cannabisnews.com: Jamaican Plan to Legalise Private Use of Marijuana





Jamaican Plan to Legalise Private Use of Marijuana
Posted by FoM on August 31, 2001 at 20:36:45 PT
By Jeremy McDermott In Medellín
Source: The Scotsman
The Jamaican prime minister, Percival Patterson, referring to a government commission that has advocated legalising marijuana, or "ganja" as it is known in Jamaica, said he found "the recommendations of the report persuasive". He added: "We are not considering legalising in the sense of making it legal for people to grow, to sell, to export. It is for private use, and, of course, it will have to be confined to adults." 
Ganja has held a special place in Jamaican culture, not just because of its use by Bob Marley but due the role it plays in the Rastafarian religion. It reveres the deceased Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie as a prophet and uses marijuana as a sacrament. As the government’s National Commission on Ganja said in a report released last month: "Marijuana’s reputation among the people as a panacea and a spiritually enhancing substance is so strong that it must be regarded as culturally entrenched." But the US, committed to an international war against drugs, does not want a legalisation advocate on its doorstep. That is especially true as its billion-pound war on drugs comes under mounting criticism at home and abroad and many European states have or are planning limited forms of drug legalisation. "Our view is that decriminalisation is not in keeping with the 1988 UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, of which Jamaica is a signatory," a US state department official said, hinting that sanctions could be applied if Jamaica goes ahead with legalising marijuana. "The UN convention is our road map for international co-operation, and decriminalisation would be seen as backsliding. This would factor into the president’s decision for certification," the official added. Under the annual US certification process, countries that do not qualify as co-operating in the US war against drugs can have economic sanction imposed against them. The US has spent millions of pounds on burning marijuana crops in Jamaica, but has made little dent in production, or consumption, on the island. Note: Jamaica, birthplace of the reggae icon Bob Marley, is about to legalise the ganja he widely used, despite fierce opposition from the United States. Complete Title: Jamaican Plan to Legalise Private Use of Marijuana Antagonises US Source: Scotsman (UK)Author: Jeremy McDermott In MedellínPublished: Saturday, September 1, 2001Copyright: The Scotsman Publications Ltd 2001Contact: Letters_ts scotsman.comWebsite: http://www.scotsman.com/Related Articles:UN Treaty 'No Bar' To Easing Drug Laws http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10741.shtmlUS Backlash Against Ganja http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10640.shtmlDecriminalise it, Says Ganja Commission http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10627.shtml 
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Comment #31 posted by lookinside on September 03, 2001 at 10:40:00 PT:
dddd...
LOL...i hope you know i was teasing you...your slant onthings is, for me, the best way to express ideas...humor isa great teacher...thank you for rising to the bait...it made my day...
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Comment #30 posted by Lehder on September 03, 2001 at 05:30:47 PT
Reality
wow!, really, I never feel bad about getting things wrong, not the first time or even the tenth time - there's always another idea to try, and that's the fun of thinking hard and finding out new things for oneself. and it's true about the erasers. The last time I got something right it amounted to a few pages, and I threw away two shopping bags - hundreds and hundreds of hours - of wrong, and that not counting a large volume thrown away along the way and not worth keeping in the shopping bags in the corner just in case I found out later that I was mistaken about that stuff (in the bags) being totally wrong - there always could have been something a little bit right in there, maybe. That's normal. If I restricted myself to things I could get right the first time, why, I would be reduced to nothing but trivialities and not even be able to copy things that others have gotten right - or wrong. Copying is difficult, in my opinion, it really is.Why do I belabor this? Because it is an all too common human foible that people feel they gotta be right, that once they have made some claim or other, then they gotta stick with it come what may. Politicians and drug warriors are like this - they cannot change their minds. New information doesn't affect them. Their own egregious blunders stare them in the face, yet their egos are too delicate to try again. It's one reason why we still have a drug war. It seems to me that changing one's mind in America is often regarded as a weakness or a character defect. It's why a lot of kids throw in the towel and switch to law enforcement or whatever during their first course in math or hard science. The exacting disciplines, constrained by logic and reality, are much easier than many people think - they just don't realize that NOBODY gets the examples right the first time and so find it easier to bury their mistakes than to accept the constraints of REALITY.I'm quite accustomed to being wrong most of the time. But thank you for the nice words anyway, they didn't hurt, and you are very kind. Now we shall see if Traficant has the sense to think again.
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Comment #29 posted by dddd on September 03, 2001 at 00:24:56 PT
Atta Boy CongressmanSuet
Good to see you my friend!..dddd
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Comment #28 posted by CongressmanSuet on September 03, 2001 at 00:11:45 PT
 Humm....
  "I told you so" sound familiar Mr. "I personally helped let this idiot get into a position to steal the Presidency" dddd? Im sorry, I drank too much coffee tonight...
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Comment #27 posted by dddd on September 02, 2001 at 23:32:52 PT
"...sometimes even dddd.."????
..wisely said lookinside,,,,I consider it a strangelyabstract compliment.I would not recommend utilizing my writings in theforming of opinions,,lucid or otherwise...I think myramblings are best used for entertainment purposes.dddd               
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Comment #26 posted by lookinside on September 02, 2001 at 23:13:10 PT:
don't feel bad lehder...
i'm the kind that NEVER uses a pencil...but my writings arevery messy affairs...fyi...i rely on you and kap and sometimes even dddd forinformation to form lucid opinions...i knew NOTHING about this guy...glad u folks informed me...
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Comment #25 posted by dddd on September 02, 2001 at 22:52:57 PT
My sincere condolences Lehder
This is rather sad for you,,but I feel quite confident that CongressmanSuet will joinme in the esoteric delight of being a successful "told ya so". If it makes you feel any better,your letter,and positive statements about him,causedme to think twice,,and my respect for your judgement was such,that I had to dosome research to make sure we were talkin' about the same guy.JAH be with youdddd
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Comment #24 posted by Lehder on September 02, 2001 at 22:30:27 PT
uh-oh
Nearly one year to the day after U.S. marines shot and killed a U.S. civilian while on patrol in southern Texas, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a measure that would permit the deployment of up to 10,000 troops along the U.S.-Mexico border.On May 21, 1998, the House voted 288-132 in favor of an amendment offered by Representative James Traficant (D-OH) to the National Defense Authorization Act of 1999 that would allow the troops to be stationed on the border in order to “assist federal law enforcement in monitoring and      patrolling U.S. borders, and in inspecting cargo, vehicles, and aircraft at points of entry into the U.S.” A similar amendment, also sponsored by Traficant, passed the House last year by a vote of 269-119 as part of the 1998 Defense Authorization Act. That provision was dropped in conferencewith the Senate.http://www.us-mex.org/borderlines/updater/1998/may28traficant.htmlooks like you and CongressmanSuet did your homework better than I did, dddd. This is really sick - juvenile, I would say if it were only an idea or story from a comic book. I'd read a couple of articles on him and read thru his rants - no mention of drugs. But and Internet search on "Traficant drugs" proved that he is among the very worst. I'm too disgusted to look any further.Still, this, at least, is three years old, and maybe 48 years in prison hanging over his head has given him cause to rethink the motivations of his colleagues. maybe. Anyway, there are good reasons that I own more erasers than pencils, and never use a pen.
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Comment #23 posted by Lehder on September 02, 2001 at 10:49:20 PT
lookinside is right-on!
Buy what you need from the flea market, the fruit stand, the garage sale, buy a used "how to fix it" book. The depressed economy today is not just the usual business cycle and greenspan's rate reductions are not going to work so well this time. one industry after another has collapsed. the internets were first, others followed, education companies were finally slammed last week. the big punch, the one that will set Americans to thinking more than the stock market - a collapse in housing prices - is imminent. The Japanese stock market is near a 17 year low, Japanese unemployment is a record high - a real cultural shock there - Europe is languishing and we all know what a mess we are making of south america. be thrifty, friends, be prudent. these economic problems are in large part due to a collapse in demand - and the Ameerican consumer is about to quit propping the economy up by buying all that plastic junk. bush is not going to be respected by anyone for long. he's gonna need a lot more vacations, as is his pattern. the troubles about to befall us will set Americans to thinking about their leaders and our cause will slip thru on the coat tails of other revolutionary changes. at least that is one scenario i often think of. who knows what may happen next? but something is a-brewing, there's a lot of stored energy out there. let's hope a big recession is the worst we have to deal with. now can some tomatoes, make some candles, be happy, don't worry.
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Comment #22 posted by Lehder on September 02, 2001 at 10:30:09 PT
we'll see, dddd
I'll wait a while for a reply to my letter and post it here. Then it will all be plain for me and everyone to see. I'm giving him a chance to show us what he's got. If he's as you say then he's going to get a Lehder letter and he's gonna lose in 2002. Til then, I'm giving him a chance to be a patriot. ob la de, ob la da
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Comment #21 posted by lookinside on September 02, 2001 at 10:26:33 PT:
we may soon see...
the united states ostricized by other countries that see thefutility and insanity of the WoD...it won't be long before the government remembers kent state,and the dampening of the vietnam protests after the murderof those students...it worked once, why not try it again?economic power is one we can wield...STOP BUYING...get yourappliances and cars repaired...spend less...economize whereyou can...invest your savings in long term safe places(notthe stock market)...even 1% less will push the economythrough the floor...this will destroy the shrub's grand planand hurt his masters where they can really feel it...my job relies on a healthy economy...i stand to lose alot ina depression, but the elite stand to lose alot more...screw'em...
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Comment #20 posted by dddd on September 01, 2001 at 17:43:35 PT
Thank You Dr. Lehder
...I find your strange attraction to the slimy Mr Traficant very interesting.He seems to me to be quite a slipperry character,,of dubious integrity,,butI think that perhaps he may have many qualities that make him a bit lessnotorious than many of his peers. I think I can understand why you find him curiously more tolerable thanthe others of his ilk,,,he has a sort of nutty,outlaw mystique.I'll bet if you really knew the guy,and looked into some of his shenanigans,he would lose alot of the lustre you ascribe to him.No offense,,,but I personally think he is a bizarre,evil,shithead from hell.....but at the same time,,I have no right to look down on anybody,especiallysomeone I dont know....we all have our shortcomings.Punch his name into Google..there's lots of good and bad stuff about him there.May JAH continue to Shine on You......dddd 
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Comment #19 posted by Lehder on September 01, 2001 at 17:06:36 PT
by the way
I think dddd your comments elsewhere on the recent 'information gathering' visits to Colombia by U.S. officials are right on. These too are just for show, as you say, and are the prelude to a significant escalation there. We are dealing with a mutually reinforcing and mutually feeding hysteria and insanity between the fed gov and 1/2 of the U.S. population that is making a mess of the country, the world and destroying the entire population. I'm reading a book titled "The Mind of Adolf Hitler" to try to figure out if there is any way that all this energy can somehow be redirected. Mostly, the problem just seems to me impossible to solve. It's soon to be exacerbate by what I think is not merely a normal business cycle, but a very serious global economic downturn. I'm afraid it will all lead to violence on a grand scale. It is scary, because in the worst case - an armed revolution as recent events seem to be building to - it would take years to defeat the SWAT forces. I am very pessimistic despite all our progress: governemnt only digs in its heels and grows all the more repressive and nonresponsive. Truly, this is insanity in the Nazi style.
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Comment #18 posted by Lehder on September 01, 2001 at 16:46:43 PT
The Internal Rectal Service is One Giant Enema
--James TraficantI like the man's style. About a year ago I found a web site with his compendious two minute rants - those speeches on the House floor that all end with "Beam me up!" I spent a couple of hours slamming thru all these colorful diatribes looking for his opinion on the drug war. I could not find one mention of the drug war, which made me rather suspicious of his politics, and I am today disappointed to hear from CSuet that he has ranted against drugs and supported Plan Gran Colombia, but am not entirely surprised.I do expect that I will receive a substantive reply from Traficant, something I do not expect from the several other letters I've written, and he will receive an appropriate follow up from me. He's an interesting guy, very intelligent in my opinion, and definitely not nuts. I heard that he lived on an offshore boat for several years for some kind of complicated tax purposes I guess while a member of the House, and there are many colorful episodes in his career, worth reading up on. I'd like to have him on our side. Anyway, one day a movie will be made about Traficant and, rarely as I attend the theatre, I'll be in line.please write to your congresscruppers. Inundate Them.Here they are:http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/
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Comment #17 posted by dddd on September 01, 2001 at 11:34:52 PT
Dr Greengenes
..That is a most exquisite,and scholarly observation...anyonewho has power over someone else,,will eventually test thelimits of what they can get away with,,,,and it's most unfortunate,that somehow,most people assume that the government is interestedin defending the rights of the sheeple./.....dddd
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Comment #16 posted by mr.greengenes on September 01, 2001 at 10:47:54 PT
re: Waco 2
 You wrote "Isn't it nice to know that we can no longer rely on the government to uphold any of our rights outlined in that document? " It's not the governments job to uphold or protect our rights. Governments by nature are totalitarian. The founding fathers understood this. That's why they created the bill of rights, to protect the citizens from the government. The governments job is to keep pushing the envelope of what rights abuses the citizens will tolerate.  All I can say to anyone who relies on the government to protect their rights, is, good luck with all that.
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Comment #15 posted by dddd on September 01, 2001 at 10:21:20 PT
tdm
..that's not off topic....no,,,no one does know the exact nature ofwhat hell was going on,,,,,and now that they PURPOSELY let thewhole house fry to a crisp,,no one ever will.....nuthin like a good ATF Waco-que to kick off the holiday weekend..........dddd
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Comment #14 posted by tdm on September 01, 2001 at 09:52:11 PT
oops - off topic
Sorry I forgot to mention I was referencing the apparent murder of the former cop in L.A.
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Comment #13 posted by tdm on September 01, 2001 at 09:49:42 PT
waco 2
Does anyone know the exact nature of the firearms violations Beck was allegedly violating?You have to appreciate the consistency of the feds in their continuing violation and trampling of the Constitution, in this case, the 2nd amendment. Isn't it nice to know that we can no longer rely on the government to uphold any of our rights outlined in that document? I know it really takes the guesswork out of my day. No longer any need to wake up and figure out which rights I can exercise and which I can't.
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Comment #12 posted by mr.greengenes on September 01, 2001 at 09:03:38 PT
Second Rainbow Farm article
September 1, 2001 TV news helicopter hit by gunfire By JIM MEENAN and GWEN O'BRIEN Tribune Staff Writer   A helicopter operated by WNDU-TV, Channel 16, South Bend, apparently came too close for comfort at an armed standoff in Vandalia on Friday. As NewsChopper 16 approached Rainbow Farm Campground on Friday afternoon to check out an apparent fire, it came under fire from gunshots, authorities said. Rainbow Farm Campground owner Tom Crosslin or someone else on the site fired off 20 rounds of ammunition, hitting the helicopter. The WNDU-TV helicopter was following up a Cass County Sheriff's Department report about a fire at 59896 Pemberton Road about 12:15 p.m. EDT, Sheriff Joseph Underwood said. A caller told authorities that the property owner didn't want anyone on his property. The station had sent a photographer, Eric Walton, and a pilot, Rich Voght, to survey the scene. "Police called the station and told us that rounds were being fired at our helicopter," said Ellen Crooke, WNDU-TV News Director. "We pulled back several miles and continued to take pictures." About 45 minutes later the pilot landed at South Bend Regional Airport to refuel and he discovered a hole in the helicopter's horizontal stabilizer. There were no injuries to either the pilot or photographer. "We called police before we went to the scene, like we always do, to tell them we were going to fly over and to make sure it was safe. They told us it was," said Crooke. "I think they (police) thought this was just a fire." Crooke said authorities told her they will forward this particular shooting incident to the Federal Bureau of Investigation because they said it is a federal offense to shoot at aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating the incident, authorities said. The helicopter was patched up, and put back into operation on Friday night to help photograph high school football games, WNDU-TV officials said. Staff writer Jim Meenan: jmeenan sbtinfo.com (616) 687-7005 Staff writer Gwen O'Brien: gobrien sbtinfo.com (219) 235-6333http://www.southbendtribune.com/stories/2001/09/01/local.20010901-sbt-MWKA-A8-TV_news_helicopter_h.sto
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Comment #11 posted by mr.greengenes on September 01, 2001 at 09:02:10 PT
Rainbow Farm report from local paper
 A couple of stories and their links from the local rag, The South Bend Tribune, about the the Rainbow Farm Story.As of 11:00 A.M. he still hasn't come out.September 1, 2001 Standoff near Vandalia Rainbow Farm owner upset with proceedings By JIM MEENAN South Bend Tribune Staff Writer   VANDALIA -- Tom Crosslin had a court date he apparently just didn't want to keep Friday. The 47-year-old owner of Rainbow Farm Campground was charged last May on criminal counts of manufacturing marijuana, maintaining a drug house and felony firearms following a two-year investigation into claims of illegal drug activities on his 34-acre property. And Rainbow Farm had been shut down twice this year by authorities, including for Labor Day weekend, through a civil suit claiming alleged drug use at the campground's gatherings constituted violation of Michigan's Public Nuisance Abatement Act. On Friday, Crosslin was facing a $150,000 bond revocation hearing in Cass County District Court because police believed he had violated terms of his bond and was involved in illegal drug activities. But he failed to show up in Cassopolis. And the Cass County Sheriff's Department received a fire call about the property at 59896 Pemberton Road about 12:15 p.m. EDT, Sheriff Joseph Underwood said. The caller told authorities that the property owner didn't want anyone on his property. Police immediately discovered it was Rainbow Farm Campground, and that it was Tom Crosslin. Crosslin or someone on the premises, burned a couple buildings at Rainbow Farm to the ground Friday afternoon, the sheriff said. And Crosslin or someone there fired off 20 rounds of ammunition, hitting a helicopter operated by WNDU-TV, Channel 16, South Bend. No one was injured. And no other neighboring structures were harmed Friday at the campground, located near Kirk Lake in Newberg Township northeast of Vandalia. But six nearby residences were evacuated as a precautionary measure, and Crosslin and several others remained holed up on Rainbow Farm late Friday night. Crosslin's mother and brother sought to talk him into surrendering to authorities Friday evening, but that apparently failed, said Sgt. Doug Westrick of the Cass County Sheriff's Department. "I assume he's upset about the court hearing," Underwood said. "Everything's a concern right now." Underwood's assumption was the same many shared as they awaited what they hoped would be a peaceful resolution to the armed standoff. His sister arrived about 9 p.m. EDT, but was unable to talk to him police said, because Crosslin advised them if anyone drove toward the farm after dark he would shoot. About Rainbow. Farm Rainbow Farm Campground advertises itself as "an alternative campground and concert arena." The 34-acre campground at 59896 Pemberton Road near Kirk Lake in Newberg Township northeast of Vandalia operates the campground, The Joint Coffee Bar, The Rainbow Farm General Store and Hemp Gift Store & Smoke World. Its two biggest weekends before this year were events conducted at Memorial and Labor days, with event organizers extolling the virtues of legalizing marijuana. However, family members said owner Tom Crosslin's literature sought to prohibit illegal drug usage at the site. For more info, visit its Web site at www.rainbowfarmcampground.com .">http://www.rainbowfarmcampground.com>.  "I can't talk to him. ... (But I do know) he was very angry with the government, and the way they have done things," said Shirley DeWeese, of Elkhart. "I just hope he remains cool and calm; he just wants to be left alone. He doesn't want all the violence. ... We're hoping and praying for the best." Crosslin's nephew, John DeWeese, 24, of Elkhart, arrived on the scene Friday before dusk to show support for his uncle. "They need to leave him alone," he said of Crosslin, adding that his uncle was "peaceful." One of John's friends, Johnny Muday, of Elkhart, was among those who drove out with him. "He will come out when he's ready," Muday said of Crosslin. "I just think he wants to have a graceful exit. ... He's trying to buy time." Crosslin had reportedly told neighbors to leave their residences, noting that there would be "problems out there this weekend," Underwood said. Police had difficulty establishing contact with Crosslin, who was armed, police said. While Crosslin was only talking to a select few Friday, his Rainbow Farm Campground Web site at www.rainbowfarmcampground.com ">http://www.rainbowfarmcampground.com> said its share for him: "The Labor Day Weekend Camp-out has been called off. Bad government has intervened, once again, and closed Rainbow Farm Campground." Rainbow Farm had been shut down in May just before Hemp Aid 2001, a Memorial Day weekend event drawing hundreds to the campground and extolling the virtues of legalizing marijuana. Crosslin was among five people arrested in May by Michigan State Police, the Cass County Sheriff's Department and the Southwest Michigan Enforcement Team (SWET) in conjunction with the Cass County prosecutor's office after a two-year probe into illegal drug activity at Rainbow Farm. Others charged last May included Michael Royal, 37, of Defiance, Ohio; Aaron Brown, 22, of Allegan, Mich.; Andrew Rasmussen, 20, of Bay City, Mich.; James Schmidt, 29, of Lake Zurich, Ill.; and Rolland Rohm, of Vandalia. They were all charged on illegal drug-related counts. There were reports Friday that people were seen carrying guns on the campground property. However, police managed to touch base with Crosslin through a third party at 5 p.m. EDT, but it was a short-lived contact. Crosslin's mother and brother talked with him about a couple hours later without success in getting him to surrender. Authorities weren't taking any chances, blocking off Pemberton Road, nearby Black Street and any roads leading to Rainbow Farm, Westrick said. As far as the neighbors go, "we advised against" going to their homes, but it was an individual's decision. Mac Nelson of Jimtown has been out to Rainbow Farm about two dozen times, having camped out there. He came up from Indiana to support Crosslin, his family and friends. "It's out of character for him," Nelson said of Crosslin. Staff writer Jim Meenan: jmeenan sbtinfo.com http://www.southbendtribune.com/stories/2001/09/01/local.20010901-sbt-FULL-A1-Rainbow_Farm_owner_u.sto
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Comment #10 posted by auto on September 01, 2001 at 08:21:01 PT
US Government is immune to it's own rules.
Why would we threaten sanctions against a country for a humble little plant? Jamaica has the legal right to do this...They are a Democracy and this is what the people want...Hello politicians...Americans are saying to you the same thing. Wake up and smell something...We used to be a democracy...at one point in our history it mattered what we wanted...now it boils down to our selected (as opposed to elected) leaders. Why doesn't the rest of the world sanction the US for its backing out of the Kyoto and the ABM missle treaty? As far as I am concerned these two treaties will damage relations and the world we live in far greater than allowing people to smoke ganja for religious, medicinal and recreational activities. I am so fed up with the spin these politicians use...my head is about to explode....I need to smoke just to deal with this F***ed up government.
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Comment #9 posted by CongressmanSuet on September 01, 2001 at 07:48:34 PT
I remember...
   Seeing Trafficant on C-Span not too long ago, doing one of those 2 or 3 minute tirades on how our children were being poisond by dangerous drugs from Columbia, and how it HAS TO BE STOPPED!!! Good luck turning this guy around. Besides, if you have ever seen him speaking in public, its kinda obvious hes nuts. He is a perfect example of what we are fighting against...
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Comment #8 posted by dddd on September 01, 2001 at 07:18:46 PT
weekend
..it dont sound pretty mr.greengenes...Itz gettin' kinda spookywith these strange fires.....Down here in L.A.,,the ATF kicked offthe Labor Day weekend with a Waco style barbeque yesterday.Theyforced firefighters to avoid putting a drop of water on this fireuntil the place was burned to a crisp.For over three hours,we sawthe grotesque scene as firefighters sprayed water on neighboringhouses,while allowing the house to burn to a crisp.It was rawfederal,and local law enforcement vigilateism.It was MURDER!Lehder,,I liked your letter,,but I sure do hope you were usingconstructive sarcasm in your letter to Traficant,,from whatI've seen,,this guy is a shithead!,,,none the less,your letteris a good and positive thing,,and who knows,I'd probably havea grand old time,and a different view if I got to know the realMr Traficant.peace.....keep on keepin' on..........dddd 
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Comment #7 posted by Lehder on September 01, 2001 at 07:00:06 PT
"McCaffrey Rides Again"?
Here is a message board still ongoing from the abcnews poll about legalization. http://boards.abcnews.go.com/cgi/abcnews/request.dll?LIST&room=abcnews_2020down&messagID=4302endIs there any news on the subject of this messaage titled "McCaffrey Rides Again"?http://boards.abcnews.go.com/cgi/abcnews/request.dll?MESSAGE&room=abcnews_2020down&id=4361If this is true, then it is the exact drug-war equivalent of Joe McCarthey's packing a 45 to defend himself from communists. It is McCaffrey's final descent into personal madness and public obloquoy. Please write to Barry encouraging him onward on this path of destruction for him and the drug war.
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Comment #6 posted by Lehder on September 01, 2001 at 06:36:52 PT
write to your congressjerks
Here they are:http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/
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Comment #5 posted by Lehder on September 01, 2001 at 06:35:17 PT
Here is my letter
to James Traficant, House representative for Youngstown, Ohio. He is currently under federal indictment for being a wise-ass.									  September 1, 2001Honorable James A. Traficant:I would like to express my support for you in your defense against federal accusations and invite you speak publicly against the so-called War on Drugs.I have read about the charges made against you and I consider them to be trivial. Further, it is obvious to me that they are motivated not by any sense of justice, but by a sick compulsion to persecute an honest politician who has spoken against many injustices and the incompetence and corruption of the federal government. I wish you complete success in your defense against a monster and a successful election campaign in 2002.I have included with this letter an Internet article which tells about the imprisonment of best-selling NY Times author and cancer patient Peter McWilliams for possession of cannabis which he needed to control nausea while undergoing chemotherapy. Out on bail, McWilliams, under threat of forfeiture of his mother's home, was compelled to abstain from smoking cannabis and soon died by choking on his own vomit. The included article gives similar accounts of how a quadriplegic was sentenced to seven years in prison for possession of 1.25 ounces of cannabis, and how a woman born with no arms or legs was sentenced to one year in prison on a similar trivial charge.I know that you once won election to office by campaigning in favor of the war on drugs, and that you in fact took part in a drug raid. I regard this action as a political stunt and a disservice to the United States. I trust that you are today a wiser man for your experience in Washington, D.C. The drug war is a vastly destructive and corrupt institution - it has been invested with economic incentives like private prisons and property forfeiture - that has corrupted the police, the judicial system and the Constitution. Here are some Internet sites where the truth about the war on drugs is discussed in an intelligent and responsible manner, discussions that are sorely lacking in the mainstream media:http://www.drugsense.org/http://serendipity.magnet.ch/wod.htmlhttp://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/History/ticp.htmlhttp://www.marijuana-uses.com/examples/default.htmhttp://www.cannabisnews.com/http://www.a1b2c3.com/drugs/law02.htmhttp://www.motherjones.com/news_wire/bushboys.htmlhttp://www.lindesmith.org/http://www.marijuananews.com/http://drugwarpropaganda.selfhost.com/prohibprop/frame.cgi?theme=2http://www.igc.org/trac/issues/military/featured/2001/dyncorp.htmlI recently visited downtown Cleveland, Ohio after an absence of 29 years. I can tell you that despite recent "revitalization" efforts, the city looked like something bombed out in the Twilight Zone. Arresting two million people per year and confiscating their property is not going to educate our population, nor is painting the walls. The war on drugs allows politicians to shirk their responsibilities by blaming all our problems on drugs. Each year our real problems are ignored and only get worse, while more funding goes to the war on drugs which itself only gets worse.I know that you are a courageous man, unafraid to speak the truth, and for that reason I ask that you join Governor Gary Johnson and others in politics who have the wisdom to challenge federal propaganda about the war on drugs. Opposition to the war on drugs is NOT promotion of drugs.Best of luck,
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Comment #4 posted by mr.greengenes on September 01, 2001 at 05:49:32 PT
Rainbow Farm
  Sorry this is off topic, but I thought you all might be interested in this breaking story. As of 7:30 A.M. Saturday morning this standoff is still going on. It began around noon Friday.http://www.wndu.com/news/082001/news_9513.phpVandalia, MI: Police involved in stand-offLast Updated: 08/31/2001 07:28 pm Cass County – Police have been involved in a stand-off at Rainbow Farms since this afternoon. The farm is located just outside Vandalia, Michigan. Police got a call shortly after noon today about a fire on the property. Footage taken from Newschopper 16 shows smoke coming from two burned-out buildings on the ground. Police say Tom Crosslin, the owner of the property, set fire to three buildings on the compound. Residents evacuatedPolice aren't sure how many people are inside the compound, but they do say several people have gone in and out of the compound throughout the day of their free will. As of 6 p.m. Friday, police had not yet established direct contact with Crosslin, although they had spoken with several third parties who were in contact with him. Police evacuated residents in the area as a safety precaution. Court appearanceCrosslin was due in court for an appearance today at 1:30 p.m. He is facing civil forfeiture of his property. Police are also seeking to revoke his bond, citing evidence that drug dealing has started up again on the property. Newschopper 16 hit by bulletDuring the flyover, Newschopper 16 was shot at and hit. No one inside was hurt. A bullet believed to be from a .22 tore through a stabilizer, but that did not affect the helicopter’s ability to fly. The bullet missed the chopper’s rotors and did not harm anyone inside. Four arrested in May raidPolice officers have called Rainbow Farms a ‘haven’ for drug use. In May of this year, four people were arrested and four were served warrants at their home. The arrests were the result of a state police investigation that lasted two years. In the May raid, officers said they found marijuana growing at Rainbow Farms and other drugs throughout the property. The officers had been undercover and discovered illegal drug use at summer parties at the farm where some 4,000 people attended. Cass County Sheriff Joe Underwood said at the time, "Readily available was any kind of narcotic that you wanted to purchase out in the open - they were able to just walk up and make the purchase." Marijuana use supportedRainbow Farms is primarily a campground that has a ‘General and Hemp Gift store’ and a cafe called ‘The Joint Coffee Bar.’ A statement on its website says that Rainbow Farms “supports the medical, spiritual, and responsible recreational uses of Marijuana for a more sane and compassionate America.” Marijuana festivalsOn their website, Rainbow Farms states its opposition to the U.S. government’s ‘War on Drugs’ campaign. “We consider this a war on US and we are fighting back with large assemblies of people with similar views at our two annual hemp festivals HEMP AID and RoachRoast.” Their Labor Day weekend camp-out was set to get underway this weekend. A statement on the website blames local law enforcement as well as Michigan’s attorney general for shutting down the campground. While Rainbow Farms’ shop sells pipes and ‘bongs,’ a statement says that “all pipes and accessories are sold only for use with tobacco and legal herbal blend products.”
http://www.wndu.com/news/082001/news_9513.php
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Comment #3 posted by The Offspring on September 01, 2001 at 03:27:57 PT
U.S. should back off
Decriminalization is not against the U.N. Treaty covering drugs. It doesn't matter what the treaty says. Just do what Dubbya does and opt out. If we don't need the clean air treaty, we sure as hell don't need a drug treaty. I think the U.S. should back off before they piss the Whole World off.
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Comment #2 posted by Gaetano on September 01, 2001 at 00:39:59 PT:
sono d'accordo
Sono d'accordo sull'uso personale della ganja anche se non fumo
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Comment #1 posted by Phyro_the_Dragon on September 01, 2001 at 00:10:22 PT
Rosta,Roots,Reggae The 3R's
   Now is the time that WE as Pot Heads Must standup and let the Rosta's that we Back them 1000%.      Right ON Jamaica!
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