Pac's - Involvement In The Cannabis Community

[northerngal]

There has been a lot of talk about PAC's (political action committee's) and their function/role in the cannabis community.   I think a thread regarding what PAC's are and what they do would be helpful for the general population here.   I know several here are involved with different PAC's and will be able to share in the conversation.  

 

What is a PAC: 

 

Political Action Committee (PAC) — A popular term for a political committee organized for the purpose of raising and spending money to elect and defeat candidates. Most PACs represent business, labor or ideological interests. PACs can give $5,000 to a candidate committee per election (primary, general or special). They can also give up to $15,000 annually to any national party committee, and $5,000 annually to any other PAC. PACs may receive up to $5,000 from any one individual, PAC or party committee per calendar year. A PAC must register with the FEC within 10 days of its formation, providing name and address for the PAC, its treasurer and any connected organizations. Affiliated PACs are treated as one donor for the purpose of contribution limits.

 

PACs have been around since 1944, when the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) formed the first one to raise money for the re-election of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The PAC's money came from voluntary contributions from union members rather than union treasuries, so it did not violate the Smith Connally Act of 1943, which forbade unions from contributing to federal candidates. Although commonly called PACs, federal election law refers to these accounts as "separate segregated funds" because money contributed to a PAC is kept in a bank account separate from the general corporate or union treasury.

 

Many politicians also form Leadership PACs as a way of raising money to help fund other candidates' campaigns. Since June 2008, Leadership PACs reporting electronically must list the candidate sponsoring the PAC, as per the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007. Leadership PACs are often indicative of a politician's aspirations for leadership positions in Congress or for higher office.

 

What's a super PAC?

A new type of PAC was created after the U.S. Court of Appeals decision in Speechnow v. FEC in 2010. These PACs make no contributions to candidates or parties. They do, however make independent expenditures in federal races - running ads or sending mail or communicating in other ways with messages that specifically advocate the election or defeat of a specific candidate. There are no limits or restrictions on the sources of funds that may be used for these expenditures. These committees file regular financial reports with the FEC which include their donors along with their expenditures.

 

 

(information provided by: www.opensecrets.org)

 

 

Edited September 23, 2013 by northerngal

[greenbuddha]

Thanks for the great post.

 

PACs could help the cannabis movement in big ways by increasing our ability to both contact already elected officials and helping to get pro-cannabis pols elected.

[Chauncy Gardner]

Sounds like exactly what the movement needs.

[bobandtorey]

sounds like a good idea but most already elected officials and those running for an office will lie  to your face just to get your vote 

 

too add thank you northergal for your post

  Edited September 23, 2013 by bobandtorey

[greenbuddha]

sounds like a good idea but most already elected officials and those running for an office will lie  to your face just to get your vote 

 

too add thank you northergal for your post

 

You may be forgetting that politicians are in the business of selling their votes.

 

We just have to be able to make the right (let's call them) 'contributions' and 'contacts'.

[bobandtorey]

You may be forgetting that politicians are in the business of selling their votes.

 

We just have to be able to make the right (let's call them) 'contributions' and 'contacts'.

and record them saying that they support Cannabis ?  what i do is ask them it you can Quote them that will make them think about how and what they tell you 

[Celliach]

So you guys want an organization like this one?

 

http://cannabispatientsunited.org/cannapac

 

Looks like someone was smart enough to be ahead of everyone else.

[greenbuddha]

So you guys want an organization like this one?

 

http://cannabispatientsunited.org/cannapac

 

Looks like someone was smart enough to be ahead of everyone else.

 

 

Maybe someone out there can help out with this one, but I think MPP, DPA, ASA and maybe even NORML also have, or are developing pro-cannabis PACs as well.

[northerngal]

So you guys want an organization like this one?

 

http://cannabispatientsunited.org/cannapac

 

Looks like someone was smart enough to be ahead of everyone else.

 

Are you having a bad day?  Do you need a hug?

 

There are several PAC's related to cannabis.  I do not think it's a matter of "being smarter" than anyone else. It's not like they are the first nor the last to form.  To be honest, I expected someone to bring up Cannapac, but not in a condescending way.  

 

You have good info - bring it without the B.S.  - Not everyone in this community knows much about this subject.  There are several that want to learn how they can help.  Educate them, share what is available, help them understand!   Talking to people like they are inferior due to lack of awareness is not necessary. 

 

This thread is about educating the general population about what Pac's are, how they function, their purpose and how it relates to the cannabis movement.  If you would like to educate us on Cannapac and contribute to the conversation, PLEASE do.  I am sure you have some knowledge to share on the subject.   They are one of the first PAC's related to cannabis that I became aware of. 

[Celliach]

Didn't mean to insult anyone.  It certainly wasn't meant that way.  It was meant more like, "Look these guys are smart enough to have thought of this already, maybe they're the people that we need, instead of starting a new group"

 

Honestly, at the time I made the post I didn't even realize that someone might find it insulting.