I agree completely with the decision of the people to use their herb in public. If hundreds of thousands if not millions of Americans were to take to the street and smoke pot in front of police, would our local governments arrest EVERYBODY?? there would be no one left. the economy would crumble. It takes tragedy to learn a lesson, and if the tragedy of losing all these people to the war on drugs so they can't be productive members of society, then maybe that's what it takes.
The arguement against the legalization of marijuana is ridiculous. This article says the advocates for marijuana are a bunch of potheads looking for a way to get high cheaply? First of all, if marijuana is legalized then there is no way that it is going to be sold cheaper than what people can get it for now. The government is going to tax the hell out of it the same way that they tax cigarettes and alcohol, but that is not going to stop people from buying it because it is much better than messing with dealers. Secondly, advocates who are speaking for the legalization of marijuana include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ron Paul, and ex-Presidents of other countries. Honestly, what good comes from keeping marijuana illegal? It takes our tax money, it overcrowds our prisons, and it stops people from getting jobs when they are still beneficial people to society. Marijuana does not hinder a person's ability to make moral choices. I can guarantee that if weed is legalized the statistics will report less fatalities and car accidents then alcohol. I do not know if President Obama will legalize weed but there is no way that it is going to remain illegal in the next 10 years- once youngsters are allowed to vote the population popularity rating will be far greater than 50%. However, in the midst of this recession America needs to do its own research instead of sticking to the racist and conservative ways of the past..
Legalize marijuana..ABSOLUTELY! It was total BS propoganda that made it illegal in the first place. I list these four reasons as to my belief......
(a)HARRY J. ANSLINGER "The Father of the Drug War" Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Narcotics 1930-1962
On January 1, 1932, Anslinger had no legal jurisdiction over marijuana, but his interest in it was intense.
The Bureau's first Annual Report under his aegis warned that marijuana, dismissed as a minor problem by the Treasury one year earlier, had now "come into wide and increasing abuse in many states, and the Bureau of Narcotics has therefore been endeavoring to impress on the various States the urgent need for vigorous enforcement of the local cannabis laws."
Many people believe that Mr. Anslinger collaborated with industry giants to outlaw marijuana. It is known that he was acquainted with both the Hearsts (of Hearst Newspapers) and the DuPonts, of DuPont plastic fame. (Hemp seed oil derivatives could replace DuPont's petroleum derived compounds.) In the 1930s, Hearst, who owned newspapers all over the country, started publishing sensationalist-type "news" stories about marijuana use. These stories, often written by Hearst or Anslinger himself, talked about "insanity, criminality, and death" caused by smoking marijuana, sometimes after just one joint. This intense propaganda campaign led to anti-marijuana laws in many states.
In 1937, the Marijuana Tax Stamp Act was passed, effectively prohibiting possession or use of marijuana. It was claimed to be needed to oversee and coordinate existing state law concerning marijuana.
The following are excerpts of Mr. Anslinger's testimony before a Senate hearing on marijuana in 1937:
"There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others."
"...the primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on the degenerate races."
"Marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality, and death."
"You smoke a joint and you're likely to kill your brother."
"Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind."
(b)Nixon refused to hear or even read his own committee's report on the benefits of marijuana.
(c) More people would smoke pot before drinking alcohol, thus alcohol sales would drop and alcohol companies are big money behind politicians.
(d) Insurance companies, again big money lining lazy fat cats
Too bad a majority of the 58% who oppose simply do so because they are greatly uneducated and brainwashed on the matter. If only more people would research a little for themselves and find out the truth, that percentage would really shrink .
58% still oppose legalization? If smoking pot in the privacy of one's own home were truly a threat and worthy of being considered a criminal activity, it'd be more than 99%. What percentage of people oppose murder? Rape? Theft? Burglary? Those have to be close to 100%.
Anything that more than 5 or 10% of the population thinks is OK, should probably be legal. (The only exception I can think of is, perhaps, robbing/overtaxing the super-wealthy, but hopefully not many Americans would be so unprincipled as to support a progressive income tax -- oh, wait...!)
it is just a plant it , it is just a plant. why is their such a big deal over something that has most likely been on this planet longer than us. its here for as reason, it is not manufactured it grows (it is natural). in the grand scheme of things you mean to tell me we are going to spend more time and money trying to destroy a PLANT than feeding starving people. that kinda sounds dumb
To detain, steal/extort from, and deprive a citizen of liberty for possessing, distributing, transporting, or growing a NATURAL HERB is blatantly UN-AMERICAN, at least from the Founding Fathers' perspective. Neocons and phony "Christians" expect blind obedience and subservience to the state no matter how wrong the law may be.
Marijuana Prohibition should have ended over 35 years ago had it not been for Richard Nixon, the CRIMINAL president. In that time, the law-enforcement/correctional bureaucracy has grown in leaps and bounds to become a formidable special-interest lobby that stifles reform efforts because repeal threatens their careers and ability to steal and extort from peaceful, otherwise law-abiding citizens. Most politicians are too timid and gutless to admit the laws are wrong because the government has been lying for decades and the people have been intimidated into submission.
To maintain Prohibition is to pay tribute and honor the memory of the white-supremacist hate-mongers who, under the leadership of Harry Anslinger, rammed legislation through Congress with no debate what-so-ever. Also tribute to President Richard Nixon who was forced to resign in disgrace of face certain impeachment and conviction for CRIMES related to the violation of trust the American people placed in him. Nixon ignored the recommendations of his very own Shafer Commission which were to repeal criminal penalties.
The perpetuation of such Nanny State policies in light of the human misery they inflict is a disgrace to our flag and the memory of all those who have served and died in combat for the cause of freedom. As much as I hate to admit it, the Stars & Stripes are the symbol of my enemy--a government that has declared war on those who choose to self-medicate with a natural, eco-friendly plant that God Almighty put on this Earth for food, fiber, medicine, fuel and many, many other beneficial uses.
FIrst off let me state that I am an Eagle Scout, and currently a college student, no just some couch potato pothead. It actually wouldn't be legalizing it, it would be re-legalizing it. Most people don't even know that it was legal prior to the 1930's and it was banned to give an excuse to deport mexican pot smokers. America is supposed to be the land of the free, im not whining, I want my freedom! This nation wouldn't even exist if people just blindly followed the laws of their government. I hate how Obama laughed at the notion of legalization. Just like ending prohibition of alcohol helped end the depression, legalization of marijuana could help our country and its recession. I bet if we could ask the founding fathers what they thought they would say legalize it, in fact most of them grew hemp. So eff off you ingnorant brainwashed @$$holes, open your eyes and minds its time to legalize.
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It was total BS propoganda that made it illegal in the first place. I list these four reasons as to my belief......
(a)HARRY J. ANSLINGER "The Father of the Drug War"
Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Narcotics 1930-1962
On January 1, 1932, Anslinger had no legal jurisdiction over marijuana, but his interest in it was intense.
The Bureau's first Annual Report under his aegis warned that marijuana, dismissed as a minor problem by the Treasury one year earlier, had now "come into wide and increasing abuse in many states, and the Bureau of Narcotics has therefore been endeavoring to impress on the various States the urgent need for vigorous enforcement of the local cannabis laws."
Many people believe that Mr. Anslinger collaborated with industry giants to outlaw marijuana. It is known that he was acquainted with both the Hearsts (of Hearst Newspapers) and the DuPonts, of DuPont plastic fame. (Hemp seed oil derivatives could replace DuPont's petroleum derived compounds.)
In the 1930s, Hearst, who owned newspapers all over the country, started publishing sensationalist-type "news" stories about marijuana use. These stories, often written by Hearst or Anslinger himself, talked about "insanity, criminality, and death" caused by smoking marijuana, sometimes after just one joint. This intense propaganda campaign led to anti-marijuana laws in many states.
In 1937, the Marijuana Tax Stamp Act was passed, effectively prohibiting possession or use of marijuana. It was claimed to be needed to oversee and coordinate existing state law concerning marijuana.
The following are excerpts of Mr. Anslinger's testimony before a Senate hearing on marijuana in 1937:
"There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others."
"...the primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on the degenerate races."
"Marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality, and death."
"You smoke a joint and you're likely to kill your brother."
"Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind."
(b)Nixon refused to hear or even read his own committee's report on the benefits of marijuana.
(c) More people would smoke pot before drinking alcohol, thus alcohol sales would drop and alcohol companies are big money behind politicians.
(d) Insurance companies, again big money lining lazy fat cats
Anything that more than 5 or 10% of the population thinks is OK, should probably be legal. (The only exception I can think of is, perhaps, robbing/overtaxing the super-wealthy, but hopefully not many Americans would be so unprincipled as to support a progressive income tax -- oh, wait...!)
The perpetuation of such Nanny State policies in light of the human misery they inflict is a disgrace to our flag and the memory of all those who have served and died in combat for the cause of freedom. As much as I hate to admit it, the Stars & Stripes are the symbol of my enemy--a government that has declared war on those who choose to self-medicate with a natural, eco-friendly plant that God Almighty put on this Earth for food, fiber, medicine, fuel and many, many other beneficial uses.