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Our Heroes are Rebels with Just Cause!
As we remember fallen soldiers this year, please consider those heroes, who have given their lives for this country, died for freedom and for making this world a better place will have died in vai
Aaron Houston is a Patriot and a Hero
This week, famous marijuana lobbyist Aaron Houston takes over as Executive Director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy. Count me among the many who are pretty damn excited about it. Aaron is a cool dude and a warrior of justice who has the skills to give the right marching orders in the student movement to end the war on drugs. He even had the willpower to turn down Doritos from Steve Colbert: The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Marijuana Legalization: California Tax and Regulate Has Eight-Point Lead in Latest Poll, But Still Under 50%
According to a Los Angeles Times/USC poll released Tuesday, the California
Mall Security Freaks Out Over Guy Wearing Marijuana T-Shirt
This is impressively stupid:AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) ? A medical marijuana patient says wearing a pro-pot T-shirt got him banned from Town Center at Aurora.Jake Gailey told CBS4 mall personnel approached him last weekend and told him his shirt was offensive to some customers. The shirt features a play on Barack Obama's "Yes We Can" campaign slogan and graphics but instead features the message "YES WE CANNABIS" and displays a marijuana leaf.Sounds like Gailey handled it pretty well at first:"I reminded him that (medical marijuana) was legal in our state, that I voted for it and I had a medical marijuana card as well," Gailey said.Gailey, 28, was told to take the shirt off, turn it inside out or leave."I asked him if 'I buy a hat with a marijuana leaf in Spencer's, I can't wear it in the mall?' And he said 'No.'"I said 'Well, how can the stores sell products you can't allow in the mall?' He said 'Well, we're trying to get everybody on the same page, and it hasn't worked.'"Eventually, he got worked up and was arrested for being a nuisance, but the charges were dropped when he agreed not to go to the mall for a year. I'm sure Jake Gailey won't be the only marijuana activist avoiding the Town Center mall for a while.According to this article, badass attorney Robert Corry is on the case, and there might be some interesting 1st Amendment questions here, despite the fact that it's a private mall. Protests are being planned in the meantime, so you can bet there will soon be far more pot leaves on display in and around Town Center than there would have been if they'd just kept their prejudice to themselves.Note to Corporate America: if you think you have anything to gain by discriminating against marijuana culture, you're dead wrong. If you screw with us, we will go completely ballistic and drive you crazy. If you don't believe me, ask these people.
Indian cops arrested with contraband drugs in Nepal
Indian cops arrested with contraband drugs in Nepal Nepalnews.com Monday, 31 May 2010 15:09
Teachers Suspended for Showing Flex Your Rights Video
Two teachers in Norfolk, VA were suspended this week after showing BUSTED to a 12th grade government class. Apparently, Americans are supposed to remain ignorant about their basic constitutional rights, so we can keep arresting them at record rates every year. You can read my thoughts on the matter at the Flex Your Rights blog.
WARNING: Recent Claims That the Drug War is Over Are False
Our new drug czar really has a way with words. He says things you never thought you'd hear from a drug czar. Unfortunately, like his predecessors, he's completely full of BS:THE United States has "ended its war on drugs" and is now moving its focus to prevention and treatment, the US drugs chief has told top Irish drug officials.â¦"Weâve talked about a âwar on drugsâ for 40 years, since President Nixon. I ended the war," said Mr Kerlikowske, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). [Irish Examiner]Except, he absolutely did no such thing. Their guns are still loaded. Their rubber stamps are all inked up and ready to authorize aggressive raids on non-violent suspects. They'll put several hundred thousand people in handcuffs this year just for smoking marijuana. Just watch this and tell me what the guys in the battle suits are doing if not waging war on people.Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love it when the drug czar talks about moving beyond the "war" metaphor and approaching drug policy from a public health perspective. It's a step in the right direction, even if it's shockingly disingenuous under the current terms of engagement. I just wonder if they actually think anyone's buying any of this. It's a war, you numbskull. You can't fight a bloody war against millions of people on your own soil and just pretend it's not happening. If you really believe we don't need this war, then stop trying to sugarcoat it and end this dreadful escapade once and for all.
Manufacturing consent and the drug war
I have analysed a recent debate between Aaron Smith and Calvina Fay for media bias. The post can be found here: http://www.glenstark.net/2010/05/manufacturing-consent-and-the-drug-war
Vote for Legalization on Republican Online Forum
The new trend of holding online votes for policy ideas continues to thrive, and this time it's the republicans who want to hear from us:America deserves a Congress that respects the priorities of the people. Unfortunately, Washington hasn't been listening. Let's change that. America Speaking Out is your opportunity to change the way Congress works by proposing ideas for a new policy agenda. Republicans have offered solutions, and we have our principles, but this is a new venue for us to listen to you. So Speak Out.You can vote for ideas you like or create your own, and as you might guess, ideas like legalizing marijuana are getting a lot of support. Please take a few minutes to register and use your up and down votes to help push our issue to the top. A strong showing for legalization in a right-wing forum will send a powerful message that the drug war is being rejected by Americans across the political spectrum.
More Proof That Marijuana Doesn't Make You Go Crazy
Paul Armentano at NORML breaks down the latest research. It really shouldnât be necessary to keep going over this, but as Paul lamentsâ¦The mainstream media loves to spill ink hyping the allegation that marijuana causes mental illness, particularly schizophrenia. In fact, it was in March when international media outlets declared that cannabis use âdoubledâ oneâs risk of developing the disease. Yet when research appears in scientific journals rebuking just this sort of âreefer madness,â it generally goes unreported.Honestly, I don't think the problem is necessarily that the press is fundamentally hostile to marijuana. But there exists a long and tragic history of the media courting readership with scare stories about drugs. Alarming accounts of the potential dangers of anything a lot of people put into their body are irresistible to the press regardless of accuracy or context, and that's just the way it is.Maybe the problem is that the media hasn't been trained to sell the reverse version of the story. Given that marijuana is a topic of considerable public interest, it really shouldnât that hard to market a story about the fact that it doesn't appear to cause schizophrenia. Just simplify the headline. Instead of "New Study Casts Doubt on Marijuana-Schizophrenia Link," how about, "New Study Suggests Marijuana is Safer Than We Thought." Yes, I think that headline would do well on the internet.Of course, we really shouldnât have to convince the press that reality is marketable in order to get it reported.
Obama's Drug War Hypocrisy
Gene Healy has a sharp piece in the Washington Examiner:The president lacks the moral authority to lock people up for behavior he engaged in as a young man. Still, political realities being what they are, we can't expect him to declare a total cease-fire in the drug war. To his credit, Obama has at least reversed the Bush policy of prosecuting medical marijuana cases in states where it's legal.But Obama may soon be presented with an unwelcome test of character. In November, Californians will likely approve a ballot initiative legalizing recreational pot use. Will Obama ignore the people's will and continue to prosecute marijuana users in our largest state?Well, not if he knows what's good for him. I assure you, the new administration's more tolerant approach to medical marijuana didn't happen because Obama is particularly concerned about the plight of seriously ill patients caught in the drug war's indiscriminate crossfire. It happened because it's no longer politically viable to overturn the will of voters in the war on marijuana. Sure, we'll continue to hear the drug czar whining from time to time about the perils of legalization, but if Californians decide to go through with it, don't expect a federal occupation in the streets of Oaksterdam. Obama's base is decidedly supportive of marijuana reform, thus he has nothing to gain and a considerable hassle to endure should he be foolish enough to stand between Californians and their cannabis. Of course, while I highly doubt Obama will interfere in any meaningful way with the legalization effort in California, I am curious as all hell what he'll say about it if asked. Thus far we've heard the President address marijuana policy in as few words as humanly possible, even when doing so made him look ridiculous. He won't speak one word about any of this unless he's forced to, and it's only a matter of time until that happens once again. Maybe you should be practicing, Mr. President, because another one sentence explanation isn't going to cut it next time around.
Cops Steal Money From 9-Year-Old Girl in Crazy Marijuana Raid
Lately, it seems as though there's a new drug raid outrage being reported almost anytime I check my email. It just never stops, and yet the drug soldiers responsible for it all continue to find new ways of shocking our conscience:In the wake of a series of raids last week targeting a Tacoma medical-marijuana dispensary, a Kitsap County mother is claiming that drug cops mistreated her son, took money from her daughter, and trashed her house. … And as the detectives looked for cash to prove that the dispensary was illegally profiting from pot sales, Casey says, they confiscated $80 that her 9-year-old daughter had received from her family for a straight-A report card. Where did they find it? In the girl's Mickey Mouse wallet, according to Casey. She also claims that the cops dumped out all her silverware, busted a hole in the wall, and broke appliances. [Seattle Weekly] I guess stealing a child's money is better than shooting dogs right in front of them, but it's still utterly disgusting and horrible behavior that no one should be experiencing at the hands of public servants. This is exactly the sort of thing police are supposed to prevent from happening to people and yet, thanks to the drug war, they are actually carrying out these atrocities and calling it a good day's work. To top it all off, officers also seized 200 petition signatures for a ballot campaign to legalize marijuana in Washington State. So in addition to ransacking private homes and robbing children, they're interfering with democratic efforts to stop them from terrorizing more families in the future. But don't worry, folks. I'm sure it's all just a big misunderstanding and nothing like this will ever happen again.
Good Idea, Bad Idea
In today's world, where thoughts are transmitted around the globe in milliseconds and people with no education or understanding of human reality are heard loud and clear in discussion forums for
Police Cut Down 400 Pot Plants, Then Realize it's Not Marijuana
Further proof that police aren't exactly experts on botany:I suppose it's ok to laugh at this one, since nobody got shot. On the other hand, it's probably just a matter of time before a similar mistake results in someone getting a gun shoved in their face. Oh wait, it's already happened.
unwarranted entry by fire dept must stop,BC courts
UP IN SMOKE read the headline in the Vancouver Province Newspaper today,Friday,May 21,2010.Court strikes down program that allowed fire officials to enter homes without warrants to shut down grow ops,
Alaskan Price Support Program For Alcohol Successful in "Dry" and "Damp" Communities
"A fifth of hard liquor, which equals one fifth of a gallon, normally costs $12 but can command as much as $300 depending on the accessibility of booze in any given village."
Drug Task Force Seizes signed WA I-1068 petitions
Drug Task Force Seizes signed WA I-1068 petitions reported at http://sensiblewashington.org/uncategorized/drug-task-force-seizes-signed-i-1068-petitions/
Forcing People into Treatment for Marijuana Doesn't Prove That It's Addictive
Pete Guither points out the drug czar's mischievous use of the word "probably." The greater use of today's high potency marijuana has probably been a critical factor in the unprecedented surge among those seeking treatment for marijuana⦠[ofsubstance.gov]Unless it isn't. Right there on the same page, you'll find the drug czar insisting that we need police to help people get treatment:The majority of people in drug treatment programs today are there because of a law enforcement interventionIn other words, marijuana users aren't usually in treatment because their pot was so good it destroyed their life. They're there because they got caught by the cops, and according to the law, possession of marijuana is sufficient evidence for a determination that you're addicted to it. The biggest risk associated with high potency marijuana might be that police are more likely to smell it.
Tim Pawlenty is a Drug War Idiot
But don't take my word for it, just look what he did:Despite near-unanimous support, Gov. Tim Pawlenty has vetoed a bill preventing prosecutors from using bong water to calculate the weight of controlled substances in drug prosecutions â and a lawmaker who helped pass the legislation accused the governor of doing so for political reasons.The bill was the result of a 4-3 Minnesota Supreme Court decision last year that allowed Rice County prosecutors to charge Sara Ruth Peck, 47, of Faribault, with first-degree drug possession â a charge often reserved for drug dealers â after the water in a glass pipe tested positive for traces of methamphetamine.If Pawlenty is condoning this nonsense for political reasons, he needs to go on the internet or something. This guy is a rumored republican presidential candidate for 2012, but he apparently missed the memo that mind-blowing acts of reefer madness aren't exactly selling out stadiums these days.Perhaps this bong controversy is too nuanced to screw him, but his veto of a medical marijuana bill that would only have protected dying patients is another story. Note to Gary Johnson: if you find yourself in a debate with Tim Pawlenty, ask him why he wants to arrest terminal AIDS patients for using pot brownies to stimulate their appetite. And while you're at it, ask him if he thinks Michael Phelps should have been charged as a drug trafficker for the weight of the water in that bong he smoked.
Mexican Cartels V.S United States Military???
Many Americans believe that the war on drugs on Mexico is their problems not oursited States is involved way more than they think they are.