72off.net

This will never happen. But nice to see some progress.

 Marijuana Could Be Decriminalized in Mass.
Posted by CN Staff on January 29, 2008 at 05:39:29 PT
By Rachel Leamon
Source: Daily Free Press

MA — Massachusetts lawmakers may end up passing more than legislation if three proposed bills reducing punishment for marijuana possession from jail time to a small fine are voted into law.
Proposed Senate bills no. 1121 and no. 1011 would replace criminal penalties for possession of less than one ounce of marijuana with a civil fine. House bill no. 2247 will create a program to make it legal for people to grow, smoke or possess marijuana with a doctor’s written certification.

Under current Massachusetts law, people arrested for possession of any amount of marijuana can face up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $500, according to the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy.

“Creating a civil penalty system instead of a criminal one would save Massachusetts millions of dollars in law enforcement resources, and it’s been proven that decriminalization does not increase marijuana use,” said Sensible Marijuana Policy chairwoman Whitney Taylor.

Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition President Keith Saunders said previous polls show voters in the commonwealth support the bills.

He said the proposed legislation is based on public policy questions MassCann and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws have asked since 2000.

“Massachusetts voters have made it clear that they do not consider the 10 percent of the state’s populace who uses marijuana each month to be acting in a criminal manner just for smoking pot,” he said.

Some in the medical field say reducing the punishment of marijuana may cause people to abuse it or other drugs.

“In its current state, it has been noted that marijuana can serve as a ‘gateway’ drug, sometimes leading to the use of more dangerous drugs,” said Boston University Student Health Services Director Dr. David McBride.

He said marijuana smoke has the same carcinogens as tobacco smoke, causing similar health defects. Long-term smoking of any kind can lead to mouth and lung cancer and emphysema, McBride said.

BU School of Hospitality senior Sara Shein said marijuana has an unfair stigma attached to it and its misperceptions make it seem more harmful than it is.

“Many people use it to help with anxiety and I think it can help people in a way that prescription medications can’t,” she said.

BU College of Communication freshman Sadaf Ayub said she has noticed in her home state of California a smaller punishment for marijuana possession would have few negative effects.

“I think people are more responsible about smoking in [California] because the laws are less strict there,” she said.

Source: Daily Free Press (Boston U, MA Edu)
Author: Rachel Leamon
Published: January 29, 2008
Copyright: 2008 Back Bay Publishing, Inc.
Contact: letters@dailyfreepress.com
Website: http://www.dailyfreepress.com/

Tags: Back Bay Publishing Inc, Boston, Boston University, BU College of Communication, BU School of Hospitality, california, Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy, David McBride, Keith Saunders, law enforcement resources, massachusetts, Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition, MassCann, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, Proposed Senate, Rachel Leamon Published, Rachel Leamon Source, Sadaf Ayub, Sara Shein, USD, Whitney Taylor

Legal Pot, a Plus
Posted by CN Staff on September 25, 2007 at 19:01:30 PT
By Rachael Baldwin, Staff Writer
Source: Collegian
read it here

Oklahoma — The legalization of marijuana would greatly impact the U.S. economy. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, website, marijuana is mericas most valuable crop.?
Marijuana crops in the United States are worth about 35.8 billion dollars per year, which is 12.5 billion more dollars per year than corn, the second most profitable crop. If taxed like alcohol and tobacco, marijuana could bring in even more money.

Marijuana sales could generate an estimated 6.2 billion dollars per year in taxes, according to Harvard professor Jeffrey Miron. Legalization of marijuana could also save law enforcement agencies an astronomical amount of money. Miron estimates that marijuana legalization could save the United States as much as 7.7 billion dollars in law enforcement costs per year.

Marijuana legalization would be great for our economy, but isn’t marijuana a dangerous drug that could lead users down the hopeless road of addiction?

First of all, marijuana is not physically addictive. Unlike heroin, alcohol and even tobacco and caffeine, discontinuing the use of marijuana does not produce physical withdrawal symptoms, thus one cannot be detoxed from THC, the chemical in marijuana responsible for producing the high in the smoker.

Secondly, marijuana, if used responsibly, is safe. According to drugwarfacts.org, there are an estimated 435,000 deaths per year in the United States due to tobacco use and 85,000 deaths due to alcohol.

So, how many people die every year from using marijuana? Zero. Thats right, the use of marijuana alone has not been shown to cause any deaths.

Marijuana is demonized and reputed to be a gateway drug that leads to the use of harder drugs like heroin. Many people who sell marijuana also sell other illegal drugs.

If one could purchase marijuana legally, then one would not be exposed to or offered other drugs when purchasing pot, which could reduce the risk of experimenting with hard drugs. Legalizing marijuana could actually help decrease the use of dangerous drugs by reducing exposure to them.

People are always going to use illegal drugs, but many more people use marijuana than heroin, cocaine, LSD or ecstasy.

Marijuana use is prevalent in the United States. According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, marijuana is one of the three most popular drugs used in America, along with alcohol and tobacco.

It is estimated that 20 million Americans have used marijuana in the past year. If this many people use marijuana, why have the laws against marijuana remained the same?

Times are changing. More and more people are realizing the need for marijuana law reform and decriminalization.

While recent 2006 marijuana initiatives were defeated, support for them is growing. In Colorado a law to legalize marijuana was defeated 60 percent to 40 percent.

In Nevada a law that not only legalized marijuana, but also set up a taxation plan, was only defeated 56 percent to 44 percent.

Decriminalization and legalization of marijuana are going to happen. It will be beneficial to the economy and those who enjoy smoking, drinking, eating or vaporizing marijuana.

The legalization of marijuana will mean a push for progress, not social degeneration.

Source: Collegian, The (U of Tulsa, OK Edu)
Author: Rachael Baldwin, Staff Writer
Published: September 25, 2007
Copyright: 2007 The Collegian
Contact: collegian@utulsa.edu
Website: http://www.utulsa.edu/collegian/

It seems crazy that The US goverment would pass on all the Tax Revenue they could be recieveing.
But this is a War that only a few want to fight.

Tags: America, Colorado, Drug Enforcement Administration, Harvard, Jeffrey Miron, law enforcement agencies, law enforcement costs, marijuana law reform, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, Nevada, Oklahoma, Rachael Baldwin, USD