Congressman Barney Frank explains his move to decriminalize weed

[babsbunny]

http://rawstory.com/rawreplay/?p=821

Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) discusses legislation he is preparing to introduce that would remove federal penalties for possession and personal use of small amounts of cannabis.

He calls it the “Make Room for the Serious Criminals Bill.”

The following video is from HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, broadcast on March 21, 2008

[Lobster Martini]

1. Finally! A politician addresses issues that affect my life!

Time to get out the Bob Marley records...

The "Celebrities Who Toke" list has some interesting names and quotes...Carl Sagan, Norman Mailer...didn't expect to see Newt Gingrich on that list...

(Link: http://frankdiscussion.netfirms.com/who_celebtokers.html)

[Mnemosyne]

5. They left out Mary Ann, Dawn Wells, but how cool to see

Feynman listed there!

Thanks LM, good site! :smoke:

[Lobster Martini]

7. Mary Ann is mentioned with Gilligan....and Feynman...

I recently did a "favorite book swap" with a friend...you loan me some of your favorite books and I'll loan you some of mine...and "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" was the first one I pulled from my shelf.

Don't get me started on Feynman. It would be a really long post.

Regards,

LM

[Mnemosyne]

25. I missed her in Denvers listing, should have had on my glasses.

Feynman rocks! That's the book I have on my shelf also. He sure was brilliant. :)

[tabasco]

2. Way to go Congressman Frank! Thank you!

Cannabis is much safer than alcohol.

[mondo joe]

3. Barney is usually the smartest guy in any room, despite his inability to understand Colbert.

:-)

[grannylib]

4. Now there's a good approach. God knows there are way too

many people locked up for minor, non-violent drug infractions that shouldn't be infractions in the first place.
And if we could finally make the sensible move to legalize cannabis, it would bust the door wide open for industrial hemp, which would be a GREAT thing IMHO.

[Bozita]

8. But, but, but the private prison industry would suffer lower profits.

In my home state of Michigan, we now spend more on prisons than on higher education.

If that ain't a recipe for disaster, I don't know what is.

[grannylib]

13. And the alcohol manufacturers...my god, those rich bastards might be

marginally less obscenely wealthy...horrors.

[Bozita]

14. And big Pharma. How many folks die each year from prescription drugs?

Pass the Vioxx, please.

The number of deaths caused by marijuana each year is zero, zilch, nada.

[High Plains]

15. Drug overdose deaths, 2005: 33,500

Drug overdose deaths, 1990: 10,000
Drug overdose deaths, 2000: 20,000

This is according to the CDC: http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/528/overdose_deaths_increasing

And yes, it appears most of the increase is driven by prescription painkillers. They prescribing of them has increased dramatically, as has their abuse and ODs attributed to them. Which shouldn't be much of a surpise, I suppose.

And yes, in 2005, as in every other year, the number of marijuana OD deaths remained constant: 0

[grannylib]

18. Exactimundo.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

6. “Make Room for the Serious Criminals Bill.” I love it! Great clip! Thanks! I fell asleep

early last night and missed it. Will watch it tonight.

[kestrel91316]

9. The only thing that will make any difference is to remove marijuana

completely from the DEA's schedule of controlled substances. Anything else is just window-dressing.

[mopinko]

10. prepare for a wave of such common sense bills

under president obama. that title is wicked smart.

[defendandprotect]

11. Good for Barney . . . I was thinking of starting a thread this week . . .

suggesting that we could turn one of the organizations fighting to legalize Marijuana into another NRA ---

They have used the NRA --- heavily financed --- to keep violence going ---

Why can't we use one of the groups to STOP the Drug War and its violence --- ???

I like MPP ...

http://www.mpp.org

but there are lots of other groups ---

[High Plains]

12. Good move, Rep. Frank, but mostly symbolic.

...Given that the vast majority of marijuana arrests are done by state and local cops.

That's about 800,000 pot arrests a year.

Still, it would be an important signal that positive change is on the way.

[Rageneau]

16. Interesting that he admitted he was too afraid to try this before.

I've always considered Barney one of the bravest voices in Congress, and he comes from a very liberal district. But even so, he admits here that he was too timid to introduce this legislation before now, because he didn't think he could away with it (get re-elected).

If our bravest, smartest voices tremble at the fear of not being re-elected, imagine how easy it is to manipulate those of lesser character.

[pleah]

17. K&R

"Make Room for the Serious Criminals Bill", is long overdue!
:applause:

[reggie the dog]

19. states would still be able to criminalize it

but this would make it a state by state issue. So medical cannabis would likely be fully legal in states where it is legal according to state law.

[dixiegrrrrl]

21. Maybe Barney can get support from the Alzheimers groups

since tests showed TCH prevents Alz.....

I forget where I read that on DU tho.

[Trillo]

20. Well, if this thing winds its way through the system and passes, with a veto-proof

majority, then it looks like I can finally give up cigarettes completely and switch to weed! But I think I'll wait until it passes before jumping for joy.

Didn't Obama say something similar, that he'd support decriminalization or some such thing.

Can't wait until I can go buy a bag of it down at the convenience store near me. Slap a nice tax on it, like cigs already have, and help to balance that budget.

[Marnieworld]

22. Praise HIM!

And I hope it gives amnesty to those in jail now. Senseless cruel laws. :grr: :cry:

[Dragonfly]

23. The drumbeats keep pounding for these

types of laws to be enacted. Even Missouri has a new med.herb law pending.

Check out http://www.marijuana-uses.com for anecdotal essays on this topic. Dr. Lester Grinspoon (his anthology website) and Carl Sagan both weigh in.

Yes, alcohol-pharmaceutical-prison industries would take a financial hit were the sacred herb legalized.

[NM Independent]

24. Wicked frickin cool, man

It's legal for medical use here in NM, but only for a handful of conditions. Unfortunately, I'm not on the list :(

This is good news. At least someone is putting it out there. Too bad it will never pass under Bush.

Maybe, though...

:headbang: :smoke:

[Mythsaje]

26. It's about freakin' time.

Cue the Peter Tosh CD.