Speaking of the Drug War

[Pergamos]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/27/us-drugs-prosecutors-defending-traffickers

The Guardian seems like it is usually pretty critical of the US establishment, and it seems to me that this could easily have been a simple moneymaking decision on the part of most former prosecutors now representing cartel members.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Well, that's one possibility.

I'm gonna back out of this thread, though, and let Cain do his magic.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Yeah, um, wow.

Got nothing to say the cynical can't already say for themselves.

[Cain]

There's nothing I can add which hasn't already been said by Omar Little:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te_U-Ukz1vY

Prosecutor: You are feeding off the violence and despair of the drug trade.  You are stealing from those who are stealing themselves from the lifeblood of this city.  You are a parasite who leeches off the culture of drugs-

Omar: Just like you, man.  I got the shotgun, you got the briefcase.  It's all in the game though.

Besides, they're only taking a leaf out of the playbook of all of those SEC guys and girls who, after spending a decade not pursuing charges against major banks, then end up working for them.  Possibly ironic, given that drugs money now supports international banking to a large degree.

[AFK]

This isn't all that new and it's happening on a local level where you have former sherrifs and lawyers aligning themselves with pro-legalization efforts and domestic drug producers.  Some of them may have actual, honest intentions of making things better.  Most of them, however, are simply looking to be on the side that gets them more influence, power, and money.

[Pergamos]

This isn't all that new and it's happening on a local level where you have former sherrifs and lawyers aligning themselves with pro-legalization efforts and domestic drug producers.  Some of them may have actual, honest intentions of making things better.  Most of them, however, are simply looking to be on the side that gets them more influence, power, and money.

I'd say pro-legalization efforts are lacking in money and power, so Sheriffs or prosecutors who jump ship to fight for legalization are probably sincere.  Drug producers and distributors on the other hand have a LOT of money, so I'm more suspicious of people who switch sides to defend them.

[P3nT4gR4m]

Make something illegal ... drive the price up ... make it a fucking awesome source of revenue ... pay the guys in charge of controlling it dogshit for wages ... go figure.

This is not the reason prohibition is fucking retarded. Just a fairly hilarious side effect. In a war on drugs the stoners will always win.

[Junkenstein]

Any "War" that aligns interests of law enforcement and drug barons is doomed to run for perpetuity really.

Any lawyer here pulling the legalisation routine I would suspect to be doing so as A) it will never occur and B)will drive more cash to prohibition efforts.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I am fairly sure that pot is going to be legalized here this year.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Speaking of which I just sent an email to my rep, a family friend I've known all my life, supporting Blumenauer's legalization and taxation bill.

[Don Coyote]

Speaking of which I just sent an email to my rep, a family friend I've known all my life, supporting Blumenauer's legalization and taxation bill.

soon all of the left coast will be a hazy dystopia

[AFK]

Holder is supposed to be coming out soon with how the Federal government is going to handle Washington and Colorado.  When I was in DC a couple of weeks ago, the talk was pretty tough.  They have absolutely no intention of wasting resources on the individual users.  However, the people I talked to made it pretty clear they have no intentions of letting states make money off of the sale of what they still consider to be an illicit drug. 


But, at the same time, I wouldn't be surprised to see them back off that stance.


Meanwhile, the battle line has been drawn here in Maine with a Portland Rep introducing a legalization bill.  Which should be pretty soundly defeated in the legislature.  I know I plan to go to testify.  If/when it goes out to voter referendum it will be a different ball game and I predict at that time it will probably (narrowly) pass.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I misspoke... Blumenauer's bill is not the legalization and taxation one, it's a Federal bill to make it legal for states to legalize medical marijuana. The proposal for legalization and taxation in Oregon is a separate matter.

Obama has made a statement that he doesn't think fighting legalization in states where it has been voted in is an appropriate use of Federal resources.

[East Coast Hustle]

I dunno, I hear there's tough talk.

[AFK]

All I know is I heard the #'s 1, 2, and 3 tell me that as long as it is illegal, they plan on enforcing Federal law.  Of course, that was before sequestration.


Rep. Pingree backs the marijuana de-federalization bill as well as the bill that attempts to resolve the state/federal conflict for medical marijuana.  But I think both will likely fail miserably given the GOP control of the House, and I think even your blue-dog Dems will vote against the bills.  It will basically be a coalition of the GOP libertarians and the liberal Democrats that will attempt to pass the bills but the numbers just won't be there.