The Good: I’m confirmed to appear this evening live on CNN to discuss the political aftermath and strategies for future Cannabis Prohibition law reforms around the 7:30 PM hour (eastern).
The Bad: Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske will appear live around 5:30 PM (eastern) to discuss cannabis legalization efforts post the close defeat of Prop 19 this week in California.
Update: Watch NORML on CNN here.
Regrettably, because of longstanding protocol at the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the so-called drug czar will not appear live and/or debate with a representative from NORML. Instead, viewers and taxpayers are deprived of the opportunity for a civil discussion from two opposing viewpoints over a long-simmering public policy debate that’s been underway for over 40 years in America.
Instead, the drug czar’s media protocol dictates that he/she generally appear first in public discussions on TV or on the radio (live debates in front of an audience are verboten!), and then the advocate addresses their remarks in a later live or taped interview.
That’s what will happen on CNN tonight on what will be a painfully short, 5-7 minute live interview with Don Lemon.
See you on the Groove Tube!
Normally ive got foul mouthed labels for these kind of guys.. but i feel ‘scaredy cats’ or ‘chickens’ would be sufficient. They just dont want a activist with truth on his side to make fools out of our elected officials on t.v. That wouldnt settle with their ignorant agenda.
If russ or alan debated face to face a drug czar with a good chunk of time behind to allow for discussion it would make ppl who voted no feel like assholes
Why don’t you guys have an online link to the CNN program thats being shown ? Because too many people on the internet want to watch shows like this online.
[Editor’s note: CNN has not made a video link available yet of the interviews with St. Pierre and the Drug Czar.]
The drug czars a pussy, ‘nough said. good segment ! I like that cnn talk’s straightforward about it.
Forget the drug czar. I want a debate with the president. And this is what I think is going to happen: Ron Paul will win the Republican nomination for 2012 and Obama will be forced to discuss this issue. Obama will have to come out in favor of marijuana legalization or at least decriminalization…if he doesn’t, Ron Paul will win the votes of younger (under the age of 60) Americans and will be the next president.
wat i would like to know is why can they and we all know who they are give false scientific information to back up false claims that mj is dangerous but any actual scientific proof we bring along is disputed with its just not enough to back up anything in court when will the minority get a chance at seniority its dirty ill gotten and ignorant i dont see justice i dont see rightous i see a bunch of over grown children playing with fire civil war is right the first time anyone tells me im going to prison for something my community and or state deems (OK) for me to do in my own living room im gonna pull out the smith and wesson and shoot him right between the eyes they use violence i will to
drug czar = pussy …… i hope he reads this . sorry paul , ha to be done. legalize
As you can see, this country is not ready to vote for cannabis. It’s not ready. The populace has been led to believe in outright lies, and they are not ready. No amount of “get out the vote” is going to do it. If we keep relying on ballot initiatives, every single one of us will be dead before we see this stuff legal. The country is not ready.
We have to MAKE them ready. It’s not about voting. It’s about STANDING UP. Here. Now.
It’s about every one of us taking a stand, intimately and personally with those around us in our lives, standing up for who we are.
This is a battle that will be won on the GROUND, in CONVERSATION, and in ACTION. Only when the country is ready for cannabis will cannabis be legal again – and it’s our job to make them ready. It starts today, and here’s how:
1. Purify your practice.
Shed the false persona of the “stoner”. Ask yourself, “am I talking/moving/acting this way because it’s my expression of who I am, or because the stoner-movie media told me that this is how cannabis users behave?”)
Return to the roots, the spiritual practice of cannabis. Use it consciously. With intention. Use it to heal, to re-establish connection with the divine, your uncorrupted self. Explore the unknown.
2. Reclaim the language. Repeat after me: It’s not a drug, it’s a medicine. It’s not a war on drugs, it’s a war on medicine. It’s not prohibition, it’s an inquisition. It’s not legalize, it’s stop throwing people in fucking jail.
3. Come out of the closet. Stop hiding, make sure every single person you know knows you use it. If they don’t know yet, tell them. And tell them why you use it. Tell them you enjoy it.
4. Stand up for the truth. No more incrementalism. We want it legal, now. No more excuses (like only for medical patients with a subscription), no more wimping out (like “tax it” or “loosen the penalties”), no more additional laws, and no more state-by-state – we want the Controlled Substances Act repealed, end of story.
5. Stop defending, and start putting opponents on the defensive. In a free society, the burden of proof is on those who would ban. Be aggressive. Don’t settle for mediocre answers. Demand they confront their lunacy. Anytime and anywhere you find inquisitionists, confront them, and don’t let up until they back down.
6. Smoke in public. As long as there are no cops, the worst anyone can do is throw words at you. Engage them in civil conversation. Educate them.
Every cannabis user can step up and personally fight for the truth. YOU can do this. WE ALL can do this. Stop waiting on NORML. Stop waiting on MPP. Stop waiting for the next election. The “political” process is just a thermometer, it’s not the thermostat. It merely measures the temperature, it doesn’t set it.
WE set it. Each and every one of us. The adventure begins now!
Please post a video of this CNN stuff for those of us with no TV!
Attack Kerlikowske as the establishment and ride tea party anger.
Attack marijuana persecution as one of the big problems with government.
Ride the tide of anger towards government!
Once again Allen does a great job. Great job Allen! Thank you for all of your hard work. 2012— WE ARE COMING!!! 2012 WE WILL BE HEARD!!! 2012 MARIJUANA GETS LEGALIZED!!! 2012 WE WILL HAVE MARIJUANA ON BALLOTS ALL ACROSS AMERICA!!! 2012 WE WILL WIN!!! GO NORML!!!
Anyone have this uploaded yet? Daylight savings time messed me all up. 🙂
Over the course of time Cannabis (marijuana) prohibition was established, maintained and defended by lies.
Wasn’t it Joseph Goebbels who said telling a lie over time establishes in the mind of the brainwashed the truth?
The ONDC policy that forbids federal officials from appearing with or debating legalization advocates in public, should be Allen’s opening statement tonight on CNN. It speaks for itself.
i would love to see kerlikowske have to stand trial and prove that marijuana is what they claim it is.i know it hasn’t been too long ago that the global warming issue was in the courtroom.why shouldn’t the dea be held accountable for their lies?
giv’em hell.don’t get mad just point out the facts that the government knows but to scared to change.
Is this the clip?
Would it not be a total surprise if the same rhetoric was not spouted? Please, we all know that we have heard it before and if they do happen to say something different we will read about it on NORML.
So, Our Government wants to use Our Public Broadcast Systems to give us a one-sided message, knowing how close the vote was in California and how close it would be nationwide? Really?
Give the networks something to think about.
DO NOT WATCH THAT LIAR!
(Need I say which one I mean?).
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then they flee like a bat out of hell to avoid a live debate with NORML.
drug czar??? WHAT A WASTE OF TAXPAYER MONEY!!!
?.did the mexican cartels pay off our goverment to not make it legal
We’re lucky to have Allen as a front-line spokesperson. We each need to advocate for saner drug policies in our own backyards, wherever that may be. And, we need to remind our political representatives and government employees that we’re still their bosses.
Who’s the drug Czar’s boss? It might help if we could get together a petition to him/her demanding that we, the people get to converse directly and in public over this or any other issue. They can only hide if we let them.
Screw , Holder & his threats . Amerikkka isn’t going to mess with California a State they can’t afford to lose .
They aren’t doing anything now & they aren’t going to do anything after we turn more warehouses into growing facilities . Amerikkka needs California . California doesn’t need Amerikkka .
Gil Kerlikowske, i guarantee is getting donations
( money ) from Drug , Alcohol , tobacco or Oil to take such a ridiculous stand on his opposition to Cannabis .
Go get ’em Allen!! I’ve got a ton of confidence in you. Show CNN what’s up. I’ll be watching the Packer game but good luck kind sir!!
Check out the CNN video here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBTCIRgTwEo&feature=share
I tend to agree with Victory. The strategy for prop 19 seemed to be to get marijuana supporters to the polls, not change minds. I don’t think that alone can work. We’d be vulnerable to repealing the law in the next election cycle.
I’ve seen a few interviews of people on the fence but who voted no on Prop 19. In summary, they were feeling “us vs. them,” where “them” are potheads and they don’t much care for potheads. Talking about tax revenues can not overcome this gut feeling.
I see two better strategies moving forward:
1. Wear suits and ties. Anyone speaking for marijuana legalization should be dressed better than the people s/he is speaking to. Even if the speaker’s argument is flawless, the message will be lost if the speaker wears dreadlocks, or in anyway resembles the stereotypes depicted in media. We must break down the us vs. them mentality.
2. Co-opt the “less government” sentiment of the tea-party and other conservatives. Use slogans like, “Get the government out of my garden.” and the like.
The Evening Report
“?.did the mexican cartels pay off our goverment to not make it legal”
Thank you Shawn, Dateline here in America
Money is tight, I wonder in my only fiduciary soul
Amazing Grace
the drug far seemed really scared that we are going to legalize, he stated that prop19 was our best effort and will be our best effort ever and that we should all just give up because people are starting to realize the dangers of marijuana….
i agree with hippie dude 100%. like the someone else had writen in, as soon as the older people die things will get better.
Allen St. Pierre is a class act. He represents the pro-marijuana side: professionally, ethically and with class. Thank you Allen.
There’s one reason why the DRUG CZAR doesn’t debate Allen or any knowledgeable person who knows the facts about Cannabis……he knows he’ll lose the debate .
To # 32 ,
I lived with a family of Church goers . Not only my Dad ( who favored Cannabis ) and Mom but my Aunts and Uncles . They were all anti – Weed but every single one of them except one Aunt of mine were essentially alcoholics . Probally most Christian organizations of today are truly not Christians . They live on the side of Satan the Devil , are liars & hypocrites .I quit going to Church .
i really dont belive our votes count on certain things,like voting for tax cuts,or to legalize marijuana,or hell even who the president will be.but if the people that smoke it that works in the white house and other goverment offices would stand up for the people that vote for them then we mite have a chance.maybe im worng but i should have the fredom to smoke a j in my home or in my yard.its no wonder why the wrong people get votted in,cause the pot smokers like my self no that in some cases my words dont matter. sorry but where is my fredom
I think it’s quite ironic that big pharma is pumping our elders full of perscription drugs which have the potential to kill a young, healthy person, let alone those whose ammune systems hang by a thread.
Way to go, big pharma. Keep killing off your supporters…
i saw the show.
you mentioned driving high, and smoking in proximity to kids as bad things, needing police action.
please, just treat pot like alcohol and tobacco.
(it’s not heroin or coke, dammit)
people drink beer and smoke tobacco in the presence of kids every day, and are NOT ARRESTED. (but if it’s so bad, why not)
as to driving;
1. recent studies show tired driving to be as dangerous as drunk driving.
2. texting and cell phone use while driving can be just as dangerous as driving on pot.
3. what about all the people who DRIVE WHILE HIGH ON PRESCRIPTION PILLS ??
why do you give them a free pass ?? (no mention)
WHY are you advocating a crackdown on US,
-but not on them ??
please don’t start a new prohibition to try to end the old one.
I don’t know what went wrong, but I tried to catch both interviews and missed them both, did they change the times or something? I tuned in at 5:30 and watched for almost an hour, no drug czar, then I tuned in again at 7:30 and no Allen. I hope you can post clips from it to NORML’s site somewhere. I would love to challenge that idiot to a debate, 70 year old rhetoric could never stand up to 21st century science in an open debate.
Tea Party will not help us. They are mae up of consevite to right wing consertiv and right wing chrition conservti In the south we have the bible belt they play a big roll. Only bi regesting pepply to vote is the anser one state to make it leagl will start the ball rolling.Soi belive we need to spend the money on get the young falks toe regster to vote and then go out that day and take over u.s.a.
One of the reason my dad fout in ww 2 is to keep our country free from a goverment like this drug teasing peeing in a bottle for a job. My dad is in heaven looking now on us and saying there is going to be and war sooner or later in this country. lord i hope im not alive when that day come. no way in a lover not a fighter
2012 Is when mexico will elct a new presdent The curent pres will be vote out. The new party in and they will leagliz cannabis I hope
Great job, Allen! It was a very good interview and I think Don Lemon falls on our side.
Did everyone see where the Heritage Foundation recommended the dissolution of the Drug Czar’s office? The Heritage Foundation no friend of the legalization movement but they’re beginning to realize that the amount spent on prohibition is ridiculous. Now if they’ll only realize that denying someone their freedom for using or growing such a safe substance is the most ridiculous thing our government does and should be reason enough to legalize.
@Old Blue Man
Don’t lump all conservatives into the freedom hating, so called “moral majority.” You might find yourself surprised at how many people would consider themselves in agreement with a lot of what the Tea Party is about and still vehemently oppose prohibition.
Remember the legacy of President Richard M. Nixon, who, after being told that all of these anti-war, hippie detractors on the streets embarrassing him were potheads, had pot placed on the list of Schedule 1 Narcotics, where it has remained ever since! The Nixon legacy lives on!
the goverment won’t change there way until the people say enough is enough. we voted do we realy have a vioce? it make a person wonder.
Ok, here’s my take. The women’s movement said to the government about killing the children in the womb. “Hey it’s my body, keep your hands off of my body”. So smoking pot should be no different in fact it’s only between you and no one else. “It’s your body”. So killing a child in the womb is perfectly OK according to the government, but having one lousy joint makes you a hardened criminal. Being gay was once outlawed, now it’s some kind of constitutional right. Go figure where is the justice? The time has come to at least decriminalize it. This by far is less of a crime than a damn parking ticket.