Everything You Wanted to Know About the New Federal Marijuana Legalization Measures

Today, Representatives Jared Polis and Earl Blumenauer introducedtwo legislative measures that would end the federal prohibition on marijuana and permit for the regulated production and retail sales of cannabis to adults in states that have legalized its consumption.

Representative Polis’ legislation, The Ending Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2013, would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act, transfer the Drug Enforcement Administration’s authority to regulate marijuana to a newly renamed Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana and Firearms, require commercial marijuana producers to purchase a permit, and ensure federal law distinguishes between individuals who grow marijuana for personal use and those involved in commercial sale and distribution.

Speaking on the bill, Rep. Polis stated, “This legislation doesn’t force any state to legalize marijuana, but Colorado and the 18 other jurisdictions that have chosen to allow marijuana for medical or recreational use deserve the certainty of knowing that federal agents won’t raid state-legal businesses. Congress should simply allow states to regulate marijuana as they see fit and stop wasting federal tax dollars on the failed drug war.”

Representative Blumenauer’s legislation is aimed at creating a federal tax structure which would allow for the federal government to collect excise taxes on marijuana sales and businesses in states that have legalized its use. The Marijuana Tax Equity Act, would impose an excise tax on the first sale of marijuana, from the producer to the next stage of production, usually the processor. These regulations are similar to those that now exist for alcohol and tobacco. The bill will also require the IRS to produce a study of the industry after two years, and every five years after that, and to issue recommendations to Congress to continue improving the administration of the tax.

“We are in the process of a dramatic shift in the marijuana policy landscape,” said Rep. Blumenauer. “Public attitude, state law, and established practices are all creating irreconcilable difficulties for public officials at every level of government. We want the federal government to be a responsible partner with the rest of the universe of marijuana interests while we address what federal policy should be regarding drug taxation, classification, and legality.”

You can use NORML’s Take Action Center here to easily contact your elected officials and urge them to support these measures.

These two pieces of legislation are historic in their scope and forward looking nature and it is likely you have many unanswered questions. NORML has compiled the below FAQs to hopefully address many of these inquiries.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: Would this make marijuana legal everywhere?
A: No, but it would allow states who wish to pursue legalization to do so without federal incursion. Currently, the federal government claims that state laws which have legalized medical and recreational marijuana use are in conflict with federal law. It is under this claim that they raid medical marijuana dispensaries, arrest consumers, etc. If these measures were to pass, marijuana law would be the domain of the states. If a state choses to legalize and regulate its use, it can do so in the way it would any other product and the federal government would issue permits to commercial growers and sellers and collect tax revenue. If a state choses to retain marijuana prohibition, they may as well, and the federal government would assist in stopping flow of marijuana into the state’s borders, as transporting marijuana from a legalized state into one retaining prohibition would still be illegal under this legislation.

Q: What does this mean for scheduling?
A: Marijuana would be removed from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and be listed under Title 27 of the US Code, alongside the provisions for intoxicating beverages.

Q: What does this mean for Washington and Colorado?
A: Colorado and Washington would be empowered to continue moving forward with implementing their marijuana legalization laws and no longer have to worry about federal intervention. Once cultivators and retailers were operational in those states, Rep. Blumenauer’s bill would allow the federal government to collect excise tax from those commercial entities and issue them permits.

Q: What happens to the DEA?
A: The DEA would no longer oversee marijuana law enforcement in this country. Control of marijuana enforcement would move to the newly named Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana, and Firearms and the Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Bureau.

Q: What about home cultivation?
A: If you live in a state, like Colorado for example, that passes laws permitting citizens to grow for personal use you would be allowed to do so without running afoul of state or federal law. Federal permits and taxation apply to those engaged in commercial marijuana enterprises.

2012 High Times Medical Cannabis cup

Which came first, the lunatics or the grass?

Chronic City: After Further Review, Smoking Pot Doesn't Make You Crazy -- Blimey! By Steve Elliott in Chronic City Thursday, Jul. 2 2009 @ 12:59PM 089218402479.jpg oldies.com Which came first, the lunatics or the grass? The time-honored notion of reefer madness, given new life recently in the British tabloid press, has taken another hit from reality. Widespread marijuana use by the public has not been followed by a proportional rise in diagnoses of schizophrenia or psychosis, according to the findings of a forthcoming study to be published in the scientific journal Schizophrenia Research. It stands to reason, after all: If marijuana really led to psychosis, wouldn't the streets be choked with burned-out, gibbering potheads? Film director John Holowach, responsible for the documentary High: The True Tale of American Marijuana, wasn't surprised. "I've said it for years now," Holowach told SF Weekly. "If pot and mental illness were linked, the two should rise and fall with one another, but they don't."

Amidst a spate of breathless tabloid hysteria hyping the supposed dire threat from "Skunk," a potent pot strain, British lawmakers last year stiffened cannabis laws in the U.K. A team of researchers had fanned the flames in the July 28, 2007 issue of prestigious scientific journal The Lancet, proclaiming that smoking marijuana could boost one's risk of a "psychotic episode" by 40 percent or more.

In one fell swoop marijuana possession was reclassified from a verbal warning to a criminal offense punishable by up to five years in prison. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, ex-Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, and others cited the supposed 'pot-schizophrenia link' as a major reason for the giant step backward.

For the new study, British investigators at Keele University Medical School compared trends in cannabis use and instances of schizophrenia in the United Kingdom from 1996 to 2005. The research showed that even as marijuana use soared among the general population, "incidence and prevalence of schizophrenia and psychoses were either stable or declining" during this period.

The authors concluded that an expected rise in diagnoses of schizophrenia and psychoses did not occur over the decade under study. "This study does not therefore support the ... link between cannabis use and incidence of psychotic disorders," the study concludes, adding "This concurs with other reports indicating that increases in population cannabis use have not been followed by increases in psychotic incidence." The results of another clinical trial published earlier this month indicate that the recreational use of marijuana does not affect brain chemistry in a way that is consistent with the development of schizophrenia. "Should we expect an apology -- or even better, a change in policy -- from the Gordon Brown regime any time soon? Or at the very least, will some sort of 'correction' be forthcoming from the mainstream news media?" asked Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). "I wouldn't hold my breath."

Does Marijuana Cause Cancer - or Prevent It?

Last week’s Healthy Kids post about a new study that regular marijuana use by teens dumbs down their IQs later in life raised a ruckus. Our expert panelist, adolescent specialist Rima Himelstein, MD, cited research finding that marijuana use can increase cancer risk - a connection many commenters questioned loudly.

One commenter pointed out that some studies show compounds in marijuana may have anti-cancer properties. Another contended there’s no scientific proof that marijuana raises risk. Where’s the truth? Here’s what the research says: 1. Marijuana use is associated with higher risk for testicular cancer. In a 2011 study published in the journal Cancer, researchers from the National Cancer Institute found that men with testicular cancer were 2.2 times more likely to be regular marijuana smokers (daily or more often) then men without this rare cancer. A 2009 study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle found the same thing. Researchers aren’t sure exactly why, but note that “The exact mechanism of how heavy marijuana use might increase the risk of TGCT (testicular germ cell tumors) is unknown, however chronic marijuana exposure has multiple adverse effects on the endocrine and reproductive systems such as gynecomastia, impotence, reduced sperm counts, and suppressed testosterone.” 2. Marijuana more than doubles lung cancer risk. French researchers concluded in a 2008 study that marijuana users were 2.4 times more likely to develop lung cancer than non-users. And cancer investigators in New Zealand found that the heaviest marijuana users in their 2008 study had a five-fold higher risk for lung cancer compared to non-users. In general, they found that smoking one joint daily for a year raised risk slightly more than a pack-a-day smoking habit did. 3. Yes, some marijuana compounds seem to protect against cancer -- but others ding DNA and dampen immunity. Cannabinoids extracted from marijuana pushed brain-cancer cells to die faster in one 2009 Spanish study. And a 2009 Brown University study found lower odds for squamous-cell cancers of the head and neck among marijuana smokers. But that’s not a great reason to light up. In 2007, Canadian researchers found levels of ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, nitric oxide and other nasty chemicals in marijuana that were three to 20 times higher than in tobacco. The researchers note that while tobacco’s toxins -- including 50 that are cancer-causing -- have been studied extensively, those in marijuana haven’t. There’s plenty we don’t yet know.

But more is being revealed. In 2009, another team of Canadian scientists watched what happened when they added condensed marijuana or tobacco smoke to animal cells in test tubes. Marijuana damaged DNA more than tobacco did. And in 2010, University of South Carolina scientists found that cannabis suppresses immunity - which could leave users’ bodies under-equipped to fight cancer.

Soundrone, a seasoned pot smoker really loves his glass. So much so that he just got a brand new shipment in to dispense to all of you loyal potheads. Quality glass say's alot about your personality. Are you willing to throw in the big bucks for Thick, Hearty glass or are you a cheap chinaman smoking out of a tinky toy. Regardless of your earnings, Investing in quality glass is a neccesary for a medical marijuana patient. Quality glass portrays the message that you are serious about your medicine and are not willing to settle for less. Life throws alot at your glass. Do you want thick glass that will bounce off of hardwood instead of cheap glass that will shatter into a thousand peices?? I know what i want out of my glass. A bold hearty feel that is as durable as a transexual practicing Enviormental conciousness at 3 in the morning. I really dont know what that's supposed to mean but who cares? I doubt many people will read this far into my random rambling.

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