Anthony, a longtime cannabis law reform advocate, was Chief Petitioner and co-author of Measure 91, Oregon's cannabis legalization effort. He served as director of both the New Approach Oregon and Vote Yes on 91 PACs, the political action committees responsible for the state's legalization campaign.
As director of New Approach Oregon, Anthony continues to work towards effectively implementing the cannabis legalization system while protecting small business owners and the rights of patients. He sits on the Oregon Marijuana Rules Advisory Committee and fights for sensible rules at the legislature as well as city councils and county commissions across the state.
Anthony helps cannabis business comply with Oregon's laws and advises advocates across the country. He also serves as content director of both the International Cannabis Business Conference and the Oregon Marijuana Business Conference, helping share the vision of moving the cannabis industry forward in a way that maintains the focus on keeping people out of prison and protecting patients.
He was a member of the Oregon Health Authority Rules Advisory Committee, assisting the drafting of the administrative rules governing Oregon’s state-licensed medical marijuana facilities. He first co-authored and helped pass successful marijuana law reform measures while a law student at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. He passed the Oregon Bar in 2005 and practiced criminal defense for two years before transitioning to working full-time in the political advocacy realm.
His blogs on Marijuana Politics are personal in nature and don't speak for or reflect the opinions of any group or organization.
The Oregon House overwhelmingly passed House Bill 4094 that protects Oregon banks who provide financial services to state-regulated marijuana businesses. The bill initially passed the House on February 16, but it was amended in the Senate when it passed there 18-6 on February 26th, so today the House voted 55-4 to concur with the Senate Amendments.
The bill, championed by Oregon State Treasurer candidate Tobias Read, now moves onto Governor Kate Brown, who is expected to sign the bill, making Oregon the first state to remove all criminal penalties for banks and credit unions that work with cannabis businesses operating within state law. More work needs to be done at the federal level, but Oregon’s progress will only help the national debate.
Sam Chapman of New Economy Consulting, helped lead the lobbying effort for the bill, stated that, “HB 4094 provides ample breathing room for small banks and credit unions in Oregon to further examine how they can best provide services to the cannabis industry while also complying with the Cole Memo guidelines. I suspect the passage of HB 4094 will inspire other adult use and medical cannabis states to follow Oregon’s lead on solidifying banking reforms at the local level in the not too distant future.”
Oregon’s congressional delegation, led by Representative Earl Blumenauer and Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, is leading the fight in Congress to pass a sensible banking bill that has bipartisan support. It only makes sense for the federal government to allow banking for marijuana businesses operating within state law. It is dangerous to force businesses to keep large amounts of cash on hand and it makes it easier to cheat tax burdens. Hopefully, the United States government will follow Oregon’s lead in allowing banks to provide financial services to state-regulated cannabis businesses, on the way to eventually ending marijuana prohibition altogether.
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard sent shockwaves through the political landscape by resigning as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee to endorse Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders for president. DNC officials must remain neutral, so Gabbard had to resign to make an endorsement. Supporters of Bernie Sanders have often complained that the DNC has been showing too much favoritism to front-runner Hillary Clinton, such as the limited number of presidential debates. Representative Gabbard and DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s disagreement over the number of debates spilled over into the public sphere.
Representing Hawaii’s 2nd District, that contains Honolulu, Rep. Gabbard made history as the first Hindu member of Congress and the first member born in America Samoa. Also, at 31, she was the youngest woman in Congress at the time and just the second female combat veteran. She was an underdog in her primary race, but thanked a tremendous grassroots effort for her success when she spoke at the 2012 National Convention.
Gabbard has been recognized both as a rising star within the Democratic Party, but also as a wildcard willing to speak her mind and buck the party establishment. She has even been called the Democrat that Republican’s like because she has criticized President Obama for failing to refer to discuss Islamic extremism.
It does seem odd that a seemingly hawkish veteran Democratic would endorse Bernie Sanders, but Rep. Gabbard made Sanders’ better judgment in avoiding failed quagmires like the Iraq War, as the basis for her endorsement. I was even contacted on Facebook about the fact that Gabbard is not a progressive and considered “weakly liberal.” I decided to do some more research on this Democratic rising star, especially on her position on marijuana and civil liberties, and have come away pleased with her votes thus far. On civil liberties in general, Rep. Gabbard has received a 90% rating from the ACLU, not the 100% rating that all of my home-state Oregon Democrats have received, but not bad.
On marijuana policy, Gabbard has voted the right way in Congress. She voted in favor of the successful Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment that prohibits any federal funds from being utilized to arrest and prosecute people acting in compliance with their state medical marijuana laws. She also voted for the McClintock Amendment, which failed 206-222, that would have defunded the DEA from interfering with states that have legalized adult-use marijuana. Unfortunately, DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz voted against both of these common sense provisions, putting herself out-of-step with the rest of her party.
Representative Gabbard, who knows combat first-hand, voted in favor of Earl Blumenauer’s Equal Access Amendment that would allow veterans to consult with their VA doctor about medical marijuana in states where medical use is legal. Unfortunately, the Equal Access Amendment failed210-213, with only 8 Democrats voting against the measure and 5 not voting; only 4 of those 13 Democrats were needed to help our military veterans. One of the 5 Democrats that didn’t vote on the Equal Access Amendment was DNC chair Wasserman Schultz. It is a disgrace that veterans who have fought and sacrificed for our nation, aren’t able to utilize medical cannabis in any state, let alone in states that have voted to allow medicinal use.
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is taking a very brave political stance by distancing herself from the DNC to support Bernie Sanders as this stance could bring repercussions from the political establishment. As a “rising star” in the Democratic Party, it would make a lot of political sense for Rep. Gabbard to keep her head down and not rock the boat, but she instead chose to speak her conscience.
Stopping the United States from waging more unnecessary wars abroad, and at home, is one of the reasons progressives and civil libertarians are supporting the anti-establishment candidacy of Bernie Sanders. If you support the positions of Rep. Gabbard, both in supporting Sen. Sanders, and also ending futile foreign wars and the War on Cannabis at home, please support Representative Gabbard.
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is a rising star with the Democratic Party who resigned as vice chair of the DNC to endorse Senator Bernie Sanders.
Last month, Democratic Congressman Earl Blumenauer published an open letter to President Barack Obama urging him to use his executive power to end marijuana prohibition. Now, Representative Blumenauer is calling upon the cannabis community and all concerned citizens to help his effort by signing onto a petition to the president. You can sign Rep. Blumenauer’s petition here.
Virtually every reasonable person, including Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton and former Attorney General Eric Holder, understands the absurdity that marijuana is considered a Schedule I controlled substance by the federal government, the same classification as heroin. Those most knowledgeable about cannabis, including Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and former Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, know that marijuana shouldn’t be scheduled as a controlled substance as all, treated like the government does alcohol and tobacco.
President Obama himself stated that marijuana is no more dangerous than alcohol. Unfortunately, President Obama has placed the burden upon Congress to reclassify cannabis, ignoring the power of the executive branch. President Obama’s latest proposed budget would have allow Washington, D.C., to move forward with regulated marijuana sales to all adults, but it strangely stripped away a previously passed provision prohibiting the federal government from using any funds from prosecuting medical marijuana.
I asked Rep. Blumenauer about the president’s proposed budget and the need to ensure that state-regulated medical marijuana patients and providers were protected from federal persecution. Congressmen Blumenauer responded, “The federal government shouldn’t be arresting or prosecuting people for using or providing medical marijuana in states where it is legal. Over the past two years a bipartisan majority of the House has voted to prevent the Justice Department from interfering with state medical marijuana laws. I plan to make sure once again this year Congress votes to put a stop to wasting its time and money.”
Congressman Blumenauer has clearly been on the right side of history on cannabis and he has done a great job putting together bipartisan support for this effort and other needed cannabis law reforms. I am honored to vote for Rep. Blumenauer and can attest to his thoughtfulness and dedication to legalizing and regulating cannabis. However, Rep. Blumenauer can only do so much and he needs the American people to join him and call upon President Obama to utilize his executive authority and stop the failed and harmful policy of marijuana prohibition.
Please add your name to this important effort and consider chipping in a donation to help Rep. Blumenauer continue to move our nation toward a sane and sensible marijuana policy.
The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
February 22, 2016
It is time, Mr. President, for you to take the next logical step, cementing your legacy in history on drug reform and a fairer criminal justice system. Call for an end to marijuana prohibition and de-schedule marijuana. The House and Senate are reluctant to take bold action to legalize marijuana at the federal level, but you don’t have to wait. Under your leadership by de-scheduling marijuana, you will trigger monumental reform, allowing states to continue their pioneering efforts and putting pressure on Congress to take additional actions to tax and regulate. We can start by ending the lunacy of forcing legal marijuana companies to operate as cash-only. Seldom has such a small step, supported by a majority of Americans, had such potential transformational power.
Please seize the moment. We can’t wait.
The time is now. The country is ready.
In 2008, I joined with tens of thousands of Oregonians who cheered you on chanting, “Yes, we can!”
Today, I speak on behalf of millions of Americans across the country and ask you to support ending the prohibition of marijuana.
Anyone paying close attention to Robert Reich could tell that the economist and former Labor Secretary under Bill Clinton, was a part of the #FeelTheBern movement. Reich often defends Bernie Sanders’ policies on his Facebook page, but he hadn’t made an official endorsement until today. Reich, a former Harvard Professor and current University of California-Berkeley professor declared his endorsement on Twitter and then went on his Facebook page to expound on why he was supporting the Vermont Senator. Reich stated that he was endorsing Bernie Sanders because Bernie Sanders’ political revolution “is the only means by which we can get the nation back from the moneyed interests that now control so much of our economy and democracy.”
I endorse Bernie Sanders for president of the United States. He’s leading a movement to reclaim America for the many, not the few.
Some commentators may wonder why Robert Reich’s endorsement is being featured on Marijuana Politics. Well, in addition to the fact an endorsement from a Bill Clinton cabinet member boosts the candidacy of a potential nominee that wants to end federal cannabis prohibition, Mr. Reich is a prominent member of the Marijuana Majority, declared his support for legalization on a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything). Reich answered, “I’d start by legalizing marijuana” when asked by Reddit user absinthe718, “If you could eliminate a single federal regulation and replace it with some other regulation (or nothing at all), what would it be and why?
The esteemed economist, policy maker, professor and author later provided four reasons for his support of cannabis legalization on, where else, Facebook: “(1) using marijuana is no more dangerous than drinking alcohol; (2) prohibitions on its sale haven’t worked; (3) too many young people — often poor and often minorities — are filling our prisons because of their use or sale of it; and (4) criminalization has created a black market extending down through Central America, accompanied by drug cartels and gang violence that has caused tens of thousands of children to surge over our southern border.”
If the anti-establishment Bernie Sanders manages to overcome Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton and then the Republican nominee, most likely Donald Trump, many progressives will be hoping that Robert Reich will be tabbed for a cabinet position, such as Treasury Secretary (it certainly won’t be someone from Goldman Sachs.) In addition to economic policy, it appears that Mr. Reich could also be utilized to advocate for Sanders’ platform of ending cannabis prohibition and reforming the failed Drug War.
I endorse Bernie Sanders for President of the United States. He’s leading a movement to reclaim America for the many,…
Hillary Clinton’s contribution to our era of mass incarceration has garnered increased media attention after Black Lives Matter protester Ashley Williams asked Clinton for an apology during a fundraiser in South Carolina. Criminal justice reform has been a big issue between the Democratic front-runner and challenger Bernie Sanders throughout the campaign, but especially as voting is about to occur in states with large African American communities, who have been decimated by the 1994 Bill Clinton Crime Bill and the Drug War in general.
When examining who has a better policy to help end our era of mass incarceration, Senator Sanders simply has the better policy. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have called for some of the same policies, such as ending the use of private prisons, with Clinton following Sanders’ lead on the issue, and equipping police with body cameras. On two very important issues, Sen. Sanders is head and shoulders above former Secretary of State Clinton: eliminating mandatory minimum sentences and ending federal marijuana prohibition.
We need to end mandatory minimum sentencing and give judges the discretion to better tailor sentences to the specific facts of a given case.
To her credit, the former First Lady wants to reduce mandatory minimum sentences and allow states to move forward with their own marijuana policies, but these half-measures aren’t progressive enough for the communities that have been most harmed by a racist and classist criminal justice system. Senator Sanders, will restore the judicial branch’s discretion in considering a variety of factors when sentencing offenders by completely eliminating mandatory minimums. By ending the federal War on Marijuana, our nation’s law enforcement resources can be better utilized on more important matters, such as terrorism, and state-regulated marijuana businesses will be able to utilize banks and tax deductions (not to mention not have to worry about a federal raid) just like any other business.
While some have downplayed the significance of altering federal criminal justice policy on the prison population, since a vast majority of prisoners are held in state prisons, these critics are missing how influential national policy is on local issues. By eliminating federal marijuana prohibition, the United States government will no longer provide incentives to local police for arresting people for marijuana; we have already seen how a change in funding has altered law enforcement behavior at a Texas checkpoint famous for arresting Willie Nelson and others. Many states will follow the lead of the federal government and will look to alter their marijuana and mandatory sentencing policies as they realize the public benefits.
As the great Michelle Alexander has written, neither Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders should get a pass on the Clinton Crime Bill as Sanders did vote for the bill as a House member. However, their history should be taken into full context, including statements they made at the time about the bill and other policies they supported.
Then-First Lady Clinton also championed her husband’s welfare bill that hurt poor people across the nation, disproportionately people of color. Also, their statements regarding crime were vastly different. Bernie Sanders made clear that he was opposed to the increased criminalization of our society, but was torn by the Clinton Crime Bill because it also included the Violence Against Women Act. Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, showed no such confliction, stating that a bill was needed because of “super predators” that “we have to bring them to heel” and she should apologize for such language.
Last night a black woman interrupted one of Hillary’s campaign events to ask her why she has not apologized for mass…
More important than any apology, is the policies being proposed by Hillary Clinton today compared to Bernie Sanders. If we, as a nation, want to start unraveling our era of mass incarceration, to repeal our New Jim Crow laws, then Bernie Sanders‘ clearly has the better policies to help us turn the page on a racist and shameful chapter in our nation’s history.
Colorado appears to be one of the upcoming Super Tuesday states that Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders can win over Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton and marijuana legalization may just help swing the state for Sanders. Cannabis law reformers have praised Sen. Sanders’ more progressive marijuana policy, particularly his call to end federal prohibition, a policy change that would have a dramatic impact upon the booming Colorado cannabis industry and the cannabis community across the country.
It is time to take marijuana off the federal list of controlled substances and let states decide.
A recent Target Point Consulting poll, conducted on behalf of the Washington Free Beacon, made headlines when it found that likely Democratic caucus goers were supporting Bernie Sanders by a 6% margin, 49% to 43%. Winning in Colorado and other states outside of the Deep South is imperative for the anti-establishment Sanders as polling is finding that Clinton maintains a lead among African American voters that make up a large segment of Southern Democratic voters, although Sen. Sanders appears to be making progress with minority voters. Senator Sanders call to end marijuana prohibition and reform our drug laws may help him make inroads with African American voters, especially millennials, as our nation’s marijuana laws have been horrible for brown and black communities across the nation.
Kids are jailed for possessing marijuana or other minor crimes. Nothing happens to Wall Street execs whose illegal behavior harmed millions.
Tucked away in the Colorado polling is the enticing nugget that 63% of likely caucus goers stated that marijuana legalization was either “very good” or “somewhat good” for the state, with only 18% feeling that legalization was a bad policy. The Washington Free Beacon reported that Sanders is winning 58% of likely caucus goers that found cannabis legalization to be “very good” for Colorado while Clinton is winning 44% to 32% among those that consider legalization bad for the state. Ending federal prohibition would open up banking services to the cannabis industry and allow state-regulated marijuana businesses to conduct.
Also supporting the notion that marijuana legalization is generally good for Senator Sanders, there are positive signs in the other legalized states as well. Recent Alaska polling shows Sanders defeating Clinton by 14 points, 47.5% to 33.5%. There isn’t any recent polling out of Washington State, but The Seattle Times reported that an estimated 57,000 Evergreen State residents have contributed to Senator Sanders, compared to just about 6,000 to former Secretary of State Clinton. Oregon, which doesn’t vote until May 17th, also doesn’t have any polling to go by, but Nate Silver over at fivethirtyeight.com expects to see a big Sanders victory of over 20%, possibly over 30%.
Ending the federal war on marijuana has gone from a fringe issue to a major mainstream issue, thanks to national polling, statewide victories at the ballot box and a lot of credit has to go to Bernie Sanders himself, who has done a great job moving the Democratic debate more progressive on the issue. As Massachusetts, Maine, California and Arizona may be voting on legalization this November, Sanders’ sensible cannabis policy may provide him a boost in those prospective states as well. With the insurgent campaign of the Vermont Senator still looking strong, despite what some pundits may be spouting, every campaign advantage needs to be seized upon by the Sanders’ campaign and he, and his supporters, would be wise to continue to stress his more progressive cannabis policy as the nomination process continues.
Vermont moved one step closer to becoming the first state to legalize marijuana through the legislative process as the state Senate voted 16-13 in favor of S. 241, a bill that would end state cannabis prohibition. This is a preliminary vote by the Vermont Senate as the legalization proposal requires passage one more time by the full Senate and then it’ll move to the Vermont House. The second vote by the Senate is expected later this week. If passed by the House, Governor Peter Shumlin will sign the bill. Governor Shumlin, a legalization supporter, is quoted in the Washington Times as calling this Senate vote “a big moment for Vermont.”
Vermont’s legalization effort builds upon a solid foundation of progressive cannabis laws in the Green Mountain State. The state legalized medical use in 2004 and decriminalization went into effect in 2013. The state boasts two of the best elected officials on cannabis policy with Governor Shumlin and Senator Bernie Sanders, who has filed a bill to end cannabis prohibition at the federal level.
If ultimately successful, S. 242 will add to the momentum for sensible marijuana law reform that has seen four states and our nation’s capitol legalize marijuana for adult use, with a few more states expected to pass legalization measures this November. Thus far, cannabis legalization has occurred only after citizen initiatives were placed on the ballot for voter consideration as legalization attempts have always stalled in state legislatures. Vermont could provide a boost to cannabis law advocates that work in states without the initiative process.
Vermont Senate Gives Initial Approval to Proposal to Regulate Marijuana for Adult Use
The Senate must approve S. 241 a second time in order to send it over to the House of Representatives; a vote is expected sometime this week
MONTPELIER, Vt. — The Vermont Senate gave its initial approval to a bill Wednesday (16-13) that would end marijuana prohibition in the state and regulate the cultivation and sale of marijuana for adult use. It must approve the measure a second time in order to send it over to the House of Representatives. A second vote is expected sometime this week.
“Vermonters have been yearning for leadership on this issue, and the Senate is really stepping up and demonstrating it,” said Matt Simon, the Montpelier-based New England political director for the Marijuana Policy Project. “The senators did not arrive at this vote lightly. They engaged in an exceptionally deliberative process, and like most of their constituents, they have arrived at the conclusion that it’s time to end prohibition and regulate marijuana.”
S. 241 would make it legal for adults 21 years of age and older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and establish a tightly controlled system of licensed marijuana cultivation sites, testing facilities, and retail stores. It would also create a study commission to examine issues such as edible marijuana products and home cultivation, which would not be allowed under the bill. It would remain illegal to consume marijuana in public or drive under the influence of marijuana. If approved, rulemaking would begin this summer, but the new law would not take effect until January 2018.
“The folks who want to maintain prohibition are going to pull out all the stops to try to scare legislators into maintaining the status quo,” Simon said. “We hope the senators will not fall for the scare tactics and remain steadfast in their support for a more sensible marijuana policy. They’re not alone in this — there is strong majority support for this type of legislation in Vermont and nationwide.”
A group of more than a dozen local clergy and faith leaders from across Vermont sent a letter to members of the Senate yesterday encouraging them to support S. 241. Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell and two former attorneys general, Jerome Diamond and Kimberly Cheney, sent a similar letter to legislators last week.
On Monday, Vermont Public Radio released the results of a poll conducted by the Castleton Polling Institute that found 55% of Vermonters support passing a law to legalize and regulate marijuana for adult use. Only 32% said they are opposed.
# # #
The Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana is a broad coalition of citizens, organizations, and businesses working to end marijuana prohibition in Vermont and replace it with a system in which marijuana is regulated and taxed. For more information, visit http://www.RegulateVermont.org.
Somehow former Attorney General Eric Holder, the first African American to hold the position, stated in an interview with Frontline that he thinks that the Drug War is over. I’m guessing that the Drug War doesn’t seem over to the nonviolent citizens still in prison for marijuana and other substances, or their families. A lot of media attention has covered Holder’s statement that he now supports reclassifying marijuana on the list of federally controlled substances, but it is rather absurd that he told Frontline that he believes the War on Drugs has ended:
The drug war I think is over. Certainly calling it the drug war should be over. But the battle against the narcotics problem in this country has to go on. But we need to take some different approaches, and it should not all be seen as just a criminal justice problem. It ought to be seen as a public health issue. …
It’s heartening for me to see, for instance, how this nation has reacted to the heroin problem that we’re now seeing around the country, where we are coming up with public health responses to it as opposed to simply taking people who are addicted to heroin, throwing them in jail and not dealing with the underlying problems that caused that addiction in the first place.
In addition to stating that he believes cannabis should be removed from Schedule I, the same federal schedule as heroin, Holder also said that our nation should have a “conversation” regarding the decriminalization of marijuana. However, he didn’t think that it would be appropriate to decriminalize “hard” drugs, contrary to the “new approach” to drugs that he told Frontline our nation needs:
We need to think about dealing with people who have addictions in ways that we have not. We can’t put them in jail and think that that’s going to cure their addictions. We have to come up with public health responses in that regard. We have to come up with ways in which those people who engage in the narcotics trade are dealt with in a more fair way.
While progress was made under Holder’s tenure in the Obama Administration, certainly more could have been done to stop the harmful consequences of cannabis prohibition and the greater Drug War. In a speech before the National Press Club just over a year ago, then-Attorney General Holder put the scheduling of marijuana squarely and solely upon Congress, ignoring his own executive power.
As Tom Angell over at Marijuana.com notes, the former Attorney General could have directed the federal government to begin reviewing the proper federal schedule for marijuana, but he failed to do so before leaving office. While rescheduling marijuana to Schedule II, as Hillary Clinton supports,would have some benefits, the proper policy is to follow Bernie Sanders’ lead and treat cannabis like we do alcohol and remove marijuana from the list of scheduled substances altogether, as supported by former Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders.
This war on “some drugs” continues to decimate communities of color and poor people regardless of race as too many people are having their lives ruined by prohibition. A vast majority of drug arrests are for marijuana, so Holder’s evolution on cannabis is welcomed, but he needs to evolve on other drugs as well before we can declare a peace in our nation’s longest war. Until we stop arresting, prosecuting and imprisoning nonviolent citizens for substances they choose to put in their bodies, the failed Drug War continues.
Bernie Sanders lost narrowly to Hillary Clinton in Nevada, but he stuck to his common themes in his concession speech, including criminal justice reform. Senator Sanders again stressed the absurdity of people getting criminal records for marijuana offenses while Wall Street crooks don’t suffer any punishment. Former Secretary of State Clinton also mentioned criminal justice reform in her victory speech. Senator Sanders has criticized Clinton for not being progressive enough on cannabis law reform.
Any serious criminal justice reform must include removing marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act. #DemForum
The anti-establishment Sanders was more explicit in his denunciation of our current system:
“We have a broken criminal justice system. A system which says that today some kid in Nevada or Vermont gets picked up with some marijuana, that kid will have a police record staying with him his entire life. But if you are a Wall Street executive and your illegal behavior destroys the economy and the lives of millions of people, somehow nothing happens to you. And our job is to bring justice back to the criminal justice system.”
Hillary Clinton, the Democratic-establishment-favored-frontrunner, listed criminal justice during a laundry list of issues she will tackle as president:
“And don’t you think it’s time to face head-on the problem of systemic racism and invest in communities that have been left out and left behind? That means reforming our criminal justice system, our immigration system, ensuring that people with disabilities have the same opportunity to work and fully participate in our society. It means to make sure that nothing holds you back, not debt, not discrimination, not a deck stacked for those at the top.”
We need to fix our criminal justice system and address substance use disorders. Prison is not a substitute for treatment. #DemTownHall
Ending the era of mass incarceration will continue to be a major focus of the campaign, especially as the two Democrats vie for African American support as black communities have been decimated by the Drug War and our nation’s flawed criminal justice system. Senator Sanders made significant gains among most demographics, including Hispanics, in Nevada as he was trailing by more than 20 points about a month ago, but Clinton’s support from black voters held strong enough to carry her to victory in the Silver State.
While Michelle Alexander, Ben Jealous, Cornel West and other black civil rights activists argue that Bernie Sanders has the better policies to improve the lives of African Americans, we shall see if Sanders has enough time to turn the tide with black voters as the race moves into South Carolina and throughout the South. We will certainly hear a lot about Bernie Sanders racial and criminal justice platform as well as his long history fighting for civil rights over the coming weeks.
Hillary Clinton reaffirmed her commitment to continue President Barack Obama’s policy of allowing states to move forward with their own cannabis laws and her support for moving marijuana from a Schedule I controlled substance to Schedule II in an interview with Nevada Public Radio. While the Democratic front-runner wouldn’t move the cannabis community backwards, she certainly doesn’t provide the great step forward advocated by her challenger Bernie Sanders.
Moving marijuana to Schedule II would have a symbolic effect and is a (baby) step in the right direction, it won’t provide immediate benefits needed, from IRS 280E reform to ending unnecessary arrests for marijuana offenses. The question of marijuana policy is very important for Nevada voters as the state will be deciding whether to legalize cannabis for all adults this November.
I support states making this decision so that we can have some good on- the-ground experience as to what works and quite frankly, what doesn’t work. Four states have already taken the steps to legalize. Many others have legalized marijuana for medical purposes. We call the states the laboratories of democracy. And on this issue it’s a very important role for the states to play. I know there is a ballot initiative here in Nevada and I’ll watch that very closely. And as president, I will try to make sure that we learn the lessons we do everything that we can to follow up on what the states have learned. And we certainly (need to) do more research into marijuana for medical uses. That is why I want to move it from a Schedule One to a Schedule Two immediately. (I added “need to” as there appears to be a typo or some information missing.)
On many issues, it seems like Bernie Sanders has moved Hillary Clinton into more progressive positions, or at least rhetoric. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case on marijuana policy. Former Secretary Clinton has disavowed the tough-but-not-smart-on-crime bill that she championed and her husband signed into law in 1994, but without ending federal cannabis prohibition, and eventually legalizing marijuana, we won’t see the real gains we need to see in criminal justice policy across this country. Marijuana is an easy target for law enforcement and the sight and smell of cannabis is often the cause of law enforcement counters, particularly with young black and brown men, that can have tragic consequences.
Classifying marijuana in the same category as cocaine ignores the major issue.https://t.co/mgmHtbXhtz
Bernie Sanders voted for President Clinton’s 1994 Crime Bill, so he doesn’t get off the hook either, but his racial and criminal justice platforms include a necessary component to truly ending our era of mass incarceration–ending cannabis prohibition. While Bill Maher is right, our nation does need to legalize cannabis from coast to coast, but ending federal prohibition will immediately end the investigation, arrest and imprisonment for federal marijuana offenses while greatly impacting state marijuana enforcement as well. Without incentives and cooperation from the federal government, many local police departments will change marijuana policy.
We must end the over incarceration of non-violent young Americans who do not pose a serious threat to our society. pic.twitter.com/JtC4UqxuFC
Bernie Sanders continued the messages and policy proposals that have helped him surge in the polls in tonight’s MSNBC Democratic Town Hall in Las Vegas, Nevada. Unlike some politicians that tend to “play it safe” when taking a lead in a poll, Senator Sanders stayed consistent on marijuana legalization and criminal justice reform after taking questions from the town hall audience members. (Marijuana Majority’s Tom Angell blogged the town hall tonight, so I’ve embedded some of his tweets.)
“We should take marijuana out of the federal Controlled Substances Act. Too many lives have been destroyed.” — @BernieSanders#DemTownHall
Knowing Senator Sanders’ history, it shouldn’t have surprised me to hear a strong, mainstream presidential candidate forcefully call for racial and criminal justice policy reforms, including stopping the use of private prisons; demilitarizing local law enforcement; federal investigations of police brutality; and ending federal cannabis prohibition by removing marijuana from the list of controlled substances. I was still somewhat taken aback when I heard the anti-establishment candidate take on the prison-industrial-complex and the New Jim Crow policies that have decimated black communities, and the poor of every color.
Even a Sanders supporter like myself is too used to politics as usual, that I almost expected the Vermont Senator to shy away from mentioning marijuana after taking a lead in a major national poll for the first time. It could be a testament to his consistent nature or good political instincts, Senator Sanders stuck by his bold Drug War and criminal justice policy reforms.
Marijuana legalization and racial justice policies are good for Sanders politically as well, as the issues are extremely popular with Democrats, millennial voters and independents. Bernie Sanders was advocating for important, sound criminal justice policies, just as he has throughout the campaign, while enjoying the opportunity play good politics as well, making him the winner of the town hall tonight, simply by staying consistent to his principles.
Two recent polls have shown a big surge by Bernie Sanders, turning the Nevada caucus on Saturday into a dead heat. In such a close race, is it possible that marijuana legalization supporters could tip the scales in favor of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, the more progressive candidate on federal cannabis policy?
Marijuana legalization will be on the Nevada ballot this November and it has a great chance of passage. Voters in the state supported medical marijuana by large margins, both in 1998 (59%) and 2000 (65%). With legalization polling at 58% nationwide and the successful passage in four states and our nation’s capitol, Nevada seems poised to join the growing group of states that want to treat marijuana similar to beer and wine.
There are many reasons to support either Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. Most Hillary supporters seem to cite her experience as the number one reason for supporting the former First Lady, New York Senator and Secretary of State. Most Bernie supporters cite his honesty and that he “cares about people like me.” In Nevada, the economy is the number one issue to most likely voters, according to the CNN/ORC poll and Bernie Sanders is carrying those voters 52% to 43%. Marijuana legalization could be a boon for a tourist destination like Nevada, possibly tipping the scales in favor of the anti-establishment Sanders.
Senator Sanders stated that he would vote for the Nevada marijuana legalization measure when the candidates were asked about the issue at the Democratic debate in Nevada last October: “I would vote yes because I am seeing in this country, too many lives being destroyed for nonviolent offenses. We have a criminal justice system that lets CEOs on Wall Street walk away and yet we are imprisoning or giving jail sentences to young people for smoking marijuana. I think we have to think through this War on Drugs which has done an enormous amount of damage. We need to rethink our criminal justice system and we have a lot of work to do in that area.”
Unfortunately, Hillary Clinton wasn’t ready to support ending the failed and harmful policy of cannabis prohibition. The Democratic front-runner at least touted support for the medical use and the need to improve the criminal justice system, but her incremental, rather conservative approach, isn’t likely to satisfy cannabis legalization supporters.
Ending federal prohibition, will have a dramatic impact upon our entire criminal justice system as state prosecutions will decrease without federal incentives to wage war against nonviolent citizens, who happen to be disproportionately poor and people of color. If voters in Nevada want to ensure that the will of the voters is fully implemented and to dramatically improve our criminal justice system, then they should caucus for Bernie Sanders and join us that already #FeelTheBern.
The Oregon House of Representatives passed a landmark marijuana banking bill, exempting banks and credit unions from any state liability for conducting financial services with state-regulated marijuana businesses. Ultimately, the cannabis industry needs a federal fix to the banking issue, but the state of Oregon is showing real leadership by moving this important bill. House Bill 4094 passed the bill 56-3 with just 3 Republicans voting against the bill and one Democrat absent. The bill now moves to the Senate.
It is common sense to allow state-regulated marijuana businesses to have access to banking services.
This 2016 legislative session is already shaping up to be very important for the Oregon cannabis community. The Oregon House has already passed House Bill 4014, a comprehensive marijuana bill that decreased the patient fee for veterans; allows medical marijuana businesses to deduct normal expenses from state taxes; mandates that medical cannabis be treated the same as prescription drugs under state law; removes residency restrictions; allows those on probation and parole to use medical marijuana; and lets patients immediately utilize medical dispensaries instead of waiting for the state to process the paperwork and issue the card. Another marijuana bill (or two) is also expected to be heavily considered this session.
The cannabis business banking bill, championed by Rep. Tobias Read, who is also running for State Treasurer, comes as Oregon is just starting to collect taxes from marijuana sales. Currently, state-licensed medical marijuana dispensaries are selling up to 7 grams of marijuana flower to non-patient adults, taxed at 25%. Soon, more marijuana products, such as edibles, topicals, concentrates and extracts will be available to the general public, increasing sales revenue across that state (or in the locations that haven’t banned marijuana businesses). With increased sales, comes more cash, and the lack of banking options create opportunities for criminality, both tax evasion and the robbery of these businesses.
It is simply common sense that the United States Congress needs to pass federal legislation and Oregon Democrats Earl Blumenauer, Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden are leading the way. As more states follow Oregon’s lead on marijuana law reform, the United States moves closer and closer to ending cannabis prohibition and enacting true equality and freedom for the cannabis community and industry. We still have a ways to go, but HB 4094 is yet another step in the right direction.
Press release regarding the passage of the historic House Bill 4094 from New Economy Consulting:
Oregon House Approves Marijuana Banking Reform Bill
Salem, Oregon — Passing the House of Representatives with a vote of 56-3, House Bill 4094, which seeks to remove the criminal liability from state law to allow banks and credit unions to bank with, and lend to, lawful marijuana businesses, is now headed to the Senate for adoption.
“This is an important first step in reducing risk and providing security for banks, credit unions, and the public” said Tobias Read, the sponsor of the bill in the House. “Without a clear timeline from the federal government, the state needs a solution, even if it’s temporary.”
Currently, a tangle of federal laws are preventing legal marijuana businesses from accessing banking services, which shoulders them with a significant cash burden. Besides holding harmless those financial institutions that do business with the legal cannabis industry, the bill also instructs the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS), an agency already responsible for communicating with the new industry in Oregon, to look into the state’s options for the future.
“The need for baking reforms is nothing new to the cannabis industry,” said New Economy Consulting’s Sam Chapman. “However, now that a state agency has been tasked with the collection of cannabis tax revenue, the regulators, the state, and the industry are all in the same boat. This fact should send a clear message to Congress to accelerate their work on reforming banking laws at the federal level.”
As testimony in support of the bill, Oregon Liquor Control Commission Executive Director Steve Marks said, “HB 4094 is an important vehicle for a continuing discussion to align US banking services policy with state law in order to allow legal commerce to be supported through access to banking services.”
House Bill 4094 has now been moved to the Senate President’s desk, where it is scheduled have its first reading Wednesday February 17th.
Former President Clinton, stumping for his wife Hillary Clinton in Tennessee, contended that President Obama wasn’t “a change-maker.” Bill Clinton garnered quite a bit of media attention for stating that, “we are all mixed-race people” after Representative Steve Cohen introduced the forty-second president as a “heck of a stand-in” for the first black United States president, but his criticism of the President seems to have gone rather unnoticed.
Actress Meryl Streep also recently generated a media stir and criticism when stating that, “we’re all Africans, really,” while a part of an all-white film jury for the Berlin International Film Festival. Streep’s comments occurred after a general backlash against a lack of diversity in Hollywood, especially the recent Oscar nominations.
President Clinton’s comments come as Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton hopes to keep her polling lead among African-American voters as recent polling shows the anti-establishment Bernie Sanders gaining black voter support in the important South Carolina primary. Unfortunately for the Clintons, the comments by Bill opens up old wounds from Hillary’s bruising 2008 campaign against then-Senator Obama. From The Guardian:
“A lot of people say you don’t understand – it’s rigged now,” Clinton said. “Yeah, it’s rigged now because you don’t have a president that’s a change-maker.”
Clinton’s comments on race left open to question whether the former president, who has often been referred to as America’s first black president and who refers to himself as a “stand-in for the first black president”, is coming uncomfortably close to comments he made in 2008, in which he described Obama’s image in the media as a “fairytale”. That generated outrage among African Americans.
A book about that campaign, Game Change, by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, claimed that Clinton told Senator Ted Kennedy during an appeal for his support that a few years before, Obama “would have been carrying our bags”.
It seems rather reckless for Bill Clinton to disparage President Obama at this point of the campaign, just as his wife is looking to tie her campaign to the Obama Administration. Also, the claim just seems rather false on its face and has some commentators wondering if the former President is a liability on the campaign trail to his former First Lady, instead of her “secret weapon” as she has claimed in the past.
Not only is President Obama “a change-maker” simply for becoming the first African American voted to lead the free world, but he has made significant changes to our healthcare and criminal justice systems. While many progressives and civil libertarians wish President Obama were more bold on ending cannabis prohibition, his administration’s policy to allow states to move forward with regulated marijuana programs have been a tremendous change for the better than previous administrations, including President Bill Clinton’s.
Despite a huge head-start in name recognition, polling numbers, funding and establishment support, the Hillary Clinton campaign seems to be making several unforced errors, allowing Bernie Sanders to remarkably pull off a virtual tie in Iowa, win a landslide in New Hampshire, poll even in Nevada and greatly close the gap in national polls.
Hillary Clinton claims that the policies of Bernie Sanders won’t help black communities, but activist Dr. Cornel West vehemently disagrees. Now that the Democratic nominating process is moving past the homogeneous demographics of Iowa and New Hampshire, Clinton and Sanders are both making their case as to why their platforms will benefit more diverse communities. In the coming weeks and months, people of color will have to decide, like the voters in Iowa and New Hampshire, whether they favor the incremental advances supported by Clinton or the political revolution called on by Sanders.
Former Secretary of State Clinton, trying to keep her firewall of African American support in South Carolina and elsewhere, is trying to paint Senator Sanders as unrealistic and a one-issue candidate. The anti-establishment Sanders has made the rigged economic system that favors the wealthy a foundation of his campaign while Clinton, the Democratic establishment’s preferred candidate, argues that taking on Wall Street fraud won’t help black communities.
Cornel West has countered that the policies of Bernie Sanders, from economic initiatives to foreign policy to criminal justice reform, is in the progressive tradition of Dr. Martin Luther, King. Jr., and will do more to improve the lives of black communities than the proposals brought forth by Clinton. From Dr. West’s op-ed “Why Brother Bernie Is Better for Black People Than Sister Hillary” in Politico:
The future of American democracy depends on our response to the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. And that legacy is not just about defending civil rights; it’s also about fighting to fix our rigged economy, which yields grotesque wealth inequality; our narcissistic culture, which unleashes obscene greed; our market-driven media, which thrives on xenophobic entertainment; and our militaristic prowess, which promotes hawkish policies around the world. The fundamental aim of black voters—and any voters with a deep moral concern for our public interest and common good—should be to put a smile on Martin’s face from the grave.
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The battle now raging in Black America over the Clinton-Sanders election is principally a battle between a declining neoliberal black political and chattering class still on the decaying Clinton bandwagon (and gravy train!) and an emerging populism among black poor, working and middle class people fed up with the Clinton establishment in the Democratic Party. It is easy to use one’s gender identity, as Clinton has, or racial identity, as the Congressional Black Caucus recently did in endorsing her, to hide one’s allegiance to the multi-cultural and multi-gendered Establishment. But a vote for Clinton forecloses the new day for all of us and keeps us captive to the trap of wealth inequality, greed (“everybody else is doing it”), corporate media propaganda and militarism abroad—all of which are detrimental to black America.
In the age of Barack Obama, this battle remained latent, with dissenting voices vilified. As a black president, Obama has tended to talk progressive but walk neoliberal in the face of outrageous right-wing opposition. Black child poverty has increased since 2008, with more than 45 percent of black children under age 6 living in poverty today. Sanders talks and walks populist, and he is committed to targeting child poverty. As president, he would bea more progressive than not just Clinton but also Obama—and that means better for black America.
Now, with Obama’s departure from the White House, we shall see clearly where black America stands in relation to King’s legacy. Will voters put a smile on Martin’s face? It’s clear how we can do it. King smiles at Sanders’ deep integrity and genuine conviction, while he weeps at the Clinton machine’s crass opportunism and the inequality and injustice it breeds.
Hillary Clinton, who at times has had a hard time finding her voice and providing the underlying rationale for her candidacy, seems to have settled, for now at least, upon the notion that she is tackling a broad array of issues and that Sanders has a singular focus. Contrary to Clinton’s contention, Sanders has a vast number of policy proposals that will greatly impact the lives of Americans, including black communities, from increasing the minimum wage to ending cannabis prohibition to providing universal health care to avoiding unnecessary foreign wars to improved environmental regulations. It will be interesting to see how voters react to Clinton’s messaging, whether she slows Sanders’ momentum or voters continue to #FeelTheBern.
Bernie Sanders has released a new ad noting that he marched with Dr. Martin Luther, King, Jr., where he Sanders states that, “There is no president who will fight harder to end institutional racism.”
