Free Republic

Democrats in Washington state are cracking down on marijuana — not the actual drug, the word itself. The Evergreen State legislature recently passed a bill banning the word “marijuana” from official state law and documents over concerns that it is “racist.” At the same time, to help increase diversity in the cannabis business, a taxpayer-funded task force has been spending the last two years focusing on helping minorities in Washington state break into the marijuana business. “The term ‘marijuana’ itself is pejorative and racist,” Washington state Representative Melanie Morgan (D) said during testimony regarding the piece of legislation officially known...

Probably almost everyone is familiar with the hyperinflationary episode that engulfed Germany after the First World War. That nation’s economy was crippled by monetary problems that resulted in dreadful personal hardships, even though up to that time Germany had achieved one of the highest living standards in the world. The newly formed German government, named for the city where their constitution was drafted after the Kaiser’s abdication in 1918, kept pumping up the money supply. The process started relatively slowly, but quickly the pace of money creation accelerated. The Weimar government was paying its bills on credit – just like...

Gold bugs' only problem on Monday was trying to find which of a myriad of bullish factors to pick to explain yet another move to fresh 25-year highs. The usual suspects -- inflation, geopolitical tensions, and a weak dollar -- were all present at the open of trading after a three-day weekend. Most visibly, crude oil topped $70 a barrel amid heightened concerns about Iran's nuclear ambitions. In recent action, crude was gaining 68 cents to trade at $70 a barrel. Gold for June delivery was recently up $13 at $613.80 an ounce, off an earlier 25-year high at $614.30....

Cannabis poses a greater threat to health than tobacco, lung experts have warned. The warning comes on the day that Home Secretary David Blunkett is due to make a Commons statement about the future of government drug policy. Many young people are simply not aware that smoking cannabis may put them at increased risk of respiratory cancers and infections . Dame Helena Shovelton: The Home Affairs Select Committee has recommended that cannabis is downgraded from a class B drug to class C. This would mean that possession would lead to a caution, rather than arrest. The British Lung Foundation is...

Thousands of people are marching in cities across the UK to mark Cannabis Liberation Day. The Million Marijuana March is a worldwide event involving people taking to the streets in nearly 200 cities across the globe. According to the organisation's website, marches are taking place in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Hull, Sheffield and Stafford. In London the march, entitled Dance on the Grave of Cannabis Prohibition, will go from Kennington Park to Brockwell Park, in south London, where a festival is being held featuring live music, a speakers tent and food stalls. Across the world marches are taking place...