Tom Rael's first epiphany came two years ago when he looked up from his drink and caught his reflection in the bar mirror. His eyes were red and dull because he was perpetually stoned, toking every hour or so to maintain a constant high. His face was slack and prematurely lined. He looked too old for someone barely 30. "What have you become?" he asked himself. He stopped drinking, but he kept smoking. Cannabis was natural, he figured, so it was harmless, right? But two years later, he went to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and listened to someone describe a dry drunk, resentful and constantly simmering with anger and frustration. Rael felt a jolt of recognition. [continues 1314 words]
The election campaign in Canada is in full swing. Colin Mayes' recent columns about climate change and drug problems (read, "Oh no, marijuana") echo television advertising currently put out by our Conservative government and doubtless paid for by us taxpayers. Some of us see through that ploy. As a medical cannabis user for three years, I cannot restrain myself from commenting on less-than-enlightened statements. Mayes' information regarding cannabis (the actual plant name, as opposed to the derogatory, slang term marijuana) is possibly even older than that great propaganda piece, Reefer Madness. [continues 455 words]
Following a trend of relaxing marijuana policy, the Department of Justice announced recently that it will no longer prosecute people who grow marijuana on tribal lands. Though the Obama administration recently said something similar regarding states where marijuana has been legalized, the move was unanticipated and, in places, unwelcome, according to reports. Many tribes prohibit marijuana cultivation in their own bylaws. But the announcement has already spurred a movement in the Hoopa Tribe to relax a ban on growing on the Hoopa Reservation. [continues 539 words]
The last time a marijuana decriminalization bill was introduced in the Virginia General Assembly the year was 2011 and the patron was Del. Harvey Morgan, R-Gloucester, a former assistant clinical professor of pharmacy at Virginia Commonwealth University's medical school. The bill never made it out of committee. The Virginia General Assembly will again consider a marijuana decriminalization bill in the 2015 session, this one sponsored by Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria). The fact that marijuana decriminalization in Virginia has been championed by a conservative Republican from Southern Virginia and liberal Democrat from Northern Virginia is telling. Marijuana law reform is a bipartisan issue supported by a majority of Americans. [continues 681 words]
Four states out of 50 may not sound like much of a mandate, but the success of marijuana initiatives on the ballot last week suggests the nation is inching toward legalizing the once-demon weed. California started the ball rolling 16 years ago with a medical marijuana law so broad, it makes a gram of weed cheaper and easier to get than a prescription for Vicodin. Now dozens of states allow adults access to marijuana as medicine, and four - Oregon, Alaska, Colorado and Washington - allow the drug to be sold outright, without even the pretense of illness. [continues 833 words]
Legalization Is Not About What State Condones but Rather What's Allowed This past week, D.C. advanced America's 21st-century war on its 20th-century war on drugs. Now that marijuana is somewhat legal, the city's African-American residents are less likely to be disproportionately arrested for a victimless crime. If the cannabis industry stays out of town, D.C. Council members, who should spend time fixing the city's public schools, won't be preoccupied with regulating a substance arguably less harmful than alcohol. And police officers who should be chasing bank robbers and murderers will no longer bust college students carrying dime bags. [continues 688 words]
The defeat of Amendment 2, which would have legalized medical marijuana in Florida, was disappointing and alarming. I would have believed at least 60 percent of voters had compassion for those suffering from an ailment that marijuana may have helped. Studies have shown cannabis has the potential to be of great assistance to many ill people. It was alarming in that the voters were misled by 1930sa=C2=80=C2=99 reefer madness-type propaganda. Numerous negative campaign ads aimed at scaring the public apparently were very successful. Some stated the legalization of medical marijuana would lead to more crime. [continues 175 words]
In the latest taxpayer-funded mailout to all households in his Hastings-Prince Edward riding, our illustrious member of Parliament asks us if we are feeling safer these days. Daryl Kramp wants our feedback, postage-free (read: We are all paying for this with our taxes), sent back to him in Ottawa. Within that same mailout we are told exactly how the Harper Government has made us safer. So, naturally, our answers should be, "Yes. I feel safer. Thank God for Mr. Harper." [continues 880 words]
The Post's Justin Moyer Says Pot Has Gone From Rebellious to Tedious This past week, D.C. advanced America's 21stcentury war on its 20th-century war on drugs. Now that marijuana is somewhat legal, the city's African American residents are less likely to be disproportionately arrested for a victimless crime. If the cannabis industry stays out of town, D.C. Council members, who should spend time fixing the city's public schools, won't be preoccupied with regulating a substance arguably less harmful than alcohol. And police officers who should be chasing bank robbers and murderers will no longer bust college students carrying dime bags. [continues 875 words]
Pro-Pot Votes in Other States Propel the Effort After Tuesday's election, just one piece of the West Coast remained unwelcoming to recreational pot: California. But with voters in Oregon and Alaska legalizing the use and sale of marijuana-joining Washington and Colorado in inviting retail spreads of cannabis-infused tea sand brownies and joints- advocates see fresh momentum behind the slow shift in how the public regards the green stuff and those who enjoy it. California residents rejected legalization in 2010, with a 54 percent vote against it, but supporters of recreational marijuana are growing more confident about reversing that result in the 2016 election. [continues 1086 words]
This past week, D.C. advanced America's 21st century war on its 20th century war on drugs. Now that marijuana is somewhat legal, the city's African-American residents are less likely to be disproportionately arrested for a victimless crime. If the cannabis industry stays out of town, D.C. Council members, who should spend time fixing the city's public schools, won't be preoccupied with regulating a substance arguably less harmful than alcohol. And police officers who should be chasing bank robbers and murderers will no longer bust college students carrying dime bags. [continues 561 words]
Independent Alaskans, known for their libertarian streak, were a key reason activists threw their support behind Alaska's effort to legalize recreational marijuana in 2014. But with only days until the vote, it's anyone's guess whether those live-and-let-live folks will go to the polls and which way they'll vote. Polls have been inconsistent, with wildly different results, in the weeks leading up to Nov. 4. Some show that support -- nationally and in Alaska -- has been above 50 percent. But whether that will mean success for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Alaska remains to be seen. [continues 2052 words]
On Nov. 4, Alaskans will make a decision on Ballot Measure 2: whether to legalize the use of marijuana. As we make this decision, it is important we base it on complete information rather than the propaganda that is being slung. We have the benefit of not being the first state to wrestle with this issue. All we need to do is look as far as Colorado and Washington to truly understand the effects of legalizing marijuana. So what are we hearing coming out of Colorado? The legalization and commercialization of marijuana in Colorado started less than two years ago, and there are several problems, consequences and new financial repercussions associated with the law. They are reporting increased marijuana-related emergency room visits, increased hash oil explosions, increased marijuana-involved auto fatalities, and an increased number of workers testing positive for marijuana. [continues 797 words]
I recently received a mailer from the No on 91 campaign. It may as well have read, "Be afraid! Be very afraid!" The piece of propaganda was chock full of sensationalism, misleading statements and outright lies. Sensationalism - "Increase of 268 percent in poison control center calls for children (ages 0-5) for marijuana." The numbers behind "268 percent" are 5 and 18, which don't seem extremely large compared with Colorado's population. For some context, what are the comparable numbers for alcohol and other household substances? Also, the mailer references children age 5 and under; how many infants are getting into their parents' stash? That's just inflammatory. [continues 149 words]
Regarding the Oct. 20 column by Matthew Christ and Dustin Mauser, if health outcomes determined drug laws instead of cultural norms, marijuana would be fully legal and there would be no medical marijuana debate. Like any drug, marijuana can be harmful if abused. Jail cells are nonetheless inappropriate as health interventions and ineffective as deterrents. The first marijuana laws were enacted in response to Mexican migration during the early 1900s, despite opposition from the American Medical Association. Americans did not begin to smoke marijuana in significant numbers until after our federal government made it illegal and began funding sensationalist reefer madness propaganda. Reefer madness is a poor excuse for criminalizing Americans who prefer marijuana to martinis. Criminalizing patients who use medical marijuana under the supervision of a doctor is inexcusable. It's time to let doctors decide what is right for their patients, not politicians, police or hateful culture warriors. Robert Sharpe, Policy analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy, Washington, D.C. [end]
Marijuana Is Legal in Colorado for Recreational and Medicinal Purposes; Everything Seems Surprisingly Normal DENVER - Drive around here for a few days and you can't shake it: Is the smell real or in my head? Get within 20 yards of one of the hundreds of marijuana dispensaries or warehouses where the stuff is grown and there's nothing imaginary. Heady vapors are sweeping through the Mile High City. Inside the shops, which outnumber Starbucks, comically named varieties are lined up in glass jars. Green Crack. Super Skunk. AK-47. Golden Goat. Trainwreck. But the action is with cannabis-infused 'edibles' - chocolate bars, cookies, sodas and gummy bears that pack a longer, all-overbody buzz. [continues 1777 words]
On Nov. 4, Alaskans will make a decision on Ballot Measure 2, whether or not to legalize the use of marijuana. As we make this decision, it is important we base it on complete information rather than the propaganda currently being slung. We have the benefit of not being the first state to wrestle with this issue. All we need to do is look as far as Colorado and Washington to truly understand the effects of legalizing marijuana. So what are we hearing coming out of Colorado? The legalization and commercialization of marijuana in Colorado started less than two years ago, and there are a number of problems, consequences, and new financial repercussions associated with the law. They are reporting increased marijuana-related emergency room visits, increased hash oil explosions, increased marijuana-involved auto fatalities, and an increased number of workers testing positive for marijuana. [continues 806 words]
In a state where possession of small amounts of cannabis is a felony, it is predictable that the status quo administration inundates the airwaves with anti-medical marijuana propaganda. There seems to be a suspicious amount of funding from outside special interests to demonize the legalization of medical marijuana. Most of the arguments that have been presented in the attack ads are a regurgitation of debunked and disproven "Reefer Madness" propaganda or just outright lies. Twenty-three states already have approved medical marijuana, and all the exaggerated horror stories the attack ads claim have not materialized. The facts are out there for anyone who cares to search the Internet for the truth. [continues 83 words]
Addressing two recent letters, it appears Garry Cooper must have smoked a few bowls before looking into his crystal ball in predicting outrageous windfalls Butte County will reap from pot profiteering. What a joke. Growers predicted the same wealth for Colorado and Washington. Are they seeing the wealth in taxes pouring in? No. A large percentage of pot is still being sold on the black market. The only ones making bank are the growers and dealers. Just pick up a local newspaper the past four weeks and read about people from other states/counties coming into California or neighboring counties to grow, only to be smuggled out of state. Where's the money? Certainly not in California's pocket. [continues 145 words]
Because their brains are still developing, adolescents may be particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of marijuana. During this crucial period, brain connections are strengthened through myelination - growth of fatty insulation around the neurons - as well as a "pruning" of inefficient neural connections. It's a lengthy process, stretching past the postsecondary years to at least 25. Hundreds of studies have been conducted in recent decades to determine how cannabis affects youth. While not all research has shown harms, study after study - including a large review released Oct. 7 in the journal Addiction - has linked regular pot use in adolescence to detrimental effects ranging from worse education outcomes to cognitive impairments and losses in IQ. [continues 236 words]
Raging Debate Over Marijuana Law Reform Tough for Lawmakers, Leaders to Ignore The battle lines have long been drawn. Factions from either side of the political fence waging full-scale propaganda campaigns and stockpiling ammunition for the unavoidable clash. At stake -- depending on which brand of rhetoric you subscribe to -- is an untapped bounty of tax dollars, a public health crisis-in-waiting, the sanctity of the world's longest unprotected border, the opportunity to purge a prime domain of organized crime, the welfare of the nation's youth, and the rights and freedoms of the Canadian citizen. [continues 1965 words]
If you can't beat 'em at the ballot box, do it with administrative and quasi-legal shenanigans. That seems to be the way East Lansing City Clerk Marie Wicks and Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum have managed to keep a vote on legalizing marijuana off the East Lansing ballot this fall. "In 11 other cities the same thing will be voted on," says attorney Jeffrey Hank, chair of the Coalition for a Safer East Lansing, which ran the petition initiative. "They're playing games with democracy. We are pissed off." [continues 1122 words]
Don't fall prey to the police/prison propaganda behind Butte County's Measure A. Marijuana laws must change and the prohibition insanity must come to an end. Measure A, if passed, will remove over $500 million annually from our economy and cause an overnight plummet in rural land values. Many restaurants, electronic stores and other retail outlets will disappear right before your eyes. Employment of over a thousand folks in those industries as well as in the marijuana industry (which employs over 10,000 people) will come to an end. Property tax receipts by the county, along with building permit and school fees, will certainly suffer drastically. [continues 157 words]
Medical Marijuana Backers Spread Message, Stop for Debates in Delray, Hallandale People United for Medical Marijuana is taking its campaign to the streets - literally. Which is why a big blue bus with "Vote Yes On 2" pulled into Gulfstream Park, a gambling mecca in Hallandale Beach. Most folks here come for the thoroughbred racing or the slots. But not today at Christina Lee's, the racino's Asian eatery. Here, after a buffet featuring egg rolls and fried rice, the South Florida Tiger Bay Club heard a debate between Ben Pollara, the campaign manager for People United, and an opponent of Amendment 2, Javier Correoso. [continues 866 words]
The call to legalize pot steadily emanates from the decaying 74-year-old home in Montrose. A gray-haired, sharp-voiced Dean Becker settles in behind a microphone there each Sunday night at the studios of KPFT public radio to spread his mantra: End the Drug War. Becker and those of a like mind about legalizing marijuana say they are getting some traction nowadays. With recreational use of pot now legal in Colorado and Washington - and public opinion polls showing growing nationwide support for such measures - speculation is rampant that even in law-and-order Texas, it is not a question of if, but when, legalization will happen. [continues 791 words]
Use of Cages Has Been Criticized by the State's Legal Marijuana Industry; Mocked by Some Young People DENVER-In a state where legal marijuana seemingly is everywhere, Colorado public health officials have taken an unusual approach to warning teenagers about the dangers of the drug: likening young pot smokers to laboratory animals. Concerned about a potential jump in youth marijuana use now that the state has legalized the drug for adults, Colorado is displaying three human-size cages in various communities with signs that bear provocative messages about the drug's pitfalls, as part of its "Don't Be A Lab Rat" campaign. "Does Marijuana really cause schizophrenia in teenagers? Smoke and find out," one sign says. "Subjects needed. Must be a teenager. Must smoke weed. Must have 8 IQ points to spare," reads another. [continues 631 words]
The Shaneen Allen case has made a lot of people look at New Jersey Gun laws, many are happy she's not going to trial. Not me. I had hoped she would have. I previously wrote I thought a jury wouldn't convict her. Instead, thanks to the scrutiny the Ray Rice case brought to her case, the Atlantic County Prosecutors office begrudgingly accepted her into the (PTI) Pre-Trial Intervention program. I don't think this a victory; a victory would have been a "not guilty" verdict. She will soon plead "guilty" and lose her right to vote and own a gun. She will now experience what millions of other citizens (especially black citizens) suffer, "second amendment-less citizenship" for trying to protect herself. [continues 617 words]
Central District Owner Happy With Debut; 'Fortress' Gets Mixed Response Finally, Seattle has a second pot store. Uncle Ike's Pot Shop, in the Central District, opened its doors to a steady stream of customers Tuesday, nearly three months after the first state-licensed pot stores launched. The opening at 23rd Avenue and East Union Street drew customers of all types, including neighbors and tourists, nurses and rock musicians. "It's the full gamut," said Ian Eisenberg, Uncle Ike's owner. "What we were hoping for." [continues 581 words]
With two words, Anchorage television reporter Charlo Green has become a vi-lebrity -- or "viral celebrity," as US Magazine calls it now vying with Alaska pol-lebrity Sarah Palin for national attention, and proving that.... Well, it's almost scary to go on. Who even wants to think about how this state must look to the rest of the country at the moment? Reasonable Americans can only be thinking Alaska is the airhead capital of the continent. Granted, Greene's TV sign-off made more sense than Palin's 2008 vice-presidential blathering about Putin rearing his head, but only because Greene used simple, declarative sentences that are easily understood by everyone. [continues 1115 words]
The world's elder statesmen have a problem when it comes to drug policy. They are increasingly coming out in favour of broad legalisation, but their message is having a hard time getting through thanks to decades of anti-drug propaganda from the governments in which they participated. Three years ago, a group called the Global Commission on Drug Policy released a report denouncing the "war on drugs" for increasing violence and failing to curb consumption. It got a lot of attention because its members included such luminaries as former Brazilian president Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former United Nations secretary- general Kofi Annan, former US secretary of state George Schultz, former North Atlantic Treaty Organisation chief Javier Solana and former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker. These are serious, powerful men, not potheads or irresponsible anarchists. [continues 481 words]
I find your headline "Evidence Mounts Against Cannabis" (Sept 11) totally misleading and pure sensationalism, akin to the propaganda propagated by the Hurst newspaper chain that lead to cannabis becoming an illegal substance in America back in the 1920s. The article that follows refers to a correlation between teens using cannabis and a series of negative outcomes such as poor educational achievement. Firstly, I would note that no one advocating legalisation of cannabis would want teenagers using the drug in the first place, and also that regulation, education and control will limit the availability to the teen market. [continues 83 words]
"Reefer Madness" was a 1930's propaganda style film extolling the dangers of marijuana. The film has become infamous for its overdramatic portrayal that the drug would lead to chaos for its users. Decades later the rationale behind the effects of marijuana tends to be less extreme, but those people against its legalization should realize it's only a matter of time before other states decriminalize the substance. The states of Washington and Colorado have become the lab rats for studying the legalization of pot. So far, chaos has not ensued. The latest news out of Colorado regarding marijuana was that the state could be missing out on $21.5 million in taxes because of too high taxes and fees (more government regulation), according to Fox31 Denver. [continues 460 words]
I read with interest the article "Medical marijuana may cost patients top dollar" by Robert McCoppin because I am part of a group seeking licenses to operate cultivation and dispensary facilities in Illinois. While there is much speculation as to the size of the market, patient access and pricing, one fact stands out: the most widely used plant-based medicine up until 1937 will once again be available to people who need it in Illinois. Propaganda in the past 80 years has put cannabis in the same light as cocaine and heroin while hiding its medicinal benefits. [continues 60 words]
Warning young people about the dangers of smoking pot should be about as controversial as telling them to brush their teeth. The same goes for recommending that adults consume no more sugar than they can bench-press. Health officials are right to point out the pitfalls of both. This is Canada, in 2014, however, where the Harper government's insistence on putting its political stamp on policies that were previously left to independent agencies or experts in the bureaucracy means that even its public service announcements (PSAs) are suspect. Where an anti-pot ad aimed at teens seems partisan and nutritional guidelines seem to go light on the sugar lobby. [continues 665 words]
Regular readers of this column know I have argued that marijuana is far safer than alcohol. Also, that the criminalization of marijuana usage, a central component of the failed "War on Drugs," really amounts to a War on Citizens, particularly citizens of color. Now, the New York Times, in an unprecedented series of editorials, forcefully contends that the time has come to end the federal prohibition against marijuana and allow the states to make their own rules about this drug (See N.Y. Times, July 27, 2014). [continues 784 words]
READERS MAY be wondering at the tension between parents breaking the law to give cannabis extracts to their sick children, and politicians defending the status quo. Advocates say the drug effectively treats serious illness, while associate health minister Peter Dunne demurs that its safety and efficacy is uncertain. In fact cannabis is one of the most rigorously studied pharmaceutical agents known to science. The amassed evidence of peer-reviewed research, when viewed in aggregate, paints a reassuringly consistent picture. Cannabis drugs are extraordinarily non-toxic, with the clinically proven harms being few and avoidable. And regardless of one's views on recreational use, the potential of the medicine is deeply promising, while largely untapped. Neither lack of scientific support, nor genuine fears for the safety of patients, can reasonably explain the government's reluctance to allow this medicine. Perhaps our elected representatives fear that a century of politically motivated anti-cannabis propaganda has been too effective to turn against. Also, mainstream uptake of cannabis medicines may ultimately help reveal how brazenly we have been deceived. Given the suffering of so many sick people, the resulting backlash could be considerable. Jonathan Rennie, Auckland [end]
WE learned something about New York Times online commenters recently: They are far, far more supportive of marijuana legalization than the average American. Over the last 10 days, The Times's Editorial Board published a series calling for an end to the federal ban on marijuana. This stance, we realized, was hardly avant-garde. As we noted in an essay on public views, a majority of Americans now favor legalizing use of the drug. But this majority is not especially large: 54 percent to 42 percent, according to the Pew Research Center's latest poll. [continues 950 words]
The New York Times, a paper that has many times printed articles endorsing the prohibition of cannabis and editorializing in favor of continuing this prohibition has thrown in the towel. Sunday, July 27, saw the end of that position. The Times editorial board ran an editorial calling for the end of cannabis prohibition. The Times joins several conservative publications such as The National Review in this position. The Times rightly considered the evidence and decided prohibition is a failure and the time has come for full legalization on the federal level. Public opinion has moved on this issue over the last 20 years and at this time the majority of Americans favor, not just medical cannabis, but full legalization for the industrial, medical and recreational use of marijuana. [continues 439 words]
The federal law that makes possession of marijuana a crime has its origins in legislation that was passed in an atmosphere of hysteria during the 1930s and that was firmly rooted in prejudices against Mexican immigrants and African-Americans, who were associated with marijuana use at the time. This racially freighted history lives on in current federal policy, which is so driven by myth and propaganda that is it almost impervious to reason. The cannabis plant, also known as hemp, was widely grown in the United States for use in fabric during the mid-19th century. The practice of smoking it appeared in Texas border towns around 1900, brought by Mexican immigrants who cultivated cannabis as an intoxicant and for medicinal purposes as they had done at home. [continues 829 words]
If the Obama administration is to be believed, America's infamous "War on Drugs" is over. In its most recent National Drug Control Strategy, released last week, officials promised a more humane and sympathetic approach to drug users and addiction. Out, the report suggests, are "tough on crime" policies. Rather than more police and more prisons, officials talk about public health and education. They promise to use evidence-based practices to combat drug abuse. And they want to use compassionate messaging and successful reentry programs to reduce the stigma drug offenders and addicts face. [continues 695 words]
Why is it that the marijuana elite has been able to so effectively infiltrate the media, nowhere more apparent than with The Province's editorial Thursday on cannabis? Ninety-one per cent of Canadians do not use marijuana and they must be concerned about the high rates of use by youth and the consequences of pot use before brain maturation at age 26. Why the reporting of the scientific findings are lagging the pot lobby's propaganda is the real story you need to be writing about. To promote the idea that pot is relatively safe is beyond irresponsible. With Canada leading the western world in kids using marijuana, every effort should be made to reduce acceptance of this drug. Pamela McColl, Vancouver [end]
MD. Republican Harris, on the Rise in Congress, Often Puts His Foot Down The Maryland congressman challenging the District's new marijuana-decriminalization law is no stranger to unpopular stances, having survived a contentious 12 years as a Republican lawmaker in the state's Democratic dominated General Assembly. During last fall's budget standoff, Rep. Andy Harris was one of the last true believers, continuing to vote against the federal budget even at the risk of prolonging a government shutdown. He equates mandated insurance coverage of contraception with the burning of churches and medical use of marijuana with telling patients to chew on mold instead of taking penicillin. [continues 1070 words]
Dear Stoner: I drive around town with my seven-year-old, and I know it is only a matter of time before he starts asking me about the "MMJ" signs everywhere. How should I talk to my kid about pot, since it is always in his face these days? Mad Over Marijuana Dear Mad: I don't think the consumption of marijuana is any more in your child's face than any other adult activity, namely the consumption of alcohol. Pot just stands out more because it's not the norm yet. But think about how many times you've walked past a table full of liquor at a restaurant with your kid in tow: Junior is taking that in just as he is pot dispensary signs. [continues 381 words]
In the Colonies' early years, Virginia's House of Burgesses required planters to grow hemp. The plant - a close relative of marijuana - can be used for a variety of purposes, from the medicinal to the industrial. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and other notables farmed the stuff. Hemp's utility remained unquestioned through WWII, when the federal government ran "Hemp for Victory!" propaganda campaigns. But then came the War on Drugs, and suddenly hemp became suspect - even though it contains so little THC you'd have to smoke a whole bale to catch a minor buzz. Lumped in with psychoactive marijuana, industrial hemp became verboten. [continues 217 words]
There are currently twenty-three states (plus the District of Columbia) that have legalized marijuana for a wide range of medicinal purposes and many other states have put together legislation for some form of legalization over the years. Throughout history the marijuana or cannabis plant has been such a highly controversial topic; we tend to only think of one particular action involving its use, that being smoking. This thought process, along with a great deal of propaganda and anti-drug campaigns, has taught us to think of mostly negative connotations with regard to use of the plant. [continues 495 words]
As a Colorado resident, I believe the writer of the letter "Christie right to oppose legalization of pot" (June 20) is seriously mistaken in the claim, "One need only look at the chaos ensuing in Colorado since its legalization of marijuana..." Rather than "chaos," Colorado is experiencing success. Cannabis (marijuana) prohibitionists have used lies, half-truths and propaganda for decades, and are not going to suddenly start telling the truth. In fact, Colorado citizens heard it all before and voted to stop prohibitionists from harming our citizens any longer by re-legalizing the plant. Ending the vulgar practice of caging humans for using a relatively safe God-given plant isn't "chaos" but rather anti-chaos. Further, since polls indicate over 50 percent of Americans support ending the farce, New Jersey would likely legalize cannabis also if it were put to a vote rather than decided by prohibitionist politicians. Stan White Dillon, Colorado [end]
Good people of Scarborough-Agincourt, we give you Liberal Party candidate Arnold Chan. You should vote for him not so much for what Arnold has done - but for what the Conservative Party hasn't. To be precise, the Conservative Party hasn't behaved itself in the Toronto riding, which was formerly the domain of one Jim Karygiannis. This week, the ruling party circulated noxious flyers all over Scarborough-Agincourt, much in the way the Axis used to drop propaganda leaflets on advancing Allied troops. As in that case, the Tory propaganda is unlikely to defeat the Grit forces. [continues 506 words]
Good people of Scarborough-Agincourt, we give you Liberal Party candidate Arnold Chan. You should vote for him not so much for what Arnold has done - but for what the Conservative Party hasn't. To be precise, the Conservative Party hasn't behaved itself in the Toronto riding, which was formerly the domain of one Jim Karygiannis. This week, the ruling party circulated noxious flyers all over Scarborough-Agincourt, much in the way the Axis used to drop propaganda leaflets on advancing Allied troops. As in that case, the Tory propaganda is unlikely to defeat the Grit forces. [continues 507 words]
Good people of Scarborough- Agincourt, we give you Liberal Party candidate Arnold Chan. You should vote for him not so much for what Arnold has done - but for what the Conservative Party hasn't. To be precise, the Conservative Party hasn't behaved itself in the Toronto riding, which was formerly the domain of one Jim Karygiannis. This week, the ruling party circulated noxious flyers all over Scarborough- Agincourt, much in the way the Axis used to drop propaganda leaflets on advancing Allied troops. As in that case, the Tory propaganda is unlikely to defeat the Grit forces. [continues 507 words]
