cannabisnews.com: The Disintegration of Marijuana Prohibition





The Disintegration of Marijuana Prohibition
Posted by FoM on September 11, 1999 at 09:53:25 PT
Analysis By Richard Cowan 
Source: Marijuana News
In the almost three decades that I have been following the controversies surrounding marijuana prohibition and the related issues there has never before been the volume of news coverage or the level of criticism that we are seeing now.
In the 1970s, before the prohibitionist counterattack, there was actually far less to report, because there was far less of prohibitionism to criticize, and it seemed that we were winning by default. However, "the course of human events" turned against us to a degree that is still hard to understand. By the late 1980s, when Arnold Trebach founded the Drug Policy Foundation he thought it politically appropriate to call it "the loyal opposition" -- using a term borrowed from monarchies and evolving democracies where opposition to any policies is viewed with distrust. The DPF cultivated a "conservative" image, and to a large degree this was crucial to its success. When I became National Director of NORML in 1992 I coined the phrase "the myth of consensus" to describe the almost total blackout on any discussion of the issues. George Bush had said that "Everyone is against illegal drugs." End of discussion. Or rather, the discussion never began.For years the prohibitionists had simply refused to debate anyone from NORML or even academic critics of prohibitionist policies, and the media would then use that as an excuse not to allow the opposition to be heard. After all, they wanted to present both sides! Pubdate: September 8, 1999Click the link to read Richard Cowan's Detailed Analysis!http://www.marijuananews.com/disintegration_of_marijuana_proh.htm
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on September 11, 1999 at 11:33:45 PT:
You're Welcome Doctor Dave!
Doctor Dave,You are welcome! He is an excellent writer! I am impressed with the quality of Richard Cowan's and so many fellow activists skills. What a time to be involved with reforming bad drug laws.Have a nice fall day!Peace, FoM!
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Comment #1 posted by Doctor Dave on September 11, 1999 at 10:40:14 PT
Thanks FoM!
for posting Richard Cowan's excellent analysis from the other great pot news site, http://www.marijuananews.comDoctor Dave"A nation that makes war against huge numbers of its own citizens can never truly be free."
Marijuana News
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