Stoners Against Legalization III – The Quest for Complaints
So you thought legalizing a half pound of marijuana would be enough to satisfy even the stoniest stoner?
Think again. Welcome to Stoners Against Legalization III – The Quest for Complaints. Yes, like 2010 in California and 2012 in Washington, the first, loudest people to bitch about the opportunity to end the criminality of marijuana aren’t the cops, but some of the “criminals” themselves. Try and guess whether they’re affiliated with medical marijuana in some way.
It’s a completely baseless and shoddily researched article. It figures it would come from some of Paul Stanford’s stoned band of Hererites, the medical marijuana “I Gots Mine” crowd. Besides the education-revealing incomplete sentences (“The bad news is, our initiative, the one by the people for the people.”) and homophone fails (“there intentions”), it’s just plain factually wrong. To wit:
“It puts more people into the legal system through fines and stricter punishments for persons under 21.”
NO, IT DOES NOT. It actually reduces the penalties possible for minors and reduces the chance of being harassed in the first place by ending the contraband nature of marijuana.
“It completely dissolves Oregon’s already existing “Oregon Medical Marijuana Program”.
ABSOLUTE LIE! SECTION 4. Limitations. Sections 3 to 70 of this Act may not be construed: (7) To amend or affect in any way the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act.
Furthermore, you get SECTION 58. Marijuana laws supersede and repeal inconsistent charters and ordinances. Sections 3 to 70 of this Act, designed to operate uniformly throughout the state, shall be paramount and superior to and shall fully replace and supersede any and all municipal charter enactments or local ordinances inconsistent with it. Such charters and ordinances hereby are repealed. – meaning that any of the current moratoriums or bans in your city or county are repealed and your city or county has to get a vote of the people to enact any new bans.
“It doesn’t legalize industrial hemp.”
IT DOESN’T HAVE TO. Oregon has already legalized industrial hemp through the legislature (ORS 571.300) and NAO in Section 80 further improves that legalization of hemp with (5) The department may not revoke or refuse to issue or renew an industrial hemp license or an agricultural hemp seed production permit on the basis that industrial hemp production or possession, or commerce in industrial hemp commodities or products, is prohibited by federal law.
“It’s the same bill that recently passed in Washington,”
COMPLETELY FALSE, other than the words “New Approach” that begin the names of both campaign organizations in Washington and Oregon. Otherwise, they are different groups, different people, different language (for instance, Washington banned home grow and has a per se DUID, Oregon does not).
“…and they’re paying up to 300% more per gram than when it was illegal”
THEY ARE, WE WON’T because we have wide-open licensing, will have plenty of supply, and don’t have Washington’s 25% + 25% + 25% + sales taxes.
“more taxes than CRRH’s bill”
WHICH DIDN’T MAKE THE BALLOT and besides, you think $35 an ounce tax, flat, one-time is a crazy tax? We’re talking adding $1.25 to the price of a gram.
“They are using the guise of “helping fund schools” a tactical and dishonest public relations stunt.”
TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT? New Approach Oregon IS dedicating 40% of tax revenue to schools, nothing dishonest about that… unless you think funding schools is inherently bad somehow.
You can wish for the perfect legalization all you like, but the fact is that money isn’t “buying the people” of Oregon, money is what is required to enact political change. Worship all you like at the altar of perfection, but without money, you’re just jerking off. Besides, Paul Stanford had his shot at perfect legalization in 2012 and failed spectacularly with 46% of the vote while Washington and Colorado were passing with 55%.
