DdC

"Right" as anyone still under the fascism of prohibition that is...
DdC

Wondering what life would be like if marijuana was decriminalized? Just look over the U.S. border — to the state of Maine. Our nearest American neighbour decriminalized marijuana in the mid-’70s, almost 30 years ago.

Possessing less than 35 grams of marijuana is a civil violation in Maine, punishable by a fine. That’s more than twice as much as the 15 grams of marijuana that Ottawa is proposing to decriminalize.

Are Canadian border towns constantly having to deal with problems spilling across the line? Police Chief Jean Real Michaud of Grand Falls, N.B., which lies just a few wooded kilometres from the U.S., says he has not had any problems with Maine’s marijuana laws. In fact, he didn’t even know it’s decriminalized.

“We have quite a few visitors,” Michaud said, “but so far we haven’t had any problems with that.”

Calm over the border

Things are calm on the other side of the border, too. Only 80 people were arrested by state police for drug crimes in 2001, and the grand total of marijuana seized by state police was 5.8 kilograms.

Almost 1.3 million people live in Maine, but only 1,740 are in jail. And Maine ranks an impressively low 48th out of the 50 states for violent crime.

“Everyone knows someone who smokes pot,” says Cindi Ellen O’Connor of the Maine Chapter of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

“Do you think they should be put in jail? And for how long? The penalties are so much greater than any possible harm it can do ...

“Alcohol is far more dangerous. Lots of people say, ‘I’ve smoked marijuana recently, but I’ve never woken up wondering what I did last night.’”

The Canadian Senate is of the same opinion. After months of research, the special committee on illegal drugs last September found that: “Scientific evidence overwhelmingly indicates that cannabis is substantially less harmful than alcohol and should be treated not as a criminal issue but as a social and public health issue.” The committee also said that marijuana is not a “gateway” to harder drugs such as cocaine and heroin.

Civilization has not come to an end in Maine. In contrast, the state appears to now take marijuana in stride. It is no longer wasting copious amounts of money and energy on a hopeless and hypocritical battle to keep people from enjoying marijuana.

Compare that with Canada’s recent record. Someone was arrested every 10 minutes for a marijuana-related crime in 2001 — a total of 49,639 Canadians.

The federal Justice Department says that 600,000 Canadians have criminal records for marijuana possession. Having a record can hurt your chance at schooling, jobs and travel.

Come to senses

Maine, 11 other U.S. states, and many European countries have come to their senses and stopped calling simple possession of marijuana a crime. It is high time we did the same. Or will hundreds of thousands more Canadians with small amounts of marijuana be punished by criminal records and jail time?

Prime Minister Jean Chretien’s swan song presents us with a rare opportunity.

If we do not take the reasonable step of decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana now, it could easily be 10 or 20 years — or more — before the chance comes again.

Note: Simple possession of pot has not been a criminal matter in this border state for nearly 30 years.

<a href="http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread16456.shtml" target="_blank">Main e Has It Right</a>
Author: David Swick, The Daily News
Published: Friday, May 30, 2003
Contact: letterstoeditor@hfxn ews.southam.ca
Website: <a href="http://www.canada.com/halifax/dailynews" target="_blank">http ://www.canada.com/halifax/dailynews</A>

Related Articles & Web Site:

Maine-ly NORML
57 McKay Road
Norway, ME 04268
Phone: (207) 696-8879
Contact: Cindi Ellen O'Connor
E-mail: MainelyNORML@yahoo.c om

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<a href="http://www.angelfire.com/ca7/ddc/DEAth.html" target="_blank">D.E. A.th Deceptions</a>

<a href="http://www.mpp.org/USA/news_1665.html" target="_blank">Behi nd czarist 'truths': Deception is no way to wage the drug war</a>

<a href="http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=200 20726-051559-1423r" target="_blank">Pris on rapes spreading deadly diseases (July 31, 2002)</a>
"Prison rape has become such a common occurrence in federal and state prisons across the United States that it could have deadly consequences for the inmate population as well as the public at large, experts in the field told United Press International," writes UPI Medical Correspondent Steve Mitchell.

<a href="http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread16387.shtml" target="_blank">Ever ybody Must Get Enlightened</a>
By Chris McNamara, Special to the Tribune
An American flag billowed at the south end, a flag bearing a marijuana leaf fluttered at the north end, and in between, thousands of Chicagoans found common ground at Hemp Fest 2003.
"Our forefathers were longhairs who grew hemp," screamed Hemp Fest organizer Caren Thomas from the stage. "But more and more of our freedoms are gone every day."

"I have struggled against tyranny. I didn't do that in order to substitute another."
Desmond Tutu

<a href="http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n499/a08.html" target="_blank">U.S. PRISONERS TOP 2 MILLION FOR FIRST TIME</a>

<a href="http://mondediplo.com/2000/12/03penal" target="_blank">4 million americans banned from voting</a> (as of 2000)

Texas gulags, the future of America? Texas leads the world.
1.3% of Texas adults imprisoned!
4.8% in jail prison probation parole!

<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2002/LAW/08/25/jail.stats" target="_blank">Alto gether</a> , there over 6.6 million americans under control of the penal system (prison, probation, parole, etc)...that figure was for the end of 2001 so its probably getting close to 7 million by now

Save the world: <a href="http://www.votetoimpeach.or g" target="_blank">http ://www.votetoimpeach.or g</A>

<a href="http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread16157.shtml" target="_blank">The War On Drugs Now Threatens America's Neighbors</a>



<a href="http://www.narconews.com" target="_blank">Proh ibition Causes the Crime.</a> [Looting, too]
Police-militaries LOVE crime, "wars" on drugs, terror, whatever. Make one up, or use an existing "problem." Create or use an enemy, and then build machines to fight them. Very profitable, and very empowering of more corporatism, police states, death squads, etc..
Rather than solve the underlying problems of oppression, occupation, prohibition, economic injustice, etc..

<a href="http://www.ariannaonline.co m/columns/files/040903.html" target="_blank">Will The Legacy Of Tulia Be The Death Of Bucks For Busts Policing?</a>

<a href="http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread16350.shtml" target="_blank">Buyi ng Initiatives by Daniel Forbes</a>
Source: <a href="http://www.tompaine.com" target="_blank">http ://www.tompaine.com</A>

<a href="http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread16388.shtml" target="_blank">Reef er Sanity vs. Puritans in The White House</a>
Takoma Park, MD. -- The Bard of Baltimore, H.L. Mencken, once defined Puritanism as "the haunting fear that someone, somewhere may be happy." He would have found quite a few of them in his home state in recent days, trying to keep demon weed away from the seriously ill.
Shrugging off their pressures, Maryland's Republican Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich signed a bill Thursday that, although it does not quite legalize the medicinal use of marijuana, does the next best thing.

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