To the editor: Re: "Insite sees Narcan spike while city overdose deaths climb," Feb. 22. Cannabis prohibition and those who support it are partly responsible for higher hard drug addiction rates and heroin overdose deaths. One significant thing concerned citizens can do to help lower heroin addiction rates and save lives is re-legalize cannabis. Cannabis prohibition increases hard drug addiction rates. How many people, including youth, try cannabis and realize it's not nearly as harmful as government (including DARE) claims and then believe other substances must not be so bad either only to become addicted to hard drugs? [continues 88 words]
Annan, Branson want pot legal OTTAWA An international group of thinkers, business people and former politicians is urging the federal government to change its omnibus crime bill, arguing stiffer sentences for "minor" marijuana crimes won't make Canada safer. The Global Commission on Drug Policy, which includes former head of the United Nations Kofi Annan and billionaire Sir Richard Branson, signed an open letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and senators, urging them to amend the crime bill and, instead of penalties, make pot legal. [continues 335 words]
OTTAWA - An international group of thinkers, business people and former politicians is urging the federal government to change its omnibus crime bill, arguing stiffer sentences for "minor" marijuana crimes won't make Canada safer. The Global Commission on Drug Policy, which includes former head of the United Nations Kofi Annan and billionaire Sir Richard Branson, signed an open letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and senators urging them to amend the crime bill and, instead of penalties, make pot legal. In its letter, released Wednesday, the group asked the government to consider taxing and regulating marijuana "as an alternative strategy to undermine organized crime and improve community health and safety." [continues 304 words]
The Harper government is prioritizing new prison spending over maintaining seniors' retirement benefits, for reasons known only to itself. It's a puzzling choice. If real benefits were to be achieved as a result of the additional billions being put toward incarceration, the choice would make more sense. But, as a warning letter last week from a group of American law enforcers advised Canada's senators, there will be no payoff. This, when Human Resources Minister Diane Finley has just confirmed the upcoming federal budget will outline age-based eligibility delays to Old Age Security, for even the neediest seniors. Elderly single women likely will bear the brunt of any Conservative move to delay OAS eligibility to 67. [continues 548 words]
Editor: In all of this dialogue lately by government officials and private citizens regarding legalization of marijuana, I wonder if anyone has any given any thought to the victims who will be hurt if such a change in law ever happens. Does nobody care about the people who make a living from organized crime? How on earth will they survive if their income is taken away? We should all give some consideration to those who would be damaged by the thoughtless act of legalizing this innocuous product. John Wright Surrey [end]
"The drug war is weakening state institutions, infiltrating judicial systems and undermining rule of law," all of which is bad for business, Cesar Zamora, Nicaraguan businessman and vice president of the Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America (AACCLA) told the Christian Science Monitor on February 16, 2012. A criminal cancer is spreading through the global economy, taking its nutrition from the world-wide illegal drug business. In many countries, your travel agent, your lawyer, your banker or your telephone installer is as likely as an assassin or brothel manager to be working for a criminal organization. Almost everywhere, narco-dollars corrupt government officials and business agencies and fuel criminal opportunities. [continues 900 words]
A Mississippi legislator recently introduced a bill that would legalize the use of medical marijuana in the state. The bill was introduced by Democratic Senator Deborah Dawkins from Harrison County in January and has managed to stay afloat despite heavy opposition. Medical marijuana is currently prohibited by federal law, and it's classified as a schedule I drug. Despite this, the Drug Enforcement Administration, charged with enforcing federal drug laws, usually does not interfere with medical marijuana patients and their caregivers, according to Americans for Safe Access. [continues 539 words]
Federal officials warned owners of Valley farmland Thursday that if they lease land to someone growing marijuana, they could lose their property or face jail time. Sacramento-based U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner came to the Fresno County Farm Bureau to detail his office's stepped-up prosecution of large-scale pot farms. He met with about 65 people representing Valley sheriff's offices, federal drug agents and the agriculture community. "We want to send a message to land owners that they have to know what is going on on their property," said Wagner, who is the region's top federal prosecutor. [continues 333 words]
