Pubdate: Tue, 28 Aug 2012
Source: Kokomo Tribune (IN)
Copyright: 2012 The Kokomo Tribune
Contact:  http://www.ktonline.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1204
Author: Jerome McCollom

U.S. WAR ON DRUGS THREATENS LIBERTY

The war on drugs in our nation and the world doesn't make any sense 
and is leading to a loss of liberty.

In cities across America, police can take away your money by 
threatening you with jail time, even if you have no drugs in your car 
after being pulled over for a traffic offense.

Yes, you don't need to be charged with an actual crime under civil 
asset forfeiture to lose your property. Not much more than mere 
suspicion is necessary.

In San Clemente, Calif.  more than 50 miles from Mexico  Border 
Patrol agents took a man's car because his son's friend had a small 
amount of marijuana, along with a marijuana registration card!

Yes, you don't have to be right at the border to have the Border 
Patrol stop you and ask you questions and take your car. One hundred 
miles of the border is basically a Fourth Amendment-free zone.

Nicholas Delpopolo, a U.S. judo athlete, was kicked out of the 
Olympics for testing positive for marijuana. First of all, marijuana 
is not a performance enhancing drug. It's not like steroids. It does 
not give an advantage.

Secondly, it is legal in a few nations. There is no logical reason 
that it is banned by the Olympics, other than drug war hysteria.

Alcohol is illegal in some Olympic nations, specifically Middle 
Easter n Muslim theocracies. Should they get the power to ban alcohol 
by Olympians?

About half of the people in the U.S. have used marijuana. Michael 
Phelps has the most Olympic gold medals ever, and he smoked 
marijuana. Our national obsession with punitive action against users 
is, well, stupid.

By the way, isn't it about time we had medical marijuana in Indiana?

Jerome McCollom

Kokomo
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