Voters Vote Yes, County Says No

Khyber writes in with a story from Montana, where residents of Missoula County voted in a referendum intended to advise county law-enforcement types to treat marijuana offenses as low-profile. The referendum would not have changed any laws, but was advisory only. After voters approved it, county commissioners overturned it by a 2-to-1 vote. They were swayed by the argument of the county attorney, who had a "gut feeling" that Missoula's electorate had misinterpreted the ballot language. The move has resulted in a flood of disaffection among voters, especially young voters. "Is there even a point to voting any more if the will of the people can so easily be subverted by two people?" one voter posted on a comment blog.

Re:Link?

[Anonymous Coward]

tis a problem with heavy pot smokers, they tend to forget things ;-)

No, just optimizing for typical /. readers :-)

[Eternal Vigilance]

That node was flagged by the new /. content analyzer as unreachable and optimized out.

Fascinating technology, really. Here's a link to how they do it:

Re:Here goes my karma, I guess

[dreamchaser]

I think that it certainly matters more to many of us here than whether or not some dinosaurs dug burrows.

Re:Here goes my karma, I guess

[jovetoo]

exactly... especially when you get get caught in Missoula County with said "Stuff"

Re:Here goes my karma, I guess

[istartedi]

Well, you see it's like... oh hold on, I have to step away from the computer, I'm laughing so hard... OK, it's like don't worry about your karma because you see... hold on... I need to get some more of these cookies. These cookies are awesome and all of the sudden I just can't seem to get enough of... hold on, I think I'm going to have another laughing fit... umm... you see, oh, something about some "news for nerds" question. Dude, just chill out. Haven't you ever looked up at the stars and thought, that light is touching my face and it was touching a start? So thats why it's news for nerds.

Re:Link?

[Harmonious Botch]

tis a problem with heavy pot smokers, they tend to forget things ;-)

Are you referring to the poster, or the slashdot editors?

You must be new here.

Re:Here goes my karma, I guess

[Wicked Zen]

We already have to deal with intoxicated people operating cars, planes, and other potentially lethal machinery. How much worse would things be if now, in addition to those, you've got people high on ecstasy or marijuana? What about heroin? Would bystander deaths double? Triple? Some of the effects of these drugs make alcohol pale in comparison.

Goodness, the slopes must be very slippery where you live.

Hey.... Hello!! GEEKS SCREW KIDS!!! Get used to

[aussie_a]

We are the people who fix your computers. We are the people who keep your infrastructure moving and alive. We are the people who make sure your insignificant lives are not interrupted because some piece of technology you depend on (that you've never bothered to learn anything about, even though it runs your life) breaks and we save the day.

Guess what? We don't LIKE women! It fucks up our work. We fuck children because it is relaxing and mentally stimulating. Anyone who doesn't feel the same way either hasn't fucked 'real' children or they have a physical/emotional problem with it. Great! Don't fuck children.

Just don't tell me I have to quit because YOU have a problem with it.

America DOES have a child fucking problem. The Problem? 80% or more child fuckers are fucking LOW-GRADE children that promotes medical and emotional issues.

Re:Here goes my karma, I guess

[Fulcrum of Evil]

While I think that a society of addicts is ultimately doomed, my primary concern are the victims of drug abusers.

Bullshit. You just think it's evil and want it kept illegal.

We already have to deal with intoxicated people operating cars, planes, and other potentially lethal machinery. How much worse would things be if now, in addition to those, you've got people high on ecstasy or marijuana?

Actually, it'd spike, then come back to about the same.

Some of the effects of these drugs make alcohol pale in comparison.

For instance, it gives you the munchies and suppresses nausea.

They even go on to say how great it would be for everyone because then the government will be able to collect taxes in the same manner they do with tobacco. Last time I checked, not very many people grow tobacco in their backyards and make cigarettes in their basements. Why does anyone think dealers give the government a cut of their lucrative business?

People are lazy - they mostly will buy from a dealer if they can, just like with beer. The current dealers will be swept away by lower priced competition once they don't have a government granted monopoly.

I wonder what percentage of these new taxes would go to pay for the welfare of addicts?

Trot out welfare queens - this is relevant how?

Logic has no place in pro-drug arguments

You wouldn't know logic if ti raped your dog.

Re:Something about insurgents...

[LearnToSpell]

Hey, it's my goddamn Constitutional RIGHT to have 150mm artillery shells lying around the house!

Re:Here goes my karma, I guess

[Shakrai]

In California at least, the threshold for drink driving convictions for minors is about the same as the nominal uncertainty on many testing devices: 0.01% BAC. If I recall correctly, this can be achieved with less than 1 mL of ethanol

The net effect of that is to make it illegal for somebody under 21 to drive to church and take part in communion. Gotta love it...