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What's more important again?
I live in the "almost as backwards as Mississippi" state of Alabama and in November of 2009 a North Alabama judge put the drug war in perspective for me.
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Various Interesting Links
The El Paso City Council is back with another drug policy reform resolution. LEAP has the details.
CBS won't let NORML buy a ridiculously huge ad in Times Square because it's too political, even though CBS ran a super-controversial anti-abortion spot during the Super Bowl.
Michael Savage hates marijuana. I don't even know where to begin with this. Listen at your own risk.
Pete Guither just ruined your spring break plans. Well, actually it's the drug war's fault.
CBS won't let NORML buy a ridiculously huge ad in Times Square because it's too political, even though CBS ran a super-controversial anti-abortion spot during the Super Bowl.
Michael Savage hates marijuana. I don't even know where to begin with this. Listen at your own risk.
Pete Guither just ruined your spring break plans. Well, actually it's the drug war's fault.
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What's the Point of Asking Obama to Legalize Marijuana? I'll Explain.
In comments, Giordano questions the value of constantly confronting the President about marijuana legalization:
All of this is certainly worth explaining to anyone who genuinely expects the President to abolish marijuana prohibition. Yes, it's helpful to understand that he's not going to do that, neither next week nor on his last day in office. But I donât think any willingness on the President's part to publicly support legalization is necessary to justify the strategic efficacy of hounding him about it at almost every opportunity.
I think we score points simply by making ourselves visible. Our early success at saturating the President's web forums was followed by an unprecedented surge in favorable media coverage. By the time the Michael Phelps saga erupted, we'd already established marijuana reform as one of the leading political issues on the internet. Web trends are measured in dollar signs like never before and we're now witnessing the rewards of our proven ability to generate clicks.
Obama's new medical marijuana policy followed on the heels of an epic escalation in positive marijuana reporting from the mainstream press. The White House's decision to leak the story to the AP on a Sunday night was a powerful exhibit in their newfound faith that you could actually score political points by placating people like us. It's hardly the end of marijuana prohibition, but it shows that we're doing something right.
In the end, it makes no sense at all to ask Obama for anything more than what heâs already done for medical marijuana. His candor on the subject of cannabis will probably wait for the day heâs no longer president, just as Bill Clinton waited before scoffing at U.S. marijuana penalties.
All of this is certainly worth explaining to anyone who genuinely expects the President to abolish marijuana prohibition. Yes, it's helpful to understand that he's not going to do that, neither next week nor on his last day in office. But I donât think any willingness on the President's part to publicly support legalization is necessary to justify the strategic efficacy of hounding him about it at almost every opportunity.
I think we score points simply by making ourselves visible. Our early success at saturating the President's web forums was followed by an unprecedented surge in favorable media coverage. By the time the Michael Phelps saga erupted, we'd already established marijuana reform as one of the leading political issues on the internet. Web trends are measured in dollar signs like never before and we're now witnessing the rewards of our proven ability to generate clicks.
Obama's new medical marijuana policy followed on the heels of an epic escalation in positive marijuana reporting from the mainstream press. The White House's decision to leak the story to the AP on a Sunday night was a powerful exhibit in their newfound faith that you could actually score political points by placating people like us. It's hardly the end of marijuana prohibition, but it shows that we're doing something right.
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Canada: Federal Government to Appeal Ruling Okaying Vancouver Safe Injection Site
The Conservative federal government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper will ask the Canadian Supreme Court to overturn a provincial court ruling that okayed Vancouver's InSite safe injection site. Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said the government will appeal because the case raised important questions about the division of powers among the federal and provincial governments, the CBC reported Tuesday.
InSite in the only supervised drug injection site in North America. It has been in place since 2003, when British Columbia health authorities won a temporary exemption from Canada's federal drug law. While the then Liberal government approved, the now governing Conservatives do not.
InSite originally won a three-year exemption from the federal drug law. Under tremendous pressure, the Conservatives grudgingly gave InSite a 15-month extension, then extended it to 22 months ending in June 2008.
But fearing the Conservatives' intentions, InSite operator the Portland Hotel Society, the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU), and two InSite clients filed a lawsuit in the BC courts seeking to have the provincial government, which under Canadian law is responsible for health care, declared the sole authority over InSiteânot the federal government and the federal drug laws.
InSite and its supporters won in the BC Supreme Court in 2008 and won again last month in the province's highest court, the Court of Appeals. It is those decisions, which puts decisions on whether to keep InSite open firmly in the hands of BC health officials, that the federal government now seeks to overturn.
In his remarks Tuesday, Justice Minister Nicholson said nothing about shutting down InSite, instead saying the appeal was about clarifying provincial versus federal powers. "The case we'll be presenting before the court is to ask for clarification," he said. "I think it is important to do that."
But Portland Hotel Society director Mark Townsend was running out of patience with the Conservatives. "The courts have now ruled twice in favor of InSite," he said in a statement Tuesday. "Last time, they thought the feds were so out of line they made them pay all the costs. We wish Stephen Harper would stop wasting court time and the taxpayers' money and start helping to solve the drug problem in our community."
In The Trenches
Pres. Obamaâs Proposed 2011 Budget Bolsters War on Drugs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â February 9, 2010
Pres. Obamaâs Proposed 2011 Budget Bolsters War on Drugs
Obama administration to expand drug war by tilting funds heavily toward law enforcement and away from treatment
CONTACT: Aaron Houston, MPP director of government relations â¦â¦ 202-905-2009 or [email protected]
WASHINGTON, D.C. â According to 2011 funding âhighlightsâ released this week by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the Obama administration is expanding the war on drugs and focusing its funds toward law enforcement over treatment. The budget puts Americaâs drug war spending at $15.5 billion for fiscal year 2011; an increase of 3.5 percent over 2010 and an increase of 5.2 percent in overall enforcement funding ($9.7 billion in FY 2010 to $9.9 billion in FY 2011). Addiction treatment and preventative measures are budgeted to increase from $5.2 billion to $5.6 billion.
        Furthermore, President Obama chose to continue funding the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, which is run by the drug czarâs office and has for years emptied its coffers on absurd anti-marijuana ads that veer far from the truth. One such ad (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9B-h_bU-uI) released in 2006 insinuates that marijuana use can lead to rape, a particularly dishonest claim considering that alcohol, a legal drug, is a factor in a huge majority of sexual assaults.
        âThis budget reflects the same Bush-era priorities that led to the total failure of American drug policy during the last decade,â said Aaron Houston, MPP director of government relations. âOne of the worst examples is $66 million requested for the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign when every independent study has called it a failure. The president is throwing good money after bad when what we really need is a new direction.â
        With more than 29,000 members and 100,000 e-mail subscribers nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit mpp.org
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Harm Reduction: Washington Senate Passes Good Samaritan Bill; Would Protect Against Prosecution in Overdose Cases
The Washington state Senate Friday passed SB 5516, the 911 Good Samaritan Act, on a vote of 47-1. One member was absent. The bill now goes to the House.
The measure provides immunity from prosecution for drug possession offenses for overdose victims and people who seek medical assistance for overdose victims. It does not grant immunity from prosecution for drug distribution offenses.
It also allows expanded access to naloxone, a powerful opiate antagonist that can bring people back from the brink of death from overdoses in a matter of moments.
The bill comes as the number of drug overdose deaths in Washington state have increased from around 403 in 1999 to 707, or nearly two a day, in 2006. Drug overdose is now the second leading cause of accidental death in the state, second only to traffic accidents.
The bill was opposed by the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, who argued that because there was no budget for publicizing the bill, it would not affect drug-taking behaviors, and thus would be no more than another complicating factor in drug prosecutions.
Drug overdose fatalities now outrank traffic accidents as the leading cause of accidental deaths in more than a dozen states. But only one state, New Mexico, has approved a Good Samaritan law. Now, perhaps Washington will be next.
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Why Do We Even Have a Drug Czar?
Tim Lynch at the Cato Institute has a nice piece in The Washington Times calling for the total elimination of the drug czar's office. It costs American taxpayers $400 million a year just to have these guys walk around cheerleading for the drug war, and they're not even good at it.
If drug czar Gil Kerlikoswke is serious about ending the war mentality that has long defined our nation's anti-drug crusade, he should begin by firing himself Michael Douglas-style, and walking off into the sunset. I'm sure Cato could find a desk for him.
If drug czar Gil Kerlikoswke is serious about ending the war mentality that has long defined our nation's anti-drug crusade, he should begin by firing himself Michael Douglas-style, and walking off into the sunset. I'm sure Cato could find a desk for him.
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In The Trenches
Campaign to Tax and Regulate Marijuana Urges Gov. Gibbons to Put that Option on the Table
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
FEBRUARY 8, 2010
Campaign to Tax and Regulate Marijuana Urges Gov. Gibbons to Put that Option on the Table
Nevadans for Sensible Marijuana Laws points to tens of millions of dollars in potential revenues and thousands of new jobs
CONTACT: Dave Schwartz, NSML campaign manager â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦. 702-727-1080
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA â Tonight, Gov. Jim Gibbons will deliver his State of the State address, in which he will discuss the serious financial crisis facing Nevada. The state reportedly needs to cut nearly $900 million in spending in order to bring its budget into balance. According to some reports, Gov. Gibbons is seeking new ways to close the budget gap and is willing to put all options on the table. With this financial crisis looming, and Gov. Gibbonsâ speech coming up in just hours, Dave Schwartz, campaign manager for Nevadans for Sensible Marijuana Laws, released the following statement:
           âAs a longtime resident of Nevada, I am seriously concerned about the stateâs financial situation. The down economy has caused devastating job losses and dramatically diminished revenues. In order to get the state back on sound financial footing, the governor must consider not only cuts in spending, but also new sources of tax revenue. There is no greater opportunity than regulating and taxing the sale of marijuana to adults.
           âA legal marijuana market would likely generate tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue for the state, just based on excise and sales taxes. It would also create thousands of new tax-paying employees in the state, as well as new businesses in areas revitalized by the existence of marijuana retail stores.
           âOne important piece of information to keep in mind is that marijuana is far less harmful than a substance already widely available to Nevadansâalcohol. By giving adults in the state the legal option of using marijuana instead of alcohol, we could make our communities healthier and safer while generating new revenues that can be used to improve our roads and our schools. This is a no-lose opportunity, and we sincerely hope the governor will seriously consider it.â
           Nevadans for Sensible Marijuana Laws is a ballot advocacy group formed in Nevada to support a 2012 ballot initiative to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol in the state.
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Sing about Freedom, Sing about Justice!
Take heart, the American dream comes directly from God as do all dreams of freedom around the world.. The "Spirit of '76" was the Holy Spirit and is our true North!
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Trying to stop the arrest of the young Houstonians for cops personal gain
I was recently arrested for growing 3 plants for personal use in Houston. Iâve never done anything illegal to be able to put me in jail before and have no prior incidents with the law that required me to get ticketed or mistreated. We have friends of the family who are police officers and know for the good part that they are just doing their jobs and I was doing something bad. My parents had learned that I had been smoking marijuana for about 3 years they didnât approve because itâs illegal but even though they never acknowledged it I believe they saw it was me deal with my depression. I knew the risk when growing but too many close calls with police and once with a very understanding one that had stopped me for my head lights being off at dusk. He let me go with the message do it at home because I canât stop you there, and the obvious greed from drug dealers stop me from buying weed since Sept. and growing seemed to be a safer and cheaper source of action. Sadly I was mistaken and watched videos about my rights and the way cops abuse theirs too late. I was good enough to hide the plants from my parents but not from Houston narcotics agents. I just bailed out and am trying to get ready for court and still I donât fully understand how the cops were allowed to walk onto my parentâs property without any consent from us. I understand the knock method police use but what if the officer never knocked does he have the right to walk to the back of the house without any consent. Is that ever legal?
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Ibogaine Pioneer Howard Lotsof Dead at Age 66
Ibogaine advocate Howard Lotsof, 66, died January 31 in Staten Island, New York. Liver cancer killed him.
In 1962, Lotsof, a Bronx native, was strung out on heroin when he ingested a sample of the West African psychoactive substance ibogaine. Rocked by the hallucinatory experience, Lotsof was even more stunned when he realized that after ibogaine he no longer felt compelled to use heroin.
For 20 years after that, Lotsof went about his life in the television and movie business, but when an accident cut that career short, he returned to ibogaine and began working to make it available as an addiction treatment. In 1986, he founded a company, NDA International, and began treating clients in Amsterdam.
Lotsof originated numerous patents for ibogaine in treating addictions and provided data to the National Institute on Drug Abuse that laid the groundwork for still ongoing research on ibogaine and its use as an anti-addictive substance. More than 60 peer-reviewed scientific papers on ibogaine have been published so far.
Thanks almost entirely to Lotsof and his supporters, including Dana Beal and Cures Not Wars, an international network of ibogaine clinics is now in place and treating addicted clients. Lotsof was not a doctor or scientistâhis college degree was in filmâbut an outsider who still managed to bring ibogaine in from the cold and win it academic and scientific respect.
He will be missed.
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