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The war on marijuana is coming to an end. The American people are tired of the hypocrisy and extremism of marijuana prohibition. Indeed, over the last several years the U.S. government has changed the focus of its anti-drug efforts, emphasizing prescription drugs over marijuana.
Statistics help tell the story. In a 1969 Gallup poll, only 12% of Americans supported making marijuana legal. By 2005, support had grown to 36%. And in a Zogby International poll taken earlier this year, 44% of Americans said marijuana "should be taxed and legally regulated like alcohol and cigarettes." That is a jump in 8% in just the last 4 years.
While poll numbers favorable to ending marijuana prohibition continue to rise, politicians are beginning to voice their doubts about, and opposition to, marijuana prohibition. Both California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and New York Governor David Paterson recently said marijuana legalization should be considered and debated. Currently a bill is pending in the California Legislature to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol. The bill has received a great deal of national attention, much of it favorable.
There are many good reasons for an end to prohibition. One very good reason is the health and welfare of our neighbor to the south, Mexico. In Mexico, drug-trafficking organizations get 60% to 80% of their revenue from marijuana. These drug trafficking organizations are currently terrorizing that nation. Ending marijuana prohibition would go a long way to destroy these organizations, making Mexico, and our borders with Mexico, much safer.
On the national level, strange bedfellows Barney Frank and Ron Paul have joined forces to end the national prohibition of marijuana. HR 5843, "Act to Remove Federal Penalties for Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults", is sponsored by Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank and co-sponsored by Texas Republican Ron Paul, among others. The bill would "eliminate most Federal penalties for possession of marijuana for personal use, and for other purposes."
The time is long overdue. The time is now. Free the weed!
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Comments
Why are we ok with our police arresting people who are NOT criminals when those arrests lead to the brutal murder of 6,000+ people at the hands of the cartels every year?
There are some representatives who oppose HR 5843. They are responsible for the incarceration of millions of hard-working Americans. They have made war on the American people, destroying countless lives. They are guilty of treason.
At this exact moment individuals are being arrested and Jailed for Laws no longer backed by the majority of the Public. How is this possible in OUR democratic society? Free the Weed.
Easy. Go vote. This legislation has hardly any chance of passing with the Congress Critters who are currently in office (even though majority of them are "liberal"). This is clearly a non-party issue.
This is clearly a SPECIAL INTERESTS issue for politicians. Those being police, lawyers, and corporations.
It is misinformation that people get put in jail for possession of small amounts of marijuana. It rarely happens. Several states have decriminalized marijuana and it is like a traffic ticket. Most people get busted either because they are using or selling at school or they get pulled over for a traffic ticket or arrested for another crime (google marijuana news for examples of situations). Only those with large amounts, repeat offenders, or traffickers or growers are put in prison.
Arrests for marijuana possession don't lead to the murder of people by the cartels. The use of marijuana leads to the murder of people by the cartels, which is what Secretary of State Clinton said when she referenced our insatiable use of illegal drugs fueling the cartels' violence. No use = no cartels = no murders. (And if we legalize pot, are we supposed to legalize the other drugs pushed by the cartels as well?)
Hey man like Free the Weed already dude!
Peace
420
Dave says:
"It is misinformation that people get put in jail for possession of small amounts of marijuana. It rarely happens."
so my arrest, $$fines, probation, county jail time to get off probation for possession if 1 gram of marijuana was a dream ? didn't think so...you must be a pot bigot aka Pigot Dave
Dave says:
"It is misinformation that people get put in jail for possession of small amounts of marijuana."
No. That is not the case. I was in serious trouble for carrying less than a gram of marijuana on me. I was arrested, ticketed, and had to take a class. I didn't sell to any school or children or anything. They also confiscated my $60 water pipe.
"And if we legalize pot, are we supposed to legalize the other drugs pushed by the cartels as well?"
First of all, marijuana isn't a drug. It's a herb that grows naturally. There are no harmful chemicals added to get you high. It's less harmful than cigarettes and alcohol. So stop blowing smoke out of your ass there. Do some research on it before you immediately discredit it. Marijuana/hemp provides many purposes. It can be used for medicinal purposes, and treat symptoms such as anxiety (which I suffer), migraines, eating disorders, and help alleviate pain caused by more serious illnesses.
Viva la marijuana!
Legalize it? How many R's are there in "Fat Chance"
YEAH MAN! Like I totally agree with Michael Stone man, Free the Weed man!
Even in the Bible in Genesis it states that god put ALL green seed bearing plants here for mans use. Be it used as a medication, textile, food, or fuel it is here for a divine reason to help heal the world. FREE THE WEED
Waaaah! Waaaah! Waaah! De' mean ol' librals is pickin' on me again! Dey makin' dopes legal for little bitty kids! Waaaaaaah! Little bitty! Waaaaah! Waaah! Teeny tiny! Waaah! Waaaah! Make 'em stop! Waaaaaah! Waaaaah!
Legalize, tax it, educate, treat it like alcohol.
And it's not a stepping stone. Alcohol, cigs, and donuts are worse stepping stones in the world.
And stop putting pot in the same category as coke or meth.
On second thought, ok truth be told I seriously havet looked at any of the newer news regarding it, I havent used it so I was really just going with what Ive heard a while back, I see now I just wasnt up to date, your comments got me wondering and a quick google search showed some very interesting things. I think Ill take the "fifth" seat and watch this progress.
I apologize
The hardest thing to overcome is going to be the guilt felt by the people responsible for ruining healthy American families and lives because they decided to turn a blind eye to this ongoing massacre of the innocent for the profit of the many. I say GOOD LUCK to those people, because you'll need it at the pearly gates.
Dave,
Your whole agrument is contradicting. You claim the government doesn't send anyone to jail for possession of cannabis, so for what reason on earth would you have a problem with ending a law that you claim the government has no use for.
Also, mankind has used cannabis for thousands of years, but yet these drug cartels have only emerged since prohibition, so what is your logic for blaming people who (for thousands of years) have choosen to inhale the smoke of a plant.
And yes! Prohibition needs to end for all drugs. To use recreational drugs or not should be a personal choice, it's none of the governments bussiness! Drugs of addiction should be legal and heaverly regulated (prescribe by a doctor). Drug addiction is a illness and needs to be treated not punished!
We just smiled and waved, sittin' on that sack of seeds.
Why are the people for prohibition sided with the Drug Lords? Are they partners in crime? They both are for stiffer penalties in order to jack up the drug prices....
Prohibitionists are nothing but Treasonous Terrorists fighting against FREEDOM.
Legalize it NOW! Stop the Madness!
I know it's not here yet, but I'm already tearing up at these events unfolding in congress, and the progression this issue has taken. Many of you are simply occasional, sometimes chronic, recreational partakers and have very little understanding for how cannabis is grown, the people who grow it, and most importantly the way in which the current prohibition significantly effects the everyday life of a grower in a negative way. The growers have long risked their freedom as Americans in order for this issue to gain momentum and the laws to change in favor of the will of the people. Without these growers there would be no debate, and you would be limited to Mexican grown trash. If you consider a vast majority of these growers are regular, otherwise law abiding citizens of our beloved United States who have a great sense of morals and ethics in respect for U.S. law, it is astonishing that such citizens would break the law, risking their freedom for what they truly believe to be right.
Wow, that is the first time I have read of marijuana growers described as true patriots, willing to risk it all for the benefit and freedoms of Americans at large.
There is something that I would like to learn about, why is the "weed" of today more powerful than the "weed" of 40 years ago, has there been some genetic work involved?
Also, is it true that the hemp grown for industrial purposes has a lower THC content than the stuff that folks are smoking?
B52RN- Weed of today is more potent. This is due to years of hard work from breeders. Just like your tomatoes, corn, and apples are larger and more tasty, Marijuana breeders have worked on singling out the most desired traits.
Also, hemp contains about 3 percent THC and does not get you "high." Most Strains of good Marijuana contain 13-25 percent THC.
B52RN:
"marijuana growers as true patriots"
The cause that these growers are aligned against is unjust and unwarranted. It's about legitimate legislation, real danger vs. fictitious danger, and it's about fundamental freedoms.
"=the "weed" of today more powerful than the "weed" of 40 years ago"
Weed today being more powerful is largely a misconception. The ONDCP report that came out this year was misleading, as it included hashish, a concentrated form of marijuana(that's been around for thousands of years, by the way). The actual figure is closer to 8.5%. Also, if you look at the report itself, you may notice as I did that some of the figures are remarkably small. Most notably the number of samples for this past year. Search for "pot potency claims go up in smoke", as I can't post links.
And as I understand it, there is no genetic work involved, only variation within strains.
"the hemp grown for industrial purposes?"
Industrial hemp has insignificant THC.
B52RN- I'm not sure about marijuana growers being 'patriotic heroes' but they certainly are entrepreneurs capitalizing on lucrative, untaxed, and unregulated market.
Weed of today has higher THC content of previous generations because of botanical/agricultural developments. There are many new 'strains' of marijuana made from the offspring of the choicest plants.
Genetic engineering of marijuana occurred with growers and these people shared seeds which produced other hybrids.
Hydroponic growing has been used for 2000 years but 99% of weed 40 years ago did not use this method. Now I bet 3-4% of all marijuana is grown through water methods.
Weed comes out different if you grow it in a field behind your house vs a specific chemical, nutritional, and light regulated diet.
It will be the distinct privilege of younger generations of Americans to systematically undo the damage done by the war on some drugs. We will, of course, end prohibition, but it will not end there. We need to ensure that this nightmare never happens again. I would like to see a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the bodily autonomy of all adults. As long as they hurt no one in the process, all people have the fundamental human right to do whatever they wish with their own bodies; this is the very essence of political freedom. We will also empty the prisons of non-violent drug "offenders" and end the hypocritical, unconstitutional practice of denying employment, housing, financial aid and health care based on private recreational choices. Prohibition itself needs to be outlawed so that it may never again wreak its murderous chaos on American society. Prohibitionists are sick, treasonous, lying fascists. They are NOT my countrymen!
I've no doubt that marijuana is much more potent these days. But that just means one needs to smoke less to get high. That's a health advantage.
Another argument is that legalization would legitimize criminal cartels. If the repeal of alcohol prohibition is any example, that's simply not true. Sure, there may be some bootleggers that remain, but they would be marginalized.
I was surprised to learn that California doesn't yet tax marijuana sales. They should definitely tax it, and use some of the revenue for drug education and counseling. IMHO, responsible recreational use is harmless. But there will be some users who, like with alcohol, over-do it. And like alcohol, though, they will be the exception and not the rule.
(I only bring up alcohol as an comparative example -- it's a given these days that alcohol is far more dangerous than marijuana.)
Why is there a saynotopot.com ad up here? I clicked the link by mistake, scared the s**t out of me!
When a kid starts fooling around with marijauna and other drugs, it takes about a year and a half before they get comfortable enough with their use in order to get caught. In the meantime, the family gets to go through hell as the kid's academic performance drops, they become sneaky, rebelious, moody, unhappy. It is tough when that cute little kid you brought along turns into something else that the parent can't recognize.
Our family went through that when our son started at the local public high school and was introduced to that cute little weed. The college money we saved for 16 years wound up getting spent on rehab programs. All of our dreams for our son's future went up in smoke.
I wouldn't wish that on any parent for any reason.
I think all the work the marijuana "breeders" performed all these years contributed to our misery.
Thanks for answering my questions about the THC content of the modern weed, and industrial hemp. You confirmed my suspicions.
B52RN: If there's one thing we can all agree on, it's that kids shouldn't have access to marijuana. When it comes to kids and marijuana, the difference between our two approaches is that legalization has been proven far more effective at keeping pot away from kids. In the Netherlands, only 19% of teens have tried cannabis, while 25% of our own teens have tried it. Please note that prohibition utterly failed to keep your son away from pot. Why do you then defend prohibition as if it were an effective deterrent to teen pot use? You know first hand that it is not. Teenagers have easy access to marijuana; by contrast, they say it's more difficult to acquire alcohol because it's tightly regulated. All teenagers are moody and rebellious, but if your son was seriously having issues because of marijuana, those problems would have been many times worse had his drug of choice been alcohol. Do you seriously think putting him in jail would have helped him? Please stop playing the kid card.
The Stoner's Free the Weed campaign marches on, led by Mikey's Army!
I don't have an agenda, I am only in the here and now, so I don't play the "kid card." When it comes to the "Free the Weed" movement, I don't have a dog in the fight so I don't really care, but I am not stupid enough to think there could be a successful government program where legalized weed with taxes was going to work.
I graduated from high school 40 years ago, and I have friends from them that got involved with the weed, and I can tell you how they turned out,and the ones that got rid of it are doing well, I can tell you about a couple of guys I know who at age 58 are still trying to decide what they want to be when they grow up.
I like you guys and I really wanted to share a real life experience with you. The Weed has only interfered in my life, and in a perfect world I would like to see it just go away.
No worries, with people like Mikey heading up the Free the Weed campaign, it won't get off the ground.
B52RN: For a real-world experience regarding marijuana, visit the nearest prison. There you will find American citizens incarcerated at a rate that's five times the world average, a rate never before known in human history. The people I know who started smoking pot in high school have college degrees, jobs, houses and families. I even know of one who won more gold medals than any athlete in history, and another who is currently the President. The experiences of other people contradict your own on this point, but it's not a relevant point to begin with. This is a free, pluralistic society in which we tolerate other people's lifestyles, even if we don't agree with them. Even if pot were the career-killer that you claim, it would still not justify putting human beings in cages for it. This is not a debate about whether pot is harmful, it's about whether jail is an appropriate response. It's not a perfect world, pot's not going to go away, and mass incarceration is destroying society.
Legalize it. Treat it like alcohol plain and simple. End black market and violence.
Once it’s legal it will be exciting for the first 3 months. After that, the people who smoke now, will probably smoke the same amount. And the people who won’t, simply won’t. Not much will change. \
I’m so sick of the Gateway Drug Argument. Alcohol is the ULTIMATE GATEWAY DRUG. It’s probably 90% of people’s first buzz. And if they like it, the want more. None of my successful friends that smoke got into heavy drugs like coke.
It's a shame that the people who get addicted and kill themselves with crack & cocaine get wrapped in the same category as an adult that want to smoke a joint on a Friday night..... What a weird world.
And if treated like alcohol. Kids will have as much access to it as a 6 pack of beer. In otherwords, if regulated, kids can’t get it.
So legalize it. And to the folks that say NO and that have never done it, what right do they have to judge it?
Treat It Like Alcohol, makes a realistic intelligent response, if only the Stoner could once in awhile.
I've always contended that the only way marijuana is a gateway drug, is because some black-market dealers also sell harder drugs. And, of course, that will be a non-issue once America wises up and legalizes, taxes, and regulates God's natural creation. It's time to put and end to this ludicrous legacy of William Randolph Hearst.
I'd sure like a clone of the mommy with the flowered petiole. Awesome.
There is a fellow named John English, who writes for the examiner as well. He is a prohibitionist who is well known for his tirades and hostile confrontations. He continuously taunts and threatens Marijuana users in his articles, even law abiding citizens. You should check out his articles and read the responses, I think you would find it interesting. There are many pro-marijuana users who reply to his absurd articles.
Let's face it weed was only made illegal because of racism, and the drug companies want you take their Franken-pills and be a zombie. And industrial hemp would put the petrol/chemical cartels out of business and the cotton industry too.
DuPont could corner the market on paper production if they could eliminate the hemp producers. Hemp could be re-grown yearly, unlike timber, as it takes years to grow trees. There would be no timber industry today if not for the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937.
Today, I hear that Marijuana is now legal in San Fracsico, and the ballet will continue throughout california. And i really think that our president and senate are being irrational about keeping Marijuana illegal because no matter what they do, adults/teenagers are still gonna buy it, grow it, and smoke it. and MARIJUANA is not that big of a deal!!
Marajuana is for liberal, athiest baboons.
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