cannabisnews.com: When Will This (Marijuana) War Ever End? 





When Will This (Marijuana) War Ever End? 
Posted by CN Staff on September 19, 2007 at 19:43:25 PT
By Gloria Baraquio 
Source: Hawaii Tribune Herald 
Hawaii -- Will the marijuana war end?I think the only thing anyone ever talked to me about this week was marijuana. Since last week's column printed, I haven't been able to get away from the topic.Should cannabis be legal?
Why is it illegal?Why are people being criminalized?Why are we being invaded?Can weed actually heal you?Warning: Marijuana is a very emotional subject to discuss. Please don't bring it up at any fun, lighthearted gatherings -- unless you don't mind people getting not so fun and lighthearted.In the past week, I think I've heard practically every perspective on the issue. People have talked broadly; they've talked personally. They shared their pros; they shared their cons. They discussed legalization; they discussed criminalization. Overall, people were concerned about society's safety, freedom, and well-being as a whole.Some debated on whether or not weed fried people's brains, led them to harder drugs, simply mellowed people out, or healed people's ailments. Some disagreed on weed's effects because it's really hard to say how any chemical will affect any individual. From alcohol to caffeine, from salt to sugar, from meats to carbs, some people are just predisposed to certain intolerances and/or addictions.So some will say it's good, and some will say it's bad.When people argued about the legal aspect, some said that if it were legal, the government could make money off of taxes, and marijuana prices would go down, which would make it less of a commodity. Others argued that more crime and theft would ensue on people's marijuana farms. They also said that legalizing it would lead to the legalization of harder drugs, like ice and cocaine...and that would not be good.But the bottom line to all of this is that people smoke marijuana anyway. So how do we deal with that?Others who didn't seem to have any answers were simply perplexed at how law enforcement has been handling marijuana busts."Why not focus on the ice problem first"? many have asked."Why not put more time and money towards education instead of incarceration"? Some think that pot offenders are taking up space in prisons that could be used for rapists, murderers, and crackheads instead. Others are fed up with the noise and invasion of helicopters hovering over their neighborhoods, and no one can figure out if Green Harvest has been terminated or not. Another burning question seems to be, "Where do all the marijuana plants go after they're seized?"And what the community is really disturbed about are the unannounced, illegal, violent house raids, which include merciless abuse of pet animals and ruthless vandalism of private property. People have become frightened to be in their own homes...and they sound like they're tired of it.This is what I read recently on a posted flier:'Peace Through Action'"The Big Island community for over 20 years has had to tolerate burglars, armed robbery by organized crime organizations in Hawaii, and unlawful police raids. Peace through doing nothing has not worked."This is why hundreds of Big Island community members are joined together to see it stop! PEACE through action wants PEACE!!!!"We want to live in 'peace and harmony' with our entire extended Big Island ohana! We want our families to live without fear of robbers, rapists, or law enforcement unlawfully coming with guns in hand, invading our homes."The flier says that some of their actions will include the use of weapons, alarms and foghorns, radio communication, camera surveillance, private detectives and military tactics.Sounds intense.But I guess people are serious about finally stopping this marijuana war.I'm just afraid to see how it's gonna end.Why Isn't Pot Legal in U.S.?: http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/articles/2007/09/12/features/features08.txtSource: Hawaii Tribune Herald (Hilo, HI)Author: Gloria Baraquio Published: Wednesday, September 19, 2007Copyright: 2007 Hawaii Tribune HeraldContact: letters hawaiitribune-herald.comWebsite: http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml 
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Comment #9 posted by OverwhelmSam on September 20, 2007 at 19:41:32 PT
aolbites
Catching an abusive cop on camera is as good as a conviction.On a related note, ever notice how when a police office is charged with a crime almost always fights the charges and appeals everything? Think about it. These guys are trained in law, know the system, and almost always fight their charges, and then appeal when they lose. Maybe cannabis consumers can learn a lesson from the police. Watch the news when cops are busted.
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Comment #8 posted by aolbites on September 20, 2007 at 11:20:21 PT
tactics...
http://www.supercircuits.com/ - excellent source of good cameras at good prices ... they get smaller every time i check back it seems...
http://www.supercircuits.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=4205
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Comment #7 posted by Toker00 on September 20, 2007 at 03:49:15 PT
OT: Fourteen characteristics of Fascism.
Video: Fourteen characteristics of Fascism.http://houstontruth.feedbeat.net/Toke.
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Comment #6 posted by unkat27 on September 20, 2007 at 00:12:50 PT
Cannabis is Good Medicine, Period!
According to Indian legend, the God Shiva gave humans Cannabis to help them cope with the hardships of their lives and help them to relax at the end of the day.Along comes the US DEA to take that medicine away.Who really cares about the difficult lives of common humans?The DEA and all anti-cannabis prohibitionists obviously do not care how much common people suffer. The fact that they can take away such a wonderful medicine by making it illegal and punishing people for using it speaks volumes about the real state of our so-called democratic government and the ruling-class vampires and vultures with all the power over it.
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Comment #5 posted by mykeyb420 on September 19, 2007 at 23:41:58 PT
answers
Should cannabis be legal? 
noWhy is it illegal?
because of hate and fearWhy are people being criminalized?
big money to be made,,by prisons,cops etcWhy are we being invaded?
to make more $$$$$ for themCan weed actually heal you?
no,but it can help you to heal
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Comment #4 posted by PatrioticDissension on September 19, 2007 at 23:18:53 PT
weapons?
I wonder where the weapons and military tactics mentioned come into play, ESPECIALLY the weapons? Whatever happens I'm sure it will be news worthy; I'm also sure alot of people will go to jail and some innocent people die. Well if there was ever a reason to tolerate 'collateral damage' this will be it.
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Comment #3 posted by OverwhelmSam on September 19, 2007 at 22:59:39 PT
Use The Same Tactics on Police
It's sad that I feel the need to mount a dashboard camera in my car, video surveillance of my house and yard just to protect my right. The police are allowed to lie, charge you with made up charges and even kill you if you spook one of them. Private investigations into police activities is a tactic we should use against the police to bust and expose as many as we can. It's a shame that it comes to this, but they just will not listen to the people. 
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Comment #2 posted by afterburner on September 19, 2007 at 21:31:31 PT
Blackwater 
Top Story: The Drug War Is Politics By Other Means: Blackwater Gets Billions to Fight “Narco-Terorism”. Buying Constituencies for the Drug War. Analysis by Richard Cowan 
Posted by Richard Cowan on 2007-09-15 16:20:00 
http://www.marijuananews.com/news.php3?sid=903Excerpts:{
However, heavily armed mercenaries from one of the contractors, Blackwater, were hired by the Bush Administration to “police” New Orleans in the post-Katrina chaos. (Well, at least he did something!) 
}{
As noted, one of the contractors is the privately owned Blackwater, which is a major provider of “contract services” in Iraq. The SourceWatch website from the Center for Media and Democracy describes Blackwater in rather ominous terms. However, even they do not mention its role in the drug war. 
}And in the current news:www.kansascity.com | 09/19/2007
Iraq revokes Blackwater USA’s license amid investigation
By LEILA FADEL,
McClatchy Newspapers
http://www.kansascity.com/news/world/story/282643.htmlExcerpt:"BAGHDAD | Blackwater security guards who protect top U.S. diplomats in Iraq have been involved in at least seven serious incidents, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Wednesday."Some resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians, he said. Al-Maliki didn’t detail the incidents, which he said add to the case against the North Carolina-based security firm."Blackwater’s license to operate in Iraq has been revoked while U.S. and Iraqi officials investigate a shooting Sunday that Iraqi officials now say left at least 11 people dead."
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Comment #1 posted by afterburner on September 19, 2007 at 21:27:27 PT
Now, Hear This, Johnny P.
Your scare commercials are bogus:{
review, published by the British Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, reported: "Cannabis differs from alcohol in one major respect. It does not seem to increase risk-taking behavior. This means that cannabis rarely contributes to violence either to others or to oneself, whereas alcohol use is a major factor in deliberate self-harm, domestic accidents and violence." 
} http://www.marijuananews.com/news.php3?sid=900"It [Cannabis] does not seem to increase risk-taking behavior."Cannabis "does not seem to increase risk-taking behavior."
 "not ... increase ... risk-taking behavior."Got it?"The psychiatric establishment either advocates or tolerates the use of state violence against cannabis users, and yet I cannot find anywhere a study on – or even concern about the psychological impact on cannabis users of being arrested and jailed for the use of cannabis.   "Moreover, if cannabis use really does have adverse affects on the mental health of some users, especially the young, don’t we have an even greater reason to protect them from the trauma of the criminal justice system?"
http://www.marijuananews.com/news.php3?sid=902
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