Laboratories Of Democracy

A life sentence … for pot?

"The top federal prosecutor in Montana — Mike Cotter, the U.S. attorney appointed by President Obama in 2009 — is breaking his silence and speaking publicly, for the first time, about his two-year crusade to shutter the medical marijuana industry and put its practitioners behind bars, in many cases for life sentences. And he is mincing no words. He says that pot has no medical value at all, for anyone, and that if you think otherwise, you are a sucker who has been duped 'by slick Madison Avenue marketing' employed by pot dealers. He says pot is a dangerous drug and growing it is a federal crime that must be punished." Continue reading →

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Marijuana: Will It Ever Be Legal? States Lead the Charge as Opinion Shifts

"Colorado and Washington entered an uncharted territory when state leaders decided to take what has been an underground system since marijuana was declared illegal 75 years ago and turn it into a regulated and taxed commercial enterprise. No other places in the world have such liberal marijuana laws. Alcohol prohibition was a federal policy implemented by the individual states, similar to today’s situation with marijuana. When New York decided not to enforce alcohol prohibition anymore, it set the tone for what was to come as other states followed suit. Eventually the federal government decided that it was not going to commit the resources needed to enforce the law." Continue reading →

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Connecticut becomes first state to pass legislation requiring genetically modified (GM) food labeling

"The small US state of Connecticut became the first to pass legislation requiring food products with genetically modified ingredients to be labeled as such. The legislation was strongly supported in a 134-3 vote in the state House, making Connecticut the first of some two dozen states mulling GM foods labeling to pass a measure. The bill said that the labeling rules will only take effect when at least four other states, including at least one of them an immediate neighbor of Connecticut such as New York, enact similar legislation, and also only when states in the northeastern region of the country with a combined population of 20 million or more do the same." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingConnecticut becomes first state to pass legislation requiring genetically modified (GM) food labeling

Colorado Governor Signs Marijuana Legalization Bills

"In a public ceremony at the state capitol in Denver Tuesday, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) signed into law four bills that will establish a legal, regulated marijuana market for adults and begin the development of a regulatory framework for industrial hemp production. The package of bills had passed the legislature earlier this month in accord with the requirements of Amendment 64, which won with 55% of the popular vote last November. That groundbreaking vote led Hickenlooper to sign an order legalizing marijuana possession and to appoint an Amendment 64 Implementation Task Force late last year, which provided guidance to the legislature." Continue reading →

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Most Likely To Secede: The Rise of Nullification

"Nullification acts have been introduced in state legislatures all across the country, particularly in the last few months. According to one estimate at the Tenth Amendment Center, which tracks such things, there are more than 70 proposed bills to nullify federal laws and practices now in state legislatures, sometimes consciously labeled nullification, sometimes not. For example, 12 states have introduced proposals for state marijuana laws in defiance of federal regulations under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. State laws against National Defense Authorization Act indefinite detention provisions have been introduced in almost half the states." Continue reading →

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U.S. States Push to Bring Back Gold Standard

"More than a dozen states have introduced laws to recognize gold as legal currency. If the bill gets the governor's signature, Arizona will be the second state to legally consider gold as legal tender. Supporters of going back to the gold standard say the system is preferable to the Federal Reserve and Ben Bernanke's monetary policies. On the 80th anniversary since the Gold Standard in the U.S. was abolished, RT Correspondent Liz Wahl reports on the rush get back to gold." Continue reading →

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Texas Gun Sales Are Off the Charts

"Gander Mountain is opening four new stores in Texas. The company describes itself as a 'firearms super center.' Demand is high and growing. The stores are for outdoorsmen, but these days, indoorsmen are walking in the stores’ doors too. Texas is gun-friendly. The boom in ammunition sales shows no sign of tapering off. This marks a change in sentiment. Gun owners are responding to political threats in the Northeast, but in the West and South, there is no trace of gun control sentiment." Continue reading →

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Kansas Law: No More Government Money Promoting Gun Control

"The governor of Kansas has signed a law that prohibits local governments from using taxpayers’ money to promote gun control. They may not produce or distribute 'any kit, pamphlet, booklet, publication, electronic communication, radio, television or video presentation' that is related to gun control. They may not hire lobbyists, either. Gun control promoters say this is an infringement on their constitutional right to take money from taxpayers and then use this money to promote their own agendas." Continue reading →

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Marijuana’s IRS Problems Spark New Bill

"Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) will introduce the Small Business Tax Equity Act of 2013 on June 5, with the goal of ending the Internal Revenue Service’s persecution of medical cannabis dispensaries. The Small Business Tax Equity Act of 2013 will amend IRS Section 280E of the tax code to resolve a crisis in the newly legal billion-dollar industry, according to Betty Aldworth with the Washington D.C. lobby National Cannabis Industry Association. Marijuana is a federally illegal drug that 20 states have legalized for medical purposes. Two have legalized its use for adults over 21. But the IRS treats all marijuana-related businesses as 'drug trafficking organizations'." Continue reading →

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Texas votes to abolish taxation of gold

"The Texas Senate on Wednesday night passed H.B. 78, a bill that eliminates the sales tax on precious metal coins and bullion. It now goes to Governor Rick Perry’s desk for his signature into law. Existing Texas statute applies the 6.25% sales tax to purchases of gold and silver under $1,000. 'This sends a powerful message to other states that taxing gold makes no sense because gold is money,' said Rich Danker. 'What is particularly right about this bill is that it removes a tax that affected middle and lower income people who wanted to acquire gold. These are the people losing the most from the long-term erosion in the dollar’s value and need this sound money option.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTexas votes to abolish taxation of gold