Independent Commission to Review US War on Drugs

[BorkBorkBork]

I have very high hopes, and very low expectations.

The only possible outcomes that I can imagine are

A) The commission is a sham
B) The commission is honest and truthful, and the results are tossed and ignored.

Gotta agree with fatigues, optimally, the report does not get finalized until after the next election. If republicans retake the white house, you can forget about it. If it comes out before the election, forget about it.

But hiiiiiiiiiigh fucking hopes!

 

[mpd]

A jackass is a horse built by a committee of politicians. I have no expectations of anyone changing anything at anytime in the in near future.

The commission's findings will be that more study is required as any other finding would result in the commission being wound up and then the money and power stops flowing. Who's going to sign off on that? We are talking politicians. Marijuana gets legal when the people vote it that way with ballot initiatives.

If you took every bribe-taking, cock sucking, pig fucking, pinhead member of Congress (and the Osama Administration for that matter) and rendered the whole lot of them, you would not have enough scruples to fill a used Trojan brand Magnum. In all their truth commissions and findings and reports and declarations that is the only universal truth we are ever likely to learn.

They go to D.C. to change the world and they just change our money from our bank accounts into theirs - as sure as death and taxes.

If we want it legal we have to do it. We have to get the signatures. We have to raise the money. We have to demonstrate that we are responsible adults who can manage their own affairs with probity and a sense of renewed purpose that makes our values worthy of society's emulation.

On that day - and that day alone - our emancipation will occur. Everything else is just cheap thrills and bullshit for worrying the ears of the foolish and the ignorant.

Rant secured. Soapbox is re-stowed.

 

[hardhat22]

(like the 9/11 commission)

Oh crap! We know how well THAT turned out. Seriously,I hope this comes out to the good. Considering how the previous admin
strived to control us and the current admins own agenda for population control, I have doubts. And I believe that dems may be scarce after next year. Hens teeth comes to mind.
Peace
P.S.
Who will eradicate ditch-weed now?Wasn't it the dea pumping up their plant numbers??

 

[Lakota412]

Next election, this will be THE issue. Lines will be drawn.

Facts will win out, and that means we win,

 

[LowGrow]

of course they are going to legalize cannabis they need the resources from it and by the way. My old school bus driver used to be in the military and was in desert storm he used to be on this one base and he seen huge power lines going into the woods he followed them and found a huge military greenhouse operation growing cannabis. He was told they gave it to soldiers for mental illnesses associated with war. also when someone was injured badly in the field and needed an operation they would pack the soldiers nose with coke. Very sad that we live in such a hypocritical society.

 

[Zealious]

This is great news. I just hope that Hilliary Clinton wont be invited.

MJ prohibiton is ending. It is going to happen people. Get ready for it. My only fear is that it turns into decriminalization vs legalization.. decrim would be a failure.


We have the truth on our side. we will win..

 

[RandyCalifornia]

"new National Drug Control Strategy that will focus more on demand reduction"

Am I the only one who hears this as a surge in the DRUG WAR against users?
They go after the supply or the demand, but either way they go.

 

[cobcoop]

Anybody know what happened to Jim Webb's commission? I tried to watch the hearing on the internet, but it didn't work.

 

[baan]

Yea we need to be careful on this one -

they are 'reviewing' the drug war, and they say
"Billions upon billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars have been spent. In spite of our efforts, the positive results are few and far between,'' says Engel, who chairs the House Western Hemisphere subcommittee. ``Clearly, the time has come to take a fresh look at our counternarcotics efforts.''

That would be great if this turns out good for us. But they might pull a fast one, and review enforcement techniques - in other words, beef up prohibition - rather than take a long hard look at the problems legalization would solve.

 

[Guest 88950]

of course they are going to legalize cannabis they need the resources from it and by the way. My old school bus driver used to be in the military and was in desert storm he used to be on this one base and he seen huge power lines going into the woods he followed them and found a huge military greenhouse operation growing cannabis. He was told they gave it to soldiers for mental illnesses associated with war. also when someone was injured badly in the field and needed an operation they would pack the soldiers nose with coke. Very sad that we live in such a hypocritical society.

hmmmm

i know 2 wounded Iraq war Veterans that are paralyzed, one from an ied and the other shot in the neck during a firefight in Sodar City and although ive seen some crazy helmet cam videos and heard many stories i have never heard what you were told.

neither of my friends said anything about cocaine being administered as medical treatment and one of them is on alot of pharmaceuticals and ill ask him about this next week.

not saying the govt isnt doing this and just b/c my friends were hurt there doesnt mean they know everything that is going on but it doesnt hurt to ask.

 

[3dDream]

Hmmm. I hope this goes better that the Shafer report in '72.

We have carefully analyzed the interrelationship between marihuana the drug, marihuana use as a behavior, and marihuana as a social problem. Recognizing the extensive degree of misinformation about marihuana as a drug, we have tried to demythologize it. Viewing the use of marihuana in its wider social context, we have tried to desymbolize it.

Considering the range of social concerns in contemporary America, marihuana does not, in our considered judgment, rank very high. We would deemphasize marihuana as a problem.

The existing social and legal policy is out of proportion to the individual and social harm engendered by the use of the drug. To replace it, we have attempted to design a suitable social policy, which we believe is fair, cautious and attuned to the social realities of our time.

 

[Skip]

I think that everyone who thinks a) change won't happen, or b) the report will be ignored is wrong.

Why?

Cause the change is IN THE BAG!

I've figured out what is going on...

Look at what happened in the UK...

They decriminalized cannabis for what? A year or two? Why? What happened in that time?

Look no further than GW Pharmaceuticals getting their OK to sell their version of cannabis extract.

Then what happened?

The UK recriminalized cannabis!!!

Now look at the US...

No US pharmaceutical company can sell cannabis products, only the US gov't at this time (hey didn't they try to patent some cannabis derivative or name?)

So they're gonna find an excuse to move it to Schedule II so Big pharma can go and develop & sell their cannabis remedies.

And once they've all gotten in on the action, that ever reliable servant of Big Pharma, the US gov't, will go and recriminalize cannabis so that the only legal version is coming from Big Pharma...

It worked in the UK, it'll work here.

That's why the UK gov't got so bent out of shape when their Drug Czar compared marijuana to alcohol and tobacco. They don't want to decriminalize again or allow for people to grow their own medicine. That would hurt Big Pharma and we can't have that, can we? That's why they are once again demonizing marijuana (but not that grown by GW Pharmaceuticals! - That's just fine!)

So while this report is being researched and written (with the results already known), Big pHarma is ramping up their cannabis research and you can bet when the report is released there will be quick action on the part of Obama who will reclassify marijuana as Schedule II, and big pharma will announce all their new cannabis based drugs are ready for market, waiting for FDA approval (which will also come swiftly). The rush is to beat out GW Pharma and other companies.

There are a number of new startup cannabis companies too who are expecting a piece of the action. There's so much $$$ going into cannabis research in the US at this moment that NO LAW will stop them from delivering their products to market...

 

[jayburtonboy]

"new National Drug Control Strategy that will focus more on demand reduction"

Am I the only one who hears this as a surge in the DRUG WAR against users?
They go after the supply or the demand, but either way they go.

^ Exactly wat i was thinking. This could be very bad and i think we are jumping to conclusions.

This was the last line of that article.

"At any rate, it's clear there is a growing sentiment that the war on drugs is not working, and that we need to further focus on drug consumers rather than drug producers."

 

[ChronJohn]

The US House of Representatives this week approved a bill to setup an independent commission (like the 9/11 commission) to review and report and make suggestions regarding America's failed War on Drugs.

I hope its not at all like the 9/11 commission (most roughshod piece of shit ever commissioned by the gov't if you ask me) or else we're fuucked


But the Senators in the article sound sympathetic and supportive of our cause so I think we might just be seeing the beginning of the end... 2009 was so exciting and I think 2010 will be doubly so! And it will hopefully just keep getting better for us til we reach the ultimate goal! Full cannabis legalization Thanks for the article Skip!

 

[pipeline]

"Demand reduction" IS NOT the same as "harm reduction"..... "Reviewing our counternarcotics efforts" IS NOT "reviewing the war on drugs and its implications".

I'm just glad that the drug war and its policies are being discussed rather than them continuting to not discuss the issue...

Perhaps somehow, somewhere the truth will come out! Its our chance at being free.. For that we are thankful!

 

[hardhat22]

And once they've all gotten in on the action, that ever reliable servant of Big Pharma, the US gov't, will go and recriminalize cannabis so that the only legal version is coming from Big Pharma...

Dang! By then,each state will have a nice long list of registered growers and smokers to check out under probable cause.I thought it was the sativas making me paranoid, but now I'm sure it's most likely politics...
Peace

 

[TronCarter]

If I was Obama's Chief of staff - I'd be quietly delaying this thing. It's the wrong time. It's a wee too early, from the Obama administration's perspective.

This is something he would be FAR wiser to order about 15-18 months from now - in the wake of Cali's TC2010 ballot vote. A HUGE public commission with public hearings all over the country that last for freakin EVER. Long enough that the findings of THAT commission will be delivered AFTER the next Presidential election - not before it.

The Canadian Senate's Special Committee on Illegal Drugs took nearly two and a half years to hear from witnesses and deliver its report. (If you have never read the Nolin Commission's Report - you should. It is, far and away, the most thorough, honest and complete governmental report on Marijuana ever written.)

That sounds like JUST the sort of timing Obama needs - starting in about early-to-mid 2011.

Just sayin'.

But maybe this is actually perfect timing in a shrewd sense? If your estimates are right, this would have impact in 2012 sometime. If, and this is a very big, hypothetical 'if', if by some miracle MJ was lowered in schedule by 2012 (or even in the process of being lowered), would you not feel indebted to that administration for actually making it happen? I know I would. I didn't vote in 08 because I wasn't really happy with either candidate, but I would camp out ahead of time to plunk down my vote for this guy and his crew if they can pull this thing off. 2008-Early voting for the win, 2012- the weed vote? Maybe this was the plan all along.

 

[draco]

"Meet the new boss... same as the old boss.." - The Who

I ask myself, self why do you think that all this means is that some new players want in?

Private prison biz is BOOMING (potent lobby), leo is seizuring and of course there is pharma. pharma will come out of this looking like sterling examples cause they rightly devined th turn of the tide and mark this: there will be a new class of '''offender" in just another effort to make hardened criminls out of ordinary citizens (read %.08) and confiscate their property.

On the face of it, it sounds good. But forgive me if i hold my applause

 

[Guest 88950]

I think that everyone who thinks a) change won't happen, or b) the report will be ignored is wrong.

Why?

Cause the change is IN THE BAG!

I've figured out what is going on...

Look at what happened in the UK...

They decriminalized cannabis for what? A year or two? Why? What happened in that time?

Look no further than GW Pharmaceuticals getting their OK to sell their version of cannabis extract.

Then what happened?

The UK recriminalized cannabis!!!

Now look at the US...

No US pharmaceutical company can sell cannabis products, only the US gov't at this time (hey didn't they try to patent some cannabis derivative or name?)

So they're gonna find an excuse to move it to Schedule II so Big pharma can go and develop & sell their cannabis remedies.

And once they've all gotten in on the action, that ever reliable servant of Big Pharma, the US gov't, will go and recriminalize cannabis so that the only legal version is coming from Big Pharma...

It worked in the UK, it'll work here.

That's why the UK gov't got so bent out of shape when their Drug Czar compared marijuana to alcohol and tobacco. They don't want to decriminalize again or allow for people to grow their own medicine. That would hurt Big Pharma and we can't have that, can we? That's why they are once again demonizing marijuana (but not that grown by GW Pharmaceuticals! - That's just fine!)

So while this report is being researched and written (with the results already known), Big pHarma is ramping up their cannabis research and you can bet when the report is released there will be quick action on the part of Obama who will reclassify marijuana as Schedule II, and big pharma will announce all their new cannabis based drugs are ready for market, waiting for FDA approval (which will also come swiftly). The rush is to beat out GW Pharma and other companies.

There are a number of new startup cannabis companies too who are expecting a piece of the action. There's so much $$$ going into cannabis research in the US at this moment that NO LAW will stop them from delivering their products to market...

Skip, i hear what you are saying but one crucial point that cant be overlooked is that a Schedule I controlled substance has NO MEDICINAL VALUE.

when Cannabis is rescheduled to a Class II controlled substance then and only then will the U.S. govt acknowledge that Cannabis has medicinal value.

if it gets rescheduled and moved back to a Class I then Cannabis has NO Medicinal Value but what about the Canna-drugs developed by Big Pharma?

whatever happens 5.0 and big-pharma can kiss my ass b/c i will continue to cultivate my meds. there's no way i'm going to take the half-assed attempt to make a Canna-Drug that has a list of side effects that will probably kill me before nature does by old age. i tried to get on Marinol but a months supply cost over $900.

whatever they make its going to cost $$$.

well, for the few years its a Class II ill grow enough to last me a long time.

 

[draco]

I think there will come a day when we long for the good ole days of prohibition!

NAH!!!

We'll be trading cuts across the back fence burning fatties while we bbq... th kids will sell kush seeds for fundraisers and there will be cafes on most corners... walgreens will have sales on tinctures and popsicles will have REAL rainbow flavors... i can see it now - the future is gonna be just great!

haze rant off...