Earlier today, 18 members of Congress signed onto a letter that was delivered to President Barack Obama calling for him to remove marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.
“We request that you take action to help alleviate the harms to society caused by the federal Schedule I classification of marijuana. Lives and resources are wasted on enforcing harsh, unrealistic, and unfair marijuana laws,” the letter reads, “Nearly two-thirds of a million people every year are arrested for marijuana possession. We spend billions every year enforcing marijuana laws, which disproportionately impact minorities. According to the ACLU, black Americans are nearly four times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana possession, despite comparable usage rates.”
The letter was signed by Representatives Blumenauer (OR), Cohen (TN), Farr (CA), Grijalva (AZ), Honda (CA), Huffman (CA), Lee (CA), Lofgren (CA), Lowenthal (CA), McGovern (MA), Moran (VA), O’Rourke (TX), Polis (CO), Quigley (IL), Rohrabacher (CA), Schakowsky (IL), Swalwell (CA), and Welch (VT).
“Classifying marijuana as Schedule I at the federal level perpetuates an unjust and irrational system. Schedule I recognizes no medical use, disregarding both medical evidence and the laws of nearly half of the states that have legalized medical marijuana,” the letter continued, “A Schedule I or II classification also means that marijuana businesses in states where adult or medical use are legal cannot deduct business expenses from their taxes or take tax credits due to Section 280E of the federal tax code. We request that you instruct Attorney General Holder to delist or classify marijuana in a more appropriate way, at the very least eliminating it from Schedule I or II.”
You can read the full text of the letter here.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT HIRE ME BECAUSE I HAD MARIJUANA IN MY SYSTEM. THEY DRINK, POP PILLS AND DO HARD STUFF, BUT I’M THE BAD ONE W WEED IN MY PEE? THEY CAN DRAIN THEIR POISONS OUT W/IN 72 HOURS.
Listen, I don’t want to go off topic, but take this marijuana quiz titled “How much do you know about marijuana?” and get back to me.
Apparently I only know 45% =(
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/2011/0104/How-much-do-you-know-about-marijuana-Take-the-quiz/Indigenous-marijuana
THIS LAW NEEDS TO BE CHANGED. ENOUGH TIME HAS GONE BY NOW,AND ENOUGH OF PEOPLES LIVES HAVE BEEN RUINED. IT’S A HARMLESS PLANT. ACTUALLY IT IS A HELPFUL PLANT/MEDICINE.
Glad to see this “Do Nothing” congress actually listening to its people! But I guarantee Oklahoma will be the last state to relax the laws.
Having marijuana (cannabis) listed as a schedule one drug is an absolute lie and is completely ridiculous. Indeed, listing it as a schedule 2 drug is incredibly stupid! I can only hope that President Obama acts differently than the previous jerky white presidents…
I am extremely pleased that even in Nazi Virginia we have at least one honorable representative calling for this idiocy to be changed!
A brief perusal of the CSA drug Schedule is surprising. Some pretty problematic drugs are down in IV and V.
With alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine not scheduled at all, I’d say the most appropriate thing to do would be to delist it completely.
The thing is, the initial scheduling was a completely political act. Actually, the initial prohibitions at the state level in the early 20th century were too.
Politics have always trumped the reality and science of just what THC is and does. It has taken reversing the political landscape to alter the legal status. Has the reversal advanced far enough yet for our “leaders” to feel safe following the publics lead?
about time. One small step to end cannabis prohibition. glass pipes and bongs at http://420elite.com
But let’s not kid ourselves; by using “think tanks” and “science foundations,” Prohibitionist Corporations like Koch Industries can become underwriters to media like PBS and influence the debate. Koch Industries owns the patent to petrochemical products such as Stainmaster carpets and Lycra that can’t compete with a legal hemp-cannabis market. The Koch brothers also purchased the fiber and paper patents from Dupont in 2004 that originally outlawed hemp by linking it to marijuana propaganda way back in the Marijuana Stamp Act of 1937. (Anslinger, timber industry, U.S. Forestry)
I’m blown away by the initiative and conviction of these 18 members of Congress. It looks like there may be hope for this country at the federal level after all.
Sign this petition, get a response from the president. https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/president-obama-and-current-administration-reclassify-cannabis-so-it-accurately-reflects-its/4s3zylWD
We lost a hard working young man with 2 small children this week because he failed a drug test for marijuna. He only smoked once and awhile he was not a heavy user now his and his kids lives are suffering.this needs to stop!Please Mr.President take this action
Looks like the same folks who co -sponsored the bill HR 2306(expired?) introduced by Barney Frank and Ron Paul are the ones here as well. This time I feel something could happen. Great gains have been achieved in this fight thanks to NORLM and others, but state by state really will take to long. Please MR. President do it now. Thanks!
Please…
Marijuana is a plant. Not a drug.
It helps my depression, my pain, my anger…
Please… please… decriminalize it.
Love,
Your constituent,
James Patrick Shreffler
removing it from schedule anything wont stop work place testing. nicotine is legal and companies test for that. Marijuana may be safer than alcohol but you can’t use it and have a job! so who cares if housewives,college students or rock stars go to jail for possession?
Cannabis needs a GRAS rating, trans fat have a GRAS rating and they kill people.
The President has the authority under the Controlled Substances Act to deschedule cannabis once and for all. I suspect he will. He’s at the end if his term, and Democrats (considering the list) want it more than Republicans.
Deschedule and take the C.S.A. To the Supreme Court Obama!
The Schedule I status of marijuana is so completely without merit that it makes the whole idea of government look bad. As a Democrat, Obama should be very concerned about that. I’m a Democrat and even I’m starting to think government is evil if they can’t correct such an obvious and undeniable error.
president smoked it, why cant i?
I myself have suffered from the melodrama of being charged with 1 gram of cannabis. These charges have ruined my chances to get student loans for college, and that’s something awful for a young adult trying to get ahead on life.
It is time for change we have been putting up with these absurd laws. We need to take the rest out of congress and leave those 18 to remain. Time to stop being selfish and acknowledge the people and how we are. we aren’t some species that aren’t capable of living in a society without a government. We need change and it’s only with all of us the government doesn’t stand a chance. WE the people!
How about some additional clarification here. If what I have read is correct, under the Controlled Substances Act,Obama can direct the DEA to undertake a process that could adjust the schedule marijuana is listed under, but it would involve exhaustive studies by DHHS which would have to meet specific criteria before the law could be changed. DHHS has said over and over they don’t believe they have the science, so Obama would be wasting his time and this letter is just grandstanding by these congressmen who should know Obama can’t just change the law on whim. So the question is, could Congress introduce a law that would accomplish this and if so, why aren’t these congress people doing that instead of making empty gestures like this letter?
Its time to federally decriminalize it in all states because it can help people that need it medically not to mention free up prison space for people that really need to be in prison..I mean honestly it would be like putting perscription pill addicts,nicotine addicts,alcohol addicts & even caffeine addicts ect in prison because all of that can ruin your health & kill you but not one person has ever died from using marijuana(cannabis)..How many peoples lives have been ruined for having a felony over a plant that can be used safely for medical purposes without side effects or damaging your organs..Im one of those people that it could help me then i wouldnt have to take so many perscription pills that harm my body even more…Its absurd…It should have never been illegal to begin with…The time has come for this to be legal in ALL STATES (including Oklahoma)..The war on drugs & all the money spent to fight it for over 40 yrs was a complete failure…I believe there rare many up in Washinton DC that feel the same way..
18 down..200 to go.. and then it stalls in the senate forever…
Unfortunately I don’t see Obama removing it as a Schedule I drug even though it should never been classified as such in the first place. At least i’m sure he will have to acknowledge it.
Legalize It! This farse has gone on far too long. The prohibition of marijuana in the 30’s had everything to do with big business and corrupt politicians. The medical and economic benefits of legalization are enormous. Let’s take the millions of dollars spent on enforcement and potential tax revenues and put them to good use. Oh and by the way out of the hands of dangerous criminals.
I WISH / PRAY this would happen , so maybe there is still miracles !!! Too much big money at the top to influence mr. Obamanation!!!!
Personally, I have never been convicted of anything other than a traffic offense. I don’t drink or use any type of drug unless it has been prescribed to me by a doctor. I fully understand the medicinal and agricultural contribution marijuana has to offer our nation/world. Frankly, I am tired of spending my tax dollars on petty offenses that have ruined good people’s credible reputations preventing them opportunities of advancement. Please consider the legalization and rescheduling of marijuana and hemp nationwide and encourage worldwide standards to follow. Thank you.
“”I say we impeach Obama for lying like we almost got Clinton””
The people have spoken. Let’s see what happens next.
I dunno? I’m Galileo, for Heaven’s sake! Maybe we should base the classification on scientific evidence…
Medical marijauna is coming. Legalization is going to happen. The fun is watching it happen against all odds.
Jeb has the most relevant comment. What can be taken from it is that those that established their political goal as law and built Government institutions to implement and oversee it, ALSO created serious barriers to change. Those interested in Government imposed social engineering saw to it that opponents would have major structural hurdles to overcome in the form of classic Catch-22s.
The thing is, exhaustive studies have been, in essence, ongoing for centuries. I’m not familiar with what those studies are required to establish, determine or prove but millions of Americans know that when compared to other substances, THC is very mild in terms of “danger”.
While the national polls show a rapidly changing political landscape, when it comes to reversing long entrenched status quo’s, it’s clear that exceeding 50% isn’t nearly enough. The power of special interests in DC can beat even polls attaining 80% support. (See gun control and the NRA) Congress is a gang of cowards who need to see a compelling stack of cash to shift from their “safe” position.
Congress could literally end pot prohibition in a few weeks if they wanted to. But we have a Republican controlled House and many of them are ardent culture warrior zealots. And considering that it was racism that instituted the prohibition (with an assist from Corporate interests) that racism is still very much alive on the right. It just has to remain carefully concealed.
maybe its because we need to keep control of our people in order to get them to fight and stop the other nations that attempt a take over of what we have and so we have to stay alert and not too happy. Maybe we need to get along with them or at least not push them so hard.
Happy people dont like to fight so much.
@DeathfromaDesk: I can’t get into that whitehouse.gov site. I write down all my passwords, etc, never leave it up to automation, but every time I try to get in there they tell me I have the wrong stuff and bar me from signing anything.
@scott: Drug testing needs to be made illegal, for everything including tobacco. I love how this atrocity against the American people has spread: initially, it was supposed to apply only to people working safety-sensitive positions for “safety”, then it was spread (against all promises to the contrary) to the general workforce in a blatant and admitted attempt to make employment impossible for anyone who uses any illegal drug, it has been upheld for thirty years due to the fact that they are only testing for “illegal” things and some erroneous reasoning that an employer has the right to search the inside of your body to ensure you are law-abiding, and where has this led to now? Employers who are asking now for your personal email and social networking site passwords/usernames so you can be vetted for a job or monitored while working there, and drug testing has been spread to completely legal substances, where originally it was supposed to be limited only to a certain segment of the workforce that worked with heavy machinery and defended only because it went after “illegal” drugs.
Drug testing needs to be made illegal, just like the polygraph was made illegal. It’s not impossible, just look up the Employee Polygraph Protection Act–or find it posted on your Workers Rights poster in your workplace, most likely in your breakroom where the employer is required to post it. And some states have made it illegal for employers to force prospective and/or current employees to provide them with email or social media usernames/passwords, with many more state in the process of getting similar legislation through. Why can’t this also apply to the much more intimate violation of drug testing, especially since it confers zero productivity or safety benefit on employers, can and has been abused to punish workers and/or screen for protected conditions, and actually does the opposite of what it is claimed to do by increasing hard drug use in the workplace?
ATTENTION ALL NORTHEASTERN OHIO READERS: NORML just started meetings for the Akron/Kent area,Feb 22 at 1:30 pm at the Kent Free Library, and if I can get the day off, I’m gonna be there! So fantastic, they’re opening two new chapters (Akron/Kent and Cleveland) where the only chapter I’ve known of for years has been in Columbus, making us NE Ohioans pretty screwed in our ability to get involved. I hope any NORML readers from this area are going to attend!
I will smoke it weather it’s legal or not haha
It`s about time to remove Marijuana from Schedule I or II classification. medical evidence showed back in 1976 that pot will help you from going blind. just look on the web for life story on Robert C Randall.NO ONE HAS EVER DIED FROM MARIJUANA IN THE LAST 500 YEARS. YOU CANT SAY THAT FOR BEER AR CIG,
Senator Michael Young should be ashamed of his under handed tactics. Young is chairman of the committee on corrections and criminal law. In dealing with Senate Bill 314, that sought to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana. It was introduced the ninth of January by senator Tallian(D) of Portage, Indiana. The bill was later recommended to the committee on corrections and criminal law.( https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2014/bills/senate/314/#)When asked why the comittee had not scheduled the issue for a hearing one of Youngs staffers replied it had not been filed in time. When asked her opinion on why the bill had not been reviewed Tallian responded that she had spoken with Young last summer, November, and December about conducting a hearing for the bill.( http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/porter/25357805-418/marijuana-bills-chances-go-up-in-smoke.http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/porter/25357805-418/marijuana-bills-chances-go-up-in-smoke.htmlhtml) I urge all people to contact Senator young and tell him exactly what you think of his sheepish and immature approach to a real problem that plagues our society.
Stop waging war on my cognitive liberty.
Bout damn time,.
This is beyond ridiculous and they know it. Any anti-marijuana argument I have heard is based on gross generalizations and fake “research.” “Gateway drug” pfft…alcohol, or better yet Tylenol. By this logic Kindergarten is the “gateway” to failure because I went to kindergarten before I failed a class in middle school. Dammit schools and teachers…should have just stayed at home.
I totally agree and applaud the congress people for sending this letter. Hopefully he will have the guts to do the right thing and remove cannabis from schedule 1 classification. Considering how much he supposedly cares about everyone being healthy and having insurance well this should be a no brainer because it has been studied since the 70s in Israel to be not only anti cancer but having many benefits, such as pain relief for example.
Sorry, off-topic again, I took that quiz mentioned below, on the Christian Science Monitor website, it should be labeled “How much do you know about MJ LAW?” Only 2 or 3 questions were actually about marijuana itself. I got 60% right.
What’s now becoming clear is that AG Holder and President Obama have forced an untenable situation on Congress to address. Changing the schedule won’t fix the problem in the long run because it’s subject to the next president/AG whim. By deferring the issue to Congress while tacitly allowing legalization to proceed in states where legal, we have a growing number of attempts by cartels and gangs to insert themselves under the radar, taking advantage of legal status in one state to ship to illegal states where profits soar, with far fewer losses to LE as opposed to their tunnels and trucks trying to cross the border.
It’s a brilliant idea that forces Congress to address the situation whether they want to or not. And it must be done, because state after state is addressing reform, and now even legislatures are genuinely considering legalization.
In the last analysis, the only solution that will work is to seize the entire market and place it in the hands of responsible citizens. It’s time for Congress to finally own up to the reality that their warring has been an abject failure, and that all along they were trying to seize the wrong thing. It’s really that simple.
Big Steel is going to keep it illegal a long as they can, no flying cars anytime soon, Ford’s car may never get off the ground.
@Anony
I got 60%
Thing is, most of those questions pertain to the crap excuse of medical marijuana states– basically knowing the facts of states that have legalized MedMJ.
@Jimmy Potseed
People may have spoken, but the corrupt government will drag out every excuse in the book to postpone the legalization of it in every manner. I want it dearly to become legalized as well, but I have no trust in this government to ever see hope. I also live in AZ which is claimed to be one of the next states to purpose legalization, but again I don’t see it happening for at least another 8 years or so.
I posted this question to Mr Humble who runs the Arizona Medical Marijuana program here but apparently my comments are not valid enough for his response. Also Arizona’s top supposed Marijuana Lawyer Jeff Kaufman seems to be only interested in making money off us not truly supporting us. So there needs to be some clarification concerning the rights of Medical Marijuana card holders pertaining to being denied and discriminated against being hired due to testing positive for THC. There seems to be a fine line here. It has been determined that Marijuana is a medicine for legal card holders. Being a medicine should mean it is no different than ANY other prescribed controlled substance. With that said new hepa privacy laws challenge whether “legal” card holders should be tested at all by employers. I have been denied employment now 8 times in a year and am being forced out of the work force due to employers STILL discriminating against my choice in pain management. So now I have to apply for food stamps, housing, etc. when I am perfectly able to work. I would never use a drug that would impair me at work marijuana included. I take pride in my job and I should be respected to properly medicate only when at home and do not operate a vehicle while using any drug that may impair.me. Under NO circumstances should ANY employer deny or discriminate against hiring ANYONE for medical Marijuana use. What is being done to stop this from happening? I respect Mr. Humble and appreciate all he has done with this program. However this issue needs to be addressed ASAP as the number of people being denied employment is growing. And so is the tax payers money going toward supporting us now that we can not be hired. Thank you so much for your time here. Please help get us back to work Mr.Humble 🙂
I disagree about the drug cartels, even though its not legal though excepted as medical in many states, we buy mostly now from area growers and also grow ourselves, legalizing will push the cartel out of business here in the states, most of Mexico’s pot is cheap crap. I certainly would rather buy from our own dispensaries where it is grown and controlled and much much better pot. Long run we can end the supply and demand coming from the cartels. Really a no brainer
Those are the 18 smartest congressmen in the Nation.
Legalize “marihuana”? Reschedule “marihuana”? Congress invented the definition of
“marihuana”. They act like that definition is sacred. “Please Mr. President, reschedule marihuana”. They should stop putting people in jail for using unsmoked cannabis by first changing the definition to this scientifically provable form:
(16) The term “marijuana” means all parts
of the smoke produced by the combustion
of the plant Cannabis sativa L.
from this purely political form:
(16) The term “marihuana” means all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa L.,
whether growing or not; the seeds thereof; the resin extracted from any part
of such plant; and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture,
or preparation of such plant, its seeds or resin. Such term does not include
the mature stalks of such plant, fiber produced from such stalks, oil or cake
made from the seeds of such plant, any other compound, manufacture, salt,
derivative, mixture, or preparation of such mature stalks (except the resin
extracted therefrom), fiber, oil, or cake, or the sterilized seed of such
plant which is incapable of germination.
It doesn’t mention THC, or any particular type of cannabis. Cannabis sativa L. is all types of cannabis. It is a terrible definition. When the definition makes sense, then they can reschedule “marijuana”, and teach the children to not smoke cannabis.
This year, We the People must tell our Congressional members to change that
definition, so that our States can regain the right to regulate cannabis, and cannabis entrepreneurs can freely access banking services.
As Johnny Hart said in his comic strip “{BC) The prefix (PRO) means for something. The prefix (CON) is against something. Therefore CONgress is against PROgress. The word itself explains why congress is a do nothing organization.
In what appears to be yet another reason to support the *federal* acceptance of cannabis, the American Bankers Association speaks out. In today’s Providence Journal newspaper (Rhode Island’s widely accepted newspaper publication) American Bankers Association stated “possession or distribution of marijuana violates federal law and banks that provide support for those activities face the risk of prosecution and assorted sanctions. The group further adds banks will only be “comfortable serving marijuana businesses if federal prohibitions on the drug are changed in law.” Apparently some degree of banking establishments in Colorado and Washington are still not comfortable working with dispensaries as they (the banks) will be held responsible for filing suspicious activity reports. This hesitance seems to persist even after federal reassurance has been granted to the banks. Coincidentally, adjacent to this article in the “ProJo” is another article on the crackdown of “synthetic pot.” Ultimately 7 people were charged in a raid of “bath salts” known to cause “people to become violent or delirious, and can also cause high blood pressure, vomiting and a number of health complications” with this schedule 1 drug. This simply adds to the myriad of reasons why complete removal of cannabis from the *federal* schedule needs to be done now! Thank you to the Congress members seeking to do so.
The most important thing these Congressman are doing is EDUCATING OTHER CONGRESSMAN. The polls may be getting out. But while most Americans want legal marijuana, most Americans think you can get high from smoking hemp.
This is a serious problem.
The other day I had Texas State Congressman John Carona’s Chief of Staff asking me “wait… Hemp is the same thing as marijuana, right?”
(Sigh… Try using the comparison of a donkey and a mule, or a Chihuahua and a German Shepard. Whatever makes their brain go “click”).
That level of ignorance never ceases to amaze me. How are we supposed to legalize cannabis if the majority Congress STILL doesnt even know what marijuana IS?
EDUCATION AND RESEARCH IS VITAL TO THE SURVIVAL OF OUR CIVILIZATION.
@year of action,
Where did you read that “cannabis sativa l.” by definition of marijuana? Something that has always fascinated me since I began cannabis activism in 95, is how the legal definition between hemp and “marijuana” has been at the center of prohibition. We remain today the only nation on earth that does not legally distinguish industrial hemp from psychoactive marijuana. When the Marijuana Stamp Act passed in 1937 with racist propaganda, no one but a few wealthy families from the Rockefellers, the Anslingers to the DuPonts knew they were outlawing hemp. America at large did not know they were outlawing hemp.
The language in the hemp research amendment to the Farm Bill recently signed by the president is vague… It describes hemp as “cannanis sativa l.” …but with “less than .03% of THC. But it does not remove hemp from the definition of marijuana under the C.S.Act. One can safely speculate the DEA is looking for legal scapegoats for unauthorized raids. But I agree here that the DOJ and presidency is laying down the track for an inevitable presidential rescheduling. While I would emphasize prioritizing marijuana and hemp reform at the State level, there is real potential here at the Federal level. With a do nothing Congress, the President is salivating over any chance to use executive order to gain some Democrats in the House and perhaps get something done his last two years in the White House. He said he would do it in his State of the Union, and hes been formulating his drug policy change since Trayvon Martin was shot by George Zimmerman. There is a careful chessgame going on between the executive and legislative branch that will eventually have to be arbitrated by the Supreme Court. Thanks to new banking regulations and our legal marijuana consumption, there is big money in marijuana investment firms now that can stand up to the likes of Koch Industries, GlaxoSmithKline, Kraft, the DEA, private prisons and Robert DuPont’s drug testing empire.
@Faye, I wrote that post under another pen name when I was trailing Koch Industries’ involvement in the Stand Your Ground laws and discovered they had purchased DuPonts timber and petrochemical patents. I posted on the News Hour blog, because I was getting fed up that the most “impartial” source of “public” media was not disclosing their underwriters at the end if every segment. Only once, after covering the mortgage crisis, did I hear Jim Lehrer and Gwen Ifil say “…we should point out Bank of America is an underwriter of the News Hour…” Never have I heard that about GlaxoSmithKline when covering a medical marijuana story, or Koch Industries when covering a hemp story… Oh yeah… Ive never seen or HEARD coverage of a hemp story in public media except on these pages and votehemp.com
I wonder why that is? Perhaps its all the chump change hush money prohibitionists throw at media and non for profits while the lion’s share go to lobby Congress to keep hemp research amendments out of the Farm Bill.
Except this time they lost. This time the truth about hemp is passing the desks of lobbyists, and thanks to our support, Congress us actually READING the laws of the land.
What a concept. Maybe, just maybe, we can vote a Congress in November that is not only marijuana educated, but MIGHT know the difference between hemp and marijuana.
Keep up the education everyone. It’s working.
Rescheduling Cannabis to Schedule IV is the most accurate category in which to place it given the CSA’s list of choices and substance characteristics.
Schedule IV
A. The drug or other substance has a low potential for abuse relative to the drugs or other substances in schedule III
B. The drug or other substance has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States
C. Abuse of the drug or other substance may lead to limited physical dependence or psychological dependence relative to the drugs or other substances in schedule III[25]
For me personally, this would be great. It would protect me as a patient, open the door for much needed law reform, and change the view of Cannabis in many ways. If it wasn’t for the harms associated with possible diversion to our youth, I’d say remove it from the list completely. In all fairness alcohol, and cigarettes have avoided the list and pose much great health risk. One thing is for sure, if Cannabis is moved to Schedule IV, an enormous amount of laws will have to change immediately. The ONDCP, NIDA, DEA, FDA, AMA will all be greatly effected. I don’t envy Erik Holder’s job for one minute
I wrote a letter to my local congressional rep, urging him to re-think his position when it came to marijuana. Below, sadly, is his predictable response. OK will be the last to ever change, if this is the prevailing opinions.
“Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and concerns regarding marijuana prohibition. I appreciate that you took the time to contact me on the issues important to the Second District of Oklahoma.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), research has clearly shown that marijuana use has negative health effects such as an increased risk of heart attacks, respiratory problems, as well as mental illness. Research has shown that marijuana has an adverse impact on learning and memory, and that use by young people can have long-lasting negative impact on the structure and function of their intellectual capability. Furthermore, marijuana has failed to gain the Federal Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval because there have not been enough clinical trials showing that marijuana’s benefits outweigh its health risks in patients with the symptoms it is meant to treat.
As you may know, Representative Jared Polis (D-CO) introduced H.R. 499, Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2013, on February 5th, 2013, removing the prohibition on marijuana. After considering the evidence, at this time I cannot support reversing the federal prohibition on marijuana for public consumption. H.R. 499 has been referred to several committees where it awaits further consideration, including the House Committee on Natural Resources on which I sit. I will be sure to keep your thoughts in mind should this bill be considered in committee or on the House floor.
Again, thank you for taking the time to write. Please do not hesitate to do so again. God bless!”
Sincerely,
Markwayne Mullin
Member of Congress
Below is the response I got from a letter I sent to OK congressman about marijuana. If THIS is the prevailing attitude, which I’m afraid it is, OK will be dead last in ever changing its statutes.
“Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and concerns regarding marijuana prohibition. I appreciate that you took the time to contact me on the issues important to the Second District of Oklahoma.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), research has clearly shown that marijuana use has negative health effects such as an increased risk of heart attacks, respiratory problems, as well as mental illness. Research has shown that marijuana has an adverse impact on learning and memory, and that use by young people can have long-lasting negative impact on the structure and function of their intellectual capability. Furthermore, marijuana has failed to gain the Federal Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval because there have not been enough clinical trials showing that marijuana’s benefits outweigh its health risks in patients with the symptoms it is meant to treat.
As you may know, Representative Jared Polis (D-CO) introduced H.R. 499, Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2013, on February 5th, 2013, removing the prohibition on marijuana. After considering the evidence, at this time I cannot support reversing the federal prohibition on marijuana for public consumption. H.R. 499 has been referred to several committees where it awaits further consideration, including the House Committee on Natural Resources on which I sit. I will be sure to keep your thoughts in mind should this bill be considered in committee or on the House floor.
Again, thank you for taking the time to write. Please do not hesitate to do so again. God bless!”
Sincerely,
Markwayne Mullin
Member of Congress
I just wanted to take moment to thank you gentlemen for standing up for whats right and going about it in the right way. You ARE our heroes. Your work will be remembered by us all.
The letter was signed by Representatives:
Blumenauer (OR)
Cohen (TN)
Farr (CA)
Grijalva (AZ)
Honda (CA)
Huffman (CA)
Lee (CA)
Lofgren (CA)
Lowenthal (CA)
McGovern (MA)
Moran (VA)
O’Rourke (TX)
Polis (CO)
Quigley (IL)
Rohrabacher (CA)
Schakowsky (IL)
Swalwell (CA)
Welch (VT)
Thank You
I owe You
Feel free to collect on it at any time.
After the prohibitionist blowback from Barry’s comments to The New Yorker about cannabis being basically no worse than alcohol it’s not likely he’ll move on this request right now. Maybe later, but No Drama Obama doesn’t want to draw the prohibitionist ire of the prohibitionist assholes in Congress to undo the progress on banking and taxes. If Barry were to get it removed from Schedule I then you could have the Cruzes and Toomeys and other countless rabid prohibitionists pushing through legislation to undo calling off the federal dawgz. He mentioned before he thought Congress is really the group that needs to act, I know, unlikely as that is.
AG Holder is right to restore the right to vote for felons who have served their time, and insofar as cannabis is concerned suffered the criminal justice system for a non-crime.
Mr. President, Mr. Holder, thank you for the policies that allow cannabis banking and calls off the IRS.
Just curious…….Nixon placed cannabis into what is known as the CSA of 1970, and in that , he placed cannabis in to the scheduled 1 catagory, when his panel told him there was not enough harm for it to be placed there , he went around all of them and pushed it to remain there …..now our president of the current date says its not in his hands or his decission to change it from the CSA to a less scheduled class……and congress wont allow it because of non sufficent studies, ….so why isnt our government allowing them to go to colorado and get all the trial they need to do to get cannabis moved to the class it needs to be in ….SO far all ive seen get done is people pointing to someones else is in charge of that…..This is not a hard decission to make at all…..cannabis is not as harmful as people have been made to believe….its a great stress managment resource however is alot weaker than people want to accept….Mr. President please fix this disaster and help stop massive level of corruption know as prohibition…….
and to those who are taking on a role of trying to get our government to accept that we’re not wanting to take over the USA , only that we want to live with a little more chance to make some choices that are not as harmful as other choices allowed by law…..
THANK YOU….
as always
thanks for reading
chris
Markwayne Mullin, Rep of Oklahoma, You are guilty of spreading lies about Cannabis. How can you claim to represent anyone with such a weak understanding of the truth. Cannabis has proven to heal virtually ALL diseases that effect the human race. Where the hell have you been while more than half this Country knows the truth. Honest research has proven this to be true & thus prove your lies to be lies.
hi, my name is ron holt … i was arrested feb 15 of this year for marijuana cultivation and distributing. even though they dont have anyone who can say i traffic anything. i live in pasco co florida . i may be crazy but i plan on defending myself .i just dont care anymore this nonsense has to stop. i grow for myself instead of oxycodon which i can get at any pain med clinic with just an MRI report.if anyone knows of anything that can be of help in my JURY NULLIFICATION defense i would be grateful. fasterthaneddy@gmail.com thanks..
Markwayne Mullin said, “marijuana has failed to gain the Federal Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval because there have not been enough clinical trials”.
Really? Marinol (synthetic THC, dronabinol) is only a Schedule III and is FDA-approved.
If that can be approved, surely its natural equivalent can be too.
I think anyone in Congress opposed to marijuana is in the pockets of Big Pharma. End of story.
@Ronald Holt
try this:
http://florida.fija.org/tag/jury-nullification/
You know what they say about a defendant who has himself for a lawyer,………
@ Paul Krenz
I agree,
How is it that my television is packed full of lawyers who want those affected by ” Insert prescription and or medical procedure here” are all FDA aproved but yet kill thousands and or injure our public who believed in the FDA regulations are in place to protect them.
My point is that in order for any of them to be put in harms way the FDA had to allow the prescritions and or prcedures to be performed and or distributed….but yet they cant do cannabis because of lack of studies….as they had lots of studies for the things that are killing and or injuring our public……
the internet is the worst thing that could have ever came to prohibitonist…..
Why should we have to listen to the FDA when they allow us to be hurt killed and lied to just so these companies can push their untested crap on the public just because they got FDA aproved…….Change is coming and all the Bureaucracy’s. foreshadowing… lieing to us to serve big business world shall fall ……why can not, us as a whole be allowed to put a unharmful item such as cannabis in our bodies with out being told not to , but our government is allowed to let their Bureaucracy’s put us in harms way with lies and deceit because hurting people is only bad when the bad out weighs the good….
THERE is NO recorded death or harm from cannabis…..i mean sure somking anything is not good for you….but our firemen and firewomen have to deal with way worse smoke then cannabis ,….hopefully the government doesnt step in and say its to harmfull because of the smoke so we cant allow that job any longer……
Cannabis is less harmfull than a sandstorm……But their not going after the deserts to make them stop…….I could go on and on….point is why does it seem our government suports these deceiptive business’s that lie cheat and steal to keep a position …..
as always
thanks for reading
chris
Executive Order, Executive Order, Executive Order That how easy it could be!
We need a letter to U.S. Congressmen for everyone to sign to push this forward.
Unfortunately most states without mmj programs already have some pretty horrible congressmen. Take Ky for example,I personally have a letter from Andy Barr telling me he didn’t agree with my request for him to vote on any measures that pertain to ending cannabis prohibition. He told me he personally agreed with the current laws regarding cannabis and would not vote on measure to change them.
I replied that he needed to remember that his job is to represent others and listen to their opinions,not further his own agendas. Then bid him a good day after mentioning that I’d be voting against him.
They are denying LIFE, LIBERTY, and PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS!
The US government has a patent on cannabis for MEDICAL REASONS!
Denying LIFE? Liberty? Pursuit of Happiness? Sounds, smells and looks like treason to me.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=agZuafXG2Ds
It’s funny how the president who schedule Marijuana was a paranoid freak… Everyone knows he was paranoid because he was going to win the election by a landslide and he did Watergate. In his mind he thought marijuana was causing some sort of rebellion. When in reality it was actually the status of America, and had nothing to do with marijuana. People we’re pissed off about the War. Parents we’re pissed their kids were going to a war that no one wanted to fight. Kids were pissed because they were forced to war or prosecuted. The drug schedule actually establishes appropriate laws based on different characteristics of drugs. I understand the necessity of the schedule now. Laws have to be there to keep order and balance. There has to be guidelines for people to follow. Honestly after looking at everything placed on the schedule. All the drugs are in their proper place. With an exception to marijuana. To say that marijuana has no medicinal value is preposterous. EVERYONE now knows it has some medicinal value (medical marijuana).SMH… direct contradiction. Even scheduling it above heroine, cocaine and all prescription drugs (oxy and xanax; are you kidding me) . .This is a civil crime against our nation. Marijuana is less harmful than tobacco and alcohol. Yet we enforce such harsh laws against it. People would be furious if these were made illegal, when both have scientifically proven to be worse… It should be a personal choice. This is a system built by a paranoid freak. If America took more time to be informed I don’t think this would be an issue. More and more people would urge their politicians to change their views. Which is what is happening. States are legalizing and its forcing people to become more informed. As people become more informed they are realizing the ridiculousness of the law, and speaking up. Its something the federal government won’t be able to ignore much longer. Especially after the next election when more than half the states in the union have legalized or decriminalized in one form or another. Sorry for my rant.. I hope President Obama honestly considers this. Especially when he’s come out and said himself its less dangerous than alcohol.
Justin, I don’t agree that “All the drugs are in their proper place” on the CSA drug schedule. First I have to question the parameters for Schedule 1. It allows for political and cultural prejudice to enter how substances are designated. It does not go by pure scientific assessment alone. That is a huge problem and important reason why we have such dysfunction in our relationship with these substances. For example, psychedelic substances are simply deemed too dangerous to ever ever use. That’s not the case. There are potential uses for them. They are not addictive in the usual sense, very very few people have ever been chronic users of say, LSD. It just isn’t something to do on a daily basis.
Also most listings are specific molecules or pharmaceutically developed compounds, but a few are entire plants. That is where the political and cultural prejudice is obvious. It might as well say, “We don’t like what these things do and we don’t like the people who would use them. So we’ll establish this ranking in order give ourselves the tools to attack any that would dare to try.”
Every substance has a potential use. The CSA schedule is an outdated relic of the 70s. Alcohol, nicotine and caffeine aren’t on it and neither should THC or the cannabis plant be on it. At all.
The anti-pot crowd says that pot is stronger now and therefore more harmful. Pot has not proved harmful but smoking (anything} has. If pot is stronger and one toke is equal to one joint of ditch weed, it means you smoke less to get the same effect and are exposed to less smoke. Stronger pot is therefore safer.
Justin, just a pointer, heroin is schedule 1
It’s time for a Road Trip to Denver! Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8zVq-5yCgA for a funny new song from an up and coming band!?
You’ll be laughing and singing about that infamous Road Trip to Denver! Thanks!
It still boggles my mind that some 60% of Americans want marijuana legalized,taxed,and regulated but yet we still squabble about it. Last time I checked democracy meant rule for the people, by the people and of the people so why is this still an issue? The majority has spoken,we want an end to the war on drugs and we want this now. Not next year or in the next 5 years but right now. I’m tired of being taxed to death to pay for a war on substances that I as an adult should have the choice to do if I so choose to do them. I’m a grown man and I have no use for a nanny state type government nor do I need anyone looking out for me.
Tis Me: We don’t live in a democracy but in a theocratic oligarchy. In 1787, our forefathers made sure that their children would inherit all the money and power. They did this by establishing representative government that can easily be bought or coerced by the wealthy and powerful. We have never been a democracy, but a dictatorship. Conservatives are its useful idiots. The War on Drugs is their new Jim Crow. It allows them to spy on everyone everywhere, to break into homes and take our belongings, to imprison the poor, break families apart and protect their billions from economic democracy.
Feds Advise Banks to Spy on Medical Marijuana Dispensaries, Users
http://www.nationofchange.org/feds-advise-banks-spy-medical-marijuana-dispensaries-users-1393344094
FAT Freddy, you do realize what you’ve described is a “liberal, the government controls life” type ideal that has nothing to do with and is basically the opposite of all forms of conservatism??? Letting the government and companies dictate our laws “for the common good” is FASCIST and COMMUNISTIC. Yes, those goons in the Republican Party that pretend to be public servants while weaken our laws for their corporate masters–are a bunch of fucking commies abusing our capitalist system. We are emulating China and USSR with our stupid anti-American War on Drugs.
They use the same retarded backward think. What do they always say about the minimum wage? That making it higher will hurt the economy and workers. Like with communists who fear the spread of information, these goons fear people having and spreading money around without going through them first.
Freedom of information and freedom in the market places allow people the means to better themselves which is what conservatives should be supporting. Conservatives should be pushing for marijuana legalization and reasonable taxes on sales–it is the responsible position for anyone to take. All other options support lying police, laws that don’t make sense and waste money, encourages police to break the laws and kill innocent victims, puts money in drug dealers hands and evil piece of shit can go around stealing and then bribing the police, the disordered money starts drug turf wars and get more people killed. Only abusive people support all that shit, disordering our society so terribly is a crime in itself.
The war on drugs is a somewhat necessary evil. Marijuana can be taken out of the war on drugs. However, I disagree it is a complete waste. Cartels are enterprises run on killing. Just my opinion but if the war on drugs were to stop these cartels would get even larger. Marijuana is special. There’s no real “manufacturing” of it. Meaning just about anyone could potentially grow it. Drugs like cocaine and heroine, while they do come from a plant. Are manufactured from their respective plants. Maybe a “war on drugs” isn’t necessary but I personally appreciate the extra security. I just wish the wars primary target wasn’t marijuana. I wish they would target actual drugs.
@dave Evans,
Raising minimum wage doesn’t hurt the economy but it doesn’t help it either. Just raises the price of everything else and causes inflation(which hurts the value of the dollar). Look at states with high minimum wages and I promise their cost of living expenses are higher as well. The sad truth is that some jobs deserve to be paid more but it just won’t happen. It’s not the governments job to create jobs for people. That is a big problem with our society. We want the government to do too much for us. IMO our society needs to become more self sufficient.
@Dave Evans
Yes, you would think that all the political parties, honest conservatives or honest democrats for that matter would be the first to defend a so-called “emerging” American market with such an easy taxation and obvious social benefit. But already the mistake is in assuming that they are “honest” has spelled out the problem. If tax revenue and social benefit were their motives, this would be a done deal, but the evidence says otherwise given their behavior.
One need not look far to see that the only economies being hurt by rescheduling cannabis are those of the prohibition industrial complex. Hiding behind a near century old weak set of obvious lies is untenable. Politicians expecting to hide their true motives are suffering in ignorance of their arrogance. And the price of this arrogance will be an irreparable divide. Our forefathers innermost fears of oppression are now happening right in front of us. The foundation of the Constitution is to create legal protection for people against its elected officials. Current government has to change.
Sorry, I forgot to put my name on it,…. the hazards of bing focused.
@Dave Evans
Yes, you would think that all the political parties, honest conservatives or honest democrats for that matter would be the first to defend a so-called “emerging” American market with such an easy taxation and obvious social benefit. But already the mistake is in assuming that they are “honest” has spelled out the problem. If tax revenue and social benefit were their motives, this would be a done deal, but the evidence says otherwise given their behavior.
One need not look far to see that the only economies being hurt by rescheduling cannabis are those of the prohibition industrial complex. Hiding behind a near century old weak set of obvious lies is untenable. Politicians expecting to hide their true motives are suffering in ignorance of their arrogance. And the price of this arrogance will be an irreparable divide. Our forefathers innermost fears of oppression are now happening right in front of us. The foundation of the Constitution is to create legal protection for people against its elected officials. Current government has to change.
“The sad truth is that some jobs deserve to be paid more but it just won’t happen. It’s not the governments job to create jobs for people.”
Raising the minimum wage is not an example of the government “creating jobs” for people. What is does is order the flow of money in our society. As we all can see, most of the money is controlled a very small minority which has been getting smaller and smaller every year. All raising the bottom wage does is put a more even balance into people’s hand that would otherwise not have it to spend in the first place. If money just trickles up to the rich, they don’t have to work it for by running healthy companies just like someone the poor and on the older version of welfare. It is a huge short circuiting of our capitalist economy for the rich not to have to earn their money. So the minimum goes up and then they employ inflation, but for a while people have more money and then they rebalanced the economy back in their favor with hidden inflation. This is where they need to be blocked, for the economy to stay healthy, but I don’t quite see how it might be done…
I meant to say, ” If money just trickles up to the rich, they don’t have to work it for by running healthy companies just like someone who is poor and on the older version of welfare.” They are too shielded from actually taking part in society but want to live like kings on queen off our sweat. Fuck that.
Justin, I agree with you. However, there were no cartels until prohibition! Just like there wasn’t any Al Capone’s unlit prohibition either.
It would just be a border, not a slow motion war zone between the USA and Mexico except for the War on Drugs. Mexico would have a working government if it weren’t for the War on Drugs. Thousands of their good police wouldn’t have been murdered if not for the War on Drugs.
@Justin
Ending the “War on Drugs” as a policy position isn’t about simply stopping enforcement of drug laws; it is about totally reforming how we as a society handle the existence of these substances. Our current policy paradigm is zero tolerance Prohibition. That simplistic approach is shallow and utterly ineffective. As “dangerous” as some of these substances are, we certainly could achieve less overall harm through a sophisticated astute legalization of each one in highly tailored regulated ways. Tobacco is a killer but legal and the only direct harm is to chronic users over time. There’s no cartels or violence driven by it being illegal and a black market moneymaker. We have succeeded in vastly reducing use over a few decades. The same could be true of the other serious illegal drugs like heroin, meth and cocaine. Limited, restricted, but LEGAL access of low cost certified purity and strength, with education and treatment easily available. Allow limited use but discourage it. Just like tobacco. There are no “perfect” solutions. Only least bad, least harmful ones.
Pot isn’t illegal because it is uniquely more dangerous than any number of other legal things like alcohol. It’s illegal because it was used mostly by nonwhites. The white protestant male racist xenophobes who dominated government in America in the early 20th century feared and loathed those nonwhite people. Making pot illegal was an attempt to discourage their immigration into the US and allow harassment and harsh treatment if they came anyway. And that is mostly how it remains. A tool to harass all non conformists and undesirables.
Notice in Obama’s speech today that he said, “when I was young, I got high without knowing the harm it could do”. Yeah, you could become President!
Justin sez the WOD is a necessary evil. A necessary evil that imprisons one out of every four black men at a taxpayers cost of 50 thousand/year per prisoner and keeps them from voting or getting a job? And so on, ad nauseaum…
http://transform-drugs.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-war-on-drugs-endangerment-racket.html
Fat Freddy,
Don’t get me wrong. I agree that there are flaws in the system that should be fixed. The most obvious being marijuana. However, the statistic that one out of four black men is in jail is not a result of the war on drugs. It might be a factor, but its not the reason. Thereason is your still have ignorant people Unfortunately that is a statistic that will not go down.Until people respect one another and live unprejudiced. If marijuana were removed this would actually help alleviate some of the problem. The fact that Marijuana is schedule 1 next to heroine makes me sick, and I believe there lies the real issue. The war on drugs is not going anywhere, so I guess I’ve come to terms with it. Hopefully marijuana is rescheduled soon. So, that people that aren’t going to abuse the system, can live peacefully. I agree that everyone should have the personal freedom to decide what goes in your body, but not at the cost of the people.. Simply put legalizing marijuana is much different than legalizing cocaine for example.. Cocaine can kill you lol weed can’t. They created an entire government agency as a result of the war on drugs. I have no problem with drug lords going to prison. I think most people agree that, the average drug “user” should be placed in rehab, not prison. Of course marijuana is in a right of its own. Seeing that it is less addictive and harmful than… Pharmaceuticals, tobacco, alcohol etc… it should be outright legalized, but its become a partisan issue. So it is unlikely to happen soon. Simply because of the bi-partisan bs that we are having to deal with in this country right now. I guess I’m smart enough to realize that both parties have policies that make sense. Hopefully the plethora of states legalizing for medical use. Will present a problem for them that they must answer now.
Thanks dude I like intelligent debates.
These are just my opinions.
IS MARIJUANA A DRUG?
Yes, but to say it has no medicinal value is preposterous. This is a crime to Americans. They are not properly educated on the subject. Now, what’s happening in our country. Is enough people have tried it to know its harmless. They are talking to their friends and families. So, you’re seeing an enormous amount of support toward legalization in some form. It is definitely more harmless than the other 3 legal addictions (alcohol, tobacco, and food). So here’s the question that politicians should be asking themselves. “If it isn’t harmful, why should I be able to dictate whether or not someone has the right to put it in THEIR body.” They would soon realize they don’t.
I know America is a democracy but in actuality it is a Republic. In a democracy. Politicians are elected to make decisions for us. For the most part politicians are elected and make decisions based on what their political party or lobby deem correct. Rather than have an actual democracy where majority of people vote, and the politicians make laws based on what the majority wants… There is an obligation to keep the people safe to some extent. Its their job to create laws that protect and look out for the best interests of our society.
You guys are right calling me out on the WOD.. here’s my thinking though. If marijuana is legalized it does take the mj money out the cartels hands. Marijuana is easy to grow (at low quality). Cocaine, heroine, LSD etc… is not. It has to be manufactured. The cartels will still thrive IMO. If the war on drugs just ended the problem wouldn’t just go away. I like that the war on drugs has established a strict set of laws to put these people away. They are criminals and murderers. Comparatively the Mafia didn’t go anywhere at the end of prohibition. Al Capone is one boss of many. So this seems like a silly argument to me. Does it need be tweaked? Yes, but so do many other things in our government. I could go on for days about programs, agencies, politicians etc… that should be fixed, but it just won’t happen. So I pick my battles.. Right now my battle is MMJ in Florida.
Don’t get me wrong. I think the system is corrupt, but its about safety. I always say, the laws need to be relaxed for users/ small time dealers and harsh for dealers. Which I think is the direction the government is going, BUT marijuana is a schedule 1. So IMO they should just legalize marijuana so they can focus on the real problem drugs.
***I should have said other 4 addictions, including prescription drugs.***
john lennon’s “just gimme some truth” every one who believes that mj should be legal also has seen that the politicians are as bad as the cartels
Marinol is the only drug ever to be rescheduled to a lower class from two to a class three
WOW less potential for addiction and abuse how did that happen
If it’s so DANGEROUS and why did the govt issue a latent on a drug made from a plant with no medical use or value it is a synthesized extract from marihuana guess none of that matters when the drug companies have given us the best govt money can buy
And lastly what about the govt supplying people with pot and the right to legally use it the compassionate use program Ronny Raygun closed to any new patients they figured the would all be dead in a couple years and then they could forget deny it ever happened
Oops it made people live allot longer and not suffer like they did without it
We think we live in a free country yes as long as you live like the religious republican assholes think you should or will throw your ass in prison till you come.to your senses and think and act like thrm trust them
Big brother knows what’s best for you and the county you are to poor and stupid to do your own thinking they were elected by GOD they prayed about it and they decided that’s his will they are better than us fucking dumbasses that work for a living
So you can’t enjoy one of the safest most therapeutic drugs in the world that’s a direct.quote from a federal judge when Nixon was even though it was created by the same GOD who speaks to them and they do wotk and only act as his loyal servants
Never doing any thing wrong or immoral and if they do accident do it was that damn satan that made them that said they were sorry and cried on national TV God forgave them and they are to go back to.telling us how to live free just leave that evil plant alone.
DON’T EVEN LOOK AT IT
Guess he fucked up making it must have.been that.dam satan that made him do it
Well if he says sorry and asks himself to forgive himself all will be ok even though we are told all things were created for man he just forgot to get the republicans permission first they will let it slide this time he after all is only GOD PEACE i will crawl back in my hole.and dream of being free and happy some day God willing I mean if thats what the republicans decide his will is well they can never stop me from dreaming I am free
But bet they are working on that how much would the matrix cost
Sorry about the typos did it on my smart phone we had a problem guess its smarter than me it won this time need to.have my 12 year old show me how to.make it do my will or i will have a republican pray for me
Justin, America is not a democracy. It could be called a Republic because it is a dictatorship, a dictatorship of capital, a plutocracy controlled by an international banking oligarchy. People tend to judge an entire argument as flawed if they find just one fallacy in it. So please take this as constructive criticism.
The Federal Government doesn’t want to legalize drugs because they make a large fortune on illegal drugs.
Obama and the Congress should each get a copy of “The Emperor Has No Clothes” by Jack Herer, signed by every one of these Congresspersons. Legislators need to be informed in order to make good laws or rescind bad ones. The worst ones are those that know pot prohibition is an atrocity but continue to destroy lives for political bribes and fear mongering.
This is what annoys me the most. People need to realize how its a natural medicine unlike millions of other drugs out there. Just let it be!