cannabisnews.com: Scholar Says Marijuana Ban Makes Little Sense Scholar Says Marijuana Ban Makes Little Sense Posted by CN Staff on November 24, 2003 at 14:20:56 PT By Jeff McDonald, Union-Tribune Staff Writer Source: Union Tribune The nation's drug laws are more the result of media hype and politicians worried about re-election than credible science and good public policy, a noted constitutional law scholar said. Gerald Uelmen, a Santa Clara University law school professor who has represented numerous medical marijuana defendants and argued before the U.S. Supreme Court, said the federal prohibition on marijuana makes very little sense. "Every few years we have a drug crisis of one substance or another and Congress responds by criminalizing it or regulating its use." he said. "Before 1937, it was not even illegal to grow or possess marijuana." Uelmen, who is perhaps best known for being a member of the "Dream Team" of lawyers that represented murder defendant O.J. Simpson, spoke to 200 students and marijuana activists at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law on Wednesday. In 1970, when Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act that classifies marijuana alongside heroin, cocaine and other dangerous drugs, legislators knew very little about its effects or medical benefits, Uelmen said. The government set up a commission to study marijuana and the panel later recommended that the herb be decriminalized, but President Nixon was reluctant to embrace those findings, he said. Nixon "promptly took the report, walked over to a trash can and publicly trashed it," Uelmen said. "It was too controversial." He said marijuana relieves side effects of prescription medication for AIDS, cancer and other patients and stimulates their appetite so they can keep their weight up and fight disease. Snipped: Complete Article: http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/sense.htmSource: San Diego Union Tribune (CA)Author: Jeff McDonald, Union-Tribune Staff WriterPublished: November 21, 2003 Copyright: 2003 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.Contact: letters uniontrib.comWebsite: http://www.uniontrib.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Americans for Safe Access http://www.safeaccessnow.org Phone Campaign Targets Lawmakers http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17854.shtmlMedical Marijuana Campaign Targets Congress http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17844.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #8 posted by Roger Christie on November 25, 2003 at 01:47:45 PT: It makes perfect sense... People would do well to accept the very obvious malevelent intentions and actions of 'our' government. What's the mystery? Liers, cheaters, thieves, murderers and hypocrits of staggering purportions run hard drugs, sell weapons to the worst dictators on Earth, create weapons of mass destruction and target civilians as a matter of course and routine. One example: Project MK:NAOMI is the US government code name for the A.I.D.S. virus made by design with US tax money and given on purpose to 'undesirable' US citizens, Africans, etc. Check any search engine, and see www.tetrahedron.org for details. Cannabis prohibition makes PERFECT SENSE for a rogue government. How else to simply disable and put on the defensive the most thoughtful and active citizens in the nation? It's a classic diversionary tactic. While millions of bright and able-bodied citizens are virtually disabled in shame and fear of their smoking a joint, the big boys are easily robbing the treasuries of their choosing and depopulating the planet, among other large 'projects' on their "to-do" list.Anyone who still wonders why the federal government still maintains marijuana prohibition is either a very slow learner, can't take a (very BIG) hint, or has another agenda at play in the game.Let's end marijuana prohibition TODAY. Build yourself a religious defense to prosecution and start enjoying cannabis sacrament tonight. Bingo. Game over. "We use cannabis religiously and you can, too." * THC Ministry * [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by RasAric on November 24, 2003 at 19:41:42 PT drfistusa My suspicion doesn't rest simply on the fact that Kennedy terminated Anslingers position, but rather the implication that his action may have been seen as the first domino to fall in a series of events leading to the repealing of cannabis prohibition. I mean, since this was a carefully orchestrated process worth decades of planning, perhaps those involved would think nothing of removing a president who posed a threat toward their years of hard work and corruption.I am not claiming this is the reason, but for the businesses who rely on cannabis prohibition, what is 1 single president worth if he is seen as a threat to these collaberating industries.(x-files theme plays softly in the background) [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by mayan on November 24, 2003 at 18:24:27 PT The Real Reasons... This is a good article but the author fails to enlighten us about the very real conspiracies by big business and the military/government to keep the herb illegal...SHADOW OF THE SWASTIKA - The Real Reason the Government Won't Debate Medical Cannabis and Industrial Hemp Re-legalization: http://www.sumeria.net/politics/shadv3.htmlOn an unrelated note, Dennis Kucinich is continuing the fight for our right to vote! Read on...Kucinich Requests House Judiciary Committee Hearing On Diebold’s Abuses Of Digital Millennium Copyright Act - Sends Letter to Chairman Sensenbrenner and Ranking Member Conyers: http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/oh10_kucinich/031121judcmtediebold.htmlOn the brink of total tyranny...Congress Expands FBI Spying Power: http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,61341,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1Blair plans new laws to curb civil liberties: http://www.sundayherald.com/38267Gen. Franks Doubts Constitution Will Survive WMD Attack: http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/11/20/185048.shtmlNEW QAEDA MEGASTRIKE FEARED HERE: http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/11672.htmOperation Northwoods: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/jointchiefs_010501.htmlGlobal Terror Attacks Bear Hallmarks of US Black Ops: http://www.propagandamatrix.com/241103blackops.htmlThe way out is the way in...9/11 Commission Orders New York to Hand Over Documents: http://www.prisonplanet.com/112103commissiondocs.html Most of WTC Down Payment to Be Returned: http://www.newsday.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-attacks-redevelopment,0,3084268.story?coll=sns-ap-business-headlinesJFK, 9/11, and the REAL America: Tying It All Together http://nyc.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=82574&group=webcast [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by drfistusa on November 24, 2003 at 17:55:14 PT wrong, it doesn't make ANY sense or am I wrong? From a scientific standpoint what is any sense in it? It's like the witch hunts making "a little sense". [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by RasAric on November 24, 2003 at 17:52:53 PT Kennedy vs Anslinger...Off Topic, but ,good timing Perhaps many of you know this already, or have heard this: The father of the federal drug war is Harry Anslinger, nephew in law to, Secretary of the Treasury, Andrew Mellon. (Mellon was also a major player in the aluminum, steel, and oil markets and the owner of one of the 2 banks which secured DuPont's investments. Beyond Hearst's Racist propraganda and vast interest in timber, both Mellon and Dupont had obvious vested interest in seeing cannabis suppressed)In 1963 Kenndy was shot.Anyways, after some research, I found that In 1962 Kennedy had forced Anslinger to retire after trying to harass, censor, and blackmail the publishers of Professor Alfred Lindsmith of Indiana University who wrote, among other works, "The Addict and the Law" (Washington Post, 1961). I believe this was the first publication to consider addiction from a medical view rather than criminal. Could this be the reason Kennedy was shot, or am I jumping to conclusions? [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by jose melendez on November 24, 2003 at 16:28:19 PT Must carry: Who needs sense? http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/112403/nat_112403032.shtml Proof Drug War is Crime [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Virgil on November 24, 2003 at 14:42:11 PT At least they talked about prohibition We do not need protection from cannabis. We need protection from the incarcerationist and the government they have hijacked.Further down in the snipped portion there is some condensed crap in this two sentence paragraph- The federal government maintains that there is no medical benefit to smoking marijuana. Drug-abuse prevention experts say the medical marijuana movement is really a way to legalize drugs. Here we see the injection of the word "smoking" which comes out of nowhere and just makes the whole article have enough goofy in it, to kill it as an "A" piece of work by itself. In the second sentence we see even more goofy. You could read it over and over and it makes no sense. It is too goofy to talk about. They cannot say that the incarcerationist are afraid the first wall will fall and people will then wonder what other lies and injustice need to be dealt with. Do not let the first wall fall, they say. Seems like a journalist would just say so. Then again, it seems like laughing grass should have never been illegal. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Jose Melendez on November 24, 2003 at 14:27:03 PT S.U.V. owner sticks a fork in it. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54188-2003Nov17.html Happy Medium Rare. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment