Fire Up The Digital Recorders! January Is ‘Marijuana’ Month On The Groove Tube
As if this month was not busy enough with the arrival of Barack Obama to the White House and an ever-growing popular buzz about the need for cannabis law reform all over the media and internet, three major MSM outlets are scheduled to broadcast prime time specials examining aspects of cannabis prohibition.
On Friday, January 16, the venerable NBC news show Dateline has scheduled an hour-long profile of the tragic death of Florida college student Rachel Hoffman. Ms. Hoffman was arrested with cannabis and unfortunately trusted local police to become an undercover informant, which ultimately led to her murder. Her shocking death has forced Florida law enforcement to re-examine the use of confidential informants in drug cases and raised the question publicly about decriminalizing cannabis for adult use.
ABC 20/20 correspondent John Stossel’s investigative unit is going to cast its usually critical eye at government overreach and wasteful spending, this time specifically towards the noted case of medical cannabis provider Charles Lynch. By all media accounts and advanced in his legal defense, Mr. Lynch was operating a ‘Main Street’ medical cannabis dispensary in Santa Barbara, California in compliance with local and state medical cannabis laws. However, the federal government continues to selectively arrest and prosecute medical cannabis providers under federal laws. Mr. Lynch’s appeal for a new trial has been rejected and he now potentially faces a mandatory five-year sentence at an upcoming sentencing hearing. Depending on the editing process, the story will likely broadcast either Friday the 9th or 16th @ 10PM (eastern).
Business network CNBC has produced an one-hour special called Marijuana, Inc. to premiere at 9 pm (eastern), January 22. Fascinated by the multi-billion untaxed, unregulated cannabis business in the United States, notably on the west coast, producers fanned out to interview cultivators, medical cannabis dispensary owners, middle-class cannabis consumers and of course law enforcement.
Lastly, NORML hears whispers of a major piece about cannabis prohibition being researched for publication at America’s largest Sunday newspaper circulation drop-in, Parade.
Well, perhaps some of the money being wasted on social cannibis users can be put to something more useful. Perhaps Jessica Lynch and her family would have prefered more of our tax money being spent on keeping better tabs on sex predators. I sure think tax dollars would be better spent this way.
EXACTLY! WOOO! Somebody gets it!
-Dan
holy shit. thats all i have to say. this has to be some of the best news ever. along with teh change.org scenario, it seems we, after so many years of struggle are starting to reach fruition. we are FINALLY reaching people! it is only a matter of time until marijuana is 100% legal. and i for one am exited. big props to all who have fought over the years for this fight. but keep going. we are almost there. dont let it slip away now!! HOORAH!!!
This is HUGE news! It’s about time national media has woken up and decided to investigate the absolutely ineffective War on Drugs.
I just hope that these specials take a more critical look at prohibition than National Geographic’s Marijuana Nation. There is plenty of coverage on the widespread underground marijuana market and the billions of dollars being spent on both sides of the law. Let’s hope that these specials will actually ask questions about whether or not prohibition is working and if perhaps we need to rethink how we are handling this issue.
Government needs a swift kick in the ASS!
I can’t wait for this to air. But the only thing is if they will edit some content to make some people stand differently than they say. Or if some info will be misleading or a quick out like ” keeping it away from our kids”.
Great!
Keep up the drumbeat!
Lisa Ling had a recent special, and it would be useful to keep the beat going into February by getting that on other cable channels such as History and/or Travel Channel if not on mainstream channels, too. Whatever you can dig up and get ready in a hurry to keep the beat going every month because once it stops the pressure on politicians is off. I think a report on Gettman’s research and research of others about how much revenue legalization can bring in to get us out of this economic crisis is in order–make that a two-parter, a “to be continuesd” reportage. A PBS sister complimentary documentary makes the next beat. Have Congress or at least a committee or ad hoc group send a correspondence to the DEA about rescheduling cannabis, also. Conclusion in some reportage, then have it be a suggestion on the shows’ ends in the following drumbeat shows.
Such are good summer reruns!
“The Beat Goes On”, Sonny & Cher
FINALLY! Make sure to pass this article along to anyone you know who might be interested in these showtime events!
I am tremendously excited to hear Libertarian John Stossel’s take on this. He generally does a fantastic job of making the government look like the bloated authoritarian apparatus that it is! John is singular among our modern 4th Wing media, in that he actually cares about the truth, not just the government’s version of “truth.” If you haven’t yet seen his masterpiece ‘politically incorrect guide to politics,” watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Phs6CwnutoY
And Parade? That should be interesting1 I never knew them to run anything very controversial, but they do have some good sob-stories…maybe the story of cannabis prohibition and related government tyranny will be the biggest sob-story yet!
Good reporting, NORML – thanks for the heads-up!
I always love to watch news programs talk about marijuana. Even when they come off with negative attitudes against the plant. Sounds like these episodes will be even more fun to watch since they will be setting aside the “drugs are bad” routine and tackling the problems with prohibition instead. I hope these shows will make it to youtube in case I miss them on tv.
I can’t wait for the MSM to expose the murder of Rachel Homann and the blood on the hands of the narcs who conned her into being a CI.
Just set my Windows Media Center to record Dateline! The only problem is that Dateline and 20/20 are running at the exact same times and I can’t record both shows at the same time… Hopefully the shows will be posted here or on youtube so I can see the one I couldn’t record…
The problem with cannabis prohibition is that it is the reason for the huge DEA. As great as it would be to have Obama legalize cannabis overnight, it’s not going to happen. Just as it took years to get us into this quagmire of racistly written ‘drug’ laws (after the civil war racist politicians penned ‘grandfather clauses’ (google it if you’re unaware, but I studied it in grade school) to prevent the newly freed slaves from actually voting and after these laws were struck down as unconstitutional, the racist bastards in the federal government outlawed minorities’ drugs of choice; Asians had their opium, and that was the first law, which outlawed in California the operation of opium dens *by Asians*. Not just ‘opium dens are hereby outlawed,’ but ‘asian men are not allowed to operate opium dens. Because white men had no interest in opium, it wasn’t there habit.
Read ‘The Marijuana Conviction’ available now from half.com (although expensive; when I first found it on half.com in 2005 I got myself a copy for $15, now they’re asking around $80 last time I checked, which was not recently) or you can read the research leading up to the print of it at tinyurl.com/1mn (speech given to the Cali Judges Assn in 1995) or tinyurl.com/potconviction (for the research for the first 10 chapters of the book.
It’s not a war on (some) drugs, it’s a war on minorities. To replace slave labor with prison labor. Which is why the US has the highest incarceration rate per capita over every other country in the world.
Prohibition is not working. I doesn’t take a crystal ball to figure it out. There is no logical reason why with all the anecdotal and scientific studies to prove otherwise that marijuana remain illegal, ESPECIALLY when compared to alcohol, tobacco and prescription drug use and abuse! Or is it perhaps, that there is something of benefit that would put the pharmaceutical’s grasp at risk?
This is great, maybe it’ll open some eyes.
This is fantastic. I pray every day for our family and friends who are in jail when they should be free.
Waiting to see how biased the media is. Im going to stay optimistic though!
Geez, I pray to God that Obama is truely the president that he says he is, by actually leading by and for the people and maybe following the CONSTITUTION!!!!
I am flabbergasted at the notion that the uncontested, fanatical, racist propaganda brought to light by Anslinger- he actually said Darkies-over 70 years ago, is still adhered to with so much vehemence and conviction today. This road to change still has a steep climb when the question of reform is answered with a flippant, and dismissive We have no interest in legalizing Canabis. Where does this adherence to such a nonsensical value come from? Is it drug war funding? Is it privatized penal systems? Is it….? Someone please tell me. What the fuck is it?
“Well, perhaps some of the money being wasted on social cannibis users can be put to something more useful. Perhaps Jessica Lynch and her family would have prefered more of our tax money being spent on keeping better tabs on sex predators. I sure think tax dollars would be better spent this way.”
I am glad to see some sense on the cannabis issue but the above statement is lost in the same kneejerk reaction that got cannabis where it is today. The recidivism rate of sexual offenders is less than 1% and its been that way before all the bs that the polititions have used to get your vote. There will always be jerks who abuse laws, slip thru and astound us such as in the case of Jessica Lynch(I also wonder what the hell kinda parents she had). There are already dramatic losses in money starting on things that no better improve that 1% nor do they identify that 1% while not allowing people that aren’t even close to the violent ends you speak of with a second chance to get a start in life at all. Don’t buy into politics like this without at least researching it.
When it comes to marijuana, I feel any press is good press.
The truth will reveal itself.
I never thought that this would be possible in my life. I figured that all of the fighting and protesting I got involved with was just for future generations. But with the media buzz…. I just makes me want to cry 🙂 (tears of joy, that is). Just 5 years ago these same networks were showing specials with lies generated by our deceiving government. Now they are going to finally air the truth. The new revolution has begun!! We have proved that we can now take back our government and turn this country back into what our forefathers intended. Thank you Norml and everyone that has been involved over the years.
The drug laws will fall. Not because MJ is so safe or because “The Drug War is not working”
They will fall because Prohibition is fundamental Unjust.
If everyone keeps knocking on the door, eventually they will have to answer the door! Keep it up guys, were almost there!!!
It is immoral and absurd to arrest and prosecute anyone for using one of the most harmless subsances on our planet. Namely Cannabis.
Prohibition and all cannabis and hemp laws globally have been in place for the purposes of creating global segregation of the industrial uses of the plant.
North America will grow for medicine, China and Northern Europe for Fiber Clothing and paper, South America will make cellulosic ethanol from hemp using the sugarcane pyrolysis plants already in place there, and Africa will grow the seeds for food to feed the world.
That is the reason for all the strife and pain… In the long run it is for our own good, thank god it is over now!! Total prohibition here in North America allowed for the levels of feral hemp pollen in the atmosphere to be reduced, and this allowed for the cultivation of stronger medicinal strains without having the genetics diluted by industrial hemp pollen.
maji
i live in mobile al. i was arrested for having cigarett paper in my car. i was given a 90 day suspended sentence and 1 year supervised probation.
Well in August of 2007 when my hom,e was raided by a SLANT team after their terrorizing the family and vandalizing the property. One of these macho assholes was caught in my 9 year old daughters bed room sniffing a pair of her dirty panties! Now thats real law enforcement and a fight to the drug war!
it is just a scheme to generate revenue
Maybe the government will finally relieze prohibition promotes organized crime?
Kris Said : “Just 5 years ago these same networks were showing specials with lies generated by our deceiving government. Now they are going to finally air the truth. The new revolution has begun!! We have proved that we can now take back our government and turn this country back into what our forefathers intended.”
I wish I could share your optimism, but I must warn you about the crushed hope you may experience when you assume things.
We have not yet seen these shows, therefore we don’t know that they are going to “air the truth.” My guess is that they will present the usual two sides of the argument, and the only difference MAY be that they shift the presentation to present a more liberal and even-sided “debate” of this issue than they have in the past…but even this is being assumptive, since the
owners, directors, etc. of the corporations haven’t changed, nor have their agendas.
Marijuana legalization is the number-one issue on Change.org/ideas, the Official Obama transition team website. Yet, despite this, Obama has said that he is
against the legalization of marijuana.
I think there is some hope, though, that Obama will stop the Federal DEA raids on patients and dispensaries in States where there are medical marijuana laws, or decriminalization laws; at least, he has promised to do so…but then again, he’s already broken a few promises.
It seems marijuana decriminalization efforts work best at the local and State levels, and it’s going to take longer to get the more corrupted Federal government to go along. There are numerous political lobbyists pushing to keep cannabis illegal. It’s a political issue…but, unfortunately, these victories will not solve the larger problems with our democratic Republic.
But good attitude!
the failed drug war has claimed enough victims. families destroyed,jobs lost,criminal records for non violent pot smokers. not to mention the economy has tanked,two wars going on and we are spending billions on an attack on citizens which is what I call the drug war. the only people they arrest usually is pot smokers. they dont want meth heads or crack users. they got no jobs,no money,dont care about much. I hate cops after my arrest three years ago. lost my electrical business,ten thousand dollars of my savings and three years probation for trying to buy some weed. If I saw a cop pinned under his car along the road. I would not help him or call anyone. let him perish. cops do no serve and protect,they harass and intimidate.
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS DON’T WANT THE HIDDEN POWERS THAT MARIJUANA POSSESSES TO BE REVEALED BECAUSE IT WOULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO THE DESTRUCTION OF THE POLITICAL SYSTEM GROUPS LIKE N.O.R.M.L. SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAD TO BE DEVELOPED HOW CAN WE TRULY BE FREE WITHOUT HAVING THE RIGHT TO THE BEST BUD AVAILABLE? AND THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD HAVE TO PROVIDE DIRECT ACCESS TO THE BEST CROP! INSTEAD THEY GIVE OUR MONEY AWAY TO A LEVEL THAT FORCES US UNITED STATES CITIZENS TO PAY HIGHER TAXES WHILE THEY KEEP ON BORROWING FUNDS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES IN ORDER TO FIGHT AN UNJUST WAR WHERE MANY NO REASON WHATSOEVER!
the puter screwed-up it’s”Where many lives R lost 4 no reason WHATSOEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So much SQUAT goes on in Washed-up D.C. that man should meet his demise soon! That is unless Captain Marijuana or his trusty side-kick Dr.Hemp & his bag-o-tricks come to the rescue! This is some absolutely serious sheet folks! regardless of how you read this.I’m willing to lay my life on the line once more for the sake of future generations.We simply must not let the evil bastards win anymore!I’m calling on the spirit evoked every time anyone ever took a drag,there’s no higher power than the King of Hemp!& that of course would be me!:) rather anyone who recognizes the universal value of HEMP (I’m speaking of the plant alone,nothing about getting high at all some people just see that as a BONUS) and it’s derivitives or anything made using natures greatest miracle plant that OUR BLIND GOVERNMENT WANTS DESTROYED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE BENEFITS FAR OUTWEIGH THE DEFICITS ONE EXAMPLE IS THIS FACT: ONE ACRE OF HEMP PRODUCES THE SAME AMOUNT OF PAPER AS 4 ACRES OF FOREST (AND IT’S EVEN A BETTER GRADE WHICH IS MORE DURABLE) THEREBY MAKING OUR AIR CLEANER ALSO HEMP FIBER IS 4 TIMES STRONGER THAN COTTON AND THE 1ST AMERICAN FLAG WAS MADE OF HEMP AS WELL THE INITIAL OR 1ST PAIR OF LEVIS!!!!!!!!!THAT IS ONLY THE BEGINNING!!!!!!!!READ UP ON IT AS YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF AS WELL THE PLANET AND FUTURE LIFE ON EARTH AND BEYOND!!!!
What Will The New President Do?
Early in his campaign President Elect Obama expressed the opinion, which polls show is held by 76% of the citizens, that the War on Drugs is a failure.
Recently the Obama website, change.gov, opened a forum asking people for ideas as to what his administration should accomplish during his term in office. Overwhelmingly, the number one idea submitted was to legalize the recreational and medicinal use of marijuana. Close behind was ending the war on drugs.
Similarly, the private website, Change.org, is running a program collecting ideas for the new administration. The top ten ideas are to be presented to the president after the inauguration . The top three ideas on that list are 1. Legalizing the recreational and medicinal use of marijuana. 2. Free single payer healthcare. And 3. End the War on Drugs.
The citizens are crying out for drug policy reform. Obama has stated that his administration will base it’s decisions on science and logic not politics and ideology.
What will President Obama do?
The answer to that question could lie in Obama’s pick to be the new Drug Czar.
Will he appoint a prohibitionist ideologue and continue the current policy, under which we will pass the threshold of 1 million marijuana arrests per year before the end of the new presidents first term? Will he appoint a reformer well versed in drug policy such as Ethan Nadelmann, head of the reform group, Drug Policy Alliance and end 40 years of government intervention in the personal choices of it’s citizens? Either way the appointment will certainly indicate how much the new administration is seriously dedicated to change for the better.
We all voted for change, healthcare for all our citizens, winning the war on terror, better break for the middle class, no more dependence on foreign energy. But these are not the only changes we need. Besides , even if all these things happen will it amount to any kind of real change? Will you still be worried if you have to use a cash machine late at night? Will there still be gang violence if we all have health care? Will you still worry that your kids are in a dangerous place trying to score some weed? Will people still be afraid to sit on their front porch without getting hit by a stray bullet?
The War on Drugs is the financial machine which pays for the gangs and guns and violence that plagues us all from large city to little burg. If this new administration really wants change they will get serious about ending this long nightmare.
I HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT WHAT JOHN LENNON WANTED TA’ SAY IS “GIVE WEED A CHANCE” BECAUSE THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO WORLD PEACE BUT,WHO WOULD HAVE UNDERSTOOD THAT MESSAGE BACK IN THE 60’S OR 70’S? WELL I HEARD HIM LOUD N’ CLEAR! AND I DO BELIEVE THAT IT’S PAST TIME TO ADOPT AND DEVELOP NEW POLICIES REGARDING HEAVENS MEDICATION KNOWN SIMPLY AS POT HERE.STOP THE SILLY DRUG WARS THEN YOU GOVERNMENT A-HOLES WON’T NEED TO RAISE GAS PRICES TO FUND YOUR UNJUST WARS:)
Keep smilin’…..Change the il to ok and we got something to smile about
CHECK ME OUT IT’S FREE !!!!!! POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!&&&&&& MORE POWER TO HEMP SUPPORTERS AND MAY A BONG OF DELIGHT GRACE EVERY SPECIAL INDIVIDUALS SPACE 4 THEIR STUFF…………..I’M ANTI-WAR-PRO-MARIJUANA!!!!!!! SCREW UNCLE SAM AUNT HEMP NEEDS US RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!
WHY SHOULD OUR GOVERNMENT BE ANY DIFFERENT????THE LONGER THAT THE CURRENT HEMP LAWS ARE ON THE BOOKS THE LONGER MANY INDIVIDUALS WILL SUFFER.IS THERE NOONE THAT WILL HELP ASIDE FROM GRASS ROOTS ORGINIZATIONS LIKE NORML? GUESS I’M FORCED TO UNLEASH MY UBIQUITOUS CHARISMA! POOF*************!
Congratulations to NORML for assisting in the production of these and other news specials on cannabis prohibition, and for leading the way for the past four decades. I do hope we are closer to sanity re: returning cannabis to the medical arsenal than appeared possible even a year ago. Unfortunately, I read that the DEA has denied Dr. Lyle Craker’s petition to eliminate the government’s monopoly on producing cannabis for medical research.
The fact that President Obama has not announced his appointments for ONDCP and DEA directors yet also gives me hope. Gandhi was right:
First they ignore us.
Then they laugh at us.
Then they fight us.
Then WE WIN.
Here’s to winning back our Goddess-given right to use the medicines and the consciousness-expanders She graced us with.
Lets start with Dick Cheny: He owns approx $80,000 or more in corp america prisons and im sure many of our so called public servents also invest in private held prisons of which most are at this point and its well known that over 50% of prison inmates are non violent pot smokers do the maath. Could it be that our greedy servents like say dick cheny among countless others behind the scenes are making mega bucks locking people up they really have no business locking up. ITS ABOUT PROFIT IE MONEY!! Some say legalize and tax it there is millions in renewlable money but the problem is if its legal;ized and taxed where does the tax money go? Coulkd be its not legal because the taxes would go to things like schools programs to help people out of the gutter and in general it would help our world but it wouldnt go to the dicjk chenys of our country. Remember free speach is only good as long as you use it! If we legalized it the chenys of the world would go broke at least on the prison profit platt form.
Remember the saying something about the servent becomming the master and the master the servent? WE are getting close in this country.
think about the blow it would be to terrorist and org crime if you legalized drugs.ill go one step further and say the government should regulate and GIVE drugs away to anyone who wants them as long as they are holding a job and paying taxes.think about what would happen to the unemployment rate,people would focus more on being the best they could be at any job they could find.Really the biggest reason people wont get together on legalization is because it would put the responsibility of raising their children right back on the parents.if their kids done something crazy on drugs they couldnt blame anyone but themselves for not taking the time to teach them to think before they act and make good decisions
De-criminalize it . . . leave people’s bodies and Blood ALONE . . it is NOT the government business what I put into my body . . ONLY if doing a job like airline pilot or bus driver–which is so obvious it needs not saying. YOUR a nazi and a fascist if you think you will EVER get an herb lover to STOP . .DREAM ON . . ACCEPT that people will do it (like sex) and MAKE IT SAFE ! See the Dutch model !
Legalize marijuana and control in the same manner as alcohol and tobacco are legal and controlled. Then tax it as alcohol and tobacco are taxed and we erase the national debt!
do you truly believe that having some attention in the media is going to change things? how long were they writing about racial justice and gay rights before there was any real change? it took riots before things started getting better.
marijuana users in general, and medical marijuana users in particular, are the nigger, queer, kikes of U.S.American politics. the democrats take us for granted and the republicans(did even themselves take the log cabin republicans seriously?) mostly believe we’re the spawn of satan.
until we all come out and get uppity we will continue to be persecuted (with respectful thanks to Dr. King)for what we are, not for who we are.
One must consider WHY alcohol and tobacco are legal when other mind expanding drugs are not. Oh, thats it. Mind expanding vs mind numbing. The beast machine
is a death promoter. Control of our minds is critical to its’ cult tour. Also hemp is too good to be true. The beast goes on. peace
OH,BO,#19. PLEASE WAKE UP!!!Obama is NOT for our constitution,nor is he for the people!!! Also- – -he wants to CHANGE the 22nd ammendment of our constitution (about -how many terms presidents can serve) not to mention, our 2nd one, (our right to bear arms!!!) WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!- – -THERE’S YOUR SIGN!!! (your change!!!) ***Now- – -this info. about marijuana is really great news, I say whats good for one of our “UNITED STATES” should be GOOD FOR ALL!!! 😉 I hope people will take notice of the awesome properties marijuana/hemp has – – -it cures cancer, we can make paper,plastics,concrete,wood,ropes,cloth,oil,etc…& the best part, is it REPLENISHES THE EARTH, instead of DEPLETING IT!!! MARIJUANA COULD SAVE OUR ECO. SYSTEMS OF OUR PLANET!!! DON’T FORGET- – -ITS BEEN PROVEN TO CURE CANCER TOO!!!