3/10/14

Ecoffey: legalize cannabis on rez

The Netherlands and Uruguay are watching cannabis progress in Colorful Colorado:
Colorado made roughly $2 million in marijuana taxes in January, state revenue officials reported Monday in the world's first accounting of the recreational pot business. The tax total reported by the state Department of Revenue indicates $14.02 million worth of recreational pot was sold. The state collected roughly $2.01 million in taxes. State police chiefs have asked for more money, too. "The whole world wants to belly up to this trough," said Sen. Pat Steadman, a Denver Democrat who serves on Colorado's budget-writing Joint Budget Committee. [Kristen Wyatt, AP]


Cherished reader and contributor, Bill Dithmer, believes cannabis could bring needed revenue to tribes:
Legalizing the growing of hemp and the industries that would come as a result of that one act would make huge strides on the Pine Ridge Reservation. What we are doing is not working, hasn’t worked in the past, and history is a guarantee that it wont work in the future so why not perpetuate change now?
And:
The Pine Ridge is in the unique position to bring it's people out of poverty and at the same time give lawmakers in Pierre a bloody nose. If they legalize industrial hemp and pot at the same time their history with this state would just be a bad dream. [Bill Dithmer, comments]

Deadwood and tribal gaming are inextricably linked: would revenue from the sales of cannabis require a change in the state's constitution, too?
The notion that marijuana users are lazy and unproductive stoners is like most stereotypes fueled by ignorance. Part of the pitch used by states like Colorado in their campaigns for legalization was that it would attract the top talent and minds from across the country to come work in the state. For someone who has spent a significant amount of time in the Ivy League frat scene I can tell you first hand that some of the people occupying top positions in this country’s most profitable businesses indulged in the recreational use of pot from time to time. There are those who fear the danger of addiction and this is a concern but addiction is already present and we lack the funds to address it. I ask these same people to show me one person who has overdosed on marijuana, and to quote Tucker Max, “I will show you my stable of rainbow colored unicorns ridden by Leprechauns.” The time to legalize is now. [Brandon Ecoffey, posted at indianz]
Hey guess what the ninth most important cash crop in South Dakota is.
Seventeen states have removed the threat of jail time for the possession of modest amounts of marijuana. Many of these states, including Minnesota, made these changes as far back as the 1970’s. In fact, just yesterday, Richard Bonnie – former director of the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse and policy advisor to the Nixon, Ford, and Carter administrations – submitted testimony in support of a similar proposal in Maryland. [Robert Capecchi, MPP blog]

It adds up to a quandary for the GOP: Should it embrace the unpopular position still disproportionately favored by its members and risk marginalization as a result? Or will the burgeoning conservative voices in favor of legalization win out? Simply put, do Republicans want to be on the losing side of yet another culture war? For the CPAC panel's audience, which was passionate and disproportionately young, the answer was clearly no. [Molly Ball, The Atlantic]
at

4 comments:

  1. Bill DithmerMarch 10, 2014 at 11:29 AM

    Larry there is no way I could put in just a few words what this could mean to the Pine Ridge, but Im going to try.

    In the last 150 years this part of the country has been involved in some historic things, many to the detriment of the people that were forced to live here. The decendents of those people are now being put in the unique posistion of being able to be at the forfront of a movement that is going to happen. Notice, I didnt say might, I didnt say could, I said going to happen.

    With one vote, each of the members of the tribe could in effect rewrite history. They can vote for jobs, prosperity, and a new way of life for everyone involved in the change.

    What would it cost? Well lets just say that cost would be minimal while the bennifits would be inormous. I'm talking of course about the vote to legalizes both marijuana and industrial hemp. We need only look at what has happened in the state of Colorado for an advanced profetic view of what could be on the Pine Ridge.

    I'm an old blind white man so I dont stand to make much from this vote, except the knowledge that my friends have finnaly got something to make life easier. I would however be willing to lend my expertise, as much as I have anyway, to help get this thing passed.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bill DithmerMarch 10, 2014 at 11:32 AM

    First lets talk about industrial hemp. There is so little that the common person knows about this plant. While it has been demonized by the federal goverment that controls us, it is also being imported to this country for many, many uses and could be a huge ecconomic help to anyone that is able to plant it, and produce the products that this country needs. I will list just a few here that would help the tribe.

    New fiber boards that have more insulation qualities and are stronger then anything now produces.

    Hemp based cement, lighter stronger and with better insulating qualities.

    Hemp based plastics, every car that is driven in this country has something made of hemp in it somewhere. Dashboards, headliners, the inside of doors, and the list goes on.

    Hemp oil, cooking, the health bennifits alone are worth looking at.

    Lubrication, just think about it,no petrolium products and great lubrication.

    Fuel, there is more cululistic mater and fiber in hemp then any plant on the planet. This equals more energy per acre then any plant alive.

    Livestock feed, studies in eourpe have shown that dairy cows fed a diet of hemp produce more and better milk then with any other feed.

    There has never been a plant that could be planted that would stop errosion no matter where it was planted, except hemp. That's right hemp could make our rivers and creeks run clear again.

    Wildlife, the best feed for those pheasants that are making the east side of the state so much money is hemp. Why not draw the birds and the hunters here and cash in on tribes hunting seasons?

    And now medicine. In the last ten years there has been a lot of research that has been done that shows that the properties in hemp could be used to help a lot of medical problems from ADD to alztimers.

    Why not check out what other states have done when it comes to legalizing hemp. Colorado, Kentuckey, North Dakota to name a few. They taxes the acres of hemp planted to pay for some of their bill assosiated with cost of regulating the hemp industry.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bill DithmerMarch 10, 2014 at 11:33 AM

    Now, I can give facts for each one of these things I've listed backed up by studies. But for now let me just give one.

    People in Canada that lived on marginal land making less then a thousand dollars an acre before they started planting and selling hemp. After they developed the supporting industry they are now making between two and three thousands dollars an acre. People that's without the use of fertilizer, and minimal fuel for extra passes over ground for preperation.

    I have so much more then this and the fact to support it,that takes time to write. All you have to do is ask.

    Next marijuana.

    The Blindman

    ReplyDelete
  4. larry kurtzMarch 10, 2014 at 11:35 AM

    I confess to believing that some alcohol sales be considered, too Bill and proceeds to treatment aligned with the new health care law. The legislature is tossing some economic development bones at the tribes to keep them dependent on a state that competes against them for resources.

    ReplyDelete

Republican is simply another word for Earth hater but comments intended to troll the author or other readers will not be published so use a handle or even your real name and don’t be an asshole.