High crimes, or a tokin’ figure?

[Roon]

VANCOUVER - Sweet marijuana smoke tumbles down the steps from "the Vapor Lounge," a corner of Marc Emery's bookstore where customers toke up at will.

"We get high with everybody," Emery says, shrugging. "This is a pilgrimage spot, and people come here from all over the world. We get high."

Illegal? Yes.

Until recently, nobody much cared, it seemed. The police hadn't bothered to come around for eight years. Before that, they busted Emery for seed sales and raided him four times. But he just got fined -- once with "a nice speech from the judge saying what a nice person I was and how marijuana probably shouldn't be illegal," Emery says -- and the police stopped trying.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11865883/

[herbbrown]

1. Pot Smokers are the most discriminated group in America

It's a benign drug, that hurts virtually no one. Compare this to the Alcohol and Pharmecutical corporations that kill millions upon millions, and no one says a word. God Bless Marc Emery!

[Mnemosyne]

2. Amen! n/t

[herbbrown]

9. Thought this might be informative

Who opposes legalizing Marijuana and why
There are many types of people who oppose legalizing Marijuana for a variety of reasons. Many of these groups have some very strange reasons and selfish interests. Many are just ignorant of the facts. Here's some of the opposition:


The Uninformed - People who believe the misinformation that Pot is harmful to society.

The Government - Pot has been illegal for so long that no politicians have the political courage to tell the truth about Pot. The ones that do tell the truth are defeated by their opponents that paint them as a druggie. Many of these anti-drug politicians are funded by the Alcohol lobby.

Religion - Anything fun is sin and of the Devil. Churches might lose members as people figure out that God can't be that stupid.


Moralizers - The morally superior who enjoy looking down their noses at the less fortunate and get a sadistic thrill in putting people in jail.

People who do no Drugs - These people who don't drink, don't smoke, in some cases don't even drink coffee. They just don't understand why anyone would want to smoke anything or do any drug. From their perspective the world would be better off if no one did anything.

The Alcohol Lobby - Legalizing Pot would seriously cut into the sales of Beer. Pot would become the recreational drug of choice because it is safer than Beer.

The Tobacco Lobby - Pot has the ability in some people to help them break the addiction of nicotine. Pot smoking could actually reduce the number of tobacco addicts.


Law Enforcement - There are a lot of people who make a living fighting Pot who would have to go get a real job if Pot were legalized. Police departments get a lot of funding to fight Marijuana and those funds could be returned to the taxpayer if Pot were made legal. Cops would have to chase robbers, rapists, and murderers.

Government Agencies - Using unconstitutional civil forfeiture laws the government has been able to use the presence of Pot to steal billions of dollars of private property from the People. Drug laws have been an excuse to circumvent our constitutional right and justify wire tap laws, the erosion of protection from illegal searches, key recovery encryption, and domestic spying. If you take a politically unpopular position like this one I'm taking now, the government can plant drugs on you and put you away.

Pot Dealers - If Pot were legalized then people making money off of selling Pot illegally would be out of business. Pot prices would drop to $10 a bale. Crime relating to illegal Pot money would vanish.


Wood Industry - Hemp would become the primary source of fiber for paper products as well as a new source for building materials. We wouldn't have to cut down every big tree in the world.

Private Prisons - If Pot were legalized the private prison industry would be hurt. They would no longer jail Pot smokers. It could free up space for violent criminals.

Trial Lawyers - Normal people caught with a joint spend billions each year on lawyers to get them off of criminal charges after getting caught with a joint. Lawyers get rich off of the Marijuana laws. If Marijuana were legal this money could be spent sending your kids to college.

Mental Hospitals - There's a big industry treating people for problems they don't have. If you have insurance, you're crazy until the insurance coverage runs out. If you smoke Pot then you have mental problems. If Pot were legal some of these people would have to get real jobs. We should start treating people who are addicted to 12 step programs.

Republicans - Pot helps you see reality the way it really is. It's harder to con a Pot smoker on political issues. Once you get stoned it's harder to want to hate Liberals, Queers, Blacks, Pregnant Teens, Draft Dodgers, President Clinton, Feminists, Lesbians, Pot Smokers, and other people the Republicans want you to hate. When you're stoned it's harder to like Newt Gingrich, John Ashcroft, the KKK, the Christian Coalition, Jerry Falwell, Pat Buchanan, Reverend Sun Myung Moon, People who beat Gay's to Death, People who blow up Abortion Clinics, and the morally superior in general.


Political Cowards - Politicians like to pose with police as somebody who is "against drugs" promising to lock up all the pot smokers and throw away the key. These people need an artificial issue to be against so they don't have to face real issues like how to protect the public from crooked lawyers and crooked judges. Political cowards cross all party lines when it comes to pot and includes President Clinton.

Others - These groups could also be hurt by legalizing Pot. Car body shops would get less alcohol related wrecks to fix. Hospitals would get less alcohol related business as would alcohol treatment centers and funeral homes. It could hurt cemeteries and tombstone makers as well.

from:http://www.perkel.com/politics/issues/pot.htm interesting site.

[kittenpants]

11. very nice

Republicans - Pot helps you see reality the way it really is. It's harder to con a Pot smoker on political issues. Once you get stoned it's harder to want to hate Liberals, Queers, Blacks, Pregnant Teens, Draft Dodgers, President Clinton, Feminists, Lesbians, Pot Smokers, and other people the Republicans want you to hate. When you're stoned it's harder to like Newt Gingrich, John Ashcroft, the KKK, the Christian Coalition, Jerry Falwell, Pat Buchanan, Reverend Sun Myung Moon, People who beat Gay's to Death, People who blow up Abortion Clinics, and the morally superior in general.

and this part is so very true.

[meow2u3]

12. In short, the powers that be

They're the ones who oppose legalizing pot. The powerful have the most to gain by keeping pot illegal.

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Didn't god give us

all the seed bearing plants to use?

Therefore, isn't it against god's will to deny humans the use of one of the most versatile plants on the planet?

The silly part is that I can grow this is my backyard



but I can't grow this

[herbbrown]

4. Just more facist insanity

The fact that if you were allowed to grow it the facist corporations could not make dollars off it, tells you all you need to know. God Bless Marc Emery!

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. That's a myth

I can grow my own tomatoes but I don't.

Many people don't have the ways, means or desire to grow their own. There would be plenty of folks who would much rather run down to the local 7-11 and pick up a bag. Plus the gov could tax the crap out of it and take a chunk out of the deficit Bush is leaving us with.

[Solon]

6. True, but many people like growing plants, for a variety of uses...

My Mom can get Aloe Vera as much as she wants at many of the Gas Stations, Dept. Stores, and drug stores, but she grows it in little pots instead. But if she wanted to do the same with MJ, then she would get thrown in jail, and that's just stupid. Technically, she is COSTING the companies that make Aloe Vera products, especially for cuts and stuff, a LOT of money, I'm surprised they haven't outlawed THAT!

[High Plains]

7. Legalization is on the ballot in Nevada, and probably Colorado

this November. In Colorado, an initiative signature-gathering drive is underway.

There are also "lowest law enforcement priority" initiatives, where voters basically order the cops to ignore the pots laws, in Portland, Missoula, and Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood.

Oakland and Seattle already have "lowest law enforcement priority" laws.

In Alaska, you can possess up to a quarter-pound in your home, thanks to the state courts.

And 12 states now have legal medical marijuana.

The wall is crumbling.

[High Plains]

8. The feds want to jail Emery for life for selling pot seeds!!

Maybe we should all get Marc Emery masks like "V for Vendetta."

"M for Marijuana"

[mdmc]

10. Kick for your idea

:kick: