cannabisnews.com: No Toking in These Tropics
No Toking in These Tropics
Posted by CN Staff on June 02, 2005 at 07:27:13 PT
By Andy Stone
Source: Aspen Times
Colorado -- This column isn’t for everyone. I’m writing about something serious. I know some of you are going to disagree with me, but I’m hoping a lot of you will feel the way I do.So let me narrow my audience right now. If you have ever smoked marijuana and think it’s an enjoyable, pretty much harmless way to get high — keep reading. This column is meant for you.
If you’ve smoked marijuana and maybe didn’t really enjoy it, but still think it’s mostly harmless — keep reading.And even if you’ve never smoked marijuana, even if you think it’s a bad thing and ought to be illegal, but you consider smoking marijuana to be less evil than, for example, murder or terrorism — keep reading, this column is still meant for you.The rest of you, the (hopefully) small number who consider marijuana more evil than murder — you can stop right now and move on to some other part of the paper.Now that we’ve narrowed the audience, here’s what I need to say:BOYCOTT BALI!In fact, boycott all of Indonesia.If you’re a traveler, don’t go there. If you’re a travel agent, don’t send your clients there. If you’re a businessman, don’t invest there. And, please, spread the word.Starting today, do not send one cent of your money or one iota of your personal energy to Bali.Many of you will already know what I am talking about. In case you don’t, here’s what’s going on:Last week, a young Australian woman was sentenced to 20 years in jail — I repeat, 20 years — for attempting to smuggle about 9 pounds of marijuana into Bali.We should note that the 20-year sentence was officially “lenient.” Bali allows the death penalty for smuggling marijuana — indeed, the prosecutor has said he will appeal her sentence and try to get a harsher one, life imprisonment, at least.And perhaps this is the place to mention Abu Bakar Bashir, the Muslim cleric who was convicted of being behind the 2002 terrorist bombing in Bali that killed more than 200 people. He was sentenced to 30 months in jail — 30 months. Apparently, in the Indonesian system of justice, murdering 200 people in a terrorist bombing is a far less serious crime than attempting to carry 9 pounds of marijuana into the country.Now, here’s the thing: There’s not much we can really do about this savage mess.Indonesia is a sovereign country. It has a right to pass and enforce its own laws. Vile as this sentence may be, it isn’t something that justifies an act of war.Quite honestly, there are laws in the United States that offend people around the world and criminal sentences imposed here have raised international outrage. As a nation we sneer at that outrage, just as Indonesia can sneer at our outrage now.But that does not mean we have to smile, shrug and accept what has happened.There’s not much that we can do, but we can, at least, refuse to send ourselves or our money to that country. I understand the arguments against boycotts. Some people are already saying that a boycott of Bali would only hurt innocent people trying to make a living and would leave the judges and the justice system untouched.That may be partly true, but Indonesia is a parliamentary democracy. They elect their president; they elect their representatives. The people and their representatives should be able to respond to a painful expression of international disapproval.We sent hundreds of millions of dollars to Indonesia in aid after the recent tsunami. We have shown our concern for the people of that nation. Now we need to be able to show our disapproval of their wretched system of justice.I know it’s difficult to rouse people to action on behalf of fair marijuana laws. Bali is one of those official tropical paradises where dope smokers love to go. It would be far too easy — and far too typical — for stoners to find themselves at the Bali airport saying, “Huh? Dude? Weren’t we supposed to not ... or something ... or ... huh?”But we can’t do that. There are other paradises to visit. Boycott Bali!Andy Stone is former editor of The Aspen Times. Source: Aspen Times (CO)Author: Andy StonePublished: June 2, 2005Copyright: 2005 Aspen TimesContact: andy aspentimes.comWebsite: http://www.aspentimes.com/CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
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Comment #45 posted by rchandar on June 05, 2005 at 10:42:18 PT:
Hope
Hope--I sincerely hope this doesn't go unheard in the rest of the world! Not a single government challenged, criticized, or condemned the ruling! Many people don't understand this well enough, but Asia is growing, becoming more prosperous, and more powerful. One of the things the West should bequeath to the rest of the world is a stress on the rights of every human being. The UN didn't condemn this, either, and as I understand it convicted murderers get less jail time than Corby does......disgusting. Unfortunately throughout most of Asia censorship is king and "radical" opposition such as the advocacy of rights for drug users is suppressed, even in the "democratic" countries. It's just not talked about that way there. Something must be done; this smacks in the face of not only common sense, but also the UN Narcotics Treaties. If a murderer gets off and a drug buyer doesn't, what does that tell us about the world we're living in? It is modern man's RESPONSIBILITY to ensure the rights and potential of every human subject, not trample on their rights and eliminate human beings when their lives don't fit our "policies" and "laws."Sick. Disgusting. ASIA MUST END HER DRACONIAN DRUG LAWS!!
--rchandar
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Comment #44 posted by Hope on June 04, 2005 at 21:09:07 PT
rchandar
I sure understand how you feel. There are people over there now protesting and insisting she get the death penalty. My first thought is what cruel, hateful people they are, then I realized they have seen their own executed over and over for the same crimes, so they must feel she got special treatment, better treatment than they themselves would get under similar circumstances.All the anger and hatred needs to stop. It needs to be legal.I hope the Prohibitionists...or "Preventionists", as they seem to want to call themselves now, are happy with all the grief, death, pain, and turmoil they've caused for so many by their idiotic fear of a plant.
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Comment #43 posted by Hope on June 04, 2005 at 20:59:56 PT
Lol!
I can't believe you noticed or remembered that!It wasn't Prince, anyway, although my daughter insists to this day it was...I just really liked those shoes.Prince is cool though. My husband and grandson still like to break out "Little Red Corvette" every now and then.
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Comment #42 posted by GreenJoy on June 04, 2005 at 20:36:37 PT
I Would - Die For - You
PS. Hope....I'm glad Prince caused you to wear funky shoes. Prince RULZ! :-)
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Comment #41 posted by rchandar on June 04, 2005 at 12:37:53 PT:
screw 'em...
If they think this is fun for them, reducing a good person to tears and prison, then they should never get money from us. I don't care if Indonesia is a poor country: rights and justice, or boycott.--rchandar
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Comment #40 posted by GreenJoy on June 04, 2005 at 12:27:42 PT
Hope
Thankyou Hope!! Your words bouy me along. I think I can count the people that don't want me to go on one finger. And maybe she'll follow once I'm settled in. A not so fine line between bailing and a calculated redeployment. I prefer to think its the latter. I should be able to be of considerably greater assistance once relocated. So many facets to the issue for me. Its medicine which enables me physically, creatively, even spiritually, and I just plain miss the plant. Everything about it. I truly believe that good Cannabis is one of the finer things in life to be savored and enjoyed. Interesting that my rejuvenation centers around it. Odd to some that I have absolutely no problem restructuring my life accordingly. GJ
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Comment #39 posted by Hope on June 04, 2005 at 11:33:22 PT
"No rest in the country", FoM
the Lord knows, I know what that means!
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Comment #38 posted by Hope on June 04, 2005 at 11:07:07 PT
GreenJoy
Thank you for including me in your comment 9. I really do appreciate it.I'm glad you are reviving from the blunt trauma our misled government and it's adrenaline drugged enforcers inflicted on you. It's not right. God's law and common law gives them no right to do the things they are doing to people over what they choose to consume.It does my heart good that you can leave a bigoted and hateful place for a better atmosphere. Not everyone can leave bad circumstance and search for something better, I know, but I'm thankful that some can and that you are among them. I'm very excited for you. You're doing the "Phoenix" thing...rising from the ashes they made of your old life. Get yourself out from under the fist of the oppressors and wherever you are, you can work on releasing the grip they have on freedom loving people. That's a great thing to be able to do. Have courage and stay in touch with us about how you are progressing. "God Speed" is a powerful blessing. I've experienced it, and I wish it to you and for you.
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Comment #37 posted by FoM on June 04, 2005 at 10:47:13 PT
Hope
I'm happy it matters. I'm mowing and getting outside a little today since it's going to rain tomorrow the forecast says. My vegetables are starting to grow and it's just nice to work in the fresh air when the news is slow so that's what I'm doing. My husband has 4 people working with him today out here and we are repairing a barn that needed serious attention. I dread when we need to replace the steel roof on our one building. It's starting to rust at certain spots and the building is 80 by 132 feet. We're putting that off as long as we can and doing everything else we can afford to get done now. No rest in the country! LOL!
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Comment #36 posted by GreenJoy on June 04, 2005 at 10:13:25 PT
Hello Hope :-)
I know what your saying. I've had to adjust at times. This is different. If I'd lost a hand it would be etched in stone. But its not. If all I have to do is move and go see a doctor then ...well I've already started packing. Its slow and painful going but I'm going. I don't mean to egoflex, but my skills are such that its worth it to me and I believe that with them I can redefine anywhere. I've been driven to the point where fear of the unknown is not a factor. Very little to lose. GJ
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Comment #35 posted by Hope on June 04, 2005 at 10:06:14 PT
FoM
I'm grateful that you think well of me. It's something good to know and it gives me courage and strength.
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Comment #34 posted by FoM on June 04, 2005 at 08:00:32 PT
Hope
You're a really good person and I'm glad you care like you do. It's seems people with passion are the most important people in these troubled times we live in.
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Comment #33 posted by FoM on June 04, 2005 at 07:57:39 PT
GreenJoy
I understand what you saying. When I say bloom where we are planted I don't mean stay in one spot but to mentally bloom and grow no matter where we live or what we do. When we packed up a u-haul van in 73 and left everyone we loved and all of our friends with $400 to our name and headed for a new state I knew it was necessary but I was scared, really scared. It's hard to start again but for us I am so glad we did. I don't know where we'd be if we hadn't made that decision so many years ago.
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Comment #32 posted by Hope on June 04, 2005 at 06:51:26 PT
FoM, GreenJoy, Afterburner
FoM, you asked, "Did you ever wonder why we do what we do or why we care about certain things more then something else?" Yes, I have. Sometimes people do things because it's something they want for themselves or someone else. Desire or love, perhaps, is the motive for some actions. In the case of wanting to change drug laws, for me, it was pain, not unlike the pain I felt in learning of the actions of the Nazis, racists of all kinds, and witch burners. When I learned of those things having happened, I was deeply and permanently horrified. I wondered why more people didn't rise up against stuff like that right away. I wondered how they could sit by and watch their neighbors, even if they disliked them, be dragged away. Something in me identified with those who resisted the monsters and I wanted to be able to squash that sort of evil if I ever saw it raise it's ugly head anywhere in my lifetime. I'm not an idealist. I know life is hard. I'm not an idealist...my motivation for fighting the drug war is sheer pain. Soul pain.Pain and discomfort can often cause a person to move in a certain direction. In hoping to change unjust laws, for me, it was pain at seeing injustice. I still remember that grief I felt when I saw on the local news years ago that a ranch that had been in a family for six generations was confiscated and sold by the law at auction because someone in the family planted twelve marijuana plants. I didn’t know them. I’d never met them. But I knew that wasn't justice. It was seeing a young Harlem Globetrotter pass through our area and be sentenced to five years for a joint in his shirt pocket. It was seeing a young boy mistreated and ridiculed by police on a Cop's show over marijuana use. It was seeing a family terrorized by police in another reality cop show. It was Esequial Hernandez's murder. It was a drug raid where freaked out cops shot to death an old lady who lay in her hospital bed in a darkened room. None of that is about justice. That's an egregious wrong on the part of our government. That was before I knew about Donald Scot, the Bowers, Aberto Sepulveda and countless others. Excruciating pain...something too strong just to be called "emotional"...I name it "soul pain". Conscience.Your pain at your son being denied that small thing that could have been a comfort to him in his last days is beyond my comprehension. I know it was horrifying though...much worse than if it had been denied to you, yourself, and a barely understood small reflection of your pain is another reason to go on. Knowing that others have been forced to suffer unnecessarily like Greenjoy, Runruff, and PainWithoutInsurance is a reason to push back against the injustice.GreenJoy, Dreams change. Sometimes we have to for one reason or another dream new dreams.Afterburner, I've been told that countless times, as I'm sure you have. "Not in our lifetime," being the most common refrain...but ultimately, that doesn't matter. Even if, at the end of my life, the injustice of the Drug War, as we know it, is still going on, at least I will know that I kicked back against the insufferable beast of injustice in my time.The world is full of horror and injustice. I’m personally not capable of being a doctor or nurse, but I can donate to St. Judes or Shriner’s Hospitals. There are all sorts of volunteer possibilities out there.There are all sorts of things people can do in different areas in response to different things that cause them pain. This is one of them for me.So that's the bit of conclusion I've sort of come to about "Why?"
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Comment #31 posted by GreenJoy on June 04, 2005 at 04:08:44 PT
FoM Comment # 28
I hear you. Bloom where ye are planted became my motto at one time. Perhaps I became rootbound though. It depends on the person and the sitch I think. I backburnered my dream to hang with the steady gig, a house in an area where its cheap to live. I didn't have to live out of a van, I knew where my shoes were in the morning. Maybe that was a mistake. Right now I'm confounded. I can't do what I do because of the pain. Cannabis doesn't make it all go away, at least not the stuff I had. But it made the pain something I could put aside enough that I could play a fair bit. But I can't have Cannabis now, especially here.
I'm tired of watching my life slide by and my dreams slip away when there is something that helps so much that I am not allowed to have! I'm quite certain that even if the Supreme Court goes our way that this state will be the very last to bring MMJ into practice. So a bit in desperation I scan the horizon. Anyway. Someone recently asked me, "Does it make the pain less or do you just think it makes the pain less?" Umm. WHAT? If I take a pharmacy of pills thats pain relief... with all the gastritis and other side effects. If I use Cannabis I'm masking my pain. Rriiiight. PPppbbbb! Thankyou for all your doing everyone!!! GJ
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Comment #30 posted by FoM on June 03, 2005 at 21:13:30 PT
afterburner
Oh yes you are right! I am following the events in Canada on the ccc list and the passion is overflowing. They are good people and I am honored to be able to read the other members comments and see the fire, the anger and the hope. Action falls right in to step too. We are living in a time of a new awakening I believe. A time when our values get shaken to the core but a time of new discovery.
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Comment #29 posted by afterburner on June 03, 2005 at 21:07:39 PT
Hopeless Cause or Causal Hope?
A relative of mine once said, "Oh ___, they'll never legalize it [meaning cannabis]." One of the happiest days of my life was when Canada reluctantly became the first nation in the world to legalize medical cannabis. I say this not because I wanted to show my relative up, but to show the results that the many small pushes by Canadian cannabis activists have had on forming a more rational cannabis policy. The government has been dragged kicking and screaming into this issue by the sick and dying and the courts. They have delayed, disobeyed, and denied, so we still have lots of work to do. Can't stop now, and "won't back down." "The whole world is watching." (chant from the 1968 protests and the police riots during the Democratic National Convention)
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Comment #28 posted by FoM on June 03, 2005 at 20:32:25 PT
Hope
Your comment was excellent. Did you ever wonder why we do what we do or why we care about certain things more then something else? I have many times. How did I get into doing CNews? We can spend our life dreaming of far away places where we are sure we will find happiness or we can bloom where we are planted. I've found that chasing dreams doesn't amount to much but doing something whatever it might be with a steady commitment can amount to a lot and in turn we don't need to search for happiness because it's right in front of you.
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Comment #27 posted by Hope on June 03, 2005 at 20:20:56 PT
Grateful to get to participate...
Besides the recognition, I also got a nice gift for that from Mike Gray, an autographed copy of Drug Crazy, which I treasure.It was completely unexpected. And it just goes to show that any body out there with a computer, or even just a pen and paper and stamp, even a grandmother, with only a high school education, living in a rural area, with guidance and help from people who know what they're doing, can at least do something, no matter how small, to hammer away at the injustice of the drug war. When bloody injustice is rampant, and you see it destroying everything you believe your country was meant to be, it feels a lot better to do something...even if all you can do is very little.Something that I will always remember, that is relevant to a lot more than moving a TV: Once I needed to lift and move a heavy television set and no one was here with me but a little bitty grandson. Maybe he weighed forty pounds, probably less. We didn’t want to wait hours for someone else to come home before we got it in place and in operation for him to play his games on. I couldn't budge that big TV. It seemed hopeless. But with just that little bit more help...from him...we did it. His help made all the difference in the world…from not being able to do it…to doing it.Every little tiny bit can sometimes make a huge difference. If you think you can't do anything to amount to any thing in this battle to reform drug policy...remember I couldn't move that big TV at all, until that tiny little fella added his small hands to the effort. So even if, perhaps, what you can do seems too insignificantly small to bother with, remember that that tiny little bit of help can make the difference in being able to accomplish the task before us.We need every hand we can get. No one is insignificant, unless he thinks he just can’t make a difference…and doesn’t lend any effort at all. Even praying is something.Every visit here helps FoM stick to the big task she has taken on…and she’s doing an immeasurable amount of good.Even if we can do nothing more than encourage someone who obviously can write a letter that might get ink…when we do that, we’re helping…and maybe more than we know.It all matters.
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Comment #26 posted by FoM on June 03, 2005 at 15:05:39 PT
BGreen
Thank you. I believe we have the best group of people here on CNews. That's not bragging but what I really believe. I hoped CNews could be a place like it is and now that I see it really happening I'm so very happy about it all.Hope you have a really nice bio. Maybe they will start the VOM up again.
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Comment #25 posted by BGreen on June 03, 2005 at 14:48:22 PT
Hope and FoM ... What can I say?
Reading about the contributions you both have made to our cause is eye-opening and humbling. I believe with all of my heart that many of our posters have similarly impressive bio's, and it goes a long way in explaining why the posters here at Cannabisnews.com are so amazingly intelligent, talented and the antithesis of the negative image of cannabis reformers the government tries to portray.The Cannabisnews.com posters are all very special friends to me.The Reverend Bud Green
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Comment #24 posted by Hope on June 03, 2005 at 14:33:20 PT
Corby's Appeal
It's very worrisome. It's my understanding that only one person over there has appealed a drug sentence. He got life and after the appeal...he got death.It's horrible. No thinking person needs to go there or spend money there. To me, they are fascist murderers.
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Comment #23 posted by Hope on June 03, 2005 at 14:18:04 PT
Volunteers of the Month from.drugsense
That's me from March 2001. It was such an honor. I've wondered why they discontinued it, too.
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Comment #22 posted by FoM on June 03, 2005 at 10:04:59 PT
dongenero
Thank you. It is very hard over Memorial Day. When he passed away it was on the 27th but since Memorial Day changes it's two days so really the whole holiday weekend. I'm sorry for your loss to. It never is easy to lose those we love. I try to find something good in every situation and at least Memorial Day is a day to honor those we have lost. At least that's how I view Memorial Day.
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Comment #21 posted by dongenero on June 03, 2005 at 09:55:39 PT
FoM bio
FoM, I just read the bio that you provided the link to.
I'm sorry for your loss. I'm sure this past memorial day was difficult for you.I lost a brother to cancer in 1996. I know from that experience how difficult such a loss is, particularly for a mother.Best wishes to you and thank you so much for all that you do.
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Comment #20 posted by FoM on June 03, 2005 at 09:19:10 PT
b4daylight
Thank you. I don't know why they stopped the VOM. It was a great way to keep people working so maybe they would become the VOM. I do believe it is very important to acknowledge people who work hard in our efforts. We don't get financial benefits so a nice pat on the back means a lot. Do you have a web site of your own?
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Comment #19 posted by b4daylight on June 03, 2005 at 08:51:45 PT
Thanks
Comment #8 posted by FoM
You are so focused. From my years spent on here.I added a web page of Volunteers of the Month
from.drugsense. Anyone no why they stopped or have another page. That gave allot of purpose M. thank you for sharing. Yeah I can see where we are headed all right a complacent and ignorant public , a corrupt government influenced by business, religion, power, greed, and by an elite few, and a failing Money system built on debt. Looks like a great future see you there (from another country).
http://www.drugsense.org/dswvol.htm
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Comment #18 posted by jose melendez on June 03, 2005 at 06:41:07 PT
No Tolerance, No Tourists!
http://banbali.com
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Comment #17 posted by rchandar on June 03, 2005 at 00:42:07 PT:
i think someone should have said this...
... a long time ago. Thanks, it's overdue. If governments trample on international agreements and lock up or kill innocent travelers simply for pot possession, it is time we made them feel the depth of our anger. Modern governments are simply not justified in putting away defendants like Corby, and in no modern universe will the Bali sentencing of Corby be deemed acceptable.Indonesia needs to realize that punitive treatment like this will not go unheard and unacted upon.Thanks!
rchandar
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Comment #16 posted by ekim on June 02, 2005 at 18:32:10 PT
Cannabis Culture Magazine 04:30 PM Howard
Jun 3 05 Doug Stephan's "Good Day" Show interviews Jack Cole 06:10 AM Jack Cole Nationally Syndicated Radio USA
Executive Director Jack Cole will be on Doug Stephan's "Good Day" Show Friday from 6:10 to 6:20 a.m. EST. The show is syndicated on 450 radio stations and can be heard live at http://www.dougstephan.com/index.asp Jun 3 05 Cannabis Culture Magazine 04:30 PM Howard Wooldridge
Cannabis Culture Magazine Reporter Kayle Hatt will interview Board Member Howard Wooldridge for an upcoming issue of the magazine. Topics are sure to focus on the social and economic need to legalize marijuana, the futility of America's war on drugs and Howard's cross country journey to bring attention to the failure of drug prohbition. Visit the Cannabis Culture web site at: www.cannabisculture.ca for more information. Stay up to date on Howard's journey at www.LEAP.cc/howard Jun 4 05 Justice Studies Association 7th Annual Conference 10:00 AM Jack Cole West Hartford CT USA
Jack Cole tells the Justice Studies Association 7th Annual Conference we must end drug prohibition. They meet at the University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT from Thursday through Saturday and Jack will be presenting to them Saturday morning. http://www.justicestudies.org Jun 6 05 KGNU Morning Magazine Show Interview 10:00 AM Howard Wooldridge Boulder Colorado USA
Start your morning properly with Board Member Howard Wooldridge when he is a guest on the KGNU Morning Magazine Show on 88.5 FM, hosted by KGNU News and Public Affairs Director Sam Fuqua. Howard will be discussing his cross country tour to spread the message of LEAP as well as inform the countryside of the failure of America's war on drugs. Follow Howard's journey at http://www.LEAP.cc/howard
http://www.leap/cc/events
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Comment #15 posted by The GCW on June 02, 2005 at 13:33:39 PT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUNE 2, 2005
New Report: Marijuana Regulation Could Save Colorado $81.6 million; Milton Friedman, Over 500 Economists Call for Debate on Replacing Prohibition With Regulation Harvard University Economist Projects National Savings/Revenues of $10-14 Billion CONTACT: Brian Vicente, Esq. Tel. # 720 280 4067 Denver -- In a report released today, Dr. Jeffrey Miron, Visiting Professor of Economics at Harvard University, estimates that replacing marijuana prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation similar to that used for alcoholic beverages would produce combined savings and tax revenues of between $10 billion and $14 billion per year nationally and $81.6 million in Colorado. In response, a group of over 500 distinguished economists -- led by Nobel Prize winner Dr. Milton Friedman -- released an open letter to President Bush and other public officials calling for "an open and honest debate about marijuana prohibition," adding, "We believe such a debate will favor a regime in which marijuana is legal but taxed and regulated like other goods." "Taxing and regulating marijuana is the right choice for Colorado," says Brian Vicente, Esq., the director of the drug policy non-profit, Sensible Colorado. "The experts agree, marijuana prohibition has failed and the time has come to implement a more rational and humane drug policy in Colorado. Savings produced by taxation and regulation could salvage Colorados failing health care system which currently denies drug abuse treatment to over 250,000 residents in need." Using data from a variety of federal and state government sources, Miron's paper, "The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition," concludes: ** Replacing marijuana prohibition with a system of legal regulation would save Colorado approximately $64 million in government expenditures on prohibition enforcement, while taxation of regulated marijuana sales would raise at least $17.6 million in new revenue. **Nationally, such a change would save approximately $7.7 billion in enforcement -- $2.4 billion at the federal level and $5.3 billion at the state and local level. **National revenue from taxation of marijuana sales would range from $2.4 billion per year if marijuana were taxed like ordinary consumer goods to $6.2 billion if it were taxed like alcohol or tobacco. While Dr. Miron noted that many factors beyond costs and tax revenues would need to be considered in evaluating possible changes in marijuana laws, he said, "These budgetary impacts should be included in any rational debate about marijuana policy." "Colorado needs to invest in the future by increasing treatment, prevention programs, and harm reduction education. Regulating and taxing marijuana would fund this investment, " concludes Brian Vicente. Dr. Miron's full report, the open letter to public officials signed by over 500 economists and the full list of endorsers is available at http://www.prohibitioncosts.org/ ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Economics Prof. Laura Connelly, University of Northern Colorado Tel.# 970-351-1558 ####
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Comment #14 posted by observer on June 02, 2005 at 12:35:05 PT
testing please ignore :-)
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Comment #13 posted by observer on June 02, 2005 at 12:33:19 PT
testing please ignore :-)
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on June 02, 2005 at 11:54:33 PT
Marijuana Policy Project Alert June 2, 2005
Congress is About To Expand The Drug War From Rob Kampia, Executive Director, Marijuana Policy ProjectThe Marijuana Policy Project is forwarding you the message below on behalf of http://www.DownsizeDC.orgNew legislation currently making its way through the House of Representatives poses a grave threat. If passed, H.R. 1528 will force Americans to inform on their friends, family members, or neighbors within 24 hours of acquiring any knowledge about their involvement in drug-related activity, including marijuana.Please click here to stop this bill in its tracks.
http://action.downsizedc.org/wyc.php?cid=28As is often the case with new federal violations of civil liberties, this bill is constructed to appear as though it is designed to protect children from drugs, but its implications are far more sinister:* Observe one student passing a joint to another, and you could fall under this law. You would be required to report the incident to authorities within 24 hours or risk prosecution and a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison.* If a neighbor under 21 mentions buying some marijuana for a party, you would be required to report him or her to the government or risk jail time yourself.* If your brothers or sisters have children and mention to you that they and their spouses sometimes smoke marijuana in their bedroom after their kids are asleep, you would be required to immediately inform on them or face prison time.You can see what a threatening new environment this proposed legislation would create for everyone. It would erect barriers of paranoia between friends, family members, and neighbors and is rife with potential for police abuse, extortion, and the creation of false informants.DownsizeDC.org is mounting a campaign to defeat this bill. Click here -- http://action.downsizedc.org/wyc.php?cid=28 -- to learn more and then take action by sending a message to Congress telling them what you think of this bill. Please send a message now, while we can still stop this terrible legislation.Thank you. P.S. H.R. 1528 is supposedly designed to protect children — but the bill is actually anti-family. It expands mandatory minimum sentencing and increases the ways those minimum sentences could kick in. It's absolutely draconian. Passage of this bill would be a setback. It's almost always harder to repeal a bad law than it is to stop it from passing in the first place. Please act now.
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on June 02, 2005 at 11:03:17 PT
dongenero
When I saw Midnight Express and saw what the prison was like in Turkey I didn't need to see more. That was a horror movie but it was true. People that risk moving drugs in a foreign country shouldn't because they are at the mercy of the country and not much can be done. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0767817486/102-8655267-8256133?v=glance
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Comment #10 posted by dongenero on June 02, 2005 at 10:55:15 PT
Indonesian prison
I figure Schapelle's knight in shining armor will have to be from outside of Indonesia somehow, though it is highly unlikely.The prosecuter is going to appeal for life in prison at least.
Their anti-drug nuts were pushing for the death penalty.Rather than receiving help in Indonesia I figure it will be the guards helping themselves. I don't imagine conditions and rights in their prisons are anywhere close to our standards. And ours are awful. Imagine for a moment what that would be like.
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Comment #9 posted by GreenJoy on June 02, 2005 at 10:51:44 PT
Angelos
I feel for anyone that is punished even slightly for cannabis possession, smuggling, dealing, etc. The smuggling and dealing are because of the prohibition. Obviously. And I'm sure that a lengthy stay in a Bali prison is a true "Papillion" experience. But let's not forget Mr. Angelos who is serving 55 years in a Utah prison for a pound and a half. Fifty Five Years. Gulp. Tatamount to a life sentence. Can we boycott Utah? I do sometimes find myself wishing we could all pilgrim outta here. But there is nowhere to go really. Salute to all who fight here and now. FoM, Kap, gph, Jose, Hope, Reverend Bud, et al. You are great!
GJ
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on June 02, 2005 at 10:44:47 PT
b4daylight
Thank you. We are a fine group of people here on CNews. I look at issues in ways that often are very different then other folks because I see things more towards where we are headed and how can we re-route what seems wrong if this makes sense. Here's a little something on me.http://www.drugsense.org/dsw/1999/ds99.n126.html#sec4
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Comment #7 posted by b4daylight on June 02, 2005 at 10:36:35 PT
case
Comment #2 posted by FoMI think you are right FOM. ide note:Do you have a Bio somewhere FOM? Although this fun also slowly learning about you. Cause this site rocks that you run. how about that guy who got 30 years for stealing a tv.This article should instruct activism in our own politics in US towards unjust sentencing prision terms first. Then by example we might be able to change other countries laws.
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Comment #6 posted by jose melendez on June 02, 2005 at 10:20:47 PT
self evident truths
Thank you for the place to rebut, revise and extend!I strongly encourage anyone pretending that prohibition helps children read the following, and call your local representative in Congress.http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/2998.htmlMany will choose instead to have another drink and dismiss these arguments, out of hand and unanswered.This is the result of such corrupt "protective treatment" offered to children every day:http://www.strike-the-root.com/51/mccorkle/mccorkle2.html
Drug War Kills
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on June 02, 2005 at 10:09:07 PT
Jose
That's a real good one! Thanks!I don't want anyone to think when I said it didn't upset me that I am heartless because I am not. I was sick when I watched the movie Midnight Express years ago and to this day I remember it. Indonesia is a basically Muslim nation and they will execute a person for drugs along with other countries. Will Foster from Oklahoma was sentenced to a life sentence and thank goodness he is out now. We have laws just like third world countries in some of our states and I stay focussed on what could happen to one of us in this great not so free land we live in.
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Comment #4 posted by jose melendez on June 02, 2005 at 10:02:21 PT
Gingrich wanted death
Flip flop lawmaker Newt Gingrich goes both ways:Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich introduced legislation demanding either a life sentence or the death penalty for anyone caught bringing more than two ounces of marijuana into the United States. Gingrich's bill attracted twenty-six co-sponsors, though it failed to reach the House floor. A few months earlier Senator Phil Gramm had proposed denying federal welfare benefits, including food stamps, to anyone convicted of a drug crime, even a misdemeanor. Gramm's proposal was endorsed by a wide variety of senators-including liberals such as Barbara Boxer, Tom Harkin, Patrick Leahy, and Paul Wellstone. A revised version of the amendment, limiting the punishment to people convicted of a drug felony, was incorporated into the welfare bill signed by President Clinton during the presidential campaign. Possessing a few ounces of marijuana is a felony in most states, as is growing a single marijuana plant. As a result, Americans convicted of a marijuana felony, even if they are disabled, may no longer receive federal welfare or food stamps. Convicted murderers, rapists, and child molesters, however, will continue to receive these benefits. http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/18990/ Newt Gingrich smoked pot, and introduced a bill to ease federal restrictions on medical marijuana in 1981. On March 19, 1982 he wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Association, "We believe licensed physicians are competent to employ marijuana, and patients have a right to obtain marijuana legally, under medical supervision, from a regulated source. Federal policies do not reflect a factual or balanced assessment of marijuana's use as a medicant." http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/18941/
Hanging With Murderers Can Make You President
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on June 02, 2005 at 09:37:21 PT
Here's Another Comparison
http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?wtm_view=&Group_ID=4558Less than 25 lbs -- felony -- 2 years - life
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on June 02, 2005 at 08:33:29 PT
Just a Comment
I know people have gotten really upset about this case but I haven't. I guess because I'm a woman maybe it makes a difference I'm not sure. She is a very pretty lady and men like to help pretty woman from my experience thru life. It's the knight in shining armour thing. I picked Virginia as a state to compare to the laws in Indonesia. 5 lbs to 100 kg -- felony -- 5 - 30 years http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?wtm_view=&Group_ID=4570
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Comment #1 posted by mayan on June 02, 2005 at 07:54:19 PT
She Has A Name
Her name is Schapelle Corby and this world is insane. The self-righteous drug warriors in Indonesia are probably held in high regard by America's prohibitionists. How can any human or government even begin to think that they have the right to tell other adults what earthly plants they can or cannot use? Did God die and leave these imbeciles in charge? If there awaits a judgment day I wouldn't want to be in or anywhere near their shoes. The passion of Corby:
http://cannabisculture.com/articles/4369.htmlTHE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN...The 9/11 Commission v. 19 Named Muslims: A Trial in Absentia
http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20050602060607688Missile & remote control systems added to small jets before 9/11; same parts found at Pentagon:
http://www.tomflocco.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=110&mode=&order=0&thold=0Hollywood-like Fake Smoke Made 9/11:
http://rense.com/general65/911mir.htmView Professor David Ray Griffin's Lecture As Seen On
C-SPAN2:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article8765.htm9/11 Blogger:
http://911blogger.com/
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