cannabisnews.com: Group Asks City To Join Fight Against Pot Laws Group Asks City To Join Fight Against Pot Laws Posted by CN Staff on June 04, 2004 at 18:52:00 PT By Baird Helgeson, News Tribune Staff Writer Source: Duluth News-Tribune Duluthians love lively community debate. They have anguished over the smoking ban, East High School's hockey coach and the Ten Commandments monument that once adorned the lawn outside City Hall.Fear not, community watchdogs. Here comes a new issue that might tickle the hearts and minds of Duluthians, although city leaders are running the opposite direction of this debate. A group has asked the city to take the lead in the push for looser marijuana laws. Ideally, they would like recreational marijuana use to be legal."The huge prison population of the U.S.A. is composed primarily of nonviolent drug offenders, essentially victimless crimes," said David Hopkins of Superior, a member of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and the Community Cannabis Coalition. "This violation of civil rights disrupts families, places of employment and communities."The group wants Duluth city leaders to support a resolution that asks state and federal lawmakers to throttle back on the enforcement of personal marijuana use. They also want marijuana to be allowed for medical reasons and to let farmers to grow hemp, a nonaddictive cousin of marijuana that can be used to make clothing, rope and other products.Hopkins calls the ban on marijuana for medical uses "a slap in the face of the medical community, who are forbidden from using this healing herb."Marijuana is known to help AIDS patients reduce nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite. Glaucoma patients have used it to reduce eye pressure, chemotherapy patients claim it calms the effects of treatment and those with multiple sclerosis say it reduces muscle pain and spasms caused by the disease.The group has asked Councilor Greg Gilbert to take the lead on the issue. But Gilbert isn't fired up over another potentially divisive issue that has little bearing on getting streets paved, balancing the budget or promoting economic development.Gilbert sent an e-mail to other councilors about the request and said it falls into the category of: "Can't we ever get a break in this world?"Councilors have about reached their quota of divisive issues this year, he said. "First, the Ten Commandments, then the public subsidies and unions, and now the Cannabis Community Coalition."Mayor Herb Bergson, a former police officer in Superior who busted his share of marijuana users over the years, was similarly underwhelmed by the idea of a public debate more suited to state and federal officials."I spent 27 years taking the stuff away from people. Now there are people trying to give it back to them," Bergson said Wednesday. "I will say, however, that while I see the damage drugs have caused in society yesterday and today, I also understand that alcohol has caused much more suffering and death than marijuana."Hopkins and his group at least want a public hearing in council chambers."Hopefully, a city resolution will contribute to the movement to regain more local authority for marijuana legislation," Hopkins said.For now, the issue isn't on any council agenda.Duluth: City leaders aren't eager to take up a debate on loosening marijuana laws. Related Article: Opinion: Our View: Marijuana Laws Are Not City Council's Business Friday, June 04, 2004 Let's clear this one up right away: The Duluth City Council should not -- repeat, not-- take up any measure having to do with legalizing marijuana.Local units of government have no authority to change existing laws on its use, and to even allow a public hearing on a resolution supporting efforts to legalize marijuana use in the United States would be a waste of time.Stay away from it.It's strange that the Duluth council would even be asked to take a stand on this issue. But it has, by local representatives of groups called the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and the Community Cannabis Coalition.They have strong opinions on the benefits of recreational marijuana use and also its therapeutic use for certain medical conditions. They are welcome to their opinions -- we are not expressing ours on the benefits or perils of marijuana use at this time.But we are imploring the City Council to stick to local issues directly affecting our citizens. Heaven knows there have been recent diversions from the nuts and bolts of local government in recent months. While the Ten Commandments monument on city property was decidedly a local issue, it became so inflamed that it took an inordinate amount of council time and concentration, and contributed to divisions in the community and on the council.The indoor smoking ban continues as an issue that is divisive and time-consuming, with the possibility of a referendum on the city's latest smoking ordinance looming in the fall, extending that controversy into the several years range. At least it's city business.We need to continue to fix the streets, resolve sewer problems, work up a comprehensive plan, decide housing issues, keep our parks up, and, most importantly, pay for those things. That is the business of the City Council.Often in the past, the City Council has engaged in what were called "memorializing" measures. They carry no weight, other than to inform higher units of government or anyone who will listen about the consensus of the City Council on this issue or that.They are a colossal waste of time.Councilors are free to decide what goes on their agendas outside of direct city business. To memorialize courts or state lawmakers or Congress or the president or the King of Norway or the Almighty herself on the consensus of the Duluth City Council concerning marijuana laws signifies nothing. Drop it. Source: Duluth News-Tribune (MN)Author: Baird Helgeson, News Tribune Staff WriterPublished: June 3 & 4, 2004Copyright: 2004 Duluth News-TribuneContact: letters duluthnews.comWebsite: http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthtribune/Related Articles & Web Site:NORMLhttp://www.norml.org/Should Congress Make Using Marijuana Legal?http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15543.shtmlThe Other Perspective - Counter Pointhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15542.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #6 posted by The GCW on June 05, 2004 at 06:08:25 PT Debate? Any debate about RE-legalizing cannabis is incomplete with out Biblical realities. Cannabis (kaneh bosm) is a beneficial plant, yet treated as though it were some unwanted man made evil drug. Caging humans for using what God created and said is good on the very 1st page of the Bible is evil.Why do some people that support keeping the Ten Commandments monument, not support ending the practice of caging their brother for using what God said is good?Is it failed clergy? Is it the "Sin of the Priests" (Malachi 1:6-14)?Regular church goers should be the very 1st people to stop the Biblically discredited cagings.The Green Collar Worker [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on June 04, 2004 at 21:40:06 PT ekim Thanks for sharing about the couple. I hope soon that medical marijuana will be ok for everyone. We're almost there. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by ekim on June 04, 2004 at 21:28:30 PT will tune in conan thanks FoM man you should have seen this young couple today at the art fest . they were just sitten on the steps of one of the govt buildings in the middle of the fest eating rocken the babies stroller both had short hair and he says to me you know she could not have made it with out Cannabis during her chemo. i asked her what her doc said and she said he said do what ever made me feel better. i asked how many times the doc heard that and how can he sleep ant night we all just shook our heads and they took extra fliers with them. http://www.leap.cc [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on June 04, 2004 at 21:03:20 PT ekim I don't know if you are interested but Neil Young will be on Conan O'Brien tonight. He wears a funny hat like the cat in the hat. I saw the show before and it was good even though he doesn't do a song. It was when he was at Radio City Music Hall performing Greendale during the spring tour. He talks about his and his son Ben' chickens. Everyone from the rust list thought it was really good. I think it starts at 12:35. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by ekim on June 04, 2004 at 20:54:09 PT Jesse can be proud of this city gee i thought all palaticks were local, why should the people have to go ask the state and feds they pay taxes on how much the leos cost and come to mention it taxs are also used for courts and jail space. When we compair the arrests of Cannabis users we find that very few are for someone doing harm to another. On the contrary we see humans being told on for money or job security, not for doing anything harming another. Feelings should not be a reason to jail another. you say We need to continue to fix the streets, resolve sewer problems, work up a comprehensive plan, decide housing issues, keep our parks up, and, most importantly, pay for those things. That is the business of the City Council.I walked around today in Hemp shirt and pants and asked the question to all i met why cant our farmers produce this fabric when only a few miles over the line from MI to Canada there farmers do. Where are the jobs of the future --we can grow them. http://www.minorml.org [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on June 04, 2004 at 20:27:53 PT Reefer Madness: A Live Chat With Eric Schlosser June 4, 2004 Live Audio ChatTuesday, June 15, 20043 PM Eastern/Noon Pacific Please join me for an online chat about marijuana prohibition with renowned author Eric Schlosser. Bookmark this page so that you can join the chat: http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/schlosser_chat.cfm We will be answering questions from listeners like you during the discussion. If you would like to submit one, please send a message to questions drugpolicy.org.Here's more information about Eric Schlosser and me:Eric Schlosser is the author of the bestselling Fast Food Nation and Reefer Madness, and a correspondent for Atlantic Monthly. Reefer Madness chronicles the beginning of our government's insane war on marijuana users and condemns the mandatory-minimum sentences that ruin so many lives.I am the founder and executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, the leading organization in the United States promoting alternatives to the "war on drugs." A professor and author, I founded the organization to advocate for drug policies grounded in science, compassion, health and human rights.To submit a question now please send an email to: questions drugpolicy.org.Thank You,To Contact or Make a Donation by Mail to the Drug Policy Alliance:Drug Policy Alliance 70 West 36th Street, 16th Floor New York, NY 10018Get a PDF copy of the Donation Form.For subscription problems please contact Jeanette Irwin, Director, Internet Communications jirwin drugpolicy.org, 202.216.0035 [ Post Comment ] Post Comment