US won't stop Native Americans from growing, selling pot on their lands

MSN News ^ | December 11, 2014 | Timothy Phelps

[CorporateStepsister]

WASHINGTON — Opening the door for what could be a lucrative and controversial new industry on some Native American reservations, the Justice Department on Thursday will tell U.S. attorneys to not prevent tribes from growing or selling marijuana on the sovereign lands, even in states that ban the practice.

The new guidance, released in a memorandum, will be implemented on a case-by-case basis and tribes must still follow federal guidelines, said Timothy Purdon, the U.S. attorney for North Dakota and the chairman of the Attorney General's Subcommittee on Native American Issues.

It remains to be seen how many reservations will take advantage of the policy. Many tribes are opposed to legalizing pot on their lands, and federal officials will continue to enforce the law in those areas, if requested.

[InterceptPoint]

Stroke of the pen ...

[afsnco]

Why would the leader of the Choom Gang want to do that?

[JRandomFreeper]

What part of Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution gives the federal government the authority to police marijuana? Typically, that kind of police power is reserved to the States.

/johnny

[2ndDivisionVet]

Dodge City without the charm.

[Vigilanteman]

What if illegal aliens move in and try to muscle them out of the action?

My guess is the BO's justice department will come down on the side of M-13.

[rhubarbk]

Why would the leader of the Choom Gang want to do that?

Simple, more taxes in the form of arrests and the subsequent fines. Just post LEO's outside the reservations arrest those with the pot and Bingo!, automatic money.

[GraceG]

Hey i like it, liberals will go down to the rez and smoke piece pipe! Then leave rez after you sober up.

Cottage industry of Hotels with piece pipe lounges with attached cheetos dispensers and “sober-up before you leave lounges!”

Anything to keep the druggie libs, far far away from us!

[PJ-Comix]

Pow Wowie!

[Laissez-faire capitalist]

Funny how some do the right thing and argue against Big Government, but for some reason those same people forget that Big Government must be opposed in other areas as well.

IOW, is it pro-Big Government to support the feds controlling Native Americans on this issue? Yes!

[JRandomFreeper]

There isn't enough room to list all of the areas that the federal government is involved in where it shouldn't be.

/johnny

[Laissez-faire capitalist]

NO!

We must support Big Government - i.e. the feds need to control the states, local areas, Native Americans, etc, on this issue!

/Conservative Hypocrisy button now turned off

[SevenofNine]

Be honest when I was living in Fairbanks AK we have don’t ask don’t tell on some of Alaskan rural village let me put this way

I knew “a dude” that sold pot on Native lands

[forgotten man]

Get stoned an trip out on those lights and sounds of the slot machines. I want the concessions on the Cheetos sales.

[Adder]

LOL...Cherokee Gold/Smokies Smokes/ Tsali Tokes

Hey...its not just casinos anymore, kemosabe.

[tcrlaf]

Does that include the land around the casinos, in places like Michigan?

[glock rocks]

As if alcoholism isn’t a big enough problem on many of the poorer reservations.

[Usagi_yo]

Bad decision. Obama strikes again. We were inching closer and closer to a big Marijuana bubble, creating industries, employing people and tax revenue. Obama deflates that bubble right away and keeps it in the hands Indian gambling mafia.

[dennisw]

Now you can gamble while stoned at the local casino.

[thackney]

What part of Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution gives the federal government the authority to police marijuana?

The Constitution prevents the federal government from enforcing the laws made by following the constitution? Maybe I misunderstand the question. Are you describing enforcement, or the original laws against it?