Marijuana Policy Project: Morgan Fox: Marijuana Now Legal in Washington D.C.

Source:The New Democrat

I’m sick and tired especially as someone who is a Liberal Federalist of hearing Republicans talk about local control and federalism when they don’t seem to believe in it. Except when it comes to things that they agree with, which is not what federalism is about. Federalism is about decentralization of power from the Federal Government down to the states and localities to manage their own state and local affairs. Which is all the City of Washington wants to do. They want to be able to make key law enforcement decisions for themselves. Like whether it not to arrest someone for possessing or using marijuana. Or arrest adults from buying it or selling it to other adults.

Washington over the last twenty years has become one of the safest big cities in the country. No longer the crime or murder capital of the country and not even close. As I’m sure a lot of veteran House Republicans know under having live here and work in the city a lot of them. Whether they want to admit that or not. The economy has boomed the last fifteen years or even as the rest of the country has struggled for the most part in the same time period. Washington is no longer drowning in debt, deficits, unlike the Federal Government. And instead has run surplus’. They’ve shown they know how to manage their own city affairs and that is all they want to do.

House Republican should butt the hell out and instead paying attention to federal affairs like dealing with terrorism, investing in infrastructure, fixing No Child Left Behind, which would actually help Washington. And let Washington manage Washington and stop arresting adults for simply consuming or possessing marijuana. And stop threatening people about how they do their own jobs with arrests. Washington is not scared of Uncle Sam because the only a group of House Republicans have much of an interest in actually trying to stop marijuana legalization in Washington. So the city will probably win on this, but this isn’t a battle that they should even have to fight.

Marijuana Policy Project: Morgan Fox: Maryland House Votes to Decriminalize Marijuana in Surprising Move

Source:The New Democrat

This is a good first step. I would've voted for it, if I were a member of the Maryland Assembly, House or Senate.  Both chambers of the Assembly have passed decriminalization of marijuana and, surprisingly, Governor Martin O'Malley announced late this Monday afternoon that he will sign the bill when it comes to his desk. Surprisingly, because previously in this Assembly session he had said that he was against decriminalization of marijuana.

I twice voted for O'Malley for governor and I'm proud I did so.  I'm not implying that he doesn't support this bill but, politically, if he wants to run a credible presidential campaign in 2016, he's going to need to get to the Left of Hillary Clinton and appeal to young voters.  Then, he can portray her as someone without a strong political core who is running on her name and just wants  to be the first female President of the United States.

Favoring decriminalization of marijuana at the state level gives him that opening.  He could say to young liberals (hopefully I still count as one, age wise) that the War on Drugs has failed and we need a new approach to dealing with narcotics.   For starters, we stop arresting people for simple marijuana possession or use. I believe in this and Secretary Clinton is either a drug warrior she or won't take a strong stance on the issue.

The bill, itself, is a strong first step but the country needs to go further and so does Maryland.  Use and possession of small amounts of  marijuana should be legal for everyone in the state who's 21 and over and not currently incarcerated.  This drug should be regulated like alcohol because they have similar side-effects and, if anything, marijuana is less dangerous.  We should save our precious prison spaces for real-life criminals who are a threat to Marylanders and other Americans. 

Right Coast: 'Maryland's Right Wing Cannibalism'

"I thought I'd repost this from my friend,   Jackie Wellfonder's blog. Echos from 2010.... United We Stand, Divided We Fal l If a...

From The Right Coast

Washington Examiner: 'Anacostia Riverfront Development'

Source:Washington Examiner- U.S. Representative Donna Edwards (Democrat, Maryland) speaking about this Washington waterfront development.

"Anacostia Riverfront Development" 

From the Washington Examiner

More development in a section of Washington that needs it. As someone whose an avid cyclist, who bikes two miles a day every weekday, or most weekdays and more on the weekends, I have to say that I love this idea. But just economically and financially, this is just something that the City of Washington needs to bring even more people into this big, beautiful, city and give more Americans the opportunity to take advantage of what this great city has to offer and be able to see more of it everyday.