Jackson Jambalaya

Y'all can call our wonderful Mayor Mary "the queen," but look at the shit-show of a mayor you have in Jacktown. Jealous much?

Our state high court usually goes through the motions of having hearings to make both sides happy, only to find a reason to punt. No way they rule on this case other than to say its the SOS' duty and legislature, not the court. Just watch.

And that's the right answer.

Elected court is not going to over turn the will of the people. No way.

Ding, ding, ding...at the 22 minute mark, justice asked the question...how can you say that the intent of the rule has not been met and that no more than 20% came from each of the five districts that previously existed under the old map?

Kingfish, do you mind telling us who the players are today? Who's the guy on the left and the woman on the right?

If I am the prop 65 lawyer, I don't even want to say a word. The supremes just buried that lady lawyer.

I agree with the judge who asked if anything has been legislated or court mandated that supercedes using the 5 congressional districts that were in place when the ballot initiative was defined in legislation.

Fascinating to watch. The judges appear to enjoy grilling the lawyers just for the fun of it. I'm pretty sure each of them already knows how they will rule, the line of questions is mainly to make the legislature look like imbeciles.

65 is a goner.

Poor lil A.G. lawyer. The Lady in Red is sitting behind him. He valiantly argues his cause, knowing he better come back victorious or carried on his shield. On he fights, knowing if he loses he can lose his job that very same day.

Look I need my legal weed. You losers can kill your organs drinking rotgut liquor, but I want access to high quality strains produced in hygienic grow labs like they have up in Colorado.

I don’t give a fuck if Sheriff Sawed Off and Deputy Steroids in Rankin County loses out playing Knights of the Black Asphalt.

What a bunch of buttholes. Just raking these lawyers over the coals for sport. They've already had clerks researching this crap for months. They know how they will rule.

The old judge with a tick in one eye needs to let somebody else talk.

Both lawyers did a good job of not melting under ridiculous fire. Both made good points.

@10:57 you must be watching a hearing in another state.

These judges just like to hear themselves talk. I think they are just trying to appease voters on both sides of the issue.

At least 'she' toned down the red just a bit.

10:49 - Here's my five hundred bucks...where's yours?

Lynn Fitch doesn't have a damned clue. But, at least, now, she can say she's 'been in a court room'.

We keep arguing about the intent of the legislature. The legislature put 65A on the ballot, thus meaning that the legislature concurred that 65 was lawfully placed on the ballot. So how can you argue 65 is not within the intent of the legislature as to how a ballot amendment can be lawfully done?

11:28, there is no definitive coupling as you suggest.

I don't care how they rule. I'm voting for a younger candidate in the next election. Real jerks.

Joel Bomgar has 2 million bucks of his own money in this. Roll those dice!

One of these judges needs to tell us all how citizens can legally amend the constitution by ballot initiative when we only have 4 congressional districts. I find it unacceptable that they would rule that it is now impossible to accomplish due to their inaction. So, how do you do it?

Why don't these jack asses have name plates in front of them?

Lady lawyer was wearing a painters mask. Funny

Oh damn. She just landed a punch.

11:40, you seriously need that question answered? LOL LOL LOL

If the court overturns 65, they will reveal themselves to be nothing more than bought and paid for pawns of the lobbyists that control the legislature.

Yep I do recall saying the court would screw over the people of Mississippi and what a clusterfuck it was. I’m not sure what Wartson or Finch were thinking but they just flushed proposition 65 down the drain. You could tell from the get go that Randolph was gonna hatchet anything that came up from Watson’s point of view. This is the Mississippi Legislatures doing. They knew the court would suck up to Butler. Never mind voter ID and Eminent Domain were pushed through with the same procedure as Prop 65. Time to hold some congressional feed to the fire and remove them from office

So tell us 11:51

11:36, what about it? Proportionally, that's like you giving Mayor Mary a $200 campaign contribution.

OMG. Randolph as stupid as ever. "Do you have any proof that the signers read the amendment?" And many other completely irrelevant questions. Why can't he retire and leave us alone?

Time to hold some congressional feed to the fire ...

Translation? Anyone?

Seems that an overturn of 65 will render prior initiatives unconstitutionally implemented (those passed since the reduction to four congressional districts).

You can vote for 65 and still think the petition might be right.

This is ALL on the legislature. A fix it bill passed out of committee this session but the chairman let it die on the Senate calendar.

Let's be honest. The Leg does not like I&R. Never has, never will. It created the alternative amendment crap after Mike Crook got term limits on the ballot. The Legislature is more than happy to let the Court kill it.

Maybe, maybe not. This challenge was filed before election was certified. Similar petitions were not filed against the earlier ones and we are waaaay past certification.

Even if they did. The Leg would probably pass the same Voter ID again. Hell, the current leadership would probably call a special session. So the only thing we really have to worry about is the eminent domain amendment.

Several dumb questions and tons of grandstanding from the bench, but by far the most embarrassing came right off the bat when Justice Beam wanted to make clear that the court wasn't deciding the wisdom of pot legalization "because my children are watching." The vapidity and self-righteousness of that comment befits a local morning TV show, not a state supreme court.

Special session time. First, repair the initiative process. Second, pass highly regulated MM bill not enshrined in constitution. Robust tax with max flexibility for counties and cities to tightly control dispensary locating. All those 'if you don't qualify, you don't pay' pop-up prescription mills are toast.

No way in Hades that VoterID isn't saved from whatever fires the arsonists may light.

This is not about the correct interpretation of the laws and constitution. This is about the politics of the supreme court. And I don't know where that falls.

$2,150,000 up in smoke.

All this bitching and moaning about medical marijuana while several other states have recreational marijuana. Notably, Colorado has grown much faster than Mississippi and has recreational marijuana

Perhaps the legislature did not change the language referencing 5 CD's in the initiative process because the legislature did not think it necessary - we've had multiple successful ballot constitutional initiatives since based on AG opinion that's been outstanding for over 10 years.

Marijuana legalization linked to rise in fatal car accidents

Analyses of data suggest that legalization of recreational cannabis in United States jurisdictions may be associated with a small but significant increase in fatal motor vehicle collisions and fatalities.

Its the legislature's job to write the rules. If the SOS is not running the process correctly or not interpreting the legislature's intent properly, the legislature presumably would have stepped in and taken action. Their continued inaction tells me they are satisifed with the SOS and AG's interpretation of how the initiative process should work.

So, will the supremes over turn the opinon of the SOS and the AG and the legislative body that wrote the rules in the first place?

1:12, let it go Bruce.

Whatever the case's outcome Matheny absolutely knocked it out of the park. The Lawyer for Mayor Butler was not good at all. At times she was confused and contradicted herself many times. Matheny answered every question with very high understanding of every aspect that was involved in the case. In fact some aspects even the justices had trouble working through. And he cleared up every doubt in my mind that Initiative 65 should stand from a legal stand point.

12:52 PM: Yes, if the Legislature could turn off their "reefer madness" DVD and read the room, they could put recreational weed on the ballot.

@1:43
Compared to the rise in fatal car crashes due to the smartphone, recreational cannabis is nothing.

Matheny knocked it out of the park? That is funny.

He answered the questions that they were asking, did you watch the entire thing? In your opinion where did he falter?

Psychiatric Times | SPECIAL REPORT: CANNABIS CONUNDRUM | March 2021

Lost in the various public policy arguments fueling cannabis decriminalization and legalization laws across the United States is the fact that a percentage of individuals who use cannabis will experience negative effects, ranging from bothersome to the catastrophic. These difficulties arise from a sharply decreasing perception of risk, easy availability of the drug, and increased potency of Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) preparations. The arithmetic of cannabis remains immutable: Best estimates are that about 9% of individuals who use cannabis will become dependent on the substance at some point in their life, and if the number of those who use cannabis goes up, the total number of those experiencing problems with the substance will rise also.
.....
The acute and chronic problems cannabis-dependent individuals face are serious, disheartening, and deserving of treatment. National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data on 505,796 Americans show that between 2008 and 2016 individuals aged 12 to 17, who met criteria for a cannabis use disorder (CUD), were 25% more common in states that had enacted Recreational marijuana laws (RMLs) as opposed to those who did not. In addition, the THC content of the various preparations of cannabis has risen over the past 10 years. Studies show that the mean THC concentration in smokable marijuana increased from 8.9% in 2008 to 17.1% in 2017, and half of those who frequently use marijuana ingest concentrates of at least 80% THC. In 2014, THC concentrate in Colorado had an average THC percentage of 56.6%, while by 2017 the average was 68.6%, with some retail stores cheerfully advertising a 95% THC rate in their products.

Cannabis-related problems, like lack of motivation, usually become apparent after many years of use. Given cannabis’ pharmacological designation as a sedative-hypnotic substance, it is hardly surprising that common complaints on presentation to treatment include acute intoxication with high-potency edible THC preparations; psychiatric phenomena such as depression, anxiety, and psychosis; and cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS).
.....
A common—and counterproductive—fallacy about cannabis is that the substance does not cause withdrawal. In fact, the withdrawal syndrome from cannabis, though unlikely to cause serious medical problems, is uncomfortable and a leading reason that individuals who use cannabis do not stop their use of the substance. Withdrawal therefore requires treatment. Common phenomena associated with cannabis withdrawal include irritability, anxiety, depression, insomnia, disturbing dreams, anorexia, abdominal pain, tremors, sweating, fever, chills, headache,18 and craving.

11:09, so move to where you can get your "fix".

Lost in the various public policy arguments fueling cannabis decriminalization and legalization laws across the United States is the fact that a percentage of individuals who use cannabis will experience negative effects, ranging from bothersome to the catastrophic.

Okay, the same exact thing can be said about alcohol but we can sure buy that can't we.

You all are going to have to get over yourselves, this is a non-issue to the younger generation and they will change the laws. It is time for us older people to get out of the way - legalize and tax it - just like alcohol.

May I please the Kingfish. Most of those Justices had little interest in being there. The Gal Justice said get me out of here. Also there are some old folks on that court. They were wobbling into and out of the courtroom.

There is a simple solution for this issue of it being in the constitution. The legislature has the right to put an amendment on the ballot to amend 65 to include taxation and zoning, or to even over ride it. The looser the amendment, the more likely it is to pass.

I think the legal weed is a great thing. I was in Denver last year and the campsites under the overpasses sure seem like fun. Legal weed get folks out in nature. Every single street corner had 5-10 "good ole folks" just looking for a friendly hand out. I think any time you have legal weed in your state it only brings in the highest of quality people. Most hard working family folks love the good stinky stuff. Adding weed to the lottery in MS will ensure that poor underprivileged people get going in the right direction. It will be awesome. If we get a good "dispensary" near the Pinkhouse Dr. Boyd and scream at both groups of people with less travel.

This court case has absolutely nothing to do with marijuana. For that matter then we should also be debating voter ID, as I already know people in line to file suits against it, if 65 is overturned. Furthermore, Also we should be talking about eminent domain. Perhaps property is what the Mayor of Madison is after.
Maybe the TPTB want to rig elections and take land? This case is about the process to amend the constitution and whether the people have the right or not. Whether we the people are beholden to our masters. Or actually have a voice. Simple as. It has absolutely nothing to do with Marijuana. Maybe the people that have ran this state into the ground while profiting personally, are scared what the next ballot initiative will be.
Do not for one second think this case is about some plant.

@3:00 PM
Why move? The citizens of the Great State of Mississippi overwhelmingly voted for cannabis’s here! It is you puritan teetotaler tyrants who want to deny us the democratic process!

I thought Matheny did an admirable job. Thought he was Michael J. Fox.

Replying to April 14, 2021 at 1:44 PM "...1:12, let it go Bruce."


HAHAHA!!

Whether or not it's really Bruce, I know he swells up just at the thought you, and/or others, may 'think' of him.

HAHAHA!!!!

It’s gonna stand y’all

Regs coming soon

It’s gonna be like all of Jackson is now all of Mississippi

Weed everywhere

Y’all should watch the show weeds....except add fat white women and half bearded ugly dudes eating Wendy’s

@12:07AM
It’s been legal in Colorado for almost 10 years now. Cannabis isn’t what is turning all of of Mississippi into Jackson. That would be the whites fleeing from every county seat and creating the demographic changes that allow people like Antard Lumumba to get elected and control the financial centers of every county in Mississippi.

You blaming weed for negative effects of white flight is like still blaming video games and Marilyn Manson for mass shootings in 2021.

12:07 I made the sarcastic comments about Colorado. I agree with what you are saying the problems are in MS. But...The legalization of weed has not helped any state or community its been brought into. Honestly, I don't think weed is that big of a deal but, here I go, It is a gateway drug. Young people using weed are introduced to harder meaner stuff and lack the maturity to stay away. I saw it in high school and college so don't tell me I'm wrong. 1/2 of the people I knew that smoked it went on to harder stuff. Some are not here today and some still struggle with it. 1/2 of them either dropped it or still use it in moderation. Mature adults smoking some weed every now and then is not an issue and never will be. It's honestly better than the high society folks with their prescriptions. The problem I see with the legalized stuff is it brings it to the young people so much easier. Then there is the question or where do you stop. Weed? LSD? Coke? Heroin? Anyway I suspect we will never agree on this. I can say this passing will never make things better. I ask you this. Would you want your children smoking it? I would not.

And now we've got Sen Joel Carter and Rep Casey Eure looking for warehouse space to start their pot growing operations

Unfortunate, that no justice asked petitioners (see minute mark 27:50) what the result would be if we had 4 at-large CDs (as provided in 23-10-1039). According to the petitioner, this statute was in place prior to 273(3) enactment, therefore the requirement that no more than 20% of the ballot signatures come from any CD could not have meant anything other than the CD's as existing when 273 came into existence. How do you take 20% from an at-large district?

1:13 Curious what your opinion is about alcohol. Pretty much everything you said about weed can apply to it too, and alcohol is quite a bit more dangerous from both a personal health and a public safety standpoint. Much easier to get dangerously intoxicated on alcohol than on weed.

4:16 I agree the same argument can be made for alcohol. Here is my answer. Alcohol is legal and I think we both agree we are not going to go back to prohibition. It's here to stay. If drugs start to get legalized where do they stop. Its going to be hard to back up once we go forward. I don't think i'm 100% right and I see the argument both ways. I am just afraid its one more step in the wrong direction.

Now why would Joel Carter and Casey Eure be looking for space to grow pot? Do they know something the people of Mississippi don’t? One things for sure the Supremes could decide that a gossomer gravity technically is reason enough to trash the voters will. The smartest thing the Legislature could do would be to call a special session to take up the measure should that happen. But they’ve never been that smart now have they.

Casey Eure and Joel Carter absolutely know what's over the horizon. It's low hanging profitable fruit for them to pick. The big weed crowd have already lined up their surrogates. The Railroads took over the West in the 1870's by giving Congressmen a share of the company in exchange for their vote. No difference.

For the love of Red Hots, why don't they just make it legal and be done with it.. the 'drug war' will never be won.. And policing morality just isn't a good idea at all.. That's basically what's happening when law gets involved with drugs. Why is it a criminal matter? Through out time, there's probably thousands times mom's have found 'baggies' of coke/weed...etc..in their teens sock drawer.. how many of those mom's called the police? Probably none...b/c it doesn't make any sense too..