All this info about the history of marijuana law and criminalization is interesting- but I hve to ask the same question I asked of Terry MacAufflein (?) at the Democratic National Convention blog- why didn't anyone address this issue on the '04 campaign trial? Why was it forbidden to speak of or ask about Kerry's
past drug use? We know he smoked pot. We know Bush was a coke head.
Why are they acting like its not an issue for millions of Americans who face imprisonent everyday just for smoking a joint? When will we be free to get high?

If anyone thinks that any drug will be made legal for recreational purposes, they are in for a long disappointing hallucination. But for medicinal purposes, we should leave that decision in the hands of the medical community. They have much more education and experience in that field than any politician. And I think if it does get into the hands of folks that do not need it for medical reasons, it would be lees detrimental than all the prescription drugs that are killing people.

It is wrong to not question whether or not the drug war is more harmful to society than the presence of drugs (on a substance by substance basis) would be. It is wrong to assume that all people must be treated like herd animals, and stripped of their liberty in order to protect them from themselves. It is foolish to make decisions based on one-sided propaganda.

Without freedom, there will be no virtue.

This is a response to the question of why cannabis prohibition was not discussed in the election. It is quite simple really. Real discussion kills the prohibitionists cause. The cause of CP (cannabis prohibition) is defended with lies and demonization with lies. CP cannot be sustained with a free flow of ideas in mainstream media/

CP survives now because it so entrenched and the authoritative voice of government acts like society depends on continued prohibition, which agian is not true. Laughing grass is everywhere even under CP and we do not see any great harms to users of laughing grass except for the laws themselves.

I always thought a good idea for a reality show was a knowledgable man going into a town and getting a few Christians together and let them defend their Bible and faith. This would be particularly damaging to Christianity itself, especially when the fundamentalist take to the argument. Christianity and CP are not discussed in the head on question of "Is this right?" We see Christianity coming at us from preachers on television that take the assumption that they are right. It is the same view the government takes when using the power of authority to make pronouncements that are no where near true.

Anyone that follows the news on CP, knows that the Big Lie is continually repeated by Drug Bizarre Walters and other top officials is "Marijuana is a dangerous drug." This is outright false as it is not a drug, it is a plant. It is not dangerous and people use it because of some benefit and not because of physical addiction.. And on top of that it is not even marijuana. It is cannabis and marijuana was a word of demonization brought to you by William Rosebud Hearst.

The main tool of government in preserving CP is silence. The next tool is demonization which incorporates the third tool, which is lying. That is why, it was not an issue in the election. Real discussion will kill CP and then the whole drug war will fall apart and the maintainence of a police state becomes harder to justify.

The problem with this is it stems from Clinton's remark "I did not inhale". It a whole other controversy in itself. We cannot expect people to sit and listen without making outrageous comments and accusations. It's that simple.

I want to be free to smoke but it's unfortunate for us that our government is so overbearing that they can't see the real drugs behind the real crimes.

I was watching Court TV and few months ago. There's this lady, Nancy Grace, (everytime I watch her I wanna kick my TV, so I have to turn it off) who was talking about a case where a woman was involved in an accident that killed a man. The woman was given a breathalyzer which was a .19 and she consented to a blood test for drug detection. The drug test came out positive for marijuana and this discovery set Nancy off. She went on and on about how marijuana kills, it causes accidents and people are crazy to want it legalized. The defense attorney said "Wait a minute! There has never been any record of deadly accidents happening with marijuana alone. Alcohol has always played a major role."

I like smokin it. I enjoy it. I don't do it everyday but when I want to relax, laugh and have a good time, then I will take a couple puffs.

It's not a gateway to other drugs. Society and the government just wants you to think that. I did much harder drugs before I tried marijuana. I dropped everything else because when I get high, I have a permanent smile.

Oh yeah legalize it, tax the stuff, but lose taxes on jobs cuz pot screws up brain function, which kills education, which causes lower wages. Let even more drug users drive over kids or others on streets!!Hey legalize it, Lets legalize crack, meth, mushrooms, lsd, and everyother dryg too.

No one's say to legalize all the other stuff. Just the marijuana. Look up the statistics. There has never been a related death with marijuana. Marijuana mixed with something elses, yeah but not alone.

Get over it dude. You have no clue what you're talking about. If you actually knew what marijuana actually is, you wouldn't be making the blind statements that you have been making.

Kills education, causes lower wages, huh? I am a college graduate with a BA in Criminal Justice. I smoked throughout college. Explaining this to you is like explaining to Bush the reason why he's an idiot. It's useless because your a oneway street.

Let's treat it like a health care issue and get off the criminal justice failure/crap. Just ask L.E.A.P.- Law Enforcement Against Prohibition0- http://leap.cc/events/ L.E.A.P. is destined to be a prominent force in ending Cannabis Prohibition. They have speakers for your clubs and associations. They are worthy of our attention and any contributions that people could make. This does not just mean money. A place on ;your homepage is a help to the cause of ending this fraud and failure of criminal prohition using a criminal and illegal prohibition.

Everyone one does know that the Marijuana Tax Act that took effect on October 1, 1937 was declared illegal by the Supreme Court in 1969 and that the only legal prohibition on the federal level started in 1970 with the CSA. Of course it my opinion that it oversteps the limits the Constitution imposed on federal power and is unconstitutional. I say it is also a violation of what were unaliienable rights in the Declaration of Independence.

I do not claim to know everything. For one thing, I do not know what you call permafrost once it melts and for another, I do not know what you call an unalienable right once it has been taken away. That does not stop me from saying that Cannabis Prohibition is definitely not promoting the general welfare in the context of the Preambel of the Constitution and the government that rules us knows it and still defies the authorized mission of government. I say it is an illegitimate government and that We Are Ruled By Treason. My evidence is Cannabis Prohibition. and I claim an unalienable right to consume and the criminals are in the government.


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"It does not require many words to speak the truth" Chief Joseph

HMMMMM NEVER ONE PAL?>>> HEY I GOT BIG NEWS I KNOW ONE, MY BROTHER SMOKED POT< GOT IN HIS TRUCK AND RAN OFF ROAD INTO A POND AND DROWNED.....GUESS HE IS ONLY ONE THOUGH>>>>> YEH RIGHT!!!!

Apparently, most Americans vote on "Moral Issues". Decriminalizing marijuana is not going to win any democrat an election. In fact, it's probably a bad campaign move at this point.

maybe you should post some scientific studies that indicate that cannabis does what you claim it does.

great post Virgil I heartily agree.

Unfortunately Melrikprobably not till hell freezes over.

It can't be voted on it won't pass it has to be a decriminalazation by law makers.
The same kinda people were around when alcohol was illegal. Then it became legal
now everyone does it. Everyone agrees its no good. But prison over crowding for that drug wen't down.

I think its a great idea. Its about prison overcrowding- intergration. Or a psychologist may use it for therapy. Some people quit smoking cigarets with jane.
They need a puff and then they have something to lock on. Marinol never worked and is not popular.

If you could just see the statistics. Crime is down and people smoke pot like crazy.
Some people never would admit drug use in self report surveys they would be to parinoid. I would say its higher that the surveys say.

I think its a big thing to loby for. Allot of the criminologists say it would be a good idea. And what is criminology a scientific way to reduce -study crime.

Drug use is a crime now. I will tell you where its really at as a criminologist burglary or theft offenses. If you look at the UCR lots of these offenders have burglary type offenses. What you do it legalize the pot and crack down on theft.

Thats what we need to go after. Did you know serial killers lots of times have a theft type offense. Theft offenses is what to have now. Cut the pot arrests and save big because if they are cronic offenders they will goof up with some type of theft.

If you want to know what allot of the criminologists are talking about thats it. They agree its bad for you body but go after theft type of crimes cronic offenders almost always commit these crimes get them that way.

Interestingly those same voters passed 17 out of 20 pro-marijuana initiatives with 60-70% approval, even in states that went handily to Bush. All of those that passed were for medicinal use and of the three that failed, two were for amending existing medical marijuana laws and one was for complete legalization in Alaska which lost by a 57%-43% margin - not too shabby! It is interesting to note that an initiative to legalize marijuana for medicinal use has NEVER lost. So perhaps at least legalizing marijuana for medicinal use would be an excellent campaign move at this point but it's likely that the SCOTUS will beat them to it at the end of this month: Raich v. Ashcroft

Hi Sukoi. Do you know what will happen now that Ashcroft has resigned, will the case even still come to trial?

Oh yes, most certainly, on November 29th in fact! This case is is not just against John Ashcroft but Asa Hutchinson and Karen Tandy as well. If you visit the link in my previous post, you will find much information about the case and they have much support from various organizations and several states including the southern states of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. This could be a crucial turning point in marijuana policy on a national scale!

Sukoi, How can they change it around like that? If Angel Raich pressed the charges against Ashcroft? Does that mean that Ashcroft won't be penalized for taking away someone's rights now if the case is ruled in favor of Angel?

[quote=Sukoi,Nov 13 2004, 09:02 AM]
Interestingly those same voters passed 17 out of 20 pro-marijuana initiatives with 60-70% approval, even in states that went handily to Bush. All of those that passed were for medicinal use and of the three that failed, two were for amending existing medical marijuana laws and one was for complete legalization in Alaska which lost by a 57%-43% margin - not too shabby! It is interesting to note that an initiative to legalize marijuana for medicinal use has NEVER lost.
Great point. This is just like alcohol prohibition. It's a big mistake. I thought that crack cocaine was supposed to destroy society, now it's crystal meth and the morons in government are still going after marijuana. I guess it will destroy society. Everyone will be in jail and there'll be no one to work! (But I forgot. Then the Nazi republican party would get all the prisoners to work as slave labourers for free, so I guess the U.S. would become like communist China).

I wish some people would see the light. But others want to rant and shout about legalization. But they never opose drug comercials on drugs with 20 more side effects than jane. One comercial I saw the other day said one drug could make you feel suicidal. They wanted to get rid of advertisements for cigarets and replace it with pharmecudical adversisements. What if some kid turns into a pill head? Its a double standard how many kids arrested are on ritilan or psychotropic medicine? Probally lots because its legal its ok. If pot was legal would these same people care? No one said any of these drugs did not have a bad effect on the body.
But on that scale pot is way more healthy most of the time.

The pharmaceuticals are against legalization because there's no money in it for them. People would grow their own top quality weed. The pharmaceuticals wouldn't make any profit. To the republican politicians that's a very big sin.

Jilly, I'm no law scholar but I don't think that anyone will be penalized if (as it should) goes in Angels' favor. What would happen, as I understand it, is that all laws would be void unless the offences against the laws involved interstate commerce. The way that I see it, that would make medicinal marijuana use legal unless you reside in a state that has specific laws against such use but I could be wrong. Any law scholars out there?

"...a very big sin..."

Is the prohibition and extermination of cannabis.

(Kaneh bosm before the King James Version.)

Just so everone knows, this is out in the open:

God said He created all the seed bearing plants and said they are all good on literally the very 1st page of the Bible.

HE, said it.

Only a Biblical scale fool would say otherwise.

That would include failed clergy who proclaims the table of the Lord is defiled; as in Malachi 1:6-14, subtitled, "Sin of the Priests".

Biblically, it is a sin to cage humans for using a good plant.

AMEN!!!

Yes, I agree wholeheartedly GCW. God gave us all free will, and the devil and his advocates have been trying to take it away ever since. I really don't believe in a "devil" I think it's more like "de evil" I don't undertand what is so wrong with getting high. It is not immoral, every culture in the world has ways of changing its perception of reality. I think it is because we have all fallen from grace and are trying to achieve some of the euphoria we felt around God. If it is ok to drink alchohol and get high or eat a pill the doctor gave you that gets you high so you can handle the reality of life, what is so wrong with a plant that gets you high? If they could figure out a way to do it, they would probably outlaw laughing too. That also gets you high.