Finally, Congress Starts Moving on Reforming Pot Prohibition

[one...two...tree 2,762]

On July 30 something rather historic on a number of counts occurred in the nation's capital. Firstly, Congress is for the first time in a generation (1978) taking a serious look at reforming components of cannabis prohibition laws. In today's Congress, the support of the Congressional Black Caucus is pivotal to passing any substantive cannabis law reform. So I was so very heartened that Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and William Lacy Clay (D-MO) joined us on this very hot and oppressively humid day in DC, along with the always jocose Barney Frank (D-MA), the bill's primary sponsor (along with Rep. Ron Paul, R-TX).

Second, the media attending the press conference on HR 5843, a bill that would decriminalize marijuana possession and use for responsible adults, fairly captured the event's narrative, i.e., 'it makes no sense to treat cannabis consumers like criminals' and 'why not start controlling cannabis in the same way society (and government agencies) already control alcohol products?' with no double entendre or goofy 'stoner stupidisms'. You can view a CNN video of the press conference here. Also, you can check out some YouTube footage here of my opening remarks.

Bill Piper from the Drug Policy Alliance spoke about the collateral effects that happen to citizens arrested for minor amounts of cannabis including, but not limited to: loss of student loans; denial to public housing, food stamps and job training; and denial of entry into the military and some government service jobs.

Rob Kampia from the Marijuana Policy Project discussed the broader implications of the federal government passing decriminalization legislation and how it could affect state efforts to reform cannabis laws, notably this November's decriminalization initiative on the ballot in Massachusetts.

As has been noted by others who attended today's press conference, there was a certain air of desperation coming from the part of the government who is responsible for supposedly 'controlling' currently illicit drugs. The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)chief propagandist David Murray attended the press conference, making himself available for questions afterwards and handing out his latest anti-cannabis handywork, and he seemed absolutely befuddled that anyone on the face of the planet could possibly compare cannabis and alcohol policies, and that there is no such thing as the responsible use of cannabis. Period. Even for medical purposes with a physician's recommendation. Period.

....

Allen St. Pierre is the executive director of NORML.

http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/93631...ot_prohibition/

[Ggreen 12]

[Scott & Lai 12]

[Kevin and 10]

Hemp is a good resource for a number of things. Food, fuel, paper, fiber, ect.

[pedroh 21]

oh noes.. pot, gays and illegals, the end of America oh noesss!!

imagine.. the gay potheads will whine and most of the munchies will be low carb or fat free!! oh noes

good read.. common sense at last

Edited August 2, 2008 by pedroh

[peejay 327]

oh noes.. pot, gays and illegals, the end of America oh noesss!!

imagine.. the gay potheads will whine and most of the munchies will be low carb or fat free!! oh noes

good read.. common sense at last

I'm surprised you don't use this news as further proof that illegal immigration is justified and the USA is to blame. First it was NAFTA, then high corn prices due to ethanol...and now all those poor Mexicans will be thrown out of work supplying illegal weed to the rich Americanos. Of course they'll all have to come here to find work. It's all our fault we took away their jobs.

Decriminalizing is not legalizing. Smuggling narcotics (including weed) will not and should not be legal. Neither will or should domestic narcotics trafficking and commercial production.

Small scale users can rejoice, but dope dealers won't and shouldn't get a free pass. This news isn't exactly the birth of a US marijuana industry.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Being arrested is not the American marijuana smoker's only concern, said Bill Piper of the Drug Policy Alliance Network. Those found guilty of marijuana use can lose their jobs, financial aid for college, their food stamp and welfare benefits, or their low-cost housing.

The U.S. stance on marijuana, Piper said, "is one of the most destructive criminal justice policies in America today."

I agree with the above.

If HR 5843 were passed, the House would support marijuana smokers possessing up to 100 grams -- about 3½ ounces -- of cannabis without being arrested. It would also give its blessing to the "nonprofit transfer" of up to an ounce of marijuana.

The resolution would not address laws forbidding growing, importing or exporting marijuana, or selling it for profit. The resolution also would not speak to state laws regarding marijuana use.

That's good to know. When do we find out what the vote is on bill HR 5843?

[Teacher Mark 53]

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

So I talked with my Director of Economics for the State of Idaho last week about this new bill being proposed. She said that she hadn't heard of it yet but there were many to go through. I gave her the number of the bill, HR5843, and she commented it that it was fairly recent then. I told her yes it was proposed on July 30th. Then she asked for the names of who was the bill's primary sponsor and who were the key supporters. I wasn't familiar with the process so she explained there had to be a primary sponsor and then two supporters. I had to come back to look at this article that was posted. I told her ® Ron Paul was the primary sponsor and he was supported by Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and William Lacy Clay (D-MO) Barney Frank (D-MA), but I think now I got it wrong and that Barney Frank is the primary bill sponsor. Wonder if I should call her back on that or she'll figure it out?

I read most of the article to her and she said that it sounds like it's a very liberal piece of legislation and bills can sometimes take up to a year or more to pass.

I explained to her that there is a national student organization called, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, that is a grassroots network of students concerned about the impact of drug abuse, but also know that the war on drugs is failing our society. Students going away to college are in a period of experimentation and trying one joint and getting caught for it ruins their lives and has worse consequences then some violent crimes. That since I've been in college students around 2003 were having their financial aid stripped of them if they had a drug related offense. Then I pointed out from the documentary, "Grass", narrated by Woody Harrelson, that the laws criminalizing marijuana were based on unfounded research and superstition.

She said some parts of this bill Congressman Bill Sali supports but at this time it doesn't seem like this is something he would get on the wagon about as it's too early to tell what public opinion is. She thanked me for my concern and taking the time to contact them. It was a pleasurable experience getting to talk with someone close to a congressman and having them handle me as if they genuinely cared about my thoughts.

Idaho is a very conservative state and we don't have medical marijuana laws here like California does or other states that may benefit if this bill is passed.

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In other related news I came across this article today:

Pulling the lid off pot

Jerry Large

Seattle Times staff columnist

Marijuana has an image problem.

That's not the only problem with it, but its image probably keeps it lurking in the shadows: People who smoke pot are unkempt, unruly, counterculture. Best just to drink scotch or pop OxyContin.

If marijuana had the ad agencies that cigarettes have had, it would be legal, too.

I'm not craving a joint. It's not my thing, but I noticed that Hempfest is coming up this weekend.

Speakers at the Seattle festival will try mightily to pull the weed from darkness.

I agree with them that it makes sense to decriminalize marijuana use.

Bring it out into the light, regulate it, tax it, put trafficking gangs out of business and let police and courts do more important work.

Rick Steves, the travel entrepreneur from Edmonds, will be one of the main speakers at Hempfest.

We had a story in our paper Friday about a television program he and the ACLU made to get people talking about marijuana laws (marijuanaconversation.org).

Some local television stations were not willing to air the TV show, though I can't think of a station that hasn't carried entertainment programs in which weed played a part.

I guess it's like sex, which you can display a bit, but not discuss seriously.

Outlawing grass doesn't seem to have the intended effect, assuming the intent is to keep people from using.

According to the 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, more than 83 million Americans older than 12 have used marijuana.

Marijuana production earns billions every year.

Think of what we could do with the taxes on legal marijuana. And we'd save the $7.5 billion a year the nation spends enforcing pot laws.

One of the big raps against pot is the idea that using it leads to using more dangerous drugs.

The other day, I asked a roomful of people about marijuana. One man, an educator, said that when he was in high school in 1972, he had a drug-education class.

The kids were told marijuana was the same as heroin.

The ones who experimented with it found out it wasn't, and some went on to try heroin figuring that since marijuana hadn't done them in and heroin was the same, it wouldn't hurt either. How's that for a gateway effect?

I'm sure arresting people for using pot has a gateway effect. A little time in jail gives a person the opportunity to learn more about other drugs and bigger crimes.

But if marijuana were legal, we could institute some controls and even have serious conversations about it.

I spoke with Steves, who is in Belgium. He said his interest started with "knowing so many people who were closet smokers but couldn't talk about it. I thought, 'What if everybody agreed [it should be decriminalized] but was too afraid to speak out.' "

He figured maybe people would listen to a straight-laced businessman.

Steves is pushing democracy, not pot. It bothers him that Americans shrink from discussing drug laws.

That's a truly sorry image.

Jerry Large's column appears Monday and Thursday. Reach him at 206-464-3346 or jlarge@seattletimes.com.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/jerr...4763_jdl11.html

[almaty 19]

oh noes.. pot, gays and illegals, the end of America oh noesss!!

imagine.. the gay potheads will whine and most of the munchies will be low carb or fat free!! oh noes

good read.. common sense at last

it is a commie plot

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

This has no chance of becoming law.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

et tu- it's an election year!

[Teacher Mark 53]

Word on the street is that if it passes both Alec Baldwin and Sean Penn have threatened to move to Canada. GO HR5843 GO!

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Word on the street is that if it passes both Alec Baldwin and Sean Penn have threatened to move to Canada. GO HR5843 GO!

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Word on the street is that if it passes both Alec Baldwin and Sean Penn have threatened to move to Canada. GO HR5843 GO!

Do you mean if it doesn't pass? Because some parts of Canada it's decriminalized?