cannabisnews.com: Wild West: Drug Cartels Thrive in US National Park





Wild West: Drug Cartels Thrive in US National Park
Posted by CN Staff on June 09, 2003 at 14:54:07 PT
By Daniel B. Wood, Staff Writer of The CSM
Source: Christian Science Monitor 
Sequoia National Park, Calif. -- Even Br'er Rabbit couldn't make it through this briar patch. With their M-16 rifles and their backpacks snagging on every bramble, three national-park rangers in commando gear spit out mosquitoes on a pathless mountainside of manzanita thickets and dense brush. Gun barrels raised to give each other cover, they advance using hand signals, pausing only to sip water in the 100-degree heat and gasp for air through mesh masks.
After 2-1/2 hours, one mile, and a thousand-foot gain in altitude, they come across evidence of large-scale activity that officials call the biggest threat to national parks since their creation over a century ago. Beside an abandoned camp scattered with trash and human waste, lie empty bags of fertilizer, gardening tools, irrigation tubing - and spent rifle casings. Illegal marijuana farming, once the province of small-time growers, has become big business on the nation's most visited public land: national parks."This is massive-scale agriculture that is threatening the very mission of the national parks, which is to preserve the natural environment in perpetuity and provide for safe public recreation," says Bill Tweed, chief naturalist at Sequoia National Park. "[Growers] are killing wildlife, diverting streams, introducing nonnative plants, creating fire and pollution hazards, and bringing the specter of violence. For the moment, we are failing both parts of our mission, and that is tragic."For decades, park rangers have stumbled into small cannabis stands. But now, desperation and opportunity have combined to move larger-scale illicit marijuana farming to Sequoia, Glacier, Big Bend, and other jewels of the American landscape. 'Now there is the specter of violence' Since the late 1990s, marijuana cultivation has escalated dramatically in the more remote public areas such as national forests - many of which permit mining, forestry, grazing, and other activities - and areas under the stewardship of the Bureau of Land Management. Marijuana seizure in California national forests has jumped tenfold, from 45,054 plants in 1994 to 495,000 plants last year.But since Sept. 11, drug farming has increasingly spread from remote forests to more-public national parks. Tighter security on US borders has raised the incentive for domestic cultivation. That makes for more armed growers - and potential clashes with those traipsing into the wilderness for nature at its most pristine.As well as growing more common, the enterprise has become more organized. International drug cartels - made up largely of Mexican nationals - seem especially drawn to the bounty. And their harvests can be huge: last year, officials here seized the biggest stash of all, with 34,000 plants in five locations at an estimated street value of $140 million. Complicating the task for law enforcement is the strain on resources. Park budgets have tightened, and many of the available rangers have been shifted to more popular haunts."The most [visitors] used to worry about is running into a grizzly bear. Now there is the specter of violence by a masked alien toting an AK-47," says David Barna, chief spokesman for the National Park Service (NPS). He and others say the problem is national, but most pronounced in California, Utah, and Arkansas, and in parks with international borders such as Big Bend in Texas and Glacier in Montana.Here in California, the biggest problems have been at Sequoia, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area and Point Reyes National Seashore. Officials say the accouterments of cannabis farming - black tubing, drip-irrigation techniques, terraced gardens, booby traps, look-out posts, and weapons - are so similar across the plots that the same organizations are probably at work. "Intelligence gathering ... up and down the state suggests these are the same groups expanding their operations into different areas," says Steve Prokop of Whiskeytown, near Mount Shasta.Sequoia officials began concerted efforts to comb remote areas in 2001, when a fisherman reported meeting masked operatives toting automatic rifles. Since then, officials have discovered five camps and several acres of marijuana stalks, typically in areas with natural water sources. Last year, officials destroyed eight tons of crops and counted thousands of plants that had already been harvested - and they surmise that many other plots exist undetected. Eight Mexican nationals are due for trial in September. A heavy toll and an arduous task For years, drug enforcement in national parks was focused on scouting out methamphetamine labs. Marijuana gardens were few in comparison and were rarely large-scale enterprises, according to Holly Bundock, chief NPS spokeswoman for California."We used to find smaller gardens every once in a while, but what is going on now is far more organized," says Al DeLaCruz, chief criminal investigator for Sequoia. "The impact [on] resources is very dramatic in terms of the refuse left behind; the damage to vegetation, soil, and water."Besides clearing trees and brush to plant marijuana, growers often terrace the land, stirring up soil - and attracting plants that wouldn't otherwise take hold. Officials fear those exotic newcomers and the havoc they could wreak, reminiscent of an influx of star thistle on California ranch land that rendered millions of acres useless.The diversion of water can also debilitate wildlife, especially in the dry season when many species come from far afield for summer's paltry trickles. Without water, animals will migrate elsewhere or die. And fertilizer in water is a major problem. When polluted runoff flows into lakes and streams, varying nitrate levels can kill fish species, launching a domino effect on the food chain."We have found evidence of insecticide contaminating groundwater, which can be devastating," says Colin Smith, a ranger at Point Reyes National Seashore.Beyond agriculture's toll, there's the wear and tear of humans fending for themselves. DeLaCruz and others have found the remains of deer and bear that growers killed for food and of snakes and rodents they killed for sport.To rangers, the most galling part of the story is that the National Park backcountry where marijuana is cultivated is designated wilderness by the 1964 Wilderness Act. Unlike the portions of national parks with campsites, roads, and restrooms, such areas are supposed to "retain their primeval character," preserve solitude, and keep man's imprint unnoticeable. Even rangers can't use saws or other motorized tools here. Regulations forbid clearing brush for campsites or fires, and guns are prohibited."Wilderness Designation is the highest possible protection for land under US law," says Ms. Bundock.A hike through dense underbrush to the most accessible of the illicit camps gives a taste of how hard it is for growers to haul food and equipment. The sites are so remote, in fact, that harvests often must be helicoptered out.Besides ammunition and guns, there are tents, cooking utensils, propane cylinders, and stacked 50-pound bags of fertilizer. Though a 10- to 15-foot canopy of dense trees conceals the camps' whereabouts, growers take the added precaution of camouflage tarping.One ranger, who asked to remain anonymous, marveled at "how impossible this is to find from above. There is no other way to find [it] except on foot. And we don't have the staff or resources to ... scour these regions." Rangers say that cartels hire illegal immigrants to work and live in the camps, probably for months on end. They use public roads to access parks by night, scurry into the underbrush with supplies, and lug goods up steep hillsides by moonlight.The search for security, strategies, and solutions One advantage for authorities is that they believe marijuana grows best at elevations of 3,000 to 5,000 feet, eliminating most of the park's 15 million acres as optimal sites. Still, that leaves 100 square miles to monitor in Sequoia."Law enforcement is spread thin already," says Mr. Barna. Parks and memorials nationwide are transferring 200 rangers - mostly from Western parks - to help meet the general security demands of the summer surge in tourism. Nor does policing the park system come cheaply: The recent terror-alert switch from Code Yellow to Code Orange cost the Park Service $63,500 a day.And the forces left behind are stretched ever thinner. DeLaCruz says he spends a significant portion of his time on the marijuana battle, and two rangers accompanying him on a recent day say their time for other duties, from search and rescue to interpretive work, is dwindling. "There are people all over the park who want to find a ranger for all the usual reasons, from historical questions to what kind of flora and fauna they are seeing," says one. "It's sad that we are frequently out of sight for them, because we're off chasing marijuana growers."Given the growth of marijuana farming in national parks over the past decade, officials fear the problem will worsen before it improves. "The whole trend is that these groups are moving around more and head[ing] to areas which are more populated," says Laura Mark, an agent for the US Forest Service. "They are going after public land meant for families, where they threaten people and cause untold damage. And they don't care because they are making more money than [most] will see in a lifetime."Marijuana growers keep themselves heavily armed, officials say - partly out of worry about rival growers, partly because the street value of marijuana can be so high. Several shootouts have erupted between growers and law enforcement. A hunter and son were shot in El Dorado County recently, and a hunter was killed two years ago in Butte County. Last year, officers were shot in Tehama and Glenn counties in the Central Valley. "One of our primary concerns is for our employees," says Sequoia's Mr. Tweed.Officials say public exposure is one of the only solutions. They hope more citizens will pressure lawmakers for funding and personnel to stop covert cultivation, in part so that perpetrators' fears of capture might curtail the activity. Though park officials are reluctant to reveal the number of staff assigned to ferret out marijuana plots, estimates at Sequoia are in the dozens. For the clearing of debris and plants, the Park Service has had to rely on other organizations, from the National Guard to the California Highway Patrol to the Tehama County Sheriff, using up to 60 people per operation."This is everyone's problem," says Tweed. "It's not just a question of the moral and legal issue of marijuana. It's an issue of commercial-sized agriculture devastating the mission of national parks to preserve land ... for generations.Complete Title: Wild West: Drug Cartels Thrive in US National ParksSource: Christian Science Monitor (US)Author:  Daniel B. Wood, Staff Writer of The CSM Published: June 10, 2003 EditionCopyright: 2003 The Christian Science MonitorContact: oped csps.comWebsite: http://www.csmonitor.com/Related Articles:Mexican Druglords Grow Pot in Calif. Parks http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16513.shtmlMarijuana Found Thriving in Forests http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14764.shtmlPolice See Pot Growing Turning Into Big Business http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14603.shtml 
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Comment #18 posted by Richard Paul Zuckerm on June 11, 2003 at 07:44:59 PT:
THE REASONS WHY CANNABIS LAWS SHOULD BE REPEALED
The Marijuana laws should be repealed:I.THE HYPOCRISYThe United States Central Intelligence Agency launders over $200 billion per year of TAX FREE drug money thru Wall Street, www.fromthewilderness.com; www.expertwitnessradio.org, www.sumeria.net/politics/shadv3.html, while otherwise law abiding Americans are villified for responsible Marijuana use. The DEA will never stop the drug war because the CIA, Vice President Dick Cheney, Richard Armitage, are [allegedly] involved in this massive drug money laundering. People may not believe it because the public school curriculum is rigged, www.johntaylorgatto.com, major media is manipulated, and people are generally conditioned to be good sheep, to love their masters, the federal government.II.THE FAILURES OF THE COURTSThe courts of law should step in and strike down the marijuana laws. Unfortunately, the great majority of the courts have upheld the constitutionality of the Marijuana laws. There were a few freedom-loving opinions from a few State courts, though. In State v. Mallan, 950 P.2d 178, 208-209, 218-219 (Hawii 1998)(Dissenting opinion by Justice Levinson), Justice Levinson opined that the Marihuana laws are against the freedoms the American people were guaranteed and in violation of the Hawaii State Constitution Right to privacy. In State v. Holland, N.J.Super. (App. Div. 2001?), the Appellate Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey reversed the conviction because the police did not have the authority to force their way into the apartment without a search warrant after the smell of marijuana smoke emanated from same apartment. In Ravin v. State, P.2d (Alaska 197 ), the Supreme Court of Alaska declared the Marijuana laws unconstitutional as a violation of the Alaska State Constitutional guarantee Right to privacy. We need to litigate for the State courts to enforce the State Constitutions to give greater protection for the individual citizen than the federal constitution, including through the use of expert witnessness such as Dr. Lester Grinspoon, M.D., to inform the jury of the relative safety of Cannabis, for jury nullification purposes.III.LEGISLATIVE MALPRACTICEWe need to get on our elected officials, to let them know we do want decriminalization of Marijuana. Otherwise, they will act in the best interest of the corporations, assuming the votes are not manipulated, www.votescam.com. I must have communicated too much to New York State Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan because, today, Wednesday, June 11, 2003, at around 9:45, she told me she received my letters & e-mails, "I will not be harassed", and lied to me that her e-mail address, nolanc assembly.state.ny.us, is on the New York State Assembly Web site!! Prior to our telephone conversation, though, I e-mailed her the upcoming Cannabis Pain Management Lecture from the upcoming events section from www.cannabisculture.com, to show her that Cannabis does have medical uses. I do not plan on contacting Assemblywoman Nolan for a while now, based on her comment, lie, and rushing me off of the phone. There are too many people who are slothful, have the attitude that there is nothing an individual can do. I would rather try, even if it is only me.
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Comment #17 posted by FoM on June 10, 2003 at 16:11:01 PT
The GCW
I agree that people should approach Kucinich if they are into politics. That's how change can come.Here's a couple articles.Democratic Candidate Backs Medical Marijuana: http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16448.shtmlDemocrat Kucinich Endorses Medical Pot Use: http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16441.shtml 
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Comment #16 posted by The GCW on June 10, 2003 at 16:05:19 PT
Nuevo Mexican 
C.newser types, MAP types, MPP types & cannapeople should aproach Kucinich.People wanting to end war - all war, should approach Kucinich.
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Comment #15 posted by Nuevo Mexican on June 10, 2003 at 10:51:25 PT
You're Right GCW, KUCINICH is the ONLY ONE!!!!
who is speaking truth to the war in Iraq and the war on cannabis! If C-newsers aren't aware of his recent statements calling for and end to the war on drugs (cannabis), it's not you're fault, the media refuses to give this man coverage, due to the fact he will resonate with the American people. Ever seen 'Meet John Doe'?
An old classic that will blow your mind! Check it out next time it is on AMC or just rent it! It's one video worth buying, just to loan it to your friends! Peace!
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Comment #14 posted by kaptinemo on June 10, 2003 at 05:41:14 PT:
An old line from a World War 2 poster
"Is this trip necessary?"Meaning, is it worth the time, the resources used and the sheer risk to 'combat' a problem that has, in reality, only one solution?What would these rangers be doing, if they weren't doing this?So much of what the Feds do, when you look at the DrugWar, is just another CETA program, the kind the neoconservatives killed back in the late 1970's because they were perceived as so much taxpayer-funded monkey-motion. CETA was designed to promote job training to better enable someone to compete in the workforce and stimulate the local economies. Needless to say, like anything government runs, the program quickly became known as a boondoggle. (For example, one CETA grant was given to someone who taught children how to make drum sounds by slapping portions of their bodies, *that* kind of monkey-motion.)The problem is, the results are anything but whimsical or funny; innocent civilians are killed by adrenaline tripping cops as well as by criminal Mex weed farmers.Is this DrugWar trip necessary? The answer is obvious...
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Comment #13 posted by The GCW on June 10, 2003 at 03:52:31 PT
6:10:3
b4daylight, -good vs evil?Your observations, are still carrying momentum, with Truth within it, but not the whole Truth. To take Your truth (which was correct) further, take it to the Father. The Father of Christ, the God of Christ, take it to Him where the Truth came from. Utilize the promised Holy Spirit of Truth, and once You are in that realm, share the path, and then let Us all take it to the Lord.PUt it all into Biblical perspective. I have too much to then add, so what is the meat? (2nd is the MOST IMPORTANT: BELOW.1st I’ll mention that what YOu said, is covered in the very 1st Psalm subtitled The Righteous and the Wicked Contrasted. http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?passage=PS%2B1&showfn=on&showxref=on&language=english&version=NASB&x=12&y=9 Like so much of the Bible, this directly reflects on the cannabis issue, almost as though it is the primary reason it was writen.0-0
Psalm 1:1-6, How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, (the council of the wicked, strays from the 1st page where it says all the green plants are good) Nor stand in the path of sinners, (ditto) Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! (ditto) But his delight is in the law of the LORD, (when God says all the green plants are good, THAT IS THE LAW) And in His law he meditates day and night ( A DIRECT reference to the Beginning on the 1st page of the Bible) He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; (this is a DIRECT reference to the very last page of the Bible where in Rev. 22: subtitled The River and the Tree of Life, it describes it as it is described right here in Psalm 1:3) And in whatever he does, he prospers. (verse 4) The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish. (The Tree of Life is unintended for the Wicked, and cannabis which is the Tree of Life, and has extra powers only makes those extra powers available to those who are obedient Christians).
Then in Psalm 2, right away it comes out and asks in Psalm 2:1, Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? (because as the Rev. 22 area states: the leaves of the Tree of Life are for the healing of the nations, We live in a time when My nation denies God, denies the Tree of Life, which has leaves to heal the nations, and to deny the Tree of Life will lead to the nations being in an uproar.) (Cannabis, the Tree of Life heals the nations yet is prohibited, that's why)
1st and last everywhere, it seems, the Bible states cannabis IS GOOD.
Those who would prohibit cannabis are wicked evil.-0-2nd I want to make sure You and perhaps all cannapeople, understand what is written about what it is You have and what it is You will receive if You nurture that which You have.You have a lot of Truth, and You know it. You sense personal disunderstanding among others when it comes to the most elementary... You have some very valuable links.Now take what You have, (and as though I am persecuting You) toward that Glorious Father the Ecologician, in prayer, for ask Him to show You the Truth as He wishes for You to know it.What You are to do:You are to collect the communication system, that Christ died for You to receive. He died telling Us He would send the spirit of truth, as told by John, in 14-16 and also in 1 John and 2 John. We are told We only receive that “new teacher” by obeying Him, Christ, who simplified what it means to obey Him, which is to LOVE YOUR BROTHER. That Holy Spirit of Truth (HOST) is said to teach all things. Combine Your links.The final thing You must do to receive that promise and know what You know but know it to the never ending levels of Truth, is to get clean in prayer and ASK FOR IT, and consider in that prayer to ask for it to share to help further get it since to get it will not be enough. To receive it, the HOST, will not do it.We must receive the HOST AND MAKE IT GROW LIKE A WEED.We can all be walking with God, through Christ, through the Holy Spirit of Truth and indeed then all walk together, and do this with a, so far, unimaginable spirit realm that will expose that there really is only 2 kinds of people... those who disobey Christ and appear as walking stiffs... and those who obey Christ, who if nurtured will illuminate, knowing and having access to all Truth.(LOVER YOU BROTHER)If You get high, get High with the Most High.Now!Ask Christ God Our Father, to help You know the truth about cannabis, as He wishes for You to know it.And share, the God Awesome TruthWith Me.Breathe fast.Can YOu imagine, someone like Christ, driving down the road, heading for work?He's a carpenter, don't You know?The Green Collar WorkerWe all have some Jesus Christ in Us that is just dieing to come out.
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Comment #12 posted by freedom fighter on June 09, 2003 at 19:43:26 PT
SoberStoner
A Dare rep stopped by your door. Wow! Did'nt know that DARE would stoop this level. But then, what do we expect from those clowns.I sure hope that kid will learn a lesson or two from this encounter. An average kid would out on street playing, and I sure wonder who encourage that kid to do that and why?.Thanks for sharin the story..paceff 
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Comment #11 posted by b4daylight on June 09, 2003 at 19:42:56 PT:
good vs evil
Ok we tired for 30 years where do we stand?
Do we do more harm than good?
What is your solution more prison time and more money?
How can you soberly tell someone to work at mcdonalds while their brother is making 300 dollars a day selling drugs?It seems our leaders rather continue programs rather than lead into new ideas and better ways of manegment. Why is this a war and veitnam was not?
Why is treatment the least funded program if they are truly trying to help us out? Why is Tabacco and alcohol legal and hemp, cannabis,mushrooms, pyeote are not?
Their seems to be more questions than direct answers. 
Since they will not answer them I look at the Netherlands. 
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Comment #10 posted by Lehder on June 09, 2003 at 19:32:38 PT
correction
>>Officials say public exposure is one of the only solutions. They hope more citizens will
   pressure lawmakers for funding and personnel to stop covert cultivation, in part so that
   perpetrators' fears of capture might curtail the activity.   Pigheaded prohibition forces escalation on both sides: tougher, more desperate and
   violent growers who are willing to deal with more heavily equipped enforcement until the
   parks are one and all reduced to no man's zones. Then blame it all on cannabis, formalize
   and stiffen the penalties for thinking about alternatives to prohibition.   All this over a plant that enhances the quality of life for millions of people who wish to be
   alert, creative, healthy and productive. What will break the cycle of needless destruction?   I visited Sequoia National Park as a child in 1959. As I ascended into the tree tops, I
   mused over what it would be like if I could get stoned by smoking these giant pine cones.
   A new drug, utterly impossible to control, could break the cycle. If I were starting out all
   over today I'd be tempted to study chemistry or bioengineering. Lots of people have
   been, some of them as wise as I am. We're due for a technical breakthrough that will
   render these cops' work hopeless. 
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Comment #9 posted by Lehder on June 09, 2003 at 19:28:55 PT
everybody must get stoned
>>Officials say public exposure is one of the only solutions. They hope more citizens will
   pressure lawmakers for funding and personnel to stop covert cultivation, in part so that
   perpetrators' fears of capture might curtail the activity.Pigheaded prohibition forces escalation on both sides: tougher, more desperate and violent growers who are willing to deal with more heavily equipped enforcement until the parks are one and all reduced to no man's zones. Then blame it all on cannabis, formalize and stiffen the penalties for thinking about alternatives to prohibition. All this over a plant that enhances the quality of life for millions of people who wish to be alert, creative, healthy and productive. What will break the cycle of needless destruction? I visited Sequoia National Park as a child in 1959. As I ascended into the tree tops, I mused over what it would be like if I could get stoned by smoking these giant pine cones. A new drug, utterly impossible to control, could break the cycle. If I were starting out all over today I'd be tempted to study chemistry or bioengineering. Lots of people have been, some of them as bad as I am. We're due for a technical breakthrough that will render these cops' work hopeless.
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Comment #8 posted by The GCW on June 09, 2003 at 18:39:59 PT
As people realize,
 that the prohibition is due to "Christians", realize it isn't obedient Christians...It is due to disobedient Christians.Soooo:Since disobedient Christians seem to be the overwhelming majority of the problem, I request that all citizens become obedient Christians, and spiritually gather together to create the Obedient Christian Democratic Party within the Democratic party. While the Republicans carry themselves as war mongers, Democrats are poised to carry themselves as peace mongers, and should make moves in that direction at every opportunity. Fighting evil with good, is the way it works.It is time for Us to unite as Lambs to end the war. All wars including the war on Our freedoms, war on Our schools, the air, the water, the plant cannabis, the war on Truth and rationality along with all other wars.Know it or not, We are all Christians, for We are marked by birth to a clock that’s run according to Christ God Our Father. So it’s better to be obedient Christians rather than disobedient Christians. And while Republicans seem sinful, Democrats offer Our only hope, indeed, once The Democrats become the home of obedient Christians, We will do the works of Christ only better.While republicans seem irretrievable, the Dems. offer the only chance of survival, and through the spiritual input of all people, We can ignite the spirit of Democracy as Christ intended. To dispirited Republicans I welcome You to My party, for a revival.0-0Kucinich is running for the Democratic nomination and to My limited knowledge about Him, I understand He stands for peace. http://www.kucinich.us/ Since We have this great system here at Cnews. and at MAP, let's join to notiy Kucinich, to accept Our endoursment, and then to help Him win election.I think it is credible to believe We can make a big difference in helping a peace monger.I think the Democratic Party must define itself directly in the path of Peace, for competing with the most evil wicked is not happening since We can not compete, wicked for wicked.But then the Repub's can not compete with peace.When it comes to truth and peace the Repub's seem lost.
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Comment #7 posted by mayan on June 09, 2003 at 18:24:53 PT
Cage God
The idea of banning a plant is absurd. It will NEVER work. God is guilty of cultivating cannabis. God should be caged.The way out is the way in...September 11: Did you know...?
http://www.cosmosleft.com/pages/7/index.htm9/11 Inquiry and Is Anyone Safe? 
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout5.php&id=910&blz=1
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Comment #6 posted by SoberStoner on June 09, 2003 at 17:09:45 PT
Semi-off topic, but maybe not
So, i'm sitting here trying to enjoy my evening when I hear a knock on my door.I answer my door and a yound man was standing in my hallway and presented himself as a DARE represntative who was collecting money for DARE.As I sit and half listen to his spiel, I debate whether or not to shut the door in his face. Instead, I just hand him back his little flier begging for money to lie to kids, I told him, "Sorry, I dont support any organization that supports caging people for a plant." Then shut the door in his face.I hear him say to my door, "That isn't what DARE is."I guess getting my money in taxes isnt enough so now they have to come beg for more scraps..I dont know whether to be angry or sad..Angry that DARE is still forcing lies to our kids as truth, or sad that the young man at my door was probably a good kid, just misinformed and basically brianwashed.SS
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Comment #5 posted by afterburner on June 09, 2003 at 16:33:16 PT:
You Who Put People in Cages for a Plant, Wake Up!
When the spirit of the community dies, the land dies. No surprise. Re-Legalize.ego transcendence follows ego destruction, the land of Emerson, Jefferson, and Whitman is dying from your neglect of the human soul, repent.
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Comment #4 posted by freedom fighter on June 09, 2003 at 15:52:55 PT
Thanks for the Price Support
One word...a real solutionLEGALIZEpazff
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Comment #3 posted by lombar on June 09, 2003 at 15:16:46 PT
Todays 'christians' feed drug users to the lions.
Armed goons, representative of a hegomony which pours billions of tonnes of pollutants into the ecosphere daily which ALL humans must share are 'crying' about the supposed damage caused by a bunch of farmers? Lets blame cannabis for the problems caused by prohibition some more...""This is everyone's problem," says Tweed. "It's not just a question of the moral and legal issue of marijuana. It's an issue of commercial-sized agriculture devastating the mission of national parks to preserve land ... for generations."So your answer is to hire more cops instead of let people grow their cannabis in greenhouses? Chalk up the national park as another victim of the failed war on some drugs. It is entirely a moral issue, people should not be getting incarcerated or killed over a PLANT.PROHIBITION IS IMMORAL
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Comment #2 posted by Dark Star on June 09, 2003 at 15:03:42 PT
Bad News
This is enough to make an environmentalist cringe. The solution is obvious, though. You want to put these banditos out of business? Legalize it! Then the parks can go back to being parks, and organized crime can find some other way to make money.
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Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo MD on June 09, 2003 at 15:01:36 PT:
Glacier?
Hard to believe. It can freeze any night of the year here in the Near-Arctic. Hard to believe.
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