Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Speech at the Great Midwest Marijuana Harvest Fest on October 7th, 2012


Written in October 2012
Edited in May 2014



As a libertarian-leaning independent, I would urge my fellow [candidates for] representatives in the House to repeal all federal anti-marijuana legislation, vote to repeal all federal drug laws on Interstate Commerce Clause grounds, and urge the president – whoever he may be – to pardon all non-violent federal drug offenders.
If elected, I would invoke the Commerce Clause to dispute the constitutionality of not only federal drug laws, but also the states’ outright bans on the importation of illicit drugs across state lines. The only constitutional position on this issue is one which promotes the use of federal power to prohibit the states from regulating marijuana in a manner that causes undue inhibition of the freedom of trade of all commodities – marijuana included – across state borders.
My Republican opponent Chad Lee has not thus far made his stance on marijuana well-known, but I think this fact is sufficient to infer that Mr. Lee would not enthusiastically promote the N.O.R.M.L. agenda. While my Democratic opponent Mark Pocan has made some statements in support of decriminalization, I feel that his support of vice laws opposing freer trade and use of legal substances like alcohol and tobacco suggests that his support of personal freedoms could stand to be more principled and consistent.
If I am elected, I would be outspoken in my support of the decriminalization and legalization of marijuana – be it for medicinal, recreational, industrial, or entheogenic purposes – as well as in my opposition to the expansion of the drug war into overseas theaters such as Latin America, South America, Afghanistan, and others.
As a write-in candidate, I will not be on the ballot for U.S. House this November, but with enough write-in votes, I can still win the seat. Just remember to vote for independent Joe Kopsick – K-O-P-S-I-C-K – by writing-in my name on the ballot for U.S. Representative on Tuesday, November 6th.

No comments:

Post a Comment

List of Community Gardens (and Forest Preserves) in Lake County, Illinois

Community Gardens in Lake County Community CARE Garden, 1200 American Way, Libertyville, IL 60048 Community Garden Green, 17 E. School Ct.,...