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Congress Plans to Partially Defund DC Pot Initiative
Newsmax.com ^ | December 9, 2014 | Sean Piccoli

Posted on 12/10/2014 12:43:59 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

A congressional deal to avert another government shutdown contains a provision to stop the District of Columbia from allowing the sale of marijuana, angering supporters of a pro-pot initiative that D.C. voters approved overwhelmingly in November, The Washington Post reports.

The anti-pot measure — a budget "rider" slipped into a $1.1 trillion catchall spending bill that would keep the government running past Thursday — could prevent the nation's capital from joining Colorado and Washington as legal weed havens.

The measure does not overturn the results of Initiative 71, the legalization referendum that passed on Nov. 4 with more than 60 percent of the vote, but it strips any local funding for oversight and regulation of legal pot sales.

Critics call the rider unjustified, and a violation of the city's Home Rule Charter, which Congress approved in 1973 to guarantee the District more autonomy in policy and spending.

"To undermine the vote of the people — taxpayers — does not foster or promote the 'limited government' stance House Republicans claim they stand for; it’s uninformed paternalistic meddling," a D.C. city council member, David Grosso, complained in a press release entitled, " Don’t Blunt D.C.’s Election," the Post reports.

Under the Constitution, Washington, D.C., is a federal enclave that operates under congressional supervision and with no voting representatives of its own in the House or Senate.

That arrangement has allowed individual lawmakers from anywhere in the county to influence and dictate limits to the city's budget in the past.

The push against legal marijuana in D.C., is led by Rep. Andy Harris, a Maryland Republican who inserted an even stricter provision into the omnibus spending bill that lawmakers are racing to complete before the holidays.

(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia; US: Maryland
KEYWORDS: 114th; andyharris; cannabis; dc; defunding; dontbogartthatjoint; federalfunding; initiative; legalization; marijuana; pot; potheads; referendum; wod
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1 posted on 12/10/2014 12:43:59 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
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To: SheLion; Eric Blair 2084; -YYZ-; 31R1O; 383rr; AFreeBird; AGreatPer; Alamo-Girl; Alia; altura; ...

Don’t bogart that Nanny State PING!


2 posted on 12/10/2014 12:45:33 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (The mods stole my tagline.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Oh that tricky-dicky Congress. They are just full of solutions, aren’t they.

That’s why the USA has a dictator now.


3 posted on 12/10/2014 12:46:10 PM PST by Resettozero
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

pothead socialism, demanding tax dollars


4 posted on 12/10/2014 12:46:21 PM PST by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Defund DC dope but keep illegals’ bene cash and keep 0bamacare.


5 posted on 12/10/2014 12:46:45 PM PST by Principled (Deceive-o-crats ALWAYS lie)
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To: Abundy; Albion Wilde; AlwaysFree; AnnaSASsyFR; bayliving; BFM; Bigg Red; cindy-true-supporter; ...
The push against legal marijuana in D.C., is led by Rep. Andy Harris, a Maryland Republican who inserted an even stricter provision into the omnibus spending bill that lawmakers are racing to complete before the holidays.

It seems that the entire Maryland Congressional delegation consists of statists.

Maryland "Freak State" PING!

6 posted on 12/10/2014 12:47:06 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (The mods stole my tagline.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Why does a pot initiative need funding in the first place?


7 posted on 12/10/2014 12:51:17 PM PST by mbarker12474
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

So much for small government & being pro-business.


8 posted on 12/10/2014 12:51:40 PM PST by gdani (Ebola has exposed the U.S. as fearful, easy-to-manipulate weaklings)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
" Don’t Blunt D.C.’s Election,"

{{snicker}}

9 posted on 12/10/2014 12:52:18 PM PST by bassmaner (Hey commies: I am a white male, and I am guilty of NOTHING! Sell your 'white guilt' elsewhere.)
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To: mbarker12474

Because they need funding to even tell you hello.


10 posted on 12/10/2014 12:53:32 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: mbarker12474
Why does a pot initiative need funding in the first place?

Because the referendum didn't simply repeal all marijuana laws-- it's still illegal to sell to minors, for example--but instead created a mechanism for licensing and regulating pot sales to adults.

11 posted on 12/10/2014 12:56:23 PM PST by Lurking Libertarian (Non sub homine, sed sub Deo et lege)
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To: mbarker12474

Oregon just took up its’ first funding of legal pot. Gotta get OLiquorControl Commission to work figuring out how to dot i’s and cross t’s.


12 posted on 12/10/2014 12:57:21 PM PST by gundog (Help us, Nairobi-Wan Kenobi...you're our only hope.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

The biggest question, and the one NOBODY is asking, is: Why does DC have a population, businesses, OR a city council to begin with?

It is supposed to be a Federal District, controlled by Congress,with the sole purpose of housing the machinery of the Federal Government.

As far as I’m concerned, the only people “living” in DC should be Congress members, SC Justices, and the very top Executive branch people. Goobermint employees and the slum dwellers ought to be living in Maryland or Virginia.


13 posted on 12/10/2014 1:04:10 PM PST by clee1 (We use 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 2 to pull a trigger. I'm lazy and I'm tired of smiling.)
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To: mbarker12474

Yes, it would seem as though DC could raise their own funds to supervise it themselves. I hope that they can.

Nonetheless, this is a Nanny State attempt to stop DC from following the will of its own people. Such shenanigans are why I believe DC, Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands and Guam/Pacific territories should have actual voting representation in the House — not the Senate, though, since they aren’t states - since their people have to live under Congress’s stupidity, too.


14 posted on 12/10/2014 1:05:13 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (The mods stole my tagline.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

If they are not states they should not get actual members in Congress.


15 posted on 12/10/2014 1:07:06 PM PST by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

My grocery store sells green beans.

There has been no funding that I know of to enable this green bean initiative.


16 posted on 12/10/2014 1:07:17 PM PST by mbarker12474
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To: clee1

As far as I’m concerned, the only people “living” in DC should be Congress members, SC Justices, and the very top Executive branch people. Goobermint employees and the slum dwellers ought to be living in Maryland or Virginia.
= = = = = = = = =
I believe that is the ORIGINAL plan. the reason your idea is so good is that once all the POLS get in the ‘circle’, we blow up the bridges to VA (in the DC) immediate zone), stock the Rivers with crocs/gators/piranhas, put an Electric Fence around the MD border (use that Mexican Border Fence money).
We can convince enough of those idiots that the measure is for THEIR SAFETY AND SECURITY and with no one coming in or going out they can become ‘Whatever’ for Life.
Course they may have to get off there collective asses to fund their little paradise etc etc etc


17 posted on 12/10/2014 1:10:29 PM PST by xrmusn ((6/98) Would love to buy BO for what he is worth, then sell him for what he thinks he is worth.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
But then there's this =>

Federal Spending Bill Blocks Funding For Medical Marijuana Raids, Legalization In D.C.

The proposed congressional budget released Tuesday night prevents the Department of Justice from using funds to undermine state laws regarding medical marijuana.

Dec. 9, 2014

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mbvd/federal-spending-bill-blocks-funding-for-federal-medical-mar

18 posted on 12/10/2014 1:14:18 PM PST by Ken H (What happens on the internet stays on the internet.)
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To: Lurking Libertarian

Because the referendum didn’t simply repeal all marijuana laws— it’s still illegal to sell to minors, for example—but instead created a mechanism for licensing and regulating pot sales to adults.
= = = = = = =
I am ‘sorta’ spoofing here but

In the real world you would ‘borrow’ your start up money - Investors are there IF you can show it will be profitable - and pay the loans off with your profits.

You know, like us ‘little guys’ have to do when we join the ranks of those RICH, POWERFUL SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, just raking in money hand over fish and screwing their work force.,,, At least that is what I hear we do/are...


19 posted on 12/10/2014 1:15:39 PM PST by xrmusn ((6/98) Would love to buy BO for what he is worth, then sell him for what he thinks he is worth.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Marijuana ought to be, not only legal but mandatory in DC. Keep those commies stoned and confused, I mean, more so.


20 posted on 12/10/2014 1:16:05 PM PST by muir_redwoods ("He is a very shallow critic who cannot see an eternal rebel in the heart of a conservative." G.K .C)
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