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posted by martyb on Sunday September 18 2016, @07:16PM   Printer-friendly
from the buzzkill dept.

Alcohol and painkiller manufacturers, terrified that they might lose market share, are major players in the fight against pot-legalizations ballot initiatives.

The fight against legalized pot is being heavily bankrolled by alcohol and pharmaceutical companies, terrified that they might lose market share.

On the heels of a filing last week that revealed that a synthetic cannabis company is financing the opposition to legal marijuana in Arizona comes a new disclosure this week that a beer industry group made one of the largest donations to an organization set up to defeat legalization in Massachusetts.

The Beer Distributors PAC, an affiliate that represents 16 beer-distribution companies in Massachusetts, gave $25,000 to the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy Massachusetts, tying it for third place among the largest contributors to the anti-pot organization.

William A. Kelley, the president of the Beer Distributors of Massachusetts, did not respond to a request for comment, but his organization's decision to oppose legalization is hardly unique in the alcohol industry.

In Arizona, one of the five states with marijuana legalization ballot measures this November, the Arizona Wine and Spirits Wholesale Association donated $10,000 to a group opposing legalization. In 2010, the last time California considered marijuana legalization, another alcoholic beverage distribution group provided financing to a law enforcement-backed campaign to defeat legalization.

Source: https://theintercept.com/2016/09/14/beer-pot-ballot/

[Update: The article in The Intercept had two 'links' that lacked any actual URL. An alternative was found for the link to William A. Kelley and replaced. Could not find a link to corroborate the $10,000 donation in Arizona — that link was removed. -Ed.]


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  • (Score: 5, Funny) by snufu on Sunday September 18 2016, @09:20PM

    by snufu (5855) on Sunday September 18 2016, @09:20PM (#403515)

    A drunk stumbles down a sidewalk carrying an open can of beer in a paper bag. A stoned skateboarder weaves back and forth on the same sidewalk leaving a trail of doobie smoke in his wake. They crash into each other and both fall to the pavement stunned.
    Drunk: "Hey. You got pot in my beer!"
    Stoner: "You got suds on my spliff!"
    Cue jingle as they trip arm in arm into street traffic: "Two great tastes that taste great together."
     

    Starting Score:    1  point
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       Insightful=1, Funny=2, Total=3
    Extra 'Funny' Modifier   0  
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    Total Score:   5  
  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 18 2016, @09:26PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 18 2016, @09:26PM (#403518)

    I imagine it more like this:

    Drunk: Oh for FUCKS SAKE, you FUCKING ASSHOLE!!!

    Stoner: Whoa dude, next time maybe you should pay attention where you're going?

    • (Score: 3, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 18 2016, @10:34PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 18 2016, @10:34PM (#403535)

      Followed by the stoner getting 3 years in prison.

      • (Score: 2) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Monday September 19 2016, @11:19AM

        by GreatAuntAnesthesia (3275) on Monday September 19 2016, @11:19AM (#403671) Journal

        ...and emerging at the end of his sentence as an unemployable violent antisocial criminal with swastikas tattooed all over his face.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 19 2016, @02:40PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 19 2016, @02:40PM (#403786)

          and turns to alcohol then heroin....