tagged w/ marijuana legalization
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Dying to Get High: Marijuana as Medicine is an important and accessible book -- not heavy on academic jargon, but rather lively and engaging, like a true detective novel -- with a broad appeal to those interested in the medical potential of cannabis, an end to the drug war and grass roots activism. I asked the co-authors, Wendy Chapkis and Richard Webb, how working on the book changed them.
WENDY CHAPKIS: "I certainly was one of those people who thought that 'medical marijuana' was probably mostly a way for Americans to get around ridiculously punitive drug laws. It seemed like a reasonable strategy to me. But the very first time I walked into a WAMM [WoMen's Alliance for Medical Marijuana] membership meeting, looked around the room and saw people who were ghostly white and frail, people in wheelchairs, people huddled in small groups talking about a WAMM member who needed round the clock care, I realized that medical marijuana was no 'ruse.' These were very ill people. And, as I started doing interviews, the stories of the medicinal properties of pot blew me away.[more]Dying to Get High: Marijuana as Medicine is an important and accessible book -- not... more
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Jerusalem, Israel: Cannabis is one of the most studied plants on the planet, according to a review published in the September issue of the journal Medicinal Research Reviews. "Research on the chemistry and pharmacology of cannabinoids and endocannabinoids has reached enormous proportions," the journal states. "[A]pproximately 15,000 articles on Cannabis sativa L. and cannabinoids and over 2,000 articles on endocannabinoids" are available in the scientific literature.
Commenting on the review NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said, "Opponents of marijuana law reform - including those who oppose the therapeutic use of cannabis - are fond of claiming that further study of marijuana is necessary before we can amend current law. Yet in reality, cannabis is arguably the most investigated plant on Earth. It's clear that it's politics, not science, that is driving the criminal prohibition of cannabis and unfortunately the publication of another dozen - or even a thousand - studies is not going to change this reality."
For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director. Full text of the study, "Pharmacological and therapeutic secrets of plant and brain (Endo)cannabinoids," appears in the journal Medicinal Research Reviews.[links]Jerusalem, Israel: Cannabis is one of the most studied plants on the planet, according... more
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John Lennon song John Sinclair off his 1972 album Some Time in New York City.
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Boston, MA -- Activists who want joints sold over the counter like cigarettes are bankrolling a Bay State pot referendum backers claim will simply clear the air of piddling marijuana cases choking the court system.
The Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy, which placed Question 2 on the November ballot, collected from the Marijuana Policy Project $200,000, about 30 percent of its total. Indeed, about 90 percent of the $635,000 the committee has raised comes from people who live out of state.
On its Web site, the marijuana project’s mission statement states clearly: “Adults who use marijuana should be able to obtain it from legally regulated establishments and not from illegal drug dealers.”
Woody Kaplan, a Hub real estate developer and self-styled “provocateur” who donated $10,000 to the state ballot initiative, also backs the call for legal pot sales.
“I believe taxing and regulating is a much better way than what the ballot question proposes,” said Kaplan, who held a $250-a-head fundraiser for the Marijuana Policy Prject earlier this month.
“This is government making a choice that something that is clearly destructive - alcohol - is OK, but somebody smoking marijuana isn’t,” Kaplan told the Herald.
Daniel R. Lewis, 62, of Coral Gables, Fla. - the scion of the Progressive Insurance fortune and a self-confessed former toker - also would like to see grass legalized and regulated.
“I think it’s a relatively harmless drug, as compared to alcohol,” said Lewis, who gave $5,000 to the pot project.
The group also counts among its backers actor Jack Black, talk show host Bill Maher and former wrestler and Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, and uses Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion for its lavish fund-raisers.
If passed, the ballot initiative would make having an ounce or less of marijuana a civil offense punishable by a $100 fine. Minors’ parents would be notified, and the kids would have to complete a drug awareness program.
Middlesex County District Attorney Gerard Leone slammed the pot activists as out of touch and predicted the measure would be a gateway to weaker drug laws.
“Question 2 will allow a foot in the door to people with a misguided, radical agenda,” Leone said.
Whitney Taylor, campaign manager, pointed to a Suffolk University poll that showed 72 percent of voters support the ballot question.
“They are not out of the mainstream,” Taylor said. “They are the mainstream.”
Kaplan, a 66-year-old board member of the Godless America PAC, which “mobilizes nonbelievers for political activism,” said he’s heard it all before.
“Same-sex opponents said if you allow same-sex marriage, people would marry dogs,” Kaplan said. “Yeh, right. It’s just fear tactics, and it’s absurd.”Boston, MA -- Activists who want joints sold over the counter like cigarettes are... more
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While a recent poll showed that more than two thirds of Massachusetts voters favor relaxing laws against marijuana, State Representative Will N. Brownsberger ’78—a drug addiction and enforcement expert who represents parts of Belmont and Cambridge—said he has grave concerns about the wisdom of a November ballot initiative that would decriminalize possession of the drug.
The initiative, championed by the Committee of Sensible Marijuana Policy, would replace criminal penalties for possession of an ounce or less of personal use marijuana with civil penalties.
While penalties for selling, growing, and trafficking marijuana would remain unchanged, possession would be punished by a combination of a fines starting at $100, community service, and drug awareness programs. Marijuana possession would also no longer be recorded in the oft-maligned Criminal Offender Record Information system.
While some academics have come out in favor of the measure, Browsnberger called it “a side show” because the “real issue is cocaine and heroin.”
“That’s what people are going to jail for, that’s what people are dying from,” Brownsberger said, adding that the ballot measure on marijuana is “not worth pursuing.” [more]While a recent poll showed that more than two thirds of Massachusetts voters favor... more
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On the ballot this November in Massachusetts, voters will have the opportunity to become the 13th state to decriminalize personal possession of marijuana. The initiative, known as Question 2, would make possession of an ounce or less of marijuana a civil fine of $100, and those under 18 have to complete a drug education program and community service, or else the fine goes as high as $1,000.
Most of all, the offense would not be listed in the Criminal Record Information System (CORI) database. Drug warriors like to say “nobody goes to prison for marijuana“, but the harm from a criminal arrest is bad enough. Once you’re in this CORI database, it’s a red flag that hurts you in getting jobs, housing, loans, security clearances, and more. Plus there is the time and money - about $30 million a year - that Massachusetts wastes busting people for small amounts of pot.
Since the measure is enjoying huge support in the polls, the drug warriors have banded together to mount a media offensive. And by “offensive”, I mean the offensively repugnant stench of reefer madness…[more]On the ballot this November in Massachusetts, voters will have the opportunity to... more
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More of your tax dollars at work, providing flashy interactive content full of drug war lies and distortions meant to encourage kids to avoid cannabis. Uh, guys, with 83.9% of 12th graders saying pot is “fairly easy” or “very easy” to get and 41.8% of them trying pot sometime in their life, it seems your efforts are for naught.[more]More of your tax dollars at work, providing flashy interactive content full of drug... more
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Medical marijuana patients will once again be allowed to smoke dope in San Lorenzo Park this Saturday, after city leaders temporarily lifted a smoking ban to allow for a festival celebrating the medicinal herb.[more]Medical marijuana patients will once again be allowed to smoke dope in San Lorenzo... more
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by Shannon Kari (22 Sept, 2008)
Is marijuana illegal? You decide: www.ThePotLawHasFallen.ca
There may be no legal prohibition against possession of cannabis in Ontario if a Superior Court judge upholds an earlier finding in an ongoing challenge to the medical marijuana laws. Health Canada is asking Justice Eva Frank to overturn a ruling last year by a provincial court judge in Toronto who found there was no law against possession, because the medical marijuana scheme was still unconstitutional.
A provincial court ruling is not binding on other judges in the province, as it would be if it is by a Superior Court judge. The federal government has conceded that if Judge Frank finds that the medical marijuana scheme is invalid, then the prohibition against simple possession also cannot stand. But it argued in court on Friday that its "entrenched policy" of providing a supply of cannabis to medical users complies with previous rulings by the Ontario Court of Appeal on this issue.
Health Canada has been making "a good faith effort with its legal supply," said government lawyer Lisa Csele. She suggested provincial court Justice Howard Borenstein made legal errors last year when he concluded that a government "policy" to supply marijuana to medical users through Prairie Plant Systems Inc. was not sufficient, and dismissed charges against Clifford Long, a Toronto man arrested with $40 worth of cannabis.
"Reasonable access is now dependent on policy, not law," wrote Judge Borenstein. The judge based his ruling on a 2003 Ontario Court of Appeal decision that struck down some sections of the government's medical marijuana regulations because authorized users had to obtain their medicine on the black market.
The court gave the federal government options to fix the problem, by allowing compassion clubs or becoming the sole supplier for medical users. The changes "can easily be implemented with dispatch, simply by regulation," said the Court of Appeal.
Health Canada responded by re-enacting some of the unconstitutional restrictions, including a prohibition on a designated producer growing for more than one user. It also entered into the contract with Prairie Plant. It is estimated that only about 20% of the more than 2,000 authorized users in the country get their marijuana from Prairie Plant, in part because of complaints about the quality and the price charged by Health Canada.
Ms. Csele urged Judge Frank to look at all of the government's actions when deciding if it has done enough to comply with the Court of Appeal's ruling in 2003.
"What about the potential for arbitrary change [in the policy]," Judge Frank asked.
"There is no evidence people are not receiving their marijuana," Ms. Csele responded. If the federal government does not provide an adequate supply, then medical users could launch a court action, she said.
The government must enact formal regulations that recognize its responsibilities, said Corbin Cawkell, who represents Mr. Long. "A policy is not enough," said Mr. Cawkell. The ruling by Judge Borenstein is one of a number of decisions in the past eight years to declare aspects of the medical marijuana regulations unconstitutional.
- Article from National Post, Monda September 22, 2008
For court cases and decisions that back up the argument prohibition has no force and effect, see www.ThePotLawHasFallen.caby Shannon Kari (22 Sept, 2008)
Is marijuana illegal? You decide:... more
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This weekend, thousands of demonstrators from Boston and beyond converged at Boston Common to show their support for "Question 2," a proposition on the Nov. 4 ballot that would effectively decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana in Massachusetts.
Decriminalization of marijuana would certainly free up millions of dollars for a needy law enforcement system. But decriminalization means more to the commonwealth than just freed-up funds and relaxed laws regulating the drug; it means preventing thousands of talented citizens from being from losing career opportunities because of frivolous criminal records.
For nearly a century, the federal government has vilified and outlawed marijuana, and only recently has the practice of anti-marijuana propaganda and prohibition come under individual state scrutiny.
Recreational use of marijuana was brought to the United States by Mexican immigrants in the early 1910s. Then, much like today, Mexican immigration faced prejudice. Marijuana became associated with those who brought it, and politicians acted to stop the encroaching what one PBS documentary called the "marijuana menace."
Since that time, the drug has faced increasing pressure and political condemnation, and is currently listed as a "Schedule I" - the most severe - substance by federal law, along with such mind-bending substances as LSD and heroin. This headstrong policy history has lead to millions of marijuana-related arrests and billions of tax dollars spent on enforcement.
Currently, a first-time offender of possession of the drug - in any amount - faces up to six months incarceration and/or a $500 fine in Massachusetts. This is more lenient than the federal law, which stipulates up to a year behind bars and a $1000 fine, but laws still provide for imprisonment to those who possess the plant. Moreover, the commonwealth still has mandatory sentencing laws, all but guaranteeing a trip to jail for otherwise law-abiding, peaceful citizens.This weekend, thousands of demonstrators from Boston and beyond converged at Boston... more
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Outside the University of Colorado Police Department on Monday, cheers erupted from a crowd of marijuana advocates — some of whom were dressed as giant pot leaves — when a student was given back medical marijuana that police took from him in May.
“I wish I had a chance to talk to the officers who said I’d never get this back,” said CU sophomore Edward Nicholson, 20, who’s a medical-marijuana cardholder in Colorado.
CU police confiscated about 2 ounces of marijuana from Nicholson in his residence hall last spring, even though the then-freshman has a card legally certifying him to hold and administer the drug to his brother. Nicholson said his brother suffers from chronic, debilitating pain from football injuries and has been prescribed marijuana to help deal with the discomfort.[more]Outside the University of Colorado Police Department on Monday, cheers erupted from a... more
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LANSING -- Michigan voters will decide Nov. 4 whether they want their state greener. Not with an environmental plan, but with the leaves of medical marijuana. Proposal 1 would establish marijuana as a legal remedy for some illnesses.
Comment #1 posted by ekim on September 21, 2008 at 13:44:28 PT
last sentence wrong "grow unspecified amounts
4. Protections for the Medical Use of Marihuana. http://stoparrestingpatients.org/initiative.html Sec. 4. (a) A qualifying patient who has been issued and possesses a registry identification card shall not be subject to arrest, prosecution, or penalty in any manner, or denied any right or privilege, including but not limited to civil penalty or disciplinary action by a business or occupational or professional licensing board or bureau, for the medical use of marihuana in accordance with this act, provided that the qualifying patient possesses an amount of marihuana that does not exceed 2.5 ounces of usable marihuana, and, if the qualifying patient has not specified that a primary caregiver will be allowed under state law to cultivate marihuana for the qualifying patient, 12 marihuana plants kept in an enclosed, locked facility. Any incidental amount of seeds, stalks, and unusable roots shall also be allowed under state law and shall not be included in this amount.
LANSING -- Michigan voters will decide Nov. 4 whether they want their state greener.... more
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If Cops Really Oppose Sending Minor Pot Offenders To Jail, Then Why Do They Vehemently Oppose Efforts To Keep Us Free?
Voters in Massachusetts will decide this November on Question 2, which seeks to replace criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana with a civil fine of no more than $100. Polls show that nearly three-out-of-four voters back the measure.
Who opposes it?
That's an easy one. Who else?
Pardon me if I’m confused. On the one hand, you have law enforcement claiming that nobody goes to jail for pot possession. On the other hand, you have law enforcement actively opposing any and all efforts to reform America’s marijuana laws so that, in fact, nobody would actually go to jail for pot possession.
Question: Why do cops vehemently oppose measures that seek to comport the law in line with what they claim is already standard prosecutorial practice?
Is the answer:
a) The cops are full of it; people go to jail for violating marijuana laws all the time.
b) If cops stopped arresting minor pot offenders they wouldn’t know what else to do with their time.
or c) Most cops really believe marijuana consumers are “dirt bags” and “losers” who belong in jail.
Answer: Take your pick!
[more]If Cops Really Oppose Sending Minor Pot Offenders To Jail, Then Why Do They Vehemently... more
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Alcuni componenti non cannabinoidi della marijuana posseggono importanti proprieta’ anti batteriche contro la malaria, lo stafilococco aureo e altri batteri resistenti alle normali medicine.
La ricerca, pubblicata sulla rivista Phytochemistry e condotta dall’Universita’ del Mississippi (National Center for Natural Products Research) rivela che undici componenti (non cannabinoidi) della cannabis posseggono qualita’ contro la malaria e contro un comune parassita della pelle, e che alcuni hanno anche qualita’ anti infiammatorie e anti ossidanti.
Il direttore della NORML, Paul Armentano, ha dichiarato: “Questo si intende quanto si parla di marijuana terapeutica, ossia l’efficacia, provata, dell’intera pianta a fini medici. Non si intende nulla di piu’ e nulla di meno”.
E' la seconda ricerca in poco tempo che conferma le proprieta' antibatteriche della cannabis.Alcuni componenti non cannabinoidi della marijuana posseggono importanti... more
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Boston, MA: Nearly three out of four Massachusetts voters support a statewide ballot initiative that seeks to decriminalize the possession and use of small amounts of cannabis by persons age 18 or older, according to a Channel 7 News/Suffolk University poll of 400 registered voters.
Seventy-one percent of respondents said that they would vote "yes" on the November ballot measure, which would replace criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana with a civil fine of no more than $100. Only 22 percent of respondents opposed the proposal.
Among respondents over 65 years of age, 70 percent said they backed decriminalization.
The strong poll numbers indicate that the measure "is all but certain" to pass in November, the poll's authors declared in a press release.
If voters approve the measure this fall, Massachusetts would be the first state to enact the decriminalization of marijuana since Nevada's legislature did so in 2001 and the first to do so by voter initiative.
Currently, twelve states have enacted versions of marijuana decriminalization -replacing criminal sanctions with fine-only penalties for minor pot violators.
Michigan voters will also decide on a separate statewide initiative this November that seeks to legalize the medical use of cannabis for qualified patients. If enacted, Michigan will become the thirteenth state since 1996 to authorize the legal use of medical cannabis, and the ninth state to do so by voter initiative.
For more information, please contact NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre at (202) 483-5500, or visit the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy.Boston, MA: Nearly three out of four Massachusetts voters support a statewide ballot... more
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The distinct odor of burning incense - among other things - hung in the air over Boston Common yesterday afternoon during the 2008 Boston Hemp Fest.
A large crowd gathered, its members enjoying the warm, sunny weather and the diverse offerings of food vendors as they debated political ideas or simply relaxed on the grass.
"I tell you, it's eclectic. From getting things like nice tie-dye shirts to getting, like, say, falafels and things like that," said Lee Litif 44, of South Boston, who was decked out in tie-dyed clothes himself, along with sunflower-rimmed sunglasses. "It's utopia; it really is."
Litif was happy to express his support for an upcoming ballot question that would decriminalize marijuana possession in the state.
"No doubt. I'm for legalization of marijuana. Legalize gay marrage and legalize abortion, regardless," he said.
Supporters of both Question 2, the marijuana measure, and Question 1, which would eliminate the state income tax, were out in full force with literature, stickers, and even free fresh fruit to try to lure people to their side.
Arthur Torrey, a libertarian from Billerica, was handing out literature to passersby from a booth. Across the way, a group of socialists were handing out their materials.
"We agree on a lot of social issues," he said.
A number of people were smoking marijuana and some could be seen inhaling substances from balloons. Police reported making six arrests, but officials last evening did not have specifics on the charges.
Police were not visible walking through the crowds, but flashing blue lights on the perimeter of the Common reminded everyone that they were in the vicinity.
Before providing information on the arrests, Officer James Kenneally, a police spokesman, said the Hemp Fest was "rather orderly."
Globe correspondents Padraig Shea and Caitlin Castello contributed to this report. John Guilfoil can be reached at jguilfoil@globe.comThe distinct odor of burning incense - among other things - hung in the air over... more
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This coming Tuesday, Santa Cruz City Council members will once again be faced with deciding if the Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana WAMM should be granted an exemption to the non-smoking policy for San Lorenzo Park. The stated need for this exemption is to allow members to "utilize their medication" during a festival intended to raise funds and awareness for the organization. I urge the Santa Cruz City Council to oppose this exemption.
While I support the mission of WAMM and I recognize that there are people who legitimately use marijuana for medicinal purposes, I do not believe that sanctioning the use of our public spaces for this purpose, and the likely recreational drug use that will accompany it, is consistent with our goals as a community.
The city of Santa Cruz has invested significant taxpayer resources in ridding San Lorenzo Park, and the adjacent neighborhoods, of chronic drug use so that these spaces are again welcoming to the broader Santa Cruz community, especially families. For the city to then "open the floodgates" to this use for one day seems greatly at odds with its policies the other 364 days of the year.
While the event organizers hope to restrict the use of marijuana to a specific area, it was well-documented by the media that this was not enforced last year. It is not the intent of WAMM to host an event that is a destination for recreational marijuana users, but this trend was also documented by the media. I fear that while WAMM has good intentions, their goals and mission might be compromised by others with different goals. Remember, the 4/20 event at UCSC started out as a small student activity that has now grown to include hundreds of recreational drug users from across the Bay Area.
A concern that has not been addressed are where these "medicated" individuals go after the event. They are now under the influence of a controlled substance. Do they get in their cars and drive? Do they go downtown, just over the bridge? We have also invested significant resources in getting drug use out of our downtown area, and I fear this event will undermine those efforts as well.
Recently my aunt passed away after a brief and intense battle with cancer. During her treatments, she used marijuana medicinally and it was the only thing that enabled her to deal with the side effects. I firmly believe that it is right to have compassion for people with terminal or serious chronic conditions, whose suffering can be lessened by the use of marijuana. But there are more practical ways to express that support. I hope WAMM will rethink its approach to this event, with the understanding that there are community members who support their goals but cannot see the logic of lifting the smoking ban in the park.
I hope that our community leaders will consider the health and well-being of the entire community and our goals for the use of our public spaces when casting their votes on Tuesday.
Jeffrey Kongslie is the co-owner of Vinocruz, a downtown business, and serves on the city's Downtown Commission.This coming Tuesday, Santa Cruz City Council members will once again be faced with... more
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Marijuana legalization advocates openly smoked pot at the annual Boston Freedom Rally on Boston Common yesterday, spurring arrests by Boston police.
“It’s one thing to protest the illegality of marijuana, that itself isn’t illegal,” said James Kenneally, BPD spokesman. “People have the right to free expression, but it’s another thing to smoke marijuana, which is an illegal narcotic, during the protest.”
The annual Boston Freedom Rally - described by organizers as “the largest marijuana reform gathering on the East Coast” - drew hundreds of stoners, activists and vendors to the park. They spent the bright, sunny afternoon touting their support for Question 2, which will appear on the ballot in November and would replace criminal penalties for possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana with a fine of no more than $100.
“It’s a thing where we can unite for a cause to legalize weed, man,” said Howlin’ Jack Boone, 27, of Waltham, lead singer of the rally’s headline band, Graveyard BBQ. “This year we’re hoping for decriminalization, next year it’ll be a celebration.”
The Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition co-sponsored the event, along with the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
“We’re close to winning the first major battle with Question 2, and MassCann won’t stop until it’s legal, regulated and taxed,” said Steven Epstein, co-founder of the coalition.
Yesterday’s rally was “a combination of education and activism,” said Allen St. Pierre, NORML executive director.
Or, as guitarist “Brown Bag” Johnson of Graveyard BBQ put it, “We’re fighting against the man, burning the rope and having a good time.”
The arrests ruined the mellow mood for some participants.
“It’s a real fear. When they arrest you, it’s quick and swift,” said pot enthusiast Rachel Elorrisa, 29, of New Hampshire who admitted to “lighting up” before the rally. “Police are out here in street clothes, and when they arrest, you have to sit in that holding area all day.”Marijuana legalization advocates openly smoked pot at the annual Boston Freedom Rally... more
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this segment is stating how democratic gov. bill richardson is expected to sign the bill legalizing marijuana use to patients with doctors recommendation, regardless to what other poloticians say to advise not signing. -quotes
"I don't see it as being a big issue," he said. "This is for medicinal purpose, for ... people that are suffering. My God, let's be reasonable," he said.
but what is more outrageous is at the end of the article it explains that a women whos doctor even said that medical marijuana is the only thing keeping her alive would still face federal prosecution for drug charges by a federal appeals court. WTF?!
The Supreme Court ruled against the woman two years ago, saying medical marijuana users and their suppliers could be prosecuted for breaching federal drug laws even if they lived in a state such as California where medical pot is legal. -msnbc
again wtf!!
can a government ever contradict its self anymore on any other level...
this segment is stating how democratic gov. bill richardson is expected to sign the... more
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Zouave
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"Marijuana is the most prevalent illicit drug in Nebraska. Domestic production of both outdoor and hydroponic indoor grows have been steady with many seizures netting upwards of 500 plants. Marijuana produced outside of Nebraska and transported into the state is controlled by Mexican drug trafficking organizations at the whole sale level. At the retail level, independent dealers, outlaw motorcycle gangs, street gangs, Native Americans, and Mexican groups share equally in the retail market. Marijuana Legalization: Legislative Bill 273 was passed during the first session of the 97th legislature (2000) which provides guidance for the legal production of industrial hemp (cannabis sativa) having no more than 3/10ths of one percent tetrahydrocannabinol. This is the only legislation introduced regarding legalization of marijuana in the state of Nebraska in recent years."
i just copy and pasted the first part of the article to get the point out.. not much but who is complaining, just like rules were meant to be broken , sometimes you need to work around them :) remember small baby steps"Marijuana is the most prevalent illicit drug in Nebraska. Domestic production of... more
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Zouave
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