cannabisnews.com: Rush and Chong Rush and Chong Posted by CN Staff on October 17, 2003 at 14:59:55 PT By Emiliano Antunez Source: Sierra Times Within a month's time, drug war supporter and conservatives’ conservative Rush Limabugh fesses up (only after being outed by a tabloid) about his addiction to prescription pain killers and 70s pothead icon Tommy Chong (the other half of Cheech and Chong) is sentenced to nine months in prison, not for possession of the evil weed, not for distribution of the enticing white powder, but for selling “paraphernalia.” America has definitely reached the boiling point of hypocrisy in its useless drug war. Rush Limbaugh in his brief public admission to his addiction attempted to veil it with an excuse. Rush, claims that pain caused by an unsuccessful surgery drove him to addiction. This may be true, but coming from a person who has mocked others drug problems and even publicly supported their incarceration, his actions deserve more scrutiny. Mr. Limbaugh has made a comfortable living from his radio talent, and he has used his bully pulpit to espouse and spread his views. His public views on illegal drug use are well known, and since he has profited from making his views public he now owes the public an “honest” explanation. There are many question yet unanswered; how can a public figure call for the incarceration of drug users, while privately consuming drugs illicitly himself? Will Mr. Limbaugh’s public stand on the War on drugs differ when he returns or will he simply try to explain away his actions (like a liberal)? The cat is out of the proverbial bag, many Americans have known for years that the war on drugs is not about drugs. This drug war is a war by our own government on its own citizens, it has made mince meat of the fourth amendment, it has shredded the second amendment, it has given the government the power to peak into our finances, it has run rough shod over private property rights, it has turned our inner cities into war zones, it has turned non violent youths into criminals and in the process ruined countless lives. Though most Americans hope that Mr. Limbaugh recovers from his addiction, many others also hope more importantly that he recovers from his duplicity. Will drug warriors blindly continue to support this defenseless war? Will they simply consider Rush more human and more worthy of forgiveness than a poor man busted for buying crack? Maybe the rules aren’t the same for everyone? Bush, Gore and Clinton all admitted to what were considered for them youthful “indiscretions”, but for the not so connected folks these are not youthful “indiscretions” but “crimes”, plain and simple. Mr. Chong’s plight should concern all of us. He was convicted of selling “drug paraphernalia”, more specifically decorative pipes. Though one would suspect that most folks buying colorful; pipes from self professed “head” Tommy Chong to be packing them with marijuana and other illicit substances, Mr. Chong was not providing the pot nor was he packing their bowls with goodies. What constitutes “paraphernalia”? Today even glow sticks, bottled water and lollipops can be considered drug “paraphernalia.” What will be next: orange juice and baking soda? We can only hope that these recent events will shed a light on all the stupidity and grief the drug war has caused. No one knows for sure whether Rush will quit his prescription pain killers after his rehab or if Tommy Chong will swear off the evil weed after his stint in the poky, but if our government doesn’t quit cold turkey on its drug war thousands upon thousands of innocent Americans will continue to suffer needlesly for many years to come. Source: Sierra Times.com (NV)Author: Emiliano Antunez Published: October 17, 2003Copyright: 2003 SierraTimes.com Contact: opeds sierratimes.com Website: http://www.sierratimes.com/Related Articles:Delay Requested in Chong Term http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17588.shtmlRush To Judgment http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17555.shtmlHe's Taking One Big Hithttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17522.shtmlRush To Jail? - Joel Millerhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17536.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #9 posted by E_Johnson on October 18, 2003 at 09:49:44 PT Arnold WON the pro-215 demographic, I heard I know that many people in the medical marijuana community are very anti-Arnold but I heard some analysis of the people who voted for Arnold and they were far more likely than other voters to have voted for 215 and 36.Both Props 215 and 36 came from outside the traditional Democratic power center in Sacramento. Gray Davis was against both of those propositions. Gray Davis represents a type of Democrat who is the left wing dance partner of those rabid prohibitionists on the right.Davis came around to medical marijuana in the end, but really only because he had to. He was the least likely person that a true supporter of 215 would support. If we trusted the voters with Props 215 and 36, we have to trust that these voters knew what they were doing by voting for Arnold. They're by and large the same people. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by Adam1 on October 17, 2003 at 21:00:24 PT: DEA gets another F on their latest report card These 2 would make great cell-mates...Oh wait, only one is likely to do time. Of course cause one was selling evil water pipes, openly, via a tax paying business while the other was only buying thousands and thousands of harmless pills made by the kind & gentle folks in the pharmaceutical industry. Get real Ashcroft et al. I suppose we can expect another half ass PR raid like headhunter-pipedreams due to the latest F on your DEA report card (explained below): NORML NEWSLETTER: Federal Audit Knocks DEA For Poor Performance Washington, DC: The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has not adopted "specific criteria" to determine whether the agency is meeting its stated goals of targeting and dismantling drug traffickers, according to an audit report released by the US Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General (IOG). "The DEA's strategic goal and objectives were not definitive enough to allow for an assessment of whether [its] goal and objectives were being achieved," the report concluded. In particular, "Specific criteria ... to designate organizations as 'priority target' organizations [and] specific criteria ... to report on the primary performance indicator - priority target organizations disrupted or dismantled ... [have] not [been] established." The IOG report is the second federal review this year panning the agency's performance. In February, a report by the White House Office of Management and Budget concluded that the DEA was "unable to demonstrate its progress in reducing the availability of illegal drugs in the US." That report rated the DEA a zero on a scale of zero to 100 in the category of "results/accountability," and recommended that "new measures [are] needed" if the agency is to be effective in the future. NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St. Pierre called the agency's performance "embarrassing," adding: "If the DEA was a private company, it would be out of business." http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/igwhnew1.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by CorvallisEric on October 17, 2003 at 18:42:40 PT more for EJ I feel hopeful and generally positive about Arnold. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by CorvallisEric on October 17, 2003 at 18:39:05 PT E_Johnson I will be very happy if you're right and I'm wrong. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by CorvallisEric on October 17, 2003 at 18:35:44 PT My latest predictions on Limbaugh Will Mr. Limbaugh’s public stand on the War on drugs differ when he returns or will he simply try to explain away his actions (like a liberal)?I'm going out on a limb this time with a detailed prediction.He will explain away his actions, but will "take full responsibility." He won't go to prison, may never be charged with anything criminal due to legal technicalities and good lawyers. He will openly talk about the extreme discomfort, even terror, that he felt and evoke enormous sympathy from almost everyone. He'll make a big speech about how "some people" think the Drug War is a big mistake and will keep me and millions of others at the edges of our seats waiting to hear if he "got it." He didn't. He'll say that it took the threat of law to force him to really face his addiction and that is why we need to keep the law and start really enforcing it (especially to keep kids away from pot which introduces them to the drug culture). "The law saved my life."I haven't read the "neo-con playbook" (whatever that is) yet, but it's predictable. I just hope that I'm wrong about all this. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by goneposthole on October 17, 2003 at 18:19:45 PT As Rush sowed, he reaps Rush sowed a big bag of wind, he is reaping a whirlwind for sure. Poor guy, rehab must be a nightmare for him, no doubt about it. Never pass up an oppurtunity to keep your mouth shut.What more is in store for the arrogant prohibitionist agenda?Can't be much; won't amount to much anymore.I wonder if he has been given access to medical cannabis?Neo-cons are dead in the water. Whatever it is, they have sown the seeds of discontent. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by E_Johnson on October 17, 2003 at 17:45:33 PT Stuck between an Arnold and a Rush place The political power of the prohibitionists is on the decline in the Republican Party.Rush clobbered the hardline view with his own lapses and Arnie is giving the moderate view a rich powerful backer with a huge important state under his belt. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by CorvallisEric on October 17, 2003 at 17:29:36 PT Tiny snippet from Rush's replacement today Dr. Walter E. Williams, Professor of Economics at George Mason Univ. (not sure if all that is correct), more libertarian than neo-con. First hour about education was interesting (I like him better than almost any other conservative) - tiny item of interest here:I don't like the idea of czars. Remember when Bush's dad had Bill Bennett as Drug Czar. Well, are we any better off? (roughly what he said). [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by SoberStoner on October 17, 2003 at 17:21:11 PT Ask and ye shall receive A few days ago I wondered when someone would finally connect the dots between Rush and Tommy.THANK YOU!The sheeple need to see this over and over again, then maybe finally it will sink in as to what's happening around here.Once again, buying thousands of illegal narcotic pills gets you voluntary rehab and no criminal record, selling glass gets you federal prison?If that makes sense to you, you still dont understand.SS [ Post Comment ] Post Comment