Saturday, October 30, 2010
End the War on Pot
I dropped in on a marijuana shop here that proudly boasted that it sells “31 flavors.” It also offered a loyalty program. For every 10 purchases of pot — supposedly for medical uses — you get one free packet.
“There are five of these shops within a three-block radius,” explained the proprietor, Edward J. Kim. He brimmed with pride at his inventory and sounded like any small businessman as he complained about onerous government regulation. Like, well, state and federal laws.
But those burdensome regulations are already evaporating in California, where anyone who can fake a headache already can buy pot. Now there’s a significant chance that on Tuesday, California voters will choose to go further and broadly legalize marijuana.
I hope so. Our nearly century-long experiment in banning marijuana has failed as abysmally as Prohibition did, and California may now be pioneering a saner approach. Sure, there are risks if California legalizes pot. But our present drug policy has three catastrophic consequences.
First, it squanders billions of dollars that might be better used for education. California now spends more money on prisons than on higher education. It spends about $216,000 per year on each juvenile detainee, and just $8,000 on each child in the troubled Oakland public school system.
Each year, some 750,000 Americans are arrested for possession of small amounts of marijuana. Is that really the optimal use of our police force?
In contrast, legalizing and taxing marijuana would bring in substantial sums that could be used to pay for schools, libraries or early childhood education. A Harvard economist, Jeffrey A. Miron, calculates that marijuana could generate $8.7 billion in tax revenue each year if legalized nationally, while legalization would also save the same sum annually in enforcement costs.
That’s a $17 billion swing in the nation’s finances — enough to send every 3- and 4-year-old in a poor family to a high-quality preschool. And that’s an investment that would improve education outcomes and reduce crime and drug use in the future — with enough left over to pay for an extensive nationwide campaign to discourage drug use.
The second big problem with the drug war is that it has exacerbated poverty and devastated the family structure of African-Americans. Partly that’s because drug laws are enforced inequitably. Black and Latino men are much more likely than whites to be stopped and searched and, when drugs are found, prosecuted.
Here in Los Angeles, blacks are arrested for marijuana possession at seven times the rate whites are, according to a study by the Drug Policy Alliance, which favors legalization. Yet surveys consistently find that young whites use marijuana at higher rates than young blacks.
Partly because of drug laws, a black man now has a one-in-three chance of serving time in prison at some point in his life, according to the Sentencing Project, a group that seeks reform in the criminal justice system. This makes it more difficult for black men to find jobs, more difficult for black women to find suitable husbands, and less common for black children to grow up in stable families with black male role models. So, sure, drugs have devastated black communities — but the remedy of criminal sentencing has made the situation worse.
The third problem with our drug policy is that it creates crime and empowers gangs. “The only groups that benefit from continuing to keep marijuana illegal are the violent gangs and cartels that control its distribution and reap immense profits from it through the black market,” a group of current and former police officers, judges and prosecutors wrote last month in an open letter to voters in California.
I have no illusions about drugs. One of my childhood friends in Yamhill, Ore., pretty much squandered his life by dabbling with marijuana in ninth grade and then moving on to stronger stuff. And yes, there’s some risk that legalization would make such dabbling more common. But that hasn’t been a significant problem in Portugal, which decriminalized drug use in 2001.
Likewise, medical marijuana laws approved in 1996 have in effect made pot accessible to any adult in California, without any large increase in usage. Special medical clinics abound where for about $45 you can see a doctor who is certain to give you the medical recommendation that you need to buy marijuana. Then you can visit Mr. Kim and choose one of his 31 varieties, topping out at a private “OG” brand that costs $75 for one-eighth of an ounce. “It’s like a fine wine, cured, aged, dried,” he boasted.
Or browse the online offerings. One store advertises: “refer a friend, get free joint.” And the world hasn’t ended.
One advantage of our federal system is that when we have a failed policy, we can grope for improvements by experimenting at the state level. I hope California will lead the way on Tuesday by legalizing marijuana.
I invite you to visit my blog, On the Ground. Please also join me on Facebook, watch my YouTube videos and follow me on Twitter.
- Article from The New York Times
“There are five of these shops within a three-block radius,” explained the proprietor, Edward J. Kim. He brimmed with pride at his inventory and sounded like any small businessman as he complained about onerous government regulation. Like, well, state and federal laws.
But those burdensome regulations are already evaporating in California, where anyone who can fake a headache already can buy pot. Now there’s a significant chance that on Tuesday, California voters will choose to go further and broadly legalize marijuana.
I hope so. Our nearly century-long experiment in banning marijuana has failed as abysmally as Prohibition did, and California may now be pioneering a saner approach. Sure, there are risks if California legalizes pot. But our present drug policy has three catastrophic consequences.
First, it squanders billions of dollars that might be better used for education. California now spends more money on prisons than on higher education. It spends about $216,000 per year on each juvenile detainee, and just $8,000 on each child in the troubled Oakland public school system.
Each year, some 750,000 Americans are arrested for possession of small amounts of marijuana. Is that really the optimal use of our police force?
In contrast, legalizing and taxing marijuana would bring in substantial sums that could be used to pay for schools, libraries or early childhood education. A Harvard economist, Jeffrey A. Miron, calculates that marijuana could generate $8.7 billion in tax revenue each year if legalized nationally, while legalization would also save the same sum annually in enforcement costs.
That’s a $17 billion swing in the nation’s finances — enough to send every 3- and 4-year-old in a poor family to a high-quality preschool. And that’s an investment that would improve education outcomes and reduce crime and drug use in the future — with enough left over to pay for an extensive nationwide campaign to discourage drug use.
The second big problem with the drug war is that it has exacerbated poverty and devastated the family structure of African-Americans. Partly that’s because drug laws are enforced inequitably. Black and Latino men are much more likely than whites to be stopped and searched and, when drugs are found, prosecuted.
Here in Los Angeles, blacks are arrested for marijuana possession at seven times the rate whites are, according to a study by the Drug Policy Alliance, which favors legalization. Yet surveys consistently find that young whites use marijuana at higher rates than young blacks.
Partly because of drug laws, a black man now has a one-in-three chance of serving time in prison at some point in his life, according to the Sentencing Project, a group that seeks reform in the criminal justice system. This makes it more difficult for black men to find jobs, more difficult for black women to find suitable husbands, and less common for black children to grow up in stable families with black male role models. So, sure, drugs have devastated black communities — but the remedy of criminal sentencing has made the situation worse.
The third problem with our drug policy is that it creates crime and empowers gangs. “The only groups that benefit from continuing to keep marijuana illegal are the violent gangs and cartels that control its distribution and reap immense profits from it through the black market,” a group of current and former police officers, judges and prosecutors wrote last month in an open letter to voters in California.
I have no illusions about drugs. One of my childhood friends in Yamhill, Ore., pretty much squandered his life by dabbling with marijuana in ninth grade and then moving on to stronger stuff. And yes, there’s some risk that legalization would make such dabbling more common. But that hasn’t been a significant problem in Portugal, which decriminalized drug use in 2001.
Likewise, medical marijuana laws approved in 1996 have in effect made pot accessible to any adult in California, without any large increase in usage. Special medical clinics abound where for about $45 you can see a doctor who is certain to give you the medical recommendation that you need to buy marijuana. Then you can visit Mr. Kim and choose one of his 31 varieties, topping out at a private “OG” brand that costs $75 for one-eighth of an ounce. “It’s like a fine wine, cured, aged, dried,” he boasted.
Or browse the online offerings. One store advertises: “refer a friend, get free joint.” And the world hasn’t ended.
One advantage of our federal system is that when we have a failed policy, we can grope for improvements by experimenting at the state level. I hope California will lead the way on Tuesday by legalizing marijuana.
I invite you to visit my blog, On the Ground. Please also join me on Facebook, watch my YouTube videos and follow me on Twitter.
- Article from The New York Times
Peter Tosh Family Endorses Prop 19 and Just Say Now
In 1976, Reggae legend Peter Tosh released the song and album “Legalize It,” which quickly became an anthem for the marijuana reform movement.
Now, in 2010, the family of Peter Tosh is for the first time coming out and announcing its strong support of California’s Proposition 19 and the Just Say Now Campaign to legalize marijuana nationwide, including the launch of a new video from Peter Tosh’s son Dave, intended to help mobilize voters to go to the polls November 2, and to organize supporters to call voters for Prop 19 this weekend.
Peter Tosh’s family released the following statement:
“On behalf of Just Say Now, I can say that we are deeply honored Mr. Tosh’s family is carrying on the same legacy that marked his living years: speaking up for those whose voices weren’t as prominent,” said Aaron Houston, Executive Director of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy. “He was an early pioneer not only in music, but also in speaking out for marijuana legalization.”
It is truly an honor to have the endorsement and support from the Peter Tosh family in these final days for the Proposition 19 campaign. Join us in the last four days to pass Prop 19: sign up to call young voters and put Prop 19 over the top.
- Article from Just Say Now.
Now, in 2010, the family of Peter Tosh is for the first time coming out and announcing its strong support of California’s Proposition 19 and the Just Say Now Campaign to legalize marijuana nationwide, including the launch of a new video from Peter Tosh’s son Dave, intended to help mobilize voters to go to the polls November 2, and to organize supporters to call voters for Prop 19 this weekend.
Peter Tosh’s family released the following statement:
Today, as Peter Tosh did back in 1976 with the release of “Legalize It,” the Peter Tosh Estate proudly speaks out for marijuana legalization. They do this in the name of Peter Tosh, his music, and their strong belief in the power of “Yes” on California’s Proposition 19. Join them in the fight for legalization by supporting the Just Say Now campaign.In the video, Peter’s son Dave endorses Proposition 19:
My name is Dave Tosh, Peter Tosh has been a lifelong advocate for the legalization of marijuana. The song “Legalize It” from the album of the same name, became the anthem and the rally cry across the globe. On Nov 2nd California can help make this dream a reality, vote “Yes” on Proposition 19.
“On behalf of Just Say Now, I can say that we are deeply honored Mr. Tosh’s family is carrying on the same legacy that marked his living years: speaking up for those whose voices weren’t as prominent,” said Aaron Houston, Executive Director of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy. “He was an early pioneer not only in music, but also in speaking out for marijuana legalization.”
It is truly an honor to have the endorsement and support from the Peter Tosh family in these final days for the Proposition 19 campaign. Join us in the last four days to pass Prop 19: sign up to call young voters and put Prop 19 over the top.
- Article from Just Say Now.
FREE MARC Campaign at the Rally To Restore Sanity and or Fear
Marc Emery is imprisoned because of the insane Drug War. Join the FREE MARC EMERY Campaign at Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert's Rally to Restore Sanity and or Fear in Washington D.C. to hand out FREE MARC waterbottles and spread the message of Drug Sanity!
On October 30 at the National Mall in Washington D.C., the late-night comedy duo will host the event (two events?) as a satirical response to the recent rally held by zealous conservative newsnut Glenn Beck and other protests against various US wars. The FREE MARC Campaign will be there handing out waterbottles labeled with information about Marc Emery and the failed Drug War to the crowds streaming into the event from locations around the perimeter.
The Plan:
• If possible, volunteers should meet up EARLY - 7:30am sharp at the Metro Center in downtown D.C. (607 13th St. NW - Map & Details - Google Map). Click here for more information on parking lots and prices in the area. It will undoubtedly be extremely busy, so getting early will be essential to actually getting close to the Rally location.
• Organizers will have a U-Haul truck loaded with waterbottles and other handouts. Volunteers in groups of 2 or 3 people will unload cases of water and boxes of handouts at "drop-spots" and start handing them to every person walking by until they are all gone.
• Any volunteers that miss the pick up spot or come later than 7:30am can call FREE MARC Campaign organizer Catharine on her cell (401)-481-5560 and rendezvous with us at another water "drop-spot" along the way.
The Rally(ies) are from Noon to 3pm, but we will probably be handing out the majority of materials in the hour or two before the Rally and continue through the event if we have any left.
All volunteers receive a free FREE MARC t-shirt!
Read more about the waterbottle campaign on the Cannabis Culture Forums
Photo of the waterbottle with sticker
DOWNLOAD HERE
On October 30 at the National Mall in Washington D.C., the late-night comedy duo will host the event (two events?) as a satirical response to the recent rally held by zealous conservative newsnut Glenn Beck and other protests against various US wars. The FREE MARC Campaign will be there handing out waterbottles labeled with information about Marc Emery and the failed Drug War to the crowds streaming into the event from locations around the perimeter.
The Plan:
• If possible, volunteers should meet up EARLY - 7:30am sharp at the Metro Center in downtown D.C. (607 13th St. NW - Map & Details - Google Map). Click here for more information on parking lots and prices in the area. It will undoubtedly be extremely busy, so getting early will be essential to actually getting close to the Rally location.
• Organizers will have a U-Haul truck loaded with waterbottles and other handouts. Volunteers in groups of 2 or 3 people will unload cases of water and boxes of handouts at "drop-spots" and start handing them to every person walking by until they are all gone.
• Any volunteers that miss the pick up spot or come later than 7:30am can call FREE MARC Campaign organizer Catharine on her cell (401)-481-5560 and rendezvous with us at another water "drop-spot" along the way.
The Rally(ies) are from Noon to 3pm, but we will probably be handing out the majority of materials in the hour or two before the Rally and continue through the event if we have any left.
All volunteers receive a free FREE MARC t-shirt!
Read more about the waterbottle campaign on the Cannabis Culture Forums
Photo of the waterbottle with sticker
DOWNLOAD HERE
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Big Names Line Up in Support and Against Pot Dispensaries in Oregon
One thing voters may notice in Oregon’s Voters’ Guide this election is that some big names are supporting Measure 74, a measure that would green-light state-sanctioned medical marijuana dispensaries.
Turn on your radio Monday and you might hear a new ad with the voice of former Portland mayor and police chief, Tom Potter, supporting the measure.
“But I do support Measure 74,” he says in the ad. “It regulates medical marijuana. That change is overdue. Since medical marijuana is legal, we need to regulate it.”
The measure would allow patients like Troy Torgerson to buy pot and no longer depend on a personal grower or other patients with extra medical marijuana.
“I’m in a lot of pain, so the medicine does help a lot,” he says.
“Too many patients do not have access to medical cannabis,” says Anthony Johnson, co-author of Measure 74. “Patients that are homebound, seriously ill - a patient who gets diagnosed with cancer and must undergo chemotherapy shouldn’t have to wait three months for harvest or have to turn to the black market.”
Opponents to the measure say the measure is an attempt to legalize pot and will open more people up to drug addiction.
The Oregon Medical Association, which represents doctors, urges people to vote no, writing, it “exceeds the needs of unhealthy Oregonians and is beyond the practice of good medicine.” It will “result in the legalization of marijuana beyond any possible medical market under the medically unsubstantiated guise of medical need.”
The three major law enforcement associations - the Oregon District Attorneys Association, the Oregon Sheriff’s Association and the Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police – all oppose Measure 74.
“We’re at a crossroads of taking this drug to basically legality,” says the sheriff of Clatsop County, Tom Bergin, who’s one of the most outspoken opponents of Measure 74.
“And when you legalize something like this (availability) it means more abuse,” he says.
“If Measure 74 works effectively like we believe it does, it may very well help lead to legalization in the future,” says Johnson, “but that’s a debate for another time and Measure 74 should be debated on its own merits.”
There are more than 36,000 people enrolled in Oregon’s medical marijuana program which is about one percent of all Oregonians. California, New Mexico and Maine already have dispensaries.
- Article from KATU News.
Turn on your radio Monday and you might hear a new ad with the voice of former Portland mayor and police chief, Tom Potter, supporting the measure.
“But I do support Measure 74,” he says in the ad. “It regulates medical marijuana. That change is overdue. Since medical marijuana is legal, we need to regulate it.”
The measure would allow patients like Troy Torgerson to buy pot and no longer depend on a personal grower or other patients with extra medical marijuana.
“I’m in a lot of pain, so the medicine does help a lot,” he says.
“Too many patients do not have access to medical cannabis,” says Anthony Johnson, co-author of Measure 74. “Patients that are homebound, seriously ill - a patient who gets diagnosed with cancer and must undergo chemotherapy shouldn’t have to wait three months for harvest or have to turn to the black market.”
Opponents to the measure say the measure is an attempt to legalize pot and will open more people up to drug addiction.
The Oregon Medical Association, which represents doctors, urges people to vote no, writing, it “exceeds the needs of unhealthy Oregonians and is beyond the practice of good medicine.” It will “result in the legalization of marijuana beyond any possible medical market under the medically unsubstantiated guise of medical need.”
The three major law enforcement associations - the Oregon District Attorneys Association, the Oregon Sheriff’s Association and the Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police – all oppose Measure 74.
“We’re at a crossroads of taking this drug to basically legality,” says the sheriff of Clatsop County, Tom Bergin, who’s one of the most outspoken opponents of Measure 74.
“And when you legalize something like this (availability) it means more abuse,” he says.
“If Measure 74 works effectively like we believe it does, it may very well help lead to legalization in the future,” says Johnson, “but that’s a debate for another time and Measure 74 should be debated on its own merits.”
There are more than 36,000 people enrolled in Oregon’s medical marijuana program which is about one percent of all Oregonians. California, New Mexico and Maine already have dispensaries.
- Article from KATU News.
Denver City Council Eliminates Private Cannabis Caregivers Within City Limits
In a vote Monday night of 12-1 Council members adopted a measure to limit households within the city to just twelve plants total, and only two patients per home who must also live in the household.
Despite a new State law and regulation under HB 1284 allowing for up to 30 plants with a five patient limit per private caregiver, Denver City Council members saw fit to tighten those regulations more within Denver.
The law effectively eliminates private caregivers from growing cannabis for anyone but themselves and another person in the household. Each of the possible two patients per home are allowed six plants a piece and cannot caregive for anyone outside the home. Violations of the regulation would face tough fines and possible prosecution if inspections of a home revealed gross violations or lack of continued compliance. It’s not clear how the law will be enforced.
Most of the almost two hour public comment hearing was spent with council members commenting on their personal beliefs why the measure was proper to implement.
Councilman Charlie Brown commented, saying “..if Medical marijuana people (proponents) had cooperated would we be here (making this legislation)?”
Another Councilwoman commented to citizens in the hearing that had voiced concerns of foot traffic in and out of caregivers homes near them asking them, “Do these people look like they have a debilitating illness?”.
Patients complained in and out of the hearing that not everyone has the ability to grow cannabis and the rules would limit access to those who need the more personalized services a private caregiver could offer.
New patients under ongoing formation of HB 1284 regulations are not allowed to visit medical marijuana centers within 35 days of obtaining a signed recommendation. The rule stems from wording in Colorado Amendment 20 that allows the State Health Department to reject a medical MJ application within 35 days of recommendation. Private caregivers would be the ones to fill the void of time in which patients would be rejected by medical marijuana centers.
During the hearing Denver City Council also heard from a few residents for the strict regulation and one man who stated his neighbor was growing over 60 plants and with a new born child on the way he didn’t feel his safety or his new born child’s safety were secured with having a “large” cannabis operation next door. Council members used a few small situations like this throughout their comments as reasons why the law needed to be supported.
The Denver City Council also adopted wording as part of the law that will make them revisit the regulation in two years to see if the rules are working with the city and its neighborhoods.
The new Denver regulation could face a tough challenge in court though. Boulder, Colorado resident and Medical Marijuana patient Jason Lauve was acquitted last year of felony possession charges in a jury trial, despite the fact he had 35 ounces or 17 times the amount of suggested medical marijuana listed for personal use in Colorado’s Amendment 20. Lauve was injured in an accident in 2004 at Eldora Ski Resort and says he mixes smoking and using concentrates daily to control pain better than any pain management tool he has come across. His case is important because part of Colorado’s Medical Marijuana law allows patients in court to use an “affirmative defense”, allowing themselves and their doctors the decision on an appropriate amount of cannabis to posses in managing care, also allowing more than the suggested 2 ounces and 6 plants listed in Amendment 20. Jason Lauve’s acquittal reaffirmed this right in court.
The Denver City Council addressed the issue of Court challenge and constitutionality with its city attorney stating courts recently have decided on the side of regulation and have not favored medical marijuana advocates, and the city should feel confident in litigating any issues that rise from the new law.
9 people testified at the public comment Hearing. 5 against the regulation, and 4 in favor of it.
- This article also published at John Doe Radio.
Despite a new State law and regulation under HB 1284 allowing for up to 30 plants with a five patient limit per private caregiver, Denver City Council members saw fit to tighten those regulations more within Denver.
The law effectively eliminates private caregivers from growing cannabis for anyone but themselves and another person in the household. Each of the possible two patients per home are allowed six plants a piece and cannot caregive for anyone outside the home. Violations of the regulation would face tough fines and possible prosecution if inspections of a home revealed gross violations or lack of continued compliance. It’s not clear how the law will be enforced.
Most of the almost two hour public comment hearing was spent with council members commenting on their personal beliefs why the measure was proper to implement.
Councilman Charlie Brown commented, saying “..if Medical marijuana people (proponents) had cooperated would we be here (making this legislation)?”
Another Councilwoman commented to citizens in the hearing that had voiced concerns of foot traffic in and out of caregivers homes near them asking them, “Do these people look like they have a debilitating illness?”.
Patients complained in and out of the hearing that not everyone has the ability to grow cannabis and the rules would limit access to those who need the more personalized services a private caregiver could offer.
New patients under ongoing formation of HB 1284 regulations are not allowed to visit medical marijuana centers within 35 days of obtaining a signed recommendation. The rule stems from wording in Colorado Amendment 20 that allows the State Health Department to reject a medical MJ application within 35 days of recommendation. Private caregivers would be the ones to fill the void of time in which patients would be rejected by medical marijuana centers.
During the hearing Denver City Council also heard from a few residents for the strict regulation and one man who stated his neighbor was growing over 60 plants and with a new born child on the way he didn’t feel his safety or his new born child’s safety were secured with having a “large” cannabis operation next door. Council members used a few small situations like this throughout their comments as reasons why the law needed to be supported.
The Denver City Council also adopted wording as part of the law that will make them revisit the regulation in two years to see if the rules are working with the city and its neighborhoods.
The new Denver regulation could face a tough challenge in court though. Boulder, Colorado resident and Medical Marijuana patient Jason Lauve was acquitted last year of felony possession charges in a jury trial, despite the fact he had 35 ounces or 17 times the amount of suggested medical marijuana listed for personal use in Colorado’s Amendment 20. Lauve was injured in an accident in 2004 at Eldora Ski Resort and says he mixes smoking and using concentrates daily to control pain better than any pain management tool he has come across. His case is important because part of Colorado’s Medical Marijuana law allows patients in court to use an “affirmative defense”, allowing themselves and their doctors the decision on an appropriate amount of cannabis to posses in managing care, also allowing more than the suggested 2 ounces and 6 plants listed in Amendment 20. Jason Lauve’s acquittal reaffirmed this right in court.
The Denver City Council addressed the issue of Court challenge and constitutionality with its city attorney stating courts recently have decided on the side of regulation and have not favored medical marijuana advocates, and the city should feel confident in litigating any issues that rise from the new law.
9 people testified at the public comment Hearing. 5 against the regulation, and 4 in favor of it.
- This article also published at John Doe Radio.
YouTube Censors Pro Prop 19 Political Campaign (w/ Video)
Last week, comedian Steve Berke launched an online political campaign in support of Proposition 19 in California with the recent release of his latest music video, "Should Be Legalized", a political commentary on Eminem's music video "Love The Way You Lie." The campaign, supported by NORML (National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws) was generating huge internet buzz, and had amassed 108,000 views within 2 days, when YouTube flagged it for being offensive, thus requiring users to login to view the video, killing the video's chance at becoming viral. "We were on pace to reach 1 million views within a week, and our video was rallying supporters of Prop 19 and decriminalization in every state that had it on the ballot. Then YouTube flagged us for being offensive and killed any chance we had at reaching our potential audience. Their censorship of this video is similar to the Internet censorship that takes place in repressive countries like North Korea and China." YouTube failed to give any reason to Berke for flagging the video and it is presently inaccessible to the vast majority of worldwide. “The flagging system does not have a system of recourse and re-review,” stated Berke. Fort Lauderdale attorney Norm Kent, on the Board of Directors at NORML, is among those who are outraged. "We will not let YouTube squash a vibrant political campaign the week before the historic November 2nd elections. Videos of rapper Snoop Dogg smoking marijuana are not flagged as offensive, but a song that merely names him as a marijuana user is? YouTube is effectively freezing a viral political movement as it gains momentum in time for a critical vote. They must remove the flag. If they do not, we will pursue the matter further until they do.” NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre adds, "YouTube’s building a wall around Steve Berke’s video makes no sense in light of dozens of other videos that depict normal cannabis use. YouTube, whether it means to or not, is stifling legitimate political discourse regarding an important initiative vote in California next week that seeks to legalize and tax cannabis.” "I just don't understand it," said Berke. "People smoking marijuana in videos on YouTube go unflagged, but our video, that involves actors merely pretending to smoke marijuana as political satire, is flagged immediately." “In Eminem’s video, alcohol abuse, spousal abuse, sexual assault, arson and murder are all prevalent and the video is not censored in any way. In fact, YouTube runs ads against it, not only profiting off the video, but also making it viewable to all ages at all times,” Berke added. The link to Eminem's "Love The Way You Lie" is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uelHwf8o7_U&ob=av3e The link to Berke's "Should Be Legalized" is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdIYVWA0dr0 - Article from SFGN. | |
Prop 19 Down in Two New Polls
Two polls released Tuesday show Proposition 19, the California tax and regulate marijuana legalization initiative, in trouble.
Whether Tuesday's million dollar gift to the campaign by financier George Soros can make a difference in the final days, or whether a postulated "Reverse Bradley Effect" is causing support for the initiative to be unreported in polls conducted by live interviewers, will be seen next Tuesday.
The latest poll from Public Policy Polling (PPP) shows declining support for Proposition 19, California's tax and regulate marijuana legalization initiative. That poll has the measure losing, with 48% opposed and only 45% in favor.
A PPP poll in July had Prop 19 winning 52% to 36% and a PPP poll in September had it leading 47% to 38%. Tuesday's poll continues the downward trend line.
A new Suffolk University poll also has Prop 19 losing, 55% to 40%. That poll showed majority support for the measure only among voters under 35, 58% of whom said they would vote for it. All other age groups opposed it. The poll also showed Prop 19 losing even in the San Francisco Bay area, with support there at only 44%.
The Suffolk University poll was a statewide poll of 600 likely voters conducted by live telephone interviews and has a 4% margin of error. Prop 19 has fared significantly better in automated polls, leading some observers to suggest that respondents are less likely to respond honestly about supporting marijuana legalization in polls with live polltakers.
The Prop 19 campaign recently released its own internal poll, which showed the measure passing 56% to 41% when people were robo-polled and leading 48% to 45% when automated and live poll data were combined.
Stay tuned. There will be at least two more polls released before election day, one by PPP and one by the Field Poll. But the only poll that counts is the one voters head to in a week.
- Article from StoptheDrugWar.org.
Whether Tuesday's million dollar gift to the campaign by financier George Soros can make a difference in the final days, or whether a postulated "Reverse Bradley Effect" is causing support for the initiative to be unreported in polls conducted by live interviewers, will be seen next Tuesday.
The latest poll from Public Policy Polling (PPP) shows declining support for Proposition 19, California's tax and regulate marijuana legalization initiative. That poll has the measure losing, with 48% opposed and only 45% in favor.
A PPP poll in July had Prop 19 winning 52% to 36% and a PPP poll in September had it leading 47% to 38%. Tuesday's poll continues the downward trend line.
A new Suffolk University poll also has Prop 19 losing, 55% to 40%. That poll showed majority support for the measure only among voters under 35, 58% of whom said they would vote for it. All other age groups opposed it. The poll also showed Prop 19 losing even in the San Francisco Bay area, with support there at only 44%.
The Suffolk University poll was a statewide poll of 600 likely voters conducted by live telephone interviews and has a 4% margin of error. Prop 19 has fared significantly better in automated polls, leading some observers to suggest that respondents are less likely to respond honestly about supporting marijuana legalization in polls with live polltakers.
The Prop 19 campaign recently released its own internal poll, which showed the measure passing 56% to 41% when people were robo-polled and leading 48% to 45% when automated and live poll data were combined.
Stay tuned. There will be at least two more polls released before election day, one by PPP and one by the Field Poll. But the only poll that counts is the one voters head to in a week.
- Article from StoptheDrugWar.org.
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