Wednesday, April 4, 2007

We are Robert Koehler writes at the Huffington Post: Devil Weed -- about the case of Bernie Ellis, yet another medical marijuana advocate harassed by the federal government. Welcome to the Bush administration's other bogus war: the war on drugs. Science be damned. Rationality, compassion and state's rights be damned. What matters is the continual drawing of random and arbitrary borders, which are then ruthlessly defended no matter what. And with the drawing of borders comes the creation of enemies, and in the world of herbs, marijuana is the enemy -- the devil weed, no matter how medically useful. As Ellis noted, "Every federal commission since Nixon has recommended reclassifying marijuana, allowing it to re-enter the medical pharmacopoeia." Yet the feds have been known to prosecute medical marijuana growers even in states that have legalized it. So who do we turn to for relief? The answer is in the signature tag line that Bernie Ellis uses in his letters: "We are the ones we've been waiting for." 10:43:37 PM |  drug policy | Links | permalink | comment []

Outlawing candy You may have followed the politicians around the country outraged (outraged, I say) over the sales of marijuana-flavored candy. Have you tried any of this candy? I have, and it's an acquired taste at best. It's a novelty, a curiosity -- not something that's going to replace Butterfingers. If you were to give the candy to most children, they'd take one lick, spit it out and then punch you for giving them something so foul tasting. But politicians see it as another thing to outlaw in the name of the war on drugs. Jacob Sullum does a great job of taking this apart in Lollipop Lickers: The fight against marijuana-flavored candy is a fight against pro-drug speech. Crawford, whose group's website features a photo of an angry-looking baby sucking on a bright green lollipop, suggests that cannabis-flavored candy may "fall into the hands of unsuspecting youth" and "serve as a gateway product for future marijuana use." A Pennsylvania legislator says "it is really frightening to develop a taste for marijuana in children through lollipops." Such warnings fundamentally misconstrue the appeal of both marijuana (which people do not smoke mainly for its flavor) and candy that tastes like it. It's marijuana that makes the candy cool, not the other way around. And what makes marijuana cool? To a large extent, the government's efforts to prevent its consumption. The legal moves against marijuana-flavored candy can be expected to have a similar effect. 9:44:39 AM |  drug policy | Links | permalink | comment []

The Drug Czar explains medical marijuana in New Mexico With New Mexico the latest state to legalize medical marijuana, the response at the drug czar's "blog" is quite hilarious: Medical Marijuana in New Mexico: A Triumph of Politics Over Science Yesterday, New Mexico passed a symbolic law that purportedly legalizes so-called "medical" marijuana. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), these measures are inconsistent with efforts to ensure medications undergo the rigorous scientific scrutiny of the FDA approval process and are proven safe and effective under the standards of the FD&C Act. These measures are also against Federal law. Unfortnately, this new law will frustrate the efforts of parents and anti-drug advocates who now have to deal with the pro-drug messages that medical marijuana laws deliver to the young people of New Mexico. "...a symbolic law that purportedly legalizes so-called "medical" marijuana ..." Oh, that is rich! How many ways can they attempt to negate the truth? 12:52:15 AM |  drug policy | Links | permalink | comment []