Rob Kampia Responds to Schwarzenegger’s Call for Marijuana Debate
Comments (22)
May 6, 2009
May 6, 2009
MPP Executive Director Rob Kampia responds to statements by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that it is time for an open debate on the benefits of taxing and regulating marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol on MSNBC. 05/06/2009
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22 Comments, Comment or Ping
Elias K Gardner
When I try to watch this video it says. “This is a private video. If you have been sent this video, please make sure you accept the sender’s friend request.”
May 7th, 2009
G
Alex Jones And Jeffrey Miron Discuss The Failed War On Drugs
http://iblowminds.com/2009/05/07/alex-jones-and-jeffrey-miron-discuss-the-failed-war-on-drugs/
May 7th, 2009
Drew
Good job Rob. Good answers.
No matter how hard I try, I have never heard any compelling argument to to keep marijuana prohibition in place. Just lots of lame lines.
May 7th, 2009
Christian Conservative
An important question is whether we continue a system in which all of the money flows to criminal drug cartels, or do we legalize and tax marijuana so the money can flow to the public treasury and the rebuilding of America?
The gang violence and destruction of public lands caused by criminals operating outside of the prohibition laws would end if individuals could legally grow a few plants of their own at home.
One approach: support a personal use and cultivation permit, for example $100 for twelve plants, with the revenue split between the Federal and State governments.
Let’s let ordinary Americans grow a little marijuana in their own backyards and put the criminal cartels out of business.
May 7th, 2009
Acebass
I’m 60 years old. I first smoked cannabis in 1970 while stationed in Thailand. I have smoked Cannabis ever since. The frequency varies but it is my substance of choice to relax with.
I have smoked some good, some not so good. Baled weed with lots of seeds to some of the best hydro you can buy. I want to see some of this super potent smoke they are talking about.
The truth is this is just another boogy man to scare the people. The truth is they have no legitimate reason to keep us from using it.
May 8th, 2009
R.O.E.
I think the biggest question is NOT whether marijuana is good or bad for you,it’s a question of do we want to keep ruining peoples lives with these laws. We have but two choices, either legalize it or crack down so hard on users that we further erode our society over something that a law can NOT stop.Do we keep funneling the money from the sale of marijuana to cartels and gangs ( Which is becoming much more detremental to all society) all the while spending our tax money at ever increasing rate, or do we put a stop to it by removing the law that ALLOWS this to happen.
I say take all these drug warriors and give them a new job like, LOOKING FOR TERRORIST here in the usa,or protecting our borders so our troops don’t have to, or possibly SOLVING REAL CRIMES! Maybe it’s just me ,but I rather like common sense. How bout the rest of ya?
May 8th, 2009
R.O.E.
Just so all you drug warriors who may read this, DONT say, But the childern, I do NOT condone anyone giving weed to kids. Stiff laws would be needed for those idiots that do that,like the mother and friend I seen on T.V. today blowing smoke in to the lungs of a child, not just a child, but one with a disability! That is just sick! These people must have been born stupid. If you don’t agree with that,then you dont need to smoke it!
May 8th, 2009
kent keith
they are right you will not see a man smoke a joint and go home and beat his wife. to leagleize pot is the right thing to do . and congrats Rob for calling out McCaffery (it is hard for someone to understand somthing when their paycheck is tied to them not understanding it)
May 8th, 2009
robert Vetter
I hope that when the Drug Warriors want to gain entrance into the Pearly Gates, that St. Peter says ” Prohibition Laster 71 years for no good reason, that I can tell, but Jesus demands that you feel the bitterness that you have caused millions of People.” Why, the Drug Warriors will say, and St. Peter will say “The Same answer your Government said for 71 years, Because I say so, because logic did not play a part in the Laws of the World. Neither will it here in Heaven. So sit down, smoke a Joint three times a day and after you are finished with it, an Angle will slap them in the face, only for 71 years, and then, perhaps we can debate it, with Jesus!!! Drug Warriors, are you Listening!!! Your Sins are not hidden from Heavens throne. Remember, Revenge is God’s business!!!! Repent!!!!
May 8th, 2009
Richard Savary
Police Chief Scott Kirkland pretends to be a legitimate part of the discussion about marijuana, but note that: although he wants to discuss marijuana, he does not want a debate? Could it be that he just wants another platform to spew his dishonest propaganda, but doesn’t want to actually be called upon to defend his lies? I say, if he can’t defend what he’s saying, then he shouldn’t say it.
And note that toward the end of this little blurb, when asked if the problem with (some) drug use is “behavior,” rather than drug use itself, Kirkland shies away. No wonder! Behavior IS a real problem with alcohol use, but not with marijuana.
Generally speaking, pot smokers don’t misbehave! At all! And when they do, which is quite unusual, it can usually be attributed to something other than MJ. For example, when a criminal is found to possess pot, his criminality is commonly attributed, by the authorities, at least in part, to his use of pot! In fact, it is highly unlikely that his crimes are causally related to his pot use. They are much more likely related to poverty and inequality of opportunity in the US. The criminal smokes pot in part just because he rejects the established system, which leaves him OUT! And he smokes pot to relax, just like most of us. But how many people don’t get this? How many times have drug warriors tried to make this false cause-effect association?
As for “more research being needed,” the government itself blocked research on marijuana for decades, and still does to some degree. For most of this time, only research specifically aimed at finding negative evidence was permitted. When it failed to find serious problems with MJ use, it was deep sixed, i.e. filed away and hidden! More research would be useful, but what Kirkland really wants is to find something to help him maintain prohibition. Most recent research on the effects of pot are that it is the most benign, almost completely harmless intoxicant ever used by man, or woman.
And Kirkland says something about “this is not the 60s or 70s.” I think he’s referring to pot being stronger now. Hah! Pot smokers DON’T smoke a fixed amount of pot; they smoke until they’ve achieved the desired effect. They stop at that point. It doesn’t matter if pot is stronger today, except that users smoke less of it. If there ARE any as yet undiscovered (serious) negative health effects from smoking pot, then stronger, 21st century pot is safer, and therefore far preferable to the weaker 60s pot.
As for Schwarzenegger, his position is true to form for most politicians. He recognizes that many, perhaps even a majority of his CA constituents want legal pot, but that many others oppose it, so he walks the fine line: he thinks we need more discussion. He is willing to build consensus, but dares not lead! Although I think he’s being fair enough, as one who did himself use steroids for many years, he’s also quite a bit the hypocrite here. He thinks that it was OK for him, when he benefited greatly from his illicit drug use, but at best, he’s not quite sure the rest of us can be trusted (HAH!). He will, at least, blow wherever the breeze blows him. Spineless, for such a big man, but he could be much worse.
Again, while MMP and Rob Kampia are patently, clearly reasonable, the drug warriors are still desperate and clinging to their highly doubtful (though oddly effective) propaganda, and even reasonable people are confused (which IS the point!). If only people would trust the evidence (or lack thereof), in the literature and in their experience, and understand that those creeps are far more concerned about their regular paychecks than they will ever be for public health, public safety, justice or truth, they’d be dismissed in a heartbeat.
People, use your heads! The Drug Warriors have told the grossest kinds of lies, so many times, which are obvious to everyone with any real knowledge of pot use. When are we going to learn to recognize these lies when we hear them? When are we going to dismiss these drug warriors and all their lies, once and for all?
And People, use your real names! You cannot be arrested for having this or any other opinion! Stand up for what you believe!
May 8th, 2009
Rayvyn
Not enough research? Seriously? Kirkland and all the other clones need to prove their statements, because if they say “theres not enough research” then they completey cancel out anything they say. From what I hear, pot is less potent than what it was back in the 60’s and 70’s. I hear old heads all the time complain about pot today and how its crap compared to then. If anything, quality has gone down and prices have gone up, compared to the old “$15 an ouce” prices. They are prompted to say things that could have the potential to scare people. But the populace that could get scared is very low. First hand experience, there needs to be no more research on it, we already know what it is, what it does and how it does it. We know its a dirt grown seed bearing plant. I suppose we should arrest the cows that produce the poo that creates the shrooms as well. That would make alot of sence and fit right in to this nutjob war on drugs. Maybe we should create a “war on prohibitionists”. Watching prohibitionists and hearing them speak gives me an aching headache.
May 8th, 2009
Joel
Chief Scott Kirkland is having problems finding real evidence that he wants, so he wants more time. Seventy two years?!! That is a lot of time and a waste of money.
May 8th, 2009
FiddleMan
Nice job, Rob!
I cannot understand why Cannabis is still criminalized while Alcohol is legal. I am not out to see Alcohol criminalized, but the public (mostly the government) really needs to get the Cannabis versus Alcohol debate into perspective!
Alcohol is 5 Times Deadlier than All Illegal Drugs Combined!
Total Alcohol and Tobacco Deaths per Year (U.S. Only): 520,000 deaths – over one-half million dead Americans.
All Illicit Drug Use, Direct and Indirect Deaths per Year (U.S. Only): 17,000 deaths.
All Illicit Drug Use, Direct and Indirect (yes, this would include Methamphetamines, Cocaine, Crack, Heroin, etc. – all hard drugs and soft drugs – all illegal drugs) deaths compared to the annual deaths caused just by Alcohol and Tobacco = 0.03269. This means that all illegal drug use put together is less than 03.27% as harmful as Alcohol and Tobacco use. Wow!
Deaths per year caused by the two legal drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco, are over 30 times more than all illegal drugs combined! Even with 30 times the total number of hard drug users in the U.S. the death rate would still be lower than the annual U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco death rate!
Now let’s look at just the deaths due to Alcohol: 85,000 deaths. 17,000 (All illegal drugs) / 85,000 (Alcohol) = 0.2. This means that all illegal drug use combined is only 20% as harmful as Alcohol use. So – Alcohol accounts for 5 times more deaths per year than all illegal drugs combined! Wow again! – Put that in your beer mug and drink it!
So when you hear a Drug Warrior say that “Legalizing Cannabis sends the Wrong Message to our children” – “The Message” that they are really telling our children is that (when the children reach legal age) they will NOT be allowed to use a safe recreational drug like Cannabis but they Will be allowed to use Alcohol as a recreational drug, even though legal alcohol kills 5 times more people per year than Methamphetamines, Cocaine, Crack, Heroin and all of the worst illegal drugs combined!
Now let’s look at Cannabis.
For those who do not know, Cannabis is the genus name for the very common plant that Harry Anslinger called “Marijuana”, so that he could confuse/trick the public into thinking that Cannabis was some new type of dangerous drug as well as to use racism in quest for criminalization back in the 30’s. (I refuse to use Harry Anslinger’s derogatory terminology)
Total Cannabis Deaths throughout All of Recorded History (Worldwide): 0!!!. Usage of Cannabis (Marijuana) has never killed anybody – ever!
Hmm, we can’t even get a percentage of Cannabis Deaths (0) compared to Alcohol and Tobacco Deaths (85,000) since Cannabis has never ever killed anybody can we?
So – Alcohol and Tobacco kill over a half million Americans in one year and Cannabis has never killed anybody (in the whole world – ever), yet we allow the U.S. Government to support the Alcohol and Tobacco industry while they arrest us, put us in cages and steal our homes/cars/money for using Cannabis – a safe alternative to Alcohol!
The Pharmaceutical Industry also “pushes” many extremely deadly poisons that could easily be replaced by Cannabis and Cannabis Derived Drugs. “Adverse Reactions to Prescription Drugs” kill around twice as many people per year as “All Illicit Drug Use Combined” – and that Cannabis use has never killed anyone!
I wonder how many people die yearly from Alcohol and Tobacco who would prefer Cannabis instead? Cannabis is a completely safe alternative to Alcohol. Alcohol almost killed me. I would love to use Cannabis as a substitute for the deadly drug Alcohol! The problem is that I live in a country where Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness is NOT possible – I live in the United States of America – Freedom is NOT an option here. The American public is completely terrorized by the U.S. DEA.
Terrorism is, most simply, policy intended to intimidate or cause terror. It is more commonly understood as an act which (1) is intended to create fear (terror), (2) is perpetrated for an ideological goal (as opposed to a materialistic goal or a lone attack), and (3) deliberately targets (or disregards the safety of) non-combatants. (Wikipedia)
Therefore, the U.S. DEA, who break into peoples homes, incarcerate people for exercising their Constitutional Freedom to use Cannabis as a safe alternative to Alcohol (or even as medicine), revoke student aids, separate families, cost people their jobs, take their driving privileges, take their homes, take their right to vote, and kill family pets, are indeed Terrorists! We need our government to dismantle the U.S. supported and funded American Terrorism Group also known as the U.S. DEA. We the People are PAYING for our own Terrorization with our own taxes!
The U.S. – with 5% of the world’s population – cages 25% of the world’s population caged population. Many of the people who are kept in cages should not be. Many people who are forced to live in cages and suffer the brutality of the American Prison System are otherwise law abiding citizens who have simply exercised their Constitutional Right of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
Prison Reform (as well as Basic Human Rights) NEEDS TO Seriously Consider Legalizing Cannabis!
Legalize Cannabis Now!
May 8th, 2009
thinayr
It always steams me to hear drug warriors hide behind “we need to do more research,” in light of the fact that the federal government has fully obstructed all cannabis research in the US since the 70s. The problem? The research always came back pointing to a benign, therapeutic substance with no toxicity and no cause for illegality.
I know the MAPS institute has been in a legal battle with the FDA/DEA and other organizations for close to a decade now trying to secure the right to grow small quantities of cannabis for FDA APPROVED studies. Presently, the only cannabis that can be used for federally sanctioned studies is federally grown, (I believe by the DEA), and guess what? They don’t give it to any researchers, even those who have gone through the arduous process of getting a study approved by the FDA.
It’s like they’ve confiscated every single chair in the country and they’re telling us, “we’d love to solve this chair issue, but first we should all just take a seat and study the situation carefully…”
May 8th, 2009
Richard Savary
Beware! “Needing more research” is a delaying tactic. Legalizing any additional drug would be a paradigm shift, and drug prohibition is a Sacred Cow (and a White Elephant!). All The Drug War Establishment needs to do is to stall reform until times change, and our opportunity is lost. Political climates do change, cyclically, as a simple consequence of time and social and political evolution. Right now there is just enough sympathy from fence straddlers, who now think pot should be legal to help out the Treasury. When the economy improves, those people might change their minds again. We need to strike while the iron is hot!
The irony, and the Great Hypocrisy, is that the culture which seeks prohibition of alternative drugs, i.e. primarily American WASP, derived from Puritanism (with a good number of other mainstream cultures tagging along), is one which has its own recreational drug, alcohol. While it strives so aggressively to prohibit the drug of alternative cultures, races and nationalities, it fails utterly to curb the use of its own drug of choice! And that despite the fact that that legal drug is probably the most harmful drug of all, excepting perhaps other addictive drugs, in MHO.
The problem is also one of minority rights. Must a minority necessarily be forced to endure a tyranny of the majority? A toker does no harm to his neighbor, so his neighbor has no claim on him for his toking! That is what freedom is, freedom from prejudice and autocratic meddling, by those who merely disapprove, but who can not demonstrate any harm. Drug Warriors have no right to impose their arbitrary, hypocritical will on others!
Anyway, that’s where I stand, in part.
May 9th, 2009
Ryan
There is research being done and they are doing it wrong. I was watching a documentary and for christ sake, the doctor was shooting the poor lady up with pure THC like it would give her the same effect of smoking it. If that is the way it’s gonna be researched, then we are doomed.
May 10th, 2009
G
The call for more research is a stalling tactic. Also, every time, they say “what about the kids”?…another stall. Any idiot knows there should be age controls.
May 11th, 2009
Lea
MPP / Rob: You have gained my support, hands down. Having been a loyal contributor to another cannabis reform movement for 20 years it’s time for me to change who I chose to support.
My check/cash to support MPP will be in the mail within the week.
Thank you. Please get it done as this physical body suffers as a result of prohibition.
May 12th, 2009
Graham
First they have no proof that pot is substatially stronger now a day, and second what they are alledging is that a plant that has been on earth longer than humans has evolved in three decades more than it has in tens of thousands of years.
May 13th, 2009
Da Head
Again the prohibitionist has way more air time but I am disapointed in Kampia and most debates ive seem from the pro-legalize side on TV. Now I know they dont give you much time but way to many attacks go un-answered from the prohibitionists. When asked about Barry’s quote, Kampia missed pointing out that no one is suggesting “childeren should smoke weed”. The very quote was just stupid anyway. This seems to be the best opportunity in decades to legalize and we cant blow this. Every lie and myth has to be squashed with facts and science ! The debate Schwarzenegger is calling for has to be the be the best performance that person has ever done and leave without a doubt in an average american’s mind, that legalization is the best option !
Also, why is it everytime I see Kampia on TV he always looks stoned, eyes shut, cottonmouth ? With all do respect, I like Kampia I just think the legalization movement need an…….Obama.
May 14th, 2009
Cap
“…Jesus demands that you feel the bitterness that you have caused millions of People.”
Very close Robert V. I would modify it slightly. “Jesus demands you be treated the way you’ve treated others.”
And for sure they are not getting in; they’ve spread so much lies and death in the name of “morality” it’s practically beyond belief; modern day Inquisitors.
I saw something similar in a dream.
Not long after I wrote ”Down with the Drug Warrior Perjurers” there was a news story I learned about, probably a representative sample of the self-righteous “testalying” as noted in the comments on the local paper’s page.
I feel certain this kind of corruption goes to the highest levels of government. Just like Haggard the anti-gay and anti-drugs blowhard minister was exposed for his liaisons with a gay prostitute and smoked meth. Sooner or later the truth comes out. If they can’t face the music here in front of humans, an even more terrifying fate awaits them…
May 14th, 2009
tison
last night right… i smoked a huge blunt…. went home and beat the shit out of my family…
well i was going to then i became unmotivated…
May 29th, 2009
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