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Drugs: Truth and Consequences!
6/21/08|Canna Zine|

"Is the war on drugs doing more damage than the drugs themselves?" Damage Done: The Drug War Odyssey video will compel you to ask yourself this question if you haven't already done so.

The legendary Frank Serpico (the man who blew the whistle on corruption in the New York Police Department, and who was shot in the face for his efforts) is a member of LEAP, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. He is just one of these mighty rebels with just cause, true, alive today, walking, talking American heroes, who testify to the corruption, ruined lives and violence triggered by the current quagmire we call drug policy.

It's legacy is legend in the waste of our precious lives and resources. Deaths and needless injuries happen too often in botched paramilitary drug raids.

Overzealous, unconscionable to the extreme, situations are occurring!

Like Rachel Hoffman, a young college grad, coerced by police to act as an informant after she was arrested for marijuana possession and then killed by drug dealers following a botched drug sting. Or Tim Garon's death due to being denied a liver transplant for using medical marijuana ! It is shocking testimony to the ignorance and bigotry of our medical establishment!

The bodies pile up like cordwood or holocaust victims (more than 33,000 precious lives lost in 2005) but does anyone care if overdose deaths skyrocket!?...that research shows little or no overdose deaths before prohibition?

New Mexico is the only state so far to show a little compassion. The NM 911 Good Samaritan law helps to eliminate the fear of arrest when calling 911 for help during an overdose.

"Save the children from Prohibition," was a slogan used to end alcohol prohibition. Punishing children or adults for making a safer health choice today is absolute madness. Again, we need to save the children, this time from drug prohibition's collateral damage.

Abstinence from recreational drugs is safest for all, especially youth but few will choose it. Parents do need to set an example for their children. However, most parents who use drugs and alcohol do not abuse them. They are responsible drug users, especially marijuana users as it is the safest choice.

Effective drug education based on medical science builds student's confidence to make informed responsible choices. Present policy falsehoods and scare tactics undermine our credibility. We want to encourage drug free behavior not awaken their curiosity. Truth, trust and reason encourage open communications between youth, parents and faculties.

Over a thousand people die each day due to tobacco use! Close to 300 a day die from prescribed pharmaceuticals. . The tobacco, alcohol and
pharmaceuticals gangs deal drugs that kill many more annually than all illicit drugs. We tolerate their salesmen!

Alcohol makes domestic violence 8xs more likely; marijuana does not
according to a 2003 study. There is a link between psychotropic pharmaceuticals and violence including school violence!
Prescription meds mixed with alcohol figure in most suicides. Treating drug abusers compassionately, as patients with an illness might help prevent this tragedy and that of a loved one ending up a prostitute or on skidrow. The sweet milk of human desire or our consuming passions can destroy us or, as we gain more control, make us stronger.

It is down right sinister, a crime against humanity, for the medicinal uses of cannabis to be suppressed. Some scientific researchers speculate that cannabinoids play a protective role in the brain, slowing the rate of disease. Ooooops! Who spilled the beans? Scientists and patients all over the world, that's who!!

Patients testify to Cannabis' help in treating Alzheimer's, chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, gastrointestinal (GI) tract disorders, Cancer and HIV/AIDS!

"We're patients not criminals. Go away DEA!" was the chant of protesters while the DEA raided a cannabis dispensary and Dean Becker. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Producer - Drug Truth Network captured it all for you on video.
Cannabis Dispensary video one
Cannabis Dispensary video two
Cannabis Dispensary video three

The stew over pot, medical marijuana or cannabis is really a scandalous controversy over whether this very easy-to-grow, virtually harmless herb should be allowed to compete with worldwide, unethical pharmaceutical cartels for pennies compared to their products' outrageous prices and often killer side effects.

Stop further restrictions on our freedoms in the name of the drug war; warrantless surveillance, wiretaps and searches including searches of our trash cans and medical records. Stop confiscation of cars and other property without trials, entrapment and long prison sentences for the nonviolent. Stop racial profiling, drug testing, "no knock" military-style raids on people's homes and especially oooops, we made a mistake raids. Most horrific, stop the un-American activities of harassing sick and dying people for making a safer health choice and stop the threat of arrest for good Samaritans and overdose survivors after life saving calls for help.

Stop spending tens of billions of our tax dollars each year enforcing a punitive drug war policy. Illegal drugs are readily available everywhere and the damages triggered by prohibition continue to mount.

The countless daily injustices mean it's time to ramp up efforts to end the Drug War, repeal prohibition! That's what the TRUTH 08 CAMPAIGN at STOP THE DRUG WAR.org is about! European harm reduction policy works so much better than our current response.

Thomas Jefferson thought the US should have a political purge or revolution every 20 years or so because “lethargy” is the “forerunner to the death of liberty.” What would he think of voter apathy today? Will 2008 be different?

It's summertime, take it easy, join the easy revolution! Restore justice in the world, construct science based drug policies about saving and rehabilitating instead of ruining lives. Get tough on violent crime! Warriors can get their adrenaline rush increasing public safety; chasing killers and other violent predators.

The real cause of this huge quagmire of failed policy is the beast, big government, that money hungry beast, Uncle Sam! Ma Freedom tells it like it is! The beauty of it is when we focus on downsizing our government we regain our roots of self-government and secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and future generations.

Compiled and written by Colleen McCool

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Colleen McCool is a portrait artist, poet and peace activist. Her creation,
DNT, Drug News Texas spreads light on the latest drug news and the subject
of drug reform worldwide.
Rebel with Just Cause Award 2007
Rebel with Just Cause Award
Latest drug news! Drug News Texas!

Member Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
LEAP - Cops Say

Member Drug Policy Forum of Texas
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Restore justice in America; construct science based drug policies about saving and rehabilitating instead of ruining lives. Support for the federal war on drugs is inconsistent with support for individual freedom, constitutional government and the teachings of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Freedom's Way individual liberty constitional government Jesus teachings

James Madison, the primary author of the Constitution of the United States, said this: "We have staked the whole future of all our political constitutions upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments."

"In the end, however, no constitution can be self enforcing....For the Constitution will live only if it is alive in the hearts and minds of the American people." Roger Pilon, senior fellow and director of CATO's Center for Constitutional Studies.

The Cato Institute offers copies of its popular Constitution booklet.
The Cato Institute - Online Bookstore
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Thinkforyourself

Laughable article full of unsupported allegations and inuendo. I'm not referring to the marijuana claims but can't we even admit simply leglizing "harder" drugs would do enough damage to trump all other reasons for their legalization. I particularly dislike the argument that "such and such number of overdose deaths can be attributed to prescription drugs." Common sense revealls as ridiculous, the comparison between the millions of prescription drug users and the much smaller amount of "illicit" narcotics users (again, I'm not talking about marijuana). If we are ever going to bring about change we have to put forth intellectually honest arguments.
Thanks

Buzzby

No we can't - because it's not true. Anyone who wants to use hard drugs, whether prescription drugs or street drugs, can already do so. I'm not a hard drug user, but I know where I could lay my hands on some within the hour. Because of the huge profits to be made, illicit drugs will always be available. The question is, would legalizing and regulating them be a better choice than the current situation?

If hard drugs were legalized, people could be restricted in how much they can buy in a given period. We're already doing that with pseudoephedrine. Prices would be such that no one would have to steal to get them. Drugstores card, dope dealers do not. Quality controls would prevent accidental overdoses.

The fact is, only 10% of people who use hard drugs are addicted to them. Only 10% of people who drink are alcoholics. Only 10% of marijuana users are dependent on the substance. If you're an alcoholic, it's fairly easy to seek treatment. If you are dependent on illicit drugs, you risk entanglement with the criminal justice system if you seek help.

Legalization would be good for everyone except drug dealers, Big Pharma, Big Alcohol, the DEA, and others who are making a good living off of The War on Drugs.

Why? People who use drugs recreationally have a choice between street drugs or diverted prescription drugs. The fact is, the ones who abuse prescription drugs have a much higher death rate, percentage-wise, than those who abuse street drugs. Overdose deaths are not due to people taking their own prescription drugs at the prescribed dosage.

It also helps to spend a minute to dig beyond the superficial "common sense" solutions.

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