Don't let the potheads ruin freedom

The Prometheus Institute ^ | 9/5/2006 | Editorial

[tang0r]

Generally, there are two types of marijuana users. First is the most commonly stereotyped “stoner,” depicted in the media of movies (e.g. Spicoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High) and television (e.g. Shaggy from Scooby Doo). These are the dead-end job, ambitionless abusers who ingest marijuana to escape their already dismal lives. They represent the image which is most often associated with marijuana use. Certainly, the average American high school is teeming with similar directionless pot-smoking losers, further cementing this public perception.

[mugs99]

Here's an easy read that covers Cannabis history including Joan of Arc:
Chapter 10
Want more?

The Bible even predicts prohibition:
"In later times, some shall . . . speak lies in hypocrisy . . . commanding to abstain from that which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth." Paul: 1 Tim. 4:1
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[A CA Guy]

The answer is that there is also a second type of cannabis user who is largely ignored in the media or thought non-existent by the public. These users utilize cannabis to enrich their already-fulfilling lives.

Yeah, we call those drug dealers.

[tacticalogic]

You bet. And when used for it's God created purpose, such as birds feeding off its seeds, it is indeed good.

I don't think there's anything in the Bible about hemp seed only being good for bird seed. I do know where you will find that declaration. You have a strange God.

[robertpaulsen]

"The drug war has increased, not decreased, teen drug abuse."

Well, that's just a flat out lie so there's no need to go any further.

The rest of your propaganda (increased availability, purity, violent crime and lower cost) simply means that drug dealers are offering more of a better product at a lower price and fighting over a decreasing market.

If demand was up availability would be down, there would be plenty of business for everyone, and they'd be foolish to increase purity and lower prices.

[mugs99]

Well, that's just a flat out lie
ROFL!
Who should I believe?
Cops, prosecutors and judges who have been on the frontline of the drug war or some guy on the internet called robertpaulsen...

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition:
"The stated goals of current U.S.drug policy -- reducing crime, drug addiction, and juvenile drug use -- have not been achieved, even after nearly four decades of a policy of "war on drugs". This policy, fueled by over a trillion of our tax dollars has had little or no effect on the levels of drug addiction among our fellow citizens, but has instead resulted in a tremendous increase in crime and in the numbers of Americans in our prisons and jails. With 4.6% of the world's population, America today has 22.5% of the worlds prisoners. But, after all that time, after all the destroyed lives and after all the wasted resources, prohibited drugs today are cheaper, stronger, and easier to get than they were thirty-five years ago at the beginning of the so-called "war on drugs".
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[robertpaulsen]

"prohibited drugs today are cheaper, stronger, and easier to get than they were thirty-five years ago at the beginning of the so-called "war on drugs".

Yeah, they have to be because demand is down.

[robertpaulsen]

"The stated goals of current U.S.drug policy -- reducing crime, drug addiction, and juvenile drug use -- have not been achieved"
-- Source: Lying LEAP

The truth?

Meanwhile, illicit drug use among young teens went down for the third consecutive year — from 11.6 percent in 2002 to 9.9 percent in 2005.

[mugs99]

Yeah, they have to be because demand is down.
Lol... Yeah, all those violent drug gangs are going broke!
Why don't you click on the DATA links on the LEAP website?
Can't face the facts?
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[robertpaulsen]

"Can't face the facts?"

I can face the facts alright. It's your interpretation of those facts and your conclusion that are ludicrous.

[Zon]

The government that created drug prohibition and the war on drugs handed the illicit drug trade over to violent criminals and organized crime. Some have penetrated up the ranks of law enforcement. There's no quality control of drugs that increases overdoses. Sales are made to minors. The same happened with alcohol prohibition.

Al Capone	Pablo Escobar
Same problem, Same solution!

End Prohibition !

---

COPS SAY LEGALIZE DRUGS!

The stated goals of current U.S.drug policy -- reducing crime, drug addiction, and juvenile drug use -- have not been achieved, even after nearly four decades of a policy of "war on drugs". This policy, fueled by over a trillion of our tax dollars has had little or no effect on the levels of drug addiction among our fellow citizens, but has instead resulted in a tremendous increase in crime and in the numbers of Americans in our prisons and jails. With 4.6% of the world's population, America today has 22.5% of the worlds prisoners. But, after all that time, after all the destroyed lives and after all the wasted resources, prohibited drugs today are cheaper, stronger, and easier to get than they were thirty-five years ago at the beginning of the so-called "war on drugs".

With this in mind, we current and former members of law enforcement have created a drug-policy reform movement -- LEAP. We believe that to save lives and lower the rates of disease, crime and addiction. as well as to conserve tax dollars, we must end drug prohibition. LEAP believes that a system of regulation and control of production and distribution will be far more effective and ethical that one of prohibition.

We do this in hopes that we in Law Enforcement can regain the public's respect and trust, which have been greatly diminished by our involvement in imposing drug prohibition. Please consider joining us. You don't have to be a cop to join LEAP!

Find out more about us by reading some of the articles in our Publications section or by watching and listening to some of our multimedia clips,. You can also read about the men and women who speak for LEAP, and see what we have on the calendar for the near future.

[mugs99]

The truth?
ROTFLMAO!!!
Your version of the truth is a press release from the Ministry of Propaganda?

Those statistics are the result of SAMHSA surveys. These are household surveys, conducted in the home, and can tie the admission of illegal behavior to an individual person, address and telephone number.

Many respondents are aware that providing incriminating data to a surveyor holds risk. Media reports regularly describe the proliferation (and compromising) of databases containing private information; this is likely to condition survey respondents to ask themselves whether their answers could potentially end up in a database connected to their name. It begs credulity to assume that a vast majority of informed adults would be reliably honest about their use of illegal drugs.

The survey results over the past several years reflects the rising public awareness of the danger of answering these surveys honestly.
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[DouglasKC]

Thanks, but through general research I've found that most of the propaganda about cannabis that is on pro-drug websites is slanted.

You said: "In 1484 Pope Innocent VIII labeled cannabis as an unholy sacrament of the satanic mass and issued a papal ban on cannabis medicines and incense."

It should be relatively easy to find an official Catholic website that says that Pope Innocent VIII issued a papal ban on cannabis medicines and incense. I went to the The Catholic Encyclopedia" which has reams of information about everything Catholic. I didnt' even find a reference to marijuana or cannabis. I DID see that Pope Innocent did issue a papal bull against witchcraft in 1484, but there was nothing specified about cannabis or a ban on cannabis medicines.

Now I could be wrong, but generally what seems to happen with pro-pot websites is that someone will assert something and then every other pro pot website will cut and paste this assertation.

But even supposing that this is true...so what?? The church did right if it did this. Cannabis use isn't sanctioned or mentioned in the bible...unless of course you've bought into the notion that "sweet calamus" is really cannabis and that it's been mistranslated forever. That's one of those claims that never seems to have a real authority assigned to it...just endless cut and pastes from pro-drug website to pro-drug website.

The Bible even predicts prohibition: "In later times, some shall . . . speak lies in hypocrisy . . . commanding to abstain from that which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth." Paul: 1 Tim. 4:1

It's amazing that you would interpret this as a ban on smoking pot. It's even more amazing that you would bastardize scripture and leave out elements that clearly disprove your interpretation. Here's the real verses:

1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1Ti 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
1Ti 4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

As you can see, in the latter times those who depart from the faith listen to seducing spirits and pay heed to the doctrine of the devil. They are forbidden to marry and to abstain from MEATS , food, which was created for thanksgiving. Twisting this scripture to prophesize a future ban on smoking pot is truly bizzare.

[DouglasKC]

You bet. And when used for it's God created purpose, such as birds feeding off its seeds, it is indeed good. I don't think there's anything in the Bible about hemp seed only being good for bird seed. I do know where you will find that declaration. You have a strange God.

I didn't say it was "only" good for bird seed. I said that God created plants for certain purposes and one of the purposes of cannabis seed is to feed birds. I'm sure there are insects that feed off it and possibly other animals. But certainly God did not intend for it to be cut down and smoked by those who are trying to find a shortcut to heaven.

[robertpaulsen]

You stated in post #289 that, "The drug war has increased, not decreased, teen drug abuse." I said that was a lie and you laughed. Support your statement, then.

Your leap web site merely claims that, "The war on drugs actually increased drug usage and made it more likely that those using soft drugs would choose harder drugs such as heroin and cocaine."

So I'm curious where you got you information.

[robertpaulsen]

And your statistics are from where? You don't know -- you merely accept and parrot what some Soros-sponsored web site tells you.

[mugs99]

LOL!
You can lead a horse to water...
You're proably right. Jesus would support the persecution of potheads.
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[mugs99]

Your leap web site merely claims that
Not true. All the data is linked on the LEAP website. You chose not to follow the link I gave you. That's okay...Public awareness is growing and people just don't believe your drug war propaganda anymore.

[mugs99]

You don't know -- you merely accept and parrot what some Soros-sponsored web site tells you

ROTFLMAO!!!
We're back to Soros the boogeyman?
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[robertpaulsen]

I see mapinc and the dpa all over that site.

Link me to your data. I gave you the source of my data -- you can do the same.

Without it, your claims are hogwash.

[tacticalogic]

I didn't say it was "only" good for bird seed.

No, you didn't, but to pick that out of all the possiblities is no coincidence.