COMMENTS: 149
Legalizing Pot Makes Lots of Cents for Our Cash-Starved Government
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What could you do with an extra $14 billion? Members of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and other like-minded organizations will be asking government officials that very question on April 15 when they present a mock check to the U.S. Treasury.
"We represent the millions of otherwise law-abiding cannabis consumers who are ready, willing, vocal and able to contribute needed tax revenue to America's struggling economy," says Allen St. Pierre, NORML's executive director. "All we ask in exchange for our $14 billion is that our government respects our decision to use marijuana privately and responsibly."
But it's not just NORML calling on lawmakers to tax and regulate marijuana. In today's economic climate, the question is: Who isn't?
Late last month, during President Barack Obama's first-ever Internet town hall, questions pertaining to whether legalizing marijuana like alcohol could help boost the economy received more votes from the public than did any other topic.
The questions' popularity -- and the president's half-hearted reply ("No," he said and laughed.) -- stimulated a torrent of mainstream media attention. In the past two weeks alone, commentators like David Sirota (The Nation), Kathleen Parker (Washington Post), Paul Jacob (TownHall.com), Clarence Page (Chicago Tribune) and Jack Cafferty (CNN) have expressed sympathy for regulating pot. Even Joe Klein at Time magazine weighed in on the issue, writing this month that "legalizing marijuana makes sense."
It makes cents, too.
According to a 2005 analysis by Harvard University senior lecturer Jeffrey Miron -- and endorsed by over 500 distinguished economists -- replacing pot prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation similar to that used for alcohol would produce combined savings and tax revenues of between $10 billion and $14 billion per year.
A separate economic analysis conducted by George Mason University professor Jon Gettman in 2007 estimates that the total amount of tax revenue derived from cannabis could be far higher. According to Gettman, the retail value of the total U.S. marijuana market now stands at a whopping $113 billion per year.
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Comments are closed-
Posted by: DdC on Apr 14, 2009 1:32 AM
Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Every buck they stash in the Caymans, workers have to pay. Every time they right off PDFA donations, a worker has to pay for cages. Made in the USAl Qaeda with Thailand prison slave labor. Or Wallmart St flags, from Chinese kids sewing Iranian crude oil plastic. To jerk at each other and recite copy-write infringed poems of allegiance to the new weird odor.
In agreement with the memo readers on the radio/television. That we're all free to graze in almost any part of the pasture. It's better than not working. Blame the Unions and the Homeless, not the CEO's plutonium umbrellas, Enron ethics and Cheney book cooking schools. A living wage would stimulate the economy, more than Foreign G-20 Forbes list Banksters trickle me Rayguns. Neomexamericanadians electing naked emperors and obedient servants.
Corporate Welfare Rats
The Ganjawar Comes To The Rez
When Alex White Plume planted a field full of industrial-grade hemp, he hoped that his crop might lift his family and community out of poverty. Then the DEA came to Pine Ridge...
The past it just crumbled, the future just threatens; Our life blood shut up in your chemical tanks And now here you come, bill of sale in your hands And surprise in your eyes that we're lacking in thanks For the blessings of civilization you've brought us, The lessons you've taught us, the ruin you've wrought us -- Oh see what our trust in America's brought us... Hands on our hearts we salute you your victory, Choke on your blue white and scarlet hypocrisy Pitying the blindness that you've never seen. Can't you see that their poverty's profiting you...
~ Buffy Sainte-Marie
Ganjawar on the Poor
Indians Mexicans Family farms and the poor, processing, growing sewing selling and wearing. Lessoning the tax burden, then make the rich pay their share. Manna from dirt without 90 million pounds of cotton poison. Deep roots to prevent mudslides, aerate the soil then harvest it. Nixon lied and added it to the bogus narcotic scheduling. Textiles in the south gone to India could weave rugs without chemicals choking fire wo/men. Farmers and cities growing their own fuel. Detroit growing auto bodies and upholstery and dash board plastic. New Orleans Jazz and Kynd bud to the tourists. NY and returning Vets PTSD and now Tennessee reducing stress without chemical drugs and mind numbing booze. Cut the foreign import of leaky OPEC tankers. Or domestic spilling $billion bankruptcy to local Alaskan businesses and fisheries. Then for drunk pilots, exxon for morons subsidies. Yabetchya
Chinese Hemp Industry has Boundless Potential
"The annual output of Chinese linen: 1.2 billion US dollars.
Ganja/Hemp
"Not only are we here to protect the public from vicious criminals in the street but also to protect the public from harmful ideas."
- Robert Ingersoll,
first director of the DEA
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» RE: Pine Ridge - it's not about the HEMP
Posted by: stellabloo
» I see in the near future a crisis approaching
Posted by: DdC
» Peltier and a long list of others...
Posted by: DdC
» Cannabis agriculture is essential to mankind's role within a functional Natural Order
Posted by: P.E.A.C.E.
Comments are closed-
Posted by: Sparks56 on Apr 14, 2009 1:49 AM
Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Two powerful forces will line up against pot legalization. Big Booze and Big Pharma will go to the mat to prevent it. There's the fight.
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» True, but....
Posted by: TerryW4
» RE: True, but....
Posted by: Sparks56
» RE: True, but....
Posted by: Sister_Lauren
» RE: True, but....
Posted by: Sparks56
» RE: True, but....
Posted by: Sister_Lauren
» RE: but.. People are lazy
Posted by: furthur
» RE:Are you sure the Numbers are Wrong?
Posted by: jimidee
» RE: Are you sure the Numbers are Wrong?
Posted by: Sparks56
» the 14 billion...
Posted by: undrgrndgirl
» RE: the 14 billion...
Posted by: Sparks56
» RE: the 14 billion...
Posted by: Sister_Lauren
» RE: Numbers Wrong
Posted by: reelectnoone
» RE: Numbers Wrong
Posted by: Sparks56
» Forget the numbers. At this point just legalize it and take your chances.
Posted by: JenniferBedingfield
» North Dakota did it and they're getting stronger.
Posted by: JenniferBedingfield
» RE: Forget the numbers. At this point just legalize it and take your chances.
Posted by: Sparks56
Comments are closed-
Posted by: tagonist on Apr 14, 2009 1:54 AM
Current rating: 3 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
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» RE: 1st comment
Posted by: tagonist
» RE: 1st comment
Posted by: villager1
» RE: 1st comment
Posted by: Sister_Lauren
» RE: 1st comment
Posted by: paganpat
Comments are closed-
Posted by: kedikat on Apr 14, 2009 2:06 AM
Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I mean it has become ingrained as a part of the religion of being moral, right wing, conservative, decent. All that hypocritical claptrap.
It is like arguing religion. The priest, the congressman, the radio host, have a few drinks before telling pot smokers they are going to hell, ruining the country, etc...
The reality is ignored. Willfully ignored. There is no logic in the arguments against it.
It will likely be decades yet before it is legal. Meanwhile the whole country is drugged up more and more all the time, courtesy of big pharma, fda and our government. If pot production was legal, they would own their share of the lawmakers too. Hell, with enough political donations, they could make it mandatory to get high.
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» RE: You are talking about the CIA's religion
Posted by: Sister_Lauren
» it's also *un-american*
Posted by: undrgrndgirl
» Cannabis is fundamental to the "religion" of the world's oldest global culture.
Posted by: P.E.A.C.E.
» RE: Do you have to join a "church" to be protected under the First Amendment?
Posted by: Sister_Lauren
» RE: It's religion
Posted by: CatDad
» RE: It's religion
Posted by: Sister_Lauren
Comments are closed-
Posted by: sscoop4 on Apr 14, 2009 2:32 AM
Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Hemp is a Miracle Plant that can provide huge amounts of Fiber, Food and Fuel plus 74 Alkaloids that have medicinal value!
Let's contact our Congressmen and the President and let them know that this is not a trivial matter. And ex sponging the "Criminal Records" of several million Citizens would reintegrate a lot of useful people back into the mainstream of Society.
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» BINGO ! You hit the nail on the head.
Posted by: JenniferBedingfield
» RE: Here is the "conspiracy theory" I'm working on
Posted by: Sister_Lauren
» RE: The Legalization of Hemp and Marijuana
Posted by: JoeJ
Comments are closed-
Posted by: abstractedaway on Apr 14, 2009 2:35 AM
Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
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» RE: I just heard one of the strongest reasons ever
Posted by: scenery
» POT IN THE NATIONAL FORESTS
Posted by: P.E.A.C.E.
» RE: pot vs hard drugs
Posted by: reelectnoone
Comments are closed-
Posted by: DignityForAll on Apr 14, 2009 3:08 AM
Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Marijuana is part of American culture.
Marijuana: It’s Time for a Conversation (ACLU, Washington)
Drug War Peace
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» RE: CNBC: Fantastic debate on marijuana
Posted by: aonghus36
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Posted by: colinmeister on Apr 14, 2009 3:20 AM
Current rating: 1 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I would like to see legal pot, but I don't think it would produce the tax dollars that are projected.
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» RE: Smokers would simply grow their own and pay no tax whatsoever
Posted by: Sister_Lauren
» RE: Smokers would simply grow their own and pay no tax whatsoever
Posted by: richholland
» RE: Smokers would simply grow their own and pay no tax whatsoever
Posted by: inanaturallight
» RE: Medical marijuana
Posted by: Sister_Lauren
» RE: Smokers would simply grow their own and pay no tax whatsoever
Posted by: colinmeister
» RE: Smokers would simply grow their own and pay no tax whatsoever
Posted by: aonghus36
» RE: Tax on pot is something of a pipe dream
Posted by: Cory.Goodman
» And where do those tax dollars go towards, more wars and Wall $treet bailouts?
Posted by: JenniferBedingfield
» RE: And where do those tax dollars go towards, more wars and Wall $treet bailouts?
Posted by: Sister_Lauren
» RE: And where do those tax dollars go towards, more wars and Wall $treet bailouts?
Posted by: JenniferBedingfield
» I guess it is a good thing...
Posted by: JoshuaLudd
» RE: We would save so much money on drug enforcement
Posted by: Sister_Lauren
» RE: We would save so much money on drug enforcement
Posted by: scenery
» RE: Tax on pot is something of a pipe dream...oh really?
Posted by: jimidee
» RE: Tax on pot is something of a pipe dream
Posted by: rimchamp77
» Home Growing the pipe dream
Posted by: aahpat
Comments are closed-
Posted by: JenniferBedingfield on Apr 14, 2009 4:44 AM
Current rating: 4 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
P.S.:
If Ron Paul were a Democrat, he wouldn't be ignored like this. Even amongst the most conservative Republicans, there are those who also want to end the War On Drugs and legalize cannabis for industrial purposes to say the least. Besides, Obama only answers to his corporate masters.
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» Ron Paul for hemp? A Republican for hemp ? WOW !
Posted by: FLYING DOOFUS
» RE: HEMP FARMING ACT OF 2009
Posted by: aonghus36
» RE: HEMP FARMING ACT OF 2009
Posted by: JenniferBedingfield
» RE: Keep an open mind
Posted by: Sister_Lauren
Comments are closed-
Posted by: greenferret on Apr 14, 2009 5:31 AM
Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Tell Obama and your elected representatives that it's time to legalize and regulate marijuana.
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» And Congress too.
Posted by: Benn_Miller
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Posted by: OneCrankyDem on Apr 14, 2009 6:06 AM
Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
We saw evidence of his flipping the finger to Pres. Obama a day or two after AG Holder announced the new policy when they raided emalyns in SF. Emalyns was not one of those storefronts thought to be all about the flash and cash. It was a small place, so small in fact the DEA was overheard complaining about how little medical marijuana they found. Known for their generosity to those not so well off, emalyns is what a city and even the Feds should be happy to have.
It will be very telling when we finally see this new policy in writing. Federal Judge Wu has asked the US Atty that is prosecuting Charles Lynch for that policy in writing. Hopefully it will be made public so everyone is operating under the same set of facts.
Some doubt this will have any effect on how Judge Wu will sentence Charles but being the diligent Jurist he is, Judge Wu , following the Supreme Court ruling made any discussion of Medical Marijuana banned from the courtroom because the SCOTUS ruling said State laws had no bearing period. Now the new policy is suppose to say that if a person is within State Laws then the Feds will leave them alone. It's been reported that the local Sheriff tried for over a yr to investigate and find Charles breaking any laws and came up empty. It's been said this drove him to call in the DEA to do what he couldn't, bust Charles. This will leave Judge Wu to have to judge not just Federal laws but those of the State of Calif.. Beside probably being illegal, I have my doubts that Judge Wu is going to want to open this can of worms. I hope Charles is holding up and finally hears some good news come the end of this month.
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» RE: The federal law is unconstitutional
Posted by: Sister_Lauren
» RE: The federal law is unconstitutional
Posted by: robert.noll
» RE: All of the people jailed for cannabis are political prisoners
Posted by: Sister_Lauren
Comments are closed-
Posted by: Tom Degan on Apr 14, 2009 6:28 AM
Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The Marx Brothers
From the 1932 film Duck Soup
From a Pulitzer Prize-deserving article by Guy Lawson in the March 19 issue of Rolling Stone:
"'Mexico is on the edge of the abyss' retired U.S. general and former drug czar Barry McCaffery wrote in a strategic assessment at the end of last year. Michael Hayden, the outgoing head of the CIA, said in January that the threat of a narco state in Mexico is one of the gravest dangers to American security, on a par with a nuclear-armed Iran. A recent report by the U.S. Joint Forces Command likens instability in Mexico to the risk of a failed state in Pakistan, warning that a 'rapid and sudden collapse' could occur in the coming years. 'Any descent by Mexico into chaos,' the report concludes, 'would demand an American response based on the serious implications for homeland security alone'"
In other words: probable war with Mexico in the next decade. Aren'cha excited? I know I sure am! The last Mexican/American war was waged by President Polk one-hundred and sixty years ago. We're overdue.
MESSAGE TO AMERICAN POTHEADS:
Now is the time for all good men and women to come to the aid of their country. Start growing your own. That would be one of the most patriotic things a habitual smoker of marijuana could do at this moment. I'm not trying to be funny here. I am dead serious.
MESSAGE TO PRESIDENT OBAMA AND THE CONGRESS:
The so-called "War on Drugs", which this country has been mindlessly waging for almost four decades, has been a spectacular failure. The legalization of marijuana - at the very least - is long overdue. Such a legislative move would solve a lot (although certainly not all) of our problems along the border. Compared to alcohol and nicotine it is relatively harmless. Is it a "gateway drug"? In some cases it can be. So is Ballantine Ale. So is Brotherhood Wine. Grow up.
April 9, 1939
Tom Degan
Goshen, NY
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» RE: Have a Marijuana
Posted by: Sister_Lauren
» RE: Have a Marijuana
Posted by: 2dogarage
» RE: Have a Marijuana
Posted by: Tom Degan
» RE: Compared to alcohol and nicotine it is relatively harmless.
Posted by: stellabloo
» RE: Compared to alcohol and nicotine it is relatively harmless.
Posted by: Tom Degan
» RE: Pot politics is not harmless
Posted by: Sister_Lauren
» RE: Have a Marijuana
Posted by: Bud
Comments are closed-
Posted by: vasumurti on Apr 14, 2009 7:03 AM
Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
In a message to Congress on August 2, 1977, President Jimmy Carter insisted: "Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself."
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Law Judge Francis L. Young wrote on September 8, 1988: "Nearly all medicines have toxic, potentially lethal effects. But marijuana is not such a substance. There is no record in the extensive medical literature describing a proven, documented cannabis-induced fatality Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man."
After years of suppression by the government, the truth about medical marijuana is finally coming out. Dr. Tod Mikuriya, former director of marijuana research for the entire federal government, wrote in 1996: "I was hired by the government to provide scientific evidence that marijuana was harmful. As I studied the subject, I began to realize that marijuana was once widely used as a safe and effective medicine. But the government had a different agenda, and I had to resign."
Tobacco kills about 430,700 each year. Alcohol and alcohol-related diseases and injuries kill about 110,000 per year. Secondhand tobacco smoke kills about 50,000 every year. Aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs kill 7,600 each year. Cocaine kills about 500 yearly alone, and another 2,500 in combination with another drug. Heroin kills about 400 yearly alone, and another 2,500 in combination with another drug. Adverse reactions to prescription drugs total 32,000 per year, while marijuana kills no one.
A November 4, 2002 Time/CNN Poll found that eighty percent of those polled felt marijuana should be legal only for therapeutic purposes. 72 percent felt recreational users should get fines rather than jail time, which is essentially decriminalization. The complete legalization of marijuana was favored only by 34 percent of respondents, but this figure is twice as large as it was in 1986. Marijuana is safer than alcohol and tobacco, and our drug laws should reflect this reality.
According to a 2003 Zogby poll, two of every five Americans say “the government should treat marijuana the same way it treats alcohol: It should regulate it, control it, tax it, and only make it illegal for children.” Close to 100 million Americans, including over half of those between the ages of 18 and 50, have tried marijuana at least once. Military and police recruiters often have no alternative but to ignore past marijuana use by job seekers.
In 1996, California voters passed a law to regulate medical marijuana within the state. In 2000, voters in California approved an initiative allowing people who are arrested for simple possession of drugs to go through a rehabilitation program rather than through the court process that would result in prison. Since the program began, most agree it has been very successful. It results in less recidivism and is considered cheaper than imprisonment.
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» cannabis is already safe...it grows that way...
Posted by: undrgrndgirl
» How times have changed!
Posted by: LeeAnnG
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Posted by: vasumurti on Apr 14, 2009 7:04 AM
Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
“It is nonsense that we should be devoting so many law enforcement resources to marijuana," says Posner. "I am skeptical that a society that is so tolerant of alcohol and cigarettes should come down so hard on marijuana use and send people to prison for life without parole.”
Posner is the highest-ranking judge to publicly favor the repeal of marijuana laws. Several judges of the federal district court, a level lower than the appeals court, have made similar calls, including Robert Sweet of New York and James Paine of Florida, both Carter Administration appointees.
New York University law professor Burt Neuborne said it's significant that “one of the leading intellectuals in the judicial system recognizes that the laws don't seem to be working well.”
Posner and other federal judges have complained that sentencing guidelines force them to give unjustly severe prison sentences to relatively minor drug offenders. Says Posner: “Prison terms in America have become appallingly long, especially for conduct that, arguably, should not be criminal at all. Only decriminalization is a sure route to a lower crime rate. It is sad that it appears so far below the horizon of political feasibility.”
Rufus King, a Washington, DC lawyer who has served on the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice, calls the drug war, “A worthless crusade.” According to King, drug use is a social problem, not a law enforcement problem. He observes: “Cigarette use is declining through changes in cultural values in the population. Like most smokers and alcoholics, most users of illegal drugs poison themselves because they want to be intoxicated. No human force can do them much good until they want help.” King is optimistic that the current anti-drug hysteria will subside, and responsible and reasonable drug law policies will be adopted.
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Posted by: dsmidiman on Apr 14, 2009 7:05 AM
Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
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» RE: Because it is Juneteenth
Posted by: Sister_Lauren
Comments are closed-
Posted by: JTMixer5 on Apr 14, 2009 7:10 AM
Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
RT
Is your ISP watching?
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» RE: Toxic troll alert
Posted by: Sister_Lauren
» Time to fire up a big fat troll!
Posted by: 2dogarage
» Don't click on that link (IDENTITY THEFT!)
Posted by: GuitarBill
» RE: What?? Pot is illegal?
Posted by: mikslim
Comments are closed-
Posted by: picket on Apr 14, 2009 7:10 AM
Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The fingers will point to those Presidents of the United States that allowed these extreme acts of injustice. The Drug War escalated during Nixon's term and every subsequent President has "blood" on his hands.
Obama has his hands full with the Banking thieves but he must also take time to ponder the fate of others "the least of these my brothers", in regards to Drug Policy.
History will tell the story and write the final chapter to the MJ Question.
"and I don't know what this says about the online audience." President Obama [3/2009 Online Town Hall Meeting]
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» RE: The argument that Obama has his hands full with the Banking thieves, aka drug profiteers
Posted by: Sister_Lauren
» 1937 Marihuana (sic) Tax Act
Posted by: 2dogarage
» No, it's not off-topic. In fact, thank you for bringing this up.
Posted by: FLYING DOOFUS
» RE: No, it's not off-topic. In fact, thank you for bringing this up.
Posted by: aonghus36
» Don't forget the prohibition of hemp,made a market for nylon rope
Posted by: hardwroc
» RE: When All Is Said And Done...This So-Called War On Drugs..
Posted by: aussidawg
» Sorry, the second link posted again...
Posted by: aussidawg
Comments are closed-
Posted by: heide on Apr 14, 2009 7:13 AM
Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
there are 2 reasons why cannabis /hemp is/are illegal in the good ole usa
RACISM & GREED
thats it,,
control the masses
keep the best medicine on earth away from the people
tell them lies,
we got to control
tell them marijuana makes white women want to have relations with black men(1937 or so)
freak out the already scared of even their own shadow, each year coming up with more and more outlandish excuses why this medicine must stay illegal,,,sad
trouble is the whole mess has backfired,,,we are learning the truth,,we see through the lies
heal the earth& the human
green seed yielding herb,,blessed called good genesis.............you will never destroy what has been blessed
by the way in my opinion any irish that fell for the lies that were told concerning this issue should be highly ashamed of themselves... after all the hell the ancestors went through you shoulda seen right through ....
heide...
go ahead give me hell for my words ,,im used to it....i will not however change my position on this subject...EVER ....stop the lies free the medicine
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» RE: cannabis
Posted by: Sister_Lauren
Comments are closed-
Posted by: Illuminatus- Enlightend Classic Liberal on Apr 14, 2009 7:49 AM
Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Glenn Greenwald Cato Institute report “The success of drug decriminalization in Portugal”
According to the Glenn Greenwald Cato Institute report there is clearly a growing recognition around the world and even in the U.S. that, strictly on empirical grounds, criminalization approaches to drug usage and, especially, the "War on Drugs," are abject failures, because they worsen the exact problems they are ostensibly intended to address.
"Strictly on empirical grounds" means excluding from the assessment:
(a) ideological questions regarding the legitimacy of imprisoning adults for consuming drugs they choose to consume
(b) the evisceration of Constitutional and civil liberties wrought by drug criminalization
(c) the extraordinary sums of money devoted to the War on Drugs both domestically and international
Greenwald shows three important points as regards to decriminalization in Portugal
1. Drug use among young people (16-18 years dropped after decriminalization between 2001- 2006.
2. Use of heavier drugs (Cocaine) is lower in Portugal than in many other countries (15-64).
3. Use of light drugs (marijuana) is also lower even lower than Sweden.
Worth noticing is the 2 last points before drug decriminalization Portugal was one of the European countries with a wide ranging drug use.
Greenwald says:
Prior to decriminalization — throughout the 1990s — Portugal had among the worst drug crises in the EU, if not the worst. The more they criminalized, the worse the problems became. After decriminalization, Portugal has among the best drug usage rates both within the EU and outside of the EU (especially when compared to the harshest criminalized countries, such as the U.S. and Great Britain). Those are just facts.
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Posted by: reelectnoone on Apr 14, 2009 7:59 AM
Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
As I wrote myself, the ban also needs to be lifted on the production of hemp.
http://joethevoter.org/economy/15-stupidcongress.html
Then we need to find those wasting tax dollars sitting in prison for use of pot and release them. Remember, in many cases we are also supporting their wives and children while we lock them up.
The war on drugs causes us more harm than the drugs themselves. Pot is safer than alcohol, tobacco and fast food.
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» RE: Pot is safer than diet coke
Posted by: Sister_Lauren
» Three kinds of people...
Posted by: NotJesus
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Posted by: zooeyhall on Apr 14, 2009 8:31 AM
Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
And when it comes to the "drug" type of hemp, why not do it the way tobacco farming is done now. Certain growers bid for the right to an "allotment" from the Feds to grow X amount of acres. Have the government regulate it and tax it like they already do with tobacco. Everyone is happy! The Feds make money, the potheads get what they want, law enforcement can concentrate on more important things.
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» Hemp in NE? For real?
Posted by: FLYING DOOFUS
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Posted by: raginghormones on Apr 14, 2009 8:46 AM
Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I seem to remember a song back in the 70's, called "Wild Wood Weed" or something like that. About some hillbillies who grow the dreaded marijuana, and a line that goes:
"One day a fellow from Washington comes buy, spied them [the marijuana plants] and turned WHITE AS A SHEET!!!
And he burned and he dug, and he dug and he burned, and he killed all our cute little weeds".
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Posted by: Grandma111 on Apr 14, 2009 9:24 AM
Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
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» RE: Grandma111
Posted by: FLYING DOOFUS
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Posted by: FLYING DOOFUS on Apr 14, 2009 9:35 AM
Current rating: 3 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
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» He lowered your taxes Doofus! And it's Obama
Posted by: hardwroc
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Posted by: bar5608 on Apr 14, 2009 9:48 AM
Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
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» RE: bar5608
Posted by: Bud
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Posted by: SassyFrassy on Apr 14, 2009 10:02 AM
Current rating: 1 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
a. it's illegal to be a christian or any other religion different from Muslim
b. it's punisbile by death to anyone whom claims the criminal activities of muslim/islam/sharia law are 'bad.
now we read:
1. Obama's church just recently re-printed the HAMA'S manifesto and Obama doesn't denounce it.
2. Obama wants to DROP CHARGES against TERRORISTS by claiming they should get a slap on the wrist and sign a useless piece of paper that says they won't do terrorism again BECAUSE he and ACLU thinks American's are too stupid to notice that every treaty taliban al-quaida and terrorists have signed with Pakistan HAVE BEEN BROKEN by everyone of the terrorists So,
3. he wants to FORCE the USA to try them in PUBLIC courts where every FBI AND CIA identities, networks, contacts and how they get their info is laid bare for every terrorist in the book to take note of and know about--which means PEOPLE there will be NO ABILITY FOR THE USA to protect ITSELF OR anyone else. Thereby accomplishing Obama's goals of making sure NO ONE CATCHES his taliban, and Al-quida or any other terrorist in the book.
NO wonder the all the terrorists gave their blessing to OBAMA to the elections and made sure they HID the LA SUN TIMES video and distracted the public with all that palin nudity video(yawn) taken forever ago--so no one would notice the LA SUN VIDEO showed US BRITISH AND JEWS being beheaded by al-quida and taliban.
4. Now WASH DC even though warned by the FBI that CAIR are indeed un-indicted co-conspirators in terrorism against US. WASH DC has made it clear THEY DON'T CARE about we the people being protected so WASH DC went ahead and had 80 meetings in 2 days even though they were warned to NOT do so.
5. WANT to know what one of OBAMA'S biggest complaints is about the USA???--That the SUPREME COURT will NOT OVERRIDE the will of the people to do what OBAMA or any DICTATOR would want them to do AGAINST WE THE PEOPLE.
Don't believe it??? Well, Melanie Phillips did a whole expose on the topic.
6. Now, the latest?? DEMS want to LEGALIZE Marijuana so that "buddies' taliban and al-quaida can expand their financial horizons into the the USA at the expense of once again; the PUBLICS health, safety, and freedom.
next thing you know they will say OH it's too 'hard" to fight against drug dealers/terrorists so JUST let them kill us and throw USA out of our homes land and possesions.
7. Obama and DEMS ramble on endlessly about GITMO AND ABU GHRABU but yet the AL-QUIDA TORTURE manual which was confiscated by USA in iraq which contains torture so hideous it violates every convention law on the glob YET Obama and DEMS don't denounce it and want it hidden from the public.
To the present it's only one of the 1 % group of people attempting to destroy our Nation's economic systems.
WHY??? It was said to a WASH DC VIP---that the reason the Socialists think they will win this time and are doing this is because ACLU and their DEMS SLUGS -- they don't think America'S 99 % are " smart enough" to care to let their fingers do the walking to protect their lands, their CONSTITUTION or their freedoms. The DEMS and ACLU think America's 99% don't CARE enough to kick out and send WASH DC SLUGS packing and by way of Balagovich for NOT protecting PUBLICS FREEDOMS or RIGHTS or CONSTITUTION.
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» RE: DRUGS...THE FOLLY OF FOOLS--PART A
Posted by: aonghus36
» RE: DRUGWAR...THE FOLLY OF FOOLS--PART A
Posted by: DdC
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Posted by: SassyFrassy on Apr 14, 2009 10:14 AM
Current rating: 1 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The marketplace will be MONOPOLIZED AND DOMINATED by the ENGORGED big businesses. it's why they cannot wait to get their hands on public money and THROW parties COSTING MILLIONS and big bonuses to CEO'S at the public expense.
now?? THEY want to claim oh we are cash strapped so lets let all the terrorist just destroy our Nation by legalizing DRUGS??
THIS IS WHAT stalin said about USA---America, is like a healthy body and its resistance is threefold: its patriotism, its morality, and its spiritual life. If we can undermine these three areas, America will collapse from within." ... Joseph Stalin
Wanna know what the ACLU thinks about how 'STUPID' they view Americans. Here is what Norman THOMAS one of the Founders of the ACLU says QUOTE Americans will never "knowingly" accept Socialism, but 'disguised' under "liberalism" Americans will accept every fragment; and one day wake up in a Socialist Nation and "wonder" how it all happened to them.
don't believe it??
here's the quote...
Norman THOMAS one of the Founders of the ACLU says QUOTE Americans will never "knowingly" accept Socialism, but under "liberalism" Americans will accept every fragment; and one day wake up in a Socialist Nation and "wonder" how it all happened.
What we need to investigate is how the DEMOCRATS and ACLU think that they can continue to count on Americans being as stupid as the ACLU thinks Americans are. So they can further their Soc/glob/marx/fac/comm agenda.
I THINK ravel from wikipedia said it best:
The democracies that will surely perish will be those who cannot tell the difference between good and evil, survival and ruin, freedom and tyranny. Or, perhaps more to the point, the greatest danger faced by democracy are those who deny that there is any real difference after all.
Go see for yourselves what we saw at-act for america.org and American Center for LAW and JUSTICE
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» RE: one day wake up in a Socialist Nation and "wonder" how it all happened - OKAAAAY
Posted by: stellabloo
» RE: DRUGS....THE FOLLY OF FOOLS --PART B
Posted by: LeeAnnG
» "If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked."
Posted by: DdC
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Posted by: vasumurti on Apr 14, 2009 10:19 AM
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In Massachusetts, voters decriminalized the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana. A campaign led by the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy and organized by MPP resulted in a 65 percent to 35 percent victory for the initiative.
In another state-level win, Michigan voters approved a medical marijuana initiative by a similarly lopsided margin. The campaign to pass that initiative was led by the MPP-backed Michigan Coalition for Compassionate Care.
At the local level, two initiatives to make make adult marijuana possession the lowest law enforcement priority won big. One, in Hawaii County, Hawaii, was led by Project Peaceful Sky. The other, in Fayetteville, Arkansas, was led by a coalition called Sensible Fayetteville.
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Posted by: SassyFrassy on Apr 14, 2009 10:25 AM
Current rating: 1 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
1. "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
2. "I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."*
I don"t think the presidenr's clueless. I think he knows EXACTLY what he is doing. HE was tutored by communists and making a career of destroying the productive for benefit to the leeches. No, he knows what he is doing, alright.
To the present it's only one of the 1 % group of people attempting to destroy our Nation's economic systems.
WHY??? It was said to a WASH DC VIP---that the reason the Socialists think they will win this time and are doing this is because ACLU and their DEMS SLUGS -- they don't think American's are " smart enough" to care to let their fingers do the walking to protect their lands, their CONSTITUTION or their freedoms. The DEMS and ACLU don't think the 99% of American's will be 'smart enough" to CARE about their country, their homes, their small business enough to kick the WASH DC SLUGS out and send them packing by way of Balagovich for NOT doing what is right to protect PUBLIC freedoms and the free enterprise system (ie meaning small business/med business) and rights.
Therefore, they want to make sure they take all freedoms away from the public and they want to make it impossible for FREE ENTERPRISE to exist for the small business and mid business and sole proprietorship thru AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL gravytraining BIG BUSINESS knowing this WILL bankruPT AND CASH STRAP our Nation and MUSCLING OUT the small/med sole proprietorships, and creating a welfare state. WHILE moving drug peddling terrorists to have a blank check to OWN our SOCIETY SINCE a someone high on drugs isn't going to be able to defend themselves when terrorists want to turn USA into a FACIST/GLOB/MARX/SOC/COMM NATION. BIN LADEN USED to make SURE his people get high before engaging in their terrorist activities. A move straight out of the marxist handbook. and by attempting to eradicate free speech.
Then, we will be SOCIALIST/GLOBALIST/MARX/FACIST/COMM COUNTRY and the marketplace will be MONOPOLIZED AND DOMINATED by the ENGORGED 1 or 2 or several big businesses in sector. Gone will be the hope for any American whom would wish to start a business and earn profit to live on. it's why they cannot wait to get their hands on public money and THROW parties COSTING MILLIONS and big bonuses to CEO'S at the public expense.
SEE--The American Center for law and Justice and-The National center for public policy research
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» AND YOU...
Posted by: LeeAnnG
» DRUG WORRIERS .... THE FOLLY OF RACIST FOOLS--PART C
Posted by: DdC
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Posted by: Bud on Apr 14, 2009 10:39 AM
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This has gone on way to long.
I see DEA agents on the tube spewing lies on the dangers of marijuana just to preserve their jobs.
I hear our President chuckle about the "online" trolls that overgrew his website so he doesn't spend any of his precious "capital".
I read where the 20 millionth arrest for pot occurred in October 09'. Who gives a shit about those people? They did nothing wrong morally.
I feel it is changing but the damage has been done.
I really worry about how many people have had to suffer from the whims of the few.
Liars. If we couldn't trust you then, we'll never trust you again. That is the sad part from this war.
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Posted by: aahpat on Apr 14, 2009 10:48 AM
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In response to a direct question by Bob Schieffer on CBS Face The Nation on April 12, 2009 about legalization of marijuana the Mexican ambassador to the United States, Arturo Sarukhan, stated that there needs to be a "serious discussion" about legalization of marijuana.
Bob Schieffer: "Mr. Ambassador, what if marijuana were legalized? Would that change this situation?"
Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan:"This is a debate that needs to be taken seriously." more.
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Posted by: aahpat on Apr 14, 2009 10:55 AM
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Pot is more popular in America than the congress that prohibits pot.
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» RE: The U.S. Congress is committing treason
Posted by: Sister_Lauren
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Posted by: willymack on Apr 14, 2009 11:34 AM
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Posted by: VZEQICVA on Apr 14, 2009 12:05 PM
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Posted by: vasumurti on Apr 14, 2009 3:25 PM
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Hemp has many economic uses. It contains the longest fiber in the plant kingdom and is one of the strongest and most durable. It can be used for commercial and industrial applications, including insulation, textiles, clothing, and rope. The fiber and pulp can be used to manufacture nondeteriorating paper using a relatively pollution-free process. The plant can also be used for biomass applications. Its seeds yield oil similar to linseed, which can be used in many commercial and industrial applications. In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the seeds have been used for human consumption.
"Hemp. It's marijuana's nonspyschoactive sister," writes Ed Rosenthal. "You couldn't get a buzz if you smoked a bale of hemp, but it's still illegal to grow it in the United States." Industrial hemp is legally grown in over thirty countries. For thousands of years, people grew hemp and prospered. It flourishes without pesticides. Thomas Jefferson considered hemp so vital to America that he risked his life to smuggle hemp seeds out of France. George Washington grew hemp and instructed his caretaker at Mount Vernon: "Make the most of the hemp seed. Sow it everywhere."
Industrial hemp was first grown in Kentucky 250 years ago. It is currently grown in other countries across the globe, including France, England, Canada, Australia, China, Hungary and the Ukraine. Industrial hemp has virtually no THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. It cannot be used as a drug. None of the countries that allow industrial hemp production have experienced any drug problems relating to the crop. Using modern processing techniques, hemp can be used in place of petrochemicals. Instead of synthetic plastics made from oil, we can use natural fiber and processed bioplastic derivatives. Plastics and polyester rely on foreign oil, while cotton consumes enormous amounts of water, fertilizer, herbicides, and pesticides.
Industrial hemp is very clean, easy to grow and is one of the most environmentally sound sources of industrial fiber in the world. Environmentally friendly detergents, plastics, paints, varnishes, cosmetics, and textiles are already being made from it in Europe. Industrial hemp can meet our fiber needs while also revitalizing our struggling rural economies.
Hemp is already being used in place of trees for pressboard, particleboard, and core concrete construction molds. Paper made from hemp is acid-free, stronger and lasts far longer than paper made from trees. Hemp fabrics are far stronger and more resistant to mold than any other natural fiber. Builders in France and Germany use hemp for construction material, replacing drywall and plywood. Hemp can be used to manufacture plastic plumbing pipe, replacing such toxic materials as polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Hemp fiber is already being used in place of glass fiber in surfboards and snowboards. Hemp could also provide the resin itself.
For ideological reasons, the federal government refuses to allow farmers to grow hemp despite the fact that industrial hemp is currently grown legally worldwide. The George W. Bush administration took anti-hemp policy to a new extreme, attempting unsuccessfully to ban the import of hemp foods and cosmetics. Erwin "Bud" Sholts, director of the Wisconsin Agriculture Department's marketing division, said hemp "is the most value-added, prolific fiber crop man can grow." Sholts acknowledged that hemp is an emotional issue, but points out that "other nations with drug laws as tough or tougher than ours have overcome this hurdle." The U.S. is the only major industrialized nation that prohibits the growing of industrial hemp; anti-drug hysteria should not blind the public to the commercial and industrial applications of hemp.
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» It's not Ideology that keeps hemp illegal
Posted by: Baja K
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Posted by: bcainw on Apr 14, 2009 8:08 PM
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MERP Headquarters
The Marijuana Re-Legalization Policy Project (MRPP)
http://www.newagecitizen.com/MERP.htm
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Posted by: Baja K on Apr 15, 2009 12:26 PM
Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
And the idea of taxing hemp food products is just as bad. But, taxes on other hemp products (paper, plastics, fuels, soaps, paneling, etc etc) seems acceptable.
Taxing non-medicinal pot, would be a bit of a problem though. Would a buyer have to prove they have no health conditions that would be helped by pot?
The Tax proposals seem to be aimed at greedy public officials who have no human empathy or concern for natural environments, and who refuse to impose fair progressive income taxes on everyone.
2) Hemp plastics offer an economic advantage that officials may go for. Hemp plastics are not toxic. They would not cause environmental and health damages in manufacture or disposal. Indeed, hemp plastics could save fortunes for municipal waste systems because hemp plastics, unlike the petrochem/chlorinated ones, could be used as compost.
3) More savings can be found in health care areas if hemp materials replaced (with help of govt subsidies) all the household and other building crap that emits toxic fumes and which, in fires, kills more people (including firefighters) than the flames.
4) Hemp agriculture jobs cannot be exported... though, of course, production of hemp products might be. Hemp agriculture could re-vitalize countless rural communities IF great care is taken up-front to assure that the Agricultural Conglomerates don't somehow take control of the crop for themselves.
5) Pesticide free hemp agriculture, and chlorine-free products would dramatically increase awareness of the extreme dangers of chlorine...what with its dioxin by-product. With luck and sufficient action, hemp agriculture could be the beginning of the end of chlorine use...with astronomical savings in health care across the board.
There are benign substitutes for all chlorine uses. The only reason they are not adopted is that chlorine is more profitable...and the only reason that is so is that the producers are not compelled to compensate for the harms they cause to people, wildlife, and even earth's protective ozone layer.
Tragically, the chlorine cartels are not even OUTED, much less arrested and compelled to pay liabilities, for chlorine contamination of typical (VERY non-organic) cigarettes with numerous pesticide residues and the very obvious (but somehow invisible) chlorine bleached cigarette paper.
Typical cigarettes are Dioxin Dowels, or Pesticide Pegs. To call them "tobacco products" is to join the Corporatocracy in the big lie that cigarettes are automatically tobacco or just tobacco.
It is another tragedy that cannabis re-legalization activists ignore the corporate war on tobacco, that other natural, traditionally-used, even medicinal itself, smokable natural plant.
We, at least, ought not be joining in the global scapegoating of nature (tobacco, in this case), and the Blame-The-Victim assaults on unwitting smokers, for the crimes of some of the most toxic, carcinogenic industries on the planet.
We have Reefer Madness II happening right under our noses...and AGAIN for the benefit of chlorine/petrochemical/pharmaceutical industries that Do Not Want to be Indicted for their part in the most toxic, carcinogenic elements of typical cigarettes...pesticides galore, bleach, numerous untested and dangerous additives, etc.
Those who know the history of cannabis prohibition might recognize the same tactics used here again...the demonization of users, the fraudulent, grossly incomplete "science", and the draconian taxes. Search "Fauxbacco" for more on that.
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Posted by: heide on Apr 15, 2009 3:07 PM
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ive come to the conclusion that the
us government knew back in the 30s
when they criminalized hemp /cannabis
and chose fossil over biofuels,,and demonized one of the best medicinal herbs on earth
what would happen to the earth& the human
they knew and did it anyway,,not giving a damb about the children,, the generations that followed
makes me very angry,, sick to my stomach,,and sad
almost everything humanity needs ,, or wants for that matter from that one beautiful herb
may the universe have mercy
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Posted by: LokiVaipan on Apr 15, 2009 4:01 PM
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Posted by: macdon1 on Apr 16, 2009 8:16 PM
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Posted by: rjs0 on Apr 17, 2009 3:21 AM
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Abraham Lincoln
(from a letter written by Lincoln during his presidency to the head of the Hohner Harmonica Company in Germany)
"I inhaled frequently. That was the point."
Barack Obama
"Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself..."
Jimmy Carter
"I now have absolute proof that smoking even one marijuana cigarette is equal in brain damage to being on Bikini Island during an H-bomb blast"
Ronald Reagan
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Posted by: J4761 on Apr 17, 2009 7:25 PM
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Posted by: DdC on Apr 17, 2009 9:21 PM
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Scam to keep chemical cottons 90 million pounds of chemical poisons on the shelves cheaper than imported stronger softer organic hemp clothing. Hemp oil skin protection and antiseptic and antibiotic properties and Omega 3 EFA's with the seed balanced protein that could supplement Micky D and Ganja curtails Obesity cravings the same as it stimulates the appetite, a balancer in many ways helping your body get back to norml. Not pharmochemically "treating" the illne$$.
No need to clear mountain tops for coal when farmers powered their equipment with stills before booze prohibition. Biomass greater than sabotage corn ethanol. No need to cut down old growth forests for cellulose, hemp yields much more for paper or plastic products. Most of which now stays in the landfills 90k years. Hemp wood, cement and fiber steel. Ganja alternative to damaging booze or leaves for polstices and stalks deterring bedbugs.
Canvas, Rope fiber and Burlap helped build this country, Rx Ganja in many products and now it is kept from farmers and impoverished, especially across the southern border needed more than Canada monopolizing it. Shuck and Jive degrade and stigmatize, casting stones and hobgoblins creating profits and poverty. It will happen according to the will of the people wanting it to happen. Like Ganja smoke, government has been swirling around the issue and corporations never trickle down.
Hemp Corporatism.jpg
"Even if one takes every reefer madness allegation
of the prohibitionists at face value, marijuana prohibition has done
far more harm to far more people than marijuana ever could."
--William F. Buckley Jr
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Posted by: DdC on Apr 17, 2009 9:23 PM
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~ George Washington
(Library of USA Congress 1794 vol. 33 p.270)
High on Hemp
"The commission has come to the conclusion that the moderate use of hemp drugs is practically attended by no evil results at all. ... ...moderate use of hemp... appears to cause no appreciable physical injury of any kind,... no injurious effects on the mind... [and] no moral injury whatever."
~ Indian Hemp Drugs Commission, 1894
Drug War Distortions
"There is no evidence...
that any deleterious influence on the individual using [cannabis]"
~ Panama Canal Zone Report, 1925
The Elkhorn Manifesto
"Cannabis smoking] does not lead directly to mental or physical deterioration... Those who have consumed marijuana for a period of years showed no mental or physical deterioration which may be attributed to the drug."
~ LaGuardia Commission Report, 1944
Marijuana Tax Act
Leary v. United States, 395 U.S. 6 (1969)
Marijuana: the law vs. 12 million people
Life magazine Oct 31, 1969. 25-35
Once-Secret Nixon Tapes Show Why the U.S. Outlawed Pot
"You know, it's a funny thing, every one of the bastards that are out for legalizing marijuana is Jewish. What the Christ is the matter with the Jews, Bob?
~ Richard Milhouse Nixon
Nixon Commission Report
Richard Nixon On Pot
"You're enough of a pro," Nixon tells Shafer, "to know that for you to come out with something that would run counter to what the Congress feels and what the country feels, and what we're planning to do, would make your commission just look bad as hell."
~ Richard Milhouse Nixon
Nixon lied to schedule Ganja #1
"Marijuana does not lead to physical dependency, although some evidence indicates that the heavy, long-term users may develop a psychological dependence on the drug"
~ The Shafer Commission of 1970
nixon lied.jpg
"Cannabis is remarkably safe. Although not harmless, it is surely less toxic than most of the conventional medicines it could replace if it were legally available. Despite its use by millions of people over thousands of years, cannabis has never caused an overdose death."
~ Testimony of Professor Lester Grinspoon, M.D.
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School,
before the Crime Subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee,
U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C., October 1, 1997
Bill and Hillary's Hippie Daze
"We have spent over a trillion dollars trying to eradicate the world's most beneficial plant off the face of the earth. Imagine what a better world this would be if that money had been spent on treatment, education and studying the medical benefits of marijuana."
~ Steve Hager - High Times Editor (1988 - 2003)
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Posted by: DdC on Apr 18, 2009 12:20 AM
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Let Hemp Help
One acre of hemp produces as much cellulose fiber pulp as 4.1 acres of trees,* hemp is the perfect material to replace trees for pressed board, particle board and for concrete construction molds.
Dewey & Merrill, Bulletin #404, United States Dept. of Agriculture, 1916
A Brief Summary of the Uses of Hemp
Isochanvre, a rediscovered French building material made from hemp hurds mixed with lime, actually petrifies into a mineral state and lasts for many centuries. Archeologists have found a bridge in the south of France, from the Merovingian period (500-751 A.D.), built with this process.
~ Chenevotte habitat of Rene, France in Appendix I
jackherer.com, Uses of Hemp
ArnoVeto.jpg
Hemp has been used throughout history for carpet backing. Hemp fiber has potential in the manufacture of strong, rot resistant carpeting - eliminating the poisonous fumes of burning synthetic materials in a house or commercial fire, along with allergic reactions associated with new synthetic carpeting.
~ Jack Herer
Cannabis Vs Trees
On the west side of Anniston, the poor side of Anniston, the people ate dirt. They called it "Alabama clay" and cooked it for extra flavor. They also grew berries in their gardens, raised hogs in their back yards, caught bass in the murky streams where their children swam and played and were baptized. They didn't know their dirt and yards and bass and kids -- along with the acrid air they breathed -- were all contaminated with chemicals. They didn't know they lived in one of the most polluted patches of America.
~ Michael Grunwald
January 1, 2002 in the Washington Post
non-psychoactive criminals.jpg
Percentage of worldwide insecticides used on cotton production 25%
Percentage of the world market in pesticides controlled by 10 companies73%
Hemp vs. Cotton
Pesticide spilled into Sacramento River that killed fish within 20 miles metam-sodium
Rank of metam-sodium among pesticides used in 1992 on California cotton 2nd
Number of fatalities worldwide caused by accidental pesticide
poisoning each year 20,000
Number of worldwide non-fatal pesticide poisonings each year 3,000,000 Year
nnytimes Did You Know?.gif
Hemp Is The Green Jobs Solution We Need
"We're in the midst of a dark economic transition, but I believe hemp is an important facet and has tremendous economic potential,""Economically and environmentally, industrial hemp is an important part of the sustainability pie.
With 25,000 known applications from paper, clothing and food products -- which, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal this January, is the fastest growing new food category in North America -- to construction and automotive materials, hemp could be just the crop to jump-start America's green economy."
~ Patrick Goggin
a board member on the California Council for Vote Hemp,
the nation's leading industrial hemp-farming advocacy group.
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Posted by: DdC on Apr 18, 2009 12:24 AM
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New Hampshire activists have been trying to legalize the growth of industrial hemp for the state for over a decade. Just a few months ago, they introduced a new House Bill to try again.
~ Jen Senofonte
Source: Equinox April 17, 2009
Hemp Products.jpg
"Federal law is standing in the way of farmers in these states growing what may be a very profitable crop,"
~ Dr Ron Paul when introducing the Hemp bill.
Hemp Bill Introduced In Congress
A bipartisan group of agitating members of Congress introduced legislation Thursday to allow farmers to grow industrial hemp. Currently eight states -- Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia -- allow industrial hemp production or research, but federal law, which requires nearly-impossible-to-obtain-permits to grow hemp, trumps those state laws. The new bill would allow states to craft their own policy.
Ryan Grim Huffington Post April 03, 2009
PesticidePoisons.jpg
H.R. 1866: To Amend The Controlled Substances Act
This bill is in the first step in the legislative process. Introduced bills and resolutions first go to committees that deliberate, investigate, and revise them before they go to general debate. The majority of bills and resolutions never make it out of committee.
~ Rep. Ronald Paul R-TX
Last Updated: Apr 6, 2009
Last Action: Apr 2, 2009: Referred to House Judiciary
The First Law Against Hemp
The first law against hemp was passed in 1937. This law was totally unconstitutional, but it took until 1968 for the Supreme court to agree that it was unconstitutional. In 1970-1972 American tax dollars paid to find out what to do about the hemp laws. Experts came back to president Nixon with this: Hemp is non-addictive, it is not a stepping stone to harder drugs, in fact it should not be in any drug category at all. They said there was nothing bad or dangerous about using hemp. Nixon didn't like hemp and went against what the experts told him and pushed to have laws passed against it on the grounds that it has no medicinal value. This of course is untrue as most doctors would tell you. Well, some might not tell you because the way the laws are now, fear of persecution keeps many of the ones that know the facts quiet. A doctor told me that doctors can lose their license if they tell you that hemp would help you.
~ FoM on April 03, 2009
nnytimes.com
Hemp "Eats" Chernobyl Waste
An explosion at a nuclear reactor on April 26th, 1986 in Chernobyl, Ukraine created the world's worst nuclear disaster - so far. However the combination of a new technology (phytoremediation) and an old crop (industrial hemp) may offer the Ukraine a way to decontaminate it's radioactive soil.
~ Elaine Charkowski
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Posted by: DdC on Apr 18, 2009 2:45 AM
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Oxyconton done et his brain...
America is false to the past, false to the present, and solemnly binds herself to be false to the future.
~ Frederick Douglass
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An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Posted by: shill on Apr 18, 2009 3:44 AM
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Posted by: LokiVaipan on Apr 18, 2009 4:23 PM
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Posted by: thelorax on Apr 19, 2009 1:38 PM
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Because the people in power nationally, in the state and even locally, as my experiences as an activist and organizer have shown, would have to admit that they were wrong for most of their lives about pot.
It is the wedge that divided and literally destroyed real public discourse in our country for the last 50 years. We as a nation drove the entire world at gunpoint to accept our agenda of drug prohibition. In 1961 the U.N. signed into law the single convention treaty on narcotics which listed marijuana as having no known medical uses. Since that time we have suppressed any research into possible medical uses. We now know from European studies that cannabis is promising in many ways from possible anti cancer agent to anti spasmodic to pain reliever.
It is how we on the left have been forever divided. It was a stroke of genius on the part of the nixon administration to use the war on drugs to ultimately allow the hawks of the nation to guarantee that Vietnam couldn't happen again. That is that we could never again stop a war with public opinion.
So... keeping pot illegal is different than keeping alcohol illegal. The fastest growing industry is the prison industry. We have about 5% of the worlds population yet about 25% of the worlds prison population. There is a huge resistance from the prison industry lobby to legalize drugs as it would mean the bottom falling out of that industry. Alcohol was something everyone did (rather than roughly half of our population as in the case of pot) and was perceived differently. Alcohol is widely consumed among both right and left thinking Americans. However, cannabis is certainly more widely consumed among left thinking Americans. Keeping cannabis illegal is how the right has been waging the war against progress.
Conservatives have always pointed at anyone working to save the environment and called them things like tree huggers. For conservatives the hippie has become a very useful metaphor for everything liberal. For years all they've had to do is allude that it is connected to the peace and love hippies and we as a nation could disregard it as the delusions of drug addled brains from the 60's. Legalizing pot would turn that 50 year history on its head. Conservatives understand this even better than we do.
There will be much resistance on this one.
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Posted by: robbrian on Apr 20, 2009 7:03 PM
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President Obama misspoke when he said, “There is no silver bullet to lead us to energy independence.” He has not been apprised of the ancient and modern benefits of Cannabis Sativa L.-Industrial Hemp.
His use of the “shotgun” approach for the allocation of energy and environmental appropriations has explicitly abandoned the objective of setting real priorities and dooms us to continued control by the “Fossil Fuel Fascists”.
Cannabis Sativa L.— Hemp is the "silver bullet" and the only solution that works to achieve multi-faceted national health/medical, energy and environmental policy objectives.
Please see the following for a complete discussion of the difference between industrial and medicinal hemp:
http://www.votehemp.com/PDF/myths_facts.pdf
http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=544
http://www.glenwoodsmith.com/hemphistorian/indquotes.html
We have a "silver bullet" at our disposal but cannot unshackle ourselves from the shibboleths of the 70 year war beginning in 1921 with Anslinger's racism, DuPont's chemical poisons, and Hearst's yellow journalism opposing Cannabis Sativa L.—Hemp.
Here’s what’s possible:
- Farming only 6% of the continental U.S. acreage with biomass crops would provide all of America’s gas and energy needs, ending dependence upon fossil fuels. Each acre of hemp would yield 1,000 gallons of methanol, or 500 gallons of gasoline. We could take the acreage from the soil bank to make energy a whole new game. In addition to the soil bank there are 500 million unplanted acres of farmland in America.
- Per acre hemp produces 4 times as much pulp with which to make paper which is longer lasting and chemical free. Moreover, we could stop the rape of out forests and their dependent ecosystems.
- U.S. farmers like European Community farmers could receive subsidies for industrial hemp cultivation. Creating millions of jobs and new industries in the U.S. in: agriculture, hemp processing, hemp product manufacturing, sales, transportation, retail, etc.
Small could be beautiful again as we wean ourselves from the destructive use of herbicides and pesticides employed by the mega farmers for corn and cotton, the two most water dependent commercial crops.
Hemp needs very little water to produce stands 8 to 12 feet and higher and can be grown in just about any soil condition. In most places hemp can be harvested twice a year. In the Southwest and Southern California it could be a year-round crop.
The catch to all of this is obvious: The major constraint, is as usual political. The energy companies own and control everything, banks, insurance, politicians, the media, the CIA, you and me.
The struggle for money is actually a struggle for energy, as it is through energy that we may produce food, shelter, transportation and entertainment. It is this struggle which often erupts into open war.
If we remove the cause, these conflicts may never occur. That is the promise of industrial hemp. We used it for just about everything before 1937, just 72 short years ago. But, anti-hemp elected officials in the U.S. House and Senate, payed off with large contributions by the greed mongers, lied about the American Medical Association's (AMA) support for medicinal and industrial hemp cultivation. That one lie outlawed industrial hemp.
IYou may also wish to purchase a copy of Jack Herer's "The Emperor Wears No Clothes"
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