cannabisnews.com: Decriminalize Marijuana Users 





Decriminalize Marijuana Users 
Posted by CN Staff on December 02, 2002 at 08:46:01 PT
By R. Keith Stroup
Source: Washington Times 
Florida drug czar Jim McDonough may be gloating prematurely when he declares that the recent national elections were a "broad-based rejection of the drug normalization campaign begun in the mid-1990s" ("They just said no," Op-Ed, Tuesday). This fall's statewide marijuana policy initiatives in Nevada and Arizona were defeated because they included provisions that went beyond the point most Americans support. 
They called for legalizing the sale of small amounts of marijuana in Nevada, and providing free medical marijuana to patients in Arizona. However, polling continues to demonstrate that a voter initiative would enjoy majority support if it focused on the core issue of whether we should stop treating responsible marijuana smokers as criminals.A recent Zogby poll found 61 percent of the American public opposes arresting and jailing marijuana smokers, while only 31 percent supports current drug policies. A new Time/CNN poll found 72 percent of the public favors a fine only — no jail — for marijuana smokers.Contrary to Mr. McDonough's allegations, it is not "smoke and mirrors" to report that the FBI says there were 724,000 Americans arrested on marijuana charges last year, and that 89 percent of those arrests were for simple possession. Most marijuana smokers are good, productive citizens who contribute in a positive way to their communities. By treating them as criminals, we are needlessly destroying the lives and careers of our own citizens, and wasting law enforcement resources that should be focused on serious and violent crimes, including terrorism.In the long run, it will be impossible for the drug warriors to maintain criminal penalties for the responsible use of marijuana by adults, because a solid majority of the American public now opposes criminalizing marijuana smokers. In a democracy, the laws must eventually reflect the will of the majority.Source: Washington Times (DC)Author:  R. Keith Stroup, Executive Director - NORMLPublished:  December 02, 2002Copyright: 2002 News World Communications, Inc. Website: http://www.washtimes.com/Contact: letters washingtontimes.comRelated Article & Web Site:NORMLhttp://www.norml.org/They Just Said No - Jim McDonough http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14875.shtml
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Comment #5 posted by observer on December 02, 2002 at 18:16:15 PT
''TV ads with some young guy ...''
Truth says, ''TV ads with some young guy whom tells his story of being incarcerated for a minor cannabis offense, being anally raped, catching aids with shots of his wife and young baby whom also catch the illness as a result of our countrys mean spirited drug laws might help put a human face on the subject.''That is a brutally true and GREAT idea! This is exactly what I mean. We have to drive home the images of JAIL and show people exactly what they consent to, when they support the war on cannabis users.For more, please read some of the stories at the Stop Prison Rape site: http://www.spr.org(Suvivor Stories are at: http://www.spr.org/en/survivorstories/main.html )
Stop Prison Rape
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Comment #4 posted by Truth on December 02, 2002 at 10:24:56 PT
face it
TV ads with some young guy whom tells his story of being incarcerated for a minor cannabis offense, being anally raped, catching aids with shots of his wife and young baby whom also catch the illness as a result of our countrys mean spirited drug laws might help put a human face on the subject.
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Comment #3 posted by afterburner on December 02, 2002 at 10:20:49 PT:
Statistics Needed on State Jailing Percentages!
While I agree that concentrating on jailing or caging of humans is an effective argument, the prohibitionists are throwing our success up in our face. Decriminalization successes to date mean in some places, jail is not the problem. What we need from NORML, or any other credible source, is a list of states and some cities outlining the number of cannabis arrests, the number of people caged, the number of people forced into treatment, and how many people are receiving a criminal record that will prevent them from getting student loans or working for the government. This will let us speak with confidence about the harm done by prohibition. ego destruction or ego transcendence, that is the question.
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Comment #2 posted by observer on December 02, 2002 at 09:58:03 PT
JAIL JAIL JAIL!
Stroup: ''However, polling continues to demonstrate that a voter initiative would enjoy majority support if it focused on the core issue of whether we should stop treating responsible marijuana smokers as criminals.''Note: FOCUS on the CORE ISSUE (jail)He continues, ''A recent Zogby poll found 61 percent of the American public opposes arresting and jailing marijuana smokers, while only 31 percent supports current drug policies. A new Time/CNN poll found 72 percent of the public favors a fine only — no jail — for marijuana smokers.''Jail ... Jail ... Jail ... Jail ... FOCUS ON THE JAILING OF POT SMOKERS.It is a message that we just never seem to learn, as we most foolishly embrace the boogeyman of ''legalization''. People get lost in the abstraction of what ''legalization'' means ... I repeat ('till I am blue in the face) DO NOT DEFEND ''LEGALIZATION'' (because, among other reasons, you are automatically on the defensive).INSTEAD, ATTACK THE "JAILING" OF POT SMOKERS.It is a message that bears repeating within the groups of people who want to be able to toke without going to jail.When trying to persuade others, I suggest not trying to show people how much you know and how smart you are because you you can use big abstract terms like "LEGALIZATION." Please bring it down to a level where everyone can visualize: JAIL.Maybe I'm being "too negative". Jail is "negative". Rub people's noses in the JAIL part and you will start convincing people. Throw counterculture and hippness and "LEGALIZE MAN!" in their face, and you won't convince people. See the difference?
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Comment #1 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on December 02, 2002 at 09:48:04 PT
Miranda rights soon to be revoked?
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20021202/ap_on_go_su_co/scotus_police_questioning_4Another day, another civil liberty lost... 
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