cannabisnews.com: Pot Law Returns To Arena Pot Law Returns To Arena Posted by CN Staff on April 17, 2005 at 11:29:05 PT By Chuck Adamson of the Tribune’s Staff Source: Columbia Daily Tribune A University of Missouri-Columbia student who supports more lenient marijuana laws plans to speak to the Columbia City Council tomorrow in opposition to the Columbia Police Officers Association’s efforts to repeal a voter-approved marijuana ordinance.The ordinance, one of two marijuana-related proposals voters approved last year, decriminalizes possession of small amounts of pot. It reduces the penalty to a fine without offenders getting a criminal record. Bailey Hirschburg, president of the University of Missouri-Columbia chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said he plans to tell council members to "clearly think about the issue.""I don’t have a problem with" police "as citizens acting to change the law. That’s what we did," Hirschburg said. "But I think they are judging far too quickly that this law is a failure. It’s only been in place for six months."Hirschburg, 21, is an MU sophomore from Cape Girardeau. He said he smokes marijuana recreationally."I do enjoy it from time from time," he said. "We’re talking about use, not abuse. And even if you do abuse it, it’s not as harmful as alcohol or cigarette abuse."Hirschburg said he plans to tell the council that he is afraid the Columbia Police Officers Association, or CPOA, is trying to disenfranchise college students by pushing for repeal on a summertime ballot.CPOA President Sterling Infield said Hirschburg need not worry because the police group won’t make the deadline for the August ballot anyway.As for Hirschburg’s planned comments to the council, Infield said, "It’s his constitutional right."The CPOA has been gathering signatures to repeal the law. It is not trying to repeal a second law that decriminalizes marijuana use when prescribed for medicinal purposes.Infield said the association and its supporters are pressing toward their goal of 2,900 signatures. The CPOA has maintained that marijuana is a gateway drug and that the new law sends a message that it’s OK to sell and smoke marijuana.Infield said one of the major arguments made for the new law’s passage - that a pot conviction can disqualify a college student from financial aid - is not supported by data."We looked and researched. No one has ever lost student financial aid, ever, from a city drug conviction," Infield said. "I’m a little confused as to why they are pushing this issue."He said they discovered just four students locally who temporarily lost financial aid after a marijuana conviction in state court.A similar marijuana reform measure failed to win voter support in April 2003. The new law passed in November 2004 with 61 percent of the vote.Hirschburg said the current law, which imposes a $250 fine, is reasonable."It’s clearly what the city wants," he said. "We think they are completely reasonable laws. I couldn’t afford one $250 fine."Note: NORML student objects to repeal.Source: Columbia Daily Tribune (MO)Author: Chuck Adamson of the Tribune’s StaffPublished: Sunday, April 17, 2005 - Page 13ACopyright: 2005 Columbia Daily TribuneContact: editor tribmail.comWebsite: http://www.columbiatribune.com/Related Articles & Web Site:University of Missouri NORML http://www.students.missouri.edu/~normlPolice Launch Petition Drive Against Pot Law http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20349.shtmlPolice Group Seeks To Alter City’s Pot Law http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20295.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #7 posted by schmeff on April 18, 2005 at 10:59:02 PT "pressing" Even ONE signature on their petition would be pressing towards the goal of 2,900.On to more pressing matters... [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by BGreen on April 18, 2005 at 01:23:42 PT Exactly, Mayan! They should be able to get that many in one afternoon standing in front of the megalo(wal)mart if it had ANY kind of support.It's kind of funny and pathetic at the same time.The Reverend Bud Green [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by mayan on April 18, 2005 at 01:16:40 PT Get A Clue Infield said the association and its supporters are pressing toward their goal of 2,900 signatures.If their stance was popular they wouldn't have any problem gathering a measly 2,900 signatures. Good cops would take that as a clue. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by global_warming on April 17, 2005 at 13:42:45 PT ot:The other Side Are You Liberal Or conservative? Ever wondered whether you're a Liberal or a conservative? Well, stop wondering & take this test to find out. This precision test has been scientifically designed by a team of experts to tell exactly what you believe. Scoring is easy, just choose your answers & add the total points to see if you're a Socialist, capitalist, or merely a statist libertarian. Have fun!I. Smoking a Marlboro is Healthy (10) A good way to support the States' needy tobacco farmers (8) As dangerous for you as drinking milk (4) Probably not a good idea (0)II. How many guns do you own? Lots & lots, with enough ammo to survive a 2-year siege (10) 1 for me, 1 for my wife, & 1 for each of the kids (8) A matching "his & hers" set of Glocks (4) 1 or none (0)III. Tom Brawkow says something about the UN. What pops into your mind? Black helicopters (12) Microchips in your buttocks (10) Boutros Boutros whatshisname (4) Madeline Albright (0)IV. You're a devoutly religious person...how do you show it? Go to church/synagogue every wek (0) Give money to charity (0) Make big donations to a certain large PAC led by Pat Robertson (8) Take Bible quotes out of context to prove God is a republican (8) Bomb an abortion clinic (10)V. Hillary Clinton? A Communist (10) A rich Communist who made big money on the market (10) Too outspoken (6) A good woman with some good ideas (0) The first lady (2)VI. Bill Clinton vs. Bob Dole? Bob Dole (8) Bill Clinton (2) Ralph Nader (0) That libertarian guy, whatshisname (6) The little guy with big ears, Ross somebody (4)VII. Good TV? Nothing since Leave it to Beaver (10) The Simpsons or Murphy Brown (0) Ellen, but only because she's a lesbian (2) The 700 club (10) Friends, but only because everyone else watches it so it must be good (4)VIII. Cinema? Only if it stars Charlton Heston (10) Only if it stars Bruce Willis (6) Ah-nold! (6) Only if Nuns picket the theatres where it's being shown (0) Only if the fat guy gave it thumbs up (4)IX. capitalism? I like being able to choose between Pepsi & Coke (2) I'd sell my own kids to make a buck (10) It's my religion (10) What's my Netscape stock at today? (4) It sounds better when you call it "free enterprise" (4)X. Your kid gets a bad grade in math. Your reaction is... Blame it on Secular Humanism (10) Blame it on the NEA (10) Blame it on Diversity Training (10) Blame it on Newt Gingrich (0) My kid is home-schooled! (12)XI. You see a gay person. What do you do? Punch him out & then tell him that he's going to hell for sinning (10) Tell him he's going to hell but don't punch him out because you're a very tolerant person (8) Tell him that you don't care as long as he doesn't "flaunt" it (6) Nothing, what's the big deal? (0) Silly, I am gay (0)XII. Your favourite congressman/senator... Bob Dornan (10) Helen Chenoweth (10) Barney Frank (0) Ted Kennedy (0)XIII. The environment... I like clean air & water (0) Pass me some fried bald eagle drumsticks please. Yummy! (10) The free market will magically clean up the water (8) Armegeddon is coming soon according to Revelations, so who cares? (12) I don't care. I can afford bottled water (8)XIV. The Internet is a bad thing because... It's full of sex & porn (10) It's owned by some person named Bill Gates (4) It's been rumoured to have been frequented by known atheists (12) The Newt Gingrich sing-a-long page (0) This site (Leave. Now.)XV. I drive... A pickup truck with a gun rack & a confederate flag sticker (10) A Geo Metro with a Greenpeace sticker (0) A Mercedes with a Dole/Kemp sticker (2) A Chevy with a Rainbow flag & a Clinton/Gore sticker (2) I take the bus (0)XVI. My favourite magazine is... National Review (8) New Republic (6) Crazy! The magazine for kooks (10) Guns & Ammo's swimsuit issue (12) Some magazine that only the alternative bookstore carries (0)XVII. They controll everything... The Bilberburgers (10) The Trilateral Commission (10) The Counsil Of Foreign Relations (10) The media (10) The Jews (10) None of the above (0)XVIII. My favourite section of the newspaper is... Dilbert (2) The business section (6) Jumble, The Scrambled Word Game (4) The classified ads, looking for used farm implements (8) I don't read the paper, it's too Liberal (10) I don't read the paper, it's too conservative (0)Scoring 0-60 Congratulations, you're a Liberal. Obviously, you have brains, intelligence, wit, & good looks. Use them well & try not to make conservatives too jealous.61-100 You're a middle-of-the-road kinda person. You obviously have good heart, but aren't as Liberal as you should be. Bill Clinton scored in this range.101-130 Yikes, a conservative! Turn off Rush for a while & notice how quickly you regain consciousness. We'll be waiting for you when you do.131-200 Out of the ballpark, certified right wing nutcase. I'd insult you some more, but I don't want you coming after me with your collection of Chinese-made assault rifles & drool on me as you talk about black helicopters. So, good day & seek help, if not for yourself, then for your children's sake.----- gw [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by global_warming on April 17, 2005 at 13:25:22 PT Some OT-an old poll http://www.rightwingnews.com/humor/idiot.phpThe RWN Idiot Test by John HawkinsDo you ever wonder if you're an idiot? Or more importantly, do you ever wonder if the good people at RWN think you're an idiot? =D Well, take this idiot quiz and see....1) When you go to the movie theater you should...A) Make sure to leave your cell phone on in case you get an important call. B) Take your colic ridden 5 month old baby with you. C) Tell your idiot friend each upcoming plot point loudly so everyone around you can hear. D) Shut your big stupid yap and watch the movie.2) When driving on the freeway...A) Make sure not to ever allow anyone to go faster than you, it makes you less of a man. B) Drive 10 MPH under the speed limit in the left hand lane so no one can pass you. C) Drive 25 MPH faster than the flow of traffic in an ice storm because you have an SUV. D) Drive like a normal human being, pay attention, and drive defensively.3) You work in a fast food restaurant. A customer orders a burger and fries....A) Should you sneeze into your hands and continue making their food? B) Make sure not to repeat their order back to them while hopelessly fouling it up? C) Make the customer wait to give his order while you do some trivial task that you should do after the customer has finished ordering? D) Take the customers order, repeat it back, thank them for there business and make sure the flunkies in the back get the order right.4) You want to get back together with an old boyfriend who you dropped for treating you like garbage. You ask a friend their opinion. They tell you it's a terrible idea. Should you...A) Loudly say "I'm sorry I asked you", storm off and never mention the boyfriend again? B) Argue that your boyfriend loved you despite the fact that he was dating 3 other girls while dating you? C) Get really p*ssed off at your friend and accuse them of "not knowing your ex-boyfriend" like you do? D) Wake the Hell up and realize your old boyfriend was an sshole.5) You are a married, elected, official. One of your naive, 18 year old, interns starts making goo goo eyes at you and hinting that she's yours for the asking. You should...A) Have her give you a BJ in the oval office while discussing policy over the phone with foreign leaders. B) Have sex with her and then ask her to sign a legally binding document swearing that it never happened. C) Add her to the list, there's plenty of the president to go around baby doll! D) Have enough respect for your wife and your family to make sure that nothing is going to happen.6) A weird sicko drowns all 5 of her children in a bathtub. Should you...A) Write a moronic column basically saying "But for the Grace of God, there goes I." B) Contribute to her trust fund. C) Blame postpartum depression and ask that she be treated for a year or two and then released. D) Have more sympathy for the 5 kids she murdered than her and hope she stays in a cell for the rest of her life.7) You are talking to friend on ICQ. They seem bored and disinterested in what you're saying. Every response is something like "Yes", "No", or "OK". Should you...A) Leave them alone and go bother some of the other people on your ICQ list? B) Start saying stupider things than normal to try to get a reaction? C) Ask them to "Turn that frown upside down little mister?" D) Talk about something interesting for once in your entire insipid, dull, boring life?8) You have a newborn baby. You're very proud of your child. When you are around your friends you should....A) Babble endlessly about how your child's weird idiosyncrasies are evidence of exceptional intelligence. B) Shove 485739477984 pictures of your child in your friends faces at every opportunity. C) Talk to anyone who'll listen about how your hideous little child is guaranteed to win some insipid local beautiful baby. D) Recognize that no one except your immediate family cares about your baby and shut up about it already.9) A friend loans you $50 because you're in a real financial pinch. You promise to pay them back next pay day. Right after you get paid you should....A) Blow your paycheck on beer and hope your friend forgets about it. B) Ask your friend for another $50 and promise to pay them the whole $100 back the next payday. C) Get into a big fight with your friend when they expect their money back. D) Stop being a bum and pay your friend back as soon as possible you deadbeat.10) You love your cat Mr. Woogums. Should you...A) Get Mr. Woogums a dozen little friends and be known around your neighborhood as "The Crazy Cat Lady"? B) Call home at lunch and let the answering machine pick up so you can talk to Mr. Woogums so he won't get lonely? C) Buy some cute little outfits for Mr. Woogums to wear in the winter so he won't get cold? D) Recognize that your stupid cat would happily eat you if you were dead and get over your idiotic pet.-------------gw [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by global_warming on April 17, 2005 at 12:28:01 PT A Little Confused? "We looked and researched. No one has ever lost student financial aid, ever, from a city drug conviction," Infield said. "I’m a little confused as to why they are pushing this issue."Infield, sit down and shut up, it is obvious that you are not living in the 21st century, best you go live with the Taliban, or some other tribal mentality.It is idiots like you Infield, that have been pushing for crucifixions and other forms of restrictions that continue to put human beings in your confused prisons.Is human power so important to you Infield?There is power in this world, more than you can buy. The power that fuses new worlds, and takes down whole galaxies in the starry night.While we are in our little world, must you, Infield, continue this witch hunt, must you?All of the above applies to John -Piss In Cup- Walters also.gw The Unregulated Offensive [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on April 17, 2005 at 11:38:58 PT News Article from Snipped Source Student Drug Testing is Un-AmericanDebra J. SaundersSunday, April 17, 2005 In America, where citizens are supposed to want to keep government out of their family decision-making, there should be no random drug testing at public schools. Yet some 19 percent of public schools engage in some form of student drug testing, the University of Michigan's Journal of School Health found in 2003. President Bush proposes to spend $25 million in 2006 to fund more random drug testing. And the internationally minded U.S. Supreme Court thinks that drug testing in public schools is just swell. This is wrong. Parents who suspect their children of using drugs are free to test their kids. Hence, there is no need for schools to intervene -- any more than there is a need for schools to set the punishment for children who disobey their parents' rules. Except that it is happening. It started when schools began testing athletes; there was at least the pretense of a safety argument for the tests -- you don't want stoned kids leaping for a high fly. But by the time the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on said tests in 1995, the rationale for the tests had expanded. The Big Bench supported testing of athletes to prevent the "increased risk of sports-related injury," but also because athletes are role models. Court and school officials understand that it would be a coercive violation of privacy rights to force all public-school students to submit to drug tests. It goes against the presumption of innocence, unreasonable searches, the need for probable cause and other quaint notions found in the U. S. Constitution. So those officials who want the government to play parent have come up with a new angle -- require students who engage in extracurricular activities to agree to random drug testing. It's not mandatory, they argue, because students don't have to join clubs. And believe it or not, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed in 2002. The surest bet in America is: Once a bad idea is born, it only gets bigger. Snipped:Complete Article: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/04/17/EDGC7C8RSV1.DTL [ Post Comment ] Post Comment