The damage caused by illegal marijuana grows is a product of a foolhardy pot prohibition policy. Keeping marijuana illegal makes pot growing an incredibly profitable operation that is done wherever a grower can plant a crop. Most of the diverted streams, un-permitted soil grading, clear cutting of trees, heavy fertilizer and pesticide usage and tons of garbage left in the state's most pristine public lands will end overnight when legal growing on ordinary cropland is allowed. Ralph Givens Daly City [end]
Regarding the March 28 Inbox letter "Retire, Mitch" by Thomas Clay Jr.: Mitch McConnell shamelessly supports marijuana laws based on racist fictions and tall tales about cannabis-induced mass murder that never happened: "Marijuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men's shadows and look at a white woman twice." (Hearst newspapers, 1934) "There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing result from marijuana use. This marijuana can cause white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others." (Federal Bureau of Narcotics director Harry J. Anslinger, 1937) [continues 83 words]
A letter writer ("Contamination symptom," March 18) may be correct about nitrate contamination coming from illegal marijuana growing by Mexican drug cartels. However, the solution is not a better guest worker policy. Legalization of marijuana is the only way to stop outlaw growing on public lands. After marijuana is legalized, Mexican cartel-growing will diminish exponentially. From then on, pot will be grown on regular farms or in hothouses. Without the prohibition subsidy, criminals will not be able to reap huge profits from eco-damaging marijuana grows. [continues 214 words]
Re "Oh, ho, ho, it's magic ..." (SN&R Letters, February 2): Richard Copp's argument about marijuana on the highway misses the point. No one has said that marijuana drivers are completely accident-free. What the records show is that cannabis smokers have the lowest accident rate of any group, including teetotalers. When the records are examined it is clear that completely sober drivers have more disastrous collisions on the highway than pot smokers. A recent study by D. Mark Anderson demonstrates that states with legalized medical marijuana have seen fatal car accident rates drop by 9 percent. This decline was linked directly to a reduction in the practice of drunk driving. Persons living in states that had legalized medical marijuana were less likely to drive under the influence of alcohol, and more likely to use marijuana instead. Legal marijuana lowers highway accident rates. Ralph Givens via email [end]
Re: Larry Gabriel's Higher Ground column for Nov. 16, Michigan state Attorney General Bill Schuette is apparently so blinded by his reefer madness campaign that he has forgotten that marijuana prohibition is based on racist lies and ridiculous myths about ultra violence caused by smoking cannabis. "Marihuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men's shadows and look at a white woman twice." (Hearst newspapers nationwide, 1934) "There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana can cause white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others." (Federal Bureau of Narcotics Director Harry J. Anslinger) [continues 126 words]
Re: "High stakes" (Nov. 2), the clear stupidity of people like state Attorney General Bill Schuette - in making a career of opposing marijuana - is seen when we examine a few facts. First off, contrary to any myths promoted by the drug warriors, cannabis is the least toxic drug known to mankind. There has never been a fatality attributed to marijuana in 5,000 years of recorded use. Claims that marijuana is "dangerous" are myths and propaganda coming from drug warriors worried about losing cushy jobs chasing potheads, who need no protection from cannabis. It is long past time to abandon reefer madness and to set marijuana free. [continues 94 words]
I wonder if Nevada County officials set on banning medical marijuana realize that the pot prohibition they endorse is based on racist fictions and utter lies about mass murder inspired by using cannabis. "There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana can cause white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others." -- Federal Bureau of Narcotics Director Harry J. Anslinger [continues 85 words]
Joseph A. Califano Jr. and William J. Bennett are seriously mistaken when they suggest that ending America's long-failed drug crusade will lead to a "Needle Park" situation in the U.S. ("Do We Really Want a 'Needle Park' on American Soil?," op-ed, July 1) After a few missteps, the Swiss solved many of their drug troubles by creating a successful policy of enforcement, treatment, harm reduction and prevention, with a heroin maintenance program that supplies addicts with cheap, pharmaceutical-grade heroin, methadone and other things they need. There is no longer a Needle Park in Switzerland. [continues 227 words]
Dear Editor: Etna Taucher has apparently forgotten that medical marijuana is now legal in Colorado ("Please, DEA, keep fighting war on drugs," letters, May 30, 2011, The Aspen Times). Evidently the will of the voters is meaningless to her. Another point of ignorance on her part is the fact that marijuana prohibition is based on absurd racist lies. "Marihuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men-s shadows and look at a white woman twice." - Hearst newspapers nationwide, 1934 [continues 168 words]
Dear Editor, I wonder if the citizens of Santa Clara County realize that the marijuana laws they seek to enforce are based on absurd racist lies and tall tales about ultra violence that never happened. - - "Marihuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men's shadows and look at a white woman twice." (Hearst newspapers nationwide, 1934) - - "There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana can cause white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others." - Federal Bureau of Narcotics Director Harry J. Anslinger [continues 325 words]
Re "Crossing borders," Opinion, May 8 Ruben Martinez's pleas for drug cartels to end their violence will fall on ears as deaf as those of Al Capone during Prohibition. The thing that stopped the booze barons was ending Prohibition. Liquor that sold for top dollar suddenly became an ordinary commodity that did not generate enough income to keep the mobsters' huge operations going. Bootleggers disappeared, replaced by honest businessmen who obeyed the law. Once we realize that cocaine and heroin are agricultural commodities worth very little in a free market, the solution to cartel violence becomes obvious. What cannot be done with armies of police can be done easily with the stroke of a pen. Mexican leaders know that it is the U.S. drug war that fuels cartel violence. The sooner we end drug prohibition, the sooner we will see a tremendous reduction in crime here and south of the border. Ralph Givens Daly City, Calif. [end]
Pardon me for questioning Mr. Jeff Limon's claims about "better alternatives" for nausea relief than marijuana (Letters, May 8). First off, the Zofran Mr. Limon touts must be taken by intravenous infusion. How did Limon manage this at home away from doctors and nurses? Most people can only use Zofran in a hospital, not at home or at work. Second, I've had a Zofran infusion before receiving a medicine that causes such severe vomiting and nausea that they call the symptoms "fountain vomiting." After taking a 4-ounce IV infusion of Zofran before the isodide treatment, I had the worst nausea and vomiting in my entire life. I had severe cramps, diarrhea and intense nausea and vomiting for 18 hours that was so severe that morphine could not stop the pain. The Zofran was worthless. [continues 131 words]
Vacaville Police Chief Richard Word's claim ("Vacaville council just says no to pot dispensaries," March 23) that "dispensaries bring with them other crimes such as robberies and burglaries" has not proved true in Los Angeles or any other city with marijuana dispensaries. Police Chief Word's assertions about marijuana are thinly disguised fictions with no basis in fact. Cops imply that allowing a marijuana dispensary could be dangerous because there might be an armed robbery of a pot club. However, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck debunked that claim when he said, "Banks are more likely to get robbed than medical marijuana dispensaries." [continues 133 words]
Dear Editor: The Colorado Legislature seeks to deceive if they suggest that pot smokers are a danger on the roads. Drug warriors neglect to mention that several peer reviewed studies done by the U.S. Department of Transportation show that marijuana users have the lowest fatal accident risk of any category of driver. In fact, stoned drivers have a lower accident responsibility rate than totally sober individuals. Notions about lunatic behavior of pot smokers behind the wheel first appeared in the 1936 movie "Reefer Madness." Like every other accusation in this scurrilous film, the claim that cannabis causes reckless driving is a provable lie! Blood tests of dead drivers show that stoned drivers are actually safer on the highway than completely sober drivers. [continues 351 words]
Re: Larry Gabriel's column "Hemp on the ropes" (Feb. 9), the only thing more stupid than outlawing marijuana is banning hemp. Without hemp, the United States would have lost World War II. Without hemp, none of the U.S. Navy's battleships, aircraft carriers and other big ships could have sailed. Without the hemp cables used for maneuvering these behemoths, they would have been out of action, resulting in the loss of the war in the Pacific. Fortunately, the War Department overruled Harry Anslinger's reefer madness assault on hemp and the Hemp For Victory program won the day. Nevertheless, after World War II the Bureau of Narcotics again banned hemp growing. The claim was and is "we cannot tell the difference between marijuana and hemp." [continues 173 words]
The first question the drug crusaders must answer is why is marijuana illegal. According to Congressional history of the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 racist lies and tall tales about ultra violence were the reasons given for prohibiting marijuana. "Marihuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men's shadows and look at a white woman twice." - - (Hearst newspapers nationwide, 1934) "There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana can cause white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others." [continues 137 words]
Re. 'Pot affects motivation, memory' (Dec. 30). Deborah Joyce's arguments for amotivation, memory loss, gateway effect, impaired executive functions and contaminated pot would be more convincing if she offered some scientific proof to support her theories. Her accusations are far from being accepted by science and medicine because there are dozens of peer-reviewed studies opposing her reefer madness notions and no proof whatsoever that she is correct. Her unsupported marijuana claims have been repeated so many times that many folks may believe they are gospel truth, but in fact all of the negatives claimed for cannabis lack proof. [continues 65 words]
Shannon Rooney omitted one important fact about the drug offender being forced to write a report on "the nonsensical character" of California's medical-marijuana program. The plain truth is that dozens of medical groups, from the Wisconsin State Medical Society, the National Institutes of Health and the Vermont Medical Society to the San Francisco Medical Society, the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine and the Medical Society of the State of New York, to name a few, recognize the medical value of marijuana. No doubt this judge expects a scathing attack on medical marijuana, but that is a lie. If the judge insists on forcing someone to mouth lies that they do not believe in, he is the biggest hypocrite in Nevada. Ralph Givens Daly City [end]
Re: "God thinks well of marijuana," Dec. 2 letter: Letter writer Stan White is correct that the God of the Bible approves marijuana, but there is more to consider. Punishing people where no injury to another person has been done goes against the law of God commanding that criminal punishment must equal the injury done and no more: Exodus says, "But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life." Leviticus says, "fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has disfigured a man, he shall be disfigured." [continues 94 words]
People need to remember that marijuana prohibition was passed on the basis of racist fictions and claims of ultra violence. "Marijuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men's shadows and look at a white woman twice." (Hearst newspapers nationwide, 1934) "There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana can cause white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others."-Federal Bureau of Narcotics director Harry J. Anslinger. [continues 105 words]
To the editor: (Re: Schools program worthy of praise, Oct. 31) It is tiresome to see the drug crusaders trying to justify their destructive inquisition with notions of "saving people from themselves." The notion of a drug free America is pure madness and very harmful. The claim that drug warriors are saving people by throwing them into prison is a huge lie. A lie so big that most people never question it. However, when we examine the results of drug prohibition we quickly learn that the drug crusade has failed on every front. Never since the drug laws went on the books has there been a reduction in drug use. In fact, we have more drug addicts now percentage wise than there were when the drug bans began. [continues 363 words]
Re "Ashamed of government" (Speak Out, Sept. 17): Letter writer David Parker isn't the only one who should be ashamed of marijuana laws. Marijuana prohibition is now and always has been based on absurd lies, such as: "There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana can cause white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others. [continues 71 words]
Law enforcement hysteria about marijuana smoking drivers on the highway should have been laid to rest long ago. Every study and every survey of cannabis use and driving shows that stoned drivers are safer drivers than teetotalers. For one thing, pot smokers tend to drive slower and do not exhibit the aggression so common among normal drivers. Marijuana drivers tend to be more polite avoiding potential accidents. The way you tell when pot smokers are too high to drive is simple. Test their coordination and their reaction times etc. Marijuana causes its maximum effect immediately, so if a driver passes a roadside sobriety test, there will be no delayed effects later as is possible with alcohol. [continues 61 words]
Drug prohibition has actually been failing since 1909 when a "smoking opium" ban was enacted. America's drug crusade has never worked in over 100 years. The idea that some new approach will succeed after the drug warriors have tried everything their devious and deceitful minds can conceive is true insanity. Drug prohibition can never work because the very act of outlawing drugs makes dealing them incredibly profitable. Severe penalties only increase profit margins, and busting dealers that are instantly replaced accomplishes nothing. [continues 52 words]
Editor: Re: "Dictatorship by inaction," Letters/May 16. Letter writer Joe DePaul is right about the constitutional basis for drug prohibition. A big concern about cannabis prohibition is the fact that marijuana laws are based on outrageous racist fictions: "Marihuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men's shadows and look at a white woman twice." (Hearst newspapers nationwide, 1934) "There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana can cause white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others." Harry J. Anslinger, circa 1947 [continues 129 words]
Dear Editor: In regard to the letter, "Sentences in pot cases should be more severe," the Bible does not authorize jailing people for marijuana crimes. Punishing victimless drug crimes exceeds the standard for retributive punishment established in the Bible. Exodus 21:23-25, "life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise". Also, see Leviticus, 24:20, and Deuteronomy, 19:21. Since marijuana "criminals" have murdered no one, blinded no one and haven't knocked out anyone's teeth and no maiming has occurred, there is no valid basis for punishment for using, possessing or growing cannabis? Punishing "victimless crimes" violates the standard of justice God commands in the Bible. Ralph Givens Daly City, California [end]
People in Sutter County should know that political hacks like Supervisor Jim Whiteaker want to enforce a "reefer madness" ban in violation of the California Constitution. Sutter County's creation of barriers to access for medical marijuana violates their oath of office and disobeys the direct instruction of the Constitution of the State of California: Article III, Section 3.5 of the California Constitution (adopted in 1978) states that "An administrative agency, including an administrative agency created by the Constitution or an initiative statute, has no power: ... (c) to declare a statute unenforceable, or to refuse to enforce a statute, on the basis that federal law or federal regulations prohibit the enforcement of such statute unless an appellate court has made a determination that the enforcement of such a statute is prohibited by federal law or federal regulations." Repealing a ballot initiative is not a matter that the Sutter County supervisors have the authority to decide. The U.S. Supreme Court did not strike Proposition 215 from the books so it is still the law in California, including Sutter County. Ralph Givens Daly City [end]
Editor: Re: "Woman with marijuana prescription arrested for drug possession." I am puzzled about the eagerness of the state of Wyoming to enforce marijuana laws based on racist lies: "Marihuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men's shadows and look at a white woman twice." (Hearst newspapers nationwide, 1934) "There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana can cause white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others." [continues 118 words]
Before any of the drug war hypocrites begin shouting in Mexico's ears, we should remember that the only reason cartels are so avid to bring drugs into the United States is because of a lunatic drug war that has utterly failed for more than 90 years. Without drug prohibition the Mexican drug cartels will be out of the drug business in a few days. How do I know? That's about how long it took for outlaws to quit the bootlegger business after repeal of Alcohol Prohibition. It's worth remembering that Eliot Ness never put the booze gangs out of business. Repeal and regulation for adult alcohol use did that in short order and we haven't had a bombing or a shoot out over a beer. Ralph Givens Daly City, Calif. [end]
Dear Editor, Robert Stutman is still arguing the same kind of nonsense Harry Anslinger used to get marijuana outlawed in the first place. The best reason Stutman can come up with for banning marijuana is "for the simple reason that we will have far more users," but without any specific danger, there's no reason to worry about how many users there are. Stutman is completely off the rails with his claim that marijuana users consume more alcohol and are more susceptible to binge drinking. [continues 123 words]
To the editor: If Jim Munn ("Can we ever win the drug war?" Times, Monday, March 1) is truly concerned about the well-being of young people who use drugs, he must support ending drug prohibition. Two major reasons support legalizing drugs. First, there's the historic fact that there was no crime associated with legalized drug addiction. Secondly, accidental drug deaths were extremely rare when addicts could buy all of the morphine, heroin, cocaine and anything else they wanted cheaply and legally at the corner pharmacy. These facts are also observed in the Swiss Heroin Maintenance Program. Since 1991, the Swiss have not had a single fatal overdose in their program and "drug crime" has dropped 97 percent since the Swiss began allowing addicts to use pure heroin and other drugs. Since the two most dangerous consequences of drug use are a prison sentence or an accidental overdose, legalization which prevents these outcomes is a good idea. Mr. Munn might find it interesting to note that the Swiss have seen an 82 percent reduction in drug use since implementing Heroin Maintenance. U.S. drug policy causes crime and drug deaths, so repeal makes a lot of sense. Ralph Givens Gloucester [end]
Mike Stucka defeats the idea of renewing drug task forces with his first paragraph. Obviously the tough prison sentences handed out as a result of their activities have had zero impact on the illegal drug market. Indeed, more drugs are available in cheaper purer forms than in 1991. The history of America's drug crusade is a tale of unrelenting failure. It is time to abandon prohibition and install a system of legal regulated drug distribution. It's worth remembering that Eliot Ness never put the bootleggers out of business. Repeal and a regulated market for adult alcohol use shut the booze barons down in a matter of days and we haven't had a bombing or a shoot out over a beer route since 1933. - -- Ralph Givens Daly City, Calif. [end]
There are several good reasons to get rid of the office of the "drug czar" ("Drug czar should go," Commentary, Monday). First, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is a complete failure. Advertised "messages" from the drug czar have been met with roaring laughter from teens, at whom the ads were aimed. In fact, such propaganda actually increased drug use among kids. In the past 10 years, the ONDCP has spent $1.4 billion on youth anti-pot ads. It also has spent $43 million to study their effectiveness. When science found that kids who have seen the ONDCP ads are more likely to smoke pot, the drug czar buried the evidence, choosing to spend hundreds of millions more on the counterproductive ads. Obviously, truth is not on the ONDCP menu. [continues 185 words]
Re: "Shedding some light on our pot laws," Mindelle Jacobs, Dec. 18.) The first place to shed some light about marijuana prohibition is on the reasons given for outlawing cannabis in the first place. In 1923, Canadian marijuana laws were passed without serious discussion as the result of a fiction-based racist propaganda campaign run by Emily Murphy. Using the pen name of "Janey Canuck," Murphy singlehandedly invented the "reefer madness" accusations later used by Harry Anslinger in the U.S. to get marijuana prohibited there. "... persons using this narcotic smoke the dry leaves of the plant, which has the effect of driving them completely insane. The addict loses all sense of moral responsibility. Addicts to this drug, while under its influence, are immune to pain. While in this condition they become raving maniacs and are liable to kill or indulge in any forms of violence to other persons, using the most savage methods of cruelty without ... any sense of moral responsibility." Not one word is true, but according to many drug crusaders, the only thing worse than marijuana use is murder. Never mind that legal alcohol and tobacco kill hundreds of thousands every year, while science is still looking for the first marijuana-induced death. Continuing marijuana prohibition is the mark of ignorance and irrationality . Ralph Givens (Reefer madness Canadian? How about that.) [end]
The kidnap-murder of a resident of Horizon City by a Mexican drug cartel should spark an effort to override Mayor John Cook's veto of a January City Council resolution recommending that the federal government seriously study the legalization of narcotics as part of the solution to violence in Juarez. The resolution, with the legalization amendment, received 8-0 council approval in January. Here's my question: Are El Paso City Council members going to wait until El Paso officials are gunned down by Mexican cartels before they renew opposition to a long-failed and bloody drug crusade? Passing their resolution over the mayor's veto will get the kind of national attention that brings meaningful changes to drug policy. How much closer to home does the Mexican drug war have to hit before we wake up? Ralph Givens Daly City, Calif. [end]
Gordon C. Cockett's concern (Letters, July 31) about a gateway from marijuana to harder drugs was laid to rest by the Institute of Medicine's 1997 study of medical marijuana. Notions of progression to addictive drugs were dashed to the ground with this rebuttal: "Whereas the stepping stone hypothesis presumes a predominantly physiological component to drug progression, the gateway theory is a social theory. The latter does not suggest that the pharmacological qualities of marijuana make it a risk factor for progression to other drug use. Instead it is the legal status of marijuana that makes it a gateway drug." The report can be viewed online at www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/marimed/ch3.html. [continues 60 words]
It sounds like the students who want to "get rid of drug users" have been through a DARE program. Too bad DARE refuses to inform students about the damage done by their lunatic drug prohibition policy. To wit: There was no such thing as "drug crime" until after America's drug crusaders outlawed drugs. When addicts could buy all of the morphine, heroin, cocaine and anything else they wanted cheaply and legally at the corner pharmacy, no one was robbing, whoring and murdering over drugs. There were no drug gangs, no criminal drug cartels and no such thing as "drug crime." [continues 105 words]
Perhaps the reason TV stations do not run pro-marijuana ads is that they still believe the racist propaganda used to outlaw cannabis to begin with: Marihuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men's shadows and look at a white woman twice." (Hearst newspapers nationwide, 1934) There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana can cause white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others." [continues 118 words]
The Summit Prevention Alliance's (SPA) claim that marijuana use causes brain damage and mental illness (Letters, July 5) harkens back to the inane assertions used to outlaw cannabis to begin with, such as: "Marihuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men's shadows and look at a white woman twice." (Hearst newspapers nationwide, 1934) ".the primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on the degenerate races" - Federal Bureau of Narcotics Director Harry J. Anslinger, 1930 [continues 102 words]
Re: "Medical marijuana in WA: Politics and conclusions" (July 4): Apparently, The Overton Window for most politicians has not passed the point where they are ready to abandon the racist lies used to outlaw cannabis to begin with: . "Marihuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men's shadows and look at a white woman twice." (Hearst newspapers nationwide, 1934) . "There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana can cause white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others." [continues 138 words]
The Maui News online poll asked: "Should marijuana be legalized in Hawaii in a manner similar to alcohol - taxed and barred for possession by anyone under 21?" Anyone who thinks decriminalization is the way to go with marijuana needs reminding that an alcohol prohibition worked the same way as a "decriminalization policy." Namely, users get light penalties while dealers go to jail for felony time. When Eliot Ness raided a speakeasy, the customers went home while the operators went to jail. Decriminalization enabled Al Capone, Lucky Luciano and their ilk to violently control the outlaw booze market for more than a decade. [continues 59 words]
None of the allegations made against marijuana by the Summit Prevention Alliance (SPA) have any scientific validity whatsoever (SDN Letters July 5, "Vote 'no' on pot initiative"). Denying that alcohol is a hundred times more dangerous in every respect than marijuana destroys any notion that the SPA stands for truth and justice. Alcohol is easily far more dangerous than any illegal drug. Doubters are invited to ask highway patrolmen whether marijuana or alcohol causes the most fatalities on the road. Automobile accidents caused by marijuana are very rare while the ambulances roll to drunk driving mayhem every day. Ask cops how many "domestic disturbances" are caused by marijuana and how many by alcohol and you'll get a true picture of which is more dangerous. [continues 96 words]
Re: your June 28 article, "Westlake orders pot shop to close": Proposition 215 passed in Ventura County with a 52 percent majority and, undoubtedly, it has more support today. The strong public support for medical marijuana makes the hard-line attitudes of the Westlake Village City Council against medical-marijuana dispensaries difficult to understand. It appears that the council is allowing minority anti-marijuana voices in the community to overrule the will of the public. Anyone who upholds this lunacy does not deserve to hold public office. Ralph Givens, Daly City [end]
Ted Nugent needs a brain scan. America's insane drug crusade has utterly failed for more than 90 years ["We could be winning the war on drugs," June 14]. Ignoring the fact drug prohibition is responsible for the United States being the world leader in incarceration, Nugent wants to expand this engine of destruction until we can no longer afford police and prison expenses. We already spend a $100 billion a year on a failed drug war without accomplishing a single worthwhile goal. [continues 147 words]
(Re: "A fine to fit the crime," cover story, June 4.) Drug czar Gil Kerlikowske's claim that drug prohibition is a "war on drugs" or a "war on a product," and that "We're not at war with people in this country" is proved to be a lie by the hundreds of drug busts targeting people every month. We hear daily reports of 194 people arrested in one operation and 73 more in another, and this cannot be explained away with dissembling remarks about "a war on product." Drugs are not going to prison, people are. [continues 127 words]
Re: "War on Drugs cannot be won" (DailyViews, June 14). America's drug crusade is worse than a dismal failure. It is absolutely counterproductive because there are three times the number of addicts percentagewise as we had when the prohibitionists began "saving people from themselves." That's not all. Before we had drug laws, there was no such thing as "drug crime." Addicts were not robbing, whoring and murdering over drugs when they could buy all of the morphine, heroin, cocaine and anything else they wanted cheaply and legally at the corner pharmacy. There were no drug gangs, no criminal drug cartels and no societal problems regarding addictive drugs. All of that came after the drug laws were passed. [continues 110 words]
(Re: "A fine to fit the crime," cover story, June 4.) Apparently the best argument the Longmont City Council can come up with to support marijuana prohibition is that they are too busy with "important pressing issues facing us" to reconsider marijuana policy. Never mind that they have plenty of time to argue against changing the law. When they say that they are "satisfied with current law," apparently they signal approval for the outrageous claims and racist lies used to outlaw marijuana in the first place: "Marihuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men's shadows and look at a white woman twice." (Hearst newspapers nationwide, 1934) [continues 166 words]
Regarding the story, "County health officer warns of contaminated street drugs," June 4 SanJuanJournal.com: San Juan County Health Officer Dr. Frank James's warning about contaminated street drugs is just another counterproductive aspect of America's long failed drug crusade. It should be noted that the problems Dr. James warns about never existed before drug prohibition. When addicts could buy all of the pharmaceutical morphine, heroin, cocaine and anything else they wanted cheaply and legally at the corner pharmacy, they did not drop dead because of contaminated drugs. All of that is the product of a drug policy that has utterly failed for more than 90 years. So much for "saving people from themselves" using police, courts and prisons. Ralph Givens Daly City, Calif. [end]
The Vacaville City Council is not confused about medical marijuana ("Yet another moratorium: Planning would nip this," June 2). It opposes Proposition 215 and is engaged in a last-ditch fight to prevent the voter's will from being fulfilled. They remind me of the South imposing Jim Crow for a hundred years after losing the Civil War. Proposition 215 got a 53 percent majority in Solano County in 1995 and polls say that approval of medical marijuana has increased since then. Obviously, the Vacaville City Council has no respect for democratic principles. [continues 59 words]
[Re: issue 7's "Smoke Screen" story about the medical marijuana arrest of Temecula grower Marty Victor] One of the worst aspects of the marijuana raids that Riverside County seems to love so well is the undeniable fact that these excursions into reefer madness take cops away from preventing crimes and apprehending truly dangerous criminals. It is dereliction of duty for the Riverside County Sheriff's office to dedicate personnel to "marijuana crimes" that are not really crimes while all manner of violent criminals prey on Riverside County. It's time for law enforcement to realize that tales of reefer madness have lost their ability to frighten adults and only lowers the stature of those spreading such fictions. Ralph Givens, Daly City Hey, man, apparently the Supreme Court is on your side since the justices recently opted to keep their hands-off Prop. 215 (Sorry, San Bernardino County) and let it stand as a legitimate voter-approved measure. [end]
