cannabisnews.com: NORML: 2003: The Year In Review










  NORML: 2003: The Year In Review

Posted by CN Staff on December 31, 2003 at 11:36:16 PT
Top Ten Events That Shaped Marijuana Policy 
Source: NORML  

December 31, 2003 - Washington, DC, USA#1: Brits Vote To Abolish Pot Prohibition The British Parliament voted in November to downgrade marijuana from a Class B to a Class C scheduled drug so that its possession is no longer an arrestable offense. The policy change will take effect on January 29, 2004, and will be similar to the laws in 12 US states where the possession and use of small amounts of marijuana is no longer punishable by criminal arrests and/or jail time. 
Read the full story at: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5835 #2: Democratic Presidential Candidate Promises To Regulate Pot Like Alcohol In one of the strongest and most progressive endorsements of marijuana law reform ever made by a prominent Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) announced in December that, if elected, he would end federal criminal prohibitions on the use of marijuana for recreational purposes, and establish national guidelines to regulate it like alcohol. "A Kucinich administration would reject the current paradigm of 'all use is abuse' in favor of a drug policy that sets reasonable boundaries for marijuana use by establishing guidelines similar to those already in place for alcohol," Kucinich promised. Read the full story at: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5850 #3: Inhaled Marijuana Found To Be Safe And Beneficial For HIV Patients Short-term use of oral and inhaled marijuana does not elevate viral load in individuals with HIV infection who are receiving antiretroviral medications and may provide some therapeutic benefits, according to the results of clinical trial data published in August in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. "These findings suggest no major, short-term harmful effects and possibly some beneficial effects of cannabinoids in HIV-infected patients taking protease inhibitors," editors of the journal summarized. Read the full story at: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5731#4: Supreme Court Says Doctors Can Recommend Medicinal Marijuana The Supreme Court in October declined to review a unanimous Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision upholding the rights of physicians to discuss the medicinal use of marijuana with their patients. By rejecting the government's appeal, the Court upheld the Ninth Circuit's order enjoining the Justice Department from revoking physicians' federal licenses to prescribe medicine if they recommend marijuana to their patients. Read the full story at: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5785-Tie for #5- #5 Feds Lack Authority To Arrest Pot Patients The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 on December 16 that federal prosecution of patients who possess and cultivate marijuana for their own medicinal use is an unconstitutional exercise of Congress' Commerce Clause authority. As a result, the court ordered a preliminary injunction barring the Justice Department from arresting the plaintiffs - California medical marijuana patients Angel Raich and Diane Monson - for violating the Controlled Substances Act."As applied to the limited class of activities presented by this case, ... the cultivation, possession and use of marijuana for medicinal purpose and not for exchange or distribution is not properly characterized as commercial or economic activity," as defined by the CSA, a majority of the court determined. "This conclusion, coupled with the public interest considerations and the burden faced by the appellants if, contrary to California law, they are denied access to medicinal marijuana, warrants the entry of a preliminary injunction."NORML Executive Director Keith Stroup praised the Ninth Circuit's opinion. "This is a crack in the blanket federal prohibition of marijuana, the first ever recognized by the federal courts." Read the full story at: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5860#5: Pot Possession Ruled To Be Legal In Alaska The Alaska Court of Appeals ruled in August that the right to privacy in the state constitution precludes any penalty against private use and possession of marijuana by adults. The ruling upheld a 1975 state Supreme Court decision allowing for individuals to possess up to four ounces of marijuana for recreational purposes, and struck down a 1990 state initiative recriminalizing pot. Read the full story at: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5743#6: Largest Ever Clinical Pot Study Finds Cannabinoids Effective For MS Oral administration of synthetic THC and/or a cannabis oil capsule ameliorates multiple sclerosis (MS) associated pain and improves patients' mobility compared to placebo, according to clinical trial data published in November in the British medical journal Lancet. The study, involving over 600 volunteers, was the largest ever to examine the effects of cannabinoids on MS. Authors' of an accompanying commentary on the study wrote, "We now have as much evidence to support the use of these oral cannabinoids as we do for many standard therapies for [MS-associated] spasticity." Read the full story at: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5820 #7: Federal Judge Rejects Prison Time For Ed Rosenthal A federal judge in June sentenced noted marijuana author and cultivation expert Ed Rosenthal to one day in prison with credit for time served. Rosenthal could have faced as many as 60 years in prison after being convicted in January on three counts related to marijuana cultivation. Rosenthal grew marijuana to supply local patients who use it in accordance with state law, but the jury who convicted him was barred from hearing that evidence. The jury later renounced their verdict. Read the full story at: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5659 #8: Netherlands Becomes First Nation To Offer Prescription Pot In Pharmacies In September, the Netherlands became the first country to make cannabis available as a prescription drug in pharmacies. Dutch Ministry of Health spokesman Bas Kuik told the Associated Press that the legal change ensures that patients have consistent access to medicinal quality cannabis. "Doctors are prescribing marijuana to their patients anyway, and there are many medicinal users, so we may as well regulate it," he said. Read the full story at: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5744#9: Feds Indict 55 People, Sentence Actor Tommy Chong To Prison In Unprecedented Paraphernalia Crackdown Federal authorities indicted 55 people and raided more than 100 homes and businesses in February for selling glass pipes commonly associated with marijuana smoking. Among those indicted, 65-year-old actor/comedian Tommy Chong was sentenced to nine months in prison for his role as head of Nice Dreams Enterprises, a business that sold glass pipes via the Internet. Read the full story at: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5568#10: NORML Organizes Patient Rally On Capitol Hill In Support of Medical Marijuana On September 22 and 23, NORML organized a patient lobby day and Capitol Hill press conference calling on Congress to allow the state-sanctioned use of marijuana as a medicine. More than 20 seriously ill patients flew in from around the nation to testify and tell their members of Congress that marijuana is the only medicine that safely and adequately alleviates their suffering. As a result of the meetings, several additional Representatives signed on to federal legislation seeking to liberalize the use of medicinal marijuana. Read the full story at: http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5753DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5872Source: NORML Foundation (DC)Published: December 31, 2003Copyright: 2003 NORML Contact: norml norml.org Website: http://www.norml.org/CannabisNews -- NORML Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/NORML.shtml

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Comment #84 posted by Virgil on January 02, 2004 at 03:24:57 PT
westnyc
You might wqnt to read this article from the nation titled, "The Death of Horatio Alger"- http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20040105&s=krugman
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Comment #83 posted by westnyc on January 01, 2004 at 23:06:03 PT
One more thing
E Johnson - Nothing could be more true than what you said about welfare reform not addressing the real issues. The answer I believe is education. We need to teach ALL OUR CHILDREN (OUR FUTURE) THAT WHEN THEY LOOK IN THE MIRROR THEY SEE A PERSON WITH "SOMETHING TO OFFER;" and, anything is possible if you just believe in yourself. Madonna sends this message to our children better than our president.How can any poor child born to poor uneducated parents, black or white, etc. who is forced to go to underfunded, and overwhelmed school systems break this cycle. This is the issue that we should be looking at. Many of these children's parents are in prison, usually for drugs which is equivalent to being in prison for being poor - poor people sell drugs for money. I am so sick to death of hearing liberals and conservatives say "Look at Bill Cosby, Eminem, or Oprah, they came from hard times and look at them now." What they don't realize is these are very strong people who realized early on that they were extraordinary. But every child is extraordinary; yet, the reality is that most children never break from the cycle. Education is the one thing that makes a difference. Inspiration becomes the byproduct.It reminds me of the music teacher in New York City who knew that every child could learn to play the violin. As a result, through music, children aspired to be more than sport stars or rapppers, and dreamed of being the next Iztak Perlman. Better funded schools with more emphasis on the arts and history allows impressionable children to express and create and dream of a future away from their dismal reality. In fact, many, many children fortunate enough to get into this program, actually did.
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Comment #82 posted by westnyc on January 01, 2004 at 22:46:01 PT
E Johnson
I would seet welfare reform as the greatest thing since sliced bread if an actual "living wage" was provided for the poor. However, the reality is that no poor mother is better-off on welfare reform working for $6.00/hr. The only true beneficiaries of welfare reform are the wealthy who get dirt cheap employment based on the suffering and desperation of the less fortunate; and sadly, children are the biggest victims of this outrageous hoax. A "red herring" indeed."
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Comment #81 posted by E_Johnson on January 01, 2004 at 19:00:18 PT
Welfare reform is a done deal
I think fighting welfare reform was a big fat red herring that took attention away from the issues facing the working poor.The old days are not coming back, and a government handout is no substitute for a living wage.
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Comment #80 posted by FoM on January 01, 2004 at 17:26:06 PT
Another Article About Willie Nelson's New Song
Willie Nelson Records War-Protest SongCountry music legend to perform at Kucinich fund-raiser this weekendCountry music legend Willie Nelson is joining the list of entertainment celebrities to protest the war in Iraq. According to a report in the Austin American-Statesman, Nelson woke up Christmas morning, listened to the news, and said: "There was nothing but bad news, and here it was Christmas Day. I said, 'There sure are a lot of babies dying and mothers crying,' and [his wife] Annie said, 'That sounds like a song.'" The result was an anti-war ballad titled, "What Ever Happened to Peace on Earth." Published: January 1, 2004Copyright: 2004 WorldNetDaily.com Complete Article: http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=36400
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Comment #79 posted by FoM on January 01, 2004 at 15:24:13 PT
freedom fighter 
Happy New Year and I agree with you. Let's make 2004 the best year ever!
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Comment #78 posted by freedom fighter on January 01, 2004 at 15:15:27 PT
Happy New Year to you all
thks for the link Kapt! Let's start off with a happy thought!Peaceff
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Comment #77 posted by westnyc on January 01, 2004 at 13:13:53 PT
E Johnson
E Johnson - I agree and I also think that slavery is still alive and doing great in the USA. What I mean to say is - we have a wonderful system of Welfare Reform where the poorest people in our nation get to go and work for the wealthy individuals and corporations for $5.50-6.00/hr. No benefits either. However, according to the welfare experts it gives them a sense of "self-worth." It's also important to note that these wealthy individuals and corporations get a huge tax kickback for several dollars; so, the big picture is a welfare to work employee only costs them $2.00/hr for someone to work in their restaurants, factories, or scrubbing toilets in their mansions.We also have drug disparities that invade our black communities creating disenfranchisement and distrust among our many races and cultures in America. It is an outrage that our poor black children do not get good educations in America's poorest communities, very different from the upscale neighborhoods. I know because I used to be a schoolteacher in the poorest district in Kalamazoo, Michigan."Welfare Reform is actually 'welfare' for the wealthy." Damn! With the benefits the wealthy get from this reform - it's easy to see that slavery would actually be far more expensive and complicated in today's world. 
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Comment #76 posted by kaptinemo on January 01, 2004 at 12:50:29 PT:
Start the New Year off right!
I just found this, and it's a real gut buster:DishonestDubya
http://www.kaicurry.com/gwbush/dishonestdubya.htmlWarning: do not attempt to eat anything while viewing; intense laughter may cause you to choke on your food...like You-Know-Who did with his pretzels...
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Comment #75 posted by sukoi on January 01, 2004 at 12:39:09 PT
Willies new song
was discussed briefly on either Fox News or CNN yesterday afternoon. I don't know what was said though as I only caught the tail end of it! 
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Comment #74 posted by FoM on January 01, 2004 at 12:25:15 PT
A Small Idea
When Greendale was released I never heard it on the radio. It was too controversial. Willie Nelsons song will be even more controversial then Neil Youngs. I'm sure they will do their best not to play Willie's new song but what if we called our local radio stations and requested it? Maybe that would help at least a little. Just an idea.
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Comment #73 posted by E_Johnson on January 01, 2004 at 12:23:49 PT
It might be worth remembering history
Washington and Jefferson did not grow hemp, it would be more accurate to say that they owned human beings who grew hemp for them and they owned land on which hemp was grown. I don't think we should cast that fact aside as we struggle for our own freedom. The slaves who grew hemp for Washington and Jefferson deserved freedom too.Also, Russia was such a big hemp growing nation because until 1861, most of their population was enslaved. The poor were literally owned by the rich during that time. Hemp in Russia was grown by slaves just like it was in America except the Russian slaves were Russians not Africans.The poor in France had thrown off the shackles of the rich in their Revolution and that's one reason why the Russian monarchy fought Napoleon so hard, because they didn't want Russian slaves catching any French diseases like liberty, equality or fraternity. Or guillotining the aristocracy and taking possession of their property.It's a pity that slavery has in the past been such an essential part of hemp economy.Maybe we're paying off the karmic debt of slave owning hemp "growers" of the past.Just a thought!
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Comment #72 posted by ekim on January 01, 2004 at 11:47:39 PT
the Nose Cone of the Shuttle fell in Hempstead TX
When we are looking back on Top Storys of the Year....of a substance which now accounts for the arrest of some three quarters of a million people in the U.S.
every year at a cost of Billions of dollars: Chapter 1 Overview of the History of Cannabis Hemp For the Purpose of Clarity in this Book: Explanations or documentations marked with an asterisk (*) are listed at the end of the related paragraph(s). For brevity, other sources for facts, anecdotes, histories, studies, etc., are cited in the body of the text or included in the appendices. The facts cited herein are generally verifiable in the Encyclopaedia Britannica, which was printed primarily on paper produced with cannabis hemp for over 150 years. However, any encyclopedia (no matter how old) or good dictionary will do for general verification purposes. Cannabis Sativa L. Also known as: Hemp, cannabis hemp, Indian (India) hemp, true hemp, muggles, weed, pot, marijuana, reefer, grass, ganja, bhang, "the kind," dagga, herb, etc., all names for exactly the same plant! What's in a Name? (U.S. Geography) HEMPstead, Long Island; HEMPstead County, Arkansas; HEMPstead, Texas; HEMPhill, North Carolina; HEMPfield, Pennsylvania, among others, were named after cannabis growing regions, or after family names derived from hemp growing. American Historical Notes In 1619, America's first marijuana law was enacted at Jamestown Colony, Virginia, "ordering" all farmers to "make tryal of" (grow) Indian hempseed. More mandatory (must-grow) hemp cultivation laws were enacted in Massachusetts in 1631, in Connecticut in 1632 and in the Chesapeake Colonies into the mid-1700s. Even in England, the much-sought-after prize of full British citizenship was bestowed by a decree of the crown on foreigners who would grow cannabis, and fines were often levied against those who refused. Cannabis hemp was legal tender (money) in most of the Americas from 1631 until the early 1800s. Why? To encourage American farmers to grow more.1 You could pay your taxes with cannabis hemp throughout America for over 200 years.2 You could even be jailed in America for not growing cannabis during several periods of shortage, e.g., in Virginia between 1763 and 1767. (Herndon, G.M., Hemp in Colonial Virginia, 1963; The Chesapeake Colonies, 1954; L.A.Times, August 12, 1981; et al.) George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew cannabis on their plantations. Jefferson,3 while envoy to France, went to great expense - and even considerable risk to himself and his secret agents - to procure particularly good hempseeds smuggled illegally into Turkey from China. The Chinese Mandarins (political rulers) so valued their hempseed that they made its exportation a capital offense. The United States Census of 1850 counted 8,327 hemp "plantations"* (minimum 2,000-acre farm) growing cannabis hemp for cloth, canvas and even the cordage used for baling cotton. Most of these plantations were located in the South or in the border states, primarily because of the cheap slave labor available prior to 1865 for the labor-intensive hemp industry. (U.S. Census, 1850; Allen, James Lane, The Reign of Law, A Tale of the Kentucky Hemp Fields, MacMillan Co., NY, 1900; Roffman, Roger, Ph.D. Marijuana as Medicine, Mendrone Books, WA, 1982.) *This figure does not include the tens of thousands of smaller farms growing cannabis, nor the hundreds of thousands - if not millions - of family hemp patches in America; nor does it take into account that well into this century 80 percent of America's hemp consumption for 200 years still had to be imported from Russia, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Poland, etc. Benjamin Franklin started one of America's first paper mills with cannabis. This allowed America to have a free colonial press without having to beg or justify the need for paper and books from England. In addition, various marijuana and hashish extracts were the first, second or third most- prescribed medicines in the United States from 1842 until the 1890s. It's medicinal use continued legally through the 1930s for humans and figured even more prominently in American and world veterinary medicines during this time. Cannabis extract medicines were produced by Eli Lilly, Parke-Davis, Tildens, Brothers Smith (Smith Brothers), Squibb and many other American and European companies and apothecaries. During all the time there was not one reported death from cannabis extract medicines, and virtually no abuse or mental disorders reported, except for first-time or novice users occasionally becoming disoriented or overly introverted. (Mikuriya, Tod, M.D., Marijuana Medical Papers, Medi-Comp Press, CA; Cohen, Sidney & Stillman, Richard, Therapeutic Potential of Marijuana, Plenum Press, Ny, 1976.) World Historical Notes "The earliest known woven fabric was apparently of hemp, which began to be worked in the eight millennium (8,000 - 7,000 B.C.)" (The Columbia History of the World, 1981, page 54.) The body of literature (i.e., archaeology, anthropology, philology, economy, history) pertaining to hemp is in general agreement that, at the very least: From more than 1,000 years before the time of Christ until 1883 A.D., cannabis hemp - indeed, marijuana - was our planet's largest agricultural crop and most important industry, involving thousands of products and enterprises; producing the overall majority of Earth's fiber, fabric, lighting oil, paper, incense and medicines. In addition, it was a primary source of essential food oil and protein for humans and animals. According to virtually every anthropologist and university in the world, marijuana was also used in most of our religions and cults as one of the seven or so most widely used mood-, mind-, or pain-altering drugs when taken as psychotropic, psychedelic (mind-manifesting or -expanding) sacraments. Almost without exception, these sacred (drug) experiences inspired our superstitions, amulets, talismans, religions, prayers, and language codes. (See chapter 10 on "Religions and Magic.") (Wasson, R., Gordon, Soma, Divine Mushroom of Immortality; Allegro, J.M., Sacred Mushrooms & the Cross, Doubleday, NY, 1969; Pliny; Josephus; Herodotus; Dead Sea Scrolls; Gnostic Gospels; the Bible; Ginsberg Legends Kaballah, c. 1860; Paracelsus; British Museum; Budge; Ency. Britannica,, "Pharmacological Cults;" Schultes & Wasson, Plants of the Gods, Research of R.E. Schultes, Harvard Botanical Dept.; Wm EmBoden, Cal State U., Northridge; et al.) Great Wars were Fought to Ensure the Availability of Hemp For example, the primary reason for the War of 1812 (fought by America against Great Britain) was access to Russian cannabis hemp. Russian hemp was also the principal reason that Napoleon (our 1812 ally) and his "Continental Systems" allies invaded Russia in 1812. (See Chapter 12, "The (Hemp) War of 1812 and Napolean Invades Russia.") In 1942, after the Japanese invasion of the Philippines cut off the supply of Manila (Abaca) hemp, the U.S. Government distributed 400,000 pounds of cannabis seeds to American farmers from Wisconsin to Kentucky, who produced 42,000 tons of hemp fiber annually until 1946 when the war ended. Why Has Cannabis Hemp/Marijuana Been So Important in History? Because cannabis hemp is, overall, the strongest, most-durable, longest-lasting natural soft-fiber on the planet. Its leaves and flower tops (marijuana) were - depending on the culture - the first, second or third most important and most-used medicines for two-thirds of the world's people for at least 3,000 years, until the turn of the century. Botanically, hemp is member of the most advanced plant family on Earth. It is a dioecious (having male, female and sometimes hermaphroditic - male and female on the same plant), woody, herbaceous annual that uses the sun more efficiently than virtually any other plant on our planet, reaching a robust 12 to 20 feet or more in one short growing season. It can be grown in virtually any climate or soil condition on Earth, even marginal ones. Hemp is, by far, Earth's premier, renewable natural resource. This is why hemp is so very important. Footnotes: 1. Clark, V.S., History of Manufacture in the United States, McGraw Hill, NY 1929, Pg. 34. 2. Ibid. 3. Diaries of George Washington; Writings of George Washington, Letter to Dr. James Anderson, May 26, 1794, vol. 33, p. 433, (U.S. govt. pub., 1931); Letters to his caretaker, Williams Pearce, 1795 & 1796; Thomas Jefferson, Jefferson's Farm Books, Abel, Ernest, Marijuana: The First 12,000 Years, Plenum Press, NY, 1980; M. Aldrich, et al. 
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Comment #71 posted by FoM on January 01, 2004 at 11:34:40 PT
News Article from Reuters About Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson Song Condemns Iraq WarThursday, January 1, 2004 
  
DALLAS, Texas (Reuters) -- Country music icon Willie Nelson has written a Christmas song with an edge -- a protest against the war in Iraq that he hopes will stir passions in those who hear it. Nelson, 70, said Wednesday he wrote "Whatever Happened to Peace on Earth" after watching the news on Christmas Day and will play it in Austin, Texas on Saturday at a concert to benefit Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich. His rare foray into protest music -- he said it was only the second such song he had written, after the Vietnam-era "Jimmy's Road" -- follows recent political controversies stirred by the Dixie Chicks and Steve Earle. The Dixie Chicks, one of the biggest acts in country music, had their music boycotted by some country stations after lead singer Natalie Mains said at a concert in London just before the invasion of Iraq that she was embarrassed to be from the same state as President Bush. Last year Steve Earle sparked the ire of conservatives with his song "John Walker's Blues" about the young American who converted to Islam was captured while fighting alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan. Nelson said his new song criticized the Bush administration's decision to invade Iraq and those who thought it unpatriotic to speak out against the war. The song opens with the line "How much oil is one human life worth?" and swings into the chorus: "Hell they won't lie to me/ Not on my own damn TV/ But how much is a liar's word worth/ And whatever happened to peace on earth?" "I hope that there is some controversy," said the country singer, who has five nominations in the upcoming Grammy Awards. "If you write something like this and nobody says anything, then you probably haven't struck a nerve. "I got it out of my system. I was able to say what I was thinking," Nelson said. David Swanson, a spokesman for the Kucinich campaign, said the candidate was a Willie Nelson fan and the song resonated with themes raised by Kucinich on the stump. "This is a patriotic song," Swanson said. Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq in March saying that Saddam Hussein threatened U.S. security by possessing weapons of mass destruction, but no such weapons were found. Copyright 2004 Reuters
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Comment #70 posted by FoM on January 01, 2004 at 10:53:02 PT
ekim 
Thank you too! Happy New Year!
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Comment #69 posted by FoM on January 01, 2004 at 10:51:44 PT
ron
That happens sometimes. It's fixed now! Happy New Year to you!
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Comment #68 posted by ron on January 01, 2004 at 10:47:20 PT

Help FoM
That button worked better than I thought!
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Comment #67 posted by ron on January 01, 2004 at 10:45:47 PT

Loved your delrio postings, sukoi
I have a dream that inspirees from cnews will flood other forums with your simple question:   Why is this plant illegal?
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Comment #63 posted by FoM on January 01, 2004 at 10:39:29 PT

Check Out Willie Nelson's Web Site
The second link seems like we should get the song but only an icon comes up when I click on the link. I must not have the right player or does anyone know what or how this should work?http://www.willienelson.com/http://www.smn.com/peace/
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Comment #62 posted by kaptinemo on January 01, 2004 at 10:32:26 PT:

Ol' Willie nailed it squarely
I always liked his work; that voice belongs to someone who knows the reality from the corp-rat hype. A voice that belongs to someone who's been down to the real, rock hardscrabble truth, with no lies or excuses to to shelter behind.But those lyrics strike the sheeple right betwen the eyes:*And the bewildered herd is still believing
Everything we've been told from our birth
Hell they won't lie to me
Not on my own damn TV
But how much is a liar's word worth
And whatever happened to peace on earth*I know far too many people in this life who are exactly like that...and it's why we have war criminals running this government.
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Comment #61 posted by ekim on January 01, 2004 at 10:30:41 PT

Happy Day FoM thanks for helping us
Today on C-Span they told of a recent story of Judge Renquest. He must have made some remarks about laws that were issued last year. He said a little know amendment in the Amber Alert Bill which will regulate a Judges decision making is wrong, and never should have been allowed to be put into law. I think the paper was the Pittsburgh Examiner there were two papers so this must have been widely reported. Ralph Nader will be on C-span Mon sometime between 7am to 10. Dir tv ch 350
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Comment #60 posted by FoM on January 01, 2004 at 10:19:00 PT

sukoi 
I can't wait to hear Willie's New Song. I hope they play it on the radio. It says so much. Go Willie!
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Comment #59 posted by sukoi on January 01, 2004 at 10:15:28 PT

Lyrics to Willies' new song 
Willies' new song:What Ever Happened To Peace On Earth
http://www.kucinich.us/nelson_poe_song.phpAnd a couple of unrelated articles:Our constitutional democracy is being hijacked
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/7611369.htm200 marijuana plants found in home
http://www.sunherald.com/mld/thesunherald/news/local/7610753.htm
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Comment #58 posted by FoM on January 01, 2004 at 10:06:57 PT

SystemGoneDown
You should ask RasAric because I have no idea. 
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Comment #57 posted by SystemGoneDown on January 01, 2004 at 09:56:52 PT

MSNBC
Can somebody inform me about what propaganda MSNBC Rasaric was talking about involving pot.
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Comment #56 posted by FoM on January 01, 2004 at 09:44:23 PT

Can You Imagine
We are watching the Rose Bowl Parade and won't it be something the first year that a float will be made out of Cannabis? I hope we will see the day!
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Comment #55 posted by goneposthole on January 01, 2004 at 09:02:22 PT

burn reefer madness 
"...several additional Representatives signed on to federal legislation seeking to liberalize the use of medicinal marijuana."It's time to legalize cannabis for all uses.reefer madness will be over.
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Comment #54 posted by westnyc on January 01, 2004 at 08:38:20 PT

I agree with system
I think it is obvious that the major networks are in collusion with the Bush Administration. I also believe that the new democratic frontrunners were decided "long-ago" by the news media outlets. Remember, they are all consolidated now; and, perhaps they are choosing the candidate who "most likely cannot beat Bush." Personally, I am totally impressed with Kucinich and Mosely-Braun who seem like actual democrats who will fight for what they believe is right, even if it goes against mainstream beliefs; however, only the grassroots movements will bring these fine candidates to the forefront since the media decided to ignore them and post all their attention on Dean, Clark, and Lieberman with their questionable polls, etc. I think that any candidate who chooses principles based on obtaining the support of constituents is the absolute wrong man for the job. I mean - How can Dean as a Doctor not support Medical Marijuana? Also, I saw Wesley Clark after the "Rock the Vote" debate tell Paula Zahn that as a Military Commander he has seen many, many smart, hardworking, and decent men and women lose their jobs because they failed a UA for abusing marijuana. Obviously this tells us that it doesn't matter what kind of job performance you rate because he sees all use as abuse and deserving of permanent and unjust disenfranchisement.Thankfully, we also have Al Sharpton (the most charasmatic person in the race) to put the really hard questions to these "candidates with swinging degrees of prinicples." Controverserial, yes! But I like Al. I would love to see Kucinich win the primary and select Carol Mosely-Braun as our second in command. These "true democrats" may just be the medicine for so many things that need to be fixed in the world today. Happy 2004!
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Comment #53 posted by FoM on January 01, 2004 at 08:37:11 PT

Happy New Year CNews Friends!
I've been looking for news but I haven't found any so far. We are watching the Rose Bowl Parade. Of all the parades we have this is the most beautiful. I'll keep looking for news but there probably won't be much to post that is better then this article. Enjoy the day!
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Comment #52 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on January 01, 2004 at 08:13:00 PT

ALL the Democrats?
EJ says: "All of the Democratic candidates for President in 2004 support medical marijuana to some degree."I've got the flyer from Granite Starters, and it says that John Edwards and Bob Graham are both strong supporters of the DEA's raids, netting a D- for each, and Lieberman only got a D+. I'm pretty sure Bob Graham bowed out, but Edwards and Lieberman are still running - have they softened their stances?And Todd McCormick was released on 12/10/03:
http://www.stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/317/toddmccormick.shtml
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Comment #51 posted by sukoi on January 01, 2004 at 07:28:19 PT

DeVoHawk (comment #39)
Thanks for the compliment. I used some advice, ideas and a little of the text that I found in the “Schaffer Drug Library” in a section called “Persuasive Strategies for the Drug Legalization Debate”: http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/ACTIVIST/persuas.htm There is some very good information here for all of us. If followed, it pretty much makes the prohibitionist need to defend their position on the issue instead of the other way around. It will be interesting to how Roberts’ next post comes across, if he posts that is. I don’t see how he can keep from posting though; I think that it would look pretty bad for him if he didn’t. I’m sure that I got him thinking, maybe others as well, and that in itself was well worth the effort! Chalk up one more little mark in our favor! Let’s start off the New Year right; let’s make everything go in our favor in 2004! 
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Comment #50 posted by John Tyler on January 01, 2004 at 06:13:37 PT

EJ story idea
I like your story idea. I hope you can keep developing it. 
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Comment #49 posted by RasAric on December 31, 2003 at 23:31:04 PT

MSNBC Pot PROPAGANDA
YEP it's on AGAIN....I am sure they told the anonymous growers/dealers that it would be a fair documentary...lying bastards.It is nothing more than reefer madness of 2004. They "forgot" to mention that this epidemic is nothing more than the result of prohibition.PIGS in PARLIAMENT
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Comment #48 posted by SystemGoneDown on December 31, 2003 at 21:18:24 PT

Here's my rant....
Prohibition, the controlling of man.The will of civilization was not meant for plan.But a long bloody try will lead to 1 thing.The love of this land is lost in the wind.For freedom is blinded by those in control.Teaching our youth to obey what your told.The War on a plant is a War within.To stop the temptation thats labeled with Sin.As we seek a solution to lose all our fears.Our only revival will kill our careers.*boy a bong would sure hit the spot
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Comment #47 posted by FoM on December 31, 2003 at 21:12:07 PT

Happy New Year 2004 Everyone!
We've been watching Dick Clark's Rockin New Year. It was nice to see people having a good time in New York. They deserve to have a big party.
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Comment #46 posted by Robbie on December 31, 2003 at 21:03:07 PT

Happy New Year everyone!!
Hope 2004 goes better...for all of us.
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Comment #45 posted by The GCW on December 31, 2003 at 20:49:53 PT

Forced THC deficiency is a crime.
12:31:3 EVENING Thank everyone here for putting up with My rant.More and more My rant is looking like The Spirit of Truth’s rant.420We’ve been lied to.Not just about cannabis.We’ve also been lied to about the Bible.The Bible is a plant book from the very 1st page through the very last page.Clergy is a big part of these lies.When God says He created all the plants & they were good on literally the very 1st page of the Bible -and- CLERGY ACROSS AMERICA ALLOWS AND SUPPORTS THE PRESENT POLICY OF CAGING THE SONS OF GOD FOR THEN USING THEM, That is bad Ju Ju.Clergy across America is more than simply allowing it; they are part of it.CLERGY is BLATENTLY SCREWING He Who created all those plants.This is literally a Biblical issue!CLERGY HAS BEEN A PART OF THE LIE.But clergy hasn’t just been lying to Us;The fools have been lying to Our Father.One place in the Bible that speaks directly about this is the last book of the Old Testament, in Malachi.Malachi 1:6-14 subtitled: Sin of the Priests.Sin of the Priests6  " 'A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?' says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. But you say, 'How have we despised Your name?' 
7  "You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, 'How have we defiled You?' In that you say, 'The table of the LORD is to be despised.' 
8  "But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?" says the LORD of hosts. 
9  "But now will you not entreat God's favor, that He may be gracious to us? With such an offering on your part, will He receive any of you kindly?" says the LORD of hosts. 
10  "Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD of hosts, "nor will I accept an offering from you. 
11  "For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations," says the LORD of hosts. 
12  "But you are profaning it, in that you say, 'The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.' 
13  "You also say, 'My, how tiresome it is!' And you disdainfully sniff at it," says the LORD of hosts, "and you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I receive that from your hand?" says the LORD. 
14  "But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King," says the LORD of hosts, "and My name is feared among the nations." http://www.biblegateway.org/bible?passage=MAL+1&language=english&version=NASB We have the Blessings of the Spirit of Truth.Truth will cut them to the bone; they will submit.The Bible indicates the Sword of God is the word of God; the Spirit of Truth.That is Us! That is Me!I aim to help bring that word which will help to expose the shortest distance to cutting down those dead limbs.Let’s have mercy on their souls.Pray thanksgiving for the superplant / kaneh bosm; pray for the wood You put in Your fireplace; and also pray for the dead branches We are about to cut down.Christ God Our Father and His Spirit of Truth will be Our energy and Our guide.If what I am saying is true it will be more and more evident that the Ecologician is clearly supporting HIS cause. This is no longer an issue between Us and cannabis prohibitionists; it is now between the Spirit of Truth and sin. Now cannabis prohibitionists will have to deal with things turned around and not in their favor.The cannabis prohibitionists are beyond the words that vulgar describes; and those words beyond description are on their way.Dylan says, You gotta serve somebody.We serve the Ecologician who brought Us all the plants.2004 does not paint a pretty picture for the blood thirsty uncompassionate cannabis prohibitionists.The Green Collar Worker(every time I proof read it, it grows)P.S.Forced THC deficiency is a crime.
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Comment #44 posted by DeVoHawk on December 31, 2003 at 20:40:38 PT

kaptinemo - Kucinich wants you to have MMJ
Sorry you got no fruit loops and not just because it is New Years but because it is your medicine.I love your statement about the end of the Third Reich and denial. Marijuana prohibition is exactly the same BS. All these mindless generals agreeing with the hand that feeds them, like Gen. Barry McCaffrey. Will Medical Marijuana be the Ace in the hole that determines our next President catching the other candidates off guard, Dennis Kucinich perhaps?I hope you recover from your lack of herb soon.
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Comment #43 posted by ekim on December 31, 2003 at 20:33:23 PT

Live from Cleveland, It's 
http://www.kucinich.us/Details: Live from Cleveland, It's New Year's EveWATCH LIVE ONLINE NOW [click here]
(Windows Media; Mac requires Windows Media 9)
Call now - Dennis at the HQ answering phones
1-866-413-3664 - toll-free - call now!
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Comment #42 posted by ekim on December 31, 2003 at 20:24:23 PT

cheers
E i think your idea is smashing. You are more norml then you think. You are spinning a web that will unite both of these ideas. For the life of me i still do not understand how someone is willing to fight to the death for the right to believe in something which is just a idea and to be able to practice what that idea tells them how to act in real life. While on the other hand these same -- sane-- people would do everything in there power to stop me from believing in a very useful plant that is real and growing here on Earth. 
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Comment #41 posted by FoM on December 31, 2003 at 20:22:20 PT

Happy New Year puff_tuff
Thank you. You are the best too! That is a good editorial. I went ahead and was setting it up to post in the morning and it seemed familar to me and I searched and it is posted already. Let's hope for a very good year for all of you up north and us down here.http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread18041.shtml
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Comment #40 posted by SystemGoneDown on December 31, 2003 at 20:21:36 PT

Fear
I don't usually watch Cops, I just happend to turn the tv to Fox and on the bottom left of the screen, it said "Marijuana sting operation", so I tuned in just to see it.  But my concern is this: How can we as marijuana activists pursue our goals when MAJOR networks like Fox, obtain hundreds of thousands to millions of viewers to watch this stuff. Their goals are set, to scare people into believing that the marijuana issue is something you should just stay away from. That's the way it is, that's the American way for ya. The element of fear is vital to maintaining America's basis.......to consume, to "support your country's economy", to buy and spend in order to control that 'fear'. Fear is a business tactic used to increase people's spending habits.  What marijuana does, it totally eludes fear and induces a sensual state of acceptance, and in many cases-provide the answers that all humans seek in ultimate enlightenment and happiness......Bad news for the world of materialism. It's a very interesting dillema........When marijuana goes legal, down goes consumerhood. Curiosity will replace spending. Creativity will replace teaching. Nature will replace technology. Appreciation will replace doubt. Peace will replace violence............so in essence, I feel STRONGLY that the gov't officials, business corps, warmongers, control freaks and others who surround us each day in advertising and TV..........DO NOT care for our happiness. In fact, they DO NOT want you to be happy. The stride for something better is the way they want you to go. When one realizes that personal peace can come regardless of how nice your car is, they will see why marijuana should be legal. 

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Comment #39 posted by DeVoHawk on December 31, 2003 at 20:11:10 PT

Sukoi-Excellent words of wisdom
I read your posting and I think you come across as a very polite and well informed person. I agree with your assessment that you(we) need to be nicer and more informed than the person you(we) are communicating with to get the point heard. That does not mean I follow this policy which is why hundreds of my LTE do not get published."I am not ignorant and, in fact, am quite the opposite."I think you responded to this statement very diplomatically. The truth is we are all ignorant. I think it is good that you let Robert know you thought he was an "intelligent individual". Perhaps in 2004 I will heed your advice to be more "rational" and "civil" when it comes to dealing with prohibitionists.
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Comment #38 posted by E_Johnson on December 31, 2003 at 20:03:37 PT

There's a live partycast at Pot TV
http://www.pot-tv.net/archive/shows/pottvshowse-2397.html
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Comment #37 posted by puff_tuff on December 31, 2003 at 20:00:49 PT

FoM
Happy New YearsYou're the best! Heres to Good News!ptA decent Editorial here‘Protecting' the public from drugsBy The Montana Standardhttp://www.montanastandard.com/articles/2003/12/31/newsopinion/hjjgihgihjgihi.txt
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Comment #36 posted by FoM on December 31, 2003 at 19:52:16 PT

SystemGoneDown
My best comment would be not to watch shows like Cops. I don't watch them. I watch Animal Precinct and I like the Cops that rescue abused animals. Thy are really good Cops. You should try watching it too. It is very good.
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Comment #35 posted by FoM on December 31, 2003 at 19:48:53 PT

EJ Very Nice
That sounds like an interesting story line. Happy New Year!!!
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Comment #34 posted by SystemGoneDown on December 31, 2003 at 19:46:01 PT

Cops
I was watching this Cops episode a few weeks back and it kind of scared me. It was a marijuana sting operation. I first clicked it to the channel, and as the 1st guy walked away after buying his sack, about 5 or 6 cops TACKLED him to the ground and arrested him.... The next buyers, same story. One of them, a large black man, was tackled so hard and slammed to the dirt as if he was a threat to hurt somebody just for buying some weed... I hope it's just a propoganda scare tactic and not a normal operation that is routinely done throughout the U.S. But either way, its ridiculous that these people were slammed to the ground as if they had just killed somebody... 
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Comment #33 posted by E_Johnson on December 31, 2003 at 19:45:02 PT

May the hippie hash angel blow into your dreams
I'm writing a story that has as a character a hippie who was killed in Afghanistan during the Soviet war. After his death he haunts the world as a ghost, visiting prisons and refugee camps across the world to blow hits of Afghani hash into the dreams of the wounded and distressed.
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Comment #32 posted by Virgil on December 31, 2003 at 19:34:14 PT

A new high water mark
The high water mark for the reform movement for the year will come in the final hour of the final day and the water is rising. If you do not think Walters a goofy, just recall him calling the November elections of 2002 the highwater mark of the reform movement as if it would fizzle.Dr. Russo, I am sure the inevitable is really inevitable and that the extracts will be coming. I am sure the company did not delay the introduction and there is no reason people now on cannabis cannot be given cannabis. It is bizarre. 
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Comment #31 posted by kaptinemo on December 31, 2003 at 19:05:58 PT:

SGD, join the club
I am also weedless this Wednesday night, on the eve of the New Year. Hardly the proper way to celebrate. But all things come in cycles. We have undergone a cycle of increasing oppression as nutcases have hijacked the government and made their foaming-at-the-mouth prejudices the law of the land. But the pendulum will swing back. Our cause is gaining momentum and will continue to do so. The very fact that Presidential hopefuls take a "Yeah, I smoked; so what?" attitude is another indicator of how far we've come.Like a dam breaking, it starts with tiny hairline cracks. Well, we're past the tiny crack phase and now are entering the full-on fissure one. The antis see those fissures and foolishly believe that they can slap plaster onto them, all the while feeling the enormous pressure on the other side waitng for release. And when it gives way...well, I wouldn't want to be in their shoes when it does.It's a pain to be weedless (literally, I've a spinal injury, and sciatica is a bitch) ...but I console myself with the thought of what has been accomplished this year. It isn't as good as a nice buzz, but we have have grounds for optimism...while the antis can only face increasing failures in the public arena. Our celebrations are honest, while theirs...are forced.I keep thinking back to all that I had read about Hitler's last days, and the ignominious end of the Third Reich, and how all the generals in the HitlerBunker knew the jig was up, but played along with der Fuehrer's mad dreams of victory; they kept telling each other they were winning...while it was painfully obvious they weren't because the Sov artillery only a mile away was causing the ceiling plaster to rain down on their heads. Antis: don't bother with the shampoo; like those Wehrmacht generals, that's not dandruff on YOUR heads, either.
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Comment #30 posted by VitaminT on December 31, 2003 at 18:41:32 PT

Oh yes,
Happy New Year All!May you all be blessed in abundance!
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Comment #29 posted by VitaminT on December 31, 2003 at 18:39:15 PT

Dr. Russo
The news about the Spanish study showing the effacy of Cannabanoids in reversing tumor growth is, to me, profound importance for many reasons.What's keeping the lid on this? It didn't even make our own top ten! Are the Cancer Research and treatment communities expressing any enthusiasm at all? How about Pharmasaurus Inc.?
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Comment #28 posted by The GCW on December 31, 2003 at 18:36:46 PT

To cannabis pro's: eat Your prison bars in '04!
To My family here,Have a smokin’ good last;
And a smokin’ good first.Have Your last, first and Your 1st last;
But don’t make the smokin’ You do on the 1st Your last.420 smoke rings;
All in a row.All of them good ones;
All of them to show. Ground Hog day seems like Ground Hog year.Before You know it, We’ll have to treat it like it’s legal.Cannabis Prohibitionists and cannabis prohibition is unacceptable and everyone here helps Me know so many ways to put it into words.To the lowly cannabis prohibitionists: We got Your number and it’s 420!I will use energy to put the cannabis prohibitionists into the light of undisputed uncivilized ignorance.The score:Cannabists = 420Cannabis prohibitionists = 0A phat 0!69696969696969Let's have fun with 'em in 2004.

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Comment #27 posted by sukoi on December 31, 2003 at 18:32:40 PT

SGD
Don't feel bad, I haven't been able to smoke for almost 20 years for the exact same reason. We will prevail, but we all need to get others to think! Please, everyone get the word out in any outlet possible. We will win, but the more people we can touch, the faster that win will come!
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Comment #26 posted by FoM on December 31, 2003 at 18:31:58 PT

SystemGoneDown 
No No No No you can't think that way. Life is a funny thing. Things can change in a heartbeat. Many people drink on New Years Eve. We don't but we have. I know tomorrow morning I will not have a headache or wake up hugging the toilet! LOL! All things happen in their time. Don't be discouraged.
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Comment #25 posted by SystemGoneDown on December 31, 2003 at 18:26:28 PT

FoM
I agree completely. I was hoping somebody cold give me some inside little-known things that can get my hopes up. I'm really downing right now. I'm miserable because I haven't smoked pot in 3 months and right now is the greatest time to but I can't because of drug test reasons. It's moments like these that make me feel alienated that the marijuana legalization issue is not widely debated mainstream. It's a tragedy. Life in America is all lies, you just choose what lies you can live with and what lies you can't. I'm struggling to grip the idea of whether I can fool myself like most Americans do, and just conform with alcohol use.....but the real side of me is still lurking. My side of originality and independant thinking has me wanting to keep liking marijuana......but it's times like these, new year's eve, that make me feel like being an independant thinker is depressing and unfortunate. 
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Comment #24 posted by FoM on December 31, 2003 at 18:26:04 PT

Treeanna & kaptinemo
Treeanna that sounds like good news and I hope everything goes well for you.kaptinemo! That was very nice!Happy New Year!
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Comment #23 posted by Treeanna on December 31, 2003 at 18:18:21 PT

Hi Dr. Russo! 
And Happy New Year to everyone here at Cannabis News!I think we are really gaining momentum, and hope this year brings big changes.Already SB420 and the 9th Circuit ruling are helping me. My case is set for prelim on the 7th and the latest "deal" from the DA asks me to plead to simple possession (here in CA that is a 100$ fine), and "resisting, obstructing or delaying a peace officer". I guess I inconvenienced the cop when he unlawfully raided me and took my lousy 4oz of medicine and then couldnt get up from the ground after he threw me there and handcuffed me.Funny how 5 spinal surgeries, multiple fusions, etc will do that to you.I told them to shove thier "deal" up thier collective butts :)
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Comment #22 posted by kaptinemo on December 31, 2003 at 18:06:23 PT:

To FoM and all cannabists everywhere
I know it's hard to keep optimism alive in the face of all the travails we cannabists have faced throughout the long struggle. What we oppose wraps itself in sanctity...and shows it's true ugliness with each passing week. The antis have become ever more vociferous in their opposition to cannabis legalization and have shown themselves to be master obstructionists, using every dirty trick possible, including attempted murder (the deportation of MMJ patients from Canada to the US would constitute such in many cases) to thwart us.But I've noticed something this past year, and I am not the only one: The antis have ceased to prattle on about the usual dangers of opiates and stimulants, and have focused almost entirely upon cannabis.Why? Because, they, like we, know that cannabis is the linch-pin of the entire DrugWar train. Pull that pin out, and the train begins to uncouple it's cars, and derail in a catastrophic (for them and their prison/industrial industry) fashion.Their focusing upon cannabis is a sign. A sign of desperation. A sign that they have begun to realize what we have already known for years: the rest of the planet is turning away from the American style DrugWar.Not only that, but this year they have taken bold moves to overtly use the public's tax dollars to propagandize that same public. To spread lies and innuendos...to 80 million people who know the truth. In a time of increasing criticism of government expenditures in the face of mounting sky-high government debt and worsening economic conditions. And of those 80 million, many are making progress in exposing those lies, publicly. The antis only solution has been to increasingly use methods that will eventually be called into question as being, if not illegal, then skirting propriety.Hardly the acts of those sure of their success. For all their billions and their almost total control of the media, they are sweating bullets. Hence their bravado. I expect them to become even more histrionic and hysterical as the election approaches. It may even culminate in a debate where they finally are publicly dispatched, like werewolves, with the silver bullet of cannabis facts delivered by a well-armed reformer.So, what am I trying to say? I am saying that this year we have seen more progress than in the last 3. And we have seen more progress in the last five than in the last 10 years. The rate of accelleration is increasing. The antis sense this. They fear it, knowing that the tide is turning, hence their increased determination to keep this issue off the public's radar. And they are proving increasingly unsuccessful.It is largely because of people like you, dear cannabist readers of CNEWS. People like those here, like our hostess FoM and all who pen their thoughts and give of their time and money and expertise, those who give the lie of stoner laziness and intellectual paucity the kick in the teeth it richly warrants, who made the successes of the last year possible. And who will make the successes of next year inevitable. I salute you all. May the New Year find you well and at peace.
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Comment #21 posted by FoM on December 31, 2003 at 18:03:26 PT

SystemGoneDown
I've been thinking about your question and I can't come up with an answer. There again I stay very much in the here and now because of doing news. I can do this though. Based on NORML's top articles and our most accessed it reminds me how I didn't have any idea that these events would happen in 2003 and am very happy they did. This is like a book but it's only being written moment by moment and day by day. I want the laws changed. I do believe good things will happen just like they did this year.
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Comment #20 posted by sukoi on December 31, 2003 at 17:57:50 PT

OOPS!
I did it again, here is the correct link: http://www.delriolive.com/langtry/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=national&Number=5501
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Comment #19 posted by sukoi on December 31, 2003 at 17:52:34 PT

Please read this if you would
I have come to the conclusion that it is best to be more "rational" and "civil" when it comes to dealing with prohibitionists. Attacking them seems to only bring on a counter attack. I think that I may have found that fine line between the two where discussion can take place. If you can get beyond the attack and into discussion, then an arguement can be made in a civilized exchange. If that happens, you are sure to win! Please read this and tell me if you think that I'm on the right track, I think that I am. I have been attacked by this guy in the past, and my feeling is that if I can change this guys mind, than I can change anyones mind. http://www.delriolive.com/langtry/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=national&Number=5391&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1Happy new year to all of you, and 2004 will be better than 2003. I'm confident of that! Please take a hit or two for me! All of you!  Sukoi! 
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Comment #18 posted by SystemGoneDown on December 31, 2003 at 17:36:29 PT

The 0 fizzle (04')
Do any of you have predictions of what major occurences will happen in the legalization effort? I'd like to hear ya'lls opinion.
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Comment #17 posted by FoM on December 31, 2003 at 17:23:29 PT

Dr. Russo
Happy New Year! I just love having you here. You are the best! 
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Comment #16 posted by Ethan Russo MD on December 31, 2003 at 17:06:33 PT

Hoping for a Happy New Year
I should try to help explain something, especially since Virgil has voiced concern.The story about GW Pharmaceuticals being behind schedule did not originate with the company, and was largely based on hearsay. It was played up negatively in the media, but there is little to fear. The program remains on track, and approval will hopefully come soon. I hope that this will be one of many pieces of good news for 2004. May everyone be healthy, happy and safe!
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Comment #15 posted by E_Johnson on December 31, 2003 at 17:03:16 PT

Well let's just hope then
Let's hope this overcrowding relief sets even more of our prisoners free.
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Comment #14 posted by FoM on December 31, 2003 at 17:00:50 PT

Virgil
Glad you liked the information. The way it works for CNews is articles accessed within the month is what gives the totals. There could be an article that gets posted towards the end of the month and is read alot the next month but they don't combine. It does give a good perspective on what is important to readers though. The articles hits don't add together from month to month so this is the best I could do. Have a Happy New Year!
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Comment #13 posted by Virgil on December 31, 2003 at 16:30:07 PT

Victory by list
I could not be happier than see NORML put out a list of the Top 10 events and for FoM to take the time to hunt down the most accessed articles here at Cnews. I thought they needed to be posted on December 31 where they could easily be found and here they are. It is cannabis news in itself.I still say the story of the year is the denial to bring GW Pharma extracts onto the market, because of what it illuminates and the information it takes to explain the significance. I am not sure that you cannot be arrested in the UK at the discretion of the officer. Maybe someone might comment.May you have an enhanced New Year's Eve and may it be legal next year.
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Comment #12 posted by Gary Storck on December 31, 2003 at 16:23:33 PT

clarification: halfway house
In a Dec. 22 post on the MOMS list, Todd said he was 'released' Dec. 10, would be in a halfway house until he found a new house, which he expected would be shortly, and then on home confinement until May 19, his actual release date, but he was let out of prison early because of overcrowding.But at least he is out of prison and on his way.

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Comment #11 posted by FoM on December 31, 2003 at 15:49:08 PT

EJ Maybe I Can Answer
Todd was released to a Half Way house but that probably means he is still classified as not released I would think.If he is at his home I didn't know it either.
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Comment #9 posted by E_Johnson on December 31, 2003 at 15:44:28 PT

He was released? 
The inmate locator says Todd is in Long Beach CCM and his release date is still listed as 5/19/04.If he's really been relased, that's good news. But why hasn't it been reported by NORML then?They still list Bryan Epis as "in transit". I wonder where they're keeping him. I pray he's not really going to have to serve all of that time.
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Comment #8 posted by Gary Storck on December 31, 2003 at 15:10:11 PT

Montel, MMJ & MS in new TV Guide
EJ -- Todd was released Dec. 10th.Jim Miller spotted this in TV Guide and transcribed it from the print edition. I'm unsure if TV Guide prints letters to the editor. 
------
Source: TV Guide
Pubdate: Jan. 3-9, 2004
Page 12
Author: Ileane RudolphMONTEL SPEAKS OUTOn November 3, 2003, Detroit airport baggage screeners found a glass pipe and a tiny residue of a marijuana byproduct in bags belonging to Montel Williams. The talk-show host, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, makes no apologies for his use of the herb for medicinal purposes. In fact, in his new autobiography, Climbing Higher, he makes the case for decriminalizing the medical uses of marijuana. "Research has shown it helps ease depression, sleeping disorders and nerve pain," he says. "I could get pain relief from OxyContin, but I'd be a zombie." In his extremely frank book, Williams talks about his MS-related pain, dizziness, sexual problems and bouts of depression. Most devastatingly, he admits to attempting suicide in 1999 when his pain level, he says, "was at 100 percent." Why bare it all? "I wanted to stop lying and to stop hiding," he says. These days, a cocktail of meds and vitamins and a determined attitude keep him going. A good thing: The Montel Williams Show has just been picked up for two more years. "If I have to go on stage on crutches, that's what I'll do," he says. "I'm gonna do whatever I please." --Ileane Rudolph

MS Patients Union
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Comment #7 posted by E_Johnson on December 31, 2003 at 14:34:32 PT

Things to look forward to in 2004
Todd McCormick will be released from prison. Tommy Chong will be released from prison. Marvin Chavez will be released from prison, as well, I believe. (Hope I'm not wrong.) The 2004 presidential election will feature candidates whose positions on marijuana differ substantially.Montel Williams is writing a book with a chapter on marijuana, is that correct to assume this will be published in 2004?
More research results will be published. We'll understand more about the scientific properties of the magic healing herb than we did before.
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Comment #6 posted by E_Johnson on December 31, 2003 at 13:55:55 PT

What will be the top story of 2004?
Maybe Bush will back off and declare peace with California.
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on December 31, 2003 at 13:55:21 PT

Top Accessed Articles for 2003 from CNews
I had time so I went and found the top article in each month of the past year. This isn't scientific but just what was accessed the most in their given month. This is not total hits for an article. Happy New Year!January: Accessed -- 4010 -- http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread15164.shtmlFebruary:  Accessed -- 3365 -- http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread15321.shtmlMarch: Accessed -- 1098 -- http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread15573.shtmlApril: Accessed -- 1111 -- http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread15862.shtmlMay: Accessed -- 1807 -- http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread16326.shtmlJune:  Accessed --   1012 -- http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread16607.shtmlJuly: Accessed -- 1483 -- http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread16890.shtmlAugust: Accessed -- 1484 -- http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread16999.shtmlSeptember:  Accessed --   1471 -- http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread17285.shtmlOctober: Accessed -- 1419 -- http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread17666.shtmlNovember: Accessed -- 2232 -- http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread17748.shtml
 
   December: Accessed -- 1576 -- http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread17917.shtml
          
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Comment #4 posted by E_Johnson on December 31, 2003 at 12:42:08 PT

Number 12 on the list
All of the Democratic candidates for President in 2004 support medical marijuana to some degree.That's amazing progress compared to 2000, when Gore came out for it then ran the other way and said there was absolutely no evidence for medical marijuana on MTV.I guess it has been a good year, although we're appreciating all of this as wounded veterans, with many more battles to fight.
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Comment #3 posted by E_Johnson on December 31, 2003 at 12:11:12 PT

Number 11 on the list
For several hundred seriously ill people in LA, one of the most important events in 2003 was the sentencing to zero time of LACRC board members Jeff Yablan, Jeffrey Farrington and Scott Imler, where the judge said in his legal opinion that LACRC members committed a lesser harm by breaking the federal law to prevent the greater harm of innocent sick people suffering needlessly, and gave them zero time.Judge Matz's opinion was vastly more important than the Ed Rosenthal opinion, because Judge Matz took the legal position that operating a medical marijuana club prevented harm to citizens.Ed's judge took no such position during his sentencing. Judge Breyer was just intimidated by the gigantic media spectacle of having jurors recant in public, and he took the easy way out. He said Ed had permission to do what he did. It was a technicality not a blessing.In the LACRC case, the judge came to the decision that the medical marijuana club was preventing serious harm to society, and breaking the federal law was a lesser harm than selling marijuana to sick people. He blessed us legally and cursed our opposition, in effect.The media never picked that up. The marijuana organizations didn't latch onto it either. The activist community has decided that it all happened because of "cooperation" so that's been flushed down the toilet too.My hat is off to Judge Matz, for openly expressing the idea that it is a good deed to save the lives of patients in the LACRC.Judge Matz gave us love that we will never get from NORML, that is for sure.It was better to relieve our suffering and save our lives than to let us suffer and die. It's nice to hear a federal judge say that in court. For me, that was the #1 event of the year.
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on December 31, 2003 at 11:45:05 PT

DeVoHawk 
I was smiling when I was setting it up to post. We have made progress and 2004 should be even bigger! Happy New Year to you too!
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Comment #1 posted by DeVoHawk on December 31, 2003 at 11:42:40 PT

It Was A Good Year
This top 10 list puts a smile on my face. One other thing that did not make the list was the Summer of Legalization. It was not long lasting but I got to blow bowls right in front of the cops a Sarstock and I loved it.FOM and CNers - Thanks for the Good Year
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