Marijuana Legalization and Taxation Act

[Colin]

Aye, Aye


I'm sorry I have not been on to answer questions. I could not get on the computer yesterday. I will answer all questions ASAP.

[Colin]

So, here are my questions for the sponsor:

1.  I assume that the regions will still have the right to criminalize/decriminalize marijuana if they wish to.  This will only apply to the federal government at large, not to the regions, who can set up their own rules.

Exactly. This is just a decriminalization at the Federal Level. Individual regions have the right to inforce any marijuana legislation that they pass and implement. Overall the only difference would be that now it would be state based enforcement and implementation of marijuana legislation instead of a federal level enforcement and implementation.

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Exactly I may read over what I have wrote and amend it further to make the amnesty more specific than it currently is.

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Yes this is the main reason that I left it out is because I am not an expert on the THC and what levels would be best. Your amendment seems to fix this problem.

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Seems to already have been rectified by your amendment. This itself was a holdover from the True Democrat bill.

[Colin]

I would like to propose an amendment:

Clause 3 will be reworded to say:

All those convicted of crimes in federal courts that have been repealed in this bill shall be released from any sentence in prison they are presently serving and any outstanding fines owed. These provisions do not exonerate those who are presently in jail or paying fines for other crimes and misdemeanors.

[Sam Spade]

I would like to propose an amendment:

Clause 3 will be reworded to say:

All those convicted of crimes in federal courts that have been repealed in this bill shall be released from any sentence in prison they are presently serving and any outstanding fines owed. These provisions do not exonerate those who are presently in jail or paying fines for other crimes and misdemeanors.

This is fine with me.

[Gabu]

I would like to propose an amendment:

Clause 3 will be reworded to say:

All those convicted of crimes in federal courts that have been repealed in this bill shall be released from any sentence in prison they are presently serving and any outstanding fines owed. These provisions do not exonerate those who are presently in jail or paying fines for other crimes and misdemeanors.

Okay, I hereby open voting on this amendment.

All senators in favor, vote "aye"; all against, vote "nay".

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Aye.

[Sam Spade]

Aye.

[Colin]

Aye

[MAS117]

Aye

[Gabu]

Mr. President, I propose the following ammendment:

Clauses one (1), two (2), three (3), and four (4) shall be stricken.

Just vote against the bill when it comes to a vote.

[MAS117]

Mr. President, I suggest we move this along as fast as possible! It's 4/20! (Just pointing it out)

[Sam Spade]

Mr. President, I suggest we move this along as fast as possible! It's 4/20!

We need to approve the above amendment and then I would happy to vote on it.

Vote for my Senate Procedural Resolution and we'll actually get rules that we can disregard on this sort of thing. 

[Gabu]

Mr. President, I suggest we move this along as fast as possible! It's 4/20!

We need to approve the above amendment and then I would happy to vote on it.

Vote for my Senate Procedural Resolution and we'll actually get rules that we can disregard on this sort of thing. 

We still need one more vote on Colin's amendment.

[WMS]

Aye.

[Colin]

The only problem I can see now is the cause of where it would be illegal after this is passed. As I am currently interpreting it is that the regions would have to pass specific legislation banning marijuana to have marijuana stay illegal. I am thinking about presenting an amendment concerning whether regions would have to pass specific illegalization and criminalization legislation to maintain its illegality.

[Gabu]

With six votes in favor to one against, the amendment has passed.

The only problem I can see now is the cause of where it would be illegal after this is passed. As I am currently interpreting it is that the regions would have to pass specific legislation banning marijuana to have marijuana stay illegal. I am thinking about presenting an amendment concerning whether regions would have to pass specific illegalization and criminalization legislation to maintain its illegality.

Perhaps what we could do is add an amendment saying that marijuana will be by default illegal in the regions, but that each region is free to pass their own legislation legalizing it in the region.

[Sam Spade]

With six votes in favor to one against, the amendment has passed.

The only problem I can see now is the cause of where it would be illegal after this is passed. As I am currently interpreting it is that the regions would have to pass specific legislation banning marijuana to have marijuana stay illegal. I am thinking about presenting an amendment concerning whether regions would have to pass specific illegalization and criminalization legislation to maintain its illegality.

Perhaps what we could do is add an amendment saying that marijuana will be by default illegal in the regions, but that each region is free to pass their own legislation legalizing it in the region.

If we get rid of the federal laws against marijuana, my assumption is that the only valid laws would be state laws already on the books against substances that might be legitimately defined as marijuana. (sort of like what would happen if Roe v. Wade was overturned)

Other than that, marijuana would be functionally legal in any other jurisdictions, simply because no laws would exist on the books, except for this federal one.  I could be wrong on this, but that's my fundamental assumption and probably a good one to go off of.

As to the state laws I have no idea how many there are or where they are.

I think we should make an amendment saying that marijuana is in default "legal" pursuant to any state or regional clauses already on the books, but that any region may be allowed to draft legislation to define parameters dealing with any issues concerning marijuana not defined in this bill, or may be allowed to illegalize it in their region, if they so wish. 

The federal government would obviously not fund enforcement of this banning, that would be said region's responsibility.

[Gabu]

With six votes in favor to one against, the amendment has passed.

The only problem I can see now is the cause of where it would be illegal after this is passed. As I am currently interpreting it is that the regions would have to pass specific legislation banning marijuana to have marijuana stay illegal. I am thinking about presenting an amendment concerning whether regions would have to pass specific illegalization and criminalization legislation to maintain its illegality.

Perhaps what we could do is add an amendment saying that marijuana will be by default illegal in the regions, but that each region is free to pass their own legislation legalizing it in the region.

If we get rid of the federal laws against marijuana, my assumption is that the only valid laws would be state laws already on the books against substances that might be legitimately defined as marijuana. (sort of like what would happen if Roe v. Wade was overturned)

Other than that, marijuana would be functionally legal in any other jurisdictions, simply because no laws would exist on the books, except for this federal one.  I could be wrong on this, but that's my fundamental assumption and probably a good one to go off of.

As to the state laws I have no idea how many there are or where they are.

I think we should make an amendment saying that marijuana is in default "legal" pursuant to any state or regional clauses already on the books, but that any region may be allowed to draft legislation to define parameters dealing with any issues concerning marijuana not defined in this bill, or may be allowed to illegalize it in their region, if they so wish. 

The federal government would obviously not fund enforcement of this banning, that would be said region's responsibility.

I suppose it doesn't really make a difference whether we set the default to "legal" or "not legal", given that regions could just make their own legislation either way to make it be what they'd like it to be.

Currently it's set such that the default is "legal", so if we're fine with that, then we don't really need an amendment either way.

[Gabu]

Wait, I just actually realized something as well: to make something not criminalized (which is what this bill is doing) is not the same as legalizing something.  Marijuana is decriminalized in Canada, but that puts it in league with speeding, not cigarettes, in that it just means that it doesn't give you a criminal record; you still need to pay a fine.

Because of that, I hereby propose this amendment after we get NixonNow's blatant filibuster out of the way:

Section 1 shall be stricken and replaced with the following:

§ 1 The possession, sale, and consumption of marijuana, and the plants needed for its processing, shall not be considered illegal by the federal government of Atlasia.  Commercially sold marijuana cigarettes shall be subject to the same regulations as tobacco cigarettes, unless a regional law shall nullify this provision and provide its own.

At any rate, I hereby open voting on NixonNow's "amendment":

Clauses one (1), two (2), three (3), and four (4) shall be stricken.

♪ Nay nay nay nay nay nay ♪
♫ Nay nay nay ♪
♪ Nay nay nay! ♫

Nay.

[Sam Spade]

Nay.

[MAS117]

Nay

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I like the Gabu amendment.

[WMS]

Nay.

[Gabu]

As we currently only have nine Senators, with five against to none in favor, this amendment has failed.

I now open voting on my amendment:

Section 1 shall be stricken and replaced with the following:

§ 1 The possession, sale, and consumption of marijuana, and the plants needed for its processing, shall not be considered illegal by the federal government of Atlasia. Commercially sold marijuana cigarettes shall be subject to the same regulations as tobacco cigarettes, unless a regional law shall nullify this provision and provide its own.

All senators in favor, vote "aye"; all against, vote "nay".

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Aye.

[Sam Spade]

Aye to the Gabu amendment.

The NixonNow amendment is funny.

[WMS]

Aye to the Gabu amendment.

[Colin]

Aye on the Gabu Amendment.