cannabisnews.com: It's Official: Governor Makes Marijuana Legal 
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It's Official: Governor Makes Marijuana Legal 
Posted by CN Staff on December 10, 2012 at 19:49:17 PT
By Dan Whitcomb
Source: Reuters
Colorado -- Pot smokers formally gained the right to light up in Colorado on Monday as Governor John Hickenlooper signed into effect a controversial ballot measure legalizing marijuana for adult recreational use in what proponents hailed as a "historic day." Hickenlooper's signature, largely a formality, made Colorado the second U.S. state after Washington to legalize recreational pot use, and put it on a possible collision course with the federal government - which calls marijuana an illegal drug.
"Voters were loud and clear on Election Day," Hickenlooper said in a statement released by his office. "We will begin working immediately with the General Assembly and state agencies to implement Amendment 64."The ballot measure, approved by a margin of 55 percent to 45 percent, amends Colorado's constitution to legalize the personal use and possession of up to an ounce (28 grams) of pot by adults 21 and over. It also allows users to grow up to six plants at home.Hickenlooper, a Democrat who had opposed the amendment but said he would respect the will of voters, had been required by law to issue the executive order, or "official declaration of the vote," within 30 days of certification by Colorado's secretary of state on December 6.His move, more than three weeks before the deadline, put the amendment into immediate effect without the pre-planned hoopla seen in Washington state last week when pot users organized a downtown Seattle public weed fest to begin the moment marijuana became legal there.Eighteen U.S. states and the District of Columbia have already removed criminal sanctions on the use of pot for medical purposes, but Colorado and Washington were the first to allow it for recreational use.The moves by the two Western states came in defiance of federal law, and experts have said that the victories by pro-marijuana activists could be short-lived if they are fought by the U.S. Department of Justice.Feds 'Reviewing' LawColorado law will ultimately permit cannabis to be commercially grown and sold by state-licensed producers and distributors, and to be taxed, in a system modeled after those used in many states for alcohol sales.For now, it remains illegal to buy or sell marijuana in any quantity in Colorado. But the governor ordered creation of a task force to recommend details of a sales-and-taxation plan for the state legislature to pass in the near future."This is a truly historic day. From this day forward, adults in Colorado will no longer be punished for the simple use and possession of marijuana," Amendment 64 spokesman Mason Tvert said in a written statement."We look forward to working with the governor's office and many other stakeholders on the implementation of Amendment 64. We are certain that this will be a successful endeavor and Colorado will become a model for other states to follow," he said.John Walsh, U.S. Attorney for Colorado, said in a statement that the U.S. Department of Justice was reviewing the Colorado and Washington measures, and that its "responsibility to enforce the Controlled Substances Act" had not changed."Regardless of any changes in state law, including the change that will go into effect on December 10th in Colorado, growing, selling or possessing any amount of marijuana remains illegal under federal law," Walsh said."Members of the public are also advised to remember that it remains against federal law to bring any amount of marijuana onto federal property, including all federal buildings, national parks and forests, military installations, and courthouses."Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Eric WalshSource: Reuters (Wire)Author: Dan WhitcombPublished: December 10, 2012Copyright: 2012 Thomson ReutersCannabisNews  -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml 
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Comment #24 posted by afterburner on December 15, 2012 at 06:54:36 PT
Podcasts are available NOW!
Podcasts are available now, since Friday, December 14, 2012 at the following link:The Agenda with Steve Paikin (Video) A podcast powered by FeedBurnerhttp://feeds.tvo.org/tvo/TxZN[scroll down to:]Marijuana: Good, Bad or Benign? Posted: Thu, 13 Dec 2012 18:00:00 EST 
[click]Play Now Both Colorado and Washington states legalized the recreational use of marijuana on November 6th. A recent poll suggests 65% of Canadians support the legalization or decriminalization of pot. While the jury of public opinion seems to be shifting on the issue, a recent study in New Zealand found adolescents who used marijuana at least four days a week lost an average of eight IQ points between the ages of 13 and 38. Just how safe is pot? The Agenda examines the psychological and physical effects of marijuana.
 Guests:Alan Young,Professor of Law, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
 Carl Hart,Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Psychology, Columbia University 
Kevin Sabet,Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Florida 
Harold Kalant,Professor Emeritus, Pharmacology & Toxicology, at the University of Toronto [scroll down to:]Ian Mulgrew: The Economics of Pot Posted: Thu, 13 Dec 2012 18:00:00 EST 
[click]Play Now Marijuana is estimated to be a $19-21 billion dollar industry in Canada, but no one knows for sure. It just may be Canada's most valuable agricultural product - bigger than cattle, wheat or timber. Journalist and "Bud Inc." author Ian Mulgrew joins Steve Paikin to discuss the marijuana industry in Canada and its loss of two big markets, Colorado and Washington.
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Comment #23 posted by afterburner on December 13, 2012 at 15:01:05 PT
RE #22 -- The link seems confusing
Marijuana: Good, Bad or Harmless; Economics of Pot.Podcast should be available tomorrow, Friday, December 14, 2012 at the following link:The Agenda with Steve Paikin (Video) A podcast powered by FeedBurnerhttp://feeds.tvo.org/tvo/TxZN [Do Not Click yet; Wait until Friday!] 
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Comment #22 posted by afterburner on December 12, 2012 at 23:42:14 PT
Brave Colorado & Washington Lead Global Rethink
[My comments are in square brackets.][Canadian media reaction:] The Agenda With Steve Paikin.Marijuana: Good, Bad or Harmless; Economics of Pot (First Aired: Dec. 13, 2012).
 
``The Agenda'' surveys public opinion and examines the psychological and physical effects of marijuana. Journalist and author Ian Mulgrew discusses the marijuana industry in Canada. [Toronto cable live viewing times:]Thu 12/13 8:00PM-9:00PM 710 CICADT    2 CICAThu 12/13 11:00PM-12:00AM 710 CICADT    2 CICA  
Fri 12/14 5:00AM-6:01AM 710 CICADT    2 CICA [For others outside Ontario viewing area, podcast of this program will soon be available on the TVO website:]December 13, 2012.High Times? http://theagenda.tvo.org/episode/186091/high-timesWhile public opinion seems to be moving in favour of decriminalizing marijuana, the medical jury is still out. The Agenda examines the pros and cons of pot. And, cash crop: "Bud Inc." author Ian Mulgrew on the economics of marijuana.Ian Mulgrew: The Economics of Pot Marijuana is estimated to be a $19-21 billion dollar industry in Canada, but no one knows for sure. It just may be Canada's most valuable agricultural product - bigger than cattle, wheat or timber. Journalist and "Bud Inc." author Ian Mulgrew joins Steve Paikin to discuss the marijuana industry in Canada and its loss of two big markets, Colorado and Washington. Marijuana: Good, Bad or Benign? Both Colorado and Washington states legalized the recreational use of marijuana on November 6th. A recent poll suggests 65% of Canadians support the legalization or decriminalization of pot. While the jury of public opinion seems to be shifting on the issue, a recent study in New Zealand found adolescents who used marijuana at least four days a week lost an average of eight IQ points between the ages of 13 and 38. Just how safe is pot? The Agenda examines the psychological and physical effects of marijuana.
Podcast - Check here starting Friday 2012.Dec.14
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Comment #21 posted by FoM on December 12, 2012 at 12:38:27 PT
The 121212 Concert For Sandy is Tonight
I think it will be a great concert and should raise a lot of money. They said it could go on until after midnight! http://www.121212concert.org/
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Comment #20 posted by FoM on December 12, 2012 at 12:35:29 PT
BGreen
We would love to have you come and visit next summer. We would love to hear your music too. Jerry's death was a wakeup call about not putting things off too long. We went to OgleBay Park in West Virginia to see the Christmas Lights and we had a wonderful time with my sister and niece. 
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Comment #19 posted by Hope on December 12, 2012 at 11:40:40 PT
Comment 17
We want them. I've been waiting a long time to hear your work.
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Comment #18 posted by BGreen on December 12, 2012 at 10:40:53 PT
Hope
I'm glad to hear you're feeling better.I know some things were a little ambiguous in my previous post. When I said we can't go back, I literally mean we as a nation will not go back. The young people do not believe the lies anymore. They have information at their fingertips and know how to use it. Romney and the republicans tried to take us back to a previous time but it failed miserably. If they would have been elected they still would have failed miserably because we will never go back.Yes, we have to still fight like heck to further our freedoms and part of that will come when the millions of partakers of cannabis come out of the closet like the LGBT community so bravely did. We are so close to that happening. There will be no way to fight against us. We will have a permanent victory when the fear of losing life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness over the cannabis plant is finally removed.We will never go back to slavery, we'll never take away the right for all citizens to vote and we'll never, ever see anything so morally offensive and physically destructive as the stupid war on drugs.My first thoughts are for all of the people responsible, including Nixon and Reagan, to rot in hell for eternity. However, my spiritual side fervently wishes for their souls to have been cleansed and that they have learned the lessons of the death and destruction caused by their hatred, megalomania and ignorance.Bud
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Comment #17 posted by BGreen on December 12, 2012 at 10:23:20 PT
FoM re:post #13
Yes, I heard about the terrible tragedy that happened to your friend. I then read the account in their local paper. It was so horrible. I felt so bad for his wife and also for you and Stick. You've been through so much with people you care about passing away.Mrs. Green and I will most definitely come for a visit. We wanted to this past year but our finances wouldn't allow it. I'm finishing up my demo tracks so I can market our band. I hope to have the vocals recorded by Christmas and they will be finished. Then we can finally start earning money from my hard work.You and Hope will get the first copies if you want them.Bud
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Comment #16 posted by Hope on December 12, 2012 at 09:05:47 PT
I do feel better.... Thanks guys.
Just needed to express how devastated I was at the moment at the thought that the amount of attacks against people, from dangerous and armed government agents, over cannabis, of all things, might actually increase again. And then, after I did, I thought I sounded pretty danged wimpy... and added that I was weak.... didn't feel well.I know we have to be strong. Very strong. Powerful, even. I had been reading here for a while, but when I finally posted was during the Rainbow Farm standoff.Oh my Lord. Prohibitionists are killers and they will kill people and risk their own lives over cannabis. That's insane.Makes me too sad. Makes me upset. Makes me furious. No we can never forget and never become too complacent. And I still live in a dangerous state myself. Although I really think it's gotten better... unless they are hiding the news of killings and military assaults, and attacks on people's homes and businesses in the name of a substance. Of course, arrests and raids still happen. But as long as things keep getting better... I'm good.
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Comment #15 posted by Had Enough on December 11, 2012 at 19:36:28 PT
Opps…
That should have been…re: Comment #4
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Comment #14 posted by Had Enough on December 11, 2012 at 19:25:44 PT
Re #5…Laws…
“”Summit County shrugs as guv signs pot amendment into law 
..."But the governor failed to include law- enforcement agencies in a state task force charged with making recommendations to lawmakers to help implement marijuana regulations next year. “We're going to have a concern about that,” said (Summit County Sheriff) Minor, who noted that officials who enforce state law might be at risk of federal prosecution."””So Sheriff Minor is concerned…about not being able to help make policy and shape laws…That my friends, is not his job description…Remember the phrase we all heard…”We don’t make the laws, we just enforce them”…and…”If you don’t like the laws, change them.”Well the people didn’t like the laws, and after a long fight against a stacked deck with the lawmakers and their enforcers, the people changed them…The Summit County Sheriffs’ Office, along with all other law enforcement agencies in Colorado should enforce the law…and that law is the law set forth in their state constitution…and to protect their citizens against all enemies…both foreign and domestic…************Thanks for the post GCW…I too have never heard of the feds arresting any state officials over this issue…just heard a bunch of noisy scare tactics…And congratulations to you and the people of your state…you and your people put forth a tremendous amount of energy to make this happen in your state…our state has a long way to go…but we are still trying…thanks for helping to open the door…That door might still be hanging on it’s hinges, but it is at the very least, wide open…and we must remove that door while we can still get at those hinges…
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Comment #13 posted by FoM on December 11, 2012 at 15:37:45 PT
BGreen
I am very happy you are my friend. Maybe this summer you will be able to make it up here to visit us. I just had a friend from near Tampa, Florida visit on his way to a hunting trip near Toledo. He brought his rottweiler and our dogs had a blast playing together.I don't know if I mention this or not. It was about a week after we lost my nephew from Muscular Dystrophy when we got a call from my husband's friends wife that he was killed during Sandy by a 60 foot tree falling on him. He had just retired 3 months earlier from 30 years of working at a foundry. They were planning on visiting in their motor home but now it will never happen. I don't like putting off things too much anymore.
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Comment #12 posted by BGreen on December 11, 2012 at 15:02:26 PT
Thank you, FoM
You and Hope deserve so much credit for your tireless fight. I'm really honored to call you both my friends.Bud
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on December 11, 2012 at 14:02:22 PT
BGreen
Bravo!
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Comment #10 posted by BGreen on December 11, 2012 at 13:45:14 PT
Feel better, Hope!
That's an order! :PThink about the past 30 years and where we were. Think about the "Drug Free Acts of 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, ..." Think about how they kept telling us that if they just got tougher the they would eliminate ALL illegal drug use in just a few short years. Remember during the first part of the last decade when Congress nearly made it illegal to even talk about cannabis and drugs. Think about where we were headed and then think about where we are.I don't really want to hear all of the same old negative BS about how the wrath of hell is about to drop on us either. That's old thinking and new thinking is taking over.It's obvious that there is a helluva lot of deprogramming to be done considering the government has spent hundreds of billions to brainwash the masses. Even with that expenditure, over half of the population is in favor of full legalization.We have won the war but we still have to battle the mindless warriors who, like many Japanese soldiers after WW2, are ignorant of the truth that they lost.We must unlock these chains that have bound us for so long. We have to stand up now that the door had been knocked down. No more negative thinking. Walk forward with our heads held high and deal with the negative if and only if it happens. We can never go back to where we were so we need to get used to it.The Reverend Bud Green
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on December 11, 2012 at 12:20:35 PT
Hope
I hope you are feeling better soon. I can't worry about what could happen. I know it might not be what most people want but if Romney had won both states would have been told to stop right away.
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Comment #8 posted by Hope on December 11, 2012 at 12:16:05 PT
Sorry.
I don't feel very well and that idea... of the Feds coming down hard... just devastated me for a moment.Sorry.Little PTSD over the war on people over illegal substances kicked in for a minute there. It has been very traumatic. All of it. Very traumatic and stressful, indeed.
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Comment #7 posted by Hope on December 11, 2012 at 12:00:34 PT
Oh please.
No pointing guns at people over marijuana. Please. No prison or busting into people's homes and businesses over marijuana. Please. No.No killer messages and messengers. Please. No.
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Comment #6 posted by schmeff on December 11, 2012 at 09:01:03 PT
Controversial Ballot Measure?
"Governor John Hickenlooper signed into effect a controversial ballot measure legalizing marijuana for adult recreational use..."The spinmeisters are still operating at full throttle. After all, how controversial can it really be? The ballot measure got more votes than Obama. Nobody seems to be making any noise about Obama's victory being controversial.As to the federal response, I'm afraid I'd have to put my bets on the Mike Adams' scenario. Obama will fight for corporate profits, not freedom. The pharmaceutical and prison industrial complex make too much money from prohibited pot. Obama can't buck the big money interests.
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on December 11, 2012 at 06:26:36 PT
Had Enough
I take anything that a conservative writer says about what Obama will or won't do with a big grain of salt.
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Comment #4 posted by The GCW on December 11, 2012 at 05:26:36 PT
Had Enough, #3
Summit County shrugs as guv signs pot amendment into law..."But the governor failed to include law- enforcement agencies in a state task force charged with making recommendations to lawmakers to help implement marijuana regulations next year. “We're going to have a concern about that,” said (Summit County Sheriff) Minor, who noted that officials who enforce state law might be at risk of federal prosecution."Cont.http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20121211/NEWS/121219986/1078&ParentProfile=1055-0-That statement is similar to what We've heard from a number of other states; fear that state employees will be molested by the feds if, if, if....But I'm not aware of any time where a state employee has been attacked by the feds for upholding cannabis laws of any kind in any state...
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Comment #3 posted by Had Enough on December 11, 2012 at 00:23:07 PT
Found in the comment section to that article...
Del Sharp · Top Commenter If sheriffs in Colorado follow the constitution, federal agents won't be allowed to arrest citizens in their counties. It is up to citizens to demand that the highest law enforcement officers in their county uphold the law, and inform federal agents that any attempt to arrest citizens will result in their own arrest.
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Comment #2 posted by Had Enough on December 10, 2012 at 23:46:07 PT
Mike Adams…Health Ranger…
That post was not to throw a wet blanket over the party or to slam Obama…I posted it because…He sent out warnings about the stock market collapse way before it happened…advised people to get out of the market…boom-boom…stock market collapsed…He sent out similar warnings about the real estate market…warned people to get out of the real estate market…boom-boom...real estate market collapsed…He advised people and not to invest in their employers stock and not to let the companies they are employed by to handle their retirement, 401K…etc…Many people not only lost their jobs…they lost their retirement funds also…If what he sees in the future is real…it is up the good freedom loving people of America to make sure the voters will is abided by…Take nothing for granted…and never give up…Quitters never win…Winners never quit…Peace…
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Comment #1 posted by Had Enough on December 10, 2012 at 23:14:27 PT
I hope Mike Adams is wrong...
http://www.naturalnews.com/038297_marijuana_decriminalization_Colorado_federal_government.htmlWarning to all pot smokers in Colorado and Washington: You are about to experience a costly lesson in federal tyranny and Obama betrayalTuesday, December 11, 2012by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger(NaturalNews) Colorado and Washington pot smokers are lighting up in celebration after having achieved a stunning decriminalization victory at the ballot box. Inhale while you can, my brothers and sisters, because Obama is already plotting how to re-criminalize your swag and nullify states' rights.Marijuana decriminalization, you see, was a states' rights victory that more or less flipped Washington D.C. the finger. From Obama's point of view, this simply cannot be allowed to stand because it would set a precedent of the tyrannical federal government "allowing" states to decide their own laws, separate from federal law. While the U.S. Constitution clearly encourages precisely such a structure, the U.S. federal government that exists today operates like a power-hungry gang of thugs who seek to crush anyone and anything that threatens to stand against it. There does not even exist the facade of respecting the limitations of federal government described in the Constitution.Mark my words: Obama, who is himself an admitted pot smoker, is coming after YOUR right to smoke pot.It will start with polite-sounding lawsuits. The federal government will claim total control of all individual activity under the "commerce clause" of the U.S. Constitution and pressure a few key federal judges to overturn state decriminalization laws.If, for some reason, that fails, the DEA -- which operates much like a pack of hungry wolves barely restrained on a short leash -- will be given the green light to start conduct armed federal raids in Washington and Colorado. The point of the raids? To send the message that the feds are still in charge, regardless of what the voters say.
A lesson in powerAll the pot smoking voters in Washington and Colorado are about to receive a valuable lesson in power. They think they have won a permanent victory for liberty, even if they don't describe it in those words. In reality, all they have done is antagonize federal forces of evil which are already planning a powerful counter-assault that will remind the slaves of America (the voters) who is really in charge.And why? Because if marijuana decriminalization is not crushed by the political forces in Washington D.C., then its very existence might encourage other states to decriminalize things like industrial hemp farming, holistic medicine or even raw milk. For God's sake, states might behave under the misimpression that they control their own destiny!On this subject, I've already published a list of five things any state could legalize right now in order to experience an economic golden age. Each of these fives things would require states to assert their Tenth Amendment rights to nullify the power of the federal government within the state's own borders. This is precisely what Colorado and Washington have done with marijuana decriminalization laws. They may not call it a "Tenth Amendment" initiative, but that's exactly what it is.Make no mistake that the federal government will use any means necessary to reverse this: Lawsuits, armed raids, false flag attacks, propaganda campaigns and so on. The federal government in America today is run by truly maniacal power-hungry criminals. Ron Paul calls Washington bureaucrats "psychopathic tyrants." There is absolutely nothing they won't do to enforce their fabricated authority over the states and the People.If it means marching into Colorado with federal troops and shoving rifles in the faces of small-time pot growers, that's exactly what they will do. For those of you in Colorado and Washington right now, do not suffer under the delusion that you are now free to smoke pot with impunity. You have merely achieved a reversible ballot victory that was only allowed to take place because the vote fraudsters were too busy stealing other elections (Prop 37!) to effectively defeat your marijuana decriminalization ballot measures.It is good that you did achieve that victory, of course, because now the real lessons in liberty will be realized. At this point, Obama has no choice but to show his vindictive double standard where it's okay for the President to campaign on the "coolness" of having smoked pot and inhaled, but his own voters who do the same thing will be arrested at gunpoint and incarcerated in federal prisons. And if you're black like Obama, by the way, your prison sentence will be double or triple that of white offenders.That's real tyranny, and that's the real Obama. Those of you voted for Obama and are enjoying your temporarily-legalized pot in Colorado or Washington are about to learn a very costly lesson in federal tyranny. Within a year, your states will be under assault by the feds, and your freedoms will be even further stripped away by the very President who campaigned on the idea that the government would listen and respond to the needs of the voters.Obama lied. The federal government doesn't want liberty in America; it wants CONTROL.DEA agents are right now salivating at the thought of identifying, targeting and raiding small-time pot gardens in Colorado. Those who flaunt their growing, harvesting or smoking will be the first who are targeted. Don't say you weren't warned.To learn more about state nullification of federal tyranny, visit:
www.NullifyNow.com Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/038297_marijuana_decriminalization_Colorado_federal_government.html#ixzz2Eiz9SDxf
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