“Super Pot” Silly Season
In what may be some sort of modern record for fact-free grandstanding on drug issues, U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, a Republican from the suburbs north of Chicago, has introduced a bill to ratchet up penalties for so-called “super pot”. Under Kirk’s proposal, penalties would be massively increased for those producing or selling marijuana with THC levels 15% or higher — to the point where a single plant could land someone in jail for 25 years.
Small problem: THC is, for all practical purposes, nontoxic. Higher-THC marijuana is not more dangerous. People simply smoke less, just like they drink less vodka than they do beer. That’s not just my opinion. Scientists who have examined the issue have concluded that the evidence simply isn’t there to sound alarm bells over so-called “super pot.” See, for example, this detailed review from the journal Addiction.
Congressman Kirk, it feels safe to say, has no intention of letting mere facts get in his way.
Tagged with: drug warriors and legislation and potency and science by the author
29 comments
What I personally find more alarming is that people actually voted to put this guy into office. More than once even! Now THAT is disturbing.
I say simple enough to not re-elect him back in to office and to have all reps go against this bill. It is a BS bill and will not stop increased THC regardless of what he may think. Let us get this bill thrown out and stop the ignorance by simply legalizing and taxing marijuana…
As a supporter of our said in another post on the MPP site here
http://blog.mpp.org/medical-marijuana/barney-frank-introduces-medical-marijuana-legislation/06122009/
:
#42 on the post
Tennessee Activist { 06.16.09 at 7:26 am }
I’m a retired Federal Narcotics Agent and marijuana is so harmless that if you have any worries about it simply don’t use it. It’s obviously a wonderful medicine and pot users should not be punished. If anyone would like to persist in punishing pot smokers, look a little closer at who reaps the benefits from such actions. I’ll answer that for you, no one benefits but the bad guys.
What on Earth are we paying this guy to do again? OH Yeah…Be OUR Representative. I wonder how many people have bought into this BS to even make it an issue.
What a waste of taxpayers $$$’s . What is with these people who still want to hurt Medical MJ patients and society in general?
[...] “Super Pot” Silly Season Share and [...]
Sorry Bruce for posting this information on your topic but it is something every one may use on the AC360 live blog to help our cause. Feel free to use any and all of the information presented.
Marijuana prohibition causes more problems than it solves,
and ruins thousands more lives than it supposedly tries to save.
The eventual development of a legally controlled market for marijuana,
where consumers could buy marijuana for personal use from a safe
legal source. This policy, generally known as legalization, exists on
various levels in a handful of European countries like The Netherlands
and Switzerland, both of which enjoy lower rates of adolescent marijuana
use than the U.S. Such a system would reduce many of the problems
presently associated with the prohibition of marijuana, including the crime,
corruption and violence associated with a “black market.”
Washington, DC: Members of Congress called on lawmakers to enact
legislation that would limit the government’s authority to arrest and
prosecute adults who possess marijuana for their own personal use.
The federal government should “not lock people up or use scarce
federal resources to arrest people for using or possessing … marijuana,”
While some potheads amount to nothing, others grow up to become president.
Yet still, a marijuana smoker is arrested every 43 seconds in the United States
and billions of dollars in law enforcement and correction costs are pumped
into the system to enforce marijuana laws. A complete overhaul of the
current policy is required to reap the benefits of legalizing marijuana.
Marijuana has therapeutic and medicinal effects, and is much less
harmful when compared to other legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco.
The use of weed has not claimed a single life in this nation’s history.
Legalization would bring useful revenue into the government.
According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the US spends
$12.1 billion on law enforcement and court costs and $16.9 billion in
correction costs every year.
Moreover, legalizing, taxing and regulating marijuana can bring about
$7.6 billion dollars for the government and free up an additional $7 billion
dollars in taxpayer money.
The legalization of marijuana would also prevent the spread of other
harmful drugs and eliminate the black market.
Full legalization would also reduce the crime rate. According to the
Drug Enforcement Agency, marijuana production and profit supports
organized crime and street gangs. Legalization would stop such financial
gains and free up police personnel as well as provide excess funds to tackle
other orders of violence on the streets that require more attention.
The 3 minutes that you just wasted about five people were arrested for simple
possession of marijuana, and $171,232 was spent on law enforcement and
correction costs that comes out of the taxpayers pocket.
This guy is part of the problem, introducing bill that jail non-violent offenders is simply ignorant. Bills such as these are introduced to bring attention to the author not the people he promised to serve. I’m sure if this bill passed all Pot arrests would become Koosh arrests and only cost the offender more money to defend himself, pumping more money into the pockets of people like Congressman Kirk. If he wants to further his career don’t do it by walking over the backs of the sick and dying.
Note to all politicians: Sick people need help, not punishment, other peoples pain is nothing to build a career on. I normally would never wish bad things on other people but uncaring people like Mr.Kirk should live for a miunte in the pain I’m every day, this medication would be legal tomorrow.
I have a hard and fast rule. If a politician continues to support MJ prohibition, they will not get my vote. I figure they are either ignorant, uninformed, or just plain corrupt. In any event I don’t think they deserve to be in office. Neither republicans nor democrats as a party endorse MJ legalization/decriminalization, so it’s hard to find someone to vote for. That’s one of the reasons I became a Libertarian. Libertarians believe in freedom. Including freedom to smoke pot!
Bruce,
Are you planning on saying anything on CNN this week with the rest of us or is CNN doing an interview with you and NORML on the cause?
Jeremy R you should put that on AC’s blog I left the fact that if they the government buoght all the pot that that was produced it would be cheaper than what we are doing now ( the rest of us can grow our own)
• Just the facts
we will not be silenced
Fact: They control the crave; from their nicotine patch to their Parkinson drug Fact: the burning of the natural plant is required in many religions. Fact: they have used healthcare to eliminate or control a population.(American experience PbS)
Fact: in the 1970s only 2% of the population had anything to do with illegal drugs 2009 over 50% of the population admits to having something to do with drugs i. e. weed (CBS)
Fact: They make designer drugs for their athletics and breathalyzer pills for the Europeans. (BBC- RAIDO)
Fact: America has the highest jail population in the world and yet 90% of the jail population is drug related
Fact: America has the highest addiction rate in the world
Fact: They openly admit that “these people are as good if not better than most corporate executives” PBS radio
Fact: T. Edison, T. Jefferson, Georg Washington and Henry Ford all had something to do with illegal drugs (st. louis post dispatch)
Fact: They make excuses for attacking people with cancer and scoliosis as they ignore the will of the people in California. (libertarian news)
Fact: America has less than 30 people legally allowed to smoke weed, while Canada has over 1200 (Raido- march to arch speaker)
Fact: They use lies and propaganda fear and intimidation to keep weed criminal
Fact: They can not keep heavy drugs crime violence and cell phones out of their prisons and yet we are expected to give up our freedom.
Fact: They claim to be exempt from the Ten Commandments lying, cheating and stealing because some pharmaceutical companies have paid for this war.
Fact: They will sabotage, drug, condition, and train people in their attempt to make a Delorian or Marian berry out of someone. (Edgewood, mkultra)
Fact: They sabotage the American free enterprise system and small business as they gut our cities with their crime and violence( Roliing stones gaslight square)
Fact: Time magazine points out the true science of weed is being subverted.
Fact: They have a repeated pattern of lying in court subverting the constitution and the laws in order to eliminate these people. (chambers,duke university, hern tx.)
Fact: they are allowed to disrupt the criminal element; with that the pot smoker is then forever a criminal and they will do what ever it takes to make him a criminal.
Fact: The only thing different from the right wing and the talibomb is one is a cult.
Fact: It was Dow chemical who took two kids in N.J. smoking a joint and turned it into a multi billion dollar war against our freedom. (PBS)
Fact: It was a retired Dow scientist that made the meth recipe. (Wired magazine)
Fact: They deny a whole population the right of laws as they criminalize them for their genetic, neurological, hereditary, ancestral, natural and religious rights.
Fact: They always try to make an accusation, about something other than weed, unless they can get him to buy or sell large quantities. (60 min. gold and black gang)
Fact: they have high technology weapons that they can inject the people with the crave or their Aids virus. (60 min south Africa)
Fact: more than one black preacher will tell you there are high officials behind their raciest war. (evening news)
Fact: They take out 6 million dollars in the poor and black neighbors and can account for only 3 million dollars after spending $5000.00 on badges. (St Louis Post)
Fact: More people are on the streets pushing their heavy drugs while the honest pot dealer is beaten in the ally with their Billy clubs.
Fact: With a touch of a button they can add THC to weed or take it away, making it worthless. (Amsterdam grower)
Fact: The newspapers make you believe that the kid was just too lazy to grow his own plant so he had to start selling their drugs (RFT)
Fact: They can’t even tell a geese’s brain, flying north and south, but we as free Americans are to give up our freedom so they monitor us. (npr)
Fact: They tortured, held until he pissed blood the governor of California libertarian candidate who worked to legalize weed, then gave him a chemical substitute for weed and claimed it had nothing to do with weed. (libertarian news)
Fact: Their object is to run the people broke and call them crazy or have him rip off 18 quick shops in a three moth time period with the pretext of helping them out.
Fact: With a 90% return rate with their prisons most either forced into their gay agenda or convert to Muslim. (PRI)
Fact: The people who are subjected to their war, or forced to work for them if they want a reduced sentence and are forced to destroy other decent people who are different.
Fact: They boast on their front page of the newspapers about their chemicals and garbage they produce in their labs to rip off the uneducated.(Miami newspaper)
Fact: They put paraquat in weed knowing that it did nothing but give the people cancer.
Fact: They can give a person an undetectable pain, I. e. john Nash, and the play the Bugs. And criminalize him for barring arms against their harms.
Fact: Their MK ULTRA program was started in the 1960s and only one Canadian has ever been able to prove he was victim.
Fact: The Arabs just like buying up LA because they like being next to the immoral American movie stars.
Fact: The Talibomb was created by the Americans to battle the Russians in Afghanistan.
Fact: Pakistan has the nuclear bomb and close friends with some Americans
Fact: The first one on the no fly list was the green party candidate. (Financial times Europe)
Fact: At 911 the only plane was allowed to fly was the Saudi prince who just happened to be visiting. (Fahrenheit 911)
Fact: high officials have been known to sell info to the Russians but we hear nothing of all the billions the Arabs have.
Fact: with 999 TV stations out their, if they come after you with the crave you will have no way to get your message out.
Fact: we will not be silenced your national program is going to come to an end.
Fact: science fiction or science fact
now you know some of the facts read about your poetic and religious rights they are after in the book ABOUT CHRISTIANS AND FREEDOM@Amazon.com
How the electronic wizards of today are using their high technology to eliminate the undesirables and play god
Let’s look at the facts since the beginning of time man has used magic to play god. During the Roman times the priest would use tricks to make the temple doors open automatically. During Lewis and Clark days they would throw gun powder on the fire or strike a match. Today is no different. We have all seen magicians of today make the statue of liberty disappear, or he stands outside a locked armored car and raises a black curtain and then lowers it and he is inside, these magic tricks are all fun and games, until you get someone who can mix in a few medical miracles and some electronic high technology then they can control the crave. They can criminalize the undesirables for barring arms against their harms, and deny a whole population the right of laws. They hide in the back ground running the people broke as they profit endlessly. The logic of the drug war will not be debated here. From attacking the sick and stealing cars from the handicap as they claim to be helping out all these blacks and they fill our prisons and gut our cities with their crime and violence. This article will address the different types of medical and high technology weapons they are using to destroy the peaceful people’s lives and freedom for their wallets.
Sound technology: They can cancel the noise of an engine because sound travels in waves: make a wave equal to the one being produced and it becomes silent. Directed sound; They can direct the sound waves so that only one person can hear it, no need for ear pieces. sound technology is classified information “Columbia journalism Review” you are just to believe that the Arab who was tortured in quantamino really did hear god telling him to confess his sins, you are just to believe that it was god who told the pot dealer to condemn the first page of the Christian bible and join the 700 club, if you don’t you must be crazy right? Medical miracles: They have needless injectors powered by air, air riffles they now display can rip a steel can to shreds, but you don’t hear about their needless injectors. They can change they yoke of an egg from orange to yellow without damaging the shell. Deplete a man’s sugar and you can make a sugar addict, make him allergic to peanuts then you can chase him around the world with your peanut oil. From their designer drugs they make for their athletics to their breathalyzer pills they make for the Europeans do you really believes they only lie about their fen fen and viox, when they put parraquat on weed knowing that it does nothing but give the pot smoker cancer.
Sensory deprivation, aroma therapy They have the ability to make a horrid smell , like an aerosol can one little spray and in a few seconds you will smell it and beg for death, but unable to identify the source.
Microwaves: thermal imaging photos, they can see inside a cow to determine the best time to milk it. They can find black oil thousands of feet below the ground. They have waves that they can aim at someone and either repulse or attract that person. Lasers: They can fill a room with lasers that can cut a person in half but you wouldn’t be able to see them. They can make an image appear on the wall and the unsuspecting could think it god. Satellite: we all have seen what Google maps can do but that only what they allow the average person to see they have the ability to zoom in on the face or license plate of their target. They can shoot a satellite out of space on a ship in a storm. Nannon technology: you may have seen their TV showing a fly, the song ends with wish I was a fly on the wall I all ready am. They have the ability to implant nanon receivers and cameras in roaches, birds, flies and bugs. Harpers magazine points out they are only a few years away from human trails. Stealth technology with their flying drones that can carry as many bombs as a full jet and you can’t see them. With their camouflage technology they can park a tank across the street and you wouldn’t see it. The samurai warrior was a master at stealth movements, able to walk across rice paper without damaging it. They can make glass as hard as nails, and you can build with them, their holograms, micro video cameras and LCD clothing do you really believe that Harry Potters vanishing blanket is impossible?
Detectors: They have the ability to use the technology to detect potassium, pot is high in potassium, they can walk around a building and detect if there is a loaded gun inside. Electronics: Radio interference, sound bugs, auto car stops and starts, phone taps, wrong numbers sent to, whole house wiring becoming a sound amplifier, computer malfunctions. Do you really believe that you can be safe behind your brick wall? Samurai warrior, magician and doctors devote their life’s to their art but when some of these Nazi combine these arts and then think they can play god and sell out our freedom to the talibomb for billions as they try to convert the peaceful pot smoke to their gay or Muslim agenda, what will you do when they come after you with the crave? They build their weapons in their BLACK OPPS PROGRAM with the expressed purpose of plausible deniability. The cities and towns and banks can make millions as they eliminate the undesirables, but they never expose themselves unless they know you will never get out of their gay prisons, but they work in the back ground causing all the crime and violence.
Science fiction or science fact?
Read more in ABOUT CHRISTIANS AND FREEDOM @Amazon .com
comments
U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk didn’t know any better. He just wanted to be accepted by trying to act tough in front of other members of congress and to justify his existence. Did you see his picture?
He is such a pretty boy. That is probably why he is making an ass out of himself.
kent ,
I am planning on using a lot of valuable information on the AC’s blog the information I provided here is for all of us to use for that and I shall be putting information like that on there all week as it goes on it all veries on what CNN will approve and is a vast reason why I had to post the information for all fellow activists on our cause to use. Hopefully we will have Bruce from the MPP involved in this as well as NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano . The more people who is for the cause the better our chances all around . When I first got the information on the coverage I knew it was a must to inform the MPP and NORML and others who are with us on the cause be for the coverage aired where we would be heard and can educate America if not any thing else. We all want it legalized and taxed but if that does not happen at least we made a huge step towards it. I and many of others are actively keeping up with any thing that would help our cause win if not now with in the near future…
paparon420–Here’s what it is with these people who want to hurt sick and dying ppl. One of the posts said the only diffference between the christians and the taliban is one is a cult. I assume he meant the taliban was the cult. But what it is, is these right wing, and far right wing extremist christians, and they are a “f” in cult, ok, don’t think for one minute they aren’t. They know what’s best for all mankind. General Bullmoose from Lil’ Abner knows whats best for the USA. They run us, and control us. F them. They are extremists like no other and unlike no other. Right now it is hidden somewhat, the amount of their extremism, but that is only because they have some power in their party of choice, the republican party, but if they had no power at all, trust me they would be up in arms trying to get control over their situation. I believe in GOD, not man and his relilgions. Just how many religions are there exactly. And they all have their own different idiosincricies, and yet they all claim to “know and worship” the same ONE GOD, YHWE. The devil said, ah religion, we can use that to divide them, well, it worked. Hundreds of religions out there and only one GOD, for all of us non-atheists anyway. Do the math. It doesn’t compute. Go figure. Peace y’all.
10pm eastern time anderson cooper on i believe cnn is talking about the legalization and whatnot every night this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#15 correct every week night this week on AC360 and they have a live blog to post on the issue . I and many others will be on there and encourage every one who is with us on the cause to post what we can to at least educate America if not get it legalized which our goal is to get it legalized and taxed… Feel free to use the information I had posted above if interested in helping or what ever information you may have to help out the cause.
Jeremy R. (#2)
You’ve copied and pasted my previous comment along with yours by accident. : )
Mark Kirk is being coached by people that want to see him lose every chance of winning the next election. It makes sense, just look at his face, now does that look like the face of a wise man?
I dont know bout anyone else,but I was annoyed by the ac 360 show last night. They keep talking bout how they were going to talk about cannabis and legalization then switch to other BS. Ya ok they had a short piece on melissa etheridge,one on the teacher and one on the despinsery. So what! 90% of the show was of other bs! Looks to me they just run these short pieces to draw people in for ratings. lets see if tonights show is 90% bs.
Another thing,I see people always blaming the rightwingers or the left wingers,or dems or repubs or those in the middle. Come on people! Who are YOU? I’m not right wing left wing repub dem…. Damn it I’m An AMERICAN! Do you like lables?. Dont play thier games. Its a distraction to what really is happening. As long as they can keep you watching one hand while with the other they steal your freedoms,How the hell will we set things right? If this doesn’t make sense then say so…
Kirk the jerk
Thanks for letting me know this #17 Tennessee Activist My intention was to refer to your post on the link on #2 and not re post what you said. Sorry for the mistake.
Geez, how do so many smart people elect such idiots? Illinois is a mess. Kirk is proving that a lot more Illinois politicians need to go before we ever make any progress.
This exaggerated position by Rep Kirk is simply a microcosm of the war against cannabis in general. Stunts like this –and this is purely a political stunt in a push for relevance– only reinforce the growing public discontent with current cannabis law; this creates a rallying cry against absurd policy which he is trying to make even more absurd!
Thank you Rep. Needledick! You are the perfect foil for us.
I’m not really sure what goes on in the head of a man like this, but he has pulled the wool over the eyes of the people who voted him to office. His ignorance will lead to his demise in office….at least, let’s hope. Let’s hope his skills at decision making will lead to as fast an exit as politically possible….When I say “skills” I mean “Undeniably absent”.
Just find this:
http://www.pr-inside.com/illinois-congressman-mark-kirk-caught-in-r1326224.htm
Let me be the first to wish Kirk a good, swift boot to the backside on his way out. Pow!!!
Kirk, that makes as much sense as punishing people for extra creamy peanut butter! This guys handlers and making sure he is going to lose his next election. This guy will look foolish when he is in front of Jesus answering for his abuse of power and persecution of the sick and dying!!! Wake up Kirk, if you have children you are embarrassing the Hell out of them with the stupid remarks!!! Unless you are being paid big bucks for selling your soul to the Devil, cease and desist from these asshole like statements!!!
This may be common knowledge to many, but I haven’t ever heard this stated as a counter-argument against the “gateway drug” critique. But here it is:
The idea that Marij is a gateway drug must be analyzed from two perspectives: that from the side of the drug itself, and that from the side of ‘user psychology’. From the side of the drug itself, this argument makes no sense; there is no way to determine what contents of any ingestible entity can lead a free-willed, rational person to proceed to another ingestible entity. And while there may be perceivable correlations, it is erroneous to take the step from correlation to causation. This means that one must look instead at the ‘user psychology’ perspective.
Now, when this is examined, a very interesting truth comes to light: IF marij is indeed a ‘gateway’ drug, then this attribute – let us call it ‘gateway-ness’ must clearly be connected to its illegality, and here’s why: as a class, “drugs” can be divided into ‘legal’ and ‘illegal’. A person who drinks heavily, smokes cigarettes, or even drinks a great deal of coffee does so with a free conscience; these are, by societal standards, acceptable since they are legal. Now, when one tries marij and has a good experience, one has stepped foot into the ‘illegal’ realm (so to speak), where not only one finds marij but all other ‘illegal’ drugs. The common mentality is a sort of mental looting: now that I’m in this illegal realm, so the thought process goes, I might as well try these others. There is a common tendency within human thought to classify everything beyond a limit as similar insofar as they share the attribute ‘beyond the limit’. Hence, once the limit is crossed, discretion is left behind.
So it is really the fact that marij is ILLEGAL that makes it, if in fact it is, a ‘gateway’ drug. Remove its illegality and relieve it of its ‘illegal pressure’ extending the limit of the illegal further to those drugs (like Heroine) which really are dangerous.
Just a thought.
Hello, this is just my opinoin. END the Drug War Now! All drugs should be treated medically not criminally! Why lock anyone up for choosing to use a substance on themselves? Sending folks to prison (criminal school) is not right. People are still using whatever drugs they want no matter what penalties there are or what the law says. It’s stupid making people criminals when they did not commit a crime. Crime is murder,rape,theft,assualt,ect,ect. the drug war is nothing more than a war against people. Poor people, because in america, real justice is ‘bought”. I am facing conviction for 1 marijuana brownie in Napa,Ca. on July 13 in superior court. (case#CR145239)I’m told by my public defender that I could face up to 1 year in jail. Having my current Drs. recommendation does not matter in Napa, Calif. I am pleading not guilty and will not accept ANY “deal” the D.A. has to offer! I swiftly declined the D.A.s offer of 6 months jail, 10 years supervised probation & $1000. fine. If anyone is interested in attending my Jury Trial , the time is 8:30 in dept. “E” at 1111 Third St. Napa, California I do have 1 prior conviction on my criminal record…Felony possession of marijuana – 1974 two ounces! I served 1 year in jail for that. Well, that’s it, wish me luck on July 13!
I saw this story on another web site and one of the user comments joked that the pot dealer should just murder the person threatening to turn him in and he might get a lesser sentence.
I got quite a laugh out of that but then started to wonder about the penalty for murder in Illinois. I found this link : http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lru/2005PFC.pdf
Am I reading that right? Usual prison term for 2nd degree murder is 4-20 years?
Scotty… please beam up Mr. Kirk
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