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  Virginia Delegate Morgan Seeks To Decriminalize 

Posted by CN Staff on January 21, 2010 at 05:52:20 PT
By Rosalind S. Helderman 
Source: Washington Post 

Richmond, VA -- It's high times in the Virginia General Assembly. The lobbyists are cracking jokes about "joint" sessions, and the legislators are laughing that free Girl Scout cookies delivered Wednesday could prove useful.In the District, the city council is on the verge of approving legislation to allow the use of medical marijuana. In Maryland, a senior Republican has joined a senior Democrat in planning to propose a similar bill in the state Senate. But in conservative Virginia, the idea is a joking matter for many.
That is, except for the slight, bespectacled, often-bow tie-wearing Republican delegate from Gloucester County who has proposed decriminalizing marijuana this year. Del. Harvey B. Morgan has also sponsored a separate bill that would allow medical marijuana.At an earnest, and well-attended, news conference Wednesday, Morgan, 79, said doctors, who are accustomed to weighing the risks and benefits of drugs, should be able to prescribe marijuana in instances in which research has shown it could be medically effective.Morgan, who is a pharmacist and, with 31 years in the House, the second-most senior delegate, said he thinks criminalizing pot has done nothing to curb its use. Instead, a possession conviction can permanently mar the records of people who have made mistakes in their adolescence.He distributed a list of jobs from which someone with a drug record is permanently barred in Virginia -- teacher, pawnbroker, taxi driver. And he said the state could save millions during the budget crisis by relieving the jails of those incarcerated for marijuana possession.Under Morgan's proposal, possession of less than an ounce of marijuana would become a civil offense, punishable by a $500 fine. Morgan said his bills have been viewed largely with amusement by his Republican colleagues. Some have taken to holding pinched fingers to their lips, to mime smoking a joint, as they pass him in the hallway. Others have been plotting to hang a bow tie festooned with cannabis leaves on the doorknob of his General Assembly office in the dead of night."I think there is nobody in the House of Delegates who has more credibility, knowledge and experience with pharmaceuticals than Harvey Morgan," cracked Del. William R. Janis (R-Goochland), "because he's a pharmacist, of course."Janis continued: "This accounts for why there's never any brownies in the members' lounge when Harvey's around."Morgan said he was not concerned about the jabs.He has a history of going against the grain in his party. Once a supporter of Virginia's death penalty, he has more recently become an opponent. In 2004, he sponsored a bill requiring earplugs at venues that sponsor live entertainment louder than 80 decibels."Sometimes they roll their eyes at me anyway," he said. "I'm an individual."Morgan, admired by his colleagues because of his long years of service and genial nature, said he would stick with the issue."I think if they will take the time to see the information that I have, I think they will take it more seriously," he said.Source: Washington Post (DC)Author: Rosalind S. HeldermanPublished: Thursday, January 21, 2010 Copyright: 2010 Washington Post Contact: letters washpost.com Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ URL: http://drugsense.org/url/q0pHnqK0CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml

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Comment #15 posted by Hope on January 29, 2010 at 09:47:26 PT

Thinking
When these "Children" were taunting Del. Morgan... they taunted us also.I feel it. Like it was done to my face. As it was, to Del. Morgan.I'm very glad this reporter and this newspaper exposed this behavior of these legislators.
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Comment #14 posted by Hope on January 29, 2010 at 09:43:51 PT

This article
The people that made a joke out of this situation. This situation of government policy wreaking havoc on people's lives. They joke at the devastation of lives. They joke at this situation of unjust and destructive laws.What's wrong with them? Can't they see?
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Comment #13 posted by Hope on January 29, 2010 at 09:34:11 PT

Paint with light, Universer, Storm Crow
Comments 7, 8, and 9.Paint with light, Comment 9. That's exactly how I feel about it, too.Thank you for expressing it so well.Universer. That letter is so good. Thank you. It would be good to let Virginia Delegate Harvey Morgan know that there are many people that sincerely appreciate his efforts.Storm Crow's List? Medically? "Hit 'em with your best shot." Storm Crow's List.
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on January 29, 2010 at 06:23:03 PT

greenmed
Thank you for posting the articles. 
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Comment #11 posted by greenmed on January 29, 2010 at 01:49:36 PT

"Bills to change Virginia marijuana laws...
...will not go into effect." Sponsor Del. Harvey Morgan vows to reintroduce the bills next year.http://www.wtkr.com/news/wtkr-pot-bills-die,0,7060451.storyDel. Manoli Loupassi explains with clarity why doing the right thing regarding medical cannabis will/should never happenhttp://www.wtkr.com/news/wtkr-lower-pot-charges,0,6919275.story
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on January 25, 2010 at 07:08:00 PT

Related Article From WPCVA
Delegate Calls for 'Compassionate, Sensible Drug Policy'January 25, 2010URL: http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2010/01/25/chatham/news/news44.txt
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Comment #9 posted by Paint with light on January 21, 2010 at 22:38:15 PT

Humor
When I hear people laughing about cannabis in a negative or flippant way I am reminded of.......The grandmother who was killed(murdered) in Atlanta because the cops used flawed data to execute a warrant(and an innocent person).The lady who was shot while holding her baby......and all the other cases of death and destruction caused by a law built on lies......and all the lives that were ruined by their contact with our justice system......and all the people who were jailed for consuming, possessing, or growing flowers....harmless....flowers.Laugh........heck.I can't even smile.Legal like alcohol.
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Comment #8 posted by Universer on January 21, 2010 at 21:26:33 PT

Cannabis Back to Ol' Virginny: A Thank-You Note
Sent to DelHMorgan house.virginia.gov.Honorable Delegate Morgan,I am a lifelong Virginia resident, a graduate from a major Virginia public university, a taxpayer and furthermore a responsible, productive contributor to society. I am also, in moments of personal recreation, a moderate consumer of cannabis.I am not a criminal.Thank you for understanding that simple yet irrefutable fact.Thank you for your honesty, for your effort, for your kindness and compassion. Thank you for your courage in the face of the most abject irrationality vis-a-vis modern Prohibition, which serves only to fill the coffers of the most dangerous criminal elements (i.e., drug cartels) and the funding of the most inane power-brokers (i.e., drug law enforcers).The purported War On Drugs has for far too long been a black hole in our economy, and a black eye in our freedom.Thank you for your bravery in rectifying this horrendous wrong, and promoting the normalization of cannabis, an item demonstrably less deleterious than alcohol and tobacco -- two dangerous, addictive drugs upon which our Commonwealth's economy is substantially dependent.In short, sir: Thank you.P.S. If you so desire, you or your staff may with my permission share these herein thoughts with your wise-cracking colleagues, the majority of whom -- here I speak statistically -- could not proverbially hold my intellectual jockstrap ... nor yours.
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Comment #7 posted by Storm Crow on January 21, 2010 at 11:09:19 PT

I just gave Mr. Morgan
A bit more ammo- sent him the latest "Granny's List". Hopefully his aides will let him see it!
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Comment #6 posted by runruff on January 21, 2010 at 07:35:27 PT

The first time ere I got high!
I laughed myself silly with my friends, then took the most beautiful summers night walk down to the Pizza Keller In Wiesbaden Germany. We ate pizza [ambrosia from the gods] and drank Beck's Dark Draft until our buttons popped!The first time I got drunk on Virginia Bourbon I got a DUII and lost my wallet, then I puked my guts up for three days.I am still not laughing with Virginia.
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Comment #5 posted by Hope on January 21, 2010 at 07:22:29 PT

Foolish, foolish, silly, stupid bastards.
"Morgan said his bills have been viewed largely with amusement by his Republican colleagues. Some have taken to holding pinched fingers to their lips, to mime smoking a joint, as they pass him in the hallway. Others have been plotting to hang a bow tie festooned with cannabis leaves on the doorknob of his General Assembly office in the dead of night."
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Comment #4 posted by Hope on January 21, 2010 at 07:11:33 PT

Oh, they're funny in Virginia.
And why are they acting like they know (smirk smirk) so much about it all? It's a dangerous crime, isn't it? Authorities of the government can tie your hands behind your back and take you where you don't want to go. Why are they laughing? Why are they making light of a scourge upon our nation and our children? A serious crime?Foolish creeps. Laughing at the loaded gun they have pointed at constituents' heads."It's high times in the Virginia General Assembly. The lobbyists are cracking jokes about "joint" sessions, and the legislators are laughing that free Girl Scout cookies delivered Wednesday could prove useful."
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Comment #3 posted by Hope on January 21, 2010 at 07:00:57 PT

Quotation marks can do weird things
in the subject line if they get too close to the end of the space. That's what they do. If you want it in the subject line you either have to shorten it or leave off the quotation marks. It's hard to believe that's never happened to you before.
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Comment #2 posted by runruff on January 21, 2010 at 06:48:35 PT

qu-?
My computer is adding "qu" after my title?I am hitting the quotation key.conspiracy?
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Comment #1 posted by runruff on January 21, 2010 at 06:45:50 PT

"Virginia, the idea is a joking matter for many&qu
Ironic huh?I thought the big joke in Virginia wer their bloodlines?
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