cannabisnews.com: Major Panel: Drug War Failed; Legalize Marijuana
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Major Panel: Drug War Failed; Legalize Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on June 01, 2011 at 20:09:38 PT
By Jonathan M. Katz, Associated Press
Source: Associated Press
New York -- The global war on drugs has failed and governments should explore legalizing marijuana and other controlled substances, according to a commission that includes former heads of state, a former U.N. secretary-general and a business mogul.A new report by the Global Commission on Drug Policy argues that the decades-old "global war on drugs has failed, with devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world." The 24-page paper will be released Thursday.
"Political leaders and public figures should have the courage to articulate publicly what many of them acknowledge privately: that the evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that repressive strategies will not solve the drug problem, and that the war on drugs has not, and cannot, be won," the report said.The 19-member commission includes former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and former U.S. official George P. Schultz, who held cabinet posts under U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon. Others include former U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker, former presidents of Mexico, Brazil and Colombia, writers Carlos Fuentes and Mario Vargas Llosa, U.K. business mogul Richard Branson and the current prime minister of Greece.Instead of punishing users who the report says "do no harm to others," the commission argues that governments should end criminalization of drug use, experiment with legal models that would undermine organized crime syndicates and offer health and treatment services for drug-users in need.The commission called for drug policies based on methods empirically proven to reduce crime, lead to better health and promote economic and social development.The commission is especially critical of the United States, which its members say must lead changing its anti-drug policies from being guided by anti-crime approaches to ones rooted in healthcare and human rights."We hope this country (the U.S.) at least starts to think there are alternatives," former Colombian president Cesar Gaviria told The Associated Press by phone. "We don't see the U.S. evolving in a way that is complatible with our (countries') long-term interests."The office of White House drug czar Gil Kerlikowske said the report was misguided."Drug addiction is a disease that can be successfully prevented and treated. Making drugs more available — as this report suggests — will make it harder to keep our communities healthy and safe," Office of National Drug Control Policy spokesman Rafael Lemaitre said.That office cites statistics showing declines in U.S. drug use compared to 30 years ago, along with a more recent 46 percent drop in current cocaine use among young adults over the last five years.The report cited U.N. estimates that opiate use increased 34.5 percent worldwide and cocaine 27 percent from 1998 to 2008, while the use of cannabis, or marijuana, was up 8.5 percent.Newshawk: Had EnoughSource: Associated Press (Wire)Author: Jonathan M. Katz, Associated PressPublished: Wednesday, June 1, 2011 Copyright: 2011 The Associated PressCannabisNews Justice Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/justice.shtml
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Comment #11 posted by CaptainAjnag on June 08, 2011 at 16:05:14 PT:
If I Wrote A Letter To The President
It'd go something like this.Dear Mr. President, After 70 years of prohibition, cannabis is at its all time high. No pun intended. As the reefer madness hysteria fades away, the population of the United States is slowly becoming aware of cannabis' true potential. But what happens when everyone realizes that cannabis isn't the evil weed it was once thought to be? When we the "sheep" figure out that marijuana is actually one of the most effective drugs, capable of battling a whole array of different ailments. Do we lose faith in our leaders after believing 70 years of lies used to fuel a failing drug war? Or should we just carry on and pretend our government doesn't lack proper judgment? We can all agree that this prohibition has done nothing but hurt young Americans and kept the Mexican drug cartel thriving. Cannabis is nothing like the portrayal given to us by the DEA. It grows from the earth and even in its most concentrated form it still can’t kill you. Its quite hypocritical to even say cannabis is a Schedule I drug, seeing how 16 states and Washington D.C. currently allow medical marijuana under state law. It seems kind of odd that 16 states would allow MEDICINAL USE of a drug that is said to have no medicinal values. Why can't something be done about this? Outright legalization probably isn't the best way to fix this, yet its quite obvious that we need some sort of solution to this problem. Why? Simply because cannabis is, and always will be, a strong part of our society.
We are the young America that voted you into office. We will be the future leaders of this great land. Should we really have to wait until our generation rises up the ranks before we can obtain some sort of change that would better the country as a whole? You’ve been granted a position that holds a tremendous amount of power. I shouldn't be the one to have to remind you to use it wisely.
A concerned American
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on June 02, 2011 at 16:05:05 PT
BGreen
Thank you. I am glad Neil is still out there making us smile. I am sorry Ben Keith isn't here anymore but we still luckily have many of them left. Have you checked out this cool link?You scroll sideways once you get past the intro and see Neil smoking in a car. In another room there is a joint in an ashtray. You can click on the theatre and see different videos. I love Harvest Moon. I've shared it with friends and they love it too.http://store.neilyoung.com/flash/
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Comment #9 posted by BGreen on June 02, 2011 at 15:23:22 PT
This might interest you, FoM
It's a review of the first show in their current tour.http://www.rollingstone.com/music/blogs/alternate-takeBuffalo Springfield Launch First Tour in 43 YearsJune 2, 7:22 AM ET
| By David Fricke"Thank you, we're Buffalo Springfield," Neil Young announced early in the band's June 1st show at the Fox Theater in Oakland, the opening date of the Springfield's first tour since the spring of 1968. "We're from the past," Young added drily.
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Comment #8 posted by museman on June 02, 2011 at 09:23:02 PT
yes it has failed
It's failed the people. It's failed the once honorable image of our country abroad. It's failed reality. It is the single largest failure -next to creating an exclusive club of lawyers to 'run' things, since the Civil War.But it hasn't failed the fat bastards who issue edicts from their boardrooms and penthouses. -they've created quite a power base of 'moral imperatives' to justify their continued control of our lives.It hasn't hurt the various judges, lawyers, and cops it set up on high pedestals -beyond the reach of common sense and actual, true justice. It hasn't caused the politicians (just another facet of lawyers, judges, and cops) to suffer any setbacks -they continue to raise their incomes while the rest of the country flounders.It hasn't failed the CIA, and the DEA, who have accumulated literally uncounted volumes of untrackable wealth to fund their various clandestine, covert operations globally -like all the secret prisons where they don't have to follow the rules they like to force others to do -in fact they have created new crimes against humanity in their 'war' against whatever they choose at the moment.Whole, lie-based industries have grown out of it. People who would have had to actually do some manual labor or expend energy other than talking bullshit nonsense in their kangaroo courts have had a wonderful run at sucking vitality, goodness, and resource out of the people.We have the prison industry, which has many companies that 'serve' the prisons exclusively -like 'Bob Barker Enterprises.' We have the insurance agencies, who saw the 'comply or else' model of the 'drug war' and forced us all to pay for their penthouses and golf clubs. Our local townships and county commissions are all now in the business of creating 'fees and ordinances' to insure that though the people may be destitute, the business of "law" thrives.And we have the various 'educational' institutions that foster dead-minded 'teachers' who fondle the tit of federal funding, and have no compunction in passing along the many and various lies in their state sanctioned 'curriculum.'The drug war has served corruption quite well, in every 'profession' from the over-rated do-nothing lawyers, judges, and politicians, to the 'doctors' who also enjoy the benefit of this class/culture war.And now the smarter idiots in government turn their language around slightly to seem like they might be getting it, but they still want control. They still want money. They still want to dictate the parameters of yours and my liberty. They still want their power.Oh here's a compromise people; We won't put you in prison any more, we'll just make you pay so much money in fines, 'rehab', 'probation' and other "services" you'll wonder why you didn't just go to jail and let them feed you for a while. Hows that? Are we good?F--ing demons!!FIRE 'EM ALL!!!LEGALIZE FREEDOM
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on June 02, 2011 at 08:17:25 PT
BGreen
Very nice Scripture. I dusted off my Greendale CD and am blasting it. I know we will win because we are on the good side of life.PS: Our friend we have known since 73 called again and was asking questions about marijuana since he now has a medical card and is so happy that Arizona passed a medical marijuana law. He's a big guy, about 64 and soft spoken and was almost giddy which made me smile. What is wrong with being happy?
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Comment #6 posted by BGreen on June 02, 2011 at 08:03:52 PT
The Truth Will Not Return Empty Or Void
This is a Biblical principle that I very much believe. God's Word (which is the Truth) will not return empty to Him.The words I speak are like that.
They will not return to me without producing results.
They will accomplish what I want them to.
They will do exactly what I sent them to do.Isaiah 55:11New International Reader's Version (NIRV)We have the Truth on our side. Anything that validates, confirms or reaffirms what we know to be the Truth can't do anything but help us out beyond our wildest expectations.The Reverend Bud Green
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Comment #5 posted by dongenero on June 02, 2011 at 07:36:54 PT
thanks runruff - comment #3
http://www.avaaz.org/en/end_the_war_on_drugs/?copy
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on June 02, 2011 at 07:24:24 PT
Global War on Drugs: The Full Report
Global War on Drugs a Failure, High-Level Panel SaysJune 2, 2011Washington, D.C. -- A high-level international commission declared the global "war on drugs" a failure and urged nations to consider legalizing cannabis and other drugs to undermine organized crime and protect their citizens' health.The full report is available at: http://www.globalcommissionondrugs.org/ReportURL: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110602/wl_nm/us_drugs_commission
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Comment #3 posted by runruff on June 02, 2011 at 06:27:54 PT
Your input here!
Dear jerry,The war on drugs isn't just an American problem – it's an international one. Misguided prohibitionist policies worldwide have resulted in extraordinary levels of violence, crime and corruption; millions of people incarcerated; gross violations of civil liberties and human rights; all sorts of harms to health and welfare; and hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars down the drain.But now we have a new opportunity to end the international war on drugs. Tomorrow, a new Global Commission on Drug Policy, whose members include Kofi Annan and four former presidents, will convene in NYC to call for decriminalization and a major paradigm shift in global drug policy. Show your support by signing this petition hosted by our friends at Avaaz.org. The petition will be hand-delivered to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki‑moon by the Global Commission Friday, so help the petition reach 750,000 signatures by adding your voice now!Ethan Nadelmann
Executive Director
Drug Policy Alliance
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on June 02, 2011 at 05:24:53 PT
MikeEEEEE
I don't think anything will change. When they talk about drug reform it just won't go with most people in the states.
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Comment #1 posted by MikeEEEEE on June 02, 2011 at 04:54:46 PT
yawn
I doubt the moronic leaders here will do anything with this.
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