Obama clarifies his stance on medical marijuana
President Obama clarified his position on medical marijuana in an interview with Rolling Stone, telling publisher Jann Wenner that he can’t “nullify congressional law.” “What I specifically said was that we were not going to prioritize prosecutions of persons who are using medical marijuana. I never made a commitment that somehow we were going to give carte blanche to large-scale producers and operators of marijuana – and the reason is, because it’s against federal law. I can’t nullify congressional...
read moreThe cost of a nation of incarceration
(CBS News) Is it fair to call the United States the “incarceration nation”? That’s what some experts say. And even some veteran law enforcement and correction officials think something’s gone wrong. Our Cover Story is reported now by Martha Teichner: At the Gadsden County Jail near Tallahassee, Fla., there are bunks, and mattresses on the floor. The jail has a capacity of about 150 inmates, but there are presently 230 inmates in the facility right now. Read...
read morePot Legalization Could Save U.S. $13.7 Billion Per Year
Your plans to celebrate 4/20 this Friday could actually make the government some money, if only such activities were legal. Pot Legalizati?on Could Save U.S. $13.7 Billion Per Year, 300 Economists Say! Read more
read moreNORML: About Marijuana
Marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America (behind only alcohol and tobacco), and has been used by nearly 100 million Americans. According to government surveys, some 25 million Americans have smoked marijuana in the past year, and more than 14 million do so regularly despite harsh laws against its use. Our public policies should reflect this reality, not deny it. Marijuana is far less dangerous than alcohol or tobacco. Around 50,000 people die each year from alcohol poisoning. Similarly, more than 400,000 deaths each...
read moreZakaria: Incarceration nation
By Fareed Zakaria, CNN Something caught my eye the other day: Pat Robertson, the high priest of the religious right, had some startling things to say about drugs. “I really believe we should treat marijuana the way we treat beverage alcohol,” Mr. Robertson said in a recent interview. “I’ve never used marijuana and I don’t intend to, but it’s just one of those things that I think. This war on drugs just hasn’t succeeded.” The reason Robertson is for legalizing marijuana is that it has created a...
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