Sarah Palin Offered $25k to Speak at Marijuana Legalization Event
Sarah Palin. She's everyone's favorite oil drilling, aerial wolf hunting, "glad we chose life" (but we still aren't pro-choice) former Governor and she's just been offered $25,000 by Nevadans for Sensible Marijuana Laws to speak at an upcoming event and endorse the NVSML's 2012 ballot initiative aiming to tax and regulate.
The offer comes after Palin was announced as a keynote speaker at the the national convention for the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America. NVSML's campaign manager Dave Schwartz figures that Palin should feel comfortable endorsing marijuana legalization if she has no problem endorsing alcohol sales.
"It makes no sense to keep marijuana in the criminal market while a former vice-presidential candidate celebrates the alcohol industry," Schwartz said. "We want legitimate businesspeople in Nevada to benefit from the sales of marijuana, and we want adults to be free to choose whichever substance they prefer --marijuana or alcohol -- when they relax after work."
Despite the fact that marijuana use causes less harm than alcohol, I don't see Sarah Palin endorsing marijuana legalization for a measly $25k. Back in 2008 the RNC was dropping $150,000 on her clothes!
If you're in Nevada, be sure to volunteer with NVSML and help get a legalization initiative on the ballot for 2012. If you happen to be a student in Nevada - please contact SSDP about starting a chapter at your school.
On April 1, SSDP chapters all over the country participated in the SAFER National Day of Action by sparking debate on their campuses about marijuana legalization and promoting the Emerald Initiative. The Emerald Initiative is SAFER’s response to the Amethyst Initiative, a call by more than 130 university presidents and chancellors to debate whether lowering the legal drinking age to 18 could reduce dangerous college drinking. It calls on college presidents and chancellors – particularly those who have signed on to the Amethyst Initiative and those at schools where SAFER Referendums have been adopted – to "support an informed and dispassionate public debate" on whether allowing college students to use marijuana more freely could result in fewer students engaging in dangerous drinking.
Check out some of the media coverage of SSDP chapters in action:
Some chapters were unable to participate because of Spring Break but are planning to join the effort this Thursday, April 8. If your chapter would like to participate please sign up.
On April 1st -- the first day of National Alcohol Awareness Month -- the SAFER Campuses Initiative is organizing a Nationwide Day of Action to 1) highlight the relative safety of marijuana compared to alcohol, and 2) inspire public debate on whether college students should be allowed to use marijuana as a safer recreational alternative to alcohol.
SSDP is working closely with SAFER to make some noise about this issue. Students across the country face suspension, expulsion, loss of housing and loss of financial aid for using marijuana, a drug that causes less harm to society and the individual.
SAFER will provide your chapter with materials and media assistance to help you get involved and bring some media attention to your chapter and this issue. All you need to do is sign up and a rep from SAFER will be in touch shortly.
April 1st is right around the corner so if your chapter isn't confirmed to participate, sign up here!
SSDP Conference Benefit Party: March 13 in San Francisco!
Just Announced!
On Saturday, March 13, join SSDP and supporters at Broadway Studios for a benefit concert featuring Roots of Creation!
Tickets are limited and on sale now for only $25. If tickets are left, they will be $30 at the door so buy early to secure your spot and save $5.
Broadway Studios is a beautiful venue located in the historic North Beach district of San Francisco and this will be one party you can't miss.
Live musical performances from Roots of Creation (check out their song "Legalize and Tax It"), The Panda Conspiracy and there will be live painting from Vorcan (if you've got some 3D glasses layin' around, bring em!). Your $25 ticket not only includes all this this amazing live entertainment but we will be providing food for all party attendees. Plus, there are 3 cash bars, a light show, mezzanine seating, a SSDP slide show projected throughout the party and a photobooth where you can get your picture taken and printed out with the SSDP logo and date! How cool is that?
Tickets are limited and can be reserved here. Don't wait to until the last minute and miss out!
If you're interested in becoming a sponsor of the party, contact us.
After seeing an ad on Facebook for a "free marijuana information packet" created by the Foundation for a Drug Free World, I thought I'd check out there website. Then I watched this video:
Of course, I had to order the information packet after watching that action packed PSA complete with plenty of screaming, guns, smashing things and scary looking young people (actually, the first video I saw was marijuana specific but they didn't put that one up on YouTube...).
I received the packet this week. Inside was a little booklet titled "The Truth About Marijuana: Behind the smokescreen from a drug that destroys from the inside out."
This little booklet contains the usual misinformation and scare tactics you'd expect to find from any organization with the words "drug free" in their title. But there was one part that left me flabbergasted: Alcohol vs. Marijuana. Wow. They really want to take this one on? Here's what they have to say:
Is smoking a joint the same as drinking alcohol?
You decide. Here are the facts:
Alcohol consists of one substance only: ethanol. Marijuana contains more than 400 known toxins and cancer causing chemicals.
Alcohol is eliminated from the body in a few hours; THC stays in the body fat for months, possibly longer. Thus, a person who smokes 2 to 3 joints a week is constantly under the influence of the drug.
THC damages the immune system. Alcohol does not.
There is no intention here to minimize the dangers of alcohol abuse, which can be equally harmful. Alcohol, however, can be used in moderation without causing severe damage. Cannabis, which is used almost exclusively as an intoxicant, is far more dangerous even when used in small amounts because it's active agent continues to build up in body fat.
I could waste my time rebutting these "facts" but anyone with half a brain already knows these are flat out lies. Besides, Steve Fox, Mason Tvert, and Paul Armentano have written an entire book on the safety of marijuana in comparison to alcohol.
The claims made by the Foundation for a Drug Free World in this booklet easily make this one of the most irresponsible attempts to manipulate and lie to young people that I have ever seen. They should be embarrassed and ashamed of themselves. They're also funded by the Church of Scientology.
Here's what people who live on this planet have to say about the possibility of a drug free world:
Replacement for Prof. David Nutt Also Said Cannabis Should be Legalized
I guess I should be writing "legalised" for this one.
Surely you remember Prof. David Nutt making international headlines late last year after the UK government drug policy adviser was fired for saying that marijuana should be legalized. Five other members of the advisory council he chaired quit in protest to his firing. Nutt has just been replaced by Professor Les Iverson who, ironically, has made similar remarks regarding cannabis' legality.
He said: "Cannabis should be legalised not just decriminalised because it is comparatively less dangerous than legal drugs alcohol and tobacco."
Iverson now claims to have learned more about marijuana and changed his point of view.
"I don't remember saying that, it's certainly not my position now. That was a view I had in 2003 and a great deal has happened since then. I think it's quite free for a scientist to change his mind when faced with new facts."
CA Assembly Committee Passes Marijuana Legalization Bill
Unfortunately, it's likely the bill won't go any further after today's monumental 4-3 victory in the Public Safety Committee. The bill needs to make it into the Health Committee before a legislative deadline this week and it doesn't look like that's going to happen.
But so what? We won! This is the first time that any legislative body in the nation has voted to legalize and tax marijuana for recreational use. In October, SSDP members from SJSU and UC Berkeley attended the first hearing on the bill and participated in the public opinion, voicing their support for the bill and citing specific harms caused by marijuana prohibition.
SSDP had a strong presence at this hearing too and it was exciting to be in California's capitol as the Assembly Committee on Public Safety voted YES to legalize, tax and regulate marijuana throughout the state.
Afterward, we attended the press conference organized by law enforcement and the California Alliances for Drug Free Youth condemning the Assembly's vote. They gave a lot of scary reasons to fear legalizing pot. Some of these people are well intentioned. Others I'm not so sure about. But they're both wrong.
What I liked about AB 390 was that it would have taken tax dollars from marijuana sales and put them into drug education and prevention programs for youth. These types of programs are underfunded as it is and if they are realistic and honest (not DARE) they can make positive differences in young people's lives. So naturally it seemed absurd to me that Republican Assemblyman Danny Gilmore, who voted nay on the bill, expressed his distaste for that particular aspect of the legislation:
''We're going to legalize marijuana, we're going to tax it, and then we're going to educate our kids about the harms of drugs?'' said Gilmore, a 31-year veteran of the California Highway Patrol. ''You've got to be kidding me.''
We're not joking. But that sure is a funny position to take when we know that this is exactly what some states do with alcohol and tobacco taxes. And it works. A study at the University of Florida showed “statistically overwhelming evidence” that raising taxes on alcohol reduces the level of drinking. As alcohol gets more expensive, people will drink less frequently and drink less when they do.
Just think about that. AB 390 would impose a $50 tax per ounce! $50 per ounce folks. So not only would the price be going up dramatically and likely to increase over years but the tax dollars go toward prevention programs! Seems plain as day to me...
Check out this video for a great rundown of what happened today (you even get to see me start things off by fumbling some words!).
No matter how you slice it, 2009 was a monumental turning point for Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) and for the drug policy reform movement as a whole.
They are stories that will be taught in high school civics classes in years to come. But there are hundreds of stories you may not have heard about in 2009: unsung heroes on campuses worldwide, playing a pivotal role in ending the destructive War on Drugs.
1) Students Triumph Over Bad Drug Law in Congress: On September 17th, the congressman who wrote a 1998 law that denies financial aid to students with drug convictions proclaimed: "I knew I was probably going to lose today." And he did. Two days earlier, it appeared that Rep. Souder's amendment would pass, which would have left his anti-education law fully intact. But after SSDP chapters across the country inspired tens of thousands of people to call Congress in less than 48 hours, the tables quickly turned, and Rep. Souder was forced to back down and compromise. Once the bill passes in 2010, hundreds of thousands of students with drug possession convictions will be able to go back to school!
2) SSDP Chapters Lead the Demise of Marijuana Prohibition in Rhode Island: In September, the Providence Journal published an article entitled, "Brown, URI students played key role in R.I. marijuana debate," which told the story of how SSDP chapters led the way for Rhode Island to become the third state to establish legal medical marijuana dispensaries. SSDP chapters in RI have been so successful at building relationships with key policy-makers that the state's senate is now taking a serious look at fully legalizing marijuana!
3) Students Display Courage in the Face of Violence in El Paso, TX: In January, SSDP member Nubia Legarda testified at a city council debate on legalizing drugs to stop the violence in Mexico. Nubia's family lives in the bordering city of Ciudad Juarez, a place that has been torn apart by the bloody wars between rival cartels. After Nubia's moving testimony received media coverage and thousands of views on YouTube, her SSDP chapter quickly became a driving force leading the debate over drug policy in El Paso.
4) Students Protest Police Shooting of Fellow Student: In March, campuses in Michigan erupted after Derek Copp, an unarmed Grand Valley State University student, was shot and nearly killed by police over a gram of marijuana. SSDP chapters across the state ensured that the media framed this as an inevitable consequence of a violent War on Drugs rather than as an avoidable mistake made by police. They also helped to raise hundreds of dollars to assist Derek with his medical bills.
5) U.S. Students Stand with Mexico on Cinco De Mayo: In May, dozens of SSDP chapters stood in solidarity with the people of Mexico to protest the bloodshed caused by drug prohibition. A TV news spot covering the University of Maryland's action (which is one of the best pieces of news coverage I've ever seen generated by an SSDP chapter) was viewed by countless residents of the Washington, DC area.
6) Drug Policies Reformed at Campuses Nationwide: All year long, SSDP chapters worked on "campus change campaigns," and more than a dozen chapters successfully altered their campus's polices. These changes include removing police patrols from dorms, reforming unfair judicial systems, and enacting life-saving Good Samaritan Policies.
7) SSDP Chats with the Drug Czar: In an unprecedented show of diplomacy, President Obama's "Drug Czar" invited leaders of the drug policy reform movement (including myself) to a conference call in which we discussed our vision for the future of drug policy. While it remains to be seen whether the White House will take cues from the conversation that was had in October, this represents a significant step in the right direction.
8) The Grassroots Student Movement Rapidly Expands: For the first time in SSDP's history, SSDP's supporters donated enough money to employ three full-time outreach directors - and just in the nick of time! In the past year, our chapter network has grown to include more than 200 chapters, half of which are new chapters receiving official campus recognition this year. We currently receive more than three new chapter startup inquiries every day.
9) An International Drug Policy Reform Movement is Born: In 2009, SSDP's U.S. and Canadian networks welcomed the establishment of international affiliates in the United Kingdom and Nigeria, and we've worked to build budding networks in areas of South America, Asia, and Europe. Former SSDP Executive Director Kris Krane participated in high-level U.N. meetings on drug policy in Vienna, and received a standing ovation for his mediation of a conflict with opposition groups.
10) Chase Cheats SSDP Out Of Charity Competition, Thousands Drop Chase in Response: In 2009, SSDP's website was viewed nearly half a million times, while more than 400,000 people joined our networks on Facebook, and our YouTube videos reached more than 400,000 views. So it was no surprise that SSDP dominated an online charity competition in which Chase Bank asked Facebook users to vote for nonprofits to receive grants of $25,000 to $1 million. However, when Chase deceptively cheated SSDP out of the winnings, SSDP slammed Chase in the pages of the New York Times, and more than two-thousand SSDP supporters pledged to drop their accounts with Chase.
Finally: Let's celebrate the progress we've made in 2009. But let's also not forget that we need to keep working twice as hard in 2010. Worldwide, millions of people sit behind bars for what they've put into their own bodies; entire communities are torn apart by the violence and corruption caused by the black market; and drug cartels grow more rich and powerful than ever before.
Here's at least one story that I hope to report at the end of 2010:
1) Hundreds of Small Donations Fund a Growing Grassroots Movement: Despite the recession forcing many of SSDP's major donors to cut back on their funding in 2010, hundreds of SSDP alumni and supporters pitched in online this year, comprising nearly $52,000 of our budget, and tripling the amount of small donations received in 2009. Because of your generosity, SSDP's staff has continued to expand in proportion to the growing movement for reform.
It's not because we didn't win. In fact, we're quite positive we did win and that we were disqualified because Chase doesn't agree with our mission. We're boycotting Chase because they refuse to explain whether SSDP and MPP were disqualified from the contest based on the subject matter we work on. (read the previous post to learn more about the contest)
This isn't a case of sour grapes. We know we made it in the top 100 and simply want Chase to admit that SSDP was one of the top 100 organizations voted for by the public and explain that we were disqualified because Chase disagrees with our mission (which they have the right to do).
The New York Times caught wind of the story and talked with Micah Daigle, SSDP's Executive Director and Alex Koroknay-Palicz, Executive Director of the National Youth Rights Association. Just two days before the contest ended, Chase took down the vote counters on each organization's page so it was impossible for any group to tell how many votes they have. Micah and Alex explain how we had to have made the cut:
So some participants created informal leader boards. For instance, the National Youth Rights Association, a tiny nonprofit that works to teach young people about their rights and how to protect them, compiled voting data on almost 400 contestants, and 82 of the organizations that it tracked were among the 100 winners Chase named.
“For the most part, the organizations Chase picked were exactly the organizations we expected to win, because we had spent a lot of time and effort tracking it,” Mr. Koroknay-Palicz said. “So the biggest surprise was SSDP and a couple of pro-life groups, as well as the organization called the Prem Rawat Foundation, didn’t make it, because they had been doing pretty well.”
According to the leader board he created, Students for Sensible Drug Policy collected 2,305 votes through Dec. 9, when organizations no longer could track their votes or see who had voted for them.
At 2,305 votes, SSDP was in 14th place just a few days before the end of the contest. It's very unlikely we were surpassed by so many other organizations. By eliminating us, Chase is trying to send the message that no one cares about the work that non-profits like SSDP are doing. But drug policy reform is no longer a fringe issue; nationwide support for marijuana legalization is greater than ever before, a majority feel the drug war has failed and SSDP's chapter network is growing exponentially.
Most importantly, a giant corporation like Chase should not be presenting the public with a list of organizations it will be donating money to while pretending that all of those groups were selected by voters alone and not by the almighty hand of Chase.
What's so ironic about the whole thing is that SSDP has used Chase Bank for over 3 years - so they have no problem doing business with us but don't want us to participate in their contest. If you're feeling unhappy about Chase's lack of transparency in this contest, then make sure you Pledge to Boycott Chase!
If you're going to boycott Chase, please also consider making a donation to SSDP. If just 1,000 people donate $25, we'll have earned the $25K Chase wouldn't give us. And that's some funding we could use for our upcoming conference!
Rhode Island Eliminates Mandatory Minimum Drug Sentences
I have to say, I love my hometown of Rhode Island. We are showing the world how to create sensible policies surrounding medical marijuana and are reforming devastating mandatory minimum sentencing for drug possession - all through the legislature. All this despite a governor that has an itchy veto finger when anything calling for common sense drug policy hits his desk.
Set to take effect next month, RI will now allow judges to use discretion when deciding the appropriate sentence for a drug possession offender.
PROVIDENCE—A new law eliminating mandatory minimum drug sentences in Rhode Island has taken effect without the governor’s signature.
Similar measures had been vetoed in past years by Gov. Don Carcieri. But supporters say they compromised on this year’s legislation by removing a provision that placed a cap on the maximum sentence a judge could give for drug possession crimes.
The new law, which took effect this month, leaves the sentence to the judge’s discretion.
Under the old law, anyone caught manufacturing, possessing or dealing up to one kilogram of heroin or cocaine, or up to five kilograms of marijuana, could face a minimum 10-year sentence.
I think it's no coincidence that the RI state motto is HOPE.
LEAP Tells the DEA What's Up About Marijuana Scheduling
Last week the American Medical Association (AMA) announced its support of removing marijuana from Schedule I status. The AMA has refused to budge on this for a long time now, and opponents of marijuana law reform often cite the organization’s stance in their argument that pot prohibition is a good thing.
The DEA hasn't made a stink about the announcement but I highly doubt they're happy about it. Yesterday, however, the agency removed that particular bulletpoint from its list of reasons why pot should remain illegal.
What made them take down the bulletpoint? I doubt they were worried about misinformation since the rest of the website is full of it. I think it was Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), a group of police officers, judges, lawyers, and many other law-enforcement officials who oppose drug prohibition. LEAP organized a letter-writing campaign to Attorney General Eric Holder requesting the site be updated and bam! it was taken down a week later.
I guess I'm left to wonder, if the DEA were truly transparent, as it claims to be, wouldn’t it not only remove the previous AMA position but replace it with the association’s new stance?
It's About Time! AMA Calls for Review of Marijuana Schedule
"Our American Medical Association (AMA) urges that marijuana's status as a federal Schedule I controlled substance be reviewed with the goal of facilitating the conduct of clinical research and development of cannabinoid-based medicines," the AMA's statement (PDF) reads. "This should not be viewed as an endorsement of state-based medical cannabis programs, the legalization of marijuana, or that scientific evidence on the therapeutic use of cannabis meets the current standards for a prescription drug product."
If for some reason you haven't been convinced that the marijuana legalization and regulation movement currently has more momentum than ever before, the above statement should be convincing enough. It signals the common sense understanding that at the very least, the scheduling of marijuana should allow for scientific research.
The last time the American Medical Association criticized the prohibition of marijuana was in 1937, when the plant was made illegal through the Marijuana Tax Act. The new statement comes on the heels of a medical marijuana victory in Maine and the legalization of marijuana for adults in Breckenridge, CO. Let's not forget the Gallup poll showing 44% of American's support legalizing pot and the new memo from the DoJ telling the feds to back off those in compliance with state medical marijuana laws.
I don't need any more convincing - marijuana law reform is happening. I'm in Albuquerque, NM for the Drug Policy Alliance International Drug Policy Reform Conference. Getting off the plane at ABQ, I headed down to the baggage claim to see a huge blue banner welcoming the DPA conference attendees to Albuquerque. Thanks Albuquerque.
Tim Lincecum, pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, was arrested this week for possession of marijuana and a pipe after being pulled over for speeding. He'll only have to pay a fine for paraphernalia possession and speeding however.
I like Tim Lincecum. I get the same warm and fuzzy feeling watching him pitch that I used to get watching Roger Clemens pitch for the Red Sox. At only 25 years old, Lincecum is one of the best pictchers in the NL and MLB. In 2008 alone he won the Cy Young Award, was named the MLB Starter of the Year, and led the MLB in strikeouts. Quite a year.
Good thing we have marijuana prohibition and government hysteria to stop our youth from turning out like Tim Lincecum and Michael Phelps!
SSDP's office is located literally across the street from AT&T Park. Maybe Tim can join us at SSDP's conference in March?
I lived in Keene, NH for one year before moving to San Francisco to work for Students for Sensible Drug Policy. For 3 years before that I was going to to school at Franklin Pierce University, about 30 minutes from Keene. Recently some members of the Keene community have taken to the city's center at 4:20 in the afternoon to host "smokeouts" where they smoke marijuana to protest the plant's prohibition.
To be honest, I was surprised to see people smoking in Keene's center of town's Main Street. I was stunned to see the protest taken right into the police station. Still, I was more surprised at the behavior of the people in attendance who did more than just smoke marijuana in pubic. They called police officers names, stood in front of a police cruiser trying to drive away, hurled insults and even spit at Keene police.
Insulting police officers has nothing to do with legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana. Police officers have a job to do and arresting people for possessing marijuana is part of that job. If you intentionally draw the attention of the police department and then smoke marijuana in front of them, they have to arrest you. If this were a Utopian world or a Kevin Smith film, the police officer would of course quit his job on the spot and start smoking the joint with you - but it's not. When you show up in front of a police station in large numbers to smoke marijuana with plenty of video cameras aimed at the officers, what do you expect is going to happen? Would you quit a job during a recession?
I'm 110% on board with legalizing marijuana (just in case you haven't read anything I've written before). But the "protesters" took it to another level when they started being offensive. Their methods are simply ineffective at best and detrimental at worst.
I wonder how many of these people are aware that NH has passed a medical marijuana bill and that the bill was vetoed by Gov. Lynch. I would hope that they have all taken 5 minutes to write or call the Governor to say as a NH resident, "I disapprove of your veto of HB 648." I seriously wonder if any of them realize how close we are in NH to legalizing marijuana for some of the seriously ill people that need marijuana to live. As they call police pigs during the protest, I can't help to assume that most of these people probably have know idea that their county's superintendent of corrections happens to be a member of LEAP.
In college, my senior internship was with the Marijuana Policy Project's Granite Staters For Medical Marijuanacampaign. The campaign followed around presidential candidates during the primaries and put them on the spot about medical marijuana. I got yelled at by John McCain and Mitt Romney. But more importantly I met NH residents like Clayton Holton and Linda Macia who used marijuana for their serious illnesses. I had never actually seen marijuana help people before that internship. Clayton suffers from muscular dystrophy and at the time was a 22 year old man who weighed about 88lbs. He couldn't eat or keep weight on. If he did eat, he got sick. Clayton was literally wasting away and had to live in a nursing home where he could not smoke marijuana but was instead given oxycontin.
I witnessed Clayton smoke just a small amount marijuana and eat himself a big hamburger and fries and keep it all down. Something he just couldn't have done without cannabis. From that day on - I was sold on medical marijuana. It just made no sense to me that this young man would be punished for trying to relieve his suffering and that my tax dollars would pay to punish him. It didn't make sense that police resources would be used to punish him in an effort to continue a prohibition policy that has failed since its inception and was passed largely because of corruption and outright lies in the first place!
NH Compassion is fighting for NH residents like Clayton and many others to have the right to use medical marijuana. Matt Simon, the campaign's Executive Director, outlines his concerns about the rallies in a letter to the editor published in the Union Leader. I echo his thoughts. The point that needs to be made is that we should be working together and following the instruction of a campaign that has been successful at getting the NH legislature to support medical marijuana. These smokeouts haven't done jack. If the veto stays or it's overturned - that's the time to for these protesters to get back out and do what they believe is right - but this is about strategy.
We have come a long way in NH friends. I ask that you put your efforts toward overriding the veto of HB 648, the medical marijuana bill, in a responsible and sensible way. Those serious about changing the law should contact NH Compassion and ask you can help out - and actually follow the advice you are given.
We are so close to protecting, at the very least, some seriously ill NH residents. I couldn't agree more that those who responsibly use cannabis for recreational purposes do not deserve to be criminals - but the people at the 420 rallies should realize that the freedom of those who use medical marijuana at the recommendation of their doctors to improve the quality of their life comes even before your right to get high in the middle of the street.
Once You Pop, You Just Can't Stop... Those Damn Drug Cartels!
Need more proof that the drug war isn't working? Watch the above video of 20 Mexican drug cartel members dressed as police freeing 53 inmates from a Mexico jail. The cartel members arrived in 10 vehicles and a helicopter. Yes, they have fucking helicopters. And submarines. How many of the drug dealers and users that we put behind bars in the U.S. have helicopters and an underwater armada?
It's no secret that the drug war is such a failure in the US that we aren't even able to keep drugs out of our prisons, nevermind our schools. In Mexico, it seems that arresting and jailing drug cartel members does little to stop their operations; they continue their work from a jail cell.
“When we keep a criminal in a Mexican prison, we run the risk that one way or another they are going to keep in contact with their criminal network,” Leopoldo Velarde, who heads extraditions for the federal attorney general’s office, said. “The idea is to stop criminals, not just jail them.”
Well, that is the idea isn't it? I'm not old enough to remember watching the whole Pablo Escobar ordeal. I've read extensively about the Search Bloc and his death. And hey, that stopped Colombian drug cartels and the flow of cocaine to the US right? Wait, it didn't.
So we could wage an all our war with the Mexican drug cartels. We could kill all of those bastards and put our hard earned tax dollars into more military resources. We could sacrifice the lives of US soldiers and Mexican civilians can suffer 10x as much as they are now. And once we arrest, jail, or kill the cartel leaders, we can watch as new ones form and take over the violent trade as if we were never even there.
Woman Dies After Being Denied Organ Transplant Because she Tested Positive for Marijuana
A Hawaii woman diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver, chronic hepatitis - infection, and end-stage kidney disease died after being denied a liver transplant by her insurance company, Hawaii Medical Service Association, because trace amounts of cannabis were found in her body.
Reyes was twice denied a transplant by HMSA for "technical reasons," such as missing required Alcoholics Anonymous meetings -- because she was too weak.
However, on July 17, HMSA approved Reyes' request for a liver transplant.
That approval signaled the Reyes family and HMSA had apparently resolved compliance issues, Herhold said.
Three days later, however, HMSA withdrew the transplant approval after it received toxicology tests that showed cannabis in Reyes' system, her attorney said.
I think it's pretty disgusting that an insurance company would approve this life saving transplant and then reverse that decision because she used marijuana. If she wasn't a good choice for the transplant they should have known that before finding marijuana in her system. Marijuana does not cause cancer or other life threatening illnesses.
The HEA Aid Elimination Penalty, introduced by Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN), has been a thorn in the side of educators, students, and social justice activists across the country since its creation in 1998.
This year, we may see significant reform to this unfair law. A bill has been introduced by Rep. George Miller (D-CA), that if passed, would remove the penalty for students with drug possession convictions. Those convicted of selling illegal drugs will still be barred from receiving financial aid. The bill has already passed a House committee and will go on to the full House following August recess. It is expected to pass the house. Students for Sensible Drug Policy has been working to repeal this law since the organizations formation. In 2006, SSDP had a great success by scaling back the law’s “reach back” effect, meaning that those with drug convictions in their past were still eligible for aid and those who receive convictions while receiving aid will lose it. Even Congressman Souder, one of the country’s most zealous drug warriors, supported this reform.
Its been a long battle full of both excitement and disappointment for reformers. In February 2008, Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) introduced the Removing Impediments to Students' Education (RISE) Act into the 110th Congress. The bill, which gained substantial support, would simply repeal the aid elimination penalty.
In March 2008, U.S. Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) introduced the first ever Senate bill to prevent college students from automatically losing financial aid as a punishment for drug offenses. S.2767 would get rid of the mandatory minimum penalty and allow students with drug convictions to keep aid and stay in school unless a judge specifically ruled they should lose education in addition to other punishments imposed like fines, jail time, or community service.
And for a couple of months, he manages to remain completely silent about drugs, using the excuse that he's still finding his way around the office.
But finally, last week, Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske shocks the nation during a speech in California, stating that,
Marijuana is dangerous and has no medicinal benefit [The Fresno Bee]
Seriously. Even after the Obama administration promised to stop raids on medical marijuana dispensaries, Kerlikowske manages to somehow convince himself that it’s a good idea to tell hundreds of Californians that medical marijuana is bullshit. So much for the “science based approach to drug policy rather than the scorched earth policies of the previous administration” Seattle Hempfest claimed Kerlikowske so obviously respected.
If you’re as outraged as I am, please take a second to fill out this form to send an e-mail to President Obama about Kerlikowske’s statement. We can't just let such appalling and offensive lies slide unnoticed.
What does that spell? Legalize! A word that supposedly, neither President Obama nor ONDCP Director Gil Kelikowske have in their combined vocabulary.
Ok. While Obama doesn't say legalize here - he does say decriminalize. What is much more important in this clip is:
"I think that the war on drugs has been an utter failure."
Is failure in their vocabulary? Because they better get used that word being associated with U.S. drug policy if neither are willing to even say the "L-word". How can we take these two seriously when it comes to the much needed reform of our criminal justice system and drug policies?
That's what Prince George's County Sheriff Michael Jackson had to say about last summer's botched drug raid at the home of Berwyn Heights, MD Mayor CheyeCalvo. The drug raid, which turned up no drugs, resulted in the mayor being handcuffed to a table in his underwear and guns being pointed at his mother in law while they watched the deputies shoot the family dogs. And no, these weren't rottweilers or pitbulls - these were black labs.
The findings of the internal review "are consistent with what I've felt all along: My deputies did their job to the fullest extent of their abilities," Sheriff Michael Jackson said at a news conference.
The drug war has disillusioned American citizens, politicians, and the criminal justice system so much that when a drug raid on the wrong house, the mayor's house none the less, results in no confiscation of drugs and the killing of two family dogs - we commend the police officers that planned and carried out the raid.
Truly outrageous.
I'm glad to see that the Mayor isn't taking this laying down - he's suing the the state of Maryland and officials at the county sheriff's office and police department.
A headline I hope to one day read here in the states. Just imagine it. Treating drug use/abuse as a public health issue with experts in mental health creating the policies rather than law enforcement officials and politicians that think being "tough on crime" means overcrowding our prisons with non-violent offenders, spending valuable police resources on marijuana, and spending tax payer money without significantly reducing crime.
You can often hear opponents of marijuana legalization go on and on about how the Netherlands, and Amsterdam in particular, are filled with crime and the reason for this is their toleration for the retail sale of marijuana in coffee shops.
In a country where new prisons and jails are being built every year - it's hard to imagine the U.S. actually having to close prisons, not because of budget crises, but because crime is down. But it looks like those wacky folks from the Netherlands, in all their supposed pot smoking glory, have done just that. In fact, they'll be closing 8 prisons due to lack of crime. Let me say that again. Lack of crime. It just sounds so nice to say.
I think it's just common sense. In Portugal where drugs have been decriminalized, we've seen reductions in not just crime but drug use! And it's important to mention that Portugal saw an increase in those seeking help for drug addiction. When you aren't stigmatized for having a problem - you're more likely to seek help for it.
Look at this recent comparison of crime and incarceration rates in New York and in California. While I don't want to make light of New York's drug laws (the Rockefeller Drug Laws have resulted in disproportionate numbers of African Americans making being incarcerated for drug offenses), the study done by Northwestern University School of Law provides even more proof that we can't just jail our way out of the drug problem.
New York's prison population declined by 9% between 1995 and 2007, while it's violent and property crime rates fell by 47% and 51%, respectively, during the same period, according to data in the report. California's prison population rose by 31% during that period, while the two types of crime declined by 46% and 38%, respectively, the report said. Northwestern adjunct professor Malcolm C. Young, the author of the report, attributes the dichotomy to the differences in the states' mandatory minimum sentences, incarceration policies and rehabilitation efforts.
"The data show that you can increase prisons and have less effect on crime than can be achieved in a state that chooses not to increase its incarceration," Malcolm said in an interview. "Treatment and rehabilitation are important, but what New York learned is that a lot of these people just don't need to be in the criminal justice system."
Lets get back to the core message of SSDP here: Education NOT Incarceration. College students that are convicted of drug possession, even first time possession of a joint, are denied federal financial aid for school.
Lets get smart about drugs. Its like Revenge of the Nerds. Sure, in the beginning the big strong jocks had muscles, cool cars and all the girls. But they were idiots and by the end it all fell apart for them and they had to make room for those that wanted change and weren't afraid to let people know about it. Policies like the HEA Aid Elimination Penalty and Marijuana Prohibition are like those jocks and SSDPers are like those awesome nerds jamming with Roland synthesizers, electric violins, and 80's hairdoos (except we wear suites and ties and engage in political process).
Minnesota Governor Thinks Terminally Ill Medical Marijuana Patients Should be Arrested
Last week Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) vetoed a medical marijuana bill that would have protected terminally ill patients - despite the bill passing the Minnesota Senate and House of Representatives
The bill was watered down to help ease concerns that the governor had about the bill. Ultimately, the House decided to narrow it down to only protect those that are terminally ill from being arrested for using marijuana to relieve pain and suffering.
Astonishingly, Pawlenty didn't think that even terminally ill Minnesota citizens should be spared from prosecution for using marijuana.
“While I am sympathetic to those dealing with end-of-life illnesses and accompanying pain, I stand with law enforcement in opposition to this legislation,” Pawlenty said in his veto letter.
Sympathetic? How could you be sympathetic and then decide that dying people should be arrested and even jailed just because law enforcement officials want to arrest them? This is some seriously pathetic stuff here folks. This isn't California's medical marijuana legislation. Again - this bill would have only protected terminally ill people from arrest.
Here is an example of the people that Minnesota law enforcement and Gov. Pawlenty feel should be arrested for using marijuana:
Joni Whiting, whose testimony of finding marijuana for her dying daughter brought tears to many legislators’ eyes, had harsh words for Pawlenty.
“The governor thinks I’m a criminal for allowing my daughter some comfort during the last months of her life,” she said. “I don’t know how he sleeps at night, but I do know I’m not giving up until others in my daughter’s situation are protected.”
The fight isn't over though. SSDP has started new chapters in MN this year and we expect to see even more come September.
“Since the governor has refused to listen to reason or to the overwhelming majority of Minnesotans, we have no choice but to bypass him and take this directly to the people through a constitutional amendment,” said Sen. Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing.
MN polls show that over 60% of MN residents supported the bill. Instead of allowing common sense legislation to take place - legislation that would have been the country's most restrictive medical marijuana bill - Pawlenty just made himself look like a heartless, nonsensical demagogue and I don't think it will be too long until we see medical marijuana in MN.
While the newest director of the ONDCP, Gil Kerlikowske, isn't likely to be advocating for legalization anytime soon - I think he may be taking us in the right direction - toward actually caring about substance abuse.
"Regardless of how you try to explain to people it's a 'war on drugs' or a 'war on a product,' people see a war as a war on them," he said. "We're not at war with people in this country."
For the past 8 years the focus of the ONDCP has been honed on marijuana. And we've most certainly been at war with people that use drugs. Marijuana, then drug czar John Walters would say, is as dangerous as crack. He opposed state medical marijuana laws (again comparing it to "medical crack") and has spoken out against states making marijuana the lowest law enforcement priority. But Kerlikowske is different. In this interview with the Wall Street Journal, Kerlikowske was asked:
What's the number one drug problem?
Well [illegal] prescription drug use is rising and one problem I want to shout about. At the federal level it's easy to look at things nationally but drug issues are different depending on the geography. In some places meth may be far more serious, even though on a national scale it doesn't appear that way. In Appalachia Oxycotin may be far more serious. I want to look at things regionally and in a narrower focus than in a national focus.
Without a doubt, Walters would have answered marijuana to that question. He may have thrown meth in their too but not without claiming that marijuana leads to meth. Kerlikowske doesn't even mention marijuana. He states the truth - prescription drugs and their diversion are a serious problem. He's also smart to look at this regionally rather than create a blanket campaign against a single drug.
Check out this 2003 article from the Seattle Times concerning Seattle's lowest law enforcement priority ballot question. You'll see that Kerlikowske opposed the initiative for an almost sensible reason: Arresting people for possessing marijuana for personal use, says Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske, is not a priority now. Officers aren't now bringing in everyone they see smoking a joint, he said.
Kerlikowske at least promises to take his job more seriously than Walters. He doesn't have to support legalization for me to get behind policies that make sense. Furthermore, I don't think full out legalization is necessary for us to make improvements with treating drug addiction (though it sure would help a lot) because as LEAP's Peter Christ says "Legalizing drugs is not the answer to our drug problem. Legalizing drugs is the answer to our crime problem." The drug problem, unfortunately, isn't going anywhere - its here to stay - legalized drugs or not. But we can stop throwing gas on the fire now.
If Kerlikowske is ready to put our money where his mouth is - we'll see a campaign from the ONDCP that shows needle exchange programs work to reduce disease transmissions and provide places where addicts can go to get help and eventually - off drugs. We'll see funding for law enforcement decrease and treatment funding increase (you'll see here that Obama's budget, while increasing treatment funding, also decreases prevention funding and unfortunately calls for more $$ for law enforcement). Talking dogs and flying aliens warning our kids about pot will be replaced with realistic drug education that focuses on America's real drug problems - not support for a witch-hunt of marijuana users.
Deprioritization is key at this point. We can't focus on marijuana anymore and I think our new drug czar knows this. At least that much leaves me optimistic.
It seems like one congressman has had just about enough of marijuana prohibition. Congressman Steven Cohen of Tennessee wasn't taking any shit when he questioned FBI director Robert Mueller on whether he thinks the drug war has been successful - considering, well you know... the violence on the Mexican border, more 10th graders now smoking marijuana than tobacco, American voters supporting legalization, our newest drug czar calling drug abuse a public health issue, Olympic superstars smoking the ganj, 2 states introducing marijuana legalization legislation - that stuff.
Mueller: "Uh, I think there have been some success..." Cohen: "You say some success. Do you have any statistics for those successes? The statistics I have show there are more people smoking marijuana." Mueller: "All I can say is ask the parents of a child that has died from drugs." Cohen: "Show me the parents of a child that had died from marijuana." Mueller: "I can't" Cohen: "That's right - because that hasn't happened."
Derek Copp, a student at Grand Valley State University in Michigan, was shot in the chest during a drug raid where police admit, only a small amount of marijuana was found. Copp, who was unarmed and alone in his apartment, was shot in the chest when he reportedly lifted his hand to sheild his eyes from an officer's flashlight.
SSDP chapters at Grand Valley State University, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, and Michigan State University protested the shootings and spread the word about the need for more sensible policies. Watch the video above to see SSDP members like Jonathan Beagly and Chris Chiles in action!
Thankfully, Derek is alive and recovering and is at home trying to get back to his studies. During a press conference after the shooting, Derek said "This isn't going to change who I am. I'm still the same person." "That's me. I'm Derek. That's all I can be."
To help Derek during this difficult time, SSDP is accepting donations to help cover some of Derek's medical or legal costs. You can make a donation at http://www.ssdp.org/derek
Former Drug Czar to Adult Marijuana Users: "Knock Yourself Out"
Look out! The sky is falling! Pigs are flying!
Barry McCaffrey just said something sensible. Actually, he says a few sensible things about the importance of drug treatment in this interview from 2000. McCaffrey came around to see that treatment access and quality needed to improved in the U.S. Unfortunately little has been done to actually shift law enforcement resources to treatment and education.
It makes sense to me. If you earn a high school degree, become an adult, smoke marijuana responsibly, and don't hurt anyone else... who cares? Not Barry McCaffrey thank goodness!
Well folks, I think its obvious that Glenn Beck must be reading the DARE Generation Diary! He seems to have completely changed his tone about marijuana legalization.
Beck starts of this segment saying "I woke up this morning and I thought, we should legalize marijuana."
I have to say, I burst out laughing at first - the resulting combination of joy from seeing this discussion take place on Fox News and the absurdity of his last segment on the subject (not to say I'm not happy that the has seen the light!). Plus, I thought he might be kidding...
But, Beck provided the venue for a fantastic and balanced discussion about the effects of prohibition. This wasn't a discussion about the benefits or dangers of using drugs. We all know that drug use, like most behaviors, can carry consequences. This was a forum about prohibition and a comparison of its failure in the 1920's to its failure today.
Beck's guest for the discussion is Mexico's former deputy foreign minister, Andres Rozental. Rozental provides unarguable testimony and at times makes touching points concerning the devastation that prohibition has caused Mexico. Beck asks Rozental, "explain to me how using marijuana is NOT a victimless crime." Rozental answers beautifully, explaining that, really, the best way to make marijuana use a victimless crime is:
"legalize it, regulate it, make sure that the purity is what it should be, make sure that it pays taxes rather than fill the pockets of criminal gangs, and then be much more reasonable and rational about the way you deal with these things."
Throughout the segment both repeat over and over again the same exact argument that drug policy reformers have been screaming for years; Legalize marijuana! Not because drugs are good and not because drugs are bad - legalize marijuana because prohibition creates violence, prohibition creates and funds terrorists and organized crime. Prohibition is the problem and legalization is the solution.
We are at the "tipping point" friends. Even if our country continues to wage this failed war on drugs, no one can continue to justify it. Not even Glenn Beck.
Kudos to MPP's Rob Kampia for sitting through this ridiculous interview about AB390, the bill that would legalize and tax marijuana in California.
Kampia remains cool while Beck makes a complete ass of himself during the segment, starting off with him giggling (for no apparent reason) and then asking Kampia, "do you smoke marijuana?"
Its seemed like Rob was waiting for some actual discussion on marijuana policy to occur. Something like objective, grown up, respectful, "fair and balanced" media. No such luck.
Watch as a little animated man has revolving thought bubbles pop up with "California Wants to do What?", "Legalizing Pot?", and my personal favorite, "Got Brownies?"
As all seriousness in the interview declines , and Beck's absurdity rises, he pulls out some cookies. Claiming that he's witnessed people smoking joints "next to a cop" in New York , Beck insinuates that no one is arrested for marijuana in the state. Kampia let's us know that there were more than 40,000 marijuana arrests in New York state last year.
If Beck actually believes his statement to be true, how could he not come to the conclusion that taxing the drug is the smartest move? He's witnessing people smoking, meaning marijuana is readily available, and the police aren't arresting the smokers, meaning they have better things to do. Astonishingly, he then calls himself a libertarian.
These are the types of interviews that make me so proud to be part of Students for Sensible Drug Policy and promoting open, honest, and rational discussion about drug abuse.
Beck should attend one of SSDP's upcoming conferences and sit in on a few workshops. We'll waive his registration fee.
The Hungarian Civil Liberties Union is demanding that Dr. Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of the UN Office of Drugs and Crime, give his explanation of a well known fact. In the Netherlands, where adults are allowed to buy and use marijuana, rates of use are actually lower than that of the United States. Significantly lower.
His explanation? Well... he's not quite ready to provide one. At least not one that the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union finds satifactory. Dr. Fredrick Polick, a dutch psychiatrist and leading European drug policy reformer, has asked Costa for his explanation on 4 occasions now.
The HCLU has created created a pretty nifty website to draw attention to this issue. I think you'll especially enjoy the personal introduction from Dr. Polick! You'll find descriptions and video for Polick's 4 "rounds" of questions and a 5th round asking you to put Costa on the spot next.
In 2008, Costa promised to publish a study that explains and provides evidence for his "availability increases use" theory. He's yet to publish it, but that doesn't mean he isn't working on it - SSDP is looking forward to reading it.
Kellogg's Backs Heroin and LSD Users but Dumps Phelps Over Bong Hit
Kellogg's has decided to drop it's sponsorship of Michael Phelps. Kellogg's spokeswoman said "Michael's most recent behavior is not consistent with the image of Kellogg." Interesting.
My initial reaction was, "Are you serious? You guys make rice krispie treats!" My second reaction was to get online and research Kellogg's wholesome image. Surprisingly, Kellogg's is currently running a promotion with the popular video game Guitar Hero. Guitar Hero allows players, many of them children, to jam along with amazing artists such as Jimmy Hendrix, Rancid, the WHO, Cream, Stone Temple Pilots, Slash (ever seen a picture of that guy without a cigarette in his mouth?), and countless others who, in addition to producing fantastic auditory works of art, have all admittedly and unapologetically used drugs far more dangerous than cannabis.
Most parents are not going to care if Michael Phelps is on the front of their kid's cereal box any more than they care that their child is jamming out to a deceased heroin addict. Why? Because we pay those artists and atheletes because they have amazing talents, not for what they do in their leisure time.
Kellogg's surely knows there are artists on Guitar Hero games who are drug users. So why the hypocrisy? I'm not sure, but I think while you're calling Kellogg's at (800) 962-1413 to tell them you won't be buying any more of their products, you should also ask them to consider if they think they're sending mixed signals by continuing their association with Guitar Hero.
I'll admit it, I'm not a huge sports fan. Its quite rare for me to get excited over a football or basketball game (although baseball is the exception) and I generally prefer the Winter Olympic games to the summer - come on - you know you love watching curling.
Despite my lack of enthusiasm for watching sports, I could not help but feel inspired when swimmer Michael Phelps won 14 gold medals, more medals than anyone else. Its astounding that right now Phelps is in the spotlight not for his amazing athletic abilities but for a stupid picture of him taking a bong rip at a college party.
Because of the picture, USA Swimming has suspended Phelps from competition for 3 months (which Phelps has accepted as being fair). As of now he has only lost one of his sponsors, Kellogg's. The cereal and junk food company decided to drop him because "Michael's most recent behavior is not consistent with the image of Kellogg." So according to Kellogg's, smoking marijuana at a party completely undoes the fact that this young man earned 14 gold medals for the U.S. in the Olympics? Its not like this picture ended up on a box of fucking Frosted Flakes.
Kellogg's needs to hear from the public that their decision will hurt their company far more than Phelps's marijuana use. Please contact Kellogg's today and tell them that you will boycott all of their products until they reverse their decision on Phelps's sponsorship. You can contact Kellogg's by visiting this page.
Just cut and paste the following message into the webform on the Kellogg's website (or edit it if you like):
I am deeply disappointed by your decision to drop your sponsorship of Michael Phelps simply because he was photographed smoking marijuana. Over half of all adult Americans, including our last three presidents, have smoked marijuana during their lives. It is outrageous that Kellogg's would hold Michael Phelps to such an unreasonable standard, rather than standing by a 23 year old who has brought more inspiration and joy to millions of Americans than most will accomplish in a lifetime. Until you reverse your decision to drop Michael Phelps' sponsorship, I will be boycotting all Kellogg's products.
Phelps' current situation so clearly shows the stupidity that is marijuana prohibition. Clearly, our schools, both high schools and colleges, are flooded with marijuana despite decades of prohibition. Marijuana use hasn't caused Phelps any problems - marijuana laws have. This is what students all over the country are facing every day. Straight A students that fail drug tests are expelled from school or banned from extracurricular activies. Others lose thier federal financial aid for a first time marijuana possession charge.
I know I won't be eating any Kellogg's products any time soon (well, not until they apologize to Phelps) although I might just consider buying myself a speedo - try that image on for size!
SSDP has created a facebook petition to show our support for Michael Phelps. If you're on facebook please sign the petition and tell your friends about it!
Of course, the more support SSDP has, the more we can give to Michael Phelps. Please donate!
The DEA has continued to raid medical marijuana dispensaries in California since President Obama took office. We know Obama has stated the he does not support using justice department resources to undermine state law on this issue. Yet the DEA continues to waste these resources on law abiding, tax paying dispensaries.
There is light at the end of the tunnel. Actually, its more like already having half your body out of the tunnel while DEA agents are wasting your own tax dollars to pull you back in.
Yesterday, the White House issued a statement explaining that we can expect these raids to end once President Obama nominates a new DEA Administrator.
“The president believes that federal resources should not be used to circumvent state laws, and as he continues to appoint senior leadership to fill out the ranks of the federal government, he expects them to review their policies with that in mind," White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said.
This is a victory not just for California, but for 12 other states that have passed medical marijuana legislation.
The answer to my question is no, its not over yet. Stay persistent and continue writing letters to the editor and contacting your representatives. Be sure to sign and spread the word about our petition to stop the raids!
Why Smoke One Blunt, When You Could Smoke At Least 5?
I'm in DC right now, gearing up for SSDP's 10th Annual International Conference, which I'm sure you already know all about. I'm actually burning the midnight oil with SSDP's eastern region outreach director Amber Langston. We can see Prince George's County from her house, a place where the county council just voted to do something very unlikely to achieve the goals the council hopes it will. I think it will do just the opposite.
The council voted 8 to 1 to ban the sale of single cigars, requiring stores to sell them in packages of at least five. The new law will also make it easier to charge someone possessing a cigar with a drug paraphernalia offense.
Yes, buying 5 cigars will cost more than buying one cigar, but its not likely to break the bank, even for a teenager. In fact, buying in bulk is a way to save money, not spend more. If a single blunt is $1.00, a package of 5 will probably not cost more than $5.00. And if you look at blunt wraps, which do not come filled with tobacco and often feature attractive individual packaging, you can bet that companies will be happy to create larger packages and advertise the new BONUS SIZE! It will no doubt increase production and possibly consumption (like most American consumers, if I buy the Family Size bag of chips, I'm likely to eat a larger serving per sitting than if I bought a single serving bag - but I'd be saving money by buying the bigger bag).
Maybe this isn't so silly after all. In these times of economic uncertainty, we need to teach youth about smart spending and how to get more blunts for their buck! Then we can arrest them for having a legal tobacco product, charge them with possession of drug paraphernalia, and deny them financial aid to college! Drug problem solved. Goodnight.
It has been 3 months since 23 year old Rachel Hoffman was killed in a botched drug sting set up by the Tallahassee Police Department. After being arrested twice for marijuana, Rachel was given an ultimatum, turn informant of face up to 5 years in prison. As a recent Florida State University graduate and with plans to attend culinary school Rachel agreed to work with the Tallahassee police department.
Rachel was given $13,000 cash to purchase 1,500 ecstasy pills, 2 ounces of cocaine, and a handgun from 2 men she did not know. The buy was obviously suspicious and police quickly lost track of Rachel after sending her on the sting.
Rachel's death represents the failure and tragic irony of drug prohibition; a war on drugs created in the name of protecting young people destroys more lives than drug use alone. ABC recently featured Rachel's story on 20/20.
Please make a donation the Morningstar Foundation. The foundation was started by Rachel's mother with the goal of passing a law requiring civilians to seek legal advice before consenting to undercover police work.
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