cannabisnews.com: Show-Boating on Pot





Show-Boating on Pot
Posted by CN Staff on August 30, 2007 at 19:23:05 PT
By Paul Danish 
Source: Boulder Weekly 
Colorado -- Ever wonder why marijuana is still illegal? It has nothing to do with the inherent safety or danger of the drug. It's been known for decades that it is less harmful than alcohol in terms of its potential to addict, of its potential to cause violent behavior and of its potential to cause long-term health risks.
If you want to know why marijuana is still illegal consider the remarks some Denver City Council members made Monday evening before voting to put a marijuana initiative on the Denver ballot this November. The initiative, sponsored by Citizens for a Safer Denver, would make enforcement of laws against marijuana possession Denver's "lowest law-enforcement priority." The council voted unanimously to put the initiative on the city's ballot this November (as required by law), but not before several council members used the occasion to dis both the initiative and Mason Tvert, Citizens for a Safer Denver's chair. Councilwoman Carol Boigon said the initiative "made a joke out of the electoral process." "I think it is an unserious effort — an effort aimed at street theater, at capturing media attention, at making light of it," she said. "Were this a serious effort, it would be at the state." Amazingly, she didn't say whether she would support a serious effort, but let it ride. A joke, eh? Well there isn't much humor either in arresting 500,000 to 750,000 Americans a year (including about 2,500 in Denver) and giving them criminal records for an activity that is less harmful than drinking beer, the activity that has made the mayor of Denver a multi-millionaire. Tvert's attempts at ending this outrage are both more serious and more successful than most. Two years ago, Denver voters passed an initiative sponsored by Tvert's group that repealed the Denver city ordinances against possession and private use of marijuana. The measure passed with more than 54 percent of the vote. Denver's police department responded by increasing the number of citations it issued for marijuana possession by 15 percent, using the state law that's still in effect. Given that performance in the face of a vote of the people, it is entirely reasonable to ask the voters where they think Denver's law-enforcement priorities should lie with regards to pot. As for the suggestion that Tvert should confine his efforts to trying to change state law against marijuana use, evidently Councilwoman Boigon has never heard the phrase "think globally, and act locally" — or "politics is the art of the possible," for that matter. Council President Michael Hancock also seems to be ignorant of the concept of politics as the art of the possible — and of politics as the art of compromise. Hancock accused Tvert of having "sold out your people" by offering the council a compromise. Tvert's group had offered to withdraw the ordinance if the council formally acknowledged that pot use is less harmful than booze use, committed to looking into policies that reflected that view and passed a moratorium on citations for minor pot possession during the Democratic Convention. The initiative process in most Colorado cities, including Denver, provides that if the city council passes the ordinance the petition is seeking to put on the ballot or an ordinance that satisfies the petition's sponsors, the petition can be withdrawn and no election will occur. In other words, the initiative process provides for consultation and compromise. Far from selling out the petition's signers, Tvert is playing by the rules and representing their interests. Hancock, on the other hand, is showing contempt for both the initiative process and the role of compromise in it. Councilman Chris Nevitt has a somewhat different perspective than his colleagues. He said he doesn't support the initiative, even though he could not find a fundamental difference between marijuana and alcohol, and even though in his opinion "the war on drugs is as misguided, wasteful and ultimately as futile an enterprise as the war in Iraq." Now there's a profile in courage for you. The reason the war on marijuana never ends is that politically it's a sideshow. When it comes to electing public officials, people (including marijuana users) rarely decide which candidates to vote for on the basis of where they stand on pot. Consequently there is no downside for elected officials in allowing it to continue — or for show-boating and posturing the way Denver's council members did. It isn't widely recognized, but the thing that really sealed the fate of the Vietnam War was that elected officials started losing their jobs for supporting it. Chances are it will be the same with the drug war. When candidates find they can lose an election because there's a significant percentage of voters in their districts who make deescalating the drug war their first priority when deciding who to vote for, that is when the enforcement of marijuana laws will really become law enforcement's last priority. Newshawk: The GCWSource: Boulder Weekly (CO)Author: Paul DanishPublished: August 30, 2007Copyright: 2007 Boulder WeeklyContact: letters boulderweekly.comWebsite: http://www.boulderweekly.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Safer Denverhttp://www.saferdenver.com/City Council Puts Pot Issue on Ballothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23289.shtmlReport: Hick, 4 Council Members Smoked Pothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23288.shtml
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Comment #10 posted by Toker00 on September 01, 2007 at 04:33:22 PT
Cannabis Prohibition 
is the Ultimate Evil in our Physical Universe. The Universal Spirit is calling on us to Free Up Cannabis in the Physical World so it will Free Up Good in the Spiritual World, as well. We all know that if evil people, being lead by others or by ignorance, would allow the shining light of Truth that is manifest in Cannabis smoke, vapor, or food products to be had by all who are being called to partake by our Natural Spirit of Wisdom, the sick would be healed and the evil in this world Defeated. That's the Big Truth. And it doesn't mean everyone would have to ingest cannabis, just be ALLOWED to. Just to accept the Truth, not PROHIBIT it.Stop Prohibiting our vessel of Understanding. Some of us need it as fuel to create Good. How good is it? Do radiation hot spots sound like a good place to plant Cannabis? The Russians think so. Do sick people sound like Good candidates for Cannabis Medicine? The Sick think so. Who believes Cannabis treats Depression? The Depressed think so. Would Cannabis/hemp production help our economy? The Economists think so. Is Cannabis Legalization a State's Rights issue? Fourteen Governors and their constituents think so. Would Cannabis go far in an evil man's mind to change it to Good? I think so.Who profits the very most from Cannabis Prohibition? The CORPORATATIONS who DON'T THINK SO. (Besides the Ignorant)What would defeat Capitalism, Communism, Socialism, and ALL the other ISM'S? CANNABISISM! It's the Good thing to do! :)Toke.   
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Comment #9 posted by Toker00 on September 01, 2007 at 04:03:56 PT
GCW that is so accurate...
Yep. Cannabis gives us the ability to see through the stuff that comes out of a Bull's Anus. And while I may have a Felonious mouth, my Spirit is GOOD. I embrace your religious overview of reality and liken it to my own. But I don't limit "God" with Religion. In fact, I prefer to see what we all perceive as a God, rather as a Creator, not a God. God's were Co-created by Man, and is limited to the imagination of Co-creationists (Mankind). Man was Created by the Creator, which is Unlimited. So, in my Minuscule Earthly Mind, the Creator created Man who in turn, out of a need to understand Spiritualism, (The relationship between Man and his Creator) created God(s) both Good and Evil to represent the Spiritual battle between Good and Evil in our Physical Universe but that is being fought in our Spiritual Universe simultaneously.  Do they make Long Stem Cannabis Leaves? We'll need some to stick down the barrels of Blackwater Security when they enforce Martial Law while ALL of our Soldiers are in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, (fill in the blank all the way to China).Unless... We must manifest enough Good in the Physical World to overcome the Evil...if we do, we will also be manifesting Good in the Spiritual World and coming closer to the Creator's Side...not as individuals good or bad but as One Humanity in One Universe created by One Creator...The Creator created us not for A reason but for EVERY reason...I Love the Manifestation of Good that be C-News and Newsers...thank you FoM, the Co-creator of Good!Toke. 
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Comment #8 posted by Hope on August 31, 2007 at 19:32:23 PT
I guess that's why we have term limits
"The governors invariably become contemptuous of the governed."
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Comment #7 posted by kaptinemo on August 31, 2007 at 12:03:57 PT:
The arrogance of power 
"The governors invariably become contemptuous of the governed."I read that many years ago, and the Denver City Council is a perfect example of this at work. Many of those who have been elected to political office usually think they have been placed upon a pedestal, above the people who voted them there. Sooner or later, the arrogance begins to seep through in their attitudes, to the point they begin to express their contempt of citizens in particular and the populace in general. Well, this isn't Great Britain's parliamentary system; this isn't a kind political 'fire and forget' where the representatives of the people are given free rein after being elected to implement their own or their party's inclinations. They are servants, not masters. The will of the people has been made manifest in several instances regarding this subject, and those who are sworn to carry out that will have instead sought to override it.Some political arse needs kicking in Denver, and soon. Almost every government has some form of impeachment mechanism to remove those lawmakers who would be little tin-pot satraps. Perhaps it's time, given the history of what has already happened, to initiate the proceedings... 
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Comment #6 posted by dongenero on August 31, 2007 at 07:00:49 PT
Paul Danish
Great article Paul!
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Comment #5 posted by Hope on August 30, 2007 at 21:15:59 PT
Tip O'Neal!
Who would have thought Tip 0'Neal's name would come up today? Mason Tvert is a good spokesman. I'm thankful for him.He may be "Local" to Denver...but a few people hear him and see his being able to keep a fine group of young, and not so young people standing with him. He's well spoken. Polite. He knows what he's talking about and he says it well...and many stand with him.That couldn't be done in Texas. No citizen initiatives for us. So, it's amazing for all of us to see and hear about it.Keep it up Mason and friends. You are doing an admirable job.
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on August 30, 2007 at 21:09:59 PT
Just a Thought
I am about the total opposite of Mason but I can tell he is very intelligent and is sticking to the point. Jon Stewart is good at sticking to a point when he interviews people. He won't let them sidetrack him into a dead end street. Cannabis is SAFER. Very true. There can't be any argument there in this day and age. Hope you're welcome.
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Comment #3 posted by The GCW on August 30, 2007 at 20:58:53 PT
Cannabis makes Us feel closer to God.
The reason why cannabis is still prohibited is complex. There are many reasons and any of a number of things can bring it to an end.Certainly one reason why cannabis is still prohibited is because elected officials have not started losing their jobs for supporting it.I doubt many other C-newser’s agree but I think this has a much bigger mind blowing reason why it’s still prohibited.Georgie et al. has worked very hard to keep cannabis a zero tolerance herb and the reason is directly connected to what Georgie knows that He has learned from Skul n Bones.Skul n Bones is an anti-Christian club, yet Georgie has stated that He’s a Christian.I think that what Skul n Bones knows is that cannabis is the tree of life and that with the tree of life people can not and will not accept Georgie for what He stands for and what He is doing and humans will not be convinced to be duped by Him with cannabis. If more and more people used the tree of life, more and more people would see through Him. He and His ilk would have nothing that humans that have access to the tree of life would be interested in.Bush absolutely has to stop the medical cannabis movement because it allows the foot holds to expand for more and more people to see the truth and that means more and more people who will separate themselves from His way of thinking.Very few citizens support Him now; with the tree of life legal, that number would shrink to near zilch. Only the THC / tree of life deficient would support an idiot.Bush’s way of thinking is dirty. The tree of life’s way of thinking is clean and good and perfect; designed by God.The Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church has written that one reason people like to smoke pot is because it makes people feel closer to God only most people don’t know it and just enjoy the buzz. If most people knew that smoking cannabis makes people feel closer to God, more people would smoke cannabis!!!!! That is what Bush fears. I would be all for anything that would bring more people to God. Bush is not interested in bringing more people to God; He wants to bring more people to Bush.Stereotypes are started from the powerful and follow suit. The powerful control some amount of brain washing and manipulate it outward, so local city councils disapprove of cannabis.Seeing the whole issue from high up; looking from the galaxy, stratosphere etc looking in… It is easy to see it isn’t just politicians not speaking up because their jobs aren’t at risk that keeps the superplant illegal. Looking from higher than a birds-eye view We can see this is a spiritual issue that goes beyond Our comprehension and Our lives as We know it.Our Bible indicates the war that matters isn’t against man; it’s a war against evil spirits.Every direction Bush looks, He benefits from cannabis prohibition. He has to completely shut out Christ God Our Father to perpetuate God’s will to have the tree of life in Our lives. He is allowing it for now but how long is God going to allow evil to prevail?Bush and Skul n bones have lost in the area of hemp food products, hemp products being imported and used everywhere. They don’t want to lose in the area of medical use, or allowing farmers to grow it in America. Not to mention allow it in place of beer. If cannabis is legal like beer, Bush and His ilk will go down and a lot less people will have an interest in His magic.All We’re supposed to do is love one another; that’s it. Cannabis helps Us love one another.Bush thinks that with out cannabis, We need Him.This goes beyond the logic of: with out cannabis We need cotton, oil, pharmaceuticals, plastic, etc. This is a person who helps control cannabis prohibition knowing that cannabis does what He does only better.Cannabis would better replace oil, drugs, alcohol, plastic, pharmaceuticals etc.And cannabis would eliminate Bush’s power.Cannabis replaces evil.Thank God for the tree of life.The Green Collar Worker
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Comment #2 posted by Hope on August 30, 2007 at 20:55:35 PT
Thanks for posting this, FoM.
This is very impressive. Paul Danish has a clue. Anyone know what kind of readership the Boulder Weekly has?
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Comment #1 posted by John Tyler on August 30, 2007 at 20:28:25 PT
Political Science
Funny to see these local councilmen turn into little “soviet political commissars” and try to “dictate to the proletariat”. How quickly they forget which side of the bread the butter is on. With regard to the burning political issues… is it a local, state or federal, blah, blah, blah, etc. etc.? I think Tip O’Neal the late great Speaker of the House for many years would agree with Mason Tvert about politics. Tip said, “All politics are local”. So keep up the good work Mason, you getting the job done, and doing it in the finest American tradition. 
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