cannabisnews.com: Pot Legalization Report Draws Fire





Pot Legalization Report Draws Fire
Posted by CN Staff on June 09, 2004 at 16:41:47 PT
Breaking News
Source: Broadcast News
Vancouver - A report published by a right-wing think tank argues legalizing marijuana would add billions to government coffers, and cut out organized crime. But the Fraser Institute says it is not in favour of legalizing marijuana even though the report it released Wednesday calls for just such a thing. A headline on a press release accompanying the report quotes the Fraser Institute as saying the government should legalize pot and tax the revenue.
But in a later statement, the Vancouver-based Institute says the news release was wrong. It says while the Institute is pleased to publish the report, it does not take positions on such issues and the views of the report's author, Steve Easton, are his own. The Fraser Institute report compares the problem to the failure of alcohol prohibition in the U.S. during the 1920s. In his report, Easton says legalizing pot would shut out organized crime and bring the federal government a tax windfall of $2 billion a year. He says the question isn't who approves of smoking pot, but who gets the spoils. Easton says the benefits of legalizing are that organized crime is shut out, and those damaged by marijuana can get treatment instead of going to jail. "I think there's no question that marijuana has problems associated with it, but so does alcohol, so does tobacco," says Easton. "Like both of those kinds of substances, I think it's far better to deal with it openly. We've had some success in reducing the number of people smoking, and that's been through a process of education."Why not choose the same tack dealing with marijuana?"The head of B.C.'s Association of Chiefs of Police quickly came out against the report.Paul Shrive says he has a problem with the idea of the government "making money off the backs of addicted people."He notes that every extreme drug user he has dealt with has started out on marijuana.Shrive also says the marijuana industry couldn't be controlled like liquor, because just about anyone can grow quality pot. Source: Broadcast News, Global BC Published: Wednesday, June 09, 2004Copyright: 2004 CanWest Interactive Inc. Contact: sunfeedback png.canwest.comWebsite: http://www.canada.com/vancouver/globaltv/index.htmlRelated Articles & Web Site:Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htm Study Sees Pot of Gold in Illegal B.C. Crophttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18976.shtmlFraser Institute Says Gov't Should Cash in On Pothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18974.shtmlLegalize It, Ex-Cop Tells Hill Pot Rallyhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18962.shtml
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Comment #16 posted by Virgil on June 10, 2004 at 06:59:52 PT
FDA starts campaign to warn of drug importation
The FDA is concerned for the safety of those that import drugs from Canada and elsewhere. They have started the campaign to save people- http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040609/dctu014a_1.htmlCitizens on Importing Rx DrugsWednesday June 9, 1:00 pm ET Coalition for Manitoba Pharmacy Appears in Oregon to Echo the Warning that 'Looks Can Be Deceiving' PORTLAND, Ore., June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), responding to increased concerns about the illegal importation of prescription drugs, joined the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) and the Oregon State Pharmacy Association (OSPA) today to announce the launch of a comprehensive consumer education campaign warning Oregonians of the dangers of illegal drug importation. In addition, the Coalition for Manitoba Pharmacy, a Canadian community pharmacy organization, joined their American counterparts at the event to stress their concerns on the issue.
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Comment #15 posted by E_Johnson on June 10, 2004 at 03:10:10 PT
Alfred Bloomingdale aha
Bloomingdale's mistress was bludgeoned to death in the 1980s after she lost a lawsuit over his will to his charming widow Betsy.She was played by Rebecca de Mornay in the film.
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Comment #14 posted by Roger Christie on June 10, 2004 at 02:35:10 PT:
 Ronald Reagan smoked pot?
Aloha. After watching some of the Reagan funeral on television today I got the idea to re-tell the brief story of former President and Governor Ronald Reagan and cannabis. From NANCY REAGAN - THE UNAUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY by Kitty Kelly. Page 176."I remember Alfred coming into the office one Monday morning and laughing his head off about a small dinner party the Bloomingdale's had given on Saturday night. The Reagan's were there, the Bloomingdale's, the Jack Benny's, and the George Burnses, I think; I forget who else was there. Anyway, they were all sitting around the dining room table eating Betsey's famous peach ice cream for dessert and talking about drugs and the problems with kids on the college campuses. Someone said, 'What's the big deal with this marijuana stuff, anyway? What the hell is it?'  Nobody knew anything about it, except what they had read or heard from their children. So Alfred went upstairs and got a joint that he had bought that afternoon from a hooker. He took it down to them, lit it and passed it around so everyone could take a few toots. Within five minutes they all started giggling but claimed they didn't feel a thing and said they couldn't see what the big deal was. Alfred said it was so funny to watch Jack Benny and then the Governor and his wife smoking pot. He laughed like hell every time he talked about it."Yuk, yuk...sure is funny all the trouble he caused, huh?
 * The Hawai'i Cannabis Ministry *
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Comment #13 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on June 10, 2004 at 02:08:57 PT
The Boondocks again
Two in two days! Go Huey!
http://www.ucomics.com/boondocks/2004/06/10/
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Comment #12 posted by mayan on June 10, 2004 at 01:22:42 PT
Job Insecurity?
The head of B.C.'s Association of Chiefs of Police quickly came out against the report.Paul Shrive says he has a problem with the idea of the government "making money off the backs of addicted people."But Shrive has no problem throwing them in JAIL and fining the hell out of them, does he?He notes that every extreme drug user he has dealt with has started out on marijuana.And every marijuana user probably started out on the real killers like alcohol and tobacco! What's his point? Sounds like Paul Shrive is afraid that his drug war gravy train is running out of steam. Logic certainly plays no part in his arguments. 9/11 Truth:
http://www.911truth.org/
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Comment #11 posted by Virgil on June 09, 2004 at 21:11:57 PT
It made them say cannabis
At least when they said cannabisnews they broke the habit of always saying marijuana. 
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on June 09, 2004 at 20:49:00 PT
Virgil
They couldn't have been more wrong in quoting Cannabis News about growing. It makes you wonder who does the research. If they are so wrong about us here what else is wrong too?
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Comment #9 posted by Virgil on June 09, 2004 at 20:42:16 PT
FoM, they don't think so good.
I wanted to mention this article at Yellowtimes that says one in four Americans is mentally ill. It goes a long way into explaining many things. People are just to stressed out working at ever lower wages trying to fend off the illness that will sink them or the bounced check that will start a downward spiral that is hard to stop when you watch every penny already. From  http://www.yellowtimes.org/article.php?sid=1964&mode=thread&order=0 - (YellowTimes.org) -- It's always satisfying to have a pet theory supported by new data. A large and authoritative study, just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, confirms a favorite hypothesis of mine that there is more mental illness and insanity, far more, in America than you find in other advanced societies. The study, led by a Harvard Medical School researcher, found evidence of mental problems in 26.4% of people in the United States, versus, for example, 8.2% of people in Italy. The researchers were concerned with matters such as lack of access to treatment and under-treatment, but for those concerned about a safe and decent world, I think the salient finding is simply America's high percentage. The world is being led by a nation where more than one-quarter of the people have genuine mental problems. -----------It skips a few paragraphs to say this about the New York Times- But nothing could be a bigger nonsense than The Times' reputation as guardian of values in a free society. Just ask Wen Ho Lee, or Richard Jewell, or the woman who accused a Kennedy of rape, or all the people who died unnecessarily at the Bay of Pigs. Go back and examine The Times at key points in the communist witch hunts or at the outbreak of the Korean War. Go back and examine its views and emphasis when President Johnson offered his Hitler-like lies about the Gulf of Tonkin. Go back and see how often The Times has done any real investigative journalism -- when it mattered, not in retrospect -- about subjects as vital as the FBI's huge abuse of power during the 1960s or the shameful backgrounds of many of the country's leading politicians. Just examine the statements of the paper's signature columnist, Thomas Friedman, who sounds like Henry Ford condemned to bizarre re-incarnation as one of the Jews he so hated. 
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on June 09, 2004 at 20:19:35 PT
They Used CNews in Fraser Institute Report
I don't do news about growing here. What do they mean? This is a reform web site not one about growing?http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/admin/books/files/Marijuana.pdf16 Recent busts reported in Vancouver newspapers suggest that new houses worth $300,000 to $400,000 are being purchased and used for a year or so for such purposes. Large-scale production at greenhouse operations in more rural settings has also been found recently. This suggests that the scale of grow-ops is increasing and is not inconsistent with observations by Plecas et al.17 Aquick introduction to marijuana grow operations is available to anyone who wishes to peruse the Internet. The detail and apparent sophistication of the technology is voluminous. The police have provided tips for spotting grow operations: http://www.city.richmond.bc.ca/emergency/police/grow_operations.htm ***There is information on the types of lights and programs necessary to maximize indoor yield by following the links at sites such as: http://www.cannabislink.ca or http://www.cannabisnews.com Easier yet, try typing something like “marijuana growing” into a search engine.*** 18 This is typical in the sense that even though the average size is higher than 100 plants per grow-op, most operations still remain small, and the high average is due to some really large and spectacular busts of thousands of plants. There are relatively few of these in the data. As a result, although I call this typical, it is a statement about most likely to be observed rather than mean number of plants. The average number of plants found in grow-ops is rising.19 Interestingly, there is irritation among some in law enforcement that the electricity supplier is not active in identifying likely grow-ops unless they fail to pay their bills. If they fail to pay, or are found bypassing the meter, then the electricity company expects prompt action by the police since it is a theft in progress.20 Sharecropping (in which the financer and the grower split the crop) also is known. Some informal reports to the author suggest a 50-50 split is common.
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Comment #7 posted by Virgil on June 09, 2004 at 19:30:20 PT
Fighting another absurdity
Indoor Tanning Association and Hemp Industries Association Seek Clarification from Air Force on Hemp Sun Block Policy
Air Force Policy Not Based on Science — Libels Legitimate BusinessesHemp Industries Association (HIA)WASHINGTON, DC — The Indoor Tanning Association (ITA) representing thousands of businesses has joined with the Hemp Industries Association’s (HIA) 200 member companies to seek clarification on the U.S. Air Force policy on sun block and other personal care products that contain hemp seed oil. In a letter sent this week to the Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James Roche (See the joint letter at http://www.thehia.org/AF_tan_letter.htm), the trade associations ask for clarification on a policy first published April 23rd in Mach Meter: The Online Publication of Cannon Air Force Base that raised unfounded concerns that sun block products made from hemp seed oil could cause false positive drug tests. The story, which was picked up by the Associated Press and has been reported on over 40 local TV stations, misleads Airmen and the general public to think they should not use hemp sun block because it could cause positive drug tests for marijuana.“The Air Force’s concerns are not based in scientific research and are further discredited since there is no example of any person failing a drug test after using hemp personal care products including, soap, shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer and sun block,” says Candi Penn, Executive Director of HIA. “We want the Air Force to correct the story and issue a clarification that their policy does not ban the use of hemp tanning lotions or other hemp personal care products by Airmen.”
The rest of the story
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Comment #6 posted by E_Johnson on June 09, 2004 at 18:23:56 PT
Gentlemen, start your lawsuits
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq/la-060904victims_lat,1,2411403.story?coll=la-home-headlines WASHINGTON ? Eight Iraqis filed a federal lawsuit today charging that private contractors working for the U.S. government had systematically tortured them at U.S.-run prisons in Iraq as part of a criminal conspiracy to boost profits.The lawsuit against San Diego-based Titan Corp. and Virginia-based CACI International charged that employees working as interrogators systematically abused prisoners to extract better intelligence and increase the firms' chances of winning future government contracts. 
 
The lawsuit alleged that the two companies resorted to torture practices far beyond what has been disclosed in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, including rape and the application of electrical charges to prisoners' genitals.
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Comment #5 posted by Virgil on June 09, 2004 at 18:08:04 PT
Orwell Rolls in his Grave
This concerns the controlled media and is a DVD from buzzflash.com titled "Orwell Rolls in his Grave"- http://www.buzzflash.com/orwell/default.htm
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Comment #4 posted by Virgil on June 09, 2004 at 17:36:41 PT
The Canadian Senate Report
So the Frasier has a disclaimer like they do on websites that says the content belongs to the poster. Did someone join half of Canada and say legalize already or not.Who are these little Frasier Institute people anyway compared to the Senate Committe that worked in serious fashion to report in Chapter 3 under Guiding Principles that "The goal of governance is freedom, and not control." and that there should be legalization of cannabis for everyone over 16.If a tree falls in the woods and nobody hears it there is no sound. This article says the Frasier Institute is a think tank. Well, if they do not say anything, how do you even know they are thinking or maybe they only think about maybe doing some thinking. 
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Comment #3 posted by OverwhelmSam on June 09, 2004 at 17:13:47 PT
The Government Doesn't Make Money From Addicts?
Did they stop selling cigarettes, coffee, and beer? When did this happen? This guy displays the garden variety hypocricy about marijuana you see in prohibitionists everywhere.
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Comment #2 posted by cloud7 on June 09, 2004 at 17:02:59 PT
Oh the irony
"The head of B.C.'s Association of Chiefs of Police quickly came out against the report.Paul Shrive says he has a problem with the idea of the government "making money off the backs of addicted people"He later noted off the record that seizing every asset from addicted people and then making them bunk with rapists has provided him and the rest of the department with a comfortable life. My lack of surprise that one of the first people to speak out against this report is one of our lords in blue is startling.
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Comment #1 posted by OverwhelmSam on June 09, 2004 at 16:51:52 PT
Sounds Like Someone Got In Trouble
They issue the report and then they recant it. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but it sounds like some phone calls were made. What do you think?
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