cannabisnews.com: High Time To Eliminate Drug Laws? High Time To Eliminate Drug Laws? Posted by CN Staff on July 02, 2004 at 07:38:29 PT By Bill Steigerwald, Tribune Review Source: Tribune Review It's not High Times or Rolling Stone that sports a marijuana leaf on its July 12 cover and calls for an end to the prohibition of marijuana. It's National Review, the small but revered and still influential conservative journal of political ideas that made the Reagan Revolution possible. Don't worry, Grandpap. National Review -- founded 49 years ago by William F. Buckley Jr. to do intellectual battle with New Deal liberals and soft-on-communism types -- has not had its offices taken over by a bunch of pot-headed hippies. But its cover story, written by drug policy reformer Ethan Nadelmann, makes a strong case to National Review's faithful that our $15-billion-a-year federal war against marijuana is "costly, foolish and destructive" to society. Calling for the decriminalization of loco weed will shock and annoy many conservatives and Republicans, especially among the anti-drug-crazed warriors in the Bush White House. But it is nothing new. Buckley, who just this week formally turned ownership of National Review over to a board of trustees he has selected, has long been in favor of decriminalizing marijuana. And Rich Lowry, the current editor and successor to Buckley, says the magazine's official policy "is that we're skeptics of the current drug laws." Lowry, who said the cover piece is being run to deliberately spark public debate, said he was once in favor of drug laws -- until old man Buckley himself persuaded him otherwise about decriminalizing marijuana. To prove how important Lowry thinks it was to publish "An End to Marijuana Prohibition," he was not afraid to use Nadelmann, whose Drug Policy Alliance is heavily funded by George Soros, the conservative-bashing billionaire. Nadelmann, meanwhile, does his usual good job of refuting government myths about marijuana's alleged medical risks, its potency and its addictive powers. He also points out how cruel our anti-marijuana laws still are and analyzes the burgeoning public support for decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana: Three-fourths of all Americans say people should be fined for simple marijuana possession, not jailed. "What's needed now," Nadelmann concludes, "are conservative politicians willing to say enough is enough: Tens of billions of taxpayer dollars down the drain each year. People losing their jobs, their property, and their freedom for nothing more than possessing a joint or growing a few marijuana plants. "And all for what? To send a message? To keep pretending that we're protecting our children? Alcohol Prohibition made a lot more sense than marijuana prohibition does today -- and it, too, was a disaster." Source: Tribune Review (Pittsburgh, PA)Author: Bill Steigerwald, Tribune ReviewPublished: Friday, July 2, 2004 Copyright: 2004 Tribune-Review Publishing Co.Contact: opinion tribweb.comWebsite: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Drug Policy Alliancehttp://www.drugpolicy.org/An End To Marijuana Prohibition http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19112.shtmlFree Weeds: The Marijuana Debatehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19103.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #10 posted by FoM on July 04, 2004 at 10:33:58 PT Related Article from New York Daily News Toke a Look at Pot Rag's Bush-Bash Tips Smoke pot, not people. Or something like that.On the cover of High Times magazine's new issue, an anti-war activist places a marijuana leaf in the barrel of a police officer's gun. It's more than just a clever take on a famous Vietnam-era photo. The magazine is offering wanna-be activists a guide to protesting President Bush and his supporters during the upcoming Republican National Convention.Hordes of demonstrators are expected for the GOP fest at Madison Square Garden from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2."If a kid from Wisconsin is thinking about coming to New York City, this will make it easy for them to come to town, learn the art of resistance," said Annie Nocenti, the editor at High Times, which is known for its colorful spreads of cannabis. "It's the bible to protesting the RNC [Republican National Committee]," Nocenti said.The guide is not in stoner talk, either. The 20-page supplement offers practical tips on everything from how to exercise your constitutional rights to where to eat on the cheap.Originally published on July 4, 2004 Snipped:Complete Article: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/story/208941p-180109c.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by FoM on July 02, 2004 at 12:09:58 PT potpal That was funny! Have a Happy 4th of July! [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by potpal on July 02, 2004 at 11:37:58 PT Headline... ...I thought a good headline for the Crosby piece would of been...Crosby, Stilettos, Stash and Gun;-) [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by FoM on July 02, 2004 at 10:54:06 PT cloud7 Thank you. That makes sense. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by cloud7 on July 02, 2004 at 10:53:23 PT "Cannabis is decriminalized in NY" I wrote this just to make the point that Cannabis is not the highest priority in NY. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by cloud7 on July 02, 2004 at 10:44:59 PT ... Crosby, 62, pleaded guilty in Manhattan’s state Supreme Court to attempted criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree as part of a plea deal. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by cloud7 on July 02, 2004 at 10:43:30 PT ... Cannabis is decriminalized in NY. http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4554&wtm_view=penaltiesSo even though he had an ounce which brings him into the misdemeanor range, NY is extremely anti-gun and they viewed this as a very serious charge. I think it's fairly rare for someone to get charged on every offence when they plead guilty. Usually some charges are dropped and others are lowered, like in this case [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on July 02, 2004 at 10:19:41 PT cloud7 I'm glad they did but why? [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by cloud7 on July 02, 2004 at 10:07:27 PT "Did They Throw Out The Pot Charges?" Sure, dismantling the second amendment is the trump card (second only to possessing illegal plant extracts) when deciding what charges to pursue. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on July 02, 2004 at 09:42:54 PT Did They Throw Out The Pot Charges? Rocker David Crosby Guilty on Gun Rap in N.Y.C. Hotel Plea deal means $5,000 fine and conditional dischargePublished: July 2, 2004 Rock musician David Crosby, founding member of the Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, pleaded guilty Friday to a gun charge, was fined $5,000 and sentenced to a conditional discharge.Crosby, 62, pleaded guilty in Manhattan’s state Supreme Court to attempted criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree as part of a plea deal. The charge carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison upon conviction. Justice Michael R. Ambrecht said the conditions for discharging the case were that he pay the fine and the court surcharges and not get rearrested. Crosby’s lawyer, Scott Herschman, said his client planned to pay the fine immediately. Crosby was arrested March 6 at the DoubleTree Suites Hotel in midtown Manhattan. Police said they found a Colt .45-caliber handgun, three clips of .45-caliber ammunition and two knives in his luggage. Police also said the musician had a plastic bag containing an ounce of marijuana, a wooden container with a marijuana cigarette in it, a package of cigarette rolling papers, and two other plastic containers that had marijuana residue.The rock ’n’ roll hall-of-famer was arrested just hours after performing with his band, CPR, at a Wayne, N.J., college. A night earlier, they had played at the B.B. King Blues Club in Times Square, a short walk from where Crosby was arrested.The rock veteran had checked out of the hotel after the show, but left behind a piece of luggage, police said. They said a hotel worker went through the luggage looking for identification, found the marijuana, gun and knives, and called police.Crosby later called the hotel to say he would be returning to pick up the luggage. He was greeted by police when he showed up. Crosby was initially charged with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and unlawful possession of ammunition, marijuana and knives.He faced up to seven years in prison if he had been convicted on the gun charge after a trial. Assistant District Attorney Mark Dahl told Ambrecht before sentencing that the gun had been purchased legally in California and had been found in Crosby’s bag, not on his person.Dahl recommended the $5,000 fine and the conditional discharge. Crosby made a celebrated comeback in the mid-1980s after beating a 20-year drug addiction during a stint in a Texas prison for drug possession. He was paroled in August 1986. In the years prior, Crosby was arrested several times — at least once in New York City — on drug and weapons charges. Copyright: 2004 The Associated Press [ Post Comment ] Post Comment