How Right-Wingers in One State Are Trying to Give Elites Control of the Marijuana Industry
Even when it comes to marijuana, they're out to help the 1%.
By Thom Hartmann / Thom Hartmann Show
February 20, 2015
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Conservatives live in a fantasy world, and nowhere is that more clear right now than in the state of Washington.
Right now, the Evergreen State is trying to streamline its policies on medical and recreational marijuana.
Back in 2012, Washington voters approved the creation of a legal recreational, marijuana market.
That market is now heavily regulated and taxed.
Unfortunately, there was nothing in the measure voters approved that talked about the state's medical marijuana market, and how it should be regulated.
So now, there are two competing bills sitting in the Washington state senate that both seek to address that state's medical marijuana market.
One of the bills is from a Republican state senator, and the other is from a Democrat state senator.
The Republican measure, introduced by State Sen. Ann Rivers, would put much of the control of Washington's medical marijuana market in the hands of a few very wealthy individuals.
Those very wealthy individuals, led by millionaire Martin Tobias, a former Microsoft executive, are behind the Washington CannaBusiness Association.
That group, also known as WACA, lobbied heavily for the Republican-backed legislation, and gave multiple donations to Republican lawmakers in the Evergreen State.
The WACA-fueled measure would essentially destroy independent growers and non-profit growing co-ops, retailers and sellers who have been around since the birth of Washington's medical marijuana program in the late 1990s.
Meanwhile, there's the proposed legislation from Democratic State Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles.
Her bill wouldn't put control over the medical marijuana market in just a few hands.
Instead, it would allow anyone in Washington who's 21 years or older to grow up to six marijuana plants and to share up to an ounce of marijuana with other adults, as long as money isn't exchanged.
The Democrats' bill would also pave the way for more marijuana growers to be licensed and for more retail shops to pop up across the state ... you know, let a thousand small businesses grow!
Basically, when it comes to a medical marijuana system in Washington state, the legislative choice is between a system that allows a lot of people to earn a decent amount of money through owning or working at their own local, small co-op, or a system where just a few people make massive amounts of money by monopolizing the marketplace.
And, because the Washington state senate is controlled by Republicans, we can probably guess which way they'll vote.
That's because conservatives have a very "unique" view of the world.
They think it's better for one person to get mind-bogglingly rich than for the masses to rise into the middle-class and live comfortable lives.
Similarly, they have a very different view of the "American Dream."
Prior to Regan, living the "American Dream" meant having a good-paying job, being able to get a good education and living a comfortable middle-class life.
Since Reagan, living the "American Dream" means hitting the jackpot in a lottery drawing, or magically becoming the next Mark Zuckerberg, and conservatives are fine with that.
They're fine with an elitist "American Dream" that's only achievable for a select few people.
Living the "American Dream" shouldn't be just for the wealthy elite and well-connected. It should be possible for everyone - every man, woman and child.
It's time for us to get out of conservative fantasy-land, redefine the "American Dream" and make the United States great again.
http://www.alternet.org/drugs/how-right ... a-industry" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
washingtons state senate: poised to stick it to growers
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washingtons state senate: poised to stick it to growers
"we must strive to become good ancestors" nader
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washingtons state senate: poised to stick it to growers
One quibble.
Those "right wing", "conservatives" running the Washington State Government are nothing of the sort. Corporations (including so-called foundations) making donations (buying influence) to get (purchase) legislation that favors them is generally known as full on fascism.
Fascists believe in corporate-government partnerships.
They are fascists, not conservatives.
Those "right wing", "conservatives" running the Washington State Government are nothing of the sort. Corporations (including so-called foundations) making donations (buying influence) to get (purchase) legislation that favors them is generally known as full on fascism.
Fascists believe in corporate-government partnerships.
They are fascists, not conservatives.
If you want government to intervene domestically, you’re a liberal.
If you want government to intervene overseas, you’re a conservative.
If you want government to intervene everywhere, you’re a moderate.
If you don’t want government to intervene anywhere, you’re an extremist.
— Joe Sobran (1946–2010)
LAW - The tool used by government to control it's citizens (current US definition)
If you want government to intervene overseas, you’re a conservative.
If you want government to intervene everywhere, you’re a moderate.
If you don’t want government to intervene anywhere, you’re an extremist.
— Joe Sobran (1946–2010)
LAW - The tool used by government to control it's citizens (current US definition)
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washingtons state senate: poised to stick it to growers
Conservatism and liberalism as practiced have both morphed into increasingly embracing/becoming corporate fascism. In a two party system both parties must be corrupted to assert control--and of course they are. If you go by the dictionary definitions, more often than not "liberals" act conservatively and "conservatives" act radically. Capture the language (easy if you own the big media) and you capture the culture, capture the culture and you've got the politics too, with political control you can design the playing field so you win every time. The only mainstream politician talking sense (in spite of her xenophobic views) in France is Marine Le Pen, who is broadly labeled as "extreme right" and the only party talking sense in Greece is labeled as "extreme left"--and there is broad agreement in terms of critical economic policy between the two. And in the US, you have two parties with nearly identical political agendas, screaming and pointing one at the other using terms like liberal and right-wing as epithets, not because of substantive disagreements as much as to simply differentiate two brands. Same soap in different colored boxes.
One for the rook
One for the crow
One to rot
and one to grow
One for the crow
One to rot
and one to grow
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washingtons state senate: poised to stick it to growers
tell that to the rest of the goons you have to stand beside anywhere public that likes your bumper stickers chester...
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I would never trust politicians............especially now that money is involved............
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washingtons state senate: poised to stick it to growers
The Dems are no longer the party of the middle class, the poor and unions. They are no longer trying to protect the weak from the strong. They are now the party of identity politics which are the politics of divide and conquer so that the one percent make off with the money.Jesús Malverde wrote:Conservatism and liberalism as practiced have both morphed into increasingly embracing/becoming corporate fascism.
This is Chris Hedges analysis and I agree with it to the point where I left the Dem party after being a member for quite a while. The destruction began with Clinton but since the economy was good people overlooked it.
If Muley can scruff along i can too.
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washingtons state senate: poised to stick it to growers
the clinton era peverted a minority of the democrats into joining forces with reagans bluedogs to co-op the democratic party via the injection of corperate dollars available IF they sold out the substance of their
traditional issues; and the people in need.
traditional issues; and the people in need.
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