cannabisnews.com: Dope Laws Up in Smoke





Dope Laws Up in Smoke
Posted by CN Staff on March 16, 2004 at 08:56:39 PT
News Story
Source: Expatica.com 
Germany's cannabis laws could go up in smoke in the next few weeks as Berlin's local assembly prepares to decriminalise pot. Ernest Gill reports on the build-up to the change in the law, which could also set a precedent for other parts of the country.  The city of Berlin is moving quickly to decriminalise possession of small amounts of cannabis in what is called "bowing to reality", even as federal law in Germany still outlaws production or sale of the drug.
The legislation to permit possession of up to 15 grams of pot or hashish "for personal use" is backed by the overwhelming majority of lawmakers in the city council chambers. A broad coalition of civil libertarian Free Democrats favour the bill, along with the city's ruling majority of leftist Social Democrats and Greens and far-left Socialists, remnants of the one- time East German Communist Party. Berlin is considered the marijuana and hashish capital of Germany, not just its political capital. While placing pressure on other Germany states to follow, when the law comes into effect, possibly in a matter of weeks, it will put Berliners in the odd position of living in a city where cannabis is legal, and in the capital of a nation where it is not. The centrist FDP is sponsoring the legislation, saying it is high time for the government to get its nose out of the affairs of otherwise law-abiding people when consumption of pot has not been proven to be more harmful that alcohol or cigarettes. That is the ostensible reason. The real reason is that authorities in Berlin have given up trying to police the pot possession problem. "The ban was based on a drug policy which has failed utterly," says FDP City Senator Martin Lindner, who introduced the bill. "We are not trying to play down this drug," he adds, "but are simply striving to attain a more realistic approach to this drug." To understand how cannabis is equated to alcohol and cigarettes in Berlin, one must understand German attitudes toward alcohol and cigarettes and the fact that beer, for one thing, is the national beverage. Berliners will live in a city where pot is legal, and in the capital of a nation Unlike many countries, where sales of alcoholic beverages are restricted to certain licensed shops and restaurants, alcoholic beverages in Germany - especially beer - are widely available for sale. Beer is sold at fast-food outlets such as McDonald's and Burger King. Beer and wine are sold at cinema snack bars. Many autobahn service stations make more money selling beer than they do selling fuel. Newsstands often sell beer, wine and schnapps - for those shoppers who cannot wait to get to the nearest cafe, grocery, supermarket or department store. In fact, liquor stores per se are rare in Germany. Shops devoted solely to the sale of alcoholic beverages are not needed in a nation where even beverage vending machines dispense not only Coca-Cola and Fanta but also beer, wine and rum coolers. And unlike English-speaking countries, cigarette consumption is still high in Germany, particularly among the young. Statistics show upwards of 50 percent of high-schoolers smoke. And in a nation where beer, wine and schnapps are integral parts of family dining, young people learn to drink early. Against that backdrop of widespread smoking and drinking, getting high on pot increasingly is becoming socially acceptable, particularly in families headed by Baby Boomers who toked up during the 1960s and 1970s. Berlin is considered the marijuana and hashish capital of Germany, not just its political capital. In just the past three years police have completely lost track of the cannabis market in Berlin, according to a report in Berliner Zeitung newspaper. There is hardly a club or disco, a cafe or gallery opening where with-it Berliners are not smoking joints. And that is just the public aspect of the drug which is clearly obvious to all. Pot consumption at private parties is ubiquitous. "We'd need 1,000 additional officers just to begin to clamp down on the cannabis trade," one drug-enforcement officer told the Berlin newspaper. But budgetary cutbacks, compounded by a growing acceptance of pot as a socially acceptable drug have made a drug-enforcement policeman's lot not a very happy one. Hashish reportedly is easily available at cafes and tobacco shops throughout Berlin. That is in addition to the home-grown variety planted in balcony flower pots, back gardens and rooftops across the city. Police in Berlin have stopped making raids on private homes suspected of harbouring a garden of pot plants. "It's not worth it," the investigator told the paper. "We only roll if we get a tip-off to a really big-time pot plantation. But we don't go out looking through people's back gardens any more on the off chance of finding a marijuana seedling." In the past, much of the illicit cannabis came into Germany from Turkey or the Mediterranean. Now though, many struggling farms in former East Germany have hired out their barns for high-tech pot production facilities. "The pot people in Berlin smoking generally comes from acreages closer to their homes than the ones producing the fresh fruit and vegetables they eat," an investigator said. Source: Expatica.com (Germany)Published: Tuesday, March 16, 2004Copyright: 2004 Expatica News Contact: feedback expatica.comWebsite: http://www.expatica.com/CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
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Comment #24 posted by Virgil on March 17, 2004 at 18:57:48 PT
Terrible news for German CP
There is a relevant thread for this at http://www.hempcity.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1369#1369 The German situation is now being played out in Russia as seen in this informative thread about Russia- http://www.hempcity.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=290&highlight=dapoopaTotal prohibition relied on a complete fence. Just as a rabbit is caged by a complete fence so were the people by total prohibition. And just as one little hole in the fence means a free rabbit, so does having the New York City of Germany open the hole that will Free Cannabis for all of Germany.I am greatly interested how this will change the travel to the big city. This legislation will mean the beginning of the end of CP has moved to the middle of the end of CP in Germany. Actually legislation along these lines will be bigger than big- maybe even bigger than huge. It means television will show consumption live from Berlin on Saturday Night.
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Comment #23 posted by kaptinemo on March 17, 2004 at 08:14:08 PT:
Unrelated: Cops forfeiture auctions
Here's what they do with what they steal:Steal it Back!: http://www.stealitback.com/Look at the prices. Not only do they steal it, they can't get the proper market prices for the items they take. Typical government waste.
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Comment #22 posted by kaptinemo on March 17, 2004 at 08:05:02 PT:
Meanwhile, back in the USA
The strains of the DrugWar are causing the judicial section of the government to crack apart from the handling of drug trafficking charges and trials:Judges say too much work, not enough money for federal courts ANNE GEARAN, Associated Press Writer
 
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/03/16/national1830EST0737.DTLThis is the same kind of thing that is happening in Germany; anybody care to guess if this Administration has the whit to learn from others?
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Comment #21 posted by goneposthole on March 17, 2004 at 07:38:43 PT
notice something unusual?
Spain gets rocked by terrorists. Millions of Spaniards take to the streets in the cities throughout the country.What do you think would happen if millions of people took to the streets of New York? Well, maybe riot police would finger the ususal suspects and crowd control tactics would follow. Think that might happen?There would be no peaceful protest against the government here. It is not allowed to happen. Sorry. Just too much risk involved..What do you think of our leaders? Think they're doing the job? Do you think they are bending to the 'will of the people'?I really don't think they are doing the job. I could be wrong, but it seems to me something is out of whack.Think the lunatics are in charge of the asylum?
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Comment #20 posted by rchandar on March 17, 2004 at 07:24:03 PT:
berlin moves to decriminalise cannabis
Four months ago, the Germans were threatening the Dutch because of their coffee shops. Nice turnaround, and the Dutch just gave the license to bordertown "super" coffee shops. Nice turnaround. The momentum is there, keep it up.
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Comment #19 posted by fearfull on March 17, 2004 at 06:44:52 PT
Just had to get this off my chest
Doesn?t Freedom of Religion mean that you can?t tell me how to worship my god. Weather my god is your God is irrelevant. The same Freedom should apply to all personal activities. As long as you are not hurting any one or any thing in the process and the process is personal. Who cares? If I want to sit in my undies and watch TV who cares? If I want to roll around in Crisco with The Seven Midgets or anoint myself with it as long as I do no harm, who cares? When you start telling me that I can only think and act in accordance with your laws when I am in my care, you shall not prevail. 
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Comment #18 posted by kaptinemo on March 17, 2004 at 05:26:20 PT:
Who'd a'thought it?
21 years ago, I thought Berlin would always be the dreary, run-down Communist-ruled sinkhole I saw it as; 6 years later they proved me wrong by knocking down the hated Wall. And now, they are tasting real freedom again. The freedom that results when a people tell a government to "Back off!" from encroaching where it has no business being...and it does.But it goes to prove a point; they've had experience with the corrosive effects of fascism in the past, and want no part of it. We here in the States have yet to learn this lesson...and unfortunately, *will* in the near future. 
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Comment #17 posted by FoM on March 16, 2004 at 22:23:05 PT
Happy St. Patrick's Day
Hi Everyone,I forgot that I made this page with Irish Greetings a few years ago and I just found it again. I hope it makes you smile!REMEMBERAlways remember to forget,The things that made you sad.But never forget to remember,The things that made you glad.Always remember to forget,The friends that proved untrue.But don't forget to remember,Those that have stuck by you.http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/irish.htm
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Comment #16 posted by Cannabis Enthusiast on March 16, 2004 at 21:26:34 PT
updated GW Pharm site
http://www.gwpharm.com/corporate_scientific_advisors.aspProfessor Ethan Russo – Senior Medical Advisor, Cannabinoid Research Institute (CRI)
Dr Ethan Russo, is a board-certified child and adult neurologist formerly associated to Montana Neurobehavioral Specialists in Missoula, USA. He is a researcher in migraine, ethnobotany, medicinal plants, cannabis and cannabinoids, and currently serves in a consultancy position as Senior Medical Advisor to the Cannabinoid Research Institute, the division of GW established to promote exploratory research. Dr. Russo holds faculty appointments as adjunct associate professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Montana, and clinical associate professor in the Department of Medicine of the University of Washington. Dr Russo is the author of “Handbook of Psychotropic Herbs: A Scientific Analysis of Herbal Preparations for Psychiatric Conditions”. He was also co-editor with Franjo Grotenhermen of the book “Cannabis and Cannabinoids: Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Potential” and author of the novel “The Last Sorcerer: Echoes of the Rainforest”. Dr. Russo was the founding editor of The Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics (JCANT): Studies in Endogenous, Herbal and Synthetic Cannabinoids, which released its first issue in January 2001. Three double-issues of JCANT have been published as monographs: “Cannabis Therapeutics in HIV/AIDS”, “Women and Cannabis: Medicine, Science and Sociology” and “Cannabis: From Pariah to Prescription”. He has published over two dozen articles on topics of neurology, clinical cannabis and medicinal plants.
GW Pharmaceuticals
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Comment #15 posted by Nuevo Mexican on March 16, 2004 at 20:49:52 PT
Dennis And Al are Kerrys Angels!
And Ronald Dumsfeld, thanks, that won't be the last time we hear that!
I loved voting for Dennis, and expect him to stay in through the convention, and head the Dept. of Peace in Kerrys Administration. He and Al are good life insurance from the Repug machine for Kerry as well. Al was on CNN today and rocked Crossfire! Great clips of Als highlights calling bush a liar, him being a preacher and all.Go Al! The statue is being made by artists and activists in the community, as Rumy make Norther New Mexico his getaway, and the town bi-annually attempts to march him out of town.This time it will be held on the plaza, like the toppling of bush in London, and quite the event. A few thousand could show up easily, as they did for the first event in 2002. Waiters refuse to serve him, and most tell him what they think to his face, it's amazing. He knows how the people really feel about him, (like Fom) But no matter, go figure!Think it'll get any press?
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Comment #14 posted by FoM on March 16, 2004 at 19:36:20 PT
World Link TV: Upcoming Event: The Need For Speed
Length: 01:00 Type of program: DocumentaryBroadcast Times   
Wednesday, March 17 5:00 PM Wednesday, March 17 11:00 PM and more datesNeed For Speed -- Going To War On Drugs 
 
Trailer 00:04:55: This five minute trailer is streamed directly from acftv and will adjust to suit your connection speed. Broadband is recommended for best quality. http://www.acftv.com/streaming/wmedia.asp?stream_id=1An exposé of how the Pentagon has been issuing a concoction of mind-altering drugs to its soldiers and airmen, resulting in the deaths of allied forces, innocent civilians and, almost certainly, their own men. Amphetamines, sedatives, anti-nerve agents, adrenaline and a whole variety of vaccines, including anthrax, make up a cocktail of chemicals banned by civilian authorities in the ordinary workplace, yet forced upon pilots flying multi-million dollar jets into combat and Special Forces soldiers operating behind enemy lines. In an extraordinary investigation, American military personnel speak for the first time to explain how they were used as guinea pigs in wars ranging from Panama, the Gulf, Bosnia, Afghanistan and right up until the recent conflict in Iraq. These are not dissidents, nor are they unpatriotic: they love their country and were ready to give their lives in its service. But they can no longer stand by and watch their comrades suffer as the Pentagon pushes more and more drugs onto the frontline. We hear a former White House Drug Czar express grave concerns about the use of amphetamines in the military. Also interviewed is a former Air Force Chief of Staff who banned the drugs as soon as he took over, only to see them re-introduced after his retirement. We are told the story of one pilot who sacrificed his career in pursuit of the truth and learn about the case of an infantryman who killed innocent civilians for reasons he cannot understand to this day. We discover that vital information on “friendly fire” incidents, including the deaths of nine British soldiers in the Gulf War, has been withheld.Filmed at locations throughout the United States and Britain, the film examines the true human costs of wars fought on drugs. For more information and to inquire about purchasing this film, click here.http://www.acftv.com/archive/article.asp?archive_id=19http://www.linktv.org/programming/programDescription.php4?code=need
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Comment #13 posted by FoM on March 16, 2004 at 18:38:18 PT
mayan
I'm glad you voted for who you believe in. I don't believe in politicians so I'm warped in that area. I don't want Bush for 4 more years and that I know.
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Comment #12 posted by mayan on March 16, 2004 at 18:31:10 PT
btw...
I just cast my primary votes for Dennis Kucinich & his five delegates plus his alternate delegate. I realize he can't win but we can still send a message. He was just in my town yesterday(I missed him as it was a last minute surprise visit!) Oh well, It was a good feeling to cast my votes for him. I hope we see more of him in the future! 
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Comment #11 posted by BGreen on March 16, 2004 at 18:24:42 PT
Freudian Slip?
A local radio news reporter (accidently?) referred to "Ronald Dumsfeld" the other day. It sure brought a smile to my face.The Reverend Bud Green
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on March 16, 2004 at 18:24:35 PT
mayan
I saw a review from the Chicago Tribune and the person didn't get it or didn't want to get it. There have only been two ways of seeing Greendale in all the articles I've seen and read. Republicans don't get it and whatever we are we do! LOL!PS: Greendale was great last week in Cleveland. I knew all the words this time.
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Comment #9 posted by mayan on March 16, 2004 at 18:05:10 PT
FoM...
That is a nice little piece about Greendale. A friend of mine saw a review of one of Neil's recent shows in the Chicago Tribune. I guess they ripped him big time and didn't have one good thing to say about Greendale. What else could one expect from that paper though? Nuevo, why in the hell is there a statue of Rumsfeld in New Mexico? I take it he's from there? It's still a waste of metal(or whatever it's made of!). They should melt it down into handcuffs to use on the Bush regime! Regarding this article on Berlin decrim, it seems that the former heart of tyranny is tasting some freedom as the former heart of freedom(USA) is sliding towards fascism! What an ass backwards world.Here's another interesting piece on hemp...Hemp & Japanese Culture:
http://rense.com/general50/hemp4.htmThe way out is the way in...Defending the Integrity of 9/11 Family Steering Committee Members -- K. Breitweiser and M. Gabrielle:
http://www.911citizenswatch.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=131&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0Police Block 9/11 Families From Rally:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/archive/scoop/stories/19/9e/200403151344.5eefc7e7.htmlThe 9/11 Cover-up - Was 9/11 Allowed to Happen?
http://www.wanttoknow.info/9-11cover-up10pgWORLDWIDE 9/11 PHONE, FAX & EMAIL CAMPAIGN:
http://www.septembereleventh.org/alerts.php9/11 International Inquiry - San Francisco, March 26-28th:
http://www.911inquiry.org/
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Comment #8 posted by goneposthole on March 16, 2004 at 18:04:21 PT
Rauchen Berlin
Alright. Ich bin ein Berliner.The news from Iraq is bad. Bush is gonna lose the election. Who does he think he's fooling? 
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on March 16, 2004 at 16:37:15 PT
Off Topic
I think the press is finally starting to see what Greendale is all about. This is from the Village Voice.March 17 - 23, 2004Young's Flag-Waving Anti-Bushism Achieves Ragged Glory: 
http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0411/hoberman2.php
Neil Young - Greendale
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Comment #6 posted by SystemGoneDown on March 16, 2004 at 11:24:17 PT
George Carlin...
Did anybody catch him on Fox News today? They interviewed him and when they asked about the hefty fines and regulations over the public airwaves, Carlin starts saying that the mainstream media has been tooken over by the Conservatives. And when he got into more detail, he was attacking FoxNews and it's shallow bias ways. They immediately thanked him for coming on their show and ended it there. It was hilarious because they immediatley shut him out when he made even the littlest insinuation of FoxNews.
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on March 16, 2004 at 10:43:59 PT
ekim
Thank you. That means so much to me. The show was the same show that Montel first talked about medical marijuana. My sister in law called and was so excited about seeing the show and she said it was new and it was new to her. 
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Comment #4 posted by ekim on March 16, 2004 at 10:34:55 PT
FoM did you watch Montel
something was said about him yesterday i think.Your doing a great job FoM.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on March 16, 2004 at 10:25:46 PT
Nuevo Mexican 
Thanks! I understand what you are saying I think. We watched HardBall and Nixon really hated Kerry. I know that I get stuck in the past but something wasn't finished back then and it's more then reforming the laws about Cannabis. It's much deeper to me then our important topic. Something needs to tie it together. Unless you are around my age you might not understand what I am saying.
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Comment #2 posted by Nuevo Mexican on March 16, 2004 at 10:13:00 PT
Why Kerry will get my vote: 'bush is a liar!'
And Nixon hated him!Now read this article, and feel the memories flood, as Nixon is the architect of the drug war we suffer from, and bush is his heir to the throne of evil dictators.With antiwar role, high visibility By Michael Kranish, Globe Staff, 6/17/2003 Day after day, according to the tapes and memos, Nixon aides worried that Kerry was a unique, charismatic leader who could undermine support for the war. Other veteran protesters were easier targets, with their long hair, their use of a Viet Cong flag, and in some cases, their calls for overthrowing the US government. Kerry, by contrast, was a neat, well-spoken, highly decorated veteran who seemed to be a clone of former President John F. Kennedy, right down to the military service on a patrol boat.The White House feared him like no other protester.Colson, in a secret memo, revealed he had a mission to target Kerry: "Destroy the young demagogue before he becomes another Ralph Nader."http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/061703.shtmlThe Toppling of a 20 foot tall statue of Donald Rumsfeld on this coming Saturday, March 20th in Taos, New Mexico, got a major shot of publicity as Buzzflash.com, sister site to C-News in my 'Favorites', has put the headline on its front-page! Here it is! www.buzzflash.comTaos Residents to Topple Statue of Donald Rumsfeld during the Global Day of Action on March 20 3/16 http://nm.indymedia.org/feature/display/2493/index.phphttp://www.boston.com/dailynews/075/wash/Protesters_in_Washington_march:.shtmlSong about a boy named bush:http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2004/03/283044.shtmlSong about a boy named Bush
author: pavoratti 
little humor 
Come and listen to my story 'bout a boy named Bush. His IQ was zero and his head was up his tush. He drank like a fish while he drove all about. But that didn't matter 'cuz his daddy bailed him out. DUI, that is. Criminal record. Cover-up. Well, the first thing you know little Georgie goes to Yale. He can't spell his name but they never let him fail. He spends all his time hangin' out with student folk. And that's when he learns how to snort a line of coke. Blow, that is. White gold. Nose candy. The next thing you know there's a war in Vietnam. Kin folks say, "George, stay at home with Mom." Let the common people get maimed and scarred. We'll buy you a spot in the Texas Air Guard. Cushy, that is. Country clubs. Nose candy. Twenty years later George gets a little bored. He trades in the booze, says that Jesus is his Lord. He said, "Now the White House is the place I wanna be! ." So he called his daddy's friends and they called the GOP. Gun owners, that is. Falwell. Jesse Helms. Come November 7, the election ran late. Kin folks said "Jeb, give the boy your state!" "Don't let those colored folks get into the polls." So they put up barricades so they couldn't punch their holes. Chads, that is. Duval County. Miami-Dade. Before the votes were counted five Supremes stepped in. Told all the voters "Hey, we want George to win." "Stop counting votes!" was their solemn invocation. And that's how George finally got his coronation. Rigged, that is. Illegitimate. No moral authority. Y'all come vote now. Ya hear?' 
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Comment #1 posted by medicinal toker on March 16, 2004 at 09:05:40 PT
"bowing to reality"
Well-put. Someday maybe America will "bow to reality".
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