Pro-Humanist FREELOVER
2010-03-25 14:38:20 UTC
- - -
March 25, 2010
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/24/MNDI1CHAMR.DTL
- - -
Excerpts:
California voters will decide this November whether to
legalize and regulate adult recreational use of marijuana.
The secretary of state on Wednesday certified that a
Bay Area-based effort to put the issue on the ballot has
collected enough signatures to do so.
If passed, California would have the most comprehensive
laws on legal marijuana in the entire world, advocates say.
Opponents are confident they will easily defeat the mea-
sure.
The vote will be the second time in nearly 40 years that
people in the Golden State will decide the issue of legal-
ization, though the legal framework and cultural attitudes
surrounding marijuana have changed significantly over
the past four decades. If Californians pass the measure,
they would be the first in the nation to vote for legali-
zation. Similar efforts in other states all have failed.
...
If voters approve the measure, it will become legal for
Californians 21 and older to grow and possess up to
an ounce of marijuana under state law. Local jurisdic-
tions could tax and regulate it or decide not to partici-
pate. Marijuana would continue to be banned outright
by federal law.
Current state law allows a person, with a doctor's ap-
proval, to possess an amount of marijuana that is rea-
sonably related to the patient's current medical needs.
People also can obtain cards identifying themselves as
a patient, which helps in interactions with law enforce-
ment.
...
Attitudes of voters in California have increasingly moved
in favor of full legalization of marijuana. Californians
passed Proposition 215 in 1996 to legalize marijuana
for medical use.
...
A Field Poll taken in April found that 56 percent of voters
backed the idea of legalization and taxation of marijuana.
...
- - - end excerpts - - -
Some pertinent references:
- - -
Marijuana is Safer, So why are
we driving people to drink, by Steve
Fox, Paul Armentano, Mason Tvert,
forward by Norm Stamper (former
chief of the Seattle Police Department)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1603581448
"... 'In truth, it turns out The Devil Weed is safer
than alcohol. If that shocks you, you better read
this book. It could be a game changer.'
--Mike Gray, author of Drug Crazy: How We
Got Into This Mess & How We Can get Out
... 'As one who has been entrusted with maintain-
ing the public's safety, I strongly believe --and
most people agree-- that our laws should punish
people who do harm to others. But by banning
the use of marijuana and punishing individuals
who merely possess the substance, it is difficult
to see what harm we are trying to prevent.
From my own work and the experiences of other
members of the law enforcement community, it is
abundantly clear that marijuana is rarely, if ever,
the cause of disruptive or violent behavior. That
marijuana causes very little social harm is reason
enough in a free society to legalize it for adults.
But as Steve, Paul, and Mason so brilliantly
demonstrate in this book, an even more persua-
sive reason is that by prohibiting marijuana we
are steering people toward a substance that far
too many people already abuse, namely alcohol.'
--Norm Stamper, former Chief of the Seattle
Police Department
... 'I took great pride in my performance on and
off the field, and often questioned why our culture
embraces alcohol while simultaneously stigmatizing
those who choose to consume a less harmful alter-
native, marijuana.
Marijuana Is Safer makes an irrefutable case for
liberating current cannabis policy by comparing
and contrasting its use with that of alcohol. This
outstanding book makes it clear that it is incon-
sistent, both legally and socially, for our laws to
punish adults who make the safer choice.'
--Mark Stepnoski, five-time NFL Pro Bowler
and two-time Superbowl champion with the
Dallas Cowboys
- - -
The Chemical Muse : Drug Use
and the Roots of Western Civilization,
by D.C.A. Hillman, PH.D.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312352492
"... uncovers decades of misdirection and obfusca-
tion to reveal the history of widespread drug use in
Ancient Rome and Greece. In the city-states that
gave birth to Western civilization, drugs were an
everyday element of a free society. Often they
were not just available, but vitally necessary for
use in medicine, religious ceremonies, and war
campaigns.
Their proponents and users existed in all classes,
from the common soldier to the emperor himself.
... D. C. A. Hillman ... appeals for an intellectual
honesty that acknowledges the use of drugs in
ancient societies despite today's conflicting social
mores. ... The Chemical Muse offers a unique and
long overdue perspective on the contentious topic
of drug use and the freedom of thought. ..."
- - -
A Brief History of Drugs: From the Stone
Age to the Stoned Age, by Antonio Escohotado
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0892818263
"... A fascinating and informative history of human-
kind's checkered and often ambivalent relationship
with psychoactive plants and drugs. From the role
of the opium poppy in ancient Mesopotamia and
the ergot-based mystery cult of Eleusis, through
the opium wars in China and the persecution of
medieval herbalist witches, up to the 'psychedelic
rebellion' of the sixties and the insanities of the cur-
rent 'war on drugs,' Escohotado covers an enor-
mous subject with scholarly acumen and brings the
light of reason to bear on topics often shrouded in
bigotry, ignorance, and cupidity. ..."
- - -
Drug Crazy: How We Got Into This Mess
and How We Can Get Out, by Mike Gray
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679435336
"... Drug Crazy is a scathing indictment of America's
decades long 'war on drugs', an expensive and
hypocritical folly which has essentially benefited
only two classes of people: professional anti-drug
advocates and drug lords. ..."
- - -
Drug Warriors and Their Prey : From
Police Power to Police State,
by Richard Lawrence Miller
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0275950425
"... Miller (an independent scholar) argues that
America's 'war on drugs' promotes public fear
in order to convince citizens to relinquish their
civil liberties. The author presents cases of drug
law enforcement agencies sacrificing civil rights
without just cause, victimizing blameless people,
and promoting an authoritarian conspiracy to
undermine democracy which, he believes, will
lead to mass murder. ..."
- - -
Our Right to Drugs : The Case for
a Free Market, by Thomas Stephen Szasz
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0815603339
"... 'My aim' states Szasz, 'is to mount a critique
of our current drug laws and social policies,
based on the fundamental premise that a limited
government, epitomized by the U.S., lacks the
political legitimacy to deprive competent adults
of the right to ingest, inhale, or inject whatever
substance they want.' ..."
- - -
Drug War Politics : The Price of Denial,
by Eva Bertram, Kenneth Sharpe, Peter Andreas
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0520205987
"... The authors argue that the U.S. government's
drug policy has been mired in get-tough measures
of a 'punitive paradigm' that plays well with voters,
but has clearly failed, caused great 'collateral dam-
age' within society, and blocked more rational and
successful public health solutions implied in a 'public
health paradigm.' Although the authors consider the
legalization approach, they argue that a new public-
health strategy will do more to 'heal the suffering
caused by drug abuse and addiction.'... ..."
- - -
Ending the War on Drugs : A Solution
for America, by Dirk Chase Eldredge
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1882593243
"... This conservative Republican has examined
our drug policies in considerable detail. He details
the failures of the Justice Department, FBI, US
Customs Service, and others in their futile quest
for a 'drug-free America.' He clearly points out
the horrendous effects of these policies on our
country: the overcrowded prisons, police corrup-
tion, violence, spread of AIDS, unjust sentencing,
judicial overload, and the tyranny of asset forfei-
ture. ..."
- - -
The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive
Substances, by Richard Rudgley
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/031219868X
"... Provides the first reliable, comprehensive
exploration of this fascinating and controversial
topic. With over one hundred entries, acclaimed
author Richard Rudgley covers not only the
chemical and botanical background of each
substance, but its physiological and psycholog-
ical effect on the user. Of particular value is
Rudgley's emphasis on the historical and cultural
role of these mind-altering substances. ..."
- - -
¤ - ¤ - ¤ - ¤ - ¤ - ¤ - ¤ - ¤ - ¤ - ¤ - ¤ - ¤
~~~
Pro-Humanist FREELOVER
http://prohuman.net
(Freethinking Realist Exploring
Expressive Liberty, Openness,
Verity, Enlightenment, & Rationality)
~~~
March 25, 2010
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/24/MNDI1CHAMR.DTL
- - -
Excerpts:
California voters will decide this November whether to
legalize and regulate adult recreational use of marijuana.
The secretary of state on Wednesday certified that a
Bay Area-based effort to put the issue on the ballot has
collected enough signatures to do so.
If passed, California would have the most comprehensive
laws on legal marijuana in the entire world, advocates say.
Opponents are confident they will easily defeat the mea-
sure.
The vote will be the second time in nearly 40 years that
people in the Golden State will decide the issue of legal-
ization, though the legal framework and cultural attitudes
surrounding marijuana have changed significantly over
the past four decades. If Californians pass the measure,
they would be the first in the nation to vote for legali-
zation. Similar efforts in other states all have failed.
...
If voters approve the measure, it will become legal for
Californians 21 and older to grow and possess up to
an ounce of marijuana under state law. Local jurisdic-
tions could tax and regulate it or decide not to partici-
pate. Marijuana would continue to be banned outright
by federal law.
Current state law allows a person, with a doctor's ap-
proval, to possess an amount of marijuana that is rea-
sonably related to the patient's current medical needs.
People also can obtain cards identifying themselves as
a patient, which helps in interactions with law enforce-
ment.
...
Attitudes of voters in California have increasingly moved
in favor of full legalization of marijuana. Californians
passed Proposition 215 in 1996 to legalize marijuana
for medical use.
...
A Field Poll taken in April found that 56 percent of voters
backed the idea of legalization and taxation of marijuana.
...
- - - end excerpts - - -
Some pertinent references:
- - -
Marijuana is Safer, So why are
we driving people to drink, by Steve
Fox, Paul Armentano, Mason Tvert,
forward by Norm Stamper (former
chief of the Seattle Police Department)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1603581448
"... 'In truth, it turns out The Devil Weed is safer
than alcohol. If that shocks you, you better read
this book. It could be a game changer.'
--Mike Gray, author of Drug Crazy: How We
Got Into This Mess & How We Can get Out
... 'As one who has been entrusted with maintain-
ing the public's safety, I strongly believe --and
most people agree-- that our laws should punish
people who do harm to others. But by banning
the use of marijuana and punishing individuals
who merely possess the substance, it is difficult
to see what harm we are trying to prevent.
From my own work and the experiences of other
members of the law enforcement community, it is
abundantly clear that marijuana is rarely, if ever,
the cause of disruptive or violent behavior. That
marijuana causes very little social harm is reason
enough in a free society to legalize it for adults.
But as Steve, Paul, and Mason so brilliantly
demonstrate in this book, an even more persua-
sive reason is that by prohibiting marijuana we
are steering people toward a substance that far
too many people already abuse, namely alcohol.'
--Norm Stamper, former Chief of the Seattle
Police Department
... 'I took great pride in my performance on and
off the field, and often questioned why our culture
embraces alcohol while simultaneously stigmatizing
those who choose to consume a less harmful alter-
native, marijuana.
Marijuana Is Safer makes an irrefutable case for
liberating current cannabis policy by comparing
and contrasting its use with that of alcohol. This
outstanding book makes it clear that it is incon-
sistent, both legally and socially, for our laws to
punish adults who make the safer choice.'
--Mark Stepnoski, five-time NFL Pro Bowler
and two-time Superbowl champion with the
Dallas Cowboys
- - -
The Chemical Muse : Drug Use
and the Roots of Western Civilization,
by D.C.A. Hillman, PH.D.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312352492
"... uncovers decades of misdirection and obfusca-
tion to reveal the history of widespread drug use in
Ancient Rome and Greece. In the city-states that
gave birth to Western civilization, drugs were an
everyday element of a free society. Often they
were not just available, but vitally necessary for
use in medicine, religious ceremonies, and war
campaigns.
Their proponents and users existed in all classes,
from the common soldier to the emperor himself.
... D. C. A. Hillman ... appeals for an intellectual
honesty that acknowledges the use of drugs in
ancient societies despite today's conflicting social
mores. ... The Chemical Muse offers a unique and
long overdue perspective on the contentious topic
of drug use and the freedom of thought. ..."
- - -
A Brief History of Drugs: From the Stone
Age to the Stoned Age, by Antonio Escohotado
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0892818263
"... A fascinating and informative history of human-
kind's checkered and often ambivalent relationship
with psychoactive plants and drugs. From the role
of the opium poppy in ancient Mesopotamia and
the ergot-based mystery cult of Eleusis, through
the opium wars in China and the persecution of
medieval herbalist witches, up to the 'psychedelic
rebellion' of the sixties and the insanities of the cur-
rent 'war on drugs,' Escohotado covers an enor-
mous subject with scholarly acumen and brings the
light of reason to bear on topics often shrouded in
bigotry, ignorance, and cupidity. ..."
- - -
Drug Crazy: How We Got Into This Mess
and How We Can Get Out, by Mike Gray
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679435336
"... Drug Crazy is a scathing indictment of America's
decades long 'war on drugs', an expensive and
hypocritical folly which has essentially benefited
only two classes of people: professional anti-drug
advocates and drug lords. ..."
- - -
Drug Warriors and Their Prey : From
Police Power to Police State,
by Richard Lawrence Miller
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0275950425
"... Miller (an independent scholar) argues that
America's 'war on drugs' promotes public fear
in order to convince citizens to relinquish their
civil liberties. The author presents cases of drug
law enforcement agencies sacrificing civil rights
without just cause, victimizing blameless people,
and promoting an authoritarian conspiracy to
undermine democracy which, he believes, will
lead to mass murder. ..."
- - -
Our Right to Drugs : The Case for
a Free Market, by Thomas Stephen Szasz
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0815603339
"... 'My aim' states Szasz, 'is to mount a critique
of our current drug laws and social policies,
based on the fundamental premise that a limited
government, epitomized by the U.S., lacks the
political legitimacy to deprive competent adults
of the right to ingest, inhale, or inject whatever
substance they want.' ..."
- - -
Drug War Politics : The Price of Denial,
by Eva Bertram, Kenneth Sharpe, Peter Andreas
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0520205987
"... The authors argue that the U.S. government's
drug policy has been mired in get-tough measures
of a 'punitive paradigm' that plays well with voters,
but has clearly failed, caused great 'collateral dam-
age' within society, and blocked more rational and
successful public health solutions implied in a 'public
health paradigm.' Although the authors consider the
legalization approach, they argue that a new public-
health strategy will do more to 'heal the suffering
caused by drug abuse and addiction.'... ..."
- - -
Ending the War on Drugs : A Solution
for America, by Dirk Chase Eldredge
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1882593243
"... This conservative Republican has examined
our drug policies in considerable detail. He details
the failures of the Justice Department, FBI, US
Customs Service, and others in their futile quest
for a 'drug-free America.' He clearly points out
the horrendous effects of these policies on our
country: the overcrowded prisons, police corrup-
tion, violence, spread of AIDS, unjust sentencing,
judicial overload, and the tyranny of asset forfei-
ture. ..."
- - -
The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive
Substances, by Richard Rudgley
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/031219868X
"... Provides the first reliable, comprehensive
exploration of this fascinating and controversial
topic. With over one hundred entries, acclaimed
author Richard Rudgley covers not only the
chemical and botanical background of each
substance, but its physiological and psycholog-
ical effect on the user. Of particular value is
Rudgley's emphasis on the historical and cultural
role of these mind-altering substances. ..."
- - -
¤ - ¤ - ¤ - ¤ - ¤ - ¤ - ¤ - ¤ - ¤ - ¤ - ¤ - ¤
~~~
Pro-Humanist FREELOVER
http://prohuman.net
(Freethinking Realist Exploring
Expressive Liberty, Openness,
Verity, Enlightenment, & Rationality)
~~~