Obama Imprisons 80% More Medical Marijuana Growers Than Bush

Medical marijuana users sent to prison under federal law, while complying with state law

Jul 8, 2013 by Mary Noble

Senior Editor

Growing marijuana plant with bud • lostcoastoutpost.com

Every month, medical marijuana growers are sent to federal prison despite having complied with state marijuana laws. And although in 2008 Obama promised to stop raids on medical marijuana growers, his Department of Justice has stepped them up.

"Obama is averaging 36 medical marijuana prosecutions a year, compared to 20 a year" under Bush, according to Reason.com, who base those numbers on a report published by pro-marijuana group NORML in June. "153 medical marijuana cases have been brought in the 4 ¼ years of the Obama administration, nearly as many as under the 8 years of the Bush administration (163)," according to NORML's report.

Some of those sentenced suffered from serious medical conditions for which they were themselves using the drug. Montanan grower Richard Flor died in August 2012 while serving a 5-year prison sentence in federal prison, after suffering two heart attacks and renal and kidney failure, according to Montana's Billings Gazette. Flor was using medical marijuana to treat conditions including depression, diabetes, and osteoporosis. He was a co-founder of Montana Cannabis, which provided marijuana for about 300 people with medical prescriptions for the drug. His attorneys argued that he had complied with all state laws.

Another grower sentenced to 10 years, Jerry Duval, was eventually allowed to serve his sentence in a prison that can treat his medical conditions, which include glaucoma and a kidney and pancreas transplant he required after suffering juvenile diabetes. "The DOJ originally sentenced Duval to standard federal prison despite a judge's recommendation that his medical condition be taken into account," according to the Huffington Post. Duval followed the marijuana laws in his home state of Michigan, according to court documents. He was sentenced along with 5 other Michigan growers.

Politix.

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Is Obama's DOJ being too harsh towards medical marijuana growers?

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114 Comments (view in Forum)

#1 • Jul '13

FFX_VA

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Isn't Obama the American president who use to ride around in a car full of reefer smoke with the windows up? He had a name for doing that too. Maybe his crack cocaine use made him forget his drug use values.
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#28 • Jul '13

RollinPapers

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You must have missed the memo. There is one set of laws for elitists and one set of laws for us peasants. The elitists can ignore laws whenever they want to and they rarely get in trouble for it. Peasants? Not so much.
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#31 • Jul '13

DerivePI

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@RollinPapers "its good to be the king!"
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#87 • Jul '13

sixstringsent

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@RollinPapers "Diplomatic Immunity"
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#2 • Jul '13

Aftermath

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Does this not show how against America Obama is, because the US Government statistics site says 69 percent of the people want legal marijuana.

The Federal Government needs to stay the hell out of states business.
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#18 • Jul '13

PNWest

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The police like illegal marijuana, gives them job security with easy non-violent people to arrest. The DAs and judges like illegal marijuana, job security again. Prison administrations love illegal marijuana, fills their beds with non-violent profitable prisoners. Employers like illegal marijuana, it stays in the blood stream a long time and a positive test can be used to get rid of troublemakers. Big pharma loves illegal marijuana, no legal competition to their patented drugs that often don't work as well. Booze companies like illegal marijuana, they don't want the competition. The only major power players that want legal marijuana are the tobacco companies who would love to sell it and pretty much most people who realize that it is immoral and a farce to prosecute people for smoking pot. Hopefully the will of the people will be served and marijuana will become legalized not that bot liberals and conservatives favor it.
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#20 • Jul '13

PNWest

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@PNWest "not that bot" should read "now that both" - exhale.
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#33 • Jul '13

No_Bama

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@PNWest "Employers like illegal marijuana, it stays in the blood stream a long time and a positive test can be used to get rid of troublemakers."

Not to mention it's an easy "Get out of jail free" card for employers when it comes to a lot of workman's comp claims as well...
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@No_Bama Post
#72 • Jul '13

Canoochee

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@PNWest Did you also hope the will of the people will be served on Prop 8 in California?
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#74 • Jul '13

Aftermath

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@PNWest Cheering Yes!!!!!
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#3 • Jul '13

rickv2

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Is everything a contest? Should everything work out to be exactly equal? More red cars are stolen than blue cars. Men die at a higher rate than women from (Whatever). White kids do this more or less than blacks kids... I'm tired..
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#4 • Jul '13

Knightkore

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Awww.....are progwessive libewals not happy?

Seriously, kind of odd, consider President Hussein Obama is one of the biggest progressive liberals.....
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#8 • Jul '13

frigginhell

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Obama is moderate. The people in this country are so far on the fringes they have no concept of that any longer. That doesn't mean I support the criminalizing marijuana users or growers. It's a strain on the system that only goes to support pharmaceutical companies. If for no other reason we should be able to grow it because of hemp various uses. It's a far better source of pulp than trees for paper products.
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#9 • Jul '13

Knightkore

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@frigginhell Agree on the hemp uses. Disagree on President Hussein Obama being moderate.....
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#12 • Jul '13

martydotcom

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Duh? During Bush Years How Many Quasi Legal Growers Were There??
The topic is comparing apples and oranges
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@martydotcom Post
#17 • Jul '13

John_Matrix

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@martydotcom

Not when he promised to stop the raids their slick. Did you miss that part or just conveniently choose to ignore it?
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@John_Matrix Post
#79 • Jul '13

Denizen_Kate

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@John_Matrix - He did say that, didn't he? Another issue on which Obama has been a major disappointment. All the dispensaries in L.A., Orange, and San Diego counties were raided and shut down a couple weeks ago, so now there is only one actually walk-in dispensary in my area, and the rest are all delivery only. It happened very suddenly, too. I find that sort of thing alarming. Is it still paranoia if they really ARE out to get you?
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#5 • Jul '13

Camelbak

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It's a fascist war against a plant that gives the pigs in law enforcement an easy target and free reign to violate human rights while adding profits to the military industrial complex.
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#80 • Jul '13

Denizen_Kate

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Wow, man . . . I think we knew each other back in the 60s. ;)
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#90 • Jul '13

Camelbak

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@Denizen_Kate
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#91 • Jul '13

Camelbak

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@Denizen_Kate Woodstock, 1969... That was me in the medical tent prescribing a treatment for glaucoma.
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#6 • Jul '13

razrbackrepub

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Obama is just jealous because he can't smoke it. If he can't do it nobody is allowed to do it. Thanks King Obama
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#7 • Jul '13

classychazy

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People need to know that they can nullify a verdict. Its called jury nullification and we need to start using it A LOT! People need to start using their reasoning skills, common sense, and their humanity when it comes to these type of cases. Maybe if enough cases were lost do to nullification they would stop prosecuting these people!
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#56 • Jul '13

bleakoutlook

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Its not a well known law. :(
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@bleakoutlook Post
#81 • Jul '13

Denizen_Kate

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@bleakoutlook - perhaps it should be?
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#10 • Jul '13

JoeR352

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I honestly think the people of the state should fight off the feds when they don't respect the laws of the state. I'm sorry but if it is legal in that state then the Feds need to respect that. I say if they don't fight back. People need to stop just rolling over. Do what the Gay's did. Make a big stink about it. Be so loud everyone hears
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#27 • Jul '13

slayer98_l

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Gays made a stink about it...

That's Hilarious!
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#11 • Jul '13

Dan_Tien

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Why are the Presidents in office given the blame for federal mandatory sentencing laws that have been in effect for decades? Is there a possibility that the number of medical marijuana growers getting arrested and imprisoned is increasing along with proliferation of people becoming medical marijuana growers? It was only 1996 when the first state law was passed legalizing marijuana for medical use, and the DEA has insisted that they would continue to enforce federal laws against it all the while.
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#14 • Jul '13

PoliticalSpice

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Obama has total control on this, not the sentencing perhaps, but the decision to raid and prosecute.
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#16 • Jul '13

Dan_Tien

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@PoliticalSpice How do you know that? Has the federal government given up all delegation of authority among its 2.6 million employees?
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#29 • Jul '13

PoliticalSpice

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@Dan_Tien The President could clearly to order Holder to cease all federal raids on medical marijuana facilities as well as to end all federal prosecutions.
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#41 • Jul '13

Dan_Tien

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@PoliticalSpice I can just imagine the right wing outrage that would result if he did.
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#44 • Jul '13

PoliticalSpice

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@Dan_Tien Yes, I notice how tolerant the right wing has been thus far. Such outrage would be truley unprecedented. BTW a lot of libertarian leaning repubs would be quiet supportive.
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#13 • Jul '13

harold_lloyd

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But that doesn't mean that Obama's DOJ is doing more than the DOJ under Bush43.

How many more states have medical marijuana laws now then 6 years ago.

In any case, enforcement of federal marijuana laws should be suspended in states that have approved the use of marijuana.

Any politician who respects the concept of state's rights should be behind that idea.
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#15 • Jul '13

HawkTheSlayer

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There used to be a concept in law enforcement called discretion. A common sense approach to enforcement made on the basis of individual situations.
Very few laws are enforced to the letter. Here you have the age old debate of states' rights vs. the federalis.
The debate has merits on both sides but until the federal law is amended , this kind of targeting will continue.
Personally, I side with the states' rights crowd.
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#19 • Jul '13

fistv

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The feds are seeing a growing trend here towards legalization and they don't like it.
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#25 • Jul '13

PayThatCEO

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Yep, and they hate the idea that they'll lose all that taxpayer money.
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#50 • Jul '13

fistv

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@PayThatCEO If they legalize it they won't lose money, in fact they will make much more, what they will have a problem justifying is money for DEA, courts, prison inmates, judges, prosecutors. The entire legal system money train would take a hit which would hit retirements, contractors, the whole money train. Calif saw a 100 million dollars a year in sales tax increase alone for legal grass. What has to be stopped is the IRS using section 280E.
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#21 • Jul '13

logic_al

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The "war on drugs" is nothing more than an excuse to use illegal confiscation and search and seizure policies to imprison minorities and the non conformist baby boomers to keep them from voting. These people are all political prisoners and should be released immediately. End the war on drugs. This has gone on long enough! Get rid of mandatory minimums and return sentencing powers to the judiciary where it belongs. The legislatures have no constitutional authority to set limits, only to suggest sentencing standards.
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#22 • Jul '13

Classified

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Maybe he'd be more accepting of it's use if he had ever smoked it...
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#37 • Jul '13

No_Bama

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You mean like when he was a member of the "choom gang" in high school?
Lol...

"Obama has also written and talked about using alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine during his teenage years to "push questions of who I was out of my mind". Obama was also a member of the "choom gang", a self-named group of friends that spent time together and occasionally smoked marijuana."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama#Ear...
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#38 • Jul '13

Classified

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@No_Bama - You'll love this

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch...
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#39 • Jul '13

No_Bama

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@Classified LMAO!
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#47 • Jul '13

HawkTheSlayer

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@Classified that's highly disturbing!
Somewhat amusing ,too.
Wow!!!
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#53 • Jul '13

HawkTheSlayer

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@Classified that part about the constitution holding us together was priceless!
Thanks for that humorous interjection.
We need more of that here.
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#23 • Jul '13

jmiller94

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That's not a big waste if money. Those weed farmers were a huge crime concern. They did commit the cardinal sin against the Democratic Party: Did something that wasn't taxed. When there's a liberal in charge and you do something they can't steal part of, you're screwed.
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#57 • Jul '13

bleakoutlook

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More dispensaries and growers are coming out of the woodwork since democrat heavy politicians have legalized state laws to allow them to do so. Hundreds of stores have opened since Obama was reelected. How easy is it to storm a store and arrest people just standing there giving people hope through medical cannabis then to walk a dark street looking for some gun wielding crazy person?
Too easy.
Its not politics, its job security.
Your opinion is heavily biased and off entirely.
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@bleakoutlook Post
#59 • Jul '13

jmiller94

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@bleakoutlook State dems have legalized it, federal dems are prosecuting it. Is that off somehow?
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#63 • Jul '13

bleakoutlook

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@jmiller94 I've been looking at federal prosecutors who have taken cases prosecuting growers and dispensaries. As far as I can tell, Colorado dems seem to decline the first time around but repub prosecutors go straight for it. So I still don't see how liberals are to blame.
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#64 • Jul '13

HawkTheSlayer

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@bleakoutlook
Now let me this straight.
You state the Feds took the cases. They are ultimately responsible for the outcome.
What do the Colorado democrats or republicans have to do with upholding the law?!
Are you referring to US Attorney Generals?
It's been my experience they do not play favorites when upholding federal law(Rico) etc.
I don't see where liberals are to blame either.
But I'd sure like to see some documentation on your claim.

Do you realize you just stated the dems refuse to uphold the law?
But YOU see nothing wrong with that.
I may agree or disagree.
It's all bullish!t.
Put some links out that support that statement.
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#68 • Jul '13

bleakoutlook

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@HawkTheSlayer I'm aware what I stated. I was just reading the story from the Denver post about the AG declining prosecution against a dispensary but when he was busted again, the prosecuted him even though he applied for all state
I had been searching for political parties of federal prosecutors and if that made a difference, but I can't find the article! I'm on a tablet so I don't have a history button.
And no, I don't see anything wrong with not upholding the law when the crime is victimless.
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#24 • Jul '13

PayThatCEO

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Bush chose to turn a blind eye to everything. He didn't bother arresting 12 million illegal aliens when they were crossing the border.

That said, marijuana legalization or decriminalization will not happen until the people march together and demand it.
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#26 • Jul '13

JustinHale

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"Psychedelics are illegal not because a loving government is concerned that you may jump out of a third story window. Psychedelics are illegal because they dissolve opinion structures and culturally laid down models of behaviour and information processing. They open you up to the possibility that everything you know is wrong."
-* Terence McKenna
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#83 • Jul '13

Denizen_Kate

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Nice quote, but cannabis isn't a psychedelic drug. At least, not when compared to psilocyben [sp?], for example, which is what McKenna was probably talking about.
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#106 • Jul '13

JustinHale

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@Denizen_Kate , wrong. Quoting wiki.< "Cannabis
" produces mild psychedelic effects and may be the world's most widely used psychedelic drug.>
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#107 • Jul '13

Denizen_Kate

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@JustinHale - I like your user name. Now, there's an alias if I ever heard one. :)
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#108 • Jul '13

JustinHale

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@Denizen_Kate
I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about,?
Here's another McKennaism
"If the words 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness' don't include the right to experiment with your own consciousness, then the Declaration of Independence isn't worth the hemp it was written on."
-* Terence McKenna
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#109 • Jul '13

Denizen_Kate

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@JustinHale - Thanks! I love that one!
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#30 • Jul '13

Vance1

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liberals smoke pot and liberals voted Obama...Surprize!!
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#62 • Jul '13

AMSCountryboy

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Um...not just libs smoke pot...not even close
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#84 • Jul '13

Denizen_Kate

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Don't knock it if you haven't tried it. It sure beats alcohol.
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#111 • Jul '13

gonzoguy1987

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@Denizen_Kate And I don't wake up in jail when I smoke pot unlike alcohol. LOL Legalize pot and there will be less violence and crime.
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#32 • Jul '13

johnny_potseed

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Guilty dog barks loudest.
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#34 • Jul '13

HPthinker

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Obama is a hypocrite and everybody knows it, lies deceit and manipulation are standards of this administration. Obamas' dream is to have unlimited government control to redistribute wealth and make decisions unilaterally. This administration thinks the voters are stupid and the Dems really know what's best regardless of facts or what is voted for. Until we can put some checks in place - " the states and voters will be trampled by the regime.
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