Sounds like some council members need to be repealed too.

uh... I forgot where I was, man.

Conservatives: Small government and state rights......unless we disagree with it then fark you authoritarianism.

Those opposed to the ordinance said it violated state and federal laws.
I see what you're trying to do there, Captain Horseshiat, but that's not how laws work.

This is why we can't have nice things.

This is why I prefer Shelbyville...

It's hard to say from this article alone, but it could be that the council acted as they did as a CYA measure, perhaps even at the urging of legal counsel. It's all well and good for the people to circulate a petition and vote, but the if the law in question violates state and/or federal law, it's not the voters who will have their butts in hot water. That's pure speculation, but no more so than the people who are going to scream about the council just wanting to be authoritarian dickbags.

jelloslug: Sounds like some council members need to be repealed too.

Those opposed to the ordinance said it violated state and federal laws.



Outrage

you will not find a bigger group of self important and vindictive human trash than a town council in a small or rural town. I always cringe when conservatives want to give these people more power. I'd rather have faceless bureaucracy than vindictive little napoleons.

Citrate1007: Conservatives: Small government and state rights......unless we disagree with it then fark you authoritarianism.

Any time you hear someone talking about "state's rights", it means they want to TAKE AWAY a right from somebody.

Possession of cannabis is not illegal in Canada according to Justice Edmonson of the Ontario Court of Justice in R. v. Bodnar/Hall/Spasic - "there is no offence known to law which the accused have committed."
The Special Senate Committee on Illegal Drugs reviewed Canada's current anti-drug policies and legislation and reported in September 2002 that marijuana is not a gateway drug and should be treated more like tobacco or alcohol than harder drugs.
The House of Commons Special Committee on the Non-Medical Use of Drugs looked at an overall drug strategy for Canada and issued their report in December 2002. The House committee said that while marijuana is unhealthy, the current criminal penalties for possession and use of small amounts of cannabis are disproportionately harsh. They recommended that the Canadian Ministers of Justice and of Health come up with a strategy to decriminalize the possession and cultivation of not more than thirty grams of cannabis for personal use.
Various estimates peg this country's cannabis trade at considerably more than $7 billion in annual sales-twice as much as pig farming brings in, and almost three times more than wheat does. Even the cattle industry, at $5.2 billion a year in revenue, lags behind the marijuana business for sheer size. Just as importantly, the report points out, every dollar reaped by government regulation of the pot industry would be a dollar taken away from the criminal gangs that run the industry today. In 2001, Auditor General Sheila Fraser said the federal government was spending close to $500 million a year fighting the drug trade. Roughly 95 per cent of that goes to enforcement and policing, and two-thirds of the country's 50,000 annual drug arrests are for cannabis offences.
And then these dooshbags have to try to spoil it: On September 20, 2011, the newly-elected Conservative majority government re-introduced an omnibus crime bill, Bill C-10. (formely known as the "Safe Streets and Communities Act") The bill combines more than 10 different pieces of previously unpassed criminal legislation, as well as proposing to amend the Criminal Code of Canada with respect to drug offences. This bill specifically targets growers, dealers and consumers of cannabis, introducing mandatory minimum sentences for the cultivation of modest amounts of cannabis. This proposed legislation has come under substantial criticism and scrutiny from opposition party MPs as well as numerous experts and intellectuals, particularly from the US. The position of the Harper government is notably in defiance of credible evidence of the harm caused by the decades of drug prohibition, contrary to many US states (most notably Texas), which are relaxing drug laws. The provinces of Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia have expressed their opposition towards bearing the likely great costs and other effects the bill will bring, particularly since the government has not yet disclosed the costs as well as some other information associated with the proposed legislation.[

Springfield Missouri will be the last place in the US to ever repeal pot laws. There's a good reason why they call it the buckle of the Bible Belt.

Ah... the sweet smell of democracy. Home of the free and all that.

/Sometimes I wish my life would fall apart just enough for me to feel justified in going around shooting people vigilante style. Thats the only way any of this will ever change.

I'm in Springfield, kick out of replies, yada.

Two of the council members voted to keep the law on the books. The rest can die in a farking fire.


/I remember names
//I vote

Half the council members are wife beating alcoholics...

This happens in Arizona. The voters decriminalize or legalize marijuana then the legislature and the governor write new laws.

Fark it

Stoners are at most eight weeks away from having an arsenal of working nuclear bombs on 1000-mile missiles. Then goodbye Isreal.

KEEP ISRAEL SAFE. KILL THE STONERS.

Headso: you will not find a bigger group of self important and vindictive human trash than a town council in a small or rural town. I always cringe when conservatives want to give these people more power. I'd rather have faceless bureaucracy than vindictive little napoleons.

I was considering a run for city council, just to slow down the little napoleans' march.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it; you dirty hippies!!!

/ the thing about laws is they are subject to change

// I keed, I keed

mod3072: It's hard to say from this article alone, but it could be that the council acted as they did as a CYA measure, perhaps even at the urging of legal counsel. It's all well and good for the people to circulate a petition and vote, but the if the law in question violates state and/or federal law, it's not the voters who will have their butts in hot water. That's pure speculation, but no more so than the people who are going to scream about the council just wanting to be authoritarian dickbags.

There are no state or federal laws requiring localities to impose any particular penalties for marijuana use. Columbia, Missouri decriminalized marijuana several years ago.

bugontherug: mod3072: It's hard to say from this article alone, but it could be that the council acted as they did as a CYA measure, perhaps even at the urging of legal counsel. It's all well and good for the people to circulate a petition and vote, but the if the law in question violates state and/or federal law, it's not the voters who will have their butts in hot water. That's pure speculation, but no more so than the people who are going to scream about the council just wanting to be authoritarian dickbags.

There are no state or federal laws requiring localities to impose any particular penalties for marijuana use. Columbia, Missouri decriminalized marijuana several years ago.

Unless you're on campus... then it's fark you, man.

Council: "The people have spoken!"

Comptroller/Treasurer: "This is estimated to cut revenue by $####.00"

Council: "No changes because....ummmmm...... state / fed!"

Is you is or is you ain't my constichency?

I'm really looking forward to the unintentional lols that will happen when the marijuana debate hits the national stage. Imagine Todd Akin and Michelle Bachmann's argument against marijuana. I imagine someone will claim Jesus made it explicitly clear to never legalize weed when he gave the founding fathers the constitution.

bugontherug: mod3072: It's hard to say from this article alone, but it could be that the council acted as they did as a CYA measure, perhaps even at the urging of legal counsel. It's all well and good for the people to circulate a petition and vote, but the if the law in question violates state and/or federal law, it's not the voters who will have their butts in hot water. That's pure speculation, but no more so than the people who are going to scream about the council just wanting to be authoritarian dickbags.

There are no state or federal laws requiring localities to impose any particular penalties for marijuana use. Columbia, Missouri decriminalized marijuana several years ago.

This is correct. Cities can't pass laws that do things like violate the Constitution (think poll taxes), but they generally aren't required to prohibit/outlaw the same things that state/federal laws prohibit/outlaw.

So the city council were being a group of authoritarian dickbags.

Kuroshin: mjohnson71: Springfield Missouri will be the last place in the US to ever repeal pot laws. There's a good reason why they call it the buckle of the Bible Belt.

Marijuana is covered in the bible? Or any drugs, for that matter?

/I'm a bit hazy
//from the drugs

It is.
/as rolling papers
//so I hear

One reason: They were going to lose their Federal money teat-sucking privileges.

Kuroshin: mjohnson71: Springfield Missouri will be the last place in the US to ever repeal pot laws. There's a good reason why they call it the buckle of the Bible Belt.

Marijuana is covered in the bible? Or any drugs, for that matter?

/I'm a bit hazy
//from the drugs

Actually yes, one of the verses in the Book of Genesis state in no uncertain terms that all seed bearing plants are ours to use.

Kuroshin: mjohnson71: Springfield Missouri will be the last place in the US to ever repeal pot laws. There's a good reason why they call it the buckle of the Bible Belt.

Marijuana is covered in the bible? Or any drugs, for that matter?

/I'm a bit hazy
//from the drugs



"Dave's not here, man."

MoronLessOff: Kuroshin: mjohnson71: Springfield Missouri will be the last place in the US to ever repeal pot laws. There's a good reason why they call it the buckle of the Bible Belt.

Marijuana is covered in the bible? Or any drugs, for that matter?

/I'm a bit hazy
//from the drugs

It is.
/as rolling papers
//so I hear

Bless Gideon, providing papers for stones wanting a joint in their hotel room

First the city can set it's own fines on municipal charges. Heck state law sets the seat belt fine at $10 and no cost.

Second, arrest covered by 4th amendment. No problem with telling police cannot arrest without a warrant.

Third, I am pretty sure the Employer, the City, can tell it's employees, the cops, they must turn all minor pot charges into the city prosecutor not the state. There might be a separation of powers issue but no one has ever raised a separation of powers issue as to a city. The executive sits as a fraking member on ghe legislative body, the council. Indeed, in many cities it is the council that hires the chief of police.

EdNortonsTwin: Headso: you will not find a bigger group of self important and vindictive human trash than a town council in a small or rural town. I always cringe when conservatives want to give these people more power. I'd rather have faceless bureaucracy than vindictive little napoleons.

I was considering a run for city council, just to slow down the little napoleans' march.

I did 3 years of hard time on a small town city council. Never again. I need angry phone calls about shiat that I have no control over at all hours of the day and night for a whopping $50/month like I need another hole my head. We rarely even have elections around here. Either someone runs unopposed, or they can't find anyone at all who is willing to run and end up having to appoint someone.

CheekyMonkey: This is why I prefer Shelbyville...

There;s also the sexiness of our cousins.

SGF resident here as well. FWIW the local talk show this morning explained that when the CC receives a petition, they can do two things. 1. Pass it. 2. Deny it, which sends it to the voters to decide. So, by passing it, and then repealing it, they were able to get around that whole pesky "sends it to the voters to decide" part.

Who really cares .... it's Missouri for God's sake.

There's Always A Bloody Ghost: Possession of cannabis is not illegal in Canada according to Justice Edmonson of the Ontario Court of Justice in R. v. Bodnar/Hall/Spasic - "there is no offence known to law which the accused have committed."

But, since the Ontario Court of Justice is an inferior court of limited jurisdiction, that's about as relevant as a statement from that 10 Commandments judge in Louisiana.

bacccc: Who really cares .... it's Missouri for God's sake.

Look kids, it's that asshole again.

Citrate1007: Conservatives: Small government and state rights......unless we disagree with it then fark you authoritarianism.

You can bet this has more to do with fines and mandatory drug classes they force people to take along with probation they are forced to pay for after getting caught with a bowl full of pot.

Big pharma is a huge contributor to both parties to ensure that pot stays illegal.

My Dad lives in Springfield so I'm getting a kick out of this story.


It's a nice town, even if it is the home of John Ashcroft.


/Dad grew up in McKeesport, PA
//Stepmom is from Springfield.