cannabisnews.com: Pondering The Ballot Questions





Pondering The Ballot Questions
Posted by CN Staff on October 18, 2002 at 09:01:34 PT
By Barbara Robinson
Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal 
I could not believe my eyes. The national drug czar, John Walters was again in Las Vegas appearing on almost every local early morning television station to tell all us wild Nevadans not to support Question 9 on election day in November. The Office of National Drug Control Policy has been fighting and losing the drug war for my entire adult life. I am tired of hearing from it. While the government has wasted billions of dollars, children's drug usage has increased. 
It's time for a fresh strategy and some new leaders. Thank goodness I live in an independent thinking state that has decided enough is enough. Walters has said that half of the nation's nearly 16 million illicit drug users get high only on marijuana. It is insulting to know that Walters knows this but his agency has done nothing to get treatment for marijuana addicts. Try to find a marijuana treatment center or program. Walters' agency recently spent $10 million on an ad campaign instead of treatment. Maybe they know the drug isn't that harmful. Walters says marijuana is a gateway drug that can destroy lives. Alcohol is far more destructive. It causes birth defects; degenerative liver, heart, and nervous system disease; gastrointestinal bleeding; and cancer. Go to an Al Anon meeting and talk to the family members and friends of alcoholics whose lives are destroyed by this legal drug usage. Marijuana's physical effects are not as devastating as alcohol's. Studies have proven that babies born with fetal alcohol syndrome are scarred for life. I am not aware of any birth defects caused by marijuana. Even opiate addicted babies suffer reversible problems, unlike babies born with fetal alcohol syndrome. A police officer friend of mine says the real gateway drug is nicotine, as dispensed in cigarettes. Almost every drug addict smokes cigarettes as well. The hypocrisy of the old generation is being challenged. It's about time. It's time to think outside the box. Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani says if the bill passes it would recognize that people smoke marijuana and responsible adults should not be made criminals because of it. Many marijuana users are high functioning individuals. Marijuana should never have been criminalized. Prohibition didn't work for alcohol and it surely isn't working for marijuana. Delving into history, one finds that hemp, the plant which produces marijuana, is also a source of strong fiber used in rope and textiles. Competition from cheaper and stronger hemp so threatened the cotton industry that it pressured to get the plant declared illegal in 1937 with the passage of the Marijuana Tax Act. Since my 50th birthday I find things that hurt which I didn't even know I had. Every day I get older, I realize that we don't know how we are going out of this world and I want to ensure access to legitimate pain relief when I need it. If that should require marijuana, I want to be able to get it from my local pharmacist or liquor store, not from an illegal drug dealer in an unfamiliar neighborhood. I am supporting the passage of Question 9. Marijuana needs to be legalized and treated like alcohol. The tax revenues alone would help the state diversify its tax base. Supporters of this question need to take control of their lives and get out and vote this election season. • On Question 2, however, I will vote no. We have a high divorce rate -- people need to spend their energies working on their own marriages instead of trying to prevent others from marrying. Marriage is a sacred religious ceremony that the government should never have gotten involved in. Religions have the right to discriminate as they see fit, although I think discrimination is un-Christian. Yes, the government needs to oversee inheritances, basically to tax them. A person, however, should be able to leave his belongings to whomever he desires. The government should not be able to discriminate. Thus, Question 2 is a no-no. • Gov. Kenny Guinn is back at work. While I do not begrudge him his trip to California for medical treatment, I hope he did some research and found out why all of these "great" doctors were in California practicing instead of Nevada. I hope he will do everything in his power to make this state attractive for physicians. While he was able to afford to leave the state, the majority of the citizens of this state have medical coverage and limited financial resources that prohibit this luxury. It would be sad to have the legacy of his governorship marred by the destruction of the state's excellent medical delivery system as doctors flee the state. Welcome home, Gov. Guinn. Barbara Robinson is a retired attorney living in Las Vegas. Her column appears every other Friday.Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV)Author: Barbara RobinsonPublished: Friday, October 18, 2002Copyright: 2002 Las Vegas Review-JournalContact: letters lvrj.comWebsite: http://www.lvrj.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:NRLEhttp://www.nrle.org/Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Attorney General Opposes Question on Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14489.shtmlProposed Marijuana Tax Prompts Debatehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14485.shtmlAn 'Out-of-State' Campaign http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14448.shtml
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Comment #9 posted by Patrick on October 18, 2002 at 18:07:26 PT
A 12th reason to VOTE 
A quote from DdC's post:"If we are to save our world from a profit frenzy driven Armageddon, if we are to restore democracy to our American republic, we must first get corporations out of government, so our politicians can once again become statesmen."VOTE FOR A THIRD PARTY. Three branches of government ought to have three parties governing instead of the heads or tails insanity song n dance routine we suffer under today. It might even give more meaning to a 2/3 majority? Think and VOTE
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Comment #8 posted by freedom fighter on October 18, 2002 at 17:27:43 PT
Ten reason Why you should
Vote Yes on Question 9.1} NO MORE JAILS for people who use cannabis.2} Cops have better things to do than trying to catch someone because of that white thing hanging on the lips.3) Taxpayers will no longer foot the bill that support the waste of resources chasing someone because they ingest cannabis.4} Percentage-wise, more people are killed by the drug war policy rather than the "fact" of someone getting killed for ingesting cannabis. Vote Yes to send message that it is time to stop Government-sponsored killings over a plant.5) Speaking of message, it is time to send a message to children, that cannabis is for adults of "legal" age. We will card you. If a child try to use a fake ID, we will call cops on you.6} Question 9 also send a loud clear message. This simple word.... "FREEDOM" If you think you have the "right" not to smoke, another have the same right to smoke. Remember, we are talking about our own homes.7} By voting YES, people will have viable opportunity to create viable businesses such as HEMP for "oil".. Coffee shops.. Literally thousand of choices.. 8) No sick human being should ever feel like a criminal becasue of an use of a substance. Who among you except Johnny Walters would deny the loved ones any kind of substance, be it a tobacco cigarette or a joint, whatever the size it might be? If you can not answer this question then, you should vote yes.9) It's morally and so sane to just say YES. If you vote NO or did'nt vote, you are acknowledging that it is okay to send fellow countrymen into anyone's backyard peeking into bedroom's windows. By saying NO, you are saying it is a wonderful idea to break into anyone's door pointing weapons at everyone in an household. By voting NO, you are saying it is okay to put any human being in a cage over a plant. By voting NO, you are saying it is okay to turn children into snitches. 10) What justice is there in putting any human being in a cage for a plant? A plant that has been on earth for thousand of years. Most studied plant and most mis-understood substance. Mr. Walters cannot name one John Doe that ingested this cannabis and died from it. Why in on this earth are we arresting people for using this god given plant?11} Oh, I could go on and on.. There are just thousand of reasons to vote YES.. ff
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on October 18, 2002 at 12:07:47 PT
Way To Go Barbara!
She says about everything I believe. Thank God for people who look deep inside and see and understand.
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Comment #6 posted by DdC on October 18, 2002 at 11:46:58 PT
The Dinosaur War To Protect Corporate Profits...
by Thom Hartmann
http://www.thomhartmann.comCotton requires 270,000 TONs of petro chemical (crude oil) pesticides and herbicides on the yearly crop. Plastic is also made from crude oil. Gasoline to polyfiber all replaced using vegetable oil 100 years ago. Anything made from hydrocarbon fossil fuels can be made safer with carbohydrate veggie oil. Grown at home not requiring Armies of kids to fight and die in the Sahara dessert. Veggie Oil has no sulfur or lead to emmit and removes CO2 while its growing. Check the post below on cannabis fuel. Many cars are proving it. Some using wasted cooking oil and converting it. A threat to the profits? While the thugczar pushes these petro-chemicals and gets tax write-offs to the corporations donating to antidrug groups, the Prez and ViP sell them and the American citizens get sick from their use, then pay for it in more Pharmaceutical chemicals or go to jail for treating the illness with ganja. Korpses are not citizens! Fascism is not Democracy!Peace, Love and Liberty or the D.E.A.th Korpses!...DdCExcerpted...The bottom line is that powerful and oil-dependent corporate interests in America now control so much of both our domestic and foreign policy, because the US government over the past few decades has been almost entirely co-opted as in taken over by corporate interests. We’re not having a war of, by, and for the people any more than we have an administration of, by, and for the people. If Saddam didn't have enough oil to generate a few hundred million dollars a month in profits for the oil industry, we'd be giving him the same treatment we’re giving Mugabe: “Zimbabwe where?” As has been well documented, if the exemption on SUVs from fleet mileage standards was ended and fleet gas mileage in the US was to increase by a tiny 3 miles per gallon, we'd no longer need to import any oil from the Middle East. But the larger the car, the larger the profit for both the oil and the auto companies and the auto and oil lobbies pass out millions in Washington, DC. And now that the airwaves have been sold to corporate interests who will only allow politicians to speak if they pay, political campaigns guzzle cash like SUVs guzzle gas. If we were to institute a Manhattan Project type program to develop and implement local, small-scale generation of electricity (about a tenth of all electricity generated in the US is lost through transmission over long high-tension lines, and steam generating plants only convert about a third of their heat energy to electricity, wasting the other two-thirds), along with hydrogen technologies, we could clean up our air and free states from the tyranny of out-of-state energy companies manipulating their supplies and prices. If we were to encourage Victory Garden types of local agriculture and homestead farming, making it again patriotic to replace back yards of grass with vegetables (as it was during WWII), we could eliminate our absolute dependence on factory farming systems that now require billions of gallons of oil for production and transportation, that deliver foods laden with oil-derived pesticides, herbicides, and preservatives to our tables, and render our topsoils sterile. Most important, we would no longer feel forced to permanently occupy the world’s oil-producing regions. But a government whose policies have been captured by big oil, big auto, and big agriculture just a few dozen corporations that are each richer than the majority of nations on earth refuses to consider such rational alternatives. Because these corporations have claimed the constitutional human right of free speech which includes the right to influence legislation, to influence politicians, and give money to political parties we, the people, who would benefit from a shift in direction away from oil industry and toward local human values are left out of the decision making loop. While profit is a fine value for a corporation to hold, it’s not the prime value of humans and it’s definitely not one of the values that drive or preserve democracy. If we are to save our world from a profit frenzy driven Armageddon, if we are to restore democracy to our American republic, we must first get corporations out of government, so our politicians can once again become statesmen.THE OIL WAR OF 1872
http://pub3.ezboard.com/fendingcannabisprohibitionwhyitstimetolegalize.showMessage?topicID=22.topicThe Corporations that own our media
http://pub3.ezboard.com/fendingcannabisprohibitionwhyitstimetolegalize.showMessage?topicID=35.topicCorporate Predators... 
http://pub3.ezboard.com/fendingcannabisprohibitionorgs.showMessage?topicID=17.topicNASA GISS: Tracking Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Fossil Fuel Burning
http://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/intro/matthews.01/Judge Orders Cheney Records Released 
http://www.truthout.com/02.28AA.Judge.Cheney.htmBush Flatly Refuses to Hand Over Energy Papers       http://www.truthout.com/docs_02/03.15A.Bush.Refuses.htmBush's Stealth Policy on Nuclear Arms            http://www.truthout.com/docs_02/03.13H.Bush.Stealth.NMD.htmBushit Cheneynagans D.E.A.th & Oil!
http://pub3.ezboard.com/fendingcannabisprohibitionprohibitionistwodjunkies.showMessage?topicID=53.topicOPEC Dick
http://boards.marihemp.com/boards/politics/media/40/40044.gifMonsanto Sucks
http://www.monsantosucks.com/
           
The Hemp Car
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Comment #5 posted by delariand on October 18, 2002 at 11:30:43 PT
fearfull...
I'm as amazed as you! That single sentence packs enough truth to completely shred marijuana prohibition by exposing it's corrupt roots. To think that the media watchdogs didn't catch that before it reached the masses. I just hope this article is widely read!
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Comment #4 posted by DdC on October 18, 2002 at 11:02:58 PT
Cotton, Timber, Polyfibers, Meat, Grain, Paper...
With a thugczar giving tax shelters to the corporations in competition with hemp and profits on urine tests...This chump is a walking conflict of interest....Philanthropy Roundtable 
John P. Walters  President 
http://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/1.1/pubnote1.htmlACS - Division of Analytical Chemistry - DAC Awards -John P. Walters 1980 The Elkhorn Manefesto 
http://www.sumeria.net/politics/shadv3.htmlCannabis Hemp: The Invisible Prohibition Revealed
http://www.sumeria.net/politics/invpro.htmlThe Emperor Wears No Clothes
http://www.jackherer.comWelcome to Reality
http://www.angelfire.com/ca7/ddc/index.htmlSacramental Cannabis 
http://www.angelfire.com/ca7/ddc/Sacramental.htmlFood 
http://www.angelfire.com/ca7/ddc/Food.htmlFuel 
http://www.angelfire.com/ca7/ddc/Fuel.htmlFiber
http://www.angelfire.com/ca7/ddc/Fiber.htmlFARMaceuticals
http://www.angelfire.com/ca7/ddc/farmaceuticals.htmlD.E.A.th Deceptions
http://www.angelfire.com/ca7/ddc/DEAth.htmlHemp Products NOT Grown by U.S.Farmers
http://www.cannabinoid.com/wwwboard/politics/binaries/29/29799.gifPeace, Love and Liberty or the Fascist D.E.A.th!Hemp for Victory Hemp for Reality!...DdC
JC or DC
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Comment #3 posted by Had Enough on October 18, 2002 at 10:54:46 PT
Take Contol of your life Go Vote
“Supporters of this question need to take control of their lives and get out and vote this election season.”Enough cannot be said about this statement she made.Now is the time. Let’s do it. Go Vote. Take someone to the polls. Talk to friends and neighbors.  Vote for change.VOTE VOTE VOTE $100,000 needed now for Question 9. Check NRLE WebsiteDo not forget our friends at http://www.nrle.org They are very serious and are doing a professional job. They need money, a lot of it and now. Send them anything. Every bit helps. The time is here to do our part. 
Nevada is taking a big step for man, and huge gigantic leaps, bounds, and cartwheels for mankind. 
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Comment #2 posted by Number 7 on October 18, 2002 at 10:42:55 PT
We do have other choices
And don't forget that this same government started the 'Hemp for Victory' program shortly after WWII broke out, thus proving their hypocracy. Our leaders know that this is a versitle, valuable plant with some very interesting medicinal values and is simply the demon of the day. If anyone is in de-nile about our so called drug problems, it is most certainly our two party system. Find a third party you like and vote. Only the fear of loosing their power will ever make the republicrats change from within. A third party does not have to win, just scare the living daylights out of the other two. A strong Marijuana Reform Party would be more frightening to them than Ross Perot and his charts. The threat of what Perot represented got us our late, great surplus. Who knows what a strong MRP could get us.
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Comment #1 posted by fearfull on October 18, 2002 at 09:10:31 PT
WOW!
 Competition from cheaper and stronger hemp so threatened the cotton industry that it pressured to get the plant declared illegal in 1937 with the passage of the Marijuana Tax Act.They actually printed that?
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