Mexican Cartels Continue To Illustrate Our Point
Over the last few weeks, I’ve had several opportunities to attend Q & A sessions with the Obama administration’s drug czar, Gil Kerlikowske. Increasingly, the audiences are asking him about the cartels in Mexico.
A typical question goes something like this: “Wouldn’t ending marijuana prohibition in the U.S. wipe out the drug cartels like the 21st amendment wiped out the illegal liquor trade in the 1930s?”
His typical response, which I practically have memorized at this point, goes something like this: “The liquor trade was not wiped out in the 1930s. They might have taken a step back, but the violence and criminal activity persisted. They just moved into other areas like kidnapping and drugs.”
I read an article in Reuters today that got me thinking about his response (Mexico cartels kidnap, kill migrants headed to U.S. — September, 23). Kerlikowske’s point is that ending prohibition would not solve the cartel problem because they would shift to other illegal activities. But the Reuters article shows that the cartels are already engaged in just about every evil deed imaginable: kidnapping, extortion, murder … you name it! And these behaviors have developed over the last decade under a system of prohibition. So what do we really have to fear from taking away the biggest chunk of their business, marijuana sales in the U.S.?
Another one of Kerlikowske’s favorite lines demonstrates his true motives: “Legalization is not in the president’s vocabulary and it is not in mine.” Why, you might ask, is America’s top drug policy official refusing to even listen to one side of this argument? The answer is in United States Code § 1703 (b)(12), which is a federal law that requires the drug czar to “take such actions as necessary to oppose any attempt to legalize the use of a [Schedule I] substance.” Yes, federal law requires the drug czar to blindly oppose half of the policy arena he oversees. It’s like telling the secretary of state to ignore everything south of the equator.
The argument that ending marijuana prohibition in the U.S. would wipe out the cartels is sound — marijuana alone makes up 70% of their U.S. profits. The official government response is attenuated and dishonest. As a result, they are losing ground. The more we talk about Mexico, the more people are beginning to see the logic behind our arguments.
So go out there and have this conversation with a friend or family member who doesn’t support legalization. Show them the Reuters article, and ask them if the status quo is worth defending.
74 comments
Ron Paul 2012…thats probably the only chance of real change and freedom that this country promised.
Joe Wilson was right, You Lied!
Ron Paul 2012 is the only way to go
Are there any efforts ongoing to advocate the removal of marijuana from schedule I and into a lesser restrictive schedule. Clearly this would ease the way for pot to be legalized and/or medicalized throughout the country. MJ definitely does not belong in schedule I alongside heroin and meth. Even cocaine is listed as schedule II I believe. Why not some serious efforts at rescheduling cannabis first before always getting smacked down by the language in the federal laws that completely forbid any conversation pertaining to legalization of schedule I substances?
Nobody is naive enough to think that legalization and regulation would completely wipe out organized crime, in Mexico or anywhere else. But it isn’t an all-or-nothing proposition. I don’t see what’s wrong with severely reducing the monetary income, political influence, membership numbers, and cultural relevance of these criminal agencies.
Would it wipe organized crime from the face of the earth? No. It would “just” make a whole lot of people all over the world a whole lot safer. Apparently that’s not a goal worth pursuing for the ONDCP, or the federal government as a whole.
@Harry: There have been several concerted attempts over the past few decades to re-schedule cannabis. I’ve been trying to share a link with you that provides a good run-down, but the thread apparently is rejecting my comment (maybe because it had a link?). Anyway, there is a good article on Wikipedia entitled “Removal of cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act”.
It appears that the 2002 act is still being processed somewhere in the chain of hearings and what-not. Anyone have an update on the status of that petition?
Harry:
See HR 2835 – The Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act of 2009….
Write your congressman for their support!
If your congressman is a Republican (and opposes medical marijuana) and is also in opposition to Health Care Reform ask them how they can have these two view points:
You oppose Health Care Reforn because it would put the Government in the middle of you and your doctor… But you can’t support a bill that would remove the Federal Government from treatment decisions made by you and your doctor???
As long as there is prohibition of any substance, it will give those willing to take risks on both sides of the fence, the opportunity to monopolize a number of industries. i.e. drugs, prisons, law enforcement etc.
Ultimately, it boils down to the US not wanting to stop borrowing billions from the Treasury in the name of “Public Safety” so they can all continue to ride this multi-billion dollar money train.
The worse it gets down there in Mexico, the better for them to justify their ever increasing Drug War Budget, or whatever other term they are using these days to make it sound not as offensive as their actions.
Here’s a direct link from Journalist, Guy Lawson, at the US / Mexico Border about “How Mexican Cartels Work” you guys may find interesting:
http://www.rollingstone.com/nationalaffairs/index.php/2009/09/02/how-the-cartels-work-guy-lawson-on-mexican-drug-lords/#
Plus Mexican Schwag is bad. A lot of the good stuff is coming from Canada, but we don’t hear any border fighting to our neighbors up north??? Except of course when the US DEA tries to enforce US law in Canada to Canadian Citizen!!!
Here’s a link to “The Union” video which covers the Canadian Cannabis trade and how much of it goes to the US, since we are the biggest consumers in the world. (I say this proudly!!!)
http://medicalcannabisinstitute.com/videos/
Duh Yes they went into drugs,
And now’s the time to END PROHIBITION ,,,you in your own statement said that by indication they went into other areas,so end DRUG PROHIBITION.
The funny part of this is you know better and if you dont ,YOU should get a new job for lack of performance.
You should get a performance review, YOU would be FIRED.
Here’s a story that might be worth some focused attention:
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/health/APPEALS-COURT-CONSIDERS-MEDICAL-MARIJUANA-BAN–61121452.html
@Harry: Let me Google that for you:
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=marijuana+rescheduling
US Government must screen people for lack of common sense before employment is possible.
@#8
funny they always bring up the not-for-profit bullshit,
but if they sold marijuana for less than “street” prices.
they’d be crying about so called “medical patients”
reselling it to make money, so it’s a fucking catch 22
legalize it! nuff said
legalize marijuana–close the border–cut the balls off anyone caught dealing or using meth-coke-heroin literally. the cartels would implode.
Who decided to add that code to the office of the drug czar? I find it ironic that the position was created with the intent of deception?
Thanks for all the feedback on the rescheduling question.
I guess re-scheduling marijuana is out of the question seeing as how it has to be approved by the DEA. Obviously the U.S. govt does as it pleases and does not follow its own laws, specifically the one that says to be in schedule I “the drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.” It would seem like a legal no-brainer, at least in a country governed by the rule of law.
James Murry from Thunder Bay’s “NetNewsledger.com” wrote this article. I believe he is the ONE missing the point.
“Is Alcohol Better than Pot for Teens?”
He discredits the writers, and says marijuana activists just want to get stoned and have a long way to go!
http://netnewsledger.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=460:is-alcohol-better-than-pot-for-teens&catid=35:northwestern-ontario-regional-news&Itemid=83
When is someone going to suggest that the Drug Czar must be on the take from the Mexican drug cartels, since he refuses to even acknowledge legalization is an option.
After all, the drug Cartels have the most to loose from legalization, and the Drug Czar is actually protecting them by not talking about legalization.
We must time and time again remind our politicians that marijuana prohibition is wrong and must be changed.
The answer is in United States Code § 1703 (b)(12), which is a federal law that requires the drug czar to “take such actions as necessary to oppose any attempt to legalize the use of a [Schedule I] substance.”
It’s interesting to me that the “Czars” are there for the President to get policy advice from. This one happens to only be able to discuss one position with the President by law. Should we not be putting this code into question with our leaders??? How do we expect any rational discussion to take place in the halls of the White House if the President’s DRUG CONTROL ADVISOR is only allowed to discuss the merits of prohibition???
This only highlights the extreme need to get HR 2835 passed into law.
Why do we even have this drug scar in the first place???
Why in the he’ll are they using our money to pay this fool??
We have to kick this fool back to where ever he came from and destroy this so call drug zcar position!!!
An then make president Obama and the DA to re-schedule this to schedule III!!!!
Forget this fools. I’m tired of them not listening to US!!!!!
well it sounds like we need to eliminate United States Code § 1703 (b)(12) then if thats whats stopping him from giving us a fair debate.
Gil, wake up man! Read a newspaper! The cartels have already diversified and are selling OIL to the United States! Oh wait, maybe that’s part of their “strategy” in winning the “war on drugs?” Cheap oil is good for everyone! What a lying POS the Drug Czar post gives us. It matters not who fills it.
I’d also like people to ask our “Drug Czar” why it has been deemed unconstitutional to arrest people for drug use in Argentina? Are they somehow not human in that country and subscribe to different views of humanity?
Prohibition is an assault on human rights!!
JURY NULLIFICATION – Learn it, Use it, stop the war on cannabis. WE have the right, the power, and the responsibility.
As our representatives, the government’s actions make no sense. As representatives of the cartels, their actions make perfect sense.
I know this is off topic. But someone else posted a site with these morons. PLEASE PLEASE bombard the crap out of these IDIOTS!
http://community.turlockjournal.com/blogs/detail/34/
["He discredits the writers, and says marijuana activists just want to get stoned and have a long way to go"]
Sure people wanna get high…thats the point as president Obama put it. People can and will…NOW… they dont need government approval for that, nor will they seek it.
The goal is this 1) Make money for the states in taxes. 2) Make thing much more difficult for cartels and terrorists alike. 3) Stop wasting money on a failed policy…we cant afford it anymore anyway. 4) Stop ruining the lives of cannabis comsumers…Adult and teens alike. 5) Regulate so teens have a much harder time getting it. 6) end corruption in government and Law enforcement. 7) put lobbyists in there place .
Start new industries with legalized Hemp strain.
These are just a few.
Government…If you want to get some respect from the people, stop lying. We dont trust you. You have dicredited your self.
Government..who am I kidding.. you wont listen. Thats fine, people will read this and the snowball WILL get bigger til you cant stop it.
CORRUPTION: A disease that spares no one.
Daydog#24: One thing I noticed on that site. When this anti-legalizers are faced with facts or truths, they stop debating and just mock you or dont debate at all. “just ignore the trolls,they will go away.” Ya thats a good response to a truthful challenge. I noticed right away none of the are very educated on the facts that anyone can find with a little finger work.
How does that go? First they ignore you, then they mock you , then they fight you, then you win?
Please correct me if I got that wrong.
Theres another saying. You can lead a horse to water but you cant make him drink.
So let them die of thrist.
Corruption : A disease that spares no one.
off-topic / somewhat on-topic — that turlock blog is insane. if any of you people reading this want to observe lunacy in the most pernicious sense, wade through the comments there.
there’s some great supporters dealing out rational points, questions and responses — yet, the illogic pervades.
they’re even threatening to get CPS on someone just because they have kids and smoke in their house. so tearing apart a family means nothing to these people as long as the cannabis users get some form of punishment. i wouldn’t sweat it though, IP address is all they can get… well, within the confines of the constitution, but we all know that law enforcement isn’t bound by that ’silly little document’
i am 54 miles north of turlock. residing in lodi. that kind of evasive, anti-legalization attitude is just as common here. doesn’t bother me too much though, i grow all i can smoke. hell, my girlfriends legit cannabis prescription wouldn’t stop police from taking me out of here in handcuffs. the ’scrip might have some weight in court, but even then, that can be iffy. alright… ramble off. (but seriously, this situation is OUT OF CONTROL).
peace.
So is he saying that since, in his opinion, alcohol prohibition didn’t work, that alcohol should be illegal again? If something doesn’t work, do you keep doing it!? If using his logic, they should make alcohol illegal again, right?
How often do you hear about law enforcement bust an illegal alcohol business? Not very often. Very seldom in fact. Wouldn’t it make sense to do whatever we can to lower illegal activity, than it is to just keep the status quo? Ending prohibition almost stopped the illegal trade of alcohol, thus lowering “crime”. Isn’t that the point and goal of law enforcement?
Ending Marijuana prohibition would deffinitely benefit the greater good.
“The answer is in United States Code § 1703 (b)(12), which is a federal law that requires the drug czar to “take such actions as necessary to oppose any attempt to legalize the use of a [Schedule I] substance.” Yes, federal law requires the drug czar to blindly oppose half of the policy arena he oversees.”
This sounds like great job security…, but totally going against any sound, logical common sense. It is an unethical law that is basicly stating that without any scientific research performed behind it to back it up, that no matter what future evidence might come to light, that a substance seen/said to be harmful by simply “saying” its harmful, is without question. irreversible!
Its like the FDA approving a drug and then later finding out its harmful, but is refusing to recall it, because of that same law!
I had no idea that the drug czar was legally obligated to be the voice of “reefer madness”. That means that we the people have to be the voice of reason. Anyone around Cincinnati or Dayton OH area please feel free to join our Marijuana Advocates group (follow hyperlink)
DEA Judge Francis Young’s ruling that
marijuana must be reclassified out of schedule I
http://www.medmjscience.org/Pages/reports/jyp1.html
dayadog… great link everyone should go there. if anything just to read the comments, there are a TON of them… and they all spell out a clear picture…. we are winning!!! they resort to childish namecalling when we give undenyable facts and statistics. its just plain awesome to be above it all and how we can look down on them.
FYI – This is from today the 25th
According to a blog posted by the Chronicle’s Matier & Ross, former State Senator and declared mayoral candidate Don Perata will join a press conference today endorsing a ballot initiative called the Tax And Regulate Cannabis Act.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/inoakland/detail?&entry_id=48331#ixzz0S8swE8P6
That is for California.
Im suprised no one has started a G420 group yet
Becky #23 florida does not reconise jury nullification I’m going thru it right now and every lawyer has said no.. they don’t even look at facing your accuser (take it to trial lose then appeal) takes 5 years you will sit in prison waiting
the courts need to get back to basic law and the constition
I have never even heard of anyone in favor of re-legalizing cannabis advocate use by children. Physiologically, people should avoid all possible drug use until they are twenty-six or so, as people’s brains are not yet fully developed. Anyone who allows children to use cannabis is just as bad as someone who gives a child a sip of an alcoholic drink. Neither are fit parents.
Obama and his regime are responsible for every murder that happens because of prohibition. Obama is not even close to killing as many as the Bush did but he is working on it. Obama is just as evil as the Bush. What a POS.
Kent and Becky, I have to appear for jury duty on monday. I am hoping to be selected and if it is a drug case, I will use Jury nullification. It is in the Georgia Consitution. the lawyers can not speak of it, but I know about it and will use it, for any and all drug cases. Power to the People
Judges do their damndest to make sure you can’t use jury nullification, so do your homework and get a plan before the judge lays this BS on you.
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=9672
soul jah
thanx for the link to the u n io n. 1st watch and not the last. i feel sick to my stomach after watching that. it’s a sad country we live in for sure.
I kinda like the idea of organized crime and drug cartels. It all seems so romantic!
great article!
Ron Paul 2012 is the only way to go. hope he teams up with Barney Frank to really shake it up. http://www.californiacannabisin itiative.org/
I’ve made that point many times when anti-gun activists were also blaming the United States on the problems at the Mexican border towns. During the past two hundred years, Mexico is run by powerful familes who been at war each other ever since the Spanish have left. Sending United States law enforcement just stirs up more trouble and most offen put themselves in danger. Settling family despute is more dangerous especially when they own the police force, part of the government, and businesses as well.
Drug cartels…in Mexico…but what about the drug cartel in New York City running under the name “Partnership For New York City.” Dr Horowitz (fluscam.com) See info/details about a law suit at http://www.fluscam.com/Affidavit.html that exposes the deceit in this big pharma mafia pushing their agenda. This is the enemy…if you start researching this, amazing to see the names and wealth behind this organisation. “We the people” need to clean house…the garbage is beginning to smell soooo bad!
BTW…for the record…I believe Cannabis is medicine, whether your sick or not!
DarthNole: Maybe you could answer this one over at that blog you so nobly contributed to: “And BTW, inhaling PAHs from smoking marijuana causes cancer, it doesn’t cure it. But that’s hardly the issue with drug policy”.
Or if any of you have the answer I’d appreciate it posted here so I could contradict revere. Thanks…
I hear a lot lately about the fact that we need to reclassify Marijuana to class II before a true legalization attempt can be made. I;m not sure who is aware that HR 2835 introduced by Barney Frank includes this: Excerpt from HR 2835:
Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act – Transfers marijuana from schedule I to schedule II of the Controlled Substances Act.
Marijuana is the fondation of the Control Substance Act of 1970. That is why it is so difficult to reclassify marijuana.
It was a clever scheme written up by Nixon’s most trusted crook, Attorney General John N. Mitchel, who was the first United States Attorney General that was convicted for illegal activities and was imprisoned.
Marijuana was the reason that law was made. It is also the keystone.
In 1932, wealthy industrialist John D. Rockefeller stated in a letter:
When Prohibition was introduced, I hoped that it would be widely supported by public opinion and the day would soon come when the evil effects of alcohol would be recognized. I have slowly and reluctantly come to believe that this has not been the result. Instead, drinking has generally increased; the speakeasy has replaced the saloon; a vast army of lawbreakers has appeared; many of our best citizens have openly ignored Prohibition; respect for the law has been greatly lessened; and crime has increased to a level never seen before.
SOMEONE NEEDS TO PUT THE VIDEO OF GEORGE W BUSH AND OBAMA SIDE BY SIDE…YOU KNOW THE VIDEOS OF WHERE THE ARE BOTH CLAIMING IRAN AND IRAQ HAVE WMD’S…
SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE……OH…WAIT…FACES DO….
I SAY IMPEACH…HE LIED ON EVERYTHING HE SAID HE WOULD DO IN HIS CAMPAIGN.
JJ calm down there killa….. i dont think he lied as much as he overpromised… plus its been 8 months…. in our government things take a lot of time to change… years….. health care shouldnt even be an issue right now and its screwing everything up but also….. think rationally, he hasnt done anything that would call for impeachment…. not even close….. he came into office with an immensely shitty situation and a lot of his supporters bailed on him after a couple weeks cause he didnt wave a magic wand and deliver on all his promises right away….. it doesnt work like that…..
legalizing is the way obama!!!
50# that was a great quote, it really rings true doesn’t it. prohibition degrades our law enforcment officers and makes them look like ruthless thugs. how sad for america i pray that we wake up before we are called eurica.
Lea:
PAHs occur in oil, coal, and tar deposits, and are produced as byproducts of fuel burning….
This goes precisly to MY point, that marijuana is not what causes cancer, but that the burning of the plant is what causes it. By vaporizing the active ingrediants out of the plant matter (without burning) means you can inhale vapors that do not contain the cancer causing PAHs.
Furthermore: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are lipophilic, meaning they mix more easily with oil than water. The larger compounds are less water-soluble and less volatile (i.e., less prone to evaporate). —- so this tells you that they don’t vaporize like THC and the other cannabinoids!!!
Moreover: Different types of combustion yield different distributions of PAHs in both relative amounts of individual PAHs and in which isomers are produced. —– so if you eliminate the “combustion” you eliminate the PAH’s….. this is why the government continually uses the term “SMOKED” when talking about marijuana and medicine. But just like the 1999 IOM report suggested, an alternative rapid-onset delivery system should be developed…… and thus we have the vaporizor!!!
Lea:
BTW – did you notice that “revere” went back to the old arguement that marijuana smoke causes cancer? I guess they think their readers are stupid and don’t understand the chemistry of the plant. This is the same logic that the government uses to keep marijuana from receiving approval for medical purposes. If you burn something it releases carcinogens and because carcinogens cause cancer then marijuana can’t be considered medicine. What they fail to explain is that the carcinogens are being created at the point of combustion. This is the reason that the 1999 IOM report stated that an alternative “rapid-onset” delivery system needed to be created in order to be able to consider the whole marijauna plant as medicine.
Why our Government has neglected to study the use of vaporizors and whether the use would negate the carcinogens caused by combustion is beyond me.
Everyone should check out this site and add to the discussion. The article is about how a group of teachers unknowedly ate some pot brownies.
http://scienceblogs.com/effectmeasure/2009/09/when_you_get_baked_by_your_bro.php#c1952055
i have one thing to say to all the people who think SMOKING marijuana causes cancer. SHOW ME MARIJUANA ONLY SMOKERS THAT HAVE CANCER!!! they cant, because there isnt any… hmmmmmmmmm ……….. smoking tobacco and smoking cannabis is completely different!!!
You’re my hero again DarthNole, absolutely fine job you did and you should be proud of yourself. Thank you.
It’s common at any site for a person to stop responding if they feel they’ve been beat, guess most humans love living in their ignorance. Or they’re just plain scared of the g’ment.
Whatever their reason is the words have been read and if only one or two minds can be changed then we’ve accomplished something.
I’m beginning to understand the uphill battle MPP and other reform organizations face when it comes to getting people to be more active. The science blog link you gave DarthNole, and I gave way back, does have a large combined audience and when a post is discussed and gets a large number of comments it goes on the side bar and other viewers usually click on it and read what’s going on.
i am saying that he is taking us into WAR like the person b4 him. that in my mind means impeach. he has no right to continue with his bs health care shit, no reason to hype on Joe Wilson, and all he has done so far is just raise taxes.
Taxation without representation is WRONG and ILLEGAL under the constitution of the USA. that is why I will be behind the revolution. And so will another 5 million.
Lea:
Keep passing along those articles… I get to smile everytime I get a back and forth going with the original poster. 9 out of 10 times you are right they will simply stop responding because they realize that they are debating with someone who actually understands the subject and can contridict every point they try to make. I know that most of the time the author isn’t going to change their mind, however if we can change a reader’s mind than we begin to slowly chip away at the propaganda.
You can’t tell me that marijuana causes cancer…. you can’t tell me that kids are safer today because of prohibition… you can’t tell me that because I know the truth!!!
DarthNole: You bet I’ll post from his blog any articles he throws in there about MJ. He does have a consciousness, sometimes a commenter has to just keep hitting and digging to get at it.
It was delightful having you back me up, it turned the entire comment section around and put a positive spin on it instead of a “drug” spin. I can’t put into words how much I appreciate your help.
My own health suffers as a result of Prohibition and as a result I’m not always up to par or ready to make a good case, and that weighs heavily on me because I do so want to right this wrong.
Good karma DarthNole, really good karma. Thank you for staying civil too. I’ve been blogging long enough to know that the comments can get mean and ugly real quick however, as MJ advocates we must never allow that to happen. I was only able to rib revere slightly because I’ve been going there for years.
Lea and Darth noble :
Keep up the good work. Yes keep it civil,most of these prohibs want to get us angery enough to make our cause look bad.
When your right your right. Facts are facts.Truth is truth. They cant argue that,they know it so they resort to bait you.
CORRUPTION: A disease that spares no one.
JLI #52:
I’m starting to think that the statement ,”..in our government things take a lot of time to change… years..” Is just a lie for our leaders to drag their feet. Look at how fast the stim bill was passed.Look how fast they are tryin to slip health care bill passed us. Seems to me when they really want to do something they do,when they dont and its not in their interset or part of their agenda,they dont work hard on anything.. What do ya think?
i understand that ROE but to understand the crooked politician you need to think like one…. they are trying to fix the economy and all the problems with the world in a way that they can make the most cake not only for the government itself but for the individuals…… legalizing cannabis would severely cripple this personal funding….. thats why we need more people on our side to vote these pricks out and call them and put it in their thick skulls that legalizing cannabis is soooooo much more than tax revenues from taxing pot smokers
am i making sense? lol im extremely medicated
Thanks ROE, and thanks Just Legalize It for your comment on the link posted.
When I first started out blogging over four years ago I felt so stupid and there were plenty of people who tried to paint me that way however, I put aside their curt remarks, sucked it up and kept on going.
Organized crime exploded due to the prohibition of the drug called alcohol. Yes Gil, When alcohol prohibition was ended organized crime got into other drugs, like cannabis. Prohibitionists learned nothing from the failure of alcohol prohibition. So, they cast about for other drugs to prohibit in order to make jobs for now unemployed former alcohol prohibition agents. Cannabis was not a problem. But, prohibitionists renamed it the unknown ‘Marihuana’ & turned cannabis into another ‘forbidden fruit’. Organized crime was happy to reap tremendous profits by supplying cannabis. Yes Gil, organized crime switched from recently re-legalized alcohol to now prohibited cannabis. Because, Prohibitionists made it profitable to do so. Let’s hear it for the counter-productive & self-fulfilling disaster of prohibition. Looks like Gil overlooked that it was our ‘gateway policy’ of prohibition that lead alcohol users to start using the now DANGEROUS marihuana. Which they bought from former bootleggers. Prohibition just gets better & better.
In 1932, wealthy industrialist John D. Rockefeller stated in a letter:
When Prohibition was introduced, I hoped that it would be widely supported by public opinion and the day would soon come when the evil effects of alcohol would be recognized. I have slowly and reluctantly come to believe that this has not been the result. Instead, drinking has generally increased; the speakeasy has replaced the saloon; a vast army of lawbreakers has appeared; many of our best citizens have openly ignored Prohibition; respect for the law has been greatly lessened; and crime has increased to a level never seen before.
So, having learned nothing about how & why prohibition is doomed to failure. They immediately turned on cannabis & made it the next prohibited substance. Prohibitionists did learn one thing, though. Don’t make a thing illegal by way of a Constitutional Amendment. Those pesky ol’ things can be repealed, after all.
Hi All,
Just a reminder that Marc Emery (Prince of Pot) has done so much for the cause and he is being extradited to the US because of selling cannabis seeds. Americans should be outraged by this. the feds are spending millions to convict a man for a victomless crime. I was outraged by the time the media gave to the Perv. Roman P. for his extradition but you won’t here a peep about Marc because the feds know this would be an embarresment if the public new about it. the only reason for this is because Marc has funded so many state campains for the cause. We need to protest the media to make them air this story. it would be so embarresing to the feds. WHAT A WASTE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS!
Hey everyone… I just applied to work with MPP today so wish me luck!!! I am excited about the opportunity to work with an organization that has been focused on ending the failed strategies of Prohibition. It would be a big commute coming all the way from Richmond (DC traffic is terrible) but for the opportunity to be on the front line of this fight, a couple extra hours a day in traffic is worth it! Regardless of the outcome we all have to take part in our Government because it is our voices that will finally bring an end to these failed policies. Write one letter a week to your Senator or Congressman or to your local City Council or State Legislatures. WE THE PEOPLE keep this issue relevent and one day soon the politicians will wake up and realize that it is in their best interest to side with science and truth.
Thanks MPP, Ben Morris, for letting myself and DarthNole get a tad bit off topic. It never really is off topic though if we’re fighting to end this madness.
Congratulations DarthNole, I know you’ll do a marvelous job. Was wondering where you lived but didn’t want to ask.
There’s a comment, if you have the time to respond over at revere’s blog.
DarthNole: Those adverse effects are listed in my father’s pharmacology books, from when extract of marijuana was LEGAL and PRESCRIBED! They are listed in many old pharmacy and medical books from the legal era.
Posted by: Tsu Dho Nimh | September 29, 2009 11:04 AM
I put my last comment in a few moments ago.
the federal government is breaking the law by not allowing people to use whatever they want and angels no it to
throwing them in prison for it is a crime and they need to stop it now.
Well, I think a combination of Ron Paul, Mike Gravels and help from Ralph Nader would help
I thought this was interesting.
Alqueida style news video where Cartel members fully armed caputer members of an opposing cartel. Get them to confess the names of their entire leaders on camera and then shoot them at the end (they don’t show the shooting over the news brief- Mexico is rather conservative on broadcast media). So there you go. These guys have formed a parallel state in Michoacan. They charge business Taxes and have even employed Mayors, Public Officials and yes, even the Governor of the State. Could you imagine if the Governor of Texas was involved in Drug Trafficking? Obviously this is a problem that is threating the sovereignty of the Mexican people at this point.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvF0zSSEXzk
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