cannabisnews.com: Leaders Debate Legalization of Drugs 





Leaders Debate Legalization of Drugs 
Posted by FoM on November 16, 2001 at 08:53:24 PT
By The Associated Press
Source: Associated Press
The federal government's drug czar defended drug laws in a debate with New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, a prominent backer of marijuana legalization. Asa Hutchinson, head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, faced off against Johnson at Yale Law School Thursday. Several weeks ago, the DEA raided medical-marijuana centers in California and Oregon in response to a U.S. Supreme Court decision in May against eight state initiatives to legalize the medical use of marijuana. 
Hutchinson, a former Republican congressman from Arkansas who helped lead the impeachment of President Bill Clinton in 1998, cited the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the federal fight against drugs. ''In a time of national emergency, a nation's moral values are clarified,'' he said. ''Responsibility is emphasized.'' Johnson, a Republican, called drug policy the country's ''biggest head-in-the-sand issue.'' He argued that the prohibition of drugs causes more problems than the drugs themselves. ''Drug problems are health problems, not criminal justice problems,'' he said. ''The war on drugs is an absolute failure.'' He advocated needle-exchange programs and increased government spending on drug treatment and education. Hutchinson agreed education and law enforcement need to work better together, but he warned that drug legalization will encourage drug use. ''The last thing we need to put into society is another product that handicaps our children,'' he said. ''Our nation should resist drug use as a path to our future.'' At Hutchinson's request, about three-quarters of the audience of roughly 250 people raised their hands to say they favor the legalization of marijuana. Johnson and Hutchinson agreed that the federal government should re-examine its ban on student loans for students who are convicted of drug charges. Outside the building, about 15 demonstrators held signs and distributed fliers in support of Johnson. ''We support Governor Johnson's stance that the drug war is a failure and a tool of social oppression,'' said Adam Hurter, media coordinator of Efficacy, a social justice group based in Windsor. ''Prison is not the proper response.'' Source: Associated PressPublished: November 16, 2001Copyright: 2001 Associated PressRelated Articles & Web Site:Governor Gary Johnson's Home Pagehttp://www.governor.state.nm.us/Johnson, Hutchinson To Debate Drug Laws at Yalehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11347.shtmlDope Debate - Santa Fe New Mexicanhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10894.shtmlLeaders Discuss Drug War Policyhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10893.shtml
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Comment #12 posted by Decomoto on November 19, 2001 at 12:45:52 PT
''The last thing we need to put into society..."
Thank god for people like Governor Johnson...an elected official finally understands something on his own, without having to agree with what the Feds say.
---------------------''The last thing we need to put into society is another product that handicaps our children,'' he said. ''Our nation should resist drug use as a path to our future.''That's absolutely correct!!! No more asprin! No more Tylenol! No more cough drops! No more Chemo-Therapy!!
--BULLSHIT!!!Listen, I am young, but I can tell you that marijuana saved my life, not handicaped me. I have clinical depression, anxiety, and insomnia...all diagnosed by an M.D. I have been put on and off nearly a dozen drugs in the past 5 years, and the ONLY thing that completely helps me is my cannabis. It is something that greatly helps me, not only mentally, but socially as well--usually I have little interrest in anything it seems...I enjoy myself more, I am more productive, and I enjoy people more under the influence of cannabis...I don't share my self-perscribed medication, either. Cannabis needs to be legalized, at least medicinally. Everytime I take my medicine I could be put in jail for doing nothing but helping myself stay happy and alive. Hutchinson's message really pisses me off!!!!
-Decomoto
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Comment #11 posted by QcStrt on November 17, 2001 at 07:17:04 PT
 <<RADIO STATION>>
Is there a National Radio Station that we can interact with on Hemp and Cannabis in the 
USA, like the Art Bell on UFO's.
If not can someone get one started for all of US that are into a better live.
let the people put it on other boards and see if we can get one, there should be some 
Cooperate or individuals out here that well Help the CAUSE.
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Comment #10 posted by mayan on November 16, 2001 at 16:30:49 PT
Go Gary!!!
Hats off to Governor Johnson!What was Assa thinking when he asked the crowd to raise their hands if they favored the legalization of marijuana? He should have known that at least 1/2 of the crowd would raise their hands. At least 3/4 of the crowd ended up raising their hands & this is at Yale no less!!! We're talking about the Shrub's Alma Mater! This guy is obviously not the brightest crayon in the box!Tommy Thompsons bro will run for Wisconsin Governor as a libertarian & favors marijuana legalization!
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20011115/el/wisconsin_governor_s_race_2.html
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Comment #9 posted by goneposthole on November 16, 2001 at 15:46:28 PT
FoM for President
Thank you for your tolerance, it is the lifeblood of this site.
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Comment #8 posted by E_Johnson on November 16, 2001 at 12:02:59 PT
Correcting Newt's compassion and morality score
Newt Gingrich: Thrice married, twice divorced. Left his first wife on a hospital bedHis second wife was undergoing cancer treatment when he left her for his mistress, I have read.The man's a chronic offender.
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on November 16, 2001 at 11:28:20 PT
p4me
Thank you for your compliment but please always say what you want to say not what I might want to hear. I am just a person who posts news. If something happened to me someone else would post the news. I don't form opinions about people who comment here. I find that is the best way. The only thing that is important to me is that people be kind to one another. I think that being kind causes growth and fighting causes division. I have seen a few good web sites go down hill because of fighting so I know it also could happen here and I do my best to avoid problems like that. Thanks again.
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Comment #6 posted by p4me on November 16, 2001 at 11:13:41 PT:
FoM my kindred spirit...
will you let me speak with you? I know you think I am some old man from Catawba County out fighting the Goliaths. I will be who you want me to be. I am but putty in your hands. I know that I shoot off my mouth and I do not spell all my words right. Yes, my barbaric manners must change. I will try to use Word from now on and check myself at the door. But for this last time may I speak in my country boy manner and have an honest visit with you? I have this dream or hallucination or a floating image of reality. It seems in this reality Tabacky, Alky, and Pillboy are the body guards to Mary Jane. Some people have known Mary Jane and would like to take Mary Jane out. It is a high price just to get in the door to see Mary Jane sing and Mary Jane is so pretty. Now if you record Mary Jane and distribute her CD's her three big brothers start calling in others to protect our Mary Jane. One of these friends is not bright and they call him DA so not as to embarress him by actually saying Dumb *ss.Did you tell me that Mary Jane wants to be free now that she is a grown lady. This will deeply affect her three brothers that now rob from the fruits of her lovely voice. FoM I would like Mary Jane be her own woman and I will not abuse her in any way. I believe you are a friend of Mary Jane and I would like to be cyberfriends with you too.I will tell you what you want to hear FoM. I will have a big house if you want me to. I will be a state senator with a house in Raliegh if you want me too. I used to try to be an honest man my dear FoM. Yes you know I do not let details of facts stop me from talking to you and as to protect you I will admit that I will lie to you. If you will allow me to properly introduce myself, my real cyber name is Virgil P4me. I am from North Carolina and I can tell you of Tabacco Road and the wealth of the Reynolds family and the Duke Family. The wealth of the Dukes overshowed that of the Reynolds. I think it was James Bucannon Duke that started Duke Power that now is the 17th largest company in the US. There were several Duke brothers and RJ Reynolds tobacco built his empire in Winston-Salem. I could be in the square in Winston-Salem in an hour by Interstate 40. That is unless you want me to change for you FoM. You are so gracious to have put up with my inaccuracies of fact and my misspellings. If our gracious lady will let me continue in her home I will beg forgiveness of my biggest fault. Yes, FoM I will use the power of lies and deception. It has rubbed off of Mary Jane's brothers on to myself and I am helpless to control the words I choose.My name comes from Virgil, the Roman authur of the Roman Epic the Ainead and a book that I was named for. My real name is Virgil Art P4me. FoM if you would like to slap me for being so foward I would gladly take the blow to feel the touch of your skin.Virgil wrote a book called the Art of Poetry- so I am named for Virgil and also his work that my father enjoyed called "The Art of Poetry" and hence my name Art. And being true to my teachings I have a tendency to follow what I learned from the "Art of Poetry" and that is that you must say at once what is called to be said at once. FoM I cannot change some things. I can correct my spelling and check my grammar but I wanted you to see me for who I am and I will change for you.I have to help Mary Jane.Could I tell you a quick story of the Andy Griffith show that is so popular and of poor Earnest T. Bass. Many people do not wonder how the rocks he threw had messages when Earnest T. could not write. Yes many people have not had the exposure to all the reruns of Andy Griffith that we here in North Carolina do. I hate to tell you this, but Earnest T. was lying to Andy to stay out of trouble. Even Earnest T. knew that the way his message was delivered mattered in it getting read by the person to whom he was addressing and Earnest T. was not a bright man.With all the people that write books and have degrees from college with degrees in journalism I am truly supprized of the lack of Art on the subject. We need a new order of priorities and the artist of the world need to pay attention to what is happening what is happening to Mary Jane and her three bully brothers. If you cannot see the richness of the story maybe you should quit writing for a while and step back until you can see the whole forest again. When you can see the smoke rising from the forest, maybe you will want to use your words to describe it and move in closer to find the fire that caused it. The message is calling for a rock. I am preparing mine. Anyone else.FoM when I am around you I lose all since of time and reason. Victory through journalism.Vote against all incumbents. But someone you love a vaporizer.
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Comment #5 posted by goneposthole on November 16, 2001 at 10:36:35 PT
Let's see here...
if my memory serves me right:Newt Gingrich: Thrice married, twice divorced. Left his first wife on a hospital bedBob Dole: Twice married, once divorced.Ronald Reagan: Twice married, once divorced.I could go on, I will.Henry Hyde had a scandalous affair.All Republicans, the party with a 'moral base', the party of 'principle'.I guess!Let's remove the old dead carp these cats have drug into the sand box so it can be used again.You can fool some of the .....you know the rest. So much for pot affecting the memory. They need to get a life, bad.L-eagle eyes
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Comment #4 posted by greenfox on November 16, 2001 at 09:46:55 PT
ASSa
''In a time of national emergency, a nation's moral values are clarified,'' he said. ''Responsibility is emphasized.'' In other words, do what we say or we'll come find you, beat the living sh*t out of you, charge you for thought crimes, rape your sister, and sentence you to death under the "drug kingpin" statute.blah... I love my country but fear my government. f***'em, i say...sly in green, blah blah blah..
-gf
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on November 16, 2001 at 09:35:29 PT
At Yale No Less!
I thought that was great too!
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Comment #2 posted by TroutMask on November 16, 2001 at 09:31:15 PT
A look at Asa's thoughts
What was probably going on in Herr Asa's head:"If only those 3/4 of the audience were in prison where they belong..."-TM
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Comment #1 posted by MikeEEEEE on November 16, 2001 at 09:10:14 PT
Good Job Johnson
At Hutchinson's request, about three-quarters of the audience of roughly 250 people raised their hands to say they favor the legalization of marijuana. There will be a last gasp for air by the DEA, listen for it.
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