cannabisnews.com: Bipartisan Compromise Reached on Advertising Bipartisan Compromise Reached on Advertising Posted by CN Staff on June 05, 2003 at 14:49:14 PT By Larry Margasak, Associated Press Writer Source: Associated Press Republicans and Democrats agreed Thursday that the Bush administration shouldn't buy advertising to oppose state and local campaigns aimed at easing marijuana penalties. The agreement became part of legislation that would keep the White House anti-drug office in business for another five years. The House Government Reform Committee approved the bill by a voice vote. The committee also dropped a Republican proposal that would move some drug enforcement money from state and local police agencies and give it to federal departments in states that legalized marijuana for medical use. GOP sponsors said they never considered the proposal a major part of the anti-drug campaign. The restrictive advertising language would prohibit ads that advocate support or defeat of any clearly identified candidate, ballot initiative, legislative or regulatory proposal. It was aimed at ensuring that the White House could not use the extensive anti-drug advertising campaign to oppose state and local medical marijuana initiatives. Federal law does not permit legalization of marijuana, and the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, John Walters, has traveled the country to speak out against easing marijuana laws. Maryland recently became the latest state to have a medical marijuana law, joining Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Nevada and Maine. Steve Fox, director of government relations for the Marijuana Policy Project, said the legislation should have included greater restrictions on the director's activities. "Unfortunately, the committee did not extend the common sense restriction on using taxpayer funds for political purposes to the activities of the drug czar," said Fox, whose group wants to remove criminal penalties for marijuana use. Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., chairman of the Government Reform panel's criminal justice subcommittee, said the groups advocating a change in the law were extremists who wrongly accused the committee of supporting political ads. "That was never my intention or the intention of the bill," Souder said. Complete Title: Bipartisan Compromise Reached on Anti-Drug Advertising On the Net: House Government Reform Committee: http://reform.house.gov/ Source: Associated PressAuthor: Larry Margasak, Associated Press WriterPublished: Thursday, June 5, 2003 Copyright: 2003 Associated Press Related Articles & Web Site:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Groups Protest Drug Czar's Campaigning http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16487.shtmlLegislation To Move Anti-Medicinal Pot Funds http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16408.shtmlBuying Initiatives - Daniel Forbeshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16350.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #10 posted by freedom fighter on June 07, 2003 at 09:41:44 PT Souder's IQ cannot be meaured at all. pazff [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by The GCW on June 05, 2003 at 18:22:57 PT update **White House Prohibited From Using Taxpayer Money to Tell You How to Vote! **Attacks on Medical Marijuana Defeated!! **Higher Education Ban Reformed!!! A couple of weeks ago we alerted you to an intense lobbying campaign the Drug Policy Alliance was waging in Congress to defeat a number of dangerous provisions in HR 2086, the "Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2003." Our campaign, which was in partnership with the Marijuana Policy Project, was gaining steam and we urged you to call the Government Reform Committee. Your calls launched a tidal wave of reform that ultimately cleaned up this bad bill. In a letter to the Government Reform Committee dated May 29th, the Drug Policy Alliance urged the Committee to make seven amendments to the bill. The Committee voted today: we got five out of seven!!! We also won another important reform we were asking for in a separate lobbying campaign. What did the drug policy reform movement win? The House Government Reform Committee: * Repealed provisions allowing Drug Czar John Walters and the Bush White House to spend up to $195 million a year in taxpayer money to defeat medical marijuana ballot measures and pro-reform candidates;* Added new provisions prohibiting the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign from ever being used to defeat pro-reform candidates, legislation, regulations, and ballot measures;* Eliminated provisions allowing the Drug Czar's office to run anti-drug ads without telling voters the ads were paid for by the government;* Restored requirements that to the extent possible anti-drug ads include contact information for local drug treatment providers; * Repealed provisions allowing the Drug Czar to divert millions of dollars away from local and state law-enforcement agencies to federal agencies to arrest medical marijuana patients and their caregivers; and* Passed provisions requiring the Drug Czar to decertify the federal budget if the Department of Education blocks school loans and grants to former drug offenders; as well as compelling the Department to develop a plan for providing financial assistance to people who have been unfairly denied. (This major reform was the result of years of aggressive lobbying by the Coalition for HEA Reform http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=27501&l=1959.The campaign to reform this bill made national headlines, including articles in the Washington Times, Las Vegas Review-Journal, and Roll Call: http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=27501&l=1955 Newspapers across the country editorialized against the bad provisions in it, including the Orange Country Register, Los Angeles Times, St. Petersburg Times and the Baltimore Sun. http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=27501&l=1956A letter to the Government Reform Committee urging the Committee "to add provisions...explicitly prohibiting the media campaign from being used to influence elections and legislation" was signed by the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, Common Cause, Drug Policy Alliance, Justice Policy Institute, Initiative & Referendum Institute, Marijuana Policy Project, National Black Police Association, National Taxpayers Union, and Taxpayers for Common Sense. http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=27501&l=1957 We are grateful for everything these and other groups did. But we are especially grateful for what you did to persuade the Government Reform Committee to vote for drug policy reform. We owe this victory all to you. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!Of course, these reforms still face a long road ahead. The full House has yet to vote on the bill and the Senate has yet to take it up at all. Over the next couple of weeks we may face challenges from drug war extremists who will stop at nothing to try to undo our reforms. As usual, we will speak truth to lies and fight them every step of the way.Thanks again for your help. P.S. If you want to help in our campaign, please consider becoming a member of the Drug Policy Alliance, if you are not already. This helps the Alliance in two ways. First, it helps pay for the cost of our public education efforts, including our action alerts and fax campaigns. Without contributions from people like you who believe in freedom and justice, the John Walters and John Ashcrofts of the world will get their entire drug war agenda through Congress. Secondly, becoming a member of the Alliance improves our ability to educate Congress on the need for reform. There's an iron law in Washington -- the more members you have, the more politicians listen. If we are going to protect electronic music, stop the war on marijuana users, eliminate the racial injustices of the drug war, and protect the Bill of Rights, we need people like you to join the Alliance.You can become a member for an investment of as little as $35. Find out more at: http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=27501&l=1958 [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by The GCW on June 05, 2003 at 18:07:45 PT Wayne Allard... that is.Does Wayne go anywhere with out His funeral suit? [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by The GCW on June 05, 2003 at 18:05:28 PT CorvallisEric I (also) still love Colorado a lot... in spite of all its political and environmental difficulties. Environmentally it is better than most... and politically the only real pain in the reality is Owens, which seems to be buddy hustled by the bad evil. Owens should hold on real tight as We bury the cannabis prohibition. Oh, yea, then there is Nighthorse Campbell, and Indian, who would support caging the Indians growing the hemp up in the Dakotas (don't recall the name, but it was a story that again just appeared) and then there is Wayne should be tied up to Owens for the burial, as He is a walking stiff, perfectly comfortable caging humans for using a plant.Bad juju.After traveling around the U.S. years ago, Colorado was My pick. I have never regretted the move.And now I literally live at Stoner & Climax.And I truly (have reason to) consider it the center of the universe. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by CorvallisEric on June 05, 2003 at 16:57:11 PT Souder's intentions OK, several of you beat me to it. He's really incredible (figuratively and literally). With Bob Barr and Gerald Solomon gone, that probably leaves Souder as #1 prohibitionist in the House. A little history of Souder's intentions (1999):The idea of tying a student's financial aid to their drug rap sheet started with a New Yorker from Glens Falls. Now-retired Republican congressman Gerald Solomon first authored the provision suggesting this connection, and although his amendment passed the House and Senate, the language was ultimately stripped from 1992's Higher Education Act reauthorization. Mark Souder, a Republican representative from Indiana, embraced Solomon's vision, and H.R. 6 sailed through Congress, passing by a voice vote of 414 to 4.http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/2/thread2336.shtmlSide note to GCW: I still love Colorado a lot in spite of all its political and environmental difficulties. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by kaptinemo on June 05, 2003 at 16:49:55 PT: The other shoe dropped...on their pointy heads Looks like some of the warnings about violating the Hatch Act have finally made their way to the walnut sized brains of these modern day dinosaurs. As for Souder...he is proof positive that one should never put someone in a position of power without making him understand the ramifications of abusing that power...personally. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by The GCW on June 05, 2003 at 15:55:04 PT That is to say: MY WORDS ARE THE SWORD OF GOD.The Green Collar Worker from Stoner & Climax [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by The GCW on June 05, 2003 at 15:53:45 PT Souder's words are puke! "That was never my intention or the intention of the bill," Souder said. That was also what He said about the effects of the student loans that are denied to people found guilty of cannabis infractions, (but don't confront murderers).Souder, is a NAZI type.I am not violent, but Thomas Jefferson would have busted His chops!=0=0= wham!And this is GOOD news.We are going from firing a single shot to a sub machine gun to the full on rapid fire munitions.We have in effect shut them down, here, again!And again I thank ALL My fellow Green Collar Workers for containing this evil bunch.Feel proud, stand tall and reload!!!!&!I want these cannabis laws burried half way from here to China, (6' under aint gonna do it) and anyone who wants to hang on to them is welcome to do so!The Green Collar Worker from Stoner & ClimaxIn case YOu haven't realized, I no longer have been speaking on My own accord.The words that I speak are from Christ God Our Father, through the gift that Christ died for Us to have. That is the promised Holy Spirit of Truth. It is perhaps best described as a God Awesome communication system that is available for free for the asking to those who obey Him. And the rule book, the Bible, says the rule in one sentence:LOVE YOUR BROTHER. Who ever deny's that simple simple simple rule is already dead!GET IT! IT IS OUR FRIEND. IT WILL HELP BURY THE DISOBEDIENT!It is TOO easy!Spiritually, it is time to gather what has been scattered.LOVE! [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by afterburner on June 05, 2003 at 15:12:04 PT: Yeah, Right! The [House Government Reform Committee] also dropped a Republican proposal that would move some drug enforcement money from state and local police agencies and give it to federal departments in states that legalized marijuana for medical use. GOP sponsors said they never considered the proposal a major part of the anti-drug campaign. Keep on pushing. The tide is turning.ego transcendence follows ego destruction, "the truth will out." [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo MD on June 05, 2003 at 14:56:30 PT: Going Out on a Political Limb I usually refrain from character assassination here, but facing this:"That was never my intention or the intention of the bill," Souder said."it is necessary to mention that this is the same incompetent buffoon that says it was not his intent to deny an education to those people who now cannot afford college because of another of his legislative atrocities.I hope that his consituents will cause him to seek other employment. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment