cannabisnews.com: D.C. Bud? D.C. Bud? Posted by CN Staff on September 16, 2003 at 23:38:27 PT By Philip Dawdy Source: Seattle Weekly Every so often, you can see a new rip, however small, in the American cultural fabric, a subtle sign that what was once presumed to be a settled issue is now up for grabs. Last week there was a moment at a drug treatment center in Rainier Valley that was one of those times.That’s when John Walters, the White House “drug czar,” came to Seattle backed by a platoon of bodyguards—and unwittingly admitted that the feds’ 60 Years War on marijuana didn’t have the grip on the American public that it once did. Walters’ announced purpose in coming to town was to stand before the assembled media and say that federal, state, and local agencies should work hand in hand in combating drug use in Seattle, and that more resources should be devoted to the treatment of drug addicts (though he offered no new money for local treatment programs).Walters decried general drug use (heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine), and then he got down to the real reason for his trip: to inveigh against Seattle’s I-75, which was before voters Tuesday, Sept. 16. The local ballot measure would make enforcement of marijuana laws the lowest priority of Seattle police and the city attorney’s office, which is responsible for prosecuting misdemeanor pot cases.Walters called I-75 the result of “living in the past and ignorance, a wink and a nod, ‘Let’s play dumb’” on marijuana. It’s not the first time Walters has traveled outside the D.C. Beltway and tried to bigfoot a local measure that would soften, however imperceptibly, marijuana laws. He did it last fall in Nevada, and earlier this year officials from his Office of National Drug Control Policy campaigned against a local measure in Missouri. In both cases, he won.But the Emerald City is harder slogging for the czar than the Silver State.This week, the measure was handily winning before all absentee votes were counted. Surprisingly, Seattle’s media, even the usually pliant television news, largely declined to help Walters make his case to the public. Only KOMO-TV sent a cameraperson to the press conference, but it didn’t air any footage that evening. Other than that, there were only a few print and radio reporters, and their subsequent coverage was hardly the level of drum banging Walters’ visits have generated elsewhere. But the Seattle media also missed a shift in the pot war. You had to listen hard, but it was there: Deep in his remarks about I-75, Walters made an admission you wouldn’t have heard from federal drug enforcement officials even during the Clinton administration.“The real issue is should we legalize marijuana,” Walters said. “Let’s have a debate about that.”Ever since the 1930s and propaganda films such as Reefer Madness, the feds have waged a multibillion-dollar war on marijuana use. Rarely have they acknowledged that millions of Americans actually like pot and use it responsibly, let alone that there might be a need for a national debate on how America should treat marijuana under the law.Asked what form the debate would take and how the White House would kick start the process, Walters—usually a polished, intelligent advocate for his position—went into duck-and-cover mode. He blamed marijuana advocates and their financial backers like billionaire George Soros, who supported last year’s failed legalization initiative in Nevada, for stifling debate and for preventing “clear information” from reaching the American public. He also accused them of risking youngsters’ lives in the deal. Walters had nothing to say about the estimated 700,000 Americans sitting in state and federal prisons on marijuana charges or about the more than 700,000 Americans arrested each year because of pot—each of whose lives and well-being is at risk for partaking of a substance that millions in this country (and a country to the north) have accepted as not being the Demon Weed the feds claim it to be.All the same, what Walters said was an admission pot advocates found amazing.“That is fascinating to hear from the man who on every occasion refuses to debate us,” said Bruce Mirken, spokesperson for the Marijuana Policy Project, who added that his group, partially funded by billionaire Peter Lewis, has offered before to square off with the czar. “He flat-out refuses. I’ll debate John Walters anytime he wants.”Mirken might want to think about warming up with Tom Carr, Seattle city attorney. Carr ran for office in 2001 as the liberal answer to years of civil-rights-abusing Mark Sidran. But in introducing Walters at the press conference, Carr sounded like he was applying to become deputy drug czar.Saying that he was “proud” to stand shoulder to shoulder with Walters, Carr said that I-75 would “have us look away from the marijuana problem.”But in an interview last month, Carr described his opposition to I-75 as a 5 on a scale of 1 to 10 and never portrayed marijuana as a sizable problem in Seattle. Many Seattleites would seem to agree, based on this week’s vote. The tally late Tuesday night had I-75 winning by about a 15 percent margin.Note: The White House drug czar blows into town to talk tough, but he also signals a new attitude toward discussing pot.Source: Seattle Weekly (WA)Author: Philip DawdyPublished: September 17 - 23, 2003Copyright: 2003 Seattle WeeklyContact: letters seattleweekly.comWebsite: http://www.seattleweekly.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Sensible Seattle Coalition http://www.sensibleseattle.org/Pot Measure Backed By Money, Political Support http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17326.shtmlDrug Czar Blasts City's Initiative on Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17269.shtmlI-75: a Dopey Idea - Seattle Timeshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17252.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #13 posted by christopher smith on October 01, 2012 at 14:32:49 PT: open new cult generation with new rock bands merlin the wizard perdicks on december 21,2012 soler system milkyway galaxy,sun,planets are going to aline into a straight line on mayan colender cycle and colender is going to end the generation in 72 years in 1940,1960 to 2012 and move on their cycle colender 1 degree over into the next astrolgy sign thats in 2012 to 2084 in another 72 years in a new cult generation,in the 40's the war delayed the generation from opening untill the 60's with the peace sign in the 60's to 2012.in today the peace sign can open the generation in 2012 to 2084 with new rock bands in psychedelic heavy metal,trips and swingrock in a another hippie movement like the 60's whent throu.in 2012 to new years eve of 2014 is looking for new rock bands in designing this project have all bands ready for british invasion of summer of 2015 thats invads radio stations,parks,fairs,carnavials and a montrarey pop festuvial leading into a summer of love and in 2019 woodstock. DOG is a new rock band that is trained by a rock directer who worked with this band into a psychedelic heavy metal,trips,and swingrock.If band works out,ok.look up rock directer who worked with this band to locate other rock bands in maryland and other states all bands comes around 15 rock bands all together.On facebook look up christopher smith profile and look up timothy mocrory who is in this band.of ok, look up his rock directer to find other bands. All mayan cycle and colender on december 21,2012 and 2012 is on the history channel and H2 on directv.all mayan cycle and their colender is all in the same area,tooms in the stoned ages,vanguard war on weed.all the same.Need to remake another cult generation because the generation from the 60's to 2012 is dieing out of old age,to keep rock from dieing out need to recreate a another cult generation.By 2030 their will be no more hippies,need to make another generation in 2012 to 2084.Look up committs from free state na.Im typing this to see if this can work and re make another cult generation so rock does not die out. open new cult generation with new rock bands in 2012 to 2084. [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by FoM on September 19, 2003 at 19:35:11 PT kapt Let's just hope John Walters will take part in a debate now! [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by kaptinemo on September 19, 2003 at 05:10:25 PT: Okay, Johnny Pee, it's your move... Look down, Johnny; the gauntlet's been thrown. It's laying at your feet. The last time antis dared debate us was 09/10/01 when your predecessor Asa tried to browbeat Guv Johnson...who handily mopped the floor with Asa. Had not the tragic events of the next day not swept all other news aside, there would have been a lot of questions on the minds of Americans who would have seen that debate again and again. And seen the holes in anti logic very clearly.Look at your political cards, Johnny; it's the rhetorical Dead Man's Hand you're holding. It's put up or shut up. It's raise or call...or fold. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by FoM on September 18, 2003 at 19:26:50 PT Press Release from MPP FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SEPTEMBER 17, 2003 MPP Accepts Drug Czar's Debate ChallengeWASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) today responded to White House Drug Czar John Walters' call for "a national debate" on marijuana policy by offering to debate the drug czar on national television as soon as possible. Walters, who has repeatedly avoided debates or joint appearances with representatives of MPP and other drug policy reform organizations, issued the challenge during a September 10 press conference in Seattle. Walters used the press conference to denounce Initiative 75, a measure to make arrest and prosecution of personal marijuana possession the lowest priority for Seattle police and prosecutors. As reported in today's Seattle Weekly, Walters told the press conference, "the real issue is, should we legalize marijuana? Let's have a national debate about that." In a letter faxed to Walters' office this morning, MPP Executive Director Rob Kampia wrote, "You were absolutely right when you told your Seattle audience that marijuana policy has never been properly and thoroughly debated in this country. ... I have no doubt that -- once armed with all the facts -- the American people will make wise choices." To read the full text of the letter, please see: http://www.mpp.org/pdf/debate_invite.pdf "We have been trying to debate John Walters since he took office, and he's refused every time," Kampia said. "If our nation's drug czar is finally ready for an honest debate about marijuana prohibition, I'm ready to meet him anywhere, anytime." Walters has made a crusade against marijuana the signature issue of his tenure in office, saturating the airwaves with commercials linking marijuana to teen pregnancy, date rape, and gun violence. But such efforts appear to be failing: The PRIDE Survey of teen drug use, released September 3, showed sharp increases in adolescent use of both marijuana and hard drugs in the past year, particularly among junior high students. With more than 13,000 members nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP works to minimize the harm associated with marijuana -- both the consumption of marijuana and the laws that are intended to prohibit such use. MPP believes that the greatest harm associated with marijuana is imprisonment. To this end, MPP focuses on removing criminal penalties for marijuana use, with a particular emphasis on making marijuana medically available to seriously ill people who have the approval of their doctors. For more information, please visit: http://www.MarijuanaPolicy.org [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by freedom fighter on September 17, 2003 at 12:03:04 PT I am smiling! hip-horray!pazff [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by afterburner on September 17, 2003 at 08:16:34 PT: Nice Work, Peoples' Democracy of Seattle You have done us proud. John P. is losing his bite. His cliches are wearing thin. People are no longer afraid. The fog of fear is lifting, and people are thinking for themselves, the American Way. Remember that, Johnny boy?ego transcendence follows ego destruction, we will no longer listen to the vicious poisonous lies flowing from the cesspool of the War on Some Plants (namely cannabis). [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by kaptinemo on September 17, 2003 at 06:50:10 PT: Feeling overconfident, Johnny-me-lad? So...after so long, after so many children shot to death, so many careers destroyed, families ripped apart, so many sick people dying in agony for want a safe palliative like cannabis is, so much suffering caused to the helpless and the innocent...now, he wants to debate *the reason behind it all*?Johnny old son, it won't be the cakewalk you arrogantly think it will. You won't be addressing/browbeating Cheech and Chong, here. 'Cause we're not laughing. We're sharpening our rhetorical knives, Johnny Pee. You've let yours grow dull and rusty from never really, truly having to engage in a bare-knuckles debate. You may have the money Johnny Pee, but we have MILLIONS of cannabists, many of whom you have hurt with your DrugWar, waiting to take you on. One of us will get close enough to flay your DrugWar anti-cannabis nonsense in a strategically public moment and drive the stake through it's heart.You want to debate, Johnny Pee? My old Army unit's unofficial motto is especially pertinent here: (growled with dark promise thick enough to slice) "Anywhere...anytime". [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by Jose Melendez on September 17, 2003 at 06:25:16 PT news links Seattle voters favor measure on marijuana http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001733061_pot17m.html-I-75: Pot measure backed by money, political supporthttp://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/139977_marijuana17.html-D.C. Bud?http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0338/news-dawdy.php-Voters scald latte tax; but pot measure passinghttp://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/140014_initiatives17.html-Incumbents in Troublehttp://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0338/news-howland.php Columnist Ted Van Dyk's Mixed Message: Just Say No, I Think. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by byrd on September 17, 2003 at 05:30:32 PT Debate? P-L-E-E-E-E-SE Johnny, debate. Get it ALL out in the open. Let the public see through the lies. Let our citizens see all of the research that you've supressed. Let the citizens see how they've been misled and how their tax money has been WASTED FOR DECADES. Let everyone see the sorrow this pointless persecution has caused. I'm giddy with excitement. There sure is a lot of the old Texas-two-step going on with the Bush administration these days. They're apparently having trouble remembering all the lies they've told. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by goneposthole on September 17, 2003 at 05:12:20 PT Emerald City A great place to live and visit. Cannabis will humble the US gov. and it won't be necessary to declare victory. Washington knows it has much more to lose than to gain in this insane war on a plant.Come back, US gov, your citizens will welcome you. It ain't that bad.Cannabis is fit for humans and the US gov can be too. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by BGreen on September 17, 2003 at 05:06:20 PT Good Story From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer Voters scald latte tax; but pot measure passingBy ELAINE PORTERFIELD, MATTHEW CRAFT AND SAM SKOLNIK SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTERSThis is the land of Starbucks, a city where the words doubletall, skinny and splitshot are uttered just as often as please and thank you.It's also the home of Hempfest, a city where tens of thousands of people are drawn to the waterfront on a summer weekend to promote liberalization of marijuana laws.And so, yesterday, as Seattle voters decided the fate of two measures that seemed to define this city's free and coffee-fueled spirit, a clear message emerged:Leave pot smokers alone, and don't mess with our coffee.(Snipped)The Reverend Bud Green Voters scald latte tax; but pot measure passing [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Dan B on September 17, 2003 at 01:43:33 PT Yes! Yes! Yes! Thanks for the update, BGreen. Seattle just gave Canada a little bit of wiggle room. No local police will now be involved in fighting the federal war on cannabis. Now, since the most populous city in the sate agrees, why not try a ballot measure for the whole state? That would leave the feds alone in Washington, and it would give Canada a lot more support. Part of the argument should center on the economic impact of a federal border crackdown as threatened by the U.S. should Canada "liberalize" its laws (but of course, we know it already has). Washingtonians don't want their cops to aid the feds in Washington's economic hardship.Once it passes in Washington state, we need to go after other border states. Minnesota seems like an obvious place to start, as does Maine. This is a great new front that Seattle has presented to us. Let's make the most of it.Dan B [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by BGreen on September 17, 2003 at 00:25:35 PT 97% of Precincts Counted -IT PASSED! The results as posted on the Seattle Times Website:I-75, Marijuana Offenses - YES 48,805 58.56%I-75, Marijuana Offenses - NO 34,531 41.44%****************************************************Seattle voters favor measure on marijuanaBy Beth Kaiman - Seattle Times staff reporterA Seattle initiative that would make adult marijuana possession the lowest law-enforcement priority was passing last night, leaving police and prosecutors concerned about a soft-on-drugs message.**********************************************************Yeah, baby!The Reverend Bud Green Seattle voters favor measure on marijuana [ Post Comment ] Post Comment