October 16, 2010

Correct and stupid are not mutually exclusive positions

Some background: Okay, you may have heard that here in California, we have a ballot proposition (Prop. 19) that would essentially make it legal for adults to possess a certain quantity of marijuana (I believe it's an ounce) for personal use. (More on my personal views on that later.)

The DOJ released a memo on Thursday, wherein Eric Holder stated,

"We will vigorously enforce the (federal law) against those individuals and organizations that possess, manufacture or distribute marijuana for recreational use, even if such activities are permitted under state law."

Okay, since it's really, really long, the rest is below the fold...
Correct: This ballot measure seems to be ridiculously unconstitutional, seeing as how federal law (whether you like it or not) currently takes precedence (sorry if I'm not using the correct legal terms here, but I'm not a Law-Talkin' Guy) over state law. I'm hardly an expert on Constitutional Law, but I don't think our system is set up so that the voters of one particular state can just say, "Hey, let's not have this federal law not apply to us anymore, thanks," without going through the court system to determine that the federal statute in question is unconstitutional.

Interesting side note—I saw a Prop. 19 advocate on the local news Friday evening saying that this was a "States Rights" issue. Funny how that term is a racist codeword, except when it isn't.

Stupid: While the Obama/Holder DOJ is technically correct in issuing this memo, could they have picked a fucking stupider time to do so, as far as the politics of the matter are concerned?

I mean, I'm not really confident that Fiorina can ultimately defeat Boxer or that the mouth-breathers who make up the electorate here remember what a fucking disaster Jerry Brown was the last time he was Governor, but both races are tight, and without Barry on the ticket, it would kind of help to motivate the left-leaning "youth vote" to turn out. Instead, we have the O-ministration saying, in effect, "Fuck you."

From my experience (by which I mean my entire adult life here) the "moderates" and "independents" in this state also tend to lean left on "social issues," so this doesn't pick up votes there, either.

Here's a chance for a state full of leftists to stand up to the Feds (probably meaninglessly, I should reiterate) and say that weed should be legal, and the guy the lefty voters in one of the Bluest of the Blue States voted for comes out just before the election and kicks them in the nuts.

Why the hell didn't they do this after the election, instead? That would have no effect on any part of their liberal base, as far as this November is concerned!

But, no. Unforced error.

My promised personal view (like you give a shit): Marijuana should be legal. It should be sold to adults who buy it at convenience stores at the same time that they buy malt liquor and cigarettes.

They could buy it and pay sales taxes on it, and we wouldn't have to pay to incarcerate them for having a joint in their pocket. They could buy it legally, and that would take money out of the pockets of the heads of Mexican drug gangs.

That said, I'll be voting against Prop.19. You can't say that something like marijuana is legal without making its overall distribution network part of the legal system. Even if the proposition is passed, criminals will continue to dominate the system of distribution.

Still, it's satisfying on a personal level to see that Obama is fucking over the very stoners who put him in the Oval Office.

Suck it. Suck it dry.


Posted by: Sean M. at 04:54 AM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
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