Pubdate: Tue, 17 May 2005
Source: Roll Call (DC)
Copyright: 2005 Roll Call Inc.
Contact:  http://www.rollcall.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/372
Author: Mary Ann Akers, Roll Call Staff
Cited: National Organization forthe Reform of Marijuana Laws 
http://www.norml.org
Cited: Office of National Drug Control Policy 
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

POTHEADS VS. NARCS

It would have been the zaniest game of the softball season. But it
seems the Narcs are too chicken to play a bunch of stoners.

The One Hitters, the softball team of the National Organization for
the Reform of Marijuana Laws, claim they've been trying to play ball
(literally) against the Office of National Drug Control Policy for
years. Finally, this year, it looked like the Bush administration's
ONDCP office, also known as the drug czar, was going to come through.

The game was all set for Wednesday, June 8, between the One Hitters
and We Czar the Champions. But then the drug czar's office removed the
game from their schedule, saying they couldn't muster enough players
for that particular game. (They did, however, have enough players last
week in their game against the Commerce Department.)

The One Hitters tried to reschedule, but the captain of We Czar the
Champions said they were "booked through August."

Now the once-docile potheads are irate.

"Obviously one of the 'higher ups' at ONDCP saw the schedule and nixed
the game," NORML's spokesman, Nick Thimmesch, told HOH. "Perhaps they
were spooked by the notion of BYOB (bring your own bong)!

Kris Krane, NORML's associate director and co-captain of the One
Hitters, said: "For years the ONDCP has been unwilling to engage drug
policy reformers in a serious debate on the issues. Now they even
refuse to engage us in a friendly game of softball."

Tom Riley, a spokesman for the drug czar's office, said there was 'no
grand policy formulation' to dodge playing the One Hitters. He said
the stoners couldn't possibly have tried to play We Czar the Champions
for years, because the team is brand new.

"This just goes to show the effects of marijuana use on judgment and
reasoning," Riley joked.

At first he toed the party line and blamed his team's decision not to
play the One Hitters on a dearth of players. But then he thought
better of it and decided it was a policy decision after all.

"I wouldn't think we would play any team that promotes drug use,"
Riley said, adding, "that includes teams that promote smoking meth or
smoking crack." 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake