http://www.comedycentral.com/sitewide/media_player/play.jhtml?itemId=70892

Enjoy the weekend, try to believe in freedom on the fourth...peace.

and the UN supports arbitrarily suspending their rights and crafts propanganda to justify doing so.

More people are involved in the production and trafficking of illicit drugs and still more are touched by the devastating social and economic costs of this problem.

The costs are far lower than for already legal drugs and consist mostly of societies treatment of drug users via prohibition and the resulting overinflation of the prices of currently illegal drugs rather than resulting from the usage of the drugs themselves. Does an alcoholic beating his spouse count as a 'social cost' when the wife uses the police, courts, and a womans shelter? Oh yeah, those shelters get their funding cut so cost nothing at all right?

Partially a consequence of its pervasiveness and partially a consequence of the illicit and hidden nature of the problem, reliable analysis and statistics on the production, trafficking and use of illicit drugs are rare.

Wholly a consequence of PROHIBITION which this statement says without saying. Never tell the truth when a lie will do.

The World Drug Report 2006 endeavours to fill this gap. It provides one of the most comprehensive overviews of illicit drug trends at the international level.

Perhaps if I ask nicely they will send me a printed copy, then it can fill the gap between my stove and the counter.. or perhaps I could shred it and it could fill the gap between my cats litter box and her little but...

In the previous sentence they say its rare to find a 'reliable analysis' and now they claim they have done one yet the spokespersosn compares cannabis to opiates and cocaine. Not at all credible and unlikely to be accurate since the narcs just don't how much drugs there really is or gets used.

In addition, it presents a special thematic chapter on cannabis, by far the most widely produced, trafficked and used drug in the world.

Not even a drug, its a herb, a plant with many good properties that is denied us because of racism and lies.

The analysis of trends, some going back 10 years or more, is presented in Volume 1. Detailed statistics are presented in Volume 2. Taken together, these volumes provide the most up-to-date view of today's illicit drug situation.

So this will go to the courts and then back to the people who will return Prop. 36 to it's original form. That will be a great day when the people pass it by an even greater margin!

THE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN...

BLINK 182 SINGER JOINS 9/11 DOUBTERS: http://www.freemarketnews.com/WorldNews.asp?nid=15887

Viewpoint: New York Times and neocons bury 9/11 truth movement: http://www.rockrivertimes.com/index.pl?cmd=viewstory&cat=4&id=13567

The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much: http://citypages.com/databank/27/1334/article14475.asp

*******

"You won't believe today's news unless you actually read it.

In an unprecedented power grab, the FDA has declared that all drug companies are now immune to lawsuits on any drug that has been granted FDA approval.

It's the biggest handout to drug companies ever, and the action further establishes the FDA as a rogue agency acting to protect Big Pharma, with no respect for the laws of the land or the safety of health consumers."

http://www.newstarget.com/019497.html

http://www.newstarget.com/019497.html

We don't need to e-mail it or print it or do anything but publish it online, link it to other sites and invite people to come over and chat with us like they do here on CNews. It's how I came to be part of this conversation, and presumably the same with most of us here.

http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_944.shtml

"We think that if your company complies with the FDA processes, if you bring forward the benefits and risks of your drug, and let your information be judged through a process with highly trained scientists, you should not be second-guessed by state courts that don't have the same scientific knowledge," said FDA Deputy Commissioner on Medical and Scientific Affairs Scott Gottlieb.

Choose a topic, discuss for 2-3 days, write it into a clear format with set goals/points... We do get a very wide array of views on things here.

2 heads are better than one they say, how about 20? ;)

June 30, 2006 is a day that will be long remembered as a dark milestone in the history of FDA and its campaign against health consumers. On June 30, an FDA "Final Rule" goes into effect, establishing a regulatory power grab of such scale and scope that it attempts to bypass all laws, the will of Congress and fundamental protections for consumers. This "Final Rule," which may as well be called a "Final Solution" for drug consumers, claims that consumers can no longer sue drug companies for the harm caused by any FDA-approved drug, even if the drug's manufacturer intentionally misled the FDA by hiding or fabricating clinical trial data.

and... http://www.newstarget.com/019497.html

Not sure of accuracy of this website. Somehow I ended up on their mailing list, and they keep sending me stuff.

What would you think about if we set up a Sister Blog to CNews where we can collaborate on discussing content and posting our own opinion articles?

A CNews Newsletter

Participants on the list here can write articles and we can put them into a proper site and talk about them with each other and edit them into shape for public consumption, then post them.

When I re-read that I thought boy o boy did you step in it. Comes back to the use of language... what is 'rogue'? Is that like 'international law' which seems to exist for drugs but not for war? I guess I am still fuming about that UN thing...

You aren't really a Democrat after all. You're something better. You're a progressive.

I now understand what that word means.

And I am a progressive too.

There are three choices, three parties, really. That's part of the problem with there being a two party system. One party is always shut out.

The three parties are: Progressive, Status Quo, and Regressive.

The "Status Quo" party is the classical conservative position. The Democratic Party has lately been (since Bill Clinton at least) the "Status Quo" (conservative) party, and the Republican Party has been the Regressive Party.

- I have to include a note about the DISTORTIONS of the calculated use of manipulative language that keeps the double standards going.

I realized a few days ago that I have a few books worth of writings, collected letters to editors (some of them pretty critical) both published and unpublished. I probably have another book or two worth of comments here. There are a few I will be mining for inclusion, I seem to remember some clear dharma writings, about metta (loving kindness) that I posted here a few monthes ago.

I just turned 40 a few days ago and the temporal nature of reality makes me want to gather together what I have written which is really all I have been doing for years now, compile it because I believe it would be worthwhile. Time to really stand up and start taking the fight to the enemy. The weapons of peace are reason, persistence, and compassion. The depression I have been experiencing has been arising from the feeling I am not doing enough to battle the creeping(rushing) fascism.

All my LTEs are signed, the PTB know who I am ... it is fear that stops many but it is fear itself that is the weapon used against us. When I finish the framework, I will post a link but I have not made all the main pages yet. I am all over the place as far as HTML goes but its just educational, the content can always be reformatted.

Thanks Sam, I'll have to have a 'propaganda' blurb.

War

War is completely immoral except in defense. To train people to kill, send them to kill other people, to further some ideology, insure some strategic or economic goal, invariably springs from someones greed. Greed is a deadly sin for many religions, and the major source of conflict in our world. Greed and lack of compassion. No matter what religion I have studied, killing is wrong. However, in our world, governments monopolize the use of violence and reserve it for its exclusive use, and use it. The war on Afganhistan and Iraq have arisen from decpeption and manipulation. They represent the utter corruption of the western countries, murder, theft, deception, are being normalized in an culture that cultivates criminality to justify further encroachment upon the rights of the citizenry. If we can't trust the state with money, consider politicians the biggest liars in society, how could we possibly trust it with the power of life and death? The US is currently a rogue nation.

War On Drugs

Modernity, advancement, and progress are concepts of the past.

It's about preserving the big guys hands stuck deeply into our pockets and holding the keys to the cell doors.

Reform and progress are the absolute last things they want.

They're making money the way it is...no matter it who it hurts...and they don't want anybody to alter that situation.

The power mongers and greedy folk of today aren't about to have their bottom line hurt by anything like progress. No way!

Just saw another article today on Vioxx - a medical journal published a study saying that people only needed to take Vioxx for a few months for it to cause heart attack or stroke, not 18 months, as Merck's lawyers have been claiming in court.

But I guess the sneering derision only gets published when the subject is natural plants. Tells you a lot about technology and its role in oppression. We're all slaves of "progress", willing or not. Accept the wonderful blessings of "progress" or we'll throw you in jail.

That's just not true!

"so-called medicine" used twice...in the first two paragraphs.

Not true: "This victory indicates an end to the medical marijuana scam," says Calvina Fay,..."

Not true: "Despite the drug legalizers' dogged efforts to influence Congress, they failed. Although the pro-drug lobby touts biased polls that create an illusion that the majority of people are for marijuana as so-called medicine, the facts show that our legislators listen to their constituents and not the drug pushers. Legislators wisely considered the scientific evidence that dispels claims of marijuana being a legitimate medicine."

Not true: "Drug Free America Foundation is dedicated to fighting drug use, drug addiction and drug trafficking and to promoting effective, sound drug policies, education and prevention. It is equally committed to exposing and refuting the drug legalization advocates and their deceptive tactics."

"Sound drug policies"? I don't think so. "Deceptive tactics"...that would be them and not us...so that's not true.

How bout that? A lie in every single paragraph of this hideously slanted...but of course, it would be...press release from the Drug Free America Foundation.

Any affiliate of that organization, including Calvina, needs to be tattooed "Drug Free" so that medical assistance in the form of "Drugs" is totally denied them. Don't want to ever accidentally contaminate these "pure" souls with any drugs!

Medicine Free America! That's what they mean and they should get what they want...for themselves, and butt out of everybody else's lives.

Wait until November.

That is despite an unexpected show of support from Citizens Against Government Waste, a conservative fiscal watchdog group. The group issued a report Monday on the federal war on drugs, finding that "in this time of excessive waste and expanding deficits, Congress must start sending a signal that its priorities are in order."

****

June 29, 2006

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., June 29 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Hinchey- Rohrabacher amendment would have prohibited the U.S. Department of Justice (including the DEA) from allocating funds to enforce federal drug laws in states that have legalized marijuana for so- called medical purposes. This amendment was soundly defeated in Congress by a vote of 259 to 163.

Despite the drug legalizers' dogged efforts to influence Congress, they failed. Although the pro-drug lobby touts biased polls that create an illusion that the majority of people are for marijuana as so-called medicine, the facts show that our legislators listen to their constituents and not the drug pushers. Legislators wisely considered the scientific evidence that dispels claims of marijuana being a legitimate medicine.

"This victory indicates an end to the medical marijuana scam," says Calvina Fay, Executive Director of Drug Free America Foundation, Inc. "Last year in the Raich v. Gonzales Supreme Court Case, the justices ruled in our favor against smoked marijuana as medicine. Then on April 20, 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a statement concluding that they continue to support marijuana's placement as a Schedule I drug and agree that there is sound evidence that smoked marijuana is harmful. This reaffirms that medicine by popular vote is a dangerous process that bypasses the FDA, reduces consumer protections and jeopardizes sick patients."

Drug Free America Foundation is dedicated to fighting drug use, drug addiction and drug trafficking and to promoting effective, sound drug policies, education and prevention. It is equally committed to exposing and refuting the drug legalization advocates and their deceptive tactics.

If you would like to set up an interview regarding this issue with Calvina Fay or several other drug policy and prevention experts, please contact Lana Beck, Director of Communications, at 727-828-0211 or 727-403-7571.

Copyright: 2006 U.S. Newswire

Now, isn't it time to go back to the states? Let's put that money toward medical MJ referendums in ALL the remaining states that have referendum processes. This is the low-hanging fruit of reform, let's pick all the apples within reach before we start trying to the climb to the top of the tree, eh?

Yes, it will mean paying your money to outside companies to gather signatures, instead of paying your MPP employees and friends in Washington. But do you think the feds will still attack when 20 or 30 states have legalized medical MJ? I think not.

Defeated? As a variation on an expression my dad used to use.

"Not, "No"...but, "Heavens no!" (Heavens wasn't the word he used.)

We aren't "defeated" until we give up.

No, I'd say they're quite IN touch with the public. Sending their armed thugs out to beat down your grandmother, father, sister, brother, etc, for being sick & using herbal medicine. The Congressmen might as well be riding in the back seat of the huge, taxpayer-purchased SUV that rolls up on another field of medicine, intent on beating the public right into the ground and kneeling on their back. Or breaking their face, or shoulder, as they did in California recently.

On another note, I read in the Business section this week that Annheuser Busch signed an contract with the NFL and ABC to be the "exclusive alcohol sponsor" of the Superbowl through 2012. Isn't that swell?

How about an organization called Democrats for Cannabis Law Reform.