Community | January 30, 2010 | 20 comments

Time to end marijuana prohibition - Judge James Gray

source: http://patients4medicalmarijuana.wordpress.com/time-to-legalize-marijuana-judge-jim-gray/

underthebus
Recently retired Orange County Superior Court Judge James Gray is on a crusade. You might think a conservative judge from a conservative county would advocate for the prohibition of marijuana, but – based on his experiences, he is adamantly pro legalization.

Witnessing first hand what he calls the utter failure of our current policies of drug prohibition – marijuana in particular – he cites unnecessary prison growth, increased taxes, increased crime and corruption, and loss of civil liberties as the unhealthy side effects of an anemic policy in need of drastic reform.

Regarding medical marijuana, he states:

“Does marijuana work [as medicine]? Well, there’s no direct evidence by a government study showing that marijuana is an effective medicine. And you know something? They’re right. However, it’s beyond hypocrisy for them because it’s the federal government that controls the marijuana. Numbers of reputable groups, the Centers for Disease Control, The University of California and others have requested to conduct the studies and they’ve been deprived of that authorization… The government affirmatively does not allow this research to take place and then they sanctimoniously say, ‘well there’s no research [showing marijuana is medicine]…’ it’s beyond hypocrisy, I view it as Chutzpah” (audacity).

A little more on the problems our government has created for medical marijuana research (source):

At present, the only way for medical marijuana to be properly evaluated by the FDA is for privately-funded sponsors to conduct FDA-approved clinical trials (like any other drug evaluation). [If any progress is to be made on the medical marijuana research front, we must first] remove the monopoly imposed by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on licenses for the cultivation of medical-grade cannabis for research purposes. Currently, the DEA exclusively licenses the cultivation of medical-grade cannabis to the National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA), which primarily investigates only the negative effects of cannabis. This monopoly obstructs any investigation and research in the U.S. into the medical properties of cannabis and thwarts the normal drug approval process.


(Listen to Judge Gray speak on medicinal marijuana at link.)
  1. groups:
    Community,   Politics,   Current Tonight,   US Politics,   13 more
  2. tags:
    Marijuana,  Marijuana Reform,  marijuana legalization,  AB 390
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20 comments // Time to end marijuana prohibition - Judge James Gray // Video

  • plethora
    • 0
      plethora  

    • Moreover, Marijuana is NOT a drug. It is a PLANT. Cigarettes are drugs, more like narcotics, as NICOTINE is a narcotic! - Alcohol and Cigaterettes are #1 and #2 causes of DEATH worldwide!!!!! I'm with you, judgey wudgey!!!! so are millions of others...

    • 2 years ago
  • boiscalm
    • 0
      boiscalm  

    • I have 2 folonie,s that are over 30 years old form my young and dum party days. In no way do I consider myself a criminal. I tried to get a job with UPS (Iam a truck driver) took 2 test and ace'd them then in the bankground check was "busted again". Get It Legal!!!!

    • 2 years ago
  • hunzedog
    • 0
      hunzedog  

    • i have a felony for cannabis manufacturing and i have never been called back for a job interview......the people have spoken ! LEGALIZE IT !

    • 2 years ago
  • corndog67
    • 0
      corndog67  

    • He's not a judge anymore. Or at least a sitting judge. No one in any kind of position of power cares what he says.

      And on that last post, I have a couple of felony convictions. I have no problems finding and holding jobs. Of course, I'm not going to work for the government or the schools anytime soon, either.

    • 2 years ago
  • device80
    • 0
      device80  

    • This guys right, legalize it already, I have friends who cant even get jobs b/c they have "felonies" due to having weed, fuckin' weed!!!!!!! you believe that? our priorities are so wrong in this country starting with privatization of jails and prisons which incourage any arrest that will fill up there rooms so they can get paid for each inmate per day...that's out of control, but every time I turn on my tv there's an ad for some new drug that you should tell your doctor you need b/c the advertizing sold you on it even though the side affects always end with a list of side effects longer than Manute Bol (he was a 7-7 basketball player) and the topper is the last words are always "in rare cases it has been show to cause death"....but dont smoke weed b/c its not dangerous enough ....

    • 2 years ago
  • simplecj
  • simplecj
  • simplecj
    • 0
      simplecj  

    • Judge Gray has been a friend of the cause for quite some time now.

      Very smart, very intelligent man, glad he's on our side!

    • 2 years ago
  • davzap
  • cephas
  • ras_menelik
  • JonRaymond
    • 0
      JonRaymond  

    • This guy must be nuts. If we followed his advice the DEA would go out of business. Police would have even less non-threatening victimless "criminals" to go after. Plus a whole marijuana industry would put millions of people to work. It's un-American. Crime, imprisonment and unemployment are some of the few things that America is known for. Without that what will we have left? Torture and preemptive war?

    • 2 years ago
  • ras_menelik
  • ryan8566
    • 0
      ryan8566  

    • i can't say 'hypocrisy', since i don't know the judge's record on hearing 'pot cases'...i would like to hear from Orange County people with experience. he is not the first judge to voice this opinion, but as with the others, they have all 'retired' with pension guaranteed.
      i would like to hear from some sitting judges on this issue, and to how stupid it is...legislators would pay more attention. it is kind of like all the active military generals, admirals, etc, opposing gays in the military, but when retired, again with pensions guaranteed, they become talking heads, and call for repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell.'

    • 2 years ago
  • simplecj
  • CalgarC
  • DJverboten
  • Guyatthebusstation
  • Conniepae
  • jswiz
    • 0
      jswiz  

    • Sure wish he was my judge that I have to see every other monday , it would make those visits a little less stress full.

    • 2 years ago
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