Some Find Hope for a Shift in Drug Policy

NYT ^ | February 15, 2009 | WILLIAM YARDLEY

[SolidWood]

SEATTLE — Washington State law prohibits the possession of marijuana except for certain medical purposes. Hempfest is not one of them. Yet each summer when the event draws thousands to the Seattle waterfront to call for decriminalizing marijuana, participants light up in clear view of police officers. And they rarely get arrested.

“Police officers patrolling are courteous and respectful,” said Alison Holcomb, drug policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington.

One reason for the officers’ approach, said Ms. Holcomb and others who follow law enforcement in Seattle, is the leadership of R. Gil Kerlikowske, the chief of the Seattle Police Department and, officials in the Obama administration say, the president’s choice to become the head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, known as the drug czar.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

This isn’t about “prohibition”. These drugs have not been legal. And it’s about public safety. There’s enough out there that we don’t have to legalize more crap for the dysfunctional.

More government lies, eh? Drinking deeply from the spittoon?

What was the active ingredient in "Coca-Cola"? Cocaine. (See: John Stith Pemberton, History of Cocaine, Recreational Use)

What was the purpose of The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937?

A BRIEF HISTORY OF OPIUM

Are there any other stupid assertions you'd like to make?

So, according to you, public safety is tantamount? Therefore we should ban all activity in which someone may hurt themselves or others?

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

You want to emulate EUROPE?

Do you want to emulate the MIDDLE EAST?

[MeanWestTexan]

Numbers are numbers.

They have roughly half the rate drug use, and yet its largely decriminalized.

Some things european are OK, like Porsche and Mercedes and Bordeaux. This is another.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

Some things european are OK...

The Statue of Liberty...

[MeanWestTexan]

Hedi Klum:

[MeanWestTexan]

Le Creuset bakeware

[narses]

“You started with the name calling.”

Wrong. You advocate for pot yopu admit to smoking it, that is what you are. Get used to it, you’ve earned the title.

[microgood]

Then we are back to my original post.

There are still murders, should we stop arresting murderers?

People still B&E, should we stop arresting burglars?

There are still assaults, should we stop arresting assaulters?

There is still child abuse, should we stop arresting abusers?

Which brings me back to the original post, which is that the above items are crimes. Smoking pot is a vice.

Vices are not crimes: there is no criminal intent.

[DJ MacWoW]

I believe in states rights. I don’t believe that we will EVER get back there.

[DJ MacWoW]

What does what USED to be in Coke have to do with allowing the dysfunctional to have another legal panacea?

More legal mind altering substances is not what people need.

[DJ MacWoW]

That’s pretty funny considering hookah’s are middle eastern.

[DJ MacWoW]

Thanks for your opinion.

[DJ MacWoW]

Vices are not crimes: there is no criminal intent.

There is when it's illegal. There is when someone uses a mind altering/perception altering drug and drives. Or flies. Or uses heavy equipment. Or teaches your kid. and on and on.....

[ozarkgirl]

I believe in states rights. I don’t believe that we will EVER get back there.

Alaska, Oregon and California are either voting or have voted to legalize marijuana. If you believe in states rights, then I would guess you would not have a problem with this? Or do you only believe in states rights when they agree with what you believe?

[Ken H]

Which brings me back to the original post, which is that the above items are crimes. Smoking pot is a vice.

Yep. What makes the situation even more absurd is that the feds used the Commerce Clause to criminalize this vice, thus trampling the 10th Amendment in the process.

[microgood]

There is when someone uses a mind altering/perception altering drug and drives. Or flies. Or uses heavy equipment. Or teaches your kid. and on and on.....

But the same is true of alcohol, which is a legal vice.

[DJ MacWoW]

Or do you only believe in states rights when they agree with what you believe?

Do you want an honest discussion or are you looking for a fight?

[DJ MacWoW]

I stated before that we have enough drunks on the roads. We don’t need to add the drug addicted.

[DJ MacWoW]

The feds trample anything that they please. Do you believe that we can actually turn back the clock? I’m not hopeful.

[microgood]

Yep. What makes the situation even more absurd is that the feds used the Commerce Clause to criminalize this vice, thus trampling the 10th Amendment in the process.

And the Drug War has turned police into an antagonistic force against us and to the virtual elimination of the 4th Amendment (No knock raids, warrants based on criminal informants, etc).