I have no idea why I keep getting these emails from New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham! I am a registered Independent. The Governors office will not send me news releases, but sends me her self-promotional stuff!!!! I would like to talk to her about abortion, pot, child hunger, crime and the list goes on and on. The Governor and her supporters look at pot as a god. Pot is supposed to save our state, so very sad. JESUS is the only hope for New Mexico. Reading this email made me sick to my stomach, as her and many others look in all the wrong places for a Savior. JESUS! JESUS! JESUS!
Mark my word, just like when New Mexico legalized casinos, legalizing pot will hurt this state. It will not solve our problems, it will overload law enforcement and hurt our young people. Casinos where to help our schools and roads….that’s a subject for my buddy Dr. Guy Clark who has written on this issue many times, see below in this post.
If I ran for governor I would run with JESUS!!!!
Here is part of the email I got:
| Dewey, when I first took office, I promised to lead New Mexico toward a more progressive, equitable future – and I’m proud to report that we took a bold step toward that goal last week. |
| On June 29, cannabis officially became legal in the state of New Mexico. I signed this landmark bill into law to bring millions of dollars into our state, create jobs, end the war on drugs that has disproportionately harmed communities of color, and bring millions of dollars of investment into the state. It’s a win-win-win for New Mexico – and I couldn’t have done it without you. |
| Your grassroots support allowed my team to study cannabis legalization so that we crafted sensible legislation that achieves our goals, while protecting our successful medical cannabis program and addressing public safety concerns. Because of you, we were able to put together a bipartisan working group to study legalization and sort through hundreds of pages of public policy research so we could get it right – and we did. |
| And when the time came to hear from New Mexicans directly, grassroots supporters like you spoke up. I heard from business owners and entrepreneurs curious about getting involved in this burgeoning industry. I heard from scientists and engineers interested in studying cannabis. And I heard from families whose lives were turned upside down after a parent was convicted for a minor cannabis charge. |
| A powerful network of grassroots supporters propelled our movement to the Governor’s mansion so that I could develop and sign bold laws like this one – and I promise to continue to listen to your needs and advice every step of the way as we continue to move New Mexico forward. |
Our Dear Friend Chuck Akeley’s post from July of 2019 really hits a homerun for God!
“Legalization” Of Marijuana In New Mexico – Is This Really A Good Idea?
In our country and yes, our state, it has become almost fashionable to support the growth and use of marijuana, whether for medicinal use or recreational use. So much so, that even our state executive and many legislators consider government sanctioned and controlled distribution of marijuana to be a worthy effort as means to acquire tax dollars. Let’s consider some of the well-established issues facing New Mexico. For many years, we’ve been rated at the bottom or almost the bottom for quality of education, children living in poverty, drug use (e.g., opioid use), drug trafficking (I-40, I-10, I-25 and the southern border corridors) and DWI offenders (including the associated deaths). Is there really wisdom in enhancing these issues by creating a culture of “legalized” use of marijuana here in New Mexico?
A wise man once told me that if you have any doubt as to whether to do or say something, then ask yourself, would you look to Jesus and say “Lord, I do this thing as unto You” or “Lord, I give You thanks for this which I am about to do.” If the answer is no, then why are you doing it? Would you ask Jesus to bless your firing up of a joint or bowl or eating of a laced edible so that you would experience a high? The scripture says we should seek His wisdom. According to Proverbs 4:7, “[w]isdom is the principal thing; [t]herefore get wisdom [NKJV].” Ephesians 5:15-21 instructs us to walk in wisdom: “[s]ee then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ [NKJV].” Just because we CAN do something doesn’t necessarily mean we SHOULD do something.
My background includes a few years as a Special Agent with the USAF Office of Special Investigations, during which much of the training involved drug enforcement. I spent the first year after completing the initial academy leading the Travis AFB, CA Joint Drug Enforcement Team and subsequently worked for several years at Holloman AFB, NM participating in drug enforcement operations with the other agents. Once you have strapped on the equipment and executed a few warrants, you tend to develop a very different perspective about “low level drug use,” as the small amounts of drugs came from someone who was probably not your next door neighbor, and that person’s drugs came from a trafficker – a very dangerous person. The perspective that I’m not hurting anyone is a big lie. It is not surprising to me that the military and local or state police have had to lower standards in order to acquire acceptable cadets. Today, our children and youth often do things as a result of cultural or peer influences which can devastate future employment opportunities. How much worse it is when our children’s parents are the ones modeling this behavior? I thank God that our Lord is forgiving and merciful, and am reminded that we are called to forgive others and to help guide our friends, family and others unto salvation and into their God-given destiny!
It’s interesting to hear discussions about “legalizing” recreational use of marijuana at the state level. If a state allows something that is forbidden at the federal level, it is not really legal, but what is happening is that the federal government has elected, as a matter of enforcement discretion, to refrain from seeking prosecution under certain circumstances and the state has elected to ignore existing federal code or statutes. The federal Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”), 21 USC 812, establishes five schedules of controlled substances, identified as Schedules I, II, III, IV and V. Schedule I lists substances that have been determined to have: 1) a high potential for abuse; 2) no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States; and 3) a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or substance under medical supervision. The psychoactive substance in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”), remains to this day a listed Schedule I substance. Because of this, many states have struggled with the medicinal and recreational use of marijuana and declare legality, when in point of fact, what is occurring is simply enforcement discretion at the federal level and a glaring lack of willingness of the federal government to take a solid position one way or the other.
There is MUCH remaining to be said about this issue, including the increasing levels of THC in modern-grown marijuana plants provided by dispensaries and technologically-advanced illicit grows, the lack of clear means for law enforcement to easily determine the degree of driving impairment compared to determining alcohol impairment, the effect that such has or may have on us developmentally, mentally and physically, the wisdom and procedure for assuring sound regulatory controls at the federal and state level – and assuming this issue isn’t going away quickly, the spiritual implications of encouraging, yet another mind altering substance for use by our residents, demonstrating yet again, the wisdom of man in the face of the wisdom of God.
Father, in the name of Jesus, I ask that You would speak to the hearts of those in a position to encourage, allow, regulate and/or spend tax dollars on marijuana matters in our beautiful State of New Mexico (and across this nation). Give us ears to hear and eyes to see what is the will of God. May wisdom guide our discussions and determinations, with a mighty hedge of protection over all who are doing Your will and serving Your people, in light of this challenge. But regardless, help us to always love. Always. Amen.
Chuck Akeley
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Past Posts:
If anything. New Mexico has gone down further since casinos came into the state….New Mexico loves it booze and party time. Where is Jesus in that? Is this what you want to showcase to our children?
Jesus wept. John 11:35
How do you destroy a house?…… those little termites eat and eat…….bad habits then take control…..it seems that bite by bite America continues to turn away from Biblical Principles….
So this must be a priority for many Americans over Jesus? I remember an old preacher man, Marvin Capehart telling me years ago, “We are in trouble because Americans are picking sports over Jesus” News release to FGGAM.ORG today:
WASHINGTON – Approximately 3 million more American adults say they will wager on this year’s Super Bowl than last year, according to new data released today by the American Gaming Association (AGA). The AGA estimates Americans will wager approximately $6.8 billion on the NFL championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers.
Biblical Wordlview at FGGAM.ORG
I love sports also, but not that much, JESUS AT THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING! AMEN!
“Gambling is the child of avarice, the brother of iniquity, and the father of mischief.” – George Washington
“Gambling is a sickness, a disease, an addiction, an insanity, and is always a loser in the long run.”
“Gambling can be just as addictive as drugs and alcohol. Teens and their parents need to know that they’re not just gambling with money, they’re gambling with their lives.”
“Gambling is the sure way of getting nothing for something.”
Past Post From Dr. Guy Clark:
About a week ago Thom Cole wrote a good article in the Santa Fe New Mexican about the failure of the state to take gambling addiction seriously. I thought it would be useful to reveal more details about the state’s failure, so I wrote this op-ed for the Albuquerque Journal that appeared today. It’s not just that the state fails to do a good job of attacking this enormous health problem (state studies since 1997 have indicated that there are between 35,000 to 45,000 problem gamblers in the state), the health department does not even recognize the problem. I hope you will read this article and encourage your state legislators to hold legislative hearings next month to remedy this problem.
To contact your legislator open the “Find Your Legislator by Address” page by clicking here. On the “Political Body” field you can scroll down to pick the house or the senate, then add your address in the following field. That will bring up a field with your legislator’s picture and name. You can then click on his/her name and it will take you to their legislative page where you can find their contact information.
The most effective contacts are by phone, so you could call your legislator at their home, since they won’t be at their Santa Fe office until mid-January. An email would also probably get to them. You could say something like, “I read the article about problem gambling in the Albuquerque Journal (or the SF New Mexican), and think that it is disgraceful that the state does nothing to help problem gamblers. Would you please do what you can to get legislation moving to get the health department to create an office that deals with gambling addiction?”
Stop Predatory Gambling New Mexico will be at the legislature and will use what influence we have to get legislation moving to get the state engaged in helping our citizens.
Thank you for your help,
Dr. Guy C. Clark, chairman
Stop Predatory Gambling New Mexico
Here is the complete news release:
WASHINGTON – Approximately 3 million more American adults say they will wager on this year’s Super Bowl than last year, according to new data released today by the American Gaming Association (AGA). The AGA estimates Americans will wager approximately $6.8 billion on the NFL championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers.
Key findings from the survey, conducted by Morning Consult, include:
- More than one-in-ten American adults plan to bet on Super Bowl LIV.
- Of the 26 million Americans who will wager on the Super Bowl, close to 4 million will place a bet in person at a brick-and-mortar sportsbook, a 25 percent increase from last year.
- Nearly 5 million will place a bet through an online or mobile platform, either through a licensed, legal operator or an illegal offshore book, a 19 percent increase from last year.
- Millions more will wager with a bookie, in a pool or squares contest, or casually with family or friends.
- 52 percent say they will bet on the Kansas City Chiefs, while 48 percent will bet on the San Francisco 49ers.
“With 14 operational markets and another seven close behind, Americans have never before had so many opportunities to wager on the Super Bowl in a safe and legal manner, and clearly, they are getting in on the action,” said Bill Miller, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association. “With increased visitation to legal sportsbooks, we are successfully drawing bettors away from the predatory illegal market.”
Viewership for NFL games rose five percent in 2019, up another five points from the year before. This is yet another example of how the NFL will earn approximately $2.3 billion annually due to increased fan engagement from sports betting. Previous AGA research found that 75 percent of NFL bettors say they are more likely to watch a game they have bet on, and sports bettors are more interested in the NFL than any other professional sports league.
“I have absolute confidence that Americans didn’t start betting on sports when the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was overturned,” continued Miller. “What makes this year’s Super Bowl remarkable is that more fans than ever before will have the reassurance that the integrity of their bets on the big game will be preserved. The continued expansion of legal sports betting—to the detriment of the illegal market—truly benefits all stakeholders, from enhanced fan engagement for teams to added tax revenue for state and local economies.”
These findings, along with the AGA’s outlook for sports betting in 2020, will be discussed on a media call today at 11 a.m. ET. Reporters can register for the call here.
Background
- Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in May 2018, more than $17 billion has been legally wagered on sports.
- Fourteen states now offer legal, regulated sports betting, with six more states and the District of Columbia poised to open legal markets in the coming months.
- AGA research found that more than 38 million American adults planned to bet on the NFL’s 100th season.
Methodology
Morning Consult conducted the online survey on behalf of the American Gaming Association between Jan. 21-22, 2020, among a national sample of 2,200 adults. The data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on age, race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment, and region. The margin of error is +/-2 percent and greater among subgroups. Bettors include those who expect to place a bet online, with a bookie, with a casino sportsbook, in a pool or squares contest, or casually with family or friends.
About the AGA
The American Gaming Association is the premier national trade group representing the $261 billion U.S. casino industry, which supports 1.8 million jobs nationwide. AGA members include commercial and tribal casino operators, gaming suppliers, and other entities affiliated with the gaming industry. It is the mission of the AGA to achieve sound policies and regulations consistent with casino gaming’s modern appeal and vast economic contributions.
