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| Smoking Herb Not Necessarily a Road To Ruin |
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Posted by CN Staff on January 07, 2009 at 07:06:01 PT By Clive McFarlane, T&G Staff Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette 
Massachusetts -- What is it that causes a nation known for its higher-order thinking to go absolutely schizo every time the subject of marijuana — herb, ganja, pot, call it what you will — comes up? The country’s far-flung laws on the drug reflect how dysfunctional we are on the subject. It is a petty offense and a maximum fine of $100 for possession of less than an ounce in Colorado. It is a $2,000 fine and up to a year in jail in New Hampshire for possession of any amount. It is a $5,000 fine and three years in prison for possession in Puerto Rico, one of our territories. And of course, in a number of states, including Maine, you can get a doctor’s prescription for a small “useable amount” of marijuana. Then there are the cynical marijuana tax stamps on the books in about 21 states, including Massachusetts, which require those who possess marijuana to purchase and place the state-issued stamps on their contraband. In Massachusetts, the tax rate is $3.50 per gram, if the owner possesses more than 40 grams. The penalty for nonpayment is 200 percent of the tax up to $10,000, or 5 years in prison, or both. According to the law, “Dealers shall not be required to give their name, address, Social Security number or other identifying information …” to the collector of the tax. The law further states, “Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to provide immunity for a dealer from criminal prosecution pursuant to Massachusetts law.” Essentially, this means that if you comply with the law, you will probably get a fine and jail time. Of course, if you don’t comply and you ever get arrested on a drug violation charge, you will probably be charged with tax evasion. Given this state of affairs, it is no wonder Bill Clinton could tell us with a straight face that he once took a puff on a joint, but that he didn’t inhale. Yet, Bill’s patent disingenuousness pales in comparison with some of what we have been hearing from some of Massachusetts’ finest over the state’s new marijuana law. Instead of being dragged into court for possession of less than an ounce, the law mandates that the offender be cited, fined and steered into a drug program. This sounds simple enough, but not for some police officers, it would appear. After years of being the foot soldiers in the war against drugs, often interacting with big-time drug dealers and their lieutenants, some police officers now say they have a problem figuring out what an ounce of marijuana looks like. They are having trouble, they say, getting the necessary information to fill out the citations. They don’t have the proper citation books. They are afraid the new law will corrupt them. “An officer in uniform, in a cruiser, can smoke a joint under this law,” John M. Collins, legal counsel to the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, proclaimed in an interview with one of our reporters recently. Part of the problem here, I suspect, is the fear — pushed by many “experts” — that any reasoned discussion of marijuana use is by default a road to anarchy, mayhem and the disintegration of society. These alarmists persist in their doomsday predicament despite the fact that the most notable, widespread experimentation with marijuana by young people in the country’s history suggests an entirely different outcome. The record shows that these wayward young people went about wearing flowers in their hair, flashing peace signs, loving everybody, and questioning the sanity of the powers-that-be. We could do with some of those wayward flower children today, given our current docility — massing like lambs to the slaughter on the altar of Wall Street and maintaining our steely silence on the wanton killing of women and children in the Middle East. But I digress. The simple truth is that the misuse or abuse of anything — marijuana, power — whether from stupidity or from the wanton disregard for the welfare of one’s self or that of others, is the deadly sin here. Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA) Related Articles: Framingham Airs Marijuana Restrictions Massachusetts Police Chiefs Legalize Marijuana Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #31 posted by Hope on January 08, 2009 at 20:08:57 PT |
| I saw The Police Brutality Act post. That should re-rile any of them that might have settled down a bit. :0) [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #30 posted by Hope on January 08, 2009 at 19:13:03 PT |
| and that thread over at the New Scientist have got HUNDREDS of comments. I'm having to skip hundreds at a time to try to get through them. This is amazing. It must have been the elections that made em all bust loose. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #29 posted by Hope on January 08, 2009 at 18:56:29 PT |
| That's a good one, Sam. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #28 posted by OverwhelmSam on January 08, 2009 at 18:20:45 PT |
| I've been in a few chat rooms for law enforcement and they talk just like a lot of replies on this El Paso article. I told them that The Police Brutality Act is soon to be introduced in Congress. LOL [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #27 posted by Hope on January 08, 2009 at 13:12:07 PT |
| This could be important. I hope it is. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #26 posted by Hope on January 08, 2009 at 13:07:50 PT |
| Former mayor to City Council: Stay the course on drug resolution by Bill Tilney [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #25 posted by Hope on January 08, 2009 at 11:38:02 PT |
| Thank you. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #24 posted by dankhank on January 08, 2009 at 06:04:10 PT |
| I share your dismay in the hard-hearted opinions of some. It surely seems that we should be farther along the evolutionary trail by now. congrats on your new keyboard. I, too, derive much satisfaction when getting a new gadget. Enjoy ... peace to all who seek sanity ... [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #23 posted by FoM on January 08, 2009 at 06:01:14 PT |
| I haven't seen anything on the drug war in Mexico on the news but I found this article. U.S. Plans Border ‘Surge’ Against Any Drug Wars http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/08/us/08chertoff.html [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #22 posted by Hope on January 08, 2009 at 04:18:17 PT |
| Prilosec time. I've had enough for awhile. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #21 posted by Hope on January 08, 2009 at 04:04:58 PT |
| as I read further into the comments, I see that Paul, in Stafford, Virginia, failed in relieving the said, "Gunslinger" of any of his callous ignorance. Gunslinger "Gonna be a big man some day". Apparently has been for nearly two decades. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #20 posted by Hope on January 08, 2009 at 03:44:29 PT |
| I love this. Someone calling himself, "Gunslinger915" wrote in response to some other killer or killer wannabe's comment, "Outstanding comment. You caught me speechless. Can't add nuthin to this. And yes, need to have the DEATH penalty for drug dealers, just like China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran and many others. Then stand back and watch the drug wars calm down. Just start executing these doper ***HOLES." Then Paul, in Stafford, Virginia says, "Yup; you nailed it. People like you sound more like Islamofascists and Chinese Communists moreso than Americans. You should take your wonderful ideas over there. " Thank you so much, Paul, in Stafford, Virginia! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #19 posted by Hope on January 08, 2009 at 03:32:26 PT |
| the stomach for it". It just eats them up like fire. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #18 posted by Hope on January 08, 2009 at 03:31:08 PT |
| Got my Prilosec on the desk. :0) [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #17 posted by Hope on January 08, 2009 at 03:29:38 PT |
| Or is this pretty dang brilliant? "Proud El Pasoan- why don't you save some of your hatred for a legal drug. Alcohol kills more people in a day that marijuana does in a year, though the war on marijuana which you want to drastically escalate does kill quite a few people. If you don't understand the difference between deaths due to marijuana and deaths due to marijuana prohibition, just try a little harder. If you doubt my comparison of the dangers of alcohol vs. marijuana, check with the federal Centers for Disease Control, which doesn't even keep statistics on marijuana related mortality and injuries. And don't forget fetal alcohol syndrome when you consider the relative dangers of alcohol vs. cannabis." newageblues Baltimore, Maryland. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #16 posted by Hope on January 08, 2009 at 02:37:30 PT |
| Of course, I don't think you can, or should even try, to take those comments on the El Paso city council story. There's so much hatred. There's some extraordinarily sensible comments, too. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #15 posted by Hope on January 08, 2009 at 02:22:59 PT |
| Wow!... Again. That's amazing. What's going on here? Are people finally waking up? Yes, I know that some people that might some day cause harm are going to be released, that might have, instead, been in prison at the time of their misdeed. You can't keep everyone in jail that might have a misdeed in their future. It shouldn't be too hard to understand that. You have to wait and see before you start punishing. Anyone, or all of them, might not do anything wrong either, ever, any more than anyone else. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #14 posted by Hope on January 08, 2009 at 02:14:02 PT |
| at the hour I started posting this morning. I must have slept like a rock last night. I got up this morning, right before daylight... I thought. Made coffee. Turned on the computer.... etc. etc. Then I looked at the clock. It was two thirty. I have to admit... I got a new keyboard yesterday. That might have something to do with it. It's illuminated. Couldn't wait to get up this morning and see it! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #13 posted by Hope on January 08, 2009 at 02:00:02 PT |
| huge brouhaha in El Paso. I'm wondering if the national media will pick it up. It seems like maybe they should... but you know how they are. Medical marijuana is mentioned early on in comments. It's a part of this... and this could mean there is an end in sight to the killing and corruption caused by prohibitions, including cannabis's and even medical cannabis, however far out there it is This may be a big flash, a quick flash, a blip, or nothing at all. Tulia, Texas went global. I think this is rather an exciting turn of events. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #12 posted by Hope on January 08, 2009 at 01:31:38 PT |
| Wow! Someone kicked the sleeping legalization dog. This is happening in Texas! Of course, there are many among those 500 and something comments at that article, that want to power up the prohibitions and, of course, kill and harm more people than ever. http://www.topix.net/forum/source/el-paso-times/T7785RMT5JOEBVCA9 [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #11 posted by The GCW on January 07, 2009 at 23:02:33 PT |
| "What the union fears is the loss of overtime pay and membership when prisons start shrinking." US CA: Editorial: Governor Finally Wants Prison Reform Pubdate: Tue, 06 Jan 2009 Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n021/a08.html?397 [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #10 posted by The GCW on January 07, 2009 at 22:06:56 PT |
| Do you agree with the City Council resolution expressing solidarity with Juarez and asking the U.S. government to begin a debate on the legalization of narcotics? YES NO -0- Related story: US TX: Mayor Vetoes Resolution Asking For Debate On Legalizing Drugs http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n021/a05.html?397 [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #9 posted by OverwhelmSam on January 07, 2009 at 20:14:26 PT |
| Ha Ha! What a freak show, illegal tax stamps, laws gone wild, cry baby police officers, and cops smoking pot on patrol. Narvana cometh. I've always said that if there was ever an entire country that needed to smoke a joint and relax, we are it. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #8 posted by OverwhelmSam on January 07, 2009 at 20:06:02 PT |
| I know this was being discussed in one of the threads, no wonder he came out against marijuana in 2006: ... he has huge conflicts of interest as a bought-and-paid-for shill for Pharma, that should actually be disqualifying as a so-called journalist, to say nothing of being "Americas Family Physician" or the leader of the Public Health Service. http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/1/7/104043/1871/240/681144 [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #7 posted by mykeyb420 on January 07, 2009 at 15:09:20 PT |
| They are like house guest,,,they all stink after 3 days... [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #6 posted by FoM on January 07, 2009 at 09:52:52 PT |
| What people did back in those days is question. Questioning authority to me is smart. I also believe it is patriotic to question. That means we care about the direction our country is going. *** Excerpt: The record shows that these wayward young people went about wearing flowers in their hair, flashing peace signs, loving everybody, and questioning the sanity of the powers-that-be. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #5 posted by FoM on January 07, 2009 at 09:40:45 PT |
| Here's a video link for the program. http://drugsense.org/url/4c3shisi [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #4 posted by ekim on January 07, 2009 at 09:28:29 PT |
| the name was marijuana inc and will be shown on Jan 22 [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by FoM on January 07, 2009 at 08:12:54 PT |
| I know where this paper is from. I thought I lived in a rural and close minded area but that area is really behind the times. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by Sam Adams on January 07, 2009 at 08:05:24 PT |
| FOM - this looks like he's recycling his silly piece from before the election - apparently only some tiny paper out in the Midwest would re-print his garbage. This guy is truly frightening, a modern day witch burner. His day job is leading an Inquisition against the youth, exploting the urge to scapegoat to make money for himself. I looked on his web page to see if he's speaking anytime soon around here, but it looks like the only gig he could find in all of New England was at some Catholic school down in CT. Here's his website http://stephengraywallace.com/index.php notice the business-casual clothes, I think a black robe with a big cross arond his neck would suit him better: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm558667264/tt0115988 [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #1 posted by FoM on January 07, 2009 at 07:40:36 PT |
| A Clear and Present Danger – Marijuana and The Marginalization of Prevention *** By Stephen Wallace, MS Ed National Chairman and CEO of SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) January 7, 2009 Dealing a blow to years of work and recent gains in youth drug prevention, Massachusetts has joined a growing, but still short, list of states to decriminalize marijuana possession. At least that is the intention of some 65 percent of voters checking "Yes" on a ballot initiative that makes possession of an ounce or less of marijuana a civil offense (punishable by a ticket) as opposed to a criminal one. And this on the same day that the same voters approved a ban on greyhound racing. Protect the dogs but throw the kids under the bus. Go figure. Complete Article: http://drugsense.org/url/Wivp463k [ Post Comment ] |
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