cannabisnews.com: White House Weighs in on Pot Issue 





White House Weighs in on Pot Issue 
Posted by CN Staff on March 31, 2003 at 14:42:35 PT
By Liz Heitzman of the Tribune’s Staff
Source: Columbia Daily Tribune 
A local initiative aimed at softening the city’s marijuana laws has caught the attention of the White House’s drug prevention office.Scott Burns, an appointee of President George W. Bush and director of state and local affairs for the Office of National Drug Control Policy, will speak Thursday at a luncheon sponsored by a local anti-drug group at the Peachtree Banquet Center. The subject of the luncheon will be how Proposition 1 conflicts with federal laws.
Burns, along with a staffer from the Washington, D.C., office and another from Kansas City, will also hold a news conference about the measure."We’re not here to tell people how to vote. The president has a strategy to reduce drug abuse, and any attempt to decriminalize or legalize drugs runs counter to our mission," said Kevin Sabet, a senior speechwriter with the drug policy office, which coordinates a widespread anti-drug media campaign. Instead of telling people how to vote, Sabet said that Burns would be "clearing up misinformation."For example, Sabet said that marijuana is a dangerous drug and its use puts more teenagers in rehab every year than alcohol and other drugs combined.He called Columbia’s effort a "well-financed effort derived from people who want to legalize all drugs."Amy Fritz, who graduated in December from the University of Missouri-Columbia and is director of development for the political action committee that has formed to support Proposition 1, said the White House’s efforts amounted to campaigning against the student-led initiative."We always assumed that if they ever found out about the initiative that they would probably increase the anti-marijuana ads in this town, but I don’t think we ever thought they would come down and campaign against it," she said. "They may not be saying ‘vote no,’ but it’s not a mere coincidence that they’re coming here."Proposition 1 organizers collected 2,600 signatures last fall - more than double the amount required under the city charter. The initiative would give "seriously ill" patients the right to obtain and use marijuana and reduce fines for those caught with small amounts of the drug.The Columbia initiative springs up about six months after marijuana reform measures were defeated in three states. At the time, federal drug enforcement officers said that the election marked the beginning of the end of the legalization movement.Sabet said that his office was coming to Columbia at the request of Act Missouri, a drug prevention and education not-for-profit group based in Jefferson City.Peggy Quigg, executive director of Act Missouri, which also uses the name Partnership for Drug Free Communities, said she was notified about the initiative by Columbia residents. Quigg’s group is paying for the luncheon, to which a couple hundred people have been invited.She said that Proposition 1 is a complicated ordinance that brings up medical, law enforcement and court issues."We wanted to have somebody who could speak on all three of those issues at once. I think there is quite a bit of misinformation in Columbia," she said. "I don’t think the federal government is coming to weigh in on the argument - that would be overstepping their role. They’re going to provide quality information and help counter some of the misinformation circulating in Columbia."Source: Columbia Daily Tribune (MO)Author: Liz Heitzman of the Tribune’s Staff Published: Friday, March 28, 2003Copyright: 2003 Columbia Daily TribuneContact: editor tribmail.comWebsite: http://www.showmenews.com/Related Articles:Poll Encourages Marijuana Law Supportershttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15822.shtmlPolice Adjust Pot Policy Before Election http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15795.shtmlSentencing Initiative Step Forward on Pot Policy http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15780.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #14 posted by freedom fighter on April 01, 2003 at 18:44:56 PT
Binky, I don't know if you are 
kidding around or not but in those "treatment centers", they sometime force "pot-head" to take harder drugs such as valium, the heavy hard stuff... It's not Cold turkey.. Know what I'm saying?? Most of the time, about approx. 99% of those "patients" are just there for some to steal their money. They are forced to go there maybe once a week or once a month depending where you are from. They are forced to endured sexual abuses because they must submit urine in exchange for their freedom. And they are forced to pay for it. All in hope that just one would loudly proclaim that others do not have the right to their own bodies.Oh there are so many stuff I could tell you about the "treatment".It's all so corny and just plain stupid.. Now that I'm out of the "treatment" supposdely cured by the ideology...All I can say,,,Yeahhhh WHAT TREATMENT??? PAZff
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #13 posted by Binky on April 01, 2003 at 05:28:53 PT
What treatment?
I hear so much about treatment for mj, and I wonder what they do in these treatment centers. I guess it's cold turkey in lock-up along with heroin and teeth grinding meth freaks.
Someone is making alot of free cash off of this one.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #12 posted by i420 on April 01, 2003 at 04:17:28 PT
Ha,ha,ha,ha
The Columbia initiative springs up about six months after marijuana reform measures were defeated in three states. At the time, federal drug enforcement officers said that the election marked the beginning of the end of the legalization movement.There will never be an "end" to the legalization movement the "movement " moves in waves, that sooner or later will cave in this so-called "prohibition".
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #11 posted by observer on April 01, 2003 at 01:25:47 PT
drug war propaganda, 100%
content analysis - themes2. The drug is identified as solely responsible for many problems in the culture, i.e., crime, violence, and insanity. asserted: $propaganda_theme2 at 100% ("dangerous drug" "dangerous"), 2 hits3. The survival of the culture is pictured as being dependent on the prohibition of the drug. asserted: $propaganda_theme3 at 60% ("Communities"), 1 hits4. The concept of "controlled" usage is destroyed and replaced by a "[gateway] theory" of chemical progression. [All use is abuse.] asserted: $propaganda_theme4 at 100% ("drug abuse" "use marijuana"), 2 hits5. The drug is associated with the corruption of young children, particularly their sexual corruption. asserted: $propaganda_theme5 at 70% ("teenagers"), 2 hits7. Policy options are presented as total prohibition or total access. asserted: $propaganda_theme7 at 100% ("Drug Free" "legalize all drugs" "legalize drugs" "legalize" "legalization" $legalization), 6 hits8. Anyone questioning any of the above assumptions is bitterly attacked and characterized as part of the problem that needs to be eliminated. asserted: $propaganda_theme8 at 100% ("anti-marijuana"), 1 hitsconclusion:
 asserted: $drugwar_propaganda at 100% ("anti-marijuana ads" "anti-drug media campaign" "media campaign" "campaign" "campaigning" $propaganda_theme2 $propaganda_theme3 $propaganda_theme4 $propaganda_theme5 $propaganda_theme7 $propaganda_theme8), 6 hitsthemes used:
NIDA: Themes in Chemical Prohibition, William L. White, 1979 
http://drugwarpropaganda.gotdns.org/t.cgi
http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/History/ticp.html robot drug war propaganda analyzer:
http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/ 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #10 posted by AlvinCool on March 31, 2003 at 20:37:09 PT
Just another LTE
I know I'm not from Columbia but I've asked this question dozens of times and it's never been answered. The Office of National Drug Control Policy will be speaking on the issue of marijuana soon in your area and I was hoping you could both bring this up and provide myself and your readers with a definitive answer.Over 440,000 people die each year from cancer caused by tobacco. That's just the people that die not the total that contract cancer directly related to tobacco use. When our population statistics are placed against Great Britains 62 million people with 5 million people using marijuana that puts us at about 35 million marijuana users. That's probably an accurate statistic. The Office of National Drug Control Policy tells us that marijuana is as bad if not worse, depending on the press release at the time, than tobacco concerning cancer.Where are all the marijuana related cancer cases? If they are telling the truth there should be thousands upon thousands of cause directly related to marijuana use, but there aren't any. This supports studies done in other countries that show marijuana inhibits many types of cancer. Whoops sorry, that's not scientific is it? And studies like that aren't funded in the US are they?There are plenty of studies, almost all funded by The Office of National Drug Control Policy, that repeatedly state marijuana "could" cause cancer. So where are the cancer cases after 30 years of people using marijuana????My apologies for seeking the truth. The truth used to be what we made our decisions on, now it's rat and mice studies. When people tell us that nothing else helps them with their illness or treatment we call them liars. We place them on the same level as child molesters. There is a cancer in our society, it's called the war on drugs. The sooner we carve it out the sooner America can heal itself. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #9 posted by andylee on March 31, 2003 at 19:27:59 PT:
Liars
"For example, Sabet said that marijuana is a dangerous drug and its use puts more teenagers in rehab every year than alcohol and other drugs combined."They need to show the real statistics in the media so bad. It is thier policy that puts teenagers in "MANDATORY" rehab every year. If there was decrim and if only teenagers who actually needed rehab only went. Then there wouldn't been more then alcohol and other drugs combined.  I just hate the way they keep brining that statement up. Ever since i heard it here in florida from Jeb Bush and his task force possy.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #8 posted by The GCW on March 31, 2003 at 19:09:41 PT
Meanwhile, back at the satellite...
US DC Edu: Editorial: Smoke Weed Every Dayhttp://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n473/a06.html?397SMOKE WEED EVERY DAY The world is a crazy place. Most people are depressed, there is a war raging 24 hours a day live on TV, the economy is in the tank and school is fucking stressing you out. The tension is building, you can feel your heartbeat in your fingertips and you can't stop the pounding on the left side of your brain. That damn foreign TA just failed you but you never knew what the fuck he was talking about in the first place, you have no idea where you are going to live next year, you're one page into a twelve-page essay and ran out of anything to write about and the Princeton Review says GW students are among the least happy in the country. There must be an end to this downright depressing situation. How could you possibly ever relax? The GW BongHit has the answer. There are only a few things in the world that can truly relax you now. One of them is sex, buts let's face it, you go to GW and are probably too ugly to get laid. So we can only offer one suggestion. Follow our directions carefully for serious relaxation, and hurry, time is of the essence. Go get a bong, bypass the six-inchers, your kind of situation calls for the four-footer. Now go to your shady neighbor and get some weed ( watch out for stems, sticks and seeds and tell him you're cool and don't want any crack ). Run back to your room, and plug the door behind you with a towel. Proceed to pack the green goodness into the bowl. You're close now, probably only seconds from mellowness, don't flip out, keep your hands steady. Now take your lighter, ease it to the bowl and light that shit, inhale until the white smoke turns yellow in the bong, ease out the bowl and take one last breath ... wait ... wait ... wait ... now exhale. Ahhhhh. Doesn't that feel good? That feeling of contention is drug induced, but its OK man, you're high. Forget about that paper, throw on Zoolander, grab the Funyans and float away to orange frappuccino land. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #7 posted by mayan on March 31, 2003 at 18:33:07 PT
Misinformation
Instead of telling people how to vote, Sabet said that Burns would be "clearing up misinformation." For example, Sabet said that marijuana is a dangerous drug and its use puts more teenagers in rehab every year than alcohol and other drugs combined.Misinformation, eh? Sabet conveniently fails to mention that the vast majority of the teenagers in rehab for cannabis are sent there against their will by the courts. And where's Johnny Pee at? Has he become a liability also? Here comes revolution...FEMA's activation sets the stage for rule by decree:
http://www.kaput.com/html/fema_s_activation.htmlMP urges troops to disobey orders:
http://www.itv.com/news/2105567.htmlPeter Arnett: U.S. war plan has 'failed':
http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/30/sprj.irq.arnett/Britain's Mirror Hires Fired Veteran Arnett: 
http://www.reuters.com/locales/newsArticle.jsp?type=entertainmentNews&locale=en_CA&storyID=2482229 Expert says politics of war 'lost'
http://www.newsfrombabylon.com/article.php?sid=2994Undercutting the 9/11 Inquiry:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/31/opinion/31MON2.html?ex=1049691600&en=a47e7d0398609ba4&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE9-11 Commission Funding Woes:
http://www.time.com/time/nation/printout/0,8816,437267,00.htmlKaminski's Best 9/11 Sites — 4th Edition:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0302/S00024.htm9/11 Prior Knowledge/Government Involvement Archive:
http://www.propagandamatrix.com/archiveprior_knowledge
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #6 posted by FoM on March 31, 2003 at 17:14:25 PT
Don't Miss Hollywood High
It's really good so far!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #5 posted by The GCW on March 31, 2003 at 16:57:48 PT
The Feds. were somewhat effective in NV
but Columbia is a colledge town.People tend to cary themselves as though they are intelligent in colledge towns and so the Feds. are more exposed and vulnerable in this setting. Columbia, Missouri is a lot more hip than the average town.Unless Scott Burns is a thorough dunce, even He knows exactly who is "clearing up misinformation."Scott Burns is a servant for Mr. misinformation.It is very important for some sick people to cage humans for using a plant.The filthy perverted urine sucking cannabis prohibitionists, however are beside themselves and are destined to self-destruct, by way of an abundance of Truth that even the wicked will not endure.Sick people that suck urine should not be leading the planet.Columbia is going to vote on it. 
 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #4 posted by FoM on March 31, 2003 at 16:57:25 PT
afterurner
That's true. I never thought of it that way but medicine is a much nicer positive term then drug. Sometimes I think if I could give America one personality it would be of a grumbly, opinionated, self righteous person. I hope I'm wrong thinking that way but it seems Americans love to fight and lord it over one another. Maybe that goes on in other countries too but I just don't know if that is so or not.I'm getting ready to watch Hollywood High on AMC. I hope it is good.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #3 posted by afterburner on March 31, 2003 at 16:39:17 PT:
FoM: Note the Wisdom of the British.
There, industry regulator is called Medicines Control Agency whereas the USA uses the pejorative term "drug" in their title Food and Drug Administration. Medicine is a more honest term since not all medicines "Drug" a user despite the American preference of referring to Drug Stores instead of Pharmacies or Apothecaries. How could anyone take the zero-tolerance, just say "no" to drugs seriously when the word is used in such a sloppy fashion. ego destruction or ego transcendence, that is the question.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #2 posted by FoM on March 31, 2003 at 15:23:51 PT
News Brief from Reuters UK
GW Pharma Submits Cannabis-Based Drug Mon March 31, 2003 07:44 AM ET LONDON, March 31 (Reuters) - Marijuana-based drugs firm GW Pharmaceuticals Plc said on Monday it had submitted its first cannabis-based prescription medicine for approval by Britain's industry regulator, the Medicines Control Agency.A spokesman said the firm was still in talks with prospective marketing partners for the drug, which is sprayed into the mouth rather than smoked and aims to give pain relief for multiple sclerosis patients.A partner would be named during the first half of this year and UK approval of the drug was likely by the end of the year, in line with previous guidance, the spokesman said.GW, which cultivates some 40,000 marijuana plants a year at a secret location in the English countryside, holds the sole British licence to develop medicines from cannabis, a widely-used but illegal drug.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #1 posted by greenfox on March 31, 2003 at 14:45:31 PT
More faeces from the sh*t pushers...
They aren't going to tell you how to vote, eh? You're right- they don't need to! All they need to do is block the results of the vote, like they did with the medical inititive that passsed just a short while ago...
[ Post Comment ]


Post Comment