Will Mississippians fall for the medical marijuana scam to be voted on next week?
“Initiative 65 is an attempt by a $14 billion industry to scam Mississippians,” conservative Republican state Rep. Randy Boyd of Mantachie wrote in the Lee County Courier.
“If you liked BIG TOBACCO, you are going to love BIG MARIJUANA,” former Gov. Phil Bryant wrote in September. “It’s the same scheme – just decades later.”
“Section 2 of Initiative 65 specifically gives out-of-state marijuana companies and any of its officers, owners, operators, employees, contractors, and agents immunity from any criminal or civil sanctions from anything to do with their marijuana businesses in Mississippi,” explained State Board of Health member Jim Perry.
Many argue marijuana is harmless and should be legalized. But that’s not the issue here. Medical marijuana is to be used to treat serious illness and chronic pain. According to Perry, the FDA has approved four marijuana based drugs “that went through blind clinical trials and substantial testing to make sure their promised benefits were real and that their risks are known.”
But the general usage proposed by Initiative 65 has not been tested, so, BIG MARIJUANA wants blanket immunity to protect its bank accounts. No doubt this is why Gov. Bryant said, “they are a predatory industry.”
Wow. How often do you hear pro-business conservatives like Bryant attack big industry? There must be something really wrong for him and other state leaders to say this?
Hmmm. The makers of the pain drug Oxycontin are also now paying the price for scamming patients. Bryant pointed out backers of Oxycontin and big tobacco are investing in medical marijuana.
Follow the money, said Clarke Reed, a founder of the modern Mississippi Republican Party, who almost fell for the scam.
“I initially planned to vote for it, but after getting the rest of the story I will vote against Initiative 65,” he told Y’all Politics. “It sounded like a good idea; we all know people who have struggled with cancer and other diseases.”
“But it is now clear this is all about making money for the out-of-state marijuana industry,” he continued.
“This is not about medicine, but all about … money, products targeting children, and a sweetheart deal on taxes and zoning.”
Perry and his colleagues on the board of health worry about abuse.
“Two of the categories in Section 4(3) are so broad that they almost certainly would be abused and would give anyone - including kids with a parent’s signature - the constitutional right to 2.5 ounces of marijuana every 14 days. That equates to approximately 10 joints per day.”
“PLEASE! DON’T YOU FALL FOR IT!” urged Boyd.
The Legislature put an alternate proposal “65A” on the ballot. Absurdly, a vote for 65A could actually help pass Initiative 65. So, vote “against both” to heed Boyd and most well-informed government and health officials.
“The truth will set you free” – John 8:23.
Crawford is a syndicated columnist from Jackson.
25 comments:
so...cancer patients who use MM to alleviate pain are still out of luck here?
it’s the boogeyman! stop or you will go blind!!!
Right on! I have been saying this for months and months. Sadly, 65 will likely pass.
Availabity is the issue. Who makes money off of it really doesn't matter.
What on Earth isn't about money? Even charity is about money. You even tithe in church! Most preachers drive better cars than I do!
The legislature had the opportunity to address medical marijuana, but chose to kick the can down the road like many other issues. So if 65 passes, they have no one to blame but themselves.
Amen 1:21. If my kids were younger I’d advise them to go into ministry. Big money.
I hate to be that guy, but Crawford totally missed on the scripture. He posted John 8:23 and then attempted to quote John 8:32.
Money, the god of this world.
Alright, since we can’t seem to handle freedom like real Americans, let’s do this. Let’s keep Mississippi laws the same (which means it’s basically legal) I’ll still buy it and smoke the hell out of it illegally. I’ll keep my guns and stifle tax dollars. Good job, boomers.
amen 3:02
Crawford: "Mississippi is split on marijuana "
Salter: "Mississippi is a divided state when it comes to voting "
St. John : "I doing my best to develop new recipes and new restaurant concepts".
Give me Robert's observations any day of the week.
I've said many times, at least he's an interesting read.
The other two somehow make a living by stating the obvious.
However, I will give Sid credit.
At least he knows how to use different words to say the same things.
What industry does not exist to make a profit? What's so wrong with that?
Hell, politics and religion are the most profitable industries you can enter. Look how much Phil Bryant took home in his campaign PAC when he left office.
The sucky thing is that political insiders are raising hell that somebody might make money off of MM, but the contributors pulling their strings are the ones making tons of money already. How to keep the profits rolling in? Pay the legislators to protect your turf.
no on reefer madness. It's about dope not medicine.
Why the F is Phil Bryan lecturing us on big tobacco? His Master, Haley Barbour, made a fortune LOBBYING FOR BIG TOBACCO!!!. I mean WTF???
Here’s what the real uproar could be all about:
It’s a scam to them because they…Phil Bryant and Bill Crawford’s friends aren’t in on it. Give them a cut and they will be just A OK with medical marijuana!
P. S. And please, don’t insult us by calling anyone a conservative or use the words free markets or capitalism while referring to Mississippi or the USA ever again…as these words are obsolete.
@3:48- so you are saying this bill is not really a medical marijuana bill but rather one that allows dispensaries and recreational marijuana like Colorado? This is my problem with 65 and why I will vote no. I do believe medical marijuana has a legitimate place but this is not what this bill is about. If it was truly for medicinal purposes, it would require a prescription that would be filled at a permitted pharmacy by a pharmacist. The 65 folks will not address this issue either which speaks volumes.
Look at all the regulatory and professional societies that have come out against 65.
Here is what I know, Bill Crawford does not have a loved one suffering with something that Med Marj would help to alleviate. What a dirt bag.
1:21 PM makes a great point: “Even charity is about money;”
and the more I read BILL CRAWFORD’S HEADLINE, the more I can not stop LMAO.
American’s are so naive they actually believe Bill Gates is “leaving his money to charity.”
He’s not. He’s leaving it to a Foundation. A Foundation designed to fly the silver spoon, born to privilege, never have to work a day in their lives, ruling class heirs, around on Learjet’s…
while they lecture the rest of us on “climate change.” And American’s are so ill-informed they actually fall for their BS…while “they” laugh their asses off in private.
And 1:21’s “Most preachers drive better cars than I do” is correct as well.
Maybe instead of these mega churches with preachers earning huge six figure salaries (with no risk) and the constant new building/additions “fund raisers,”
maybe we could all come together and put some of “our tithes” towards making sure innocent children can grow up without having to worry about catching a stray bullet or being subjected to the criminal atmospheres that they are forced to live in (What Would Jesus Do?).
Yea Bill…it’s about money. But please, tell us something we don’t already know as almost everything is about $$$ in this materialism, addicted to entertainment country we live in…
And this especially includes the so-called news organizations you write for…as a so-called journalist.
How do you know @5:29?
If you vote against Phil Bryant, you won’t go wrong often. Thanks for letting us know where the crooked right is on this issue Bill. No one is buying your BS any longer Bill, may have to find a real job soon you loser.
Well, Bill, if that's the case, 35 A could have dealt with that! The legislature didn't miss the chance to tax and could have easily just given automatic legality to FDA approved drugs rather than piecemeal. They didn't jump to the gate for epilepsy, the first FDA approval and seemed to have missed the others approved.
34 States, many of which are RED with Republican Governors and controlled legislatures have been far more diligent and understood even smoking it has cheaper medicinal benefits and doesn't require Pharma in our lives.
When everything is politicized, everything becomes money/perks /political supporter reward opportunities for politicians.
So, how I see this is that our legislature's political leaders are admitting the incompetence of their party puppets in the legislature. God forbid they should ever get ahead of an issue.
7:40, that's nuts. No Walgreens or CVS will fill a MM prescription until it is decriminalized federally. In the mean time, this crap about pot shops everywhere is scare tactics. Florida has approved MM and in Pensacola (same size as Jackson metro), there are all of 8 dispensaries and none look like "pot shops". Look for yourself.
The only reason the leaders in this state aren't for 65 is because the state doesn't stand to profit from it, other than our Health Department, which is actually run by a decent guy Dr. Dobbs. If they were going to get the tax revenue from this deal, they'd take it in a heartbeat. And then it would turn into government racketeering like the ABC board.
Two things:
1. Obviously SOMEONE will profit from the sale -- no argument there. It's the lack of taxation and lack of zoning that is the bigger argument here... BOTH BAD. Work out the tax and zoning issues first.
2. As a longtime former smoker, I find it difficult to believe that all of the people who 'might' benefit from MM would actually take up 'smoking' for some level of improvement. Can you actually "teach" people to smoke/inhale to reach full lung capacity? I sorta find that like teaching a former nonsmoker to take on non-filtered CAMELS or PALL MALLS.
Of St. John...I've read three of his columns touting his background and trips (taken or planned) worldwide with his haughty friends. I'd rather read about service-station hot dogs.
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