Will Legalization Help Anything?
October 23rd, 2008 by Alex
For Red Ribbon week, communities are raising the awareness of the dangers of drug use. The Ledger-Enquirer published a 2-page story with both the pro & con sides of marijuana legalization, titled “Simply legalizing marijuana may not fix issues with abuse”.
Will Henao, a 30-year old college student, is using it to point out the hypocrisy of the drug war. He writes:
A motorist can buy cigarettes and alcohol at a gas station. But anyone who buys marijuana can go to jail, along with hardened criminals. You’re locking someone up with a rapist, a killer, a child molester. Can you weigh it?
Following this point of view, Columbus Police Sgt. Rick Stinson argues that the argument for legalization is self-defeating when you look at the consequences of alcohol legalization. Officer Stinson argues that since alcohol is the most readily available drug to minors, making pot just as accessible will further endanger our children.
He then proceeds to tell a story about a kid who started smoking at 9 years old, because his Dad also smoked, and then was addicted for life. Preferring smoking weed to having freedom, he failed drug tests and had to go to jail.
There are more arguments, examples and points of view in the article. Some with merit, some without, but all sides can agree this is a complex issue without a single answer. It has to come down to a mix of personal responsibility and intelligent rules & regulations.
Will the people of this country be able to create a system that works for all sides? Only time will tell.
SF to Go Dutch on Prostitution Policy, Maybe
October 23rd, 2008 by Perry
The American city that continues to embody and pioneer radical left-wing politics, is at it again. On the November ballot, its citizens could be the first in the country to have legalized prostitution.
If Proposition K passed, the measure would prohibit local authorities from investigating, arresting or prosecuting anyone for selling sex. Advocates say it would free up roughly $11 million the police spend each year arresting prostitutes, and allow them to form collectives.
And let’s not forget about the working girl’s perspective. “It will allow workers to organize for our rights and for our safety,” said Patricia West, 22, who said she has been selling sex for about a year by placing ads on the internet. She moved to San Francisco in May from Texas to work on Proposition K.
MMJ Ads Upset Leaders of Boston’s Finest
October 23rd, 2008 by AlexCongratulations to retired Sgt. Howard Donahue and retired Lt. Tom Nolan, formerly of the Boston Police Department, for winning our theFreshScent, co-Man of the Month award.
They submitted footage of themselves in uniform as police officers in television & radio ads supporting marijuana decriminalization. That’s right, add a couple more cops to the ‘level headed’ list.
Giving people the impression that law enforcement supports Question 2, which decriminalizes marijuana, has current city and law enforcement leaders irate. They argue that the former officers in no way asked permission to use the BPD brand, nor does the BPD actually endorse Question 2.
Oh yea? Well cry me a river. To use a line oft-repeated line as justification, since the government consistently fabricates negative MMJ statistics and dangers, the ends justify the means.
Listen to the radio ad above, and go vote Yes on Question 2 if you live in the Boston area.
To learn more, and see some TV spots, check out the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy website.
Marijuana Becoming Subject to Bureaucracy
October 21st, 2008 by Perry
Now that marijuana is becoming accepted into our culture, it’s also becoming subject to one of the biggest perils facing modern man: bureaucracy.
Alex Coolman @ Drug Law Blog notes a recent trip to a NORML conference that he was “struck by the strong push to regulate, normalize and formalize the discourse around medical marijuana.”
The major players in this area seem to understand that medical marijuana has a truly astounding potential to grow – particularly when the federal administration changes – and are moving now to set in place structures that will allow that growth to be as safe, responsible and sustainable as possible.
While it’s vital to have a strong infrastructure in place, and lobbyists to compete with law enforcement PACs, you can’t help but feel the movement is starting to stray from its original high-minded goals.
Ultimately however, the effect on the marijuana movement is a positive one, as the article goes on to explain:
California is actually a very interesting example of how this field is regulating itself. Standards are getting created and implemented by the people who work in the field, and they are evolving not as a function of law enforcement but in an attempt to encourage good health and good business.
However, he also noted the irony of watching medical marijuana representatives squabble over the same kinds of accountability standards that you might see in Tylenol or Aspirin.
Detroit Free Press: Don’t Print Shitty Op-Eds
October 7th, 2008 by Alex
Another Michigan story, but hey, it’s the center of an embattled legalization measure and worth keeping in the headlines.
Looks like another anti-medical marijuana group is jumping into the legalization fray - the Troy Community Coalition. Their executive director, Ann Comiskey, has written an op-ed in the Detroit Free Press about the evil, unthinkable dangers that a medical marijuana initiative can do to their communities.
This basically equates to a ‘Reefer Madness’ type mentality, with thinly-veiled scare tactics about danger to children and increased violence, crime and abuse.
My favorite line is this one:
Marijuana is an illegal drug, and, admittedly, it makes some people “feel good.” That is what drugs do — make you feel good. That does not make legitimate medicine.
What an educated statement, please tell me more!
The only good thing to come out of this woman’s article, other than the unintended entertainment, is a reference to the Office of Applied Studies. This site has tons of useful and interesting statistics on substance abuse.
See, there is a silver lining to all shitty op-ed clouds…
All Pills, No Thrills
October 7th, 2008 by Alex
As an au naturale kind of guy I’m not a huge fan of Marinol - the commonly prescribed, synthetic form of THC.
In Michigan, where the state is about to vote on medical marijuana legalization, one doctor is going on record as saying the pill just doesn’t work, which is why medical marijuana is so important to those seeking relief.
Dr. Elaine Chottiner, the section head of Hematology and Oncology at Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, let this quote drop:
If Marinol worked, nobody would care about legalizing marijuana.
She said absorption is probably one reason the drug doesn’t work as well, since it takes longer to digest and incorporate a compound into the bloodstream than it does to smoke it. Also, Marinol contains only one of marijuana’s 66 compounds.
The main point is relief for the patients, and although the clinical trials of Marinol showed relief for certain kinds of chemotherapy, it is not applicable to all.
In less than a month, November 4th to be exact, Michigan voters are going to decide on the merits of legal, medical cannabis use. Let’s hope the opinions of people in the know help influence their votes.
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime… Sack
October 1st, 2008 by Perry
Pay for the bank bailout with the legalization of weed?
Imagining an economy based on weed… “Yeah, man, I’ll get you back with loan payment, like, Tuesday and shit.” Could be scary. But it might just be crazy enough to work. Can’t hurt to give it a shot.
A Fireside Chat with Ron Paul
September 30th, 2008 by PerryArmed with a great argument for a Libertarian Revolution, Ron Paul has some great arguments for state’s rights in the legalization battle and what sort of things our government should be concerning itself with.
