cannabisnews.com: War on Terror Aids War on Drugs





War on Terror Aids War on Drugs
Posted by CN Staff on December 22, 2002 at 10:25:50 PT
By Jason Proctor, The Province 
Source: Province
Blaine, Wash. -- From the U.S. Customs offices at the Pacific Highway truck crossing, Jay Brandt looks almost bored as conversation turns to the possibility of Canada decriminalizing marijuana.Senate reports, House committees, studies and proposals. Outside, the mid-morning lineup of tractor-trailers waiting to cross the border stretches back for nearly a kilometre.
Assistant port director for trade, Brandt wastes little time as he dismisses the issue. He's wearing a colourful Christmas tie, but he's all business when it comes to drugs."It's still illegal here," he says simply. "I don't think it's going to change our approach. We'll proceed just like we usually do."While Canada appears headed toward a liberalization of its drug policies, U.S. officials here say they're more determined than ever to crack down on the lucrative marijuana trade. The War on Terror may have pushed the War on Drugs off front pages, but increased security and scrutiny post 9/11 has led to a B.C. bud bonanza at the border.The No. 1 priority at the borders has shifted to searching for weapons of mass destruction. No. 2 is drugs. But during the past year, customs officials have seen a spike in pot seizures involving commercial trucks. The Pacific Highway crossing alone has seen more than 3,700 kilograms of marijuana confiscated in over two dozen busts since Oct. 4, 2001.The pot begins its journey at a value of about $6,600 a kilo. By the time it reaches California -- the most popular destination for B.C. weed -- the marijuana is worth twice that amount, a figure that put the recent spate of seizures at a street value of $49 million."We are required to examine more people, more trucks and more cars," says Mike Milne, Seattle press officer for the U.S. Customs service. "By the mere fact that we're looking at more stuff, we're bound to find more."Milne describes the pattern of seizures as being similar to the carnival game "whack-a-mole" -- no sooner do officers crack down on one port of entry than smugglers move to another. Caught in the middle are the truckers -- some of whom appear to know what they're carrying and some of whom do not. Ignorance is no defence but it may determine whether or not an individual is charged with simple possession as opposed to possession with the intent to distribute, which brings a much harsher penalty. Snipped:Complete Article: http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/wot.htm Source: Province, The (CN BC)Author: Jason Proctor, The Province Published: Sunday, December 22, 2002Copyright: 2002 The ProvinceContact: provletters pacpress.southam.caWebsite: http://www.canada.com/vancouver/theprovince/ Related Articles & Web Site:Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmDrug Czar Talks About Tightening at Border http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14955.shtmlLegalized Pot in Canada Would Mean Tighter Bordershttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14090.shtml
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Comment #5 posted by The GCW on December 23, 2002 at 05:34:08 PT
Exterminate marijuana, not cannabis.
Marijuana is a drug, cannabis is not.Marijuana gives men large breasts, cannabis does not.Marijuana causes cancer, cannabis does not.Marijuana has no medical use, cannabis does.Marijuana is not meant for food, cannabis is.Marijuana kills humans, cannabis does not.Marijuana is addictive, cannabis is not.Marijuana causes black men to rape white women, cannabis does not.Marijuana corrupts police et al., cannabis does not.Marijuana can do nothing for farmers, cannabis can.MARIJUANA SHOULD BE EXTERMINATED, CANNABIS SHOULD NOT.
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Comment #4 posted by TheVoiceOfDissent on December 22, 2002 at 22:18:29 PT:
Remeber your histroy, or it will be your undoing
George Carlin once said "Language defines how people think" & "Smug, greedy, well-feed white people have invented a language to conceal their sins"To an extent, you are right GCW.
"Cannabis is not marijuana"
"I know the word "marijuana" has become accepted. "Marijuana" has never been a cannabis friendly word"But you must delve into the history of the word Marijuana. 
The history of this word and others like "Mary Jane" prove what sick racism this war is saturated in. 
According to Jack Herer's "The Emperor Wears no Clothes"
"After the seizure of 800,000 of Hearst's prime timberland by the "Marihuana" smoking armies of Pancho Villa, Hurst denounced the Spaniards, Miexican-Americans, and Latinos. Non-stop for the next 3 decades, Hearst painted a picture of the lazy, pot-smoking Mexican (still one of our most insidious prejudices). Hearst's and other sensational tabloids ran hysterical headlines atop stories portraying "negros" and Mexican as frenzied beasts who, under the influence of marijuana, would play Anti-white "Voodoo-satanic" music (jazz) and heap disrespect and "viciousness" upon the predominantly white readership. Other such offences resulting from this drug-induced "crime wave" included : Steeping on a white man's shadow, looking white people directly in the eye for more then 3 seconds, looking at white women twice, laughing at a white person, ect.
Hearst, through pervasive and repetitive use, pounded the obscure Mexican slang word "marijuana" into the English speaking American consciousness. Meanwhile, the word Hemp was discarded and Cannabis (the scientific term) was buried and ignored.
This Mexican "Sonoran" colloquialism - marijuana, often Americanized as "marihuana"- guaranteed that few would realize that the proper terms for one of the chief natural medicines, "cannabis" and for the premiere industrial resources, "hemp" had been pushed out of the language"Oh, and I know it somewhere in this book but I dare not quote it if I'm not completely sure, Mary Jane was the Whore that "SERVICED" Pancho's ENTIRE ARMY. Though those ignorant of Marijuana's true meaning can be excused for it's utterance, those who know it's true history and still continue to use it should be ousted as the racists that they truly are. Marijuana is NOT cannabis.And remember; now you know what it really means too. Quote of my day:
"Dissent is the highest form of patriotism." Thomas Jefferson
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on December 22, 2002 at 20:43:14 PT
News Brief and Poll from KMIZ - Missouri
Columbia Must Reconsider Marijuana LawsDaniel Grazier A.C.L.U. volunteers collected more than 2,600 signatures of people who want Columbia to de-criminalize marijuana possession. The A.C.L.U. argues marijuana laws unfairly punish students, minorities, and those who are desperatly ill. College students recieving government assistance lose their loans with drug convictions. Some people suffering cancer or AIDS end up with criminal records because they use medical marijuana to help manage their pain."We believe columbia will be a safer place because police will issue tickets to misdemenor marijuana offenders and that way they'll more time to go after more serious criminals," said Anthony Johnson with MU School of Law's chapter of the A.C.L.U.Police say they already priotitize calls by going after the most serious criminals first. Once the signatures on the petitions are certified, the city council has until January 20th to act on the measure. 
Current Results:ONLINE POLL 
 
   Should the city council or voters make the decision about Columbia's marjiuana laws? A: City Council -- 14% B: Voter -- 85%
 
 
 http://www.kmiz.com/news/headlines/160531.html
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Comment #2 posted by The GCW on December 22, 2002 at 16:25:04 PT
 Cannabis doesn't fit the description of marijuana
Cannabis is not marijuana. With all the negative bunk completely attributed to marijuana that is not true, there must be a miss. Cannabis doesn't fit the description of marijuana. I know the word "marijuana" has become accepted. "Marijuana" has never been a cannabis friendly word. I know many good activists would be put off by this suggestion, and upon closer examination, it may well be bad judgment, but it may be prime time to quit accepting the word "marijuana". I think that the MARIJUANA POLICY PROJECT, could still use the same name, and be effective, for example, but We need to give the word back to where it came from. I try to not use the word marijuana. Certainly, I don't want to alienate activists, but it is something that seems credible at least in part.Marijuana is a drug, cannabis is not. 
Marijuana gives men large breasts, cannabis does not. 
Marijuana causes cancer, cannabis does not. 
Marijuana has no medical use, cannabis does. 
Marijuana is not meant for food, cannabis is. 
Marijuana kills humans, cannabis does not. 
Marijuana is addictive, cannabis is not. 
Marijuana causes black men to rape white women, cannabis does not. 
Marijuana corrupts police et al., cannabis does not. 
Marijuana can do nothing for farmers, cannabis can. 
MARIJUANA SHOULD BE EXTERMINATED, CANNABIS SHOULD NOT.
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Comment #1 posted by knox42897 on December 22, 2002 at 12:22:46 PT:
Lack of Intellegence and thinking = illegal
"It's still illegal here," he says simply. "I don't think it's going to change our approach. We'll proceed just like we usually do."If Canada Legalizes Merry JaneXmas, then you'll definetly have to change your approach, you pathetic fucking robot!Defenders of Medical Marijuana Laws by Order of the People of the United States of America
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