Criminal Justice

my letter to my media

There is about 15-20 thousand really pissed people from these websites, because they just shrugged off our voice on Obama's transition team's website change.gov when a marijuana reform question took first by about 2000 votes(there was 300 marijuana reform Q's submitted and voted on) THEY TRIED DIIVIDING OUR VOTE AND WE STILL PREVAILED very strong!Marijuana reform is leading 8 categories on the change.org site we need national attention and got a million man marijuana march to dc to protest if we get shafted again http://www.trm3-801.org/
could u muster any attention to this ?here is some of the links http://change.gov/page/content/20081211_openforquestions
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/legalize_marijuana_for_medical_and_recreational_use http://www.change.org/ideas/browse/economy
http://www.change.org/ideas/browse/environmental_conservation http://www.change.org/ideas/browse/other
http://www.change.org/ideas/browse/government_reform
http://www.change.org/ideas/browse/agricultural_policy
http://www.change.org/ideas/browse/health_care 
http://www.change.org/ideas/browse/criminal_justice

Peace and blessings of health and higher vibration thru burnt offerings of kind sacrament  the holy healing motherplant, rev. baker of green faith ministry

Finally, people are letting the light in.

Here is another one to add to you list of supporters

change.org/views/view/a_real_economic_stimulas_program

July 4th sounds good I will be there!

I worked for Obama and raised money for him. Mainly because he said he would back the feds off Medical MJ states where a majority of the people voted to make it legal. The FEDS will STILL go in and arrest you (proves the power of big money interest they say they can ignore the majority of Americans) because they own the legal system and the lawmakers House/Senate.

I am tired of the tail wagging the dog. We are Americans we are the majority. We say LEGALIZE RGULATE TAX quit putting us in jail is this too damn big a request?

I do not care what Obama or the House/Senate think they are addicted to the worse drug out there GREED AND POWER.

It is time for us to show them who this country belongs to it belongs to US the majority of Americans.

Cherokee Fred Hussein

Masses speak volumes. So speak up already, there are plenty of people in government who support it, but act like they don't. Help them have the gumption to stand up and say the people have spoken and the concensous is to legalize marijuana.

Im real tyered of my government tell me it ok to drink, but if I smoke marijuana i'm a criminal. This way of think is old and out dated. The majority of Americans belive marijuana should be legal, but yet are government says we dont matter. This is an injustice. We elect them to fight for us, not fight us. When will are government listen to us.

Being the number one question above all other important issues in the crazy world.

The economey they have given our money away empetied the Social Security trust fund. They stole our $$$ and gave it to the rich. This is not number one to us quit putting us in jail!!!!!!!

Health care they do not want Universl health care because big money is against it they would lose $$$. This is not the number one question QUIT PUTTING US IN JAIL!!!!!

They don't want drug reform it would cost big money $$$$

Justice for all there is no justice for the poor in this country only the rich can buy justice $$$ This is not the the number one message QUIT PUTTING US IN JAIL!!!!!!!!!

But Americans have spoken the majority say the most importand thing is to quit putting us in jail LEGALIZE REGUALTE TAX this is what we demand.

We could care less what anyone says we are the majority and it is time to overcome the greed and bribery in our govenment if they do not bow to the majority.

They could have said they would study the problem or they would get back to us or anything. But the statement they put out is not enough to address the number one issue on the mind of the majority of Americans!

Its time to Push and Push and demand our rights be restored. I don't care who is against it I am tired of listing reasons and reports why it should be legal. WE THE MAJORITY OF FREE AMERICANS WE WANT IT LEGAL THAT IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW!!!


Cherokee Fred Hussein aka Stupid old man

It is time to take action! We have spoken if our so called leaders do not respect the majority of Americans this country is in big trouble! I say impeach them all for not representing the majority. Put someone in power that believes in our system of government it is called MAJORITY RULES!!!

cfn

Yes I agree. the time is NOW, this year will hopefully be the biggest stride marijuana has ever taken. But we must SPEAK... and we do need to arrange a mass march.

If President Obama does not do the right thing regarding hemp, then it's time for another Boston Tea Party. We voted for wise change and we will have it now. 

Hemp solves too many problems quickly to pretend not to know what works.  President Obama did sponsor Industrial Hemp legislation in the Illinois Senate and said he 'inhaled frequently, that was he point.'  Key on his team is pro hemp Gov. Bill Richardson.  So the rest is up to We The People. 

Over the holiday upload your support for hemp.  Help non computer folks upload their voices too.  See the movie a/k/a Tommy Chong www.akatommychong.com to understand the need for change in our criminal lack-of-justice-system.

It is time for the insanity to stop.  We've made nature illegal and wonder why we have a problem with the environment.  We've made the peace pipe illegal and wonder why we have a problem with violence.  We've made a safe medicine illegal and wonder why Medicine, Inc. is the leading cause of death.  We fail to tax and engage America's #1 cash crop and wonder why we have a problem with our economy. Hemp helps solve all these problems, and more. 

To learn more, read Jack Herer's THE EMPEROR WEARS NO CLOTHES www.jackherer.com , read HEMP FOR VICTORY: A GLOBAL WARMING SOLUTION by Richard M. Davis www.hempmuseum.org and check out the research of Chris Conrad www.chrisconrad.com too. The case is made. 

Thank you Matt,

In the Age of Obama we still have a LONG, UPHILL BATTLE even though as J. Nayer Hardin says, speaking for MILLIONS of Cannabis Smokers and NON-Smokers alike

"It is time for the insanity to stop.  We've made nature illegal and wonder why we have a problem with the environment.  We've made the peace pipe illegal and wonder why we have a problem with violence.  We've made a safe medicine illegal and wonder why Medicine, Inc. is the leading cause of death.  We fail to tax and engage America's #1 cash crop and wonder why we have a problem with our economy. Hemp helps solve all these problems, and more. "

Yes, It's time for THE INSANITY to stop!

Also, there is another organization doing God's work, so please don't forget them as well!! See my profile for a link! Get a Barneys Coffeeshop grinder for donating!

Peace

[URL=http://www.change.org/marijuanapolicyproject/projects/fundraising/time_for_a_change_in_marijuana_reform_organizations][IMG]http://mbmfiles.com/Dec2008/081217-nVOYzcjJwbTn.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

This is a strong indicator of the amount and type of "change" we can expect. We had all better get over our giddy " We did it!" mindset about Obama. Unless he makes a REAL change in the drug war policies, which would show his willingness to challenge the entrenched legal system, I seriously doubt we will see anything but "the change government is gonna give you"
Sorry so cynical but we are on a sinking ship and I have yet to see anyone really look for holes. That is serious discussion on why we are crumbling as a society.
I make no claim to genius so how come even average guys like me can make the connection between attempts to legislate moral/ personal issues and the creation of criminality and selective,discriminatory enforcement of victimless crime.
We must either change governments role in our personal lives as a primary and fundamental foundation of the Obama cycle or we will see no change at all, save perhaps some very expensive programs which will further undermine the liberties we have lost.

Without the simple trust from the Government to police our own lives, habits and recreation why should they expect our trust to police themselves?

Sign me,

Old enought to have seen it, dumb enough to have done it and smart enough to learn from it all,

Jimortal Soul

Through the People's overwhelming support, we'll free the Cannabis worldwide. This is a personal freedom issue. Americans should be able to smoke marijuana freely if they so choose without religious police state persecution. It's time to stop arresting 800,000 americans a year who are non-violent non-criminal offenders. 1 in 31 americans in jail, it's time to end this Reagan Inspired police state. Grow it, regulate it, tax it, stop the drug war on non-violent honest americans who choose to have a little puff.

Here in Boston, we just had the Boston Tea Party. Many in the country aren't aware, but Massachusetts just passed a referendum reducing penalties to a $100 fine. The governor, mayor, police associations, etc. etc. all came out against it. It passed 65%-35%.

That shows you -- despite all the politicians crying doom, the people know what's what. Hopefully, politicians will get the courage to propose a seemingly risky but actually very popular change.

I would like to see and hear some NORML commercials on tv and radio.  I would also like to see a NORML bus giving out info to the public on our marijuana laws and why they need to change.

Can you imagine if they do legalize it. If they tax it, the income that would come to our country. Prison overcrowdedness would severely decrease. We would put our efforts into stoping drugs that actually kills people. its already the leading cash crop. We can make jobs and im sure. Even if we get four years of legalization, let us show you what it can do for us and our country. Give us a chance

I think the major argument against legalizing cannabis usage is demonstrated in this thread.  Some of the people who are writing in here are incapable of putting a sentence together with a coherent argument, correct spelling, proper grammar, and without adding a string of exclamation points to the end of it.

I am sorry for the personal attack, but it is very hard for me to be pro-cannabis usage when all of the people that i have met or with whom i have had a conversation that regularly smoke it lack anything beyond primitive brain functions.

'Can you imagine if they do legalize it. If they tax it, the income that would come to our country. Prison overcrowdedness would severely decrease. We would put our efforts into stoping drugs that actually kills people."

Finally a convincing argument.

The Obama Transition team's response to the marijuana legalization is cowardly.

In response to Jeremy Gunter I would like to say, please visit some of the anti-cannabis forums/ bulletin boards, do some fact checking and grammar policing. You may be educated as to the net product of today's education system as well as which side relies more on falsehood of message.Also for the record there are some VERY intelligent people who simply cannot type cogently. I have made a living at times typing scientific papers for some leading scientists in nanotech and biochemistry.    
 So now you have heard from a regular smoker who is functioning on a highly advanced collection of cerebral algorithms.
 I can form complete sentences easily even when using cannabis (Like right now) and am willing to discuss further any misconceptions you may have attributed to cannabis users. Such as they are the only group with members who are not facile with grammatical principle.
Most sincerely,
JF

We need to send a loud and clear message to the President-elect.  He needs to hear all of us.  Sure we're going to have to take this in steps, it's been over 70 years of lies and propoganda that has made this simple plant a "devil-weed" and "immoral", but if we speak loud enough, with enough voices we cannot be ignored.  Look at what happened in the 1960's when it came to Civil Rights, they spoke loud, the let their voices be heard by everyone and the change they sought happened.  Now we have a President-elect who directly benefits from that action.  It took a long time, but if we have the patience and the fortitude we can achieve the change we seek.  I think we can achieve it much faster as well, we have tools at our disposal that no one in the history of this country has had until recently.  Use the tools at your disposal.  Write your congressmen and other elected officials.  Start a petition in your state to legalize or at least decriminalize marijuana.  Let your voices be heard so that the elected officials can't ignore it.

Jeremy, if you're going to criticize others' grammar usage, perhaps you could begin by capitalizing I! Sorry, just could not resist...

Here we go again in a chat room on what we need to do we are gonna distract from the major point!

PERSONAL CHOICE AND EXSPRESSION FREEDOMS THATS WHAT IT IS ABOUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I LOVE YELLING JUST BETTER HOPE YOU DONT STAND NEXT TO ME AT THE MILLION MARIJUANA MARCH TO WASHINGTON DC .

I AM TWICE AS LOUD IN PERSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How ever i am nothing like this when contacting my elected officials, i am not as ignorant as the opposition!

MARCH TO FREE THE WEED http://www.trm3-801.org    

I've been busted twice for possession of less than 2 grams (equivalent of 1 joint) each time. The first time, returning from Canada, U.S. Customs took (stole) my new car, threw me in jail with 2 murderers for 5 hours, gave me a $250 fine. I wasted $1K on a lawyer. Never got the car back. The bank that held my title gave me grief until I threatened them with legal action, then they backed off, decided to drop the matter since it was rather unusual. It almost interfered with buying a house...I was 22, never in trouble. The psychological toll of the experience was worse than my parents' untimely deaths.

The second time, a Park Ranger busted me. I received a $900 fine and probation for 1 year. Fortunately, both times were misdemeanors, not interfering with my corporate career. I was not firing up in public either time. I merely had it in my possession.

I'm a very intelligent, responsible, otherwise law abiding citizen, (save for a lead foot). I'm honest, ethical, have an abundance of common sense. I use cannabis daily, on my own time, in the privacy of my on home. I've never gotten sick from it, copped an attitude towards people while on it (in fact, it prevents that), and I have never woken up the next day wondering, "what have I done?"!

I'm so relieved that attitudes are changing, finally! My first bust was when Bush Sr. was in office, and murderers were getting more respect. No surprise, the second time was during the Dumbyass Administration (please, no more Bushit!) 

Considering the worldwide economic turmoil brought on by other greedy bastards who instigate the cultural war against cannabis, what better time than NOW to legalize it (and I will advertise it!), tax and regulate it! It's a common sense no-brainer! I just don't understand the logic of how alcohol, cigarettes and prescription medication can be legal while your livelihood can be destroyed if you are merely in possession of cannabis. Grow some common sense, Washington! THE ECONOMY'S IN SHREDS! We're talking some serious fast and easy revenue! Legalize it, tax it, regulate it! Hemp for Fuel!

As a professional veteran of formal efforts to reform marijuana laws, I'd like to chime in and back Jeremy's position, at least in the specifics. I don't find it difficult to be "pro-cannabis" at all, but I've spent substantial amounts of my time slapping my forehead in response to some advocates' breathless rhetoric and incoherent babbling. In general, it's not helping, folks.

So am I suggesting these efforts be left to media-trained professionals? Not at all, and marches sound like a reasonable idea. But some awareness of how one is perceived by the larger public wouldn't be a bad thing.

Then again, you can ignore me if you like. I'm, after all, probably guilty of straight-up apostasy these days, given that I expect less from an Obama administration than Armentano and his fellow drug reform professionals. In fact, I expect virtually nothing at all in the way of substantive change via legislation in anything like the short-term. So, you know ... best of luck. As long as "hemp is going to save teh world!!!" is the rallying cry it will remain utterly divorced from larger issues of oppression and resistance, and will primarily be the domain of comments sections on blogs.

Of course, I also think we should abandon capitalism and abolish the state, so what do I know?

WE NEED TO PUSH THE ECONOMIC ISSUES AS OBAMA'S SECRETARY OF COMMERCE        IS THE MOST PRO-MARIJUANA POLITICIAN AS HE FORCED MEDICAL MARIJUANA ON NEW MEXICO AS THE PEOPLE VOTED AND IGNORED MOST OTHER POLITICIANS IN HIS STATE!

HOORAY FOR THE HEMP REVOLUTION!

http://www. alternet. org/rights/113767/



Could Obama's Pro-Marijuana Commerce Secretary Spell a Golden Era for Pot Reform?

By Scott Thill, AlterNet. Posted December 18, 2008.






Bill Richardson believes we need to "rethink and decriminalize" our cannabis laws. Now that he's in office, he has the chance to achieve it.




December has been an interesting month for marijuana, or cannabis as it is known to scientists and all too few others. To kick off the month, the U.S. Supreme Court decided against reviewing a California state appellate court ruling arguing that its medical marijuana law trumped federal law. That, in effect, set the stage for better implementation of medical-marijuana law in not just California, but every state that has one, while also reminding local police that the job of enforcing federal drug policy is, in fact, not its job.


Two days later, the oldest stash of cannabis ever found was unearthed from a 2,700-year-old grave in the Gobi desert, aptly reminding humankind and its ass-backwards politicians that pot has been around a lot longer than lobbyists. If the eye-candy archaeological slideshow didn't fully illustrate the value of such a stash, the scientists did.


"As with other grave goods, it was traditional to place items needed for the afterlife in the tomb with the departed," explained Ethan Russo, lead author of the Journal of Experimental Botany paper that announced the find.


But as readers pondered packing their own trusty pot for use in the afterlife, better news broke on the same day: President-elect Barack Obama nominated New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to his Cabinet as secretary of commerce. Given that Obama had already confessed to inhaling -- "that was the point," he classically cracked -- and once declared the hyperbolically named War on Drugs "an utter failure," adding that America needed to "rethink and decriminalize" American cannabis laws, Richardson's nomination to Commerce was cause for celebration. After all, Richardson signed a bill in 2007 making New Mexico the 12th state to legalize medical marijuana.



NOW TELL ME THE HEMP REVOLUTION ISNT GAINING GROUND!!!!

I would like to begin by saying that it is a wonderful thing to have the ability for the public to voice their opinions and concerns to the President (Elect) of the United States via the Internet.  We now can show the government that we overwhelmingly support Legalization of Cannabis and the results of the poll are undeniable and impossible to ignore!    I have just read the President Elect’s Website response to the #1 Question submitted by the People of the United States of America.  Your response was - “President-elect Obama is not in favor of the legalization of marijuana”.  That was not really a response, but more of a “brush-off”.    I must say that I am very, very disappointed!  I really feel that you are intelligent enough and of strong enough moral character to know that the Legalization of Cannabis is the right thing to do.  It’s also obvious that the People of the United States of America also believe that it’s the right thing to do.  So why will you not follow the wishes and desires of your Country?    Mr. President-Elect, the American People want Cannabis Legalized!!!  We are very tired of the U.S. Government including Cannabis in the Drug War.  I am not necessarily against the War on Drugs, as I am against the use of dangerous drugs in our society – but I am totally against Cannabis being considered one of those dangerous drugs!  Cannabis should in no way be considered a Schedule I Drug!  As WE ALL KNOW – alcohol AND tobacco are both far worse for the public - yet they are legal.  Cannabis is the safe alternative to alcohol and tobacco as well as other bad drugs (many of which are legal).  Some of us partake of Cannabis BECAUSE we cannot handle the deadly (and highly addictive) effects of alcohol – yet alcohol is legal and Cannabis is not.  The People of the United States of America want the Prohibition of Cannabis to end!    We The People are also very concerned about the Economy and the Environment.  It is well known that Cannabis produces TWICE as much ethanol as Corn (which is needed for food).  If farmers split their planting acres between Cannabis and Corn then they would produce as much ethanol as they produced before the use of Cannabis AND still be able to produce food – not to mention that the Cannabis Bud could be sold for a nice profit – benefiting both the farmers AND the United States Taxable Revenue!!!  Cannabis also produces FOUR TIMES more paper products than trees and makes much higher quality paper!  Again - Four times the paper PLUS taxable revenue!    The Environment, the Economy AND Cannabis Legalization are all related.  Many of the same industries that oppose Cannabis legalization are among the worst Environmental offenders.  Their demand to keep Cannabis illegal is also a demand to keep polluting.  If Cannabis were legalized, many products that currently poison the Environment would then be replaced by safer alternatives.  Many of the companies that are among the worst Environmental offenders would be forced to convert to producing the safer alternatives!    Most current Pharmaceuticals include large lists of side effects that often include both “risk of dependency” and “death”.  Many current Pharmaceuticals could be replaced by Cannabis and Cannabis related products.  And as everyone knows – There has NEVER been a death from consuming Cannabis – EVER – and Cannabis has been used for all of recorded history!  People who use Cannabis are NOT criminals!  People who use Cannabis are not funding organized crime – the United States Government is funding organized crime!  The continued Cannabis prohibition also means that the United States Government is funding terrorism!  People who use Cannabis DO NOT want anything to do with Organized Crime - they want to legally support their government through taxation!   Most politicians have become so scared of being called “soft on drugs” that they will not stand up and do what they know is right.  We need someone like you, Mr. President-Elect, to be strong enough to uphold the will of the people without being afraid that the companies who are here to make money at everyone else’s expense might call you “soft”.  If you are “not in favor of the legalization of marijuana”, then that means that you ARE in favor of the continuing practice of punishing and imprisoning (otherwise law-abiding) citizens who partake of Cannabis.  Over 800,000 people arrested for Cannabis possession in the last year alone!  We are now getting close to arresting 1 million people per year simply for Cannabis …   Is this what you really support, Mr. President-Elect???    Please reconsider!    Please Legalize Cannabis so that the government can regulate it, tax it, put age limits on it, and create millions of new jobs and create a billion dollar industry right here in the U.S.

"I can form complete sentences easily even when using cannabis (Like right now) and am willing to discuss further any misconceptions you may have attributed to cannabis users."

As i stated before, i have never met a person that is a regular user of cannabis that seems to have a fully functional brain.  I have friends, family members (one with which i lived for years), and acquaintances that have destroyed their minds from years of smoking it away.  They do nothing with their lives other than work their minimum wage jobs to make their pot money and smoke constantly after work.  They have no social lives other than smoking pot with their buddies. They have conversations about nothing, and they overly aggressive to their families.  Although I believe that people should be able to do whatever they wish as long as their actions don’t harm others (or society in general), this experience has had a huge impact on my perceptions of regular cannabis users.

If cannabis is ever legalized, i think that there should be certain restrictions that would protect others from it.  First of all, people that have smoked within a certain time period should not be allowed to drive until the influence of the THC has waned, like alcohol.  Also, there should be a nation wide public smoking ban (at least for cannabis) so that other people don’t have to smoke your pot with you.  Employers should also be allowed to refuse to hire people that smoke cannabis and terminate a person’s job who tests positive for THC if they wish.  Lastly, and most importantly, people should not be allowed to smoke in an enclosed area if people under the age of 18 are present, and the smoke should be under a certain level before minors can enter that building.

“Jeremy, if you're going to criticize others' grammar usage, perhaps you could begin by capitalizing I! Sorry, just could not resist…”

Mary Jane Marley, my refusal to capitalize the pronoun "i" except at the beginning of a sentence has nothing to do with lack of knowledge about the illogical grammatical rule.  It has to do the fact that no other pronoun is capitalized except when beginning a sentence (or in the Bible when giving reverence to God).  Can you explain to me why capitalizing "i" contributes to the conversation, or how my refusal to capitalize it takes away from my argument?

Jeremy Gunter writes,
"As i stated before, i have never met a person that is a regular user of cannabis that seems to have a fully functional brain.  I have friends, family members (one with which i lived for years), and acquaintances that have destroyed their minds from years of smoking it away.  They do nothing with their lives other than work their minimum wage jobs to make their pot money and smoke constantly after work.  They have no social lives other than smoking pot with their buddies. They have conversations about nothing, and they overly aggressive to their families.  Although I believe that people should be able to do whatever they wish as long as their actions don’t harm others (or society in general), this experience has had a huge impact on my perceptions of regular cannabis users."

You obviously have not "met" Carl Sagan,Marc Emory or any one of thousands of highly successful, highly functional who choose to use cannabis.
BTW abuse of any substance will lead to negative consequences. Have you considered you have only really noticed the abusers and the users glide right past your "stonedar"?
Making claims about cannabis which are not supported by research is the calling card of anti-cannabis mentality. I am sure you have a load of anecdotes but Mr. Gunter the research simply does not support your anecdotal experiences.Thank you for sharing your observations but they are only that, not research supported fact.
Sincerely,
JF

"Making claims about cannabis which are not supported by research is the calling card of anti-cannabis mentality."

Making claims about the "anti-cannabis mentality" is a generalization.  Generalizations are a logical fallacy.  I have not made any claims against cannabis, only offered my observations which have helped to guide me to my own conclusion, a conclusion that i have not even stated.  I provided my reasoning for my prejudice against habitual cannabis usage.  I saw no one offering an opinion against cannabis, and felt that in the interest of fairness that weighing the positive and negative side of the issue was essential to coming to a sound conclusion.

"Thank you for sharing your observations but they are only that, not research supported fact."

Alright, James, please point me in the direction of non-biased, government-backed (i don't care which government) research that would support the conclusion that habitual cannabis usage leads to loss of mental cognizance.  Yes, i acknowledge that most research states that cannabis has a positive side.  However, i worry that uncontrolled access to it would create a mindless society.  I have never seen any research that shows that habitual users of cannabis have no loss of mental cognizance.

people seem to be asking the same question about when the goverment is going to fight for you and the answer is simple when people start voting for the people who will fight for them.  If your represanative or senator isn't fighting for you DO NOT REELECT THEM.  You complain things are n't getting done but keep reelecting a majrity of the same people.  If you keep doing the same thing how can you expect the results to suddently change?

Here you go Jeremy,

http://ecmaj.com/cgi/content/abstract/166/7/887

Note only in abuse conditions are any negative effects observed. Read also the frequency of users in a basicaly unregulated society. They have not become the mindless mass you fear.The Jamaican study is very comprehensive and just will not support your anecdotal evidence beyond that abuse will make an almost imperceptable (-4.1 pts) drop in IQ. Note no net loss of global IQ in all other groups?

As for the what I said about the "anti-cannabis mentality" I gave an observation born of many years confronting it in science and politics. It is not anecdotal when I say that false information is the foundation of the anti-cannabis movement.There just are not enough supported facts to continue the arguement against cannabis without using bad data.
In Knowledge, Freedom,
JF

http://pt.wkhealth.com/pt/re/pgme/abstract.00006826-200311000-00010.htm;jsessionid=JMnCkBwGQkdcvFqD18Y8Q4J9JW0NMrfyTT2wV6QHynGyMXvthqmk!-1922286307!181195628!8091!-1

Another one for ya and I can keep them coming if you really care to know the facts as supported by research
;)
JF

Meant to say Canadian above but you should check into the long term Jamaican study also
Cheers,
JF

Hello Mary Jane Marley, I too know that canadian border. All you need is a guitar and some long hair and they put you in jail with Charles Manson overnight. The worst of America and Canada meets at that border when they're not down at the Usa/Mexican border between San Diego and Phoenix!

James, the definitions that the Canadian study uses are fairly inaccurate.  I would not consider a person who smokes five joints per week an abuser of cannabis (they called them heavy users, but you called them abusers).  I know no cannabis smoker who smokes less than once per day, usually at least twice.  So their "five or more joints per week" group are not going to have much of a decrease in I.Q. if most of them smoke about five.

Also, their definition of "non-smoker" is also inaccurate.  A person who smokes only one joint per week, two weeks ago i would call a light smoker.  If most of the people they call "non-smokers" smoke only one joint per week, their results are going to be skewed, even though it was two weeks ago.

When i look at the other study, i will comment on that one.

Okay, after reading the second study, it left me wanting answers.  First, how are they defining heavy-users?  Second, what percentage of their survey group are heavy-smokers?  Is their sample relatively equivalent to the general population?

This second study is pretty damning evidence against cannabis abuse.  However, my concern has not been addressed, so i'll be more explicit.  If cannabis usage is legalized, resulting in easy access, how likely are non-smokers and light-smokers to become abusers, resulting in a societal decay?

We Americans, whose government forefathers grew thousands of acres of cannabis, pay taxes to lock up 25% of our country's brothers and sisters. Why continue the lies?  After you have ten million dollars, why do you need more money?  You throw your granddaughter a million-dollar birthday party and the leftovers could feed an entire starving village.  Money is not the answer to the question of life. There is no reason to continue this failed experiment on human bondage.  There are too many people who see through the conspiracy.  Anyone who reads "The Emporer Wears No Clothes" by Jack Herer and reviews the government hearings that allowed prohibition will clearly see the truth.

With a rude one-liner, Obama squashed any hope I had for change in our country. What a depressing disappointment. As some people pointed out early in the race, Obama's change is different than ours - "We the people." It took courage from the many folks oppressed by the drug war to speak out against the evil war. They are speaking for a much larger number of people in this country who are afraid to speak out. The people who are afraid the government will steel there property and their freedom.  Even so, the numbers speak out significantly louder on the issue of ending the drug war than any other desired change in this country. The numbers are shouting at Obama, and he is ignoring them. Who is Obama listening to? It is clearly not the people.Like someone said somewhere, surrounding yourself with the brightest people is not necessary the best thing to do. Now that "we the people" voted Obama in to office, we are getting a strong message that we are no longer listened to or needed. The message is coming a crossed to us that the only change we will see is the change that Obama wants, what his staff wants and those who agree with them.Curtly disregarding the will of the people over the drug war sets the tone for this administration. We were lied to again by politicians! More of the same - for shame!We must keep up the in their face momentum and not let the new administration forget what changes "we the people" really want.

A mass amount of impassioned people need to make this happen.

Can we the people have a Vote?
Legalize the medicinal and recreational use of marijuana? _Yes _No
Why does Congress get to decide on what we can and can't do?
Anyone else see a problem here?

The fact of the matter is that it's hypocritical, unreasonable and unfair, as well as unscientific and destructive, to permit a more harmful drug to be legal, while criminalizing the less harmful by far! After at least 70 years of efforts to prove how harmful marijuana "is," the anti-MJ community has failed.

The best recent research shows that pot is not associated with any serious diseases, and it does not present a serious public safety problem, either. Marijuana does not cause cancer or emphysema; the most serious medical problem that it IS occasionally associated with is bronchitis. It is NOT a "gateway drug," at least far less than alcohol and nicotine are. And much of THAT is directly due to forcing pot users underground, where their retail pot contacts also sell more dangerous drugs. It is NOT responsible for "anti-motivational syndrome;" at least half of the baby boomers attended and completed college successfully, often with numerous honors, while stoned. Many of those same stoners still smoke regularly, if now secretly, while raising families and holding responsible jobs.

And not least, unlike alcohol, MJ does NOT precipitate violence: effects of alcohol include reduced inhibitions, reduced judgement, aggression and recklessness, as well as a tendency to bring out repressed anger. The effect of marijuana, on the contrary, is to enhace introspection, calm and caution, and although it sometimes causes mild paranoia, but it is never truly associated with effects which lead to violence or even accidents. It is no accident that there is no clear association of MJ use and traffic accidents. It's other prominent effect, precipitating laughter, i.e. causing the ordinary to take on humorous aspects, is unfortunately associated mostly with naive users, but can hardly be considered a problem!

And the fact is a lot of people prefer MJ, the lesser social risk, to booze, the greater! Many MJ users totally fore-swear alcohol in favor of their drug of choice, pot. Many of us have little interest in using a drug to get loud, wild, aggressive, reckless and crazy, or to help us to do things and behave in ways we'd be too reserved or sensible to do otherwise, which is what alcohol is used for. We just want one to help us relax, to help us to think creatively, to enjoy the sunset, music, etc. i.e. for quiet, personal and often private, introspective recreation, without the hangover. MJ is by far the better of the two for THAT kind of recreation, and THAT is the kind of recreation we should encourage!

Then there is the "victimless crime" factor. Absolutely NO ONE can claim that anyone else's MJ use has caused them any genuine, legitimate harm whatsoever! In that sense there truly is NO VICTIM from marijuana use! There are virtually no other laws in the US which define a felonious crime without any harm whatsoever being done to another person! But of course there ARE victims; and they are the unfortunate users who are arrested for possession or "dealing" (which is usually on a VERY small scale, to friends, and usually non-profit), who are dragged through the courts, forced to spend $thousands on legal costs, and then sometimes jailed for years, with the loss of their freedom, dignity, jobs, careers, and sometimes even their families and friends, and who are left with felony records which permanently damage their careers and futures. MJ use does not, with respect to harm, hold a candle to that! These victims are then much more likely to become REAL criminals, for all the harm that has recklessly been done to them, and the loss of opportunity that was imposed upon them, by a system which is supposed to protect us. By FAR, the much greater damage is done by the legal system and courts, NOT by the marijuana user!

Then there is the "drug violence" issue. Of course, most of this violence stems directly from the high cost of recreational drugs, and profitability of the illegal drug trade. Prohibition plays directly into the hands of organized crime and criminals, who profit enormously from the (il)legal status of MJ and the others. Those bloody "drug wars" we hear about in Mexico and elsewhere are NOT, of course, being fought over drugs; they are being fought over the huge sums of MONEY that can be made, thanks wholly to the drug laws. Eliminate the drug laws, and see the associated organized crime violence drop almost to zero.

And of course, there is the cost to enforce these unenforceable laws. The American government spends about $50 Billion of American tax money each year on enforcement of the drug laws, most of which goes to marijuana prohibition. Add to that the legitimate jobs that would be created by a legal MJ industry, with attendant income, sales and other taxes being paid by the then legal businesses, not to mention the so-called "sin" taxes (tho I certainly DON'T believe smoking MJ is sinful! But if that will cause the opposition to acquiesce...) on the product itself, and a $50 Billion loss to taxpayers, might be transformed into a $1-2 Billion annual gain. These savings and income could be used to help build a greater society, or to rescue the economy.

If President Obama is true to his claim that he will respect science and trim financial waste, then he MUST legalize pot! And that should apply to some of the other non-addictive recreational drugs that came into use in the last century. A number of those are similarly benign in moderate doses, non-addictive and non-toxic. No one has ever died from an overdose of LSD, mescaline or psilocybin; if a few seem to have gone off their heads and run into traffic, for example, after an overdose of these drugs, that happens every single day with alcohol abuse, and no one even batts an eye. Hell, 400,000 tobacco smokers die every year from smoking! A large part of the legal structure designed around recreational drugs is obscenely unreasonable, doing far more harm than the alledged, but actually minimal harm caused by the drugs they target.

I have great hope that Barack Obama will eventually see both the need for and the desirability of reforming the marijuana laws, and perhaps those relating to some other drugs as well. He doesn't have to APPROVE of the recreational use of ANY drugs, he merely has to accept the fact that the greater amount of good is achieved by legalizing them, than by continuing this destructive and costly WAR that has been undertaken for the better part of a century. He merely has to understand that many of us disagree with him on these points, and that we have some legitimate, natural and personal rights concerning our OWN bodies and consciousness', over which the government should not impose itself.

The basic underlying question is, "who owns my body? me? or the government?"

An interesting perspective from the UK

http://pr.cannazine.co.uk

In 1996, California passed proposition 215, allowing for medical marijuana. We have seen similar decriminalization measures in Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Vermont. President Bill Clinton responded to such liberalizing laws with a series of federal raids on marijuana dispensaries, arresting the sick and their caregivers.

"Compassionate conservative" George W. Bush, running for president in 1999, indicated that he thought states should decide their own medical marijuana policies. Instead, as president he continued the Clinton policy, in direct conflict with the 9th-Amendment protection of rights reserved to the people and the 10th-Amendment guarantee of unenumerated powers being reserved to the states.

Although no Constitutional language gives the federal government any legal authority to regulate drugs domestically, much less wage a full-blown drug war, the federal prohibition on marijuana has only been stepped up since 1937 when Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Marihuana Tax Act into law, de facto banning the substance.

Barack Obama has repeatedly promised to end these raids, but shortly after he took office, the DEA raided a California dispensary. His administration has yet to comment, despite his vow to stop the raids, his claim that his administration will be more transparent than the others, and the fact that change.gov, which he has touted marks a new style of participatory governance where the citizenry is asked directly what they want to see out of Washington, found that marijuana issues constituted the top priority of those who participated in the outreach program.

Still, there might be some short-term hope. Perhaps this last raid was the result of institutional inertia left over from Bush. Obama's supporters will hopefully claim that this is not high on the president's radar, but he will eventually get around to ending this one particularly cruel policy in the federal war on drugs.

But I do not share this optimism. Obama has surrounded himself with ardent drug warriors. His Vice President Joe Biden was instrumental in Plan Colombia, the crop eradication policy that has destroyed the livelihoods and health of poor farmers at the cost of billions of U.S. taxdollars, and he was a big proponent of the creation of a federal drug czar position. Obama's Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel has long been a vociferous drug warrior, who attacked Bush's Attorney General Alberto Gonzales for being too rhetorically soft on the issue! Eric Holder, Obama's Attorney General pick, has notoriously championed increased penalties and enforcement.

Furthermore, there is the question of ideology. Barack Obama, an establishment liberal, tends toward embracing federal power. When medical marijuana and states rights got to the Supreme Court in 2005, all of the liberals on the court, along with conservative Antonin Scalia and moderate Anthony Kennedy, supported the right of the federal government to impose its way on the states.

Scalia favored it because he was so philosophically wed to the drug war, but the liberals favored it because they knew that the 10th Amendment's limits on federal power, if upheld in this one case, could eventually spell disaster for all the domestic New Deal and Great Society programs they love. Of those dissenting and defending California's medical marijuana laws against federal usurpation, Justice Clarence Thomas, one of the court's most conservative jurists and not at all a civil libertarian (see his incredibly pro-executive power dissents concerning the handling of detainees in the war on terrorism), gave the most stirring rebuke of the majority ruling:

If the Federal Government can regulate growing a half-dozen cannabis plants for personal consumption (not because it is interstate commerce, but because it is inextricably bound up with interstate commerce), then Congress' Article I powers -- as expanded by the Necessary and Proper Clause -- have no meaningful limits. Whether Congress aims at the possession of drugs, guns, or any number of other items, it may continue to "appropria[te] state police powers under the guise of regulating commerce." . . .

If the majority is to be taken seriously, the Federal Government may now regulate quilting bees, clothes drives, and potluck suppers throughout the 50 States. This makes a mockery of Madison's assurance to the people of New York that the "powers delegated" to the Federal Government are "few and defined", while those of the States are "numerous and indefinite."


So we have it that on the grounds of legal philosophy, the constitutionalists are sounder on this particular issue, and the liberals and Obama administration will probably not end the raids as a matter of constitutional principle. But perhaps Obama, while believing he has the constitutional right to engage in the raids, will still think they are bad policy.

On every other drug war question, including mandatory minimums and foreign policy with respect to opium and Afghanistan and cocaine in Latin America, I do not expect much from Obama, but there is an off chance he will end the raids. But I still think it is unlikely. If he ends those raids without actually changing federal marijuana law, the federal government has a weaker claim that it can and should supercede the states on recreational marijuana, drugs in general, or indeed almost anything else over which the federal government fails to have express constitutional jurisdiction.

Then there is the question of image. President Jimmy Carter appeared poised to reform drug law, but then Peter Bourne, Carter's Special Assistant on Health Issues, who was in charge of drug policy, was caught writing an illegal prescription for a fellow member of the staff and was the subject of rumors regarding cocaine use. He resigned and Carter backed off from any reform. Under President Clinton, who had admitted trying marijuana, marijuana arrests doubled and the drug war was stepped up.

Obama has also admitted to experimenting, and being a Democrat suspected of being soft on crime, he might find it most expedient to ratchet up the drug war to prove his toughness, regardless of what he personally believes about the issue.

There is one way I could see real change coming soon on this issue: If society and the government become so bankrupt that lawmakers decide to decriminalize and tax marijuana and other drugs, as they did with alcohol as the Great Depression came into full force. I doubt they will become so desperate, however, and the financial cost of the drug war is relatively small compared to the power it provides to the federal government, which they will want to preserve.

Moreover, because the Americans did not learn the full lesson from alcohol prohibition, its end in the early 1930s was soon followed by the rise of marijuana prohibition and the federal drug war, none of which even had the constitutional legitimacy that the liquor ban did under the 18th Amendment.

For those who want a meaningful change in drug policy and to avoid the emergence of something just as bad in its place, hope comes not in a wishy-washy establishment politician like Obama, but rather in a shift of public understanding on the role of government. First off, the philosophical foundations of drug prohibition should be questioned.

A free society strives for laws that protect person and property and do not police peaceful behavior, however socially deviant or personally destructive, in such an arbitrary and violent way. Second, the constitutional limits on the federal government must be much better acknowledged and respected.

If the U.S. government is meant to police and micromanage the nation, disastrous federal crusades like the war on medical marijuana are inevitable; if the federal government were constrained under federalism, drugs would be regulated locally and by the states, and nothing like the current militarized and gigantically wasteful and counterproductive drug war would persist.

Americans have, according to most polls, moved toward skepticism of current drug policy, especially on issues like medical marijuana. Most Americans know the drug war is a failure and do not want to see sick people jailed for using alternative medicine. Washington does not reflect this popular understanding of the issue.

But the public needs to think even more seriously about this, from the standpoint that liberty should be culturally respected and the federal government should be constitutionally limited. Down that path of thinking is the bluprint of a consistently freer, more just and more workable society, one where not just the rights of medicinal marijuana patients are protected, but where everyone's right to live his or her life in peace is secure.

The drug and medical marijuana issues are thus related to all other political issues in social life. The answer, as always, is less government, less centralism, and more individual freedom. A consistent understanding of this vision will help the drug reform movement succeed better, for as long as it depends on liberal politicians, who are devoted to the notion of federal power as a matter of course, the victories it can claim will be few and far between.

Cannabis legislation is the lynchpin of an illegal government power grab.Anyone remember the last time the government gave up power? Obama has lied just as so many have in the past. One has to wonder would he have done as well without the hopefull cannabis users who's plight is the dominant issue on his own websites? I can asssure him that without some relief at least for medical use he will find his support has thinned in four years.
JF

This is my second attempt at posting a reply on this discussion.
I hope I don't miss much of what I was typing in my first attempt...

I read a post that suggested a "Million Marijuana March" or some such thing in Washington, D.C.

I think that is a brilliant idea, but I would also like to offer what I believe to be a better version of the same idea. I will try to back up this idea as best as I can, but feel free to comment back with improvements or suggestions.

The main problem with marching on Washington, D.C. is that there are far too many people who can't make it all the way to Washington to participate in the march. Agreed?

Now, what if we chose a day, like April 20th 2009 for example, and organized a nationwide march in every major and mid-sized city? Think about it: The numbers in Washington, D.C. would be dwarfed in comparison to the numbers we could march with if EVERYONE across the country could participate without going to D.C.

If this were to happen, if we could all pull together and get this thing organized, and we pull it off successfully, there is no way that the media or the government will be able to ignore the thunderous roar of the masses who want something done about this! (Sorry for the run-on sentence...I get all motivated talking about this.)

So I challenge you America, all the masses of people who want to be heard... Find a way to spread the word to as many people as you can, in every community. Get the word out and MAKE OUR GOVERNMENT GIVE US WHAT WE WANT! And please, comment back with comments, suggestions, or improvements.

We have to stand together on this one.

I am the leader of a Canthe church and would like to know if the Obama administration will provide 1st. Amendment Religious Freedom protection for all religions including those that may use sacraments such as Cannabis or continue to suppress and prosecute any religion not sanctioned by the U.S. government?

i'll spread the word in butte county, california. Let's make this marijuana march open the eyes and ears of the public/government and make a much needed reform on the marijuana laws. everyone tell as much people as possible!!!

i'll spread the word in butte county, california. Let's make this marijuana march open the eyes and ears of the public/government and make a much needed reform on the marijuana laws. everyone tell as much people as possible!!!

Hey everyone just found this on the NORML page over on MySpace, I thought it might bring you some sunlight since the discussion in here is getting a little short on hope. Check out this link from the San Francisco Chronicle:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/23/BAO416354C.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea



You can also find more articles on the subject by searching Tom Ammiano under NEWS. I hope this makes everyone feel a little better, I know I feel a lot better!

sweet i thought Obama was interested in creating millions of jobs and making a new $billion/yr industry right....

strange puppets on both sides feel the same about marijuana

Alcohol, overdose, "hard" drugs kill, marijuana is a slow killer like cigarettes. Legalize it..

What president wants to be known as passing a bill for pot?
Think about the benefits. prison/jail over crowded, billions of dollars spent trying to prevent it...all a waste..alcohol kills not trees

I don't think this is a laughing matter and the people that agree with me should not get discouraged you should be pissed off. So do something about it! Get involved, get educated and get motivated! If you really want change that's what its going to take. Its on you

LEGALIZE MARIJUANA!!!!!!!!!

An Open Letter to George Soros and fellow Billionaires

Dear George et al, 

Perhaps you have noticed the rising tide of marijuana law reform in America. The issue is solidly in the mainstream for 2009. No week goes by without progress being made on the issue along with heavy media coverage. Truly, at no other time in the last 30 years has the topic of cannabis reform been more popular and prevalent in state legislatures and the federal government.

I have personally dedicated time and skills towards the goal of ending marijuana prohibition as a volunteer to several local and national groups.

Recently during some of my enthusiastically offered time I have been debating prohibitionists on television, radio and blogs. Too often I hear the same completely false opposition arguments, yet all that backward rhetoric is easily countered with facts about marijuana and my own charming demeanor.

But one hollow prohibitionist statement is somewhat frustrating and directly relates to you Mr. Soros. Frequently the marijuana law reform movement in the US, even the absolutely vital medical marijuana effort, is broadly accused of being funded by "billionaires like George Soros."

Giving credit where it is due: You and others of your financial stature have made generous contributions to select reform groups over the years. These have been valuable to the reform effort. That support to some groups came when the issue of cannabis reform did not enjoy its current overall popularity. 

But the truth is that those few massive donations have not reached everyone in the marijuana reform movement. Not by a long shot. 

Around America there is the greenest of the grassroots movements, one that includes thousands of active participants who speak up for millions of supporters. It is kept alive with some of the most dedicated volunteer spirit involved in any political movement; everyone working on the common cause of common sense prohibition reform. 

There was a time that I had the privilege to work under contract for NORML-National in Washington DC to create podcasts.  But I have never received any money from a billionaire, certainly never directly from you Mr. Soros.  

That is why it is somewhat surreal in public debates when this humble volunteer (well, volunteer at least) is constantly accused of being well funded by none other than you!

One recent TV debate is an example

 >> Watch WFMZ-Allentown Medical Marijuana Debate Video

Here in New Jersey and Pennsylvania we are working every day on medical cannabis reform and other important issues. We do it for free.  

Our groups of volunteers in PA and NJ are not unique. We are part of a vast network of non-paid advocates in every state. 

But to be clear, we are absolutely not too proud to take money from billionaires. We would welcome your contribution.  

So perhaps you would like to purchase a CMMNJ T-shirt or lapel pin, maybe a PhillyNORML T-Shirt or perhaps just a general (even anonymous) donation to PA4MMJ or CMMNJ....say for around $10 million dollars. 

Perhaps you can invite some of your like-minded friends of similar financial stature like Bill Gates…because as much as I agree that AIDS in Africa is a deadly serious problem; there are thousands of HIV/AIDS patients who must edure fear of arrest along with their condition every day, because they live in American states that do not have a medical cannabis program yet.

Why not help them too?

Locally in PA and NJ we can make a lot happen with the backing of a billionaire or two. 

Just look at what we and other advocates across the country do already, for free. 

Sincerely,
Chris Goldstein

www.cmmnj.org

www.pa4mmj.org

www.phillynorml.org

There is an overwhelming amount of facts and information that proves cannabis/hemp is the most beneficial plant on earth. Cannabis/hemp could replace cotton, oil, and lumber. The plant could provide food, shelter, fuel, and medicine for all third world countries. These anti-drug organizations like drug free america and above the influence are sponsored by alcohol and tobacco companies. They want no competition.


If the words 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness' don't include the right to experiment with your own consciousness, then the Declaration of Independence isn't worth the hemp it was written on. - Terence McKenna

"Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded" -Abraham Lincoln

"Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth & protection of the country." -Thomas Jefferson

"The oppressed should rebel, and they will continue to rebel and raise disturbance until their civil rights are fully restored to them and all partial distinctions, exclusions and incapacitations are removed."
- Thomas Jefferson, 1776

"Make the most of the Indian hemp seed, and sow it everywhere." ~George Washington, The writings of George Washington Vol 33, page 270 (Library of Congress), 1794

Jackherer.com for the facts

These girls are very funny!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4r1hUXeRA0

Riki "Garfunkel" Lindhome and Kate "Oates" Micucci sing a song about getting a medical marijuana card in California.
LYRICS:
Everyone knows marijuanas dangerous
And medical pot is really strong
Thats why its so hard it California
To get your weed card 
Unless somethings really wrong
Gonna pay a visit to my doctor
Its a long shot but I gotta try
She hands me a list of all the ailments
I can have to qualify
Cant believe what I am reading
This is just what Ive been needing
A government supply
To get legally high

Weed card, thats what I need
Hardly ever, okay, always
But its not an addiction
Cause my doctor gave me a prescription

You can get your card for having headaches, bad dreams or anxiety
Propensity for drugs or alcohol,
Anorexia or Obesity
Too fat, too thin, either way you win)
Carpal tunnel syndrome, color blindness, 
St-st-stuttering, t-t-tooth decay
Fatigue, depression, motion sickness, 
Impotence or TMJ
You can smoke to quit cigarettes
For asthma or mother fucking Tourettes
Its a dream come true 
Theres nothing pot cant do 

Weed card, thats what I need
Hardly ever, okay, always
But its not an addiction
Cause my doctor gave me a prescription

Got back pain need mary jane
Cant handle this, need cannabis
Got a stomach ache, gotta wake and bake
Have an injury, need tch
Get fucked up for your hyperhydrosis
Which is sweaty palms in case you need a diagnosis
Its not a crime, its 4:20 time

Weed card, thats what I need
Hardly ever, okay, always
But its not an addiction
Cause my doctor gave me a prescription

I'd just like to say that our democracy must not support a tyrrany of the majority. A simple majority should not be permitted to dictate to a large minority, especially in the case of a prohibition, unless serious harm can be demonstrated. If 41% of the population thinks pot should be legal, why should they be denied? Majorities often make very bad decisions. Government has no business tampering with our natural, inborn freedom to administer our own beings, i.e. to suspending our rights to sovereignty over our own bodies. If I choose to alter my consciousness, and am careful to avoid harming others in the process, that should be my decision.

It certainly should not be up to a governing body to dictate our strictly personal lives to us. It rarely even tries to justify its position, or should I say stand, these days, because that is its weakness! It has no rational defense. It has now transitioned, it seems, from propaganda to stonewalling. We are now on the hunt. We are aggressive and confident, that eventually, we will have our day.

We are now, finally, able to respond to every government attack. It's because we keep writing and getting read, because we have a means to be heard, and because marijuana is, after all, the most popular topic in Obama's email inbox. How long can he ignore us? How long can he ignore reality?

People are talking, seriously, about medical MJ, legalization, states rights, the cost (in dollars), lives, tax income and the unnecessary imposition on personal rights. Laws are being eased up, especially in the area of MM. I think we might be making some progress.

Please, everyone, keep up the pressure. We must not let this opportunity slip away.

This is a crying shame.  It all started when we were using Mexicans for cheap labor in the early 1900's and they enjoyed sparking a doobie occasionally.  Of course our elitist ancestors couldn't allow themselves to enjoy anything the commoners did and must not allow the Mexicans to have any fun so it must be illegal.  That is about the sum total of thought that has gone in to today's arguments against weed. Disregard that it is safer than alcohol and we could save millions of tax dollars if we quit chasing high school kids sneaking as hit behind Quik Trip.  Then we could regulate and tax it, and have some control over it.  All of that extra money could then be spent preventing real crimes, like child molestors, wife beaters, real drug problems liked crack, to name a few.

I just don't understand how alcohol can be legal but cannabis cannot be legal.

you don't ever hear of a pothead or someone who just smoked a dobbie or two coming home to his wife and kids and beating the crap out of them, but you hear it happens all the time when a father or husband comes home smashed gets angry and ends up hurting his wife or child.

when you drink too much alochol you get  alcohol poisoning and possibly die. you can't overdose on marijuana it is literally impossible. so why is it illegal? the government needs to open their eyes and think about really how much safer marijuana is and how it is not dangerous. and how it would also help our economy which is currently in horrible shape. i am just saying i still honestly do not see why it is illegal and it is about time too make it legal. it would also eliminate a lot of drug dealers and open more jail spaces. Too many people are getting busted and tossed in jail for doing a safe harmless thing. It's time for the goverment to open their eyes and listen to what we have to say.

The great news just keeps coming in.

Yesterday, Congress voted to finally lift the 11-year ban on Washington, D.C.’s medical marijuana law.

The House voted 221-202 and the Senate voted 57-35 to approve the measure.

For the last 11 years, under a provision known as the Barr amendment, Congress has prevented Washington, D.C. from implementing the medical marijuana law passed by 69% of voters in 1998.

Repealing this amendment has been a primary focus of MPP's federal lobbying efforts for many years. In 2007, we even hired former Congressman Bob Barr (R-Ga.) — the original author of the amendment — to lobby to overturn it. And our lobbyists have worked directly with members of the House and Senate and their staff since 2006 to eliminate this democracy-unfriendly law.

In fact, senior appropriators in Congress sought out MPP staff to work through specifics and to help better understand D.C.'s medical marijuana law and the complicated legal maneuverings that led to the blocking of its implementation.  

MPP would like to thank Congressmen Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.), Dave Obey (D-Wis.), Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) for their strong and abiding support of allowing D.C. to implement its medical marijuana law.

Today's vote represents a victory not just for medical marijuana patients, but for all Americans, who have the right to determine their own policies without federal meddling.

Now we need the same rights in EVERY STATE!!!!  In Florida, our organization is collecting petitions to get language on the 2010 ballot to legalize the use of medicinal marijuana.  Our site is located at www.pufmm.org and we welcome all registered Florida voters to visit our site, download petitions and get them distributed.  The time is now and we need all of your help.

Thanks.  Kevin S.

The great news just keeps coming in.

Yesterday, Congress voted to finally lift the 11-year ban on Washington, D.C.’s medical marijuana law.

The House voted 221-202 and the Senate voted 57-35 to approve the measure.

For the last 11 years, under a provision known as the Barr amendment, Congress has prevented Washington, D.C. from implementing the medical marijuana law passed by 69% of voters in 1998.

Repealing this amendment has been a primary focus of MPP's federal lobbying efforts for many years. In 2007, we even hired former Congressman Bob Barr (R-Ga.) — the original author of the amendment — to lobby to overturn it. And our lobbyists have worked directly with members of the House and Senate and their staff since 2006 to eliminate this democracy-unfriendly law.

In fact, senior appropriators in Congress sought out MPP staff to work through specifics and to help better understand D.C.'s medical marijuana law and the complicated legal maneuverings that led to the blocking of its implementation.  

MPP would like to thank Congressmen Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.), Dave Obey (D-Wis.), Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) for their strong and abiding support of allowing D.C. to implement its medical marijuana law.

Today's vote represents a victory not just for medical marijuana patients, but for all Americans, who have the right to determine their own policies without federal meddling.

Now we need the same rights in EVERY STATE!!!!  In Florida, our organization is collecting petitions to get language on the 2010 ballot to legalize the use of medicinal marijuana.  Our site is located at www.pufmm.org and we welcome all registered Florida voters to visit our site, download petitions and get them distributed.  The time is now and we need all of your help.

Thanks.  Kevin S.

LEGALIZE ITTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!