cannabisnews.com: A Smokin'-Hot Dilemma





A Smokin'-Hot Dilemma
Posted by CN Staff on May 12, 2006 at 12:55:26 PT
By Don Erler, Special to the Star-Telegram 
Source: Star-Telegram 
Texas -- Smart or stupid, prudent or foolish? What was Mexican President Vicente Fox thinking May 2 when his spokesman confirmed that he would sign legislation allowing individuals to possess small quantities of several currently illegal drugs, including cocaine and marijuana?Supporters of the law in the upper house of Mexico's Congress included most senators from both the conservative PAN and the more liberal PRI parties. They claimed that allowing personal use of small quantities of drugs would free authorities to focus interdiction efforts on larger drug traffickers.
Was Fox smarter or more foolish when he said May 3 that he would not sign the bill into law unless Congress agrees to make substantial changes? More foolish, in my view. But some readers might properly wonder why I, a self-confessed conservative, would appear to favor increased drug use.ABC news correspondent John Stossel had it right when he observed March 29 that we "can't even keep drugs out of prisons -- do we really think we can keep them out of all of America?" Stossel also correctly noted that the gangs that "drug prohibition is creating are even richer [than Al Capone became during Prohibition], probably rich enough to buy nuclear weapons. Osama bin Laden was funded partly by drug money."Consider: Why would a young man take a job flipping burgers for $7 per hour when he can make several times that much as a lookout for a drug gang? Why would he endure the arduous 19 years of schooling required to earn a law degree and make $100,000 when he can deal drugs for far more money?But forget all that. We're not going to legalize or even decriminalize LSD, heroin or methamphetamine. In fact, our national government is so zealous in prosecuting our insane drug war that we threatened Fox with God-knows-what for his apparent lapse into prudence.So today I offer a far more modest and less controversial proposal: Let's emulate the Czech Republic, which -- according to Kirk Muse in the May 4 Colorado Springs Independent -- "is the only country in the world where adult citizens can legally use, possess and grow small quantities of marijuana."According to our FBI's crime statistics, of some 1.75 million American drug arrests in 2004, 82 percent were for possession alone. And 684,319 were for marijuana possession. In his book Smoke and Mirrors, researcher Dan Baum claimed that if marijuana were decriminalized, there would be a 90 percent reduction in drug users.Some readers will object that marijuana is a "gateway" drug that "hooks" users, encouraging them to try ever more powerful alternative drugs. But the Institute of Medicine claims that there "is no conclusive evidence that the drug effects of marijuana are causally linked to the subsequent abuse of other illicit drugs."Were it a gateway drug, we would expect large numbers of Czech arrests for other drug use and considerable drug-related crime. There is neither. Muse cites data showing that the Czechs' overall drug arrest rate is 0.17 percent of our own rate and that the robbery rate is merely 1.37 percent that of the U.S.And if this modest improvement in our drug laws is still too much for conservative citizens who, like me, oppose drug use (I've neither smoked nor inhaled), let's try something even less daring. Let's follow Great Britain's decision -- implemented Jan. 29, 2004 -- to downgrade cannabis from a Class B to a Class C drug.Possession of small quantities would no longer be an arrestable offense, in most cases. More modest still: Let's allow each state to determine its own policies regarding marijuana.So if we don't want to be as crazy as a Fox (at least the May 2 version), we should nonetheless Czech our zeal for locking up millions of citizens for getting no higher than they might when imbibing California chardonnay or English ale.Don Erler is president of General Building Maintenance.  Source: Ft. Worth Star-Telegram (TX)Author: Don Erler, Special to the Star-Telegram Published: May 12, 2006Copyright: 2006 Star-TelegramContact: letters star-telegram.comWebsite: http://www.star-telegram.com/CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
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Comment #32 posted by FoM on May 15, 2006 at 15:42:02 PT
whig 
That's what I believe too. I always believed render to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods.
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Comment #31 posted by whig on May 15, 2006 at 15:16:03 PT
FoM
I believe in separation of church and state. I don't think the state should regulate the church and I don't think churches should try to control the state. That's what I think the first amendment was intended to prevent.
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Comment #30 posted by FoM on May 15, 2006 at 08:41:10 PT
rchandar 
I didn't watch news or read papers and just worked hard over the years to build a life for me and my family. Now because of the Internet I know way more then I ever knew. I stopped going to church ( Assembly of God ) when the Christian Coalition was formed and they attached themselves to the Republicans. I knew then that it was going to get bad. Pat Robertson said we can preach and preach that something is wrong but unless there is a law against it people won't listen. When there is a law against something preachers can say it is a sin. It's all about control. They say it is to make a godly nation. I disagree.
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Comment #29 posted by rchandar on May 15, 2006 at 08:18:24 PT:
FoM
yeah, what's interesting to me is that the Republicans traditionally were "states rights/autonomy" pols and Democrats were confirmed Federalists. That's changed with Bush, and re MMJ. I think since Reagan, that notion of local autonomy has eroded significantly in DC; I think that's dangerous because it's a precedent from long back that informed American democracy.Oh yeah, the Dems in '06 and '08. What I think should happen is that the DNC, or some major branch of it, should hold a series of significant meetings to iron out their approach to drug policy. What you're saying may be true; I just think it's time that, like parties in Europe, the Democrats had a more organized and "official" approach to drug policy. That would be really helpful because they would take to constituencies a national platform....separation of church and state. That's something really endangered right now; Bush's America is archetypally a Christian state. Unbelievers are suspect and dangerous enemies. This whole "War on Terror" really irks me, its like America has to have a dangerous enemy capable of destroying its noble civilization, and therefore has to be "at war"--really, at war with the world. But I'll give them they're sophisticated in presenting the "information," and the press collaborates in giving people a languaged approval of Bush's policies. When terms and concepts are linked absolutely to this notion of "a just war," I think it's hard for a lot of people to justify thinking in opposition. Who can argue that Saddam Hussein isn't a bad guy that should be deposed? Very, very difficult. Meaning, it's always harder to think for yourself, to evaluate based on what you know. But the truth is clear in some senses; Saddam was our ally for ten years.and Iran-contra? People forget...forget they're hiding.--rchandar
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Comment #28 posted by FoM on May 15, 2006 at 07:27:43 PT
 rchandar
I don't have any friends that are into politics. I'm just saying that if the dems get a clean win this fall and win in 08 we stand a better chance for change. Kennedy and Kerry are for medical marijuana. The religious right controls a lot of the republicans and that means we will keep getting their morals applied to the general population. That is why I believe in the separation of church and state. Religion is personal and shouldn't be a forced public policy.
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Comment #27 posted by rchandar on May 15, 2006 at 06:56:56 PT:
FoM
...i've known many republicans who were great people, and many democrats who were f#$king jerks. Yes, to say that all Republicans are against grass is just untrue. But, definitely, I don't like the Republicans that sit on Capitol Hill; to me they're simply doing a lot to destroy the freedoms that American society is based upon. They act as though people have given them a blank check to rewrite American democracy to suit their needs. Now, the Democrats, I think, are a party without a strong vision. That's why the Dems keep losing elections. ...um, "conservative" and "liberal". I think the terms range far from being aligned with the political policies of Republican and Democrat, respectively. Yes, Republican presidents tend to be conservative, Democratic presidents tend to be liberal (compare Nixon, Reagan, Bush and Bush with Carter and Clinton). But rank-and-file pols that make up the parties? Not always true.Oh, I forgot Ford--it's easy to do; I don't remember him doing all that much!--rchandar
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Comment #26 posted by rchandar on May 15, 2006 at 06:49:47 PT:
FoM
I don't give a rat's a#$s about Clinton. He was a good president on other issues, but for MJ, not at all. MJ arrests tripled under his rule. The "Crime Bill" was passed in 94, bringing in 100,000 more cops.Because of Clinton and Reagan, drug policy has indeed gone far from any real humanitarian/civil rights considerations. Anyone remember Barry McCafferty, the then-drug czar? He tried to intimidate Holland into ending their "tolerance policy" by trying to list Holland as an "outlaw state."  These were not people we should look up to; I'm a Democrat and can say that our party's official stance toward cannabis needs to be changed, and radically.--rchandar
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Comment #25 posted by FoM on May 13, 2006 at 13:52:36 PT
John Tyler 
I agree with you. I am not into any political party because I don't think like any of them. I am conservative and liberal. I do believe we have a responsibility to our future generations to care for our earth so it will still be here for them. I believe that crimes that don't have a victim should be legalized. They say that there are victims. The only victims are when the family is upset about one of the issues. Families need to deal with this themselves not the government I believe.
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Comment #24 posted by John Tyler on May 13, 2006 at 13:04:38 PT
thoughts 2
That’s why labels are so inaccurate. Some things I like could be considered “conservative” and some things I like could be considered “liberal”. So I don’t fit in either group. Both conservatives and liberals politicians should like personal freedom but they don’t. They just seem to like their own personal wealth and power and controlling others.  There are a few decent politicians. My representative is a Bush devotee that I think has sold his soul to ambition. A lot start off trying to be good but somewhere along the way wealth, power, and personal ambition corrupt them, and they turn to the dark side. Most of them know the truth about cannabis but they will spout the lies anyway to satisfy the people that control them rather than listening to the people. I think that is changing though especially out West and a little in New England. So there is hope. 
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Comment #23 posted by global_warming on May 13, 2006 at 11:51:10 PT
sorry about my spelling
it should have read republican or maybe conservitive..
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Comment #22 posted by global_warming on May 13, 2006 at 11:06:44 PT
is this a repulican?
http://tinyurl.com/prvdq
.. 	WND 
MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH
Roe attorney: Use abortion to 'eliminate poor' 
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Comment #21 posted by FoM on May 13, 2006 at 07:53:00 PT
John Tyler 
I am conservative about many things but what a republican that is a conservative means is control of people so we all march to the beat of the same drum. That is control and that's what they want and do to us.
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Comment #20 posted by John Tyler on May 13, 2006 at 07:36:59 PT
thoughts
It seems to be that ending prohibition should be something that a true conservative would latch on to. It has the “personal freedom”, and “government out of our life” appeal that are two of the pillars of conservatism. This is especially true when you consider that the substance in question has many, many fine qualities, plus if done properly could reduce government expense and increase economic prosperity.  
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Comment #19 posted by rchandar on May 13, 2006 at 06:37:49 PT:
corvalliseric
the law in the czech republic states that pot is legal "for personal use," but the quantities are not defined. Therefore, it's actually discretionary for the authorities, and no it's no mecca in terms of finding good strains.but people luuuuvve prague; everyone tells me it's a really beautiful city with a lot of medieval/renaissance buildings and rivers, lakes, nature. europe backpackers consider it a paradise. i'd say take a trip and play smoking kinda by ear.--rchandar
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Comment #18 posted by mayan on May 13, 2006 at 06:25:55 PT
E.C.
Giving them a break in EAST CHICAGO: New laws set conditional discharge program for some first-time offenses:
http://tinyurl.com/h4dox
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Comment #17 posted by mayan on May 13, 2006 at 04:51:45 PT
Down The Tubes
Bush and the neo-cons are going down the tubes with or without a Rove indictment. Here's a piece on a possible indictment with some interesting comments afterwards... http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/12/matthews-on-rove-indictment-it-could-be-today/Into the 20's...Bush Approval: Raw Poll Data
http://www.pollkatz.homestead.com/files/pollkatzmainGRAPHICS_8911_image001.gifBush going into the 20's is very signifigant. He is beginning to look especially vulnerable and supported only by a "lunatic fringe". He could be in a free-fall and into the teens before we know it. The rats are bound to start jumping ship!  
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Comment #16 posted by CorvallisEric on May 13, 2006 at 00:54:37 PT
whig (comment #14)
I'll bet you're right. We'll see.
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Comment #15 posted by CorvallisEric on May 13, 2006 at 00:49:28 PT
Source for Kirk Muse quotes
His letter to the editor, first one on this page: http://www.csindy.com/csindy/2006-05-04/letters.htmlI find his robbery data very hard to believe, but I'd love to be shown wrong.Also, I wonder if [Czech Republic] "legally use, possess and grow small quantities of marijuana" is too optimistic. All I could quickly find was discussion about proposals last December and opinions that things are fairly free there, but not actually legal. Can anyone point to something a little more solid?
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Comment #14 posted by whig on May 13, 2006 at 00:13:05 PT
Max
Wait. Jason Leopold is known to be less than 100% in his reporting. It might come down, but I wouldn't rely on the truthout story.
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Comment #13 posted by Max Flowers on May 13, 2006 at 00:09:19 PT
mayan (Rove)
Oh my God, that's beautifulThat makes my whole night and my whole weekend too!THANK YOU Patrick Fitzgerald.Now let's keep the ball rolling. Indictments and impeachments aren't that different, are they? (well, let's just say they aren't)
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Comment #12 posted by Hope on May 12, 2006 at 18:55:06 PT
This article...
Siting and quoting our Kirk Muse. Cool.Way to go, Kirk!
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Comment #11 posted by whig on May 12, 2006 at 18:44:29 PT
mayan
You might want to use tinyurl to make links that don't make the page width expand.
Tinyurl
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Comment #10 posted by mayan on May 12, 2006 at 18:21:51 PT
Misc.
Quite an article from a Ft. Worth paper!On an unrelated note, the house of cards is falling...Rove Informs White House He Will Be Indicted: 
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/051206Y.shtmlInto the red zone...Bush job approval falls to 29 pct in new poll:
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2006-05-12T131704Z_01_N12361390_RTRUKOC_0_US-BUSH-POLL.xmlDesperation...Stop ATT From Taking Your Web:
http://alternet.org/rights/36145/THE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN...Vermont Greens’ Historic Call: Impeach Bush, Cheney for 9/11 Crimes, Election Theft: 
http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2006/5/emw382511.htm911podcasts.com presents Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime: 
http://www.911podcasts.com/display.php?vid=92Picking Up Where Partridge Leaves Off: Researchers Address a 9/11 Skeptic:
http://911research.wtc7.net/essays/commondreams/partridge.html9/11 WAS AN INSIDE JOB - OUR NATION IS IN PERIL:
http://www.911sharethetruth.com/
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Comment #9 posted by global_warming on May 12, 2006 at 17:03:49 PT
and
an angry post,that is seeking,an end to this confusion,a free cannabis world,is better than an alcohol free world.
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Comment #8 posted by global_warming on May 12, 2006 at 17:01:06 PT
you have
an 'amenfrom this tired soul.
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on May 12, 2006 at 16:53:04 PT
global_warming
I wish this world wasn't driven by politics too.
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Comment #6 posted by global_warming on May 12, 2006 at 16:46:25 PT
you got that right
"I don't believe people who are in politics."I wish that this world,Was not driven by politics,What is politics?Somewhere in the distant shadows of 'time,God and Darwin decided that each 'Life in this world,Might shape this world,As the the next key press,Those letters and effortsTo describe our placeIt is with my greatest displeasure,In this world,'We, can do so much better.
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on May 12, 2006 at 16:34:08 PT
global_warming 
I'm not defending Clinton or any politician. I only stated what I remembered he said. I don't believe people who are in politics.
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Comment #4 posted by global_warming on May 12, 2006 at 16:23:54 PT
This Does Not Explain
How so many of us,Live each day of our lives with this 'lie,Talk is cheap,Actions speak louder than words,Clinton may have said this,But Clinton used this world,Clinton lied and his treacheryWill be exposed.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on May 12, 2006 at 16:17:42 PT
global_warming 
Clinton also said the marijuana should be decriminalized as he left office. It was late in the game but at least he said it.****Drug Control Officials Are Warned of Growing Threat From 'Meth' May 12, 2006
  I’m Steve Ember with IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.Among illegal drugs, methamphetamine now has more users worldwide than cocaine and heroin combined. That statement comes from the chief of the Drug Enforcement Administration in the United States.  Karen Tandy spoke this week at the International Drug Enforcement Conference, held by the D.E.A. and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. More than three hundred high-level officials from eighty countries gathered in Montreal. Karen Tandy says marijuana is still the most widely used illegal drug, with an estimated one hundred sixty million users. But she said more than twenty-six million people use amphetamines, largely methamphetamine. Complete Article: http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/2006-05-12-voa1.cfm
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Comment #2 posted by global_warming on May 12, 2006 at 16:14:53 PT
You can bet
That his beautiful wife Hillary,Was close at hand..I must accept that even our 'war president,snorted cocaine and has tasted from the bottle,How can all this confusion and contrived standard,Stand before the 'cross?How can so many human beings believe this lie?
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Comment #1 posted by global_warming on May 12, 2006 at 16:08:05 PT
Lets Not Forget
The Honorable President William Jefferson Clinton,Though he held that 'joint in his hand,When he puffed on that joint,It mattered not if he inhaled,
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