cannabisnews.com: Douglas Says He's Open To Discussing Pot Decrim





Douglas Says He's Open To Discussing Pot Decrim
Posted by CN Staff on January 04, 2008 at 08:12:37 PT
By Dave Gram, The Associated Press
Source: Burlington Free Press
Montpelier, VT -- Gov. Jim Douglas said Wednesday that he was open to having a conversation about decriminalization of marijuana, but stopped short of saying he would support it. "I've said all along it's certainly reasonable to talk about appropriate penalties for various criminal statutes," the governor said at a news conference as he prepared for Tuesday's opening of the 2008 legislative session.
Asked later if he might veto such a bill, Douglas said, "I haven't said one way or the other. What I've said is I'm happy to enter into that conversation." The Republican governor's comments came a day after the top Democrat in the Vermont Senate, President Pro Tempore Peter Shumlin, D-Windham, said he would favor sending people caught with small amounts of marijuana to a court diversion program rather than prosecuting them. Shortly after Douglas spoke, House Speaker Gaye Symington said she had not developed a position on decriminalizing pot but the House would consider such a measure if the Senate passed it. Douglas said his main focus on the drug issue is stepping up enforcement against trafficking in harder drugs such as heroin and cocaine and cracking down on abuse of prescription drugs. "The most important thing to me is to continue our aggressive effort to combat dangerous drugs, to ensure that those who traffic in drugs, those who seek to poison our children, are dealt with harshly and severely," he said. Discussion about the state's marijuana laws follows a months-long drama in which Douglas criticized Windsor County State's Attorney Robert Sand for sending to court diversion the case of a 61-year-old lawyer caught with 24 marijuana plants. Douglas, who supported a decriminalization bill as a legislator in the 1970s, first called, and later rescinded the call, for police agencies in Windsor County to bring cases involving possession of larger amounts of marijuana to the Attorney General's Office or federal authorities for prosecution. Douglas said marijuana today tends to be more potent than that available in the 1970s. "It's not your father's marijuana." And he said of the illicit plant in general, "I think it's certainly important to discourage its consumption." Douglas and Symington met Thursday with reporters to describe their priorities for the upcoming legislative session.One area of disagreement was clear: Symington said she took a very dim view of something Douglas has said he's interested in pursuing: leasing the state lottery to a private company for a one-time payment in the neighborhood of $50 million. It's expected the result would be more aggressive marketing of various lottery games, something Symington said she strongly opposes. She argued that state lotteries target mainly low-income people with a pitch of "Try your luck -- you might make it big," and amounted to a regressive tax. "I'm not in favor of increasing reliance on gambling to finance state government," the Jericho Democrat said.The governor and speaker said they would support legislation to promote energy efficiency in heating fuels. It was clear there had been no resolution of how to pay for the program -- a key reason Douglas vetoed similar legislation last year. The governor and speaker also said they hoped to continue working on health care reform, with an eye to relieving the burdens of high copays and deductibles for Vermonters with insurance. Complete Title: Douglas Says He's Open To Discussing Pot DecriminalizationNewshawk: Dongenero Source: Burlington Free Press (VT)Author: Dave Gram, The Associated PressPublished: Friday, January 4, 2008Copyright: 2008 Burlington Free PressContact: letters bfp.burlingtonfreepress.comWebsite: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/ Related Articles:It's Time To Decriminalize Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23578.shtmlDouglas Lifts Order Over Windsor Pot Caseshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23548.shtmlGovernor Reverses Policy on Pot Caseshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23547.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #33 posted by fight_4_freedom on January 08, 2008 at 08:47:56 PT:
Article about Mae from my local newspaper
Woman who fought to legalize medical marijuana dies
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
By Tom Gilchrist
tgilchrist bc-times.com | 894-9469BEAVERTON - Long before Mae Nutt was ''Grandma Marijuana,'' Mary Offenbecker simply knew her as a loving mother.Nutt, 86, a former Gladwin County resident who gained fame fighting to legalize marijuana for medical use, died Jan. 1 in California.Offenbecker, who lived near Nutt for years in Gladwin County's Billings Township, knew Mae Nutt as ''Babe,'' and said Nutt lost two sons to cancer. 
Full Article
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #32 posted by The GCW on January 05, 2008 at 23:45:33 PT
Respect life while We have it.
Human life is so fragile. We are here alive today and tomorrow or at some point We die. It is a shame that some people, while they are alive, so close in the midst of death, decide to put other human life in a cage for using a God-given plant.It is an act of selfishness. It is a shame that some people have the power to torture God's creation of human life that way.-0-It is an insult and offensive to Our Heavenly Father to read:"Gov. Jim Douglas said Wednesday that he was open to having a conversation about decriminalization of marijuana"""-0-The Bible doesn't say, Jim Douglas created all the plants on the 1st page; it says God created all the plants and said they're all good.Mr. Douglas nor anyone else has the infinite authority to enter into a conversation over the, "decriminalization of marijuana" as though their conversation matters.Cannabis is good, period. Not according to Me or Mr. Douglas or anyone else; according to Mr. God.A better conversation would be: how to respect life and the tree of life, while We still have life.The Green Collar Worker
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #31 posted by dongenero on January 05, 2008 at 16:15:26 PT
Sorry for the confusion Max
I do not have that condition. I was re-posting a comment that was on the newstarget site. Sorry for the confusion.Thanks for your thoughtful response.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #30 posted by Max Flowers on January 05, 2008 at 14:58:22 PT
dongenero (#9)
Have you heard of, or looked into, nattokinase for your condition? Or any other natural blood thinners? It seems to me there might be several options, but I don't know how severe your condition is.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #29 posted by NikoKun on January 05, 2008 at 14:32:58 PT
they need to understand...
"Douglas said marijuana today tends to be more potent than that available in the 1970s. "It's not your father's marijuana." And he said of the illicit plant in general, "I think it's certainly important to discourage its consumption.""Just because it might be a little stronger, doesn't mean it's any more dangerous... It just means people will use less of it, to get the same high.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #28 posted by afterburner on January 05, 2008 at 14:12:00 PT
OT: Iowa picks leaders instead of politicians
Iowa picks leaders instead of politicians
http://cannabisnews.com/news/23/thread23576.shtml#42"When people go to vote, they want to vote for someone who looks more like the guy they work with than the guy who just fired them," he says.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #27 posted by FoM on January 05, 2008 at 12:19:46 PT
OT: ABC New Hampshire Debates Tonight
I am really looking forward to watching these two debates tonight. What an amazing time we are living in. I hope everyone is having a great weekend.http://abcnews.go.com/politics
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #26 posted by Hope on January 05, 2008 at 12:01:03 PT
Mexican marijuana is still plentiful — and cheap
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5401314.html
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #25 posted by FoM on January 05, 2008 at 11:25:52 PT
Oregon: News Article from KGW-TV
Pot Debate Back in The House For Lawmakers' Feb. Session Saturday, January 5, 2008SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- A construction industry group wants companies to have the legal right to bar users of medical marijuana from working in potentially hazardous jobs like operating heavy machinery. It is an issue that state lawmakers will likely take up during a monthlong session that begins in February. And it is expected to touch off a lively debate over whether people's right to legally use medical marijuana can be trumped by issues such as workplace safety. Under Oregon's 1998 medical marijuana law, employers don't have to let patients with medical marijuana cards smoke it in the workplace. But the law left it unclear whether employers must accommodate workers who smoke medical marijuana off the job. Copyright: 2008 KGW-TVhttp://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_010508_news_medical_marijuana.11910385.html
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #24 posted by Hope on January 05, 2008 at 11:16:55 PT
Obama
There's a great picture of Obama there, too.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #23 posted by Hope on January 05, 2008 at 10:59:32 PT
Celebstoner
http://www.celebstoner.com/Where there is an obituary for Mae Nutt.I'm quite fond of Snoop Dogg. There is a great picture of him on that site. It's right beside a picture of Alan Thicke.The expression they caught in the photograph of Snoop is just too cool.zizzle
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #22 posted by Hope on January 05, 2008 at 10:36:56 PT
The article or obit about Mae Nutt
Among other things, it includes this quote from her son, "I was really proud of her and it was kind of exciting," he said. "She was very committed to fighting that fight. The first medical marijuana law in Michigan was passed (in 1979) due to my mom, my dad and my brother's efforts in speaking at the Senate committee hearings about medical marijuana. The law was passed and my brother died that night."In the comment section, Steve Bloom refers to an obituary he wrote for her.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #21 posted by fight_4_freedom on January 05, 2008 at 10:36:37 PT:
Oh No
That's certainly a disappointment. I was really looking forward to it too.I guess we'll just have to watch it on youtube in a couple of days.Thanks for the info Hope.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #20 posted by Hope on January 05, 2008 at 10:29:18 PT
We can't watch the NORML meeting live!
It says, "The internet connection is down at the Conference Center so we will be unable to stream the Michgan NORML meeting live. We will, however, record it and post it to our Youtube page in the next day or so. Sorry for the inconvenience."
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #19 posted by Hope on January 05, 2008 at 10:27:13 PT
Mae Nutt
A pioneer. A hero. A lovely and free person.May her accomplishments live on and increase.She did good while she was here in this harsh world and really tried to help others.I have heard of her and the efforts she made, and thanks, Fight 4 Freedom for letting us know she's passed on.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #18 posted by fight_4_freedom on January 05, 2008 at 09:45:47 PT:
Just a reminder for anyone who wants to watch 
today's MINORML meeting. Less than an hour away.Join us on-line for our Winter Quarter State MeetingJan 5, 1:30 pmhttp://www.oaklandnorml.org/cms/index.php?name=Content&pid=10In the login box that appears enter whatever name you want to use as a screen name and click 'Login'.A new window will pop up and you should be able to see if the room is working or not.If it is, click on the name GregP (admin) and the video feed will appear below the name area.To make the video larger click the plus sign '+' under the video and it will get larger.You can also click the video off and just listen to the audio if you need to by clicking the box under the video with the letter 'v' in it.This is a browser based system so there is no software to install.People will be able to type questions in the text area to the right of the video and someone will ask the question when appropriate.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #17 posted by fight_4_freedom on January 05, 2008 at 09:32:33 PT:
She lived pretty close to me
Longtime medical marijuana advocate dies at 86
By Tony Lascari
01/05/2008A longtime Beaverton resident who pushed for legalizing medical marijuana use has died.Mae Nutt died Tuesday in Roseville, Calif., at age 86. She moved west in August 2005 to be closer to her son, Marc Nutt, after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.Mae became an advocate for medical marijuana after seeing her son Keith Nutt struggle with the pain of cancer treatments in 1978, and made his use of marijuana for medical purposes a public cause............
Entire Article
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #16 posted by sam adams on January 05, 2008 at 09:19:48 PT
boston police caught stealing
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/01/05/police_find_widespread_drug_tampering/talk about headline spin - a more realistic headline would be "Police stole drugs"
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #15 posted by fight_4_freedom on January 05, 2008 at 09:14:03 PT:
Ekim- This is actually the first I
have ever heard of this wonderful woman. But you can bet I'll be researching her to find out all about her heroics. She sounded like an amazing woman and it's sad to see her go.I'm sure they will mention her at the MINORML meeting this afternoon.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #14 posted by John Tyler on January 05, 2008 at 08:35:19 PT
too bad
The governor and others are annoyingly coy, sanctimonious and timid on this issue. Decrim. is still illegal. We want legal.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #13 posted by ekim on January 04, 2008 at 19:57:42 PT
Dennis the mennis:)
January 10 – 14, 2008 Note, schedule subject to
changeJanuary 10, Thursday7:00 – 9:00 pm
Troy Community Center 3179 Livernois, Troy 48083 
Troy Democratic Club January 11 Friday7:00 – 8:30 pm
Event: Presentation and Rally with John Conyers
(invited)
University of Detroit
Mercy, Life Science Building Auditorium room 113
Enter off McNichols - North entrance to parking - 4001
W. McNichols Road , Detroit , MI NOTE: THIS may be the Best Chance for GOOD CLOSE UP
SEATSSaturday, Jan 12th 7:00 PM - 9:00 pmUnity of Livonia Church, 28660 Five Mile Rd, Livonia,
MI 48154
Sponsored by the Citizens for Peace
Talk on the Department of Peace and Nonviolence
Legislation and book signingJanuary 13, Sunday 11:00 am - 12:30 pm 
St Andrew's Episcopal with noted activist pastor Harry
Cook
340 North Main Street at 14 Mile,
downtown ClawsonJanuary 14, Monday2:30 – 4:00 pm
University of Michigan, Krause Building Natural
Sciences Auditorium, North University Street, Ann
Arbor, MI, 734.647.1778
Event Sponsor: Students for a Sensible Drug Policy
SSDP7:00 – 9:00 pm
Location: Harper Woods Community Center 19748 Harper, 
Harper Woods 48225
Event Sponsor: Pointes for Peace 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #12 posted by ekim on January 04, 2008 at 19:34:29 PT
f4f please keep us posted on Mae
she was one of the greatest of them all.what a rock ----a movie has to be made-- com on Michael Mooresuch a National hero right from MI and a state that is voting for mmj --Dennis Kucinich is comming to MI -- 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #11 posted by Dankhank on January 04, 2008 at 17:39:56 PT
Kings
like the KKings ...really like "The Joint"good song ...vibes ....
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #10 posted by Dankhank on January 04, 2008 at 17:30:58 PT
blood thinners ...
what about Plavix?while checking our coumidan/warfarin, whatever I saw that Omega3 is a blood thinner ... so, eat hemp seed/oil regularly, I guess might work ....Am not a doctor, only offer an opinion since I use Plavix and aspirin.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #9 posted by dongenero on January 04, 2008 at 12:33:24 PT
comment from Coumadin article............Med MJ
I have been on the rat poison for 14 years and the side effects have been horrendous, but the other side of the fence for me is a death sentence for me. I have found that medical marijuana has saved my life while taking this medicine, it has been the only thing to offset the nausea and help with the depression associated with taking this drug.
I came off coumadin for 3 months about 8 years ago, initially felt better than I had in years, but within a few months I ended up with Pulmonary Embolisms, 13 inch DVT/clot in left leg, and a near death experience, so I went back on the rat poison and struggle everyday with nausea and general weakness from taking the meds.
I hope they don't outlaw this med cause I will have to start licking def-con rat poison to survive. For some of us there is no choice.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #8 posted by fight_4_freedom on January 04, 2008 at 12:11:35 PT:
Love this song
http://www.hotlyrics.net/lyrics/K/Kottonmouth_Kings/Positive_Vibe.htmlHere's a beautiful song from the rock/rap group/cannabis activists The KottonMouth Kings. They are from Southern Cal and very much involved in our fight. I'm sure some of you have heard of them.
Positive Vibes- KottonMouth Kings
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #7 posted by fight_4_freedom on January 04, 2008 at 11:57:28 PT:
Marijuana Activist Mae Nutt Dies
http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/010408maenutt.cfm
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #6 posted by Hope on January 04, 2008 at 10:49:17 PT
Blood thinners
I have a friend that has to take them. He worries about cuts and punctures like a hemophiliac. He has to, because that medicine pretty much makes him a hemophiliac.Vitamin E thins blood. I guess it's more dangerous somehow than these other blood thinners.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #5 posted by afterburner on January 04, 2008 at 10:33:04 PT
More Old News (1 of the top Pharma Killers)
Blood thinner Coumadin gets black box warning over fatal bleeding side effect.
Monday, October 09, 2006 by: Jessica Fraser
http://www.newstarget.com/020682.htmlCheck the patient comments. My mother is on this poison.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #4 posted by afterburner on January 04, 2008 at 10:18:42 PT
Hope #2 
Big Pharma scales down
Posted by JENNY RODE / Ann Arbor News March 15, 2007 http://blog.mlive.com/ann_arbor_news_extra/2007/03/big_pharma_scales_down.htmlOld news, but an encouraging sign for health freedom.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #3 posted by Hope on January 04, 2008 at 09:10:33 PT
"Seek to poison our children"?
"The most important thing to me is to continue our aggressive effort to combat dangerous drugs, to ensure that those who traffic in drugs, those who seek to poison our children, are dealt with harshly and severely," he said.If the government and education system really think we must drug so many of our children for them to succeed and for them to act like we want them to... the least they could do is recommend a cannabis muffin a day or something derived of non poisonous cannabis to help them. But no! Wouldn't want to even think that. It's off to the Gulag you go if you should dare want to disagree with those who seek control of every aspect of our lives.We're told to feed our children harsh and deadly chemicals that are brain burners and heart destroyers and that no way in hell will they let doctors and parents use something that might help that they could grow in their own back yard. We're told to conform ourselves and our children to a government standard and to pound those square pegs into those round government approved holes, even if it kills them.It makes me sick to see children "treated", "cheated", and truly "poisoned" out of their childhood.So when is Douglas going to go after the pharmaceutical industry and the dope 'em up and dumb 'em down school system? 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #2 posted by Hope on January 04, 2008 at 08:55:54 PT
That would be the pharmaceutical industry .
 "those who seek to poison our children,".It's not drugs or pot that's the problem. It's like Chris Rock, I believe it was, said, "It's not that they don't want you to do drugs... they only want you to do THEIR drugs".
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #1 posted by FoM on January 04, 2008 at 08:36:50 PT
WCAX News: Decriminalize Pot in Vermont?
Montpelier, Vermont - January 3, 2008Bill Sorrell, D-Vt. Attorney General, says minor marijuana cases are not putting a strain on the state's police and prosecutors. Sorrell's comments come in response to a key lawmaker's suggestion that Vermont decriminalize possession of small amounts of pot.With just five days to go before the legislature reconvenes, the debate about decriminalizing marijuana has resurfaced. The Senate leader suggested that enforcing misdemeanor pot laws is unnecessarily tying up law enforcement, but Vermont's top cop says the facts prove otherwise."If you get prosecuted in this state for half an ounce of marijuana you don't go to jail. You go to diversion," says Sen. Peter Shumlin, D-President Pro Tem.Shumlin is right. Annually, about 500 people charged with misdemeanor possession of small amounts of marijuana are sent to diversion-- as long as it their first criminal charge. And in return for community service or a charitable donation they will have no criminal record.Shumlin wants lawmakers to discuss decriminalizing possession of small amounts of pot because it drains law enforcement and court resources."I think that's a great public policy discussion to have and I look forward to seeing what the specific proposals are in the legislature. Is it only for first time offenders? What's the amount of marijuana that's going to be decriminalized?" asks Sorrell.Vermont's Attorney General says he welcomes a discussion about rewriting marijuana laws. But he says enforcing current marijuana laws is not taxing the state's criminal justice resources. "Law enforcement time specifically directed on those who possess small amounts of pot is minimal," says Sorrell. "Less than 1% of the inmates incarcerated in the custody of the commissioner of Corrections in Vermont are there for marijuana possession... Now the cases that do get prosecuted in court that relate to simple marijuana possession, it's typically because the person has violated a condition of his or her probation or parole."Sorrell says decriminalizing marijuana would not get pot smokers entirely off the hook."What a lot of people don't realize when you talk about decriminalization is it doesn't make it legal, it makes it like a parking ticket or an ordinance violation in Burlington for excessive noise on a Saturday night," he explains.Brian Joyce - WCAX NewsCopyright: 2008 WorldNow and WCAXURL: http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=7574661&nav=4QcS
[ Post Comment ]


Post Comment