cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Prohibition Doesn't Work Marijuana Prohibition Doesn't Work Posted by CN Staff on April 23, 2006 at 07:53:42 PT By Debra J. Saunders Source: San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco -- In an age when so many politicians pander to popular opinion, why is it impossible to imagine Washington restoring so much as an ounce of sanity to the so-called war on drugs? A Zogby poll in 2002 found that 61 percent of Americans oppose arresting and jailing nonviolent marijuana smokers. Yet there isn't a major politician in America who would support decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana. Many may have used it -- some even inhaled -- and still they want marijuana to be illegal. The folks from NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), which commissioned the Zogby poll, met at the Holiday Inn on Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco last week in their quixotic bid to legalize marijuana. There were the expected male pony tails and counterculture clothing, but no contraband wafted through the lobby. Marijuana activists can't smoke even cigarettes in California hotels. NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre archly noted, "You (Californians) are great at ostracizing the tobacco user." Implicit is his message: Let social sanction, not the heavy arm of the law, deal with marijuana abuse. Not that St. Pierre equates marijuana use with abuse. St. Pierre is a 40-year-old Republican who readily acknowledges the "bipolar" nature of his constituency -- Green Party members and Libertarians who think "drug reform is a big deal." Alas, they are up against heavyweight Democrats and Republicans -- "people who couldn't be in a room together" on other issues, says St. Pierre -- who are united in the cause of outlawing a substance tried by 40 percent of Americans. Snipped:Complete Article: http://tinyurl.com/emrkfSource: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)Author: Debra J. SaundersPublished: Sunday, April 23, 2006Copyright: 2006 Hearst Communications Inc.Contact: letters sfchronicle.comWebsite: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/NORMLhttp://www.norml.org/CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #14 posted by whig on April 24, 2006 at 12:22:27 PT FoM "America is great because she is good. If America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." -- Alexis de Toqueville [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by FoM on April 23, 2006 at 18:16:09 PT Whig I am only thinking right now of our country. I am thinking about us here in the USA today. I am not afraid. I am just thinking out loud about the future we might have here. I've never been out of our country. [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by whig on April 23, 2006 at 17:49:13 PT FoM Our dreams are larger than one nation, but smaller than an empire. We do not seek conquest, but freedom for all, and an end to tyranny and world domination. If you put your faith in any government, you will always be disappointed. But put your faith in God and do not fear. [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by FoM on April 23, 2006 at 17:36:07 PT America I really am perplexed as to our future. We seem to be running a clock backwards. I remember when I didn't seem to have any direction these words kept going thru my head. Without a dream a people perish.Where is our ability to dream as a nation now? [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by Hope on April 23, 2006 at 17:20:11 PT This makes me so sad to say... it actually makes me wince. But I fear it's true, or I wouldn't think it. America has become The Prison Nation. We stand for punishment, incarceration, fines, and lots of them. I'm afraid that may be all we really are anymore. Government has infiltrated every single area of our lives. It wasn't supposed to be that way. It's not what America was supposed to be. They threaten us all constantly for all kinds of reasons. It's not the way it should be.Our government is greedy and immoral."SMOKING MARIJUANA CANNOT, IN ANY WAY, BE DESCRIBED AS IMMORAL. ARRESTING THOSE WHO SMOKE IT CANNOT BE DESCRIBED AS ANYTHING ELSE." Sebastion Seville [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by whig on April 23, 2006 at 17:18:00 PT What is America It's a question with many answers, none of which are actually correct. As an idea, it has been a different one at different times and as held by different people. Even at the time of the revolution, the Jeffersonian and Hamiltonian conceptions were in diametric opposition to one another. Should there be any surprise that we cannot all agree on what it means today? [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by FoM on April 23, 2006 at 16:56:34 PT Questions This might sound weird but what is America? How do we define ourselves anymore? What are our values as a country? What is our purpose as a country? I don't know anymore. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by whig on April 23, 2006 at 16:45:25 PT Hope Let's abolish corporations, or at least remove from them the cloak of artificial personhood. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by Hope on April 23, 2006 at 16:40:16 PT "Government of the people"? Now it's government by corporations and industry. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on April 23, 2006 at 16:22:20 PT Toker1776 I appreciate your comments here on CNews. I do want to mention to you that you don't need to post your e-mail address unless you want to post it. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Toker1776 on April 23, 2006 at 12:53:54 PT: From The Horses mouth As a long term surviver of HIV/AIDS, I have had at least three near death experiences from this illness in the past 19 years. Add to that the fact that for the past 25 years have been diagnosed with severe depression, Bi- Polar disorder, and now during the past 5 years S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) After being placed on over 26 different kinds of medications for the depression nothinghas worked as well as Marijuana has for all three illnesses! I tell no lie! It has rescued me more times than I can count! If this herb wes non existant in my life time I would shurely be dead by now! That's why I become angry when I read and hear stories of other people in same situations who have no choice but to break the law so they may live a close to normal life. It makes me sad to see that the Government, court systems, law makers, and large corporations have all sided with the major players on this issue. What ever happened to "live and let live"? At least here in America? What ever happened to "Government of the people"? I don't know, but I for one sure wish it would return, and not a moment too soon!!!!! [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Hope on April 23, 2006 at 09:21:18 PT What if someone discovered a plant...an easy to grow plant that will grow nearly anywhere for nearly anyone. It's nutritious to the human body. It's good for the enviroment and the soil. It's resistant to disease and it makes people feel better. It's beautiful. Use of it allows people be able to relax and enjoy life and feel better in general. It makes people in pain have less pain and allows one to tolerate pain and disease better than they would without it. It is completely non-toxic, except perhaps to those few who might be allergic to it...even then...it does not kill them.What if this plant were easy to grow and would add to the health and quality of life for so many people? It would be the policy of the nations to ban it from use by it's peoples. What? [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Hope on April 23, 2006 at 09:14:40 PT Prohibition of a substance is the basis for a black market. They've done a great job of hugely increasing the damage to humanity with their prohibition. They, prohibitionists, enrich themselves and the drug cartels. Heck...they are the parents of the drug cartels. They gave birth and life to them. Prohibition is their meal ticket and the meal ticket to those who supply the unregulated substances to the people who want them. The purveyors of prohibition are just as despicable as, no, more so, than the cartels and dealers who love prohibition because it enriches their income. Those who benefit from prohibition are going to keep it alive as long as they can. We see it clearly. So do they. Eventually the whole world will see it for what it is. It is a cash cow for those who would latch their greedy lips on to it's teats.Shame, shame, shame on them. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on April 23, 2006 at 07:58:43 PT Not one? "Yet there isn't a major politician in America who would support decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana."Dennis Kucinich isn't "major"? [ Post Comment ] Post Comment