TPMDC
Senate Can't Pass Tax Cuts, But It Can Raise Penalties On Pot Brownies
Share
Send to a friend!
If you thought that the Republican filibuster of the tax-cutting small business bill meant that the Senate didn't have a particularly productive day Thusday, you'd be wrong. In fact, the Senate authorized the issuance of a conservation stamp, created Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness Week, gave a little money to the Patent and Trademark office and, oh yeah, doubled the penalties for making pot brownies. Yes, the same week that Congress significantly reduced the racially-charged crack-powder sentencing disparity, they also voted to create one between pot brownies and dime bags.
The Senate voted to pass by unanimous consent (that it, without a roll call vote) S. 258, known colloquially as the Saving Kids From Dangerous Drugs Act of 2010, introduced by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and co-sponsored by Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) and Charles Grassley (R-IA). While the bill is intended to keep drug dealers from cutting their product with sweets in order to make them more marketable to children, it applies to any drug mixed with with something that modifies its flavor -- as making pot brownies does -- if the person making the brownies "intends" to give it to someone under 18. At that point, the person making the pot brownies would be subject to twice the normal penalty of any person caught distributing weed.
Michael Whitney at Firedoglake reports that Feinstein is an active part of the campaign to defeat California's Proposition 19, which would legalize marijuana in the state. Medical marijuana is already legal in the state, and many people who use medical marijuana do so by mixing it with food in order to counteract the hazards of smoking.
Comments (52) | Join the Conversation!
Leave a comment
Follow us!
Most Popular
TPM Stories Now Surging on Digg.com
TPM Top News
© 2010 TPM Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
ohyeathatsright
July 30, 2010 2:03 PM
They also double the penalty for marketing them with Johnny Chimpo on the bags. Afganistanimation is infecting our children's minds!
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
agio
July 30, 2010 2:42 PM in reply to ohyeathatsright
Ten points for the Super Troopers reference.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
bibimimi
July 31, 2010 4:05 PM in reply to agio
Ten more points over here, meow.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
donquijoterocket
July 30, 2010 2:42 PM in reply to ohyeathatsright
Just imagine what the penalties would be if they used Spongebob Squarepants?That might call for capital punishment.Amazing the unanimity they get on stuff like this,but unemployment extensions can linger for months and still be contentious.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Stratdude
July 30, 2010 2:25 PM
Maybe if these assholes would burn one once in awhile, they wouldn't be so hard on regular folks.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
JEP07
July 31, 2010 5:46 PM in reply to Stratdude
and at the same time our House of Lords was taking more comfort away from We, The People, our House of Commons was voting down the deep water drilling moratorium.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66T58I20100730
Do these people ever do ANYTHING anymore that is for the benefit of the public a large, or is everything they do from now on going to be measured by future historians on a scale of how well it benefits special interests?
Feinstien's fractiousness is either out of some strange chimera prudishness mixed with San Francisco influence, or she's running cover for the syntheticists.
Think that "synthetic v. organic" thing is passe'? ...just blip on the radar from the 70's? Just another treehugger's lame lament, another green fad lost in the clouds of passing time?
Think again.
Very soon, i will be one of the most important issues in the news, for reasons most of you can not even imagine. But some of you have suspected for over a generation.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
_agave_
July 30, 2010 2:29 PM
"it applies to any drug mixed with with something that modifies its flavor -- as making pot brownies does -- if the person making the brownies "intends" to give it to someone under 18."
I'm not sure why this is a bad thing.
How you prove intent is kinna iffy but sweetening up a drug to give to kids is pretty evil.
I score 85. Make it "did give it to someone under 14" and it would be 100.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
mcrose68
July 30, 2010 2:36 PM in reply to _agave_
I would be with you except for one thing - proving intent is a matter of arbitrary enforcement.
Proving intent is supposedly a difficult thing, but that probably a lot more true when the defendant has a shit-load of money to spend on attorneys. If the defendent is a mother of three and is stuck with an attorney provided for her.. . .
Or if the cook is a 16 y/o well then who the heck else is he cooking them for?
Pot laws, are plain and simple, a way to harass people you don't like, and fill prisons with people who aren't dangerous.
If you make money off of full prisons, then there is no question that decriminalizing marajuna is threatening your income.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
mcrose68
July 30, 2010 2:40 PM in reply to mcrose68
And as a corollary, if you pay taxes you're spending a lot of money enriching those who make money off full prisons.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
_agave_
July 30, 2010 3:12 PM in reply to mcrose68
applies to any drug mixed with with something that modifies its flavor
It's not just POT Brownies. That's just the author being cute.
But I get your 1st point.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
farnsworth
July 30, 2010 4:07 PM in reply to _agave_
When you remove prohibition, the incentive to give the drug to children goes away.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
EH
July 31, 2010 1:09 AM in reply to _agave_
Why do it this way? Why not just make it all pot given to minors, as in "contributing to the delinquency of." These laws already exist, Feinstein is being a 'tard.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
cosliberal
July 30, 2010 2:33 PM
The country might be better off if we slipped the Republicans a few pot brownies.....
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Matt Jones
July 30, 2010 2:57 PM in reply to cosliberal
Perhaps. Either that, or it would make them even more paranoid - not that I can even imagine, after what they've *actually* said thus far, what that would involve...
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
twirling fartknocker
July 30, 2010 8:27 PM in reply to Matt Jones
all kinds of repugs smoke pot, just like all kinds smoke pole. they're just lying hypocrites about it all and project their own issues onto others with the most draconian laws thinking that's the way to tame the beast within them, or at least seem like they are
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
agio
July 30, 2010 2:44 PM
Kind of a waste of good pot, anyhow.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
fkaZk0sm0
July 30, 2010 7:02 PM in reply to agio
not so.
consuming marijuana orally extends the length of the effects considerably. also produces more of a 'body' effect, reducing the 'head high' (and potentially unpleasant related side-effects like paranoia). particularly where medicinal use is concerned, pot brownies, far from being a waste, actually enhance the marijuana.
(and for concert-going where smoking of even one-hitters is impractical - and smoking before-hand only means the high will have worn off by the time the band plays - pot edibles are particularly useful.)
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Dorn76
July 30, 2010 2:54 PM
I'm hungry.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
JEP07
July 31, 2010 5:29 PM in reply to Dorn76
and that brownie I just ate made me even hungrier...
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
JEP07
July 31, 2010 5:31 PM in reply to JEP07
PS; isn't Feinstien a major shareholder in the marinol (synthetic pot) company?
Or is that just an ugly blog rumor?
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Ironcomments
July 30, 2010 2:55 PM
This headline should be. "Politicians vote unanimously on a knee-jerk law and order bill, hope contiutents see them as tough on crime."
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
EH
July 31, 2010 1:12 AM in reply to Ironcomments
Actually, I bet this is what it's all about: 19 is probably (depending on who you talk to) going to pass, so now Feinstein is busy passing laws to stack onto parents if their kids find their stash and get in trouble with it. Boom, extra charges.
There are plenty of existing crimes that are used every year when the cool parents buy their kids a keg for high school graduation, the only thing new here is the obvious capriciousness of Feinstein et all.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
amati1684
July 31, 2010 2:34 PM in reply to Ironcomments
Bingo! You win the prize.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
tinsk
July 30, 2010 3:03 PM
Holy Crap. They just made Mary Poppins a felon. No more spoon full of sugar to help the medicine go down.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Ironcomments
July 30, 2010 3:08 PM
This headline should be. "Politicians vote unanimously on a knee-jerk law and order bill, hope contiutents see them as tough on crime."
The TPM should then link the story to an article or study of the rise of the police state in America and how politicians continue this behavior of mandatory sentencing is creating a criminal judicial system where the environment is such that a judge is barely allowed to consider the facts of a case when sentencing the most minor of offenses, thus over crowded jails that feeds a system that barely address recidivism.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
ejg3
July 30, 2010 3:47 PM
Heck of a brownie job or was it a joint resolution? If they spent as much time helping electric cars as banning electric brownies we might get something done in Washington.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
JEP07
July 31, 2010 5:58 PM in reply to ejg3
ha seems to be a common thread on this thread; how on Earth do they find time to build these strawman? What with all the serious problems they have to deal with these days, how can they jusify this waste of time? Is Feinstien counting on conservative votes or something?
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
PAvoter
July 30, 2010 3:53 PM
Darn, first the Repugs want to keep you from getting a job, and now they want to punish you for doing some 'recreation' since you have all that time on your hands. Have they no honor?
I would suspect the law is written so one has to prove one didn't intend to serve any pot brownies to minors. So if there were any children living within 500 feet of the home, that would constitute intent to provide.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
smallhandff
July 30, 2010 4:20 PM
Why Congress doesn't address the problem of adulterating alcohol in the making of all those "martinis" is beyond me....then again, they're largely alcoholics themselves.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
AdAbsurdum
July 30, 2010 4:31 PM
Our honorable Senators should at this stage be aware that the corn-syrup in the sweets would be more likely to kill anyone than the cannabis.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Hobartcat
July 31, 2010 5:27 AM in reply to AdAbsurdum
Yup, aspirin is more toxic to the body than cannabis.
I'm ashamed of the Dems who would support such a bill. Diane Feinstein needs to be voted out of California - and into the sea.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
barnacle
July 30, 2010 4:53 PM
Indica doesn't make very good pot brownies. Use Sativa instead.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
GillesDeleuze
July 30, 2010 4:57 PM
there something seriously wrong with the fan leaves in the picture. They are 3 leafed and have some sort of stressing
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Slideguy
July 30, 2010 6:32 PM
Wow. Great idea. Prohibition has worked so well in the past. Let's have more.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Tanjaoui
July 30, 2010 6:49 PM
Wow. The economy is in the worst shape since the Great Depression, unemployment's stuck at 10% and they have time to spend time on stuff like this? Amazing. Amazingly sick.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
BigBadBama
July 30, 2010 6:55 PM
Man, you mean I gotta eat these brownies myself? Okay.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
fkaZk0sm0
July 30, 2010 7:21 PM
ugh. feinstein. blech.
(also: ugh. reid.)
this is so fucking stupid.
reminds me of how know-nothing hysterics used to say that drug dealers put pictures of cartoon characters on LSD to sell it to kids. fucking morons.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
DugFmJamul
July 30, 2010 8:00 PM
Pot Brownies...Pot Brownies, please don't tax my Pot Brownies!
What is this country coming to when those damn Fat Cats in Washington can tax my Pot Brownies!
I tell you all cats, dogs and illegal aliens have more rights and liberties than us dopey citizens.
Let's all start a "Pot Brownie Party" and march on Washington!
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
twirling fartknocker
July 30, 2010 8:24 PM
Feinstein is the worst.
Isn't she happy enough that her war-profiteer husband has made a killing off of our current wars?
Guess she won't be happy until there's no fun left in the world. Time for DiFi to retire.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Max Thrax
July 30, 2010 8:34 PM
I can't wait for this generation of old white people to die off. Not sure we'll make it long enough though.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
CVille Dem
July 30, 2010 8:40 PM
Well, frankly I am glad that they FINALLY found something to be serious about. However, I am disgusted that they are incapable of being serious about anything that matters.
Hey, MaxThrax, I am an old white person. I don't even do anything with marijuana; I just happen to think it is ridiculous to make A PLANT ILLEGAL! Not all of us are on the wrong side. And in fact there are plenty of lily white repubs who have smoked their share, who are just fulfilling their dreams to be the biggest hypocrites EVER.
So give some of us white people a break, ok?
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Insy
July 30, 2010 9:13 PM
So lets get this straight. Cannabis is illegal because it's a health hazard. It's a health hazard because it's smoked. Therefore, it should be twice as illegal to turn it into an edible form.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
August 2, 2010 11:54 AM in reply to Insy
Well, I don't think the possible lung damage (which is far lower than that of tobacco, by the way) is the primary reason used to make it illegal, but either way, it's retarded. At least the bill is about intent to sell to minors, but how do you prove intent? Or does the prosecution have to prove intent?
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
greylox
July 30, 2010 9:42 PM
**I've been not liking Feinstein for a while now. She's just given me reason to actively detest her. Isn't it time for the old bag to retire?
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Kammy Political
July 30, 2010 10:15 PM
You know, having a pot brownie would be nice right now; that way, I won't have to figure out what the FUCK Congress was thinking when they made this bill!
Look at the purple monkeys, guys. Heh heh.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Eugenian
July 30, 2010 10:54 PM
I hope this doesn't mean I can now get arrested for pigging out on Baskin-Robbins' Maui Brownie Madness.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
texasspudro
July 31, 2010 12:25 PM
This law is a just another excuse for those assholes to appear "tough on drugs". In the end the only effect this will have is hurting medical marijuana patients who might only be able to take their medicine in edible form.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Powkat
July 31, 2010 3:23 PM
Who the hell wastes pot brownies on the kids?
And the war on drugs is a failure - legalize it, tax it, regulate it.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
JEP07
July 31, 2010 5:54 PM
so, now they have to prove sugar content along with THC content?
...maybe Fienstien owns stock in some drug/sugar testing company?
Diabetic testing strips with a purple line for pot?
How long until they hit the market?
Seriously, this is what the teaparty is hollering about, bu a different subject, just one more unnecessary law and it really DOES represent BIG GOVERNMENT with regulations that should be abandoned for the sake of the economy and lowering the prison habit we are in here in the U.S..
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
sean
August 1, 2010 10:56 AM
More fiddling from the bumbling geriatrics of the Senate while Rome tokes.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
lo9an
August 2, 2010 12:31 AM
Damn Democrats, and especially Dianne Feinstein! I have written this Prohibitionist and received tired propaganda in return! She always says that she has seen drugs do some horrible things to families, etc.. . so instead of treatment, what does she do? She insists on incarcerating any and all drugs to the fullest extent possible! Well, it doesn't work, yet we have this silly argument every year when the statistics and data are RIGHT THERE! Privatized jails supported by TAXPAYER $$$s are being filled with petty drug charges... that ruins families far more Ms. Feinstein! Please CALIFORNIA, vote this lady out!
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
jonez
August 2, 2010 12:54 AM
I don't get it. So pot lollipops, cookies, soda, chocolate, etc, are ok? My dispensary has all that stuff. I'm sure drug dealers can make them too.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?