cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Ad On Metro Infuriates Lawmaker 





Marijuana Ad On Metro Infuriates Lawmaker 
Posted by CN Staff on December 03, 2003 at 07:47:46 PT
By Lyndsey Layton, Washington Post Staff Writer
Source: Washington Post 
An Oklahoma lawmaker is seeking to slice $92,500 from the federal government's annual payment to Metro because he is angry that the transit agency accepted advertising from a nonprofit group that wants to decriminalize marijuana. Change the Climate Inc. has been using public service advertising space on the Metro system since 2001, but it was the latest round of advertising, this fall, that drew the ire of Rep. Ernest J. Istook Jr. (R-Okla.).
The ad showed a man carrying a tanned blonde in a short white dress, the two of them set against the azure sky of some tropical retreat. Under the picture appeared the declaration: "Enjoy better sex! Legalize and Tax Marijuana." In a Nov. 10 letter to Jim Graham, chairman of the Metro board, Istook called the ad "shocking" and said the board had "exercised the poorest possible judgment, so I must assure that [Metro] will learn the proper lessons from this experience and will only accept appropriate ads in the future." This week, Istook inserted into a bill language that would cut Metro's funds by $92,500 and prohibit any transit system that receives federal funds from running advertising from a group that wants to decriminalize marijuana. The money is just a fraction of the federal government's $164 million subsidy to Metro for capital projects. The language is part of an omnibus bill expected to come before Congress for a vote in late December or January. "Metro is using taxpayer facilities to promote illegal activity," said Micah Swafford, Istook's press secretary. She said the congressman was unavailable for comment. Graham sees things differently. Snipped: Complete Article: http://freedomtoexhale.com/wpost.htmNewshawk: Nicholas Thimmesch - http://www.norml.org/Source: Washington Post (DC)Author: Lyndsey Layton, Washington Post Staff WriterPublished: Wednesday, December 3, 2003; Page B01 Copyright: 2003 Washington Post Contact: letterstoed washpost.comWebsite: http://www.washingtonpost.com Related Articles & Web Sites:ACLUhttp://www.aclu.org/Change The Climatehttp://www.changetheclimate.org/Metro's Pro-Pot Ads Get Attention On Hillhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17895.shtmlPro-Marijuana Group Given Free Ad Space http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17782.shtmlPanel Asks Metro To Cut Free Public Adshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17702.shtml
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Comment #13 posted by The GCW on December 10, 2003 at 07:47:02 PT
Related letter to the editor + Kucinich info
US DC: PUB LTE: Overworked About An Ad On The MetroURL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1897/a03.html
Newshawk: End Marijuana Prohibition: www.mpp.org
 Pubdate: Tue, 09 Dec 2003
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 2003 The Washington Post Company
Contact: letters washpost.com
Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491
Author: Thomas L. Schwartz
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)OVERWORKED ABOUT AN AD ON THE METRO If Rep. Ernest J. Istook Jr. ( R-Okla. ) was incensed about poverty, injustice and other important issues facing this country instead of grinding his teeth about an ad on Metro ["Marijuana Ad on Metro Infuriates Lawmaker," Metro, Dec. 3], the country and his constituents would be better off. Further, his press secretary is wrong about Metro promoting an "illegal activity." The ad doesn't say to grow, sell, buy or use marijuana -- activities that would be illegal. The ad asks people to lobby for legalization and taxation of marijuana, both processes that continue to be legal in the United States. THOMAS L. SCHWARZ Burke & In case You haven't heard: Kucinich put in writing that as president He will: 
"decriminalize marijuana" -"in favor of a drug policy that sets reasonable boundaries for marijuana use by establishing guidelines similar to those already in place for alcohol." 
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17917.shtml 
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on December 03, 2003 at 15:02:38 PT
Just a Note
I have everything set up to post the transcripts from Crossfire as soon as they go on line. I missed the program unfortunately. 
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Comment #11 posted by JHarshaw on December 03, 2003 at 14:57:13 PT
Ads purpose
Greetings all,Were these ads advocating breaking the law...or changing it?This, I think is more than a minor point in this case.peace and pot
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Comment #10 posted by Ethan Russo MD on December 03, 2003 at 14:11:14 PT
My Missive to CNN
Paul Begala: You have the right to indicate your distaste with the Washington, DC billboard ads, but are wrong when you perpetuate myths about the dangers of cannabis. One long held claim is the production of gynecomastia (breast growth) in males associated with cannabis use. A case study or 3 cannabis smokers with this malady was reported by Harmon and Aliapoulios (1972). A more thorough investigation a few years later failed to show any differences in cannabis use in affected males between users and controls (Cates and Pope 1977). Dangers of cannabis have been vastly exaggerated by the government. A full report is available online:
http://www.cannabis-med.org/jcant/russo_chronic_use.pdf
 
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Comment #9 posted by Nuevo Mexican on December 03, 2003 at 13:53:03 PT
CNN, Crossfire lefty? says Pot grows breasts!
Shots of the audience showed them laughing at bush licker Paul Begala as he made these statements, (posing as a Democrat/liberal, and myth maker,demonizer of the attributes of Cannabis, while the whiley Republican in sheeps clothing defends the ads). Democrats are wimps for not standing up to the war on some drugs, so hold these wimps accountable:Email Paul the truth at http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.html?7
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Comment #8 posted by jose melendez on December 03, 2003 at 12:03:00 PT
here's an ad
PROHIBITION INCREASES MURDER
shoot video not bullets
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on December 03, 2003 at 11:47:17 PT
DeVoHawk
I agree. They are stirring up a hornets nest and it seems to be achieving it's goal!They are smarter then the average bear! LOL!
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Comment #6 posted by DeVoHawk on December 03, 2003 at 11:44:22 PT
FOM
I also thought that originally it was a bad idea to associate sex and marijuana. Perhaps it was luck or an ingenious plan but kudos are in order for these rascally people who came up with the ad.
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on December 03, 2003 at 11:37:59 PT
DeVoHawk 
It does appear it is turning out to be a good thing. I really don't like the association between sex and marijuana but that's just me. Sometimes I read an article and then later on down the road my opinion of what was the purpose of the action in an earlier article becomes clearer to me.
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Comment #4 posted by DeVoHawk on December 03, 2003 at 11:31:29 PT
Ernest T Bass(Istook) 
"I must assure that [Metro] will learn the proper lessons from this experience and will only accept appropriate ads in the future". It is scary that one man believes he holds this kind of power and more scary if he actually does.It actually appears that the sex ad was a great idea. We get to see the Super-Christians complain about the marijuana in the ad but not the sex.
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Comment #3 posted by Flatbush on December 03, 2003 at 09:32:37 PT
Not that "shocking" if you watch TV
Rep. Ernest J. Istook Jr. (R-Okla.)called the ad("Enjoy better sex! Legalize and Tax Marijuana.") "shocking".Last night I was watching 24, http://www.fox.com/24/This show is intense, "shocking" and riveting. It was hard watching a Heroin Addicted Homeland Defense Character, Jack Bauer, breaking a super Druglord, Ramon Salazaar, out of a maximum prison.I was outraged to learn that Druglords had infected a drug user with a virus and he was going to infect and kill all of california, but I was relieved that the DrugLords were only bluffing.I was on the edge of my seat, when the super DrugLord took Jack Bauer hostage and threw him into his private jet.Next week will be even more shocking. I hope they make it to Mexico.So when you compare an AD on a public bus that say's,"Enjoy better sex! Legalize and Tax Marijuana." to a TV show, its all relative.It only seems "shocking" if you've been living under a rock. 
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Comment #2 posted by Virgil on December 03, 2003 at 08:21:22 PT
The climate is changing
Those ads turned out to be all the better when it flushes out the upside down that think the government's reefer madness is the proper course. If it were a free press in the idealistic sense, the ad program on the Metro buses would illuminated many to the government madness on laughing grass. Then again, if it were really a free press, prohibition might never have happened much less continue.On with failure and to hell with freedom and good sense. There is your reefer madness.
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Comment #1 posted by Trekkie on December 03, 2003 at 08:17:45 PT
Our ForeFathers
Thank God that the Founding Fathers of this (once) fine nation never did, nor supported doing anything "illegal," during their brave efforts to effect change from a tyrannical control...Oh, wait...Never mind.(can you sense the sarcasm?)
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