cannabisnews.com: Vote No On The Hemp Initiative Vote No On The Hemp Initiative Posted by FoM on October 19, 2000 at 12:34:53 PT Opinion: Proposition 5 Source: Anchorage Daily News Many Alaskans have reached the conclusion that there is something wrong with federal and state drug laws. Prisons and jails are overflowing with men and women convicted of drug crimes, yet the nation has a voracious appetite for dope. The drug war is a standoff. For every peddler removed from the streets, there's another ready to take his or her place. The Daily News Sunday story "Alaska's top crop" -- marijuana -- captured this phenomenon in vivid and compelling detail. Advocates of Proposition 5, the hemp initiative, are riding this wave of frustration with marijuana laws. That's how they were able to get more than 24,000 signatures for their initiative. But Proposition 5 is not a careful, restrained, analytical attempt at reform. It's an all-out assault on state statutes and state law enforcement personnel who deal with marijuana. Consequently, the Anchorage Daily News recommends a no vote come Nov. 7. The initiative does away with civil and criminal penalties for Alaskans 18 years of age or older who use marijuana or hemp in its many forms -- paper, food, fiber, medicine. Marijuana would be regulated like alcohol. Doctors could prescribe it. Employers (including governments) could not test their employees for marijuana. The outrageousness of this proposal should be obvious by now. You don't have to believe in "Reefer Madness" to conclude that chucking all the state marijuana laws into Cook Inlet is a mistake. How many parents of 18-year-old high school seniors want their kids to have immediate, legal access to a drug? The novel notion that criminals could have their records retroactively eliminated by initiative raises all kinds of legal questions, starting with "Is such an action within the voters' power?" If drug felonies can be quashed by initiative why not other crimes? Marijuana dealers who pocket profits and pay no taxes are not civil rights pioneers. People who engage in drug dealing are consciously, willingly, and knowingly breaking the criminal law for profit. There may be individuals who deserve their cases overturned because they have suffered an injustice. But amnesty for all the people who have committed marijuana crimes? Forget it. As for a commission to study restitution, don't be fooled by the word "study." The obvious goal is to compensate those convicted of marijuana crimes for their loses. There is no shortage of dirt-bag dope dealers who contribute nothing to society. Do we really want to compensate them for running afoul of the law? Oh yes, and the money for the study of restitution would come from law enforcement budgets. If you still need a reason to vote no, how about this. The provision that bans the state from cooperating with the feds on marijuana cases is without any sensible legal foundation. The states have certain obligations to the nation that they cannot ignore because they don't like them. This principle is established in the U.S. Constitution and was verified by the outcome of the Civil War. Finally, Proposition 5 directs the governor and the attorney general to "challenge federal cannabis/marijuana prohibitions which conflict with this initiative." Is this really how we want the governor and the AG to spend their time? Sure, the governor challenges the feds frequently over civil matters -- regulatory and resource management questions, for example. But over criminal matters like drug dealing? No way. Proponents of Proposition 5 concede the initiative is imperfect. In fact, they are prepared to let the Legislature clean up the mess they are making if the initiative passes. We say this is a bad way to make law. Never vote for legislation that's full of obvious problems that the Legislature, the governor and the courts are expected to "fix" later. Proposition 5 deserves a thorough drubbing on many counts. On Nov. 7, make your vote a no vote. Editor's note: Tomorrow, the Daily News on Prop. 4, the tax cap initiative. Source: Anchorage Daily News (AK)Published: October 18, 2000Copyright: 2000 The Anchorage Daily News Contact: letters adn.com Website: http://www.adn.com/ Copyright © 2000 The Anchorage Daily News Related Articles & Web Sites:Free Hemp in Alaskahttp://www.freehempinak.orgHemp 2000http://www.hemp2000.org EDITORIAL: Marijuana for Everyone http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7386.shtmlAlaska Voters To Consider Hemp Legalization http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7369.shtmlState's Pot Among Most Potent in Nationhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7345.shtmlAlaska's Top Crophttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7344.shtmlDetails Cloud Debates For, Against Prop. 5http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7356.shtmlHemp Initiative is Foolish and Dangerous http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7317.shtmlHigh Hopes in Alaska for Sweeping Pot Law http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7173.shtml END SNIP --> Snipped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #10 posted by charles yates on April 25, 2001 at 07:34:56 PT: marijuana vs liquor Some people today may now remember the prohibition law that was passed in 1920. This law was passed to stop people from drinking beer and liquor. For 13 years until 1933 there were over 500,000 people arrested and put in prison for drinking and selling liquor. There were 258 Federal agents killed and 367 local law enforcement officers killed. Billions of dollars were spent to prevent people from drinking liquor and thousands of citizens killed by police who were violating this law.After 13 years the government was unable to stop people from drinking liquor so they abolist the prohibition law in 1933.What we have here with Marijuana is the same problem we had with Liquor, you cannot legislate a law that is killing innocent people who are suspected of useing Marijuana. Anytime an innocent person is killed by law enforcement, the first thing they say is he/she was a suspect carrying drugs.Today in America we have over 2 million people serving time in prisons. Over 1 milllion of theses prisoners are serving time for possession of drugs or useing drugs. Statitics show that within the next ten years we will have over 4 million people in prison. Government today is spending over 50 billion a year to stop the use of drugs, yet drug use continues to esculate year after year.Its sad when we kill innocent people,the young lady and her 7 month old daughter who was killed by the Peru Air Force because they were suspected of trafficing in drugs.America has so much extra money that we are policing the world on drugs, yet they cannot stop the sale and use of Marijuana.I believe our public officials should wake up and address this issue, we cannot continue on the path we are on.I think Alaska is right on prop 5, at least they are addressing the issue. I believe they should vote (Yes) on this.If Alaska approves prop 5, many other states will follow. T [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by mungojelly on October 22, 2000 at 03:59:17 PT: "dirt bag dope-dealers"?!? Hey now, these are my friends that they are calling "dirt bag dope-dealers." They're probably your friends too. We should not be willing to let our opposition to this insanity be moderated or limited. The gloves are off! These people are not politely expressing a disagreement with us; they are insulting us, they are mocking us, and they are TRYING TO PUT US IN PRISON. I respect the attitude of peace and forgiveness that leads so many of us to respond to these attacks with calm, quiet, compassionate, reasonable arguments -- but no one is listening to those reasonable arguments. No one is able to hear your calm, polite voices over the boiling cacophony of drug-war propoganda. There comes a time when the proper response to repression is not moderation or rationality, but purposeful outspoken resistance. mungojelly [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by FoM on October 20, 2000 at 20:21:51 PT: US AK: LTE: Look At Facts - Keep Pot Illegal URL: http://mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1582/a01.htmlNewshawk: Sledhead - VOTE Patrick L. Lilly, Colo. Senate, Dist. 12Source: Anchorage Daily News (AK)Author: Michelle OverstreetPubdate: Fri, 20 Oct 2000Copyright: 2000 The Anchorage Daily NewsContact: letters adn.comWebsite: http://www.adn.com/I would like to ask Alaskans to vote no on the proposition to decriminalize marijuana. I am a master's-level counselor with 10 years' experience in drug treatment in Alaska. Consider these facts: The last time marijuana was decriminalized, teen drug use and addiction in Alaska more than doubled. It has never returned to pre-decriminalization levels. Marijuana is a depressant chemical. Users increase risk for depression and suicide, and Alaska already has one of the highest teen suicide rates in the U.S. Marijuana is physically and psychologically addictive. It is the No. 2 drug that people seek treatment for nationwide. Young people often don't perceive the effect that pot has on them. They get addicted without even realizing it. Short-term memory damage caused by pot has been documented since the 1960s. Kids need their memory! Marijuana reduces motivation, making it difficult for young people to apply themselves to activities, school and grades, and family activities. We cannot expect our kids to avoid using drugs if we, as a community, are using drugs, condoning drug use by voting yes on decriminalization, or by not voting. We owe it to our children to be counted! Michelle Overstreet, Wasilla [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by right way on October 20, 2000 at 12:47:24 PT: legalize it When is the insanity going to stop? I mean, what kind of moron writes an article like this? Some people are so bent on stopping progress it's pathetic. I love his stereotypical phrases like "dirtbag dope dealers that contribute nothing to society." hahahahaha. The only reason there are any "dirtbag dope dealers" is because marijuana is ILLEGAL!!!!!! Take off your blindfold!!! Does the author seriously believe that people are still gonna buy their weed from dealers if they can just grow it themselves? The author also seems to have a problem with prop 5 being imperfect, but has there ever been a legislative measure in all of history that was perfect? Of course it's going to be imperfect, prop 5 is an attempt to clean up the huge prohibition mess created decades ago.When are people going to realize that the war on drugs can't be won? All the war on drugs is doing is costing tax payers billions, and at the same time creating an ever-more extensive and thriving black market. For every drug dealer the government throws in prison, there's another one waiting to take his place.And does it really make any sense to fight a war against the safest drug on the face of the planet? The worst thing marijuana has ever done is make people lazy. Marijuana is probably the only drug on the planet that is IMPOSSIBLE to over dose on. The dosage needed to kill or permenantly damage a person is so high it becomes impossible to o.d.But we make sure that relatively "safe" drugs like alcohol and tobacco are legal, even though they kill more than half a million people every year in this country alone!!!!!All the while the number of marijuana deaths stands at a whooping ZERO!!Why are the marijuana users punished for choosing to smoke a plant that allows them laugh and have a good time, instead of something that just makes their clothes stink and gives them lung cancer. And despite all the stereotypes from smart guys who write articles like the one above, potsmokers really aren't bad people, and they're not out to ruin the country, they just want the freedom our constitution promises us.We love you Uncle Sam, but leave us alone *Alaska here I come!!! [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by Ray on October 20, 2000 at 10:02:37 PT: Let the Bill Pass!!! We have been in the dark as a nation for way to long!!! We have let the government tell us what we can do andthat is not right! Alcohol is much worse than marijuana ever thought about being,and the proabition age for alcohol went though a hard time before they made it legal again!Let the bill pass. if it passes let the people out of jail that have been wronged. if someone on death row finds new evidence to let them free they get out let the pot dealers and simple drug offenders out!! [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by hazmat on October 19, 2000 at 23:01:40 PT: bags a packin if that prop passes imoving to alaska it would be worth the six months of darkness to live by people with some common sense [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Peace on October 19, 2000 at 20:44:55 PT: Pray Let's pray this initiative passes regardless of these idiotic articles that get published. (Wonder who encouraged this article and it's content? Was it really *just* the staff?) [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by freedom fighter on October 19, 2000 at 16:12:10 PT Hi legalizeit In Alaska, their rule, you hafta be 19 to smoke tobacco. However, we all know 18 yr old can vote, be a solider... What's the difference btwn 18 and 19? None! :)))Been hitting their news site, I think Alaska has a chance. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by legalizeit on October 19, 2000 at 13:55:28 PT Outrageousness? >The initiative does away with civil and criminal penalties for Alaskans 18 years of age or older who use marijuana or hemp in its many forms -- paper, food, fiber, medicine. Marijuana would be regulated like alcohol. Doctors could prescribe it. Employers (including governments) could not test their employees for marijuana. >The outrageousness of this proposal should be obvious by now. Huh? It makes perfect sense to me. It would seem outrageous to me if all this does not take place, and it is outrageous that it hasn't taken place on a federal level already.>How many parents of 18-year-old high school seniors want their kids to have immediate, legal access to a drug? They already do. It's called tobacco. Oh, I forgot, tobacco is not a drug. I stand corrected.>Proponents of Proposition 5 concede the initiative is imperfect. In fact, they are prepared to let the Legislature clean up the mess they are making if the initiative passes.No, proponents of Prop 5 are making a valiant attempt to begin a process to clean up the mess left behind by 60+ years of baseless, unconstitutional prohibition.------------------------------------------------By the way, FoM, congratulations on your new presence on the front page of Cannabis.com! It looks great! [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on October 19, 2000 at 13:08:04 PT: A Special Announcement Hi Everyone,I wanted to share with you something special that Ron Bennett did for us here at CannabisNews. He put the news on his front page of Cannabis.com and will be updated often. Knowing the volume of hits that Cannabis.com gets this is quite a compliment. Ron Bennett is the original creator of CannabisNews and has helped support this site with MapInc. He has been great and so have the people from MapInc. Without them none of this would be possible!Peace, FoM!Cannabis.comhttp://www.cannabis.com/ [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: