cannabisnews.com: Lawmen Question Willie Nelson's Pot Claim Lawmen Question Willie Nelson's Pot Claim Posted by FoM on November 04, 2000 at 05:55:00 PT By Liz Ruskin, Daily News Reporter Source: Anchorage Daily News A country music legend is on Anchorage radio ads urging Alaska voters to legalize marijuana. "Hi, this is Willie Nelson," the man drawls in his weathered voice. "I've been to Alaska several times, and I've always loved the people I've met and appreciated your sense of personal freedom. But did you know you also have the highest arrest rate for marijuana smoking in the entire country?" Really? Alaska State Troopers and local police say they hardly ever take someone away in handcuffs whose only crime is smoking marijuana, though they may issue a citation and give the smoker a court date. One 23-year veteran of the Anchorage Police Department said he'd never heard of an arrest for smoking pot. The ad, airing since last week, was paid for by Alaskans for Privacy. Its chairman, Randall Patterson, said the arrest rate information came from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, based on a report by Jon Gettman, who says his data are based on FBI statistics. According to Gettman, the arrest figures are for selling as well as possession and would include people arrested for, say, murder who also happened to be carrying some marijuana. The pigtailed Outlaw recorded the ad for free at this year's Farm Aid concert in Virginia, Patterson said. Scoring him, done with the help of NORML, was a coup for Alaskans for Privacy, the quietest of the three Anchorage-based campaigns working for approval of Proposition 5. So the pro-5s have Willie. Which music stars do the anti-5s have for their ads? "We got Sen. and Mrs. Frank Murkowski," No on 5 spokesman Wev Shea deadpanned, "singing a duet." Actually, the Murkowskis chose to speak their anti-legalization message in their ads. Reporter Liz Ruskin can be reached at: lruskin adn.comPhone: 907 257-4591 Source: Anchorage Daily News (AK)Author: Liz Ruskin, Daily News ReporterPublished: November 4, 2000Copyright: 2000 The Anchorage Daily News Contact: letters adn.com Website: http://www.adn.com/ Related Articles & Web Sites:NORMLhttp://www.norml.org/Free Hemp in AlaskaAl Anders, Chair2603 Spenard RoadAnchorage, Alaska 99503 (907) 278-HEMP E-mail: freehempinak gci.netVisit their web site: http://www.freehempinak.orgHemp 2000R.L. Marcy, ChairP.O. Box 90055Anchorage, AK 99509907-376-2232 (p)Fax: 907-376-0530 (f)E-mail: marcy hemp2000.orgVisit their web site: http://www.hemp2000.org Pot Shotshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7532.shtmlDrug War Won't End Issuehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7515.shtmlAlaskans Can End Wrong, Ineffective Marijuana Banhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7476.shtml END SNIP --> Snipped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #3 posted by observer on November 04, 2000 at 11:49:41 PT Prohibitionist Weaseling Classic weaseling.Alaska has, "... the highest arrest rate for marijuana smoking in the entire country"Police/propagandists:Really? Alaska State Troopers and local police say they hardly ever take someone away in handcuffs whose only crime is smoking marijuanafor a state-by-state comparison see:http://www.norml.org/facts/arrestreport/Alaska's at the top of this inquisitorial state-race to lock up (and steal from) cannabis users.re: "only", "smoking"see: "weasel word"http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=weasel+wordOf course Officer Friendly doesn't want to make arrests "only" for "smoking" cannabis ... that's why he looks for paraphenalia (a roach clip, or some papers, a pipe, etc.), to (double jeopardy) "up the charges". (Marijuana "smoking", by the way, isn't the charge laid, in any event. It is "possession" and "possession with intent to distribute" if by any (and I mean any) stretch of the imagination the police/prosecutor/judge thinks he can make that stick, too. Sharing a single marijuana cigarette with a friend, for example, is considered "distribution". I scarcely have to add that those rotting in Alaskan prisons at this moment are hardly able to dispute the kindly officer's entreaties that we should continue to allow the nice officer's profitable predations upon cannabis users. They're not able to step up to the mike at this time, being behind bars. Common sense leads us to ask ourselves why, if the officers claim they arrest so few cannabis users, it should matter so much to them? Ah, I think I know the answer. It is not the salaries or overtime, not the easy pickings of arresting peaceful cannabis users, nor even the immense riches there for the taking, I mean seizing, that is, from cannabis users. No, it is not that. The compassionate Officers and Prosecutors realise that we must continue to imprison ever more adults, because of The Children.So no, I suppose it is not too surprisong that the vested interests of police, presecutors and prison unions would all sing in unison, "they hardly ever take someone away in handcuffs whose only crime is smoking marijuana." Wink, wink. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by military officer guy on November 04, 2000 at 10:43:58 PT damn good point barney we need to stick to the facts, and let the anti's provide the fiction...we can win this war, let's do it the right way, not the way the anti's do things...vote yes for prop 5 in nov... [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by barney on November 04, 2000 at 08:32:57 PT: sycophants Mr Patterson. You are skewing the figures just like the anti's when you include the remora in with the shark that kills. It's irrelavent in a murder case as to whether a person had marijuana on them or not. Just like the government, we lose credability in the fight to become legitimate,when we include the remora!!!!!!!! [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: