cannabisnews.com: Drugs: Condoning Cannabis Drugs: Condoning Cannabis Posted by CN Staff on October 28, 2002 at 09:04:11 PT By Steve Friess Source: Newsweek Magazine Nov. 4 issue — Is Sin City getting more sinful? Question 9—an initiative to legalize pot, making it OK to carry as many as three ounces of marijuana for private recreational purposes—pops up on the Nevada Nov. 5 ballot. Since 1996, eight states have passed laws legalizing medical marijuana—even as the federal government continues to maintain it is illegal and occasionally stages raids on marijuana clubs. But Nevada is the first state to seriously consider outright legalization. Most stunning of all is that Question 9 could actually win—a prospect that has both the Bush administration and the gaming industry taking notice. Polls, both from local newspapers and the pro-pot group Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement, show a tight race, and that has brought out the big guns to keep voters here from lighting up. Bush drug czar John Walters has visited Nevada twice since August to argue the evils of pot, and former Bush Sr. aide Sig Rogich raised more than $200,000 from the casino industry for a TV campaign featuring law-enforcement leaders worrying about the Strip’s becoming a 24/7 Grateful Dead concert. With “the most liberal drug laws in the union,” Rogich warns, “Las Vegas would become an ongoing Jay Leno joke.” Still, many political observers doubt that Question 9’s core audience—young liberals—will turn out on Nov. 5 in the numbers necessary to beat the dependable opposition from elderly voters and parents. Even so, Marijuana Policy Project chief Robert Kampia is optimistic. “Most people in the country, and most of our donors, never thought we’d win,” he says. “If we lose 48-52, that’s still an all-time record.” And if they win, Nevada may be only the first state to go to pot.Note: Legalizing pot is on the Nevada ballot this fall.Source: Newsweek MagazineAuthor: Steve Friess Published: November 4, 2002Copyright: 2002 Newsweek, Inc. Contact: editors newsweek.com Website: http://www.newsweek.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:NRLEhttp://www.nrle.org/Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Nevada Should Back Question 9 http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14539.shtmlNevada Pushes Next Frontier: Legalizing Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14503.shtmlPondering The Ballot Questionshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14491.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #11 posted by afterburner on October 28, 2002 at 20:31:02 PT: Ta, DdC and FoM: I Will Treasure These Links. As they say in Jolly Old England. Cheerio. Pip. Pip. A nation of heads, Tim Leary once said. But now thanks to the Internet, we're a Global Village. Keep up the good work everybody. Jah lives, children, yeah.ego destruction or ego transcendence, that is the question.Love and Peace.Refresh. Realise. Re-legalise. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by DdC on October 28, 2002 at 19:44:11 PT a b... I think they are a class "B" presently. It was approved medicinally before sometime I think. I believe they also legalized heroin as a class "B" before. Or never outlawed them as class "A". This is getting better... Soon it will be as booze...The cops are finding out it makes their jobs easier and a lot left over in the budget for legitimate raises and bennies and pleasing the public. Copshops in the U.S. make money on WoD and its approved by D.E.A.th's undocumented expenses. Security reasons. I'd wonder what England spent before on cannabis vs what the US.spends. England and most of Europe have been growing hemp a few years. Italy never stopped. The vatican needs a lot of linen and robes. I hope this horse is off to the races...Be Well...DdCMajor Studies of Drugs and Drug Policy http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/studies.htmThe Whooton Report Cannabis Report by the Advisory Committee on Drug Dependence ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON DRUG DEPENDENCE, United Kingdom http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/wootton/wootmenu.htmHASHISH FUDGE Soma and the Wootton Report by Steve Abrams THE TIMES ADVERTISEMENT AND THE WOOTTON REPORT 7 April 1993 revised May 10th http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/wootton/soma1.htmIn 1967 my organization Soma published a full paged advertisement in The Times which called for reform of the law on cannabis. Sixty-five people were persuaded to sign this document, including leading figures in the arts and sciences and eminent medical men. our proposals for reform stopped short of outright legalization. However, legalization was clearly a long term prospect if they were implemented. The advertisement declared the existing law "immoral in principle and unworkable in practice."The advertisement was immediately debated in the House of Commons, where the Minister of State, Alice Bacon, announced an expert inquiry headed by Baroness Wootton of Abinger. In January 1969 the so-called "Wootton Report" on Cannabis endorsed the position taken in the advertisement, that "the long asserted dangers of cannabis were exaggerated, and that the related law was socially damaging, if not unworkable."* The Home Secretary of the day, James Callaghan (now Lord Callaghan) put up a smokescreen. He denounced the Report, claiming its authors had been "overinfluenced" by the "lobby" responsible for "that notorious advertisement." However, after waiting for a year, he quietly introduced legislation to implement the recommendations of the Wootton Report.The legislation expired with the 1970 general election, but it was immediately reintroduced by the Tory government and became law as the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The law implemented the unanimous view of the Advisory Committee on Drug Dependence that end users of cannabis should no longer face the prospect of imprisonment. This was spelled out by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Hailsham, in his advice to magistrates on sentencing. After a prolonged debate Britain had decided to condone the use of cannabis. Today the law is scarcely enforced against end users, and the majority of arrests are dealt with by the procedure of cautioning, without a conviction being recorded.***Home Office Advisory Committee on Drug Dependence - Report on Cannabis, 1968, p. 1** "The law banning cannabis sale and use is all but unenforced." Times leader, "Overdue for Repeal", 24 July 1992Schaffer Library of Drug Policy http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/index.HTM [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by FoM on October 28, 2002 at 19:20:39 PT afterburner It will become a Class C Drug. Here are a few links. That's really something that we were used as a link on the article that Druid and DdC posted. We all must be doing something right! If you missed this special from the Observer UK you might want to check it out. I believe I got all the articles in the big series linked on this page. It was a remarkable amount of detailed work that went into this special.Drugs Uncovered: Observer Special: http://freedomtoexhale.com/dc.htmSofter Line for Cannabis Laws: http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13344.shtmlBritain To Relax Laws for Millions of Dope Smokers: http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13339.shtml [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by afterburner on October 28, 2002 at 18:55:28 PT: A-B-C, Simple As Do-Re-Mi! I followed DdC's and druid's link to netscape http://channels.netscape.com/ns/news/ns/ftecontent.jsp?file=news/time/cover102802.jspto: UK Heralds Softer Cannabis Policy http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/07/10/uk.cannabis/index.htmlHome Secretary David Blunkett on Wednesday announced a planned downgrade of marijuana from a Class B to a Class C drug -- putting it in the same group as steroids and anti-depressants.Did I miss something? Last time I heard Blunkett and UK were thinking about downgrading the classification of marijuana (cannabis) from schedule A (North America's schedule 1) to schedule B. Now they are talking about downgrading from class (schedule) B to class C. Is this sloppy journalism or another shot heard 'round the world? Also included a British poll:Is it right to liberalise cannabis laws? Yes 88% No 12%Total: 5939 votes Love and Peace.If you can't legalise it, at least decriminalise it (possession, use, cultivation, and surrogate cultivation). [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by DdC on October 28, 2002 at 18:25:38 PT Poll: Should Marijuana be Legalized? October 28, 2002 at 08:13:39 PTBy Neil Graves Source: New York Post America's conservative attitude toward marijuana is going up in smoke, according to a new survey. The Time/CNN poll revealed that 72 percent of Americans now feel that people arrested with small amounts of marijuana should not do any jail time, while just 19 percent favored sending pot smokers up the river. Read More... http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread14582.shtmlPoll: Should Marijuana be Legalized? http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101021104/story.htmlYes 86.0%Yes, but only medically 3.3%No 10.7%total votes: 29,988Netscape Poll Closed: Should marijuana be legalized for any purpose? Yes, it's no more harmful than tobacco 88%No, it's a drug and should remain illegal 12%Total Votes: 5840Netscapes Poll Results left hand side/Politics of Pot. http://channels.netscape.com/ns/news/ns/ftecontent.jsp?file=news/time/cover102802.jsp I Got Caught Smoking Pot. Who's Going to Hire Me Now? More http://www.fortune.com/indexw.jhtml?channel=artcol.jhtml&doc_id=209424 The Will Foster Story: 93 years for medical cannabis http://www.gnv.fdt.net/~jrdawson/willfoster.htmJames Geddes Age 47, serving 90 years charged with cultivation and possession of five marijuana plants Release Petition http://hr95.org/geddes.petition.htmFree James Geddes http://hr95.org/Geddes,J.htmlDrug Wars: Menace to America by Tod Mikuriya, M.D http://www.mikuriya.com/drugwars.htmlTod H. Mikuriya, M.D. sociopolitical http://www.mikuriya.com/sociopolitical.htmlTod H. Mikuriya, M.D. Homepage http://www.mikuriya.comNovember November Coalition http://www.november.org MAKING THE WALLS TRANSPARENT http://www.angelfire.com/fl3/starke Dr. Grinspoon: To Smoke Or Not To Smoke [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on October 28, 2002 at 16:34:10 PT AlvinCool Very good. That's how it can get done. When we find an opportunity and we use it we don't know what the ripple effect will become. You never know when you light one small fire in another person's heart all that can be accomplished. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by AlvinCool on October 28, 2002 at 16:29:15 PT Step by Step Step by Step the public drops off the prohibition of marijuana bandwagon. This really isn't a moral issue FOM, it's just made out to be one. As an example. It was interesting that I went to see Formula 51, terrible movie, and low turnout. An older couple, in their 60's were there and asked me if the movie was about drugs. I told them the plot and we joined in a discussion of current drug policy. When we started they thought all cops were saints protecting us from evil drug dealers. With the application of logic and facts they finially agreed that the temptations of prohibitions had to be too great for a percentage of police and that those would taint the ability for true enforcement. They had no idea 2 million people were in custody and that 6 million were in the probation system. They were shocked to find out it cost $25K to $40K for each of those 2 million people. I politely asked them if they would give up their social security checks to help put more people in jail and they got very angry and said HELL NO. I looked them dead in the eye and asked them where they thought the money to put those in jail had already come from if it wasn't social security stolen by Congress, money that would probably have doubled their checks. I then turned around and the movie started, but their minds were completely different from that time forward. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on October 28, 2002 at 16:03:21 PT AlvinCool That's right. I believe this whole issue of trying to legislate personal morality hasn't worked and it won't work in the future. Sometimes people need to look at an issue that we might not even agree with and step back and say why should it bother me and why should it be against the law even if I don't agree? That's hard to do but that is allowing people in a free society to control their own destiny. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by AlvinCool on October 28, 2002 at 15:33:57 PT Just another letter to the editor "With “the most liberal drug laws in the union,” Rogich warns, “Las Vegas would become an ongoing Jay Leno joke.” Still, many political observers doubt that Question 9’s core audience—young liberals—will turn out on Nov. 5 in the numbers necessary to beat the dependable opposition from elderly voters and parents."Let me see if I have this right. Las Vegas, who is steadily losing gambling customers to other states that are allowing casinos, would object to Jay Leno mentioning the name of Las Vegas every night on his show? Really now are you SERIOUS? Las Vegas would kill for that kind of advertising.And what would they do with the money from the taxes and the money not spent on locking people up? Hmnnn.... use it to promote tourism, improve their roads, promote responsible marijuana use and fund better schools, right?Sure sounds like a win win to me. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Richard Lake on October 28, 2002 at 11:16:32 PT: Can You Spare Just a Few Hours,,,, Can you spare just a few hours to change the course of history? To take action to end the war on patients and responsible marijuana users?The landmark campaign for Question 9 in Nevada needs your help immediately. If approved, Question 9 will insure that medical marijuana patients won't have to go to drug dealers for their medicine, and that responsible adults will be protected in the privacy of their homes.However, Question 9 will lose by a slim margin if we don't secure more volunteer help. Currently Question 9 is a few points down in the polls. But, we can make up the difference with a massive "get out the vote" (GOTV) campaign -- basically encouraging our supporters to vote in higher numbers than our opponents. In order to get out the vote, we absolutely have to have volunteers to make phone calls to our supporters, urging them to vote. Although Election Day is November 5, Nevada voters are currently voting because they have two weeks of "early voting."So, in order to turn a slim loss into a victory, we need the help of people who care. Will you please volunteer for Question 9 in Las Vegas during this critical time? We've all talked the talk; now it's time to walk the walk.Friends, please volunteer now. Call Sarah Jaffa, volunteer coordinator for "Yes on 9" at(702) 253-9511 sarah nrle.orgOr simply drop by our campaign office at 3201 West Sahara Street, 2nd Floor, Las Vegas, NV. Volunteers get an awesome "Yes on Question 9" t-shirt!For more information about Question 9, please visit http://www.nrle.orgUPDATE:Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement's ballot initiative folks are asking for your help! Folks in Nevada can vote at the polls right now, as stated at the website http://www.nrle.org/ The results, either way, will likely depend on less than a thousand votes. Please help by:(1) Calling everyone you know in Nevada and asking them to vote now.(2) If you can, the Las Vegas office needs volunteers to work the get out the vote phone banks between today and election day. Folks have driven in to help from as far away as Nebraska, but more volunteers are still needed. With rooms available nearby with rates as low as $10 per person for three per a room, and good breakfasts as low as 99 cents it does not cost much to stay there and help out. If you are interested please call Sarah Jaffa, volunteer coordinator for "Yes on 9" at (702) 253-9511 sarah nrle.org The initiative homepage [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo MD on October 28, 2002 at 09:18:05 PT: Well, well. I'm surprised to even see this out of Newsweek. They really need to do some coverage of medical issues, and have managed to almost totally avoid the topic.Write to the editors! [ Post Comment ] Post Comment