Marijuana Legalization: Retired Seattle Police Chief Says Obama Should Listen to Voters
We understand Mr. Obama has a full plate. Our economic crisis and the threat of terrorism are only two examples. However, we know that ending the drug war will offer a partial fix to both of these issues.
Tue, Dec 30, 2008 8:14 pm
Source: salem-news.com
(SEATTLE) - In early December, Barack Obama invited Americans to participate in an unprecedented, bottom-up approach to government. Visitors to the President-elect’s official website, Change.gov, were able to submit questions and vote on which questions should take priority for the new administration.
More than a dozen of the top 50 questions called for amending America’s drug policies, with inquiries ranging from availability of doctor-recommended medical marijuana to the economic impact of continuing to arrest and incarcerate millions of people for drug offenses.
The number one vote getter was:
"Q: Will you consider legalizing marijuana so that the government can regulate it, tax it, put age limits on it, and create millions of new jobs and create a billion dollar industry right here in the U.S.?"
Americans got their answer, sort of. A one-sentence response from the President-elect’s transition team:
"A: President-elect Obama is not in favor of the legalization of marijuana."
Speaking as a 34-year cop with six years as police chief of one of America’s largest cities, I know how much money has been squandered in prosecuting the drug war. Obviously, I’m disappointed and confused by this response.
His silence on the issue can't be due to fear of political backlash. He and his team must have seen the recent Zogby poll that shows three of four Americans believe the "war on drugs" is a failure. And the Time/CNN poll showing only 19 percent of Americans think we should continue arresting and jailing marijuana users.
We understand Mr. Obama has a full plate. Our economic crisis and the threat of terrorism are only two examples. However, we know that ending the drug war will offer a partial fix to both of these issues.
A legal and regulated drug trade would imprison fewer people and generate substantial new revenues. A recently released Harvard study reports we could boost our economy by at least $76.8 billion a year by ending drug prohibition, and that’s a conservative estimate.
Legalizing and regulating drugs would help Mr. Obama achieve a greater state of security for Americans. It would effectively “take a bite out of” rampant domestic organized crime, which goes well beyond mere domestic street gangsters. And, given that our drug war enriches the coffers of organizations such as the Taliban and al Qaeda, it would dramatically reduce international crime and terrorism.
In Mexico, President Felipe Calderón’s increased police and military pressure on drug traffickers has not slowed the supply or the demand for drugs. In fact, the crackdown has only added to illegal drug markets and spiraling violence.
Despite this, Calderon has asked U.S. taxpayers for $1.4 billion to fund his country’s version of our failed policy. Amazingly, we’re handing it over.
At the request of President-elect Obama, Americans have initiated discussion about the immediate and far reaching implications of our disastrous drug policy. We respectfully ask Mr. Obama to explain his position to all the people who took the time to participate in this innovative, democratic process.
We need to know when this issue truly will be “open for questions.”
For more background, visit this Salem-News.com article by Tim King: Marijuana Legalization Tops List of Questions for Obama in Online Poll
Norm Stamper, former Chief of Police of Seattle, is an advisory board member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (CopsSayLegalizeDrugs.com). He is the author of Breaking Rank: A Top Cop’s Exposé of the Dark Side of American Policing. You can email Norm at media@leap.cc. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) is an international nonprofit educational organization whose mission is to reduce the multitude of harmful consequences resulting from fighting the war on drugs and to lessen the incidence of death, disease, crime and addiction by ultimately ending drug prohibition.













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chaz@$
Feb 11 2009, 9:30 am
http://www.drugsense.org/wodclock.htm
http://www.actionamerica.org/drugs/wod-pt1.shtml
great site for sourse to help with the leagalization of drugs forgot to add from before just so pissed off you know
CHAZ@$
Feb 11 2009, 9:17 am
THE SO CALLED WAR ON DRUGS Here are some of the facts of the criminalization of drug users and drug abuser. Between 1910 and 1982 the prison population grew to around 500,000 nation wide. So it took 72 years to reach around 500,000.
Then from 1982-2001 the prisons grew to around 2,000,000 people nation wide. That means in 20 years the War on Drug policy tripled the prison population. You can thank the presidents who were in charge of choosing the so called experienced leader of the DEA for making that happening. Zero tolerance is there way of life and its hurting us.
Less than 400,000 are of the violent crimes like murderers And between 1 and 1.5 million are of non violent, tax paying citizens who had possession of drugs and most of these were marijuana users who never harmed anyone.
Tens of millions of young people in this country had there rights taken away because of simple possion of marijuana. In other words they can not vote and are 2nd class citizens. The research and the scientific proof state that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol. Not including it helps prevent the spreading of cancer and possibly target only cancer cells instead of non cancer cells. It also relieves inflammation and severe pain, and 700 other medical uses. Including shrinking of tumors and helps some ADD patients.
The government needs to legalize it. Place Strict Regulations like alcohol and start using programs like the Swiss used. Underage users of any mind altering substance including alcohol should go through a class of 40 hours or more for 1st time offence.
For 2nd time offence underage user must where shirts to school, provided by the government, of some kind of warning of underage use of drugs and must do at least 1,000 hours of community service.
For 3rd time offence parents are held responsible for there child. The parent must take child to school and be picked up from school. The parent will do community service with child up to 1,000 hours.
Make a law stating no employer can fire the person for taking off from work to do community service with underage user. Parent must be able to claim some kind of compensation lost from pay if needed. Have to pay the bills. If the government can spend 22 billion this year alone on the War on Drugs, they can easily afford compensation for those who need it.
The drug on wars can never win and it’s destroyed the image of this wonderful country. The US has the highest prison population in the world. The WAR ON DRUGS also have allowed terrorists to great increase there profits Here have been many people including federal agents, police offers who have said this so called war on drugs does not work. It greatly increased violence in the streets and put billions of dollars in terrorist’s hands. It doesn't work. It cost 1,600.00 every second in this country on a failed policy that does not work. This year it will cost the tax payers 22 billion dollars on the War on Drugs. It will also cost the tax payers 40 billion dollars for the 2,000,000 prisoners each year. We need to come up with something like the Swiss who dramatically decreased there drugs in the streets and turn many people’s lives around.
Legalizing marijuana would bring in 2.4-7.2 billion dollars annually depending on tax. It will also dramatically cut the cost of the War on Drug policy saving 10’s of billions or more.
Including decriminalizing to the ones who are already in prison for possessions of marijuana and that could save 15-20 billion dollars in cost of prisoners or more annually.
The production of hemp can be used with and for making many different products. This could bring up revenue of around 5 billion annually. And those who are scared it could bring down the other companies; you can add that source to your products, which could bring down cost.
Like making plastic bottles using hemp oil from seeds to make and cell phones, plastic bags, sand which bags, and other daily or yearly items that are thrown away. Because hemp plastic made from hemp oil its also bio-degradable. For those you who are going green these are just thoughts to help you make even more solutions. That could bring 1-3 billion annually or more.
Farmers can also make hemp seed as a food source. These hemp seeds are loaded with healthy minerals and amino acids. And can help feed many people in countries where food is little.
You can also make hemp cooking oil which again is loaded in amino acids and from my knowledge can keep that heart of yours healthy. Or use hemp seeds as a topping on rice, noodles, and salads. You can also make hemp seed oil and use it to make bios fuels which could bring in 1-5 billion annually. Not including making 1.5 million jobs.
This could bring in a total of $40-$60 Billion for the government in savings and tax profit in the first year.
bmw
Feb 4 2009, 5:16 pm
karen21550
Jan 26 2009, 7:22 pm
to below
Jan 24 2009, 10:30 am
Yo retard , nobody forced you to break the law . get it ?
Yo retard , DEA "Drug ENFORCEMENT Agency " enforcing the laws , get it ? Dumbass .
Nobody is even considering "disbanning " the DEA because some pot nead on Hightime Website thinks they should . Get it ?
It IS called reality for a reason . Have some , it doesn't hurt . Dumbass.
TheGrimReefer
Jan 22 2009, 4:01 pm
Obama Stimulus Package
Jan 9 2009, 11:15 pm
Bad laws...
Jan 5 2009, 7:15 pm
cannabiskid
Jan 4 2009, 3:27 pm
What scares people these days are...republicans.
That ...and um.... democrats
HU210
Jan 4 2009, 9:19 am
From: Rottingnation.com
Dec.18, 2008 in Anarchy, Big Government
The term Anarchy has been used since the French Revolution to describe a society with no government. This is the most basic definition of Anarchy. The word, however, is much misunderstood, as most individuals seem to equate it with violence and chaos. Real Anarchists (not the kind you see in movies, but the ones that exist in the real world) are actually opposed to violence and chaos. This, in fact, is where their resistance to the state actually stems from, as they believe that governments are amongst the worst perpetuators of violence, oppression, and chaos in the world.
One specific place that Anarchists often see fault in government is through their oppression of the people they rule over. In fact, the Declaration of Independence of the United States declares that, “…to secure these rights, government are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” Anarchists, however, will argue that there is never true consent of the governed. In any form of government there will always be a percentage of the population, no matter how small, that disagrees with the actions of the government, and those individuals will always be oppressed.
Individualist Anarchists also believe in the absolute sovereignty of the individual. This means that every person should have complete and unlimited control over his or her own self. If a person wants to use a drug, they should be allowed to. If a person wants to speak their mind, then they should be allowed to. The individual is king over himself. Anarchists believe that any restraint on this sovereignty is evil, but if a government places that restraint, then it is an absolute evil. This is because governments can act under the veil of legitimacy. This line of thinking leads Anarchists to the conclusion that individualism and the state are utterly irreconcilable.
Anarchists also favor economic freedom meaning that the state should not have any influence in the economy. This is because they see political power and wealth as inseparable. When a government is formed, much of the countries wealth is funneled to the political elite and their direct supporters and influences. Anarchists believe that when there is a state apparatus in place a majority of the people, likely the middle-class and lower-class, are exploited. There is also a minority of people that both exploit and are exploited. There is, however, one class of people that are the rich political elites that do nothing but exploit the rest of the population. The elite status and the wealth were obtained through politics and the government, which therefore makes the state evil in their inherent oppression of the majority of the population.
Anarchists are not inherently violent individuals, despite their reputation, and they do not aim to bring chaos to the world. The end goal of Anarchism is the abolishment of the state, but supporters of the philosophy do not believe that this will lead to chaos. On the contrary, they believe that governments all over the world create violence, oppression, exploitation, and chaos everywhere they are formed. This, according to Anarchists, is achieved through wars, taxes, suppression of personal freedoms, suppression of economic freedoms, and many other immoral acts of the state. Therefore, a society without the influence of governing bodies that have a “legal monopoly over the use force,” as Anarcho-Capitalist Murray Rothbard puts it, could not have a worse outcome than what already exists
How ya gonna vote next time-eh?
retired Seattle Janitor
Jan 4 2009, 5:43 am
umm
Jan 2 2009, 10:18 am
♥
poo taco
Jan 2 2009, 10:13 am
What you thought he was going to legalize weed because he looks black? Obama's just going to through his arms up and say "fuck it man, lets roll a blunt ni&&a!"
If Canada was warmer...I'd live there...
idk
Jan 2 2009, 9:31 am
to below
Jan 2 2009, 4:19 am
The key point was " As you can see , none of that makes any real sense " . Now apply that phrase to your DEA claim and we have what is called reality . Get somebody to explain it to you .
AazzTunah
Jan 1 2009, 7:22 pm
to : "Aazz Tunah
Jan 1 2009, 3:36 pm
I want to get away with murder ...lets do away with homocide detectives .
I want to break in and steal shit from my neighbors ...lets get rid of patrol cars .
As you can see , none of that makes any real sense . Welcome to the real world .
HU210
Jan 1 2009, 11:12 am
Just copy P-Towns letter below and send to Obama this way,
comments@whitehouse.gov
or call
202-456-1111 and leave a comment.
No excuses now. Just do it-eh?
HU210
Jan 1 2009, 9:57 am
President Obama
1600 Pennsylvania Ave
Washington, D.C. 20500
Mail on Jan 17 so they will be in his mail the day he is sworn in Jan 20.
It wont hurt to include a letter to your congress-critters while were at it, as well.
Make demockery fun!
Happy New Year to one and all.
AazzTunah
Jan 1 2009, 9:30 am
Ever since the greater part of the last century, the D.E.A. and it's forebears have been
at the center of formulating drug policy in this country. The U.S.A. is still unwilling to
come to grips with Pot, which the D.E.A. has controlled public opinion on, for way too
long now. Time to shut down the D.E.A.
to below
Jan 1 2009, 7:06 am
AazzTunah
Jan 1 2009, 2:25 am
the D.E.A. and it's mindless minions.
Remember Johnny Appleseed ? To start, everybody, everywhere that's able to - start
planting pot seeds everywhere around where you live. Let's GREEN OUT THE D.E.A !!
h.i. ( 777 )
Jan 1 2009, 12:12 am
change. lol
Dec 31 2008, 2:23 pm
cinnamon
Dec 31 2008, 1:09 pm
yeah your right
Dec 31 2008, 12:54 pm
obama is NWO
Dec 31 2008, 11:56 am
Dennis Kucinich, Ron Paul, or Cynthia McKinney they where the best choices and they where the ones the media ignored or smeared the most. Even hightimes smoked the obama pole.
The Black Farmer
Dec 31 2008, 11:20 am
P-Towns Finest
Dec 30 2008, 11:44 pm
President-elect Obama,
Your campaign slogan focused on the word "CHANGE". In reading a few of the respsonses to the questions regarding the legalization of marijuana I noticed that the responses were, well, on the short side. Mr. Obama, the American drug war is a failure. You know it, and America knows it. As your presidential term nears I am sure it is no suprise to you that the economy is currently in shambles. In a recent Harvard study, reports show that we could boost our economy by 76.8 Billion dollars a year, and thats a conservative estimate. Some may argue that smoking marijuana is harmful to your health, when in reality, marijuana is no more harmful that drinking a beer, or smoking a cigarette. In fact, in a lab study, marijuana reduced lung cancer tumors by up to fifty percent. You may also argue that by leagalizing marijuana you are making it more appealing to youth. While marijuana is illegal in Amsterdam, it is tolerated in a sense. Many people think that Amsterdam is filled with nothing but "stoners" when in fact, they have half the marijuana use that the US does. In states that have medical marijuana regulations marijuana use in teens have actually declined. Mr. Obama, the dictionary defines CHANGE as "to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone. So, with all this being said my question is, Mr. Obama, why was the slogan of your campaign "Change we need", when you so clearly do not support the leagalization of marijuana?
chris456
Dec 30 2008, 11:04 pm
kinder
Dec 30 2008, 9:26 pm
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