Legalize It // Current TV

Colorado Legalizes Recreational Marijuana

The Rocky Mountain High just got a whole lot higher. On Tuesday night, Amendment 64 --... more

EmperorThan
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In the Race for Sensible Drug Policy, U.S. Snoozes on the Sidelines

By Rebecca McCray, Criminal Law Reform Project at 11:47am

Olympics season is upon us, and there’s no shortage of news in which the United States is heralded as the global frontrunner. Beyond athletics, America tends to pride itself on being innovative and forward-thinking on many issues of law and policy, professing to set an example for the rest of the world. But when it comes to our stagnant approach to drug policy, other countries have surpassed us repeatedly by leaps and bounds. From Portugal to Switzerland to Guatemala, it’s as if the rest of the world aced a public health class that the United States skipped because it was too busy fighting a failed, costly “war on drugs.”

This time, it’s Uruguay outpacing us, setting a bold example by unveiling plans to introduce legislation that would create a legal, state-run marijuana industry in hopes of quelling drug cartel violence, forcing illegal dealers to close up shop and generating revenue that can be put toward drug rehabilitation programs.

While Uruguayan President Jose Mujica’s proposal might seem like a gamble, he has described the global drug war as “unwinnable” under current policies, requiring a radically different approach. President Mujica hopes that by legalizing marijuana, the government will ultimately diminish the violence that stems from prohibition. As we reach a global consensus that the War on Drugs has failed to reduce drug use or the violence and corruption associated with the illegal drug market – in fact, it has exacerbated them – it makes sense that leaders like Mujica are pioneering ambitious alternative approaches to tackle the devastation that riddles so many of the world’s communities. Armed with decades of knowledge that the old tactics of expansive criminalization and aggressive enforcement just don’t work, many countries understand that the time for innovation is now. Yet as 23 million people in America continue to struggle with drug addiction, our own government continues to cling desperately to the same old strategies.

Although the U.S. government has begun to shift its rhetoric around drug policy to a more public health-centered approach, we need much more than a new set of good talking points to truly address the failure of the War on Drugs. We need to change our inept policies. For instance, while our government spends approximately $8 billion a year enforcing our marijuana policies, Americans show no interest in curbing their enthusiastic consumption of the drug. If we took a cue from our international neighbors and moved toward a less punitive, more progressive drug policy, that $8 billion could be put to better use – like treating people with drug addictions. It’s time for the U.S. to pick up the pace.

http://www.aclu.org/blog/criminal-law-reform/race-sensible-drug-policy-us-snoozes-sidelinesBy Rebecca McCray, Criminal Law Reform Project at 11:47am Olympics season is upon... more

Vic_Romano
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9 months ago
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Olympics FYI: Why Is Cannabis Considered a Performance-Enhancing Drug? | Popular Science

On Monday, American judo competitor Nick Delpopolo was expelled from the Olympics for... more

cclark_productions
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9 months ago
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24 comments

Uruguay's government may become first to sell marijuana

(AP) MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay - Uruguay's national government said Wednesday it hopes... more

cabinettags
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11 months ago
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Meet Marijuana's Semi-Famous Superdonors

http://news.yahoo.com/meet-marijuanas-semi-famous-superdonors-100051897--abc-news-politics.html

As political causes go, legalizing pot isn't as glitzy as re-electing Barack Obama. Sarah Jessica Parker and George Clooney are not on marijuana's A-list.

But with marijuana initiatives on state ballots in Colorado and Washington in 2012, after Prop. 19's failure in California in 2010, pot enjoys the financial backing of a small cadre of semi-famous people. Here they are:

Peter Lewis, chairman, Progressive Insurance. Lewis' company carries a small hint of lefty flavor, from its name to its casual corporate dress code, and Lewis himself is marijuana's biggest financial backer. After supporting California's Prop. 19 legalization campaign in 2010, Lewis has given far more than any other individual donor to the campaigns in Colorado and Washington - $875,650 and $650,000 respectively.

David Bronner, CEO, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps. Those earthy-looking hemp soaps, sold at Whole Foods, could be more profitable if the company didn't have to import its hemp from Canada, and David Bronner, son of the original Dr. Bronner, is an avid hemp activist, most recently getting arrested outside the White House after firefighters had to cut him out of a metal cage in which he locked himself in protest. Bronner has pledged $50,000 to the Colorado legalization campaign, according to an official, although his donation hasn't yet been made official.

Rick Steves, author and TV host, Rick Steves' Europe. He might be the best known American expert on European travel, with dozens of books on travel destinations and a travel series on public television. He also wants pot to be legal. While Steves himself hasn't contributed to either legalization initiative in 2012, the committee to promote Washington's ballot initiative has reported taking in $150,000 from his company, Rick Steves' Europe, since last year.

George Zimmer, founder and CEO, Men's Wearhouse. You're gonna like the way your state looks with legalized marijuana: George Zimmer guarantees it. The Men's Wearhouse CEO has not donated to either of this year's state campaigns, but he backed Prop. 19 in California in 2010 to the tune of $50,000, and he's known as a major supporter of pot legalizationhttp://news.yahoo.com/meet-marijuanas-semi-famous-superdonors-100051897--abc-news-polit... more

cabinettags
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11 months ago
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Legalizing pot would raise more than Buffett Rule

Over the past week, President Obama spent time promoting the Buffett Rule surtax on millionaires and paid a visit to Colombia in which he reiterated his opposition to legalizing drugs. Though the two issues were unrelated, it's worth remarking that legalizing drugs would actually do more to reduce deficits than implementing the Buffett Rule.

The Buffett tax, which failed to advance in the Senate last night, would have raised $5.1 billion in 2013 (theoretically its first full year of implementation), according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. Yet a 2010 study by the libertarian Cato Institute found that legalizing marijuana alone would save the federal government $3.3 billion in reduced enforcement expenditures per year and raise an additional $5.8 billion in revenue assuming it would be taxed. If all drugs were legalized, the study estimated it would save the federal government $15.6 billion a year and raise an additional $31.2 billion in revenue -- for a total of $46.8 billion. That's slightly higher than the $46.7 billion the Buffett Rule tax is projected to raise over the full decade.

These numbers only pertain to the federal government, but the majority of the cost of the drug war is imposed on state and local governments. If governments at all levels are included, the Cato study projected that full drug legalization would reduce total budgets by $88 billion when one includes enforcement savings and new tax collections.

To be sure, the issue of drug legalization is less about the budget and more about personal liberty. Those who oppose prohibition believe that individuals should be allowed to do whatever they want and risk the consequences as long as their actions don't harm others in the process. But it's also interesting to put the costs of the drug war in perspective.

http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/legalizing-pot-would-raise-more-buffett-rule/485101
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Not to mention take a significant revenue stream away from gangs/cartels and keep millions of nonviolent users out of the private prison machine!Over the past week, President Obama spent time promoting the Buffett Rule surtax on... more

JRBarilla
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1 year ago
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LAPD deputy chief wins Ask Obama contest with pro-drug-legalization question

Tomangell sez, "A question advocating marijuana legalization from a retired LAPD... more

pjacobs51
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1 year ago
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Va. To Study Benefits of Selling Marijuana at ABC Stores

Should Virginia-run liquor stores get into the marijuana business? At least one local... more

floydyboy
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1 year ago
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10 Reasons Not to Smoke Marijuana (a Comic's perspective on the rampant bullshit)

Just watch it and share it anywhere you can.

RENGACORP
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2 years ago
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Profiting from Pot: Can a Dying CA Town Be Saved by Medical Marijuana?

"The struggling city of Isleton, CA has come to an agreement with a medical... more

Niki_Staehle
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2 years ago
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Profiting from Pot: Can a Dying CA Town Be Saved by Medical Marijuana?

"The struggling city of Isleton, CA has come to an agreement with a medical... more

Niki_Staehle
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2 years ago
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Profiting from Pot: Can a Dying CA Town Be Saved by Medical Marijuana?

"The struggling city of Isleton, CA has come to an agreement with a medical... more

Niki_Staehle
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Profiting from Pot: Can a Dying CA Town Be Saved by Medical Marijuana?

"The struggling city of Isleton, CA has come to an agreement with a medical... more

Niki_Staehle
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2 years ago
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4 comments

Ask Obama to legalize it

In an ongoing effort by the White House to engage the public via the internet,... more

juicie
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2 years ago
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Funny stoners comedy variety show Ep33Part2

Funny stoners comedy variety show. This part features The Dragon's Den with... more

bakedpotatoes
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2 years ago
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RON PAUL RIPS INTO THE MARIJUANA BULL!

Radical_Centrist
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2 years ago
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Teapot Party Gaining Tens of Thousands of Supporters and Counting...

You gotta love a sumbitch like Willie Nelson who, unlike Bill... more

sffsmessiah
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2 years ago
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Legalize it wristbands!!

I recently saw a story posted on Current.com of my "Legalize IT" wristbands.... more

NugCrumbs
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2 years ago
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Stash: Chaos Erupts Over Prop 19 at California Cannabis Expo

You got that, people? A woman who makes money selling marijuana under Prop 215 is standing alongside a bishop who would overturn Prop 215 if he had the chance. Lanette Davies is working in solidarity with Bishop Ron Allen, who has said of legalizing marijuana:

* “…one would have had to smoke 14 joints made from 60s strength marijuana to come close to getting the same effects as smoking one joint today in 2010.”
* “Why not legalize crack cocaine? Why don’t we legalize burglary? It’s a smokescreen.”
* …it gives inmates in our prisons and county jails the right to both possess and smoke marijuana while incarcerated.” (It doesn’t.)
* “California drivers will be able to operate a car while under the influence of marijuana.” (No, they won’t.)
* “…pot is a gateway drug and that legalizing it will only create more health care needs.”
* “It’s going to cause crime to go up. There will be more drug babies.”

Moments before the start of the debate Davies grabbed a microphone and announced that she had been kicked off the panel again. No on 19 supporters, angry at Lanette’s removal, drowned out the moderator as she tried to announce the panel and rules of the debate. Nate Bradley, a representative of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) rushed up to the stage, “Can you try to act like adults?” he demanded.

Yes on 19, met by much louder opposition than the No on 19 side, argued that patient’s rights are are untouched and therefore protected under Prop. 19 and that the cities and counties that levee heavy taxes or choose not to allow sales will lose out to the ones who do. Chris Conrad pulled up the proposition on a projector and attempted to show the audience the protections in the bill but was also drowned out by hecklers. Visibly irritated, he also yelled into the microphone, “Prop 19 is perfect! It is on the ballot! I can vote yes on 19!”, he added that he was one of the parties responsible for Prop 215 being on the ballot in 1996 and had been instrumental in getting SB420 passed. “If you are against 19, are you saying you would rather face prison?

Steve D’Angelo, owner and founder of Harborside Healther Center in Oakland took to the microphone. “I have been a cannabis activist for 37 years and it is sad to see everyone so divided… If Jack Herer was here, although this bill is not perfect, I believe he would walk into the voting booth and vote YES. It is not perfect, but we cant go into the voting booth and choose, NO. This is what we have and this is what we should work from.”

Dennis Peron, creator of Proposition 215 also took the microphone, ‘You could have done something great Richard, but you didn’t consult us, you ignored all of us,” he said.

“No, I didn’t, I came to you Dennis and we spoke about it,” Lee claimed. Peron taught at Oaksterdam University until he and Lee became divided over Proposition 19.

One audience commentator visiting from Florida pointed out that Prop 19 is not just important for Californians, “California has the opportunity to stand up and legalize marijuana. To see you bickering over wording and technicalities is disappointing.

It reminds me of the “Brooks Brothers Riot” leading to the 2000 selection of President Bush. When you’re unpopular and wrong, just get louder and uglier.
http://bit.ly/a9Ybr1You got that, people? A woman who makes money selling marijuana under Prop 215 is... more

ras_menelik
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2 years ago
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Is this t-shirt responsible for striking down the gay marriage ban in California?

No. No, it isn't.

asherp
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2 years ago
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