cannabisnews.com: Bill Would Outlaw Internet Drug Information





Bill Would Outlaw Internet Drug Information
Posted by FoM on December 20, 1999 at 19:44:02 PT
Critics Say Measure Violates Free-Speech Rights 
Source: APBnews.com
The days of ordering bongs and pipes and other drug paraphernalia online, getting information on the medical uses of marijuana or instructions on growing hemp may go up in smoke if lawmakers have their way. A bill passed by the Senate in November seeks to make it illegal to provide any information online about marijuana. 
The measure also would increase penalties for drugs classified as methamphetamines, which go by street names such as "speed," "meth," "crank," "crystal-meth" and "glass." Free-speech advocates say the proposed law banning marijuana information violates the First Amendment. In addition, the legislation also says Internet service providers (ISPs) will be held liable for not removing a site featuring marijuana information if notified by top federal law enforcement officials and that "appropriate" federal government Web sites will have to display anti-drug messages. Bill Headed To House Committee: NORML, the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws, says the measure, originally titled Senate Bill No. 486, was passed in the waning hours of the last session of Congress and will be considered by a House panel when lawmakers return in January. The legislation introduced by Sen. Orin Hatch, R-Utah, is officially called the Methamphetamine Anti-Proliferation Act of 1999. The law would make it a felony to "teach, demonstrate, or distribute any information pertaining to the manufacture of a controlled substance," says NORML. Under federal law, marijuana is classified as a Schedule 1 substance. The Drug Enforcement Agency says marijuana has a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use in treatment in the United States. Officials also argue that there are no standards for safe use of marijuana, even under medical supervision. "This provision would make it a federal crime, for example, to provide to medical marijuana patients information on how to cultivate marijuana, even in those states where it is legal for patients to grow marijuana under state law," says a NORML statement. The group claims that if the bill is approved, Web sites ranging from major Internet booksellers such as Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com to NORML's own Web site could be in violation. Hatch Calls Bill Weapon In Drug War! Related Links: National Organization To Reform Marijuana Lawshttp://www.norml.org/home.shtml Orange County Hemp Council http://www.ochemp.org/Marijuana.com http://www.marijuana.com/Federal Trafficking Penalties/Marijuana http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/abuse/chap1/penal/chart2.htm"Drug law reformers, civil libertarians and the general public need to recognize that Sen. Hatch's bill is a blatant attack on Americans' right to free speech," said Keith Stroup, NORML executive director. "Citizens must act soon to amend or kill this terrible federal legislation." Hatch, in a recent speech on the Senate floor, explained that the bill would prohibit the dissemination of drug "recipes" on the Internet and amend the current federal anti-drug paraphernalia statute to extend the ban to include Internet advertising for the sale of controlled substances and drug paraphernalia. "This bill furnishes the means for our ongoing battle against those who manufacture and sell illicit drugs," Hatch said. "Perhaps even more important, this bill underscores our unwavering commitment to win this battle." Allen F. St. Pierre, executive director of The NORML Foundation, a nonprofit legal, educational and research foundation that works to educate Americans about marijuana and advocates more liberal marijuana laws, called the bill "overreaching." "This is a First Amendment issue. If this passes the House and if the president signs it, people will be ill-affected by it," St. Pierre said. Barry Steinhardt, associate director of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the measure would outlaw protected speech. "The bill will criminalize protected free speech," Steinhardt said. "It would throw in jail persons who merely talk about controlled substances even when they are describing legal conduct, like growing marijuana for medicinal use in states like California which permit its therapeutic use. If the Hatch bill becomes law, it will become the subject of a powerful constitutional challenge." Several States Pass Medical Use Laws: Battles have been raging for several years over the medical use of marijuana. In 1996, California voters approved a ballot initiative that removed state penalties for people who used marijuana for medical purposes. Since that time, Arizona, Alaska, Oregon, Nevada and Washington have adopted similar laws. Several mainstream medical organizations, including the New England Journal of Medicine, have endorsed the use of medical marijuana. Last year Congress approved a measure condemning the medical use of marijuana. Because federal law outlaws marijuana use, many doctors are reluctant to prescribe it, even in states that have passed initiatives. David Finkelstein, a spokesman for Alaskans for Medical Rights, called the proposed law unconstitutional. "The whole concept of S. 486 is probably unconstitutional, but it's particularly outrageous as applied to medical marijuana patients looking for information to address their conditions," Finkelstein said. Florida First Amendment attorney David Wasserman said he believes the bill constitutes prior restraint. 'Grave Danger To The First Amendment' "I see this as a grave danger to the First Amendment because it attempts to ban something that politicians believe citizens will find offensive. If everything that some politician believes people find offensive becomes a bill, Congress will be too busy censoring society and not have time to do what they were elected for," Wasserman said. Richard Cowan, editor and publisher of marijuana.com, an online magazine, believes the bill is likely to win approval. http://www.marijuananews.com/"I think that the House will pass any bill that claims to be 'anti-drug,' especially in an election year," Cowan said. "Some of those who know or care about the Constitution may take comfort in the belief that the courts will strike it down as they did with the 'Indecency' Act. It violates the First Amendment. It will not work, because the Internet is designed to get around stupidity. Even the Chinese Communists cannot stop it." Cowan believes "the Internet community" will not become concerned about the bill until it is adopted. "When it passes, I will do everything possible to break that law," said Cowan, a former executive director of NORML. David Noack is an APBnews.com staff writer (david.noack apbnews.com).By David Noack Published: December 20, 1999©Copyright 1999 APB Multimedia Inc. Related Articles:Senate Passes Bill MJ Information On Net Illegal-12/17/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread4039.shtmlAssembly Toughens Drug Law To Close LSD Loophole 12/13/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3991.shtml
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Comment #8 posted by Rambler on May 25, 2001 at 03:06:32 PT
Someone
That was a nice and good commentary.Smoking seeds is "unfun".If they ever sell packs ofMarijuana cigarettes,I dont think they will leave anyseeds in them,because then you could grow your own
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Comment #7 posted by Someone on May 25, 2001 at 02:10:29 PT:
MARIJUANA SHOULD BE LEGALIZED !!!
I have been led to believe that "marijuana" should be legalized because of several factors. First of all, something the Government most realize is the fact that they could make very, very large ammounts of money if it were to be sold in stores like a pack of cigarettes. There IS a way to tax it... Just like cigarettes... who cares about the fact that there are seeds in each bag, or will be seeds in a pack of marijuana cigarettes. Most people i know throw the seeds out, they are unfun to smoke.. and in all reality give you a major headache. If you were to look at a mojority of the alcoholics, they are upset.. and if they arent upset.. they will very easily get upset and the smallest little thing. Now, if you were to look at the stoners, they really dont care, and are happy and laughing no matter what. And in all reality.. it is far less dangerous than alcohol. Please people, this law cannot pass, and lets try to concentrate on getting marijuana legalized... There are many people that do it, and I know it would be a huge profit. So lets speak our minds all you stoners out there and lets make something happen, How long are we going to let this go on? It cannot go on forever. LEGALIZE MARIJUANA
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on December 24, 1999
 at 09:00:26 PT
This Needs To Be Stopped!
Hi UaN and everyone!Since we just moved Cannabis News to a new server, I have lost a few days of news and I'm really sorry for any problems this might have caused. I will try to recover the top articles but I might not be able too so a fresh start might be needed. After the holiday is over we must focus on this bill. Democracy will be dead if this passes! We will be a nation just like the one my parents told me about when I was young, exactly like Communist Russia! 
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Comment #5 posted by UaN on December 24, 1999
 at 08:29:29 PT:
Censorship of education is the beginning .....
Any government that would censor our ability to learn and educate is NOT a democracy. We have to stop this. This would be the beginning of a strong government control (like they don't have enough control as it is). No one or no government should restrict your ability to obtain information about anything......that is a violation of our rights!!! (which they seem to do alot of now days)...We cannot afford to give up any more of our rights!!!! 
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Comment #4 posted by kaptinemo on December 24, 1999
 at 06:19:46 PT
Kill this thing, quick!!!!
Look, folks, we shouldn't waste any time, here. If this thing passes, the forces that are just salivating at the chance to lock us all up will begin their game immediately. It won't matter to anyone snared in the 'justice' systems net if the 'law' is eventually declared unConstitutional; that won't help anybody hurt in the period between passage and Supreme Court ruling! We cannot afford to let it get that far! Contact your Congress people and Senators and let them know you are not happy.Because if this thing passes, here's one more thing to think about: we have a lot of so-called 'Conservative' judges on the Supreme Court, who have allowed the horrible situation of forfeiture, no-knock warrants, and murder of civillians by the military (Esequiel Hernandez by the Marines) to continue. Would you trust these dinosaurs with your liberrties, when they have shown so much contempt for them in the past? Don't make it so these old f---s even have a chance to make a ruling; strike this thing down!Tyrannies don't get started by crazy people chasing you with bloody hands and wild looks on their faces, screaming obscenities and threats. It gets started when you let a bureaucrat - or an Orrin Hatch - distort the Constitution and the Bill of Rights for their own twisted agenda. And they cover it all by saying "This is for your own good'.
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Comment #3 posted by Doc-Hawk on December 23, 1999
 at 07:27:11 PT:
Dick Cowan's Analysis
Hi,Dick Cowan (mentioned in the article) has his analysis of the article with lots of links to this lunacy at: http://www.marijuananews.com/web_site_article_on_internet_cen.htm .CannabisNews posted the original NORML release at: http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread4039.shtml .Peace,Doc
Help end the madness - Vote (Libertarian maybe?)
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Comment #2 posted by Matt Elrod on December 22, 1999
 at 11:01:56 PT:
Re: Orin hatches his plan
It remains to be seen how this law could be inforcedbeyond the U.S. What about search engines that provide links to sites containing information aboutcannabis? What about news sites, such as the NewYork Times, containing articles explaining how cannabis can be grown indoors using equipment foundat most hardware stores?
The Media Awareness Project
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on December 20, 1999 at 19:58:21 PT
More Related Links
Hi Everyone,These links were also in the article. I'm not sure how long the links will work so if you want to read them it's best they are read promptly.http://www.apbnews.com/newscenter/breakingnews/1999/12/15/drugwar1215_01.htmlhttp://www.apbnews.com/cjprofessionals/behindthebadge/1999/09/22/netbustside0922_01.htmlhttp://www.apbnews.com/cjprofessionals/behindthebadge/1999/09/22/netbust0922_01.htmlhttp://www.apbnews.com/newscenter/breakingnews/1999/06/16/drugs0616_01.htmlhttp://www.apbnews.com/newscenter/breakingnews/1999/03/05/customs0305_01.htmlhttp://www.apbnews.com/newscenter/internetcrime/1999/12/16/onlinedrugs1216_01.html
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