Freedom_User

(I Can't stress enough at how the media has come around lately. I found this article written by Bruce Mirken MPP and felt happy to have a reformer come to the same conclusions)
A Media Breakthrough?


Written by my colleague Bruce Mirken.

Something is stirring in the U.S. news media that I was beginning to think I’d never see: In last two or three months, a complete rethinking of our marijuana laws has become a legitimate issue in the eyes of the mainstream media — something it hasn’t been for a long time.
To illustrate how big this is, let me take you back to early 2002, shortly after I started as MPP’s communications director. The first time I ever called CNN to try to pitch them a story on marijuana policy, it went like this:
I said, “Hello, this is Bruce Mirken from the Marijuana Policy Project –” and the woman who answered the phone burst out laughing. She had to put me on hold for a minute to compose herself. When she came back on the line, she said, “Okay Mr. Marijuana, what can I do for you?” While this was not the actual producer I was trying to reach, she was the one you had to get through in order to speak to that person. And I never got through.
Things have changed.
Earlier this month, CNN called me to set up an interview with D.L. Hughley about marijuana prohibition. That interview is currently set to air this weekend on what turns out to be the final episode of “D.L. Hughley Breaks the News,” which airs on Saturdays at 10 p.m. Eastern and 7 p.m. Pacific and repeats on Sunday (though TV news schedules have a way of changing at the last minute). This comes on the heels of appearances by MPP executive director Rob Kampia and myself on CNBC, MSNBC and Fox News, among others.
Meanwhile, columns and editorials questioning prohibition seem to be nearly everywhere in recent weeks, including the Providence Journal, CNN’s Web site, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Chicago Sun-Times, Los Angeles Times and many other outlets.
What was once dismissed as a fringe issue is suddenly mainstream.
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What's your thoughts on it? Marijuana has hardly ever been in the media. If it ever is, it's on Cops and breaking stories of a Cop 'overdosing' on pot brownies or stupid ass kids smoking out of a skull. How much do you guys think this is really helping? Our side is getting our voices heard with facts. With recent polls¹ that almost indicate the halfway point, what do you think?

¹ I know it's not scientific

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The feds continually use and twist this simple clause as an excuse to expand their own power - at the expense of our liberty.

"If you shot a ton of pot to the Sun, will it burn up and get everyone high?"

KWhite

This made for good reading

ciregg222

exactly ... thats what I am saying .. we cant win 100% of every conversation .. but at least the conversation is HERE NOW !!!

.

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It burns ..... when I smoke it.

tdlex420

All this recent talk in the media has done wonders for the movement, let's just hope it keeps up.

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mastanick

omfg it they make it legal ill cry in happyness

PotShot

"Earlier this month, CNN called me to set up an interview with D.L. Hughley about marijuana prohibition."

As much as I have RAGED about Obama's attitude towards the public's genuine desire to end this stupid war on marijuana (and personal freedom), I do think there has been a noticeable shift in the media's attitude towards the issue.

It is unfortunate that this attitude is at odds with the administration's. Just look back at that press conference with Press Secretary Gibbs. He was constantly trying to use the age old tactic of "laugh it off." Meanwhile, some in the press recognize it for the serious issue that it is, and, thankfully, want to get some serious responses out of Gibbs and the administration.


The fact is that the administration HAS no argument. Government's in the past have been able to, for the most part, "get away with it," but hopefully the tide has finally turned.

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Carl Sagan Goodness Richard Dawkins Goodness

Rhymenocerous

The media has definitely been speaking more and more about marijuana. The more it's in the media, the more the public will start to think about it, and the truth will finally come to light.

Vesey

At least it's a serious question now. The public's attitude is not so much "Oh, you silly potheads!" anymore. Unfortunately the government is still using that mindset.

As long as the public and media keeps this up, we could be seeing some huge changes...

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PotShot

Yeah, but I HAD hoped that if something like this would come up, Obama would look at the issue and make the right choice. For the last year or so, as I had been following his campaign, and then ended up being a very vocal supporter of him, I had always seen him as a intelligent, reasonable, decision maker.

Consider that illusion shattered. As I had pointed out before, he may have his own reasons for not supporting the obvious "best for society" choice of ending prohibition, but the fact that he has so far refused to articulate this reason is VERY disturbing.

I was telling my wife that it is akin to when Ron Paul basically revealed that he could not support the Theory of Evolution. I suppose it may be a small thing in the grand scheme of things, in what a president is responsible, but it did uncover a very fundamental flaw in the man's mindset. That is, a medical doctor could live his whole life and not accept evolution.

And now we have Obama not only NOT supporting legalization, but ALSO playing the same old game of "If you support legalization you are a scummy pothead"

Obama better do much to repair the damage he has done. I am very close to going from ardent and vocal supporter to an equivalent detractor.