High Time To Eliminate Drug Laws?

Discussion in 'Marijuana News' started by Superjoint, Jul 8, 2004.

  1. By Bill Steigerwald, Tribune Review
    Source: Tribune Review

    It's not High Times or Rolling Stone that sports a marijuana leaf on its July 12 cover and calls for an end to the prohibition of marijuana. It's National Review, the small but revered and still influential conservative journal of political ideas that made the Reagan Revolution possible.
    Don't worry, Grandpap. National Review -- founded 49 years ago by William F. Buckley Jr. to do intellectual battle with New Deal liberals and soft-on-communism types -- has not had its offices taken over by a bunch of pot-headed hippies.

    But its cover story, written by drug policy reformer Ethan Nadelmann, makes a strong case to National Review's faithful that our $15-billion-a-year federal war against marijuana is "costly, foolish and destructive" to society.

    Calling for the decriminalization of loco weed will shock and annoy many conservatives and Republicans, especially among the anti-drug-crazed warriors in the Bush White House. But it is nothing new.

    Buckley, who just this week formally turned ownership of National Review over to a board of trustees he has selected, has long been in favor of decriminalizing marijuana.

    And Rich Lowry, the current editor and successor to Buckley, says the magazine's official policy "is that we're skeptics of the current drug laws."

    Lowry, who said the cover piece is being run to deliberately spark public debate, said he was once in favor of drug laws -- until old man Buckley himself persuaded him otherwise about decriminalizing marijuana.

    To prove how important Lowry thinks it was to publish "An End to Marijuana Prohibition," he was not afraid to use Nadelmann, whose Drug Policy Alliance is heavily funded by George Soros, the conservative-bashing billionaire.

    Nadelmann, meanwhile, does his usual good job of refuting government myths about marijuana's alleged medical risks, its potency and its addictive powers.

    He also points out how cruel our anti-marijuana laws still are and analyzes the burgeoning public support for decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana: Three-fourths of all Americans say people should be fined for simple marijuana possession, not jailed.

    "What's needed now," Nadelmann concludes, "are conservative politicians willing to say enough is enough: Tens of billions of taxpayer dollars down the drain each year. People losing their jobs, their property, and their freedom for nothing more than possessing a joint or growing a few marijuana plants.

    "And all for what? To send a message? To keep pretending that we're protecting our children? Alcohol Prohibition made a lot more sense than marijuana prohibition does today -- and it, too, was a disaster."

    Source: Tribune Review (Pittsburgh, PA)
    Author: Bill Steigerwald, Tribune Review
    Published: Friday, July 2, 2004
    Copyright: 2004 Tribune-Review Publishing Co.
    Contact: opinion@tribweb.com
    Website: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/
     
  2. great info!
    I guess when it hits the archiveshttp://www.nationalreview.com/full_coverage/article.asp we can peek hopefully..




    someone out there has got to feel this!! its sad to think if not!
     
  3. It's about time a reputable source spoke up. It's too bad they aren't too popular among the average citizen. Now if we can get something like The New York Times or even better CNN to say enough is enough, I'd have a good feeling about the decriminalization of marijuana. That article will help but it more than likely won't have a huge impact.
     
  4. its not the artilce thats going to have the impact. the article is just an up to date record of whats going on. Ethan Naddleman is the GUY if anyone wants any reforming done in this counrty. hes working his ass off to make things happen. hes making the facts known, hes been on the networks, CNN Nightline, NBC, larryking, CNN crossfire, etc etc..
     
  5. sounds good
     
  6. Well u right about if it was CNN or another major news company..and this will be good because this may seem like a small thing..But alot of small steps are being made..atleast something is you know..Write Your Congressmen people
     
  7. cool info...thanks superjoint
     

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