Libertarian Attorney General Candidate Campaigning for Cannabis
Bill Wohlsifer is the Libertarian Party of Florida’s candidate for state Attorney General. Wohlsifer, a former Republican who joined the Libertarian Party after Ron Paul conceded the 2012 Republican presidential primary, is now running his campaign for Attorney General with a platform dedicated to the legalization of medical cannabis and industrial hemp. “There is a big difference from what my office would look like, compared to my opponents,” Wohlsifer said.
Author of Cathy Jordan Medical Marijuana Act Joins AG Race
“I made the decision to run because of my passion about several issues, I want to bring attention to Florida’s legal affairs. Issues that have been ignored for years have been part of the Libertarian Party platform years, issues like medical marijuana same sex marriage. These issues have been in the party since 1972, and have recently become part of the common debate.” “When wrote I wrote the Cathy Jordan Medical Act in 2012, people would want to leave the room or change the subject when I brought up medical marijuana. We’ve come a long way in the past couple of years.”
Wohlsifer’s Proposed Hemp4Water Program
“We need jobs and new industry in Florida. A new industry can manufacture and export from Florida, not import. Florida’s water infrastructure is in need of repairs and renovation.” Wohlsifer has proposed a Hemp4Water program, “the intention here is to legalize industrial hemp and tax it to support Florida’s infrastructure and water conservation programs.”
“The Attorney General is in a unique position to reschedule items on the Controlled Substances list. If elected as Attorney General I propose to remove low level THC cannabis, probably .3% or lower, lower than Charlotte’s Web, which will in turn launch the industrial hemp industry in Florida. Hemp has no psychoactive ingredients, marijuana is illegal because of an attempt to ban hemp. It’s prohibited because of archaic propaganda from 1937 about the effects of marijuana, very racial propaganda. The Duponts, William Hearst, Mellon the banker. Florida is the largest importer hemp, but it can be grown and processed in Florida. We have so much vacant farmland. Hemp could replace trees for paper. You can get 4 yields in a year, with little or or no pesticides.”
Ending the War on Drugs and Supporting Legalization
Wohlsifer also supports full legalization, “I would lower psychoactive cannabis down the Controlled Substances list, and have it controlled by the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation, the same agency that regulates alcohol, tobacco, and other licensed industries.” “I wouldn’t do it on day one, I think maybe after 2 years of legalized medical use, and the people see that there is no gateway effect, the public needs to see that first.”
“The War on Drugs has been a dismal failure, the statistics are astounding. Look at the drug trades growth since the Nixon administration. Law enforcement efforts escalate year after year, the War on Drugs has been in place for 40 years, but the target is further and further away. We have heightened gang populations, the murder rate is up with drug trafficking. 50% of the prison population is there drug related crime, 25% for mere possession, a victimless crime. These people wind up in jail when they are really no harm to anyone else. I will advocate for clemency for victimless crimes. These people could be in their communities being productive. The 2nd biggest illegal industry is human trafficking. Drug dependence should be treated as a health issue instead of straight out criminal issue.” “I would lobby heavily for legislature to retract mandatory minimum sentences, and give judges discretion. This would help make room in prisons for really violent people, and it would help protect the safety of Floridians. America has 5% of the world’s population, and 25% of the world’s prison population.”
Wohlsifer is also bringing attention to issues related to the War on Drugs like asset forfeiture and the militarization of law enforcement. “I oppose the over militarization of the civil police force. Continued militarization is putting a gap between the civil population and Florida’s finest needs to be looked at by the Attorney General.” “When we need bigger guns, we have the National Guard for that, not the local police force. SWAT teams were originally meant for hostage situations, but they are regularly used to serve warrants now. Children and dogs are being killed in raids.” Wohlsifer is also opposed to asset forfeiture, “Cops are allowed to confiscate private property through the DEA and civil asset forfeiture programs. Police Departments are acquiring equipment bought with money from seized property.” “These asset forfeitures can happen when someone has merely been suspected of committing a crime, not adjudicated. Private property is what made our nation different. This property is being taken without due process of law. This needs to be investigated through a Blue Ribbon Panel, a top down investigation of civil asset forfeiture and the militarization of police, we need a cost benefit analysis.” “No other candidates for Attorney General are talking about these issues. I’m the only candidate advocating against private prisons, there are 7 in Florida so far, it’s a slippery slope to put a for-profit motive on the incarceration of humankind. We need limited government, not all government is bad.” “I’m against red light cameras, that’s not the culture we want to live in. We are not guilty until proven innocent.”
Wohlsifer Says Florida Needs Right Attorney General To Implement Amendment 2
“Amendment 2, will likely pass, and depending on which candidate for Attorney General is elected following the passage of Amendment 2 will direct how it is or isn’t implemented.” “Floridians need the right Attorney General to implement Amendment 2. We don’t want to be like New Jersey,” which has had problems implementing their medical cannabis program. While Wohlsifer plans to vote yes on Amendment 2, he says, “I don’t favor it, but I think other people should,” believing his proposed bill, the Cathy Jordan Medical Marijuana Act was a better plan. Wohlsifer still believes that the Cathy Jordan Medical Marijuana Act could still be used to implement Amendment 2, should it pass. Wohlsifer said that as a Libertarian, he doesn’t like the idea of changing the state’s Constitution.
Wohlsifer is also a big advocate of the open carrying of firearms. While some medical cannabis states like Rhode Island and Oregon have reaffirmed a patients right to keep and bear arms, some states like Illinois have attacked medical marijuana patients and their right to own firearms, making them choose between the right to defend themselves with firearms and the right to take their medicine. Wohlsifer belives the issue is disconnected from gun ownership. “There should be no impact, particularly with medicinal use,” and that using cannabis medically shouldn’t affect a person’s right to keep and bear arms.
Wohlsifer believes the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act of 2014 was a disaster. “Florida’s legislators pretended to be helping children who suffer from intractable epilepsy. The real objective was to capture the market share for their crony friends in the huge marijuana business that is heading to Florida. Upon closer reading of SB 1030, the “Charlotte’s Web” bill, it becomes clear that it sets the foundation to hand over Florida’s burgeoning marijuana industry to a select few people. We have an anti-competitive platform under the guise of legislation.” “Under the law, there can be no more than five dispensing organizations statewide. I predict that there will be only one. This anti-competitive business model is referred to as “vertical integration.” Ironically, vertical integration is exactly what the Republican majority argued against when insisting that the craft brewery industry must use a three-tier level of distribution to preserve competitive markets. This is what is known as hypocrisy.”
For more information on Bill Wohlsifer’s campaign for Florida Attorney General go to: www.wohlsifer4ag.com
For more information on Wohlsifer’s Hemp4Water plan go to: www.hemp4water.com
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