Rep. Peter Buckley throws support behind legal pot measure
MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) — A prominent state lawmaker has given his support to Measure 80, an initiative that would legalize marijuana.
State Rep. Peter Buckley has served as co-chairman of the Legislature's Ways and Means Committee for the past two sessions.
The Ashland Democrat told the Mail Tribune newspaper he supports regulating marijuana in a manner similar to the regulation of alcohol under the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. Legalization would take the "black market" out of Oregon, he said.
Oregon voters will decide this November on the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act. The measure would legalize, regulate and tax marijuana consumed by adults.
Buckley said medical marijuana, which the state already allows, has legal loopholes that have frustrated law enforcement and led to abuse.
"I do think it's a problem with some medical marijuana growers," he said. "They've gotten greedy."
According to the YES on 80 campaign, legalizing marijuana could save $60 million annually in law enforcement costs. Taxing it could bring in an extra $140 million. Under the proposal, marijuana would be purchased through state-run stores.
Even if the law is passed, the federal government might question Oregon's authority to legalize the drug. But Buckley said the national debate could change if enough states follow Oregon's lead.
"Hopefully, the federal government will see the light," he said.
State Rep. Dennis Richardson, R-Central Point, co-chaired with Buckley the powerful Ways and Means Committee. He doesn't support legalizing marijuana but said the state needs a rational debate about whether it wants to legalize cannabis or start cracking down on violations.
Like Buckley, he finds the current medical marijuana law flawed.
"It is basically legalization through a back-door approach," Richardson said.
Though Measure 80 would add tax dollars to the financially challenged state, Richardson said he's reluctant to create a new bureaucracy to track the process and is wary of creating another "sin tax."
Neither Buckley nor Richardson has a medical marijuana card.
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Information from: Mail Tribune, http://www.mailtribune.com/
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
Yes, one more thing, this country was founded on individual sovereignty with freedom to oneself. Prohibiting that individual sovereignty is a great dishonor and treachery to what freedom truly means. Issue after Issue people complain about the details but are unable to see the larger picture and great risk of losing ones freedom and the sting of what prohibiting individual sovereingty really means.Â
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What one does to oneself is that individuals freedom alone when unaffecting others, when lines are crossed and authorities tell "we the people" that we are no longer capable of the charge over our own faculties is when our freedom is void.Â
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Here is a lovely quote from the late Carl Sagan an avid consumer of cannabis and an incredibly successful Astronomer, Cosmologist and a orator for science/reason.
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âArguments from authority carry little weight â authorities have made mistakes in the past. They will do so again in the future. Perhaps a better way to say it is that in science there ar no authorities; at most, there are experts.â
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The Science, in so many ways - shows this is a plant that has enormous potential in helping people have a better life; for anyone to impose and infringe on a dying consumer of this plant is a very disgusting sadistic individual. One further, for anyone to impose and infringe on a healthy consumer of this plant is some one who is set on controling individual sovereignty and wishes to see your freedom void.
Its not just about people getting "stoned"! The plant has MANY other uses, including - textiles, food, building materials, fuel, etc.  Cannabidiol (CBD) is a major constituent of medical cannabis. Cannabidiol has been shown to relieve convulsions, inflammation, anxiety, cough, congestion and nausea, and it INHIBITS CANCER CELL GROWTH. Recent studies have shown cannabidiol to be as effective as atypical antipsychotics in treating schizophrenia. Because cannabidiol relieves the aforementioned symptoms, cannabis strains with a high amount of CBD may benefit people with multiple sclerosis, frequent anxiety attacks and Tourette syndrome.
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Various cannabinoids - including THC and CBD - have been shown to selectively target and eliminate malignant cells and cancerous tumors.
Why would the State want more pot addicts around.
Its not addictive, but people that have addictive tendencies may consume it. Please try for once to bring something to a conversation - instead of your baseless questions.
We need to end the scourge of this drug that causes people to assault others, kill people with their cars, is a factor in half of all rapes and destroys people's internal organs. Â
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Wait a sec, I have alcohol confused with marijuana.   Marijuana just makes people lazy. Â
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Carry on then!
 It doesnât make people lazy, lazy people may smoke it from time to time but there is also large group of successful, intelligent, responsible consumers of cannabis. These people you donât hear about and to be honest the numbers of them would probably astound you.
>State Rep. Dennis Richardson, R-Central Point, co-chaired with Buckley the powerful Ways and Means Committee. He doesn't support legalizing marijuana but said the state needs a rational debate about whether it wants to legalize cannabis or start cracking down on violations.
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Truer words are seldom spoken by an elected official, Mr Richardson.Â
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The fact of the matter is this, according to the DEA mj is an illegal narcotic. The federal government has already shown that they are perfectly willing to superceed state authority and raid mj growers, distributors and sellers without state knowledge and/or participation.Â
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At some point, this (like so many other state-by-state issues) is going to have to be resolved at a federal level. As our federal government is currently bought and paid for, er rather.... allows corporations to utilize 'free speech' in order to 'gain access to' elected representatives, I sincerely doubt there is any major federal revision coming down the pike.Â
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Couple that reality with the fact that all state supreme courts who have taken up a case have found in favor of it being legal, despite state laws, for companies to deny employment due to UA's showing up with mj in them. The whole 'legalize/decriminalize' vote is dramatically overrated in it's significance and importance.Â
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Please note; I am actually a supporter of decriminalizing mj use. It's just that the whole state-by-state approach is moot in light of federal laws.Â
@MarkKpic I disagree that its moot, state by state renuciation of the prohibition of alcohol occured. Not to mention other initiatives like the civil rights movement in North Carolina and Alabama and now six state governements, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, and New Hampshire recognize same-sex marriages despite the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
 @OliverNicholas  @MarkKpic Fair enough. My statement of it being a moot point is in reference to the net effect of legalizaiton/decriminalization on peoples day to day lives.Â
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As the laws/courts see it now, you still can be denied a job if you test positive.
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People who grow & sell MJ can still be raided & have their products destroyed by the DEA, legally.
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Driving across state lines (even if it's legal in both states) with amounts over 1oz can still result in federal drug transporting charges.Â
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You can still be denied treatment options for medical conditions ranging from pain management to psychological medications if you test positive for MJ.Â
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Your parole/probation can still be revoked if you test positive for MJ.Â
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All of these examples are based on federal jurisdiction, irrelevent of state laws regarding MJ.Â
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I do firmly believe that MJ needs to be removed from Federal criminalization. Both because of it's viable use in medical procedures, and because it's a naturally occuring plant. A plant that, in an processed form, can be used for it's desired purpose.Â
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But, again, until/unless the Federal government changes the DEA classification of MJ, or removes it completely from the controlled substances list, about the only real change if OR legalizes/decriminalizes it is that the local cops are less likely to harass users. Between the pharmecutical and alcohol industries lobbies, it's highly unlikely that there's any changes coming any time soon to Federal laws regarding MJ.
@MarkKpic You make some good points.  Most up hill battles with the always trailing federal government are usually never pretty, some people get hurt at the expense of saving everyones liberty, its too bad it has to be this way but unfortunately we dont learn from our mistakes, or I say we learn very little.
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 @2nd Baseman I'm a pot user, I make big bucks at my job, raised a family and volunteer im my community. Most of my friends use as well. We think of it as wine - without the hangover.Â
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I represent the vast majority of users.
 @Red Five  @2nd Baseman Yup.
I found a pipe and a sandwich bag with probably about a half ounce of the stuff this last weekend in plain view on a small beach along the Deschutes River. I turned it in to the rafting company and it probably is in a lost and found in Maupin.  What I want to know is how someone could forget/lose something like that.Â
 @Dirtman I'm sure it's still in the lost and found.
 @Dirtman Obviously by smoking too much of it.
All this law would do is cause more pot addicts to exist.
@sortbait pot addicts...hahahahaha
 @sortbait and that differs from alcoholics how????
"I think we should legalize marijuana in this country, so potheads have nothing to talk about ever again" - Daniel Tosh.
Just legalize everything and be done with it. The losers will die out on their own.
Imagine that....
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http://www.registerguard.com/web/updates/28770617-55/agents-federal-marijuana-medical-raided.html.csp
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Oregon medical marijuana operation raided by federal agents
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Federal agents have raided the medical marijuana operation of James Bowman, the man widely considered to be the largest and most outspoken grower in the state.
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents raided the High Hopes Farm in Jackson County on Tuesday morning.
Bowman is a fixture in Southern Oregonâs medical marijuana community.
He told The Associated Press in April that he would grow about 400 plants this year for 200 patients. He said he wanted to minimize the risk of coming under scrutiny by authorities who wonder what he does with the excess.
The U.S. Attorneyâs Office in Portland declined to comment on the raids, saying only that federal drug agents executed search warrants as part of an investigation.
I'm all for it too but I don't think it will eliminate the black market if they tax the hell out of it.Â
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Also, if it becomes "legal" then does that mean every drug testing company has to adjust their workplace rules? I hear people yip yapping about someday being able to smoke pot any get any job.Â
 @MagicMoose I'm pretty sure most place would fire you for coming to work drunk on "legal" alcohol. Same thing here.
Let's just pass the law.
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Only those who are unemployed or want to be unemployed or who work at a place without a drug policy will be using it which is fine with me.
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The state will try to tax it like they do with booze but pot is real easy to grow. It's really is a weed. I doubt there will be a lot of tax revenue from it and the black market will still exist as there will be those who will sell it cheaper than the state and won't have to add on the tax.
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That is the reality of the whole issue.
 @RalphCramden I'd like to see it legalized for many other reasons: move police onto harder drugs (mainly meth). and develop industries around hemp: oil, fabrics, and so on. It's a hugely useful plant.Â
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People say "Well people will just grow it and never buy it." Not me, I can't grow anything and don't want to take the time to learn or do it. Too busy. I'd rather go to the store and just buy a local brand and support a local business.Â
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Now multiply me by thousands of other users. Boom: Pot industry.
 @Red FiveÂ
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It's a weed. It will be growing all over the area in a few years. Once the seeds get scattered everywhere there will be plants popping up everywhere. Nebraska has it growing everywhere from WW2 for hemp rope.Â
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Plus many who do smoke it won't have jobs and will have to live off others. They won't be able to afford to go to the store and buy some.
@RalphCramden The irony there is he was alergic to smoke, that didnt stop him from shoveling cannabis brownies down his throat though.
 @Torino  @2nd Baseman  @OliverNicholasÂ
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Now Bill Clintoon said he didn't inhale....8-}
Impairment is Impairment - it doesnât matter - you'd be fired. But to think that OSHA or other industries wonât change standards your even more of a defeatist than I thought you were. Your intolerance astounds me, you are either incredibly afraid of the ghost consequences like some were during the renunciation of alcohol prohibition or you are horribly ignorant on this issue.Â
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Thank you for the OSHA standards, Iâm a consumer and a professional too. Believe it or not I happen to be able to lead a successful life, you sound as if you would be incapable of leading a successful life if you consumed cannabis - if that is the case then itâs your choice not to consume. Â
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Cannabis drug tests are incredibly biased in that THC, the particular chemical they are searching for will reside in fat tissue for weeks if not months despite cessation weeks or months prior to the test. This doesnât give any clear indication of a risk rather it gives a stereotypical bias supported through means of decades worth of propaganda.Â
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I am also a Marine Corps Veteran who consumes to remedy my anxiety and injuries received while enlisted. I took an oath to uphold the Constitution and thats what I intend to do. Apparently I have to bore people into submission about how its an infringement on personal sovereignty, or i could let you bore them for me with your close minded intolerance.
 @2nd Baseman  @OliverNicholas The last three presidents, Bill Gates, Michael Phelps, Gary Johnson, Clarence Thomas, Richard Feynman all admit to using cannabis in varying quantities. Reportedly, many of them enjoyed it, what a bunch of losers.
 @OliverNicholasÂ
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Anyone in the medical industry that tests positive is pretty much done. Anyone with a license will more than likely lose theirs. This means doctors, paramedics, RT's and RN's.
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Anyone who drives for a living can be charged with DUII and will lose their job. This means cab drivers, truckers, bus drivers and so on.
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Anyone who flies a plane will be fired on the spot and should be.
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Anyone in construction that tests positive will be fired on the spot. Most construction companies have a zero tolerance policy.
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Anyone who works heavy industry will be fired on the spot if they test positive. Heavy industry has a zero drug policy.
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Most of these policies are driven by OSHA and the insurance companies who don't want to pay out cause some guy was stoned and caused an situation that killed someone.
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The list goes on and on.
 @2nd Baseman  @OliverNicholas Not only do they exist - but there are plenty more than "thousands"  Red Five said it well to you above. Â
Give me break, there are thousands of intelligent, successful, responsible consumers that you typically don't see nor hear from.  When baseless claims about their nature are presented they'll come out and bite you!
 @Red Five  @RalphCramden I have to agree Red. I could make homebrew but don't. I'm not going to the trouble to grow, I'll buy high quality cannabis at the store just like a bottle of fine wine.
 @RalphCramden
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I think the only benefit from the de-criminalization of pot for us non-users is the fact that it might (MIGHT) pull the culture from the criminal element who create a host of other issues.
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What happens now is some person wants to smoke pot. So they go to a shady guy, who robs them. The shady robber himself gets robbed and in the process someone innocent get hurt.
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None of these folks go to law enforcement to solve these previous crimes because of the legal status of their activity. So crime goes unpunished and even uninvestigated and that gives power to criminals.
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Of course cigarettes are legal and illegal (non-state taxed) cigarettes are the most profitable retail business US organized crime has.
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 @Repoman @Red Five @TorinoÂ
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Unstamped cigarettes are big income as you stated and the penalty is low. It is a tax evasion charge and most DA's don't have time to go after those folks.
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The UK is losing billions as is most of Europe due to smuggling of cigarettes.
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Pot will be no different and folks will grow their own to avoid taxes and sell it on the streets.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/12/world/europe/europes-downturn-creates-unlikely-cigarette-smugglers.html?pagewanted=all