Category Archives: The War on Drugs

Legalization Of Marijuana To Be On California Ballot In November

Constitution, Crime and Punishment, Criminal Justice Reform, Individual Rights, Legal, Liberty, Mandatory Minimum Sentences, Politics, The War on Drugs

Advocates of marijuana legalization have succeeded in getting a referendum on the November ballot:

LOS ANGELES, March 24 (UPI) — California will again be the flashpoint in the smoldering debate on legalization of pot as officials said Wednesday the question will be on the November ballot. While it is already possible for people to Buy cheap ounces in Canada, the same cannot quite be said about all of America yet, although that may start to change soon.

Los Angeles County elections officials Wednesday submitted their official estimate of valid signatures collected in the county on a statewide legalization initiative, putting the number of signatures collected statewide over the 433,971 needed to put the measure on the ballot, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The move to legalize marijuana comes 14 years after California decided the controversial weed could be used for medicinal purposes, like how many already use Pure Relief products. Allowing access could help many treat or manage conditions, illness and pain, which is a part of the push towards legalization. The initiative would permit people age 21 or older to possess up to an ounce of pot for personal use. It would also allow many dispensaries to open once they get their cannabis accounting and other business needs sorted.

Proponents cite the financial and social cost of enforcing a marijuana prohibition and argue that marijuana isn’t as dangerous and addictive as alcohol or tobacco. Opponents counter with statistics of marijuana-related crimes, rising use among teens and the physical harm pot can cause.

Is this the beginning of the end of the War On (Some) Drugs? I sure hope so, as it has been proven that some of the cannabinoids within the marijuana plant actually do have medicinal properties and no longer deserve to be categorized as a Schedule 1 drug on a federal level due to the medical benefits that various cannabinoid compounds can possess, namely THC, CBD as well as other cannabinoids that are only just being extensively researched due to legalization or decriminalization in some areas. If you’d like to conduct some of your own research into how various cannabinoids could benefit a person’s health, read over websites such as https://quantummarketer.com/best-cbd-oil-brands-on-the-market/ or other pages that can outline some of the best CBD research and manufacturing companies of today’s medical marijuana industry.

Doug Mataconis
http://www.belowthebeltway.com

LP’s Wes Benedict on ‘Limited Government’ Conservatives

Civil Liberties, Credit Crisis, Crime and Punishment, Criminal Justice Reform, Currency and Monetary Policy, Democrats, Doublespeak, Economics, Election '10, Fiscal Policy, Foreign Affairs, Government Waste, Healthcare, History, Human Rights, Immigration, Inflation, Legal, Libertarians, Liberty, Media, Politics, Republicans, The Nanny State, The Surveillance State, The War on Drugs, Theory and Ideas, War on Terror

Those of us who truly believe in limited government* tend to be simultaneously amused and irritated hearing the folks at CPAC speak of limited government as though it’s a principle they truly support. Yesterday, the Libertarian Party’s Executive Director Wes Benedict, monitoring the CPAC festivities from afar, said some of the things that many of us have been thinking:

Unlike libertarians, most conservatives simply don’t want small government. They want their own version of big government. Of course, they have done a pretty good job of fooling American voters for decades by repeating the phrases “limited government” and “small government” like a hypnotic chant.

It’s interesting that conservatives only notice “big government” when it’s something their political enemies want. When conservatives want it, apparently it doesn’t count.

– If a conservative wants a trillion-dollar foreign war, that doesn’t count.

– If a conservative wants a 700-billion-dollar bank bailout, that doesn’t count.

– If a conservative wants to spend billions fighting a needless and destructive War on Drugs, that doesn’t count.

– If a conservative wants to spend billions building border fences, that doesn’t count.

– If a conservative wants to “protect” the huge, unjust, and terribly inefficient Social Security and Medicare programs, that doesn’t count.

– If a conservative wants billions in farm subsidies, that doesn’t count.

It’s truly amazing how many things “don’t count.”

Benedict went on to point out the lack of concern these same people had with the government expansion of President Bush and the health care mandates of another CPAC favorite – Mitt Romney.

While I’m by no means a supporter of the Obama Administration, the idea that many Conservatives seem to have that all the problems we are faced with started on January 20, 2009 is completely ludicrous**.

These are the same people who would gladly support Sarah ‘the Quitter’ Palin, ‘Mandate’ Mitt Romney, or ‘Tax Hike Mike’ Huckabee – none are what I would call ‘limited government’ by any stretch of the imagination.

» Read more

Stephen Littau
http://fpffressminds.blogspot.com/

Tuesday Open Thread

Open Thread, The War on Drugs

In this country, it has become socially acceptable to use internet or over-the-phone consults with a fraudulent “ailment” for prescriptions of a recreational drug (Viagra/Cialis).

In this country, it is still socially unacceptable (in the areas where it is legal) to go see a doctor in-person with a moderately fraudulent ailment for prescriptions of a recreational drug (marijuana).

Discuss.

Brad Warbiany
https://thelibertypapers.org/

Liberty Rock Friday: “Prison Song” by SOAD

Activism, Corruption, Crime and Punishment, Criminal Justice Reform, Culture, Economics, Foreign Affairs, Government Waste, History, Human Rights, Legal, Liberty Rock, Mandatory Minimum Sentences, Police Watch, The War on Drugs

Here’s a perfect song to complement my recent call to action to pass the National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009.

toxicity

System of a Down
“Prison Song”
Toxicity (2001)

Written by: Tankian, Serj;Malakian, Daron;Odadjian, Shavarsh; and Dolmayan, John

They’re trying to build a prison,
They’re trying to build a prison,

Following the rights movements
You clamped on with your iron fists,
Drugs became conveniently
Available for all the kids,
Following the rights movements
You clamped on with your iron fists,
Drugs became conveniently
Available for all the kids,

I buy my crack, my smack, my bitch
right here in Hollywood.

Nearly 2 million [*] Americans are incarcerated
In the prison system, prison system,
Prison system of the U.S.

They’re trying to build a prison,
They’re trying to build a prison,
They’re trying to build a prison, (for you and me to live in)
Another prison system,
Another prison system,
Another prison system. (for you and me to live in)

Minor drug offenders fill your prisons
You don’t even flinch
All our taxes paying for your wars
Against the new non-rich,
Minor drug offenders fill your prisons
You don’t even flinch
All our taxes paying for your wars
Against the new non-rich,

I buy my crack, my smack, my bitch
right here in Hollywood.

The percentage of Americans in the prison system
Prison system, has doubled since 1985,

They’re trying to build a prison,
They’re trying to build a prison,
They’re trying to build a prison, (for you and me to live in)
Another prison system,
Another prison system,
Another prison system. (for you and me to live in)
For you and I, for you and I , for you and I.

They’re trying to build a prison,
They’re trying to build a prison,
They’re trying to build a prison,
For you and me,
Oh baby, you and me.

All research and successful drug policy show
That treatment should be increased,
And law enforcement decreased,
While abolishing mandatory minimum sentences,
All research and successful drug policy show
That treatment should be increased,
And law enforcement decreased,
While abolishing mandatory minimum sentences.

Utilizing drugs to pay for secret wars around the world,
Drugs are now your global policy,
Now you police the globe,

I buy my crack, my smack, my bitch
right here in Hollywood.

Drug money is used to rig elections,
And train brutal corporate sponsored
Dictators around the world.

They’re trying to build a prison,
They’re trying to build a prison,
They’re trying to build a prison, (for you and me to live in)
Another prison system,
Another prison system,
Another prison system. (for you and me to live in)
For you and I, for you and I , for you and I.
They’re trying to build a prison,
They’re trying to build a prison,
They’re trying to build a prison,
For you and me,
Oh baby, you and me.

*This number has since increased to about 2.4 million according to the Sen. Webb’s findings.

Stephen Littau
http://fpffressminds.blogspot.com/

Action Alert: Help Pass the National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009

Activism, Crime and Punishment, Criminal Justice Reform, Democrats, Economics, Human Rights, Legal, Mandatory Minimum Sentences, Strategies For Advancing Liberty, The War on Drugs, Theory and Ideas

In April of 2009, I wrote a post entitled “Reforming America’s Prison System: The Time Has Come”

A full 8 months later, the time has truly come. Sen. Jim Webb’s (D-VA) bill S.714, the National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009, is scheduled to be before the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow.

The purpose of the bill is as follows:

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.
There is established a commission to be known as the `National Criminal Justice Commission’ (referred to in this Act as the `Commission’).

SEC. 4. PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION.
The Commission shall undertake a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system, make findings related to current Federal and State criminal justice policies and practices, and make reform recommendations for the President, Congress, and State governments to improve public safety, cost-effectiveness, overall prison administration, and fairness in the implementation of the Nation’s criminal justice system.

America accounts for 5% of the world’s population but a staggering 25% of the world’s reported prisoners. This statistic seems to be at odds with those of us who want to believe our nation is a “free” and “just” nation.

Also, its worth pointing out that this commission will give the war on (some) drugs some much needed scrutiny (as the graphs below show, drug offenses account for more than half of the prison population).

Source: Bureau of Prisons as of February 2009

Source: Bureau of Prisons as of February 2009

bop-graph_page_2

I have already contacted my senators, now its time to do your part. If you don’t want to spend much time on writing an e-mail or letter, NORML has an easy form to fill out here (the message goes directly to both of your Senators even if you don’t happen to know who your Senators are).

With your help, perhaps this bill will pass. This will be a great first step in combating the prison industrial complex.

Stephen Littau
http://fpffressminds.blogspot.com/
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