doing them a favor. The president knows from his days as a connoisseur of cannabis, that the risk of getting busted adds a real frisson to the experience.

Charlie Eklund said...

IN: Slandering profits.

OUT: Slandering prophets.

Look upon his works, ye mighty, and despair.

Charlie Eklund said...

And I mean despair.

Michael K said...

I can't get excited about medical MJ. I do worry about kids using it as it seems to accelerate or even potentiate a risk of schizophrenia. Since schizophrenia occurs for boys at age 18 or so and for girls at 25, after 25 it is probably harmless if used sparingly.

As Bill Bennett once said, it does tend to make you stupid but it is a free country.

edutcher said...

As I've noted before the whole "medical marijuana" thing is a crock, but it would seem this would alienate that base ol' Choomie wants to come out for him.

Tyrone Slothrop said...

There Obama goes, sending American jobs offshore.

Anonymous said...

High Fructose corn syrup or Alcohol are way more dangerous for the collective health of the population.

Pot has never been hard to get, just illegal since the last turn of the century.

Pot enforcement is one area where the poorer classes are persecuted more often. If you were to talk to economically poor pot users you would find that they are often over felonized by the legal system and have their lives pressed on much more. They are less likely to report themselves as victim of a crime.

reformed trucker said...

Uncle Sam just wants "his cut". Same reason they were hell bent on shutting down the roll your own cigarette shops.

Vices are a.o.k. as long as Uncle gets his.

Unless you're foolish enough to think they object based on some type of "morality" they don't seem to demonstrate in any other area.

purplepenquin said...

If there is one thing that both Romney and Obama beleive, it is that marijuana is more dangerous than cocaine. Both have made it very clear that they support the current policy towards marijuana, and Obama has even increased this War on Drugs to unprecedented levels, in both budget and scope of mission. Given Mitt's history of calling the police when he sees someone smoking a joint on the beach, I don't expect him to be any different if elected.

And nothing in regards to this issue will change as long as people keep voting for the same ol' same ol'....

Richard Dolan said...

The US Atty can only succeed if he convinces a jury to convict. Perhaps the good veniremen of LA will decide not to go along for the feds' pointless attack on a product in greater demand than whatever he's sellling. Just ask the Choom gang.

Richard Dolan said...

The US Atty can only succeed if he convinces a jury to convict. Perhaps the good veniremen of LA will decide not to go along for the feds' pointless attack on a product in greater demand than whatever he's sellling. Just ask the Choom gang.

Bartender Cabbie said...

waste of time and money. Local law enforcement should arrest the fed types for tresspass and disturbance of peace.

purplepenquin said...

The US Atty can only succeed if he convinces a jury to convict.

That assumes that charges will actually be filed, which may not happen.

The ObamaAdmin tactics so far are to have these large-scale raids, seize assets/property/bank accounts, but issue no charges. That way the operations are shut down but the President can still keep his promise to not prosecute medical marijuana clinics.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Hello. The Obama/Clinton/Democrat party is anti profit indeed. They want to confiscate as much profit as possible and feed it to the democrat machine.

Schools? Bridges? dams? nah. It goes to the corrupt democrat machine.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Paul Ryan stated recently that he would agree to abide by individual states rights on this issue.

purplepenquin said...

Paul Ryan stated recently that he would agree to abide by individual states rights on this issue.

He did say recently that, even tho his voting record indicates otherwise, but he then later backtracked on that statement and now says that he agrees with Romney that marijuana should "never be legalized"

Chuck66 said...

I support medical open container. See, some of us get bored and/or uptight while driving. The only thing to help us is sucking down a beer or 2 (or 3) while driving. So I support medical open container dispensories where I can pick up a Leinenkugel's Original to allow me my civil right to drive.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Actually PP - Paul Ryan can agree that it shouldn't be legal and also agree to respect states rights.
It's the collecitve left that detests Federalism.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Hillary Clinton wants to tax the world.
I'd like to know what the Clinton's pay in taxes and what they give to charity.

bagoh20 said...

So today there was a big stink at the L.A. city council meeting where they were considering reforms to public employee benefits. When a union president was done spewing (why are they all incredibly obese and disgusting) the one-sided crowd started chanting:

"We are not Wisconsin! We are not Wisconsin! We are not Wisconsin!"

Make room, Cheeseheads. I'm coming to town. So far, I've signed up 120,000 Los Angelenos to move to Madison the day after the election, and we will be hungry. That's a lot of fried curds, baby! Get started.

purplepenquin said...

Actually PP - Paul Ryan can agree that it shouldn't be legal and also agree to respect states rights

There is no doubt he can say both those statements, 'cause he did. But he can't actually beleive both of 'em, because they contradict each other.

Got to be one or the other, and his actual voting record clearly shows which side of the fence he falls on.

It's the collecitve left that detests Federalism

So when Bush went after the medical marijuana clinics, he was acting on behalf of the collective left?

bgates said...

But he can't actually beleive [sic] both of 'em, because they contradict each other.

No they don't. It's possible, at least for a non-progressive, to disagree with state law without thinking the federal government ought to overrule it.

Unknown said...

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arizona medical marijuana

Rusty said...

PP I would never had pegged you as a member of the choom club.

wef said...

That makes it sound — it's strange and yet familiar — as though what the government opposes is profit. Not drugs.

Competition and money. It's just part of the usual shakedown. What is strange? Does it need repeating? While we hope that it can sometimes be more, at its root a government is a protection racket.

Matt Sablan said...

"If there is one thing that both Romney and Obama beleive, it is that marijuana is more dangerous than cocaine."

-- Obama clearly does not believe that, as he avoided cocaine but indulged in marijuana.

test said...

That makes it sound — it's strange and yet familiar — as though what the government opposes is profit. Not drugs.

The Kinsley Gaffe.

prairie wind said...

The United States has millions of citizens who lost their right to vote when they became felons.

Who benefits from having those people out of the voting booth?

purplepenquin said...

It's possible(sic), at least for a non-progressive(sic), to disagree with state law(sic) without thinking(sic) the federal government ought to overrule(sic) it


I guess it is possible for a bgater to beleive that marijuana should never be legalized while thinking it should be legal, but most other folks understand that Ryan's two statements contradict each other.

When you look at his actual voting record, it is obvious that Ryan doesn't favor allowing states to have medical marijuana.

~~~

I would never had pegged you as a member of the choom club

Never paid any dues, so I ain't sure if I'm a member of your club or not.

~~~

Obama clearly does not believe that, as he avoided cocaine but indulged in marijuana.

Dunno about that, but he does support the official US policy which regulates marijuana as a more dangerous substance than cocaine.

Matt Sablan said...

Oh, he supports that primarily because he is intellectually lazy, it is easy to do, and is politically low-risk. It says nothing about what he believes except he believes he should be elected again.

purplepenquin said...

The supports that primarily because he is intellectually lazy, it is easy to do, and is politically low-risk. It says nothing about what he believes except he believes he should be elected again

'cept for the "again" part, that statement could apply to both Obama and Ryan, no?

I don't recall Romney flip-flopping on this one. He has always been in favor of locking up tokers...medical or not...hasn't he?