Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy
After his third pot possession bust in five years, country music legend Willie Nelson has had enough. He told former High Times editor Steve Bloom's CelebStoner web site Sunday it is time for a new, pro-marijuana political party.
Free Willie? Free the weed! (image from Wikimedia)
A Willie Nelson's Teapot Party Facebook page went online Sunday, as well.
Nelson was arrested Friday at a border checkpoint in Sierra Blanca, Texas, on Friday after officials smelled marijuana. They searched the vehicle with drug-sniffing dogs and found six ounces of pot. Nelson was arrested and jailed until he posted a $2,500 bond later that afternoon.
Nelson's arrest was just one of what are likely to be around 900,000 pot busts this year, the vast majority for simple possession. Last year, more than 850,000 people were arrested for marijuana offenses.
Despite a raft of recent polls showing increasing support for marijuana legalization nationwide and majority support on the West Coast, the number of members of Congress showing any interest in moving toward marijuana legalization remains in the single digits OR can be counted on one hand. However, there have been rumors of support in some influential Democratic circles for marijuana legalization as a get-out-the-vote strategy. Dozens of Democratic organizations in California lent their endorsement to this year's Prop 19 ballot initiative, as did the Republican Liberty Caucus.
Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.
Comments
Um, hello.
It will have the same laws as Drunk Driving
It is not as if it will have no restrictions. You can drink but add it to driving it will have laws, same will be done with weed. You can smoke, but if you plan to drive and smoke then prepare to have laws. I say go for it. I know several people that drink because weed is illegal, but they tell me all the time they prefer to smoke. So maybe it will cut down on the drinking.
Couldn't help but notice
the "$2,500 bond." The first time I got busted, my bond was $5,000; the third time, it was $50,000. So the rich get richer and the rest of us rot in jail.
seriously though what in the
seriously though what in the hell was willie doing on the texas/mexican border with 6 ounces of weed? He's willie, it's not like he needs to get weed from mexico, and why's he like smuggling it across the border? He's willie he can get weed wherever he is...wierd...
In reply to seriously though what in the by l2k3j4 (not verified)
West Texas is sparsely
West Texas is sparsely developed. The border patrol has stations where there is traffic, rather than stupidly patrolling vast wilderness areas. Some of these stations are hundreds of miles from the border. He was not crossing or even necessarily near a border. I don't know the specifics of his case and location, but he could easily have been on Interstate 10 ("Eye Ten" for Texans or "Thuh Ten" for Californians).
S. Texas
The fact that Willie`s bond was $2500 for 6 ounces shows the true failure of Cannabis Prohibition. To bail out on that amount of bond would be $250. Get caught with 6 ounces in Georgia and see what happens. Most Texas prosecutors won`t touch a 6 oz. charge. Too small. It takes a few hundred pounds to get their attention because there is so much of it floating around in Texas. Maybe that lady who started and runs the " drug free america" foundation would like to join the Teapot Party. Teapot`s are known for tipping over and spilling their ingredients onto others. As if cannabis doesn`t already spill over the border by the truckload and into the rest of America.
Re: Our Country is in deep peril
Criminal appeals jumped 28 percent in FY 2005 to 16,060, with growth in cases related to nearly all types of crimes. The most significant increases were in appeals related to drug offenses (read "marijuana" offenses; up 31 percent to 6,099) http://www.texaslitigationlawyer.com/news.cfm/Article/63616/Legal-Decisions-Legislation-Nature (.html) as was the expected result when a Federal Government fashions laws that make plants’ growing a crime. That is to say, the United States Federal Law says that if one owns land and one allows a certain said "illegal" plant to grow upon said land, one has willingly violated the law. I disagree that man should appoint himself the arbiter of the life of any species of plant or animal. To do so places man outside and superior to the very giver of the life lead by us. To make the growing of a plant a crime is beyond the scope of humanity and her goal. To allow the making of such law is a crime of accessory and shows willing culpability and I wish to go on the record in my opposition to and aversion by such law. There should be a penalty for those who are willing to place themselves over and above the law of Nature. That law clearly informs us all plants Created by her law are for a legitimate reason, and that men are too simple minded and unimaginative to realize the necessity or the primary purpose of a given life form and the Law that control that form, nor any Creation’s destiny. This is not a disgrace to us pitiful weak humans and we being one of the many Creations, our survival depends on our appreciation of this fact and our willingness to submit and abide by Nature’s simple creed. Many in the past have tried to unlock Pandora’s Box and have found only frustration for one has no key to that box and one has no means of locking or unlocking the box. We are men and women; on the other hand, one can be born a hermaphrodite. The point of this seemingly irrelevant statement is to illustrate the argument I have thus put forward: and that is, which one of you can tell me what would be the purpose of Nature that would produce such a wonderful being as a hermaphrodite? Why would such creatures exist? Is this revolting or beautiful? Are you a person who understands one is Created by an Omnipotent Creator or should one always put oneself above this notion and assume for the purpose of argument that one is Superior, having been endowed by one’s creator with the Power of Reason? Are we to question nature, are we to abide by her and care for her and wonder for her? This is why making a law against the growing of any plant for any purpose would be a crime against humanity (at the least), and it would actually be a direct affront to God the Creator. Where's the sign up sheet for the "POT PARTY" ?
Willie Nelson The Great
Thanx Willie,for your great songs.You're the man
IT's Just Weed
Man Willie Aint hurting nobody.....America Is NOT the land of the free......
In reply to IT's Just Weed by Crazy (not verified)
Crazy,
America has not been the land of the free since 1913, the PTB have gradually tightened control of our supposedly "free" people over the years and most people still haven't realized that the ideals of our founding are not just compromised but dead. Only when a majority of people realize that freedom is long gone will things change, and that changing won't be pretty until it is over.
The need for legalization
Law enforcement spends far too many resources unjustly targeting the modest, recreational user of marijuana, often with dire consequences for good citizens. For a dramatic and page-turning look at this issue, check out the novel STASH published by Random House at www.bydavidklein.com.
Think About This
Weed is a natural thing! It's not a drug it's a plant. The definition of a drug is something that is chemically produced .... marijuana GROWS naturally out of the ground!
I'm a first responder Medic in Michigan and I can say that I support the CASUAL use of marijuana. Note the word USE not ABUSE. Any thing can be abused! There are more accidents caused by drunk drivers and the only time I can honestly say that I had to respond to an accident when the driver was under the influence of marijuana was when the girl ran a stop sign and called 911 for feeling guilty about it. I have never responded to any violent fights or outbreaks as a result of marijuana. I have never had to provide treatment for over dose of marijuana or marijuana poisoning.
As to the first post - you can get stoned from over-the-counter Robitussin!
Think about this .... what would you rather have running the streets? Happy people poking smot and singing songs ... or drunk jerk offs who get mean and violent ... have you ever seen an angry pot-head ... I think not.
Better yet! Who would you rather see sitting in our federally funded prisons? Some poor kid who got popped for having a joint, or the murderer who got off on bail because all the prison cells where full???
How about the Teapot Party
Thank you!!!!! I'm writing a
Thank you!!!!! I'm writing a report for my English class on legalizing marijuana. I am completely 100% for it. People get paranoid while smoking pot, which means they would most likely drive safer, not more dangerously. IDIOTS!!!!! What is the big deal? Everyone I know smokes pot, or has tried it, why punish all americans? Is this not the land of the free?
In reply to Thank you!!!!! I'm writing a by writing a repo… (not verified)
Pot
Just think we have enough nuclear bombs to blow up the world 7 times. We all drink and breathe toxic chemicals that are within govt standards. But got forbid you grow and smoke the most amazing plant on the planet.God
Bless the cannabis plant. Plant it everywhere.....
Freedom is not Prohibition
Legalize It.
Govt stop trying to regulate how we feel. It's ok to poison our water and air we breathe. We have no choice but to breathe and drink. We should and will have a choice if we want to smoke pot. We are worried about the wrong issues in this country. Wake up people it's time to stand up !!!!!!!
Read the Emperor wears no clothes.....
Silly politicians
Anyone under the age of 60 knows... no-one gets stoned and;
robs a 7-11, they're too paranoid
Wrecks their car, they're just going to damn slow!!! UNLESS they're trying to back into a parking spot WHILE smoking a joint and dropping it in their lap. (OK, I'm guilty of that one)
mugs someone to buy their next bag of weed!
gives little kids free weed until they're addicted and then start charging them (common way for a heroin pusher to get new customers)
beats up their wife, it takes too much effort! As a matter of fact, when my wife and I argue she insists that I catch a buzz so I will calm down, which works quite well! If I smoke enough I may even forget what we were fighting about, for a while.
And most important- as far as I know it is impossible to smoke yourself to death at a frat party! We have lost so many good kids to alcohol in one fashion or another that it is amazing to me that alcohol is legal and marijuana isn't!
I say it's about damn time for a reality check in this country!!
Silly politicians
Anyone under the age of 60 knows... no-one gets stoned and;
robs a 7-11, they're too paranoid
Wrecks their car, they're just going to damn slow!!! UNLESS they're trying to back into a parking spot WHILE smoking a joint and dropping it in their lap. (OK, I'm guilty of that one)
mugs someone to buy their next bag of weed!
gives little kids free weed until they're addicted and then start charging them (common way for a heroin pusher to get new customers)
beats up their wife, it takes too much effort! As a matter of fact, when my wife and I argue she insists that I catch a buzz so I will calm down, which works quite well! If I smoke enough I may even forget what we were fighting about, for a while.
And most important- as far as I know it is impossible to smoke yourself to death at a frat party! We have lost so many good kids to alcohol in one fashion or another that it is amazing to me that alcohol is legal and marijuana isn't!
I say it's about damn time for a reality check in this country!!
How To Legalize Marijuana In Texas
Here's a recent roadmap I've thought out about how to legalize marijuana in Texas, any help would be appreciated.
http://threaders.wordpress.com/2010/11/27/how-to-legalize-marijuana-in-texas/
the Past's blood-rusted key
New occasions teach new duties; Time makes ancient good uncouth;
They must upward still, and onward, who would keep abreast of Truth;
Lo, before us gleam her camp-fires! we ourselves must Pilgrims be,
Launch our Mayflower, and steer boldly through the desperate winter sea,
Nor attempt the Future's portal with the Past's blood-rusted key.
The above is the last verse of "The Present Crisis" by James Russell Lowell, ca. 1841. Lowell was hoping that, by embracing the simple truth that if anyone is a slave, everyone is a slave, Americans could adapt to reality without first having to have a Civil War.
We have the same hope now, and the same worries. America cannot serve the cause of Freedom, and at the same time use governmental force (guns, confiscation of property and incarceration) to suppress peaceful, freedom-loving lifestyles.
What worries me the most: Americans love violence, and many of us see no problem in doing violence to the truth and to each other. Lies are violence, but each of us somehow believes that the rest of us cannot handle the truth, so we must "protect" each other (violently if necessary) from it. America's economy is addicted to the provision of such "protection", and the DEA -- an agency that protects the illegal drug business -- is only a very small part of that addiction.
The foundation of the whole drug war is falsehoods originally cooked up largely for purposes of oppression. (It's interesting to note that opiate addiction became a problem in the U.S. partly because of the pain management problems of injured Civil War veterans. The Harrison Act complicated their lives, increased their suffering, and made them the first customers of the newly-illegal drug business.)
Time has passed, and, as R. Crumb famously put it, "We are all niggers, now." We are reaping what previous generations of racists and other freedom-haters have sowed. Now let's move on. Let's try to catch up to the truth, and stop "attempt[ing] the Future's portal with the Past's blood-rusted key". Violence and lies are not the answer to our problems; they can only make things worse.
By the way, Julian Assange is a hero, and I fully expect him to be martyred, as truth-tellers very often are. If you wonder whether anyone in these days has "Launched [his] Mayflower, and [is steering] boldly through the desperate winter sea," you need look no farther than his example. Stopthedrugwar.org is another example -- but one much less likely to result in martyrdom for its founders (thank God). In both the drug war and in the imperialist war-crimes committed by our country in recent years, we see:
Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne,--
Yet that scaffold sways the future, and behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above his own.
Good luck and courage to us all! Things will definitely be much, much better, someday. Churchill was quite right when he said that Americans can be trusted to do the right thing... alas only *after* they have tried everything else. How long will that take? Don't hold your breath, but do keep smiling!
Willie/stand up for your rights
Don't know for sure but guess that Willie was busted by the feds. I am sure that Willie has heard of Bob Marley and the Rastafarian religion. Perhaps he believes in the spiritual use of cannabis as well as the medical, recreational , etc. Under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act he can claim it was for his spiritual use and I am sure medical use. He can also challenge the Scheduling of cannabis. It truely does not belong in schedule I as fifteen states recognize its medical usefulness. I am sure that he has no love for the feds and can give them hell. At the very least by challenging them on these issues they will probably give him a better deal.
100 miles from the border
Well gawd dang, it`s Willie Nelson ! Shit ! Hell , I`m a "border patrol cop" an I smell marijuana. Ain`t that a bitch ! ? Well boy`s , we gots to search. You don`t mind now do `ya? We just done gone look around for any illegal weapons or contraband. It won`t take but just a minute. Hope you don`t mind. Sorry for the disruption. Welcome to america.
.....
Willie for president 2012!!!!
Legalize it
Nelson said. "Tax it, regulate it and legalize it, and stop the border wars over drugs. Why should the drug lords make all the money? Thousands of lives will be saved."
Why let big brother regulate and tax it? This scum bag government of ours already taxes us too much. If this was really land of the free you would be allowed to grow you own damn pot whenever you damn well pleased and wherever you wanted on you own property. Oh I forgot you don't even really own property in this country anymore because after you pay off that house you still have to pay property TAXES aka RENT TO THE GOVERNMENT. Its amazing and then its not how people can't get upset and mad about things like that because football and American Idol provide good distractions to keep you from getting mad amongst other things.
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