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DEA thinks cocaine is safer than marijuana!

Intro

I received an update from @NatlNORML on Twitter regarding Attorney General Eric Holder’s statements during a press conference today. The press conference was meant to give America an update on the progress of Operation Accelerator which targeted the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, the US, and Canada [link]. Afterward, Eric Holder answered any questions. I wanted to share some of the responses I had to the post on NORML’s Daily Audio Stash.

My first response

Did anyone notice he didn’t mention how much marijuana was retrieved? Listen to how he lays out the numbers in the first 2 min of the conference.

  • 50 members of sinaloa cartel
  • 21 months
  • US, Mexico, Canada
  • 750 ppl
  • $59,000,000
  • 12,000 kilos of cocaine
  • 1200 pounds of meth
  • 1,300,000 extasy pills
  • 160 weapons

But, there was no mention of marijuana. Maybe it was a slip? But, these guys are smart. This is not the Bush administration. I think he may have left out that figure on purpose. Maybe an early attempt to disconnect marijuana from big drug cartels in a way to eliminate ammo of anti-marijuana groups.

I think too much. What do you guys think?

“Radical” Russ responded to my comment

No, I think you’re on to something – the lack of a marijuana mention was notable. I think it may be more that it isn’t positive PR to note that you’re spending money eradicating weed.

Cocaine is less harmful than marijuana!

Later I came back to read any new comments and one stood out to me from Robert Petricci (NIMO):

I hope it is true but It seems to me Carl makes a lot of sense. The scheduling law doesn’t pass the smell test. It is obvious that marijuana has had and does have medical use in the United States. That being the case legally it can not be a schedule one drug by the governments own definition. That brings us to how do you trust a government that harshly enforces laws that are not legitimate? Courts continue to find excuses to send people to prison in obvious violation of the law. Obama and Holder simply need to enforce the law not pretend to do us a favor wink wink. The entire justice system in the U.S. operates in an unjust manner, it appears to me to be broken. This just shows one example of that.

It made me think about how the DEA’s posturing on marijuana may be more harmful than they realize. So, I responded:

I think this brings up deeper issues as it pertains to drug use in general. If the government is absolutely lying about marijuana and blatantly so, what’s one to think about other substances, especially those that are schedule 2. This goes directly to individuals who don’t know any better.

It’s only in practice a person NOT in the know would ever find out that marijuana is not the demon weed the DEA makes it out to be. If marijuana isn’t that dangerous yet is considered dangerous, it’s not exactly far fetched for one to extrapolate that cocaine or even heroin is not only not dangerous but most likely safer than marijuana.

It’s my opinion that the DEA’s erroneous prohibition classifications do absolutely more harm to the American public than any drug pusher ever could. If I was a drug dealer wanting to move cocaine and heroin, I’d use the DEA’s own argument to push that drug harder.

“Hey no one’s ever died from marijuana use and millions of people are saying that marijuana isn’t addictive, look at your friends. Come over here and try this cocaine. I’ve got some heroin for you as well. Remember, even the DEA thinks cocaine and heroin is safer than marijuana. Try it out!”

Of course I caught my mistake:

I goofed, heroin is schedule 1.

US Citizens need some perspective

Outside of the heroin flub, I believe my point is still valid. Does the DEA believe that cocaine is safer than marijuana or less harmful? If so, isn’t it a logical conclusion to believe that, if anything, that cocaine should probably be legal before marijuana?

Let’s stretch this even further. In the United States and rest of the world, tobacco and alcohol are legal. Both are addictive, both are carcinogenic (cancer causing), and both are responsible for millions of deaths around the world every year.

AND THEY ARE LEGAL KILLERS.

Yet, no one – no agency, no doctor/scientist/researcher, no police officer, no FBI/DEA/CIA agent, no community leader, no anti-drug organization, AND no government official – can point to, in the history of human marijuana usage since before and INCLUDING the times of Jesus Christ, ONE death attributed to marijuana use. NOT ONE!

One has to ask if there’s something very wrong with this picture. How is it that marijuana is considered a dangerous substance, Schedule I, according to the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 [DEA | Wiki], yet all of these other substances enjoy not only lower classifications as in the case of cocaine (Schedule II) but complete legalization and regulation as is the case with alcohol and tobacco?

Am I wrong to ask such a question? Is it even more wrong for the DEA to let American citizens believe that cocaine, a chemical concoction that I have personally seen destroy entire communities, is safer than marijuana?

The citizens of the United States needs some perspective and common sense on this issue.

Tug of War over Michael Phelps

Introduction

I really wanted to write about Michael Phelps but I had to hold on a minute. I knew the story was too simple to speak about. Superstar athlete gets caught smoking marijuana, supposedly. Immediately, I knew everyone would jump on that; I couldn’t. I felt the story needed some complexity before it was worth writing about. Well, the issue just got good.

Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott says he will charge Michael Phelps with a crime if he determines the Olympics hero smoked marijuana in Richland County…

“This case is no different than any other case,” Lott said Monday. “This one might be a lot easier since we have photographs of someone using drugs and a partial confession. It’s a relatively easy case once we can determine where the crime occurred.”

Possession of marijuana is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail or a $570 fine, plus court costs.

Richland sheriff could charge Phelps by Adam Beam @ The State

Two Sides

From what I am reading in comments and other articles, it seems this is good for both sides of marijuana legalization. The prohibitionists want to seem strong against drug use so demonizing Michael Phelps will be a good move. However, Michael Phelps is not just some geeky guy from the suburbs. He’s a world record holding, Olympic swimming champion. He’s a role model to millions and promoted as such. To bring down Michael Phelps is not just some typical everyday arrest. It’s the destruction of American pride. That’s a very hard thing to do and no one wants to see it happen.

While those supporting marijuana legalization don’t want to see another good person, or true role model, go down, it’s not such a bad idea that Phelps will become a victim, or martyr, of an archaic system that has gone awry from day one. People will begin to question the validity of a policy that could place an icon in prison for such a minor infraction. People will question the validity of the arguments that keep this policy in place. Finally, people will want to know, “If marijuana is so dangerous to your health, then how did this guy manage to set world records and win so many medals?”

Racial Element

Just the image of Michael Phelps with a ROOR bong to his mouth alone has brought to light much-ignored conversations regarding the racial disparity of law enforcement, especially when it comes to marijuana use. Matt Fogg, former US Marshal and LEAP speaker, probably said it best when he said, “[Black people] make up 12% of the population, but [they] make up 80% of the drug arrests….” The questions being thrown around in this debate question whether or not Phelps isn’t going to be punished at all simply because he’s white.

But, Michael Phelps is more than just white. While his skin may preclude from a lot of persecution at the hands of law enforcement, there are also other reasons he won’t be persecuted. He’s rich with endorsement deals and various other income streams. That kind of money usually frightens police officers and district attorneys alike. He’s famous. That will definitely haunt some people in the future. He has the support of Octagon. He’s still a role model. Toss in the realities of the many marijuana smokers that have already invaded our society at high levels. Take a look at Celebstoner to get a “whiff” of all the big celebs who toke on joints on a daily basis. President Barack Obama was a pothead. With that too cool and calm demeanor I believe he still gets his high from time to time.

Is Marijuana dangerous?

Is marijuana the dangerous substance it’s claimed to be by the prohibitionists? The easy answer is no. Marijuana is not dangerous. Marijuana didn’t prevent Obama from becoming president nor was it so dangerous to stop Phelps from being a world swimming champion. Should Phelps be punished for marijuana use? According to the current law, he absolutely should be. Not only was he engaged in smoking marijuana but he should also have a paraphernalia charge for having that ROOR as well. Maybe, the Richland Country sheriff should pull a Rachel Hoffman on Phelps so we can all find out the identity of his supplier.

No, No, and No

If Michael Phelps is punished, how far will it go? Will the “righteous” police sheriff arrest and charge Michael Phelps? Will the school officials opt to investigate the situation? Will the IOC be willing to strip Phelps of his medals?

But Lott seems to be the only person talking about making a case against Phelps. Both the USC and Columbia Police Departments said they would not pursue charges.

Meanwhile, on Monday, Phelps’ sponsors — from apparel company Speedo to luxury Swiss watchmaker Omega — issued statements calling the incident a “nonissue.” The International Olympic Committee accepted his apology.

“We have no reason to doubt his sincerity and his commitment to continue to act as a role model,” the IOC said in a statement.

At the University of South Carolina, where Phelps was visiting when the picture was taken, the mood was largely “who cares?”

“He’s young, and he is human. They’ll probably let him off easy because he owned up to it.”

– Richland sheriff could charge Phelps by Adam Beam @ The State

Oh well. Sorry for all of the suspense. It looks like another case where someone who’s rich or famous or white gets away with a criminal act because they’re rich or famous or white. This definitely opens the door to many more questions. If it’s such a “nonissue” and the general mood is, “who cares?”, then why is it such an issue for so many millions of others, mainly African American males?

Police Corruption: What’s Your Story?

Intro

Yesterday, I put together a post, Stupid Dirty Cops Got Caught, responding to a KopBusters episode in which Barry Cooper, former law enforcement officer, set up a legal grow operation consisting of two mini evergreen trees in an effort to catch a very dirty Odessa, TX police department.As I visited other sites looking for details, I came across comment sections of very, very delighted citizens who actually felt some level of vindication at seeing these dirty cops get caught committing crimes. Next, I started seeing individuals respond with their own stories of police corruption or the typical over-the-top police arrogance. It would seem the comments went from cheers to cheers and anecdotes (stories) to just anecdotes to angry anecdotes of police corruption.

While I am far from surprised at the concept of police corruption as I do live in New York City, police corruption central tied with Los Angeles, I am surprised at the amount of first-hand accounts of such corruption. It’s so rampant and pervasive that it’s affecting everyone and disproportionately affects African Americans and Hispanics. More and more, we can add people Middle Eastern descent with Arab or Muslim sounding names to that list.

What’s your police corruption story?

Here’s My Story

I’ve already written my own: The 48th Precinct of the Bronx, NY are PUNKS. It’s in five parts because it’s very exhaustive and as detailed as I can get it. Click on the links to take you to my true story of police corruption.

In short, I was arrested for “disorderly conduct” and “inciting a riot”. Supposedly, I did all of this while watching five police officers beat an already handcuffed guy, named Clinton, who didn’t stand more than 5 feet 5 inches. I watched, after he was beaten bloody and thrown into the cruiser, another officer squirt a 5 sec long stream of pepper spray into his face as he lay there in the back seat.

Why was I arrested? Because, I told the officer to stop. No! Because, I witnessed the entire thing while in my second-floor bedroom, still in my underwear. Unfortunately, the case didn’t go any further than a few court dates while the DA tried to get the lying officer to testify, which he didn’t. But, that’s my story. I want to hear your own.

Comments from Reason.com [link]

Tracy Cooper Jr. | December 6, 2008, 2:15pm

This is awesome. It’s going to be fun to watch these cops try and explain this.

jasno | December 6, 2008, 2:19pm

I think I speak for everyone when I say:

Fuck. Yeah.

J sub D | December 6, 2008, 2:57pm

Radley, for all the times you’ve ruined my day, I unreservedly forgive you. Thank you ever so much for calling this beautifully executed sting operation to my attention. I will be e-mailing links to people about this and encourage others to do the same. Odessa is not unique.

REMEMBER KATHRYN JOHNSTON!
FYI: Kathryn Johnston is.. was a 92-year old grandmother (born in 1914, died 2006) in Atlanta, shot to death by police during a drug raid of her apartment. Later it was found out that the informant tip used to obtain the search warrant was a fabricated The officers were indicted on charges of murder and burglary. [Links: 11Alive | WSBTV | CNN]

mc | December 7, 2008, 11:55am

As a rural WV resident, I have seen some of the worst police corruption in the country. Our cops and politicians do things that would make dirty vice in big cities look like girl scouts. Off the top of my head, I can think of a cop who shot the town mayor in a “hunting accident” because the mayor was going to clean up the police, my sister’s best friend and boyfriend getting pulled over no less than 10 times in one day because she was divorcing her cop husband; multiple cops who are having affairs with and supplying drug dealers while falsely imprisoning innocent people to go down for the crimes; cops’ families doing pretty much whatever they want including breaking the speed limit by 40 miles in a residential neighborhood, killing a beloved family pet and keeping on driving; and, one of the worst situations, a cop making an illegal turn at a very high speed, slamming into people obeying all traffic laws on a motorcycle, paralyzing the driver, and ONLY getting 2 weeks of desk work as a result. In another part of the state, a cop shot a man point-blank in front of his entire family, for “killing your kid” in what was actually a tragic, unavoidable boating accident.

I would LOVE for them to take on the cops back here…although I wouldn’t put it past them to kill the guys, though…

Abdul Alhazred | December 8, 2008, 2:38pm

Might as well weigh in with my own stories of local police corruption, there is a certain officer from my hometown who has been “suspended” from TWO different police forces. My experience with him was when he targeted my brother for harassment, he claimed he found a marijuana seed in his car once, which promptly disappeared. He had been known for beating people up for not “showing him the respect he deserves,” he jerked one of the local teachers’ husband out of his car, threw him on the ground and put his boot on the back of his head because he had a rifle in the back seat of his car (extremely normal in this part of the country) Anyhow, my mother was one of many to go in and try to complain to the chief of police, she was told that “they get a little rowdy sometimes, but they’re good boys” and “now, they’re just hot-doggin’ they’re good boys.”

Anyhow, he “resigned” from the local police force when they came under pressure from some of the prominent families in town, without any official action whatsoever, and he took a job on the Rolla police force, where he was just suspended for beating up a woman (in her 70’s) for asking to see his ID when she pulled him over.

Oh, and he has a body-count, he beat one man so severely that he died, and threw another face-first into a puddle where he drowned.

Chuck | December 8, 2008, 12:12pm

As a practicing lawyer I can tell you that COPS LIE. They lie on the street, they lie in their homes, they lie on camera and they lie in court. Nothing is ever done about it, and it is unlikely that anything ever will until we can get the word to the citizenry in a message that they can understand. I had the pleasure last year of showing a video to the jury proving that all six of the cops testifying in the trial were lying, which resulted in my client’s acquittal on two first-degree felony counts. We do not often get lucky enough to find that kind of evidence, so we need other methods of getting the truth out. In that case, despite damning evidence of perjury, the District Attorney did not even investigate. She knows who gets her convictions for her. However, just this year she had a woman indicted for perjury who accidentally checked the “No” box on a jury form asking if she was a US citizen. The fact is that when your top-cop (District Attorney) is a criminal, nothing will ever change until the citizens rise up against the corruption.

I have friends who are cops. They may be good cops, but I am not sure. The fact is that they seem to be good people, fun to hang out with, etc. But I don’t feel that I can or ever will trust them professionally. They are cops.

Stupid Dirty Cops Got Caught

Background [CBS7 news report]

As I was perusing my marijuana-related news site, I came across, Cops ‘Busted’ for Raid on Fake Grow Op [Reason via High Times]. Seems our old friend, Barry Cooper is at it with Kop Busters. Barry Cooper rented a house in Odessa, TX to set up a grow operation. The great part about it is that they were growing two tiny Christmas trees (no taller than a foot each from what I saw in the video). The theory is that if police were as honest and straight as they claimed, this grow operation should go undetected. Obviously, it didn’t.

Who’s Barry Cooper

Barry Cooper is a veteran law enforcement officer and anti-drug-war lecturer made famous throughout the anti-drug-war community for his film Never Get Busted Again Vol. 1. During the course of his eight year career as a drug enforcement officer he made more than 800 drug arrests, 50 vehicle seizures and confiscated over $500,000 in cash and assets.

Barry Cooper is a man who saw something wrong with the system. He realized that he was being lied to about marijuana and sought to effect change. In many rights, he’s still a law enforcement officer. He’s just brave enough to do something about the dirty police tactics that corrupt his duties. Where he was considered a hero to many during his time as a police officer, he’s more of a hero without the badge because he didn’t need the badge or a gun to do the right thing.
Never Get Busted [website | youtube]
Kop Busters [website]
Marc “Prince of Pot” Emery interviews Barry Cooper

How We Know Cops Were Crooked [Raw Footage]

First of all, this grow operation was 100% legal as there is nothing illegal about growing plants indoors much less Christmas trees (just in time for Christmas too). Secondly, the only people who knew about the grow operation were Barry Cooper’s staff.

So, new questions are raised:

  1. How did Odessa police “know” there was an “illegal” grow operation?
  2. How did they obtain a warrant to raid the location?

First of all, the police did NOT know about the grow operation. With no marijuana and no way to know there was marijuana in this house, the police, the people you trust with your lives, had to have found out illegally. But, even then, with that illegally obtained “evidence” how did they go about obtaining a search warrant? Lies beget lies. They had to have lied on to get the warrant. If they knew for a fact there was marijuana being grown on this property, there would be no way for the police to lose. But, they did indeed lose.

Now that we know Odessa police lied to obtain this information, we want and deserve real answers to those questions. What did the police do, illegally, to target this location? Exactly, what did they use to lie to obtain the search warrant? While we can guess at a few things, we’ll never know unless the police stop lying. But, lies beget lies.

Why Set Up A Grow Operation: Yolanda Madden

Well, it seems this isn’t the first time Odessa police have lied.. go figure. In 2005, Yolanda Madden was set up by the very same police department in a methamphetamine scheme in which the police informant planted evidence on her. But, this is not some lie to get Yolanda off. The informant admitted planting the evidence on Yolanda. She’s currently serving 8 years in federal prison on distribution charges because the police set her up near a junior high school. If you don’t know, many counties, cities and states apply harsher punishment when dealing drugs within a school zone.

Yolanda Madden is just an example of the police corruption that exists all over the United States. As long as innocent citizens continue to get targeted by police for their own fun and excitement, we’ll continue to have these problems. This should let people know that we are all at risk from police, innocent and guilty.

The Real Problem: Judges

We can play this game of “cat and mouse” with police departments around the nation as much as we please. In the end, it comes down to what happens in the court room. When police officers set innocent people up, informants misinform, and evidence is fabricated, it’s all left up to the judge to decide what’s fair and what’s NOT fair. Far too often, it’s the judges that take the word of police over other people. When you have entire police departments acting criminally, it’s up to the judges to do a better job of protecting the people from the animals that attack them.

The very reason police corruption exists is because the judicial system allows it. The people ought to begin chastising and scrutinizing the judges for their decisions to allow evidence that was obviously illegally obtained. If this continues, then what’s the point of the US Constitution and other laws. Police officers can not continue to choose what laws they decide to follow and enforce. As long as judges continue to allow this activity, there’s no reason for police to stop being badged criminals.

Sweet Bitch Slap to Local Police

State Medical Cannabis Laws Are Final [Salem News via High Times]

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to review a landmark decision yesterday in which California state courts found that its medical cannabis law is not preempted by federal law.

The Supreme Court’s decision in Garden Grove v. Superior Court means that federal law does not prevent state and local governments from implementing medical cannabis laws adopted by voters or state legislatures. In short: the group Americans for Safe Access, says federal law does not override state law on medical cannabis.

Understanding

This is really an issue of state’s rights. We learned this back in high school. The way this nation is run is like a collective of mini nations that work together (supposedly). The federal government is that collective at work in the form of the executive, legislature, and judicial. Whatever the federal government doesn’t legislate, it leaves up to the individual states. In this way, the states can react to their own respective situations quickly.

What’s been happening is that some police officers in medical marijuana states, in their supreme arrogance and stupidity, try to decide which laws they want to enforce – state or federal. What they don’t realize is that they are NOT federal employees. They are state employees. Therefore, they have absolutely NO business, nor right, playing the role of federal law enforcement. That means whatever state laws are on the books for medical marijuana, they MUST follow. Otherwise, they’re just violent weapon-wielding vigilantes hiding behind their badges.

The supreme court simply solidifies this distinction effectively telling local police around the nation: DO THE DAMN JOB YOU WERE HIRED TO DO. YOU DO NOT WORK FOR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT! That means, if you’re in a medical marijuana state, DEAL WITH IT. If local police are enforcing federal laws, it undermines the will of the people. What if the federal government decides that murder was now legal? But, your state still has laws against murder. Do you want local police enforcing state laws against the will of the people or federal laws?

DEA Next to get Bitch Slapped (Hopefully)

Also noted in the article is a case in which a California officer, Patrick Hedges, felt it necessary to call in the DEA when he couldn’t find anything against a specific marijuana dispensary. This is how sad and arrogant some local police departments have become. However, all of that may come to an end soon. President-elect Obama said (and it IS just words for now) he would put an end to DEA raids on medical marijuana dispensaries.

In this weak economic climate, it’s going to be great when Obama looks over the DEA budget to realize they’re blowing billions of dollars annually with, at best, minimal returns on investment. In other words, these pricks better catch more than 1-5% of drugs in the nation and start arresting real criminals (not sick patients) to justify that level of expenditure. It’s pitiful. With that much money, this nation can do a lot more than throw it down a hole. Healthcare. Education. Infrastructure.

How are truly serious addicts (cocaine, heroin, meth) getting OFF the drugs by going in and out of prison? They’re not. Think about it. How much money is spent per prisoner per year? Only the most ignorant, or devoid of humanity, would believe it makes sense to allow addiction to continue while spending billions per year NOT addressing the problem. It’s pitiful.

Marijuana Mondays: Ep. 5: Why is marijuana illegal?

And here we go with the fifth episode of Marijuana Mondays. If you don’t know what I am talking about it, read this: Marijuana Mondays. Some folks want to know, rightfully so, how and when did Marijuana become illegal in the United States? Of course, I’ve got the answer to that question. Email me your questions, issues, or concerns at anthonytaurus(at)hotmail.com.
Check the last episode: Marijuana Mondays: Ep. 4: LEGALIZE IT

Marijuana Mumblings

Pot rally has cops fuming
The Freedom Rally in Boston is “the largest marijuana reform gathering on the East Coast.” Fortunately, all these guys do is come together to talk marijuana reform. However, some people decide to light up their joints. This makes any police group angry for two reasons: 1) it shows the overaggressive tactics of local police which makes them looks useless and pitiful and 2) shows that marijuana smokers are peaceful and nonviolent which goes against every lie authorities try to tell the media. It’s funny.

Area law enforcement say ‘no’ to marijuana decriminalization

We’re still in Boston here. It seems the good folks in Massachusetts get to vote on “Question 2” which will seek a smarter common sense policy in regards to small quantities of marijuana. Instead of arresting people and giving them records for life, Question 2 would require police officers to give tickets instead. It’s a common sense policy. The only reason police don’t like Question 2 is because they wouldn’t be able to arrest individuals anymore. It’s as if Boston police live to do as much harm as possible to the people of their own community. It’s sadistic.

Drug Task Force Aims To Spoil Marijuana Harvest
This gem comes from Minnesota. Marijuana harvest season is here. It occurs around this time every year for outdoor crops. Seeds are planted in the Spring around April and they grow through the summer maturing some time in the fall. There will be more stories like that as local police departments and the DEA look for patches of marijuana crops everywhere there’s arable land. Unfortunately, all of their efforts won’t really do much to hurt the marijuana market just as marijuana eradication efforts didn’t do much all the years before. Prices will be the same. Quality will be the same. Availability will be the same.

The only thing I can tell folks is to not go near a marijuana patch around this time. The police are getting smarter (that was a joke). If they haven’t already pulled up the plants, they’ll be waiting for any farmers to show up for harvest time. At any rater, it’s another $70+ billion of taxpayer money down the drain to catch maybe 1-5% of marijuana production. The funny thing is that real marijuana growers and dealers expect more of a dent from theft than they do from police.

Questions & Answers

When and why was marijuana made criminal?
Marijuana was first made illegal, at least in opinion, in 1937 under the Marijuana Tax Stamp Act. The act itself did not criminalize marijuana but instead placed heavy taxes on it.The reasoning marijuana was made criminal back then, which continues today, is racism. A lot of people say that it was because of the paper industry. Supposedly, logging companies which provide much of the material for paper production didn’t like the competition from hemp. It was known at the time that a field of hemp would produce more paper that what could be obtained from the logging industry, which is true. But, this is a bullshit reason for criminalizing marijuana.

Henry Anslinger, a racist bastard as too many whites were in that time period, appealed to Congress to make marijuana illegal by claiming: “There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others.”

However, in 1967, the Marijuana Tax Stamp Act was repealed because marijuana production was so low that the act was seen as criminalizing marijuana due to the high taxes attached. Unfortunately, in 1970, the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) came about which would organize specific drugs into 5 “schedules” with Schedule 1 being the worst. The CSA was an effort of the United States to comply with the United Nations’ policy against narcotics. Unfortunately, many people believe that the CSA is unconstitutional and should be repealed. However, politicians continue to weaken the US Constitution by ignoring it.

Currently, the only way to go about getting marijuana legal is to remove it from the CSA like alcohol and tobacco aren’t in the CSA.

Marijuana Tip of the Week

Store your marijuana in airtight glass bottles instead of the little plastic bags or cases you may receive when buying it. The bottle will serve two purposes.

First, it will help contain the smell a lot better than plastic by not allowing air to escape as plastic would. The best bottles to use are baby food bottles because they have a soft gum-like seal on the underside of the cap. Most other bottles have a flimsy paper seal that eventually wears out and allows the smell to come out.

Second, containing the marijuana in such a way will increase its cure. Most times commercial growers will give marijuana a short cure because it’s just a waste of time for them since it can be smoked once it’s dried. However, a proper cure will bring out the natural flavors of marijuana giving it a better taste and smell as well as equalize the moisture levels which can produce a smoother smoke.

The next time you get marijuana, keep some of it in a small baby food bottle in a dark place (light degrades THC in marijuana) for two weeks. If it’s good marijuana that’s grown well, the taste and smell will pop out at you even more.

Marijuana Mondays: Ep. 4: LEGALIZE IT

Well, ladies and gentlemen, we continue with the fourth episode of Marijuana Mondays. If you don’t know what I am talking about it, read this: Marijuana Mondays. I want to take a break from the usual format and discuss more specifically about LEGALIZATION. Email me your questions, issues, or concerns at anthonytaurus(at)hotmail.com.

See the last episode: Marijuana Mondays: Ep. 3: Water Bong Reality

Social

We all know someone who smokes marijuana. If you think you don’t know someone who smokes marijuana, you just haven’t been told anything yet. Unfortunately, there’s a stigma regarding marijuana users as being mostly lazy. Fortunately, so many millions of people, in the US alone, smoke marijuana that it’s impossible to maintain such a negative stigma. A large portion of society, from your blue collar janitor to your white collar businessmen doctors, lawyers, and politicians smoke marijuana. How can we justify the criminalization of so many millions of people including your friends, your family, your coworkers, and so on?

Science

Let’s talk LD50. LD50 stands for Lethal Dose at 50%. It refers to the the amount of a substance it would take to kill 50% of the test population. For example, the LD50 of alcohol is about 10.5 grams per kilogram. This amounts to BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) level of 0.4 which is liberal as some research shows that even a .25 could be fatal to some. The legal limit for alcohol in NY is 0.08. However, marijuana toxicity is nonexistant. Don’t take my word for it: DEA Administrative Law Judge Francis L. Young wrote this in 1988:

At present it is estimated that marijuana’s LD-50 is around 1:20,000 or 1:40,000. In layman terms this means that in order to induce death a marijuana smoker would have to consume 20,000 to 40,000 times as much marijuana as is contained in one marijuana cigarette. NIDA-supplied marijuana cigarettes weigh approximately .9 grams. A smoker would theoretically have to consume nearly 1,500 pounds of marijuana within about fifteen minutes to induce a lethal response.
[source; pg. 55-56, Findings of Fact #8]

Yes, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the same agency that will break down your door and point assault rifles at your children, knows that marijuana is NOT dangerous. In fact, there are absolutely no recorded deaths from marijuana use alone. However, there are many recorded deaths from tobacco, alcohol, aspirin; and, have you ever heard of water toxicity? Yes, people have died from drinking too much water. Ask Jennifer Strange.
On another note: I’d like to see a 1500-pound joint!

Medical

It’s always a sort of good joke to hear a marijuana user say they smoke because of their glaucoma although they may have perfect vision. But, the truth is that marijuana has been used medically for a very long time. Unfortunately, it’s well covered up. Fortunately, government is succumbing to pressure from the medical and science community to do further research on marijuana. However, other nations around the globe are far ahead of the United States when it comes to marijuana research. Nations such as Israel, Spain, and Germany have found that marijuana’s compounds have many medical uses including pain relief, arresting and regressing cancer growth, epilepsy, anti-inflammatory and tons of other applications. [source, source, source, source, source]

Crime and Punishment

Local, state, and federal agencies spend approximately $70 billion per year trying to fight marijuana. This is pitiful. It’s pitiful because these agencies haven’t even put a dent into the marijuana market. For example, in 2006, over 800,000 people were arrested for marijuana and approximately 3 million plants were “eradicated” along with grow houses and so on. However, the price of marijuana didn’t change. The variety of marijuana didn’t change. In fact, nothing changed. It took local, state, and federal authorities $70+ billion dollars, the cost to arrest and detain 800,000+ individuals, and a full year to do… NOTHING. Imagine what you could do with $70+ billion dollars – education, healthcare, jobs, roads, etc etc etc. Instead that money is just gone. And, it’s a yearly thing. The people of the United States are duped into burning money on a system that simply fails.

To make matters worse, there is a human cost to prohibition. Families are broken up. Property is seized. Individuals who are genuinely good law-abiding people have their lives ruined. If they go to jail, they run the risk of being dealing with truly dangerous criminals. Also, there is death on both sides of the equation. We’ve learned this lesson from alcohol prohibition from 1920 to 1933. Al Capone and Elliot Ness were major figures responsible for an increase in death around the nation as authorities tried to prohibit alcohol use. We learned back then that prohibition doesn’t work. We should have remember that lesson.

Economy

Governments can look at marijuana from two points of view: income and cost. Under the current laws, the US has absolutely no income when it comes to marijuana sales. It’s a crime. You can’t tax crime. But, you can tax legal marijuana. Imagine how much revenue local, state, and federal government could receive is marijuana were legalized.

Marijuana has many uses outside of medicine and leisure. Keep in mind the only thing smoked from the marijuana plant are the flowers. This leaves the actual leaves, branches, seeds, and stems which are simply thrown away. Those throw away parts have many uses as food, clothing, rope, shampoo, paper, biofuel and so much more. The important thing about marijuana is that it grows extremely quickly. Marijuana can mature, from seed, in approximately 4-5 months producing plants as tall as 6 feet. If in a perpetual system, marijuana can be harvested approximately every 2 months. That kind of turn around is important because of marijuana’s many uses.

Anti-Argument
We have to ask ourselves a very simple question: Who benefits from the prohibition of marijuana? And, we’ll have to look at it from the point of view of those who lose money if marijuana were legal and widely available

Criminals
I think this is pretty clear, the absolute advantage criminals have under marijuana prohibition. If the people can take marijuana out of the hands of the criminal, we can do a better job of controlling its supply, distribution, and economy much like we do with alcohol and tobacco. It’s important to understand. Criminals don’t care about you. They care about money. They will sell to whoever will buy including your children. At least if the people have control over it, they can dictate who can sell and who can buy.

Alcohol and Tobacco
I lump these two together because they both do the job of inebriating the people. But, marijuana does a better job than both. The problem with alcohol and tobacco is that both are very addictive and both can kill you. Marijuana is not addictive and marijuana, as our favorite DEA judge mentioned, is not likely to kill you. While alcohol is a depressant and tobacco is a stimulant, marijuana can cover BOTH sides because Indicas help in relaxation while Sativas help in stimulating the mind. [source]

Pharmaceutical Companies
With the known benefits of medical marijuana, it pays for big pharma to help keep marijuana out of the hands of the people until they can find a way to make money from it. Think of it like cocaine or heroin. While they’re both illegal drugs by themselves, they make up a significant amount of billion-dollar prescription medication in the form of codeine, adderall (ADD), oxycontin, hydrocodone, percocet, and so on. Now, apply that example to other medications across the board. These companies stand to lose billions from a plant that is quickly grown and easily available.

Oil Industry
Let’s be honest. We know these guys have the money to buy out any politician with the weight of their bankbooks. And, they throw that money around willingly. The oil industry does not want any govt to seek out energy alternatives. Marijuana is one of those plants that provide a solution to our energy concerns.

There really is no reason that marijuana should be criminal or prohibited. Any argument available is easily countered with honesty and common sense.

How to Beat the Police…

If you know me, you know I read/watch the news, constantly. I love to see stories about how cops catch criminals. It’s NOT some morbid sense of delight at seeing people go to jail. It’s moreso about me viewing the interactions between perceived criminals and the real criminals, I mean, police officers. One thing I notice is that a lot of people who are caught by police don’t understand how the system works. So, I wanted to throw up a blog about it from my perspective.

Police are not your friends
Unless you called the police, do not see them as your friends. And, in some cases, even when you’ve called them they still aren’t going to be an asset to you. The “serve and protect” motto is a joke. They were not put into place to serve and protect anything. They were put into place to enforce the law. They are not going to help you, AT ALL! They’re job is to catch criminals and if they think you’re a criminal, they will not do you any favors in helping you get home. They want your ass in prison regardless of the truth. They will do whatever they think is necessary to get you into jail.

Stop snitching on yourself
If you’re ever stopped by police officers, all they need to see is your ID, or you tell them who you are and where you live. You don’t have to answer any other questions whatsoever. What you’re doing, who you’re seeing, where you’re going are all PRIVATE INFORMATION. Police officers do not need to know anything else. General suspicion is not a reason for any officer to harass you. In other words, waiting at the bus stop while black is not a crime. If you’re taken into jail for whatever reason, do not say a word beyond ASKING FOR YOUR LAWYER! Call a friend or family member to get you legal representation. The police don’t need to know anything your lawyer doesn’t give you the greenlight to tell them. Remember, anything you say can be used against you in the court of law! Say nothing! The police aren’t smart. They only know as much as you give them. You give them nothing, they’ve got nothing but their imagination.

Remain calm
Police officers have many different tactics to try to put people in jail. One of the best tactics is to agitate the person they want to put into jail. This works well especially with Blacks and Hispanics because we get agitated and angry very easily. We are a group of people, together, that put up with the most shit in this nation so our fuses are short at birth. Police officers will do and say whatever they can to find a reason to escalate a situation. Honestly, I do believe that, most times, police officers deserve to get their asses beat on a daily basis for the authority they abuse. But, it’s not your place to do it at that moment! I’ll tell you when, where, and how to beat their asses eventually.

Do not resist arrest
Too often, I see situations where people resist arrest. They want to argue with police officers as if that is going to help their situation. Most times, it’s out of anger, understandably. But remember what I said earlier, remain calm, the police are not there to serve and protect, they are there to enforce the law, and put you in jail. So, wiggling a little bit as an officer tries to put you in handcuffs won’t help your situation. If you’re resisting or, worse, fighting with police officers, this adds charges. That means even if you did nothing wrong, resisting or fighting with a police officer becomes something wrong. Regardless of how innocent you were before they approached you, you’re NOW guilty of a crime! For the record, I believe it’s a mandatory seven (7) years if you do harm to a public servant – police officer, bus driver, train conductor, etc.

The fight is in the court room
If you really want to beat a police officer, BEAT THE CHARGES. A police officer can’t put you in jail. All they can do is charge you with a crime, that’s their legal weapon against you. If you can defend yourself against their legal weapon, you can beat the police officer. This is why you must first be prepared to understand the mentality of a police officer – they are out to get you. You’ve got to get your mind right as well – police officers are NEVER going to help you.

LEARN THE LAW!
You have to remember that you are your only defense. Even if you have a lawyer, you should know, understand, and be able to follow everything. You don’t have to learn everything in the law. Learn what applies to you in your situation. Think critically and dynamically about your situation. Put yourself in the shoes of the prosecution and think about how they would get you. Look up previous cases that may apply in your situation. You can learn from those cases as well. Maintain a relationship with your lawyer. Ask questions. Don’t just sit on your ass waiting for the lawyer to get you off. Offer your lawyer help in his/her office if you’ve got the time.

Advanced Lesson
Don’t be afraid of the prosecutor. They can be more of a friend than you realize. Chances are they only have the version the police gave and not your own account. Agree to, or seek to, speak with the prosecution! This is important because this shows that you have nothing to hide. Write down an account of your story so you can remember it for yourself. Give it to the prosecutor so they have an account of what happened that night to counter, or balance, anything the officer might say. This might be helpful in getting the prosecution to beat the police officer for you. If they see you before the actual court date, they can have an idea of what to expect on that day. The prosecution may seek to lessen the charges or even drop the charges altogether.
“Fun” Example
Police Officer: Who you are? Where do you live?
You: State your name! State your address!
PO: What are you doing?
You: I am going to the hospital
PO: You fit the description of someone we’re looking for! Can we search you?
You: Show me the description. (you’re not asking anything unreasonable here)

At this point, you’ve taken control of the situation. You’ve effectively applied your Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable search and seizure. If the officer can’t provide a reason for the search, he has no reason to search you. There’s no reason for any further interaction. Seek to end the interaction by asking if we’re done here or if you can go about your way. If he can show you a description, it’s completely up to you to agree that description matches you. Or, maybe it can be anybody with dark skin and blue jeans. If you deem it to be insufficient, which is up to you, you can still deny the search. You never said you would agree if he showed it to you.

If they do search you anyway, with or without asking, automatic violation of your Fourth Amendment. Whatever they find is not admissible in court because of the illegal search and seizure. Probable Cause doesn’t apply here because they had to ask you first. If they had probable cause, they wouldn’t ask you anything. In court, they’d have to prove probable cause or consent to search to get anything to stick. If they can’t, you’ve just won a lawsuit against the city! Bank it!

Make sure you take note of the time, badge number(s), and note everything that happened when you were illegally searched and the conversation that took place. Immediately file a report with police against that/those officers so that it can go under review. File your lawsuit against the city!

Remember, you don’t need to fight the officer. Let them do what they’re doing.

The fight is always in the court room!

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