I believe property rights must be honored in our efforts to restore, protect, and enhance the environment for generations to come. I view the careful development of our natural resources as a responsibility that we all share and must work together to protect.
Economic pressure and common sense are finally coming together to spur us to re-think our Drug War; the other War. Obama casually made fun of taxing and regulating marijuana and then Obama's new Drug Czar indicated he wanted to see the term "War on Drugs" dropped from goverment rhetoric. I agree we need to end the war on drugs not just the rhetoric.
It is not apparent what the new Drug Czar real plan is; the fact remains that the war generates fear and terror in it's wake. The terror is manifested ranging from outlaws on the streets to the SWAT team preparing for an operation. On the streets it is the terror of being caught in the middle of young kids solving their "business" disputes with a gun battle. The other side are SWAT teams who are engaged in training operations that turns into one more tradegy.
Starting an open and honest dialogue on how to implement an effective drug control policy is long overdue. Our policy of prohibition (aka the Drug War) simply does not work. Articles like that found in the recent The Nation can initiate this overdue discussion. Below is link to article "The War on the War on Drugs" by Sasha Abramsky.
The Nation July 6th edition
If that old adage still holds true, then the nation may soon see a gradual backpedaling from the criminal justice policies that have led to wholesale incarceration in recent decades.
For the most populous state in the union is on the verge of insolvency--partly because it didn't set aside a rainy-day fund during the boom years; partly because its voters recently rejected a series of initiatives that would have allowed a combination of tax increases, spending cuts and borrowing to help stabilize the state's finances during the downturn; partly because it has spent the past quarter-century funneling tens of billions of dollars into an out-of-control correctional system. Now, as California's politicians contemplate emergency cuts to deal with a $24 billion hole in the state budget, old certainties are crumbling.
The state with the toughest three-strikes law in the land and a prison population of more than 150,000 is facing the real possibility of having to release tens of thousands of inmates early in order to pare its $10 billion annual correctional budget.
At the same time, an increasing number of the state's political figures are challenging the basic tenets of the "war on drugs," the culprit most responsible for the spike in prison populations over the past thirty years; they argue that the country's harsh drug policies are not financially viable and no longer command majority support among the voting public.
Similar stories are unfolding around the country; in Washington, federal officials are talking about drug-policy reform and, more generally, sentencing reform in a way that has not been heard in the halls of power for more than a generation.
...... for the rest of the article please follow the link to the Article on The Nation
Marijuana Legalization Pressure is growing
Written by Robert Ryan
The acceptance of marijuana legalization is growing. There have been many recent examples, such as former drug warriors testifying in Congress for marijuana decriminalization to local Ohio events with Alcohol & Drug Abuse Prevention organizations putting on Forum about medical marijuana. Below is the latest Associated Press news article on the marijuana legalization.
What is notable about this article is where the voices of drug reform are located in the article. Typically prohibitionist quotes and supporting factoids take up the first dozen paragraphs, then the writer quotes someone like Ethan Nadelmann from DPA or Allen St. Pierre for an opposing viewpoint. In the article below the turnabout is dramatic.
Marijuana Legalization: Momentum Building For Broad Debateby David Crary, Associated Press, June 15th 2009
NEW YORK — The savage drug war in Mexico. Crumbling state budgets. Weariness with current drug policy. The election of a president who said, "Yes I inhaled."
These developments and others are kindling unprecedented optimism among the many Americans who want to see marijuana legalized.
Doing so, they contend to an ever-more-receptive audience, could weaken the Mexican cartels now profiting from U.S. pot sales, save billions in law enforcement costs, and generate billions more in tax revenue from one of the nation's biggest cash crops.
Said a veteran of the movement, Ethan Nadelmann of the Drug Policy Alliance: "This is the first time I feel like the wind is at my back and not in my face."
Legalizing Marijuana Tops White House 'Citizens Briefing Book'
Legalizing marijuana use for adults is the top policy question, as voted on by the American public, in White House's first-ever 'Citizens Briefing Book,' issued by the Obama administration on Wednesday.
The 'Briefing Book' tabulated Americans' online votes on over 44,000 different public policy questions. The proposals were posted on the Change.gov website (now whitehouse.gov) in January.
Some 125,000 Americans participated in the White Houses' online poll, casting over 1.4 million votes. Proposals were awarded ten points for each positive vote.
Based on the total number of points received, ending the criminal prohibition of marijuana ranked as the most popular issue, receiving 92,970 points. Halting the use of "federal resources to undermine states' medical marijuana laws" ranked as the third most popular issue, receiving 66,170 points.
In response to a similar White House online poll question in December 2008, a spokesperson for the Obama administration commented, "President ... Obama is not in favor of the legalization of marijuana."
Last week, a national Zogby poll of 3,937 voters commissioned by conservative-leaning O'Leary Report found that a slight majority of Americans – 52 percent – favor legalizing marijuana. The poll marks the first time that a majority of the public has expressed support for pot legalization in a nationwide telephone poll.
Drug War supporter now calls for Federal decriminalization of marijuana
Written by Robert Ryan
Monday, 25 May 2009 11:15
In a outstanding about face from Congressman Charles B. Rangel days as the Chairman of the House Select Committee on Narcotics; Rangel endorsed the decriminalization of marijuana in a Congressional hearing.Rangel was responding to a question from Congressman Steve Cohen on the subject of marijuana. Rangel's response was
"There's no question that with the limited resources we have and the heavy strain that we put on law enforcement that we ought to decriminalize it.”
Rangel added a rational and thoughtful suggestion that we should discourage but not criminalize.
“I would suggest that we should do things to discourage people from using cigarettes as well as marijuana.”
Rangel also said that no one is getting arrested for smoking marijuana in New York.It is encouraging that this former drug warrior now supports the decriminalization of marijuana, but he like a lot of other members need to get their facts straight about how many arrest are actually taking place.A report by Harry Levine and Deborah Small to the New York Civil Liberties Union paints a totally different story on marijuana arrest in New York City. See the full report Marijuana Arrest Crusade Racial Bias and Police Policy in New York City.
Last Updated on Sunday, 21 June 2009 08:39
Legalization: Yes We Can: NORML TV Advertisement
On Monday, April 20th, NORML launched the first nationwide television ad campaign calling for the regulation of cannabis for adults.
The one-minute advertisement, entitled "Legalization: Yes We Can," calls on the President and Congress to repeal the federal prohibition of marijuana. It states: "You can tax it. You can regulate it; apply age restrictions. You can create millions of new jobs. ... President Obama, it's time for legalization. Yes we can!
NORML purchased over 7,500 ad buys on over 200 national cable providers. The advertisement will appear on various cable networks in all 50 states, including CNN, CNBC, Fox News, Fuse, FX Networks, G4, MSNBC, CNN Headline News, and Spike TV.
NORML's ad was produced by New Jersey independent filmmaker Jason Druss. Druss submitted the public service announcement as part of NORML's 2009 online ad contest. Druss' entry was selected by the public as the contest's grand-prize winner, besting over 80 other finalists.
"NORML's national advertising campaign epitomizes the growing public support for marijuana law reform, NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre said. "This is a grassroots, organic campaign. NORML's ad was produced by and voted on by the public. Even more importantly, all of the money raised to sponsor this national ad buy was donated to NORML by the general public. These ads are on television because thousands of Americans are demanding an end to the criminal prohibition of marijuana.
By contrast, St. Pierre said that the US Congress and the White House Office of Drug Control Policy typically spend close to $100 million annually to produce and air advertisements stigmatizing the use of cannabis and its effects.
"Americans are voting with their wallets to repeal the government's ongoing war on weed, St. Pierre said. "They are willing to donate their hard earned dollars to produce advertisements that run contrary to the federal government's misleading, multimillion dollar public service campaign.
Three recent nationwide polls – one by CBS News, one by Zogby, and one by Rasmussen Reports – have each reported that the public's support for legally regulating cannabis is at an all-time high. Most recently, a California field poll sponsored by Oaksterdam University in Oakland found that 58 percent of state voters back regulating marijuana for adults in a manner similar to alcohol.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Deputy Director, at: (202) 483-5500.
Below are audio clips of the video with the end of the clip modified for Miami Valley NORML radio ads.
