Demand CBS Reverse Decision Declaring Pro-Marijuana Ad “Too Political” | Criminal Justice | Change.org

Demand CBS Reverse Decision Declaring Pro-Marijuana Ad “Too Political” Criminal Justice Change.org


Targeting: Leslie Moonves (CBS CEO), Dana McClintock (CBS Senior VP for Corporate Communications) and Jeremy Murphy (CBS Outdoor VP Communications)
Started by: Change.org

CBS, which recently ran a superbowl ad sponsored by the extreme right-wing group Focus on the Family, has just rejected an ad by NORML calling for the legalization of marijuana.
The ad was supposed to run on Times Square billboards owned by CBS in New York City. The slogan at the end of the ad was simply “Legalize Marijuana – Billions in Taxes.”

CBS previously rejected ads from a variety of progressive organizations including MoveOn and the United Church of Christ by saying that it didn’t accept “advocacy” ads at all. In response to the controversy surrounding the Focus on the Family ad, however, the company claimed it changed its policy and would now accept “responsibly produced” advocacy ads.
An email from the ad buying company NORML used told the organization “that If CBS changes their morals we will let you know.”
CBS is clearly acting in bad faith as it accepts conservative political ads but not progressive ones. The company is not only banning NORML’s message, it is implicitly endorsing Focus on the Family at the same time.


Send an email to CBS and tell them to accept the NORML ad now!  Sign the Petition by clicking here.

U.S. to end war on medical marijuana in legal states

 

By James Vicini and Dan Whitcomb

WASHINGTON/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - In a sharp policy shift, the Obama administration told federal attorneys not to prosecute patients who use marijuana for medical reasons or dispensaries in states where it has been legalized.

A Justice Department official said the formal guidelines were issued Monday to reflect President Barack Obama's views. The Bush administration had said it could enforce the federal law against marijuana and that it trumped state laws.

The decision was praised by activists in California, the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996. But concern remains among some medical and law enforcement authorities about hundreds of clinics said to be selling pot under the protection of state law and without regard to health.

A spokesman for California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a brief statement in which Schwarzenegger appeared to support the policy change:

"The governor believes it is appropriate for the federal government to focus their resources on criminal activity and securing the border," the statement said.

As a candidate during his presidential bid last year, Obama said he intended to halt raids of medical marijuana facilities operating legally under state laws.

After he took office in January, a Drug Enforcement Administration raid on a dispensary in Lake Tahoe, California, raised questions about whether he would follow that pledge.

A White House spokesman repeated Obama's view that "federal resources should not be used to circumvent state laws."

Stephen Gutwillig, California head of the Drug Policy Alliance, called the move a good first step.

"There is a fundamental need of patients to access marijuana as medicine right now," he said. "While it's great to see the Obama administration radically de-escalate the Bush and Clinton administrations' war on medical marijuana patients, more needs to be done to protect sick people and their caregivers."

(continued…)

U.S. to end war on medical marijuana in legal states | U.S. | Reuters

Medical Marijuana Bill to be Introduced in PA Next Month

PHILADELPHIA. State Rep. Mark Cohen said Wednesday that he will introduce a bill as soon as next month to legalize medical marijuana in Pennsylvania.

Cohen said he decided to have the measure drafted after he was interviewed for a story in Wednesday's Metro about legalizing marijuana to help the city and state overcome budget problems and getting almost all positive responses on Facebook, PhillyBlog and elsewhere.

"It's easier when you have public support to get legislation through," said Cohen, who gave the bill a 50-50 shot of passing in the next few years. "I think it's something that has a good chance of being taken seriously in the Legislature."

Cohen said the bill will be modeled after the New Jersey Compassionate Medical Marijuana Act, which was passed by the New Jersey Senate last month. The state Assembly has yet to begin debating the measure, which Gov. Jon Corzine has said he would sign.

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NORML Survey on Marijuana Use : Win A Prize!

I filled mine out. How about you?

Want to participate in an anonymous survey that can help advance scientific understanding regarding marijuana use?

Want to possibly win a $250 Amazon gift card? How about a free iPod?

This survey from NORML advisory board member and university researcher Dr. Mitch Earleywine assesses a number of attitudes and personal preferences.

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Marijuana Legalization: Yes We Can

Submission for the 2009 NORML Ad Contest.
Producer, Writer, Director, Editor- Jason Druss
Director Of Photography- Jon BoalSound- Dan Lehner
First Assistant Director- Greg Lewis
Key Gaffer- Derrick J. Horton
Key Grip- Alex Homan
Grip- Nick Carroll
Music by Loomer
Professional Actors In Order Of Appearance- Paul Weaver, Dirk Keysser, Saad Nassim, Kate Black-Regan, Jan Hines, Phillip Langer, Jason Druss, Yasemin Rodriguez
Special Thanks
Philly Aids Thrift at 5th and Bainbridge (The best thrift store in the entire city)
Derek Rosenzweig
Philly NORML
NORML



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Why Are Both Parties Out Of Touch On Marijuana Law Reform?

It is hard to imagine liberal House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and conservative Minority Leader John Boehner as soul mates on any discernible level, however, on the issue of marijuana law reform, for entirely different reasons, they’re two peas in a pod.
Shortly after the conclusion of this summer’s Democratic National Convention in Denver, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano posted a blog highlighting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) comments exhorting the public to take the lead on communicating with their elected policymakers regarding any desired major marijuana law reforms in the upcoming 111th Congress.
With that call to action in the minds of many, American voters elected Democrats into workable majorities in both chambers and elected Barack ‘Change’ Obama—while voters in both Massachusetts and Michigan voted in strong favor for ‘change’ regarding their states’ antiquated marijuana laws—when given the chance and medium to express their viewpoint regarding what other ‘changes’ are on the American peoples’ minds, since the mid 1990s and despite strong, bias media opposition, marijuana law reform has emerged as a major policy change sought by the American public.
House Speaker Pelosi supports medical access to marijuana. That is not in question. However, it is not known whether she publicly endorses decriminalizing marijuana, but, as a longtime representative in the House from San Francisco, she likely supports California laws regarding marijuana, notably the state’s long time decriminalization laws for personal, adult use.
Does she have the power to move medical marijuana through the Congress? Yes, likely she does. Is she going to expend the kind of political capital needed so early in the 111th Congress and this ‘New Dealish’ presidency to accomplish this? I don’t believe so.
Well now, to make matters worse, we have the Republican Minority Leader, John Boehner (R-OH), appearing last Friday afternoon on CNN’s Newsticker, in a Digg-sponsored ‘Question and Answer’, not surprisingly, the #1 question put forward by CNN/Diggers was of course about…marijuana!
Mr. Boehner’s reply on the marijuana prohibition question (which appears at the 3:15 mark of the 22 minute video) is tortured on two levels:
-Boehner’s deference to law enforcement and medical trade associations rather than to his constituents’ views, the Constitution, science, free market values and personal responsibility is, in a word, unfortunate:
-While rattling off DEA-like talking points against marijuana, Rep. Boehner seems to remember mid-rant against marijuana that he 1) often claims to be a libertarian who favors limited taxation, controlling government spending, and maximizing entrepreneurialism and personal freedoms, 2) supports the 9th and 10th Amendments, which largely articulate states’ rights to make their own constitutional laws.
Too bad Boehner has consistently voted against the Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment, a spending amendment in Congress that sought to check federal law enforcement’s ability to spend tax dollars harassing state compliant medical marijuana cooperative and dispensaries, and, in effect, recognizing states’ ability to craft greater legal protections for medical cannabis patients and their providers.
After watching Boehner’s verbal gymnastics and political CYA, I could have used a naturally occurring anti-emetic, if you know what I mean!

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DEA Must End Raids on Medical Marijuana Providers

By National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws ,

There may be a new president, but in DEA-land, it’s still business as usual — at least for the time being. On Thursday, just two days after President Barack Obama was sworn into office, DEA officials raided the office of a California medical marijuana provider, as well as two medical grow houses in Colorado.

Is this behavior the final gasp of a dying regime, or an unfortunate harbinger of things to come? That could be up to you.

Several marijuana law reform groups, including Americans for Safe Access and MPP — as well as national media outlets — are urging concerned citizens to contact the new administration in opposition to the DEA’s actions.

Call or e-mail the White House and tell Obama’s staff that our new President must honor his campaign pledge not to use Justice Department resources to circumvent state medical marijuana laws.

In the coming months, President Obama and his team will be appointing new DEA administrators. Congress will also be holding additional hearings regarding Obama’s pick for U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder. Let’s make it clear to the President, now, that the DEA’s behavior is unacceptable and must not continue under an Obama administration.

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PROSPECT HILL: Ask Friends and Fans To Attend City Hearing

Mike C interviews PROSPECT HILL in Methuen, MA about question 2 decrim and the Methuen city hearing to overturn what 65% of MA voters voted for. The Mayor of Methuen, Bill Manzi responds to our video on http://billmanzi.com



Eagle Tribune Writes Article About this Interview/Video!http://www.eagletribune.com/punews/lo...
http://bostonfreedomrally.comhttp://masscann.org
Music: Prospect Hill
http://myspace.com/prospecthill
"Break Down" and "4 AM"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4KCO1...
http://www.bostonfreedomrally.com/rec...

For info on all the local hearings and flyers/posters to bring to them.http://www.eagletribune.com/puopinion...
Lawrence Eagle Tribune Agrees With Us! Methuen Mayor William Manzi this is a bad idea.
Methuen City Council, 7PM, TUESDAY NIGHT!
Searles Building, Room 30841 Pleasant St.Methuen, MA 01844
You can also call the city counsil, please leave them a message! Thanks them for their service and ask they vote with the will of the people and for decrim as it stands and is working...
Methuen Council Office: 978-983-8510
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Reward Sanity! Netherlands For Nobel Peace Prize!

 Dr. Stephen Frye author of Twenty-five Reasons to Legalize Drugs – We Really Lost This War, recommends that, Louk Hulsman, Professor Emeritus of Criminal Law at the University of Rotterdam, who was originally responsible for crafting the forward-thinking drug policy in the Netherlands and the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports, who administer their very successful current drug policies, be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize."

Dear NORML Supporters and Allies:

 

Netherlands For Nobel

 

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) is beginning the New Year by coordinating the nomination of the Netherlands for a Nobel Prize for its achievements in minimizing drug use in its citizens, while at the same time restricting imprisonment.

 

With few peers at the international level and despite tremendous pressure from the United States, the Dutch government and its people have proven for more than 30 years that it is more cost effective, humane, and practical to be "smart on drugs" rather than "tough on drugs."

 

The following quotes from physician Stephen H. Frye’s book 'Twenty-five Reasons to Legalize Drugs - We Really Lost This War!' (http://25reasons.org/) document the validity and appropriateness of this nomination:

 

"The drug war, not the drugs, kills people. This is now a real war.

 

Although it started out as political rhetoric, it’s become a genuinely deadly conflict...It has caused hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths and untold misery, especially to our children, teens, women, and minorities. And like all wars, it’s been hugely expensive and wasteful; to date, it has cost more than a trillion dollars. And this is just in the United States; the international devastation is incomprehensible. Furthermore, like many wars, it’s based on lies.

 

"The few deaths that are caused by the drugs are due to impurities, dosages that are not standardized, and reluctance to call 911 when someone overdoses out of fear of being arrested. Replacing prohibition with sensible health-oriented alternatives, including legalizing currently illicit drugs, can eliminate these drug-related deaths.

 

"The Dutch should be recognized for their remarkable human rights achievement of regulating and decriminalizing drugs and equally important, offering comprehensive treatment to its affected citizens. The number of lives they have saved, as well as assaults, robberies, rapes, child abuse, and other prohibition-related criminal activities that they’ve prevented, is a major humanitarian and public health accomplishment. Their success in minimizing the catastrophic effects of the War on Drugs cannot be overstated. For example, the U.S. has six times as many people in prisons as the Netherlands per capita, and still we have four times their murder rate. Compared to ours, the Dutch prison population is negligible and they actually provide education and rehabilitation for their inmates. Furthermore, their incidence of AIDS and hepatitis is a fraction of ours.

 

"Taken together, these groundbreaking medical, human rights and humanitarian accomplishments are of unprecedented magnitude. They not only serve as an inspiration to the rest of the world, they also demand emulation. Because of this, it is recommended that Louk Hulsman, Professor Emeritus of Criminal Law at the University of Rotterdam, who was originally responsible for crafting the forward-thinking drug policy in the Netherlands and the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports, who administer their very successful current drug policies, be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize."

 

The world owes a great debt of gratitude to them, along with many thousands of activists, academics, and religious and business leaders, for demonstrating that a scientifically-crafted harm reduction drug policy based on researched public health models, not an unyielding prohibition, prison oriented model, results in a healthier, safer, and less imprisoned population—that also uses fewer drugs.

The deadline for submission is February 1, 2009, and according to the Nobel Prize Web page, people from every country can nominate, but it is limited to members of national assemblies, governments, and international courts of law; university chancellors, professors of social science, history, philosophy, law and theology; leaders of peace research institutes and institutes of foreign affairs; Nobel Peace Prize Laureates of previous years; board members of organizations that have received the Nobel Peace Prize; present and past members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee; and former advisors of the Nobel Institute.

 

--Nobel Nomination Process Information--

 

All that is necessary is for a qualified nominator, as listed above, to send a letter to Geir Lundestad, Ph.D., Director, Norwegian Nobel Institute, Henrik Ibsens gate 51, NO-0255, Oslo, Norway, indicating the names of those nominated and the reason for the nomination, and it must be received by February 1, 2009.

 

Dr. Frye has also documented that not only is this very real War on Drugs far more devastating and deadly than the drugs themselves, but prison is also much more destructive, catastrophic and even more deadly than the drugs.

 

The Dutch have shown us the path to peace and now is the time to recognize their achievement.

 

While NORML is a cannabis-only reform organization, by nominating and educating the world about the success of the Netherlands’s drug policy, we are committed to using this public campaign as the first high impact project for worldwide drug policy reform in this New Year. This e-mail is being sent to U.S. and international drug policy organizations, seeking the names and contacts of qualified Nobel Prize nominators. The email is also being sent to organizations for children, teens, women, minorities, and the environment, as all these people and the environment are severely harmed and actually killed by the drug war.

 

It is time to stimulate this crucially important worldwide conversation, and this is a project all drug policy reform and civic-minded groups, regardless of their mission statements, can support. The webpage and other promotional campaigns in support of this nomination have been launched, but gathering qualified nominators needs to be the first step as there is a short deadline. Please ask nominators to send their letters directly to the Nobel Institute, and also notify NORML at nobel@norml.org as we are coordinating and tracking this campaign.

 

It is truly time to end the drug war and start the peace process. Thank you in advance and best wishes for an exciting 2009 pursuing the Nobel Peace Prize for this most noble cause.

 

Cannabem liberemus,

-Allen St. Pierre

Executive Director

NORML/NORML Foundation

Washington, DC

director@norml.org

www.norml.org

www.Netherlands4Nobel.org

Technorati Tags: Nobel Peace Prize,nominations,NORML,Dr. Stephen Frye,marijuana,marijuana legalization,cannabis,Netherlands

Help NORML Impact the US Attorney General Confirmation!

During his election campaign, President-elect Obama pledged numerous times to end DEA raids on individuals who use or provide medical cannabis in accordance with their state law. The U.S. Attorney General is the member of the cabinet who will implement Obama's criminal justice policies--including federal marijuana enforcement.

Confirmation hearings for Obama's nominee, Eric Holder, are scheduled to begin on January 15th before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT). Please help NORML make sure the next Attorney General keeps the promises made by President-elect Obama!

Call or write Senator Leahy's office at (202) 224-4242 today. Use the text provided by NORML as a guideline for your correspondence.

Contact Officials – NORML

Technorati Tags: actions,activism,NORML,marijuana,DEA,medical marijuana,US Attorney General,Obama Adminstration

Time for Change: Get Marijuana Law Reform on the Agenda!

Make marijuana law reform part of President-Elect Obama's agenda...After all the victories we’ve seen in the realm of marijuana law reform and the recent election, it is now time to act! According to the NORML blog, “The election of Barack Obama, coupled with Democrat control of both the House and the Senate, presents a unique and critical opportunity for federal marijuana law reform.” A vast majority of you voted to change the laws regarding marijuana arrests; now is the time to make sure your vote doesn’t go unnoticed.

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NORML's Marijuana Health Mythology - NORML

by Dale Gieringer, Ph.D.Coordinator, California NORML
Myth: Marijuana is a Dangerous Drug
Myth: Marijuana is Harmless
Myth: One Joint Equals One Pack (or 16, or maybe just 4) Cigarettes
Myth: Prohibition Reduces the Harmfulness of Pot Smoking
Myth: No One Has Ever Died From Using Marijuana
Myth: Marijuana is a Major Road Safety Hazard
Myth: Marijuana Prohibition Improves Public Safety
Myth: Drug Urinalysis Improves Workplace Safety
Myth: Random Urinalysis is Needed in Safety-Sensitive Transportation Jobs
Myth: A Single Joint Has Effects That Linger for Days and Weeks
Myth: Pot is Ten Times More Potent and Dangerous Now than in the Sixties
Myth: Pot Kills Brain Cells
Myth: Marijuana Causes Sterility and Lowers Testosterone
Myth: Marijuana Causes Birth Defects
Myth: Pot Causes High Blood Pressure
Myth: Marijuana Damages the Immune System
Myth: Marijuana Causes Chromosome and Cell Damage
Myth: Marijuana Leads to Harder Drugs

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How To Avoid Being Stopped (comic) - NORML

Click on the cartoon to enlarge it...