ALERT: Marijuana Legalization Bill in Congress!
[inline:capitolsenateside.jpg align=right]The first Congressional marijuana legalization bill is now in Congress -- please support it!
H.R. 2306, the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act, would remove marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act and limit the federal government's role in marijuana enforcement to cross-border or interstate smuggling. States would be able to legalize and regulate marijuana, or to continue to prohibit it, as they individually choose.
Please use our web form to contact your US Representative and your two US Senators in support of this historic bill. Please follow-up by calling their offices too -- if you don't know their numbers (or aren't sure who they are), you can reach them by calling the Congressional Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. And please use our tell-a-friend form to spread the word.
Visit http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2011/jun/23/historic_bill_end_federal_mariju for more information on these bills, and sign up for our email list or paste http://stopthedrugwar.org/taxonomy/term/229 into your RSS reader to follow the news about marijuana policy.
Thank you for taking action!
Comments
legalize
I think marijuanna should be legalized, because if god made the earth, why would he make weed if it was bad.
In reply to legalize by sdgfsdhfgiosh dfg (not verified)
Herp derp, God isn't real,
Herp derp, God isn't real, And if he created us, humans are pretty fucking bad.
In reply to Herp derp, God isn't real, by Anon (not verified)
God is real. and he loves
God is real. and he loves weed
In reply to God is real. and he loves by shushh (not verified)
"god is real, and he loves."
"god is real, and he loves." your vote should be to legalize, you smoke enough already.
In reply to Herp derp, God isn't real, by Anon (not verified)
Hello sir, are you perhaps,
Hello sir, are you perhaps, an ENT?
In reply to Hello sir, are you perhaps, by Austin Barnett (not verified)
Pineapples for you, good sir!
Pineapples for you, good sir!
In reply to Pineapples for you, good sir! by Wat (not verified)
Where is the uptoke button?
Where is the uptoke button?
In reply to Herp derp, God isn't real, by Anon (not verified)
Don't discredit conservatives
Don't discredit conservatives that support this. Forgo the religous division so we can all stand together on this. We should be happy to have the support considering.
In reply to Don't discredit conservatives by Stand together (not verified)
Agreed.
There are strong reasons from both liberal and conservative standpoints for legalization. In fact the argument might be stronger from the conservative side: does government have any business being a nanny-state, telling citizens that they may use this intoxicant but not that one? Most advocates of limited government would tell you that it does not.
In reply to Herp derp, God isn't real, by Anon (not verified)
GOD ISNT......
SPEAK FOR YOUR SELF... IF IT WASNT FOR GOD YOU WOULDNT BE HERE
In reply to Herp derp, God isn't real, by Anon (not verified)
god is real!!!!!!!!!!!!! just
god is real!!!!!!!!!!!!! just because your fucked up don't mean shit.
In reply to Herp derp, God isn't real, by Anon (not verified)
GOD IS REAL
God is real. He did make man in his image. And he did give us Marijuana and the ability to use this gift. They are called indocannabinoids. And "Anon" is the name of a demon.
In reply to legalize by sdgfsdhfgiosh dfg (not verified)
Cancer? Poison? Tsunamis?
Cancer? Poison? Tsunamis? AIDS? Really dude?
Legalize weed because it will keep innocent people out of jail and stop young kids from getting killed over nothing. Legalize it becuase it was banned for racist reasons in the first place. Keep religion away from this.
In reply to Cancer? Poison? Tsunamis? by Common sense (not verified)
actuallly
Weed is illegal because back in the time of the first presidents, there were 2 biggg types of farms/plantations, cotton and hemp. The presidents all had cotton plantations, so they created legislation to make hemp illegal, hence making way more money off of their cotton. Thats when it all started :[
In reply to actuallly by wut (not verified)
Seriously dude...
All of that was just....so utterly wrong. SO. UTTERLY. WRONG. Also, on behalf of all Ents...LEGALIZE
In reply to actuallly by wut (not verified)
Legalize it
Actually, the truth be know as fact: marijuana was legal up to the time of proibition. When it ended marijuana was not taken off the ban - only alcohol. But the enforcement of it didn't really take place until the late 60s and 70s when Nixon started his war on drugs. I was around when it started. I remember a 1/4 pound only being a traffic ticket. So, when people shoot their mouth of without knowing the facts they make for poor reading and a lot of bad rumors.
In reply to actuallly by wut (not verified)
actually not
It was made illegal as a result of the middle class to upper class men thought that the black men were using it to get white women to have sex with them. I don't remember the main guy's name right off hand but he was a victim and I think he was a senator or something like that, anyway he spearheaded the whole thing just like they did with the Chinese when heroin became bad in the 20's
In reply to legalize by sdgfsdhfgiosh dfg (not verified)
well he made nuclear fission
well he made nuclear fission and fusion didnt he? haha but seriously support the cause!
In reply to well he made nuclear fission by bk (not verified)
Nuclear Fusion
Are you saying the basic process by which the sun creates energy is bad?
A question
The title and timing of this article is slightly misleading. Does this "ALERT" mean this has moved forward past committee, or is it simply a call to arms to get our representatives to push Lamar Smith for a hearing?
I hear lots of people... who
In reply to I hear lots of people... who by rebel rabbit (not verified)
Yes to all of this. Â Do a
Yes to all of this. Do a little research on how cannibis became illegal in the first place and you may be pretty surprised. It had nothing to do with being dangerous to your health, but stemmed from a racist political agenda in the 1930's. Specifically one of Harry J. Anslinger, which is evident with such great lines as:
“Reefer makes darkies think they’re as good as white men.”
“Marihuana leads to pacifism and communist brainwashing”
“You smoke a joint and you’re likely to kill your brother.”
This are quotes of the man in charge of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, a newly formed department of the Treasury in 1930. I don't want to spoil it for you though: http://www.drugwarrant.com/articles/why-is-marijuana-illegal/
In reply to I hear lots of people... who by rebel rabbit (not verified)
I love you
In reply to I hear lots of people... who by rebel rabbit (not verified)
Cannabis
I , as a voter, as a born citizen of this country, as a wife, as a mother, as a grandmother of 6, and a friend to most...and a supporter of cannabis due to circumstance changes in my life due to an illness... i wish to say..
That since I have found out I had MS, lost my use of my leggs, depended upon family member for more years than i can remember, loss of work due to this illness and forced to live on income which pays nothing to live on... reallty open up my eyes to a diffrent reality and changed my life completly...
From being an activist since i was 18, against all mind alterating drugs, including booze of all sorts, and spoke at prisons, boys homes, girl homes, hospitals, and meetings, i was strongly against what these things have done to a loved family member , and have seen so many families torn apart, seen good friends die , and so forth.. but over the years of this involvement , i have not seen anyone die due to cannabis... and when later on in my years , when i became seriously ill and lost the best job i had including the benifits , my life changed drastly... needless to say.. to make a long story short... cannabis has given back to me what i lost... being able to do more for myself.... to live life without the challenges that i face due to my MS, from bed ridden, to wheelchair, to walker , to cane.. still it changes from day to day the challenges.. but at least i am aware of my surroundings, and more alert and due to this i was able to let go of many of the pharmacuticles that was putting me under the rug,, so to speak..
this is something i would like to see come into reality.. to be able to live without fear , to live without wondering if you were going to come in on me and arrest me... knowing that i was breaking federal law, but due to my health knew that the state law allowed the utalizing of my cannabis for medical purposes... but still... i would like to see that way it was in the history when it was once legal in the 1930's... We need our govern afficalas to now pay attention to the people by the people on this issue as well as other issues involved, and work on soulutions to these issues... but first our government need to open up their eyes, including the state afficials, the city afficials, the county afficials, polititions, ect.. We have a right to choose , the natural way of relife and relaxation besides booze, or pharmacuticle drugs which some have not even been approved before they reached the doctor's office..
But also the people should be able to have a choice to obtain safe access to their choice.. like we do with pharmacuticle drugs, which is obtain by pick up or delivery... well that should be allowed to those whom wish to go to a store front , whom feel safe in doing so, and obtain a variety of sorts of strains that they wish to try out.. or open up a coffee house setting or what ever they choose like any other business...But also those whom grow, should be able to have a choice to grow for that store, or to grow for themselves or grow with a dozen members in a home site business.. but still... the most important thing oto me..
That to live without fear, that someone is going to raid your house due to your growing your own, or due to you obtaining it from a store front, and utalizing it in your home, or visiting a friend and utalizing in their home, even though the state laws allow you to utalize it... its still against federal laws even though they break their own laws and supply it still even today across state lines, to those whom are still alive ... we the people should be able to choose or be able to benifit from both that is available in hand in hand... for example: Cancer or Aids...
And at one time it was legal , so.. lets have it legal again...
Cannabis is growing stronger across our nation.. and at one time we have used hemp products to serve for our country along side our country men.. whom served for protecting our freedom...
So .. as a voter, as a senior , as a citizen of my beautiful country that i was bornin.. i urge you to free cannabis from the chains that binds her.. and allow her to be free in the hands of your people whom you serve.. people for the people by the people... ... Resechedule it ... but better yet.. let it be free to roam amonst the citizens ....
We can not have a drug free society, when we have pharmacies that push drugs.. we live on drugs from one thing or the other... or we are given drugs that just came out to test.. so.. instead of wasting our government funding on the drugs.. allow it to flow.. freely... for once and for all.. change it to the point that demanatory chean up in a health agencity to those whom are abusing it.. jsut like to booze, tobacco, ... i am not asking for all drugs to be legal.. but cannabis should be free to those whom would like to utalize it.. for most of the population of this country utalizes .. that is a fact... i trust in the laws of our government.. but when it comes to my health.. i must use what helps me most. under the advise of my doctor.. but for those whom use it as a relaxer like wine.. they should be able to be.. so.. please change the federal laws when it comes to cannabis..... thank you... cannabis supporter....
In reply to I hear lots of people... who by rebel rabbit (not verified)
Legalizing Marijuana
You are brilliant, and hit the nerve of the reality of the ban on Marijuana. Thank you for your post. I live with two disabled people: The husband fell and broke his neck, WAS to be
You are brilliant, and hit the nerve of the reality of the ban on Marijuana. Thank you for your post. I live with two disabled people: The husband fell and broke his neck, WAS to be quadriplegic but now partial. He can walk with a walker and at times with crutches. Had serious side effects from pharmaceutical drugs and the doctors could not stop the intense pain when he had neurological issues such as severe shaking, restless leg syndrome, and other things that were serious, the medical Marijuana has stopped all of that, including serious headaches, depression & insomnia. No wonder the pharmaceuticals try as hard as they can to keep this plant away from those who need it. Not one person ever has been known to die from marijuana alone. Not one. Why this plant is illegal is strictly rooted in money and corruption, nothing less. Too, God is a personal thing, no need to bring it up in a forum such as this as you will receive arguments (not you but the other who DID bring it up). Keep it personal. The other person I live with has R.A., fibermealgia (sp), depresson and a few other problems. We, the people, need to stand up and stop this non-sense. THC or no THC, doesn't matter. This should have never started in the first place, it has caused illegal trafficking, millions of people's lives ruined and jailed. Drug testing should only include white drugs - or skip the testing, and merrit on performance.
The beauty of legalization of this plant creates people the right to help themselves, and in this economy especially. Pharmeceuticals have had their hay day, is the root behind innocent people being jailed and ruining people's lives. Too, cancer is big business, and this plant is known to kill the cancer - cure without the poison of chemo.
It shouldn't hurt anyone to allow this to be wide open legal. If it was, watch what happens to the cartels that depend on it being illegal. Enough said.
For those legislators that keep up the lie, they are the ones to watch with pharmeceutical and tobacco companies - to understand that the money is greater than people's lives. Do you want someone like that running laws in this country? I sure don't.
c.
In reply to I hear lots of people... who by rebel rabbit (not verified)
Wrong argument
I agree with you, the God argument is empty. God is supposed to have created humans and prohibitionnists, too. But I disagree with your idea that we are run by money. The real problem is that with prohibition we are run by BLACK money, and more and more grey money. This means that prohibition transform the state into a mafia state. This leads to arbitrariness in all domains and this concerns all enterprises and all lives. Prohibition and the war on drugs has been, and still is, a victory for the bandits and the drug dealers. It is a complete failure for health, but also, and mainly, a complete nonsense in democracies. Prohibition of a drug always makes it more dangerous and more available, especially for the kids who become the target one of the bandits. Prohibition of cannabis lasts since a long time, because cannabis is not toxic at all, so that even its prohibition does not make it dangerous. But it is a Trojan horse for the bandits.
In reply to I hear lots of people... who by rebel rabbit (not verified)
in response
Very nice. The last sentence is the cherry on top.
In reply to I hear lots of people... who by rebel rabbit (not verified)
it's about winnersand losers...of money.
Yes, but for different reasons than most accept as non paranoid or delusional, lol.
My premious is that "it's all about the money" in this current economical struture existing for our world. ALWAYS< ALWAYS>>>ALWAYS.. about the money.
Since it's just a weed, and can be grown most anywhere, in anyback yard, who's money is threated by legalization? Disruptive forces always have consequences, who loses what money from which revenue streams, should disruption happen(legalization/pot)? More importantly, should the revenue streams that are dependant(in the volumes that they enjoy now) on Marijuana
not having a legal status, exist at all, or even be alowed to call the kettle(pot) black?
Let's consider, beyond"Drug War succesful" or not and get down to the brass
tacks of whom benifits in a war, this war.
Alchohol comprises, in all it's industries involved in consumtion, 5% of the American economy... about 700 billion dollars of commerce.. might some of that go away with legalization? Does anybody care?
A major portion of what's commonly called "Defense spending" is dedicated
to and through private and public agencies with Mandates to spend to Prohibite "pot" in many guises. The essence of the statements of "Billions of Dollars wasted in Drug War" is lost on most.. simply due to overlooking the modeling of any buisness in todays structuring. Meaning, those Billions spent have created jobs and consumption and Bonds And Stock values and CDOs and CDSs and synthetic derivitives against and for other dirivitives.......... 10-30 Billion spent on Drug War yearly does not scratch the underlying financial
concerns where the "Drug War" and "National Defense" come into co-insidense.
And yet the ultimate monetary concern and the modeling that supports that Industry.. just going by shear dollars spent and taking the Social implications, Health Care. Not is (Cannibinols) it better treatment or worse ect... again whom is threatened by disruption(we can grow some of our own medicine in our back yard, marijuana or else products).. How many Billions of dollars, from Pharmas, to Doctors paying education loans to the underlying financial dirivitives, do not want any disruption.
This is not about paranoia, but simple greed,,,, what's in the best intrests of existing edifices of our global societies.
Or to put it more shortly, why would anything be allowed that can grow in your back yard.
great decision
A well thought out choice with proper DUI, Trafficking, and Tax laws
I stress the word "proper," as in, not overbearing nor too lacks. s
Weed has many benefits even
Weed has many benefits even to those who arent ill. Marijuana isnt a carcingen of any kind and has much more pros than cons. Marijuana can be addictive the same way anything can. People can learn how to do it in moderation
Please stop this horrible
Please stop this horrible waste of rescources and lives you call the drug war
Anybody able to change the
Anybody able to change the e-mail text that gets sent out? "Won't force any state to legalization marijuana" doesn't exactly read well or make us look all that credible.
In reply to Anybody able to change the by Anonymouse (not verified)
Thanks for the heads-up. I
Thanks for the heads-up. I fixed it earlier today -- and proofread the rest of the letter just in case. Too much of a hurry sometimes.
This is really important.Â
This is really important. Everyone should talk to people about this.
If by in Congress you mean
If by in Congress you mean locked up in committee courtesy of Lamar Smith(R-tx) then yes, it is in congress.
Big Tobacco/Big Cannabis
Legalize cannabis so pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer can take over and put all small cannabis businesses out of business. Lets get rid of the collectives and delivery services and all of the mom and pop growers. Lets let the corporations regulate what kind of weed we ingest and how we ingest it. It's so much easier to pop a pill than it is to lug around a pipe and a bag full of nasty smelling narcotics. This is a great idea. Lets get legal. Legalize today, pop pills and loose revenue tonight.
In reply to Big Tobacco/Big Cannabis by wake up (not verified)
BigPharma and such will only
BigPharma and such will only monopolize the market if WE the users allow it to take place. I believe if full blown legal why would anyone bother goin to BigPharma when they can simply add a few plants to their gardens..? I see clubs staying open for reference and learning as there is always someone who doesnt know whats goin on around them... BigPharma aint gonna promote an individual to grow on there own. Besides when Marijuana becomes legal.. I see it being legal like adult entertainment, even though it would be legal it would still cast a taboo shadow. I see those who vote against legalization and/or use atall, using behind closed doors not wanting to be judged by their own peers as their despised "Marijuana User". If ever BigPharma does run everyone out..watevr, I dont see it happening for a decade or so...
Legalize it
uptoke!
But yeah, the war on drugs is nothing more than a big pharma, privatized prison, etc. etc. scam for money and control of the lower classes.
ENT ehh
seems like there's quite a few ents here, I'm sure I'll eventually uptoke you all.
I say let's let the American
I say let's let the American people decide on whether or not marijuana should be legalized.
http://www.GovTogether.com/
Sensible Washington
The initiative to legalize marijuana in the state of washington in november of this year (2011) is not going to get enough signatures in time to be on the ballot. They have 60,272 signatures and need 241,153. I don't know what the due date is but it must not be very far away if the election is in november (that's four months). If you live in washington, please sign the petition:
www.sensiblewashington.org
States Rights
I just sent this message to my Congressman (down a little bit). I challenge everybody who reads to send a letter to your representatives. Use your knowledge of the individual to tailor a message that will be accepted. If you think they might lean toward the Tea Party don't forget they support states rights whenever it suits them and if they want abortion or whatever to be regulated by the states they need to balance that with an elimination of the federal prohibition of marijuana.
I would like to express my support for H.R. 2306 which would in essence leave it up to the individual states how to regulate the use of marijuana. As a fellow Republican I am sure that you believe in states rights and a smaller central government. Here is a perfect issue to demonstrate your support of states rights. This law will not affect the use of marijuana in Virginia one bit. It will remain against the law. I expect that well over 90% of all prosecutions of marijuana offenses occur at the state level and that will not change. I do believe that it has medical value and that these uses should be researched. The federal prohibition has prevented valuable research in this area.
Note that Judiciary committee
Note that Judiciary committee chair Lamar Smith / Texas has spoken against the bill; here are some of his campaign finances http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.php?type=C&cid=N00001811&newMem=N&cycle=2010
Note the National Beer Wholesaler Association funding.
Here’s a list of other National Beer Wholesalers Assn contributions http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/totals.php?cycle=2010&id=D000000101
Note also: Mr. Smith has $2,000 funding from Corrections Corporation, the largest for-profit prison company in America (they want to keep marijuana illegal because it keeps their prisons full and keeps them getting rich) http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00366468&cycle=2010
Is Mr. Smith trying to protect Americans, or just his campaign financiers?
Shame on Local and Federal Leadership
The cats out of the bag and we DEMAND
to be recognized as....................................
People not Lawbreakers............................
Patients not Criminals................................
Citizens not Drug Addicts...........................
We Are Humans Humannity is our goal
legalize it
legalize it so we can have our freedom back
This is not a legalization bill...
Why do people keep calling this a "legalization" bill? This is a proposal for marijuana federal decriminalization. Nothing's being made legal yet. All we're doing is taking off the DEA blanket and letting the states choose. Don't buy into what the average angle-driven T.V. reporter will say, which is, "SO BASICALLY THIS IS LIKE A LEGALIZATION BILL RIGHT?!?!" it's not, and it's far from that. Each state is undergoing its own deserved struggle in figuring this out. To undermine the individual legal process that all states are going through (and will have to continue going through) just because you wanna make flashy headlines by saying "THEY'RE GONNA LEGALIZE IT GUYS" instead of making the clear distinction between "legalization" and "federal decriminalization," which, in this case, are two different things, is about as close to sensationalist journalism as it fucking gets.
Seriously, post the news right. Every time I get someone asking me, "SO I HRD THEYRE GONNA LEGALIZE IT" I just want to punch the editor that picked the word "legalize" as proper nomenclature for what's actually happening. When all 50 goddamn states decide to legalize it? THAT's when we can say, "Hey, they're going to legalize it." But because our country runs through a federal government as well as a series of state governments, we can't just go around yelling that it's getting legalized quite yet. "Legalize" in this case, would be, as I said earlier, a sensationalist term.
GOD ISNT.....
SPEAK FOR YOUR SELF, IF GOD ISNT REAL YOU WOULDNT BE HERE.....
state legalization
MS
I have MS and I am in pain 24/7 a friend give me some special brownies and it took the edge of some the pain. Pot will not damage my liver like all the pain drugs. I would buy or grow what I need to get by.
no and never!
It shouldn't be legalized!..That weed is known as bad drugs.It causes a lot of trouble not good..And God is real!!
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