cannabisnews.com: Kudos To ‘Grass Roots’ Movement





Kudos To ‘Grass Roots’ Movement
Posted by CN Staff on November 14, 2007 at 07:32:11 PT
By Dick Dorworth
Source: Idaho Mountain Express
Idaho -- It was a "grass roots" movement in the right direction (up) last week when the small Idaho city of Hailey passed three out of four pro-marijuana initiatives that were on the ballot. Hailey citizens have thereby chosen to help bring some sanity into the drug laws of America and into the lives of the people impacted by them, starting at home. They voted to legalize the medical use of marijuana, to make enforcement of marijuana laws the lowest priority and to legalize industrial uses of hemp within the city.
Unfortunately, an initiative to regulate and tax marijuana sales and establish a Community Oversight Committee did not receive enough votes. Marijuana is not going to go away, and having the elected government of the community tax and regulate it is a far better system for society than the one in place. Well, these things take time. It's only been a bit more than 70 years since Prohibition failed for the same reasons the war on drugs will fail, has failed and is failing. Bravo, citizens of Hailey. May the communities of America catch up with you as soon as possible. May the state and federal governments learn (re-learn?) what they learned (or not) more than 70 years ago when the 18th Amendment to the Constitution and prohibition of the sale and consumption and possession of alcohol to drink was repealed. Not likely that the country will catch up to Hailey (and a few other communities), some will say. Not in my lifetime, say many. Over my dead body, say a few. Eventually, the sooner the better, say others, including a majority of the voters of Hailey. Good for them. A lot of the drug laws of America are absurd, none more so than the ones covering marijuana, and not only because they don't work. Marijuana is far less destructive than alcohol, which inspired the 18th Amendment. Prohibition failed, as anyone with the slightest common sense could have predicted. Prohibition ensured that a few people, some of them not very good people, made a great deal of money; and too many people, most of them good people, had their lives destroyed by the law, not the drug. As a drug, alcohol destroys all too many lives with an incalculable physical, emotional, mental, social, economic and ecological cost to the world, but that is a different story. The destruction it causes cannot be legislated away, as the country came to recognize in 1933. 1933! The court, jail, police, probation and legislative resources being used up to no good end in pursuit and punishment of marijuana criminals are enormous. Those resources could be and should be devoted to more significant criminals whose activities do far more damage to society than those whose crime is smoking (and, sometimes, baking) a weed. The toll on the lives and productivity of people convicted of using a substance that is less damaging, both personally and socially, than the legal-to-use alcohol (or, for that matter, nicotine, which kills even more people than alcohol) is beyond measure. It is the law, not the drug, that takes the toll; and, as in the days of prohibition, the law rewards a few, some of them very bad people, who get enormously wealthy breaking that law, and damages the lives of many others, most of them quite good people. Marijuana for medical purposes is a no-brainer, even for teetotalers, prohibitionists and others of like mind except perhaps for those who do not mind or are not aware of the pain that others bear and that marijuana relieves, cheaply, safely and reliably. Marijuana has proved to be the best relief for many medical conditions, including but far from limited to the nausea that accompanies chemotherapy. Hemp is grown and used in a variety of products in virtually every country in the world except the United States, giving "Only in America" another of several current embarrassing connotations. Hemp is used to make clothing, fabric, twine, rope, bags, paper and many other useful products, only not in America. The Office of the National Drug Control Policy describes marijuana thus: "Short-term effects of marijuana use include problems with memory and learning, distorted perception, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, loss of coordination, increased heart rate, and anxiety." In this context, it is beyond funny that this office is run out of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, but it makes one wonder what those who make the marijuana laws of America have been smoking. Whatever it is, they would do well to pay attention to the clear-minded, problem-solving democratic voters of Hailey, Idaho. Source: Idaho Mountain Express (ID)Author: Dick DorworthPublished: November 14, 2007Copyright: 2007 Express Publishing, Inc.Contact:  letters mtexpress.comWebsite: http://www.mtexpress.com/Related Articles:Pot Legalization Vote Makes National Newshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23477.shtmlHailey Voters Say ‘Yes’ To Marijuana Reformshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23455.shtmlMarijuana Initiative Makes Hailey Ballot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23358.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #12 posted by afterburner on November 14, 2007 at 22:47:50 PT
Repeal Cannabis Prohibition
End cannabis prohibitionIt's the moral thing to do. It's the smart thing to do. It's the healthy thing to do. It's the thrifty thing to do. It's the responsible thing to do. It's the conservative thing to do. It's the liberal thing to do. It's the mainstream thing to do. It's the traditional thing to do. It's the freedom thing to do. Resurrect the American Dream, the co-operation of neighbors, Yankee ingenuity.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #11 posted by Dankhank on November 14, 2007 at 17:43:24 PT
burnin ..
I thought the portland file was 600Mb or so, that's why I said the other day I thought it would fit on one CD ...will take two cd's here, too.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #10 posted by FoM on November 14, 2007 at 16:44:10 PT
Dankhank
Please let me know. It didn't work for me with Winamp. I used Nero and downloaded the plugin and the first part of the concert sounds really good. I have the second half burned but I am still listening to the first part now. Maybe I will be able to figure out how to get it to play by doing something else when I get more discs to burn. LOL!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #9 posted by Dankhank on November 14, 2007 at 16:39:57 PT
good ....
I had to uninstall winamp, uninstall the flacplug-in, reinstall winamp, the plug-in said it was damaged so I don't know what it did, but it immediately burned the John Lennon flac-encoded album I've had for a while.Let me check burning the Young show.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #8 posted by FoM on November 14, 2007 at 16:10:31 PT
DankHank
I wanted to mention that I made a CD of the concert but it only plays in my DVD Player not my CD Player but it worked. I have to split it into more then one cd but so far so good. I also finished reading Animal Farm and it still gets me like it did when I first read it as a teen.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #7 posted by FoM on November 14, 2007 at 15:13:41 PT
DankHank
Thanks. We'll see I suppose. I think they will dodge it again if possible.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #6 posted by Dankhank on November 14, 2007 at 14:52:58 PT
voted ...
I did ... as Yoda would say ...
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #5 posted by FoM on November 14, 2007 at 14:11:06 PT
Medical Marijuana Question for CNN Debate Tomorrow
Maybe this time the question will be asked. I hope you check out the questions and vote.http://www.10questions.com/
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #4 posted by runruff on November 14, 2007 at 13:10:31 PT:
Mc Insane.
Given the freedom to do so over 2000 doctors in the state of Oregon prescribed cannabis for verious ailments. Are these a part of the "very determined minority" that Mr. Mc Insane is refering to? Is he refering to the fact that half of all the medicine in America was cannabis inclusive prior to 1937? Is he including Dr. Woodward head of the AMA in 1936 who appeared before a congressional committee and pleaded with congress not to pass the marijuana stamp act? How much money did the mega-pharm industry contribute to his campaign [lifestyle]? 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #3 posted by dongenero on November 14, 2007 at 12:24:38 PT
Senator McCain
The evidence the states that have passed medical marijuana laws based on voter initiatives. Clearly there is a majority in favor in those many states.
Polls indicate that trend carries over to a national majority.Aside from making distinctions about simple majorities or overwhelming majorities, our system of Constitutional Republic is to protect the minority from the tyranny of the majority.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #2 posted by Max Flowers on November 14, 2007 at 10:25:16 PT
McCain
Words that come to mind: Bitter, myopic, grizzled, mean-spirited, old-school, cynical, warmonger.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #1 posted by FoM on November 14, 2007 at 10:09:10 PT
McCain's Comment on Medical Marijuana
Wednesday, November 14, 2007Queston: Jonathan Rick: Should federal law overrule the will of the people on medical marijuana?McCain: Medical marijuana is not something that is the will of the people. It is the will of some people who feel very strongly. I’ve seen no convincing evidence to me that medical marijuana, that the relief of pain and suffering cannot be accomplished by prescriptions of doctors. You’d have to show me evidence that it truly is the will of a majority, not the strong opinion of a motivated minority.As for the will of the people – for example, the will of the people is that withdraw from Iraq very very soon, and I don’t agree with that.http://campaignspot.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NjhmNGQ0YmYzYmM0NTkzZWRmMDg5YmFlNTAxNTVlMDc=
[ Post Comment ]


Post Comment