cannabisnews.com: The Folly of Our Drug Policies










  The Folly of Our Drug Policies

Posted by CN Staff on December 20, 2004 at 07:32:32 PT
By Steve Chapman  
Source: Chicago Tribune 

People learn from experience, but the process can be very slow. In 1973, New York enacted what were known as the Rockefeller drug laws, which imposed some of the harshest sentences in the country. The other day, Gov. George Pataki signed a bill retreating from that draconian approach. It only took 31 years, billions of dollars, and thousands of lives that were wrecked because of youthful mistakes and very bad luck.
Under the Rockefeller laws, low-level drug possession could get you life in prison, even if it was your first offense. If you were lucky, you might get off with the minimum sentence--15 years. Yet this approach made for a poor deterrent: According to federal data, illicit drug use is just as common in New York as it is in the rest of the country.Thanks to these brutal penalties, New York prisons house 19,000 people convicted on drug charges, or one of every three inmates. The vast majority of them are small-time offenders with no history of violence.The belated recognition of these failures exemplifies the history of the drug war. It has been a perennial failure, but to a large extent, we persist at it. Citizens in many states adopt humane and comparatively libertarian policies on drugs while voting for presidents (Democratic and Republican alike) who regard even pot as a ghastly menace that must be fiercely resisted.Americans have curiously mixed attitudes about drug crimes. On the one hand, we blithely elect people to high office who did things that, had they been caught, might have earned them prison time. (In 2000, remember, George W. Bush was careful not to deny ever using cocaine.) On the other, we tend to see the stiff sentences given to those who were caught as fitting punishment for their contemptible behavior.In this realm, ideology has a way of overriding mere facts. We have learned, for example, that marijuana is a comparatively benign drug that has few risks and some apparent benefits. In 1999, a National Academy of Sciences panel said pot has "potential therapeutic value" for "pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation." The New England Journal of Medicine has endorsed medical marijuana.Ten states have also approved the idea. Yet the Bush administration, like the Clinton administration before it, has spurned the idea. Not only has it actively fought state initiatives to let sick people get relief from cannabis, it has obstructed research to help patients.Recently, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration rejected an application from a researcher at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst who wanted to conduct clinical trials to establish whether marijuana should be available by prescription. The project would have required the university to produce its own supply, which the DEA refuses to allow. If researchers want the stuff, it says, they'll have to get it from the only federally authorized source, a farm at the University of Mississippi.But if you hope to get approval from the federal Food and Drug Administration to market a drug, as these researchers did, you have to be able to produce and test the substance you propose to sell. You also need to assure high quality--which the government's product is not. A 2002 report from the Missoula Chronic Clinical Cannabis Use Study noted that some test subjects regarded it as "the worst marijuana they had ever sampled."You can imagine that news breaks a lot of hearts at the DEA. The agency is plainly not interested in studies that might lead to a change of policy on pot. In rejecting the application, it said clinical trials to examine the safety and effectiveness of the drug are impossible because they "must utilize smoked marijuana, which cannot be the permitted delivery system for any potential marijuana medication due to the deleterious effects." (Emphasis added.)Talk about bizarre logic. Without allowing a study, the DEA knows that smoking pot is too bad to be good. But the drug warriors are wrong on the basic fact: Clinical trials are already being conducted in California, using devices called vaporizers that allow ingestion without smoking.The result of the DEA decision, says the Marijuana Policy Project, is to "block the only proposed research project that could lead to marijuana's FDA approval." The DEA would prefer that we not get information that might cause us to change our minds.In time, the steady accumulation of evidence about the value of medical marijuana may overcome such opposition--just as the experience under the Rockefeller drug laws forced a retreat. Someday, the folly of the entire drug war may bring it to an end.But don't hold your breath.Note: What we've learned--and failed to learn--from the nation's war on drugs.Source: Chicago Tribune (IL)Author: Steve Chapman Published: December 19, 2004Copyright: 2004 Chicago Tribune CompanyContact: ctc-TribLetter Tribune.comWebsite: http://www.chicagotribune.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:Missoula Chronic Cannabis Use http://freedomtoexhale.com/ccu.pdfAngel Raich v. Ashcroft Newshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/raich.htmPicture of Mississippi Farm's Debrishttp://freedomtoexhale.com/debris.jpgU.S. Puts Brake on 'Pot' Studieshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20034.shtmlNew York Lawmakers Soften State's Drug Lawshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19994.shtml

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Comment #44 posted by FoM on December 21, 2004 at 10:18:15 PT
News Brief from The Associated Press
Petitions To Legalize Marijuana, Limit Smoking Fail in Nevada
  December 21, 2004Backers of Nevada petitions to legalize marijuana and limit smoking in public places are vowing to fight a ruling that they failed to submit enough signatures to force the Legislature to act. That's after Secretary of State Dean Heller ruled Monday that the three petitions were dead. He relied on a legal opinion from state Attorney General Brian Sandoval that the initiatives needed 83,156 signatures to qualify. That's 10 percent of the vote in the November second general election. The American Cancer Society and the Marijuana Policy Project say they were told they needed 51,337 signatures to qualify. All three signature drives exceeded that number. A group behind another anti-smoking initiative, called the Clean Indoor Act, say they'll probably just circulate another petition. Copyright 2004 by The Associated Presshttp://www.krnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=2719356&nav=8faOUQQM
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Comment #43 posted by FoM on December 21, 2004 at 09:45:54 PT

For Those Who Might Be Interested
I video from Cat Stevens.http://www.mountainoflight.co.uk/av/av.html
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Comment #42 posted by JSM on December 21, 2004 at 06:24:45 PT

medicine
Recreation is good medicine. (Bumper sticker seen in college town.)
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Comment #41 posted by goneposthole on December 21, 2004 at 06:17:55 PT

Pharmos
The stock closed yesterday at 1.18 USD, down 2.32 USD. Over eighty million shares were traded. It's a stock to watch, though. The testing of dexanabinol failed in treating total brain injury.Here's more:http://www.neuroinvestment.com/PARScom.html
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Comment #40 posted by Craiig on December 21, 2004 at 04:18:35 PT

FIRMS SEES CANNABIS LIFT
Biotechnology company GW Pharmaceuticals says it has had its cannabis-based medicine tipped for approval for the first time. Canadian regulators are considering giving the go ahead to its Sativex drug for sufferers of multiple sclerosis, the company said.The news comes just weeks after regulators said they wanted more evidence about the benefits of the non-smoked drug used to treat the central nervous system disease. That delayed its approval in the UK and battered GW Pharma's shares. "As far as I'm aware, it's the first approval for a prescription cannabis medicine anywhere," a spokesman said. Canada has confirmed that Sativex qualifies to be considered for approval. GW is required to respond and accept conditions within 30 days. The medicine, administered through a spray into the mouth, will be exclusively marketed in Canada by Germany's Bayer, the firm said. GW grows thousands of marijuana plants at a secret location in the English countryside, having been granted a dispensation to use the plant for medical research. But Sativex has hit a series of delays with regulators.http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30400-13268939,00.html
Boost for med maj
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Comment #39 posted by dr slider on December 21, 2004 at 00:46:22 PT:

Strange days indeed
The burning question is who is going to step up to the plate to stop what most of the world already realizes is another dictatorial lunatic? "You're with us er agin' us." Imagine if/when Blair crumbles, and with him our only major ally. Already Poland is drawing down its force, and slowly but "invisibly" the "coalition" is shrinking and sides are being drawn. One of the strongest tests will be to find compassion for those who will insist on their blindness to the end.The final solution to the German problem was to split it up among the prevailing powers. I've seen the "Western Union", "Central Union", "Eastern Union", and of course regaining its sovereignty for the first time in well over a century, "Texas". What a great time to be alive!
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Comment #38 posted by Hope on December 20, 2004 at 22:08:46 PT

The GCW
And, yes, it sounds familiar in that it sounds exactly, I mean EXACTLY like our government.
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Comment #37 posted by Hope on December 20, 2004 at 22:03:57 PT

EJohnson
Russia...makes me think of the C and C movie that was on the other day. "Things Are Tough All Over". I believe that was the name of it. Narcs just about rule the world, it seems. Needed to get someone...so they set up the local vet. Spit! Spit! Spit! (Not really, I'm in the house, but it's so disdainful, that's what it makes me feel like doing.)
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Comment #36 posted by Hope on December 20, 2004 at 21:58:51 PT

The GCW
Yes! It does! You posted those fourteen points quite a long time ago! They were stunning then and they are stunning now.
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Comment #35 posted by Hope on December 20, 2004 at 21:56:24 PT

Someone might enjoy this short video
http://www.marijuanalogues.com/videos/I liked the video entitled Bill Maher more than the Bach Heads one.
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Comment #34 posted by The GCW on December 20, 2004 at 21:32:09 PT

It is all relative... Does this sound familiar?
Does this sound familiar?Steffen Demeter
Silverthorne
December 20, 2004Dr. Lawrence Britt, a political scientist, wrote an article about fascism which appeared in the spring 2003 "Free Inquiry" magazine, a journal of humanist thought.Britt studied the fascist regimes of Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia) and Pinochet (Chile).He found the regimes all had 14 things in common, and he calls these the identifying characteristics of fascism. The article is "Fascism Anyone?,"Lawrence Britt, Free Inquiry, Spring 2003, page 20.The 14 characteristics are:1. Powerful and continuing nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.2. Disdain for the recognition of human rights - Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need."3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause - The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe.4. Supremacy of the military - Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. 5. Rampant sexism - The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.6. Controlled mass media - Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. 7. Obsession with national security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.8. Religion and government are intertwined - Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. 9. Corporate power is protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business-government relationship and power elite.10. Labor power is suppressed - Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely or are severely suppressed .11. Disdain for intellectuals and the arts - Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. 12. Obsession with crime and punishment - Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. 13. Rampant cronyism and corruption - Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. 14. Fraudulent elections - Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Any of this sound familiar?http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20041220/LETTER/112200012

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Comment #33 posted by E_Johnson on December 20, 2004 at 21:07:39 PT

What's happening in Russia
http://www.moscowtimes.ru/stories/2004/12/21/013.html
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Comment #32 posted by FoM on December 20, 2004 at 19:17:56 PT

Hope
That was great! LOL!
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Comment #31 posted by Hope on December 20, 2004 at 19:15:12 PT

*smile*
You made me remember a joke...well sort of remember, I'm never good at jokes.St. Peter was showing a just arrived Buddhist around Heaven. The Buddhist was pleased to see so many happy people, of all religions and races living joyfully together and just having a ball in general. They passed by a closed door. The Buddhist asked St. Peter what that was about. St. Peter eased the door open and let the Buddhist look inside. Inside were rows and rows of people sitting at pews with their heads down. He then quietly and gently closed the door.The Buddhist asked St. Peter what was going on in there. St Peter said, “Oh, that's just the fundamentalist hard-shell Christians. “"Why are we whispering?" asked the Buddhist.St. Peter replied, "They think they are the only ones here and we don't want to upset them."

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Comment #30 posted by FoM on December 20, 2004 at 19:01:04 PT

Hope
I gave up on trying to make people not be so judgmental. When a person becomes judgmental they become unhappy. It's hard work judging other. It's a big problem if one religion thinks another one is wrong. That starts wars and wars are religious. I hope people who don't have faith in a supreme being don't mind these talks. I've seen people like Cat Stevens radiate what is godly. I've seen Buddhists look and act the same way too. It's seems it's unique to the Christian religion to think they have the correct answer and no one else.
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Comment #29 posted by Hope on December 20, 2004 at 18:51:03 PT

Yes, FoM
I'm sure they will. It's just seemed so important to me, since I was very, very young, that people, civilization get better than it was. I think it is better, a bit, in some ways, but I'm disappointed that it's not better. I want things to be better than they are for everyone and I guess I want more than than the hard reality of this world will allow. I like the Rodney King philosphy..."Why can't we all just get along?" ( I like what one of our community said once, too..."Why can't we all just get a bong?"):-)Thankfully, some of us can. Get along, I mean.
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Comment #28 posted by FoM on December 20, 2004 at 18:37:59 PT

Hope
I've had my fair share of in your face type telling me how to do it or how I should feel. I feel it's their loss not mine. I'm content and they are irritated. Someday they might understand.
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Comment #27 posted by Hope on December 20, 2004 at 18:32:24 PT

FoM
I do to. It just makes me sad that so few Christians have any real respect for their chosen face of God.The "face" I've chosen is my Papa and my brother. I couldn't dare look at any other "face". I don't want to, for me personally. You know I believe that all people are "saved" whether they get to know it or not, so I don't worry about people "going to hell", but I do worry about the hell some of them cause right here on Earth. Especially those who would sidle up to me (or get in my face) and claim to be a brother or sister in Christ. 
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Comment #26 posted by FoM on December 20, 2004 at 18:16:46 PT

Hope
I'm so sorry. I know how this can hurt. I found peace in this area a while ago. I have love in my heart for all people who love their own God. I know they are right too. I believe there is only one God just different doctrines. 
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Comment #25 posted by Hope on December 20, 2004 at 18:00:31 PT

more complaining and a bit of jealousy
The complaining first...Which is worse, a self proclaimed Christian stead faster who despises the teachings of the New Testament or a "worldly" man who does the same thing?The jealousy I've been experiencing lately: When you think of a peaceful, gentle, loving, tolerant, forgiving religion most of us think of Buddhists, but never ever Christianity. That makes me jealous. If even one third of the people that claimed to be Christians really practiced the teachings of the New Testament, this would be a different world.I think they don't practice the teachings of Jesus because they actually, in their innermost hearts, truly despise his teachings, his meekness, his gentleness, his humility and his love.It's possible I guess, that there are Buddhists who despise the teachings of Buddha, but it's so obvious that many, many Christians actually and truly despise the teachings of Christ.That hurts. A lot.

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Comment #24 posted by FoM on December 20, 2004 at 17:52:35 PT

The Boxer
Sukoi,The Boxer is one of the best songs on this DVD. The whole concert is excellent but during the singing of The Boxer a guy plays this instrument that I never saw before and the sounds is almost out of this world. They have a couple instruments that I never saw or heard before. It's worth the price. It's not much and worth picking it up. Check out the reviews on Amazon if you are interested. 

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Comment #23 posted by Sukoi on December 20, 2004 at 17:32:09 PT

FoM
Even though I'm relatively young, I love the music of Simon and Garfunkle, I always have; "The Boxer" is probably my favorite! 
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Comment #22 posted by FoM on December 20, 2004 at 17:24:01 PT

goneposthole
Well I'll add the Humbug then! LOL! Like I just said to Sukoi we really need to work hard to find peace but one thing I know is we are aware of all that is happening around us and that's good. I feel very sorry for those who don't know or even care. As far as Iraq goes they will fight until we leave. How can we win? I don't see how.Merry Christmas to you and yours.
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Comment #21 posted by FoM on December 20, 2004 at 17:18:50 PT

Maybe This Year
Sukoi I hope this coming year will be better then this one but I know it will probably get worse as far as the war goes. The only thing we can do is find peace within ourselves. I do that by watching concerts and listening to music. The news is really bad. The woman that killed the mother and cut her baby out of her womb is beyond belief to me. Then she took the baby to her church! I think people are snapping and I'm not sure why. We have a few DVDs we got for Christmas and the one is Simon and Garfunkels' Old Friends Tour. We've watched it a couple times and I'm ready to watch it again. We bought the Last Waltz and Monterey Pop that we are saving for Christmas Day. I have another DVD that I can't mention incase my husband reads this because it is a surprise for him. I hope you have a good holiday and find peace too. We sure have to work at it these days.
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Comment #20 posted by goneposthole on December 20, 2004 at 17:13:55 PT

Happy Christmas
Thanks, FoM. You're too kind. I'm such a grumpy old man anymore, I just say BAH! No humbug about it.No doubt about it, FoM, you're not a diamond -in-the-rough anymore, you're a gem. I'll stop complaining for 2 seconds and be grateful for what this world gives to all of us.Ok, back to the complaining. The US government got the war it wanted in Iraq, now, 2 1/2 years later or so, it has a war they know they don't want. Funny how that goes, you wish for something you want, and then after you get it, it turns out to be something completely different than what it was you wsnted. It's not the war you wanted, but it is the war you have. Much to the chagrin of George Bush, our fearless leader. If only the Ghost of Christmas Future had visited him early on.Not much of a Christmas present for old George, but it's what he wanted!  He says he wants to bring peace to the MIddle East. If he would give the gift of love and not war, he would have better luck.Peace and glad tidings to you and you and you and you and you and you, too, FoM.Thanks again for the kind words. 
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Comment #19 posted by Sukoi on December 20, 2004 at 16:44:53 PT

Yes indeed...
... and the same to you!!!
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Comment #18 posted by FoM on December 20, 2004 at 16:42:18 PT

Sukoi
We live in a crazy mixed up world. I think we are the sane ones. Happy New Year!I think that ones ok! LOL!
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Comment #17 posted by Sukoi on December 20, 2004 at 16:29:18 PT

FoM
Yeah, me too and I think that it's pretty childish to refrain saying something just to be "politically correct" when thae alternative isn't offensive at all; it just doesn't make sense (but then again, the only thing that makes sense is no seeds; my bad!!!).
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Comment #16 posted by FoM on December 20, 2004 at 16:21:34 PT

Sukoi 
Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays to you too! I hate to have to be politically correct. I'm more of the politcally incorrect kind! LOL!
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Comment #15 posted by FoM on December 20, 2004 at 16:18:19 PT

Reuters: New Drug Warning
Pain Drug Naproxen Poses Heart Risk, U.S. FDA SaysDecember 20, 2004 
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday issued a warning to patients taking the painkiller naproxen after a government study showed the over-the-counter medicine can cause an increased risk of heart problems. 
Patients taking naproxen, which is sold as a generic drug and under the brand names Aleve, Naprosyn and others, should not exceed the recommended dose and should not take it for more than 10 days unless directed by their doctor, the FDA said in a statement. The news follows studies showing increased heart risks in two prescription painkillers. Merck & Co. Inc. withdrew its arthritis drug Vioxx in September. Pfizer Inc. has kept its arthritis medicine Celebrex on the market, but has suspended consumer advertising. The results were part of a National Institutes of Health trial studying certain anti-inflammatory drugs in patients at risk for Alzheimer's disease. The trial, which included Celebrex, was halted after early results showed a higher risk of cardiovascular problems. Celebrex showed "no significant increase" in risk for cardiac trouble or stroke in the trial, the NIH said. Bayer AG makes Aleve, and Roche Palo Alto, a subsidiary of Roche AG, makes Naprosyn. Naproxen and Celebrex are in a group of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that includes aspirin and ibuprofen. Within that group, Vioxx and Celebrex are part of a class known as Cox-2 inhibitors, along with Pfizer's Bextra. Copyright: Reuters 2004http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=7144524

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Comment #14 posted by Sukoi on December 20, 2004 at 16:11:45 PT

Craiig
Here's the link to the game:http://www.growopgame.com/
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Comment #13 posted by Sukoi on December 20, 2004 at 16:08:51 PT

No problem FoM
I like to help when I can since I don't comment much! On a side note; I'd like to wish everyone here a Very Merry Chri...err, I mean Holiday!!! 
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Comment #12 posted by Craiig on December 20, 2004 at 16:03:39 PT

I want that game!!!
give it to me now!!!
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on December 20, 2004 at 15:55:49 PT

 Sukoi
Thank you for the links. 
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Comment #10 posted by Sukoi on December 20, 2004 at 15:28:04 PT

A couple of interesting articles and a new blog:
Reformed marijuana grower devises Grow-Op board game http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2004/12/20/Arts/growopgame041220.html Making A Federal Case Out of Almost Everything http://www.reason.com/hod/gh121704.shtml
 Prohibition and the Media http://stopthedrugwar.org/blog/ 

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Comment #9 posted by FoM on December 20, 2004 at 13:55:56 PT

goneposthole
I want to say something to you. You have been so kind. You have let me rant on when the presidency was an issue. Thank you and have a great holiday.
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Comment #8 posted by global_warming on December 20, 2004 at 13:38:06 PT

One Step At A Time
As this year is coming to an end, I am thankful that the number of states that allow for mmj is getting larger, with each year that passes the number keeps getting bigger.Soon, we will have a majority, and those DEA rouge folks will be dismantled by the American Congress.I wish I could rewind American history, back to the days of Anslinger, back to the days when such idiotic and ill-informed decisions were formed, this prohibition, like the first prohibition, has failed, it has been a corrupting force that has tainted every aspect of our lives.As astronomers gaze into the inky eternal night, they breath a breath of awe at the splendor and majesty of this universe, the vastness and endless space. Though some might wonder about what is going on at those little blinking lights in the winter night sky, some might speculate that this little blue pearl is struggling, without anger management, without much hope, without any sense of direction, adrift and left to such primitive urges, we continue to torture each other and build mighty castles that insulate ourselves from the cry's in the night.My New Year's hope is for all people of good will, to find peace and grace, and to be able to share their bounty.-gw
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Comment #7 posted by goneposthole on December 20, 2004 at 13:26:07 PT

the drug war they wanted
Is the one they have.It is total irony that the US gov went into Iraq, got the war they wanted with an army that Mr. Rumsfeld thought they had, but not the army they needed.When it comes to warring on drugs, you get the moon and the whole enchilada. The army of drug warriors is the one the US gov wanted, armor plate and all.. When it comes to warring on nations, you don't have the army you wanted and needed, just the one you have. Donald Rumfeld's crocodile tears for the National Guard and Reservists gets him a plate of crow, too.The US should stick to warring on drugs, and have the drug army they want. Recruitment is down some forty percent; that's an anti-war movement if there ever was one. It should spill over into the drug war.I noticed that some rebels in Colombia have laid down their arms. Heaaven forbid that peace should break out in Colombia. How could it be called a war on drugs if the enemy throws away its arms? 
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Comment #6 posted by kaptinemo on December 20, 2004 at 12:16:55 PT:

As usual, the best is saved for last
From the article:*This mostly peaceful back-and-forth will continue so long as the citizenry remain committed to the meta-principles of civility and process that permit us to express our competing visions.*But, as the Bard used to say, "Aye, there's the rub."How civil can you be in attempting to debate the merits of drug law reform when a rabid DrugWarrior has his jackboot on your trachea? When he's screaming at you that you - in his estimation and that of many others like him - have no rights? How 'civil' is is when legislators and bureaucrats insult us as members of Congress once did Rob Kampia, publicly implying that drug law reformers are little more than closet moral reprobates seeking to have their 'pre-versions' legally acknowledged? While also using this as a means of stifling fact-finding and debate?The civility has largely been tendered on our side towards those who have spurned it. But what comes around does indeed go around, and sometimes with astonishing speed; Justice Breyer's ignorant remark about trusting the Fed bureaucracy that gave Vioxx and Celebrex a pass just days before the news of the FDA's failure to protect the public from those faulty drugs is proof of just how wickedly funny the Universe can be with such ignorance.
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Comment #5 posted by Hope on December 20, 2004 at 09:57:53 PT

From " The Federalism Flip-Flop"
"Fortunately, the history of American politics shows that citizens are mostly content to effect change through periodic elections. Under our system, losses are only temporary and losers generally consent to be governed by the winners, only to retrench and reorganize in hopes of regaining the majority next time."
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on December 20, 2004 at 08:50:03 PT

Articles on Federalism
When (Constitutional) Opportunity Knockshttp://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2004/12/19/when_constitutional_opportunity_knocks/***The Federalism Flip-FlopExcerpt from Article:Slavery is not a states' rights issue, it is a moral issue. Federalism arguments are not relevant to slavery, moral ones are. Instead of avoiding substantive moral argument in favor of politically anchored invocations of the 10th Amendment, the appropriateness of national rather than local sovereignty would be better addressed on an issue-by-issue basis.http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2004/12/19/democrats_now_argue_for_states_rights/
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Comment #3 posted by Hope on December 20, 2004 at 08:48:42 PT

Making a living off prohibition
A Dutch friend of mine tried to translate for me an expression that Nederlanders had for those who make their living thus. It didn't translate well but it was something like, "They are like a louse living on an itching man's head."
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on December 20, 2004 at 08:09:40 PT

Oh My Goodness
What is wrong that George Bush can't even answer a simple question?
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Comment #1 posted by goneposthole on December 20, 2004 at 08:01:38 PT

The 'drug warriors' make their 'living'
Makes 'making a living' a rather dull experience. They are chained to the drug war like a prisoner tethered to a ball and chain. 'Fighting drugs' has become a torture.'Making a living' translates to 'just following orders'.Which also means more shameless exploitation. And, makes for more shameless exploitation. Choose freedom.  
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