Cannabis in Washington

People sometimes misunderstand about this whole Marijuana, Cannabis, Pot, whatever issue. The legalization of Cannabis is not about getting "high", or about people who want to get "high" to get "high" without getting busted. It is not about "Medical Marijuana" which is ridiculous in several ways (people who have a medical reason should have it, if they are dying and want it and it does nothing, they should have it, if they just want it, they should have it). Alcohol has effects similar to cocaine, it numbs you just like cocaine. Cigarettes are extremely addictive. Many "legal" prescription drugs are extremely addictive and dangerous.

Dangerous drugs ARE illegal (cigarettes, alcohol, prescription drugs, etc.). Why is a weed so benign in comparison, illegal?

It is about wasting public funds, incarcerating people who are good law abiding people except for where the laws are immoral and should be illegal, taking law enforcement resources away from violent crimes and the true criminals and dangerous drug people.

From the MPP release today:

"Yesterday, Tacoma, WA voters sent a powerful message to Olympia by joining Seattle in officially declaring marijuana possession laws the city’s “lowest law enforcement priority.” Congratulations to Don Muridan and Sherry Bockwinkel, co-sponsors of Tacoma Initative No. 1, CannabisReformAct.org, who gathered the necessary signatures, and of course the voters who helped make this victory possible.

"Despite running this campaign in an off-year election, the measure passed by nearly a 2:1 margin, gathering 65% of the vote. Modeled after Seattle’s 2003 initiative, Initiative No. 1 makes adult marijuana possession offenses the lowest priority for law enforcement. Although more than 200 people were charged last year with minor marijuana possession in Tacoma, the city attorney has called the initiative unnecessary, arguing that marijuana charges are already a low priority in Tacoma. Well, now that’s official.

"Yesterday’s vote was about more than a legal technicality. The broad support enjoyed by Initiative No. 1 demonstrates the overarching sentiment expressed by the voters: marijuana prohibition has failed. Police should stop wasting time arresting people for using a substance safer than alcohol and instead spend that time protecting our community from violent criminals and other real threats to public safety. Let’s hope Tacoma-area elected officials were listening."

Oh and that being said, one more blurb from the MPP:

"During his run for the presidency, Obama instilled hope in medical marijuana supporters by pledging to respect state laws on the matter. Over the past eight months he has become the worst president in U.S. history regarding medical marijuana."

I'm kind of sad about that because I voted for President Obama and had high hopes. I would like to think he's done better than Bush. I just wish he had done a little bit more on some important issues he thinks are wasted effort. I don't think we can pick and choose so much. Yes, he should use his political capital on Healthcare, and peace efforts, our econony and so on. But that doesn't mean you get to just let some others slide that are affecting innocent people. But the president people will remember. Make some social changes that really can make a difference. Kill the "War on Drugs" along with the War on people.

And to the rest of us, Best of Luck!

Pot Locator.com?

I really wasn't sure whether to put this under Entertainment, or commentary. When things have turned the corner on national acceptance...international? Okay, let's not get too carried away, right?

When you find web sites like this one, PotLocator.com. http://www.potlocator.com/, to locate where to get certified and to purchase a substance that has been generally illegal for decades, one has to wonder, one has to think: things have really changed. By the way, they have a couple of sister sites: 420 Petition and Marijuana Doctors.

And its about time. The thought that anyone has ever spent fifteen years in jail for possession of a single cannabis cigarette, is far beyond the pale. Making something illegal so criminals can profit by it, as they've been doing for decades, is ridiculous. Making something illegal because of a Zeitgeist of ignorance, also has no excuse.

As it is with Penn Jillette, and as I've previously stated many times, I'm not advocating the use of drugs, just American's freedom to make decisions for themselves about what they do with their own bodies. The government should never have gotten involved in banning things like alcohol, tobacco, or cannabis.

If we want to legislate high taxes on those substances, I don't have an argument with that. If people want it badly enough, then they should just grow their own. We can legally produce our own alcohol or tabacco at home. We are allowed to create or grow more than enough for personal use. The same should be true for cannabis.

There are other areas where the government has gotten too involved in our personal lives and they need to back off. We have to start somewhere to reclaim our rights and these are obvious ones.

Cannabis illegality

After just watching the Vanguard produced documentary "Marijuana Wars" on the Mexican drug Cartels about Cannabis, I have been left with one jarring question....

Why hasn't it been legalized in the US yet? Is it because of the Harry Anslinger, racist, abuse Americans legacy? Look it up. Stop calling it, "marijuana". And legalize it.

Who is it, that is fighting against this in our government? What do they have to gain?

Because I'm beginning to think that legalizing it really is the only way to go. Mexico is in main part, under siege by the drug cartels selling illegal drugs to the US. We need to take away the only one we can, from them, and that is, cannabis.Its their main product. Cut them off at the knees.

It would make so much sense, to take this away from those criminals, those serial murderers, those, kidnappers, family hostage takes; and, for that reason alone, one really has to wonder, what is holding us back from making it legal so that no criminals can make money off of production and sales of an illegal weed that is not synthesized in any way in order for it to be effective for recreational or medicinal purposes. It is the only illegal drug that I know of, that Doctors prescribe to patients. Doesn't THAT tell you something?

Stop looking at the smaller picture. Stop looking at the TV version of life, and start looking at the Big Screen version. All these tiny fears, do not add up against the big picture. Stop having petty concerns and start having big concerns.

Think about it. Vote on it. Do something. Because inaction, is an action and a decision. Because by doing nothing, aren't you actually siding with the drug cartels, the murderers?

more on Cannabis propositions in four states

Since yesterday, I brought up the situation with Prop 19 in California, just in case some people found that information relevant to their interests, I felt like I should mention others. Voters in four states rejected efforts to at least liberalize cannabis in polls on Tuesday.

There were proposals to allow marijuana use for specific medical conditions that may have been defeated by a narrow margin in Arizona, and were rejected in South Dakota; but in Oregon, where medical marijuana is allowed, voters did not want marijuana dispensaries even for those who are legally approved its access. What the heck is that about?

"It's still a historic moment in this very long struggle to end decades of failed marijuana prohibition," said Stephen Gutwillig, California director for t\he Drug Policy Project. He continued, "Unquestionably, because of Proposition 19, marijuana legalization initiatives will be on the ballot in a number of states in 2012, and California is in the mix.

video: "Pro Pot lot blames older voters for Prop 19 defeat" (may take a moment to load)



Getting back to Arizona...excuse me a brief aside. I would simply stay out of Maricopa County, until the Sheriff there, Joe Arpaio, has a heart attack, receives no help from anyone walking by, and dies. Arizona is where a lot of attention has been these past few years due to Maricopa County and the wild and wacky (and dangerous) Sheriff Joe Arpaio. If you are a victim of Sheriff Arpaio's harassment or abuse or any of his deputies call the FBI at 602 279-5511. Subscribe to http://www.youtube.com/user/Humanleag... Phoenix Arizona. As for Arpaio, think, bully. Think, Eugene McCarthy (no really). Think, criminal.

The following is a letter from the Executive Director of the Marijuana Policy Project:

"I've hosted only two election-night parties in the 17 years I've lived in Washington, D.C.  And strangely, both nights ended with disputed elections in the main jurisdictions MPP worked in.

"In November 1998, the D.C. government didn't release the vote tallies of the local medical marijuana initiative we campaigned for because Congress had just enacted a federal law that prohibited the D.C. government from spending taxpayer money to count the ballots.

"And last night, the vote on the medical marijuana initiative in Arizona we drafted and helped place on the ballot was too close to call – and it's still too close to call!

"Based on the ballots tabulated by election officials last night, the initiative was trailing slightly, with 49.75% in favor, with 50.25% opposed ... a difference of less than 7,000 votes out of more than 1.3 million cast.

"For the next few days, Arizona government officials will be counting an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 votes that were cast by people whose mail-in ballots arrived at polling stations or elections offices in the final hours of the campaign. They may also need to examine thousands of "provisional" ballots that were cast by people whose residency was in dispute at the polls on election day.

"In sum, if our initiative receives 52% of the votes that have yet to be tabulated, our initiative passes.

"This is a nail-biter, and the stakes are high: MPP contributed more than $600,000 in financial contributions and staff time to the campaign to draft the initiative, help place it on the ballot, and pay for consulting services. If the initiative passes, approximately 120 nonprofit dispensaries will spring up across Arizona, selling medical marijuana to patients in need.

"MPP has almost completely depleted its coffers working on the Arizona campaign, in addition to pushing our medical marijuana bills to the brink of passage in the Illinois and New York legislatures.  Would you please donate as much as you can right now, so that we can push those two bills over the top in the next two months?

"Your donation will also mean that you're telling the MPP staff, "Never give up.  Never give up.""

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
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