Marijuana Lobby Grows in Sophistication (After you smoke a joint, I do Too!)

FOX News ^ | Friday, January 28, 2005 | By Kelley Beaucar Vlahos

[.cnI redruM]

WASHINGTON — Pot. Cannabis. Hemp. Weed. Grass.

The herb takes many names. But in the nation’s capital, where the marijuana lobby (search) was once the recreational diversion of Playboy Magazine's Hugh Hefner, pro-pot special interest groups have crystallized the divergent issues behind the plant and gained a seemingly unified voice.

________________ Puff, Cough, Puff, Cough________________

"It’s a no-brainer. It makes no sense putting old and sick folks in jail for an herb that makes them feel better," said Bruce Mirken, spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project (search), which was established in 1995 by Rob Kampia, a former mainstay at the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, the first pro-pot lobby in Washington, D.C.

[Protagoras]

If these guys had the brains or guts to argue for legalization on the merits, maybe somebody would listen to them.

Not around here.

[evets]

Sophisticated dope smoker

[Hemingway's Ghost]

Live free or die, brother.

Live to ride. Ride to live.

[stuartcr]

Yeah, the south american warlords are ok

[robertpaulsen]

"I'm still waiting for you to obtain a signed physician statement."

I told you. I'm not going to break the law to prove anything to you.

Especially when I have articles like the one I cited which demonstrate the fact that medical marijuana is a scam.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

Not around here.

Bring it on. We've only been arguing about this on FR for oh, about six years or so, and the drug warriors always lose to the real conservatives.

[monday]

"why do you think the so-called massive youth vote for Kerry evaporated on election day?"

Because about half of them voted for Bush? Anyway, there are more middle aged hippie stoners than young stoners.

[dmz]

LOL.

Acid isn't flammable.

[Protagoras]

Freedom isn't freedom if one is not free to make mistakes.

I think that's a better way to say it.

[robertpaulsen]

"Why is relaxing and enjoying life, against the law?"

It's not. We don't arrest people for relaxing and enjoying life.

[monday]

"That ain't gonna happen though because drug companies can't see a way to make a profit from something that can be grown naturally...."

Yeah, sort of like cigarette companies can't see a way to make a profit from something that can be grown naturally... </sarcasm

[Lekker 1]

Where is the power to criminalize the possession or digestion of an herb by the Federal Government enumerated in the Constitution?

Finally, someone interjects with a reasonable point! Right on!!!! But what about State constitutions?

[monday]

"The Afghan warlords are heroin suppliers, not pot."

I believe they have been known to produce a bit of hash from time to time. Never heard of Afghani Hashish?

[ichabod1]

I thought Heroin came along toward the end of the Nineteenth century to (chuckle) help people get off of morphine.

[mowowie]

FREE CHONG!!

[Protagoras]

We've only been arguing about this on FR for oh, about six years or so, and the drug warriors always lose to the real conservatives.

Win? Lose? How does that work? Which group has changed the other groups' mind?

[peacebaby]

And then came methadone, with all the methadone treatment centers, so now the addicts are addicted to methadone.

Are there any methadone treatment centers still in existence?

[rhombus]

Never heard of Afghani Hashish?

No, my perscription drug program doesn't cover that. Will AARP be supporting an insurance rider for that too?

[Protagoras]

And so many who freeload and parasite on FR are thier hallelujah chorus.

Name them.

[ichabod1]

It's not. We don't arrest people for relaxing and enjoying life.

THis reminds me of the interview I saw with Ted Nugent, who has never done drugs and says he only drank one time. They asked him, if he wasn't into drugs, why his band's first album was called "Journey to the Center of Your Mind", and he said "Well I thought....ok, yeah, introspection is a good thing."