LP: Regulate Marijuana Like Wine

Dear Fellow Libertarian,

At the last meeting of the Libertarian National Committee in December, we endorsed the California ballot initiative to "Regulate Marijuana as Wine" by a vote of 14-0 (with 2 abstentions). While most Libertarians would rather have no regulation on marijuana, we believe that this is an incremental step in the right direction. Please read the below message from the sponsors of this initiative.

Yours in liberty,

Mark Hinkle

Chair

Libertarian National Committee

REGULATE MARIJUANA LIKE WINE

The new year is in motion, and Libertarians are set for huge advances toward liberty at every turn. The opportunities are there. We just have to reach out and grab them!

I'm writing to tell you about one of those opportunities, a victory for freedom that's going to rock the very foundations of federal overreach and help us put Washington back in its place ... if YOU will help us seize that victory.

That coming victory -- a major Libertarian win in the War on Drugs, with 10th Amendment implications in nearly every area of government policy -- is California's Regulate Marijuana Like WineInitiative

It's exactly what it sounds like: A new law that gives use, possession and sale of marijuana exactly the same legal status as drinking a glass, cellaring a bottle, or selling a case of Napa Valley White Zinfandel.

I know you've heard the hype before: A silver bullet that will make all your Libertarian dreams come true. That's not what I'm trying to sell you here. This initiative won't end the war on drugs all by itself. It won't restore the Constitution on one fell swoop. It's a beginning, not an end.

But what a beginning! With one electoral stroke -- and for less than the cost of even a single congressional campaign -- we can immediately and dramatically increase the freedom of 38 million Californians, set the stage for a nationwide expansion of that new freedom, and put an overbearing federal government on the DEFENSIVE!

California led the way on medical marijuana back in 1996 with Proposition 215. Since then, 15 more states and the District of Columbia have passed medical marijuana legislation, bringing much-needed legal relief to the millions of patients (including me!) who rely on cannabis to relieve chronic pain, restore appetite and suppress the nausea associated with cancer chemo and AIDS medications, and even to outright keep them alive.

We've learned a lot in the last 15 years. Prop 215 was an incredibly successful template for winning more freedom, but as one of its early proponents and long-time beneficiaries I've learned over time that it has its weak spots.

Prop 215 left too much discretion to local and state officials in California. Since its passage, we've had to fight time and time again to force police and prosecutors to honor the intent of the law instead of re-interpreting it in ways that let them punish medical marijuana patients, arrest producers and shut down dispensaries. We've been quite successful in those fights, but they've been costly and time-consuming.

Prop 215 also made it too easy for those same police and prosecutors to collude with federal law enforcement at a "profit," by turning state non-crimes over to DEA and other alphabet-soup agencies, then raking in a share of asset forfeiture proceeds. California cops keep the feds on speed-dial, knowing that with one phone call they can turn a fruitless traffic stop into a pay raise or a new patrol car, courtesy of Uncle Sam.

We've tweaked the Prop 215 template to eliminate those weaknesses make the Regulate Marijuana Like Wine Initiative even more successful, not just in California but in the post-California national adoption phase.

Regulate Marijuana Like Wine specifies the EXACT scope of police and prosecutorial powers and the MAXIMUM fines and punishments which can be levied for infractions. It repeals all previous laws that might be used as hooks to hang a prosecution on. No more latitude for creative interpretations. No more loopholes to "up-charge" infractions so as to increase the penalties. Under this new law, smoking a joint will be treated EXACTLY like drinking a glass of merlot, traveling with an ounce of marijuana in your car will be treated EXACTLY like driving home with a bottle of chablis, and selling marijuana will be treated EXACTLY like running a liquor store.

"MARIJUANA IS THE LARGEST CASH CROP IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. NUMBER TWO IS GRAPES. BUT TODAY YOU DO NOT SEE THE MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS RAISING ILLEGAL VINEYARDS IN OUR NATIONAL FORESTS IN COMPETITION WITH ROBERT MONDAVI. WE CAN FORCE THESE THUGS OUT OF THIS BUSINESS. WE CAN REGULATE MARIJUANA LIKE WINE."

--Retired Superior Court Judge and Libertarian National Judicial Committee Member James Gray

We've also done a very nice bit of political ju-jitsu with the issue of federal intervention. Get this:

Instead of leaving California cops, prosecutors and political officials free to sic the feds on those whom state law bars them from persecuting, or to throw up their hands and say "sorry, this is out of Washington, nothing we can do," Regulate Marijuana Like Wine FORBIDS California cops and prosecutors to enforce conflicting federal law and OBLIGATES the state of California to defend the new law against federal challenges.

That last part is key to turning this initiative into a national wildfire that spreads even faster than medical marijuana has, with implications far beyond marijuana law alone.

We've watched non-profit legal foundations, with little funding or support, take on the feds and win on constitutional issues. Watch what happens when the full legal and political resources of the world's sixth largest economy are mobilized to give the 10th Amendment teeth again!

This is ultimately no more about marijuana than the Boston Tea Party was about Tea. It's about FREEDOM.

We're going to knock down some walls, folks. Not just marijuana laws, not even just the War on Drugs. Think "health insurance mandates." Think "gun laws." If there's not an enumerated federal power in the Constitution for it, it's going down. The case law generated by Regulate Marijuana Like Wine will eradicate it and sow salt in the earth where it once stood.

THAT is the power of Regulate Marijuana Like Wine: A new birth of freedom in America, radiating out from California until it encompasses the whole of America, from sea to shining sea.

But first, we have to get the initiative passed.

Polling tells us that 62% of Californians are ready and willing to vote for it, but they can't do that until we get it on the ballot by collecting 500,000 valid signatures from registered California voters (which means more like 800,000 "raw" signatures).

I'm coming to you, my fellow Libertarians, for the "seed money" to get this thing rolling. Ultimately it's going to cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.5 million, and that money WILL come ... IF we can raise $100,000 to get a full-on, professional petition drive launched and in motion.

As Thomas Paine once wrote, "it would be strange indeed, if so celestial an article as Freedom should not be highly rated."

How highly do YOU rate freedom?

I bet there are at least a hundred members of the Party of Principle who think it's worth $1000 or more to lift a yoke of tyranny from the necks of 38 million people.

I've been to our party's national conventions, and I'm absolutely sure there are at least a thousand of us who'd find $100, somehow, to put the Tenth Amendment back into operation.

Over my years in the party, I've seen my fellow Libertarians kick in $10, $25, $50 ... whatever they can afford, and until it hurts ... when they see an opportunity to win the day for liberty in any way, big or small.

Now I'm asking you to do it again. This is a big one, folks. Whatever you can afford, it WILL make a difference.

Let Freedom Grow,

James P. Gray - Chief Proponent

Steve Kubby - Campaign Manager

Bill McPike - Chief Counsel

Stephen Collett - Treasurer

CLICK HERE TO DONATE (and to get your Thank You gifts!)

ENDORSEMENTS

The Libertarian Party

Gov. Gary Johnson

Congressman Dana Rohrabacher

Kenny Loggins

Judge James P. Gray (ret.)

LAPD Deputy Chief S. Downing (ret.)

Assemblymember Chris Norby

Lt. Diane Goldstein (ret.)

Ed Rosenthal

NORML Founder Keith Stroup

Thomas Chong

Rick Steves

Vivian McPeak Seattle Hempfest

Lynnette Shaw Marin Alliance

Alice Huffman President California NAACP

Rob Kampia, MPP

Norm Stamper, former Seattle Police Chief

Craig Beresh, California Cannabis Coalition

A New PATH (Parents for Addiction Treatment & Healing)

LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition)

P.S. If you have not already done so, please join the Libertarian Party. We are the only political party with a mission to give voters a choice for much less Big Government, much lower taxes, and much lower government spending. You can also renew your membership. Or, you can make a contribution separate from membership.

20 Obama problems, 20 Libertaria​n solutions

April 25, 2011

Dear Friend of Liberty,

We're a little over halfway through President Obama's term, and I wanted to send a reminder of the "top ten disasters" from his first year, plus ten newer problems, and how Libertarians would avoid or solve these problems.

1. Cash for Clunkers

The government should not try to dictate what vehicles people drive, or what mileage they get. This program paid people to destroy their cars and buy new higher-mileage cars. It wasted both money and natural resources. Libertarians would never have done this.

2. War escalation in Afghanistan

We would withdraw American forces from Afghanistan. President Obama has escalated the war.

3. Giant government health care expansion bill

Libertarians would return health care to the private sector and the free market, instead of repeatedly increasing the amount of government interference.

4. Post office loses money hand over fist

Libertarians would end the post office's monopoly, and allow competition and the free market to provide the mail services people demand.

5. Stimulus package

The key to a robust economy is shrinking government, not growing it. Libertarians don't believe in stimulus packages.

6. Expansion of "state secrets" doctrine

The president is not a dictator. Libertarians would not allow presidential actions to avoid judicial scrutiny.

7. Big increase in unemployment

High unemployment is mostly caused by government interference. Libertarians would let the free market work.

8. "Bailout" Geithner as Treasury Secretary

Libertarians would appoint someone who understands economics and the importance of free markets.

9. Skyrocketing federal spending

Libertarians would make huge cuts, not increases, in government spending.

10. Huge federal deficits

Libertarians would cut government spending so much that deficits would disappear.

And here are ten new ones:

11. War in Libya

Libertarians want to end America's foreign wars, not start new ones.

12. Assassination doctrine

Libertarians would never claim that the president can assassinate American citizens just because he personally believes them to be terrorists.

13. Big-spending deals with Republicans

Last December, and again this month, President Obama and Republicans came together to keep federal spending huge this year. Massive defense spending, unemployment extensions, ethanol subsidies, etc. Libertarians would demand cuts in the current year, and we'd be happy to let the government shut down if our opponents refused.

14. Keeping Guantanamo open

Before he was elected, Obama promised to close Guantanamo Bay. He hasn't done it. Libertarians would shut it down.

15. Fed massively inflates fiat currency

With the support of President Obama and Treasury Secretary Geithner, the Federal Reserve has continued its massive inflation of the money supply. Libertarians wouldn't allow it -- in fact, we would end the Fed.

16. War on Poker

Less than two weeks ago, Obama's Justice Department decided to trample on the rights of millions of Americans by shutting down several online poker websites and indicting their executives. Libertarians believe that Americans have the right to gamble.

17. Patriot Act extensions

Obama has signed bills to extend the life of the Patriot Act, which violates the civil rights of Americans. Libertarians would refuse to renew it.

18. Sustaining warrantless wiretaps

As a candidate, Obama said he would end these violations started during the Bush administration. But apparently he lied. Warrantless wiretaps are still being used today. Libertarian would end them immediately.

19. Sustaining War in Iraq

As a candidate, Obama promised the Iraq War would be over by now. But there are still upwards of 50,000 American troops in Iraq. Libertarians would end that war and withdraw all of the troops.

20. Medical Marijuana raids

In October 2009, we sent a press release commending the Obama administration's new policy to end raids on medical marijuana providers. Unfortunately, they were lying. The feds have continued to raid medical marijuana providers. Libertarians would completely end the tragic and destructive War on Drugs.

Sincerely,

Wes Benedict

Executive Director

Libertarian National Committee

P.S. If you have not already done so, please join the Libertarian Party. We are the only political party dedicated to free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can also renew your membership. Or, you can make a contribution separate from membership.