cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Push is for all the Wrong Reasons





Marijuana Push is for all the Wrong Reasons
Posted by CN Staff on December 29, 2005 at 07:20:34 PT
Editorial
Source: Denver Post 
Colorado -- The group that passed Denver's pot initiative last month is aiming to get a similar law on the state's books. But the backers ignore the drug's dangers. We've said repeatedly that the national war on drugs is a failure. But that doesn't mean we favor mindlessly legalizing general marijuana use and possession at the state level.
A more enlightened federal approach would include taxes substantial enough to discourage overuse of the drug and earmarking the resulting funds to anti-drug education and treatment of victims of more serious drugs such as cocaine. A reformed federal program could also require close regulation of marijuana production to keep potencies within specified limits and serious study of the health effects of smoking pot. Unfortunately, none of these worthy elements are included in the proposal for a statewide legalization of marijunana launched Wednesday by SAFER Colorado. These are the same folks who got Denver voters to approve making possession and use of an ounce or less of marijuana legal for those over 21. We objected to SAFER's Denver election tactics because ads in favor of Initiative 100 pitched it as a way to make the city safer and curb domestic violence. Snipped:Complete Article: http://www.denverpost.com/editorials/ci_3351050Source: Denver Post (CO) Published: December 29, 2005 Copyright: 2005 The Denver Post Website: http://www.denverpost.com/Contact: openforum denverpost.comRelated Articles & Web Site:Safer Coloradohttp://www.safercolorado.org/ Officials Sniff at Bid To Legalize Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21419.shtmlPot Measure Rolled Out at Capitolhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21418.shtmlPro-Got Group Aims at State Law in '06http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21417.shtml
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Comment #9 posted by The GCW on January 03, 2006 at 17:49:05 PT
Mason Tvert's LTE + a 2nd.
US CO: PUB LTE: In Defense Of Legalizing Marijuana In Colo. 1
Pubdate: Mon, 02 Jan 2006
Source: Denver Post (CO)Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n2018/a06.htmlAuthor: Mason TvertRe: "Marijuana push is for all the wrong reasons," Dec. 29 editorial. Your vitriolic editorial against SAFER's proposed marijuana legalization initiative called our assertions both "phony" and "nonsensical." I beg to differ. The SAFER campaign is making one simple point: Marijuana is less harmful - both to the user and society - than alcohol. Based on this objective fact, we believe - and obviously the people of Denver agree - adults should not be punished for using the safer substance. You wrote that I say people become alcoholics because marijuana is illegal. This is not accurate. I have simply said that the laws currently in place encourage and force people to use alcohol instead of marijuana. At the same time, it is known that alcohol is frequently a contributing factor in domestic abuse, sexual assault and other acts of violence. Marijuana is not. Thus, by increasing the likelihood that people will drink alcohol, our laws make our society less safe. How is this nonsensical? With respect to your suggestion that we wait for a federal system of taxation and regulation, I implore you to name just one member of Congress who has introduced such legislation. While you are working on that, we are going to stop marijuana users from being arrested. This is because we really think the war on marijuana is a failure; we don't just say it - as you apparently do - to mask support for the continued prosecution of marijuana users. Mason Tvert, Campaign Director, Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, Denver http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n005/a06.html?397US CO: PUB LTE: In Defense Of Legalizing Marijuana In Colo. 2Author: Kirk MuseIt seems to me that the proposed Colorado marijuana initiative is about the right to choose: the right of adult citizens to choose for themselves what goes into their own bodies, in the privacy of their own homes, without the threat of the state government arresting them for doing so. If you are going to keep marijuana as a criminalized substance because of its potential danger, then you should expect a long list of potentially unhealthy foods also to be criminalized. For our own good, of course. Perhaps our government should criminalize many potentially dangerous activities such as skiing, skating and snowboarding - for our own good, of course. Kirk Muse, Mesa, Ariz. 
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n005/a07.html?397 
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Comment #8 posted by John Tyler on December 30, 2005 at 17:50:55 PT
would this be too much?
Cannabis potent enough to let us merge with the universe and realize that we are all connected, and all one, and that love flowing from the eternal font of being holds it all together. 
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Comment #7 posted by mayan on December 29, 2005 at 15:57:48 PT
Ignorant Voters
These are the same folks who got Denver voters to approve making possession and use of an ounce or less of marijuana legal for those over 21.Yeah, twisted the ignorant voter's arms! Actually, the voters "got" themselves to approve I-100. The Denver Post's lies didn't stop I-100 and I doubt if they'll stop the statwide initiative. Actually, all the free publicity might actually help us again! I can't wait to see what brilliant tactics Tvert has up his sleeve for his biggest gig yet! 
 
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Comment #6 posted by runruff on December 29, 2005 at 11:48:37 PT:
The stupid leading the blind!
It is obvious this author knows not about which he speaks.
It sounds rather like a virgin writing an artical on sex.
I suggest this author go out behind the newspaper building, in the alley there, and burn one. It is the least he could do before pontificating on a subject he is obviouly ignorant of. While he is at it why doesn't he just go on about the dark side of the moon. I'm sure he is just as knowlegable on this subject as well. 
You know Dr. Spock wrote at length on how to raise kids even though he didn't have any. In his old age even he admitted he screwed up. He has been widely criticized for
his child rearing methods. Just goes to show; When it come to something you know nothing about it is best to keep your piehole shut.
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Comment #5 posted by The GCW on December 29, 2005 at 10:54:53 PT
regulate potencies?
"require close regulation of marijuana production to keep potencies within specified limits"Regulate it like booze; beer / whisky ;ghuhh. They make booze strong enough to get a person to hell. We should have access to cannabis strong enough to get Us to Neptune.
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Comment #4 posted by Max Flowers on December 29, 2005 at 09:17:37 PT
Danger... yeah right
- But the backers ignore the drug's dangers. -What dangers? The use of the word "danger" when talking about cannabis is extremely manipulative and misleading. Danger is when something can hurt you. Cannabis can't hurt you! Cannabis is about as dangerous as a cup of tea---less, if that tea has refined sugar in it. That's right, sugar is demonstrably more harmful to the body than THC is. If they want to argue that smoking cannabis is where the danger is, fine, then eat it or vaporize it, don't smoke it. Problem solved.
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Comment #3 posted by Sam Adams on December 29, 2005 at 08:42:11 PT
whoops
I meant to say instead of fighting over basketball courts, they began fighting over thousands of dollars in drug profits. You get the picture. It's actually quite simple, isn't it?
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Comment #2 posted by Sam Adams on December 29, 2005 at 08:40:26 PT
this article
I find the stance of this paper very interesting. It represents the latest in prohibitionist strategy. It's too late to deny the obvious failure of the Drug War - we're moving closer to the day when it's univerally recognized as one of the worst and stupidest things the US government has ever done.However, all the various stakeholders in the scam need to prolong it as long as possible. Thus the Orwellian "we know it's wrong, but we need to keep doing it" position.  "We know it's less harmful than tobacco or alcohol, but the only the potency of cannabis needs to regulated, not the others".And, I'm sorry Denver Post, but SAFER is 100% correct: Currently we spend tens of billions of dollars arresting and prosecuting casual MJ users. If we spent even a fraction of that money on social workers and other anti-domestic violence programs, Denver would be safer. ANY reduction in the severity of prohibition will likely reduce crime. Prohibition has been the primary driver of the massively violent American state. We're the most violent 1st world country by a factor of 5 or 10 times the others.Ask anyone who was around in the 50's and 70s. Street gangs used to fight it out with fists and knives. Then the illegal drug trade came in the 60's and 70's. Suddenly it was teens fighting over basketball courts, it was big business. Street gangs morphed into violent gangsters.SAFER's election campaign couldn't have been more accurate or relevant.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on December 29, 2005 at 07:31:08 PT
Denver Post: Pot Proponents Go for State Ballot
December 29, 2005If a group of marijuana proponents has its way, Colorado adults will be able to legally possess small amounts of marijuana. The organization Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, or SAFER, announced during a news conference in front of the state Capitol on Wednesday that it plans to build on its recent successful Denver campaign. In October, the group persuaded Denver voters to change a city ordinance to make it legal for people 21 or older to possess 1 ounce or less of marijuana. But Denver and state police continue to cite individuals under state law. Snipped:Complete Article: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_3352265
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