The times they are a changin’
Republican presidential hopeful Rand Paul planned Tuesday to court donors from the new marijuana industry, making the Kentucky senator the first major-party presidential candidate to publicly seek support from the legal weed business.
Paul’s fundraiser at the Cannabis Business Summit – tickets start at $2,700, the maximum donation allowed for the primary contest – comes as the marijuana industry approaches its first presidential campaign as a legal enterprise.
June 30th, 2015 at 3:51 pm
Some might see that as a step in the right direction, and maybe it is. I would point out however that the pot industry exists (now anyway, or so it will be perceived) because of a special favor or special dispensation from government. So shakedown.
“You want to keep operating? Well, the president alone can decide whether or not to prosecute you, because this is still totally against federal law. Give me money.”
We’re already at a point where there are three Big Losers in the event that pot is ever truly legalized.
1. Illegal drug dealers
2. Licensed pot dealers
3. Government
They all need each other. If pot were fully legal, anyone could grow it like they now grow basil or tomatoes. The price would tank, and all the three above entities would have that revenue source completely cut off within one production cycle (a matter of weeks).
There’s nothing to see here but corruption, I’m afraid. Move along.
June 30th, 2015 at 4:15 pm
When is he going to have one with the hookers in Reno?
June 30th, 2015 at 4:15 pm
A presidential candidate should point out that the Federal Gov’t has NO delegated powers re: things that may be possessed and used by the People, like drugs, tobacco, alcohol or guns. So eliminate the DEA and the BATF.
July 1st, 2015 at 1:56 am
“When is he going to have one with the hookers on Reno?”
He’ll have to do it with the Native American casino owners too, or just lump all together and have a drugs, whores, gaming, distillers, and general smugglers’ convention.
That, or simply advocate for liberty and justice for all. That’d be another option.
Unfortunately there’s not a Republican alive who understands how simple it could be if they quit fiddle-fucking around with this group here and that group over there, and started adhering to principles instead.
July 1st, 2015 at 9:18 am
I see an issue here: Can he legally accept campaign funds from an industry that operates in blatant violation of federal law?*
* While I maintain that the fedgov doesn’t have the Constitutional authority to regulate intrastate commerce in a market where it cannot affect interstate commerce (because interstate commerce is banned), I’m talking about the current state of the laws as they are applied, since that’s what he will have to deal with if someone decides to make an issue out of it.
July 1st, 2015 at 10:58 am
At $2,700 a ticket I bet they have some good munchies.
July 1st, 2015 at 11:04 am
Now that I think about it, wouldn’t accepting these donations open him up for the abomination known as civil asset forfeiture? After all, there’s pretty good evidence that it’s drug money.
July 1st, 2015 at 2:35 pm
Good for Rand.
Cue ignorant fuckwits like Bill O’Reilly railing about the addictive narcotic that weed is in 3…2…