cannabisnews.com: Plant War Update





Plant War Update
Posted by CN Staff on March 01, 2007 at 16:07:03 PT
By Ari Armstrong 
Source: Boulder Weekly
Colorado -- Apparently we Americans have nothing better to do with our resources than to wage war on an herb and those who use it for medicinal or recreational purposes. But the war on the plant marijuana is a failure. It doesn't work. And it wastes money, undermines our liberty, creates violence, funds criminals and corrupts law enforcement. Following are a few news items from the front. On Jan. 4, Sensible Colorado -- http://www.SensibleColorado.org -- sent out a press release about James and Lisa Masters of Fort Collins.
The release states, "The Masters, who are both medical marijuana patients and caregivers, are charged with one count each of felony marijuana cultivation... They are the first medical marijuana caregivers to go to trial in Colorado and the defense team, led by attorneys Rob Corry and Brian Vicente, will pursue the Caregiver Defense arguing that Colorado's Amendment 20 allows caregivers to cultivate and sell marijuana to seriously ill individuals." Vicente said, "The Masters are being targeted for providing help to sick people." Check out Joshua Zaffos's two outstanding articles for the Feb. 8 Colorado Springs Independent -- http://www.csindy.com -- for more information about the case. One twist that Zaffos recounts in his piece, "Tokin' opposition," is that, while Vicente was "schooling a roomful of defense lawyers on how to represent medical marijuana patients," Larimer Deputy District Attorney Thomas Lynch was caught observing the meeting and was ejected. The persecution of medical-marijuana providers is obscene. The proper purpose of government is to protect individual rights. In this case, government agents are actively violating people's rights. State agents are initiating force against citizens who are both innocent of wrongdoing and physically disabled. Does marijuana work? It is not the legitimate job of politicians or law enforcement agents to make such calls. It is a decision properly left to patients and their doctors. But the evidence is in: Marijuana is effective for some medical uses. For example, Sabin Russell writes for the Feb. 12 San Francisco Chronicle, "Doctors at San Francisco General Hospital reported today that HIV-infected patients suffering from a painful nerve condition in their hands or feet obtained substantial relief by smoking small amounts of marijuana in a carefully constructed study funded by the State of California." The full study, led by Dr. D.I. Abrams, may be found in Neurology's Feb. 13 edition: http://www.neurology.org/According to a Feb. 14 e-mail from the Marijuana Policy Project -- http://www.mpp.org -- David Murray of the White House drug czar's office replied, "People who smoke marijuana are subject to bacterial infections in the lungs. Is this really what a physician who is treating someone with a compromised immune system wants to prescribe?" But practically all drugs have side-effects, and it is the responsibility of doctors working with their patients, not stooges of federal "czars," to make such decisions. Besides, marijuana can be consumed in ways other than smoking, and presumably that would maintain the health benefits while eliminating the problems related to smoke. However, even some drug-war insiders are questioning some of the excesses of this war. A Feb. 13 article by Michael Doyle of McClatchy Newspapers (linked through The Denver Post's web page) reports, "In an emphatic but nonbinding opinion, the Drug Enforcement Administration's own judge [Administrative Law Judge Mary Ellen Bittner] is recommending that a University of Massachusetts professor be allowed to grow a legal pot crop. The real winners could be those suffering from painful and wasting diseases, proponents believe." Ironically, the professor, Lyle Craker, is working on vaporizers, a technology that reduces the risk of smoke. "The Bush administration... has remained hostile to Craker's research efforts," Doyle reports. So this administration simultaneously criticizes medical marijuana for its unhealthy smoke and undermines efforts to remove this risk. While the government's war against the sick is particularly heinous, the general marijuana war is also immoral and impractical. A Feb. 13 AP article reports, "A judge has resigned to protest a proposal to impose stiffer city penalties in Lafayette for marijuana possession. Leon Frieling, a Boulder attorney, resigned Monday as an associate municipal judge, citing an ordinance that would set a fine of up to $1,000 and a jail term of up to a year for marijuana. The existing city fine is $100, the same penalty set under state law." A Feb. 16 e-mail from SAFER -- http://www.SaferChoice.org -- reported that the Lafayette council withdrew the measure. SAFER warns, "Although this particular ordinance has been killed, it may be back in a couple months." Finally, a new report indicates the massive failure of the war on marijuana. Jon Gettman's "Marijuana Production in the United States (2006)" is available at: http://www.DrugScience.orgThe executive summary states, "Marijuana is the largest cash crop in the United States, more valuable than corn and wheat combined. Using conservative price estimates domestic marijuana production has a value of $35.8 billion... "Despite intensive eradication efforts domestic marijuana production has increased tenfold over the last 25 years from 1,000 metric tons (2.2 million pounds) in 1981 to 10,000 metric tons (22 million pounds) in 2006, according to federal government estimates." Colorado ranks 27, with an estimated 67,514 plants, 29,768 pounds, and a cash value of $47,807,000. This war has been lost. It is an immoral war that should never have been started. It's time to end it. Newshawk: The GCWSource: Boulder Weekly (CO)Author: Ari ArmstrongPublished: March 1, 2007 Copyright: 2007 Boulder WeeklyContact: letters boulderweekly.comWebsite: http://www.boulderweekly.com/Related Articles:Marijuana as Wonder Drughttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22698.shtml Smokin' Medicinehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22619.shtmlCouple Cites Medical Defense in Pot Casehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22498.shtml
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Comment #20 posted by The GCW on March 08, 2007 at 13:54:42 PT
LTE: The pot war on minorities 
The pot war on minorities Ari Armstrong's "Plant War Update" was informative (Liberty Beat, March 1). Generally, Boulder Weekly's coverage of the war on drugs is excellent. One point Armstrong makes, however, is as wrong as it is commonplace: that marijuana prohibition has been a failure. Granted the multi-million-dollar campaign to persecute marijuana has failed to curtail production or consumption. But marijuana prohibition isn't there to do either, nor is it there to protect the public health. Those are the pretexts. The real purpose of marijuana prohibition, both in the present and historically, has been to expand police power vis-ˆ-vis citizens and to persecute ethnic minorities. Early marijuana laws were created to harass Mexican Americans and African Americans. NORML reports that early marijuana laws in California targeted "The Hindoos," East Indian immigrants who bigots believed "even more unfit for American civilization than the Chinese." Many of these people, incidentally, may not have even been marijuana users; nonetheless, that was the pretext for targeting them. Today, since the late '60s, marijuana laws primarily target a new ethnicity: what we call "hippies" or "the counterculture." Not coincidentally, NORML's description of anti-Hindoo bigotry sounds much like anti-hippie bigotry: "Outlandish customs, dirty clothes, strange food, [and] suspect morals," among other things. In fact, in many jurisdictions in America, it's now legal for the police to pull over and search a vehicle simply because it displays a Grateful Dead sticker. So, since the true purpose of marijuana prohibition has been and is ethnic persecution and social repression, sadly, we must conclude it's been a great success. That's why these "failed" laws remain in force. Paul Dougan, Webmaster HappilyHippie.com/Broomfield http://www.boulderweekly.com/letters.html
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Comment #19 posted by museman on March 06, 2007 at 10:07:44 PT
Poets
If it weren't for the fact that some of the most acclaimed poets were also ass-kissers of the State, like Homer, whose proverbs were all about the glory of dying for your country, I'd take exception to the inclusion of poets in that line by the Police.An art however is not necessarily benevolent, just because it is an art. There are musicians who sing Homer-like tunes, and like politicians, there are those who take advantage of popular trends to elevate their social and economic status, like U2. (damn Bush lovers.) And I once thought U2 to be on the side of love and peace.However, poets in general (not jingle writers, poets) tend to be liberal minded with deeper insights into life than politicians -who definitely have an agenda of 'tying up and raping you' not just with their logic, but with their hired dogs as well, and priests whose 'eloquence' exists at generally a third grade level of intellectual mastery.It's not like the understanding is new, more the frustration. There have always been the awake ones, those who see clearly past the BS of the ruling class, but up till the past century -with the advent of mass communications - not many dared venture forth with their understanding.Nearly all the violence and pain inflicted on the world is a direct result of the machinations, desires, and whims of our Kings, Princes, and political aristocracies like we have in the US. The social/economic imbalance in the world provids the fuel and fodder for war, after war, after war. The fact that a poet or a songwriter can utter profound truth certainly has no guarantee that any application in reality will come of it.I'd like to say that the class system has been in place longer than I've been around, and that my observations of it's base as the foundation of all the evil in the world, is neither new nor secular. There are oppressed people all over the world who understand it at a gut level, and it's certainly no wonder that the '3rd world' looks at America as both the savior and destroyer- just turn on any TV anywhere, and you literally get the picture.We have had the solutions now for at least 2,000 years, but the irony of the situation, is that the institution which has carried the knowledge of the solution with them for almost as long -the xtian church- is totally ignorant of it's true content, and it has actually become the 'anti-christ' that they go on and on about.Obfuscation was invented by royal personages commissioned into high levels of the church hierarchy, the true marriage of church and state, which was one of the reasons some of our founding fathers tried to create a political separation in the constitution.The logic of religion -particularly xtianity - is no logic at all, it is a set of contrived meanings loosely relevant to the power sets of the day, and an incorporation of eloquent lies mixed in with a sprinkling of truth.I submit that religion (again xtianity in particular)is not the same as Spirituality, it is not the same as faith and belief (though they claim their various psychotic imaginings as being part of that.) Religion is not a practice, it is a denial. Religion is a box to put fearful people in, and a great resource for voting blocks.The system is rotten to the core, and cannot be fixed. We can all argue about this until the day it comes crashing down (and it will) but until we decide to reject this failed system, and start actually building that 'new world' in actual physical reality -not just in concept and idea, then just about all efforts are vain and wasted.The only value in compromise at this point can be measured in terms of humanity. If a few people are saved the pain and torment of life caused essentially by a few evil men and women then there is some worth to the efforts. As long as we think we can petition our masters for justice however, we are only fooling ourselves."You cannot petition the lord with prayer!" said Jim,
neither can you hope for a modicum of respect from your 'betters.'
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Comment #18 posted by afterburner on March 05, 2007 at 22:53:57 PT
museman
"Vampires of good taste and immaculate image, they have been programming us to serve them; through 'education' - religion - military - and as a 'working class.'"Reminds me of that song:"Poets priests and politicians
Have words to thank for their positions
Words that scream for your submission
And no-one's jamming their transmission
'Cos when their eloquence escapes you
Their logic ties you up and rapes you"
De Do Do Do Lyrics,
Artist: The Police 
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Comment #17 posted by museman on March 05, 2007 at 21:09:18 PT
money vs love
"Instead, each generation since us was taught obedience to the state was expected, not the State's obedience to the Constitution."Just for the sake of clarification, I believe that what you meant is that this particular condition of ass-backwards priorities has been doubly intensified since we proverbially tossed their old order out the window back in the days of the 'revolution.' Remember that it was their war-based economics we initially rebelled against, manifested notably in VietNam, and the protests.I can remember being forced to cut my hair, or not be allowed to participate in my high school graduation.All the good sounding rhetoric that had me working the streets as a 'young republican' sounds just as good to naive and ignorant ears now as it did then.All of the innovative efforts that we as a generation came up with to 'wage' peace, and promote love, were studied by the governmental adversaries, and counter measures were devised. They learned all our tricks, and took steps to make sure such actions wouldn't have the same effect and power that they did when first we used them.Their agenda is as old as Babylon, and the smell of decay permeates all that they touch. Aristicratic breeding. A carefully maintained set of standards and values which renders power and wealth to predators. Vampires of good taste and immaculate image, they have been programming us to serve them; through 'education' - religion - military - and as a 'working class.' (Doesn't anyone ever get bothered by that? I mean just pointing out the considered 'importance' of the working class kind of casts a contrast on the 'non-working class.' Which class would that be?)As I was saying, they've been at this control thing for a long long time, and the fundamental system which empowers them hasn't changed much, if any, since Babylon and Sumeria.There have been expectations and lamentations concerning saviors, messiahs and the like, prophesies and great demonstrations- revolutions- the struggle has always been from the bottom up, and the corruption, death and destruction has always been from the top down.Without gold, silver, or it's modern eqivalent no wars were ever possible. Money buys the fools and tools of war, as well as the great oratories which have inspired many a young idiot with tales of glory and valor. War is a monetary investment, with an expectation of a profit. The purses that finance war do so only on the condition of profit.Peace, Love, and Understanding cannot be had at a seminar at $100 a 'donation', it cannot be conjured by a committee, or legislated. It cannot be bought, sold or traded. People just got to choose, and do it.
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Comment #16 posted by museman on March 05, 2007 at 10:04:01 PT
John L
"Time wounds all heels." -John Lennon
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Comment #15 posted by Toker00 on March 04, 2007 at 16:14:43 PT
museman
John did his share. The rest is up to us. He identified the two strongest forces on the planet and showed us how to begin to use them. Peace and Love. You are right about us dropping the ball in the eighties. I honestly expected the next generation to take what we had discovered and increase it until Utopia was attained, progressively, each generation. Instead, each generation since us was taught obedience to the state was expected, not the State's obedience to the Constitution. Nothing about Spiritual Growth or Individuality or Free Creativeness. They are now taught that they are not important as Humans, but are merely a unit of property of the State, important only as a "consumer", and not as a Citizen.
IT'S TIME TO BUILD THAT OTHER WORLD.What They Prohibit, Must we Provide.What They Destroy, Must we Defend.What They Deny, Must we Decry.Where They have failed, Must we Begin.ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE. END CANNABIS PROHIBITION NOW, AND SEE.Toke. 
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Comment #14 posted by afterburner on March 04, 2007 at 12:29:34 PT
museman
I too saw "The US vs. John Lennon" recently. One thing John Lennon said was profound and challenging at the same time. He said that the Revolution had to be non-violent because when we become "violent the government knows how to deal with" us. That's why they don't like cannabis: it makes us too unpredictable.At one time transfats (in the form of hydrogenated margarine) were introduced into the food chain. The reason was to increase shelf life. But then people became used to the taste. Now, cooks and restaurants claim they need to find transfat-free substitutes that have the same flavor. New York has banned transfats. KFC and other fast-food restaurants have committed to transfat-free recipes.White bread was created to increase shelf life too. By milling out the bran and germ, the flour would keep longer. People became accustomed to the taste. Then came South Beach diet and the avoidance of carbs, especially simple carbs. Now, nutritionists are praising whole grains with their complex carbs.Once people smoked cigarettes in offices and airplanes. People were used to that. Now, the dangers of side stream tobacco smoke have led increasingly to smoke-free buildings.70+ years ago cannabis prohibition was created for commercial and racial control purposes. People became used to that too. Gradually, the populace is awakening to cannabis medication and regulation.We can change habits and laws. We must (if we want this tired old world to survive). "War is over if you want it." John and Yoko I'll never forget seeing that message skywritten overhead at the Rock and Roll Revival Concert at Varsity Stadium in Toronto in 1969 with my wife."All we are saying is give peace a chance." John and Yoko 
Live Peace In Toronto 1969 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono
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Comment #13 posted by museman on March 04, 2007 at 11:23:38 PT
John Lennon
I saw "The US vs John Lennon" last night. I was reminded of just how much I miss that man, and just how much we need people like him right now.The purity and power of his being comes across like a gentle giant. I forgot the humor, and his gift of sarcastic profundity.Looking back I can definitely determine the point at which a substantial amount of my generation gave up and bought in to the system. I am willing to bet that there were more haircuts, and suburbia became a comfort zone.There is a saying, "You don't know what you got till it's gone." WE didn't know what we had, but the f-in government did.As a follower of John Lennon (his way is also YSHWH's way) and having had my communion with his spirit during the 3 days after his death, I can say experientially that the wind went out of the collective sails on the 8th of December, 1980.It might be coming back. Neil Young is giving it his best, and I'm proud of him, but I think this young generation needs to hope for someone like John to step up and knock the block of illusion off our collective shoulders.You see, if John Lennon was still alive, he would have never backed down. The polits knew this, so when he appeared to be making a 'comeback' after his retreat, they assassinated him. Imagine John Lennon for president.I've already decided, as a matter of principle that I will no longer vote for poitical parties, because they all have agendas which are corrupt, and destructive. When people decide to get real, and take back the constitution, rewrite it in common language so that special dispensation of lawyers is not necessary to understand and interpret it, then there may come forth some real representatives of the people, like John Lennon, whom they took away from us.
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Comment #12 posted by museman on March 03, 2007 at 10:20:50 PT
the ides of March
When the bushmonkey declared war on my birthday, I was ready to stone the bastard. I Imagine some Irish folk got a little miffed about it as well.I see that hope for justice and sanity is apparently in the wind. I of course am very cynical about whether or not any real inroads are going to occur to set humanity on a more correct course, but the last thing I want to do is be some kind of stumbling block in the way of real progress, so for the last week or so, I've been keeping silent. Kind of like, 'If I don't have anything good (or positive) to say, say nothing.'Mayan is right. The complicity of the Bush regime in 9/11 is the cornerstone of the corruption currently still playing out. The facts are so obvious -like the facts about our amazing herb, yet the politicians (our supposed 'elected representatives') cannot muster an ounce of fortitude.A new spring is on the way. In some intuitive ways it feels like the real turn of the century is just beginning, and the end of a long long night of dark imaginings is finally coming to it's inevitable end.Personally however it all reminds me of the story of 'the boy who cried wolf', because so many times the enthusiasm and movement has claimed victory only to be run down and knocked back to petty, shallow, ineffectiveness.The heads of the beast are expendable. No matter that we MIGHT succeed in impeaching, the real power behind the throne will remain untouched, uneffected, and most importantly, unhampered by the fall of George Bush. I want to see a movement to go after the heart of the problem instead of the bleeding symptoms. When I see that I will have not only hope, but will participate in ways I have always dreamed about, but could never find the reality to play in.Until then, I remain cynical, but supportive.
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Comment #11 posted by museman on March 03, 2007 at 09:56:22 PT
toke
Created a download link here; Right click, save as.
FAM page
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Comment #10 posted by Toker00 on March 03, 2007 at 04:38:22 PT
Morning, FoM
Thanks, but my old 'puter doesn't have something that makes that connection. My sound works fine for videos and cds. Maybe I should just lose my affection for this old box and give in and buy a newer one. Maybe not a NEW one, but newer.Toke.
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on March 02, 2007 at 16:16:22 PT
Toker00
We're listening to songs from CSNY's Freedom of Speech Tour from last summer. The message of change was so in the music. We're on the right road.I thought I could answer your question to museman incase he doesn't get back soon. The song is embedded in the page. After it loads it will start to play.Chicago: http://www.guntheranderson.com/v/data/chicago.htm
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Comment #8 posted by Toker00 on March 02, 2007 at 15:57:09 PT
Mayan, they made so many mistakes and 
miscalculations that day. If not for the Internet, they would have succeeded a lot longer in having to face the Truth Seekers. But it's Time. I spoke about 9-11 in a couple of dangerous places the other day. The person I was with asked me if I was sure I didn't have a problem with doing that and I told him I was sure. BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH. Remember, the constitution was implemented on March 4th. Sunday. The Iraq War has been waged for four years come March 17th. Saturday. Both on weekends. Many people will be there and many will also protest in place. Will they try to break us with New World Order tactics, or will we break the back of Tyranny and RE-establish this Constitutional Republic in the name of Humanity instead of Corporatism? Legalization of Cannabis and Ending All Wars is our ONLY hope of surviving this Corporatismically caused nightmare.War is over if you want it.All we are saying is give Peace a chance.Imagine all the People sharing all the World.There comes a time when SILENCE is TREASON. Toke.   
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Comment #7 posted by ekim on March 02, 2007 at 09:03:47 PT
Dennis please get the hemp showcase for HB 1009
Urgent : We Had to Change the Official YouTube Channel address today to: 
 
http://www.youtube.com/denniskucinich
 Hemp Showcase  www.thehia.org 
 The hemp showcase consists of six display boards featuring current products on the market and general hemp info. It is available for events, libraries, colleges, legislative hearings, or the like. Host pays for shipping. Click here for more information. 
http://www.leap.cc/events
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Comment #6 posted by snowedunder on March 01, 2007 at 19:41:17 PT:
mayan...  Same goes for the 
CBC and CTV up here.
Peace!
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Comment #5 posted by mayan on March 01, 2007 at 18:27:42 PT
Story Of The Century
Sorry, but the 9/11 cover-up is unraveling right before our eyes! Some folks have a lot of explaining to do... BBC, CNN Employ Magical Psychic News Announcers:
http://wonkette.com/politics/wtc/bbc-cnn-employ-magical-psychic-news-announcers-240564.phpWhy No One Could Have Predicted The Collapse Of WTC 7:
http://infowars.net/articles/march2007/010307BBC_WTC7.htmLET'S MAKE HISTORY! SPREAD THE NEWS!!!
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on March 01, 2007 at 18:21:06 PT
Dankhank
Thank you. We are watching it and I sure hope everyone takes a minute and sees this remarkable story.
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Comment #3 posted by Dankhank on March 01, 2007 at 18:02:21 PT
Head's Up ...
Bob Woodward on LKing Live ... CNNvery soon ...
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Comment #2 posted by Had Enough on March 01, 2007 at 17:19:50 PT
Yes Siree BobKatz!!!
The front pages are changing…Listen;…………….. What’s that sound?It’s the Fat Lady warming up, getting ready to sing at full volume…That will be a good tune. I love sound of a good tune.They will hear it loud and clear all the way to Washingtoon, DC.
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Comment #1 posted by Hope on March 01, 2007 at 16:55:39 PT
Truth in print!
This article hits the nail square on the head.Thank you Boulder Weekly and Ari Armstrong. Powerful words, and true. Thank you.
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