cannabisnews.com: Drug Czar Abuzz Drug Czar Abuzz Posted by CN Staff on December 27, 2003 at 17:45:32 PT Editorial Source: Abbotsford News Perhaps the most disconcerting aspect of the Supreme Court of Canada's 6-3 decision this week to uphold the laws prohibiting possession of marijuana is the reaction of John Walters, the United States' drug czar.Walters was positively abuzz with excitement upon learning that Canada's top court had decided against ruling that the possession law was unconstitutional. This is, of course, not new. When the federal Liberals had drafted a bill to decriminalize simple possession of pot, Martin Cauchon, then the justice minister, actually flew to Washington last spring to essentially obtain permission from U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to liberalize marijuana laws here. That Cauchon presented the pot proposal to a foreign country before allowing Canada's own House of Commons to view it was astounding. That the issue didn't generate a wave of outrage among the public is even more appalling.In its majority opinion, the Supreme Court of Canada wrote that "chronic (marijuana) users may suffer serious health problems. Vulnerable groups are at a particular risk . . ."If health concerns are reason enough to continue to make criminals out of people who indulge in a joint or two, can we expect, then, a challenge to the current law that deems cigarettes, alcohol and sugar legal?It is true that the courts exists to interpret, not make, law. And simple possession will probably be decriminalized sometime next year.But the revamped bill, heavy on grow-ops and "repeat users," appears to be another example of capitulating to U.S. pressure to continue demonizing a drug that is no more harmful than many, many legal drugs.- Abbotsford News Source: Abbotsford News (CN BC)Published: December 27, 2003Copyright: 2003 Abbotsford NewsContact: editor abbynews.comWebsite: http://www.abbynews.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmU.S. Drug Czar Praises 'Positive' PM http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18045.shtmlDreams Go Up in Smoke for Marijuana Activistshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18043.shtmlCanada Supreme Court Upholds Marijuana Ban http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18036.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #11 posted by ekim on December 28, 2003 at 17:30:56 PT Thank you Jose I was thinking of last show Jesse had. Walters says he is happy ------but he knows that it will just take 2 more to TKO the worse peice of unjust laws of the land. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by sukoi on December 28, 2003 at 05:05:01 PT A couple articles Opening gates to addiction“Marijuana is considered a gateway drug, and Guy Gurley of Munford is living proof that it can be.” http://www.dailyhome.com/news/2003/dh-localnews-1228-ktipton-3l27p3346.htmHydro helps cops bust pot houses“Durham Regional Police Chief Kevin McAlpine, co-chairperson of the association's organized crime committee, said the findings should convince the federal government stiffer penalties are needed for those involved in growing marijuana.” http://www.yorkregion.com/yr/newscentre/liberal/story/1583339p-1861174c.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by jose melendez on December 28, 2003 at 02:23:29 PT ekim: Ventura transcripts Here's all I can find, I wrote msnbc asking for the official transcripts, no answer.http://www.mpp.org/ventura/transcript.html visiting school? bring books not bullets [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by FoM on December 27, 2003 at 20:36:26 PT No Problem Virgil Done! [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Virgil on December 27, 2003 at 20:31:56 PT Roboform caused duplicate post FoM, sorry about the dublication. I just downloaded the Avant browser that overlays IE and RoboForm. RoboForm sent the thing as I was playing with it. I would delete the duplication if it is not hard. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Virgil on December 27, 2003 at 20:25:44 PT The restoration of credibility The United States government and the media have lost all credibility. There is no pretense of government regulating industry or the media being a watchdog on the excesses of government or the takeover of government by industrial interest. Anyone that reads CannabisNews knows it is lie, lie, lie, and lie some more so we know that the government has no credibility. Others are now coming to that reality.But this article has to do with Canada and the USG and its agenda within and beyond our borders. If there is an energy crisis Canada has to sell us oil even if they need it because of NAFTA. But the main thing going now that has got to have the Canadians asking is the Canadian government looking after Canadians is the mad cow disease found in the United States is now being blamed on Canada. The American press slammed Canada with coverage when they had their one instance of mad cow disease and then when that died down they really let have Canada have it with SARS.British Columbia was hit with a softwood tariff some two years back that crippled what was already an ailing economy with courts and public services shutting down everywhere. I am waiting to read the Sunday edition of the Toronto Star and saw the Mad Cow story on the front page. It may be up for Sunday in the most prominate place in the top and middle of the page- http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1072526412637&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154Here we see where losing all credibility hurts. They first say the sick cow was 4 and a half years old but now they say the eartag places it to a cow born in Alberta, six and a half years ago. There is nothing wonderful about Martin as he benefited from being finance minister while the economy was good and the budget balanced. Pushing for US penalties on growers is just prohibition keeping up the price. British Columbia is certainly going to see some change in Liberals in office with all the crap going on. It all makes you wonder how the USG can ever restore credibility or if they will even try after all the black box voting showed how screwed up the Congress is. Maybe it will be a lesson to Martin that once it is lost, it is a hard thing to get back.Blaming this mad cow on Alberta, surely cannot play well in Canada just like draconian penalties on growing are not going to play well in British Columbia and elsewhere.It is very interesting and maybe Richard Cowan will be speaking about the upcoming elections and the speed that this bill will be moving. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by ekim on December 27, 2003 at 19:23:39 PT right now this is the Real Show Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - Thursday, January 1, 2004 http://www.kucinich.us/schedule.php 10:00 p.m. - 3:00 a.m. ET New Year's Eve Web-a-Thon Live from the National Headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio Watch online at kucinich.usFriday, January 2, 2004Austin, Texas 6:30pm Begin the New Year With a New Beginning Fear Ends - Hope Begins Reception in Barr Mansion 7:30pm Benefit Dinner in Artisan Ballroom 10463 Sprinkle Road, Austin www.barrmansion.com James Galbraith, Anoek and David Inbar, Christine and David Jenkins, Robert Jensen, Mark and Melanie McAfee, Bill and Beth Riedler Invite you to A reception and dinner at Barr Mansion & Artisan Ballroom Austin's green building with soul Enjoy local, sustainable, organic cuisine with Live entertainment by Tish Hinojosa and Libby Kirkpatrick With special guest Mimi Kennedy RSVP by Dec. 31st call: 512-296-6919 or Fax 512-264-2913 [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by ekim on December 27, 2003 at 19:14:39 PT anyone have transcripts of last Jesse's Show Jesse's last show he talked about the media, asked the people to question it. Where will Jesse be seen next. Who will let him have air time. I wonder what his ratings were. Can you imagine how many copys of a show like he did with the Gov't Jr Dir of Drug office sell or rent at Blockbuster. I guess Jesse will have to wait untill Tommy gets out then we will see the Movie of the decade. It will be the real thing --- the whole truth and nothing but the truth-- if you thought Traffic was big - think again. Anyone got any ideas of how it will be done. Who will be in it. Who will bankroll it. Will it be Made in USA or in Canada, or both---or what about allover the globe. Then it can be spun off like the show Virg is congering up. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Virgil on December 27, 2003 at 18:30:02 PT Parts of Patriot Act 2 are now law and stuff The one thing about radio or a liberal channel is that radio stations are obsolete with the Internet. A website can transmit to a devise that might be called Internet radio. There is an example of one device with a long URL in this thread at DU- http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=580702There is one completely discouraging piece of news about the unbelievabe powers given to the treasonous Resident and the executive branch on the day that Sadam was captured. Again I will put up a DU link- http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=963100Well, it all is quite sickening and a person can well imagine how Hitler came to power when we see industry and their Congress roll over with the complicity of the media that they also control. What we have is the means and the environment to quite dissent to the position of pre-emptive war, dismantling Medicare, undoing Social Security come the State of the Union in January, the raping of the environment, and legalized peasantry with disposable people. We are to only be batteries in the Fascists' machines. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by E_Johnson on December 27, 2003 at 18:13:55 PT We must be brave little hobbits Mordor's forces are rallying. We must save Middle Earth from the wrath of Sauron! [ Post Comment ] Post Comment