During a time of immense cannabis law reforms and major shifts in public opinion in favor of such, emerges now a throwback to the dark ages of America’s war on some drugs from the 1980s: The Congressional Anti-Cannabis Caucus.
Escaping any real media attention last week was the formulation of a new anti-marijuana caucus in the House of Representatives. As reported in Roll Call on July 13, a press conference was held with former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-IL), Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) and Darrell Issa (R-CA) that seeks to re-commit the Congress to the status quo of ‘fighting a war on drugs’.
The photograph displayed on Roll Call (which is a subscription publication) of the press conference prominently featured an anti-medical marijuana prop (made from a shoe box).
Heard on the Hill: Issa clutched a prop, a box that represented a shipment of medical marijuana. On the box was the handwritten phrase “Medical Rx” and a drawing of a pot leaf. …
The newly formed House Drug Task Force elected ardent anti-cannabis congressman John Mica (R-FL), who, according to the Deseret News, complained that the Obama administration “seeks to shut the war on drugs down.” And that, “the record to date is dismal with the demotion of Drug Czar’s office to a sub-Cabinet position, the announced support for needle exchange programs, the decriminalization of illegal narcotics and other measures that would weaken current national anti-drug efforts.”
Deseret News reports that the task force–which currently only has Republican members–has four core initiatives: stopping drug use before it starts through education and community action; healing drug users; disrupting the narcotics market; and stringent narcotics enforcement.
In other words, this ‘new’ anti-cannabis caucus would like to continue wasting taxpayers’ money, keep twisting the Constitution into knots, and continue killing innocent bystanders and drug users–while at the same time–hypocritically supporting government regulatory schemes that allows for the production, sale and taxation of more dangerous and addictive drugs such as tobacco, alcohol and pharmaceuticals products.
The members of this new anti-cannabis caucus in the Congress are: Dan Burton (R-IN), Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Jim Jordan (R-OH), John Mica (R-FL), Aaron Schock (R-IL), Mark Souder (R-IN) and Michael Turner (R-OH).
What? No Mark Kirk (R-IL)?
Two relevant points: 1) As this so-called ‘House task force’ is only populated with Republicans, it is hardly a ‘House’ task force, and 2) back in the overzealous ‘anti-drug’ 1980s, there was a large, powerful and bi-partisan ‘Select House Subcommittee On Narcotics’, chaired by uber-powerful Charles Rangel (D-NY), and strongly supported by the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). This committee dubiously helped champion the creation of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Partnership for a Drug-America campaign, DARE program in public schools, civil forfeiture laws, mandatory minimum sentencing, mass drug testing in the workplace, etc…..
Where is the CBC and Way and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel these days on the so-called war on drugs?
In general, Rep. Rangel and the CBC (headed by Rep. Barbara Lee, D-CA, of Oakland) no longer support ‘warring on drugs’ as much as they embrace the effective public health doctrine of ‘harm reduction’.
Where is the pro-cannabis caucus? Bob Barr and Ron Paul, I’m looking at you!
i understand both parties have had a hand in creating this fiasco but i must say that here lately it sure looks like the republican party is is becoming a party of ‘dead enders’.
Just goes to show,the lack of perception by the politicians of the Republican Party, when it comes to what the American people care about.Peace & Freedom are two things the party of losers are not even vaguely concerned about. LIFE,LIBERTY,AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.
I say if there going to do this and are anti-mj then being we know who they are we should make sure they loose when they run for office comes election time . Lets show them our votes do matter and that they would not be in office with out our support . Instead lets put other people who are for mj into office.
This government is up and down..I am so confused on what way to look now..One week pro marijuana gets a lot of media attention and it seems things have shifted and more political people are backing it..then this shit happens..I really don’t know if it will ever be legal or dicrim..and it seems that our government is split in 2 and if it is decrim or legalized it will go right back to illegal if the right administration is in office..
I thought Replublicans were for more personal freedom I guess thats just for the RICH.
WHY, caan they get out of there heads that GANJA is not a drug, it is a herb for healing of the nations… blood klaats!
FYI, Dennis Hastert sought federal money for an interstate road that just so happend to run by a large property owned by his family. Local farmers helped to stop it. You can have enough money! What is this f***** pension anyway.
Heh the Pro-Cannabis caucus is just like the pro-cannabis voter hiding in the shadows.
I dont think tht small group stands a chance. Compared to the other list of Democrats that r running with Ron Paul,and Barney Franks proposal. ………This is good news
An effort should be made to bring to light the ties to their personal finances these individuals have concerning the “why” they would support the continuation of absurd policy. Either they are very ignorant and should have no place in creating policy of any kind or they are not ignorant and personally benefit from the war on drugs.
I would like to knoe how much the pharmaceutical companies spend lobbying Congress on their position(s) of drug policy? And do they play both sides of the debate?
Reducing the ONDCP to a cabinet status is a great idea.
Now they should disband all the other non-useful drug departments alltogether. It reminds me of Cal-Trans.
There’s always 5 or 6 supervisors standing over one worker. It’s a waist of tax payer dollars.
Look!…we cannabis proponents don’t want to make the
“War on Drugs” go away. The greater percentage of medicinal users are as anti-drug as anyone. Maybe even more so. Hard drugs…schedule I drugs…
perscriptive drugs…are a scurge.
Well! Now…if we now know who this caucus is…we should attack. Trow da bums out! The best weapon we could use is the Data Quality Act, and the President’s Memo, so they dont spread anymore false information, which seem to be their best waepon. By the way, Issa is from San Diego, and his shorts aren’t that clean. We should bury them with phone calls, e-mails, electronic contact, maybe even go plant ourselves on their district office door step and become a fixture. In short…we out number them, and that’s our effective weapon. NO VIIOLENCE PLEASE.
Remember, harm reduction was the Drug Czras bag in Seattle. It looks like this caucus is against world policy too. Well, I guess you can’t change the spots on a leopard, or make any sense to them…but…we can’t give up either.
Well I’d like to see the anti-marijuana cause fight these numbers. I think we have a new majority. The more polls that show numbers like this, perhaps legislators will realize where there votes are going to come from. http://www.newsvine.com/_question/2009/07/08/3008931-should-california-legalize-and-tax-marijuana-to-help-solve-its-budget-crisis-
Also up to 9 cosponsors on HR 2943
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-2943
Dan Burton is a congressman from Indiana, not Illinois. We all need to write and call our elected officials as much as possible to change the current laws. The new administration has done a good job at stopping the “pot-raids’ at the medical pot clinics in Cali, more must be done.
Frank and Rohrbacher also pro cannabis.
Jason Chaffetz…mormon dweeb.In his campaign ads he said his biggest accomplishment was kicking the winning field goal for BYU.I’ve already written him on the hemp issue but no response.I did remind him that Brigham Young started the first hemp processing factory in UT.
The caucus must be sent the message that enough is enough,and the constituents of these people need to make posters and political banners,educating their fellow citizens of the caucus’s support of a failed strategy and continued tax burden on the people. When these people start getting more calls and letters from their constituency,and they ignore them or continue their support of prohibition,their time in office will be short. Replacing them is our only option.
The last I heard of Bob Barr he was all for making it illegal to even talk about legalizing cannabis. For purposes of his run for POTUS as a libertarian he unenthusiatically supported drug legalization with the hope that users were quickly kill themselves.
Some good people for cannabis reform would be Rep. Steven Cohen (D-Tenn.)and of course Rep. Barney Frank, and co-sponsors of Barney Frank’s recent Federal decriminalization bill. Rep. Ron Paul seems sincere in his pro-reform statements. There are hopefully more.
Congratulations Anti-Marijuana Caucus.you just committed political suicide.
Why are so many of these guys from Illinois?? fuk i hate my state and we still havnt voted on MD marijuana.. everyone decided to go on vacation for the summer sheesh
What better way to send a loud, and clear message then to vote every single member of the caucus out in the next election.
That would be a powerful statement.
What an embarassement and there could not be a more ridiculous group in Congress.
There is something else going on here though. I feel like these guys are just the puppets and someone else is pulling the strings.
Is the DEA scared?
FUCK those guys. Why dont they take off the masks and the American populac the truth; that these guys dont like or want freedom they would much prefer a police state. I bet behin closed doors they have shrines to Hitler and Mussolini. They probably whack off to pictures of Pol-Pot. KISS MY ASS ANTI POT COCK-US. I want my freedom.
The needle exchange folks were demonstrating against the Administration’s decision as being a continuation of the same old prohibitions on needle exchange programs, so I don’t know where this caucus is coming from. Bob Barr has royally ticked off long-time legalizers as myself, and he has not done nearly enough to make up for nixing the D.C. cannabis initiative by defunding anything involved with it. Barr had better come out in favor of legalization in tv and other media interviews on CNBC, MSNBC, FOX Nes, CNN, the neworks, PBS, and everywhere. It would show his remorse and that he is a libertarian, not just a libertarian in name and convenience only.
These politicians need to get together beforehand and privately work out how they are going to work together to support each other on legalization and its opponents. This country needs a Second Stimulus now, and money to pay it off over the years has to come from somewhere. It’s great the banks and big corporations got their welfare money and the power elite and their institutions didn’t have to use their own money to bail out their number of shares in the companies they have stock shares in and that they all are still getting their obscene bonuses. (Have you no shame?!) The little bit of recovery it all gave the stock market was essentially a jobless recovery, and everyone knows that without job creation people will not have jobs to buy real estate–money will remain tight–and fewer people with jobs and underemplyed people means wages that can’t be taxed for revenues to pay off all this stimulus.
Cannabis prohibition is a tree that has pernicious roots: racial profiling for economic and voter disenfranchisement that leads to conditions of educational and medical neglect, a lack of jobs for people of color, a stoking of their neighborhoods with illegal sources of income for the purposes of incarceration.
Keep running the economy into the ground until cannabis is legalized!
All Republicans…. go figure.
VOTE THEM OUT.
I actually wrote my congressman Erik Paulson who is a close friend of Mark Kirk.
I informed him that someone had fed Kirk a line of reefer madness, and that the republicans are not going to get anywhere trying to scare the remaining 10% of the population that can be scared by marijuana, and efforts to do that only alienate the 18 to 35 demographic.
I then gave him the costs both Paulson and Kirk are “fiscal conservatives” that fighting Marijuana costs the federal government along with the yearly budget growth numbers that the DEA has seen since 1972.
While neither may not support Marijuana law reform I don’t think that Kirk is going to show his ass like that again.
Also this is why people need to contact their representatives often they only really care about whoever is putting the most effort out to communicate with them.
I started writing to the Congressmen listed in this article. I recommend everyone else do the same, especially if you’re a registered voter. You usually have to figure out which zip codes are in their district before they’ll accept email from you, but it’s not hard to do. One of Dan Burton’s zip codes is 46990.
This is what I sent him, and will send to the rest:
Dear Mr. Burton,
As a voter and proud citizen of these United States, I am very disappointed to read that you and your constituents are continuing to waste more and more taxpayer dollars as you continue the impossible effort to eradicate marijuana from this country through your failed “War on Drugs” effort.
You are spending untold amounts of OUR money virtually using a bucket to empty an ocean. America sees through the lies of the War on Drugs and America wants marijuana without persecution. We already know that it is safer than alcohol, tobacco, and pharmaceutical drugs and with the fact that it is the largest cash crop in the USA it baffles many who realize that legalization, taxation and regulation is the best solution to the problem. The War on Drugs is a paramount failure and will never work and is, in fact, the direct cause for most, if not all, marijuana-related problems in this country.
Are you aware that our children can get illicit drugs more easily than they can get alcohol or tobacco? That’s because people like you fight to keep the control in the hands of the cartels, the gangs, and the unregistered, untaxed, street dealers, none of whom ask a buyer for ID.
Please stop throwing away our tax dollars and please help put a damper in the Mexican Drug Cartels’ business by legalizing and controlling cannabis. It is time to think wisely.
We must end this insane “war on drugs” and we must use logic and common sense to deal with America’s drug problem. A fast-growing majority of American voters agree.
One on behalf of many,
Annah M.
They are losing…they know it and are trying everything they can. It is only a matter of time before our police force (national and local) are put to better use.
Let me make sure I got this correct. Our Government says and support the sale of tobacco. Where it clearly states on the package that smoking tobacco is harmful to your health and may result in death, but marijuana which has some medicinal values is illegal. Is that correct?
I think that is kind of messed up. If they are going to keep Marijuana illegal then they should also make tobacco illegal.
How dare the our Government be so blindsided and make death legal and something that is helpful illegal.
I am sure it is very difficult for the lock step non-thinkers to understand why they have no-one that wants to come to their Caucus.
It still seems puzzling that Pot is still classified as a schedule 1 Narcotic.
If it was not a schedule 1 then who cares what they want to do about Narcotic trafficking?
Why is this not the real issue that needs driving until it is changed to the correct classification?
I still say these assholes will not listen unless we give them a little wake up call. I think that short of riots and mass protests (and I mean like the anti-Vietnam war protests) we are going to continue to be arrested and prosecuted like murderers and rapists. I do have one idea for a massive “non-violent” means of protest. Friday of next week tell all of your friends and everyone you know to leave their cell phone off and without a battery!!! It is time to hit them where it hurts. I don’t mean “don’t use it unless it is an emergency”, I mean take the battery out and live the rest of the day as if you had never had the silly thing to begin with.
-Oz
PEOPLE OF NORML, IF YOU REALLY WANT POT LEGALIZED, WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES, IN ORDER TO FORM A PERFECT UNION, ESTABLISH JUSTICE, AND ENSURE THAT WE NO LONGER GET F*CKED ANYMORE NEED TO VOTE THESE SORRY SOB’S OUT…SEND THEM EMAILS TELLING THEM THEY WILL BE VOTED OUT BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE BUT ONLY DOING WHAT THEY THINK IS RIGHT! VOTE THEM OUT! VOTE THEM OUT! VOTE THEM OUT!
lol do u all think those republicans know they are being set up to lose more votes for being on the wrong side when it all goes down….. maybe we should ask them??
Its funny how these fool believe they are championing a group for a “better America” when all they are really doing is brainwashing and killing through their support of tobacco and alcohol. Hah.
In the final days of the passing of the dinasaurs, no doubt there were among them some that flailed about mightily, just like the anti-cannabis caucus. Prohibitionists will soon become extinct, like dinasaurs, because of their lack of ability to adapt to a changing world. Prohibitionists have provided this nation with nothing but failure, forcing in their war of choice a “cure” that is much worse than the “disease,” at a terrible cost of more than a trillion dollars and untold human suffering. Prohibitionists are on the wrong side of God’s will for people to live in freedom with liberty as acknowledged and cited in the Constitution of the United States. Prohibitionists are on the wrong side of history as prohibition has never worked. Prohibitionists are on the wrong side of the facts, such as their hypocritical support of niccotine and alcohol. Prohibitionists are on the wrong side of good economic sense, ignoring billions of tax dollars from a substance people are going to continue to consume, regardless. Prohibitionists are on the wrong side of viable medical treatment, turning their backs on a substance that has been used successfully since at least the dawn of recorded human history. Prohibitionists’ failed ideology has degraded the domestic tranquallity of several allied nations and keeps some truely dangerous drugs unregulaged and therefore readily available to our children. Prohibitionists need to go join the dinasaurs, the sooner the better.
The person that needs to speak to these morons ( all Republicans as you can see) is Senator Jim Webb. Im sure by now his conclusion of the drug war will be quite different after looking at the prison system. Is’nt this just lie a bunch of Republicans. Have you ever known a group of men and women that actually hate Liberty and Freedom as much as the Republican Party does?? For some reason they think it is their God given right to tell me what I should or shouldnt do.. That they know better. Why dont you mind your own damn business and while in Washing D.C. spend your time working on issues that are truly important to American people like you are suppose to be doing and kindly take your nose out of my ass.
This is laughable. What a waste of tax payer’s dollars supporting a propaganda machine almost as good as Nazi Germany Hitler’s.
Obama will probably sleep in bed with these pricks for a little money too…
Ron Paul 2012! I am what you call a Traditional Conservative… the current GOP has turned into the third party of America (Neo-Conservative) Neo-Con.
Neo-Con: Corporate America and the advancement of America throughout and for the rest of the world.
I still need to do the research on this, but I’m willing to bet that every one of these “smaller government” Republicans probably has a hand in the pockets of some major pharmaceutical groups. This anti-cannabis caucus should probably be called the pro-pharmaceutical caucus. After all, cannabis poses quite a threat to big pharma profits. Why would anyone take drugs from big-pharma with side-effects like increased risks of heart attacks when you can take marijuana whose most awesome side effect is getting high?
Also, I think at this point anyone who still supports the debacle that is the “War on Drugs” is a bit out of touch with reality. But, hey, out of touch with reality and congress go hand in hand.
Agree with me or not, I’m of the mind that people that cultivate and/or consume cannabis for personal use are definitely not criminals. Distribution should be regulated by the FDA and maybe even the ATF, but this criminilaztion of good people needs to stop.
My God…..I can’t believe there is still people in government like this, what a bunch of square lamers. I bet they still wet the bed and have never really lived one day in their pathetic sorry excuse for an existence. Will this bullshit ever end? In the bible (for all you christian nuts) God says that he has given us every seed bearing plant to use, so why the hell is it that you want us to fashion ourselves after you just because your racist against Mexicans. Go fuck yourselves hardy.
(>^_^)><////W~~~~~ Excuse me while I light my spliff!
Dead links need more http://. Also can we see a picture of this shoebox model so we can see if it is as feeble as they are.
God I hate the Republicans.
Well, at least there’s no die-hard prohibitionists here in NY.
As a group the war on drugs benefits mainly lawyers and judges, that were lawyers before becoming judges. The politicians are all lawyers and they all protect themselves. The good old boy network is alive and well. It is time for the majority to tell these lawyers that seem to control everything. We are tired of the feeding of the poor and helpless…
Cherokee Fred Jesus
im from Indiana and im ashamed that two of the people in this caucus are from my state not all Hoosiers view the world with blinders but don’t ever hope for support from my state we need help here to stop the anti American views of are representatives after all we voted in Mitch Daniels a first term bush flunky that’s drove my state in to the ground why they don’t see corn aint the only thing growing out in the fields……tired and disgusted
o and by the way i live near the Ohio line where two other supporters are from ………tired of being called a criminal
God will this injustice ever end?
I’m proud that none of those congressmen are from Texas. I pray it stays that way
This is either a sign that time is REALLY running out on these guys, and to which they are willing to embarrass themselves by trying to band together as a bunch of holy warriors, or that they are just throwing it in our face that as long as they are alive (because once youre in politics, you pretty much stay there till youre old as dirt) they will make DAMN sure that prohibition will never end. I hope dirt gets dug up on these assholes who try to decide whats best for YOU.
My level of frustration on this topic has lead me to depart from commenting on these news blogs, because I fear that my emotions will promt me to do something stupid (Or profound, whichever side youre looking at it).
Ashes to Ashes
Gas cans to matches.
This is so great. You just don’t understand how great this is. The media really ought to have another round of legalization discussion with these guys in the spotlight. Chaffetz, The D-news? Freakin awesome. Is the LDS community in Utah really the only group left in America that eats this stuff up?
You mean, Meet the all new WHITE congressional group who are opposed to Mexicans who live and a Free Black Community.
Racism by any other name is still racism.
Well…let keep the pressure on til the teeny tiny caucus is microscopic and then keep it that way. We wil have to keep the fight going after it is legal. these type of people will not give up.
This year alot of progress has been made, but this war is not over. There are still die hard anti-pot pols trying to get pot back in the box. But the cat is out of the bag.When the lies start coming out of their mouths, hold their feet to the fire with truth!
Prohibitionists…Prohibiyionists…Prohibitionists
It’s been my 71 years of experience that, and correct me if I’m wrong, when you tell a human being NO! what you get in return is a big fat “FUCK YOU.” Words like “DON’T…STOP IT…YOU CAN’T…FORGET IT” causes the American Spirit to reply…”WATCH ME ASSHOLE.”
PROHIBITONISTS of any and all kinds have plagued this country, and the world since their creation. They are NOT going to go away…EVER. So!…it’s our RESPONSIBILITY as free Americans to put the bad genie
back in the bottle, put the lid back on, and put it its place. If NOT, we only have ourselves to blame.
HARM REDUCTION, great point only politicians are seeking votes NOT Harm Reduction.
Hey Republicans…
What part of your self-procliamed “LIMITED GOVERNMENT”
political ideology does this fall under ?!?!
Guess it only applies to policies which protect your wealth, guns, religion, lies, and close-mindedness. Meanwhile, shoving your not-so-moral fist down our throats in a very unlimited way.
I have been a registered Republican for over 20 years and have finally jumped ship. The Republican bastardization of “conservative” ideology is unbelievable. What happened…? Just a bunch of mean-ass, old, racist kooks.
The saddest and most frustrating part is that the more sensible members of congress just keep backing down in fear to them. Somehow, they forgot that we voted for them to FIGHT for us, not throw us to the wolves.
*****TO DEFEAT THIS CAUCUS BEFORE IT STARTS WE MUST DO THE FOLLOWING*****
1- Find out key issues in their home disticts (NOT MARIJUANA).
2- Start posting INTELLIGENT THOUGHT OUT reasons why their arguments are flawed (NOT ON MARIJUANA).
3- Start writing irrational and emotional (anonymous) letters and posts in FAVOR of their idea (known as “trolling” on the internet, this idea was actually first put into practice by Dr. Timothy Leary).
4- To reiterate- don’t make it about marijuana, just make it about why each of them is bad for their district… they get kicked out, and we’re down 4 enemies without even connecting it to our cause.
Simple politics.
Speaking of mexicans, LEGALIZE it, put mexican gangs out of business! Then, we solve our imigration problem giving the aliens jobs as marijuana farmers!
#59 you are right!
Those guys will get laughed at in congress if they oppose an the majority support Ron Paul,Barney Franks bill.Somewhere theres a list ive seen
57 Rick Seymore, Tennessee Activist
There are two things that are done deals.
1. Medicinal Use in California.
2. Harm Reduction as the foundation for the Amercan Policy.
Now! Everything else is unpredictable.
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lou | 3:00 p.m. July 20, 2009
The winds of change are blowing across this country, and we will have to drag our sorry ass politicians along with us. The “War on Drugs” is a war against choice, what some choose to consume should not be a matter for the Government to decide, especially a Government that makes revenue from the top two health risks ever. Decriminalize Cannabis ,continue to go after the drug cartels , but for god sake don’t try to tell me that I should go to prison for consuming what I am consuming right now….
So let these little asshat politicians ramble on about protecting the children,blah blah blah, protect your own damn children leave mine the hell alone. The winds of change are here, NOW, let Chaffetz and his little friends piss in the wind if they choose to, I intend to stay UPwind from them.
Nelson P. @#58:
Repubilcan…democrate…libitarian…independant? What the hell ? Its all the same. Its a lable to hide behind. I wondered for long time what party I can trust..guess what I came up with….NONE! If I am any label…I”M AN AMERICAN! Screw all this other 3-4 party shit. I am ..American. Anyone else think we should start THE AMERICAN PARTY?
65 R.O.E Start a grass roots American Party…I do!
I would like to register as a member of the
“INDIVIDUALST PARTY.” I am an Individualist. No law can be scared to me but that of my nature. Good and bad are but names readily transferable to that or this; the only right is what is after my Constitution; the only wrong is what is against it.
An Individualist is to carry him or her “self” in the presence of all opposition as if everything were titular and ephemeral but he or she. I am ashamed to think how easily we capitulate to badges and names, to large societies, and dead institutions.
If the single Individualist plant him or her “self” indomitably on his or her instincts, and there abide, the huge world will come round to him or her.
P.S. to 66……….”I AM AN INDIVIDUALIST.”
RESOLVED, that the Individualist Party stands for, and delivers individual freedom, free thought, and the ability to act on those thoughts and beliefs. Should I find that I am the sole member of my party…I will consider my party complete, and its platform undivided.
RESOLVED, that I hereby pledge my allegiance to individualism, and should I become a traitor to the cause to which I pledge my allegiance, may my right hand wither on the arm that I raise.
When one individualist loses his or her individual freedom, each and every individualist loses theirs. Individual freedom is the bedrock for freedom for all, for without it, when it is denied, when it is withheld, do we not become a controlled mass?
PEOPLE WHO WILL SACRAFICE FREEDOM FOR ORDER…WILL RECEIVE NEITHER.
As you do your liberty…guard your four freedoms with your life.
THE FREEDOM OF WORSHIP
THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH
FREEDOM FROM WANT
THE FREEDOM FROM FEAR
Cherokee Fred Jesus said:
“As a group the war on drugs benefits mainly lawyers and judges, that were lawyers before becoming judges. The politicians are all lawyers and they all protect themselves. The good old boy network is alive and well. It is time for the majority to tell these lawyers that seem to control everything. We are tired of the feeding of the poor and helpless…”
I’m a lawyer and I have to tell you I’m 100% for legalization as are many other lawyers I know. If you were to go to a National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers meeting what you would hear from speakers talking about marijuana prohibition is how stupid it is and how we really need to change these laws. Do you think criminal defense lawyers are getting rich on marijuana cases? For most of us these cases are only a tiny percentage of our business. I’ve handled thousands of pounds worth of pot cases, but that was mostly when I was a public defender handling drug mule cases. Salaried public defenders get most drug cases and they’d just as soon not be getting them because they have more work than they can handle to begin with.
Judges and prosecutors are largely against legalization, but not because they make money from these cases. They are salaried government employees with large caseloads. Prosecutors are caught up in nailing as many people as they can and they don’t want anything to be legalized, nor do they ever want penalties for anything reduced because that makes it more likely people will try their cases and makes it harder for them to really stick it to people in plea agreements.
Judges tend to be prosecutors in black robes. Most were prosecutors before they became criminal court judges. Both judges and prosecutors just see the worst case scenarios when it comes to marijuana. They don’t see all the responsible use by decent people because these people rarely get caught and they are discreet about their use, especially in front of cops, prosecutors and judges. Cops, judges and prosecutors see the hardcore criminals who happen to get caught with pot too. They see all the hard drug addicts and hard drug dealers who happen to get caught with pot too. They only see pot in associatoin with bad things and most all of them see pot as a very bad thing and they’ll always be against legalization.
There are some prosecutors offices that do make money from marijuana. Some take in a lot of asset forfeiture money related to marijuana that really helps their budgets. That would have to influence their attitudes on legalization. But, most prosecutors offices make little to none from these forfeitures, and by and large they have the same attitudes toward legalization as prosecutors whose offices bring in significant asset forfeiture money from marijuana cases. So, it’s not likely that money is behind their opposition to legalization. We wouldn’t be firing any prosecutors or judges if we legalized pot. They’d just have more time to focus on more important things.
Why do politicians oppose marijuana so much? Some are prosecutor types who want to control the masses and tell everybody how to live their lives. Many probably oppose it because they genuinely believe it’s bad and harmful for society and that we’d have a huge increase in use if it became legal. Many see it as part of the “culture war” and they think if it was legal everyone would smoke it and become immoral hippies and this country would go to Hell in a hand basket.
There are a lot of politicians though that deep down aren’t really opposed to legalization. Probably quite a few are actually for it, but they won’t dare come out and say so because they believe that would be political suicide. So they just parrot the party line on marijuana. As support for marijuana grows and we start seeing consistent support for legalization by a strong majority, a lot of these chicken shit politicians will come around and start trying to gain political advantage by coming out for legalization.
The Anti-Cannabis Caucus is a hate group that is fueled by the propaganda of fear and hate in order to get federal money. Instead of playing the political game of “Pro-” and “Anti-“, just isolate those Anti-Cannabis creeps and vote them out of office.
The Anti-Cannabis Caucus would waste away federal money while “Legalizers” would help increase money for the States.
Too many of these politicians still believe what there parents used to preach to them and Im sure they say the same thing “money does’t grow on trees” Well open your eyes sure looks like it grows there to me
Comments are fine here, but we’re all on the same page already.
Go post your comments (gently!) on the website referenced in the article:
Deseret News
http://www.deseretnews.com/article
/1,5143,705315896,00.html
Mark Godfrey Says:
July 21st, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Comments are fine here,
but we’re all on the same page already.
Go post your comments (gently!) on the website referenced in the article:
Deseret News
RE:
– A FUNCTIONAL hyperlink to
article-comments page…
Only THEN are we all on the same page…
COMMENTS
Chaffetz joins drug task force
here is what I just posted on the Deseret News:
I used to work for a company that provided payphone access to prisoners of jails. I did this work for over 4 years and visited over 70 facilities nationwide.
I have a question for Mr.Chaffetz:
If in an environment completely controlled, observed and regulated by force if necessary drugs were readily and I assume still are available for a price.
How in the world in a free nation do you plan on LEGISLATING control of a weed?
How many more citizens will be classified as ‘Felons’ stripped of citizens rights before you consider the war won?
Our company made obscene profits with no worry about economic pressure, all at the expense of the “families” with loved ones incarcerated?
All I want is the right to be left alone if I am not harming anyone… I guess that is not considered American anymore.
I also see facts mean nothing in this argument, it is just too profitable to keep locking up/ collecting the proceeds from the jail machine.
We build more jails than schools… is that a good plan Mr.Chaffetz? You must believe so. Your actions declare it.
I find it truly unfathomable that a group of Republicans are even allowed to take that initiative:
Deseret News reports that the task force–which urrently only has Republican members–has four core initiatives: stopping drug use before it starts through education and community action; healing drug users; disrupting the narcotics market; and stringent narcotics enforcement.
I mean, isn’t that basically saying we’re Republicans…just one’s who care more than other Republicans about marijuana. Their initiative sounds like basically what the Republican stance HAS been, they just started a little club to waste more taxpayer money organizing. This is nothing new, they don’t seem to be doing anything that wasn’t already being done (anti-drug education – D.A.R.E and frying eggs , healing drug users – methadone clinics , disrupting the narcotics market – we’ve all seen videos of the DEA destroying someone’s life AKA disrupting the market, stringent narcotics enfocement – well, the way they “street value” their drugs, you go away for life for having sandwich bags and an ounce so, id say that was stringent…)
So what exactly are they doing at these meetings? Recanting old tales of when their friends performed unspeakable acts under the influence of marijuana….perhaps over a gin & tonic? Now, ALCOHOL….THAT may deserve a caucus…
These people have NO COMPASSION for the SICK………..
I have CANCER…..and cannibis helps me through it….
don’t let these devils dictate your life…….
If you live somewhere this MEDICINE , YES , MEDICINE NOT DRUG is not legal then MOVE to a state where it is.
sometimes a fresh start is just what we need…..
These IDIOTS NEED to be SCHOOLED ON THIS SUBJECT OF CANNIBIS AND ITS POSITIVE EFFECTS………….
ALL THE WAY FROM SEED…TO PLANT( GIVING OFF OXYGEN )..
TO CULTIVATION AND CONSUMED……..
UNTIL ONE OF THERE OWN GET SICK WILL THEY REALIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS MEDICINE CALLED “CANNIBIS”……..
I KNOW IT SHOULD JUST BE LEGALIZED ( PERIOD )
I WANT A MED MARIJUANA CARD BUT WONT GET ONE AND I TRULY DESERVE ONE.
WHY NOT ? OK ILL TELL YOU ~ THERE WILL NEVER BE A POT CLUB TO BUY FROM IN MERCED COUNTY CA.( THEY WERE OUTLAWED IN ADVANCE BY THE CITY COUNCIL )
AND THEN THEY WANT $225.00 DOLLARS A YEAR EVERY YEAR JUST TO HAVE A CARD. DMV AINT EVEN THAT BAD. ! !
AFTER VISITING THE HEALTH DEPT AND PLENTY OF DOCTORS NOTES AND SIGNATURES AND PROBING YOUR WHOLE LIFE.
AND GETTING ALL KINDS OF PERSONAL AND HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS NAMES ALSO .CMON !
I MEAN HONESTLY FOR WHAT ? IF YOU GET BUSTED WITH AN OUNCE OR LESS ILLEGALLY ITS ONLY A $ 100.00 DOLLAR FINE. WHY GO THROUGH THE COALS OF HELL !
THESE DAM MONKEYS AINT MY DADDY AND IM GONNA DO WHAT I NEED TO DO THATS ALL THERE IS TO IT.
I HAVE FOR OVER 30 YEARS AND WILL STILL WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER.
WHERE THE REAL INDICA LATELY ANYWAY ?
IT,S BEEN REAL AND IT,S JUST HOW I FEEL. !
76 Joe…Oh Ya! Merced!
Well…you saw what us San Diegans did, and good old Merced was right with San Diego before they got thrown out of the U.S. Supreme Court. If Merced doesn’t have a collective, form one. It’s a county issue not a city issue.
I went to extremist Jim Jordan’s website and under health care he says he supports getting government bureaucrats out of health care. Guess that doesn’t include thuggish DEA agents who are now interfering in everyone’s health care especially chronic pain patients. The hypocrisy of the right never ceases to astound me!!