Will pot soon be legal in Kansas? Fire It Up Kansas, a non-violent nonprofit organization, sure hopes so. According to the group's Facebook page, it only has one purpose: to "legalize marijuana on a state and federal level for the purpose of medicine, production and recreation." To further its efforts, the organization is planning to use a billboard campaign to promote the legalization of marijuana in the state. Co-founder and president of Fire It Up Kansas, Mike Golden, said that the intent is for the legalization of marijuana to be seen as a legal market instead of a black market. [continues 795 words]
An oft-touted solution to many national problems is to legalize drugs and regulate them, thus providing a new source of revenue. People wouldn't be put in jail for drugs, so they could get on with their lives and get jobs. It's supposedly a win-win situation. However, the legalization of drugs would have several bad consequences that do not get mentioned because of how appealing the potential revenue sounds. Regulation would still cost money. Take methamphetamine, for example - the cost of police enforcement would not disappear just because citizens aren't being arrested for possession. Decriminalization could never make it legal or safe for a meth lab to be running in a residential area. The chemicals used to cook meth are at great risk of exploding in the process. Even if meth was legal, the dangers of someone wanting homemade instead of store-bought meth would continue. The police would still have to find and shut down meth labs. [continues 531 words]
I've enjoyed debating about public policy for nearly half as long as I've been alive. During that time, I've had impassioned and engaging arguments about almost every conceivable political issue. The War on Drugs, however, is an exception. Frankly, the topic is kind of boring. Nearly everyone in America learned about the prohibition of alcohol during their middle school history class and/or from watching mob films. We all know it was a calamitous failure that made the problem enormously worse at everyone's expense. As John D. Rockefeller Jr. wrote in 1932, "a vast army of lawbreakers has been recruited and financed on a colossal scale." [continues 538 words]
Dear Editor, Jillian Aramowicz hit the bull's-eye with her Dec. 2 column entitled, "Marijuana not as dangerous as most legal drugs." Marijuana should be legalized. One way to legalize the relatively safe, extremely popular, God-given plant cannabis is to remove it from being a Schedule I substance alongside heroin, while meth and cocaine are only Schedule II substances. Another reason to stop caging responsible adults who use cannabis that doesn't get mentioned is because it's biblically correct. God, the ecologician, indicates he created all the seed-bearing plants saying they are all good on literally the very first page (see Genesis 1:11-12 and 29-30). The only Biblical restriction placed on cannabis is to accept it with thankfulness (1 Timothy 4:1-5). Truthfully, Stan White Dillon, Colorado [end]
I sat on my couch for more than 30 minutes, trying to come up with a great introduction to segue into my actual argument for this column, but I really have no other way to start this than to just come out and say what I think: the federal government needs to legalize pot. There. Now that I can officially be branded a stoner, a hippie, young liberal trash or a drug advocate -- none of which I actually am -- I can present a few reasonable, mature points as to why marijuana should be made legal for the good will and sake of American society, not because it just sounds like a fun thing to do. [continues 682 words]
"If it helps people, it should be legal. I don't believe it causes as much harm as people say it does." - Alexis Filippo, freshman in secondary education "I would say yes, if it can help." - Matt Bane, senior in fine arts "Yes, I do think it should be legalized for medicinal purposes. I've seen it first hand; my grandmother had cancer. I think there's overwhelming studies showing the benefits outweigh the negative impacts." - Brittany Smith, senior in social work [continues 503 words]
The push for legalization of marijuana is becoming more of an issue lately with many states potentially having questions on their ballots this November regarding the legalization of the illegal drug. If you see a question about legalizing marijuana on your ballot this November or any other time, you should vote against it without a second thought. Those who support legalizing the drug argue two points: first, that the extra taxes collected from sales revenue will help the U.S. economy, and second, that marijuana is not addictive or harmful. However, these notions are far from the truth. [continues 570 words]
I never thought I would say this, but it is high time for the state of Kansas to consider legalizing marijuana. Since graduating from the D.A.R.E. program in elementary school, my train of thought has always been this: drugs are bad, marijuana is a drug, marijuana ought to be illegal. End of story. My right-of-center political ideology, which developed as I matured, closed my mind further. I saw marijuana users as hippie, peace-loving liberals. Reggae fans. Potheads. [continues 537 words]
One tingle sends Dave Mulford rushing to his refrigerator. Cracking the cap off an unopened bottle of G2, he quickly slams down 20 ounces. Then comes the water. He said re-hydration is key in moments like this. Next, Mulford fumbles toward the basement where he employs a series of relaxation techniques he has learned over the years. He has had plenty of practice. If none of these methods work to subdue his spasm - if it persists or intensifies - Mulford said he resorts to an herbal remedy on which he has relied for the better part of two decades: marijuana. [continues 2456 words]
Editor, After reading the article on the legalization of marijuana, I was let down. One article was a brief, vague and weak argument on why to not legalize marijuana. It was followed by a narrative, that after reading a few times, still has no point, nor does it address legalization/decriminalization. Therefore, I would like to send this out to educate and debate the other side. First, Frank Male has an issue with the fact that legalization would increase government bureaucracy. We are in a horrible economy; people are getting laid off left and right. In a worst-case scenario in which the government can't afford to create jobs, let farmers, gardeners, florists, anyone start growing. It's agriculture. Unlike cigarettes and alcohol, marijuana is a plant. It grows. It's ready. If corn got you high, would you have the same problem? [continues 356 words]
The push for legalizing marijuana has some star power behind it. From staunch conservatives like the late William Buckley, Jr. to libertarians like the late Milton Friedman, from Representative Barney Frank to musician Carlos Santana, public figures have lined up to legalize taking a toke. Why do I, along with 60 percent of Americans, disagree? Although I can't speak for everyone, I think I can boil it down to a few factors. Legalization will increase government bureaucracy even more, it will increase the availability of drugs to underaged people and it will not seriously help crime or abuse rates. [continues 530 words]
The criminalization of marijuana is rooted in racism, propaganda and the Drug Enforcement Agency's manipulation of both to further the white man's agenda. The continued persecution of cannabis users symbolizes the last gasp of a government studded with closed doors and sweeping generalizations about substances that alter the conscience. But beyond the historical statues of dissent forever looming over marijuana users like gargoyles bugged by the DEA are plumes of hope for a better tomorrow -- or at least a more entertaining episode of "Family Guy." [continues 485 words]
The number 420 has represented cannabis culture for over 30 years. But where did it come from, and has it always been related to marijuana? The answer comes from a group of high school boys in San Rafael, Calif., in 1971. Every day at 4:20 p.m., they would meet at a statue of chemist Louis Pasteur on their campus. At first they used the time to follow a map in search of an abandoned pot patch. As time passed, the boys found use in "420" as not only a time to light up, but also as a code around parents, cops and teachers. They had no idea their code would become an internationally accepted term for pot users. [continues 410 words]
With the growing despair of this recession, California put forth an initiative to legalize and tax recreational marijuana in late February. While this initiative will surely not pass, it demonstrates that legalizing marijuana is not far-fetched and proves to be a very lucrative move for the state's income. The national legalization of marijuana for medical and recreational use is past due. By Friday, the War on Drugs has cost taxpayers more than $11 billion, according to drugsense.org. In an economy where every penny counts, I suggest we divert the money being allocated to arresting citizens for possession of small amounts of marijuana to increasing teachers' salaries. Not only do we pay enormous amounts of money to support the multi-decade War on Drugs, but we also pay to house those who are detained because of minor marijuana-related charges. [continues 400 words]
He's often demonized as existentially lazy, obtuse and prone to erratic fits of violence. He might look just like one of us - and indeed is a great number of us, many with families and stable jobs. He was recently described by John P. Walters as a "vicious criminal terrorist," and he and his forsaken friends litter our penal system, their lives and careers forever ruined on account of their victimless pastime. What could an honest, tax-paying, otherwise law-abiding citizen possibly do in this country to earn such a fate? [continues 539 words]
Each year students across the nation fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and when they do, there's a small box under Question 31 that - if marked - can cost them significant federal aid. College students in the United States and Canada rallied against this question, which asks students if they have been convicted for the possession or sale of illegal drugs, last week as part of the Students for Sensible Drug Policy's week of action. Tom Angell, government relations director for SSDP, said about 40 campuses participated in the week of action against the Aid Elimination Penalty, though K-State was not one of them. [continues 855 words]
Dear editor, As a Christian who helped pass Colorado's medical cannabis law, I was pleased to read Zachary T. Eckels' article, "Medicinal Marijuana Needs To Be Accepted," and wanted to point out re-legalizing cannabis is also biblically correct since God indicated all the seed-bearing plants are good on literally the very first page of the Bible (see Genesis 1:11-12 and 29-30). People who would cage a sick citizen for using a plant are the same people who would stick a knife in the side of Christ. [continues 69 words]
New legislation might no longer deny federal education aid from student drug offenders. Congress has rewritten the Higher Education Act Drug Provision, which states that if a student has a previous or current drug conviction, they will not receive financial aid. The revision will allow students with a previous drug offense to receive aid, although students who are convicted while in college will lose eligibility. Larry Moeder, director of admissions and student financial assistance, said prior to the new legislation, students would have to indicate whether they had a drug offense or not. Then a follow-up would be done by the U.S. Department of Education. [continues 483 words]
The Marijuana Policy Project Foundation is trying to raise money by asking greek organizations to select its cause as a philanthropy project. The foundation is asking fraternities and sororities to support it based on stereotypes that are common among those who are not familiar with greek life. Assuming that greek students are affected by marijuana possession laws more than other students, and then asking for their hard-raised philanthropy money, is nothing short of outrageous. Members of greek organizations are no more likely to support marijuana policy reform than the average student. Furthermore, nationally recognized greek houses have philanthropies that are supported by chapters across the country. [continues 81 words]
Recovered Alcoholic, Drug User Shares Story J used drugs for 25 years. It started as fun and a way to escape problems, but by the end he was using drugs compulsively to keep from shaking. That was until 10 years ago when he would face five to 15 years in prison. This was after being convicted for the felony of selling marijuana -- which resulted in some jail time and meeting with a probation officer three to five times a week -- he thenwas arrested three months later for a DUI and driving on a suspended license. [continues 875 words]
