What's next?

Legalize car-jacking, armed robbery, rape if stats proved minorities excelled in those sports? Not saying they do. Just an example.

My first thought was NAACP sounds kinda' bigoted claiming minorities produce the most criminals.

The NAACP's California chapter pledged its support on Tuesday for a marijuana legalization ballot measure, saying current laws are unfairly used to target minorities.

The group highlighted findings it says show the arrest rate among blacks for low-level marijuana crimes far exceed those of whites in the state's largest counties.

"Justice is the quality of being just and fair and these laws have been neither just nor fair," said Alice Huffman, president of the California State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

The November ballot measure would let adults possess up to an ounce of marijuana for personal use. Residents could legally grow small marijuana gardens, and individual cities and counties would decide whether to allow marijuana sales.

The NAACP's announcement outraged a Sacramento preacher who is leading opposition to the measure.

International Faith-Based Coalition president Ron Allen said African-American leaders are distressed that one of the country's most respected civil rights organizations would disregard the harm caused by illicit drugs among blacks.

"The NAACP does not represent the African-American community when it comes to legalizing marijuana," Allen said.

Drug legalization advocates hailed the endorsement as a major step forward in broadening the coalition of groups who support the reform of marijuana laws. Opponents of current drug prohibitions frequently point to the issue of race and drug arrests as evidence of a flawed national policy.

"There have not been high profile organizations or elected officials within African-American communities to say enough is enough, we have to end marijuana prohibition. This is really a first," said Stephen Gutwillig, California director of the Drug Policy Alliance.

http://www.sfgate.com

"Legalize car-jacking, armed robbery, rape if stats proved minorities excelled in those sports?"

Those are also extremely poor examples. Smoking pot is not a crime any more than drinking alcohol was during prohibition.


"Drug legalization advocates hailed the endorsement as a major step forward in broadening the coalition of groups who support the reform of marijuana laws."

I agree with this. Ending the drug war and government education (as well as the minimum wage)would greatly empower blacks.

I really don't care how it gets legalized....I believe it should be legalized.....farmers can grow it and probably make a profit again.....I would the reason for more african american arrests over caucasian probably is due to prejudice...I know as many people from other cultures mostly like smoke it as much as african american

What How does smoking weed even compare to car jacking or rape or robbery. It compares more to alcohol. While two wrongs don't make a right. I say it's the lesser of two evils. And it would really stimulate some tax dollars if it was done right. Free up some space for those rapest and car jackers you speak of.

Hey.

Those were the comparisons I made.

Nobody likes a drunk driver that kills someone.

Same can be said for someone under the influence of weed killing someone.

Or would it be?

In my experience, marijuana users don't exaggerate their ability to drive the way drunks do. They usually mellow out till the high goes away. I just don't see this as a big problem. There are already plenty of people who smoke, but it's not commonly considered a cause of accidents.

Drug researcher Paul Armentano recently wrote "For those of us who have closely studied the physiological effects of pot and alcohol the two substances contrasting association with cancer isn’t surprising. Ethanol, the psychoactive ingredient in booze, is converted by the body to acetaldehyde, a known carcinogen. By contrast, the active components in marijuana – known as cannabinoids – are relatively non-toxic and actually mimic chemicals naturally produced by the body (so-called endocannabinoids) that are necessary for maintaining one’s proper health.

Of course, that’s hardly where the differences between marijuana and alcohol end. As I write in my new book Marijuana Is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2009), alcohol consumption is toxic to cells and healthy organs, can depress the central nervous system (inducing unconsciousness, coma, and death), and is strongly associated with increased risks of injury and acts of violence. The use of marijuana, on the other hand, is incapable of causing fatal overdose – cannabinoids do not act upon the brain stem – and its use is inversely associated with aggression and injury."

I'm no virgin.

I've driven stoned on weed and hash.
I know what it's like to lose focus on the task at hand and get distracted by a snowflake, 3-d raindrops hitting the windshield or watching the streetlights keep changing.

Another point on the NAACP. Legalizing weed won't change the crime statistics for anyone.

Sure it will change the crime stats. People who are currently in jail for smoking an "unapproved" substance would no longer be there. The same thing happened when the prohibition amendment was removed.

If we had space to keep 784 more violent criminals in prison for a year, we could avoid 31,000 robberies, 5,000 assaults, 19,600 auto thefts, and 86,000 burglaries.

This is the amount that was convicted just for marijuana in 1992. Therefore if it was legalized then yes it would make our crime rates drop just to have the extra space in prison.....


http://www.cato.org/testimony/ct-bo314.html

all the laws now are based on outdated materials from the 30's through the 50's... they have learned much more about it and the propaganda lies from a bygone era need to tossed out.

well put.... it's so much easier for the cops to bust a stoner, because they are non-violent, than it is to go for the actual criminals that will put up a fight... cops love stoners, its an easy bust for them. not to mention, i could smoke an once of weed, and do anything i needed to do without endangering or hurting anyone... 3 beers, and i can't drive.

As far as the weed part of the whole thing, I might be just a little jealous.

In the early 70's I had to quit. After a few weeks of staying up on crystal and a couple bad windowpane trips, I tried smokin' some hash to mellow stuff out. I got hyper-paranoia.

I quit everything for a few weeks. After that time, I tried smokin' some weed. Same paranoia. So, I quit for like, 15 years.

Tried it again in around 86 and be danged if I didn't have the same mind-blowing paranoia again.

So, I know I can't ever smoke it again and it kinda' pi$$es me off. Not really. I enjoy a drug and alcohol free life.

Well, I'll say goodnight to all you stoners. It's bed time. Ya'll "hash" it all out.

Encouraging people to be chronic dope smokers?I have never met anyone who smokes dope to be anything but a brain dead idiot.I suppose that is the reason all the pot smokers elected Obama.

I find it odd that people sometimes totally miss the line between USE and ABUSE. There are people who ABUSE pot,,,and they can be some very dense folks,, just like those who ABUSE alcohol.


Then there are some who casually or socially use pot and are very intelligent and high functioning,, I know several personally. Just like all those intelliget folks who engage in a glass of wine with their meals or out at 'social engagements'.


Certain substances are stigmatized so much, people dont stop to think that USE doesnt equate to ABUSE and ABUSE is what leads to problems both physically and socially.

Another incredible statement...I have known pot smokers my entire adult life. 35 years of acquaintances and out of the hundreds and hundreds of pot smokers I've known there are a handful of "brain dead idiots". I also have known many who ended up doing short bouts in the county jails and paying big fat fines for smoking pot, no other crimes.
I even know a few who didn't vote for Obama.

Imagine that... if you can.

Well said!