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  An End To The War on Weed?

Posted by CN Staff on April 12, 2009 at 05:02:28 PT
By Nathan Comp 
Source: In These Times Magazine  

USA -- As a medley of border violence, recessionary pressure, international criticism and popular acceptance steadily undermines America’s decades-long effort to eliminate drugs and drug use, the U.S. movement to legalize marijuana is gaining unprecedented momentum.Once derided and dismissed by lawmakers, law enforcers and the law-abiding alike, marijuana reform is sweeping the nation, although the federal government appears committed—at least for the time being—to largely maintaining the status quo.
A week after Attorney General Eric Holder announced in March that raids on state law-abiding medical marijuana dispensaries would end, the Drug Enforcement Agency effectively shut down a San Francisco dispensary, claiming it violated both state and federal laws.But to paraphrase Victor Hugo, not even the strongest government in the world can stop an idea whose time has apparently come.Indeed, support for legalization is at an all-time high, and continues to grow. In 1969, just 12 percent of Americans favored legalizing marijuana, the Holy Grail of cannabis advocates; this number had tripled by 2005, according to a Gallup poll. Barely three years later, another poll showed 44 percent of Americans support legalization.“If we continue on this curve—and there is no reason to think we won’t—we’ll hit 58 or 60 percent by 2020,” says Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). “We’re seeing also that the government is finally playing catch up with the people.”In February, a California state lawmaker introduced a bill to legalize and tax pot, and marijuana reform bills are being debated in at least 37 other states. (Last November, Massachusetts became the thirteenth state to decriminalize adult possession, while Michigan became the thirteenth state to legalize marijuana for medical use.) All told, more than one-third of Americans now live in a state or city that has legalized medical marijuana or decriminalized its recreational use.“It’s the busiest period for marijuana law reform ever,” says St. Pierre. “Legalization is definitely on the political horizon.” Growing Calls for Reform Arguments for ending the war on weed—that marijuana is safer than alcohol and that its prohibition leads to violence, exorbitant enforcement costs, billions in lost tax revenue and infringements on civil liberties—haven’t changed much since the 1970s.But the arguments have taken on unusual gravity over the last year, as drug-fueled violence along the Mexican side of border has excited fears that the carnage and mayhem will spill over into American cities. Testifying before a House panel in March, a top Homeland Security official warned - PDF link - http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/18862/ndic_2009.pdf that the cartels now represent America’s largest organized-crime threat, having infiltrated at least 230 American cities. Already, police in Tucson and Phoenix have reported a surge in drug-related kidnappings and murders.Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently acknowledged that America’s “insatiable” appetite for drugs has helped fuel the cartel-related violence. In fact, the Mexican cartels reap as much as 62 percent of their profits—and derive much of their power—from American marijuana sales, which total $9 billion annually, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy.But Mexican weed represents only a sliver of America’s annual cannabis consumption. Each year, Americans spend a whopping $39 billion on domestically grown marijuana, and another $7-10 billion on weed smuggled in from Canada. In short, untaxed and unregulated marijuana is America’s—if not the continent’s—largest cash crop, more valuable than corn and wheat combined, according to DrugScience.org.The growing sense that America’s marijuana policy is more harmful than the plant itself is leading some cash-strapped states to rethink the efficacy of locking up non-violent offenders and consider taxing medical marijuana, despite the federal prohibition on doing so. Several California cities are already taxing medical marijuana sales. Oregon’s legislature is debating whether to regulate and tax it as well. (Last year a bill that would have allowed Oregon liquor stores to sell marijuana failed.)And in the first such step by a state government, New Mexico’s Department of Public Health is now overseeing the cultivation and distribution of medical marijuana, brushing aside legal concerns that state employees could face federal drug conspiracy charges.Although marijuana reform has gained little traction in Congress, last year Reps. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Ron Paul (R-TX) cosponsored a bill to protect medical marijuana patients and decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. “It’s no longer just potheads who want this,” says Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. “We’re at the tipping point, in that we’re seeing the most sustained discussion ever by media and policymakers.”Although President Obama jokingly brushed aside economic arguments for ending marijuana prohibition during his March 26th online town-hall discussion, a mounting body of research underscores their validity.In 2005, Harvard University economist Jeffrey Miron published a report showing that legalization would save $7.7 billion each year on enforcement, while generating as much as $6.2 billion in taxes. In response, more than 500 leading economists wrote an open letter to federal and state officials supporting a regime of legalization and taxation.With increasing frequency, mainstream media outlets are also advocating major changes to U.S. drug laws. In March, the Economist’s editorial board called for the legalization of drugs, and CNN, Time magazine and other publications have published op-eds supporting an end to marijuana prohibition or calling for an “honest” discussion about legalizing drugs. Also earlier this year, the Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy, which includes three former heads of state, issued a report condemning drug prohibition and calling for cannabis’ legalization.“[Cannabis] consumption has an adverse impact on the user’s health, including mental health,” the 17 commission members wrote. “But the available empirical evidence shows that the harm caused by this drug is similar to the harm caused by alcohol or tobacco.”Given President Obama’s penchant for pragmatism, Piper chalks up Obama’s dismissive response regarding legalization as a first-term answer to a second-term question. “There is debate as to whether he was even joking,” Piper says, “because in many ways he’s signaled that this administration will take a different approach to drug policy.” The ‘Vanguard’ of Legalization?  American attitudes toward cannabis have softened considerably over the last decade, yet they remain largely ambivalent about reform. “Most people agree the laws are too harsh, but many of these don’t want to see it legalized, either,” says Mason Tvert, who in 2005 co-founded SAFER Colorado, which promotes marijuana as a safer alternative to alcohol.Economic arguments like those supported by Miron’s Harvard study, says Tvert, are ineffective because the same could be said of hard drugs like cocaine and heroin. Legalization, he says, will happen only when people realize that marijuana is safer than alcohol.“The problem is that people still have a perception of harm that’s been built up over many years,” he says. “If marijuana were legalized tomorrow, in 10 years these perceptions would be very, very different.”Tvert agrees that perceptions about marijuana are rapidly evolving for the better. Earlier this year, when a picture surfaced showing Olympic gold-medalist Michael Phelps smoking from a bong, many expected the 23-year-old to lose many of his endorsements. But only Kellogg’s dropped him. Even more surprising, the move seemed to hurt Kellogg’s more than Phelps, as surveys showed the move injured its brand reputation.For those seeking higher office, past pot use is no longer the political death knell it once was. When asked if he ever smoked pot in 1992, Bill Clinton claimed he didn’t inhale, and in 2005, tapes surfaced of George W. Bush acknowledging past marijuana use after years spent dodging the question. Remarkably, voters seemed largely unconcerned by Barack Obama’s candid admission that he once used both marijuana and cocaine. “This is a huge turning point in people admitting to past use and not suffering any consequences,” says Piper.With public acceptance growing and states increasingly at odds with federal marijuana laws, how much longer can Washington remain impervious to calls for reform? NORML’s St. Pierre, who says there are major chinks in the armor of blanket prohibition, believes federal reforms are imminent.“At some point, we’ll have run the gauntlet of states that have passed reform bills by popular vote,” he says. “It’s getting harder for people to say we’re going to hell-in-a-basket when the state next door has had these laws for years without problems. This generation is on the vanguard of legalization.”Nathan Comp is a Philadelphia-based freelance journalist who has written extensively on criminal justice and other social issues. He is currently writing a book about a Madison, Wisc., man whose 2004 disappearance and presumed homicide sparked a massive federal drug investigation stretching across six states and into Canada.Source: In These Times Magazine (US)Author: Nathan CompPublished: April 12, 2009Copyright: 2009 In These TimesContact: itt inthesetimes.comWebsite: http://www.inthesetimes.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/kQNOyPbCCannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml

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Comment #49 posted by George Servantes on April 14, 2009 at 07:01:54 PT
God is on our side we are protecting his plant
Because we are getting stronger and they are afraid, they know cannabis makes people think clearly and question the authorities.
Authorities are afraid, they are control freaks and they are loosing their control.
We the people should be in charge, not some corporations or few rich who control our government.
Free the marijuana and help save our souls and this planet!
God bless!
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Comment #48 posted by FoM on April 14, 2009 at 05:05:51 PT
Another Comment
I have seen a lot on line recently that concerns me but as far as CNews goes we are up about 30% from last year. In the short time Obama has been President we have witnessed so much forward movement that it amazes me. Senator Webb, our new Drug Czar if he gets approved by Congress, the second level person to the Drug Czar is a treatment specialist. Finally after all these years trying every thing we could come up with change is in the air.
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Comment #47 posted by FoM on April 14, 2009 at 04:50:06 PT
The GCW
I don't watch Fox News. I've tried many times but it is not progressive in thought by any means. I watch MSNBC and sometimes CNN. Fox really know how to spin and I have found that is what the right does best.
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Comment #46 posted by FoM on April 14, 2009 at 04:46:13 PT
Paint with light
He's doing ok. Thank you for asking.
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Comment #45 posted by The GCW on April 13, 2009 at 22:13:51 PT
We are GRASS ROOTS 
In its existence, I don’t believe I’ve hardly laid eyes on Fox TV or their news.Through the years though, from what I’ve gathered from Democrats, along with unbiased and liberal citizens, Fox is discredited and bought and paid for by people not of My crowd.Perhaps, I should not comment because I don’t know what they say or do…But I do know Us.We are GRASS ROOTS if there ever was a grass roots activist effort.We are strong and getting stronger.Cannabis prohibitionists will want to remove and deny some of Our strength.That’s part of what the cannabis prohibitionist does.But it is getting to be a bad time to be a cannabis prohibitionist today.More and more, cannabis prohibitionists are being thought of as terrible people.That would make Fox TV and Fox news terrible media.
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Comment #44 posted by Paint with light on April 13, 2009 at 21:54:13 PT
Good Report FoM?
I hope the Trucker is doing OK.
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Comment #43 posted by John Tyler on April 13, 2009 at 20:47:19 PT
we are the good citizens
If Fox News is getting upset by our activism, them we must be doing something right. Keep up the good work. All we are doing, is what we should be doing as good citizens. If Fox News doesn’t like it, then I don’t think they believe in freedom. They hate us because we believe in freedom, whereas they believe in corporate autocratic control.
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Comment #42 posted by FoM on April 13, 2009 at 15:04:00 PT

Just a Comment
We got back a little while ago from the VA Hospital and I haven't found any news to post so far.I read the Fox News article and it seems like a troll type article to me. Stir em up! Ha! Ha! That's what I think. They are good at doing that from my observations.
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Comment #41 posted by josephlacerenza on April 13, 2009 at 14:08:35 PT

We the marijuana lobby
Are the ones stealing freedom from others with our outrageous requests to ANSWERS, that's all we wanted. If we are this powerful, as a lobby, to hijack freedom why are we the ones still jailed, killed, they are scared of our power!!!!!!!! 
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Comment #40 posted by josephlacerenza on April 13, 2009 at 13:51:15 PT

Another Point
If Jane conservative had such a potent question worthy of answering by the power brokers, then why was it not voted up further, Oh, that's right its the marijuana lobby that prevented that. Why is it our fault that they, the conservative voices, Rush types etc, could not put together a question potent enough that other conservatives would vote up? 
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Comment #39 posted by josephlacerenza on April 13, 2009 at 13:41:04 PT

Another Ploy By Faux News
Why is it that we are trolls? Anyone else, gays, war mongers, etc. could have mobilized their constituents to vote questions up or down. Why are we trolls when the questions are not the ones that Faux News wanted to see? Another great piece of crap by Faux News.
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Comment #38 posted by Dankhank on April 13, 2009 at 12:36:23 PT

To troll or not to troll ...
that IS the question ...http://drugsense.org/url/52uQodUKfirst we are, they, maybe not really ...
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Comment #37 posted by museman on April 13, 2009 at 07:14:25 PT

questions?
I have one I'd like to ask any of the presumed 'authorities' that occupy seats of power."What is your definition of 'harm,' or 'harmful?'"I'd really like to know, even though the actions and results of everything politic in this country are one step forward, and three steps back.If that definition is in any way close to the one that most english speaking people recognize commonly, and is also close to the 'dictionary' definition (though the 'dictionary' has taken some serious hits from the status quo and their attempt to superimpose their false set of standards over the real one that Ya created for us, and Yashua had to die to get back to us) -then the actual criminals -in terms of harm and harmful results, aren't the ones being accused, they are the accusers. They aren't the impoversished '3rd world americans' who have little choice but to find other means of survival than the crap minimum-wage slavery that is 'offered' to them as if it was some kind of benevolent gift from big brother -they are the ones who withold, and hoard resources, bind them all up in fake controls and regulations that ensure that only those chosen by the chosen (the wealthy) have any real opportunity.Is lying considered harm? Is pretending that the global resources are unavailable because some paper calculations of invisible fake moneys statisticly proves it, harmless?Is hypocrisy in the use of truth harmful? Does the deliberate actions on the part of the rulers to circumnavigate the US Constitution with 'legislation' always tailored to the needs of the rich and wealthy, -with resulting imbalance of resource and access for people being a direct cause for most of the emotional, cultural, racial, and ethical strife in this country and the world constitute harm -particularly if it is intended?Does the branding of a belief system, irregardless of its radical interpretation by a few extremists -as 'terrorists' constitute anything but harmful intention and destructive results?When Yashua stood there in the street and challenged all those 'righteous' 'upright' men, by saying "Whoever amongst you who is without sin, may cast the first stone."
- Was he just talking about that one situation 2000 years ago, or is it possible that that truth, that actual understanding of harm, and the difference between an invention of mens mind and reality is right there in that revelation?And along with the question of defining the false leaders understanding of true harm, and who is actually repsonsible, I'd like to ask for a real explanation of all the 'harm' that I've been accused of in my life that has resulted in the loss of my liberty, almost total negation of the so called 'equal opportunity' the US Gov has been spouting for decades with absolutely no substantial delivery whatsoever -which in turn resulted in poverty and the more degrading, harmful resort of having to be on welfare and/or food stamps -and get treated like a criminal and other adjectives of negative social connotation.Who did I harm for smoking pot? Any of my neighbors? And don't tell me they were offended because they didnt like the way my garden looked, or smelled, because if that were grounds for legal restraints a good portion of this country should\ be locked away for bad haircuts, and lack of deodorants, because they are really offensive.Whom did I harm while I drove all over this country without a drivers license for 24 years -because the powers of the status quo kept jacking up the fake dollar amount that I 'owed' for my 'crime?' (of having no drivers license -suspended for a cracked tail lite lense) The insurance companies? Certainly no REAL people.Whom did I harm? Whose lives did I or my children affect so negatively through our suffering at the state of american affairs?Whom was I harming when I was used as an unwitting guinea pig for bacterial warfare experiments while in the USN? And having suffered great and debilitating physical damage for it, I suppose that I am harming people now because I get $1000 a month for it from a reluctant government who won't let me 'legally' make any more than that - even if I could? Believe me, I've heard it enough from the status-quo ass kissers. I'm some kind of social 'scum' because I get money from the government, even though they tried to murder me while I was attempting to be a 'good soldier.' If I were a rich man, I could just get a lawyer and sue people -but then if I were rich I'd have never been treated this way in the first place.If we were to draw up a list of things that cause harm in the world, number one is love of money, the false belief in it, and all the other false, corrupt, stinking rotten attitudes that go with it.False authority. False values. False science. False Religions. False reality. What harm is there in that?The answer; LOOK AROUND!There is but one authority. Some call 'Him' Yahweh, some say Ja, some say Allah, some don't know so they say 'God.'At the foundation of all ways, Ya is the "First Precedent." Without that recognition and acknowledgement any 'law' or 'rule' or 'control' or 'regulation' or 'government' is false. Pure and simple. And 'recognition and ackowledgement'
 is not determined by a set of contrived inventions carefully worded to appear as if there was recognition of the true authority, but in the works and deeds of the people and persons who claim such authority."He would be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven must be a servant to the least." (a paraphrase)Parading around in your fake wealth and opulence -as if that alone were token enough of some kind of 'authority' is at the root and precedent of great harm being wrought upon the planet, and justice is coming."You will know them by their works." So what 'great works' in the illumination of planet earth have ben accomplished by our government, its offices and perpetrators?Oh they like to get prime time to exagerate their pitiful attempts to appear like good people -by the words they speak, and what their 'money can buy' but in truth they have no substance.Yashua told us to be "Wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."The way of the snake rules, and the dove remains almost in secret -because the population would rather believe in the status quo, than the way of Love, Sharing, and Faith in Providence. But if you know your ancient astrological signposts, you can look up in the sky at night, and see how the Dove has got hold of the tail of the snake, and is slowly shaking it lose from its power and position. Such is the truth.This is the time of great recogning. And all the kings horses, and all the kings men can't do a damn thing about it. Except give up their pretense and get real while they still have the chance.LEGALIZE FREEDOM
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Comment #36 posted by Dankhank on April 13, 2009 at 04:49:17 PT

Drug Legalization ...
on CNN now, it's being talked about, stillDEA dude is spouting the same drivel.
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Comment #35 posted by SkatMan on April 13, 2009 at 02:01:33 PT:

Good Question GCW
If he says yes he's clearly a hypocrite because that means had he been caught he'd be another Brother in jail and not President.
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Comment #34 posted by fight_4_freedom on April 12, 2009 at 21:37:10 PT

Hey JuztBudz (my MMMA pal)
Good to see you on Cannabis News!
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Comment #33 posted by Had Enough on April 12, 2009 at 21:36:48 PT

Question???
There’s’ a thousand million questions…************Besides asking; “”Should You have been caged for using cannabis or other substances?””A good question would be…If you were inflicted with a life threatening illness, and you chose to use cannabis, and when the cops came, kicked your door in, shot your dog, then locked you up…should you suffer while in jail for lack of medical treatment???************It’s time for Obama to use the mighty pen and exercise the powers of executive order…************Why do we never get an answer…when we’re knocking at the door???'Cos when we stop and look around us,There is nothing that we need,In a world of persecutionThat is burning in its greed.***It's not the way that you say itWhen you do those things to meIt's more the way you really mean itWhen you tell us what will be...************Question…Moody Blueshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yco6eN5KIOYLyricshttp://allspirit.co.uk/question.html
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Comment #32 posted by dankhank on April 12, 2009 at 20:56:30 PT

Richard
have you read YOUR post. You counsel us to beware voting a single issue and then tell us you may vote on a single issue.
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Comment #31 posted by The GCW on April 12, 2009 at 20:22:27 PT

Question for Obama
Should You have been caged for using cannabis or other substances?
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Comment #30 posted by JuztBudz on April 12, 2009 at 20:07:09 PT:

Oaksterdam in the Midwest
actually, the nice folks from Oaksterdam are indeed holding a seminar in Ann Arbor quite soon. They will teach thier skills to a group of 250, who hope in turn to assist the new patient groups in Michigan. The winds of change are truely blowing...
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Comment #29 posted by E_Johnson on April 12, 2009 at 19:46:49 PT

Ziggy Marley at White House Easter Egg Roll!
Is Obama trying to get back on our good sides inviting a Marley brother to play at the Easter Egg roll on the White House lawn?Happy Easter everyone!
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Comment #28 posted by Richard Zuckerman on April 12, 2009 at 17:29:29 PT:

CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO HAVE CANNABIS
The State and Federal Constitutions protect our pot possession, use, cultivation, in our own home, at least under the federal court cases addressing "curtilage". A juror should recognize this right, anyway, and vote for an acquittal or for damages. On Election Day we should vote for the pro-pot people, assuming we can see through the propaganda of campaign promises, though we should be careful about single-issue voting. I am seriously contemplating voting for Steve Lonegan for New Jersey Governor because Steve Lonegan vows to crack down on illegal aliens. 
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Comment #27 posted by FoM on April 12, 2009 at 15:29:34 PT

Just My Thoughts
Here's a question.Should a person be put in jail for growing a small garden of marijuana plants for their own use? If so why?
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Comment #26 posted by SkatMan on April 12, 2009 at 15:14:38 PT:

Maybe It's Time to Ask Another Question
Twice we have asked Obama about legalizing cannabis, and twice he has said that he is not in favor of it. Despite poll numbers he is not going to legalize it. Ok. Fine. Perhaps we should ask him another question. Here are the questions concerning cannabis law reform that I have come up with (I spose in order of relevance and importance):1.	What is your stance on the legalization, regulation, and taxation of cannabis in the manner that alcohol is? 2.	What is your stance on the decriminalization of the simple use, possession, home cultivation, sale, and/or not-for-profit transfer of cannabis?3.	What is your stance on the legalization of cannabis for people with debilitating and/or terminal illnesses, such as cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and conditions similar to the thirteen states with medical cannabis programs? 4.	What is your stance on allowing a medical cannabis necessity defense argument to be brought up in court proceedings?5.	What is your stance on the legalization and regulation of the cultivation of industrial hemp?These are questions which I have submitted to my local, state, and Federal representatives in government, and unfortunately none have responded. But I'm going to keep on trying. In the mean time, maybe we should scratch question #1 off the list and work our way down to #2.

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Comment #25 posted by FoM on April 12, 2009 at 13:13:22 PT

News Article From RawStory.com
Mexican Ambassador: US Should Take Marijuana Legalization SeriouslyBy David Edwards and Joe ByrnePublished: Sunday April 12, 2009  
 Mexican Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan joined CBS' Bob Schieffer on Face the Nation today to talk about the violence on Mexico's border resulting from the drug trade. Among other things, the senior diplomat told Schieffer that the U.S. should take the debate over marijuana legalization seriously.URL: http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Mexican_ambassador_US_should_take_marijuana_0412.html
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Comment #24 posted by The GCW on April 12, 2009 at 13:03:32 PT

Had Enough,
Thanks for the poll.
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Comment #23 posted by Had Enough on April 12, 2009 at 12:34:28 PT

Florida Poll - repost
Poll: Should marijuana be legal?Yes – 87 % - 839No – 10% - 102I don’t know – 2% - 20Total votes - 961http://www.naplesnews.com/polls/2009/apr/marijuana-legal/results/

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Comment #22 posted by FoM on April 12, 2009 at 11:22:43 PT

OT: Better Pictures of The New Puppy
What a great time for children to get their first puppy. http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/04/12/Meet-Bo-the-First-Dog/
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Comment #21 posted by FoM on April 12, 2009 at 09:59:10 PT

fight_4_freedom
Happy Easter to you too! Here's a wonderful song for this beautuful day.What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstronghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5IIXeR5OUI
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Comment #20 posted by FoM on April 12, 2009 at 09:54:39 PT

The GCW 
 I also believe it could happen in his first term. This is what I liked not the second term comment.Excerpt: “There is debate as to whether he was even joking,” Piper says, “because in many ways he’s signaled that this administration will take a different approach to drug policy.”

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Comment #19 posted by fight_4_freedom on April 12, 2009 at 09:51:24 PT

Happy Easter C-News
I love each and every one of you and appreciate all that you do.God Bless.ONE LOVE
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Comment #18 posted by Had Enough on April 12, 2009 at 09:46:27 PT

The GCW’s link…
in comment #8From the article...“So why is the stuff still illegal? For one thing, there's an immense federal bureaucracy, the Drug Enforcement Administration, which naturally seeks to stay in business. As long as pot is illegal, the DEA has plenty of work. And when the need arises for a headline to show that the DEA is on the ball, its agents can always drive to some home that uses too much electricity, shoot the dogs, kick in the door, and announce that American youth are protected because it just seized plants with an estimated street value of $4.2 gazillion. For another, there's our pharmaceutical industry, a major source of campaign contributions. The pill-makers buy candidates so they can protect their revenue streams.Now, it might be too much to expect the federal government to move sensibly here. 
There are, after all, two wars and a crumbling economy to contend with. But Colorado could help itself by legalizing the cultivation, sale and use of marijuana with a reasonable excise tax of $25 an ounce. It would save money in several ways, like lower law-enforcement costs, as well as a reduction in the prison population. Further, the corruption and violence associated with black markets should diminish." ***Dead Center Bull's-eye…

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Comment #17 posted by Had Enough on April 12, 2009 at 09:12:56 PT

runruff
Children of the Hour…special…

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Comment #16 posted by Had Enough on April 12, 2009 at 09:07:21 PT

Florida
Time to step up to the plate…the plate of...at least some freedom…A tough row to hoe…but still doable…Strike while the iron is hot…http://www.meetup.com/People-United-For-Medical-Marijuana-Orlando/http://www.pufmm.org/

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Comment #15 posted by FoM on April 12, 2009 at 08:57:18 PT

runruff
I love to laugh too. Obama has a good humor about him. Happy Easter to you and your family.
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Comment #14 posted by runruff on April 12, 2009 at 08:55:28 PT

My beautiful sister's website.
Please check out the work she is doing.This is her home page. Click on the tabs to see.http://www.childrenofthehour.com/children_hour_contact.html
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Comment #13 posted by runruff on April 12, 2009 at 08:50:09 PT

“There is debate as to whether he was even joking,
I have been called a joker! I am habitual! I love humor, I love to make people laugh but in the words of Steve Martin,"comedy ain't pretty."I've heard it said that, "comedy is the art of getting people to laugh without making them want to kill you!"I'm not joking when I say Happy Easter to everyone here!My Sister is in India, She wrote on my FaceBook, praise God, he has risen!"
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Comment #12 posted by Had Enough on April 12, 2009 at 08:46:47 PT

Limits of terms…
It shouldn’t have been made criminal in the first place…All this political posturing while people are getting arrested, locked up in jail, pee testing deigning employment, and people deigned medical relief is unacceptable…and…boils the blood in my veins.If you are wealthy and/or well connected…these ‘rules of law’ do not apply…Pee-test congress, governors offices, state legislators, wall street, and executives, watch how fast the laws would change…Make these over bloviated congress critters pay for their own health care insurance and see how fast that gets fixed too…************Free the weed…clean the streets.Equal with lettuce, tomatoes, apples and cherries…

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Comment #11 posted by The GCW on April 12, 2009 at 08:02:28 PT

It's term has come.
"a first-term answer to a second-term question"has a nice sound to it,,, but...Cannabis should be re-legalized last term, the term before that etccccc
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on April 12, 2009 at 07:51:12 PT

Comment On In These Times Magazine Article
Finally someone says what I have believed all along. Excerpt: Given President Obama’s penchant for pragmatism, Piper chalks up Obama’s dismissive response regarding legalization as a first-term answer to a second-term question. “There is debate as to whether he was even joking,” Piper says, “because in many ways he’s signaled that this administration will take a different approach to drug policy.”
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Comment #9 posted by John Tyler on April 12, 2009 at 07:48:51 PT

Oakland
Oakland is getting a lot of good publicity lately. I suspect that a lot of people visiting California this spring and summer will want to visit Oaksterdam to see what it is all about. If the vibes are right, I can envision a lot of Oakesterdam clones popping up in communities across the country. First in cities on the West Coast, then New England, then the upper Midwest, then down through the southeast. The rest of the country will follow suite sooner or later. Finally, the rest of the people will see that a legal cannabis industry will be good for the country and the world. 
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Comment #8 posted by The GCW on April 12, 2009 at 07:34:46 PT

Bull's-eye
Quillen: The war on a planthttp://www.denverpost.com/quillen
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on April 12, 2009 at 06:25:56 PT

Kapt
Happy Easter to you. I love this article. Today is a good day.
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Comment #6 posted by kaptinemo on April 12, 2009 at 06:16:07 PT:

The Perfect Storm is still rising
Still accumulating force. Articles like these are like the breezes you feel, just before a hurricane. First the breeze, then the wind, then gusts, and then before you know it, the leading edge of the cloud wall is howling and hammering at your door. And since drug prohibition is a house built of equal parts racial bigotry, lies and greed, it is a house of cards. When the cloud wall reaches it, I wouldn't want to depend upon it for protection.And make no mistake, a lot of the impetus, that first stirring of the breeze, came from 'places' like this...and from people like these who read here, and find the power to act, and then did so. The ones who 'kept the faith'. I'm not religious (faith, however, is another matter) but I find articles like this coming out at this time to be a good omen. Let it be so...
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on April 12, 2009 at 06:15:36 PT

Political Winds Shift in Favor of Legalized Pot
April 12, 2009URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/11/MNF0170FPU.DTL
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on April 12, 2009 at 05:52:39 PT

OT: I Love Puppies
BO was named after Bo Diddley.Tom Petty, Bo Diddley - Monahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVRtQUTd7Gk
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on April 12, 2009 at 05:33:43 PT

Without Co-Sponsor, Ammiano's Pot Bill Lagging
April 12, 2009URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/12/MNKJ170434.DTL
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on April 12, 2009 at 05:24:44 PT

Quillen: The War On a Plant
April 12, 2009URL: http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_12110662
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on April 12, 2009 at 05:15:53 PT

Happy Easter Everyone
I hope everyone has a wonderful day. Here are pictures of the Obama's puppy. His name is BO and he is adorable. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/lat-na-obamadog1_khyxtnc20090411203922,0,565503.photohttp://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/lat-obamadogmo_khyxtpnc20090411220549,0,1480798.photo
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