New Left-Right Coalition Launches Campaign To Legalize Pot

[one...two...tree 2,762]

By Ryan Grim

A transpartisan coalition of prosecutors, judges, cops, students, bloggers and political operatives on both sides of the aisle launched a campaign Tuesday to bring an end to marijuana prohibition, focusing on ballot initiatives in 2010 and 2012. The campaign, "Just Say Now," gets its name from Nancy Reagan's iconic anti-drug slogan from the 1980s that has become synonymous with the government's black-and-white approach to drug policy.

"The stars are aligning in a very interesting way with Tea Party activists, who are generally libertarian," said Aaron Houston, head of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, on a conference call Tuesday afternoon announcing the formation of the coalition. "On the right and left it's a very popular issue."

The campaign will be backing marijuana initiatives in 2010 in Arizona, Oregon, California, Colorado and South Dakota. The group will back initiatives in Nevada and elsewhere in 2012.

Support for marijuana legalization has steadily increased over the past decade. As Mexico has descended into chaos fueled by the drug trade - a business overwhelmingly dominated by marijuana trafficking, despite the common perception that cocaine and heroin drive the war - public opinion has turned further sour against the drug war. With deficit concerns in the headlines and a stagnant economy refusing to create jobs, one time opponents of legalization are eyeing marijuana's tax revenue and job-creation prospects - conditions that helped repeal alcohol prohibition during the Great Depression.

Marijuana has been part of the national consciousness since the mid-1960s, the first drug other than alcohol to be so thoroughly a part of American culture. Cocaine and heroin rose at the end of the 19th Century but largely went deep underground until the 1970s; use of those harder drugs, meanwhile, has always been confined to smaller portions of the population. Marijuana, meanwhile, has been smoked by scores of millions of Americans, including the last three presidents. Medical marijuana is legal in 14 states and the District of Columbia.

The organization Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, made up of cops and prosecutors who've seen the dark side of the war on drugs, will give cover to politicians who come out in support of legalization. Its current president is Neill Franklin, a 33-year police veteran and ran anti-narcotics units with the Maryland State Police.

One LEAP leader, Norm Stamper, former chief of police in Seattle, Washington, the predecessor of current Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske. "Most police office candidates have used marijuana," said Stamper, noting the hypocrisy of the law. He said that law enforcement officials are becoming less frightened of speaking out publicly against the war on drugs.

Bruce Fein, a member of the coalition, was Ronald Reagan's associate deputy attorney general and is a prominent civil libertarian. "This is a fundamental issue of states' rights," said Fein.

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[Obama 2012 1,714]

FREE THE WEED!!!!!

[The_Dude 1,142]

The real objective of this movement is to get 18-29 year old voters to actually show up en masse like they did for the presidential election.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Laws against pot were implemented by people who had never tried it, for reasons other than public health.

You have to try pot to really understand how ridiculous the legal position is.

[The_Dude 1,142]

Laws against pot were implemented by people who had never tried it, for reasons other than public health.

You have to try pot to really understand how ridiculous the legal position is.

Laws against pot were enacted because the DuPont family invented fibres that would have been in direct competition with hemp ropes, which were much cheaper to produce. Queue up Harry Anslinger and voila, you've got 80 years of prohibition that hasn't decreased usage one bit.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Laws against pot were enacted because the DuPont family invented fibres that would have been in direct competition with hemp ropes, which were much cheaper to produce. Queue up Harry Anslinger and voila, you've got 80 years of prohibition that hasn't decreased usage one bit.

It doesn't help that the issue is one of those that has become wrapped up in religious morality.

[Ban Hammer 12,837]

"The stars are aligning in a very interesting way with Tea Party activists, who are generally libertarian," said Aaron Houston,

oh what bs - we all know they are right wing nuts!

[The_Dude 1,142]

oh what bs - we all know they are right wing nuts!

Well he did say that they are Libertarians, so there is no BS

Well, only the John Stossel, Gary, Paul type of Libertarians are the wingnuts.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Libertarianism IS a wingnut philosophy, not terribly far removed from anarchy - but with its own tyrannical structures that proponents would rather ignore.

[Captain Oates 910]

Cannabis stinks like smoldering horse dirt and the hair of people who use it and sell it looks like horse dirt too..

Parachute the whole lot of em into Afghanistan where there is plenty of it.

Good job all GC holders and naturalized citizens have no convictions for it.

Send em back if they get caught with it and good riddance to this stinky crew...

[The_Dude 1,142]

Libertarianism IS a wingnut philosophy, not terribly far removed from anarchy - but with its own tyrannical structures that proponents would rather ignore.

Civil Libertarians are not wingnuts.

[웃 910]

Cannabis stinks like smoldering horse dirt and the hair of people who use it and sell it looks like horse dirt too..

Parachute the whole lot of em into Afghanistan where there is plenty of it.

Good job all GC holders and naturalized citizens have no convictions for it.

Send em back if they get caught with it and good riddance to this stinky crew...

Cannabis smells absolutely delicious. It's a lovely looking plant too!

[Captain Oates 910]

Cannabis smells absolutely delicious. It's a lovely looking plant too!

Tell it to the judge.

It's filth and so are the drug dealers

and so are the drug users

Edited August 4, 2010 by saywhat

[웃 910]

Tell it to the judge.

It's filth and so are the drug dealers

and so are the drug users

Alcohol dealers and the users of that dangerous narcotic are filth.

Drink too much, you can't talk, you slur words, you can't walk, you can't operate a motorized vehicle, you have sex (usually unprotected) with someone you would NEVER shake hands with if you were sober, you become violent, you vomit, you pass out, people end up severely injured or dead....

Smoke too much, you get tired and/or hungry....

Which one is worse?

Edited August 4, 2010 by Lord Infamous

[ready4ONE 5,400]

I imagine Hostess and Frito Lay will become corporate backers if this movement gains traction!

The war on drugs is an epic failure.