cannabisnews.com: Pro-Marijuana Group Sues State Over Drug Czar





Pro-Marijuana Group Sues State Over Drug Czar
Posted by CN Staff on July 14, 2005 at 23:21:59 PT
By Timothy Inklebarger, Associated Press Writer
Source: Associated Press
Juneau, Alaska -- A pro-marijuana group is suing state campaign finance regulators in an effort to force them to investigate a deputy federal drug czar's expenses in campaigning against a 2004 marijuana legalization initiative.The Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project says Scott Burns, deputy director for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, toured Alaska last fall giving public speeches against an initiative to legalize marijuana in the state. Burns, however, did not disclose to the Alaska Public Offices Commission how much was spent on the trip.
"The Marijuana Policy Project and the groups supporting the initiative in Alaska filed reports and told the citizens of Alaska exactly how much was spent on the campaign and we simply feel the federal government should play by the same rules," said Marijuana Policy Project government relations director Steve Fox.Fox said the group filed the lawsuit in an Anchorage Superior Court Thursday. He said the group has filed a similar lawsuit in Montana.Fox said in February his group formally requested that the Alaska Public Offices Commission investigate the campaign stops made by Burns. A month later APOC rejected the request, stating that the commission does not have authority to investigate "the United States and its officials."Alaska Department of Law spokesman Mark Morones said he has not seen a copy of the lawsuit, but, he said, "I think APOC had denied the complaint because it's a federal agency involved and it didn't have jurisdiction."Complete Title: Pro-Marijuana Group Sues State Over Drug Czar's Campaign Spending On the Web at: http://www.marijuanapolicy.org and http://www.mpp.org/WarOnDrugCzar/complaints.htmlNewshawk: MayanSource: Associated Press (Wire)Author: Timothy Inklebarger, Associated Press Writer Published: July 14, 2005 Copyright: 2005 The Associated Press Related Articles & Web Sites:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Regulate Marijuana in Alaskahttp://www.regulatemarijuanainalaska.org/For Alaska, Marijuana Situation Status Quohttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20650.shtmlMarijuana Myths Cloud Good Sense http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20623.shtmlGovernor Misrepresenting Effects of Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20490.shtml
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Comment #6 posted by jose melendez on July 15, 2005 at 05:54:34 PT
Jose can see
I see now, they published two letters, I responded to both and they truncated my sentences:	Subject: 	letter to editor	Date: 	July 6, 2005 1:16:02 PM EDT	To: 	 letters detnews.comEditor,With respect to the letter ("Find A Natural High") published July 5th, none of the supposed harms attributed to marijuana are sufficient reason for arrest, incarceration or asset forfeiture for possession of any of the far more harmful albeit approved intoxicants or medications sold in commerce.The facts are that marijuana was already accepted and recognized as a comparatively safe and efficacious palliative long before the Controlled Substances Act, and even the Office of National Drug Control Policy's chief today concedes the herb is non-toxic.Hypocrisy is neither a virtue nor an effective means of reducing addiction.Jose MelendezCommunications DirectorConcerned Citizens Coalition to Criminalize
ProhibitionDeLand. FLhttp://www.CCCCP.org888 247-8183
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Comment #5 posted by jose melendez on July 15, 2005 at 05:50:28 PT
editor dumbed down my letter
Subject: letter to editorDate: July 6, 2005 1:13:45 PM EDTTo:  letters detnews.comEditor,With respect to Kathleen M. Rager's letter ("Marijuana Medically Harmful") published July 5th, none of the supposed harms attributed to marijuana are sufficient reason for arrest, incarceration or asset forfeiture for possession of any of the far more harmful albeit approved intoxicants or medications sold in commerce.The facts are that marijuana was already accepted and recognized as a comparatively safe and efficacious palliative long before the Controlled Substances Act, and even the Office of National Drug Control Policy's chief today concedes the herb is non-toxic.Hypocrisy is neither a virtue nor an effective means of reducing addiction.Jose MelendezCommunications DirectorConcerned Citizens Coalition to Criminalize
ProhibitionDeLand. FLhttp://www.CCCCP.org888 247-8183
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Comment #4 posted by jose melendez on July 15, 2005 at 05:47:08 PT
published again
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n1112/a08.htmlNewshawk: Empower Activists http://www.mapinc.org/donate.htmPubdate: Thu, 14 Jul 2005Source: Detroit News (MI)Copyright: 2005, The Detroit NewsContact: letters detnews.comWebsite: http://detnews.com/Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/126Author: Jose MelendezBookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/prison.htm (Incarceration)Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n1076/a13.html?92884STOP MARIJUANA ARRESTSAbout the July 5 letter, "Find a natural high," none of the supposed harms attributed to marijuana are sufficient reason for arrest, incarceration or asset forfeiture for possession of any of the far more harmful albeit approved intoxicants or medications sold. Marijuana was already accepted as a comparatively safe and effective palliative long before the Controlled Substances Act. Even the Office of National Drug Control Policy's chief today concedes the herb is nontoxic. Hypocrisy is neither a virtue nor an effective means of reducing addiction.Jose MelendezCommunications DirectorConcerned Citizens Coalition to Criminalize ProhibitionDeLand, Fla. 
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Comment #3 posted by potpal on July 15, 2005 at 04:51:17 PT
ot - smoking in the boys room
Cocaine traces at EU Parliment...http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4685693.stm 
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Comment #2 posted by OverwhelmSam on July 15, 2005 at 02:48:36 PT
Stop Paying Taxes Until They Change The Law!
It's taxation, not only without representation, but with gross misrepresentation. It's a violation of public trust. How dare them!There's no law that says we have to pay taxes: http://www.givemeliberty.org
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Comment #1 posted by Taylor121 on July 15, 2005 at 00:16:27 PT
Federal Officials Job to Tell States What TO DO
I hate how our tax dollars go towards Federal officials fighting the initiatives that we donate towards. It's like, some of my money is essentially stolen from me to do this, and I willingly give money for reform to do just the opposite. Amazing.I have a hard time accepting that a Federal official's job is to influence state ballot initiatives.. we are talking about sovereign states here. Why don't they just rename them the United Slaves of America. The Feds are too powerful and get away with far too much.I applaud the MPP trying to hold them accountable to the laws of the land, but I fear we may be too late.
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