New charges may help pot activist

http://www.theglobeandmail.com ^ | 10 1 05 | CAMILLE BAINS

[radioman]

Where are the bodies?
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[robertpaulsen]

What's the frequency?

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[radioman]

What's the frequency?

ROFL!
The great robertpaulsen stumped again!
Harry Anslinger lied in 1937 and government is still lying today.

I'll repeat:
According to the DEA website, "Meth is Death":
"1 in 7 high school students will try meth";
"99 percent of first-time meth users are hooked after just the first try";
"only 5 percent of meth addicts are able to kick it and stay away";
"the life expectancy of a habitual meth user is only 5 years."

Do the math.
13.4 percent of Americans die as a result of methamphetamine abuse within five years of graduating from high school. According to the Census Bureau, there are more than 20 million 15-to-19-year-olds in the U.S., so we are talking about hundreds of thousands of deaths a year, and that's not even counting people who start using meth after high school. Hundreds of thousands of teen deaths every year from meth! Where are the bodies?

Are you claiming the government only lies about meth? They don't lie to us about pot?
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[robertpaulsen]

There are too many words that are not defined -- hooked, addict, habitual, user, abuse.

Maybe 99% get hooked, but only 10% become addicted and half of those addicted (5%) "kick it".

Of the remaining 5% addicted, maybe only half of those are habitually addicted, and 10% of those abuse the drug.

We can play word games all day long. I say "can" -- but I'm not gonna.

[Know your rights]

the U.S. enforcing theirs.

On Canadian soil? Sounds fishy to me.

[radioman]

There are too many words that are not defined -- hooked, addict, habitual, user, abuse

ROTFLMAO!!!
Maybe this or maybe that! The official drug warrior source of all sources, the DEA, has made you drug warriors look just plain silly...No word games needed.
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[pnome]

I've had this conversation in the past with you. I wouldn't say there is anything "racist" in our current marijuana laws.

But it's certainly "culturist" THC is safer for you than Caffiene, Booze, aspirin, any other myriad of over the counter drugs.

The only reason for pot to remain illegal, while these other drugs are legal for over-the counter sales is because Jesus didn't smoke pot. Think about that a while and you will realize that is true. If the bible had a passage where Jesus lit up a joint and passed it around, you'd think pot was just as good as wine.

Ignorance is clear as day in today's marijuana prohibition laws. I.e. there is no logical / scientific reason why pot should be illegal, and beer legal.

Ohh and don't start in with that "gateway drug" non-sense. Correlation does NOT equal Causation.

[robertpaulsen]

"But it's certainly "culturist" THC is safer for you than Caffiene, Booze, aspirin, any other myriad of over the counter drugs."

Safer? Yes, THC is safer -- I'm not real happy with the current THC delivery system, but, yeah, THC is safer.

"The only reason for pot to remain illegal, while these other drugs are legal for over-the counter sales is because Jesus didn't smoke pot"

No, I think it's because pot was never part of our culture, whereas alcohol and tobacco were. Actually, marijuana got its start in the U.S. by being part of the subculture (or counter-culture), which didn't help its status any. It was first associated with the Mexican "wetbacks", then those Negro jazz musician rapists, and later the Beatniks and Hippies.

"I.e. there is no logical / scientific reason why pot should be illegal, and beer legal."

Well, if you could guarantee me that, if marijuana were legal, every problem drinker would switch to it, I might be interested. But that won't happen, and we'll end up with the problem drinker AND increased marijuana use.

And what would we gain? Virtually nothing. The gangs remain, the DEA remains, the laws remain (don't forget, currently, 30% of marijuana users are underage -- they will still be arrested, no matter the legal status of marijuana). Not one cop, one judge, one prison guard will lose their job if marijuana is made legal.

Fewer arrests? Not really. Most marijuana arrests are for other reasons (speeding, for example) where marijuana is later found.

Less court time, fewer lock-ups (in jail or prison)? Yes. BUT, you can do that by simply decriminalizing marijuana (treat possession with a fine, like a speeding ticket), not legalizing it.

Comparing the safety of marijuana (an illegal product) to alcohol or tobacco (legal products) is simply a non-starter. Marijuana is not illegal because it's not safe.

[radioman]

No, I think it's because pot was never part of our culture

Baloney!
Have you forgotten about USDA commissioner Dewey? He testified against Marijuana Prohibition before congress in 1937. Our founding fathers called pot muggie and enjoyed it in every tavern in early America. George Washington grew both cannabis sativa for rope and cannabis indica for smoke. Our founding fathers were potheads! The American public did not even know marijuana and cannabis were the same plant until it was prohibited.

What about the Siler Commission?
In 1930, the U.S. government sponsored the Siler Commission study on the effects of off-duty smoking of marijuana by American servicemen in Panama. The report concluded that marijuana was not a problem and recommended that no criminal penalties apply to its use.
Want more?
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[robertpaulsen]

Just the fact that you have to argue that it was part of our culture proves that it wasn't. Do you doubt alcohol was? No. Tobacco? No.

Yet scholars argue whether it was even used for recreation at all, much less by the Founding Fathers.

Hemp for rope? Yes. For paper? Of course. As a doobie? Get serious.

Even if I conceded that it may have been used by a few people (which I don't), that doesn't make it part of our culture, for crying out loud.

[radioman]

So anything that isn't part of our culture, as defined by you, is not protected by the Constitution?
Zoloft? Prozac? Are these that 'culture' you're talking about?
Millions of kids hooked on speed so that they're easier to handle in school...Is this that 'culture' you're talking about?
A government that hooks kids on speed and then claims some evil drug lord is responsible for the meth "epidemic"...Is this that 'culture' you're talking about?
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[robertpaulsen]

"So anything that isn't part of our culture, as defined by you, is not protected by the Constitution?"

What?? Rephrase that question and I may answer it. You're right on the edge, my friend.

[radioman]

You're right on the edge, my friend
LOL!
I'm always right on the edge with you, robert. Wouldn't be fun any other way! No need to rephrase. You support a drug war that feeds on addicts hooked by government, not drug lords.
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