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corrupt city council members should be fired! When your local city council votes for a wage increase, do not allow it! these pieces of shit who are by and large knuckle heads who accept bribes do not deserve any increases!

http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7614

May 29, 2008 - Hailey, ID, United States of America

Hailey: For the second time in seven months, Hailey voters approved a trio of municipal ballot measures liberalizing local marijuana law enforcement policies.

On Tuesday, voters endorsed language legalizing the use of medical cannabis and hemp, and calling on local police to make marijuana law enforcement its lowest priority.

Voters had previously approved all three ballot measures in November, but city council members sued in January to have the measures declared illegal.

The council"s lawsuit remains pending.

"In the coming weeks and months, we will learn whether the long-held democratic notion of a government "by the people for the people" applies in Idaho or whether lawmakers are willing to cast democracy aside in order to bow at the altar of pot prohibition," NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre said.

We the people still exists, right? Fuck corrupt local city council members who do not represent us, they should be fired at the very least.

"Regulators, saddle up!" - Young Guns, The movie

In other news:

"A Palm Beach Gardens man and his mother, a middle school science teacher, are permanently barred from owning or possessing animals, a judge ruled Thursday after watching a short film of the man having sex in his bedroom with a German shepherd. Palm Beach County Judge Frank Castor also ordered that the county be given custody of the woman's pets two German shepherds and two cats and ruled that she and her son, 18, jointly pay the county $1,848 in boarding costs and other fees. The man, who was 17 at the time of the recorded activity, did not appear in court. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel is not identifying him because he was a juvenile at the time of the activity. His mother, whose residence is where the sexual activity occurred, teaches at a public school. She testified at Thursday's hearing, insisting repeatedly that she was unaware of her son's sexual acts with her male German shepherd. She said she found the behavior reprehensible and out of character for her son, whom she said is a recently graduated high school honors student. Thursday's hearing included graphic details of the man's sexual acts, including descriptions of the film that Palm Beach County sheriff's investigators found stored on his personal computer in his bedroom. Testimony was provided by a detective, county Animal Care and Control officials, including a chief veterinarian, and an expert animal trainer who said the videotape indicates the dog showed signs of submission and pain.The woman urged the judge not to take away her dogs, and said not allowing her to have future pets "is punishing the mother for the sins of a son." She told the judge, "I have not done anything wrong or have hurt these animals in any way. I was mortified to find this was going on." The county intends to put the animals up for adoption."
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-529bestiality,0,6273499.story

It's even less than that here in New York. $100 fine and no criminal record. Not all of us are lucky enough to live in the saner states though. I'll use Pennsylvania as the example -- in PA they have a "drugged driving" law that basically says if you have ANY detectable drug metabolites (not the drug itself) in your system that it's basically the same as a DWI. If you smoked a joint two weeks ago you could be convicted of driving under the influence and lose your license and even your freedom. WTF is wrong with that picture?

NORML has a handy section on their website where you can see the different state laws regarding marijuana.

It's even less than that here in New York. $100 fine and no criminal record. Not all of us are lucky enough to live in the saner states though. I'll use Pennsylvania as the example -- in PA they have a "drugged driving" law that basically says if you have ANY detectable drug metabolites (not the drug itself) in your system that it's basically the same as a DWI. If you smoked a joint two weeks ago you could be convicted of driving under the influence and lose your license and even your freedom. WTF is wrong with that picture?

NORML has a handy section on their website where you can see the different state laws regarding marijuana.

Regarding the recent SSL bungle:

I'm not placing blame on anyone, but let us consider for a moment:

How long would it take a member of a rogue organization, a company such as Microsoft, or an intelligence agency to land a spot into such a role as a code monkey at Debian.org, under the guise of a pro-FOSS person? You do know all three examples above are quite savvy when it comes to infiltration, mafias, corporations, and intelligence agencies do this all of the time. So let us suppose this is what happened here, and considering the wide range of impact with this issue, I believe this is exactly what may have happened.

What checks and balances are in place to weed out potential moles? Any? And would you really know what to look for even if such a policy is in place? Perhaps this question is worthy of an "Ask Slashdot" submission?

How do you deal with the most sinister of rootkits: the human mole?

How many Tor hidden services (.onion) were taken down because of MITM attacks related to this issue? Fucking moles!


You can say "all the checks are in place, we know who did what" but by the time something like this happens again, if the right people are behind it, a dipshit in the dark to take the blame could easily fall without the puppet master being fingered, or an operative in the wise could simply disappear, leaving only his ghostly false identity behind and a bunch of clueless people. You can rub your rhubarb all you want about how the system works, but as this long standing SSL issues shows: you are fucking clueless. What will be the next security issue? Will you react the same way to this mole inquiry? Will you mod this post down while you mod useless replies up which don't solve the issue but only serve to shine someone's e-penis and add to their slashdot karma? You are a fucking joke!

legalize marijuana - jack herer - NORML - MPP

Quit jailing non-violent marijuana smokers/growers they don't need their hineys plundered and lives ruined by poverty and disease for enjoying nature!

If smoking marijuana makes you lazy, why are a majority of sober Americans fat and apathetic, failing to do anything useful about the land of nothing for free other than posting easily forgotten content to their worthless ego-masturbatory blogs?

But why think when you can masturbate? After all, the goverMICROSOFTnment knows how to take care of us.

Regarding the recent SSL bungle:

I'm not placing blame on anyone, but let us consider for a moment:

How long would it take a member of a rogue organization, a company such as Microsoft, or an intelligence agency to land a spot into such a role as a code monkey at Debian.org, under the guise of a pro-FOSS person? You do know all three examples above are quite savvy when it comes to infiltration, mafias, corporations, and intelligence agencies do this all of the time. So let us suppose this is what happened here, and considering the wide range of impact with this issue, I believe this is exactly what may have happened.

What checks and balances are in place to weed out potential moles? Any? And would you really know what to look for even if such a policy is in place? Perhaps this question is worthy of an "Ask Slashdot" submission?

How do you deal with the most sinister of rootkits: the human mole?

How many Tor hidden services (.onion) were taken down because of MITM attacks related to this issue? Fucking moles!

legalize marijuana - jack herer - NORML - MPP

Quit jailing non-violent marijuana smokers/growers they don't need their hineys plundered and lives ruined by poverty and disease for enjoying nature!

If smoking marijuana makes you lazy, why are a majority of sober Americans fat and apathetic, failing to do anything useful about the land of nothing for free other than posting easily forgotten content to their worthless ego-masturbatory blogs?

But why think when you can masturbate? After all, the goverMICROSOFTnment knows how to take care of us.

Regarding the recent SSL bungle:

I'm not placing blame on anyone, but let us consider for a moment:

How long would it take a member of a rogue organization, a company such as Microsoft, or an intelligence agency to land a spot into such a role as a code monkey at Debian.org, under the guise of a pro-FOSS person? You do know all three examples above are quite savvy when it comes to infiltration, mafias, corporations, and intelligence agencies do this all of the time. So let us suppose this is what happened here, and considering the wide range of impact with this issue, I believe this is exactly what may have happened.

What checks and balances are in place to weed out potential moles? Any? And would you really know what to look for even if such a policy is in place? Perhaps this question is worthy of an "Ask Slashdot" submission?

How do you deal with the most sinister of rootkits: the human mole?

How many Tor hidden services (.onion) were taken down because of MITM attacks related to this issue? Fucking moles!

legalize marijuana - jack herer - NORML - MPP

Quit jailing non-violent marijuana smokers/growers they don't need their hineys plundered and lives ruined by poverty and disease for enjoying nature!

If smoking marijuana makes you lazy, why are a majority of sober Americans fat and apathetic, failing to do anything useful about the land of nothing for free other than posting easily forgotten content to their worthless ego-masturbatory blogs?

Since it is quite clearly legal in Oregon to use studded snow tires, for not only the entire winter, but also extended this year due to late snows, I suggest you partake in a little less of Oregon's number one cash crop

Meanwhile, in Oklahoma you can get 93 years for cultivating marijuana, even if it's for personal use.

It's enough to make one believe that there should be a separation between Politics and Education (an unrealistic ideal admittedly). It's like equating federal highway funding to a state's right to impose a minimum drinking age; they are attempting to impose influence where they have no legal authority otherwise. But then again, if one has a criminal conviction for smoking marijuana, then that person will be denied a student loan (Hypocrisy speaks). Politics and education just don't mix.

One would think that debt-ridden students should be the last target on an RIAA hit-list.

That's because weed wasn't legal when they made alcohol illegal ;-)

Really, if you look at the effects that it has on people, combined with the uses of each product (other than drinking, alcoholic beverages don't really have much of any other use...whereas marijuana/hemp has THOUSANDS of uses) it would have made more sense to keep marijuana legal than to keep alcohol legal...

http://norml.org/

Do your part in helping to end the prohibition of Marijuana and industrial hemp.

http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6947

THC selectively decreases the proliferation of malignant cells and induces cell death in human GBM cell lines. Healthy cells in the study were unaffected by THC administration.

Separate preclinical studies indicate that cannabinoids and endocannabinoids can stave off tumor progression and trigger cell death in other cancer cell lines, including breast carcinoma, prostate carcinoma, colectoral carcinoma, skin carcinoma, and pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

You seem to have confused Microsoft with NORML.

That's some really interesting information - I am surprised that the federal rules are as harsh as they are. It looks like the moral is to be charge by state enforcement and not federal.

http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/moscone/c hap3.htm

http://www.canorml.org/laws/calmjlaws.html

So in california, smoking a joint in your home (first offense): misdemeanor.
Anything having to do with selling: felony.

That doesn't surprise me.

Looks like it's about the same in Kansas (random sample):
http://www.norml.org/pdf_files/state_penalties/NOR ML_KS_State_Penalties.pdf

No, they did not.
California decriminalized pot, it it still illegal. Cannabis is still a Federal schedule I controlled substance.

" Typically, decriminalization means no prison time or criminal record for first-time possession of a small amount for personal consumption. The conduct is treated like a minor traffic violation." - www.norml.org

Right because in the US you can't be sent to jail for 10 years for having consensual sex with a minor when you are a minor yourself? (see recent case)
-> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16862643/

Because in the US you can't wear baggy pants in Louisiana without being fined and/or sent to Jail?

Because in the US you can't be sent to jail for minor possession of Marijuana when you are a Quadriplegic and die there because of poor/no healthcare?
-> http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6282

Because in the US you can't be sent to jail because you upload movies online?

Because in the US you can't be sent to jail because you used (valid!!) $2 bills in a bestbuy?

Because in the US you can't record police officers on public property without being sentenced to Jail?
-> http://www.informationliberation.com/index.php?id= 22471

Because you can't be jailed for life for a $2 robbery, then be controlled with Marijuana in your possession?
-> http://www.mankatofreepress.com/webextra/local_sto ry_154160920.html

and so many more... Do I _really_ need to say more...

I live in the US, I love the country, but I am sorry, the judicial system and the priorities are fucked up too... even maybe to a greater extend because you do not know WHAT will land you to jail here.

One of NORML's primary arguments about private (ie: 'at home') consumption is that it is protected under the Constitutional "right to privacy".

Hillary? Is this just going to be about electronic surveillance and security of digital information repositories?
Or are you going to tackle the larger issue of protecting personal activities in private spaces. ...Because those the rocks that many ships have wrecked upon.

Decades are for repeat offenders.....but for example Tennessee, http://norml.org/index.cfm?wtm_view=&Group_ID=4565 any amount equals one year incarceration. For a mild drug. Its probably not as bad for prescription drug abuse.

NORML's is here, and another one from a lawyer is here. Well worth printing out and laminating and keeping in your billfold. Two things to note: 1) If you happen to be on a military base, even just to turn around and leave because you made a wrong turn, your rights are severely abridged. If you are on their property the military is free to search anything they want. 2) The War On Drugs has created a lot more room for officers to manuever in if the key phrase "drugs" is used. Here is a rather disheartening discussion about this "special" area of search law.

Or NORML today.

Pardon my recent cultural illiteracy but I just heard that Tommy Chong was thrown into federal prison for 9 months for selling glass bongs to a DEA-run headshop in Pennsylvania. This use of this technology is a solution in search of a problem.

Tommy just published a book called The I Chong, half of which I read in about an hour and a half. I won't provide a link because most links are to booksellers like Amazon that don't pay authors appropriately.

I believe Mr. Chong is completely justified in sayng that his arrest and prosecution, along with his sentence was a clear-cut example of a police state action.

This technology ought to be used in a defensive manner to defend the US borders and to prevent terrorism being practiced within the US. Instead, it is being mis-used to fight a "war" on substances that were made illegal in order to discriminate against persons of color.

Despite what some might believe, this is not uncommon. It has to do with the way police are trained, and will remain an inherent flaw until something changes. I personally see it all the time. I live in Isla Vista, California, which is what I affectionately call the nicest ghetto in the world. It is only one to two square miles, with a population of about 20,000 people (not a typo). It is comprised almost entirely of students attending UCSB and Santa Barbara City College, as well as a large latino population. Here, we have the Isla Vista Foot Patrol, which many people don't exactly like. They constantly lie to students, illegally enter property, and illegal search people, usually in the name of writing an alcohol or marijuana possesion ticket. I was at a friends house when the IVFP entered the party for a "noise violation" and proceeded to bang on the door of the room we were in. The door was opened and the office claimed that he could smell marijuana. No one would admit they had any, and no one had been smoking atleast since I had entered the room. The cop proceeded to take people out of the room one by one. When he called me up, he stuck his hands in my pockets, and I immediately objected, claiming he had no probably cause or consent from me to enter my pockets. In my pockets, I had nothing illegal, though I did happen to have rolling papers, which I made quite clear were legal. This caused me to be taken into another room, and tested to see if I was drunk. As RajivSLK mentioned, this is what happens when you anger a police officer. Aslo, as he pointed out, there is no evidence(i.e. breathalyzer) required to cite you with drunk in public, or drunk and disorderly conduct. After determing I was not drunk, the other officer said he was "going to be nice and let me go this time" as if I had commited a crime. No marijuana citations were issued that night.
A month later, at another house, police arrived, again for a noise violation. One of the officers promptly recognized me and called me "the marijuana man", and proceeded to pat me down. He stayed over my clothes, keeping the search legal this time, however he kept yelling at me to spread my legs farther apart until you would have sworn I was an olympic gymnast. Furthermore, I was lucky. I can't even fit on one hand the number of friends I have had arrested for saying something to the police when someone else was being arrested. Things were so bad here at one point that the student government had to launch a campaign against the police, informing students of their rights and accepting police complaint reports that they would then file for you. Thankfully we also have free legal advice available to all students and are currently forming an official position called Office of the Student Advocate.
Anyways, here is the point:
Police officers operate this way on purpose. This is how they are trained! It is not really good cop bad cop thing as much as you would believe. The police's job is not really to uphold the law. That is the court's job. The police are there to investigate crime and catch "bad guys". If the 4th ammendment gets in their way, oh well, let the courts decide that. They are trained to lie, decieve, and push the boundaries, usually in search of a verbal confession. Most cops don't even know the law, they are just there to do what they were trained to due. Read Breaking Rank, by Norm Stamper, former Seattle police chief, to learn about how the police system fosters violence, racism, and homophobia as a matter of practice. Finally, if you don't know how to deal with police and refuse a warrantless search, please please please watch Busted. There is a YouTube link already in the slashback. Finally, if you are afraid to talk to police officers in such a situation, keep something like the NORML Freedom Card in your wallet. Simply invoke your right to remain silent, and hand the card to the officer. Its simple yet very effective.

I would agree that it makes sense for advocacy groups like the "Pirate Party" to limit themselves to the domain of IP law. However, I also think you should do some more reading about the war on drugs and its consequences. America isn't the global leader in incarcerating people for no reason. It's OK to oppose drugs -- there are different strategies of decriminalization -- but I hope you will agree that locking up thousands and thousands of people is not the way to deal with the drug problem. And let me not even go into the whole tobacco+alcohol vs. marijuana issue. There is no excuse for ignorance of the facts, however.

When I wrote a reply to Rick Larsen's http://www.ricklarsen.org/ form letter (regarding the petition I signed protesting the Supreme Court decision in Gonzales v. Raich http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonzales_v._Raich ) Larsen sent the same damn form letter again!

If it were legal it would be cheaper, and the people who sold it would not need to protect themselves from theft since the police would do it for them (it would only be sold at liquor stores to people old enough to buy alchohol). Therefore I could just buy hash and cook with it, or buy a vaporizer at the same place I buy my pot.

Now, I sometimes have to pass a drug test just to be employed. I have been ticketed for possession, and nearly shat myself when I learned the Mandatory Minimum penalty. If I'm caught again I will probably go to jail and pay at least $1000 in fines. Since I am not a dealer it will most certainly be for less possession of less than 42 grams. So marijuana possession, in my experience - and according to the link in my previous post, is anything but sparsely enforced.

So I don't want to give them anything else to prosecute with, thanks very much. It wasn't I who declared a "war" on drugs; I would love to be on the same side as the government on this. I remember the feeling of trust I had when the future Town Marshall stood up in front of us to teach us the DARE program... I wish I could feel it around an officer of the law again.

Oh, and I'm high right now. :)

But I'm not misrepresenting anything. I'm glad you follow the sentiment, but don't be afraid to accept the reality. Some people may not have their facts straight, but what I speak is truth.

Regarding Iraq: They are Americans dying as a result of our government policy, which was the point. That they were aware of the risk they were taking does not make their deaths any less tragic, or "count less" as you seem to imply.

You can't honestly compare marijuana prohibition with alcohol regulation With alcohol, you are penalized for how you behave under the influence, not the fact that you have a receipt in your wallet. And you don't get arrested for being drunk in a bar, unless you start a fight or cause a great disturbance. The liquor store can't sell you liquor if you already look trashed, but that's to stop you from hurting yourself, and you don't get in trouble for it. We learned the hard way that people can't drive when drunk, but we didn't turn around and ban alcohol, did we?

>Likewise I imagine if you are getting busted for drugs you are being busted in a public location, are cultivating it outside, or selling significant amounts.

Cops go after the most visible targets, sure, and as a result most arrests are for mere posession. (see bottom) Because of the demand, economics dictates that a black market will exist. As the legal deterrants increase (jail time, property seizure, mandatory minimums), dealers will become increasingly dangerous, as their freedom is on the line. Meanwhile, the steady stream of arrests, especially in certain minority communities, erodes public trust in the police, and crime increases. The only reason this hasn't exploded already is because a lot of the people affected are still locked up.

"There have been more than 3.7 million marijuana arrests this decade [1990-2000]. Eighty-three percent of these arrests were for possession only.
Marijuana arrests rose every year since 1991, reaching an all time high of 695,200 in 1997. Marijuana arrests increased 59 percent during this period. Conversely, use of marijuana by adults remained unchanged."
http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4015

Look at the graphs supplied by the US Department of Justice:
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/dcf/enforce.htm

The arrests just go up and up. And yet we underfund drug rehabilitation programs. Good policy. Can't stop now, there's a war going on.

I generally agree, and welcome with open arms, with your point, but have just one thing to point out:

Screw corn. There are crops that are much better suited for oil production. My personal bias is for Hemp. These are not for the NORML reasons people think of. Here is a chart that illustrates the gal./acre of various crops http://www.journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_yield.ht ml. From that chart, Hemp produces over twice as much oil in a single growing as does corn. Coupled with that and the fact that Hemp in most parts of the continental US, multiple plantings per year can be achieved. The South can get at least 3, maybe 4 plantings. Hell, it's a weed, not like it has the genetic capacity to survive.

Of course, there is that minor technicality of the Porky Pigs of the DEA being unenlightened; but with the price of Oil at ~$73 a barrel and climbing, the chances for change increase with the continued upward movement.

We can only hope.

So does that mean that you can download anything you want and there is no liability? Or can you only legally use the blank CDs to make copies of songs you have paid for, something you shouldn't need to pay for again. These media levies(tax) remind me of the bullshit taxes on illegal drugs. See http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6670

http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6718

Remember you're not just smoking pot and drinking beer for fun ... you're preventing cancer ... LOL!!!

I don't buy the pot smoker comparison, either: show me the pot smoker (not dealer) who is in jail for one to four years for mere possession of single-person quantities.

FYI, I'm not an American, and the page about Cuban human rights abuses which I linked to is a European/international human rights group. So I don't think your generalization about other countries is particularly relevant.

Having lived in Canada for a while, it's certainly true there. Canadians don't see Cuba as any worse than dozens of other repressive countries, and better than many. (They wouldn't vacation there so often nor be their #1 trading partner otherwise)

Any comparison in terms of repressiveness between the two countries is largely silly, even despite the current overreaction to terrorism.

I'm not really trying to claim the US is as bad as Cuba. We're not. But it's nowhere as black and white as many Americans believe- our staggering imprisonment rate for quite trivial crimes should be a national shame. (And you're right- it's a racial issue. I'm part of a multiracial family. I can get away with things my kids will never be able to. See http://www.norml.org/images/state_arrests_2004/AR_ Page_69.gif)

I don't buy the pot smoker comparison, either: show me the pot smoker (not dealer) who is in jail for one to four years for mere possession of single-person quantities.

I can't get exact figures since nobody keeps them, but here's an attempt from http://www.mpp.org/archive/arrest94.html

• Marijuana possession felony convictions comprised "less than 1%" of the total of 893,630 felony convictions in state courts. Assume 0.5%, ~4,500 people in 1992
• 62% of those convicted of drug possession felonies were sentenced to incarceration (33% in state prisons and 29% in local jails) Ignore local jails, ~1500 people in state prison.
• Prison sentences are for long-term confinement (usually for over a year) in a state facility.

Someone from NORML could probably give better figures.

(The true irony of this whole discussion is that I don't smoke pot.)

Unfortunately, there is anything like a grass political lobby in Washington

Not that I care what people do at home, but using that statistic to say drivers who are high are somehow safer is bizarre. High drivers are at least as dangerous as those who have been drinking.

2) In most places, a first offense for possession of small amounts of marijuana is a misdemeanor.

There are very few places where marijuana is a misdemeanor:

http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4516

It's possible to fight stuff like this but you have to take off the tinfoil hat and learn how the game is really played. As it is, you've already surrendered without a fight and are looking for excuses for why you forfeited the game. There are already lots of lobby groups out there that started with nothing but now have enough votes and a big enough war chest from member donations to put up a credible fight.

Yeah! You mean like NORML and BACH? Marijuana ought to be completely legal any day now, huh? I won't hold my breath (pardon the pun).

In 1937, the US Federal Government passed the Marijuana Tax Act.

And they wouldn't issue tax stamps, effectively making it illegal. There was a very brief moment in the 70's when Marijuana was indeed legal, to a certain extent. However, today it is completely illegal according to the Federal gov't, and the 1937 tax is irrelevant.

Do let me know when I'll be free to start smoking marijuana, won't you?

Don't just wait, be an active part of pushing for legalization. You can start with making a donation to NORML, and there are other things you can do too, like write to your representatives.

Be proactive -- join NORML so that you'll have access to medical marijuana once you get glaucoma!

88.6% of Americans arrested for marijuana offenses in 2001 were charged with possession only. That's around 641,000 people! Don't fool yourself into thinking that the police/government turn a blind-eye to marijuana use and possession, and instead focus only on the large-scale dealers. This is why the war on marijuana is so insidious. (Statistics taken from http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5444)

Chong was charged in court. I didn't keep track of the outcome.

He was sentenced to 9 months in prison for it.

As for the rest, I look forward to the day ASCAP/BMI etc. goes after a Girl Scout troop in the state park.

Have you been puffing the magic dragon and ignoring this pair of newspaper articles claiming that ASCAP attacked the Girl Scouts in 1996 and later backed off after negative press? Most other organizations wouldn't have near as much clout as the Scouts in negotiating such a no-cost performance license.

Or we could switch immediately to hemp which also eats up CO2, require ZERO modification to current engines, and support farmers in the U.S. http://www.artistictreasure.com/learnmorecleanair. html Hemp Car Hemp For Fuel Norml

This sort of thing is the best way to get something through to the public. What's more likely to get people interested: pages of plain text or a comic strip?

Norml have some excellent comics which do exactly the same thing: put across an issue in an interesting way.

This sort of thing is the best way to get something through to the public. What's more likely to get people interested: pages of plain text or a comic strip?

Norml have some excellent comics which do exactly the same thing: put across an issue in an interesting way.

I said: "Without prohibition ... the US [would save] over 15 billion dollars every year in law enforcement"

From NORML Economics Reports:

"The societal costs of propagandizing against marijuana and marijuana law reform, funding anti-marijuana 'science', interdicting marijuana, eradicating domestically grown marijuana and industrial hemp, law enforcement, prosecuting and incarcerating marijuana smokers costs U.S. taxpayers in excess of $12 billion annually."

I also said: "At least an extra 1 billion dollars a year would be made from the taxation of marijuana."

From NORML Marijuana Crop Reports:

"By most rankings, America's domestic marijuana crop is easily valued in excess of $10 billion annually and usually ranks in the top 10 cash crops."

I said: "Without prohibition ... the US [would save] over 15 billion dollars every year in law enforcement"

From NORML Economics Reports:

"The societal costs of propagandizing against marijuana and marijuana law reform, funding anti-marijuana 'science', interdicting marijuana, eradicating domestically grown marijuana and industrial hemp, law enforcement, prosecuting and incarcerating marijuana smokers costs U.S. taxpayers in excess of $12 billion annually."

I also said: "At least an extra 1 billion dollars a year would be made from the taxation of marijuana."

From NORML Marijuana Crop Reports:

"By most rankings, America's domestic marijuana crop is easily valued in excess of $10 billion annually and usually ranks in the top 10 cash crops."

NORML State Marijuana Penalties

http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4516

In case anyone was curious.

Oh, and I realize that while it has absolutely nothing to do with the electronic or online realm, since we're talking about things like basic human freedoms and rights to privacy, NORML is another fine organization working to secure all Americans the right to pursue happiness as they choose.

I guess I see PACs making recommendations and the voter giving the candidate the money directly. Take NORML PAC for example. Right now people give them money and they give it to candidates who best represents their point of view. Change that to NORML PAC endorsing a candidate and voters giving their money directly to the candidate with a card from NORML saying this is what they support. Candidates will see the effect of the PAC's endorsement by the number of cards that come in with the cash.

It's less of a quid pro quo than the current system. When people give their own money directly to a candidate they're a lot more careful who it goes to and remembers why they gave. Play ball or nothing for you next time around.

For this to work it needs to be simple. Minimal rules, minimal paperwork, easy to follow. No begging money from Halliburton or Buddhist Monks.

marijuana does not kill brain cells or cause permanent brain damage. alcohol does. long term consumption of alcohol has shown consistent loss of brain mass (convoluted surface space). a joint is less harsh and harmful than a cigarette. all of the harmful properties of smoke inhalation can be avoided by using a vaporizer to inhale THC. THC only causes a lower sperm count while under the influence, but never after. everything the government shoves down your throat that it calls facts are lies. i hate it when it releases some dumb survery that says "ecstacy" is losing popularity. maybe, but that does reflect an accurate picture. more popular drugs are entering the market such as 2c-i. it does not reflect the drugs that they bash all day long by lies and misconception. the government is lying to you. fight thelies!

Which is why methanol is the better choice, since not only can methanol can be used by fuel cells to produce energy, but it can be easily produced from hemp, which can grow just about anywhere.

Of course, were you to try to do this in America, you risk being executed by the government.

Ah, freedom.

I find it highly ironic that the editors at /. can joke about using a drug that kills so many people and is so addictive, like alcohol, yet ignore story submissions that detail the considerable energy producing potential of a plant who recreational use to date is responsible for exactly zero deaths, despite thousands and thousands of years of use by most if not all of human civilization.