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The first primaries of 2012 are complete, but the fight over the proper role of government continues. The question before GOP primary voters is who best reflects their own answer to that question, and then, who is best suited to make that case to the American people? A clear winner has yet to emerge, but there is little question about who has captured the loyalty of young Republican voters on this issue. Although finishing fourth overall, Ron Paul once again won the youth vote in South Carolina, winning 31% of ages 18-29, compared to Newt Gingrich who won 28%. Paul’s...

Santorum booed for his positions on same-sex marriage, legal potBy Alicia M. Cohn - 01/05/12 06:21 PM ET Amid boos and occasional cheers, Rick Santorum defended his views on same-sex marriage and legalized marijuana, as he was peppered with questions by a crowd of college students in New Hampshire on Thursday. The conservative candidate did not sidestep a challenge issued by several members of the crowd on the subject, but instead asked students to break down their argument so he could reply at length. “Don’t you have to make the positive argument why the law should be changed?” he asked....

This weekend, the California Republican Party had its 2011 Fall Convention at the JW Marriott Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. One presidential candidate, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, spoke at a dinner on Friday night, and Saturday morning's breakfast featured two more contenders: Michigan Rep. Thaddeus McCotter and Texas Rep. Ron Paul. Paul's fans were out in force both outside the hotel -- awaiting his arrival -- and inside the ticketed Lincoln Clubs Breakfast. He spoke last and was late, allowing McCotter to add a question-and-answer period to his prepared remarks (more on that later, check back). McCotter is also on...

Colorado Springs State Bank was last in state publicly doing business with the industry . The last bank in the state of Colorado that was publicly doing business with the medical marijuana industry decided it will be closing all of those accounts by the end of September, leaving dispensaries across the state scrambling. The Colorado Springs State Bank sent out a letter last week to its medical marijuana account holders requesting them to have their bank accounts closed by Sept. 30. "There are unresolved issues with regulations, law enforcement and other agencies that need to get resolved before the industry...

The federal war on drugs is coming under attack from multiple angles, most recently with the introduction of a bill in Congress by conservative Rep. Ron Paul and liberal Rep. Barney Frank that would end the national prohibition on marijuana and allow states to set their own policies.The “Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011,” or HR 2306, would not “legalize” marijuana. If passed, the legislation would simply remove the plant from the federal list of “controlled substances.” States would then be free to regulate, tax, or prohibit it without U.S. government interference. One of the important issues the bill...

Barney Frank and Ron Paul unite - over weed Caroline May June 22, 2011 ... Thursday the pair plan together to unveil legislation to legalize marijuana. ... Other co-sponsors include Tennessee Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen, Michigan Democratic John Conyers, Colorado Democratic Rep. Jared Polis and California Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee.

Congressmen Ron Paul, Barney Frank and others will introduce legislature Thursday that aims to end a major part of the war on drugs -- namely the battle against marijuana. Reps. Paul (R-Texas) and Frank (D-Mass.), though technically on opposite sides of the aisle, have often spoken out against the war on drugs and will propose a bill "tomorrow ending the federal war on marijuana and letting states legalize, regulate, tax, and control marijuana without federal interference," according to a statement from the Marijuana Policy Project via Reason. The bill would allow the individual states to decide how they want to...

A bipartisan team of Reps. Barney Frank, D-Mass., and Ron Paul, R-Texas, will introduce federal legislation that would permit states to legalize, regulate, tax and control marijuana without federal interference. The legislation will be unveiled Thursday by Frank, an outspoken liberal Democrat, and the libertarian Paul, who is running for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. The bill would limit the U.S. government role in marijuana enforcement to interdiction of cross-border or inter-state smuggling. Citizens would be able to legally grow, use or sell cannabis in states which have legalized the forbidden weed. The legislation is the first bill to be...

Instead of punishing users who "do no harm to others," global commission argues that governments - particularly the U.S. - should end criminalization of drug use (AP) NEW YORK - The global war on drugs has failed with devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world, argues a new report to be released Thursday. Compiled by the Global Commission on Drug Policy, which includes former heads of state, a former U.N. secretary-general and a business mogul, the report calls on governments to end the criminalization of marijuana and other controlled substances.

SANTA FE, N.M. -- Republican presidential candidate Gary Johnson today announced that he has received the official endorsement of legendary entertainer Willie Nelson and the National Teapot Party, which Nelson co-founded. The endorsement comes following a meeting between Johnson and Nelson last week, and marks the first presidential endorsement for the Teapot Party. Upon hearing the news of the endorsement, Governor Johnson said, "I am truly gratified to have the endorsement of such a legendary entertainer and champion for individual rights as Willie Nelson.” Johnson continued, “Not only is Willie a superstar talent but, he is a strong advocate for...

Most people can’t imagine an America without a minimum wage. Without such wage regulation many believe poverty would run rampant, families would become homeless and children would be starving in the streets. Yet conservatives have rightly recognized that these are moralistic and emotional responses to what is essentially an economic problem. Pointing out the policy’s failure, National Review founder William F. Buckley wrote: “The minimum wage is about as discredited as the Flat Earth Society…” Yet the very notion of getting rid of it remains something most Americans simply cannot fathom. Most people can’t imagine an America without the War...

Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson announced today that he's running for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. "I'm ready for a different America," Johnson said in a statement today. "I'm ready for the day when a person can build a good life on a decent income, and we can take our government at its word." Johnson announced his candidacy Thursday morning on the steps of the New Hampshire State House and plans to spend three days in the early-nominating state meeting with supporters and visiting local businesses.

AMHERST – Rocker Steve Miller is a self-declared “midnight toker,” but he’s got nothing on hundreds of people on the Amherst town commons Sunday who sparked up at noon. The 20th annual Extravaganja festival, put on by the University of Massachusetts at Amherst’s Cannabis Reform Coalition, kicked off Saturday and continued for two days, the first time it has lasted more than one day since its inception. The event was chock-full of speakers, vendors and bands and was meant to raise awareness of the pro-marijuana legalization movement. This year was also the first time participants were allowed to smoke marijuana...

​Medical marijuana advocates who want to end the practice of eliminating job candidates and firing employees who use pot with a doctor's okay have high hopes that gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown will get elected and sign a law that stops the practices. In 2008 the legislature passed a bill that would have done just that, but it was vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The California Supreme Court ruled previously that's it's okay to eliminate candidates and fire employees who use pot, even if they have a doctor's recommendation under the state's medical marijuana law. The only way to change that...

We all know about NPR tote bags given as rewards during pledge week. The tax funded "public radio" station KPFA in Berkeley gives away "Marijuana Growers Guide" by Rosenthal for a $150 pledge. KPFA is part of "Pacifica", the ultra liberal, wackadoo radio network. And yes they are partially tax supported.

Click here to find out more! A group called Public Safety First warns that "the pre-tax price of marijuana could substantially decline" and "consumption of marijuana would increase" if Californians vote to legalize the drug in November. Well, yes, that's sort of the idea. Proposition 19, a California ballot initiative that would legalize cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal use while authorizing local governments to allow commercial production and sale, would move marijuana into a legal, regulated market, transforming criminals into consumers. Lower prices and increased use mean greater consumer satisfaction, something that should be welcomed rather than feared....

The central conceit of the Left is their regard for outcome above principle, results above rights. “Progressivism” repackages the age-old idea that society has a collective right superior to the individual’s. We saw this in the argument for universal health care, where the Left regarded the outcome of “universal coverage” above the principle of personal liberty. Unfortunately, this conceit is not limited to the Left. Social conservatives are willing to borrow à la carte from statist arguments when the results suit their taste. No issue evokes this phenomenon more than drug control policy. NewsRealBlog hosted much debate on the legalization...

Voter dissatisfaction with Republicans and Democrats is at historic levels, and the tea-party movement is hoping to play kingmaker in the November elections. The country’s current breed of discontent is ideal for the tea parties, because economic concerns are foremost, allowing the movement to sidestep the divisions between its libertarian and conservative wings. As the elections near, however, voters will want to know where the party stands not just on the economy but on social issues. A perfect illustration is drug policy, where conservatives advocate continued prohibition but libertarians argue for legalization. Which way should the tea party lean when...

DENVER - Moms got tougher drunk-driving laws on the books and were directly responsible for passing and then repealing alcohol Prohibition. Now marijuana activists are trying to enlist the nation's mothers in legalization efforts with a sales pitch that pot is safer than booze. The nation's largest marijuana legalization lobby recently started a women's group. The Moms4Marijuana website draws thousands. And just in time for Mother's Day, a pot legalization group in Denver has created a pink-carnation web card asking moms to support legalization. These marijuana moms argue that pot is no worse than alcohol, that teens shouldn't face jail...