Fine for Pot Possession in Mile High City: $1.00

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This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Mexico Decriminalizes Drug Possession

Mexico decriminalized small amounts of marijuana, cocaine and heroin on Friday — a move that prosecutors say makes sense even in the midst of the government's grueling battle against drug traffickers.

Prosecutors said the new law sets clear limits that keep Mexico's corruption-prone police from extorting casual users and offers addicts free treatment to keep growing domestic drug use in check.

"This is not legalization, this is regulating the issue and giving citizens greater legal certainty," said Bernardo Espino del Castillo of the attorney general's office.

The new law sets out maximum "personal use" amounts for drugs, also including LSD and methamphetamine. People detained with those quantities no longer face criminal prosecution.

source: AP

Common sense prevails in Mexico. Obama, are you listening?









Copyright @ 1998-2009
All Rights Reserved

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

A 2-Minute History of Marijuana

Approximately 7.6 million people die from cancer each year according to an article titled "ACS Report Focuses on Global Cancer Toll" which was published by the American Cancer Society. Now, as we sit helplessly by and watch public figures like Farrah Fawcett, Amy Mickelson, Steve Jobs, Lance Armstrong, Nelson Mandela, Ted Kennedy suffer from this horribly insidious disease, how long must it be before the U.S. Government owns up to the fact that they know a cure exists and releases the information to the general public?

The 1975 report of the federal government began its discussion of medical marijuana by stating "Cannabis is one of the most ancient healing drugs." The report further noted: "One should not, however, summarily dismiss the possibility of therapeutic usefulness simply because the plant is the subject of current sociopolitical controversy."

The list of medical uses of cannabis from historical references includes:

Anorexia, Asthma, Nausea, Pain, Peptic Ulcer, Alcoholism, Glaucoma, Epilepsy, Depression, Migraine, Anxiety, Inflammation, Hypertension, Insomnia, Cancer.

Interestingly, relief of many of the symptoms marijuana was used for in these illnesses are many of the same symptoms that have been proven in modern research. This should not be surprising unless we want to assume that all of the experience of thousands of years did not have some factual basis.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN MEDICINE

It is well known that a man named Rick Simpson in Canada, discovered that Hemp Oil with THC is successful in killing cancer cells and removing the symptoms of cancer. A member of the Royal Canadian Lodge, he was instrumental in making his own medicine and in curing dozens of members of his lodge and the local townspeople, many of whom were suffering from the devastating effects of various types of "incurable" cancer. Here is a short 8-minute video where Rick Simpson provides his public service by showing you how to prepare your own medicine:

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Supreme Court Upholds Right to Medical Marijuana

California Medical Marijuana ID Card

When California passed its Medical Marijuana law some years ago, three counties steadfastly refused to issue identification cards to patients, San Diego, San Bernardino, and Merced. San Diego argued that federal law, which does not recognize medical marijuana usage, supersedes state law. San Diego lost that argument in a state trial and in the appellate courts. The California Supreme Court refused to hear the case. Merced dropped out of the case.

San Diego and San Bernardino decided to take a long-shot gamble to attempt to to have the U.S. Supreme Court hear the case. The United States Supreme Court refused to hear the case upholding the rights of medical marijuana patients. This is a landmark decision, or non-decision that paves the way for Medical Marijuana to be the law of the land in California.

To anyone who has followed the unethical actions of the San Diego and San Bernardino Supervisors over the past three years, the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear their appeal shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, the counties’ vapid arguments had previously been struck down — unanimously — by the Superior Court of the State of California in the 4th District Court of Appeals.

In addition, the Legislative Counsel of California, the state Attorney General’s Office, and a majority of the California legislature had also previously determined that local politicians and law enforcement were obligated to uphold the provisions of California’s medical marijuana laws. Finally, California’s constitution is also quite clear on this point — mandating that police have a sworn duty to uphold state law, not to enforce federal statutes.

Let’s be blunt: San Diego and San Bernardino’s protracted lawsuits — lawsuits that arguably cost county taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars and jeopardized the health and safety of thousands (if not tens of thousands) of citizens — were never about resolving legal ambiguity. Rather, it was about the arrogance and recalcitrance of those who willfully chose to abuse their power and position to hamstring the will of the voters, the legislature, and the courts.

And while this particular legal battle is now over, our outrage shouldn’t be. We now know that Medical marijuana, if used in its proper form as an ingestible medication (Hemp Oil with THC) kills cancer cells. It is being proven all over the world, It is time that the US lift Gerald Ford's 1975 ban on anyone being allowed to test marijuana in the U.S. other than pharmaceutical companies, and launch a full testing program to confirm the miraculous properties of this natural herb.


















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Legalize Marijuana in California

California Assembly Bill 390 would legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana for adults over 21.

AB 390 would

Create jobs Contribute $1.2 billion in new direct tax revenue to California Reduce crime Reduce prison overcrowding Cut funding to drug cartels Reduce police corruption Protect our public lands Let farmers grow industrial hemp

AB 390 was introduced by California Assemblymember Tom Ammiano on Feb 23, 2009.



If you live in California, you can make it happen:

Email your representatives to support AB 390

Telephone your Assemblymember to support AB 390

Learn more about ending cannabis prohibition

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Finally! America Favors Legalization of Marijuana

The Time is Now

It's only "A Matter of Time". That is the name of a great book by Don Kirchner, a decorated Vietnam combat helicopter pilot whose adventures as a marijuana smuggler tells the tale of how deeply involved organized crime cartels are in the marketing and sales of this, the safest drug on the planet. It is a fascinating and exciting tale that I strongly recommend to everyone.

A matter of time also refers to the current situation in America. The people of America have reached the point of understanding that this banned plant needs to be legalized. A new Zogby poll commissioned by the conservative-leaning O'Leary Report has found 52% voter support for treating marijuana as a legal, taxed, regulated substance.

The survey, published as a full-page ad in today's issue of the political newspaper, The Hill, polled a sample of 3,937 voters weighted to match the 2008 presidential outcome -- 54 percent Obama voters and 46 percent McCain supporters. The results showed a decisive majority of 52 percent in favor with 37 percent opposed and 11 percent not sure -- slightly higher than the 46 percent support reported in an ABC News/Washington Post poll released at the end of April.

In California, the respected Field poll recently found 56 percent support for making marijuana a taxed, regulated product that is legal for adults.

"This new survey continues the recent trend of strong and growing support for taxing and regulating marijuana and ending the disastrously failed policy of prohibition," said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C. Of course, politicians will fight against it as the money behind them wants to maintain control of its distribution.

Another important reason that politicians seek to continue the ban is the tremendous lobbying influence of the American Medical Association and the pharmaceutical industry. The fact is that they are fully aware of the cancer killing properties of THC, marijuana's active ingredient. We addressed these issues in other articles, such as THE PRESIDENT MAKES A MISTAKE.

Mr. Obama spoke about wanting a cure for cancer. Arlen Specter, suffering from cancer which is apparently starting to affect his judgment or memory (he said he wanted Norm Coleman appointed at Senator of Minnesota, then retraced his steps and said he forgot what party he was supposed to support) could surely benefit from the proven anti-cancer therapy that Hemp with THC brings to cancer patients. The medical evidence is there and growing:

In 2000 Dr. Manuel Guzman of Complutense University in Madrid Spain re-discovered that THC destroys tumors with no negative side effects whatsoever. His team also irrigated healthy rats brains with high doses of THC for seven days and again found no negative results. Cannabinoids kill cancer cells by cutting off their blood supply but not to the healthy cells. These results have since been duplicated around the globe with many other cancers as well.

In 2005 Dr. Xia Zhang of the University of Saskatchewan found that THC actually promotes the growth of brain cells bringing new hope for head trauma and stroke patients. The same year the Scripps Institute reported that THC was a superior inhibitor of the plaque that causes Alzheimers. Unfortunately we hear little of any of these findings.

In 2008 researchers in Italy and the U.K. found that cannabinoids have germ killing activity against MRSA and kill bacteria in a different way than current antibiotics, meaning they might bypass bacterial resistance. MRSA's are becoming more and more prevalent and new treatments are desperately needed.

Our government KNOWS that marijuana kills cancer cells. They have known for a long time. In 1974 researchers at the Medical College of Virginia, who had been funded by the National Institute of Health to find evidence that marijuana damages the immune system, found instead that THC slowed the growth of three kinds of cancer in mice - lung and breast cancer, and a virus-induced leukemia.

The DEA quickly shut down the Virginia study and all further cannabis/tumor research, according to Jack Herer, who reports on the events in his book, "The Emperor Wears No Clothes." In 1976 President Gerald Ford put an end to all public cannabis research and granted exclusive research rights to major pharmaceutical companies, who set out - unsuccessfully - to develop synthetic forms of THC that would deliver all the medical benefits without the "high."

Rick Simpson not only tells the story of how Hemp Oil with THC CURES CANCER, but he has proven it to his Canadian Royal Lodge members and townspeople in Nova Scotia. In this video he not only has significant supporting documentation and testimony, but he actually shows how to make the medicine that cures cancer. Is anyone in government listening?

Then listen to the testimony of a Medical Marijuana patient:



Here is a link to Mr. Simpson's instructional page: MAKE YOUR OWN MEDICINE.

Here is his story:



WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMAN. The time has come.

In the early 1960s, probably 80% of America supported the "war" in Vietnam. After the killings of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy the youth of America organized and educated America as to what was actually going on in Vietnam. By the end of the 60s, the support for the war continued to drop and by the early 1970's, over 2/3 of Americans wanted us out of Vietnam.

The propaganda and misinformation put out about Marijuana influenced the public for a long time. Each year, however, more and more people realize that this is a medicinal plant put here either by a creator or "nature", but one that has never resulted in a single case of lung cancer, nor a single death. Every prescription drug has side effects and can result in death. Go figure.

Now the worm is turning and not so slowly. It's time to make an effort to legalize it in EVERY STATE and to put pressure on President Obama to legalize it so we can develop hemp oil with THC to restore natural health to America. Check out this website: http://myhempsource.com.

Guitar legend Carlos Santana is urging U.S. President Obama to legalize the use of marijuana. He says that making cannabis legal would boost America's flagging economy and create jobs and of course he is right. Carlos says, "Legalize marijuana and take all that money and invest it in teachers and in education. You will see a transformation in America."

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Senator Jim Webb Wants Marijuana Legalization Considered

Wise Words from a Legend

Speaking to CNN on Thursday morning in an effort to whip up political support for his prison reform proposals, Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) insisted that marijuana legalization should be "on the table." His bill, introduced late March, aims to establish a presidential commission to study prison reforms and drug criminalization and make recommendations to Congress after 18 months.

Senator Webb's bill is backed by Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) and has reportedly received "quiet encouragement from President Barack Obama." Some other stated supporters of Sen. Webb's reform proposals "include the current Judiciary panel head, Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) and the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, Richard J. Durbin of Illinois," noted the Times-Dispatch. Advocacy group Law Enforcement Against Prohibition has also posted an electronic petition form in support of the Webb commission.

"With so many of our citizens in prison compared with the rest of the world, there are only two possibilities: Either we are home to the most evil people on earth or we are doing something different--and vastly counterproductive," wrote Sen. Webb in a March 29 editorial in Parade. "Obviously, the answer is the latter."

As a means of addressing the "national disgrace" -- as Webb says -- that is the US prison system, initial reports on the bill indicated that its authors intended for drug criminalization to be part of the study.

"Would you support perhaps legalizing marijuana?" asked CNN's Kiran Chetry on Thursday morning.

"I think what we need to do is to put all the issues on the table," said Sen. Webb. "You're correct: if you go back to 1980 as a starting point, I think we had 40,000 people in prison on drug charges and today we have about a half a million of them. A great majority of those are non-violent crimes, possession crimes or minor sales."





click to read complete story

Filed by David Edwards and Stephen C. Webster

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April 20 is National Pot Smoking Day

April 20th, or 4/20, is "National Pot Smoking Day," an unofficial holiday for marijuana celebrations and legalization advocates. Events scheduled around the country Monday celebrate marijuana and the legalization movement. In New York City, High Times magazine will hold a secret and sold out event and in San Francisco crowds are expected to celebrate at parks near the Golden Gate Bridge.

But at Boulder, Colo. students and activists are expected to celebrate what is being called the biggest 4/20 event in the world according to NORML, the National Association for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Speakers and a forum are being held at University of Colorado, with a 4:20 toking up in the center quad of the school. University officials are not condoning the event and sent out an email to students asking them not to participate in the events, saying it debases the reputation of the school.

Why April 20? The common history of 4/20 points to students in 1971 at San Rafael High School in San Rafael, Calif. meeting each afternoon after school at 4:20 to smoke pot. The date April 20, 4/20, then grew out of that to become a unofficial day for marijuana. "420" also has became a term for a time to get high. Marijuana advocates are encouraged that the discussion of legalization is becoming more widespread.

We applaud their efforts and encourage President Obama to move away from his politically correct position and to legalize this vital plant that has meant so much to this planet for many thousands of years.

CLICK TO READ FULL STORY

















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NORML Presents $14 Billion 'Cannabis Stimulus' Package To The U.S. Treasury

A Solution

"All we ask in exchange for our $14 billion is that our government respects our decision to use marijuana privately and responsibly"

Allen St. Pierre New York, NY:

NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre presented a mock check to the U.S. Treasury Department in the sum of $14 billion on Wednesday, April 15 (Tax Day), at a press conference at the steps of the General Post Office in New York City.

The $14 billion check total represents the combined savings and tax revenues that would be generated by regulating the sale and production of cannabis like alcohol, according to a 2005 analysis by Harvard University senior lecturer Jeffrey Miron and endorsed by over 500 distinguished economists.

"We represent the millions of otherwise law-abiding cannabis consumers who are ready, willing, vocal and able to contribute needed tax revenue to America's struggling economy," St Pierre told reporters from Salon, Fox News, Sirius Satellite Radio, and other media outlets. "All we ask in exchange for our $14 billion is that our government respects our decision to use marijuana privately and responsibly."

In March, during President Barack Obama's first-ever Internet Town Hall, questions pertaining to whether legalizing marijuana like alcohol could help boost the economy received more votes from the public than did any other topic. Since then, numerous high-profile media pundits including Joe Klein (Time Magazine), David Sirota (The Nation), Clarence Page (Chicago Tribune) and Jack Cafferty (<>Salon) have called on the administration to consider legalizing marijuana.

"America is in the midst of an economic recession," NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said. "Taxing and regulating marijuana in a manner like alcohol with state-licensed sales and age restrictions would redirect criminal justice costs toward more serious crimes, raise tax revenue, and greatly reduce, if not eliminate, the involvement of drug cartels in the illicit marijuana trade."

According to a 2007 economic analysis, the total retail value of the U.S. marijuana market is more than $113 billion per year making pot the nation's most lucrative cash crop.

Presently, lawmakers in California and Massachusetts are debating statewide measures to tax and regulate the production and sale of cannabis to adults.

For more information, please contact either Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500, or Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org.

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Free Market or Black Market for the War on Drugs?

Since our article about Portugal's success with the decriminalization of drugs and the decline in drug usage there since it instituted its new law eight (8) years ago, most of the response from readers has been in agreement. However, one person's insistence that no drugs should be legal led me to this 1:28 video. This guy makes the best argument for the complete legalization and taxation of drugs in this country and states it so simply.




















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Portugal Decriminalizes Drugs and Drug Usage Declines

You Deserve a Break Today -- We Do it All for You -- I'm Lovin' It

Those who oppose the decriminalization of drugs or at the very least, marijuana, won't like this report.

Eight (8) years ago Portugal decriminalized the usage of all drugs and the results have been astounding. According to a new report entitled, “Drug Decriminalization in Portugal: Lessons for Creating Fair and Successful Drug Policies,” while drug use across the European Union has risen steadily since 2000, Portugal, which has the most liberal drug laws of any country, has actually seen its prevalence rates decrease in various age groups since it decriminalized all drugs in 2001. Prevalence rates measure how many people have consumed drugs over the course of their lifetime.

“I think it’s bizarrely underappreciated what’s been done in Portugal,” said Salon writer Glenn Greenwald, who authored the report. Greenwald, who speaks fluent Portuguese, traveled to Portugal in 2008 to study the affects of drug decriminalization in the country.

Because drugs were not legalized outright in Portugal, violations of laws prohibiting drug possession for personal usage are now merely treated as administrative offenses and carry with them no criminal charges. Drug trafficking, however, continues to be prosecuted as a criminal offense in the country.

Compared to the low to moderate levels of drug use in Portugal since decriminalization went into effect, the majority of EU states have drug use rates that are double and triple that of Portugal today, according to the report.

Greenwald, who presented his findings at a Friday event at the Cato Institute, which sponsored the writing of the report, noted that the United Kingdom and Estonia, EU nations with some of the harshest criminalization laws, also have the highest cocaine usage rates in the EU.

“None of the fears promulgated by opponents of Portuguese decriminalization has come to fruition, whereas many of the benefits predicted by drug policymakers from instituting a decriminalization regime have been realized," writes Greenwald in the report. "While drug addiction, usage, and associated pathologies continue to skyrocket in many EU states, those problems—in virtually every relevant category—have been either contained or measurably improved within Portugal since 2001.”

source: RAW STORY


















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