As the unconstitutional federal war on marijuana comes to an end, the prohibitionists aren’t going out with class or dignity. The latest measure is an anti-constitutional lawsuit filed by the Attorneys General in the states of Oklahoma and Nebraska.
These Republican AGs apparently need to brush up on the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution and the words of the Founding Fathers. They are suing the state of Colorado in a desperate attempt to get the federal government to stop marijuana legalization there, rather than minding their own business. A Denver Post report elaborates on this unfortunate development:
Nebraska and Oklahoma filed the lawsuit directly with the nation’s highest court on Thursday. The two states argue in the lawsuit that, “the State of Colorado has created a dangerous gap in the federal drug control system.” …
The lawsuit says the states have suffered increased costs from arrests, the impoundment of vehicles, the seizure of contraband, the transfer of prisoners, and other problems associated with marijuana — which is strictly illegal in the two states — flowing into Nebraska and Oklahoma. The states say the problems amount to “irreparable injury.”
The lawsuit does not cite any figures to back up the claims.
While this lawsuit will most likely be thrown out, it is still scary because of the overarching consequences it could potentially have on state-level resistance efforts going on across the country. Should the bizarre, un-American views of these Republican lawmakers be championed and affirmed by the courts, states would have no recourse but to submit to Obamacare, gun control, EPA regulations or any other reckless federal policy under the sun.
If the specious claim that Colorado marijuana policy harms the public safety of Nebraska and Oklahoma is legitimized by the courts, a state like California could say that a bordering state’s non-compliance with EPA mandates is harming their environment by proxy. A state like Connecticut could say that another state’s gun control nullification is allowing firearms to spill over into their borders and therefore jeopardizing their safety. A state like Massachusetts could say that a nearby state’s refusal to participate in the Affordable Care Act is causing their health care market to be adversely affected.
As absurd as these rationales may be, they would hold water if the nullification-denying politicians in Oklahoma and Nebraska get their way. These Republicans want to open Pandora’s Box on the Bill of Rights and Constitution, all because they are angry that some people can freely consume a plant. This is the federal supremacist mentality in a nutshell: My way or the highway. No matter how apparent it becomes that federal marijuana policies have failed, the power-obsessed drug warriors won’t stop kicking and screaming until the bitter end.
Mind you, not every Republican politician from the heartland agrees with this ridiculous measure. In response to the lawsuit, Kansas State Representative Brett Hildabrand said, “I would discourage our state from joining Nebraska and Oklahoma’s lawsuit against Colorado. Regardless of the issue, we should respect a state’s Tenth Amendment right to govern within their borders.”
Lawmakers in Nebraska, Oklahoma and every other state should heed Rep. Hildabrand’s thoughtful words and mind their business. There is an immediate, on-going threat to our liberties emanating from Obama and the rest of his cronies in Washington D.C. Focus on fighting back against that rather than sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong. Colorado’s drug policies are none of your concern, other than the fact that you should probably be emulating them due to their immense success. Focus on protecting the rights of your citizens rather than being meddling busybodies, for the betterment of us all.