cannabisnews.com: The Other Side of the Drug War





The Other Side of the Drug War
Posted by FoM on June 27, 2000 at 10:18:08 PT
Group seeks legalization of marijuana 
Source: The Daily Texan
Nine members of the Texas Hemp Campaign stood in front of the Governor's Mansion for two hours Monday night to protest the government's War on Drugs, which they claim is doing more harm than good to society.The members, who have met on the last Monday of every month since November 1998, claim the government's campaign against drugs has only made prisons more crowded and wasted millions of tax dollars.
The Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse reported Texas spent $19.3 billion fighting the drug war in 1997 alone.Decorated in fake hemp leaves and streamers, the group carried signs reading "Honk for Hemp" and "Drug Peace not Drug War" while blowing horns and shouting slogans advocating legalization of marijuana. The Texas Hemp Campaign is a nonprofit organization working to legalize hemp, the plant that marijuana comes from and from which hashish is made. They also seek to repeal anti-hemp laws, license marijuana for commercial sale, like alcohol, and tax it like tobacco. "The war on drugs has effectively become a war on the American people and our constitutional rights," said Sebastian Williams, spokesman for THC. "Locking people up for drug abuse does nothing more than spend taxpayers' money and fill up prisons."THC is also one of several local organizations working to legalize marijuana for medicinal and recreational use. The groups said the drug can be used to alleviate pain for the terminally-ill and maintain that it has less negative effects than cigarettes. Law enforcement officials said they don't agree. Currently, voters in eight states have approved ballot initiatives for prescribed marijuana use, but its medicinal effectivity is still debated."There is no scientific proof as far as the medical purposes of marijuana," said Robert Mansaw, public information officer for the Drug Enforcement Agency's Houston office. "I wouldn't feel comfortable if a pilot lit up a joint while I was flying in an airplane or if a school bus driver took a few tokes before my kids got on the bus."Mansaw said marijuana contains many unstable chemicals and unknown carcinogens that can be physically dangerous. He said the legalization of marijuana would be a gateway to the legalization of more dangerous drugs such as methamphetamines or heroin.But people will continue to use marijuana and other illegal drugs despite the strict penalties, Williams said."People have been using drugs since the first day they realized what effect it has," he said. "If I am not causing you harm then whose business is it if I sit in my living room and alter my consciousness?"Williams said many people have been killed or have had their lives destroyed because of the government's commitment to eradicate drug use in our country. He said current policies for drug offenders are too harsh and advocates drug treatment instead of punishment.The Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that almost 750,000 people were arrested for possession of marijuana in 1998, accounting for 38.4 percent of drug arrests. By Brittney Booth, Daily Texan StaffMail to the Editor: texaned uts.cc.utexas.edu Web Posted: June 27, 2000All Contents of The Daily Texan Online Copyright 2000 Texas Student PublicationsCannabisNews Cannabis Archives:http://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #4 posted by legalizeit on June 28, 2000 at 07:26:13 PT
the goofiness continues
>"There is no scientific proof as far as the medicalpurposes of marijuana," said Robert Mansaw, publicinformation officer for the Drug Enforcement Agency'sHouston office. "I wouldn't feel comfortable if a pilot litup a joint while I was flying in an airplane or if a schoolbus driver took a few tokes before my kids got on the bus."This is so typical of prohibitionists - start talking aboutone thing then changing the subject mid-statement. There isno link whatsoever between MMJ and operating vehicles underthe influence of MJ (which I do not condone, even thoughstudies have shown DUI of pot to be far less impairing thanDUI of alcohol.Besides, why do we need scientific proof when so many peopleknow they are getting relief from MMJ? There isn't anyscientific proof that a lot of these herbal supplements soldover the counter do anything either, but people don't go tojail or get murdered over them.My hat is off to the Texas Hemp Campaign; however, they areup against one of the most rabid people in office in thiscountry. God forbid he be elected President.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #3 posted by kaptinemo on June 27, 2000 at 13:46:29 PT:
11 Million walking dead?
Hmmm... Mansaw parrotting the party line? Nothing new. But since the guy is so fond of facts, then riddle me this? What has 22 million legs, 22 million lungs, 11 million mouths that have been exposed to these supposedly carcinogenic substances, but has never died of lung, throat, mouth, lip etc. cancer and is still walking around?Yep. Every weekly cannabis user. Can the same be said of every tobacco user? Of course not.Narcs, you really got to come up with some new BS. CD1 is right, this *is* getting tiresome, and I'd like to see our supposedly 'best of the best' civil servants come up with something a little more inventive and dramatic... like cannabis makes you a raving axe-murderer, or something. OOOps! I forgot; you already tried that. Or that cannabis use will lead to the downfall of the Caucasian race through miscegenation via cohabitation with Blacks, Hispanics, and Asian folks. Hmmm. that one was tried, too. Uh, how about this: cannabis makes you violent? Nope, How about that it makes you too passive? Uh-uh. Cannabis removes ambition? Not from looking at the present crop of presidential hopefuls. They're just *full* of ambitions, especially with regards to our civil liberties.C'mon, narks, give me a hand, here. I just can't think of too much original BS because I'm seriously out of practice; I leave such matters to experts like you.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #2 posted by CD1 on June 27, 2000 at 12:10:18 PT
One Other Thing
I also like the comment from Mansaw expressing concern of the airline pilot lighting up, or the school bus driver taking a few hits. This is a typical scare tactic used by the DEA ("Save our children")NO SERIOUS MARIJUANA ADVOCATE has stated that they favor smoking marijuana while driving or operating heavy machinery. No one is saying you should smoke before work. I also wouldn't want a pilot having a cocktail in the cockpit, or a school bus driver downing a couple of beers before taking my kids to school.What Marijuana advocates are saying is that a person should be able to smoke a joint in the privacy of their own home, if they chose, without the fear of prison. Personal freedom of choice is what this issue is all about. 
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #1 posted by CD1 on June 27, 2000 at 12:02:52 PT
Carcinogens
"Mansaw said marijuana contains many unstable chemicals and unknown carcinogens that can be potentially dangerous." As opposed to tobacco which contains many unstable chemicals and KNOWN carcinogens that can be potentially dangerous. I tire so quickly of this argument. If this is the reason to keep marijuana illegal, then let's ban cigarettes, too. I still have not seen any study to say that over 400,000 American deaths a year are caused by marijuana smoking. Let's end the marijuana prohibition, and concentrate on the really dangerous drug, nicotine.
[ Post Comment ]

Post Comment


Name: Optional Password: 
E-Mail: 
Subject: 
Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message]
Link URL: 
Link Title: