Marijuana Laws

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition is an organization of ex-cops who have come out against the drug war. These former enforcers of the drug war have witnessed first hand the destruction it has caused, and they are fighting back against it.

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, known as LEAP for short, is an organization that was founded in 2002 and is changing the face of the pro-legalization movement. Up until this point the biggest supporters of legalization have been groups such as NORML. Despite their hard work and numerous successes, NORML is still seen as a bunch of spacey stoners. LEAP was modeled on the successful Vietnam Vets Against the War. While many in the anti-war movement of the 60’s were typecast as potheads, this wasn’t possible with the people who had fought in the war first hand. The drug warriors cannot make the accusation that these former drug enforcers simply want to get high. Continue reading →

Drug Testing / Marijuana Laws / News — 33 Comments
30
Aug 12

NFL To Drug Test Players Before Game

The NFL is the latest pro sport to jump on the steroid testing bandwagon.

The National Football League has just implemented the most rigorous drug testing standards of any pro sport. The new regulations will we effective next season. The NFL joins a growing list of professional sports leagues to require testing of athletes. The trend of increased drug testing began with Major League Baseball. MLB players testified before Congress saying they did not use steroids. In the face of major skepticism, Major League Baseball implemented steroid testing for its players in 2006. The NFL has designed their new drug testing program to be the most rigorous test of any major league sport. Continue reading →

Celebs / Fun and Humor / Marijuana Laws / Medical Marijuana / News — 141 Comments
16
Jul 12

New York Mayor Bloomberg Talks Out Both Sides of His Mouth on Marijuana

The New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg who admits to smoking pot and enjoying it has quietly made marijuana arrest his number one police priority.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was elected for his centrist policies and business experience. His pursuit of the War on Drugs, however, has cost the tax payers of New York dearly. A report authored by Professor Harry Levine of Queens College was recently published by the Drug Policy Alliance. The report criticizes the manner in which Mayor Bloomberg has prosecuted the drug war. Professor Levine’s report claims that Bloomberg has inappropriately spent tax-payer money to carry out a personal social philosophy. Continue reading →

Marijuana Laws / Medical Marijuana / News / Review — 17 Comments
18
Jun 12

Washington and Oregon Move against Medical Marijuana Users

The American North West has long been a leader in reforming marijuana laws. They are often ahead of their larger neighbor California when it comes to issues pertaining to personal use. Two recent decisions have reversed that trend; are there more on the horizon?

Most often when Americans think of liberal marijuana policies, they think of California. In truth, Oregon and Washington State have been with or often ahead of Californian in regards to marijuana liberties. Oregon and Washington have some of the best run medical marijuana programs in the country. Oregon has also decriminalized marijuana possession and allows industrial hemp. Recently the U.S. Attorney for Oregon, Dwight Holton, promised to end the sale of medical marijuana in the state. Similarly, the State Supreme Court of Washington recently concluded that an employer can fire someone for legally using medical marijuana. Continue reading →

Marijuana Laws / Marijuana Stuff / Read / Uncategorized — 11 Comments
13
Mar 12

Drugs and Music Like Peanut Butter and Jelly

Drugs and music have gone hand in hand since the jazz of the 1920′s, but a recent study looks to see what genre contains the most drug references today.

Drugs and music have been psychologically linked since the beginning of time. In the American experience the the roots of this connection go back to the jazz clubs of the 1920′s. One of the reasons given for criminalizing marijuana was to protect white women form the influences of jazz. Comically, today jazz is considered to be a more high brow genre than rock or rap. The three big genres of music today are rock, rap and country. Of these three genres, which one do you think has the most drug influences? The truth is it’s impossible to tell. The Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine may give some indication, however, as they recently calculated the number of drug references per hour in modern music for each genre. Continue reading →

Growing Marijuana / Marijuana Laws / Marijuana Stuff / Medical Marijuana — 14 Comments
21
Dec 11

Top Three Reasons to End Marijuana Prohibition

The reasons for ending the drug war are countless. Anyone who bothers to do independent research concludes there are better alternatives. There are a few arguments that by themselves should be cause for repeal.

In the world we are living in today, more and more Americans support ending the drug war. The latest polls put nationwide support for complete legalization of marijuana at just under 50%. With the incredible spread of information over the past twenty years, everyone is beginning to see why the drug war should end. The reasons for this are as varied as the culture of America. There are three in particular that stand on their own as reasons to end the drug war if for no other reason. The first is the shear scale and harshness of the War on Drugs. Second is that criminal penalties have been proven to not reduce usage. Finally, open disregard for marijuana law breeds lack of respect for all law. Continue reading →

Celebs / Marijuana Laws / Medical Marijuana — 21 Comments
28
Oct 11

New York Times Endorses Medical Marijuana

The NY Times joins a growing list of politicians and originations that have either softened or reversed their views on medical marijuana.

The New York Times has seen the light! They have come to realization that marijuana is medicine and it helps people with seriously debilitating diseases. In a recent article the Times called on New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to legalize medical marijuana calling it, “sensible and humane.” The New York Times deserve credit for giving the medical marijuana community a fair chance. They had previously come out strongly against medical marijuana. In an earlier article the New York Times stated they did not support allowing medical marijuana because it was a step down the road to legalization. Continue reading →

Growing Marijuana / Marijuana Laws / Medical Marijuana / News / Science — 76 Comments
27
Sep 11

The Government Does Not Want to Study Pot

The 2011 National Drug Control Strategy Report clearly shows that the Federal Government has no interest in clinical studies of marijuana.

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy released its 2011 National Drug Control Strategy report in June. That is only six months late, which I guess is close enough for government work. The report contained many of the federally purported myths we are familiar with. Interestingly, the report did take time to discuss medical marijuana and the national legalization movement.
A section ironically titled “The Facts About Marijuana” dealt little with facts and figures of the Drug War and instead was a Christmas list of government propaganda. Pick anything out of this section and you will find laughable claims. For example, “Marijuana and other illicit drugs are addictive and unsafe […] marijuana on its own is associated with addiction, respiratory and mental illness, poor motor performance, cognitive impairment, among other negative effects.” These are the kind of lies we are used to hearing from the Office of National Drug Control Policy. The most interesting section however, deals with the national legalization movement.
Continue reading →

Celebs / Marijuana Laws / News — 23 Comments
1
Sep 11

2012 Candidates on Marijuana: Part 2

We continue our grading of all the 2012 candidates for President on their support for Marijuana.

Part one is here: 2012 Candidates on Marijuana: Part 1

Mitt Romney- Grade: F

Romney got into trouble in 2008 when a wheelchair-bound medical marijuana patient asked him about his stance on medical marijuana. Romney listened compassionately to the man’s description of his illness and even apologized for his condition, until the young man turned to the subject of medical marijuana. Romney briskly turned his back on him and walked away. Romney has since stated that the medical marijuana movement is an effort by a small minority intent upon getting marijuana publicly accepted and eventually legalized. Romney is exactly right, except for the small minority part; over half of Americans support medical marijuana rights. During his term as Governor, Romney opposed research at two universities that were testing medical marijuana. Romney is not only against drug usage he is fundamentally opposed to drug culture. Romney is reported as saying, “I don’t want to encourage more involvement in or allow more people to get involved in marijuana and the drug culture.” Opposing drug culture is a big step from opposing drugs. What lengths would Mitt go to to stop drug culture? No more Cheech and Chong movies? No more Woodstock? In a field with few pro-pot choices, Romney might actually be the worst out of all of them.

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Celebs / Marijuana Laws / News — 12 Comments
31
Aug 11

2012 Candidates on Marijuana: Part 1

We Grade all the 2012 candidates for President on their support for Marijuana.

Part 2 is here: 2012 Candidates on Marijuana: Part 2

Michelle Bachmann- Grade: D

Michelle Bachmann has seemingly come out of nowhere to become a major political figure. She was first elected to Congress in 2006 and has become a major figure in the Tea Party. The Tea Party’s stated position is one of limited government intervention in the private lives of citizens. Despite this, Bachmann has come out strongly in support of using government power for social issues. Before her election, she ran the Bachmann & Associates psychiatric clinic; where they allegedly practiced sexual orientation correction. Bachmann is quoted as saying, “We need to have profound compassion for people who are dealing with the very real issue of sexual dysfunction in their life and sexual identity disorders.” Bachmann has never given a direct statement on marijuana usage, but given her record on social issues her support for legalization is unlikely.

Continue reading →