Mexican Ambassador on Face the Nation: US Should Take Marijuana Legalization Seriously

[Turborama]

Run time: 03:24 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr1p1wq7mHI   Posted on YouTube: April 12, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: April 13, 2009 By DU Member: Turborama Views on DU: 1406

 
Full interview can be seen, here: http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/04/12/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry4937389.shtml

[AbortTheRight]

1. Legalize it!

Prohibition did not work for alcohol and it is certainly not working for Marijuana. The legalization of Marijuana would take loads and loads of cash out of the hands of criminals, and if regulated and taxed would put money into cash strapped State governments. Think of all the money we would save if we stopped locking folks up for marijuana possession and sales.

So many new industries would open up in the US with legal marijuana as well. Hemp is one of the most useful natural fibers known to man. If hemp could be legally grown in the states, we could stop cutting down trees for paper. Hell we could use hemp as the basis for biofuels rather than using food crops!!

I really hope that in my life time the US lets go of this ridiculous prohibition.

I could ramble about this issue all night but it's 2am and I need some sleep.

[roody]

2. absolutely!

[aquart]

3. Legalize and tax!

Would it kill us to make an honest buck for a change?

[pam4water]

4. Intersesting. The current Mexican President Felipe Calderón is a Bush style conservative, who

probably stole the election. The ambassador is going to have some tap dance to do when he gets home.

[SlingBlade]

5. There would have to be VERY stiff penalties

for those who grow their own for sale on the black market.

Personally, I believe that even under those circumstances that it should be
legal to grow in "Personal Use" amounts.

It is perfectly legal to make your own Beer so long as you don't try to sell it
Under any legalization scheme it should be the same for Marijuana for the
simple fact that some of us prefer "Home Made" over mass produced whether
it be Beer or vegetables :bounce:

[macjule]

6. Write your representatives to pass Senate Bill 714

750,000 non violent arrests every year..
47.5% of all drug arrests in 2007 in the US were for marijuana.
10 million Americans arrested on Marijuana charges
in the last 30 years.
It costs more than 1 billion per year to keep these non violent
offenders in our penal system.
The war on drugs is a failure and has been a failure
for years...billions spent and wasted, money that could
have provided health care to those in our population without.


Local police stalk college aged kids, waiting for a chance to pull
them over for not using a signal, tail light out, etc. then asking for permission to search
the car. Those kids that don't know their rights may say yes, only to
learn that their buddy got scared and took a pipe out of his pocket and stuck
it under the passenger seat...guess what. Arrested and found in violation of
Section 13 possession of a controlled substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetics Act.
A Misdemeanor - up to 1 year in jail and a $2500 fine. (True story, happened and
continually happens in Scranton PA) Tell your kids to say NO to a search!!

The DEA has classified Marijuana as a Schedule I drug,
in the same classification as LSD, Heroin, PCP and Quaaludes.

Congressmen Jim Webb (D-VA) and Arlen Specter (R-PA), along with fifteen co-sponsors, have introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate to critically evaluate America’s drugs and prisons policies.

The bill, Senate Bill 714, the National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009, is now before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Here is a link: http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=13046001
The letter is already written.

The most recent national survey conducted by the US Government reported that 25.8 million people or nearly one out of ten US residents use marijuana at least once a year and over 6% of the population uses the drug on a monthly basis. The lifetime use estimate of marijuana is a hefty 95 million persons, meaning that 47% of all adults have tried marijuana at least once.

NOW is the time for a change...support this measure...