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LeeE · 09-08-2007, 03:51 AM

Mella, ..."One last curious note, green harvest is the number one $$$ crop in California, unfortunately it is primarily run by the Mexican Mafia. Now their trucks will be allowed with open arms over the borders to do the hauling! LOL"...

Here's the stats. Ninety eight percent of all imported cannabis comes from Mexico. One to two percent comes from Canada.

Guess what the pols and officials always scream about? You guessed it. They constantly yell about, "high potency BC bud".

Why?

Canadian pot is largely grown by thousands of individuals. Latin American illegal drugs go thru various mafia's.

Stakeholders are working with organized crime, legally laundering the drug money, estimated to be at least one trillion dollars, per year.

Google, "Drug money for beginners", if you want to learn who the drug money kingpins really are...

All the info to understand this stuff is in the public record and just a mouse click away.

My guess is that even without learning the details, anyone can figure out what going on.

The Drug War is a price support system.

It's really a shame that the public doesn't care enough about their own communities welfare to look into this very simple, easy to understand issue and make the necessary changes to our "laws" and "policies".

That's history for ya!

Still, things do seem to be changing, at least on the local and state levels, so maybe sometime, someday, we may see non-criminal drug laws and policies here.

The Dutch did it over twenty five years ago, so who knows? We may catch up to where they were a quarter of a century ago, someday.

Kahunascott · 09-08-2007, 08:14 AM

quote:
With all of the research that shows how non-invasive marijuana is, I just don't understand why it isn't legal (and heavily taxed the way cigarettes are). I know a lot of people would argue that it is too hard to regulate, but people are lazy. Why would you bother to grow it if you knew you could just run down to your local 7-11 and buy some?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a smoker, nor do I hold the belief that pot holds no dangers at all. But if alcohol which can kill you if you drink too much is legal, why not marijuana - which has medicinal, religious, relaxation and ritual qualities. Why not legalize it the same way alcohol is legal? Still illegal to drive under the influence, still illegal to do it in public outside of a designated area, but legal in your own home on your own time......

How about our children? Do you really think it appropriate to legalize anther drug?
This will infer to our kids that weed is approved by the government and socially accepted.
For those of you who would like the eradication program ended you must lobby to get the laws changed, because the last time I checked the only thing that is illegal is growing and possessing the drug not hunting and destroying it.

punagirl · 09-08-2007, 08:48 AM

I would rather my kid (if I had one and I am trying to..) smoked pot than drank on a regular basis. The health and social consequences are far less serious for marijuana than alcohol.

Legalizing marijuana would be one of the most morally responsible things our government could do. We would free up prison space for violent offenders and release those whose only crime was possesing marijuana. Except for the Mexican Mafia there really isn't any violence associated with growing, selling or consuming marijuana. We could regulate it, tax it, blah, blah, blah. You already know all these arguments.

I have known numerous alcoholics and many potheads. I have watched several of the alcoholics kill themselves slowly with alcohol related disease, a few lost everything they had including family due to their problem and in my line of work (insurance claims) I have dealt with many who killed others while behind the wheel of a vehicle. Never met a pothead that killed anyone, had health issues relating to use of marijuana or lost their job over pot use. IN fact, I know pot smokers that are teachers, lawyers, CEOs and all sorts of other things. They use pot off the job and in a responsible manner. You would be suprised at who uses pot.

You know, if you smoked a big joint right now the effect would be over far quicker than the effects of three strong mai-tais.

I would much rather see tax money go to resolving the meth problem, improving schools, creating parks, aiding needy, improving alternate energy use etc. Oh, and creating support systems for those you have an addiction problem and want to kick it.

I don't smoke pot anymore (not really regualar, maybe if I was at a concert or something similar- I can count on one hand the number of times in the past two years). It isn't for any specific reason, I just decided I like being in the moment. I hardly drink either. I thought I should add this so you didn't think I was some raving pot head.

I had more to say but you know what, this subject is pretty worn out on the Punaweb. I think it is about 75% in favor of legalization and I don't see changing the other 25% so I'm done with the subject.

Atlanta/Pahoa

LeeE · 09-08-2007, 09:09 AM

Kahunascott,

Marijuana is safer than alcohol. That alone is reason enough to regulate it. Street sellers don't ask for ID.

We have been lied to for over five decades, by our government about this.

I got interested in drug policy many years ago and read the medical and social studies relating to this issue.

Dr. Lester Grinspoon of Harvard University and Dr. Robert Melameide are two world renowned experts in the field of cannabis research. Their statements reflect the body of research that has taken place in the last several decades.

To paraphrase, the chemicals in marijuana are healthy for human consumption. Not only are the chemicals that the govt. has criminalized, healthy, they are in fact vital for normal mamallian and human function.

Several years ago, medical researchers were stunned to discover a new chemical receptor system in the human body. It is the largest chemical receptor system in the human body and it responds only to marijuana-like chemicals which are produced by the human brain and nervous system. These chemicals they named, endo-cannabinoids. Endo means internal and cannabinoids refers to marijuana (cannabis). They also refer to them as, "anandamides". Ananda is the sanskrit word for, "bliss".

What scientists have shown, is that when the endo-cannabinoidal system is shut down in test animals, they develop diseases, exhibit extreme emotional distress when placed in any new environment (like moving them from one part of their cage to another) and then die prematurely.

These marijuana-like chemicals appear to function as a "universal regulator" and allow mammals mental flexibility to help deal with changes in their environment.

Everyone makes these chemicals and these chemicals are identical to the one's the policitians tell us are bad.

These chemicals stop cancers, extend human life, slow diseases like MS and the list goes on and on...

Many of the miraculous benefits are caused by THC,the chemical that creates the high. You know, the THC that the government is pretending to wage a "war" on.

Before the "Prohibition", marijuana was sold in every pharmacy in America. All Americans consumed these beneficial tinctures and they were made by America's leading pharmacutical companies.

That's right. Everyone used marijuana, they just called it cannabis.

The sordid story of marijuana prohibition is on the web and is a matter of public record.

It is probably because the chemicals in marijuana are such potent cancer fighters, that all currently accepted research shows no link between smoking cannabis and lung diseases.

Of course, vaporizing removes smoke from the equation, so the whole "smoking is bad", thing is doubly irrelevant.

So, sorry for the long winded reply, but this is actually a huge subject.

Marijuana should be regulated to protect our communities from an unregulated street drug market, to stop govt. interference with real medical research so that marijuana products may again be sold to adults in our pharmacies, as they once were.

Marijuana should be regulated so as to make it easier for people to choose a safer alternative to the addictive, killer drug, alcohol.

Any intelligent society would choose to make available the safest of drugs for personal use. Personally, I don't see that happening here any time soon, but, who knows?

Aloha!

Aloha,
Lee
http://members.cruzio.com/~lionel/event

Kelena · 09-08-2007, 10:38 AM

Hi Scott,

You have a point: hunting MJ is not illegal, but MJ itself is. I think it is important to teach children to obey all laws. The problem with nonsensical laws is that they undermine the respect for other, more sensible laws. The laws against marijuana make no sense. It is harmless. Of course, certain addictive personalities can abuse any substance. Rush Limbaugh was abusing Oxycontin. But marijuana is not harmful to society. I would not want my kid smoking marijuana, but I would not want my kid drinking too much coffee or going outdoors in the cold (not a problem in Hawai'i) without a coat on. Protecting kids is one job. Coming up with just laws that everyone can respect is another.

Your point is well taken though. It is the law.

I think most Punatics wonder why though.

Carolann R · 09-08-2007, 11:24 AM

You guys, we drove to Hilo today and I swear I saw 3 or 4 helicopters flying around...what is that about?

Also, Tony works with a guy that also works on helicopters and when the green law thing was voted down he told Tony it wouldn't change a thing really, in fact they have him doing more work than ever.

Carrie

"All I can say about life is, Oh God, enjoy it." Bob Newhart

Beachboy · 09-09-2007, 04:22 AM

quote:
I find it disturbing that the Government would send men and women rappelling on to private property with or without probable cause to seize marijuana and that it spends so many millions on the task. It might bring me some comfort if I could be assured that the alleged contraband won't be repackaged and sold in another part of the world to fund activities that have not been sanctioned by Congress, but I doubt I will get any such assurances.

it's been going on as long as I can remember! As a "Guerrilla Farmer" during the 70's on Maui I can attest to such actions. I use to think it was like we were being invaded from a foreign country. Rope ladders lowering Maui Police, DEA Agents & National Guards all carrying M-16's threatening to shoot our dogs(if there ever is a time to own Pit Bulls, this is it) if we didn't get them under control! Lining us all up acting like they are gonna shoot us too! To put it nicely, they were all pricks!!!! I mean you volunteer for this type of duty! Who in their right minds wants to ruin the life of your fellow man? Only Anal retentive jerks sign up for this type of duty, guys with small you know whats? Or just plain old jerks!

I too watched in bewilderment the other day as these jerks were flying over HPP, back and forth for several hours. Back when I was growing the FEDS like to locate patches around the summer months, then they'd return right around harvest time and chop down your crop. Funny thing though, on the evening news they'd only show the leaf being confescated, all the buds had been cut off and given to family members of the feds to sell already!!!!

Beachboy · 09-09-2007, 04:37 AM

quote:
Unfortunately, much of the motivation behind all of these programs and decisions is money.

When local government and law enforcement participate in these programs, they get $$$. When they seize assets (property, vehicles, etc.) of even suspected drug dealers / growers, they can auction it off for $$$. Of course, the seized drugs can be sold for $$$.

I should also mention the growing pressure on local law enforcement to send more individuals to prison to support the growing demand for prison labor, one of the fastest-growing industries. Now even airline ticketing reservationists are helping you from your prison cell. Why worry about jobs being sent offshore when we are already outsourcing here in the US? The prison industry lobby (corporations) have huge booths at the GTC conferences, showing the latest wares and skill sets of their low-cost labor force, and are in bed with state and local government to keep them supplied with an ever-increasing pool of "workers." More and more people are being sent to prison for minor drug offenses such as first-time possession.

Need a California inmate? http://www.pia.ca.gov/

Need a Federal inmate to build stuff for you?
http://www.unicor.gov/

Now we are even giving migrant farmers a run for their money by farmers using prison labor to harvest crops!

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0822/p14s02-wmgn.html

When I was in the Federal system UNICOR was the place everybody tried to work! In federal prison everybody works unless you have a medical excuse. UNICOR made things like Jet cables, Bullet proof vest, etc, etc.. But they paid the best wages in federal prison too, a whopping 30 odd cents and hour!

But as far as prisons being private industry...those are the private prisons. They are the ones Hawaii's incarcerated are sent to on mainland..

Dave M · 09-11-2007, 02:08 AM

Great post Beach,

Reality what a concept.. There it is in a nut shell. Prisons are Big Business and that's the bottom line.

My concern about the current MJ laws are that they're very hypocritical. The thought of a senator or any law maker or enforcer that supports these laws stopping and having a few martinis on his way home from work makes me sick. As it should anybody that believes in our democracy.

I do understand and respect Scotts position in that it's illegal. My struggle is not with the Scotts of the world but with the politicians that hold the same opinion as Scott without looking into the matter. Scott sounds like a "buy the book" kinda guy and thats understandable but the problem is "the book".

As a volunteer medic I've seen what driving and drinking does. I've unfortunately seen what it does to kids as well.

Living in a small town, I've actually been told, by an adult, that teen drinking is a "right of passage" my reply is and was "that's BS".

About six months later i responded to a "right of passage" situation and all the kings men could not put them back together again.

Yes "them". Oh the drunk teen ager, well he as much as walked away from it all. The family of three is now a family of one and he's (the one)was three or four years old.

I can only hope that he gets the love that his mother and father woud have given him had they not me up with that 16 yr old and his "right of passage"

It is these law makers, most of which I'm convinced are alcoholics, that are at the root of the problem. (End rant here)

OK.. I'll go back to my lurker status.

Blessings,
dave

"Sometimes your the bug and sometimes your the windshield"

Edited by - Dave M on 09/11/2007 06:12:33

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