We are all familiar with the common attack. Democrats promote Federal power, Republicans promote State power. To some extent, this is even true. The Democratic Party does tend to promote federalism, while the Republicans tend to promote states' rights. That is to say, promote, their legislative and executive actions aren't always so clear cut, and especially the actions of the politicians (as opposed to the rank and file voters) tend to be a lot more blurred.

A new example has come up of the Obama administration now promoting states' rights over federal power, a reversal of the Bush administration position on medical marijuana. No law is being changed, only how existing laws are going to be enforced.

Basically, Obama has told the FBI that while they have wide discretion regarding which cases to pursue, that it was a waste of manpower to prosecute cases that were without a doubt in compliance with state laws that have legalized medicinal use of marijuana. Compliance is often easy to measure, since you would have paperwork on doctor prescriptions, or license to distribute, etc.

This is a case of basically saying that where the federal and state laws differ, go with the state law. This opens the door for more states to take similar actions on medical marijuana without fear of coming into much conflict with the Feds. It should also be pointed out that Obama has decided to pick an example where no one is being "hurt" by the state law. The distribution is regulated and licensed, not "criminal and violent," the use is for treatment of medical conditions. This does not impact other uses of marijuana, or illegal distribution, cartels, violence, etc. This also starts to place marijuana more in the class of other controlled substances which are legal with a prescription, such as morphine (opiate in the same class as heroine), amphetamines, etc.

What are people's opinions on this? The question of federal vs state law taking precedence, or the ability of states to violate federal statutes, is certainly not a new one. It is as old a question as the country itself, with prominent examples from slavery, to gun control, to now cannabis.

[link] for more information. I'd appreciate links to better articles.

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Vive la révolution libertaire, mon ~TBSchemer!

Thomas Paine wrote "The Rights of Man," not "The Privileges of Law Abiding Citizens That Aren't Brown People or Praying to Allah"

Another step toward the libertarian revolution! Hurrah!

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_{whoa oh
i'd cut off all my fingers just to touch you}

This is a rather refreshing change.

I'm not completely happy with Obama's administration in the least right now, but this is definitely something I have no trouble praising him for.

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The DA Music Forum - "You're too stupid to listen to music."

VIVA LA LIBERTARIAN REVOLUCIONNNNN!!!


ARRRIBBAAA!

:shoots the sky with guns:

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"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." -- Captain Picard

Yes! Guns! MANY GUNS!

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_{whoa oh
i'd cut off all my fingers just to touch you}

This just proves to me that when you take the Presidency you sometimes come home and sit down and say to yourself:
"The (insert opposing party) fuckin' hates me. (insert your party) Makes me look like a fool. The Media portrays me as a jackass. Iran is getting the bomb. Europe is sitting on their ass expecting me to be the Messiah. The world is going up in smoke and the only person that's got to stop it...is me...BOY howdy do I need a good smoke."

I betcha he just wants that one puff after a hard days work...wouldn't you?

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"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." -- Captain Picard

VIVA!

--
The DA Music Forum - "You're too stupid to listen to music."

sure do love guns!

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"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." -- Captain Picard

OH YEAH HEY I FOUND OUT WHERE THAT ICON IS FROM


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..
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Scroto Baggins

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"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." -- Captain Picard

Now he just needs a doctor to say he has glaucoma

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Vive la révolution libertaire, mon ~TBSchemer!

Thomas Paine wrote "The Rights of Man," not "The Privileges of Law Abiding Citizens That Aren't Brown People or Praying to Allah"