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posted by CoolHand on Monday March 21 2016, @09:49PM   Printer-friendly
from the going-green dept.

The Supreme Court has refused to hear a challenge to Colorado's recreational cannabis law from neighboring states:

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday threw out a lawsuit filed by the states of Nebraska and Oklahoma against their neighbor Colorado over a law approved as a ballot initiative by Colorado voters in 2012 that allows the recreational use of marijuana. The court declined to hear the case filed by Nebraska and Oklahoma, which said that marijuana is being smuggled across their borders and noted that federal law still prohibits the drug. Two conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, said they would have heard the case.

Nebraska and Oklahoma contended that drugs such as marijuana threaten the health and safety of children and argued that Colorado had created "a dangerous gap" in the federal drug control system. Colorado stands by its law. It noted that the Obama administration has indicated the federal government lacks the resources and inclination to enforce fully the federal marijuana ban.

Also at The Washington Post, NYT.

See the Plaintiffs' brief, and Colorado's brief in opposition.


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  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by Gravis on Monday March 21 2016, @10:21PM

    by Gravis (4596) on Monday March 21 2016, @10:21PM (#321295)

    maybe it's time for states with this "problem" to take the hint and lift the ban on marijuana. Colorado hasn't become some sort of Hellmouth to drug addiction because marijuana lacks the addictive properties that some people have associated with it. really, it's time to stop this overzealous war on drugs and begin addressing real issues.

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  • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 21 2016, @10:27PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 21 2016, @10:27PM (#321298)

    But... But... Think of the children!!! Despite the fact that Colorado didn't make it legal for minors to buy or smoke marijuana.

  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Monday March 21 2016, @10:42PM

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Monday March 21 2016, @10:42PM (#321305) Journal

    Colorado hasn't become some sort of Hellmouth to drug addiction because marijuana lacks the addictive properties that some people have associated with it.

    Not to mention that cannabis consumption is already high everywhere in the U.S.

    It's the alcohol that will kill us all.

    --
    [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
    • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday March 21 2016, @10:57PM

      by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Monday March 21 2016, @10:57PM (#321310) Journal

      It's the alcohol that will kill us all.

      I have a hunch those French people would gladly donate some of their finer liqueurs in industrial quantities if you can guarantee your politicians and upper corporate officers will go first.

      --
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
    • (Score: 1) by massa on Monday March 21 2016, @11:36PM

      by massa (5547) on Monday March 21 2016, @11:36PM (#321319)

      > Not to mention that cannabis consumption is already high everywhere in the U.S.

      I think you mean "cannabis consumers are already high"... ;)

  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by hemocyanin on Monday March 21 2016, @11:40PM

    by hemocyanin (186) on Monday March 21 2016, @11:40PM (#321323) Journal

    Exactly. If the neighboring states are so pissed about Colorado profiting from pot ... they should do the smart logical non-pothead non-bonehead move and legalize it too. Don't sit around and bitch like a bunch of whining cowboys.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 21 2016, @11:45PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 21 2016, @11:45PM (#321329)

      But Jesus hates weed. Or at least that's what the old, crusty WASPs think.

    • (Score: 4, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 21 2016, @11:46PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 21 2016, @11:46PM (#321330)

      They should start legalizing shrooms and cocaine to undercut Colorado and crush their shitty pot business. USA! USA! USA!

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 22 2016, @05:16AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 22 2016, @05:16AM (#321427)

    Marijuana is only addictive for people who use it a lot.

    • (Score: 2) by Webweasel on Tuesday March 22 2016, @02:24PM

      by Webweasel (567) on Tuesday March 22 2016, @02:24PM (#321623) Homepage Journal

      No, my anecdotal evidence says otherwise.

      I have been a daily cannabis smoker for 20 years a minimum of 3 strong joints a day.

      I went on foreign holiday last august, for the first time since being a smoker.

      It wasn't until 2am on the night of arrival did I realise, not only had I not craved cannabis, it hadn't even crossed my mind. I laughed and poured myself another brandy.

      There is a big difference between physical addiction (Fags, Booze, Heroin, Coffee) and habitual addiction (Cannabis).

      Habitual addiction is easily delt with by making a major change in your life to bring you out of your daily habbit.

      I thought I was a cannabis addict, turns out I only have a habitual addiciton due to my daily routine. Break that routine and cannabis is not even considered.

      But hey, that's just my anecdotal experience. Yours may vary.

      --
      Priyom.org Number stations, Russian Military radio. "You are a bad, bad man. Do you have any other virtues?"-Runaway1956
      • (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday March 22 2016, @07:46PM

        by Phoenix666 (552) on Tuesday March 22 2016, @07:46PM (#321787) Journal

        My brother in law is quite addicted to it. He has to smoke all the time to behave normally. When he doesn't, he morphs from an amiable guy into a raging asshole.

        Perhaps brain chemistry is the difference. If you have enough dopamine/endorphins naturally, it would make sense that you wouldn't form the same attachment. But then you'd be less prone to substances like THC anyway.

        --
        Washington DC delenda est.
        • (Score: 2) by Webweasel on Wednesday March 23 2016, @02:23PM

          by Webweasel (567) on Wednesday March 23 2016, @02:23PM (#322081) Homepage Journal

          I can't disagree (See my reply to AC below) we are all different and QED our brain chemistry will be different.

          Add in the lack of study about the effects of cannabis and we really don't know what we are dealing with.

          I have personally witness the extremes. You will if your involved in the drug communinty.

          One guy I know was already inclined to mental illness. We were to young and niave to realise what was going on, but if I could turn the clock back and not pass him the joint? Damn right I wouldn't. The guy was already mentally ill, but we had not figured that out yet. Add in a bunch of emotional stress of being 16 and getting with girls while also fucking up your exams due to other stress in your life? It was too much and pushed him over the edge.

          He's OK now, but still struggles with his mental illness, but living independantly and a contributing member of society. His little sister on the other hand? No drugs and about as unstable as you get without being sectioned. In this family, mental illness is inherited from the mother. His sister did not need drugs to push it.

          Another example is watching my pot head friends panic with their habitual addiction when nothing is available (See the Great UK dope famine of 2005, which pushed the change from imported soap bar from morroco, which the UN burnt all the fields in 2004, meaning no pot in the UK in 2005 causing the rise of the vietnamese gangs growing in rented houses in the UK) now in comparison to physical addiction they did not suffer. No shakes of booze addiction or the craving of herion/fags but still a massive psychological impact on them. They suffered mentallly even if they did not suffer physically.

          Addiction is different for us all. For me pot is no issue, booze and fags on the other hand? Damn I struggle to give those up, however they are physically addictive and cannabis is not.

          I'm sure, given the right help and environment your brother could be off it pretty quickly. He may even find that if he tries it again, he does not like it (2 weeks of abstinance is enough so you get hit with the full strength and is a different experience from your daily smokers experience)

          --
          Priyom.org Number stations, Russian Military radio. "You are a bad, bad man. Do you have any other virtues?"-Runaway1956
          • (Score: 2) by Webweasel on Wednesday March 23 2016, @02:29PM

            by Webweasel (567) on Wednesday March 23 2016, @02:29PM (#322087) Homepage Journal

            Oh one other thing to mention.

            If your bro does give up, he will probably have several weeks of UTTERLY INTENSE nightmares.

            I mean sleep terrors, waking up screaming with fear. Physical pain in dreams, horrible horrible nightmares.

            After 2 weeks these fade and your back to "normal". But trust me, a pot smoker in withdrawal is quite likely to suffer from this and want a J before bed to stop this happening. Its (for me) the most horrific part of withdrawal. You don't want to sleep as the experience is so horrific.

            Not true for all of us ofc, but something to be warned about and do let him know, it stops within about 2-3 weeks of giving up. These dreams are very lucid and can be controlled too, so take advantage of this stage if you can!

            Definatly not just me, some research on various forums will show this is very common side effect of cannabis withdrawal due to increased REM sleep.

            --
            Priyom.org Number stations, Russian Military radio. "You are a bad, bad man. Do you have any other virtues?"-Runaway1956
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 22 2016, @09:26PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 22 2016, @09:26PM (#321837)

        Yeah, and I know lots of people who only smoke cigarettes when they're at the bar. My coworkers would all 'borrow' cigarettes from me when we went out to the bar. (No grief, as I never needed to pay for my drinks, either.) The rest of the time they were content to be smoke free. So I guess, anecdotally, cigarettes are OK too.

        My other anecdote would be that then cigarettes must only be a habitual addiction as well because.... I kicked the habit with no trouble whatsoever after being a pack-a-day plus smoker of over twenty five years. It only took a heart attack and single bypass surgery to do it. :) The serious take here being I really didn't have anywhere near the same trouble giving it up post-surgery as I did the 3-4 times I tried to kick it before that. Didn't need gum / patches / e-cigs etc. but did use Tootsie Roll Pops as an oral substitute. I still wonder if something didn't happen chemically within my brain as a result of the surgery to cause me to not need the nicotine anymore.

        And all of the above including parent's post is why anecdotes are inferior to science.

        • (Score: 2) by Webweasel on Wednesday March 23 2016, @02:09PM

          by Webweasel (567) on Wednesday March 23 2016, @02:09PM (#322079) Homepage Journal

          Yup, hence "Your experience may vary".

          No matter what, we are all different. I would guess that everyones brain chemistry is different.

          I have tried to give up the fags, can't do it. Couple of reasons:

          The addiction is difficult to deal with, I can't stop currently. Flip side, I have not had the "Health scare" that some smokers need to push them to quit.

          I still enjoy smoking, I don't really want to quit, but I know I should. This is probably the biggest reason.

          But, I would posit that having experienced both physical and habitual addiciton, I can really see the difference between the two.

          Don't get me wrong though, I would still advocate that pot is dangerous to those who are already inclined to mental illness AND that addiction is different for everyone. Having witnessed another suffering from habitual addiciton to cannabis, I can say that there are those who struggle with it more than others and addiction is a spectrum for everyone. Something I found was easy is difficult for others and vice versa. I find my habitual addiciton with cannabis is easy to deal with. My habitual addiciton to booze? Not so much. That I really struggle with. (Don't get me wrong, I'm not drinking more than 2 beers a day, but giving those up is damn hard. I can't seem to do it)

          Everyone is different.

          So, Ill leave this with a Hunter S Thompson quote.

          "I don't advocate drugs for anyone. But they have worked for me"

          --
          Priyom.org Number stations, Russian Military radio. "You are a bad, bad man. Do you have any other virtues?"-Runaway1956
  • (Score: 0, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 22 2016, @05:31AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 22 2016, @05:31AM (#321430)

    I'm a citizen of Colorado. I voted to decriminalize pot, so that nonviolent people caught with some small amount of the drug would not get sent to prison, full stop. I did not for the state of events we're currently...enjoying. Stoned people driving, neighborhoods glutted with "dispensaries" trying to get on the books before they're closed, even more goddamned Californication, and in industrial areas, a pervasive, inescapable skunky odor. Unintentional consequences, etc. Pot should not be an industry, but that's what we've got. I would encourage other states looking to decriminalize pot to take a step back, reevaluate, and do it only once other regulations prevent a free-for-all.

    • (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday March 22 2016, @11:56AM

      by Phoenix666 (552) on Tuesday March 22 2016, @11:56AM (#321548) Journal

      and in industrial areas, a pervasive, inescapable skunky odor.

      I know where you're coming from. On my honeymoon I finally made it to Amsterdam on a long layover. My wife and I went to the area where the "coffee shops" are, thinking it would be fun to try it legally. The skunky smell that greeted us on the street struck us as so ghetto that we turned right around.

      --
      Washington DC delenda est.
  • (Score: 1) by Delwin on Tuesday March 22 2016, @02:00PM

    by Delwin (4554) on Tuesday March 22 2016, @02:00PM (#321601)

    That depends on your point of view. I have an uncle in Colorado and he's seriously considering moving out over the marijuana issue.