cannabisnews.com: Hysteria Over Drugs Still Rules Hysteria Over Drugs Still Rules Posted by CN Staff on August 21, 2003 at 11:52:55 PT By William A. Collins, Columnist Source: Newtown Bee By a vote of 79 to 64, Connecticut's House of Representatives this year struck a telling blow against common sense and human dignity. It chose to deny the use of marijuana by sick and dying patients for whom there is no other effective therapy. Most of the winning votes were based on "morality," lending further erosion to the significance of that tired term.One might think that our guys were merely doing what everyone else does, caving in to the national drug hysteria promoted by the Prison-Industrial Complex. But other states have proved braver, with Maryland just becoming the eighth to sign practical medical marijuana rules into law. It seems that with drugs, as with election laws, Connecticut lags timidly behind the curve. In addition we have closed our remarkably successful drug courts and curtailed our equally successful needle exchange program.This national obsession with narcotics is nothing new. The War on Drugs has been waged for 80 years now, and has shown no more progress than did the war in Vietnam. And the collateral damage has been similarly phenomenal, ravaging most of our inner cities and millions of our poorer citizens. There are even those cynics who assert that this has been the strategy all along. In any event, nothing useful was learned from our equally unsuccessful war on alcohol -- Prohibition -- not even that we should give it up when it doesn't work.Luckily other nations have seen the light. Northern Europe and Canada are going back to treating drug addicts more as victims than as crooks. Treatment venues are mushrooming and junkies are being given heroin, clean needles, and sanitary settings to do their business. Not only is this approach reducing crime, but also cuts into the spread of AIDS. As might be expected, our allies must accomplish all this in the face of anger and threats from the US government.Nor is Washington pleased with the worldwide trend to treat marijuana more like alcohol than like anthrax. That reform began years ago in The Netherlands, and has now spread (horrors!) to Canada. Our drug warriors are scandalized.Canadians are also pressing us to allow imports of commercial hemp, which they grow in profusion. Like the shmoo in Dogpatch, this plant possesses nearly magical properties. It can be readily processed into paper, boards, or cloth, with no detriment to health, environment, or morals. Unfortunately it falls into the same biological family as pot, so it's verboten here. The Montana and North Dakota legislatures legalized it, and have asked Congress to do the same, since their farmers are desperate for a new crop. (Forget the Canadians -- we'll grow it ourselves.) Equally desperate tobacco growers are eyeing hemp hungrily, too.Meanwhile America's military destruction of Afghanistan, and our free trade destruction of farming economies in Mexico, Bolivia, and Colombia, have pressured farmers there to grow anything that pays. Often that's coca, poppies, or pot. Thus there's always an endless world supply. And being already illegal, and enjoying a high markup, these crops pose an appealing financing mechanism for terrorists. No one, after all, keeps embarrassing records. Even our CIA dabbled in that game in the 80s, to fund our own Contra terrorists in Nicaragua.Connecticut fits in comfortably with all this insanity. Drug users, even the sick and the dying, are viewed as criminals, and doctors who might like to treat them are viewed as scum. And in a painful budget season, the untrammeled incomes of the 500 wealthiest Nutmeg families took precedence over the treatment needs of the state's poorest addicts. Further, arrests and "street value" dominate our daily mainstream press' headlines. The fact that the War on Drugs hasn't worked, and shows no signs of working, is ignored. Reporters don't mention that drugs are now cheaper, purer, and more plentiful than ever. Indeed, as a whole state we seem to be dangerously addicted ourselves -- to hysteria.Columnist William A. Collins is a former state representative and a former mayor of Norwalk.Laws on drugs,Bring great expense;And rarely show,Much common sense.Source: Newtown Bee (CT)Author: William A. Collins, ColumnistPublished: August 21, 2003Website: http://www.newtownbee.com/Contact: http://www.newtownbee.com/SendContent.aspRelated Articles & Web Sites:Medical Marijuana Information Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/medical.htmHouse Just Says No To Pot as Rxhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16355.shtmlHouse Rejects Plan To Legalize Medical Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16351.shtmlMarijuana Bill Surprises Some With Support http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16253.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #6 posted by global_warming on August 21, 2003 at 15:59:03 PT Shame On CT. 18:43 8/21/2003http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread17125.shtmlShame on Ct.Nicely written article Mr. William A. Collins ....Connecticut fits in comfortably with all this insanity. Drug users, even the sick and the dying, are viewed as criminals, and doctors who might like to treat them are viewed as scum. And in a painful budget season, the untrammeled incomes of the 500 wealthiest Nutmeg families took precedence over the treatment needs of the state's poorest addicts. Further, arrests and "street value" dominate our daily mainstream press' headlines. The fact that the War on Drugs hasn't worked, and shows no signs of working, is ignored. Reporters don't mention that drugs are now cheaper, purer, and more plentiful than ever. Indeed, as a whole state we seem to be dangerously addicted ourselves -- to hysteria...It is such a pity that the insanity that Mr. Collins refers to, is so deeply and dogmatically entrenched in our generations. The Puritans and do-gooders are certainly working overtime, for they seem unable to lift the blinders, as they rush headlong, like lemmings into oblivion.The smug and secure, are finally exposed, for the deep denial they represent, for in the end, when thier balls hang out there, they will suffer and cry, they will beg for understanding, they will cry like little children, for life has come to an end, they will beg and scream, they will ask for forgiveness, they will try to see, the Light that has been given to them, for such a short time,..There is no graceful way to die, no easy way, the gates of death are open to all the children of life. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Petard on August 21, 2003 at 14:18:57 PT Was the author as informed and staunch a supporter of reform when he was a politician? We need more like him currently in office although his message may actually reach more people now since sheeple generally tune out the words of politicians and just look at their label (Demolitioncrat or Repugantcan). Maybe things will change though, 45% supported the bill, that's got to be an increase over the last few years. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on August 21, 2003 at 13:46:09 PT BGreen No problem. All done. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by BGreen on August 21, 2003 at 13:28:17 PT Cannabis Is A Miraculous Plant "Like the shmoo in Dogpatch, this plant possesses nearly magical properties. It can be readily processed into paper, boards, or cloth, with no detriment to health, environment, or morals."There was no need for this author to differentiate between the cannabis species because the medicinal properties of cannabis could have easily been added to the above statement without editing out a word.All cannabis can be grown during the vegetative stage without a dark cycle. That means light 24/7. Can anybody name another plant that can thrive without this vital process of photosynthesis?I was taught in my Botany classes that plants could NOT survive without the dark cycle. This is where the energy is created for the plant's daylight growing, and without that energy there is no way for photosynthesis to take place.There are strains of cannabis (and an occasional mutant plant of other strains) that will grow from seed to mature bud without ever seeing a minute of darkness.It seems as if the Creator wanted to make sure that this miraculous plant was readily available to as many people as possible, regardless of where they reside on this planet.The Rev. Bud Green [ Post Comment ] Post Comment