Tortoise vs. Hare: Marijuana Legalization Movement
June 17th, 2009 by Rick
Like the slow but persistent tortoise in the race in Aesop’s Fables, the marijuana decriminalization/legalization movement has been faithfully trudging along for more than two decades. Like the careless hare, cocksure and arrogant, the drug warriors have been sleeping at the tree, not overly concerned about crossing the finish line — underestimating the tortoise.
A veteran of the movement, Ethan Nadelmann of the Drug Policy Alliance said:
This is the first time I feel like the wind is at my back and not in my face.
Even people within law enforcement have begun to question the war on drugs. Norm Stamper, a former Seattle Police Chief, an active member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) said:
For the most part, what we’ve seen over the past 20 years has been incremental. [...] What we’ve seen in the past six months is an explosion of activity, fresh thinking, bold statements and penetrating questions.
More and more politicians are beginning to seriously question the drug war. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said the issue of legalization needs to be discussed, while former world leaders from Mexico and South America have formed an organization and said that the only way to stop the drug violence crossing borders is to legalize.
More and more states are pursuing a change in their laws that would decriminalize pot, as well as contemplating bills that would allow medical marijuana for registered patients. Congress, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, (D-Ohio) and Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va) are among several lawmakers that recognize the failed U.S. drug policies.
Sen. Jim Webb said:
Nothing should be off the table.
Rep. Dennis Kucinich, during a phone interview commented on the fact of two Presidents of the United States have admitted to smoking marijuana:
Apparently that didn’t stop them from achieving their goals in life. [...] We need to come at this from a point of science and research and not from mythologies or fears.
When lawmakers speak with the drug warriors, they are now more educated on the issue and actually question their tactics and claims. Rep. Steve Cohen, (D-Tenn) grilled FBI Director Robert Mueller at a House hearing last month. When asked about lives being lost to marijuana, Mueller was stumped.
Rep. Steve Cohen said:
Exactly. You can’t, because that hasn’t happened. [...] Is there some time we’re going to see that we ought to prioritize meth, crack, cocaine and heroin, and deal with the drugs that the American culture is really being affected by?
The citizens of this country have voiced their opinions through national polls and the results are disconcerting to the drug warriors, showing that half the American Public is behind legalizing marijuana. Economic experts like, Jeffrey Miron, an economist at Harvard University, have extensively studied the cost and effect of the drug war, claiming that at least $7.7 billion would be saved with law enforcement costs. Additionally, if marijuana was regulated and taxed like alcohol, it could potentially generate more than $6 billion in revenue.
According to a DEA document:
Legalization of marijuana, no matter how it begins, will come at the expense of our children and public safety. [...] It will create dependency and treatment issues, and open the door to use of other drugs, impaired health, delinquent behavior, and drugged drivers.
Bruce Mirken, communications director of the Marijuana Policy Project disagrees:
The notion that we have to keep something completely banned for adults to keep it away from kids doesn’t hold up.
Now in a day and age where once strong American corporations are now declaring bankruptcy and affecting the national economy in a negative impact, can we afford not to pursue every avenue of generating much needed revenue for this country and eliminating the sheer number of incarcerations of non-violent offenders, caused by the war on drugs?
Thomas Jefferson once said:
When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.
The fact that more and more prominent people within politics and the marijuana movement are speaking up and denouncing the myths and boldfaced lies of the drug war, shows that the people are beginning to shift gears. People have gone from fearing the repercussions from the government to seeing the rewards just on the horizon. It’s just a matter of time before the government will fear its people, and true liberty and the pursuit of happiness is attained.
Schwarzenegger Answers Digg Questions
May 28th, 2009 by RickCalifornia Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger finally answered some questions that have been proposed by users of the Digg website. Naturally, one of the top questions, with 1056 Diggs asked by Digg user EndecriX, was concerning the legalization of marijuana:
What is your stance on the legalization, cultivation and regulation of marijuana in the state of California?
For someone that wanted to get the ball rolling with the issue of legalization, Schwarzenegger immediately says he is against the legalization of marijuana, when asked the question. He did say that others want marijuana legalized, so for this reason he would leave it open for debate.
Like a typical politician, Schwarzenegger passes the buck and leaves the issue up to others, almost wiping his hands clean of it. Maybe he wants to run as a U.S. Senator (because he can’t run as Governor,) so he’s backing the policies and decisions of the power players in Washington in hopes that they back him.
Ironically enough, when Schwarzenegger first spoke about the potential of legalization, he said we should look into the success rate of the countries that have already legalized drugs. This time around he seems to have a bit of fuzzy memory as he said he wasn’t sure how the other countries fared with their projects on legalization. Even though the information is available, Schwarzenegger claims that he doesn’t think there is any information out there. What. The. Fuck.
Schwarzenegger likes the law that they have, saying “it plays” — meaning that he supports the prohibition. In fact, it seems as if Schwarzenegger was replaced by a clone, like in The 6th Day, because everything he said before is now different. This is the man that suggested the legalization of marijuana would provide a billion dollar annual revenue to California and now he says that California needs to not live beyond their means — that marijuana shouldn’t be legalized just on that front alone.
Schwarzenegger then whines about California’s budget, debt and the fact that it’s been like that for 60 some years. Looks like it’s time for a change California. Stop electing dumbass movie stars that delve into politics because of their popularity or the fact that they married into a blue-blooded lineage. Nothing will ever change and none of these people will ever go against the status quo.
Founder of Drug Policy Alliance Drops Science
May 22nd, 2009 by RickEthan Nadelmann, the founder and executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, paid a visit to the Happy Hour on Fox Business and discussed the hot issue of legalizing pot.
The ignorance behind the supposed fair and balanced network is the fact that they showed a clip of a high Schwarzenegger back in his days of pumping iron. Host Rebecca Diamond makes a comment on the clip that it was hilarious. The clip basically showed a mellow, relaxed and happy Arnold — what was so damn funny about that?
The other clip was of his press conference where he talked about how we should look at how other countries have handled their drug policies. Did you notice the laugh track that was then placed on that segment? That’s what I’d like to call subliminal rape and the mainstream media have become pros at it.
The irony behind this interview is the fact that it took place within a bar, while Diamond focuses on bringing up every antiquated myth that the war on drugs has produced. The hypocrisy of bad mouthing a plant that has proven medicinal value while sitting in front a legal drug that kills and ruins lives, knows no bounds.
Fair and balanced? More like fixed and deranged.
Digg Users Get Chance to Ask Arnie Anything
May 20th, 2009 by Rick
Digg is currently hosting a forum (aptly named Dialogg) until Tuesday May 26, where registered Digg members can submit a question that will be voted upon, the most popular to be asked to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger when they interview him from the Capital Building in Sacramento, CA.
A few of the popular subjects (aside from the legalization of marijuana) address the fact that he can’t run for president of the United States and infer what his political plans are after his term ends in California. Some comments ask questions that apparently he hasn’t been able to answer as his stint as Governor.
One of the ones I’m now curious to know now was submitted by zwendkos:
what were you thinking right here?
No doubt, the Digg community will do a great job when it comes to providing sound questions for the interview and I for one am looking forward to delving into the mind of Arnold Schwarzenegger once more.
CNBC Host Bashes Schwarzenegger
May 15th, 2009 by RickOn his May 12 broadcast, Larry Kudlow, host of The Kudlow Report, expressed his belief that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is hiding behind the agenda of legalizing marijuana to compensate for his lackluster job as the head of state and to generate revenue for California’s deflated budget.
Gov. Schwarzenegger, I mean he basically wants to get everybody stoned and then raise taxes. [...] Now I have a problem with that. If we raise taxes, we ought to do it in a sober way so people can lash back at it.
Kudlow goes on to say:
The guy is desperate for revenue to finance his gigantic spending programs. [...] He’s really failed as a governor. When he beat Gray Davis a couple of years back, he was going to balance the budget, keep taxes down, stop spending. He’s failed at all that stuf.
At the end Kudlow reveals:
I have nothing against Gov. Schwarzenegger personally. [...] But I think the guy’s had a really bad term and I think this legalization of marijuana is a last-ditch attempt for him to stir the pot, almost to distract from his other problems.
For Kudlow not having a personal problem with Schwarzenegger, he certainly took things out of context that made it appear that he did. From him saying that Arnold wants to get “everyone stoned” shows that because from all the clips shown in the news, Schwarzenegger said that it may be time for a serious, rational debate on the issue of legalization. Maybe Kudlow should have invited Governor Schwarzenegger onto the show, instead of having a friend speak for him.
As for Stephen Baldwin, that guy needs to go back to making movies with Pauly Shore and stick to what he’s good at, instead of trying to appear he knows what the fuck he’s talking about.
Poll: Majority of Americans Want It Legalized
May 14th, 2009 by Erin
With the economy in shambles and the government looking any which way to help revive and stimulate it, it’s no wonder that a majority of Americans say it “makes sense to tax and regulate” cannabis. In the Zogby poll released last Wednesday, 3,937 voters were polled and the right-wing O’Leary Report revealed that 52 percent were in favor of marijuana legalization while only 37 percent opposed.
Compare this to a less recent ABC News/Washington Post poll, which found 46 percent in support and a California Field Poll that found 56 percent in support; backed by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger calling for an open debate on legalization.
Voters were asked:
Scarce law enforcement and prison resources, a desire to neutralize drug cartels and the need for new sources of revenue have resurrected the topic of legalizing marijuana. Proponents say it makes sense to tax and regulate the drug while opponents say that legalization would lead marijuana users to use other illegal drugs. Would you favor or oppose the government’s effort to legalize marijuana?
Favor.
Time for a Debate, Schwarzenegger Says
May 5th, 2009 by Rick
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke Tuesday, responding to a poll, that showed 56 percent of registered voters supporting legalizing and taxing marijuana to raise revenue for the state, and proposed legislation put forth by California Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, that calls to legalize weed for recreation, not just medication.
Well, I think it’s not time for that, but I think it’s time for a debate. [...] I think all of those ideas of creating extra revenues, I’m always for an open debate on it. And I think we ought to study very carefully what other countries are doing that have legalized marijuana and other drugs, what effect did it have on those countries?
Schwarzenegger was quoted in the British version of GQ magazine at one time saying:
It’s not a drug. It’s a leaf.
His comments at the time were just downplayed as a joke but now it seems very clear, that the time for snickering and jokes are over… it’s time for a serious debate on the legalization of marijuana. We at tFS, joked about it in our Apirl Fool’s Day post before but in reality the joke is on all of us, and it’s an inside one at that.
Schwarzenegger Legalizes Marijuana in California
April 1st, 2009 by Silvio
In a startling move, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger held a press conference today regarding the marijuana legalization bill that was postponed until 2010.
Marijuana is not a drug, it’s a leaf. Everyone knows that I smoked pot when I was into bodybuilding. There was nothing better for relaxation than smoking marijuana after a rigorous workout. I smoked weed and still became a successful movie star and the Governor of California. It’s time to legalize. In fact we are legalizing it for everyone of 21 years of age and up.
After the surprising statement, Governor Schwarzenegger said that a new initiative to replace the one that was postponed until 2010 was presented.
Yesterday, we organized a 12 member special committee, the Human Effects Review Board, comprised of top representatives and senators within the state House and Senate. In a 10-2 vote, it was decided to legalize marijuana in the state of California for anyone 21 and older. The bill was pushed through, late last night and was made into a law today.
Governor Schwarzenegger concluded the press conference by sparking a stogie and saying:
I’ll be back.
