"I can't do it," the prospective juror said. It happened in Missoula, Mont., this month and the state's case against a small-time pot dealer fell apart as prosecutors watched in dismay. One after another, citizens told the court that marijuana was no big deal and as long as it wasn't "a pound or a truckload," it was wrong to jail a man for having it. For once, the domino theory proved true; the collapse of one part of the system threatens the rest. If you have to exclude a third of the population -- the ones who think pot is on a higher moral plane than coffee -- then it's hardly a jury of your peers, which brings the whole concept of jury trials into question, and thus many marijuana prosecutions. That then takes Americans to an unfamiliar sunlit upland where jail is considered overly harsh, the three-strikes felony laws are a running sore and countless thousands of inmates convicted of minor drug crimes deserve to be released in the new year. [continues 509 words]
Thanks for publishing the outstanding letter from the directors of Columbia NORML (Sound Off, "We Love Pot; You Should Too," Dec. 22). I'd like to add that I've been buying beer and wine for more than 30 years. Yet, I've never been offered a free sample of whiskey, gin, vodka or any other hard liquor. However, when I was a marijuana user, which was more than 15 years ago, I was frequently offered free samples of much more dangerous drugs such as cocaine and meth by my marijuana suppliers. [continues 80 words]
Regarding Kyle Wingfield's "Change jail policy and save" (Opinion, Dec. 19): Georgia is one of many states grappling with overcrowded prisons. Throughout the nation, states facing budget shortfalls are pursuing alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent drug offenders. A study conducted by the RAND Corp. found that every additional dollar invested in substance abuse treatment saves taxpayers more than $7 in societal costs. There is far more at stake than tax dollars. The drug war is not the promoter of family values that some would have us believe. [continues 101 words]
Re: Cannabis Clarity, letter to the editor, Dec. 24. The "link" between marijuana use and psychosis is nothing more than that -- a link. The studies that show this link point out that it is equally as likely that the use of cannabis may have been caused by the symptoms, not vice versa. There is no evidence to support the notion that cannabis "causes" anything. Furthermore, pot use in Canada has quadrupled in the past 30 years, and the potency of pot has increased significantly. Yet the rate of schizophrenia has remained the same, at about 1.1% of the population. Where is the influx of new pot-induced mental patients clogging up our hospitals? Nonexistent. The best reason to legalize pot is to continue researching its vast cancer-fighting potential. Russell Barth, federally licensed medical marijuana user, Nepean, Ont. [end]
Gov.-elect Rick Scott has trimmed a cuticle on the body of Florida's state government. But judging by the reaction it has received, you would think he had hacked off an arm. Before Christmas, Scott announced he would abolish the Office of Drug Control and fold its duties into the departments of Health and Law Enforcement. The loss to Florida: four staffers and $500,000. Given the fact that the state is facing a budget shortfall of nearly $3 billion in 2011, the savings are minuscule. But critics say the impact on drug abuse will be enormously negative. [continues 464 words]
One thing that lifts Jodie Emery's spirits this Christmas is the outpouring of support her jailed husband has received from marijuana advocates around the world. Marc Emery is 10 months into a five-year sentence for selling marijuana seeds by mail order to customers in the U.S. He was transferred to a prison in Georgia last month. "Marc is always very positive," Jodie said. "He says he does cry every day thinking of me, he just misses me so much. But when he's not thinking of me and how much he wants to be home, he's keeping really busy. He gets a lot of mail." [continues 59 words]
The federal government classifying cannabis (marijuana) as a Schedule I substance alongside heroin ("Medical marijuana collective opens Federal Way branch," Dec. 29) says it all. Meth and cocaine are only Schedule II substances. While federal laws do not recognize the medical use of cannabis, it is more true that citizens don't recognize the federal laws against the relatively safe, God-given plant cannabis. Stan White, Dillon, Colo. [end]
This is in response to the letter "An exclusionary practice" by Patricia Soderholm, printed Dec. 26. There have been problems in every one of the 15 states that have legalized medical cannabis (marijuana) for sick citizens, mostly because of government red tape. The best way to eliminate all that red tape is to completely legalize cannabis. Legalizing the relatively safe, extremely popular, God-given plant cannabis for all responsible adults would mean citizens who wish to use the plant for medical purposes would not need to navigate government requirements to pay extortion money to government for protection from police. It's obviously time to legalize cannabis and regulate it, like alcohol, because it is here for the duration of time. Stan White, Dillon, Colo. [end]
Re "Pot shots" (Newslines, by Meredith J. Cooper, Dec. 23): The first thing I notice about Robert Galia is he looks old beyond his years, most likely due to his substance abuse. And I am really tired of his blanket statements, such as that 99 percent of cannabis users are nonviolent. If this is the case, why do so many of the pot growers I have come into contact with own an arsenal of guns? And is this statement in regard to the nonviolent cannabis users/growers in our country or Mexico or both? Cynthia Stevenson Cherokee [end]
Americans Are Dying Because of White House Inaction Brian Terry died for President Obama's sins. Mr. Terry, a U.S. Border Patrol agent, was killed during operations against bandits near the southern Arizona town of Rio Rico, approximately 15 miles inside the U.S. border. Here and along other infiltration routes, gangsters prey on illegal aliens and drug smugglers or serve as private security forces for gangs engaged in illegal activities. Agent Terry was part of a four-man Border Patrol Tactical Unit sent to engage the bandits, and he was shot down in the resulting firefight. [continues 506 words]
This Stuff Will Make You See Hippos. Whatever your stance on Proposition 19, the history of marijuana and legalization has been a long, strange trip. A little while ago Capital Public Radio aired an interview with Julie Holland, author of the The Pot Book: A Complete Guide to Cannabis. In the interview, Holland touched on marijuana's strange back story. For one, she said part of the initial federal crackdown on cannabis in 1937 was related to the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. According to Holland, after Prohibition, federal agents needed jobs. Also, the head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics was looking for a political platform, and Bogarted that joint, so to speak. [continues 208 words]
I recently attended a public meeting regarding the zoning restrictions the Town of Prescott Valley will enact upon medical marijuana dispensaries. Keeping a sensible zoning restriction on the size of growing operations is very important! The very wealthy and mostly out-of-state interests that were represented by attorneys and real estate agents who took turns pleading for 10,000-plus-square-foot growing operations here in Prescott Valley are not just looking to provide for the patients with legitimate medical need here locally! [continues 225 words]
Hard drugs are a growing problem in the UK and the authorities are failing to contain their influence. The spate of car crime in Malinslee which has spoilt Christmas for many is probably heroin-related. It is a terribly addictive substance but problems with addicts only really begin when they cannot fund their habits. We could tackle numerous problems all at once if we sourced the drug from poor Afghan farmers and issued it on prescription. Although the situation couldn't get any worse than it already is, advisors appear to believe such a move would be politically unpopular with a largely ignorant electorate. It's easier to denigrate Mr Ainsworth for speaking out on the issue. Bob Jenkins Stirchley [end]
