Barney Frank Introduces Decriminalization Bill
June 22nd, 2009 by Russ
In the parlance of Emeril, Barney Frank just took his support of rational weed policy and kicked it up a notch. Behold the Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2009. Bam! Introduced last week and co-sponsored by libertarian weed ally Ron Paul, the bill would eliminate federal penalties for possessing up to 100 grams of herb. In addition to eliminating low-level possession charges, the bill would give state governments the option to shuck off all of their respective weed laws and adopt the new federal non-intervention policy.
Rep. Frank is on quite a roll, having recently introduced another bill to protect medical marijuana users from prosecution. Perhaps he figured while he was at it, he may as well try to reform the whole dirty business that is the War on Marijuana.
If this bill seems strangely familiar to you, that is probably because it is a re-introduced version of the same bill from last year, also sponsored by Frank. The last iteration was sent into sub-committee and never saw the light of day again. Will a new Congress and a new President with a new mandate be enough to change its fate this time? In the words of old Barney:
It’s time for the politicians to catch up with the public on this. The notion that you lock people up for smoking marijuana is pretty silly.
Silly, yes. But is this the year that the US Congress finally dispenses with the silliness? Is it silly to hope so?
Legalization Debate — Faux News Style
May 18th, 2009 by RussPerhaps in an effort to outdo CNN’s botchery of the recent California legalization debate, Fox News ‘anchor’ Bill O’Reilly made a run at convoluting the marijuana question this week. In typical Fox fashion, O’Reilly invited ancient drug crusader, Joseph Califano, to provide the ‘fair and balanced’ view on the issue.
Califano doesn’t disappoint, as he unleashes several whoppers in the interview. He emptily maintains that it’s a “dangerous” drug, and even tries to conflate the physiological effects of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana as having “similar” effects on the brain. He stopped just short of warning that marijuana imbues local immigrant farm workers with an insatiable desire to rape squirrels.
To cap it all off, Califano responds to an O’Reilly question about its relative addictiveness versus alcohol:
I don’t know the answer to that. I don’t think anyone knows the answer to that.
This answer is plausible, given that Califano seems to be not at all acquainted with any real scientific findings on marijuana. This paper, for instance, cites three separate studies conducted by medical doctors that rate the addictiveness of marijuana as about one-fifth that of alcohol. It also rates as less addictive than cocaine, nicotine, and even caffeine.
Known primarily for his role as a self-aggrandizing politician in the Carter administration, Califano has always been more interested in over-moralizing the drug issue than understanding it. His front organization, The National Center for Addiction and Substance Abuse, is nominally at Columbia University, even though not a single Columbia faculty member actually works there or participates in his program. CASA also refuses to allow any peer review on its papers, and is therefore not considered part of the serious scientific community.
Califano, therefore, makes perfect fodder for Faux News which is interested neither in science nor sanity.
First Ever Pro-Marijuana TV Ad Aired 4/20
April 21st, 2009 by RickThe first ever pro marijuana TV ad campaign challenging cannabis laws launched just yesterday on April 20th, 4/20. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), the group behind the 7,770 scheduled TV ads, planned to have them appear on CNN, CNBC, Fox News Channel, Fuse, FX Networks, G4, MSNBC, CNN’s Headline News and Spike TV. NORML’s recognition has been growing, including 600,000 friends on Facebook and nearly 67,000 friends on MySpace.
The ad itself is the winner of a user generated ad contest that NORML had asking the question:
What would you say to President Obama about legalizing marijuana?
New Jersey College student and aspiring filmmaker, Jason Druss, received 6,500 votes for his work and won the contest and the $3500 prize.
Druss said:
It’s time for President Obama to endorse cannabis law reform where it is legally controlled and taxed like alcohol and tobacco products. [...] It’s shocking that students can lose out from federal student loans for possessing a few joints, when pot’s been part of the college culture for decades.
CA High Court Rules on MMJ Case
November 25th, 2008 by Alex
A recent ruling by the Supreme Court more clearly defined California’s medical marijuana laws, by creating a precedent for law enforcement to prosecute those who supply MMJ without proper licensing.
Americans for Safe Access, one of the leading MMJ advocacy groups, said ideally the ruling would not have a “tremendous effect” on supply, other than to encourage licensed medical card holders to purchase their medicine from a legal, state-licensed grower as opposed to “on the street.” The case is one example of the many lawsuits anticipated by the ambiguities of Prop. 215, the legislation which legalized MMJ in California in 1996, but failed to address its regulation or dispensation.
Earlier this year the court found employers could fire MMJ users who tested positive for the drug after using it away from the workplace. State Legislature responded by passing a law which would have overturned that decision, but it was vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
This ruling further narrows the scope of Prop. 215 which, although unfortunate for most unlicensed growers, might be a step in the right direction for legitimate supply chains. With that potential legitimacy, more weight is added to the ultimate goal of legalization. Now we just need to see if it pans out as expected.
