Maybe Drug Prohibition will be at the bar having a shot with Alcohol Prohibition, celebrating its 50th birthday in conjunction with St Paddy's. 50 years ago marks the first international treaty to prohibit some drugs, adopted by the U.N.
Here is the I.D.P.C. summary of the global legal framework and its brief history.
In 1961, the UN Single Convention was signed, drawing together previous drug control legislation and forming the unified legal bedrock of the current system. Together with the Single Convention, the 1971 Psychotropics Convention and 1988 Trafficking Convention make up the instruments of international drug law. The overall objective remains as it was specified a century ago: to limit the production, distribution and use of drugs to scientific and medical purposes.
The US DEA and Justice Department aren't yet interested in observing the "scientific and medical" clause of this international treaty, given the DEA's federal ban on any university studying cannabis plants on-site.
PBS has a great documentary about the science of cannabis, and I just found this timeline on their site as well..."30 years of America's drug war" http://www.pbs.org/...
1971
(June 17) Nixon declares war on drugs.
At a press conference Nixon names drug abuse as "public enemy number one in the United States." He announces the creation of the Special Action Office for Drug Abuse Prevention (SAODAP), to be headed by Dr. Jerome Jaffe, a leading methadone treatment specialist. During the Nixon era, for the only time in the history of the war on drugs, the majority of funding goes towards treatment, rather than law enforcement.
The global declaration on drugs was in large part a declaration on marijuana, which was and still is the most-consumed 'drug' in the black-market. A majority of Mexican cartel profits have been made via marijuana, although the past decade has seen the Mexican cartels take over smuggling routes from South American cartels, as well as a marked increase in the meth trade.
In Columbus, New Mexico, the mayor and police chief were arrested along with nine other suspects for allegedly running guns to Mexico. According to the 84-page indictment, Columbus mayor Eddie Espinoza and the other suspects trafficked some 200 firearms to Mexico, including a shortened AK-47 variant.
If you think an American mayor being involved in gun-running is shocking, think about how a dozen mayors were killed by drug war violence in Mexico in 2010, including a 4-week period where six were killed.
Money makes the world go round. Same goes for the War on Drugs. Only now, in these times of budget crises nationwide, is there any serious effort at reform. And that effort is well underway in every single part of the country. Kentucky's Democratic Governor just signed drug war reform into law last week, lowering marijuana penalties. The Delaware House just voted 38-1 to support drug war reform in a strong way due to fiscal reasons:
The Delaware House of Representatives Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a comprehensive drug sentencing reform bill. The bill, House Bill 19, would, most notably, make simple drug possession offenses misdemeanors. Drug possession is currently a felony.
It also does away with the current possession with intent to distribute and distribution offenses and replaces them with aggravated possession and drug dealing. Judges would exercise more discretion in sentencing, with sentences being increased if certain aggravating factors, such as proximity to a school or the involvement of juveniles, are present.
The last time any effort this large was made at changing marijuana laws, my generation was not yet alive (Millenials, as they say). The effort in the 70s to reform marijuana laws was limited to far fewer states than we are seeing right now, and the truth about Alcohol Prohibition being ended only after individual states took action is a relevant and increasingly-known truth about Marijuana Prohibition.
Here's a list from NORML with most, but not all, of the latest efforts:
State Legislative:
Arizona - Bill To Defelonize Marijuana Possession Penalties Introduced In Arizona
California - Medical Marijuana Anti-Discrimination Bill Introduced In California
Connecticut - Bill To Reduce Marijuana Possession Penalties Reintroduced
Connecticut - Medical Marijuana Legislation Reintroduced in Connecticut Legis.
Delaware - Delaware Senate Considers Regulating Medical Marijuana
Florida - Bill To Offer Legal Protection To Medical Marijuana Patients Introduced I
Hawaii - Senate Approves Bill To Reduce Marijuana Penalties in Hawaii
Hawaii - Legislation to Expand Hawaii’s Medical Marijuana Limits Passes the Senate
Hawaii - State Senate Approves Licensing Medical Cannabis Dispensaries
Idaho - Idaho Considers Regulating Medical Marijuana
Illinois - Medical Marijuana Legislation Reintroduced in Illinois Legislature
Illinois - Bill to Reduce Marijuana Possession Penalties Introduced in Illinois
Indiana - UPDATE: Senate Approves Measure To Review Indiana Marijuana Laws
Kansas - House Lawmakers Reintroduce Kansas Cannabis Compassion & Care Act
Massachusetts - Massachusetts Legislature Considers Medical Marijuana Measure
Massachusetts - Bill to Regulate and Tax Marijuana Introduced in Massachusetts Legislature
Maryland - Legislation to Reduce Penalties for Marijuana Possession Introduced in Maryland
Maryland - Coalition Of Lawmakers Reintroduce Measures To Regulate Medical Marijuana In Maryland
Maine - Bill To Expand Marijuana Decriminalization Introduced In Maine
Missouri - Missouri Legislature Considers Regulating Medical Marijuana
New Hampshire - New Hampshire House Passes Legislation Regulating Medical Marijuana
New Jersey - New Jersey Senators Hold Hearing To Rewrite State’s Medical Marijuana Regulations
New York - Bill To Regulate Medical Marijuana Reintroduced In New York
Oklahoma - Oklahoma Lawmakers Decline To Hear “Compassionate” Marijuana Use Measure This Year
Rhode Island - Rhode Island Lawmakers Consider Legislation to Tax and Regulate Marijuana
Rhode Island - Legislation to Reduce Marijuana Possession Penalties Introduced in Rhode Island
Tennessee - Medical Marijuana Safe Access Act Reintroduced in Tennessee
Texas - Medical Marijuana Affirmative Defense Bill Reintroduced In Texas
Texas - Bill To Reduce Marijuana Possession Penalties Reintroduced In Texas
Vermont - Vermont Senate Considers Licensing Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
Vermont - Legislation to Reduce Marijuana Possession Penalties Introduced in Vermont
Washington - Washington Senate Passes Legislation To Expand State’s Medical Cannabis Law
Washington - Washington House Lawmakers To Decide On Bill To Regulate Adult Marijuana Production, Use, and Sales
West Virginia - West Virginia Considers Regulating Medical Marijuana
Statewide:
California - Gov. Schwarzenegger Signs Marijuana Infraction Measure Into Law
Other:
New Mexico - New Mexico Lawmaker Withdraws Proposal to Repeal Medical Marijuana Law
Montana - Montana Legislature Tables Dangerous 'Drugged Driving' Measure
Montana - UPDATED: Montana Senate Rejects Medical Marijuana Repeal Effort
Nebraska - Nebraska Lawmakers Reject Dangerous 'Drugged Driving' Legislation
Virginia - Virginia Lawmakers Quash Marijuana Decriminalization Measure
http://www.capwiz.com/...
Updated by change the Be at Fri Mar 18, 2011 at 09:42 AM PDT
a lyric from my favorite musician from the past 6 years, who goes by the name of 'mf doom' , and will be doing an album with Thom Yorke this year:
"Only in America can you find a way to make a healthy buck/ and still keep the attitude on " self-destruct" "
a lot of people have made a lot of money off Marijuana Prohibition, namely cartels and law enforcement. In the meantime, teabaggers whine about the country self-destructing, but don't want to address the cannibalistic feeding upon America's own young in this Drug War.
Updated by change the Be at Fri Mar 18, 2011 at 12:36 PM PDT
it was noted downthread that the IRS , in fact, collects taxes from dispensaries even though the feds deem them to be 'illegal'. Don't worry, it doesn't make sense to the rest of us either?!!!
In response to the IRS involvement in recent DEA mmj raids last week, see this:
http://stopthedrugwar.org/...