cannabisnews.com: Time for a Change? Time for a Change? Posted by CN Staff on July 31, 2002 at 18:47:58 PT By Justin Gest Source: ABCNews.com Don't let the forest green carpeting or the college dorm room motif fool you. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Law — NORML, the people behind the effort to legalize marijuana — have traded in their tie-dye, Birkenstocks and braids for neckties, wingtips and a haircut. Most of them, anyway. And they currently are in the midst of a mellow campaign to get their issue on the nation's radar screen — in part by taking it off the nation's radar screen. Image Is Everything Keith Stroup, NORML's executive director, is spearheading a local-level campaign that some skeptics believe is a cover for his organization's ultimate goal of legalization. Stroup, however, insists that his is a genuine grass-roots effort pinpointing specific constituencies interested in protecting the individual rights of smokers and the availability of medical marijuana.What stands in his way is the association many voters instinctively make between marijuana and what Stroup calls "flag-burning hippies from the '60s"— the cultural nemesis of many members of Congress from that generation.Consequently, a politician's stance on the legislation of marijuana is typically not derived from any particular conviction, but from image concerns, Stroup and supportive members of Congress say. Last year the Pew Research Center found that 73 percent of the American people want to allow doctors "to prescribe marijuana." A USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll also found that 34 percent of Americans favor legalizing pot. There is only a small amount of support in Congress, however.Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., who is sponsoring a bill to legalize medicinal marijuana in the nine states that have individually approved its use, refers to the negative pot associations as a "cultural lag … that the public has gotten past." Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, a Republican co-sponsor of the bill, said "it's quite natural for Congress to be 20 years behind." "In this case, the voters are ahead of the members," said Peter Kovar, Frank's chief of staff.Hazy Progress While proponents believe that the House bill will require a Democratic majority before it passes, NORML and its supporters have not appealed to the Democrat-controlled Senate because members will simply not stick their necks out on a proposal the House won't pass.Proponents said they have the private support of several senators for measures that legalize medicinal marijuana or decriminalize small amounts of cannabis. However, without the political leverage, it will take more than personal conviction to pull senators out of their caves.House members have proven to be more responsive, say supporters.Many of them have a personal reason to support the bill. Paul is a licensed physician. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., was motivated by the suffering of his ill mother. Even Lyn Nofziger, the former Reagan White House aide, called on the current administration "that claims to be compassionate and conservative to be compassionate and conservative," after marijuana alleviated the pain of his daughter, who died of cancer.Ultimately, Stroup and other marijuana activists do not expect to see much progress with the bill till next year, at the earliest.So NORML has appealed directly to voters to overcome the congressional gridlock. Via the initiative and referendum process, nine states have approved the legalization of medicinal marijuana and 12 states have passed laws that decriminalize the responsible possession and consumption of pot — turning what was previously an arrestable offense into a ticketable misdemeanor.States passing medicinal exceptions include California and Arizona in 1996, Alaska, Washington and Oregon in 1998, Maine in 1999, Colorado and Nevada in 2000, and Hawaii in the last legislative year.The 12 decriminalized states are California, Arizona, Alaska, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Maine, Nevada, Nebraska, Colorado and Mississippi, with bills in the works in Vermont and New Hampshire.A New Push A Nevada initiative would not just decriminalize but legalize pot use and possession of an amount under three ounces. If passed, Nevada would be the first state to legalize any usage of marijuana that is not for medicinal purposes.NORML says Justice Department statistics show that 743,000 Americans are arrested each year for marijuana charges, 88 percent of whom are detained for simple possession charges. Currently, the group contends, 40,000 to 50,000 people are in jail on analogous drug charges, and $10 billion is spent each year on prosecution of such cases.Representatives from the Office of National Drug Control Policy did not return calls seeking comment."There is a perception that drug reform is the third rail of American politics," Stroup says. "The further away we get from grass roots, the more taboo it is."Frank made sure to keep his bill simple and clear. "The broader issues are not implicated by this bill," he said at a news conference, an apparent allusion to full legalization of marijuana. "The practice of medicine through our history has been a state matter. The federal government is not a board of medicine."Yes, There’s Resistance Legalization advocates have their fair share of opponents.In a recent appearance on MSNBC, Stroup was challenged by former presidential candidate and populist Pat Buchanan. "Isn't this really an attempt to get the camel's nose under the tent?" Buchanan asked. "You folks are about more than medical use."Other critics say they are concerned about the message sent to the public, especially children.Many conservatives bypass the medicinal marijuana issue and accuse reformers of exploiting cancer, multiple sclerosis, AIDS and glaucoma patients to achieve their ultimate goal of legalization — an issue on which right-wingers have the support of the people — despite Stroup and others' contention that the issues are "separate and independent."One of the leading defenses of current drug policy is the classification of pot as a "gateway drug" — one that leads users to other harder substances like heroin or Ecstasy.In response, advocates say that a government report defies that theory, finding that "most drug users begin with alcohol and nicotine before marijuana — usually before they are of legal age." High Courts The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that distributors of pot cannot legally use a "medical necessity defense" if they are prosecuted for selling the drug. In a related manner, the California Supreme Court decided last week that it is legal for people to possess and cultivate marijuana if a physician recommends it for medical purposes.Frank's bill, H.R. 2592, would end conflict of state medical marijuana laws with federal regulation, because state and federal courts operate according to different rules within the same jurisdictions.The Nevada initiative appears to also be headed to court, if it is approved. An additional part of the proposal orders the Legislature to provide "a system of regulation … for the cultivation, taxation, sale, and distribution of marijuana to persons authorized" —essentially establishing a legal market.Stroup fears that clause bites off more than advocates can chew. "If it was my call, I would not have included it," he said. Complete Title: Time for a Change? Those Resisting the Drug War Take Their Cause To CongressSource: ABCNews.comAuthor: Justin GestPublished: July 31, 2002Copyright: 2002 ABC News Internet VenturesWebsite: http://www.abcnews.go.com/Contact: http://www.abcnews.go.com/onair/email.htmlRelated Articles & Web Sites:NORMLhttp://www.norml.org/NRLEhttp://www.nrle.org/Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/States’ Right to Prescribe Weed in Dispute http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13564.shtmlCNN Crossfire: The Medical Marijuana Debatehttp://www.pot-tv.net/ram/pottvshowse1436.ramRepresentatives Hold News Conference on Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13560.shtmlMarijuana Proposal To Be On Ballothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13351.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #14 posted by BGreen on August 02, 2002 at 04:21:38 PT Babies don't like meth it ruins their crack high. LOL (Boo, Hiss)I was told by the Jr. Deputy officer in the 6th grade (a pre-D.A.R.E. propaganda program) that people might put "drugs" in ketchup or mustard bottles, candy, or even just "force them" on me at the water fountain.He never mentioned parties, because nobody ever forced or fooled me into trying cannabis. After trying cannabis, I loved it, and I didn't see any of the bad things happening to my friends that the deputy had said would happen, so I didn't believe anything the liar had told me.I don't have kids, let kids in my house, talk to kids, or even want to listen to them. I really don't want to be locked up in some ridiculous attempt to protect the little rug rats. [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by Industrial Strength on August 02, 2002 at 03:10:32 PT typical for a dope smoking, long haired musician. You want to legalize marijuana which would mean babies would be addicted to crack and meth and planes would be dropping out of the sky and the very fabric of life would be destroyed. You, you drug user. I'm sorry, I just cant get a grip after reading that weiner thing. It's like being beaten. It makes me so angry. [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by BGreen on August 02, 2002 at 02:57:41 PT Yes, I was talking to you Industrial Strength I was too lazy to type your name. [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by Industrial Strength on August 02, 2002 at 02:45:59 PT talking about both lol, unless you were in fact not even talking about my comment, in which case do I look stupid. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by BGreen on August 02, 2002 at 02:37:45 PT I was talking about Stossel and you were actually commenting on a different story. Man, I've been up too long. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by BGreen on August 02, 2002 at 02:36:28 PT It's pretty common reporting from Stossel but it flopped in the ratings, so I wonder if we'll ever see another show like it.The miners on NBC drew the most viewers, just as I had predicted, but I never thought more people would watch "Judging Amy" than Stossels' show. I never saw it being promoted, even on the evening news, and the only news show ABC hawked all day long was Ted Koppels' interview with Bruce Springsteen. They failed to promote it, and it failed in the ratings.NBC promoted the HELL out of Dateline, including showing excerpts during the Today Show and the evening news. They wanted it to win in the ratings and it did."Dateline NBC" blew away the competition at 10 p.m., with a 7.4/13. CBS remained in second place with "Judging Amy" at 5.6/10. ABC's special report, "War on Drugs, a War on Ourselves with John Stossel," was third with 4.6/9. NBC, CBS and FOX tie on Tuesday [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by Industrial Strength on August 02, 2002 at 02:03:55 PT ABC Perhaps they are just seeking a bigger piece of the younger demo. I cannot chalk this up to journalistic integrity, there has to be an alterior motive. Maybe we will start to see some strange rides crop up at Disneyland like "Watch the pizza spin on the hotplate" or "bordercrossing" [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Industrial Strength on August 02, 2002 at 01:50:16 PT poll Do we make too big a deal out of athletes smoking weed?www.tsn.ca/otr [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by qqqq on August 02, 2002 at 00:38:22 PT ..Welcome slimpickins... ...I always liked Bellingham...I lived the first 20 or so years of my life in Edmonds.My girlfriend went to college in Bellingham,so I got to know it pretty well.,,of course,,that was back in the mid 70s,and I can imagine how different it is nowdays. ..I like it when people who regularly read this site,, finally start to comment...It makes me wonder how many shy lurkers there are out there................ ...Welcome slimpickins!....Good to see you........Keep on keepin' on...... [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on August 01, 2002 at 22:57:24 PT slimpickins Welcome To Cannabis News. Thank you for your comment too. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by slimpickins on August 01, 2002 at 08:10:34 PT show me the gateway high, ive been visiting this site for over a year now, i think its awsome. many of you contributors speak your minds with a flavor of passion and brilliance that keeps me coming back daily. ive kept quiet (till now) because i smoke herb to escape, to candy coat my life, and to manage/muffle/obliterate the anger i feel towards my pointedly unjust government (bellingham, WA.) i thought there was no reason for me to voice for reform cuz im not sick, i can get weed when i want it and know how not to get caught with it.however, this article got me thinking, stirring would be a better word, about my introduction to substance abuse. this is something i had not pondered previously, largely due to the fact that ive always considered the "gateway drug" notion to be a heaping pile of sh0t. this line was like a smack to my face."In response, advocates say that a government report defies that theory, finding that "most drug users begin with alcohol and nicotine before marijuana — usually before they are of legal age." the first time i got high i was 13 years old, homeless and really mad. it was only natural for me to seek others in similar straights, most of them were older but the problems were there... and eventually (not to long) a ciggerette was given to me. mom and dad smoked, and i recieved a disciplenary puff or two when i was younger...and waaaay back then i thought it was disgusting, but this time got me high, this time it was vengence, empowering, self induced... the whole room tilted and those around laughed at my antics (little did i know, ciggs didnt get high them like this anymore) i didnt even know what pot looked like till several years later.. but not before i experimented heavily with(abused) hard alcohol and crank. not before i found the very bottom of my existance physically and phsycologicaly. that was 13 years ago.. the only drugs i take now are weed, caffine, nicotine and Zyban. im avidly trying to kick the last 2.with that in mind... now whats my/your gateway drug. thanks joe camel. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on August 01, 2002 at 07:04:52 PT Semi-OT Apparently a lot of border guards think it's time for a change. One in five is leaving their job for a better position elsewhere: http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/3762176.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Robbie on July 31, 2002 at 23:07:46 PT Summer NORML says Justice Department statistics show that 743,000 Americans are arrested each year for marijuana charges, 88 percent of whom are detained for simple possession charges. Currently, the group contends, 40,000 to 50,000 people are in jail on analogous drug charges, and $10 billion is spent each year on prosecution of such cases.Representatives from the Office of National Drug Control Policy did not return calls seeking comment.ABC News, no less.The defense of the drug war is wearing thin this week.How about, "it's unpatriotic to commence with the drug war on people, while we are nationally killing other people in far off lands"?As for the Nevada initiative, we'll see just who screams loudest when the United States of America declares war on Nevada and California. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by p4me on July 31, 2002 at 20:31:49 PT Yes Congress is one thing There still exist an area of conflict with the states. The debate on the legal rights of states is a big deal and it is a subject that gets very little coverage.I am glad to see ABCnews.com cover the cannabis subject and maybe it has found out the water is fine from all the positive comments from Stossel's show and is wading in further. Yes, the water is fine but the feds have the beach posted with signs warning of sharks, polution, rip tides, UV warnings, and prohibit lifeguards. Yes, the water is fine but the propaganda machine really hates that.So keep going ABC and spread some truth. There is still a states rights issue that exceeds the marijuana debate. Someone has got to push back federal domination of everything on the planet and the states need to be able to collect money it needs without the feds sucking up the money and promising to return part of the money to the state of origin if the state does what the powerhungry want.Ignore the signs ABC, the water is fine.1,2 [ Post Comment ] Post Comment