New marijuana laws cause confusion
Both Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) and Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) have talked with either Attorney General Eric Holder or Deputy Attorney General James Cole within the past month, but have received no assurances of any progress, according to spokesmen for the governors.
A looming concern for the governors is that their states will spend a good deal of time and money in an effort to conform with the new laws — building a new tax and regulatory structure, incorporating the sale of marijuana into commerce laws and training law enforcement officers to test the THC levels of drivers — only to have the DOJ continue to prosecute criminal marijuana cases involving their voters.
“We don’t want to get so far down the road and then have the process stopped,” said Cory Curtis, a spokesman for Gregoire.
“If we’re stopped in the eleventh hour and we’ve already put in the money, which is several million dollars, we’d rather know on the front end. And for citizens, they should be able to know what the ground rules are,” Curtis said.
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Marijuana use causes confusion.
Pork-Chop on December 12, 2012 at 2:07 PM
So does smoking marijuana.
steebo77 on December 12, 2012 at 2:08 PM
Bet this is not said about Obamacare.
Jabberwock on December 12, 2012 at 2:13 PM
the deuce you say!
bannor on December 12, 2012 at 2:14 PM
BTW. These two govs should not hold their breath waiting on DOJ guidance.
Jabberwock on December 12, 2012 at 2:15 PM
And giggling… and munchies.
petefrt on December 12, 2012 at 2:15 PM
Wha..
What are we talking about ?
Jabberwock on December 12, 2012 at 2:29 PM
Dude, where’s my legislation?
CurtZHP on December 12, 2012 at 2:34 PM
How are the people who make the same, tired, pot jokes on every pot legalization thread not completely bored with themselves at this point?
libfreeordie on December 12, 2012 at 2:45 PM
Oh noes, the Weed Conservatives are gonna crawl out of the woodwork and opine on this crucial dilemma. Lol
tommy71 on December 12, 2012 at 2:47 PM
You know, you are correct.
Why poke fun at the users when we can all enjoy the political gymnastics we are about to be treated too by these States and the Feds.
While we are watching THAT circus evolve, potheads in Wash. and Colo. will be toking away as there effectively NO law.
On a more serious note ( see these threads are not all fun and games) I would like to see how these states handle MJ in the workplace. And how their solution squares with Fed rules.
Jabberwock on December 12, 2012 at 3:00 PM
There’s an easy fix to this, The Chicago fix, give a cut of the tax revenue to the Federal governemnt, and they’ll look the other way.
LincolntheHun on December 12, 2012 at 3:06 PM
Workplace tests should coincide with the blood, rather than urine, test that police officers will use to determine intoxication. It is possible to test for active THC in the blood, rather than the dormant traces that stay in the body for 30 days. An employer should not be able to fire you for using marijuana in your home and coming into work sober. Now if your performance is poor because you have a weed hangover (which can happen) or because you have a booze hangover, then you should be released for poor performance.
libfreeordie on December 12, 2012 at 3:07 PM
Sounds fair and easy.
And that is why our politicians will screw it up.
I am agnostic on legal use, but want to be clear on my obligations and rights as an employer. Determining this will be complicated.
Jabberwock on December 12, 2012 at 3:14 PM
“Weed conservatives”? I’m a Christian conservative, and I believe pot usage in your own home is between you and your God. I see no reason it should be anyone else’s business. And no, I don’t smoke it – they test at my place of employment. But I would, more than likely, if Alabama legalized it (I’m not holding my breath.)
By the way, I notice that old drinkers are the most obnoxious people in the world. And the odds they have at least once driven impaired are huge. Maybe they didn’t kill anyone (like the drunk woman who killed my stepdaughter) but they are still total hypocrites. And they don’t know when to shut up.
Squiggy on December 12, 2012 at 6:41 PM