cannabisnews.com: Va. Lawmaker Proposes Selling MJ in Liquor Stores
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Va. Lawmaker Proposes Selling MJ in Liquor Stores
Posted by CN Staff on January 25, 2012 at 05:12:14 PT
By Anita Kumar
Source: Washington Post
Richmond, VA -- Del. David L. Englin wants you to know that he’s no pothead. The husband, father and Air Force veteran said he has never smoked marijuana — let alone inhaled — but he still wants to study the possibility of legalizing the drug in Virginia.Englin (D-Alexandria) has introduced a bill this legislative session that would create a group to figure out how much money the state could reap if it legalized marijuana and sold it in more than 300 Virginia liquor stores.
“All of the respectable people in our community who are secretly toking on the side are giving their money to criminals,’’ Englin said. “Over the years, a surprising number of constituents have said, ‘Hey, David, instead of raising taxes if we need more revenue, why don’t we legalize marijuana and sell it in the ABC?’ I figure . . . I would at least start the conversation.’’The District has approved marijuana for medical use, and in blue Maryland, Republicans and Democrats have introduced bills to expand a law that limits a defendant’s criminal liability for the medical use of marijuana. But Virginia has become more conservative in recent years. Progressive issues haven’t fared well. It’s not the “Virginia way,” as some legislators say.“We don’t see any laws passing in Virginia,’’ said Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. “We see it as a victory if [bills] are passed in one committee.’’It’s true that the idea has been met with some skepticism — and more than a few jokes.Legislators have been known to break into song on the floor (“Can’t you smell that smell? Ooh, ooh that smell”) or speak in a voice that sounds as if they have had a puff or two. Mostly, there have been a lot of chuckles.“It would boost ABC revenue, but if David thinks it’s going to pass, he’s smoking his own proposal,’’ Del. Robert H. Brink (D-Arlington) quipped.Delegates from the other side of the aisle aren’t quite so kind.“I could say criminals profit from robbing banks, too,’’ Del. David B. Albo (R-Fairfax) said. “They don’t want to make that legal, do they?” House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) said he ran into Englin in an elevator and told him that the bill would not go anywhere. But he said it with a smile. “The people of Virginia aren’t ready for that,’’ Howell said.Fourteen states have some kind of marijuana decriminalization law; 16 states and the District allow medical cannabis, according to St. Pierre.Last year, 26 states considered marijuana-related legislation, and he expects a similar number this year.Englin’s bill, which calls for results of a study by next year’s legislative session, has been sent to the House Rules Committee. No one — Englin included — expects it will go far.Englin said that he is not surprised at the response his legislation has received from his colleagues but that the e-mails and calls to his office are overwhelmingly in favor of the bill.“It’s a creative and provocative idea, so I’m not surprised by those kinds of reactions,’’ he said. “You’d be surprised at how many people who spend their days wearing suits and working in professional settings in the D.C. metro area and Virginia pull me over and whisper in my ear and say, ‘Great idea.’ ”For several years, Del. Harvey B. Morgan, an 81-year-old, bow-tie-wearing Republican pharmacist from Gloucester County, has proposed either legalizing marijuana or at least permitting its use for medical reasons — but with no success and more than a few snickers.Englin wants people to understand that the legislation is not his top priority. He has filed more than two dozen bills, including one asking the governor to petition the federal Drug Enforcement Administration to move marijuana from a Schedule I drug to Schedule II.“The bill is getting the respect it’s due,’’ Del. Timothy D. Hugo (R-Fairfax) said, laughing.Source: Washington Post (DC)Author: Anita Kumar Published: January 24, 2012Copyright: 2012 Washington Post CompanyContact: letters washpost.com URL: http://drugsense.org/url/6pAheqqsWebsite: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
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Comment #20 posted by museman on January 27, 2012 at 14:22:49 PT
runruff
"Capitalism is having a few fight their way to the top until they own our government." -IMO it should read; "Capitalism is having a few fight their way to the top until they THINK they own our government."Because the ones who 'own' the government, also invented the game of capitalism. They invented the whole idea of 'capital' way, way back. And they invented the process know in ancient times as "Usury" but known in modern times as "Banking" "Insurance" and "Credit."There is a reason why "Thou shalt not commit usury." is high on the list of Spiritual No-Nos. -though a 'lawyer' would be quick to point out that its not a 'law' so much, as in 'commandment' but more of the 'strongly suggested' variety (which in modern extrapolation by many 'lawyers' has led to many 'laws and ordinances' that favor those who play the game, and penalizes EXTREMELY those who don't.)A 'free market' uses the term 'free.' Freedom must exist before it can be applied to other things. It exists only within (as was put the other day) a 'Brave Heart' and greed, profit, exploitation, and enslavement are integral parts and parcel of capitalism and its brood of institutional and corporate offshoots.That's why compromising with those conditions, just for some political/legislative/lawyer table scraps -that describes just about every form of legislation that is done by the state and federal governments- is selling out liberty for a temporary comfort zone to appease the unconstitutional, corrupted government, who serve monsters, not people.Freedom is not for sale or barter. It is not something the government can give, only something they can try to take away -any way they can wag their sick, dying dog.LEGALIZE FREEDOM
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Comment #19 posted by FoM on January 27, 2012 at 07:03:47 PT
My 2 Cents
I am old enough to remember when blue collar workers could raise a family and only the husband worked. Insurance was taken for granted and people could afford to see a doctor. My father was an accountant for Western Electric and he told me never to invest in the stock market because it only benefits those on top. When did all this change because we never changed. He told me to buy a house and stay in it which we did. He said when you are a senior citizen your payment won't seem hard to pay compared to renting a house that would become very high because of inflation. The price of renting is way higher then we pay for our little place. He was a wise man and a steady man and I'm glad I followed his advice.
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Comment #18 posted by runruff on January 27, 2012 at 06:06:35 PT
How to Wok your dog! [a capitalist cookbook]
Capitalism is dog eat dog until one dog is left standing. It is starting and prolonging wars for profit. Capitalism is having a few fight their way to the top until they own our government. It is all wealth gravitating, generation after generation, to the same families and companies. Capitaism is stripping Mother Earth and violating her like she was a prostitute. Our nation was founded on a principle we call "free enterprise" with a level playing field available to all!
Capitalism is a game played by your Rockefeller's, DuPont's, Bush's, top cats on Wall Street and led by the greatest symbol of capitalism in the world, the UN-American, unconstitutional and friend to Bankers and Wall Street... the Federal Reserve, which is neither federal nor has any reserves. Capitalism is attacking free speech, has killed free enterprise and is holding D.C. hostage! In a dog eat dog world I have never acquired a taste for dog!
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Comment #17 posted by Hope on January 26, 2012 at 23:06:21 PT
Eric Sterling in the Washington Post
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v12/n075/a01.html?397DRUG LAWS ARE NO JOKING MATTER Regarding Al Kamen's Jan. 18 column " 'Reefer Madness' for the YouTube Generation": This article is consistent with my hypothesis that the rules of professional conduct of journalists or some style manual require that articles about drug policy include a joke about chips, brownies or junk food. Can reporters and editors be so humor-deprived that they always have to joke about laws and policies that every year put hundreds of thousands of cannabis users in handcuffs, give them a criminal record and cost hundreds of millions of dollars on pointless police overtime. Ha, ha, ha, "pass the chips"; I'm dying with laughter. Eric E. Sterling Chevy Chase
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Comment #16 posted by John Tyler on January 26, 2012 at 20:15:36 PT
it is only a study
It is embarrassing to see so many seeming intelligent people acting so willfully ignorant. This isn’t even about making cannabis legal, it is only a study to see how many millions of dollars they could make if someday it were legal. You would think they would be interested in an emerging industry that could employ thousands of people and make millions of dollars. It is a shame when ignorance wins. Virginia will be left behind again. They are always on the trailing edge.
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Comment #15 posted by afterburner on January 26, 2012 at 10:32:34 PT
Forgotten their History
"It’s not the 'Virginia way,' as some legislators say."Virginia legislators seem to have forgotten their state's history. Long term memory loss: maybe, they have killed too many of their brain cells by drinking too much alcohol."1619.
Jamestown Colony, Virginia passes law requiring farmers to grow hemp."
--Why is Marijuana Illegal?
http://www.drugwarrant.com/articles/why-is-marijuana-illegal/
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Comment #14 posted by FoM on January 26, 2012 at 05:23:36 PT
gloovins
Good song. I remember seeing it before but it is worth seeing again. Thank you. I hope all is well.
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Comment #13 posted by gloovins on January 26, 2012 at 02:58:48 PT
cool song here...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xvmlNJH4fU Song about the tree of life....
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Comment #12 posted by Paint with light on January 25, 2012 at 23:32:33 PT
hard drugs
One of the only problems with having cannabis sold in liquor stores is it might lead people to use hard drugs.Like vodka, gin, whiskey, bourbon and brandy.Legal like alcohol however is a good idea that will be here eventually.
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Comment #11 posted by observer on January 25, 2012 at 14:43:28 PT
The 'Virginia Way' - 1776 - vs Today
re: "It's not the 'Virginia way,' as some legislators say."True that. Naked oppression and corporatism are the "Virginia Way" these days. But hey, I think Virginia government still might bolt an 18th-century longhand (so it can't be read) copy (in small, illegible print) of the Declaration of Independence to the Freedom "Shrines" in government schools, there in Virginia. Or do they still? The embarrassment and hypocrisy might have gotten to even them - so they just edit out the unpleasant bits (like that ugly "independence" and any nasty "declarations" thereof), as they so often do. Such a startling, wide, obvious, salient gaping chasm between the ideas of liberty and freedom cherished by Virginians like Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, and on the other hand, the rank hypocrisy which comes to a head and is glowingly personified by the swarms of government officers eating out the substance of Virginians, today.Today people in Virginia government cynically trade on the names of Jefferson and Madison (for tourism dollars), paying lip service to liberty and freedom. But it's a hypocritical show. The swarms of government officers in Virginia today make the 1776 sins of a British monarchy pale in comparison.
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Comment #10 posted by The GCW on January 25, 2012 at 14:15:04 PT
The Consciousness Awakener
"They don't want to be made aware of other ways of thinking." -They would stop us from thinking if they could. -They tried to stop pople from thinking in the past.On top of that, they don't want to be exposed and get busted for being so damned. RE-legalizing the superplant would help put an end to a lot of bad juju.Cannabis prohibition and extermination is the Biblical root of all problems.
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on January 25, 2012 at 13:18:17 PT
Consciousness Awakener
Last night we watched what we consider was a good State of The Union address. You could see the hate from the right for President Obama but there was way more smiles then frowns. My husband said if they blew lots of cannabis smoke into that room soon everyone would be getting along and being way more reasonable. I said that's true because Cannabis is a consciousness awakener. Then I said that is one reason the right doesn't like Cannabis. They don't want to be made aware of other ways of thinking.
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Comment #8 posted by The GCW on January 25, 2012 at 12:05:03 PT
The smell.
Prohibitionists also like to dis the superplant's smell. They, "disdainfully sniff at it" "SIN OF THE PRIESTS" Malachi 1, 6-14)http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Malachi+1&version=NASBThey also like to say the plant (the table of the Lord) is defiled and to be despised.Cannabis prohibition - Biblically - is the Sin of the Priests.-0-Cannabis prohibition is the DEVIL LAW.
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Comment #7 posted by museman on January 25, 2012 at 10:31:00 PT
FoM
"The smell of death surrounds you." The irony here is that those who are mocking us with that song are obviously unaware that it is about them!But we know. Idiots!LEGALIZE FREEDOM
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Comment #6 posted by museman on January 25, 2012 at 10:28:16 PT
afterburner
"Such disrespect is not part of traditional Native culture: the medicine bag is proudly worn as part of daily life and as a connection to the healing forces of nature by members of tribes in North & South America, Africa, the Near East, Australia and Oriental countries."What's left of 'em.I have a deep connection to my 'original native' brothers. I was fortunate to be included in activities that were really rare for a 'white boy' several decades ago.Blood brother to the Hopi. Friend of the Dine' ('Navajo') Given the gift of the blue corn. I participated -as an observer- in the Snake Dance.My wife is part Osage and Cherokee.I myself "Sought the Vision" and found some very Sacred Ground, Powerful Magic, and a clear understanding of what is meant by the phrase; "Rainbow Warrior" and it only has a little to do with the 'Rainbow Family' and Gathering.I found my Spirit Guide, and I currently live in the land of that guide.I have two songs that exemplify this; (though all of my work is about the truth)Walking on the Earth -in which I recognize and proclaim the error of the white conquest, and the unrecognized, rejected honor and common sense held sacred and respectfully by the Native Peoples for thousands of years andThe Way of the Rainbow Warrior -in which I tell the tale of my Vision Quest, and what I found in a very Sacred, Secret Place.They both can be heard link below.First is in the "Fruits of Labor" album,Second is in the one under it, "The Whole"
Albums
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on January 25, 2012 at 10:19:43 PT
I Don't Like This Either
Can’t you smell that smell? Ooh, ooh that smell.The rest of it is the smell of death's around you. That can't be about cannabis.
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on January 25, 2012 at 10:16:53 PT
pot head
I don't think I have ever called anyone a pot head. I don't like using terms that make a person feel less important.
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Comment #3 posted by afterburner on January 25, 2012 at 09:49:40 PT
Pothead
I once met a native in Ann Arbor, Michigan, who said proudly that he did not smoke pot, he only sold it. I had a similar feeling of disgust. If it's good enough to sell, it should be good enough to smoke. If not, no respect!!!I am also offended by the recent use of "druggie" to demonize potheads. "Druggie" could be used to describe anyone who has ever been sick or used food or beverage that has a stimulating or relaxing effect on the mind/body.Pharmaceuticals, all the scheduled herbs and extracts, alcohol preparations, coffee, tea, chocolate: all are or contain "drugs." Be careful who you point at and call "druggie": three fingers are pointing back at you.Such disrespect is not part of traditional Native culture: the medicine bag is proudly worn as part of daily life and as a connection to the healing forces of nature by members of tribes in North & South America, Africa, the Near East, Australia and Oriental countries. ego destruction or ego transcendence, that is the question!
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Comment #2 posted by museman on January 25, 2012 at 09:29:26 PT
criminals
I think its quite revealing that the REAL CRIMINALS continue to claim that their lies, obfuscations, and 'moral imperatives' are true and right.The best way to ensure the acceptance of a lie, is to proclaim it publicly, loudly, and allow no dissent."Big-time negotiators, false healers and woman hatersMasters of the bluff and masters of the propositionBut the enemy I see wears a cloak of decencyAll non-believers and men stealers talking in the name of religionAnd there's slow, there's slow train coming up around the bend." -Bob DylanLEGALIZE FREEDOM
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Comment #1 posted by museman on January 25, 2012 at 09:19:32 PT
Bull
"Del. David L. Englin wants you to know that he’s no pothead"This kind of 'friend' we can do without.Should I stoop to the level this thug-in-a-suit occupies as if it were some 'decent' state of being?Hypocrite. Servant of corruption. Supporter of lies. Representative of Greed and Mammon. Support this idiocy at your own peril!I am a POTHEAD of over 40 years, and proud of it. I wouldn't be caught dead anywhere near such slimy bastards! They'd have to drag me in chains.LEGALIZE FREEDOM
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