cannabisnews.com: NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- May 5, 2005
NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- May 5, 2005
Posted by CN Staff on May 05, 2005 at 15:58:56 PT
Weekly Press Release
Source: NORML
Drug War Disproportionately Targets Minor Marijuana Offenders, Study SaysMay 5, 2005 - Washington, DC, USAWashington, DC: Low level marijuana offenders are disproportionately targeted by law enforcement, comprising more than 80 percent of the growth in drug arrests since 1990, according to a report released this week by the Sentencing Project in Washington, DC.
"Law enforcement has focused disproportionately on low level possession charges as a result of the nation's lack of a thoughtful strategy about how best to address the consequences of marijuana use," the report concluded. "Consequently, police spend a significant amount of time arresting marijuana users, many of whom do not merit being charged in court. This diverts efforts away from more significant criminal activity while having no appreciable impact on marijuana cost, availability, or use."Marijuana arrests now constitute nearly half of all drug arrests, the report found. Since 1990, marijuana arrests have increased by 113 percent, while overall arrests decreased 3 percent.In total, approximately 7.2 million Americans have been arrested on marijuana charges since 1990. However, on average, only 1 of every 18 marijuana arrests results in some type of felony sentence, the report found."As states continue to struggle under budgetary constraints, the wisdom of making nearly 700,000 marijuana arrests annually, the majority of which will be dismissed or processed as misdemeanors, is called into question," authors wrote.Overall, approximately $4 billion is spent annually to arrest, prosecute and incarcerate marijuana offenders, the report estimated. A previous report issued earlier this year by the NORML Foundation, estimated the fiscal costs of marijuana prohibition at more than $7 billion.Currently, some 68,500 Americans are either incarcerated or on probation for marijuana violations, the Sentencing Project report determined. Of these, an estimated 11,200 were first time marijuana offenders serving time in state or federal prison."Assertions that 'nobody' goes to prison for marijuana are misguided and oversimplify the policy issue," authors wrote. "Law enforcement agencies should categorize enforcement of marijuana possession as a low priority so as to conserve police resources for more serious offenses."For more information, please contact either Allen St. Pierre or Paul Armentano of NORML at (202) 483-5500. Full text of the Sentencing Project report, "The War on Marijuana: The Transformation of the War on Drugs in the 1990s," is available at: http://www.sentencingproject.org/pdfs/waronmarijuana.pdfDL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6526Bipartisan Bill To Legalize Medical Marijuana Reintroduced In Congress - - HR 2087 Grants Leeway To State Legislatures, Would End Bush Administration's Assault On Medical Marijuana PatientsMay 5, 2005 - Washington, DC, USAWashington, DC: Republicans Ron Paul (TX) and Dana Rohrabacher (CA), along with Democrats Sam Farr (CA), Barney Frank (MA), Maurice Hinchey (NY), and 25 co-sponsors reintroduced legislation yesterday in Congress to permit the use of medicinal marijuana by seriously ill patients.HR 2087 seeks to reschedule cannabis under federal law so that physicians may legally prescribe it in states that have recognized its use under state law. It also permits state legislatures that wish to establish medical marijuana distribution systems the legal authority to do so. Eleven states - Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington - have enacted laws exempting qualified patients who use cannabis medicinally from state criminal penalties."It makes no sense at all to have the federal government overriding a vote of the people of a state on what should be criminalized and what shouldn't be criminalized in terms of personal consumption," Rep. Rohrabacher said at a news conference marking the bill's reintroduction. "The federal government should butt out."Talk-show host and medicinal cannabis patient Montel Williams, who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1999, joined members of Congress in calling for legal access to medical marijuana. Williams said that he has legal permission to use cannabis in both Canada and the state of California, but could be arrested for medicating himself in the nation's capitol. "I'm hurting right now. Why? Because I knew I had to come to Washington DC and I can't carry [cannabis] because I know I'd get busted," he said.HR 2087 co-sponsor Maurice Hinchey said the bill was about "individual choice, health care, and states' rights," and added that he expected to reintroduce a federal amendment in June barring the Justice Department from spending federal dollars to prosecute medicinal cannabis patients and providers in states that allow its use.NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre urged for Congressional hearings on the bill. "Passage of HR 2087 would remove the threat of federal prosecution of patients who are using cannabis therapeutically in compliance with their state laws, and would effectively get the federal government out of the way of those states that wish to regulate marijuana as a medicine," he said.For more information, please contact either Allen St. Pierre or Paul Armentano of NORML at (202) 483-5500. Additional information regarding HR 2087 is available on NORML's website: http://capwiz.com/norml2/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=7531001DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6525More Than 180 Cities, 30 Countries To Hold Cannabis Rallies This WeekendMay 5, 2005 - New York, NY, USANew York, NY: Marijuana law reform activists in over 180 cities worldwide will hold marches on Saturday, May 7, to call for an end to the criminalization of cannabis.The annual event, the "Global Marijuana March" (formerly the "Million Marijuana March"), is coordinated by Cures-Not-Wars in New York City. A list of participating cities is available at: http://www.cures-not-wars.org/DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6527Source: NORML Foundation (DC)Published: May 5, 2005Copyright: 2005 NORML Contact: norml norml.org Website: http://www.norml.org/CannabisNews NORML Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/NORML.shtml
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Comment #27 posted by FoM on May 07, 2005 at 19:44:25 PT
JustGetnBy
I don't know where we'd be if we hadn't bought land back in 79. I have never regreted it. My husband finished the mowing today because I want to watch all the Kentucky Derby things since I just love horses even though I don't have them here with me anymore. They're with a friend on the other side of our state. We have 25 acres about two thirds clear land and the rest woods. The sky at night is so bright on a clear night you feel like you can touch the stars. I agree land is important to have.
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Comment #26 posted by JustGetnBy on May 07, 2005 at 19:30:12 PT
FOM Comment # 23
FOM ...... The smartest thing i've ever done was pay cash for the ground I live on. If more americans owned the ground they lived on ( { Rather than paying a mortage ) i believe we would resist govt. intrusion more vigorisly than we do now.
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Comment #25 posted by Max Flowers on May 07, 2005 at 10:27:02 PT
Vampireceutical companies
From that Fox article:Greg Lewis, co-author of the self-help book "End Your Addiction Now," says that with the pharmaceutical industry spending $38.8 billion on research and development in 2004, medical marijuana is superceded by drugs produced through proprietary research.Lewis, however, is skeptical that research into medical marijuana amounts to much more than backdoor legislation for groups whose real agenda is legalizing the drug across the board."With just an absolute cornucopia of pharmacological substances out there for the purposes of dulling pain and making pain tolerable, it’s unimaginable to me that marijuana would be the only way that certain people can get relief from their pain," Lewis said.That last sentence and the attitude it illustrates is extremely maddening to me. People like that can't get it through their thick heads that there are a lot of people who don't want ANY form of pharmaceutical drug in their systems if they can possibly help it, and that natural, botanical cannabis is by default highly preferable to any pharm drug. We don't care how clever the drug is or how many of them have been synthesized. We don't trust it anymore after Vioxx and the other death drugs, We see now that they will put drugs out, without proper testing, to make mega-$$ and will sort out the bodies and lawsuits and pull the drugs off the market, if they have to, later. By then, many of them will have made their riches and stashed it away wherever. F-ing vampires!
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Comment #24 posted by Hope on May 06, 2005 at 22:23:51 PT
Afterburner, Comment #17
I can understand that and agree with it. Thanks.
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Comment #23 posted by FoM on May 06, 2005 at 16:11:09 PT
potpal
Isn't that the truth. We have a lot of land to mow and our poor old 1939 tractor keeps trying to give up the ghost but we won't let it. Meantime while we wait for parts we have to use a regular riding mower and by the time we get done we have to start all over again. I'm not complaining though. I'm very happy we have a little land when I know many people don't have any at all.
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Comment #22 posted by potpal on May 06, 2005 at 16:05:55 PT
Fom...
...grow, then mow mow and mow somemore...;-)Have a nice weekend!
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Comment #21 posted by FoM on May 06, 2005 at 14:43:52 PT
potpal
That was great! Yes grow!
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Comment #20 posted by potpal on May 06, 2005 at 14:40:29 PT
forgotten origins
Reminds me of a story...A woman was asked why she had cut off the ends of her ham prior to baking by a dinner guest. She replied 'that's something her mother use to do', well, the mother was later asked the same question and replied as her daughter did, 'that's what my mother use to do', okay, the grandmother was still alive so the same question was put to her, she thought about it and finally declared 'because my pan was only so big'...demonstrating with her hands.Grow.
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Comment #19 posted by FoM on May 06, 2005 at 13:22:48 PT
kaptinemo
No No No You come here because you like me! LOL!I couldn't resist! I hope you are having a nice day. I'm mowing and mowing and mowing some more!
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Comment #18 posted by kaptinemo on May 06, 2005 at 13:07:30 PT:
Like I said, this is why I come here
I once heard an old Irish saying from my Mum that "No one is so young they can't teach, or so old they can't learn." Until I read Dank's posting, I have to admit that I had no real idea of the origins of the M-word. I had taken the usual explanations as Gospel. Fascinating. Forgotten origins. Like the song about 'yellow ribbons' has to do with someone coming home, not from military or other service, but *prison*. Learn something new every day...
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Comment #17 posted by afterburner on May 06, 2005 at 09:13:35 PT
Hope
RE The price of activism
http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread20629.shtml#54
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Comment #16 posted by Hope on May 06, 2005 at 08:53:40 PT
"A rose by any other name is still a rose."
Think I'll call it "Sunshine", because of an experience I had in the days when I used it. It had been dreary and cloudy for over a week. Eventually, during those dark days, seemingly without end, Mama got a brand new bag...and when it was opened...like a marvelous miracle...serendipity, if you will, the clouds mysteriously broke and sunshine burst forth in dazzling brilliance across the entire landscape. It was neat.In those days, and now, if I hadn't given it up for the sake of activism, I could hum, "Sunshine…in my pocket...always makes me glad."...to the tune of an old John Denver song.Afterburner...Cannabis Sativa=energy. So true. I have to admit that sometimes I miss that sweet energy, but I'm not jonesing over it. Abstaining makes it easier to say what I think, even in the presence of those who would shackle and jail me for it if they could. Of course, they still could...even if I didn't have any. We all know about their "throw down" evidence. Prohibitionists and their enforcers are always a threat…regardless of how pot-free you are. Once, while uplifted, I began to mourn the situation of busted fellow smokers in the presence of a calloused fellow who just said, “If you feel so bad about other people getting busted, why don’t you just turn yourself in, so you can be busted, too?” His hateful remark helped me decide what I had to do. Wonderful and useful as the plant can be...the real point in standing against the present laws isn't, for me, anyway, about have legal pot. The real point, for me, is that we have to save people from needless persecution because of some people's fear and hatred of it. That goal, ending the Cannabis Inquisition, is just so extremely important and right, and Holy.
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Comment #15 posted by potpal on May 06, 2005 at 08:08:58 PT
in the news...
Not sure if this made it here, it's a wee bit old...check out the related links too.http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,153721,00.html
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Comment #14 posted by potpal on May 06, 2005 at 07:31:20 PT
in the news...
Marijuana Becomes Focus of Drug Warhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/03/AR2005050301638.html
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Comment #13 posted by mayan on May 06, 2005 at 06:39:30 PT
unrelated
Pot petition drive is under way:
http://www.freep.com/news/mich/marijuana6e_20050506.htmInitiative seeks to legalize marijuana:
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050506/NEWS04/505060335/1001/NEWS01The Bekaa gears up for cannabis crops (Lebanon)
http://www.terra.net.lb/wp/Articles/DesktopArticle.aspx?ArticleID=221532&ChannelId=4
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Comment #12 posted by OverwhelmSam on May 06, 2005 at 03:12:26 PT
This Really Smacks of Fanaticism
"Consequently, police spend a significant amount of time arresting marijuana users, many of whom do not merit being charged in court. This diverts efforts away from more significant criminal activity while having no appreciable impact on marijuana cost, availability, or use."I guess it's easier to bust an everyday average cannabis user than it is to investigate a real crime. Law enforcement needs to be dealt a severe lesson. Would there be any merit to a movement to reform every municipal policy against cannabis in order to instruct local law enforcement? I suggest there would be.Bottom line: Regulation of marijuana for adults limits access to children, and makes the dangerous black market go away.Overwhelm Uncle Sam
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Comment #11 posted by afterburner on May 05, 2005 at 21:21:03 PT
What's in a Name? Plenty!
Cannabis sativa for energy. Cannabis indica for pain relief. Cannabis ruderalis for quick growing hybrids.
The return of Ruderalis
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Comment #10 posted by Sam Adams on May 05, 2005 at 21:11:53 PT
wow
So my friend was right, apparently. I thought there were actual Mexican immirgrants who called the herb marijuana and Anslinger just publicized it. I had no idea the jerk actually invented the word - that's it - I'm NEVER saying it again.I don't think cannabis is that hard to say, I've never heard anyone mangle it before. It's got a bit of an Italian ring to it; I guess Latin and Italian are pretty close. One thing's for sure, Cannabis is a lot easier for rappers to use in their rhymes, I've never heard MJ in a rap song.I tried to search Google for more history, but all I found was this ridiculous web page - it's just absurd, who comes up with stuff? It looks like it was done by National Lampoon writers:http://www.psychotropics.dk/streetnames/view_streetnames.asp?Startchar=M
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Comment #9 posted by Dankhank on May 05, 2005 at 21:00:08 PT
word origin ...Marijuana
got this from "Take Our word For It"http://www.takeourword.com/Issue040.htmlAnother radio piece which recently caught our ear was about the attempts of some California farmers to be allowed to grow hemp as a renewable source of paper, rope and light machine oil. "No way," said the California attorney-general, "hemp is just a sneaky way of saying marijuana". Well, we have news for you, Mr. Attorney-General, the word hemp (originally spelled henep) has been in the English language for at least 1000 years. Marijuana, on the other hand, is a sneaky way of saying hemp. The word marijuana was introduced in the 1930s by Harry J. Anslinger but in those days he spelled it marihuana. Mr. Anslinger rose through the ranks of the F.B.I. during the first Prohibition Era and when that came to an end (in 1932) he feared that his whole raison d'etre had been removed. He soon ensured his continued employment by whipping up hysteria about hemp which he called marijuana in attempt to associate it with a despised minority (the Mexicans). So, where did Anslinger come up with this word? He took it from Mexican slang but originally it was the name of a brand of cheap Mexican cigarettes which bore a picture of a young girl (Marijuana = "Mary-Jane") on the packet. "Pssst... wanna buy some (nudge, wink) marijuana?"
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Comment #8 posted by knowhemp on May 05, 2005 at 20:40:53 PT
propaganda
marijuana is a term coined by harry anslinger in the early days of cannabis prohibition in a successful attempt to couple fear of mexicans (and other non-whites) and fear of the 'killer weed'if you haven't already, read 'The Emperor Wears No Clothes' by Jack Herer (rhymes with terror) from front to bibliography. and then when you want another dose, dig into the bibliography for endless fuel for your rebel soul! This book will tell you ALL ABOUT Mr. Anslinger and his cracked ideas, and a whole lot more!Get Wise and Re-Legalize!!!
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on May 05, 2005 at 20:34:12 PT
How About This
Calling it what its name is and that's Cannabis Sativa?
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Comment #6 posted by runderwo on May 05, 2005 at 20:30:49 PT
pronounciation?
Do you pronounce cannabis with the sounds of:- "can o' peas" or "canopies"- "cannibals"- "communist"- "comma splice"etc.Marijuana/marihuana has an unambiguous pronounciation, but I can come up with at least four different ways to pronounce cannabis. I had always pronounced it as in "cannibals", but my friend in The Netherlands pronounces it more like "communist". So unless there is an "authoritative" way to pronounce it, marijuana is a word that gets across more clearly what we are talking about. The downside of that is the century of negative connotations that are associated directly with the word "marijuana", so on the other hand maybe it would be better to move towards both a more correct and a more politically neutral label.PS Nothing is meant with the demo words :)
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Comment #5 posted by Sam Adams on May 05, 2005 at 19:58:32 PT
semantics
I was talking to someone about this recently, I said, what the hell DOES marijuana mean in Spanish anyway, how did they come up with that? And my friend said, 'it's Mary Jane in Spanish, duh!". Is that true? It still doesn't answer my question of how they came up with it. Maybe Mary Jane grew some killer sativa in Mexico back in the 1800s....
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Comment #4 posted by Toker00 on May 05, 2005 at 19:52:54 PT
Say it again, Sam!
It definately has a more professional sound to it than marijuana, though I don't mind that, either. What other medicines do we have that have a mexican slang name? Can't think of any. I also like being referred to as a "Cannabist" lol. Don't know why. Marijuanist doesn't sound right. (ok. that last bowl is kicking in)Peace. Legalize, then Revolutionize! (medicine)(energy)(nutrition)
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Comment #3 posted by Sam Adams on May 05, 2005 at 19:03:47 PT
Should I work in PR or what?
Look, they're doing exactly what I suggested, plugging in the word "cannabis":Talk-show host and medicinal cannabis patient Montel Williams, who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1999, joined members of Congress in calling for legal access to medical marijuana. Williams said that he has legal permission to use cannabis in both Canada and the state of California, but could be arrested for medicating himself in the nation's capitol. "I'm hurting right now. Why? Because I knew I had to come to Washington DC and I can't carry [cannabis] because I know I'd get busted," he said.Cannabis, Cannabis, CANNABIS! I'll keep saying it until everyone else does.
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Comment #2 posted by mayan on May 05, 2005 at 18:20:34 PT
War On Weed
Marijuana arrests now constitute nearly half of all drug arrests, the report found. Since 1990, marijuana arrests have increased by 113 percent, while overall arrests decreased 3 percent.Incredible. The fact that law enforcement focuses so much energy towards the relatively harmless cannabis plant and it's useres is indicative that there is much more than meets the eye. If cannabis wasn't medicine and couldn't provide food,fuel,fibre,paper,plastics,building materials,etc. it would be legal. Heck, it probably wouldn't have ever been made illegal!Good luck in Texas, Taylor!THE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN...Scientific American plans hit piece on 9/11 truth:
http://www.total911.info/2005/05/scientific-american-plans-hit-piece-on.htmlMajor WTC Insurance Company Questions Building 7 Collapse As Potential Fraud:
http://www.propagandamatrix.com/articles/may2005/040505potentialfraud.htmThe 9/11 WTC Collapses: Questions the Media Won't Address:
http://whatreallyhappened.com/9-11_wtc_media.htmlRe-run of Griffin 9/11 Talk on C-SPAN2 Sat 5/7:
http://www.itszone.co.uk/zone0/viewtopic.php?t=34027
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Comment #1 posted by Taylor121 on May 05, 2005 at 16:58:36 PT
Texas Reminder
H.B. 254 which would lessen penalties to a fine instead of jailtime for 1 ounce or less of marijuana will be voted on by the full Texas House soon. If you haven't sent your letters, please do. I am angry that it still hasn't been scheduled by calendars, but I suspect it will happen VERY soon.So please show your support for the bill.http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=6847791&type=ST
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