It's Been an 'All Out War' on Pot Smokers for 35 Years (AlterNet)

[marmar]

It's Been an 'All Out War' on Pot Smokers for 35 Years

By Paul Armentano, AlterNet. Posted March 22, 2007.



Since 1972, U.S. taxpayers have spent well over $20 billion enforcing criminal marijuana laws and 16.5 million people have been arrested. It's time to put an end to this waste.

Thirty-five years ago this month, a congressionally mandated commission on U.S. drug policy did something extraordinary: They told the truth about marijuana.

On March 22, 1972, the National Commission on Marihuana (sic) and Drug Abuse -- chaired by former Pennsylvania Gov. Raymond P. Shafer -- recommended Congress amend federal law so that the use and possession of pot would no longer be a criminal offense. State legislatures, the commission added, should do likewise.

"he criminal law is too harsh a tool to apply to personal possession even in the effort to discourage use," concluded the commission, which included several conservative appointees of then-President Richard Nixon. "It implies an overwhelming indictment of the behavior, which we believe is not appropriate. The actual and potential harm of use of the drug is not great enough to justify intrusion by the criminal law into private behavior, a step which our society takes only with the greatest reluctance.

"... Therefore, the commission recommends ... possession of marihuana for personal use no longer be an offense, casual distribution of small amounts of marihuana for no remuneration, or insignificant remuneration, no longer be an offense."

Nixon, true to his "law-and-order" roots, shelved the report -- announcing instead that when it came to weed, "We need, and I use the word 'all out war' on all fronts." For the last 35 years, that's what we've had.
....(snip).....

Marijuana isn't a harmless substance, and those who argue for a change in the drug's legal status do not claim it to be. However, as noted by the commission, pot's relative risks to the user and society are arguably fewer than those of alcohol and tobacco, and they do not warrant the expenses associated with targeting, arresting and prosecuting hundreds of thousands of Americans every year...........

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/rights/49597/

[Ganja Ninja]

1. I remember the hearing they had back in Nixon's day.

They were sitting before congress and saying 'We need to prove marijuana is a gateway drug to heroin, blah blah blah'.

Excuse me but why do we need to prove that? Either it is or it isn't.

[EST]

5. Nixon is one dude who needed to share a doobie or two.

The "gateway" crap has been debunked so many times and in so many ways that it is sickening.
People who are going to do hard drugs are going to do them, even if they have to sniff gasoline and methyl-ethyl-ketone.

[EST]

2. The war on American citizens, by republickers, primarily,

has gone on gar too long. Bill Clinton was a stunning disappointment in this regard and a recent comment by John Edwards that the "drug war" in its present incarnation was just fine with him foreclosed any support from me for his candidacy.
The insanity has to stop, and stop now!

[marmar]

13. Yup. That was a huge disappointment....

This is insanity. I wish these Ludites would go spend a week in the Netherlands and observe the rational, pragmatic, reality-based approach.

[Jonathan50]

3. The Feds are even prepared to force people to die...

ie murder.

Just because they don't like cannabis.

Knowingly and deliberately depriving someone of medicine that they need to survive is murder.

[marmar]

12. Exactly.....

The puritanical silliness that guides some of this country's policies never ceases to amaze (and sadden) me.

[ithinkmyliverhurts]

4. Marijuana IS a gateway drug.

To Snickers ice cream bars. Then on to Funyuns, Sun Chips, Dr. Pepper with a red licorice straw. But I'm into hardcore stuff. Obviously.

[Carni]

6. *Back in the day*

It was also a gateway to grapenuts cereal with chocolate milk LOL

[Jonathan50]

7. Funny tagline...

I'm not paranoid, it's just that everyone is against me..

Actually whether one gets the munchies or not depends a lot on just what sort of dope one happens to be smoking.

[marmar]

9. Amsterdam skunk....

It even makes that raw herring they serve over there seem tasty.

[Ganja Ninja]

10. I need a vacation so bad.

:smoke:

[Phrogman]

14. I live in the Philippines, its a smokers paradise here.

Variety, variety, variety.....

and at such low prices.

[maveric]

20. I'll take Humboldt County "Kush" anyday!

It makes Carne Asada Nachos taste sooooo much better! :smoke:

[marmar]

11. Teehee...

:D :smoke:

[tblue37]

17. Burritos. (eom)

[Marnieworld]

8. Damn Straight!

:smoke:

[Broadslidin]

15. For the Zealous Cop, A Pot Head Bust is the Easiest Pinch of The Day..!

:hide:

[CrownPrinceBandar]

19. Thats the truth........

And now the police can use current seizure laws to go after the assets and property of drug arrestees, which makes for a good source of easy income for police departments. Shooting fish in a barrel.

http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3733

[Forkboy]

16. How sad do you have to be to lose a war against pot smokers?

Did we forget the mac and cheese smart bombs?

[tblue37]

18. A dear friend has pretty much had his life ruined by 2 weed

misdemeanor convictions that were plea bargained in place of a felony after his second arrest for tiny amounts. At age 30, he can't do many things he wants to do--like work in other countries--because of his drug record.

[Kelly Rupert]

27. He was stupid to be arrested the second time, then

After the first, he became acutely aware that possessing pot carried with it certain risks. He could have decided not to smoke pot. He did not. He willingly and knowingly assumed the risks.

Our drug laws are draconian, yes. But it's not like they should come as a surprise.

[tblue37]

30. He is a severe chronic depressive. The pot is the way he deals with it. (eom)

[intaglio]

21. Please folks DO NOT SMOKE IT

Vaporize it, drink it (resin fortified wine) or eat it (herbal grilled lamb chops mmmmmm)

BTW I no longer indulge, Agent Frank

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

22. It's been an all out war on black people.

Drugs were only a minor issue until people started associating, falsely, drugs with black people in the early/mid eighties.

That's when this "war on drugs" issue started. Wanna end the war on drugs? End racism.

[Jonathan50]

23. You're off a bit on that...

The incarceration rate started to climb about 1975 and by 1980 was in a steep upward climb right on into the 21st century.

Nixon started the War On Drugs to punish all the dirty phucking hippies who protested the war and him.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

24. Take another look.

The incarceration rate in 1980 was the same in 1940.

It's a race issue.

[Kelly Rupert]

25. Read that again.

He said "by 1980 was in a steep upward climb." He did not say "was very high," because that would have implied it had already climbed steeply, which it had not. As you can see from the chart, in 1980 the incarceration rate was steeply climbing.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

26. That "steep upward climb"

is the same as the steep upward climb from the thirties.

[Jonathan50]

29. No it isn't

Take a closer look, the upward slope is greater in 1980 than at any time previously.

[ellisonz]

28. And Chicanos/Latin Americans!

It is war on the people...that simple! It is hardline!

Whoever said this is the land of the free is a liar:patriot: