(The Raw Story via InfoWars.com) “We’re not at war with people in this country,” [US Drug Czar Gil] Kerlikowske told The Wall Street Journal in May.
However, if the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s (ONDCP) budget for fiscal year 2011 is to be believed, Kerlikowske was full of hot air.
According to 2011 funding “highlights” released by the ONDCP (PDF link), the Obama administration is growing the drug war and tilting its funds heavily toward law enforcement over treatment.
The president’s National Drug Control Budget also continues the Bush administration’s public relations tactic of obscuring the costs of prosecuting and imprisoning drug offenders. “Enron style accounting,” is how drug policy reform advocate Kevin Zeese described it, writing for Alternet in 2002.
The budget places America’s drug war spending at $15.5 billion for fiscal year 2011; an increase of 3.5 percent over FY 2010. That figure reflects a 5.2 percent increase in overall enforcement funding, growing from $9.7 billion in FY 2010 to $9.9 billion in FY 2011. Addiction treatment and preventative measures, however, are budgeted at $5.6 billion for FY 2011, an increase from $5.2 billion in FY 2010.
In short, the Obama administration’s appropriations for treating drug addiction are just short of half that dedicated to prosecuting the war.
The problem, of course, is that when you have declared drugs to be illegal, you must expend resources to arrest, try, and convict the people who manufacture, transport, sell, buy, and use drugs. It’s really less about the the people who use drugs than it is about the people whose jobs depend on arresting the people who use drugs.
We’re in the middle of a recession. Jobless numbers are through the roof. If marijuana were regulated like alcohol or tobacco, you suddenly add a whole bunch of DEA, police, prosecutors, wardens, guards, and more to the unemployment line. Then add in the young people who have found marijuana growing and dealing to be the only living wage job they can find, now suddenly unemployed by marijuana re-legalization, and you’ll see unemployment figures that would guarantee an Obama re-election defeat in 2012.
Yes, a legal marijuana market would open up many jobs and industries and tax revenues heretofore unrealized, but transitioning to that market is going to take time. In the meantime, what jobs are open for former drug cops and pot dealers?
We bring this up to temper our disappointment in a man who in 2004 said our “War on Drugs is an utter failure and we need to rethink and decriminalize our marijuana laws” but in 2010 has turned into just another prohibitionist president.
(Find more information on this contradiction between the Obama Administration’s lip service toward treatment over incarceration, complete with quotes and informative graphs, at Pete Guither’s informative DrugWarRant blog.)
President Obama would not talk to the American people of why he is doing this. How come?
There is no way he will be re-elected in 2012. No way.
I’m so over this fucking government. Its time to take our shit back and stop playing around. We all need to exorcise our rights to own a fire arm, before its taken away. When the time comes we can get rid of these fuckers once and for all.
why do they keep spending our tax dollars on a failed war. we need change.
“We’re in the middle of a recession. Jobless numbers are through the roof. If marijuana were regulated like alcohol or tobacco, you suddenly add a whole bunch of DEA, police, prosecutors, wardens, guards, and more to the unemployment line. Then add in the young people who have found marijuana growing and dealing to be the only living wage job they can find, now suddenly unemployed by marijuana re-legalization, and you’ll see unemployment figures that would guarantee an Obama re-election defeat in 2012.”
Awwwwwwwww, poor Obama won’t have a job in 2012. Ya that’s a good reason to expand the drug war, throw more innocent people in jail, and spend way too much money doing so. You are such a disappointment.
You expected more from Obama?
Ron Paul 2012
[Editor’s note: Why be delusional that a libertarian-leaning Republican (who, if elected in 2012 will be 77 years-old) that is unpopular in his own party [How many Republican primaries did he win? What percentage of support did he garner? Paul can’t pull more than 5% from Republicans, support is even less from Democrats and Independent voters. How does the LP candidates, like Barr, do in national elections?], specifically Ron Paul, is ever going to be elected president by a majority of national voters?
Ron Paul’s legacy is not going to be president of the U.S. What it appears to be is that he is a very popular political figure, who is a clear-minded and full-throated voice for personal liberty, constitutional values and fiscal responsibility. For this he deserves immense credit for spending his time on earth going to almost anyplace–big or small–to spread the message of Libertarianism.
NORML is a non-partisan organization that sees merit in having a political system that is not effectively a duopoly. However, this does not change the fairly clear reality that Ron Paul will not be elected president of the US in 2012 at 77 years-old running as a libertarian-leaning Republican or as a Libertarian.]
YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW WE CAN NOT TRUST THE GOVT AND THE PEOPLE WE ELECT IN TO POWER, NO MATTER WHAT THE FACTS ARE.
IS OBAMA REALLY JUST DOING THIS FOR THE “JOBS” THAT ARE AT RISK
ALSO
I DONT THINK THAT DECRIMINALIZATION WOULD LEAD TO FEWER COPS AND CORRECTIONS OFFICERS
POLICE WILL BE ABLE TO FOCUS ON MORE IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT WHICH WOULD BE TO PROTECT AND SERVE AND NOT “JUST PROTECTING US FROM OURSELVES”, BUT FROM THE CRIMINAL WE FEAR, IN FACT A CHANGE IN PRIORITY FOR MANY POLICE DEPT. WOULD BE A POSITIVE THING A FOCUS MORE ON CRIMES WHERE THE VICTIM AND CRIMINAL ARE TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE
ITS BECOMING CLEARER THAT WE MUST ESCALATE THIS MOVEMENT
haha an MP5 are you kidding me? My AK-47 will take care of that!
doesn’t gold ever run out i mean 15 billion just on 1 subject which shouldn’t be a subject anyway
Where’s the gold backup
and from who we’re borrowing from and their plans.
spending trillions each where’s the gold to support this
I say we use marijuana for new currency,really
literally at that
fucking gov’s. gonna cause us to be money less in 10 years…
probably not but only because they “think” we ” think” there’s endless gold :smh:
doesn’t gold ever run out i mean 15 billion just on 1 subject which shouldn’t be a subject anyway
Where’s the gold backup
and from who we’re borrowing from and their plans.
spending trillions each where’s the gold to support this
I say we use marijuana for new currency,really
literally at that
fucking gov’s. gonna cause us to be money less in 10 years…
probably not but only because they “think” we ” think” there’s endless gold :smh:
Then they can go arrest coke and meth dealers, drugs that actually kill people. they’ll quit wasting money catching millions that use marijuana. Then you start growing pot, 60 days and you have product. then you sell it in shops that people who want to make money will set up. free market enterprise would make it a great business. now people can finally buy what they want without going through the black market
Obama has to go and all those in congress that opose legalization. Boycot Youtube as well. The refused to ask the number one question in their interview which was, you guessed it, legalization.I voted for Obama and will never vote for a conservitive. What’s going to happen is most librals are going to stay home next election and unfortunately the conservitives will be back in power. I’m getting too old for this crap, and to think I used to believe when my generation got in power things would change. Well I should have known better, since the hippies sold out, that most would lie to their kids and become corporate ditto heads.
First things first: Is it really that bad that drug warriors be put out of work? I mean the whole “saving the government enforcement tax dollars” thing exists because we’d be removing the cost of paying for these assholes’ salaries. Second: the drug war will not end because cannabis is legalized. The existing resources will simply be re-allocated towards combating drugs that actually do damage, like tobacco, alcohol, meth, heroine, cocaine, etc.
“Yes, a legal marijuana market would open up many jobs and industries and tax revenues heretofore unrealized, but transitioning to that market is going to take time. In the meantime, what jobs are open for former drug cops and pot dealers”
Just as the transition into a new market will take some time, so too will the transition out of the old one. Plenty of time for drug cops and cannabis dealers to find jobs in the new improved America. The cops will continue being cops, and if they are let go because their department feels they are no longer needed, well.. join the club! This is a recession, we all have to bite the bullet at some point or another. Maybe they can open up a pot shop? Or get a job with their local Retail Cannabis Regulator’s office (similar to ATF or ABC). As for cannabis dealers, well now they can go legit! Open up a delivery service or something of the like.
The Drug War as a whole needs to be ended.. cannabis and non-lethal psychedelics like LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, mescaline, DMT etc should be legal for adults to purchase at a store. Hard drugs that actually kill people should be given to addicts through addiction treatment centers. At any point in time, the addict can choose to not put the needle in their vein (or pipe to their mouth or straw to their nose.. whichever), and tell the administering nurse that they’d like to enter the free treatment. As the addict weans themself off the drug with the help of qualified medical professionals, and progress is shown, the treatment center can get them involved with the community by involving them in outreach programs to keep kids off drugs, and once the addict stays clean for a certain amount of time then the treatment center can help the addict find a job, if they dont already have one. By giving the drugs away for free, and not charging anything for the treatment, there will be no incentive for the addict to steal or deal to support their habit. As the years go by, and we start PROPERLY educating the new generations of kids about drugs, kids will be less likely to try them, especially at as young of an age as they are now. By treating addiction as a disease rather than a rebellious thing to do, we remove the “cool” factor. No kid actually WANTS to get a disease, right?
Now my hypothetical situation isn’t perfect but this is along the lines of what should happen. This will remove most, if not all, of the black market from the equation. All the current DEA agents will be responsible for overseeing the production and distribution of the drugs. All money that was spent on interdiction and enforcement before will be put towards the program. Any money leftover will be spent on properly educating the public about the health effects of drug use, so as to discourage new users. So you see, those jobs aren’t really lost. Their purpose is just adjusted. The cost savings come from turning what were previously crime- and addiction-addled drug users into productive, tax paying members of society who are also no longer a burden on our health and welfare systems, as well as the cost savings from keeping those people out of jail. With cannabis legal, it is unlikely that many would choose such a risky drug as heroine or meth instead of cannabis.
Again, this idea isn’t perfect and to work out all the kinks would take many many pages of typing and legislation and years of experience.. as we experience kinks we find ways to fix them you know? What do you think of this idea NORML?
Don’t fear legalization because THEY might lose a few jobs.. they certainly weren’t concerned about our jobs when they decided to give us criminal records, throw us in jail, and take away our driving privileges, thus making it nearly impossible to get a decent job ever again. At least they’ll have the option of getting a new job! Change isn’t an event it’s a process and in this case it’s a process I very much look forward to taking part in.
Obama will be a one term president if he keeps this up. I would love to see a Conservative, a true Conservative, run on a platform with the idea of ending this failed drug war. Ron Paul is truly the man for the job but real, honest politicians like him are thrown under the bus. The dumbed down majority of Americans only see the R and D after a empty suits name. They don’t understand what a Libertarian Conservative is and what good people like this could do for this country.
hi, i’m doing a personal search on places where cannabis is almost legal … i know coffee shops in holland, cannabis social club in various european countries, christiania in denmark, Metelkova in slovenia, coffee shops in canada, cannabis dispensaries in various parts ofthe usa, and nimbin in australia… there are other places? thanks
Yeah I Think Obama himself is full of HOT AIR, AND SHIT, he will Defineatly not get my vote again but he’s said himself he dont care if he gets in again me either how bout a veto
Bah! If you ask me he has a chance in hell of being re-elected anyways, unless his opponent is Mothra or some Fabled monster of the deep.
Tho Mothra might do a better job anyhow.
Its all about maintaining the status quo and protecting the rice bowl. Heaven forbid we look up from that rice bowl, open our minds and see that the benefits of legalization, regulation and taxation may just give us bigger and better rice bowls.
someone tell me why i voted for this man, hasnt done a thing he said he would
go figure having to resort to saelling drugs, when the economies crashed and the black market thrives…amazing
wow this royally sucks just leagilize doent obama see this if its leagalized we then have more jobs to cure this recession think about it first we need someone to grow the seeds so thats one job then we need someone to cultivate those fully grown plants then we need someone to package box and load those goods onto the trucks then we need someone to drive those trucks to a store then someone to unpack and stock those good so that four jobs now lets say 100 people sign up for each job thats 400 ppl for one factory now lets say we turn this into a big busines and we open 100 factories throughout ohio thats 4,000 jobs for ohio alone now open that in all the states thats 200,000 jobs open to people around the world plus the people never mentioned liek who will repair that stuff when it breaks down i have no ida if what im saying makes and sense at all im slightly out of it but yes leaglize my meds are 300 $ without insurence for keppra and anti convulsent and thats only for one month i can get a quarter for 90 $ and that can last two months 3 if im lucky but still thats better than the 300 $ wow sorry for rambling on and i have no idea what im taking about anymore lol sorry
Politicians will never stop playing this game until they start losing their jobs over it.
It’s ok, our policing of actual crime — the kind with victims — could really use a shot in the arm. There are plenty of bad guys out there for the police to catch, and plenty of money to send their way for doing so. We can pay them for activities other than locking up innocent citizens, and maybe get solve rates higher than the mid-60’s on violent crimes.
And I don’t see why some political sensitivity to unemployment numbers — something that, to my knowledge, hasn’t been brought up by Obama publicly relating to drug policy — is a reason to “temper” our disappointment. If we take 800,000 people per year out of the criminal justice system and put just as many on the unemployment line, we’re still far better off. I get that the guy is highly constrained, but he still needs to be held accountable for his actions and decisions.
But the DEA agents who wouldn’t be needed in a legal cannabis world could have their jobs be re-dedicated to actually protecting and serving the people. There’s plenty of other crime out there for them to fight.
It’s still bullshit though.
Here’s the part I don’t get…
As more and more states legalize medical cannabis use (PA, NY, MD and a few others out there) doesn’t that mean that we’re going to need less enforcement? (I guess not).
I’m done and have been done with our federal government for some time now. I am, however, working hard with people in my state to make changes on the state level. That’s where 100% of my efforts are going towards. I will never EVER look to the feds to do the right thing.
Obama is most certainly not getting my vote in 2012.
Don’t fall for campaign promises to legalize when re-election comes up! He’s lied to us and continues to lie! Don’t fall for it!
He could have at the very LEAST explained to America why he thinks marijuana should not be legalized. We all deserve that much.
so, he still has done nothing in over a year. the dea and cronies of theirs are still busting medical patients in states that have laws enacted to protect them.
nothing has changed, in fact, it’s getting worse.
go fucking police yourselves, government… you are the problem, not us…
We criticized the Bush administration for being a bunch of right wing neo-fascist totalitarian police state nazis and we were right. Now we all voted for Obama and we have a Bush-lite. Obama had the biggest Change sign that anyone has ever printed and yes all of it has turned out to be hot air. This country will never reform, the government doesn’t have a progressive bone in it’s body!
I know most people don’t believe this..but the more our government lies to us, and the more they ignore us. The more I believe that there is a plan to create a NWO and enslave the people.
NORML you are so out of touch it isn’t funny. Nice non-partisan back peddling Obomba excusing blog article. If a republican was president, do you think the tone of the article would be a little different? And Ron Paul / Liberty supporters don’t think Ron Paul could or ever should be president. With hardly any support in congress, it would be a useless presidency. That’s why liberty organizations like Campaign for Liberty are getting everyday citizens involved in local government. We’ve already place hundreds of people in local/state governments, on top of campaigning for various liberty congressional candidates that are the top pullers in the state. Then look at the enormous success of HR 1207, the Audit the Fed bill. If you talked about touching the Federal Reserve anytime 2 years ago and beyond you would have been laughed at. That has all changed because of the LIBERTY MOVEMENT, that you constantly say is not viable. The funny thing too is that a lot of Liberty activists are NORML members… But you constantly put us down when we want to work with you, telling us we are not viable. If you knew anything about HR 1207, our congressional races, and the grassroot campaign to put people in local government elected positions, you could not possibly defend your harsh critisisms of us. Maybe NORML is the one who is not viable…
[Editor’s note: NORML is non-partisan. Period. Pox on ALL of their houses and sad sentiments to those who delude themselves about America being a libertarian country. Self-evidently it is not.
NORML’s amalgam of supporters consists of progressives, conservatives, greens, libertarians, gay, straight, rich, poor, young, old, educated, uneducated, pro-meat, anti-meat, etc….]
Maybe I’m not reading into this right, but Drug Enforcement budget doesn’t directly correlate withe the gov’s Cannabis Policy. Obama and his administeration has already paved the way for legalized/decriminalized Cannabis by telling federal enforcers to abide by state laws. The extra money may be for enforcement against the Mexican Cartels and gang wars along our border….maybe I’m just naive.
Russ Belville, author of this article, would you care to comment on your intent of the light tone? It seems to me you are implying Obama couldn’t cut the drug war.. couldn’t even stop growing the drug war.. because it would hurt the economy and hurt his reelection bid for 2012. Are you implying that we should bare with him because he will fight for marijuana reform his second term? That’s what this article feels like, and judging by comments, others feel the same. Would this article be written in the same manner if Obama was a republican? Is NORML really non-partisan? Isn’t this hope for change from the Obama administration not viable?
[Editor’s note: NORML = non-partisan. Where were you from 2000-2008? 1992-2000? 1988-1992? 1980-1988? 1976-1980? 1974-1976? 1970-1974? Because if you were paying any attention at all, you’d readily recognize that it does not matter who the president is or from what party, NORML is in Washington, DC representing the interests of cannabis consumers.]
What is the Tea party stand on Pot?
I am so sick of this defeatist bullshit!! Shame on you for making excuses for this president!! There are no excuses for such unimaginative, sad lack of leadership both by people in this movement to not advance ideas on how to keep those officers and dealers employed and working. It’s a no brainer people!!!
The soaring crime problems, due to property theft, gangs hanging out in abandoned buildings, committing all manner of crimes, like home invasions, and such, all spiking, due to the economic collapse, put those cops to work on that! Put those dealers and growers to legit distribution which is taxed like any other business.
I am not disappointed in the president, alone here. How pathetic! Might as well work for the other side if you are going to write articles using their framing of the issue. One automatically loses, when one does so.
If you are going to be in politics for gods sake learn about framing of issues PLEASE!
Learn not to speak in your opponents frame of thought please! Show some creativity, you counter an argument in this case I would say, by showing the EASY slam dunk alternatives.
President Obama, could actually put the money where his mouth was during the campaign, and put some money back on main street by legalizing cannabis.
Allow people to grow cannabis and distribute it to dispensaries which will, regulate it to make sure it does not get into the hands of minors. That creates massive amounts of jobs. It will cause a literal gold rush to the first place that does it and I am betting on California..
Take the cops that used to bust into peoples houses, for growing a flower born of nature, and put them on the true, HUGE crime problems, most cities are experiencing right now, such as theft, home invasions, gangs, etc etc.. There is MORE than enough work for them to do without chasing people around over a flower.
I am sick of progressives capitulating at the first sign the other side is not budging . This is not the time to give in this is the time to be innovative, proactive, and for god’s sake stop talking in the other sides frame on these issues, unless you really are working for the other side..
“NORML is a non-partisan organization that sees merit in having a political system that is not effectively a duopoly. However, this does not change the fairly clear reality that Ron Paul will not be elected president of the US in 2012 at 77 years-old running as a libertarian-leaning Republican or as a Libertarian.”
Is this comment really necessary? You don’t make editor comments when someone says they still have hope for Obama and will vote to reelect him in 2012. Isn’t it a fairly clear reality that Obama is not going to help with marijuana reform, rather he is a status quo establishment politician? If you are non-partisan, why don’t you let us comment on the comment boards and not selectively put down the political comments you see fit? If you are truly non-partisan, you will stop this behavior and let people decide for themselves who is viable and who is not.
[Editor’s note: If your intent is to come on to NORML’s boards and constantly promote an unelectable presidential candidate (i.e. Ron Paul), be prepared to defend your delusion. The result would be no different if you were promoting Ralph Nader, Bob Barr, David Duke, Lyndon LaRouche, Dennis Kucinich, Jesse Ventura and other unelectable presidential wannabees. People can decide what ever they want, but they’re going to read both sides of a debate when commentor’s are deluded Johnny-One Noters who promote politicos who’ve virtually no chance of being elected president.
Some people just don’t get that Libertarianism is a political philosophy, a very important one too many, but, unfortunately, not a major political party anywhere in the world that competes with so-called ‘liberal-Democrats’ and ‘conservative-Republicans’.]
The career marijuana cops can chase other crimes. What about all the otherwise law abiding citizens who have lost their jobs due to having a criminal record for drug possession?
Mr. Nobel Peace Prize winner increased the “WAR ON DRUGS” budget to incarcerate more US citizens…..great job Obama!
I have a suggestion to stave off job losses for DEA employees. How about after legalizing marijuana (a first step, all other drugs later) the DEA morphs into the Drug Education Agency instead of the Drug Enforcement Agency, and their funds be redirected to creating education centers, more rehab facilities and helplines for people who need/want help. Arm them with books and classrooms instead of guns and ammo. They could all keep their jobs, they wouldn’t have to change their name, and they could all still wear those cute little black jackets with the big yellow “DEA” printed on the backs–only they’d be able to wear them PROUDLY, knowing they were doing some real good and working toward some real change instead of RUINING LIVES.
@ DB:
Yes, I agree that Obama should have EXPLAINED his position, but he made a big damn joke out of it.
I sat at my computer the morning of that big online town hall thing after having spent hours the week before going through the change.gov website and voting up on all the issues I felt needed to be addressed (not just marijuana laws) and must say that I was very excited that the question would have to be asked of him. I EXPECTED an intelligent answer or at least a valid discussion. Up until that point he had spoken seriously, clearly and intelligently. When the question came up and I saw that smirk on his face… and then heard the answer and the laughter, I immediately logged off and my mind was definitely changed about this president. His reaction was so childish, so irresponsible and so STUPID. I could scarcely believe that he brushed off millions of people and left the impression that a bunch of stoners had “hijacked” his site to ask a silly question and take up his valuable time. My husband and I work ALL THE TIME, pay tons of taxes, and support two children with no outside assistance. We’ve never been arrested or cited for anything, and the worst we’ve ever done as far as breaking the law is smoke a little weed back in the day. Obama pissed in my face that day, and I didn’t fucking deserve it–and neither do any of you other good hard working Americans. It was so many different levels of WRONG!
Obama is a fucking fake.
what hell
These budget spending ratios are appalling. How long are they just keep going to boot up the Word file, change the date and the dollar figures and stuff, and then print it out year after year?! That is NOT my idea of change. The only way this might work is if there is parallel language that separates cannabis, declaring a framework of cannabis crimes to be non-offenses at the federal level and specifying it as a soft drug in order to separate the hard drugs and soft drugs markets at the federal level, basically an adaptation of the Dutch Opium Law, American style. Something will have to be done to accommodate the District of Columbia medical marijuana law and state medical marijuana laws. The hands over the issue to the states to decide, and makes medical, industrial and recreational regulation a matter for state and local government, as it should be. A leadership state will emerge to guide the federal government on lifting the international ban on cannabis.
These budget spending ratios are appalling. How long are they just keep going to boot up the Word file, change the date and the dollar figures and stuff, and then print it out year after year?! That is NOT my idea of change. The only way this might work is if there is parallel language that separates cannabis, declaring a framework of cannabis crimes to be non-offenses at the federal level and specifying it as a soft drug in order to separate the hard drugs and soft drugs markets at the federal level, basically an adaptation of the Dutch Opium Law, American style. Something will have to be done to accommodate the District of Columbia medical marijuana law and state medical marijuana laws. This hands over the issue to the states to decide, and makes medical, industrial and recreational regulation a matter for state and local government, as it should be. A leadership state will emerge to guide the federal government on lifting the international ban on cannabis.
Here we go again. Obama is the lesser of two evils. Yes, he’s still an idiot puppet, I am completely aware of that. Yes, he panders to old conservatives who think of me as the devil. Welcome to American politics.
Republicans would skew things 10 to 1 in favor of law enforcement if they had it their way.
Vote Republican in 2012 and that turns this legal smoker into a criminal again. Remember John Walters??!
Here is American Politics 101 for you all.
CONGRESS IS YOUR ENEMY. THE PRESIDENT IS BASICALLY NOTHING MORE THAN A VANILLA REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT; A FIGUREHEAD WITH NO REAL POWER TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT.
[Editor’s note: Why be delusional that a libertarian-leaning Republican (who, if elected in 2012 will be 77 years-old) that is unpopular in his own party?
1. If someone told you back in 2002 that a black man would be elected president within the next two elections, you’d have thought them delusional wouldn’t you? As to Ron Paul’s lack of party-support? It is because he believes in doing things like, oh I don’t know LEGALIZING MARIJUANA!!! By virtue of this fact alone, I for one think organizations like NORML would behoove themselves to support (at least through aggregation of news mentioning a presidential candidate’s views on legalization) candidates who care less about party-affiliation than they do the AMERICAN PEOPLE!
[How many Republican primaries did he win? What percentage of support did he garner?
2. As I recall, Ron Paul had about 11% of the total vote. It wasn’t anywhere near a win, but much closer than anyone who has ever directly mentioned the legalization of marijuana as part of their platform.
Paul can’t pull more than 5% from Republicans, support is even less from Democrats and Independent voters.
3.You should have said “Paul “didn’t” pull more”. And again, WHO CARES!! The Democrats have shown themselves to be playing from the same book as the Republicans! If everyone knew it was going to turn out like it has (other than me) Ron Paul would have won by land-slide! It should be obvious by now that both parties are only concerned with their agendas, and don’t care about the will of the AMERICAN PEOPLE. As such, a “true” conservative like Ron Paul, or a candidate of some flavor of Independent are the only real “choices” to be had for those of us more interested in the legalization of marijuana.
-Oz
I am beginning to think Obamas should have been busted…..but they do not have drug raids at harvard
Obama shows yet again that he never had any intention of performing the will of the American people. He avoids answering questions about legalization like Superman avoids cryptonite. I’ve come to the conclusion that at this rate, marijuana will be legal when we run out of borrowed “drug war” funds (which should be in a few months).
-Oz
I love my country but im also ashamed to be an american.. I was arrested with 1 plant in california in my backyard with a medical card and beleive it or not you think thats a legitimate defense but its not ive struggled the past few months crying almost every day to fight for my freedom.its very daunting being 21 and having 2 felonys hanging above you..Ive fought my case hard and still am, ive spent over $12,000 all simply for 1 plant its even put me to the point of where I felt even with a card I was wrong and ive thought about ending my life because the suffering I caused my mom n dad and whole family..I cry right now talkin about this because thats how much this whole issue is out of control….im strong willed and would never cut myself short and end my life but soo many others I know the way I felt some couldnt handel it and they would turn to that…This is THE MOST TRAGIC ISSUE OF ARE TIME
GEE, what do you know , another lying politician..nicotine addicted hypocrite.
Well once again we see that there is big $$$$ in the war on drugs. I don’t think it will ever end. I would love to see everyone that supports the cannabis movement march on washington or at least become proactive. It seems to me that only about 15% do so. Sitting around talking about it doesn’t help we need to take the necessary steps to push for full legalization. We can only do this by showing our true numbers. We must be loud…
Ok now explain to me why we voted for Obama? His campaignes of lies and deciet. Nobody wanted to give Ron Paul the Chance.
*needed reply to editor’s note on my last comment*
Have you listened to Ron Paul in one of his many recent television appearances? He has gained an amplitude of credibility since the economic collapse as he forewarned us of the upcoming crises. The media now treats him as a hero instead of a lunatic. At 74 he will start campaigning at the age of 75, next year. And save a major downswing in his health he will appear as he does now in interviews, incredible intelligent, able, and undaunted by old age.
Secondly, Obama has completely failed with his war stances. He has completely gone against any promises regarding bringing the troops home, in fact he has escalated the endless war. But then again Obama was a senator for less then two years. Why should have anyone believed him? He had no credibility.
Ron Paul has a voting record, a long one, if he says he is going to bring the troops home, he’s going to bring the troops home. If he says he’s going to end the war on drugs, he’s going to end the war on drugs.
Thirdly, with the upswing in the “tea-party” movement (started by Ron Paul on December 16, 2007) Ron Paul will garnish many supporters. The republicans are in a major split in deciding what direction they are to go, the 2012 election cycle will be a big part of that decision. If Ron Paul with his new credibility, and popularity are able to form the new image of the republican party, he will be the next president of the United States.
Had anyone heard of Obama in 2006?
And why in the world would you compromise your principles and vote for someone just because your first choice doesn’t appear to be a winner at the moment?
[Editor’s note: Regardless of party affiliation, a 77-year old is not desirable on any level as a presidential candidate. The destabilization of the country is too great to risk when there is a high probability of a president’s health failing or passing away in office.
From a purely analytical point of view, Ron Paul is no Obama in that he has been giving the same libertarian talking points since 1988, with a resulting 5%-10% support among Republican voters over 20 years later. Apparently what he is selling, the public does not buy. Unlike Paul’s rhetoric and policy making ideas, Obama got to the presidency in short order.
There is nothing wrong trying to make America a more libertarian-leaning country–which bodes well for cannabis law reform–but, like it or not, your country is not libertarian, and libertarian candidates historically are not elected at the voting booths.
Political realities confronted everyday by the lobbyists, litigators and activists involved in cannabis law reform shape the organization’s non-partisanship and single-minded advocacy: cannabis law reforms that favor consumers.]
[Editor’s note: Why be delusional that a libertarian-leaning Republican (who, if elected in 2012 will be 77 years-old) that is unpopular in his own party [How many Republican primaries did he win? What percentage of support did he garner? Paul can’t pull more than 5% from Republicans, support is even less from Democrats and Independent voters. How does the LP candidates, like Barr, do in national elections?], specifically Ron Paul, is ever going to be elected president by a majority of national voters?
Ron Paul’s legacy is not going to be president of the U.S. What it appears to be is that he is a very popular political figure, who is a clear-minded and full-throated voice for personal liberty, constitutional values and fiscal responsibility. For this he deserves immense credit for spending his time on earth going to almost anyplace–big or small–to spread the message of Libertarianism.
NORML is a non-partisan organization that sees merit in having a political system that is not effectively a duopoly. However, this does not change the fairly clear reality that Ron Paul will not be elected president of the US in 2012 at 77 years-old running as a libertarian-leaning Republican or as a Libertarian.]
LOL, non-partisan huh? You sure seem to be working pretty hard to discredit the guy. Do you usually do make an editors note when someone makes a claim of support for a canidate? If you do I haven’t seen it in the many years I’ve been on this site. Maybe the editor gets his info from fox news, who knows? Anyway, supporting Ron Paul for president isn’t delusional; supporting an establishment party politician is. Also, Ron Paul won every debate he was in!! Did you actually watch any of them? Did you know that Fox news did everything they could to keep him out of the primaries? What about the fact that seven of his interviews where not aired on network television due to the fact that the network heads thought that they would unfairly influence voters? You claim Ron Paul is unpopular in his own party? He raised more money in one day than any other politician in history, and yes, that includes Obama too. Wake up buddy. He is popular to anybody that actually UNDERSTANDS how a constitutional republic is supposed to operate.
[Editor’s note: NORML is non-partisan even if the truth hurts libertarian-leaning supporters of Ron Paul. You cite Ron Paul raising more money than any other candidate…and the results were….??…..he did not, he could not win any serious amount of delegates to challenge the other Republican candidates.
Ron Paul is a fine and smart man, he is a great American figure by any measure. But cannabis consumers and reformers are DELUSIONAL if they believe that Ron Paul has any viable chance to be elected president of the United States (let alone against an incumbent president who’ll have both the bully pulpit and half a billion dollars in political contributions to begin with)]
Obama has now lost my vote. The focus has to be on the state level now, guys. State’s need to change in order to force the federal government to change.
YAY for all of us who make money from prohibition. its amazing to think that good nug can go for so much money! good thing for artificial inflation.
They didn’t think twice about giving most of our jobs to other contries. Forcing us to find other ways to make ends meet. Law enforcement have the last few decent paying jobs that cannot be outsourced.Politicians too. Sure would have been nice if I could have voted (like them) on keeping my old job safe and secure.
They conspire, and the corruption continues. And they call us criminals.
We should be considering marijuana as a fix for big pharma and the painkiller industry. Opiates make massive profits while destroying lives and internal organs, with a few thousand o.d.s and deaths thrown in. The pot laws are based on petrified tax law based on racism (thanks, texas). The putrid and negative state of the drug war and the growing number of states legalizing points to brighter days for liberal states. We should also consider mj as health care reform. It can be used to wean from alcohol and tobacco, both of which are deadly and legal. The contradictions of nanny laws and real data have to be our focii in producing the men behind the curtain: the law employment racket, alcohol and big pharma. If we allow profits to win out over people, we will have failed our children’s children.
I can here the sounds of revolt if things don’t start changing.
“yes we can” my ass!
“We’re in the middle of a recession. Jobless numbers are through the roof. If marijuana were regulated like alcohol or tobacco, you suddenly add a whole bunch of DEA, police, prosecutors, wardens, guards, and more to the unemployment line. Then add in the young people who have found marijuana growing and dealing to be the only living wage job they can find, now suddenly unemployed by marijuana re-legalization, and you’ll see unemployment figures that would guarantee an Obama re-election defeat in 2012.”
Let me just say Bullshit. We would have been out of the recession by now if they(the Obama administration) would have legalized Marijuana when he took office. Don’t believe me? do the math a regulated Marijuana market nationwide would have given the government employees who would “lose” their jobs a position to transfer over to and as well as creating somewhere in the range of 15 million+ jobs. The saddest part is I don’t believe the “not for profits” have the people’s best interests in mind, after all they’d have to find real work rather than just blogging everyone’s frustration. Want to do something, take this bill http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=167809232&blogId=509354715 and flood all of the senators, representatives, judges, chiefs of police, not for profits, the drug czar, and the president and his cabinets e-mail accounts and mailing addresses. Make them address this bill, no it’s not perfect, but it is a solid framework for ending this prohibition nonsense.
-Naxireal
We need to take our country back! The hell with all this goverment crap. I am sick of this goverment do this, don’t do that. This is a free county, so far. Do not let this goverment take all our rights away. This goverment will try to steal all our rights. There are people that think, i am not doing anything wrong, why should i be worried? Well, you should worry BIG time, once those rights are gone, they will not be back.Why do you think our founding fathers gave us these rights, so big goverment doesn’t end up owning us. So here i email all of you, do not let this happen.Fight for our rights, to grow hemp, to smoke cannabis weather it is for medical or for pleasure! I can just see our founding fathers spinning in their graves, as i speak.George Washington would have wanted us to use hemp and cannabis.
Its all about maintaining the status quo and protecting the rice bowl. Heaven forbid we look up from that rice bowl,open our minds and see that the benefits of legalization, regulation and taxation may just give us bigger and better rice bowls.
that was expected, looking for obamam methods of government… who voted for him for some changes in marijuana laws, was a freak wronger
Who is Mr. Obama working for? It certainly isn’t the people of the United States of America…. How could you lie to your boss so much and get away with it? 🙂
You know who else will be out of a job? NORML! It’s sort of ironic, isn’t it? NORML was created with the sole intention of seeking out its own termination. Although I guess any group who stimulates CHANGE would fit this description.
Obama has said he `rather be a good one term president opposed to a mediocre two- term president.
And we’re all surprised by Obama’s increased drug war spending? He’s just fitting into the system as we all know. No surprise here… nothing to see here at all… move along people! It starts at the local and state levels, screw the feds, they just want control.
what we need is an independent president thats doensent just listen to what side the on. democrats and replublicans are exactly the same thing. we need an independent pes. that sees both sides and belives what he believes in not what his friens believe in!
[Editor’s note: Hoorah for an independent-minded President of the US!]
The only way Cannabis will ever be legalized in the U.S. is for the people to be educated about it. Commentors here can say they wont vote for this or that,but it is just talk, nothing more.The energy that is spent on ranting will not do it,there needs to be more.For example,VoteHemp is having a Hemp is our History Week, May 17-23 2010, for people to organize events in their hometown as part of a National grassroots,media and public education campaign to”educate”people about Industrial Hemp. The website is http://www.votehemp.com. A pro-marijuana orginization should do the same or something similiar.
Im in for that revolution!
The reconstitutionalization of America!
Get your supplies ready!
No NWO Federal wars on the great people of this country! This is America!
This information corroborates the way Obama acted and responded to the question of marijuana legalization on March. 26, 2009 at his online Town Hall meeting
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29892857/
Does anyone know how the Tea Party views the complete legalization of cannabis? I will jump on board tomorrow if they back and support the absolute, complete legalization of marijuana.
Keeping cannabis illegal in order to ensure full-employment for drug warriors is about as stupid as it gets.
Regarding #5, I also support Ron Paul. And Editor, you state “NORML is a non-partisan organization”. If that’s true I don’t see why you considered it necessary to trash on someone voicing their support for a politician who is clearly not a shill for corporatism.
Whether he wins or not is obviously not the primary focus, rather it is to refocus support away from the scum that fill the halls of our government, and towards true public servants who protect individual rights and uphold the Constitution. I don’t think that is unreasonable in the least.
If you have friends, family, or know of potential MMJ patients who need or would like to know more about cannabis and hemp, have them check out the site: CannabisTV.org or CannabisTV.blip.tv
[Editor’s note: Cannabis TV promoter is incorrect when insisting “Whether he wins or not is obviously not the primary focus, rather it is to refocus support away from the scum that fill the halls of our government, and towards true public servants who protect individual rights and uphold the Constitution. I don’t think that is unreasonable in the least.”
Politics 101: Losers of political contests don’t have much impact on policy making. Refocusing reformer’s attention on politically unpopular and unelectable candidates is prescription for political failure and not advancing law reforms faster.]
Callum you voted for him because you fell for the bullshit he fed..and the great actor that he is. I too voted for “him”. Not really a person but a fucking devil in disguise. I don’t know about you people, but I’m over this shit! Don’t conform, don’t obey. Resist!
One quote comes to mind when I think of marijuana being illegal:
“Two make marijuana illegal is to say God made a mistake.” -Bill Hicks
Ya but you cant say that the dea and other enforcement cops would be out of their jobs due to marijuanas legalization because of the other, more powerful, more dangerous, literally narcotic drugs still on the black market. Marijuana should be looked at no differently than tobacco. Actually if anything, it should be looked at in better light than tobacco. Obama and the pencil pushers in washington want to stay SAFE! If they legalize or even decriminalize mj, they will be breaking their foreign AND DOMESTIC treaties with black market dealers, cutting dealers/manufacturers profits and ergo endangering the people and themselves. If 911 was any kind of an example, people in this world will do anything to keep their dollar rolling in as easy as they can, no matter who they have to take it from.
Learn how to spell Obama, Also if you don’t want the editor to comment on your post, learn how to write up a comparable argument to the relevant article your commenting on if not, your surely to loose any argument regardless of the topic. A well thought and hypothesized argument will always win. Passion excites the present, Knowledge moves things into the future.
Dear President Obama, you turned out to be a liar. Very sad for the U.S. and your family. What will you tell your daughter’s about how you lied to the entire U.S. over and over and over….. Let me guess, more professorial bullshit!
Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t?
Be pateint, but don’t stop pushing.
This is an editor’s not from comment 5: NORML is a non-partisan organization that sees merit in having a political system that is not effectively a duopoly.
Ironically, the very blog post that this editor’s note is on makes believing that NORML is non-partisan to be a very unbelievable proposition.
The post overtly implies that an Obama defeat in 2012 would be bad. Also, it encourages us, the commenters and readers and drug reform supporters, to not be disappointed in Obama. Hmm, I could have said a couple years ago, ‘Well, if Bush told the DEA to stop raiding MMJ clinics, those people would be out of jobs. Be patient.’
Okay, Obama’s 2010 War on Drugs budget is nearly identical to Bush’s budgets over the years. Yet, NORML, or more specifically, Russ Belville, who is seemingly speaking on behalf of NORML, is asking for patience with Obama while he has dedicated just as many resources as Bush to criminalizing inherently non-violent acts. It would be nice to see NORML, and other liberal-leaning drug reform organizations, come to the realization that maybe the reason Obama isn’t going to be an improvement for drug policy. What he said in the past about decriminalizing drugs is the past. It’s amazing what taking a federal position will do to your will to say anything that might jeopardize your job security.
Obama has committed just as many resources as the W did to fight and prosecute the War on Drugs. Obama has appointed the same person to act as head of the DEA. Obama appointed a law enforcement officer, just like Bush, to head the ONDCP. In fact, Obama has not supported a single one of the ballot initiatives in any state to ease drug laws.
Wake up and smell the roses. The Democratic party isn’t your friend. Neither is the Republican party. Stop making excuses for one while claiming the other is all about greed and corporatism and war. The two parties are consistently agreeing with each other on how to better terrorize the American people. It’s time for NORML to be consistent with regards to not supporting public policy people that aren’t making a difference instead of asking for a public opinion reprieve for them.
[Editor’s note: Read what you like into Russ Belville’s blog post. However, NORML, the organization, is non-partisan.]
“i’ before “e”, except after “c”. Science has proven that wrong. Weird, isn’t it.
This isn’t about the president. You libertarians really believe that if Ron Paul’s old-ass was elected anything would change? You must have been the same people who thought things would change when Obama got into office.
It’s about enforcement. Enforcement receives funding based on arrests, and its a lot easier to arrest someone who is withdrawn and nonchalant with a bag of vegetable matter and no deadly weapons than someone making meth in their basement alongside their Ak-47’s….
You all, including NORML (though at least NORML struggles withing the constraints of reality) can blabber on and on about democrats and republicans and libertarians and budgets, but I’m going to sit here and make myself not care, make myself hungry, and make myself tired whether or not it is legal to do so…its time for people to come forth and admit this…
The government could just shift those enforcement jobs to regulatory positions so that bird dosen’t fly with me.
It wouldn’t suprise me if a lot of those “treatment dollars” are being shifted into the prison system via some enron accounting…. You know how effective solitary confinement is for treating addicts in prison right? So we’re building mor solitary cells… or some lame crap.
I swear these it seems things are always comming out when I can’t get my proper meds.
I’m with ya #11
Were talking about the world’s most useful natural resource known to man here, not just any plant.This plant has been known(FOR OVER 40 YEARS) by “OUR” government to SHRINK and or SLOW the growth of CANCER CELLS.But remember, a natural herb can’t cure anything,says the FDA.You can’t patent a plant.The legalization of Cannabis/Hemp would affect Big Pharm,Chemical Co’s,Lumber-Paper Co’s,Tobacco Co’s the Cotton Industry,Pesticide/Herbicide Co’s,Fuel & Oil Co’s,Paint/Varnish Co’s. The list goes on…On the other hand it could only possibly cure/prevent a multitude of illnesses,create jobs,create tax revenue,help whats left of our farming industry,save trees,eliminate a lot of pollution,rejuvinate our garment industry,And help WE THE PEOPLE INSURE OUR DOMESTIC TRANQUILITY.The scale is tipped in OUR favor people its up to US to get it done. PROFITS and GREED are being chosen over OUR COUNTRY’S WELFARE!
It wasn’t until after Obama laughed while retelling his revision to the number one question asked to him, that I personally began investigating libertarianism. I will only vote for politicians that unequivocally promise to legalize cannabis. To claim statistics of the last election apply to the general public today is very untrue, eyes have since been opened to what actions need to be taken. Also, as a 20 something individual, I’d be more than happy to vote for a candidate “too old” that actually would try to legalize cannabis in the first days of office. Libertarian and Green party politics are what interest me because I have not heard from any other political party a promise for full legalization of cannabis.
* Another reply to this Ron Paul hater moderator*
“[Editor’s note: Cannabis TV promoter is incorrect when insisting “Whether he wins or not is obviously not the primary focus, rather it is to refocus support away from the scum that fill the halls of our government, and towards true public servants who protect individual rights and uphold the Constitution. I don’t think that is unreasonable in the least.”
Politics 101: Losers of political contests don’t have much impact on policy making. Refocusing reformer’s attention on politically unpopular and unelectable candidates is prescription for political failure and not advancing law reforms faster.]”
How much more wrong can you be?? Libertarian minded republicans are running for office in nearly every state(and many are polling well by the way) because of Ron Paul’s 2008 presidency run! The “tea party” was started by Ron Paul. Auditing the Federal reserve is catching main stream appeal and is why Ben Bernanke was “held” in the senate until the senate had a vote on S.604. Not to mention Campaign for Liberty, the organization started by Ron Paul is one of the fastest growing political organizations in America!
Did you forget America was founded as a libertarian country? Is your vision so short that you can not see fundamental changes in American thinking? It has been happening since America was founded. I suggest you do some research into the history of American political parties. Maybe the sun will shine on the path leading our vision.
[Editor’s note: Wouldn’t it be easy to attack the editor for hating Ron Paul when such is not the case. The editor has donated to Ron Paul numerous times for almost 20 years, has a signed photo of Dr. Paul and the editor…and generally agree with him on most topics.
That does not abrogate that fact that Ron Paul is not going to be elected president and that the United States of America–founded by libertarian-leaning, fabulously wealthy, highly educated, slave owning, sexist land barons over 200 years ago–is not, and has never been libertarian.
You and others, like the editor, may want it to be, but that is not within the realm of political possibility anytime soon.
When there is only one elected political figure out of 539 in Washington (including the President) who is a full-throated libertarian, who has to run on the Republican ticket every time to get elected, it can not be said with a straight face or sane mind that America supports and elects Libertarian candidates.]
Obama’s a conservative and he lied to all of our faces.
i can’t wait to get his ass out of office.
Anonymous #8 you seem to think our money is backed by gold. Thet ended almost a hundred years ago when they created the privately owned Federal Reserve. Our money is backed with debt. If all debt were paid there would be no money in circulation. You need to google the movie “money as debt”. It explaines how the system works and it’s even animated.
That super blow hard Rush Limbaugh gets one right every once in a while. He said people were projecting their own political desires onto Obama and fanticizing that the two were one. My favorite cartoonist Tom Tommorrow of THIS MODERN WORLD recently made the same argument. Name one politician this could not be said of. If you heard Obama say he was going to legalize marijuana it was a halucination. In fact he said he was not one for legalizing marijauna. He did say he would not use the federal goverment to interfere with Medical marijuana in the states that have passed such measures. Maybe the editors could weigh in on weather or not he has in good faith tried to do that.
In short I’m somewhat dissapointed in Obama to date on a number of issues but his stance on MJ is not one of them.
Also I like Ron Paul on a number (but certainly not all) of issues, but i’m not impressed with him on MJ reform. Let me explain. Ron Paul is against the Federal Drug War, not the local one. After dropping out of the 2008 race Ron Paul endorsed the Constitution Party. Read it on his own website here. http://www.ronpaul.com/2008-09-23/ron-paul-endorses-chuck-baldwin-for-president/.
The Constitution party IS NOT in favor on legalizing MJ. As they clearly state in thier party platform. “The Constitution Party will uphold the right of states and localities to restrict access to drugs and to enforce such restrictions. We support legislation to stop the flow of illegal drugs into these United States from foreign sources. As a matter of self-defense, retaliatory policies including embargoes, sanctions, and tariffs, should be considered.” Read it for yourself on their own website here.
http://www.constitutionparty.com/party_platform.php
Two things fuel politics in the USA, money and votes. MJ prohibitionist offer politicians lots of both. MJ reformers, not much of either. CHANGE MUST COME FROM WITHIN.
“Editor’s note: Hoorah for an independent-minded President of the US!”
Of course, Hoorah only if NORML tells me it’s ok.
“Politics 101: Losers of political contests don’t have much impact on policy making.”
Riiiiight. Because crossing our fingers that an establishment democrat or republican is going to help reform marijuana laws is such smart politics. What did Bush say? Fool me once?
And YES, we get it. Ron Paul for president does not make sense. Of course, not for the reasons you’ve expressed, but because Ron Paul as president with no support in congress would be useless. BUT, the fact of the matter is that Ron Paul supporters along with all others who believe in small government have been working together to make real change. We have quite a few congressional candidates for 2010 who are actually polling top in their races right now. But where we are going to make real progress is by getting everyday people involved in their local governments, and it has been extremely successful. The funny thing is that we support NORML’s cause and I think most would want to work with you, but at least the editors here would just rather insult us and single us out. You keep on telling yourself you are non-partisan then.
[Editor’s note: Why are so many Ron Paul supporters so hyper-sensitive? Does the truth hurt that much? So narrow are their views that criticizing delusional political aspirations–where Ron Paul and libertarians somehow become politically popular–that those who point out the obvious are cast as partisans for the other two parties.
There are no political handicapping reports, including the Cook report, that indicate any great swell in declared Libertarian Party candidates (or alike) other than Rand Paul. Who, if his last name was Smith, would be a nobody in KY politics.]
“In the meantime, what jobs are open for former drug cops and pot dealers?”
How about putting those resources towards; squads trained specially in investigating and arresting pedophiles and other violent criminals, patrolling our neighborhoods and interstate highways to better “serve and protect” while acting as true public servants and offering roadside assistance to motorists, visiting schools to educate children on general life skills as well as what to do in emergency situations and the importance of non-violent conflict resolution, maintaining efficient and consistent security around our airports and harbors to protect U.S. citizens against real threats, providing additional guards for those prisons housing truly dangerous criminals, patrolling schools and riding on buses to provide even greater safety for our children, acting as guards on rail systems and subways for increased safety on trains, acting as air marshals for increased safety in the air, patrolling inner city streets with a broom in one hand to increase safety and decrease litter, organizing after school programs for children who can’t afford sports and have no one at home to care for them immediately after school, organizing before school programs for students who need guidance/assistance, organizing and maintaining safe driving courses for teenagers, organizing and maintaining substance abuse clinics and education, … yeah its tough to create new jobs for those poor, displaced DEA agents.
Take the money out of enforcement, put it into education and true public service. Problem solved.
One thing we have to realize is the president can’t change the law. Only congress can. All a president can do is sign the law or veto it. BUT, he did say legalization was not in his vocabulary. But have you noticed when politicians finally get the message they learn a new vocabulary real fast?
This seems to be getting more of a political blog than a pro-cannabis. So what we need is a “classical” liberal. If everyone doesn’t know what a classical liberal is. Look it up. Regulize
I think the pot dealers would keep their jobs. You said it yourself, it would take time to establish those businesses. If you’re talking about the run of the mill late teen to early twenties pot dealer then they could probably get a job at the local dispensary. The cultivators would also start growing full time and supplying the dispensaries. Hemp would also be back on the market to be used for resources such as paper and fuel.
Legalizing Marijuana would save more lives then the pot dealers and cultivators would suffer from. If you’re talking about the gang and mob or hard drug offenders then they would already be dealing harder drugs than marijuana anyway.
8,000,000 private sector jobs lost in only one year and now all of a sudden their concerned about it? Don’t worry though we just dropped .3% so feel good about that (sarcasm in case you missed it). At least we now know where the money is going to create or save jobs. To the government and big business. Take away from the private sector and give it to the government and the businesses/corporations that guide it’s agenda. Use tax dollars to do what? Increase big business and government. And with more big business and government comes? More control? Does this sound familiar? Something wicked this way comes. Is it better to be thought of as a fool or to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt? Everyone should do the latter. Freedom from?
Wow Editor, I’m surprised at the tone of some of your responses here, seems kind of bush league. I’m not even saying I disagree, but some of your replies sound pretty amateurish.
I don’t care how many cops lose their jobs. I’ve never seen a police officer do something useful before, much less a DEA.
Let them and their families starve, kinda like how they’ve starved hundreds of other families by imprisoning the breadwinners or blackballing their permanent record.
Have a taste of poverty you spurious assholes, not because we hate you, but because you deserve it.
Because NORML editors, with all due respect, the reason why there is a war on marijuana IS NOT because our government has a hate for marijuana, it is because our government is corrupt. By nature, you are lobbying for ONE ISSUE, marijuana reform. But until GOVERNMENT ITSELF is REFORMED, marijuana NEVER will be. It is that simple. We get little pieces of good news here and there, but they are quickly forgotten by the reality of things, when we realize the drug war is getting increased funding in this kind of economy.
We need to reform the WHOLE government before we can expect marijuana reform. I understand that you are supposed to be non-partisan, that is fine. I know you can not throw all your support behind just one movement, but you shouldn’t discourage any and put them down. Kuchinich is the liberal counterpart of Ron Paul who also has a huge up and coming movement. Why can’t you just let us give our point of view and make our suggestions without putting them down and telling us they are not viable. Embrace all attempts at true reform.
People come up with outlandish ideas on here all the time, and we don’t understand why you just pick on us. We are not being sensitive, you are telling us our work is not viable. Why don’t you embrace ALL attempts at political change? And by embrace, I don’t mean you have to write articles saying “yes the Ron Paul people are right, lets all throw your support behind him.” We are just asking you stop placing editor comments on our ideas and let people make up their own minds.
[Editor’s note: Just because you are so jaded to believe that “because our government is corrupt. By nature, you are lobbying for ONE ISSUE, marijuana reform. But until GOVERNMENT ITSELF is REFORMED, marijuana NEVER will be.” does not make it so.
Government is not corrupt per se, some people who occupy some positions in government maybe be corrupt, but only anarchists and the most jaded argue that ‘government’ is corrupt.
You can go and pursue your Quixotic quest to destroy what you perceive to be ‘corrupt government’ with supposed political white knights like Ron Paul, but cannabis law reformers need not be saddled with your government-destroying mission.
Interestingly, 120 million Americans live under local and state governments that passed or allowed binding initiatives that has brought decriminalization; almost 90 million live in states with medical cannabis laws…in California, right now, someone is buying medical cannabis from a vending machine.
Citizens equal government.]
Let me also add, the Ron Paul/liberty movement might not pull numbers in national elections, but we are placing a lot of people in local government. The weekly legislation roundups you post rarely have anything to do with federal government, but all with state governments. That is where change needs to happen. So if the liberty movement is placing a bunch of liberty-minded people in state government positions, people who want to end the drug war, then how is that a bad thing and how is that not viable? Change is going to have to happen from the bottom up, not top down.
It’s very stupid to think Ron Paul could do anything as president, with his age and with his lack of major support in congress. We have 3 candidates running for congress and a handful for the house that are all polling well. Even that is not going to change anything immediately, but it is a start. It is really the local and state governments where we can work together and make real change in marijuana reform.
Please stop making editor comments like “Ron Paul is not viable for pres… blah blah” or “what liberty movement.” Let us comment and let others make up their own minds. We don’t mean to suggest people should stop following NORML to follow the liberty movement; if that were the case then I would understand your comments, but it surely is not.
Let me make a few more small points:
People who would vote for Ron Paul usually are people who would vote republican. “Republican” presidential candidates are neo-cons who do not support marijuana reform. Voting for Ron Paul for pres would mostly take away votes from neo-cons, so who cares that he isn’t a viable presidential candidate? You let lots of stupid comments slide without making editor comments, so just let the Ron Paul for pres ones slide too so it does not appear you are picking on the liberty movement.
Even if the liberty movement was not viable (which it certainly is as I said we get people involved in state government) who cares??? The liberty movement still places people into office that support marijuana reform. If the movement doesn’t have a majority of support in the country, it still places representatives into office that will vote in line with NORML’s goals. No need to say we are not viable. Maybe we are, maybe we aren’t. Our net influence still helps fight the same cause NORML is fighting for.
Do you see why we think your remarks ARE partisan? We don’t understand why you feel the need to put us down. We are working for the same cause. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn’t, but ANYTHING helps as long as we have the common goal of marijuana reform. Please let readers of the blog make up their own minds.
[Editor’s note: Let’s be clear who the partisan is here…
When you write “Let me also add, the Ron Paul/liberty movement might not pull numbers in national elections, but we are placing a lot of people in local government.”, who is we?
You are the partisan…the Ron Paul/Liberty movement supporter…unlike NORML, which is non-partisan. You just have a hard time taking any editorial commentary you disagree with or take offense because of YOUR partisanship for Ron Paul/Liberty Movement.
You want to destroy government, NORML is legalizing cannabis. There’s a difference.]
ONE last thing… I wanted to thank the editors very much for posting all of my comments without editing them. It shows that you are honest and aren’t afraid of criticism. With the process of moderating comments you could easily just moderate out my critical ones, giving you the upper hand. You have been nothing but fair, and I hope we can understand each other and coexist. Cheers!
Now that I got that off of my mind, let me clear up a few misconceptions:
Ron Paul supporters call ourselves “Ron Paul” supporters because of recognition. We aren’t blind followers of one man. We all disagree with him now and again on various things. We are more of a gathering of people from all backgrounds brought together by his 2008 big who believe in freedom, hence we support NORML’s cause. We think local government is where change can happen and work it’s way up, and our goal is to get involved that way.
The new teaparties were started by Ron Paul / Liberty supporters but we feel it has been infiltrated by pro-war neo-cons. It does not represent us!!
The 3 main issues that bring us together are anti-war / bring ALL troops home and build up defense, not offense; classical-liberalism which is small government with an emphasis on local government; and most importantly for here, ending the disasterous drug war. Check out campaignforliberty.com mises.org ronpaulforumns.com
If you don’t like what we’re suggesting, check out Kuchinich and what his supporters are doing. He is the neo-liberal counterpart who is a friend of ours despite our differences. Hey imagine forward thinking logical politicians of different political philosophies WORKING TOGETHER to repair this country!!!!
Obviously work with what we have now. Hold Obama accountable for his promises. He still has two years to do something good. But let’s consider alternative politicians in 2010 and 2012 if no changes are made. If we don’t have any good alternatives, vote out the incumbent whether you have to vote R or D against your wishes. It might suck to vote that way for you, but it sends a message that if you are doing a shitty job, you will LOSE YOUR JOB. Then we might have good candidates in following elections, whether hey are like Ron Paul, Kuchinich, or what Obama was promising during the campaign.
I don’t usually like to get political here but…
Brian: Voting for someone who does not promote my ideals just to unseat someone who does not promote my ideals??? How does that get me the representation I need?
Editor: After decades (or perhaps more) of corrupt people making (re-interpreting?) the rules of governance, how does it not make sense to assume that government is corrupt? (Aside from the fact that optimism is healthier for the mind than pessimism.)
Just asking.
Randy, according to the current gallup poll, congressional approval right now is at 18%!! Think outside the box, the democrats and the republicans are nearly identical on the economy, the wars, and the drug war.
So does your incumbent politician really represent you? How do they vote when it comes to marijuana reform and the drug law? How do they vote on other issues you feel are the most important? Some of us, although very few, are lucky enough to have a good representative. Obviously you should stick with your ideals if you feel they really are doing a good job.
But with a 18% approval rating, clearly we have some work to do. We need to be conscious voters in 2010 and 2012.
“Voting for someone who does not promote my ideals just to unseat someone who does not promote my ideals???”
Oops, I see what you are asking. Many people claim voting 3rd party is a waste of a vote, and because that attitude is pretty embedded in a majority of people it becomes truth.
Last election congress had a 20% approval rating yet we elected 90% of incumbents. NINETY FREAKING PERCENT!! They clearly don’t care about our approval of them because they know they still have a great chance of winning their reelection. We need to break this awful trend and prove to them that they will lose their jobs if they do not take it seriously and actually REPRESENT us.
If we can break career politician club sitting comfortably in congress right now, we will start giving honest populist politicians more of a chance because we are breaking the incumbent safety net.
We’re in the middle of a recession. Jobless numbers are through the roof. If marijuana were regulated like alcohol or tobacco, you suddenly add a whole bunch of DEA, police, prosecutors, wardens, guards, and more to the unemployment line. Then add in the young people who have found marijuana growing and dealing to be the only living wage job they can find, now suddenly unemployed by marijuana re-legalization, and you’ll see unemployment figures that would guarantee an Obama re-election defeat in 2012.
Yes, a legal marijuana market would open up many jobs and industries and tax revenues heretofore unrealized, but transitioning to that market is going to take time. In the meantime, what jobs are open for former drug cops and pot dealers?
In earlier times this logic would have gone something like this: “If Ford starts building those automobiles all the horses and farm hands will be out of a job! We can’t let that happen!” or “If Bell gets that telephone on the market, Samuel Morse’s telegraph company will be out of a job! Sure, they can all work at the telephone company, but that transition will take time!”
I hope this analogy helps the progress-nazis see how backwards they are.
HA! This website and other legalizing pot websites should’ve listen to Ron Paul. Its litterly Obama’s dooms day. there is no way in hell obama is gonna be president for another term of office. Keep up the Revolution!!!!
Brian; I’m with ya on voting out incumbents–I don’t feel that they should even be allowed to serve for more than 8-10 years but I would rather “throw my vote away” than to support a candidate just I dislike the other one more. People voting against certain candidates is what keeps the power in the hands of the two major parties.
If more folks actually voted with their conscience instead of their fear we might start to see some real change.
oops…..candidate just because I dislike….
Oh, and by the way…
Editor; I’m no consipricy nut but I do believe our current cannabis laws are one instance that the conspiricy angle actually makes a lot of sense, more so than mere “momentum” in this day and age.
This has been illuminating to read. Okay… back to your corners!
NORML, I have been rather disappointed by your replies on here. They seem very antagonistic toward the libertarians while hiding behind a wall of non-partisanship. It’s fine to be non-partisan, and you’ve certainly said it enough times to convince anyone not positive. However, phrasing such as “delusional” and “Johnny One-noters” is antagonizing. Your position is clear. Your persistent e-fighting with the libertarians you’ve riled up has only weakened your cause. I came to this board hoping to find a serious movement for marijuana reform. I am mostly impressed by what I’m seeing, but these comments are a tremendous black mark against your credibility. Everyone with sense gets it: Ron Paul will never be President. You continuing to shout it from your bogspot does NOTHING to promote your non-partisanship. Neither does your decision to comment on the “delusion” of supporting Ron Paul, and NOT on the delusion of using weed as currency, as another commenter suggested. It makes you look unprofessional, particularly when you’re using such snide, antagonistic language. A cause such as marijuana reform DESPERATELY needs a mature voice to lead it. Please be that voice.
To the angry libertarians. CALM DOWN!! We’re all on the same side. All this editor was trying to get across (albeit in a very unprofessional manner) is that we cannot lay our hopes in the presidency of Ron Paul. The editor is absolutely right. Though there IS a chance of it happening, the odds against it are astronomical. There is far too much political sway and green (not the sort of green we love) in Washington for it to be possible for America to wake up, oust the government, and replace it with a perfect one. This sentiment is empty. It will not happen. Therefore redirect your energies into something useful. Take the time that you used to tear into the editor and defend Ron Paul to write your congress-people. That’s what Paul would tell you to do!! When people come to this site hoping for real MJ reform, seeing this petty, rhetorical argument is disheartening.
Now then… I read somewhere that Obama’s “official” stance was that it would be “irresponsible” for us to legalize a drug that 80% of the world considers illegal; that it is not a good message to send to our children to legalize marijuana. This is a moral value judgment fallacy. It was the DARE program and Nancy Regan who taught our children that marijuana was as bad as cocaine. In the face of so much medicinally-relevant evidence, is it not our responsibility to re-educate? Facing an 8 billion deficit for marijuana law enforcement, and a possible 14 billion in revenues per year, is it not our responsibility to at least investigate a solution? The President is hiding behind a moral stance. He has without a doubt been a disappointment to many; another silver-tongued politician to teach us another hard lesson. We are told to be patient. But patience is wearing thin…
[Editor’s note: Sorry that you see replies from the editor as unprofessional, etc…However, NORML’s webpage is not a recruiting ground for unpopular political causes and spreading misinformation. There are hundreds of other genuinely immature and commercial webpages for folks to proselytize about their favorite political personalities, desires to destroy the government, kill cops, etc…]
Sorry, I forgot a few points. It’s just my opinion, but…
To the argument that marijuana law enforcement officers will lose their jobs:
I can’t see this being the case whatsoever. Just because marijuana is legalized does not mean that all other drugs are. A program will have to go into effect with the decriminalization which transfers these officers into other departments. This will allow the doubling of efforts again real drugs and criminals. Thousands of MJ boutiques will open across the country, each needing law enforcement officers on site. National marijuana grow stations will emerge, also needing security. Headshops will start popping up everywhere. There is more than one solution here. It takes only a critical mind to identify them. We HAVE to do something right?? The system is broke the way it is now. Even IF they all lost their jobs, it would be far less a burden on society than the cost of enforcement and interdiction.
Secondly… to the marijuana pot dealers who may lose their jobs… well… they ARE pot dealers! You’ve had a good run living as a loophole in society. Time to get a job. It’s not like they’ve been tax paying American citizens who will show up at the unemployment lines. The truly successful ones will apply for grower’s licenses. If the argument is that these unemployed pot dealers would create a significant enough burden on society that this should be a sound argument against reform, then we need to see serious research supporting that theory. In my opinion, that claim is laughable, and you’ll have a hard time selling sympathy for dealers, particularly when smokers are getting bled dry by their dealers.
2008 was the first time…and the last time…I’ve ever voted. I truly believed in my heart and soul that this was it. This would be the guy who would change it all. I should’ve listened to my gut instead of my stupid heart and soul.
I’ve always been an incredibly level-headed person, and I’ve always believed that, even though this country has it’s faults, it is a good place to be and I wouldn’t want to change much. I am now thinking differently.
I genuinely believe that we’ve reached a point in society where things are NOT going to change, unless the PEOPLE…not the government, make it change. I’m talking Revolution. It’s in the air and it’s all around us. Forget voting. Forget lobbying. Forget protesting. This shit is NOT working. We are all being ignored (“we” meaning the general populace who are not rich and therefore not profiting off of how this system of government works). Too many people have suffered horrendous pain, sadness, and poverty because of this government. It is NOT working for the general populace anymore. Something is about to break.
[Editor’s note: Revolution? Not voting or participating in a democracy is one sure way to make sure the political system does not work. The last thing…the worse thing for cannabis law reform is talk or actions of violence or armed revolution.
One thing is for sure, such will not be promoted on NORML’s webpage.]
I’m sorry to not jump on the hate wagon, but I actually looked at the document and don’t see where it shows that there will be less money for treatment and more for law enforcement. In fact it looks to be the opposite to me. I’m just saying to look at the stupid document before jumping off a cliff.
re;
“Editor’s note: Politics 101: Losers of political contests don’t have much impact on policy making.”
bullshit. eat facts.
40 hr. workweek, woman’s right to vote, end of slavery, child labor laws, civil rights laws, the “new deal”, and ENDING PROHIBITION,
ALL STARTED AS THIRD PARTY IDEAS.
WHEN A THIRD PARTY GETS TOO POPULAR, IT’S ISSUE GETS PICKED UP BY A MAJOR PARTY,
or the major party gets displaced.
of “eligible voters”
20% vote dems
20% vote reppie
AND 60% DO NOT VOTE, because they feel both parties are corrupt and/or are not representing their positions / best interests.
NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME FOR A THIRD PARTY TO BECOME A MAJOR PARTY !!
you admit the dems and reppies are not going to do anything for us. (duopoly).
that leaves three options;
1. third party candidates (which you are against)
2. violent bloody revolution (which you are against)
3. just continue the status quo
(which you SEEM TO BE FOR ???)
[Editor’s note: Despite your examples of some social changes brought about by third party agitation, the statement that losers of political elections don’t have much policy-making influence is an undeniable truism in democracies.
>that leaves three options;
>1. third party candidates (which you are against)
>2. violent bloody revolution (which you are against)
>3. just continue the status quo
(which you SEEM TO BE FOR ???)
Are there only three options? Are you correct what NORML favors? No, in both cases.
With well under 1% of cannabis consumers politically involved in their own liberation, a strong argument can be advanced that when (or if) cannabis consumers choose to be fully engaged with the current political duopoly controlling state and federal governments, then they’ll affect the necessary degree of change needed to effectively end cannabis prohibition.
No bloody revolution, third parties or suffering with status quo politics are necessarily needed to end cannabis prohibition.]
just some quotes of this countries founding fathers, and a few others…. i just think people need to know these, and should fight the system with these quotes as well.
“If we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them but to inform their discretion by education”
~Thomas Jefferson
“When even one American who has done nothing wrong is forced by fear to shut his mind and close his mouth, then all Americans are in peril.”
~Harry S. Truman – Former U.S. President
“Make the most of the Indian Hemp Seed and sow it everywhere.”
~George Washington
“The prestige of government has undoubtedly been lowered considerably by the prohibition law. For nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced. It is an open secret that the dangerous increase of crime in this country is closely connected with this.”
~Albert Einstein “My First Impression of the U.S.A.”, 1921
“Our youth can not understand why society chooses to criminalize a behavior with so little visible ill effect or adverse social impact… These young people have jumped the fence and found no cliff. And the disrespect for the possession laws fosters a disrespect for laws and the system in general… On top of this is the distinct impression among the youth that some police may use the marihuana laws to arrest people they don’t like for other reasons, whether it be their politics, their hair style or their ethnic background.” “Federal and state laws (should) be changed to no longer make it a crime to possess marijuana for private use.” ; “State laws should make the public use of marijuana a criminal offense punishable by a $100 fine. Under federal law, marijuana smoked in public would merely be subject to seizure.”
~President Richard M. Nixon’s National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse “Marihuana: A Signal of Misunderstanding” March 1972 (funny how Nixon stated this before going balls deep into the drug war eh?)
“Congress should definitely consider decriminalizing possession of marijuana… We should concentrate on prosecuting the rapists and burglars who are a menace to society.”
~Dan Quayle U.S. Representative and Vice president under President Bush March 1977
“Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself; and where they are, they should be changed. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against possession of marihuana in private for personal use… Therefore, I support legislation amending Federal law to eliminate all Federal criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce [28g] of marihuana.”
~Jimmy Carter U.S. President Message to congress 1977
“The greatest service that can be rendered to any country is to add a useful plant to its culture.”
~Thomas Jefferson
“In any civilized society, it is every citizen’s responsibility to obey just laws. But at the same time, it is every citizen’s responsibility to disobey unjust laws.”
~Martin Luther King Jr.
“If people let government decide which foods they eat and medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.”
~Thomas Jefferson
“Most marijuana users do not go on to use other drugs.”
~”Marijuana: Facts for Teens.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Washington, D.C. 1995, p.10.
(the govt stated this, but still backs up greatly the gateway theory)
“Prohibition… goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control mans’ appetite through legislation and makes a crime out of things that are not even crimes… A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our Government was founded”
~President Abraham Lincoln (December 1840)
“We shall, by and by, want a world of hemp more for our own consumption.”
~John Adams
“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.”
~Thomas Jefferson
“Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves are its only safe depositories.”
~Thomas Jefferson
“To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.”
~Thomas Jefferson
“When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”
~Thomas Jefferson (ask yourselves, who is more afraid? us, the people, or them?)
It is my opinion that, we the people, need to take back our rights, and put the government back in their place as being nothing more than civil servants, what they were intended to be in the first place. We should no longer allow them to decide what is best for us, but instead tell them what is best for us. It was once said, long ago that, For any country to truly be free, there must be a revolution every 15-20 years. Sadly we are long over due. I believe it is our duty to ourselves, and to our country mates to prove to the government who is in control of this country. Please keep in mind that, we the people, outnumber the government by a great deal, we have millions to their thousands. If only we could all band together, and with peace, show to them that we will not take it any more (i.e. impeachment, boycott, and voting) i feel as though we could succeed without the need of violence. However i do fear that a violent end of tyranny (in this generation) is near. Those in power will not relinquish this power without a fight. Therefore it is our duty to fight back, and take the power back, in which we will then again be free. Our founding fathers fought a war against the British 240 years ago to be free of the tyranny that we are faced with today. Ask yourselves if you truly feel free. Ask yourselves if you are in fear of the government. Ask yourselves and those around you to ask themselves, how much more are we going to take? I truly hope we can find a peaceful solution to this dilemma we are currently faced with, however i fear that it may not be possible, but first we must exhaust our options before we result to violence. Take back your rights America. We need to be free.
[Editor’s note: 1) There is not going to be any violent revolution against the government fueled by the less then 1% of citizens involved in cannabis law reform. 2) Neither cannabis law reform or the country as a whole is near the edge of violent revolution. 3) Are citizens free in the US? Of course they are and can always ban together to create positive political change. One of the primary reasons over a third of the US population has decriminalized or medicinal laws for cannabis is because an ever-increasing number of citizens are involved with cannabis law reform groups like NORML.]
yet again we sell away our civil liberties, neither for peace nor security but cash. for shame!
WHEN A THIRD PARTY GETS TOO POPULAR, IT’S ISSUE GETS PICKED UP BY A MAJOR PARTY,
or the major party gets displaced.
in a 2-party race, you need 51% TO WIN
in a 3-party race, you need JUST 34% TO WIN, AND BECOME A MAJOR PARTY !!!
THEY (the major parties) WILL NOT LET THAT HAPPEN.
so 15%-20% support is all we need to be a “swing vote” for a major party to pick up the issue.
of “eligible voters”
20% vote dems
20% vote reppie
AND 60% DO NOT VOTE,
because they feel both parties are corrupt and/or are not representing their positions / best interests.
if just HALF of the non-voters, voted third party,
the THIRD PARTY would WIN !!
if just a small fraction of the non-voters, voted third party, we wouLd be a “swing vote”.
sun tsu (a legendary strategist) said; “attack your enemy where he is weakest, not where he is strongest”
they are strongest with dems/reppies. (they “own” them)
they are weakest with third parties.
AND WE ALLREADY ARE IN THE MAJORTY.
–it just hasen’t sunk in yet.
BUT IT WILL !!!
we will have legal weed, by 2012, just in time for the end of the world. (as we know it).
-oh yeah !!
re;
40 hr. workweek, woman’s right to vote, end of slavery, child labor laws, civil rights laws, the “new deal”, and ENDING PROHIBITION,
[Editor’s note: social changes brought about by third party agitation…
——-
you call it “agitation”,
I CALL IT DEMOCRACY !!
-people doing what is best for PEOPLE,
not what is best for the big money corperate interests or for political gains.
your bias os clear.
[Editor’s note: NORML is non-profit, non-partisan and pro-democracy.]
to the editor and whoever read my previous comment. I was not just talking about people who are going for cannabis law reform, and if you read what i was saying, i hope for a very peaceful resolution to the constant injustices done to the american people on a daily basis, this does not only include cannabis smokers, it includes everyone. However if you in fact read the quotes you will see that the government is in fact going against what this country was founded on. If in fact we are free, than why do I and so many millions of Americans feel as though we are not truly free? They do step all over our rights, and ignore the initial 10 amendments to the constitution. This is rather prevalent in the case of Tommy Chong where in the court documentation one of the reasons he was imprisoned was due to the character he portrayed in his fills with “Cheech” Marin. of all 55 people who were popped in that sting, only Tommy Chong went to jail, and as stated before one of the reasons was in direct violation of our first amendment right to freedom of speech. If we truly are free why do I, along with so many others, have to be afraid of what we say, and what we do? Why is it that we cannot practice in a peaceful manor what so many people consider to be part of the holey sacrament? Is that not also a direct violation of our first amendment right to freedom of religion? Also i would like to ask why they consider the ninth amendment to be nothing more than a guideline, rather than take it with it’s literal meaning? It states
“The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.”
The meaning of that being that we the people are entitled to other rights that are not explicitly mentioned in the constitution, however it has been ruled that it is more so a guideline to back up other rights listed in the constitution and bill of rights. I ask you this, what rights would they want to be protected? I feel as though what they intended was rights they considered every american at the time to posses. In colonial times it was illegal to refuse to grow hemp when called upon. Our founding fathers grew hemp and insisted that it was an invaluable resource that should never be overlooked. however that amendment did not exclusively encompass that, it most definitely included other rights, mostly rights that include personal freedom.
With this statement i am more so trying to clarify my last comment, rather than initiate an argument. However, i truly do not feel free, i do not feel as though i am allowed to practice an unalienable right (as described in the declaration of independence) to pursue happiness. Maybe i am wrong, however i ask this, why are so many people getting increasingly angry at the system for invading our rights? I do believe in democracy, however right now i do not feel as though it is working in the benefit of the people. They know what public opinion wants, however they shun public opinion unless it coincides with what they want. This being the primary reason i ask the people to stand up for themselves, and fight back for their rights.
I’d like to see an amendment to the ‘Failed Drug War” philosophy. The drug war has not failed. In fact, anyone can see that it has been successful beyond measure…if you take a moment to look at it from the perspective of private interests. Case in point, the American Prison System (and those who profit from it) has seen enormous success from Prohibition. Not only do they get government funding to incarcerate cannabis users, they also get a workforce composed of free labor by granting early release for ‘good behavior’ (those who work for the counties, cities, and states holding them hostage, but gain no wages). It has also been extremely successful for the pharmaceutical industry. In addition to profiting from medications that relieve symptoms that cannabis could combat, they also have the drug testing market cornered. Billions of dollars a year are spent hunting and persecuting citizens who have committed no crime against their fellow man. Big oil is making record profits, in part because cannabis can’t be produced for bio-fuels. Big tobacco has no competition at all as long as smokers are denied the choice to partake in recreational cannabis use. The timber industry is still deforesting the countryside with no fear that cannabis will compete and alcohol producers continue to rake it in while cannabis remains elusive to those who would rather smoke a joint than have a beer. Yes, my friends, the War on Drugs has been a huge success. So I ask when they come for you will you go quietly into that dark night, or will you stand strong, shake your fist in the face of tyranny and proudly/courageously demand” Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!!”
I feel that Cannabis is so overdue to be rescheduled.I was screwed by the conservative faction of Solano county but The State Appeals Court made things right.I can not believe that we still hold people like Eddie Lepp in Prison when we let the Banking fraudsters get bonuses.Eddie is my age and will not fare well in Federal prison,but thank GOD it is not as bad as THE STATE system.I won my appeal because I am not a criminal.I was fed drugs by THe VA shrinks at they did not work,poisonous drugs with bad side effects like,Nuerontin,Buspar,Trazadone,Klonopin,Diazapem,Chloral Hydrate(for sleep),Wellbutrin,Xanax,Depakote,Seraquel and some other crap I really can’t remember the name of but I do know it is CRAP.I use CANNABIS for medicine and if someone can’t handle that reality I really don’t Give a SH_t,so THERE!The self righteous drug Nazis are a strange lot,they seem to believe that the drug makers can do better than GOD when it comes to making medicine.The drug makers are trying their best to mimic the effects of cannabis and all they do is fail.Mother Nature is not to be Improved on,she is already PERFECT.Google my Name Tim Giangiobbe OCBC and read the Find a Case Peoiple Vs Giangiobbe.I have had some folks make the comment to me,”you act like It’s you against the World”and I tell them it was Me against The World and I Won so read my case and shut that pie hole on your face that keeps spewing SH_t you don’t have a clue about.I just love it when some uneducated dogma spewer trys to make me out to be an Ignorant pothead.I enjoy using disarming facts with a little false sincerity and my own dogma while subtly insulting them with sarcasm to make my point and sometimes they do not even realize I am insulting them while they agree with me.I Love Cognitive Therapy,sarcasm and Just plain LOGIC.They are very useful tools.Time to TAX TAX TAX and regulate cannabis and then THe Stigma will GO AWAY and maybe the Naysayers will see the light or finally INHALE and just enjoy Gods gift.GOD BLESS ALL
Tac Cannabis 2010 will Pave the way for LEGAL Harm Reduction Outlets.The Medical Cannabis Laws Created a Black Market anyway.The Age Limit Being 21 is Shortsighted.This will be ammended.The 18 to 21 year old adults have rights.I Will Still Vote Yes.Thanks Oaksterdam.I Was Working there in 2003 with Ken Estes and I can Clearly remember the call for Non Profits then.Jeff Jones, Richard Lee,Ed,Duncan,Clare and the Rest of Oaksterdam University Players.They are all working hard to keep Cannabis Commerce Ethical.Ajnag is working to Spread the Good Word on the internet..
That is TAX CANNABIS 2010.What a TYPO!! Time to Tax and Put the Cartels out of Business is Now!!Man can I Let Some Bad Typos Get By.Oh Well! TAX TAX TAX and That will work instead of the Ignorant Status Quo.Too many Citizens are being Jailed for Non Violent So Called Crimes.We can Ammend the Law Later to Improve it!!Vote in November and Let’s get this Passed.
These Citizens need to go to Oaksterdam and get an Education. I Lived the Hell after Prop 215 was passed. The Nebulous Law was Abused By Rogue DAs and we Hope that Does not happen after the Cannabis tax Act.The fact that no County will be forced to Do anything at all is a Positive note.This is Fair! They will still get to benefit from the counties that do Implement the Tax act.That is Win/Win for the Conservatives too! They Probably have not Read The Law They just Criticize it.READ IT!! You May Like It!!! Tax Cannabis 2010 PEACE