Federal, State Laws Keep Butting Heads

[420 Warrior]

News this week about scrutiny over Arizona's medical marijuana program will leave us wringing our hands at the voting booth.

The federal government, in a Feb. 16 letter, told Gov. Jan Brewer it would prosecute state workers for implementing the medical marijuana program, according to the Associated Press, saying they "are not immune from liability" under the federal Controlled Substances Act.

Voters approved the state program in 2010 to allow people with certain debilitating medical conditions to use marijuana. Qualified patients must register with the state and Arizona officials plan to set up and regulate as many as 126 dispensaries.

However, Arizona is among 16 states in the country that have medical marijuana laws, which conflict with federal law outlawing the cultivation, sale or use of marijuana, the AP reported. Evidence of the federal government's stance includes the dispensary raids and crackdowns on landlords who lease property to dispensaries in California, Washington and other states.

This past week we editorialized on the federal government's rejection of voter ID bills in Texas and South Carolina. The big difference, we were told, was that voters approved Arizona's requirements through an initiative, rather than seeing the measure come out of the Legislature.

That left us thinking Arizona voter ID rules, in effect since 2004 requiring identification to vote, would be exempt or above reproach.

Unfortunately, like the voter ID law, Arizona's voters approved the medical marijuana program.

When sitting back and reflecting on this ongoing battle over state-versus-federal power, one has to wonder if anyone fully understands where the line is drawn. State elections officials should be more diligent before initiatives go to the ballot, vetting conflicts with federal law.

That will not happen anytime soon, if history is our guide. No bill or initiative is immune to federal study or litigation - leaving validity of the voters' voice in a proverbial purgatory.

News Hawk - 420 Warrior 420 MAGAZINE
Location: Prescott, AZ
Source: Daily Courier
Copyright: 2012 Prescott Newspapers, Inc.
Website: www.dcourier.com

 

[budbro]

That will not happen anytime soon, if history is our guide. No bill or initiative is immune to federal study or litigation - leaving validity of the voters' voice in a proverbial purgatory.

What a socialist pig!, We The People should be the ONLY ones ruling this country and our states, not Obama and his federal hit squad of thugs denying free will and states sovereignty.

If history is our guide, the people will be the ones doing the studying of these horrendous acts by Obama, with no litigation needed - leaving his validity in a proverbial purgatory come November.

 

[420 Warrior]

if history is our guide

What?! History should never be our guide, if it's more failed policy and bad decision making against the will of the people!

They need to be more worried about making history, not repeating it!

 

[420 Warrior]

what a socialist pig!, we the people should be the only ones ruling this country and our states, not obama and his federal hit squad of thugs denying free will and states sovereignty.

If history is our guide, the people will be the ones doing the studying of these horrendous acts by obama, with no litigation needed - leaving his validity in a proverbial purgatory come november.

^^^like!​

 

[J9BLACK]

I am not an easy proponent of direct democracy, which so many people advocate and call for...*when and only when* direct democracy is consistent with an individual's personal beliefs. Oftentimes, direct democracy would be in direct conflict in whole or in part with any individual's principles at any given time.

Are you sure you want the will of the people? Really?

This is where representative democracies like the United States are superior to the mob rules of direct democracy. We elect statesmen to generally represent our interests in the competition of ideas in the governing of a nation.

In theory, that works...Though not well. Statesmen become career politicians who become less and less representative of our ideals, and more and more representative of the state. The state then becomes more powerful than the people, and we end up where we are at now: statism. This statism will lead to repression and sometimes oppression.

Our nation is broken on so many levels. Our deficit and debt are killing us. Social engineering is a failure. Our freedoms are being legislated away and if the vox populi is braying about entitlements, then we will become a failed nation...or already are.

All of those warnings from your father that the socialists are taking over? It is happening.

The only way forward is an unwinding of entitlements and a return to the principles of freedom.

 

[J9BLACK]

Screw conflicts with federal law. All politics is local politics. Jan Brewer's plan hasn't changed with the new federal threats--which are about as coherent as federal security of our borders. Jan is doing the right thing finally for those folks down in AZ. Once that 25 mile rile is amended, AZ will be golden.

Go Manning.