US Politics Mega-thread - Page 9666

On January 12 2018 04:52 Danglars wrote:

On January 12 2018 04:59 Plansix wrote:
Yet more evidence that gerrymandering is an issue that transcends party lines and is a threat to democracy. If Republicans are upset that the Democrats are doing it too, I welcome them to join the Democrats trying to end the practice and have independent third parties draw districts.



He just proves the point that it is a problem that needs to be addressed. If Republicans had half a brain, they would jump on it before 2020. If they get dumpstered in that election, they get to deal with gerrymandering by Democrats for 10 years.

On January 12 2018 05:54 Introvert wrote:
Knew that the group of Republicans negotiating this was awful. I'm sure the insane activists would still be angry, at least some of them.

https://twitter.com/LACaldwellDC/status/951543150304223232

+ Show Spoiler +

On January 12 2018 06:08 Nyxisto wrote:
didn't Trump just say a few days ago that he's not going to blockade and sign a bipartisan agreement? That is going to go over well with his base lol

On January 12 2018 05:54 Introvert wrote:
Knew that the group of Republicans negotiating this was awful. I'm sure the insane activists would still be angry, at least some of them.

https://twitter.com/LACaldwellDC/status/951543150304223232

+ Show Spoiler +

On January 12 2018 05:54 Introvert wrote:
Knew that the group of Republicans negotiating this was awful. I'm sure the insane activists would still be angry, at least some of them.

https://twitter.com/LACaldwellDC/status/951543150304223232

+ Show Spoiler +

If the feds bust any local pot shops, they’ll be on their own — state police and Boston cops won’t assist in any crackdown on businesses that are legal under state law, local authorities said.

Public Safety Secretary Daniel Bennett, who oversees the state police, told the Herald yesterday, “We have a state law that we’re intending to enforce, and the state law was voted on by the people of Massachusetts. We have no intention of raiding a pot shop that is legal under state law.”

Boston police spokesman Detective Lt. Michael McCarthy told the Herald in a statement last night: “Similar to our position on immigration, the BPD will not actively enforce federal marijuana laws at the local level. We will continue to enforce local drug laws to keep our neighborhoods safe.”

Earlier this week, Massachusetts-based U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said in a statement he could not guarantee the medical marijuana dispensaries, recreational pot shops, cultivators and customers would be immune from federal prosecution. This comes after Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded an Obama-era memo that shielded businesses in states that had legalized marijuana.

Unlike Colorado’s U.S. attorney, who explicitly said there would be no change in enforcement in the state, Lelling’s statement has stoked fears and increased uncertainty over the possibility of a federal crackdown on Bay State pot shops.

“I cannot ... provide assurances that certain categories of participants in the state-level marijuana trade will be immune from federal prosecution,” Lelling said on Monday.

The U.S. attorney’s office declined to respond to Bennett’s remarks yesterday.

State officials, including the Cannabis Control Commission, have said they plan on moving forward with developing regulations for recreational use ahead of a July deadline.

Walpole police Chief John Carmichael, who is on the state’s Cannabis Advisory board, said Lelling’s statement could indicate a crackdown is coming.

“When you say that no certain entity is getting immunity, that’s saying not only is home cultivation and cultivation on public lands is a violation, but cultivation on a cultivation site or a dispensary is a violation,” Carmichael said.

State and local police, Carmichael said, have their hands tied, and are bound to enforce Massachusetts laws. If there is a crackdown, he said departments like his that have officers assigned to regional and federal drug task forces could be caught in a conflict between state and federal law.

“This is definitely one of the barriers,” Carmichael said.

Also yesterday, Bennett said the exit of a major debit card payment processor from the Massachusetts medical marijuana industry could set up a safety risk for dispensaries that are now forced to only accept cash.

“Whenever there’s a cash industry that involves drugs, you’re always going to have a concern about that,” he said.

Several dispensaries wrote on social media this week they would only accept cash from patients.

“Each individual dispensary will have to take the necessary steps to ensure their patients are being served in a secure setting,” said David Torrisi, executive director of the Commonwealth Dispensary Association. “It’s primarily an inconvenience, but the security issue is real.”

On January 12 2018 06:43 Doodsmack wrote:


Did you catch it on TV when Trump was helping to negotiate this?

On January 12 2018 06:43 Doodsmack wrote:


Did you catch it on TV when Trump was helping to negotiate this?

On January 12 2018 06:42 Plansix wrote:
I 100% expect him to claim that fence funding is the wall.

On January 12 2018 06:59 iamthedave wrote:


Can you clue in us foreigners? How did it go down?