cannabisnews.com: Accommodating Legal Pot Accommodating Legal Pot Posted by CN Staff on December 20, 2003 at 07:26:52 PT Editorial Source: Oregonian Advocates of medical marijuana have every reason to be pleased with this week's ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which held that the federal controlled substances act doesn't trump state laws allowing medicinal use of pot. If you're looking for guidance in the workplace, though, the news isn't so good, as The Oregonian's Brent Hunsberger reported in Thursday editions. The decision by a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit is the second major victory for the medical marijuana folks, the first being last summer's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court not to hear appeals of a ruling about physicians' licenses. In that case, a lower court rejected the Justice Department's claim that the Controlled Substances Act empowered the feds to revoke the licenses of doctors who prescribed marijuana. Given those decisions, the question of whether the states could enact medical marijuana laws if they want is beginning to seem settled. The courts are putting together a record of not allowing the feds to interfere. But the tougher question has always been whether the states should enact such laws. And a look into the swamp of employment practices and regulations offers a different and far more cautionary picture. Snipped: Complete Article: http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/legalpot.htmSource: Oregonian, The (Portland, OR)Published: December 20, 2003Copyright: 2003 The OregonianContact: letters news.oregonian.comWebsite: http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/Related Articles & Web Sites:Hemp & Cannabis Foundationhttp://www.thc-foundation.org/Raich v. Ashcroft in PDFhttp://freedomtoexhale.com/ruling.pdfMarijuana Act Clouds Antidrug Work Rules http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18007.shtmlWhere’s The Compassion?http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18003.shtmlFederalism Wins - National Reviewhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18002.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #32 posted by FoM on December 21, 2003 at 10:36:37 PT Just a Comment During this slower news time because of the holidays I've been thinking about what is cannabisnews.com? What makes it work? I really appreciate all the different points of view that are shared here. I believe everyone knows by now that the only thing that makes me very upset is fighting with one another. I believe that we learn understanding when we think before we type our feelings. I understand how I feel about day to day life better since cannabisnews first started 5 years ago. Some of us are older and some of us are younger and we seem to be complmenting each other nicely now. Thank you and I had more to say but I couldn't type the words that fast. I hope you get my message.Happy Holidays Once Again! [ Post Comment ] Comment #31 posted by yippierevolutionary on December 21, 2003 at 10:18:38 PT Virgil youll like this, Ganja soup and free pot PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Marijuana is legal in Cambodia. It's free too.Well, it's not totally legal, and it's not totally free, but it might as well be. Pot here is what cool journalist-types like myself refer to as defacto legal. In this case, defacto translates to: nobody gives a damn. Kind of like jaywalking.On my first day in Phnom Penh, I went out to eat and was a bit startled to see this grizzled, 50-something guy with a long gray beard smoking a tremendous joint in the middle of the restaurant. It didn't take long to figure out that this dude wasn't the only toker in town, and his behavior in the restaurant was not out of the ordinary.This is where the free part comes in. An Englishman in town put it best when he told me, "Pot in Cambodia is like table salt." It is so cheap that bars frequented by Westerners leave a big bowl of it lying around in case anyone wants to get high.In Cambodia, marijuana is a spice that is used in food. The only place you can find it is at the local market, where it is sold alongside oregano, and mint. For two dollars, a little old Khmer woman will stuff handfuls of pot into a plastic bag until one begs her to stop.The locals don't even smoke it, and are still a little perplexed at foreigners who do. Some of them think foreigners must be smoking grass because they were a little short on cash at the time and could not afford much pricier tobacco cigarettes, so they'll go over and offer an equally confused pothead a Marlboro.Khmers do make a powerful soup out of the stuff though. I heard one story about a backpacker who drank a big bowl of ganja soup at a guesthouse in Siem Reap and spent the rest of the day locked inside his room moaning, "They poisoned my water. They poisoned my water."I've only met one Khmer pot smoker, but I've never met one that ate it regularly. The bad habit of choice in this part of the world is opium, and heroin is equally easy to find.The availability of opium stems from Cambodia's close proximity to the Golden Triangle, an area that cuts across Burma, Laos and Thailand. Something like 80 percent of the world's heroin supply is grown there. Similar to its feelings on the coca fields in South America, the United States government isn't very happy about the Golden Triangle, and is using as much political and economic leverage as it can to convince these people to grow soybeans instead. It's not working.Public opinion is beginning to go sour on heroin in Cambodia, but marijuana does not have a negative stigma yet because it has never been a problem. Still, the powers-that-be are doing their best making it one.There is a new, tougher drug law being debated in the Cambodian National Assembly that will allow the police to raid the homes of anyone suspected of drug trafficking. On the Most Dangerous Substances list alongside heroin, cocaine and some other pharmaceutical drugs with names longer than "pharmaceutical," is marijuana.At first I found it strange that a drug as accepted as coffee made this list, but then I found out the law was supported by the United Nations and the DEA.Another interesting twist is that Cambodia currently is applying for Most Favored Nation status in the U.S. Congress, where tobacco lobbyists have most likely put their two cents worth (probably a lot more than two cents) into what they think are harmful drugs.Sometime in the next 10 years, the Cambodian government probably will get around to enforcing their drug laws, and all the fun will be over. Marijuana will be banished from the market place and the kitchen spice rack. With no place left to turn, pot will go underground, where the black market will be more than willing to make a huge profit on people who still want to eat or smoke it.The price of grass will spiral up so high that farmers will find it irresistible to make a few extra bucks by farming a small plot of plants. Gangs will shoot at each other in the streets over who has control of each neighborhood. Innocent bystanders will get killed. Then the government will enact even tougher laws, arresting enough people to support a healthy prison-building industry, but not enough to discourage the demand.Then they'll wonder where their huge crime problem came from.Trust me. I've seen it happen.------------------------------------------ This is what I was talking about when I said pot will be free, not totally free but so widely available it will be seen as free like tap water or in America at least public bathrooms [ Post Comment ] Comment #30 posted by jose melendez on December 21, 2003 at 10:08:58 PT how the heck do you do that? DH you seem to get in front of just the right folks.Makes me want to drive up to Tenessee and ask Al Gore II if Al Gore III and his friends could legally act as witnesses under Article III . . .I wrote him years ago via email. They indicated that this is a complicated subject, that seemed like too many different issues. LOL! I still can't type, either!Peace and Happy Holly Daze to all! Article III, Section 3 defines drug war as treason. Really. Got that, ONDCP? [ Post Comment ] Comment #29 posted by Dankhank on December 21, 2003 at 09:20:54 PT Hydro ... SGD Not had the opportunity, yet, but ...I have been to a Cannabis Cup, Number 9 ... Number 9 ...Smoked Jack Herer with Jack Herer ...killer bud ...would like to try some hydro, alsoThanks for the hiya [ Post Comment ] Comment #28 posted by jose melendez on December 21, 2003 at 05:25:48 PT why didn't any embedded reporters report? Just as news organizations don't cover the drunk vs. stoned vs. sober driving studies that prove that, behind the wheel, cannabinoids are far safer than even lack of sleep, note how few embedded reporters reported what this judge said in open court. Someone please post the court documents, I want to frame this one . . .Re: http://news.google.com/news?q=%22Judge+Richard+Margolius%22++transcript&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=0 bust these crooks [ Post Comment ] Comment #27 posted by jose melendez on December 21, 2003 at 05:13:10 PT cops: just doing their jobs . . . judge: not! from: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/1220-03.htmA judge presiding over the cases of free trade protesters said in court that he saw ''no less than 20 felonies committed by police officers'' during the November demonstrations, adding to a chorus of complaints about police conduct. - snipped bad apples, or systemic fraud? [ Post Comment ] Comment #26 posted by CorvallisEric on December 20, 2003 at 20:49:18 PT re: freedom fighter - comment 4 In its submission on the changes, the drug company Pfizer warned that a new requirement to label pseudoephedrine cold remedies a "controlled drug" would encourage their misuse.I found the article a little confusing - as are many other articles from New Zealand. I think the entire point to any regulation is to keep pseudoephedrine out of the meth labs. Right now there is a big whoop-de-do in NZ about "P" which stands for "pure", a supposedly new menace, but really just a slightly different form of methamphetamine. Both "P" and cannabis are sold to kids in "tinny houses" - once again the prohibition-underage-gateway connection. [ Post Comment ] Comment #25 posted by Virgil on December 20, 2003 at 20:16:31 PT SGD You may want to check out the cheaptalk section at marijuana.com- http://cheaptalk.marijuana.com/420/ and overgrow.com - http://www.overgrow.com [ Post Comment ] Comment #24 posted by SystemGoneDown on December 20, 2003 at 20:07:53 PT The Best Weed Dankhank - Welcome... The best herb I've smoked comes from San Diego. That is some amazing stuff....havent been to San Dog in a year and I can say it is quite better than the sh it here in Florida, where marijuana isn't as popular as in Cali(Probobly because all the potheads are either in jail, or forced to stop smoking......the state is ruled by our president's brother. That should tell you everything.) Hey, I may seem like an inexpirienced woose, but has anyone had Hydro? I hear rave reviews over it, and I've been told that it grows in water........mmmm, that sounds really intriguing. [ Post Comment ] Comment #23 posted by Dankhank on December 20, 2003 at 19:48:27 PT I love this site ... I would have been a blithering idiot by now, some may say I am, were it not for the wonderful folks in here.The education we bring to each other is beyond measure.Thanks all ... [ Post Comment ] Comment #22 posted by FoM on December 20, 2003 at 19:42:45 PT Here Is The Article Al Gore's Son Arrested for Pot Possession: http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread18010.shtml [ Post Comment ] Comment #21 posted by CorvallisEric on December 20, 2003 at 19:40:38 PT Gore's son Here you go - took 10 seconds to find on Google News "gore marijuana"http://newsobserver.com/nc24hour/ncnews/story/3143290p-2842257c.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #20 posted by westnyc on December 20, 2003 at 19:33:03 PT Al Gore's Son Arrested I may be wrong; but, I just heard that Al Gore's son was arrested today for marijuana! [ Post Comment ] Comment #19 posted by SystemGoneDown on December 20, 2003 at 19:24:50 PT Terrorists......Virgil, thanks for the link Yeah, I read about the "terrorist" shipment of drugs. This got on my absolute nerves. This is just another way of misusing "terrorism" as a way of getting the desired public effect. I got so disgusted at this news... It's this kind of naive BS that makes me discraced to be an American to let gerk-offs like the Bush administration run our country... I saw we all move to Canada...Also, remember how that Riley bit ch was on Jesse Vetura's show? When he said the Netherlands were shutting down many coffee shops that sold weed.........THAT IS THE STUPIDEST THING HE COULD SAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are only shutting it down because neighboring countries are flooding it because of their U.S. dictated laws against marijuana...But of course, he is rightfully assuming that Americans can't see through that BS. [ Post Comment ] Comment #18 posted by Nuevo Mexican on December 20, 2003 at 19:23:44 PT 59 hours refers to the Canadian Sups.... decision I believe is what he is talking about. And you're right.Analysis and predictions:About SGD's question on the 1914 date, which fits well, so I used it, and guess what? That was the perfect question! I looked it up last time that date was mentioned, and may have posted this explanation:The planet Uranus has a 84 year cycle, and it represents freedom, independent, genius, awakening, the internet, high/low tech, and 'the future', that is now upon us. The cycle that began in 1914, since that is when prohibitions foundations were laid, and thus would would end somewhere around 2008, so 2009 looks pretty accurate!But Uranus is at the end of another similiar cycle that began in 1920 and ends in 2004, its' own 84 year transit. and in 1920 the beginning of its transit of the sign Aquarius began. Aquarius is the sign of Sudden, unexpected, Revolutionary Positive Change, and is the sign Uranus rules as each sign has a planet that govern or influences its given activities. So both dates are upon us, within 5 years of each other, and I'll go with the optimistic version of 2004, it suits me fine, and if things go well on the 23rd of December, we should call it the official fall of prohibition, and by 2008 or 2009, it will be stated as fact, perhaps even by the media, (think of the Viet Nam war model on that one)! [ Post Comment ] Comment #17 posted by cloud7 on December 20, 2003 at 19:02:38 PT Again http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,106312,00.htmlThe second shipment of drugs with *possible* links to Al Queda. Apparently their save the children direction is falling short and now every drug user is a terrorist supporter is their revived campaign slogan. The bottom line is that these drugs may very well fund terrorist cells and this is STRICTLY due to our oppressive drug policy. Not too many seizures of thousands of gallons of clandestine alcohol lately. [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by Virgil on December 20, 2003 at 18:59:26 PT SGD Pot-tv is here- http://www.pot-tv.net/Jesse Ventura's recent show is there. There is a recent show on the legal situation. On the left you can see the most popular views, with this being a place to see Grass.The last show of what is the pot-tv news is dated the 15th. There is no telling when they will do the next one or the one after thay. Richard Cowan used to do pot-tv and then Steve and Michelle Kubby. Now Loretta Nall of the US Marijuana Party does more than anyone else. [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by SystemGoneDown on December 20, 2003 at 18:42:00 PT POT TV Hey, I got like 400 channels......what channel is pot tv? [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by FoM on December 20, 2003 at 18:26:54 PT This is Better Then The New Years Eve Countdown! I'm hoping for the best. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'm also getting prepared for the news that could happen on the 23rd. Good or bad we should be busy. [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by Virgil on December 20, 2003 at 18:17:16 PT 60 hours from now The Canadian Supreme Court will announce its rulings on three cases that could/should end CP as we know it in Canada on Tuesday at 9:30 AM. It will be carried live by pot-tv. [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by SystemGoneDown on December 20, 2003 at 17:42:36 PT 59 hours What's the specifics of of this highly anticipated event? [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by mayan on December 20, 2003 at 17:17:41 PT System... Once Canada's laws change the wall here will fall fast. Also, since the U.S. government will soon be exhausting much of it's resources on 9/11 damage control it will not be able to focus so much on cannabis prohibition. Everything is changing and changing fast. It will come much sooner than we expect! The way out is the way in...9/11 COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED, 9/11 CHAIR ADMITS: http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/121703_911_preventable.htmlGovernment's 9/11 Coverup Falling Apart - by John Kaminski: http://rense.com/general46/911V.HTM9/11 widow wants deposition from Saddam: http://onlinejournal.com/blog/blogger.html9/11 For the Truth - Mariani vs. Bush: http://www.911forthetruth.com/Truth, lies, and the legend of 9/11 - Pt. 9 of 10: http://onlinejournal.com/Special_Reports/121603Kupferberg/121603kupferberg.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by Virgil on December 20, 2003 at 16:30:12 PT SGD- Prohibition will end in 59 hours That would be in Canada. It will end in Alaska next Thanksgiving and in the US on January 20th, 2009 when the DEA is dismantled by executive order.The tourist being harassed by a pissed off government when returning from Canada will break the backs of a doomed prohibition. The new paths of media, will help and the cancer that everyone now sees in the media will be operated on. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by SystemGoneDown on December 20, 2003 at 15:27:42 PT Predictions Everybody: Hey, I'd like to hear everybody's educated guess on when America is going to wake up and realize that our current drug policy is absolutely flawed... also for that matter, when a marijuana bill is going to be passed in Congress in some form of controlled legalization or ANYTHING. When is Congress going to do something to change federal law on pot?...If you look up the history of drug prohibition that started in 1914, people will see that drugs was never a significant problem until it became illegal...Give me some analysis and predictions... [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by yippierevolutionary on December 20, 2003 at 14:35:06 PT Falling teen drug use "The White House set a goal of reducing illegal drug use by 10 percent by this year and had achieved that with teens, said Thompson"-US Says Teen Drug Use Falls, Other Groups Dispute http://maconareaonline.com/news.asp?id=5203How convienant that the goal the white house set was met by the white houses poll!Polls like this are just like the so called intelligence that failed us, totally political and made up. The only thing anyone has to know about cannabis use by young people is that it is very widespread and accepted socially.Walters talks about how we have to make drug use socially unacceptable. Good luck [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Virgil on December 20, 2003 at 13:52:00 PT Prohibition and CAP caps Their are articles with drugs in the title and then there are those few with prohibition in the title. This article from stopthedrugwars.org has prohibition in the title. It was seeded by the 9th Circuit ruling and really is rather generic. It is not all that great but it sure beats silence- http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/316/scary.shtmlI will include this even though the thought concerns something in another thread concerning Jose and a domain name. I think that CitizensAgainstProhibition.sux would be a good domain name because then you could sell CAP caps. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by sukoi on December 20, 2003 at 12:59:35 PT Has the counter attack begun? The feds say that... ... they have been successful in curbing teen drug use:US Says Teen Drug Use Falls, Other Groups Dispute http://maconareaonline.com/news.asp?id=5203Teen drug use falls sharply http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/nation/7535241.htmTeen drug use declining, federal survey indicates http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/7538295.htmDrug use by teenagers falls, continuing two-year decline Alcohol consumption stays at same rate, according to government study By Mark Sherman, Associated Press http://www.trivalleyherald.com/Stories/0,1413,86~10669~1843252,00.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Virgil on December 20, 2003 at 12:57:07 PT SGD I can agree with where you are coming from. The prohibitionists would grab any straw to support their prohibition, even if though they could care less.Hearst and his timberlands and the cotton industry and all made powerful enemies for Free Cannabis. Their money motives have just gained new allies with the powerful pill people and this weekend when the alcohol people bring you sport of every challenge, ponder on why France is the strongest supporter of prohibition in Europe.That is just the the monetary enemies. Then there are those for social engineering and a police state with a prison industry for cheap labor. It is now 4PM. 66 and a half hours until we hear from Canada. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by freedom fighter on December 20, 2003 at 12:53:58 PT Pfizer complaining about the Prohibition? In its submission on the changes, the drug company Pfizer warned that a new requirement to label pseudoephedrine cold remedies a "controlled drug" would encourage their misuse. "The label would clearly identify to abusers the entire range of pseudoephedrine products available to them." But legitimate users might be "unnecessarily alarmed" about the potential for addiction and side effects, it said. http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1938/a12.html?999Bit off the topic but everything about the Prohibition.. How so odd is that this drug company Pfizer complaining about the "controlled substance"!pazff [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by SystemGoneDown on December 20, 2003 at 12:23:14 PT That's not why it's illegal... That's why marijuana is a sad story. The reason for prohibiting it has NOTHING to do with using cannabis as a drug. Sure, they SAY that that's the reason...but the war on marijuana is actually a war on HEMP. The reason for prohibiting it is strictly economics. They'd rather use man-made methods of producing bio-energy, increasing global warming and killing natural resources, than using the best renewable resource for energy, HEMP...So in essence..... they are deteremined to genocide a plant that's been here since the beginning of civilization... all because it poses a threat to the powerful industries that basically rule our laws and country.CANNABIS IS MEANT TO BE HERE, IT IS NOT MEANT TO BE WIPED OUT BY MANKIND... [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Virgil on December 20, 2003 at 11:58:39 PT Video on the Internet Here is a website designed so that independent sources will have a place to showcase their video. We can expect more like this or maybe one devoted exclusively to the War Against Prohibition.http://www.demandmedia.net/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Virgil on December 20, 2003 at 11:18:08 PT Danger Will Robinson Marijuana is a dangerous and addictive drug. Well, it really is not marijuana. More like cannabis without word slaughter. But it is dangerous, except not with consumption. More like arrestably dangerous. Okay it is beneficial even and we are outlawing good things. But it is addictive and a gateway to more pleasurable things. People seeking pleasure should be arrested even when there are no withdrawal symtoms or like physical addiction. Okay, so it is not addictive and just undesirable. But people that find it undesirable do not have to consume like they do the polluted aie, so maybe it is desirable to those that desire, which is no logical reason for it being legal. Well, maybe it is. But it is a drug or they would not call it medical marijuana. If marijuana is not a drug then chicken soup is not a drug. And flax seeds would not be drugs. Well, those do not have FDA approval or need a prescription but they are good for you and like a drug. But marijuana is a bad drug or it would not be hacked down by the government to protect us and we would not waste money when the military needs cluster bombs to protect us from people crashing our planes into our buildings. That is what makes marijuana a bad drug. It grows like a plant. Maybe it is a plant but it is on the schedule of narcotics which means it is a narcotic and bad news.There, that proves that marijuana is not a beneficial plant that can help mankind by growing it like a weed, because it waste to much money cutting all the pain plants down. Marijuana is a dangerous plant- I mean drug and chicken soup should be tested by the FDA for standardization and removal of all unneeded ingredients and require a prescription. I should be president. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment