Sen. Elizabeth Warren Takes Dig at Pro [MJ] Legalization Senate Candidate Dan Winslow

[Recursion]

Last edited Wed Mar 20, 2013, 01:38 PM - Edit history (2)

EDIT: as pointed out downthread, this is apparently at a roast, so should be taken with enough salt to corn your beef.

http://blog.norml.org/2013/03/19/sen-elizabeth-warren-takes-dig-at-pro-legalization-senate-candidate-dan-winslow/

At a St. Patrick’s Day breakfast in South Boston this past weekend, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) took a jab at pro-legalization Republican State Representative Dan Winslow (R-Norfolk), who is currently vying for the Republican nomination for Senate in Massachusetts’s upcoming special election.

Addressing the crowd, Senator Warren said, “I advise everyone to pay very close attention to Dan Winslow’s platform. He has a 100 percent ranking from the gun lobby and he’s for the legalization of marijuana. He wants us armed and stoned.”

According to statements received by VoteSmart, Rep. Dan Winslow’s stance on marijuana policy is as follows:

I disfavor decriminalization of marijuana because it increases demand from illicit sources. Instead, I think we need to legalize marijuana (likely starting with medicinal marijuana in view of the current federal prohibition) and then regulate it and tax it. Only be lawful production of marijuana will the cartels, crooks and drug dealers be put out of business in the US. – State Representative Dan Winslow (R-Norfolk)

I think drug policy could be a fracturing point of the party coalitions in the next couple of decades.

[Bennyboy]

1. He's right on pot..

And EW needs to get on board that shit as well.

[MotherPetrie]

2. Yes, because the country needs "Big Pot" like it needs "Big Tobacco."

[Romulox]

7. But we're perfectly comfortable with "Big Prisons" for more of our citizens than any other country

in the history of humanity?

[Puzzledtraveller]

15. Hey, our team has the ball

as such, we don't care what they do with it, we just wanted the ball. Seeing too much of this on DU is you ask me.

[MotherPetrie]

16. I believe in decriminalization and medical use. Not legalization.

[randome]

21. Same here.

As someone at TalkingPointsMemo recently pointed out:

Do we really want THESE guys in charge again?



Because that's what will happen with legalizing and taxing it. The corporations move in.

[MotherPetrie]

26. Yeah, that's something you rarely see discussed.

[SomethingFishy]

45. No I'd rather see the Mexican Drug cartels continue

to supply people.

[Generation_Why]

48. Except marijuana kills zero people. nt

[EOTE]

53. Facts are stubborn things. nt

[EOTE]

22. Because god knows adults shouldn't be able to choose what goes in their bodies.

And god knows big pharma has been awesome, right? The Wellbutrin model has worked tremendously well. So let me get your stance straight here: Big pharma good, big pot bad.

That view is in no way asinine.

[MotherPetrie]

25. Way to miss the point.

[EOTE]

28. The point is that you think that adults shouldn't have the legal right to smoke pot.

Because you're afraid of a "big pot". Simultaneously, you seem to think that medical marijuana would be fine, because we all know that "big pharma" has totally been a friend to humanity.

[MotherPetrie]

32. Where did I say anything about big pharma? It was you who dragged that in.

[EOTE]

35. You say you support medical use, what do you think that means exactly?

It means that you believe that big pharma should be able to provide MJ, but it shouldn't be available to other adults. Again, you think "big pot" would be terrible, but somehow "big pharma" would do a stand up job of making sure that people can get affordable medicine.

[MotherPetrie]

37. Lke big pharma is doing now in states that allow medical use?

[EOTE]

39. So you understand now how you support big pharma?

And, in case you weren't paying attention, big pharma has done a really shitty job of providing for and protecting MMJ users. Legalize it, allow anyone to grow it and then neither big pharma or big tobacco can fuck it up. It's sick and authoritarian wanting to jail someone for smoking a plant. Sick.

[Romulox]

27. There is no such thing as "decriminalization" under the law--either something is prohibited, or it

is not.

What people mean by "decriminalization" is that they support the continuing Drug War against the sellers and producers of pot, but not the users.

That's not even a logically coherent P.O.V., imo, since the criminality associated with the Drug War is driven by the illegality--and therefore the money to be made-- associated with the growers and and sellers of drugs.

[MotherPetrie]

33. Then I guess I only support marijuana for medical use. Find some other way to get high for kicks.

[Romulox]

34. Exactly--you support "Big Prison", but want to hide behind minor exceptions.

You're a basic authoritarian, who, as can be easily noticed by your responses to this thread, can barely articulate her own position in the matter.

[EOTE]

36. Bingo.

And this particular poster somehow thinks that an imaginary "big pot" would be a terrible problem, yet the proven record of "big pharm" is somehow a fine and dandy one. Pathetic. People who think that others should be locked away for the harmless way they get their kicks sicken me. We have the number one prison population in the world. That should sicken us, yet some people think that we're just not trying hard enough.

[MotherPetrie]

38. So the only way you can support your argument is to put words in my mouth.

Words I never said and would never say. So much for your ability to make your point.

[EOTE]

40. No words were put in your mouth.

You believe that big pharma should have the freedom to dispense pot, but no one else. You also believe that people should continue to be locked up (this is the "big prison" part) for smoking an herb. You do understand that your words are available on the internet for everyone to see, right? It's not like you're having a verbal conversation where you can just stand there and lie "I didn't say that!".

[MotherPetrie]

41. Your post is a total crock.

[EOTE]

42. Uh huh. And can you describe why? Or are you just going to accuse me of putting words in your

mouth? Words you've clearly already written. You believe that big pharma should be able to provide pot and no one else. You also believe that people should continue to be locked up for smoking pot. You said these things clearly, and now you're running away from them. You're more than capable of telling us what you REALLY meant to say, but I'm fairly certain you've said all that you believe.

[MotherPetrie]

43. Let's see -- putting words in my mouth, jumping to false, conclusions, overdramatics....

Seriously, if your paranoid and hysterical reaction to my post is what smoking pot does to you, I'll continue to abstain.

[EOTE]

44. What words did I put in your mouth, exactly?

That you believe that pot users should continue to be locked up (because that's what they do to people who break the law, duh)? Or that you believe that "big pharma" would be a great provider of pot while needing to avoid a "big pot"? Again, I remind you that your words are available for everyone to see. You are familiar with the internet, aren't you? If this is the kind of idiocy that comes along with being a nanny-stater, I'm so glad I stay well away from those amoral fucks.

[EOTE]

54. Crickets?

You should know that lies make little baby Jesus cry.

[Fumesucker]

52. I feel the same way about alcohol

It should be decriminalized and not available in stores.

Given that alcohol is far more dangerous than cannabis I think this is a very liberal policy with respect to alcohol.

[NYC Liberal]

56. Decriminalization will make things even worse

Decriminalization takes away the threat of prison for people looking to buy, but keeps the black market -- with its lack of regulations and oversight -- as the only way to do it. Illegal dealers sell to anyone with the cash (including kids) and have little incentive to worry about safety.

It's either criminalization or legalization. Decriminalization is horribly stupid.

[Bennyboy]

3. Well there's the rub right there...

Nobody wants to see Walmarttization of cannabis. but legalization will do that. On the other hand nobody wants to see a half a million people go to jail every year either.

[Recursion]

5. Exactly. Wish I had a good answer

But I'd rather keep it decriminalized but illegal if that's the only way to keep RJR and Brown & Williamsons' hands off of it. Then again, if it's decriminalized, they'll eventually sue to be able to make it.

[Comrade Grumpy]

23. There are other models. Washington state will sell it through the liquour commission.

The states are a great social laboratory. They have various approaches to alcohol; we can do the same with pot.

[bluestate10]

60. Winslow is wrong on everything else progressives claim they love.

What do you want? To get stoned when you want, or poor children having daycare and enough food? To get stoned when you want, or women finally getting pay equity? To get stoned when you want, or people that have worked here for decades and paid taxes and have children in school to finally get citizenship? To get stoned when you want, or get a national law on voter registration so that no one gets disenfranchised? Elizabeth Warren has this one right and she is right for a lot more progressive issues than Winslow will be in 1,000 fucking years.

[Romulox]

4. Reefer madness bullshit? This is disappointing, lowest-common-denominator rhetoric

from a woman who know better.

[JaneyVee]

6. Was she being serious or sarcastic?

[Recursion]

8. Well I'm sure she said it in a joking way

I was posting this more as an interesting partisan and ideological corner case than anything else; I just think the GOP might end up owning ending the war on drugs if we don't.

[JaneyVee]

9. I agree, that's why I asked. Dems better stay on top of this issue.

[reformist2]

12. This was at a St. Patrick's Day breakfast, where everyone is encouraged to take jabs at each other.

[Comrade Grumpy]

10. Elizabeth Warren might want to check in with her constituents.

Activists have been running district level non-binding public policy questions on supporting medical marijuana, supporting decriminalization, and supporting legalization. They have never lost ONE.

This kind of cheap shit makes me think less of Sen. Warren.

[Puzzledtraveller]

14. As you know politicians cherry pick some causes

the stats indicate will be fruitful, it's why bluedogs dems are bluedog dems. I'm sure Sen. Warren is no different. I don't know if this event indicates a solid stance from her, I will give her some room to see how she handles it in the future. I do understand your concern.

[djean111]

11. "....He wants us armed and stoned.”

For some reason, that very broad brush puts me off Warren.
Almost a Palin-esque thing to say (not the subject, the generalization).

I know someone who is pretty much blind without medicinal marijuana - something about relaxing the optic nerves or whatever.
The state-approved extract or whatever it is - Marinol?, is kind of expensive.

[SomethingFishy]

46. It's a roast. She was kidding.

Jesus people get a freakin grip!

[reformist2]

13. FYI: The St. Patrick's Day breakfast in Boston is basically a roast. Everyone jabs everyone else.

It's supposed to be fun for all who attend - It's not always funny, but sometimes the jokes are a direct hit, and are hilarious.

[Recursion]

19. Thanks; edited

Good point; I figured if anywhere took St. Patrick's Day serious it would be Boston...

[Comrade Grumpy]

24. Okay, that's good to know. I'm damping down the high dudgeon just a bit.

[Bohemianwriter]

17. Elisabeth Warren

Should perhaps follow the advice of George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson:

Grow it everywhere, and make it available for consumption (both food, recreational as well as medicinal) as well as for building materials.

A good portion of USA is already stoned. The only difference with legalization is that the stoners won't be subject to DEA, and imprisonment anymore....

[Recursion]

31. Washington, Adams, and Jefferson did not advocate the cultivation of marijuana

I've worked at Mount Vernon and that's probably the question I'm most sick of answering.

[Mass]

18. Winslow is progressive on social issues. He is wrong on pretty much everything else.

Anyway, he wont be the nominee. His vote on the Transgender Right bill pretty much assures he will lose the primary to Sullivan (My guess is that Gomez is pretty much gone after his letter to Patrick saying he would vote for Obama's agenda if he was the temporary senator).

[Recursion]

20. MA Social Conservatives may have to go begging since I think the other name is Tisei

Then again MA is weird; Ted Kennedy ran to the right of a lot of his Republican challengers on social issues.

[bluestate10]

59. Winslow is not progressive. Winslow is a wolf in sheep's clothing.

I find it stunning how some people get fucking fooled. Elizabeth Warren has seen through the bastard and is trying to send out a subtle warning.

[bluestate10]

58. Really? Not so fast. Oh, the power of self deception.

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/02/dan-winslow-massacusetts-senate/61804/

[msongs]

29. must include "grow your own for personal use" or it's not really any improvement nt

[SomethingFishy]

47. That's how the law is stated in Colorado...

you are allowed 6 plants for personal use, and up to an ounce on your person is legal.

I'm still surprised at all the anti-pot people on here.

[Jack Sprat]

30. Far better than a drunk with a gun. n/t

[Generation_Why]

49. She was joking. I often make jokes that don't represent my political views.

But those that argue in favor of a ban on marijuana don't even deserve an argument.

They just need a big slap across the back of the head every time they open their dictatorial mouth.

[Fozzledick]

50. Maybe he should switch to the Guns and Dope Party.

http://www.gunsanddopeparty.com/



What's his position on equal rights for ostriches?

[Comrade Grumpy]

51. I have a biker bag with that Guns & Dope cowgirl.

I'm not that big on ostrich rights, though.

[reformist2]

55. Here's a YouTube clip of Elizabeth Warren from the breakfast:

[bluestate10]

57. Medicinal Pot was approved by Massachusetts voters in November.

Winslow is trying to ride a popular issue. But he is a big Scott Brown ally, that says much, much bad about him. If the make weed legal crowd wants to support a guy like Winslow because he is ok with legal pot, go ahead, just don't ever again call yourselves progressives. Liz Warren sees through the mask of that asshole, Winslow and she is giving out a subtle warning to those people that will allow themselves to be fooled.