Jan 25, 2009 | 5:42 PM
Category:
Political
There's no question that drug prohibition has
been every bit the failure alcohol prohibition was. Nearly 40 years
after the CSA passed, we have 400,000 people in prison for nonviolent
drug crimes; a domestic police force that often looks and acts like an
occupying military force; nearly a trillion dollars spent on
enforcement, both here and through aggressive interdiction efforts
overseas; and urban areas that can resemble war zones. Yet illicit
drugs like cocaine and marijuana are as cheap and abundant as they were
in 1970. The street price of both drugs has actually dropped -- dramatically — since the government began keeping track in the early 1980s.
The
main difference between the two prohibitions is that one was enacted
lawfully, and once it became clear that it had failed, we repealed it
(and government revenues soared with new alcohol taxes). As the drug
war has failed, the government merely claims more powers to fight it
more aggressively.
Eliot Ness and his colleagues raided supply lines, manufacturing hubs and warehouses, but alcohol consumption
was still legal. You didn't have armed-to-the-teeth cops breaking down
the doors of private homes the way they do now for people suspected of
consensual drug crimes. During prohibition, doctors could prescribe
alcohol as medication. Today, federal SWAT teams storm medical
marijuana clinics and terrorize their patients, thanks to the Supreme
Court's 2005 decision in Gonzalez v. Raich, which allowed the federal
government to prevent a dying woman from possessing medical marijuana,
solely for her own use, to treat the symptoms of her illnesses, even
though the voters of California had determined that she should be left
alone.
When he first visited the United States
in 1921, Albert Einstein wrote of America's ban on booze: "The prestige
of government has undoubtedly been lowered considerably by the
prohibition law ... For nothing is more destructive of respect for the
government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be
enforced."
That's as true today as it was then.
Jan 25, 2009 | 1:44 AM
Category:
News
Hemp as Fuel
"It is possible to produce all of our energy with Cannabis Hemp. The
unique growing properties of the plant make it the ideal crop for our
energy needs. One acre of Cannabis Hemp can produce 1000 gallons of
methanol in a single growing season(4-6 months) or by acid hydrolysis
and fermenting into ethanhol as well. Because Cannabis Hemp grows very
rapidly and is easily harvestable, we could produce all the energy and
gasoline we needed from Cannabis Hemp. Cannabis hemp can also be
converted into fuel oils to produce gasoline directly. If we burned
Cannabis Hemp for electricity and gasoline we would stop releasing
sulfur compounds. Any CO2 released from burning Cannabis Hemp would be
the same CO2 the plant had already taken from the environment, creating
what is called a closed carbon cycle." [2]
In addition, through Acid Hydrolysis 2500/gallons/alcohol/acre per year
can be produced from cellulose at a wholesale price of less than
$1/gallon.
Alcohol Can Be a Gas! by David Blume http://www.alcoholcanbeagas.com/
Hemp as a Building Material
"Cannabis Hemp can replace any of the products made from timber.
Cannabis could be used for particleboards of any size, as well as
insulation, drywall, cabinets, and furniture. We could build a house
from Cannabis Hemp materials without excess pollution, and without
cutting down a single tree." [3]
It makes a far superior composite wood product, 2.5 times
stronger than particleboard, according to Washington State University
recent studies.
- http://www.globalhempstore.com/hemp-twine/
- "Hemp twine is excellent for gardening and landscaping. Unlike many
other fibers, hemp is round by nature, so as a twine it is easy to work
with and does not cut plants or the hands tending them. It is also
fully biodegradable."
Hemp for Paper
"All the paper we make from trees could be made better by using
Cannabis Hemp. We would make more paper per acre. Each Cannabis plant
grown saves 12 trees. Cannabis Hemp uses about 1/7 the chemicals in
paper manufacture." [4]
Hemp paper lasts 5 times as long as paper from wood and many of the pre
1900 bibles were printed on them. The first two drafts the Declaration
of Independence was on hemp paper.
(The Emperor Wears No Clothes, By Jack Herer
Hemp for Clothing
- Google > Hemp clothing - 233,000 entries as of Feb. 2008
- http://www.globalhempstore.com/hemp-clothing/
- "The oldest cultivated fiber plant known, hemp has a history of use
in textiles and fabrics dating back as far as 8000 B.C. The reasons for
hemp’s continued popularity throughout the years are still applicable
today and are the basis for the renewed interest in cultivation and
use. Hemp is strong, warm, and long wearing."
Hemp clothing features:
- One of the strongest natural fibers
- Excellent wicking properties
- Helps block harmful UV and UVB rays
- Naturally resistant to bacteria and mold
Hemp as Food
- Google > Hemp food - 249,000 entries as of Feb. 2008
- http://www.globalhempstore.com/hemp-food/
- Features products for sale. "Hempseed is considered by leading
researchers to be one of the most nutritious super foods on the planet
— packed with protein, vitamin E, Omega-3, and GLA. Hemp contains pure,
digestible protein, with a good balance of all eight essential amino
acids. Hemp is not only delicious, but comprised of smaller-chain
edistin and albumin protein, making it the gold standard of plant
foods."
- http://www.hempfood.com
Hemp as Medicine
Robert Melamede on HempRobert Melamede Ph.D hemp researcher
of University of Colorado says cannibinoids are produced naturally in
the human body without the use of hemp.
Every single system in our bodies (our nervous system,
digestive system, reproductive system, immunological system, endocrine
system), you name it & cannabinoids are involved in maintaining
what's known as homostasis balance in the human body.
Mothers breast milk contains cannibinoids to encourage appetite.
For the same reason as baby’s breast milk and appetite, AIDS patents need hemp to reduce atrophy wasting away.
Cancer patents need it for the nausea caused from chemotherapy.
Roberts Homepage http://www.uccs.edu/%7Ermelamed/Homepage/
Robert speaking: www.youtube.com/watch?v=n31Nuj_AvTg
More from Roberts (1:17 min into movie) video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7089575692716747795
Dr. Claudia Jensen on HempThere is very strong evidence
that it helps with ADD, ADHD, epilepsy and post traumatic syndrome as
Dr. Claudia Jensen testified before congress on April 1, 2004
Interview with Kieth Oberman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj72e5q61Fs
Transcripts from Hearing: http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread18720.shtml
American History on Hemp for medicine: THANKS JACK!
Marijuana was the number-one medicine in America prior to 1863.
Non-toxic recreational use (unlike current legal one, Alcohol).
There are no reported overdoses to date of Marijuana. Can you say that for Alcohol, Tobacco and Pharmaceutical drugs?
Some believe it even possesses anti-aging properties because it brings homeostasis in the body
Cannabis remained the number-two medicine until 1901 when it was replaced by aspirin.
During pre 1940’s science, doctors and drug manufacturers
(Lilly, Parke-Davis, Squibb, etc.) had no idea of what its active
ingredients were. All they knew was that the medicines they derived
from it had a very short shelf life and it was hard to regulate the
dosage.
Prior to 1937, Americans could legally purchase at least 27
medicines containing marijuana, many of them manufactured by reputable
pharmaceutical firms that remain in existence today.
In rat studies cannabinoids have been effective is neutralizing cancer.
Properties of Hemp
"Cannabis Hemp is the healthiest plant for the ground and air. It is
the only known plant that can be grown from the Equator to the Arctic
and Antarctic Circles; from the mountains to the valleys, from the
oceans to the plains, including arid lands and everywhere in between.
"Cannabis Hemp is the healthiest plant for the ground out of
the 300,000 known species, and the millions and millions of subspecies
of plants on Earth, because it has a root system that grows 10 to 12
inches in 30 days compared to one inch for rye, barley grass, etc. The
roots penetrate up to 3, 6 and even 10 feet deep, pulverizing the soil
and making it arable. After harvest it leaves a root system that is
mulched into the ground, revitalizing the land and making it live once
again." [5]
Industrial Hemp
"Apparently, industrial hemp is good for practically everything but getting high." (ABC News)
Jan 25, 2009 | 1:38 AM
Category:
News
In 1937 legislation was introduced to U.S. Congress by "Drug Czar"
Harry Anslinger, then Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics.
With absolutely no scientific evidence, a handful of individual
cases, and published articles influence by a business associate
Randolph Hearst, Anslinger and others discussed for 90 minutes before
congress who did not even know what Marijuana (Mexican slang word)
meant about that this drug caused criminal activity and potential
insanity. Congress mentions how the law would impact the current hemp
industry fully knowing the importance of hemp and were assured by
Anslinger that it would only be a small inconvenience for current
farmers as they would be required to register with the government a pay
a small tax.
When the legislation was passed, the New Tax and political red
tape virtually made it economically unfeasible and undesirable to
continue producing hemp. In a short period of time, most all of the
hemp agriculture was ceased. A right that many of the first presidents
fought for and often the war of 1812 was attributed to. It just so
happens that same year 1937 Dupont was issued two patents that directly
replaced/competed with hemp; paper products from wood, textiles and
plastics from crude oil. So in a few short years most Americans never
even noticed the switch from hemp to Dupont’s new compounds from crude
oil. Chance or agenda... your decide!
During the World War II 1943, the American Governement produced a film that showed most of the industrial uses of hemp called “Hemp for Victory??.
Jack Herer has been spot lighing the film for 20+ years to show the
hypocracy of the Government and to valadate his position on hemp.
Popular Mechanics, in February 1937, predicted hemp would be the world's first "Billion Dollar Crop"
that would support thousands of jobs and provide a vast array of
consumer products from dynamite to plastics. It is estimated as of 2000
that the industry would be 500 billion to a trillion dollar industry if
allowed to be cultivated. It is very peculiar that at the same time The
Marijuana Tax of 1937 act was passed making farming the plant
unfeasible, Dupont’s Patent for making plastic out of crude oil &
coal was just given and the sulfate process in making paper out of
wood. It was estimated in the 1930’s by Dupont that the patented
sulfate process part of their business would be 80% of there business
for the next 50 years. Unfortunately they would have to cut down oxygen
producing trees to do so.
In the 1930's, hemp was a major threat to Secretary Mellon's
friends and business associates, especially Randolph Hearst with his
wood paper industry and Lammont DuPont with his petrochemical and
synthetic fiber conglomerates. After all, hemp farmers wouldn't need
DuPont's chemicals to grow their hemp because the crop is
self-sufficient. The hemp-based ethanol fuel that was mentioned in the
Popular Mechanics' article probably didn't sit too well with the oil
companies of the time either. They also couldn't have been too thrilled
to learn that this same plant produced high-strength plastics without a
petroleum base. The hemp-based plastics developed at the time were
stronger and lighter than steel, which we can imagine wasn't the best
news for the steel industry. Furthermore the lumber industry had a
stake in the future of hemp.
Henry Ford of Ford Motor Company had a huge biomass conversation plant at Iron Mountain Michigan.
He made plastics from wheat straw, hemp and sisal. He also could
produce methanol, charcoal, char, pitch, ethyl-acetate, & creosote
all building blocks for the many chemical compounds that had been
derived by Rockefeller for more 30 years through refining crude oil.
Since biomass has no sulfur they do not produce nearly the pollution
that crude oil does in refining. Pyrolysis is the method Henry Ford biomas refinery plant used which is identical to the process Rockefellers Standard Oil used in refining crude oil. In a 1941 Popular Mechanics Magazine published picture of a car made almost entirely of hemp was published.
So to say that hemp was outlawed because of its narcotic effect is
insulting to any average intelligent educated human. It’s legalization
threatens the oil companies, timber industries, chemical refinery
companies (textile), energy companies and pharmaceutical companies just
to name a few. We all know the market capitol these companies hold and
their influence on the US Government.
From: Hemp: American History Revisited: The Plant with a Divided History, by Robert Deitch
Pinch Hitters for Defense - Popular Mechanics - December 1941
After 12 years of research, the Ford Motor Company has completed an
experimental automobile with a plastic body. Although its design takes
advantages of the properties of plastics, the streamline car does not
differ greatly in appearance from its steel counterpart. The only steel
in the hand-made body ss found in the tubular welded frame on which are
mounted 14 plastic panels, 3/16" thick. Composed of a mixture of farm
crops and synthetic chemicals, the plastic is reported to withstand a
blow 10 times as great as steel without denting. Even the windows are
of plastic. The total weight of the plastic car is about 2,000 lbs.,
compared with 3,000 lbs. for a steel auto of the same size. Although no
hint has been given as to when plastic cars may go into production, the
experimental model is pictured as a step toward materialization of
Henry Ford's belief that some day he would "grow automobiles from the
soil".
When Henry Ford recently unveiled his plastic car, the result
of 12 years of research, he gave the world a glimpse of the automobile
of tomorrow, it's tough panel molded under hydraulic pressure of 1500
lbs. per square inch from a recipe that calls for 70% of cellulose
fibers from wheat straw, HEMP, and sisal plus 30% resin binder. The
only steel in the car is its tubular welded frame. The plastic car
weighs a ton less than a comparable steel car. Manufacturers are
already taking a low-priced plastic car to test the public's taste by
1943.
Jan 21, 2009 | 9:21 PM
Category:
Political
Marijuana is the Obvious Safest Choice Here!
Jan 21, 2009 | 2:32 AM
Category:
News
Retired Seattle Police Chief Says Obama Should Listen to Voters
Guest Opinion by Norm Stamper for Salem-News.com
We
understand Mr. Obama has a full plate. Our economic crisis and the
threat of terrorism are only two examples. However, we know that ending
the drug war will offer a partial fix to both of these issues.
Courtesy: NBC
(SEATTLE)
- In early December, Barack Obama invited Americans to participate in
an unprecedented, bottom-up approach to government. Visitors to the
President-elect’s official website, Change.gov, were able to submit
questions and vote on which questions should take priority for the new
administration.
More than a dozen of the top 50 questions called for
amending America’s drug policies, with inquiries ranging from
availability of doctor-recommended medical marijuana to the economic
impact of continuing to arrest and incarcerate millions of people for
drug offenses.
The number one vote getter was:
"Q: Will you consider legalizing marijuana so that the
government can regulate it, tax it, put age limits on it, and create
millions of new jobs and create a billion dollar industry right here in
the U.S.?"
Americans got their answer, sort of. A one-sentence response from the President-elect’s transition team:
"A: President-elect Obama is not in favor of the legalization of marijuana."
Speaking as a 34-year cop with six years as police
chief of one of America’s largest cities, I know how much money has
been squandered in prosecuting the drug war. Obviously, I’m
disappointed and confused by this response.
His silence on the issue can't be due to fear of
political backlash. He and his team must have seen the recent Zogby
poll that shows three of four Americans believe the "war on drugs" is a
failure. And the Time/CNN poll showing only 19 percent of Americans
think we should continue arresting and jailing marijuana users.
We understand Mr. Obama has a full plate. Our economic
crisis and the threat of terrorism are only two examples. However, we
know that ending the drug war will offer a partial fix to both of these
issues.
A legal and regulated drug trade would imprison fewer
people and generate substantial new revenues. A recently released
Harvard study reports we could boost our economy by at least $76.8
billion a year by ending drug prohibition, and that’s a conservative
estimate.
Legalizing and regulating drugs would help Mr. Obama
achieve a greater state of security for Americans. It would effectively
“take a bite out of” rampant domestic organized crime, which goes well
beyond mere domestic street gangsters. And, given that our drug war
enriches the coffers of organizations such as the Taliban and al Qaeda,
it would dramatically reduce international crime and terrorism.
In Mexico, President Felipe Calderón’s increased
police and military pressure on drug traffickers has not slowed the
supply or the demand for drugs. In fact, the crackdown has only added
to illegal drug markets and spiraling violence.
Despite this, Calderon has asked U.S. taxpayers for
$1.4 billion to fund his country’s version of our failed policy.
Amazingly, we’re handing it over.
At the request of President-elect Obama, Americans
have initiated discussion about the immediate and far reaching
implications of our disastrous drug policy. We respectfully ask Mr.
Obama to explain his position to all the people who took the time to
participate in this innovative, democratic process.
We need to know when this issue truly will be “open for questions.”
For more background, visit this Salem-News.com article by Tim King: Marijuana Legalization Tops List of Questions for Obama in Online Poll
Norm Stamper, former Chief of Police of Seattle, is an advisory board member of CopsSayLegalizeDrugs.com). He is the author of Breaking Rank: A Top Cop’s Exposé of the Dark Side of American Policing. You can email Norm at media@leap.cc.
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) is an international
nonprofit educational organization whose mission is to reduce the
multitude of harmful consequences resulting from fighting the war on
drugs and to lessen the incidence of death, disease, crime and
addiction by ultimately ending drug prohibition. You can visit LEAP
here, leap.cc/cms/index.php
Jan 19, 2009 | 7:59 PM
Category:
Political
We pay $17 MILLION Every Day keeping Innocent Marijuana users in Jail! This Inauguration cost is Nothing to what it costs to wage the War on our own Hard Working Americans who choose the Safer Alternative to legal Alcohol and Medications. That's $6.25 BILLION per year just to keep them in jail. An additional $10.7 billion annually to arrest and prosecute marijuana offenders. Marijuana prohibition costs US taxpayers nearly $42 billion dollars per year in criminal justice costs. This does not include the loss of more than $30+ billion per year in tax revenue that we could put into our economy if Marijuana use was Legal!!! Not to mention the Millions of jobs that would be created by Legal Hemp productions. That would produce Billions more for our struggling Economy as well!
Jan 19, 2009 | 1:48 AM
Category:
News
Conviction Nixed in Deadly Botched Ga. Drug Raid
Former Ga. officer's conviction overturned in botched raid that killed 92-year-old woman
ATLANTA January 15, 2009 (AP)
The Associated Press
An appeals court on Thursday overturned the conviction of a former
Atlanta police officer sentenced to prison for lying to FBI agents
about the killing of a 92-year-old woman during a botched drug raid.
In tossing out Arthur Tesler's conviction on the state charges, the
Georgia Court of Appeals said Fulton County prosecutors failed to prove
where the lying took place.
"Its admitted failure requires us to reverse Tesler's conviction," Chief Judge Yvette Miller wrote.
A Fulton County Superior Court judge sentenced Tesler to 4 1/2 years in
prison and six months probation last May. Tesler has also pleaded
guilty to federal conspiracy charges.
Kathryn Johnston was killed by a barrage of bullets fired by officers
who stormed into her home in November 2006 with a no-knock warrant.
Police originally said officers had gone to Kathryn Johnston's
northwest Atlanta home in 2006 after an informant bought drugs there.
But after finding none, officers tried to cover up the mistake by
planting baggies of marijuana, prosecutors said.
Two other officers, Jason R. Smith and Gregg Junnier, pleaded guilty to
state and federal charges. Tesler, who did not fire a shot, faces
sentencing next month after pleading guilty to a charge of conspiracy
to violate civil rights resulting in death.
Tesler was in Johnston's backyard when plainclothes officers burst in
through the front door the night of Nov. 21, 2006, using a special
"no-knock" warrant to search for drugs. Johnston fired a single shot
from a rusty revolver at the intruders, but hit no one, and officers
fired 39 bullets, hitting the woman five or six times, prosecutors said.
Tesler's lawyer, William McKenney, called Thursday's ruling "terrific
news" and told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he hopes it will help
at Tesler's federal sentencing.
McKenney also said that because the court found the evidence supported
the jury's finding that Tesler lied to federal agents, there is a
possibility of a retrial on the state charges.
Jan 19, 2009 | 1:37 AM
Category:
News
Marijuana Called Top U.S. Cash Crop
Marijuana Takes the Pot as Most Valuable Cash Crop in the Country
By NITYA VENKATARAMAN
22 comments
Weeding through the value of the nation's cash crops, a study released
today states that marijuana is the U.S.'s most valuable crop and
promotes the drug's legalization and taxation.
Marijuana is the top cash crop in 12 states and among the top three cash crops in 30, according to a new study. (AP Photo )
Drug enforcement officials say the equation is not that simple.
The report, "Marijuana Production in the United States," by
marijuana policy researcher Jon Gettman, concludes that despite massive
eradication efforts at the hands of the federal government, "marijuana
has become a pervasive and ineradicable part of the national economy."
In the report, Gettman, a marijuana-reform activist and leader
of the Coalition for Rescheduling Cannabis, champions a system of legal
regulation.
Contrasting government figures for traditional crops -- like
corn and wheat -- against the study's projections for marijuana
production, the report cites marijuana as the top cash crop in 12
states and among the top three cash crops in 30.
The study estimates that marijuana production, at a value of
$35.8 billion, exceeds the combined value of corn ($23.3 billion) and
wheat ($7.5 billion).
Related
Legalize It? Send Us Your Thoughts on Decriminalization of Pot
Pot Tax?
To activists for marijuana legalization, the study confirms a
position they've held for years, and uses government stats to support
their claim.
"The fact that marijuana is America's No. 1 cash crop after
more than three decades of governmental eradication efforts is the
clearest illustration that our present marijuana laws are a complete
failure," says Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy
Project in Washington D.C., a group that focuses on removing criminal
penalties for marijuana use.
Kampia, whose comments were included in the study's press
release, adds, "Our nation's laws guarantee that 100 percent of the
proceeds from marijuana sales go to unregulated criminals rather than
to legitimate businesses that pay taxes to support schools, police and
roads."
A 2005 analysis by Harvard visiting professor Jeffrey Miron
estimates that if the United States legalized marijuana, the country
would save $7.7 billion in law enforcement costs and could generated as
much as $6.2 billion annually if marijuana were taxed like alcohol or
tobacco.
Miron's report on the costs of marijuana prohibition was signed
by more than 500 leading economists, most notably the late Nobel
laureate Milton Friedman, who served as an economist in both the Nixon
and Reagan administrations.
Jan 17, 2009 | 5:19 PM
Category:
Political
Principles upon which our government was founded.
"Prohibition
will work great injury to the cause of temperance. It is a species of
intemperance within itself, for it goes beyond the bounds of reason in
that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation, and makes
a crime out of things that are not crimes. A Prohibition law strikes a
blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded."
Abraham Lincoln (1809-65), U.S. President.
Speech, 18 Dec. 1840, to Illinois House of Representatives
We Must END The Prohibition of Cannabis/Hemp/Marijuana! Our Government
needs to Supply Truth and Facts about this issue. Enough with the Lies
and Bias-False Propaganda that Imprisons our Innocent ruining Lives and
Families and has cost TRILLIONS of our Hard Earned Money.
"The prestige of government has undoubtedly been lowered considerably
by the prohibition law. For nothing is more destructive of respect for
the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot
be enforced. It is an open secret that the dangerous increase of crime
in this country is closely connected with this."
Albert Einstein, "My First Impression of the U.S.A.", 1921
Jan 17, 2009 | 1:50 AM
Category:
News
In August I
commented
on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s revealing interview with CNN, where she
called on the public to actively voice their support for marijuana law
reform.
“We have important work to do outside the Congress in order for us
to have success inside the Congress.” Pelosi said. “[W]e need peoples’
help to be in touch with their members of Congress to say why this
(marijuana law reform) should be the case.”
Ask and you shall receive.
In the past few months the public has taken their message to the hallowed halls of Washington, DC in unprecedented numbers:
Over 700 individuals have posted comments to The Hill.com’s influential Congress Blog calling on lawmakers to amend federal marijuana policy;
In December, a question calling for the legalization of marijuana bested over 7,300 public policy issues to claim the top spot in Change.gov’s inaugural ‘Open for Questions’ poll;
In a follow up poll conducted by Change.gov this month, marijuana law reformed was the eighth-most popular question voted on by the public, out of a staggering 76,000 issues;
This week, the question “legalize the medicinal and recreational use of marijuana” finished first (by nearly 5,000 votes) in Change.org’s inaugural “Ideas for Change’ online poll;
And finally, in yet a third poll hosted by the Obama Transition Team, the public’s call for “ending marijuana prohibition” is — you guessed it — polling ahead of all other issues. (To participate in this latest poll, please visit: http://citizensbriefingbook.change.gov and click on “popular ideas.”)
In short Madam Speaker, the people have done their part — just as you requested. The question now is: When
are your colleagues and the incoming administration going to do their
part to end the federal government’s war on marijuana consumers?
Jan 16, 2009 | 12:14 PM
Category:
News
Voting on change.org’s “Ideas for Change in America” came to a close today with “Legalize the Medical and Recreational Use of Marijuana”
coming in as the most popular idea. The top ten ideas will be presented
to President-elect Obama during a press conference on Friday.
Change.gov, Obama’s official transition Web site, has twice opened
up voting in a similar feature called “Open for Questions.” Each time,
a question about marijuana policy reached the top ten. And each time,
the transition team brushed off the question by simply stating that
“President-elect Obama is not in favor of the legalization of
marijuana.” It will be interesting to see how he responds this time, as
the question includes medical marijuana, something Obama has been fairly supportive of in the past.
As of 5:00 p.m. today, the marijuana policy question had received
19,530 votes – 4,500 more than “Appoint Secretary of Peace in
Department of Peace and Non-Violence,” which came in second on the list.
In addition, change.gov has opened voting in a new online forum called the “Citizen’s Briefing Book.” “Ending Marijuana Prohibition” is currently the most popular idea.
Jan 16, 2009 | 12:32 AM
Category:
News
This week, the U.S. Department of Justice announced penalties against
the Rite Aid drugstore chain for a variety of violations of the
Controlled Substances Act. These included having “knowingly filled
prescriptions for controlled substances that were not issued for a
legitimate medical purpose” and failing to account for shortages or
surpluses “of the most highly abused drugs, including oxycodone and
hydrocodone products.”
For these rather serious offenses involving
highly addictive narcotics, Rite Aid Corporation will pay $5 million in
fines. No one will go to jail or get a criminal record.
In comparison, California medical marijuana
dispensary owner Charles Lynch, who scrupulously followed state and
local laws to provide medicine to legitimate patients, is facing 100 years in federal prison. Unlike Rite Aid, Lynch is being treated like a dangerous drug dealer — when he is manifestly nothing of the sort. Reason magazine has been following the case closely, and produced a compelling video available on this page. Lynch’s request for a new trial was rejected earlier this month, and he now faces sentencing Feb. 23.
Jan 15, 2009 | 12:27 AM
Category:
Political
John Perry Barlow
co-founder, Electronic Frontier Foundation
former Grateful Dead lyricist
Ray Benson
Musician
"Given the many known medicinal uses for marijuana and the wasted money and time
spent on jailing marijuana users, it seems the logical and humane thing to do
is tax and regulate marijuana for its medicinal purposes. I support MPP's efforts
and encourage more people to pressure your lawmakers to reform our marijuana laws."
Jello Biafra
Musician
"You don't need to smoke pot to realize that the real drug problem in
this country is not the drugs. We can help solve drug problems, crime
problems, environmental problems -- even our racial problems -- if we
say no to the failed drug war and support organizations like MPP."
Jack Black
Actor, musician
Richard Brookhiser
Senior editor of National Review, historian
Adam Carolla
Television and radio host
Peter Coyote
Actor
"Jailing people for the mild alteration of their consciousness
will appear to future generations as cruel and draconian as the tortures of the
Inquisition appear to us today. May the reputations of today's jailers suffer
the same fate as Torquemada's reputation today."
Adrianne Curry
Fashion model, reality TV star
Ani DiFranco
Singer/songwriter
Joycelyn Elders, M.D.
Former U.S. Surgeon General
"I support MPP because it is a professional organization attempting to change our destructive marijuana laws."
Steven Faber
Screenwriter
Judge Jim Gray
Author, candidate for U.S. Senate, California
"All we need in order to change away from our nation's failed and
hopeless marijuana policy is to have a full, honest, and open
discussion about the issue. That is why I support MPP -- and that's why
you should too."
Mike Gray
Author, "Drug Crazy"; screenwriter, "China Syndrome"
"MPP is at the forefront of the battle for a sane drug policy in the U.S."
Jim Hightower
Radio host, writer, public speaker, and author
Gary Johnson
Former Governor of New Mexico
Bill Maher
Television Host, "Real Time With Bill Maher"
Jackie "The Joke Man" Martling
Comedian, comedy writer, radio host
"Our government's declared war on innocent, responsible Americans,
just because they choose to use marijuana in the privacy of their own
homes. MPP is an important leader in the fight to end this insanity,
and it's about time I got into that fight."
John Medeski, Billy Martin, and Chris Wood
Musicians (Medeski Martin and Wood)
Justin Poree, Ulises Bella, and Jiro Yamaguchi
Musicians, members of Grammy-winning band Ozomatli
Michelle Phillips
Actress, singer
"I support MPP because it is the most professional and credible
organization working to change these harmful policies -- and because
MPP gets things done."
Tom Robbins
Best-selling author
"I support MPP because our existing marijuana laws -- based on
fear, ignorance, and vested interests -- are unenlightened,
overreactive, and often inhumane to the point of tyrannical cruelty."
Aaron Russo
(February 14, 1943 – August 24, 2007)
Producer, Libertarian presidential candidate
"MPP is a fine organization that is actively fighting for your freedoms, and I am proud to be a member of its advisory board."
Hal Sparks
Actor/Comedian/Musician
Rob Van Dam
Professional Wrestler
"Our
federal government prohibited this organic plant based on lies,
continues to classify it among the most dangerous drugs to validate
billions in funding pointless agendas, and denies it's medical value,
causing countless lives to suffer needlessly. How can anyone not
care?"
Jesse Ventura
Former Governor of Minnesota, television personality
Charles Grob M.D.
Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the UCLA School of Medicine and Director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
-->
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Policy Project.
Jan 15, 2009 | 12:01 AM
Category:
News
Drew Carey Defends Medical Marijuana
Share This Page
Episode 2 of Reason.tv's Drew Carey Project
"I
think it's clear by now that the federal government needs to reclassify
marijuana. People who need it should be able to get it – safely and
easily," says The Price Is Right and Power of 10 host Drew Carey in a new Reason.tv video examining medical marijuana and the war on drugs.
One
of the most outrageous consequences of the war on drugs is the federal
crackdown on medical marijuana, which is used by patients to help treat
the effects of cancer, glaucoma, HIV-AIDS, chronic pain and nausea, and
other severe symptoms associated with serious illnesses. Medical
marijuana prescribed by a physician is legal in 12 states, yet the
federal agents are raiding state-approved dispensaries and preventing
patients from having safe access to this drug.
In
Episode 2 of Reason.tv's Drew Carey Project , Drew takes a look at
patients who need and use medical marijuana in California, and how the
federal government is making their lives even worse.
Episode 1 of Reason.tv's Drew Carey Project, Gridlock, is here.
Jan 13, 2009 | 6:13 PM
Category:
Political
“The drug war, not the drugs, kills people.
This is now a real war. Although it started out as political
rhetoric, it’s become a genuinely deadly conflict…It has caused
hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths and untold misery,
especially to our children, teens, women, and minorities. And like all
wars, it’s been hugely expensive and wasteful; to date, it has cost
more than a trillion dollars. And this is just in the United States;
the international devastation is incomprehensible. Furthermore, like
many wars, it’s based on lies.
“The few deaths that are caused by the drugs are due to
impurities, dosages that are not standardized, and reluctance to call
911 when someone overdoses out of fear of being arrested. Replacing
prohibition with sensible health-oriented alternatives, including
legalizing currently illicit drugs, can eliminate these drug-related
deaths.
“The Dutch should be recognized for their remarkable human
rights achievement of regulating and decriminalizing drugs and equally
important, offering comprehensive treatment to its affected citizens.
The number of lives they have saved, as well as assaults, robberies,
rapes, child abuse, and other prohibition-related criminal activities
that they’ve prevented, is a major humanitarian and public health
accomplishment. Their success in minimizing the catastrophic effects of
the War on Drugs cannot be overstated. For example, the U.S. has six
times as many people in prisons as the Netherlands per capita, and
still we have four times their murder rate. Compared to ours, the Dutch
prison population is negligible and they actually provide education and
rehabilitation for their inmates. Furthermore, their incidence of AIDS
and hepatitis is a fraction of ours.
“Taken together, these groundbreaking medical, human rights and
humanitarian accomplishments are of unprecedented magnitude. They not
only serve as an inspiration to the rest of the world, they also demand
emulation. Because of this, it is recommended that Louk Hulsman,
Professor Emeritus of Criminal Law at the University of Rotterdam, who
was originally responsible for crafting the forward-thinking drug
policy in the Netherlands and the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and
Sports, who administer their very successful current drug policies, be
nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.”
