CNN host Don Lemon examined the growing call in America to legalize cannabis tonight, prompted by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s suggestion this week that the state debate legalizing cannabis and convene a blue-ribbon commission to examine the prospects of such.
I was opposed by prohibitionist Kevin Sabet in a very brief cable news exchange. If supporters of cannabis law reformers want to continue to raise the public discussion level on legalizing cannabis, contact CNN and request that they provide even greater coverage of cannabis-related matters, debates and online surveys; along with MSNBC, CNBC, Fox and C-Span.
Mr. St. Pierre, you came off very professional and level headed. I only wish that the opposition would have left more time for you to counter some of what he had to say. You weren’t even given an opportunity to discuss the tax savings and the time police & courts are tied up messing with adults using this plant.
I don’t think the debate was bad. The opposition wasn’t spewing too much garbage, just the alcohol/cigarette comparison. He’s actually indirectly supporting legalization by agreeing there must be reform to prevent/reduce drug demand. What’s the best way to do that? Legalize it!
Mr. Sabet couldn’t be more wrong with the way local (Oklahoma) police officers and judges look at meer possesion. I was slammed with a $32,000 bond for half an ounce!! The same judge gave the same bond to arsonists and pedophiles!!! It is still on my record and I have been unemployed since. All hopes and dreams are lost for the time being..
Wow,the legalization debate hasn’t had such a high public profile in a long while.I don’t understand why an addictive and incapacitating poison like alcohol is currently legal in every state while its relatively milder cousin,cannabis,is currently having to associate with criminals.Modern day Al Capones would not make any money bootlegging Canadian whiskey,they would actually be better off,financially,operating a liquor store legally.If marijuana had retail outlets akin to a liquor store I can’t foresee anything but financial success that would,in turn,help fill the coffers of the individual states.Why spend so much money fighting something that has such a potential to make the government some money,especially considering the current financial state of the country.
What is the worst thing about this drug?
Its funny how much bitching and moaning the prohibitionist do, they talk and talk and talk a ton of bullshit while the people for marijuana legalization sit back and state the facts, kinda like when someone is caught in a lie, they rant and rave and get all defensive when they are caught, if you didn’t do anything wrong then you sit back and say calmly what are you talking about, or that never happened, not go off at the mouth, scream and yell like the prohibitionists.
On the one hand the guy arguing against was incompetent. He managed to tell several easily refutable lies, such as how the Dutch have legalized marijuana, which any one pretending to be an expert should know is not true.
On the other hand, the host seemed strongly in favor of marijuana legalization getting more coverage.
It sucks that whole thing was so awkward and you didn’t get a chance to talk at all until halfway through and then only a little.
I’m reminded of the title of a book by the latest Senator-to-be.
Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them
At least I think that’s the title.
Only “two legal drugs,” groan, how did he ever get a Ph.D.?
A marijuana conviction is the same as a parking ticket. I say give him a marijuana conviction the next time he doesn’t signal when changing lanes, or his meter runs out, or he crosses a solid white line, or…
Good Job Allen, that guy was falling all over his own words. A era has begun
We all need to contact CNN and request more coverage on this being it is a way to help the USA yet at the same time will help end marijuana prohibition which is a wast of taxpayers money. Why keep it in prohibition when prohibition does nothing but burden the economy . Keep up the fight to legalize marijuana.
Good job , Allen .
We can’t trust anyone that worked for the Bush Regime no matter what .
I thought the impact of this interview is going to boost all of our efforts. Finally we are actually given a chance to show everyone how the government has been lying to us all along. Way to go Norml and supporters. Lets keep it up. We need to keep our cool when debating to show everyone how ignorant the opposing party is.
It’s American Craft Beer Week. When will we see American Marijuana Horticulturalist Week?:
http://www.dirtsweatsoul.com/2009/05/hops-malt-barley-and-hemp-politics-of.html
I love to smoke Marijuana! Marijuana makes me feel so good,and it keeps me the nice person I want others to enjoy! Marijuana helps my bad back too!Kevin,what is wrong with you? I went to confession,and told God I was sorry. I some Marijuana! My Priest asked me why do
you think that is a sin?I do sin,and so do you Kevin!
you may drink.I don`t.I smoke pot.you don`t!Do you Masterbate? If you lie,you sin.If you masterbate you sin.I feel sorry for you Kevin,because you don`t get what I get.You know want that is? Gratifaction!!!!!!!!!
Some people just get off with a parking ticket? 1200 dollars for having a gram doesnt sound like a fucking parking ticket.
the guy against marijuana did not bring up a single good point.
he kept trying to relate pot to alcohol and tabacco but in no way are they related, both tabacco and alcohol can kill u just from the intake of it while marijuana has not once kill a human from consuming to much
The Marijuana Conspiracy explained.
http://www.world-mysteries.com/marijuana1.htm
on CNBC on the 17th at 11pm cst there is going to be some coverage on marijuana. besides that what all of us need to do is simply keep on requesting CNN and other news to do more coverage on ending prohibition of marijuana.
All Sabet did was spew the same lies as when he was pitted against Rob Kampia. Except that moderator was better at letting the pro-marijuana side speak vs. the prohibitionist. Sorry to see your poor treatment Allen.
Saying a marijuana arrest/conviction amounts to nothing more than a parking ticket is pure FRAUD! I say give Sabet a marijuana conviction the next time he double parks, or runs his meter out, or crosses a solid white line, etc… and see how he feels about it.
Another dumb-ass comment he keeps on making is that we have “two legal drugs.” How did he ever get a Ph.D? We have hundreds if not thousands of legal drugs! And like I wrote here, some of the things our govt. calls “drugs” are hardly drugs!
And using simpleton “associative” logic to smear marijuana as though it was the same at tobacco and alcohol makes me want to scream. Thank God moronic statements like that aren’t in more people’s minds, too bad he’s planting some seriously ill karma and lies in the minds of viewers.
People like this have no concern for much but their supposed reputation and their ability to draw huge consulting fees, I’m sure.
When I see some tv personalities all I can think is they are working hard to not show “Yeah! I can finally get some good bud at a reasonable price from a reputable source. But I need to keep my head down so the Drug Warriors don’t suspect me. In fact I’ll act like I’m against it.”
Sabet claims to want to study it. Hm… been studied for decades already! And each time intelligent people sit down and do the research they come to the same conclusion, “END PROHIBITION!” CU & Law Enforcement & Economists
There is not a single legitimate reason to keep marijuana illegal! Only evil fights us!
Enter Your Comment Here:
Many thanks for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts about the marijuana laws. I feel there are more serious crimes that can be more focus on. Our jails over crowd wit non-violent marijuana offenders and gets place into the same jails wit real career criminals, killers, and child offenders. This issue should be taken serious. It is a proven fact it is very easy for anyone including our younger community to get marijuana and I feel with regulating this issue like tobacco would save lives retaining it could stop some tobacco use which is proven this kills but we tax and sell it to our community knowing the effects. I do not understand it. Alcohol and tobacco kills a mass majority of people everyday because of cancer, liver and kidney disease but we continue to distribute these products. There are no reported deaths of marijuana users and I think it is just sad that we have been lied to concerning this issue and money was spent publicizing it in a negative way and by doing this many people actually believe it. I feel subjects 18 yrs of age and older are able to make there own decisions of marijuana use but I especially feel people who suffer disease, pains, headaches, depression, etc. should really be able to be prescribed medical marijuana. I am a resident of Georgia and I advice everyone to research medical marijuana laws in our states who have handled this situation like serious adults and put the negativity aside and look at the facts I believe this can and will eliminate a large majority of the drug war also percentage show big profit of marijuana sales and is non- harmful but its illegal. We will stop drug cartel that only care about profits when this can be proper studied and medically diagnosed to people in a responsible way. Thanks for this opportunity again and I would love to hear your feed back concerning these issues of stop of eliminating this element of the drug war, save lives, and live free.
I hope Texas Gov. Rick Perry can get down wind of this. Maybe he can get his Ole Buddy George Jr to guit playing the oil market long enough to jump on the wagon too. Heck, beef prices are down. We don’t want ole George to start loosing money his first year back home. Leagalize Pot. Let the states make some real money, and put that little Mexcan guy down the road, out of business
HELL YES!!!!! at least the idea is getting spread ALOT through the news here recently. NORML is awesome
My hatred for CNN knows no bounds. I’ve followed their insane Cannabis reporting since those bitches were founded.
Miserable, despicable organization.
When it comes to Cannabis, they are worse than Fox and brother that is saying something.
They say legalize but let’s remember, it was legal before. We need to decriminalize. People are being denied student loans for simple possesion charges. This may keep someone from going to college. That is just wrong. Everyone deserves an education. Felons in prison get a free degree so why can’t someone who possesed a weed get a loan?
yes pot smokers do crowd up our jails maybe not if you live in alaska but if you live in the south your at least spending 1 to 3 days in jail could be alot more especially in the south
#174 Blarrghh Says:
May 20th, 2009 at 4:15 am
They say legalize but let’s remember, it was legal before. We need to decriminalize. People are being denied student loans for simple possesion charges. This may keep someone from going to college. That is just wrong. Everyone deserves an education. Felons in prison get a free degree so why can’t someone who possesed a weed get a loan?
RE:
Blarrghh,
I say Re-LEGALIZE!
Repeal of LATERAL-PENALTIES,
(e.g., educational financial-aid ineligiability, would be a good start),
– What do you mean when you say ‘We need to decriminalize.’, though?
There’s a whole slew of differing, confusing terms.
(A whole ‘continum’ between legal and illegal,
as DPA’s Ethan Nadelmann would say…)
We need to standardize word-meanings:
LEGALIZED?
(To what degree???):
– I only find 1, 2, and 4 completely acceptable…
as defined as LEGAL for any ADULT!
– – 1) Completely, as any other naturally growing plant.
– – 2) As an agricultural-product, only subject to regulation if sold commercially.
– – 3) Legal, up to a certain quantity / certain number of plants,
(e.g. Alaska: This is really only lenient ‘DECRIM’, not true ‘LEGALITY’,
because ).
– – 4) Subject to commercial-licensing, taxation, similar to alcohol, tobacco,
with exceptions for non-commercial / personal, home-cultivation,
(Defined by amounts / number of plants).
California’s proposed AB390 and Massachusetts’ proposed SB1801 and HB2929
cannabis taxation and regulation acts.
– – 5) Subject to licensing and / or taxation, for commercial production / sales and
non-commercial / personal use, medical-use, home-cultivation,
(if personal-cultivation is permitted),
defined by license-status, amounts / number of plants.
(e.g.,Various state-based medi-cann laws, the proposed Oregon Cannabis Tax Act).
OCTA complies with United Nations Single Convention on Narcotics Drugs …
– – 6) Quazi-legal / decriminalized, practically-LEGAL,
(statutorily illegal, though not severely, and / or minimally enforced).
– – 7) Practically ILLEGAL, except for narrowly-defined research-purposes,
(Investigative New Drug and NIDA research of cannabis),
and / or only by fufilling impossible bureaucratic hurtles,
(a.k.a. the former 1937 Federal Marijuana Tax-Stamp Act).
DECRIMINALIZED?:
– Sometimes spoken in lieu of saying the dreaded “L” word, by some…
(To avoid appearing ‘soft’ on ‘drugs’…).
– Sometimes spoken as “not really legal”, the “worst of both worlds”,
(because it’s NOT truly above-board, outright legal, LEGAL: 1, 2, 4, 5;
NOR is it quality-regulated for retail-sales, either. LEGAL: 4, 5)
– – 0) Synonymous with LEGAL, definitions 1-6.
– – 1) PRACTICALLY-LEGAL for personal-use amounts, licensed,
retail-sales, (technically-illegal, though tolerated, laws minimally-enforced),
though commercial-scale cultivation and sales are more severely illegal.
(The Netherlands / Amsterdam).
– – 2) ILLEGAL, with very minimal penalties,
(e.g. $5 fine, community-service),
for personal-amounts publically consumed / displayed.
– – 3) ILLEGAL, with somewhat nominal penalties,
(e.g. $100 fine, civil-infraction or low-level misdemeanor).
– – 4) ILLEGAL, with somewhat greater penalties,
($100-300 fine, civil-infraction or misdemeanor,
possible LATERAL-penalties),
first or second times only, for personal amounts.
– – 5) ILLEGAL, with much greater penalties,
($500-2000, felony or severe misdemeanor),
sometimes waived conditionally upon completion of ‘diversion-program’,
for personal-amounts, first or second times only.
ILLEGALITY:
– – 1) ALL of the ABOVE
Except LEGAL, definitions 1 and 2, and
not complicit with LEGAL, definitions 3, 4, 5 and 7.
– SEVERITY of ILLEGALITY:
(Usually based upon arbitrarily-defined
‘PERSONAL-AMOUNTS’, which vary widely
with LOCALITY and QUANTITY)
– – 1) PETTY OFFENSE = DECRIM, definition 2.
– – 2) CIVIL INFRACTION = DECRIM, definitions 3, 4.
(no ‘criminal’ record, but possible high fines, LATERAL PENALTIES)
– – 3) MISDEMEANOR = DECRIM 3,4 or 5,
(What some define as DECRIM).
– Technically a CRIMINAL OFFENSE,
ranging from mild to severe,
though not as severe as a felony,
and may still carry LATERAL PENALTIES,
such as ineligiabilty for student-loans, public-assistance,
driver’s license, etc.
– – 4) FELONY = Not complicit with terms, obligations or personal-quantities
specified under DECRIM, which vary by state and country.
resulting in…
Loss of voting rights, (certain states), ineligiable for professional licensing,
child custody, certain employment / jobs.
PERSONAL QUANTITIES / AMOUNTS:
– Varies markedly from one state to the next,
where 1 ounce or up to 25 plants is completely legal in Alaska,
28 grams is a civil-infraction and $100 fine in California and Massachusetts,
down to mere detectable presence of INACTIVE-METABOLITES
in states with per-se DUI laws.
(This is analogous to be charged with drunk-driving
for having a beer three days prior,
since INACTIVE alcohol METABOLITES can be detected for that long).
CORRECTED incomplete DESCRIPTION:
“LEGAL? #3, e.g. Alaska…”
LEGALIZED?
(To what degree???):
– – 3) Legal, up to a certain quantity / certain number of plants,
(e.g. Alaska: This is really only lenient ‘DECRIM’, not true ‘LEGALITY, because…
it’s still “criminal” over
legal amt. / number of plants,
a partial-Prohibition…
And as DECRIM….
it’s the “worst of both worlds”,
still encourages underground markets.
it’s NOT truly above-board, outright legal, LEGAL: 1, 2, 4, 5;
NOR is it regulated for retail-sales, either. LEGAL: 4, 5).
Why is everyone still setting the age limit at 21? Is resposibility sent to you in a package in the mail? Cannabis is less harmful and imparing than alcohol so why set it at the same limit. It’s sad how 18 year olds are allowed to carry a gun and kill people in the military yet they don’t have enough responsibility to consume alcohol…let alone cannabis? This is just reddiculous. America obviously is still immature and has no common sense when it comes to sensible policies. If this country continues on it’s illogical path (as big of a patriot as I am) I’m definately considering packing my shit and moving to Europe where at least they’ve had enough time to think most things through thoroughly. To legalize andthink over many stupid policies would be more beneficial than locking up non violent offenders( if you can consider them offenders in the first place) in summary …America needs to get it’s own box of responsibilty in the mail and start being mature.
CORRECTED inaccurate DESCRIPTION:
“ILLEGALITY #1″
(Removed the word “NOT”,
replaced with “THOSE who ARE”)
ILLEGALITY:
– – 1) ALL of the ABOVE
Except LEGAL, definitions 1 and 2, and
THOSE who ARE complicit with LEGAL,
definitions 3, 4, 5 and 7.
How you ppl don’t get it? Gvnmnt wants you to be stupid, under-educated, so that every time they need more money for themselves or new war they always can say “here is a new leader, savior” and the less you think the more they get.
Anything changed after Obama? Is this Democracy ppl being killed for around the world, when a large crowd says NO, and they keep bringing you down?
It’s only about money and greed. Do police help you, or you already afraid to be really free, because most of the time that means fines, sentences, etc…?
It’s not about pot. It’s about slaves that have to pay hugely overpriced bills for gas, water, energy, … in many many countries all of those are much cheaper. Air tax is coming also. You can do little about anything, it’s not about democracy, it’s about totalitarian real owner of the country who keeps playing the great show of politics and promises, while doing their dirty job – making more and more stupid slaves.
Exit? Remember, nothing revolutionary happens before someone starts fighting with fists, until then they feel safe.
i used it for medicnal reasons(really) and hardly felt the side effects of the medicine. it really does help.
Why in the hell is tobacco and alcohol legal what were they thinking? It’s all backwards. Marijuana is all you need.
Smoke em if ya got em
Okay so does that guy really not get that “prevention and education” doesn’t help. If its illegal because it “hurts your lungs” well so do cigs! If it’s illegal because it changes your state of mind, well so does alcohol! Only weed isn’t nearly as bad as alcohol. If they would legalize it, our money would stay in this country instead of it all being sent out of the country to buy it. Plus, it’s good for like any kind of sickness. Girls? It is about the ONLY thing that gets rid of cramps. Sore Muscles. Headaches. The THC even helps fight against cancer. Like wtf. How come something that god put on this earth, grown from the ground is illegal, yet some manmade substance that kills plenty people a year in car accidents and alcohol poisening isn’t? Makes no sense.
Some people are just so judgemental and won’t give it a chance.
Weed isn’t bad. and I honestly think if some people took the stick outta their a** and took a few hits it would do them some freaking good.
LEGALIZEEEEE!
Legalization of Marijuana is a bad idea. Oddly enough all the people I know, and know of, who smoke marijuana are my enemies. People who smoke marijuana are hateful, paranoid, violent, destructive, emotionally distraught people. The Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau smoked pot and he brought in more restrictive regulations, raised taxes to record heights, and increased Canada’s national debt. Over half of all of Canada’s debt was incurred during the Trudeau years even though Canada wasn’t at war at that time. The reason he increased the national debt was to give him an excuse to raise taxes even higher on those pitiful Canadians. I am not pitiful and I don’t want to be. My experience has been that marijuana destroys communities; especially if politicians smoke it. If you can smoke marijuana and not be an *sshole, then legalization is fine. But I have yet to find such a person.
How is that man sitting there saying “most people with simple possession get away with as little as a parking ticket”. I was issued a possession charge in April 2009, and I had .35 grams on me and I am on probation for 9 months none deferred because my court appointed lawyer sucked. I failed my first drug test and was sentenced to 3 days in County Jail for a dirty UA on my FIRST DRUG TEST. It is about time that this country embraced the techniques of other countries and at least decriminalize it, or full legalization.
Legalize!
LEGALIZED IT!
why not??
LEGALIZE IT!
Legalize it tax get us out of debt!!!!!
Decriminalization at least
Meth is a bigger problem than pot!!! In my town all the meth heads steal either to make it or buy it. I see people who smoke pot set back and laugh.
LEGALIZE!!! it will happen! I hope soon 🙂 It is the persons choice if they wanna do something they enjoy, that could possibly kill you. WHo gives a fuck???
this guy is f’n retarded 90% of all americans smoke marijuana not 5%. And alcohol and cigarettes kill millions of people every year. how many people die from marijuana NONE, ZERO, ZIP. ENOUGH SAID