Like those generals who used to discover that nuclear weapons were not a good thing about twenty minutes after they took off their uniforms and started collecting their pensions, we have had a parade of former presidents who knew that the war on drugs was a bad thing - but only mentioned it after they were already ex-presidents. Now, at last, we have one who is saying it out loud while he is still in office. President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia, the country that has suffered even more than Mexico from the drug wars, is an honest and serious man. He is also very brave, because any political leader who advocates the legalisation of narcotic drugs will become a prime target of the prohibition industry. He has chosen to do it anyway. [continues 615 words]
B.C. Man Failed to Prove Marijuana Use Served Religious Purpose, Judge Rules VANCOUVER - A federal judge has ruled that a Vancouver man was blowing smoke when he claimed that he should be allowed to smoke up to seven grams of marijuana - about 35 joints - every day for religious purposes. Christopher Bennett is a member of the Church of the Universe, which believes cannabis is the "tree of life." He tried to argue that Canada's drug laws infringed upon his religious rights. [continues 256 words]
Re: Nov. 19 Arnold Garcia column, "Effects of Mexican drug war lasting, far-reaching." Garcia's description of the bleak situation caused by criminal violence in Mexico is accurate as far as he goes. He fails to name the reason for the situation - global drug prohibition - or the solution - replace that policy with drug regulation and destroy the cartels' monopoly. A number of Latin American leaders are not so reticent. Former Mexican President Vicente Fox is outspoken in calling for legalization and regulation of all drugs. [continues 78 words]
California Voters Don't Want to Legalize Pot Just Yet-but They Don't Think Anyone Should Go to Jail for It, Either. a New Ballot Initiative Might Just Make This a Reality. Pot-smoking California liberals may not be voting for Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain anytime soon-even though, this week, he did come out in favor of state's rights when it comes to regulation of medical cannabis. That's a step up from the Golden State's current imbroglio with the feds, at least, and President Barack Obama's admittedly confusing stance on pot. [continues 772 words]
Re: Recent letters to the editor have painted far too bleak a picture of the government's crime bills. It may be that one can legitimately argue, as have some witnesses, that all addictive drugs from marijuana to cocaine should be legalized and that offenders do not ever respond to the deterrent sentences handed down daily in Canadian courts. However, mandatory minimum sentences and tougher penalties for drug traffickers are supported by many Canadians. Comparisons with the United States are far-fetched. The recently reported "less punitive" approach in Texas, for example, still results in a rate of incarceration five times greater than in Canada. American 10-year mandatory minimums and "three strikes" incarceration for minor offences are not even rumoured for Canada. [continues 136 words]
It should come as no surprise that the former U.S. Attorney in Seattle has endorsed an effort to legalize marijuana for recreational use in Washington state. During her tenure, Kate Pflaumer, a former sorority sister of Hillary Clinton, refused to file federal cases on marijuana smugglers captured by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents on our northern border in Whatcom County by steadily increasing the "threshold amount" of seized marijuana required for federal prosecution. By the time she left her position, the threshold amount measured in hundreds of pounds. [continues 100 words]
In response to "If pot supports our local economy, why not legalize meth, too?" Amazing! So many people have written The Union about marijuana, and make strong statements without any backing. Where is the evidence? Ms. Crouch, please send me the scientific evidence that marijuana "is killing people." How many per year? How? Nicotine currently kills 435,000 per year in the United States. "We should eradicate it completely ..." How? The war on marijuana is a proven failure. The California Medical Association (October 14, 2011) declared that "criminalization of cannabis (marijuana) is a failed public health policy." This year, the European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug prohibitionist policies have become worthless." It is time to wake up. Grass Valley [end]
The real "farce" (Letter to the editor: Pot dispensaries are a farce, Nov. 20) is requiring sick people to pay extortion money to government for protection from police for using the relatively safe God-given plant (see the first page of the Bible) cannabis (marijuana). The real farce is in caging responsible adult humans for using the plant (and it's commendable Ed Rosenberg has no issue with what an adult does in their home with marijuana). The real farce is that free American farmers may not grow hemp but communist Chinese farmers can and America's greatest foreign debt is with China. [continues 58 words]
And to Think, Americans Don't Want This Source of Tax Revenue! Highest greetings from the Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam, where I'm enjoying the heady ambience of this society where they just don't care if you want to get high and where a couple thousand American youths are staggering around this week flashing their judge's badges and sampling the wares of the city's 250 coffee shops. About 10 percent of Amsterdam's coffee shops pony up the entrance fees required to be showcased by High Times in its growing and consuming competition and thus gain the patronage of the American weed tourists during the week of the cup - and indeed all year round. The winning coffee shops get the business when the drug tourists come to town, the winning strains get purchased over the counter, and the winning seeds are prized by the international growing community. [continues 1068 words]
Editor: Canadian citizens must stop a government for committing an outrageous act that defies the intelligence and human rights of the citizenry of Canada. If you acknowledge marijuana has become part of our culture, and no amount of money for prisons, police, prosecutors and punishment is going to change that. If you acknowledge that marijuana was outlawed early in the last century for the purpose of oppressing minorities, and enforcement of its prohibition has continued to serve that function. Marijuana prohibition is utterly hypocritical, both alcohol and tobacco, despite their health risks, are available to adults in a regulated taxed system. Prohibition divides parents against teens, employers against employees, doctors against patients and citizens against police. Repeal marijuana prohibition and there will be no need for billions of dollars to build prisons. Instead there will be billions of dollars for health care, climate change and the national debt. Judith Renaud Executive Director/Educators for Sensible Drug Policy Gibsons [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]
OROVILLE - On the same day a referendum on Butte County's medical marijuana growing ordinance was placed on the ballot, signatures were turned in to overturn the county's marijuana dispensary law. Marijuana advocates turned in 12,025 signatures Tuesday to rescind the ordinance banning dispensaries in Butte County, or to put it on the ballot for voters to decide. Petition supporters had to hand over 7,605 valid signatures to the clerk of the Board of Supervisors by today to suspend the ordinance. The dispensary ban will not go into effect Saturday as scheduled. [continues 284 words]
