Prohibition News
Examining the effectiveness and consequences
of the Federal Marijuana Prohibition
Marijuana, not heroin or cocaine, is the "bread and butter," "the center of gravity" for
Mexican drug cartels.
Of the $13.8 billion that Americans contributed to Mexican drug traffickers in 2004-05, about 62 percent, or $8.6 billion, comes from marijuana consumption.
There are good reasons to assert that (cannabis) is unlikely to compete seriously with alcohol and tobacco in
terms of risk to public health, even if consumers of cannabis became as numerous as those who drink alcohol
or smoke tobacco.
In strict medical terms marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume. It is physically impossible to eat enough marijuana to induce death.
Marijuana in its natural form is "one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man."
The killings, beheadings and bombings in Mexico are due to "our insatiable demand for illegal drugs."
[Existing] controls have generated an illicit black market of macro-economic proportions that uses violence and corruption.
NIDA's system for evaluating requests for marijuana has resulted in some researchers who hold DEA registrations and requisite approval from [HHS and FDA] being unable to conduct their research because NIDA has refused to provide them with marijuana. I therefore find that the existing supply is not adequate.
Government Statistics - prohibition fails to prevent widespread use:
'06 US Report
In-depth news and interviews
Tune into Dean Becker!
Deadly consequences of keeping marijuana illegal
Thur. 02/04/10
Poll Shows Republicans Favor Medical Marijuana.
"Medical marijuana’s support among voters in New York State is so solid that 71 percent of voters support medical
marijuana, including 55 percent of registered Republicans".
Talk to your legislators Georgians! Your parents and grandparents shouldn't be forced to suffer any longer from
conditions that marijuana can easily provide relief!
Thur. 02/04/10
Cartel run drug rehabs turn recovering addicts into hit men.
"The patients are told that in the name of God they have to kill. Those that do, do not feel guilty because they feel their actions
are on behalf of a superior being, that they have done something divine. Those who resist are executed".
Wed. 02/03/10
U.S. dollars finance both sides of deadly drug war.
Oh the futility of it all! The massively expensive, shockingly bloody futility of
it all.
"Millions of Americans pay large sums of money to vast networks of people who grow,
process, ship, smuggle, defend, and deliver drugs to the U.S. And at the same time,
millions of Americans pay another network of people vast amounts to find, fight,
arrest, and kill those who we hired to provide the drugs to begin with". Would we play
this game if it were our loved ones dying?
Wed. 02/03/10
Former Mexican minister urges "legalize marijuana to end the violence".
Jorge Castaneda, former Mexican foreign minister, urges Mexico and the US to
"legalize marijuana to break the power of the cartels and end the spiraling
violence". "The DEA says that 60 percent of the cartels' profits come from
marijuana. If we start with that, it's a big chunk".
"They can't inspect every car crossing into the US,
it's too expensive. The local communities don't want it. It backs up queues tens of miles north, the same
way as in the south. They're not going to do it".
Tue. 02/02/10
EIGHT THOUSAND Brutal Murders Before Christmas.
According to the El Universal newspaper, the cartels murdered 7,724
people in 2009 and so far this year have killed nearly 800
people.
That's 800 people IN ONE MONTH, at this rate more than 8,000
people alive right now will be murdered before Christmas!
End the Marijuana Prohibition - STARVE THE
CARTELS!!
Mon. 02/01/10
16 students murdered watching boxing match.
If we can't stop people buying illegal marijuana and fueling these massacres then
we MUST bankrupt the cartels by allowing legitimate bussinesses to undercut them.
13 yr-olds should NOT be dying because we're hesitant to
call our legislators!!
Fri. 01/29/10
No change at DEA.
Leonhart’s nomination to DEA head signals more of the same myopic, brutal enforcement by the DEA.
It doesn’t have to be this way. The DEA works for YOU! Tell your legislators what
laws you want the DEA to enforce!!
"Leonhart is unfondly regarded by medical marijuana advocates for having denied a cultivation permit to the
University of Massachusetts at Amherst, further impeding research into the medical uses of cannabis. Her
re-appointment indicates that the administration has no interest in overruling the present indefensible policy."
- Dale Gieringer, CA Norml.
Fri. 01/29/10
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico reject failed U.S. drug war
Increasingly our closest neighbors pass laws rejecting the failed drug war and
treating recreational drug users for what they are and always have been - absolutely no
different from their fellow citizens who prefer to relax with alcohol.
Thur. 01/21/10
Drug gangs frequently target police
"Drug gangs frequently target police" while the prohibition that empowers them wholly fails to prevent the
sale of marijuana to any adult or child wishing to buy it. What kind of people are we to allow police
officers to die just so we can say "well at least it's not sold in liquor stores"? Shame.
Tue. 01/12/10
2010 - record-breaking start for cartel murders
Sixty nine people were murdered by the cartels in the last 24 hours - the largest daily death toll so far.
283 people have been murdered by the cartels since the begining of 2010, again another record
- this time last
year the toll was 46.
Sat. 01/09/10
Man's face skinned and stitched onto soccer ball
The body of Mr. Hugo Hernandez discovered this morning cut into seven pieces, his
face skinned and stitched onto a soccer ball - just another victim of the
prohibition-funded cartel violence.
Fri. 01/08/10
High school students murdered by cartel (video)
Two-thirds of the cartel's money comes from selling marijuana in the U.S.
We can end murders like these by allowing reputable businesses to
undercut their prices and bankrupt them.
According to government records, a hundren million Americans have obtained and consumed marijuana during the prohibition, and every single day 6,000 people in this country use marijuana for the first time. The prohibition completely fails to achieve its sole goal of preventing people from using marijuana and buying it from illegal suppliers. Instead of protecting us from marijuana, the marijuana prohibition prevents reputable businesses from undercutting cartel marijuana prices and eliminating the $8 - 10 BILLION they make every year selling marijuana in the U.S.
According to the ONDCP two-thirds of the cartel's incomes come from selling marijuana in the U.S. With more than 100,000 men and a never-ending supply of new recruits, the cartels will *never* be defeated while this lifeline exists.
The cartels murder to protect their incomes - many of their victims are children, police officers and politicians. The lives of these inocent people are in our hands!
We must demand that our legislators allow reputable businesses to undercut the cartel's marijuana prices, thus bankrupting them and ending their ability to continue committing these horrific murders!
CARTEL MURDERS
- 2008: 6,300
- 2009: 7,724
- 2010: It's up to you
Don't guess about the risks and uses of marijuana, read about them.
Researchand
Clinical Studies
Reformist of the Week
Dr. Ethan Nadelmann
Commemorated to Dr. Nadelmann for his indefatigable efforts to protect the rights of those harmed by the bigotry and self-interest of others.
We want to hear what YOU think about how our country should control marijuana!
Send us your comments to marijuanadiscussion@gmail.com and we'll post them here.
Trevor Jan. 28, 2010
Smoking pot should be part of my freedom as an American citizen. I can get drunk and smoke cigarettes if I want but I would rather smoke weed. I will not live in fear of the govt. I will not live in fear of the govt. I will not live in fear of the govt. I am entitled as an American to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If we want to smoke weed it is our right as a free nation. You can have your beer and liquor. Why don't some of the big beer companies get on our side?? I would buy a Budweiser cigarette wouldn’t you?? Miller lite? Please someone help the millions of Americans who are criminals for smoking pot. I am not a criminal, I am a father of 3 daughters, married for 17 years to the same woman, I work hard to provide for them every day of the week. Why can't I smoke a joint on Saturday ?????????????
Richard G. Nov. 19, 2009
No the Government can not and will not stop the demand for marijuana or other drugs. I do however believe that it can be controlled with proper laws. Come on it works for alcohol! Alcohol was prohibited in the 20’s and as a result the prohibition made criminals richer than ever, death rates went up, and organized crime was booming. We still have these things but to a lesser degree. Not to mention the financial problems our great country is having, they tax alcohol why not weed? How many billions do the cartels make a year, or hell in a month?!!
Joshua A. Nov. 15, 2009
I feel that our country should not even make an effort to control marijuana because #1 the same "in god we trust" put a seed in the ground and provided us with the water and the sun. #2 My herb, their (the government) drug, does not have to be processed. For example, making alcohol revolves around two processes: fermentation and distillation. Crack can't be made without cocaine. Coca leaves to make powdered cocaine. Even tobacco which I smoke and I think it should be entirely illegal along with alcohol.
