cannabisnews.com: Ex-Governor: Just Say No To Legal Pot Ex-Governor: Just Say No To Legal Pot Posted by FoM on September 25, 1999 at 20:03:34 PT Christopher Boyd of The Sentinel Staff Source: Orlando Sentinel Former Florida Gov. Bob Martinez urged a conclave of the state's Republican mayors Saturday to take a hard stand against legalizing the medicinal use of marijuana. Martinez, who was President Bush's drug-policy adviser in the early 1990s, argued for a renewed campaign against drug use. And he lambasted campaigns, including one in Florida, to allow the use of marijuana in treating health problems.Even the controlled use of marijuana would set a dangerous precedent, he said."You can't allow a foot to get through the door, because the whole body will go through eventually," Martinez said. And he vowed to fight a petition drive to put a marijuana referendum on the 2000 Florida ballot."Should they get the signatures for that referendum, I will come out very hard against it," Martinez said. Floridians for Medical Rights, a Fort Lauderdale group, is leading the drive. The group failed to collect enough signatures to place the measure on the ballot this year.About two dozen members of the Florida Association of Republican Mayors met at Orlando City Hall to brush up on issues and prepare for next month's state Republican Party convention. They applauded Martinez.Martinez said the drug war is a never-ending campaign, and he chided those who would roll back the assault."There is a huge following that says if you legalize drugs you get rid of the problem," Martinez said. "There are even members of our own party who call for legalization. But you can't say that just because you can't stop the problem that you should legalize the substance."The former governor said that last month's arrests of more than 50 American Airlines baggage handlers in Miami on drug-smuggling and conspiracy charges were evidence that illegal shipments of drugs are still flowing into the United States. He said the federal government should attack the problem at its origins -- in Colombia and other key drug-producing nations."Somebody has to load drugs onto the airplanes in the first place," Martinez said. "Interdiction is the key to stopping those drugs."And Martinez told the mayors not to lose sight of the issue, even if the national spotlight has turned elsewhere."The issue won't go away; it won't finish," he said. "The drug war isn't a sprint, and you can't let yourself get bored. You have a new population of young people who are reaching the age of experimentation every day of the week. Remember that."Published in The Orlando Sentinel on September 26, 1999Floridians For Medical Rightshttp://www.medicalrights.org/Pubdate: 9/25/99Florida Association of Republican Mayors Discuss Drug War http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3027.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #6 posted by Damon Scott on September 29, 1999 at 10:48:49 PT: What Would Jesus Do? In the sixties, when southern blacks were gaining their rights and their right to vote, northern sympathizers organized bus loads of college students to bring needed help and national attention to the travesty. After years of hard work and several protests and several arrests, their efforts paid off. We insured their rights.Today as I look around, I see hundreds of organizations focused on changing or ending the War on Drugs. And yet, none of these organizations have taken any time to organize national rallies together, thinking instead to hold their own protest. This does not insure our rights, that is why we have lost them. Politicians can and do dismiss small groups as trouble-makers. If all those opposed (78 million) to the War on Drugs began to march into cities and distribute marijuana to cancer, AIDS, MS, etc. patients, and distribute needles to heroin users, and petitioned together to bring a resolve to the endless terror imposed by Congress, we may actually see a change in political ideology. Johnson did not pass the Civil Rights Bill because he wanted to... public opinion forced him to. We can continue to post messages on boards like this, talking amongst ourselves of how evil we know this war to be, or we can start talking to others who are not aware. Educate others before they are "educated" by the DEA. How many of you out there have talked to your family, friends, in-laws, co-workers, etc. about your views. We still have the right to Free Speech (for now). Groups like NORML, MPP, Nov. Org., et. al., need to work together and plan strategies for a national campaign. Send direct mail, tv/radio commercials, newspaper ads, etc. The pious regime we have today did not just waltz into their current position, they (Anslinger, et. al.) developed public opinion to suite their needs, then presented themselves as the answer. We can and must do the same if we expect to win. United we stand, Divided we fall... [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Joel on September 26, 1999 at 11:06:46 PT: Increasingly vicious circle... What these morons (who are supposed to be doing what we tell them) don't seem to understand is it's impossible to get rid of the "crime" that surrounds drug use by implementing increasingly harsh punishments. The harder the government is on illicit drugs and drug use, the harder the criminals will be who risk life and limb to get it to those who want it. Put it this way : Crime goes up if the laws get harder. If the laws relax, then so does the crime. If drugs are legal, then the real criminals are no longer in control. Hmmm, now theres a novel idea...>"There is a huge following that says >if you legalize drugs you get rid of >the problem," Martinez said. WHAT?!? Typical of the lies and half-truths spouted by these seemingly brainless chodes. _Nobody_ I've talked to has claimed that legalizing drugs (much less medicinal marijuana) will get rid of our drug problems. The main issue at this point seems to be medical marijuana, and I certainly don't see how allowing terminally ill patients or patients who haven't responded to anything else to use pot to alleviate their symptoms is going to do anything but help people. Oh, forgive me. I was taking a compassionate view of the situation. Guess I'll never be a politician!>"The issue won't go away; it won't >finish," he said. "The drug war isn't >a sprint, and you can't let yourself >get bored. You have a new population >of young people who are reaching the >age of experimentation every day of >the week. Remember that."He's right. The issue WON'T go away; it WON'T finish. We have to ask ourselves if we really want to dump $15 to $18 billion every year into something that WON'T GO AWAY no matter how hard we fight it. We can either fight harder and make punishments for drug offenses even more unreasonable thus raising the required dollar amount to fight it, or we can decriminalize and regulate. The end result as it pertains to drug use is the same: Drugs will be consumed either way. The result on society is something altogether different. The drug war is ruining many innocent lives, lives that would more than likely go untouched if drugs were legal.Joel [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Freedom Fighter on September 26, 1999 at 05:46:13 PT Martinez Sorry sir, you can not stop the tide. Cannabis can and does help the sick and dying and we have the God given right to use it. All your lies, all your police, all your prisons will not stop this movement. Look at the polls, the American people see the truth. Legalize now! [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by BigAb on September 26, 1999 at 05:23:53 PT: BULLS*** !!!!! They only thing this guy sees is the "racket" thats called drug enforcement slipping down the drain !!! People like this relay on demonizing this group for their livelyhood...could'nt get or keep a REAL job if he had to !!!I stick him in the same class as a religious fanatics.Worthless to himself as well as others unless they're hate-monger. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Gdog on September 25, 1999 at 23:56:05 PT: Comment. Darn! The foot is already through the door! We let sick people use moraphine! Man what were we thinking in the eighties, I mean really. Just because you have third degree burns all over your body don't come crying to me if you want relief, we need to stop junkies. Gee the politicians really DON'T get it do they?Yee Gods. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by observer on September 25, 1999 at 23:43:19 PT servants of the people > Former Florida Gov. Bob Martinez urged ... Republican>mayors Saturday to take a hard stand against legalizing >the medicinal use of marijuana. ... argued for a renewed >campaign against drug use ... lambasted campaigns,>...to allow the use of marijuana ... "You can't allow ..." >And he vowed to fight a petition drive to put a marijuana >referendum on the 2000 Florida ballot.It is good to know that people in government are servants of the people, simply obeying what the people want done. The essense of democracy. (And it is also good to know that police 'don't make the laws', they 'just enforce them'.) [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: