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Chronicle AM: MPP Gets New Director, Ontario Pot Shops to Be Private Not State-Run, More... (8/14/18)

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #1032)

The Marijuana Policy Project picks a veteran criminal justice advocate as its new head, Canada's most populous province makes a last-minute switch from state-run to privately-run pot shops, and more.

Marijuana Policy

Marijuana Policy Project Names New Head. The nation's most well-funded marijuana advocacy group has named Steve Hawkins as its new executive director. Hawkins previously served as the executive director of Amnesty International USA, executive director of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and executive vice president of the NAACP. "Steve has a strong track record in the field of criminal justice reform, and he knows how to build a movement toward meaningful social change," said Troy Dayton, the chair of MPP's board of directors. "We were not only impressed by his expertise and experience, but also his strong convictions regarding the injustice of marijuana prohibition." Hawkins replaces Rob Kampia, who had led the group since its founding in 1995. Kampia resigned late last year and now runst a consulting group called the Marijuana Leadership Campaign.

Medical Marijuana

Michigan Lawmakers Call on Governor to Prevent Shutdown of Unlicensed Dispensaries. Temporarily operating dispensaries have permission to stay open until September 15 as they try to obtain state licenses, but a group of state legislators says the state is moving too slowly with licensing and are asking Gov. Rick Snyder (R) to prevent the Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation from sending out cease and desist orders to unlicensed businesses on September 16. More than 637 businesses have applied for licenses, but only 16 have been issued so far, and there is only one more licensing board meeting before the deadline. The legislators are calling for the deadline to be extended so patients aren't left in the lurch.

International

Ontario Suddenly Switches from State-Run Marijuana Stores to Private Ones. Canada's most populous province has at the last minute discarded plans for state-run pot shops in favor of allowing private businesses to run the stores and allowing consumers to purchase marijuana online for delivery. The late switch means people in Ontario will not be able to go to pot shops when they become legal nationwide on October 17, but will now have to wait for the province's new target date of April 1, 2019. But online sales will begin on day one.

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Comments

Dain Bramage (not verified)

Here's what is fucking with me: Truth matters.
 
Trump supporters who say they support marijuana legalization... Well, they don't.  It's simply not possible.
 
Look, I had math anxiety as a kid.  But I learned, eventually, that the answers were objective, and that it wasn't personal.  The math wasn't out to get me, or frustrate me.
 
Then as a teen, I encountered Reefer Madness.  Having reached the age of reason, I said, "Didn't we already cover this?  Facts matter, right?"
"Not in this case," I was told.  "Just believe what we tell you."
 
That's when the dain bramage first started.  Because, you see,  IT WAS THE LIES THAT MADE MARIJUANA PROHIBITION WRONG IN THE FIRST PLACE!!  IF THE LIES HAD ALL BEEN TRUE,  THEN I WOULD HAVE AGREED WITH THE REASONING, AND GONE ALONG WITH MARIJUANA  PROHIBITION!
 
Fast forward to 2016.
Now, along comes Traitor Trump, and his entire UNIVERSE of "alternative facts."
 
Now, we've got a contradiction incarnate: the pot-smoking Trump supporter.  They say they support marijuana legalization... But they can't.  They don't.  They may think they do... but they are mistaken.  It's simply not possible.  Maybe they're lying; or, maybe they're crazy... who knows.  But those two positions are fully incompatible.
 
"Now hold on just one minute," you might say!   "I hate Trump as much as the next decent and compassionate human being; but I also happen to know actual, real people who voted for Trump, AND who voted for the marijuana legalization initiative on the very same ballot!  Explain that!"
 
Okay.  What I am saying is, said voters are in a state of conflict.  They are taking on two contradictory positions.  It is not only that the Republican party has always been, in my lifetime, actively and aggressively opposed marijuana legalization.  It's also that, right now, the Republican Party is presently the Party of Trump.
 
And..
Trump is a Putin operative.  
 
And...
The Republican Party openly covers for Trump's treason.
 
That makes the Republican Party the party of Putin.  And THAT makes the Republican Party, not only treasonous, but FASCIST as well.
 
Now, back to the pot-smoking Trump supporter.
Sure.  Anybody can claim to hold two contradictory statements.  Anybody can claim that 2+2=5, too, and for the very same reason: freedom of speech!
 
But here is why they are full of shit: It may be only a case of hypocricy, or self-deception, or some other mental malfunction... Until they step into the voting booth.
 
But at that point, in the voting booth, one position takes precedence over the other position, and the net result is this: A vote for Trump, or any Republican, is a vote for Fascism.  And a vote for Fascism will always takes precedence over a vote for marijuana legalization, even if both issues "win" at the ballot box.
 
That is because if both ballot issues "win", Fascism can, and will, destroy marijuana legalization; but marijuana legalization cannot, and will not, destroy Fascism.  Marijuana Legalization requires a democracy!  And a democracy is something that Fascism does not permit.
 
Marijuana Legalization and Fascism are mutually exclusive.  Authoritarian permission, or tolerance, is NOT equivalent to legalization, because it is not based on any valid legal principle -- only the whims and moods of "Our Dear Leader"... In this case, a fucking scumbag of a wanna-be dictator like Traitor Trump.
 

Nietzsche said 

"I’m not upset that you lied to me, I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you."
 
I say again, Truth matters.
 
...the price we will pay for being wrong is that there will be a crackdown -- and don't lie, we all saw it coming from a mile away.  Trump, Sessions, McConnell, the whole lot of them -- all rabid prohibitionists with no respect for Truth. You may buy their "hemp-friendly"  marketing, but not me, buddy! 
 
Trump and the Republicans must be stopped.
Republican pot-smokers need to abandon the Republican Party!
 
...And if we fail?  Then History will say "Stupid Fucking stoners.  Trump and Putin played them for suckers, and they fell for it.  Such obvious lies, too... tsk, tsk, tsk.  I guess pot really does make you stupid."
And, perhaps, "Once the legalizers got a taste of power, all principle went out the window, didn't it?  Well, now we have a fascist authoritarian crackdown.  I guess they all got what they deserved!"
 
Poll:I support marijuana legalization because:
A) marijuana prohibition is unjust, inhumane, and founded on lies.
B) My white privilege entitles me to legal weed.
C) I look out for Number One
D) I do not support marijuana legalization.
Tue, 08/14/2018 - 10:25pm Permalink

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