They're closing them all down one by one, one way or another. What's very interesting about all of this is that the dispensaries sell at street prices. 10 bucks a gram is a bargain, it's often more than that. As the dispensaries close the patients and general tokers go back to dealers and find two things -- their dealers don't deal any longer, and the dealers they find are now charging double.

I warned everyone about the backlash and here it is.

/ stoners will probably be slightly more useful in the Debt Repatriation Labor Camps than the fatties.

bsharitt: All the Republicans who cry out for "states' rights" on issues like health care and gay marriage support the feds backing down over medical marijuana and allowing states to control it themselves, right?

At the same time, liberals often decry states rights in general because of how it was used to protect racist laws and will almost certainly be used to halt abortion in some states, but we love states rights when it comes to marijuana and gay marriage. And there's a scary chance we'll need state's rights to protect abortion.

States rights is another issue that is vastly more interesting and nuanced than is allowed for in today's politics.

I never knes my credit card generated refuse.
But seriously though. Why would I want to put garbage on top of my weed?

Ow! That was my feelings!: bsharitt: All the Republicans who cry out for "states' rights" on issues like health care and gay marriage support the feds backing down over medical marijuana and allowing states to control it themselves, right?

Actually, in Colorado anyway, some Repubs are pro-herb legalization. Not the evangelicals(no surprise) or tea partiers(kinda surprising, hypocritical).

We run a bit more on the libertarian side out here. Had some DEA guy show up at our town council meeting and give us a lecture about all the trouble we could get into with the federal government if the town granted a permit to a medical marijuana dispensary. The local cops told him point blank if the DEA planned on raiding it, bring a tank, because the SWAT team would be called in to deal with the abuse of federal government powers.

CrazyCurt: / stoners will probably be slightly more useful in the Debt Repatriation Labor Camps than the fatties.

Ooooh, I'm a fat stoner. Not gonna go well for me at all.

Here's to anyone opposign medical MJ getting ass cancer and dying a prolonged and agonizing death with nothing to help with the pain. Not one thing.
assholes.
Fark cancer, and fark anyone who isn't helping.

I heard from a guy who knows a friend that as long as they run the charge at 4:20 pm every day, all the transactions go through. Some stoner glitch or something. I tried it too, it works.

kosherkow: weiserfireman: kosherkow: i used my CC on tuesday without any problems at a dispensary... when did/does this take affect?

at least CCs leave a paper trail for tax revenue... cash, not so much.

The dispensaries may not want a paper trail anymore. According to the article the IRS is giving them grief about being illegal enterprises too.

Be interesting to see how the State of California reacts when these businesses go all cash and collecting their taxes becomes more difficult.

ironically, the one i went to had an ATM inside, just in case cards didnt work.

The location of the ATM is registered normally, so the smart thing is have half the building be "Frank's Gas and Go" and the other half be "Frank's Weed Palace". Stick the ATM over on the Gas and Go and if anyone asks you just bought a few hundred dollars worth of Slim Jims and gas.

Also random CSB:
The local girl scout troop sells cookies out in front of our dispensary. I hear sales are up these days.

It's a god damn plant that's been growing naturally on the earth since the beginning of time, Just legalize it already!

Ow! That was my feelings!: Actually, in Colorado anyway, some Repubs are pro-herb legalization. Not the evangelicals(no surprise) or tea partiers(kinda surprising, hypocritical).

I'm a little right of center, and I'm pro legalization. And not this medicinal nonsense, for recreational use.

Not a problem for some:

vudukungfu: Here's to anyone opposign medical MJ getting ass cancer and dying a prolonged and agonizing death with nothing to help with the pain. Not one thing.
assholes.
Fark cancer, and fark anyone who isn't helping.


Email me.

His Sonshine: Good for the banks. If the proper authority refuses to enforce marijuana laws, then I guess the banks are doing us a favor.

/I was in Denver last month visiting family and there was a girl in a bikini holding a marijuana sign pointing to a business that sells marijuana. We saw these stores all over. No cops around or anything.

So, your profile says you're a youth minister. Interesting. What would a biblical justification for marijuana prohibition be? Why the opposition? It is a natural plant that only requires drying for it to be consumed. It requires nothing but seed, water, light, and drying. Did God error in the creation of the marijuana plant?

Sure, people abuse it, hell people abuse lotto tickets, human nature. But it truly does help a great many sick people and there is no valid moral, biblical reason for its illegality.

midigod: What item being talked about is in the free market?

Medical marijuana.

Ow! That was my feelings!: His Sonshine: Good for the banks. If the proper authority refuses to enforce marijuana laws, then I guess the banks are doing us a favor.

/I was in Denver last month visiting family and there was a girl in a bikini holding a marijuana sign pointing to a business that sells marijuana. We saw these stores all over. No cops around or anything.

So, your profile says you're a youth minister. Interesting. What would a biblical justification for marijuana prohibition be? Why the opposition? It is a natural plant that only requires drying for it to be consumed. It requires nothing but seed, water, light, and drying. Did God error in the creation of the marijuana plant?

Sure, people abuse it, hell people abuse lotto tickets, human nature. But it truly does help a great many sick people and there is no valid moral, biblical reason for its illegality.

Everyone has to live in a manner that I arbitrarily approve of. If not than they are infringing on my religious freedom. That's how I understand it anyways

netizencain Smartest
Funniest
2012-07-12 01:19:58 PM


Waaaa... a private company is not allowing me to use their services to participate in something that the federal government deems illegal. Waaaa.



"Look at me! I'm an asshole!!!"
-netizencane

Judging from the comments in the article where the Fed is going after the California dispensaries, both the Obama Administration and Federal Government are shooting themselves in the foot (not a real surprise) Most comments have the usual "Legalize it" comments, but many more comments note how the the politicians from both parties have been bought off by Big Pharma, Big Booze, Big Cotton, the Big Private Prison industry and all others with a ve$ted interest against sane drug policy and against ending the eternal Drug War! This is costing the Obama Administration big time during this election cycle, but most of these people see Mittens as even worse! Funny how some have mentioned looking at Ron Paul but no one mentioned Gary Johnson! Having a majority of Americans rally against your thuggish Police State actions is no way to end the public perception that our Federal Government is now the best government that money can buy!

the guy with the Boobies is prob right, the transaction for a credit card goes across state lines and they could get in trouble from it.

MrEricSir: cman: These credit card companies are attempting to back away from possible federal legal proceedings. I dont really think that many of the workers up in Visa would like to be indicted on federal drug charges.

No, what's asinine is that the federal government is taking something that's in the free market, and slowly forcing it back into the black market. Forcing people to use untraceable transactions will only lead to less reported revenue, and therefore less tax revenue for the government.

It's a classic example of shooting yourself in the foot.

Nah it makes them easier to shut down as they are a bunch of tax dodgers... a la capone

CrazyCurt: stoners will probably be slightly more useful in the Debt Repatriation Labor Camps than the fatties.

We will grow vast fields of corn to feed our comrades. We will spend endless hours in our fields, ensuring a bountiful harvest of good things from the earth.

Vlad_the_Inaner: Now the next question is can other, less official, tokens also be bought using credit cards if such tokens could be exchanged for product.

I wonder how many of them accept Bitcoin.

D_Evans45:
Email me.

not from work with your email addy.

All this fuss over a plant that's twenty times less debilitating and fifty times less addictive than alcohol, which is already legal. Good job War on Drugs.

ha-ha-guy: You should be paying cash for the medical marijuana anyway. Given the Feds still raid the places, why the hell would you want a money trail leading back from there?

Let's go with this. What would the Feds do? Arrest someone for buying a couple of grams of weed? How many people in California buy weed? 10's of thousands? 100's?

The Feds are going to go after potentially 100's of thousands of people who bought weed. Really?

Yeah, the best way to ensure some kind of integrity in medical marajuana is to force all of the transactions to be in cash.

'Cause that never causes problems.

ReapTheChaos: It's a god damn plant that's been growing naturally on the earth since the beginning of time, Just legalize it already!

why? so you can run off and get high or something gay??

AeAe: ha-ha-guy: You should be paying cash for the medical marijuana anyway. Given the Feds still raid the places, why the hell would you want a money trail leading back from there?

Let's go with this. What would the Feds do? Arrest someone for buying a couple of grams of weed? How many people in California buy weed? 10's of thousands? 100's?

The Feds are going to go after potentially 100's of thousands of people who bought weed. Really?

Because perhaps with cash the medical marijuana place could launder their money over into some other aspect of their business. For example there may be a local guy around here whose medical marijuana dispensary is not very profitable. However his general store a couple doors down is really, really farking profitable. He pays his local taxes and all is well. His thinking is he shows no profit off an activity the federal considers illegal, thus reducing his odds of having trouble.

ha-ha-guy: kosherkow: weiserfireman: kosherkow: i used my CC on tuesday without any problems at a dispensary... when did/does this take affect?

at least CCs leave a paper trail for tax revenue... cash, not so much.

The dispensaries may not want a paper trail anymore. According to the article the IRS is giving them grief about being illegal enterprises too.

Be interesting to see how the State of California reacts when these businesses go all cash and collecting their taxes becomes more difficult.

ironically, the one i went to had an ATM inside, just in case cards didnt work.

The location of the ATM is registered normally, so the smart thing is have half the building be "Frank's Gas and Go" and the other half be "Frank's Weed Palace". Stick the ATM over on the Gas and Go and if anyone asks you just bought a few hundred dollars worth of Slim Jims and gas.

Also random CSB:
The local girl scout troop sells cookies out in front of our dispensary. I hear sales are up these days.

Haha, good for them...I'd probably be more inclined to by cookies there as opposed to when theyre staked out in front of the grocery store and bombard you.

also, and strangely enough, my favorite variety (of MJ) as of late is "girl scout cookies".

/still find it pathetic how adults can act like children over a stupid farking plant

ordinarysteve: cman: Although I am pro-legalization, calling this asinine is a stretch.

These credit card companies are attempting to back away from possible federal legal proceedings. I dont really think that many of the workers up in Visa would like to be indicted on federal drug charges.

Yeah that's how I read the article too. Not that credit card companies aren't scumbags, they just have a good reason to not want to get involved in the sale of medical marijuana. And it's not like having to pay cash is the most terrible thing anyways (that's how I buy my weed, though a doctor is nowhere to be seen when I do it)

Not get involved in? They have been in it for over 10 years at this point. They didn't have any problems taking service charges during all that time. I think people forget very easily just how long CA has had medical marijuana.

This doesn't reek of Big Pharma lobbying and back-room shady deals at all.

Get the government out of the healthcare business. They are clearly serving the interests of big pharma.

Fun, stupid fact: An anti-Amendment 64 group has formed in Colorado to oppose the legalization of the herb for over 21 crowd. This group is led by Ken Buck, a Colorado DA and former Tea Party (!!!!!) candidate for US Senate and Betty Sembler, modern day Anita Bryant and the wife of Mitt Romney's Florida(!) finance chair and founder of "Saving Our Society from Drugs."

Why is the Colorado Tea Party joining forces with a Florida evangelical to support the federal drug war in Colorado? I'm sure it has something to do with small government.

ha-ha-guy: AeAe: ha-ha-guy: You should be paying cash for the medical marijuana anyway. Given the Feds still raid the places, why the hell would you want a money trail leading back from there?

Let's go with this. What would the Feds do? Arrest someone for buying a couple of grams of weed? How many people in California buy weed? 10's of thousands? 100's?

The Feds are going to go after potentially 100's of thousands of people who bought weed. Really?

Because perhaps with cash the medical marijuana place could launder their money over into some other aspect of their business. For example there may be a local guy around here whose medical marijuana dispensary is not very profitable. However his general store a couple doors down is really, really farking profitable. He pays his local taxes and all is well. His thinking is he shows no profit off an activity the federal considers illegal, thus reducing his odds of having trouble.

Ahh.. you're going with the money laundering scenario. The way you commented, it seemed to me that it's in the best interest of the *buyer* to use cash.

I don't think the Feds are interested in going after the folks that buy the weed. They want to go after the dispensaries. (obviously)

nunpunter: ordinarysteve: cman: Although I am pro-legalization, calling this asinine is a stretch.

These credit card companies are attempting to back away from possible federal legal proceedings. I dont really think that many of the workers up in Visa would like to be indicted on federal drug charges.

Yeah that's how I read the article too. Not that credit card companies aren't scumbags, they just have a good reason to not want to get involved in the sale of medical marijuana. And it's not like having to pay cash is the most terrible thing anyways (that's how I buy my weed, though a doctor is nowhere to be seen when I do it)

Not get involved in? They have been in it for over 10 years at this point. They didn't have any problems taking service charges during all that time. I think people forget very easily just how long CA has had medical marijuana.

Hey, don't get me wrong, credit card companies just being arseholes out of spite wouldn't surprise me. I just find it understandable given the fact that the Federal gov't have litigated folks involved in medical marijuana. Plus I pay cash for my weed (for movie watching purposes, not a medical necessity in the least) and it's not that bad. Anyways, after reading the comments I am probably wrong since this will result in a lack of transparency and increased risk for cash laden dispensaries.

UseLessHuman: All this fuss over a plant that's twenty times less debilitating and fifty times less addictive than alcohol, which is already legal. Good job War on Drugs.

How much alcohol can one person hold?

I'll adapt.

I won't buy it illegally if they take away the dispensaries; I'll simple stop doing it.

It will suck because I've had great sleep these past three years but I don't need to be in jail because I still have my kids.

I still love the hypocrisy of the feds. It's federally illegal yet in their very own federal district, it is legal for medical purposes. So it's ok for their own to have what they need but fark the rest of us right?

You know the ATMs these places would have would be the gas-station ripoff kind that only allows you to withdraw $100 at a time with a $5 charge. Better off for the customer telling them to walk down the street, whatever, to the bank.

I saw the Oaksterdam shop raid pictures in the paper. There was a branch of Community Bank of the Bay outside their back door, with an ATM.

Strange that Corporations that are so eager to cite Delaware or South Dakota law for their interest rates and customer disservice policies are suddenly eager for Federal control.

OxyContin and Xanax are still perfectly fine. I have pain. Honest.


/kidding of course
//pills suck kids, stick to weed

SwiftFox: You know the ATMs these places would have would be the gas-station ripoff kind that only allows you to withdraw $100 at a time with a $5 charge. Better off for the customer telling them to walk down the street, whatever, to the bank.

I saw the Oaksterdam shop raid pictures in the paper. There was a branch of Community Bank of the Bay outside their back door, with an ATM.

No, they're not. They're normal ATMs with normal fees. $1.50 charge from the ATM bank and whatever your bank charges.

I've seen it go as high as $2.50 in the dispensaries I've used.

The $5 fee is reserved for the ATMs at Seaport Village. THOSE are ripoffs.

His Sonshine: Good for the banks. If the proper authority refuses to enforce marijuana laws, then I guess the banks are doing us a favor.

/I was in Denver last month visiting family and there was a girl in a bikini holding a marijuana sign pointing to a business that sells marijuana. We saw these stores all over. No cops around or anything.

I got bad news for ya, buddy. Colorado is never turning back. It will always be legal in Colorado. Nobody cares, including most Republicans I know here.

If corporations are no longer treated as separate individuals, does that mean the DEA can arrest and seize every employee of visa and related banks under RICO and conspiracy if they process such payments? We could fix the deficit!

WhoGAS: SwiftFox: You know the ATMs these places would have would be the gas-station ripoff kind that only allows you to withdraw $100 at a time with a $5 charge. Better off for the customer telling them to walk down the street, whatever, to the bank.

I saw the Oaksterdam shop raid pictures in the paper. There was a branch of Community Bank of the Bay outside their back door, with an ATM.

No, they're not. They're normal ATMs with normal fees. $1.50 charge from the ATM bank and whatever your bank charges.

I've seen it go as high as $2.50 in the dispensaries I've used.

The $5 fee is reserved for the ATMs at Seaport Village. THOSE are ripoffs.

The $5 fee ones are all over the place, except when the machines have bank logos on them. Just watch as they display the terms.

His Sonshine: Good for the banks. If the proper authority refuses to enforce marijuana laws, then I guess the banks are doing us a favor.

/I was in Denver last month visiting family and there was a girl in a bikini holding a marijuana sign pointing to a business that sells marijuana. We saw these stores all over. No cops around or anything.

Oh the horror!

Man up, nancyboy. People are going to do things that give you the vapors. That's life.