Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy
Two states have already legalized marijuana, bills to do the same have been or will be filed in a half-dozen more this year, a federal bill to repeal pot prohibition has also been introduced, legalization initiatives aimed at 2014 or 2016 are already being plotted, and public opinion polls are showing support for marijuana legalization edging into majority territory. The opposition is started to get worried.
Anti-prohibitionists aren't the only ones targeting Congress.
Project SAM (Smart About Marijuana), the recently formed brainchild of former Congressman-with-addiction-issues Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and former Office of National Drug Control Policy staffer Kevin Sabet, last week authored a letter to US Attorney General Eric Holder calling on him to stand firm against marijuana legalization.
Its co-signers include a veritable cavalcade of beneficiaries of government drug spending, among them the federally-funded Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, the National Narcotics Officers Association Coalition, and the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP). Other signers are a Colorado pediatric physicians' group and Smart Colorado, "a broad-based alliance of concerned public health officials," which is funded almost entirely by Mel and Betty Sembler, long-time drug warriors notorious for having operated abusive treatment programs for teens in the 1990s.
"We are writing to you to enforce the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in Colorado and Washington with respect to recent ballot measures legalizing marijuana," wrote Kennedy and the gang. "These state laws would severely threaten public health and safety goals, expressly contradict the President’s National Drug Control Strategy, make it impossible to comply with federal regulations, and present an obstacle to the achievement of Congress' discernible objectives to prohibit the use, sale, manufacture, and distribution of marijuana. We urge you to restate marijuana is illegal."
The marijuana legalization laws in Washington and Colorado "violate both the intent of Congress in enacting the CSA and the letter of the law," the letter continued. "The Department of Justice and Congress have determined through the CSA that marijuana is a Schedule I drug and as such growing, distributing, and possessing marijuana in any capacity, save a federal research program, is in 'violation of federal law regardless of state laws permitting such activities.'"
Project SAM advocates prevention and drug treatment for marijuana users and wants to avoid stigmatizing them, but still wants marijuana to be illegal.
"There is an arrest and prosecution industry in this country that depends on marijuana remaining illegal to maintain their budgets and stay in business," retorted Mason Tvert, one of the key organizers of the Colorado initiative and now a spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project. "As Project SAM has said, we need to be focusing our attention on providing treatment to those who need it, but unfortunately their stance on marijuana would waste treatment resources on people who don’t. These groups talk about teens using marijuana, and if their true goal was preventing teen marijuana use, we would gladly join them, but their real goal is to keep marijuana illegal, and that doesn't benefit teens or anyone else… but themselves."
For one of the Project SAM signatories, signing on to somebody else's letter wasn't enough. The NADCP Monday released its own position statement against legalizing marijuana, saying "every dangerous and addictive drug was once believed to be safe and medicinal."
NADCP "unequivocally stands against the legalization of marijuana and the use of smoked marijuana as medicine," the group said. Society need not fall for the "false choice" of legalization or incarceration when it can find a third way through the "curative effects of drug courts and dozens of other treatment programs."
"Drug court is the equivalent of purgatory in the Catholic theology," commented Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. "If you comport with their demands and accept your moral turpitude, they may let you ascend. But if you fail the drug test or don't show proper deference to the system, you will not only be stuck in purgatory, but may pushed down into the bowels of hell," the veteran activist said.
"We get calls all the time from people facing this Hobbesian choice of drug courts or traditional courts, and we have to warn them that, unlike the early 1990s, when they looked like a good alternative to incarceration, we have seen so many cases where individuals face far worse penalties, fines, and incarceration in drug court than if they took the worst plea bargain in regular court. Drug court pleaders belong in the category of special interests who clearly benefit -- if not exist wholly -- because of this government prohibition."
Reformers should not take this new opposition lightly, some reformers say.
"While these groups are completely dependent on federal government anti-drug money and can be discounted as fighting to protect their own rice bowls, it would be a naïve and arrogant mistake to ignore them," said Eric Sterling, executive director of the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation. "Kevin Sabet is an energetic guy, and these groups have lots of taxpayer money to spend on this. They will mobilize in other states, and they have the ability to get the ear of the attorney general and others."
Similarly, said Sterling, "to a lay person, the NADCP statement is an impressive statement," even though policy and other experts may see their claims as overstated.
"People in reform should be concerned about a reaction," he said. "It is certain that these documents represent products being developed by a concerted movement to turn back the tide. The opposition is first out of the box on this," Sterling warned as he wondered aloud what the reform movement is doing to counter the counter-revolution.
"I was told in November that folks at Justice were completely blindsided by the victories in Colorado and Washington," he said. "What written correspondence to Holder can we point to about what they should do? I know there have been some informal conversations between state officials and the attorney general, but there is nothing in writing that both lays out a plea and a case for accommodating state laws."
That reflects a broader problem of lack of aggressiveness within the reform movement, he said.
"On one level, the reform movement is not being proactive," Sterling argued. "It's one thing to get an initiative passed, and we've demonstrated a high degree of competence at that, but we haven't seen that same sort of competence when it comes to Washington. It's a much more complex and tricky problem to mobilize a majority of the House or Senate, and there has not been a well-organized effort on a sustained basis to get Congress to weigh in. It's amazing to me that so far after 1996, no senator has ever introduced a bill to allow their state to have a medical marijuana program free from federal interference. There are now 36 senators from 18 medical marijuana states, and not one of them has ever introduced a bill. That's an amazing failure to organize by our movement."
The movement -- especially that part of it with deep pockets -- needs to step up, Sterling said.
"I'm not aware that any of our movement organizations have a strategy for getting the American Bar Association or other high-profile groups to take a position on marijuana enforcement after the passage of the initiatives," he said. "Those kinds of campaigns need to be thought about and have people assigned to do them. I haven't done that either, but I'm not a leader of any of the 'angel organizations' that do this work."
While the reform movement builds itself, it can still attack the foe, St. Pierre said.
The opposition is actively pushing back now. Reformers are working quietly with state officials on implementation of regulation, but they can't forget that Washington is where some crucial decisions get made. Project SAM and its allies certainly haven't.
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
congress
You know what it looks like when u c a tsunami,well thats what this Medical and Recreational use is see it started from a lil'ripple and no-one knows who,what,or how it did but everyone must agree that u cannot blame no one body for this Roll Tide it just is,and u can't stop it either,it will run it's corse and when it is done it will be better on America all way round,,,just sayin.
Slightly off-topic, but
Slightly off-topic, but "Hobbesian choice"? I do not think it means what you think it means.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobson%27s_choice
In reply to Slightly off-topic, but by David Hart (not verified)
Hobson Vs. Hobbesian
Thanks for the clarification. Smith is a hard worker but made a fool of himself with this common mistake, meaning that he has never cracked the spine of Leviathan. I had had never heard of this "Hobbesian [sic] choice" and knew immediately that something was off. To be fair, Hobson's Choice is not readily known by most people. Your Wikipedia link was excellent.
Scheduling is the key at the federal level
Since 18 states recognize medical marijuana it no longer fits the federal schedule I criteria of no medical use in the United States. States are able to determine medical use otherwise the feds would have shut them down long ago.. Its time for the States to stand up to the feds and demand they take marijuana out of schedule I.
In reply to Scheduling is the key at the federal level by Jeff Brown (not verified)
But first...
First the states should get it out of their own schedule 1.
But the way to get it off schedules, period, would be a legislative or administrative statement that the mere use of a psychoactive substance for enjoyment does not constitute substance abuse.
Dear activists, stop letting drug warriors off so easily
It's time to stop being politically correct. That can only get us so far. It's time to get nasty with these morally bankrupt drug warriors. It's time to start publicly calling them out, each by name, for their decades of failure.
I know NORML folks get testy with idiot drug warriors during televised arguments, BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH. Calling these people hypocrites is not even scratching the surface.
The public doesn't know who 99% of these idiots are... when they think of Joe Biden they don't think drug warrior, they think "old idiot with fake smile", and so on. Politics is about image, and we need to RUIN the image of the drug warrior politician. Right now people think politicians are corrupt but untouchable, that needs to change.
Ask the public, do you all want to live in a society that'll drug test you before they reattach your fingers? That's what they do at Coca-cola when there's an accident, and I'm sure that's the norm... I'm still in shock that America took to drug tests like a bunch of herded cattle. Drug tests prevent me, an intelligent, college-educated disabled man, from finding a job. The drug testing industry is DRUNK with power, and they need to be called out for their profiteering.
For the record, I'm legally blind. I've had glaucoma since age 11-12. I've suffered from insomnia and anxiety all my life. I am on the maximun number of precription eye drops possible. I will not give up my eyesight to satisfy this American sickness. I would rather live in obscurity and persecution all my life than give in to these greedy turds... who obviously don't care about what little eyesight I have left. I can only come to one conclusion: America wants me completely blind and in pain. **** that.
In reply to Dear activists, stop letting drug warriors off so easily by Matt B (not verified)
Matt B - you right ! PEOPLE, DO SOMETHING !
I agree with Matt B.
We really need to do more BIG TIME.
We could began by each of us sending DRCnet minimal $10 now !... a month. Set automatic payments from your bank.
In the early 1990s, DC/NORML had a mailing list of 300 people but only 5-7 DCNorml members actively supported getting Medical MJ on the ballot. That's pathetic.
If every smoker contributed $1 to DRCnet or FAMM (who I think are the two best organizations doing anything beyond meetings and conventions), they'd have at least $30million to work with. They could hire a professional lobbyist. THEN we'd see change.
Can't do it if all you do is support the 'cause "in spirit".
Can't do it if all you do is smoke.
Come on people. We already have 2.5 million people in prison (and about 40% there for non-violent drug use/distribution/sharing with friends/being at the ** place at the wrong time when the bust came down, etc). And the number continues to grow.
And most of these people are poor people who had public defenders. And when they get out they can't get a job, can't get a school grant/loan, can't vote, can't live in public housing, can't do jack.
Are we going to let poor people do time for the rest of us just cause we didn't get caught? That's what you're doing every time you light a joint and don't contribute to decriminalizing marijuana use... the one drug where even Pres. Carter said the worst thing that can happen to a mj user is jail-time. Smoke too much and you don't o.d. You fall asleep or get stupid.
50% of jobs lost in the past 1-3 yrs were lost to computers taking over the job. When we're all out of work, what are they gonna do, lock up all up? Drug-testing is an easy way for them to get us. There are states right now trying to make drug-testing mandatory in order to keep Food Stamps. When that eventually passes, what else is next.
Come one people! DO SOMETHING !
Support the anti-drug war organizations that are doing something.
Write letters-to-the editor and to your Congress-person in support of medical mj and legalization.
Volunteer to help your local org. at the office. Volunteer with mj initiatives.
You folks in larger cities; don't worry, you won't lose your job. I was employed with the government when I helped with the medical mj initiative to get it on the ballot, and no one ever threatened to fire me. (Of course I didn't broadcast what I was doing when I was at work. I kept work, and my politics separate.)
Yo, Phil! David ! David ! Scott ! Here's my $20 right now... in addition to the $20/mo I already send.
Folks ! Open up your wallets NOW !
In reply to Dear activists, stop letting drug warriors off so easily by Matt B (not verified)
Matt B - you right ! PEOPLE, DO SOMETHING !
I agree with Matt B.
We really need to do more BIG TIME.
We could began by each of us sending DRCnet minimal $10 now !... a month. Set automatic payments from your bank.
In the early 1990s, DC/NORML had a mailing list of 300 people but only 5-7 DCNorml members actively supported getting Medical MJ on the ballot. That's pathetic.
If every smoker contributed $1 to DRCnet or FAMM (who I think are the two best organizations doing anything beyond meetings and conventions), they'd have at least $30million to work with. They could hire a professional lobbyist. THEN we'd see change.
Can't do it if all you do is support the 'cause "in spirit".
Can't do it if all you do is smoke.
Come on people. We already have 2.5 million people in prison (and about 40% there for non-violent drug use/distribution/sharing with friends/being at the ** place at the wrong time when the bust came down, etc). And the number continues to grow.
And most of these people are poor people who had public defenders. And when they get out they can't get a job, can't get a school grant/loan, can't vote, can't live in public housing, can't do jack.
Are we going to let poor people do time for the rest of us just cause we didn't get caught? That's what you're doing every time you light a joint and don't contribute to decriminalizing marijuana use... the one drug where even Pres. Carter said the worst thing that can happen to a mj user is jail-time. Smoke too much and you don't o.d. You fall asleep or get stupid.
50% of jobs lost in the past 1-3 yrs were lost to computers taking over the job. When we're all out of work, what are they gonna do, lock up all up? Drug-testing is an easy way for them to get us. There are states right now trying to make drug-testing mandatory in order to keep Food Stamps. When that eventually passes, what else is next.
Come one people! DO SOMETHING !
Support the anti-drug war organizations that are doing something.
Write letters-to-the editor and to your Congress-person in support of medical mj and legalization.
Volunteer to help your local org. at the office. Volunteer with mj initiatives.
You folks in larger cities; don't worry, you won't lose your job. I was employed with the government when I helped with the medical mj initiative to get it on the ballot, and no one ever threatened to fire me. (Of course I didn't broadcast what I was doing when I was at work. I kept work, and my politics separate.)
Yo, Phil! David ! David ! Scott ! Here's my $20 right now... in addition to the $20/mo I already send.
Folks ! Open up your wallets NOW !
War on Drugs failure
In reply to War on Drugs failure by Jenny (not verified)
cannabis won't kill...
Unless you drop a 2000 lb bale of it onto the person from a great height.
In reply to War on Drugs failure by Jenny (not verified)
Facts, please!
No country in the world has made all substances legal.
In reply to Facts, please! by Buzzby (not verified)
They must be correct then.
They must be correct then. Remember when no country legalized homosexuality?
War on Drugs failure
Who are these people kidding?
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There are 12 groups that don't want to end the War on Drugs
1 Conservative political and religious groups
2 Police and Correction officers unions (Excluding those in LEAP)
3 Liquor Industry
4 Tobacco Industry
5 Pharmaceutical industry
6 Owners of Privatized Prisons
7 Mandatory Drug Test Clinics
8 Oil Industry
9 The banks that launder the Cartel's money.
10 The Military Industrial complex
11 The CIA who have helped their clients including item 12
12 The Drug Cartels.
In reply to Normal 0 false by kelemi (not verified)
You left out numerous
You left out numerous companies that could not stand for stock evaluations to drop with the inclusion of Hemp products. Might not seem all that relevant, till one considers clothing made from Hemp can be 2x as soft and last 2x as long. How many 'capitalized' dollars does this represent on Wall Street?
Wood industry for fiber. Hemp can provide 4x as much fiber per acre.
Food. Hemp seed is actually 1-2% better than Corn or soy.
When taking all the secondary industries to food, wood and cloth into account and their Stocks, Bonds and CDSs with the primary Industries there are vast amounts of established interests to not have a competing product.. which is actually better than their own, even if the public loses out.
"...Project SAM advocates
"...Project SAM advocates prevention and drug treatment for marijuana users and wants to avoid stigmatizing them, but still wants marijuana to be illegal..."
That makes NO sense, you can't do one without the other. When something is illegal and you partake in that activity you will still under the same stigma. Doesn't matter if you go to treatment or jail, you are still breaking the law. Not only that but by only decriminalizing which what SAM wants to do, you are expanding the black market for gangs and drug cartels and still have NO control or power over the drug and how do you EVER expect to control something you have no power over? Total legalization and commercialization is the only way to truly help our community to reduce crime, save our kids from drugs and truly cut into the spending power of the dangerous drug cartels that currently have all the power and control over the industry.
Any action form these 2 has beens should be totally ignored
Time to get nasty with these guys.
Sabet is an idiot and has always been, a total embarrassment for this country (what a joke).
Somebody should tell Sabet to shut his dumbass mouth and go away and leave the real people of this country alone. This guy had to be the hall monitor in his youth and never got over it.
Kennedy should have to change his last name and should be ashamed of himself for being a huge hypocrite.
His old man is rolling over in his grave for sure.
Patrick Kennedy is one of the biggest jokes to ever come out of the Kennedy family.
What we need on these boys is dirt. Where are all their old girlfriends or boyfriends. Who can help us discredit these pinheads. Step up please and help us out...
2 points
1. "[Sterling wondered] "what the reform movement is doing to counter the counter-revolution."
Here is a thought: Do what reform movements do-- REFORM SOMETHING for gawdsake. Reform the dosage equipment and procedures to eliminate "smoking"-related harm that these bozos blame on cannabis. Get rid of the Hot Burning Overdose Monoxide "Joint" and nicotine-infested "Blunt" (yes I saw that about how they are trying to blunt the legalization trend) and create thousands of jobs, starting in Washington and Colorado, marketing vaporizers and one-hitters through a sort-of-franchised ONE HIT HEAD SHOP with adjoining manufacturing room, maybe attached to a coffee house where they would be permitted to try Harm Reduction vaporizers and one-hitters (BUT NOT SMOKE).
(Get info on how to make one-hitters at wikiHow.com/Make Smoke Pipes-from-Everyday-Objects. Sign in (free wiki), take a user name, edit, improve article, add pictures. Maybe change unfortunate obsolete title (to "Vape Toke Utensils" or such like, but trouble is, the ignorant public thinks it's "smoking"
they need to learn about. The article does now have some description on "how to vaporize with a one-hitter", but be ultra-careful not to highlight cannabis, the article also applies to properly sifted tobacco product anyway.
If this single-toke idea then goes viral into other states AND SPREADS OVER from the cannabis-using population into the tobacco-using population, the 150-year $igarette Empire may be toasted oops sorry toast! Cut off the surplus money "earned" by their overdose format-- the share of $igarette profits which is fed through $igarette TAXES into the government, buying policy in line with what $igarette corporations want, into campaigns (officially Romney got over 5 times as much "tobacco" i.e. $igarette money as Obama; Boehner is one of the largest recipients and oh yes, he smokes ten Ultra Lights a day, was alleged to have two $igarette industry representatives on his advisory committee). (Not disparaging those talented leaders, my thought is once the $ecret $acred $igarette $lush fund dries up, they will find other "sponsors" and redeem themselves-- and we'll "Forgive--> Convert--> Redeploy."
2. The relevance of the Kennedy money being from the ALCOHOL empire days is that binge drinking is an important factor in RECRUITMENT INTO NICOTINE ADDICTION, Big 2WackGo does NOT want to see binge drinking rates go down. Kids sit stoned for hours inhaling "side stream smoke at a party", try a $igarette to help "sober up" enough to drive the car home, try a $igarette to fix a hangover, try a $igarette days later to stay up all night cramming for the big test,etc. (Recent story: harsh anti-cannabis laws in South Dakota, I looked up "South Dakota binge drinking" and found a federal study ranking South Dakota SECOND behind North Dakota in incidence of binge drinking among minors, RI anhd WI were in the top five too I think. Fact checkers, gooogle the names mentioned in the above story along with "tobacco", "cigarette" "smoking" etc., dig out, post and publicize the Big2WackGo links behind this SAM project.
Too Little âToo Late
Prohibitionists have had 100-years to clearly define and justify their goals and actions involving marijuana and other illicit drugs. In that time, not one of their arguments for criminalizing drugs and drug users has survived the careful scrutiny of objective analysts and critics.
The foundations of prohibition reside on a slippery-slope of lies and hysteria. More of the same could delay, but can never stop the 300-mph freight train that Patrick Kennedy says represents the marijuana legalization movement. All the prohibitionists can do at this point is stand on the tracks and get mangled by the machine.
SAM is a product of a bygone era, a time when people trusted their government, a time when government actions were conducted by the people, and for the people, and not just the moneyed interests. Those times may be gone, and with them the naïveté they spawned, but the yearning for freedom and justice remain, residing among informed citizens who, in their pursuit of liberty, are well prepared to go forward to end the drug war and bring drug peace to the world.
 "a broad-based alliance of
"a broad-based alliance of concerned public health officials," which is funded almost entirely by Mel and Betty Sembler ,,"
I believe they also were very instrumental in running Romney's campaign contributions. Also were tight with Bush Jr, the coke sniffer. They have run completely bogus billboards in Florida with actors from long unused advertisements against Meth as being pot smokers. They currently are running a 'addiction' program.. which gets its funding in part from State and Federal grants and their entire success in business is dependent on the American tax dollar.
Unless the Pro group does not stand up for itself and expose these 'Anti's' for exactly what they are, self promoting politicians and crony capitalists, they will have a hard road. It takes a lot of good, to defeat a little bad. These Antis mentioned are more than just a little bad.
We all knew this was coming, or you were fooling yourself
I knew as I'm sure you all knew, that this was coming... of course it was. Did you think the prohibitionists would just roll over and fade away? Many of these people's jobs and livelihoods depends on the War on Drugs enduring, specifically marijuana prohibition. If marijuana was legalized, they'd lose something like 80% of their revenue overnight.. they are literally fighting for their lives here, so I fully expect them to be vicious.
Except them to pull out all the stops, blatant propaganda, lies, discrediting reformists, personal attacks.. you name it.. even violence isn't out of the question, considering the money these guys can throw around.
Reformists will have to overcome great adversity to succeed. History might be on our side, but time is on their side. After all we're trying to break trends and they simply have to maintain a current LONG standing status-quo. It takes more force to get an object moving than to keep it moving.
But we all have faith that the hard work of the reformists, NORML, MPP, Drug War Chronicle, and many others.. have moved against impossible odds and gradually has turned the public in general towards our side.
It's public support that will win the day, in the end.
At the very least they'll have to compromise on medical eventually.. 80% of Americans support this...
Protect the Cronies
The Cronies or Scumbags of the mass bullshit propaganda of the Drug war are the Criminals and the Prisons Industrial Complex and the Unions thereto.
They don't give a hoot about any drug use all they want is their bennies.
I hope they all burn in Hell if there was one.
2013 not 1983
If there is one sure fire way to get Cannabis users motivated , it`s Cannabis Legalization . The Cannabis prohibitionists are being consumed in a fire of rejection by the majority of the American people . Their screams of Apocalypse and destruction should be expected . The nancy reagan anti-Cannabis , just say no and lock `em up charade is dead . These organizations are nothing but propaganda fronts for the governments war on drugs . Taxpayer money[grants] being used to spread lies to those whose money it is . ronald reagan is thanking Lucifer that the internet was not around in 1980 . His drug war crusade would have been dead on arrival . Plant prohibitionists live in darkness and they will die and remain in darkness . That " Big Green Tsunami " cannot be stopped . Genesis Chapt. 1 , verses 11-12 .
In reply to 2013 not 1983 by kickback (not verified)
You optimism is appreciated,
You optimism is appreciated, but naive. This out-of-control government is establishing a police state and prison economy. Marijuana legalization is getting in their tyrannical way. The Feds have been stock piling ammunition like they are going to war. Why? Because they know that their system is about to crash and the people will fight back. They is why they were trying to pass meaningful gun legislation now, not because of children. The economy is holding on by a thread with the scams coming out of Wall Street. This system is on the verge of collapse! The best way to hide unemployment numbers, and benefits is make criminals out of large portion of the US. And, the best way to maintain the situation in the event of a complete collapse is to detain large numbers of people behind bars; that way they can keep a larger population of citizens from participating in any type of civil war conflict that might be the result of a breakdown in the economy and harsh austerity measures placed on the people during a martial law scenario. Welcome to 2013!
Kennedy....let's see. What do
Kennedy....let's see. What do I think about when I think of the Kennedy's? I think of great grandpa Joe Kennedy the patriarchal rum runner who made a fortune back during prohibition - ya, the one that didn't work back then either. Kennedy = alcohol = bias towards anything he/they don't like or approve of like cannabis. To expect anything else is to forget their past....
LOL
The Feds are conceding that they need the State to willfully cooperate with them in order to maintain their hegemony. They in fact have no legal right to do anything but regulate interstate commerce and cannot legally enforce prohibition outside of that. People frequently try to act as though drugs are so "dangerous" that the Feds can call it some sort of imminent threat allowing them to supersede any local jurisdiction. Most people do not realize this. The imminent threat nonsense is usually over applied and should not be a policy that we tolerate. Watch. Its gonna be funny to watch these institutions and ideas exist like a fish out of water.
Attacking K. Sabet
Sabet is involved in keeping his career afloat. This is a typical move by those whose jobs get eliminated by the changing political atmosphere. If you listen to Sabet's interviews (Huff Post) you hear him talk about a kinder and gentler form of the "Drug War". Sabet even tries to spin the term Drug War and state that no one in the federal government uses that term any more.
Interestingly Sabet was quiet during his employment with a federal agency during Clinton, Bush and Obama, being the anti-drug warrior that he still is. If you listen to Sabet you can still hear his hard line stance in his speech (same old anti cannabis rhetoric and propaganda), obvious evidence of his intentions.
Sabet is pandering to the new political landscape and trying to find a place in the grey area between prohibition and legalization and salvage his career. If you listen closely you can hear a puckering sound when he talks about his Sensible Approach to Cannabis (SAC). He actually thinks he's putting one over on everyone...
What can we do to help?
Assuming writing letters to the opposition trying to reason with them won't work (they are self-interested here and not basing their stance on anything other than that).. writing our congressmen? Just waiting it out?
Even if the bad guys win the younger generation shows more overwhelming support.. one day the younger generation will BE taking the reigns from the bad guys and THEN we'll win... right?
right?
Complacency was my generation's downfall, but it didn't just
affect us, but the following genertions, too.
We thought we had it in the bag. By the late 1970's we had gotten dozens of States to pass decrim laws. But we didn't follow through, and look what happened. We got blind-sided by DuPont and his 'useful idiots', the control-freak 'concerned parents' movement.
Never mind that they were later discarded by him after they raised him to the position of DrugCzar, nobody cares about what happens to toilet paper after you use it.
The fact remains that they were used by the self-serving bureaucrats who went on to bigger and better things...and in the process brought us the Reagan phase of the DrugWar, and all that that entailed. The damage that caused to civil liberties, with ever increasingly Draconian punishments for a consensual act written into laws, and the fact that such legislation formed the foundation for the even more odious ones to come (PATRIOT Act, MCA, NDAA, etc.) shows just how wrong my generation was to think we could coast to victory.
That pattern of using the citizens groups to protect the 'rice bowls' of 'vested interests' is once more engaged, and if the latest generations doesn't watch out, they'll find they've lost more than a chance to use an incredibly versatile herb in peace.
Please, please PLEASE don't make our mistake, for there will never be another chance again. The DrugWar-sired machinery of tyranny and fascism has almost cemented itself into place, and it is far better to have legislation peaceably turn back the tide, than it is to have to do it with blood and bullets.
A Global Issue.
The Czech Republic just allowed for medical marijuana.
This is a global issue. Reforms are also happening outside the US.
The progress of reform will not be stopped.
In reply to A Global Issue. by Paul Pot (not verified)
WHY STOP IT
STOP WHAT ALLOW LEGALIZATION ALREADY.IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SMOKE POT THEN DON'T. BUT DON'T TRY TO STOP OTHERS WHILE YOU PROBABLY SIT BACK WITH YOUR BEER SITTING ON YOUR BELLY PASSING YOUR SECOND HAND SMOKE TO EVERYONE. FORGIVE ME IF THAT'S NOT YOU & NOT THE CASE BUT THAT'S HOW IT USUALLY IS? LEGALIZE POT NOW PERIOD. IF YOU CAN LEGALIZE ALCOHOL & CIGARETTES THE 2 THINGS THAT KILL MORE PEOPLE DAILY, AND NOT A HELPFUL RESOURCEFUL PLANT THAT HELPS PEOPLE IN NEED OF IT.BE FAIR AMERICA.
Preaching to the converted
So many posts here. All fine and good but people need to post intelligent comments everywhere they can.You will usually get stupid comments from the anti freedom folks but these comments only serve to make more thinking people aware of the disaster the WOD had become. Ask the gun rights folks why they are not against the trashing of the fourth amendment as well as the second. Conservatives can be our friends, So called liberals are often about as authoritarian as anyone. Look at Bloomberg. At least some of the people on the right who are preaching about freedom actually believe in freedom, although most don't.
We are on the right side on this issue. We have the facts, lets get them out.
Best Wishes
In reply to Preaching to the converted by RandyJ (not verified)
Where can we go to preach to the opposition?
What are some webforums we can go to debate prohibitionists? These are mostly old foggies they probably don't post at Blogs or Forums or anything the like.. and social media is out of the question I MUST maintain my anonymity.
So SAM allows comments for their blogposts?
THAT surprises me..
Legalization Of Marijuana In PENNSYLVANIA ALREADY
What's going on it's legal all around Pennsylvania, and it's flat out unfair for patients with chronic problems that this Plant HELPS MORE THAN 100% Give us a break already.I'm an insomniac with chronic pain problems that knows the benefits of Marijuana from past use, but it's not the same grade as we should be aloud to purchase legally.Theres not 1 proven case of Lung cancer from it, but there is for cigarettes, and you want to be hypocrites when it can help everyone financially.Get off your high horses if you don't like it don't smoke it, but don't deprive sick people that will benefit from it just because you don't need it.Have SOME COMPASSION & CARE FOR US SICK, TIRED, SUFFERING PEOPLE ALREADY.I WILL MOVE FROM THIS STATE SOON IF IT'S NOT LEGAL & I'M SURE MANY OTHERS WILL TO.WHY SHOULD WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR YOU WITH YOUR NOSES IN THE AIR & THINKING YOUR CHIT DON'T STINK. WELL IT'S WORSE BECAUSE YOU PEOPLE THRIVE OFF DEPRIVING PEOPLE OF SOMETHING THAT WILL HELP THEM BECAUSE OF YOUR OWN MISCONCEPTIONS, MISUNDERSTANDINGS, AND SERIOUS LACK OF KNOWLEDGE.GIVE US A BREAK ALREADY.IF NOT LETS GET OUT OF THIS CHITTY STATE EVERYONE IN NEED.WE CAN GO WHERE IT'S LEGAL, FRIENDLY & WARM. THIS IS FLAT OUT BULLCHIT.SORRY FOR YELLING, BUT THIS IS WHAT YOU BRING PEOPLE TO & WE WILL LEAVE THIS STATE.WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO OFFER THAT'S SO GREAT ANYWAY ? PHILLY 1 OF THE HIGHEST IF NOT THE #1 CRIME RIDDEN, HOMELESS, LOW JOB RATE.GO SELL YOUR CIGARETTES & SELL CANCER & KILL MORE PEOPLE LIKE THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOUR DOING.IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN ANYWAY SO WHY WAIT TILL MORE PEOPLE MOVE FROM THIS CHITTY STATE THAT IS RUN BY IGNORANT PEOPLE THAT ARE ON A POWER TRIP.GET OVER IT ALREADY ALL YOU POMPOUS POLITICIANS WHO ARE SLOWING THIS DOWN.PEOPLE ARE SMOKING IT IN LEAPS & BOUNDS ANYWAY & ALWAYS WILL.TWIST ONE UP TRY IT OUT & SEE THE BENEFITS THAT FAR OUT WAY WHATEVER IT IS THAT IS KEEPING THAT BUG UP YOUR ASSES.GIVE US THE FREEDOM THAT THIS COUNTRY IS SUPPOSED TO STAND FOR! YOU DON'T LIKE IT YOU DON'T SMOKE IT.I BET MOST OF U DENYING IT ARE CIGARETTE SMOKERS TO ADD INSULT TO R INJURY.U DON'T CARE PERIOD ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM IT.SMOKE POT SMOKE POT EVERYBODY SMOKE POT.SMOKE IT TOKE IT PUFF IT PASS IT PUFF PUFF PASS SHOW THESE POLITICIANS THEY ARE FIGHTING A LOOSING BATTLE & IT'S COSTING THEM MILLIONS INSTEAD OF MAKING THE STATE MILLIONS.WHO VOTED FOR THESE ASSES ANY WAY.THEY COME TO WORK DAILY & ALWAYS FORGET TO BRING THERE CLUE.I THINK THEY JUST DON'T HAVE ONE.GIVE US ALL A BREAK ALREADY.PEOPLE WHO FOUGHT FOR THIS COUNTRY SUFFERING BECAUSE OF THIS.US HARDWORKING TAXPAYERS WHO ARE NOW HURTING WITH CHRONIC PAIN.WELL JUST PASS THE CHRONIC AND EVERYTHING WILL BE GREAT FOR EVERYONE.THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK PLEASE. CAUSE YOU HAVEN'T EVEN A LITTLE YET.PASS THE LAW & PUT THIS SIMPLE ISSUE BEHIND YOU ALREADY. PEACE, BRO & SIS'S :) SPEAK UP SPEAK OUT IT TAKES MORE THEN ONE PERSON.EVERYBODY HELP OUT :)
PEOPLE HAVE TO SPEAK UP ALREADY
IT TAKES MORE THAN ONE PERSON TO MAKE A CHANGE SO WHY DON'T ALL OF YOU WHO FEEL THE SAME OPEN YOUR MOUTHS ALREADY? NOTHING HAPPENS UNLESS YOU MAKE IT HAPPEN & IF YOU THINK THESE LOBBYIST ARE GOING TO GET OFF THERE FAT ASSES, AND MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN YOUR WRONG.HAVE YOU HEARD OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH ? WELL SPEAK UP EVERYONE. WRITE LETTERS, MAKE PHONE CALLS, JOIN DEMONSTRATIONS & HELP THIS LAW GET PASSED ALREADY.HOW CAN YOU LEGALIZE ALCOHOL & CIGARETTES THE TWO BIGGEST KILLERS IN THIS WORLD AND NOT PASS A LAW TO HELP BENEFIT THOSE WHOM WILL BENEFIT FROM IT ALREADY. OPEN UP NOW, TIME IS WASTING HELP THE PEOPLE WHO NEED YOUR HELP BY SPEAKING UP & OUT PLEASE FOR US DISABLED, WOUNDED, THE LIST GOES ON, BUT THERES NO NEED FOR THIS.IT'S PASSED IN NEW JERSEY, DELAWARE, & MARYLAND ALREADY WHAT ABOUT US? ALCOHOL KILLS PEOPLE NOT POT, WAKE UP PENNSYLVANIANS AND FIGHT FOR ARE CONSTITUTION THAT IS SLOWLY BEING TAKEN FROM US ALONG WITH EVERYTHING ELSE.
Project SAM's a joke
I've been to their webpage, I've read their blogs, and I've watched their interviews. Project SAM is a joke.. if this is reform's greatest adversary, then we've already won.
Legislation is being introduced in Congress.. but they've done nothing of the sort. They talk a big game, but they won't push any actual legislation to make any of the changes they advocate. They just disguise a hardline lock'em'up prohibitionist outcome behind their softened language, but with no actual action to back any of that language up.
If Project SAM wins then the status quo of arrests and racial disparity continues unabated. Luckily we can all plainly see behind the wool they're trying to pull over our eyes.
Their own web page is shoddily developed.. lacks any real CONTENT on there.. they just give vague ideas about their positions on the issues, without any notable specifics on how they'd go about changing to their "smarter" approach.
Then they discredit themselves further by piling up all of the bogus propaganda that anyone who's ever used Marijuana before knows to be false.
Project SAM is a SCAM.
In reply to Project SAM's a joke by Uncle Bob (not verified)
Also Kevin Sabet
Also Kevin Sabet admits right on their own website in a video interview /w Huff Post that 5 out of 6 people who smoke pot will end up A-OK with negative problems at all "but we're very concerned about that 1 who doesn't."
What a counter-intuitive argument!
You mean their future of alcohol/tobacco dependance?
You're worried about the future of children using alcohol and tobacco right? You should support marijuana legalization then. That will keep the kids off any drug. Amendment 64 in Colorado was all about keeping pot out of the hands of minors.. drug dealers don't check ID ... legalized/regulated sales means ID check at the door no sales to those under 21
Elevator Speech
Elevator speech -- 94 words;
(1) Kids, and
(2) People who can't handle it.
You protect kids by getting it off the street. If it were sold like beer, employees selling to kids would lose their jobs.
You protect people who can't handle it by offering free treatment on demand. If we stopped sending arrestees to treatment, more beds would be available for those who ask.
Don't use the law to make EVERYONE stop. We tried that in the 1920s for alcohol, and it was a disaster.
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