cannabisnews.com: As Feds Acquiesce on MJ, Might The South Legalize?
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As Feds Acquiesce on MJ, Might The South Legalize?
Posted by CN Staff on August 31, 2013 at 14:33:32 PT
By Patrik Jonsson,  Staff Writer
Source: Christian Science Monitor 
Atlanta -- Ask a Southerner when states in the former Confederacy will legalize recreational marijuana and you’re likely to get a chuckle and a bemused shake of the head. “Not happenin’ soon, son,” is a common reply. While a growing number of states mostly out West and up in New England are on a legalization path after the Department of Justice’s decision to shrug its shoulders at state regulation (as long as it doesn’t involve kids, the black market, or federal property), none of them so far are in the South, where bedrock Baptist morals still push, not always successfully, against the sin of intoxication.
But look a little closer at Dixie’s denizens and one sees small but potent signs of a legalization groundswell, in part fueled by the South’s unique contributions to marijuana culture and prohibition. In Texas and all over the South, there are a lot Willie Nelson-style social and cultural “outlaw” attitudes, all of which overlap with Ron Paul libertarianism.Indeed, some marijuana policy experts argue that Southern states may begin deciding to regulate instead of ban the use of the cannabis plant for medical and recreational purposes."This is an issue that hasn't been ready for primetime yet in the South. It may be that it's starting to be, and that's a good thing," Jill Harris, managing director of Drug Policy Action, told the Associated Press last year.To be sure, the South and Midwest have remained mostly on the sidelines in the nation's marijuana-reform movement. Voters in the one semi-southern state to put it on the ballot last year – Arkansas – rebuffed it by a narrow margin.Resisters cite culture and religious values and traditions, but others suggest political opposition may have more to do with the flow of government resources, says former Seattle police chief Norm Stamper, including the prison industrial complex that’s rooted deeply in the South.“Everyone who profits from the drug war, from the prison industrial complex to violent cartels and street traffickers, is invested in maintaining the status quo,” writes Mr. Stamper on Friday, in the Huffington Post.Yet with the South being a complex creature, there are countervailing trends that suggest legalization isn’t such a long shot.For one, states with different traditions but similar political mindset as Southern states – think Alaska – are putting legalization measures on the ballot next year.Source: Christian Science Monitor (US)Author:  Patrik Jonsson,  Staff WriterPublished: August 31, 2013Copyright: 2013 The Christian Science Publishing SocietyContact: letters csmonitor.comWebsite: http://www.csmonitor.com/ URL: http://drugsense.org/url/ct0jS7xxCannabisNews  -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml 
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Comment #6 posted by runruff on September 01, 2013 at 07:20:00 PT
 Don't fear the copper!
You'd cry and whine too if someone had just pulled your teeth commando style!I wonder if god is rolling his eyes and clicking his tongue at me, chiding me for for enjoying their pain a bit too much?I wonder...naaaah! He was their, he knows, they are bad. I think even He is scoffing at their dismay. P.S. Fight_4_freedom, Love you too, it's been a trip, ol' buddy! You are a part of history.All of FoM's Kid's are a part of history! Good Job! 
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Comment #5 posted by The GCW on September 01, 2013 at 05:22:49 PT
Bank news
Feds Say They Will Go Easy on Banks Doing Business with Marijuana Dispensarieshttp://www.alternet.org/drugs/feds-say-they-will-go-easy-banks-doing-business-marijuana-dispensaries
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on September 01, 2013 at 04:28:41 PT
John Tyler
I agree with you.
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Comment #3 posted by John Tyler on August 31, 2013 at 21:52:13 PT
some thoughts
I think we have several issues. Colorado and Washington have been given a green light for a cannabis industry. This is our moment to shine. We have to be very responsible to show our detractors this can be done and that cannabis is not some boogeyman they think it is. The public supports this. The industry now needs to focus on lobbying efforts to get legislation going that will codify legalization into law. (It is boring and costly, I know, but that is how things get done.) Once it is legal then the laws can be “tweaked” to make them more reasonable. Also, there needs to be a PR campaign showing celebrities, and pretty people enjoying cannabis in a responsible manner. (It is shallow, but it works.)
The South will come around. There are lots and lots of people in the South that love cannabis. Once the southern power structure sees how much money the industry will generate the will be panting for it like a hound dog on a hot day. Do a Google search on southern rock bands. There are pages of them. Their music is inspired by you know what.  Check out “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Definitely stoner. (It is like the National Anthem of the South.) Some others I know you all know: The Allman Brothers, Canned Heat, Atlanta Rhythm Section, The Band, The Black Crowes, Kansas (“Dust in the Wind” How heavy is that?), Kid Rock (We were smokin’ funny things.), Marshall Tucker Band, and lest I forget ZZ Top. (You might also recall that ZZ Top was a brand of cigarette papers.) I’m getting carpel tunnel syndrome trying to type them all.Good cannabis. Good thoughts. Good deeds. Good Karma. Be excellent to one another.
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Comment #2 posted by Sam Adams on August 31, 2013 at 17:50:03 PT
news
wow, CSM actually printed the words "prison industrial complex" AND mentioned Huffington Post! never though I'd see that happen.
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Comment #1 posted by museman on August 31, 2013 at 15:00:09 PT
Well...
Folk is folk, and Feds is Feds.LEGALIZE FREEDOM
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