Christmas protest targets marijuana laws

40yearsmoker said on December 30, 2009 at 10:49 AM

Poor Vigilee. With no intelligence to speak with, it resorts to name calling and whining. Break the law...go to jail. Don't break the law....don't go to jail. Simple. You can't make the results of the studies (controlled and unbiased) go away just by saying they don't mean anything. Tell me how it has affected YOUR life. If you tell me it hasn't, you haven't smoked long enough. The Delta-9 THC in today's marijuana makes Colombian Gold or Acapulco weed or Panama Red candy by comparison. We used to smoke joints. Now one hit makes you stupid, two puts you to sleep. Alcohol kills....nicotine kills...marijuana kills, just in a different way. Instead of legalizing pot, outlaw alcohol and tobacco. The fact that it was tried and failed shouldn't stop us from advocating for it.

brianfl79 said on December 28, 2009 at 12:03 AM

In addition to the conspiracy theory for putting marijuana users in jail....explain this to me: Why is marijuana possession the only drug possession charge in Washington State that is a misdemeanor crime? All others are Felonies. Here's a great idea, let legalize a drug that drug cartels use to finance the producion and distribution of other illegal narcotics. Don't think for one second there is no relationship between property crimes and marijuana use. If you think no car or house has ever been broken into to finance the purchase of marijuana, you are just ignorant! The public fails to make the connection in that crimes like burglary and theft are commited to facilitate the purchase and support of criminals drug habits. Make no mistake, the selling of marijuana is a buisness. Money is being made by providing the false preception that there is no harm in smoking it. The legalization of it has a much larger repercutions than the general public indulging in a joint.......

brianfl79 said on December 27, 2009 at 9:57 PM

You can check the Journal of American Medical Association. There are several studies showing the multiple negative effects of marijuana- http://jama.ama-assn.org/ If you notice, I'm not using any government related articles...........there are thousands, literally, that relate to this, because your little conspiracy theory. If by chance you are interested in the Drug Enforcment Administrations take on marijuana use, you can check their site also DEA.Gov.

brianfl79 said on December 27, 2009 at 9:40 PM

About.com-The short-term effects of marijuana include: Distorted perception (sights, sounds, time, touch) Problems with memory and learning Loss of coordination Trouble with thinking and problem-solving Increased heart rate, reduced blood pressure Sometimes marijuana use can also produce anxiety, fear, distrust, or panic. Effects on the Brain The active ingredient in marijuana, delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, acts on cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells and influences the activity of those cells. Some brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors, but other areas of the brain have few or none at all. Many cannabinoid receptors are found in the parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thought, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement. When high doses of marijuana are used, usually when eaten in food rather than smoked, users can experience the following symptoms: Hallucinations Delusions Impaired memory Disorientation

brianfl79 said on December 27, 2009 at 9:36 PM

RXlist.com-A number of studies have shown an association between chronic marijuana use and increased rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and schizophrenia. Some of these studies have shown age at first use to be a factor, where early use is a marker of vulnerability to later problems. However, at this time, it not clear whether marijuana use causes mental problems, exacerbates them, or is used in attempt to self-medicate symptoms already in existence. Chronic marijuana use, especially in a very young person, may also be a marker of risk for mental illnesses, including addiction, stemming from genetic or environmental vulnerabilities, such as early exposure to stress or violence. At the present time, the strongest evidence links marijuana use and schizophrenia and/or related disorders. High doses of marijuana can produce an acute psychotic reaction, and research suggests that in vulnerable individuals, marijuana use may be a factor that increases risk for the disease.

gypsyb said on December 27, 2009 at 9:25 PM

brianfl79 as usual you are great at listing things, but there's no validation or proof to your claims. I at least back up what I say with sites a person can go to to read for themselves. So far you've given much opinion, and to each their own. You like having the freedom to speak, but I don't find any credibility in what you've brought to the table.

gypsyb said on December 27, 2009 at 9:18 PM

Let's look at the BIG picture why don't we? http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704254604574614230731506644.html

vigilee said on December 27, 2009 at 5:25 PM

brianfl79 lets assume that you are totally correct. So what? Who cares? It doesn't make a shred of difference. If someone gets high and has an accident because they are altered their state - prosecute them for the wreck. If someone gets high and commits a crime, charge and prosecute them foe the crime. But cannabis use itself should not be a crime anymore than the use of alcohol or tobacco which kill millions. You guys with your silly arguments cannot ever cover up the fact that you have no statistics on your side. Where are the victims of marijuana? Are they in hospitals? No. Are they in cemeteries? No. They are in jails and prisons because of these stupid laws. All the emotional ideologue rhetoric in the world cannot change the facts. These laws are un-American, whether or not you like pot or think it is good or bad for you. Junk food is bad for us, but it is not illegal. In fact junk food kills a hundred times more people than pot. This is about big pharama interests in truth.

brianfl79 said on December 27, 2009 at 4:31 PM

continued.... And for your concern that my opinion is based solely on articles read, I have first hand experience with impaired persons operating vehicles and wrecking, some fatal....my opinons are far from based on a google search. They are based on real life experience, training and scientific fact.....not theory. I will not cut and paste articles to this forum and act like they are absolute fact. Read what you like and believe what you choose. Use caution in presenting them as fact. Gypsyb, you have some valid points but they are just part of the whole picture.

brianfl79 said on December 27, 2009 at 4:15 PM

Continued- And as I said before, I acknowledge a valued medical use. But people refuse to acknowledge the fact that it has negative side effects. Just like any medication, it causes other potential problems. Cronic and major depression is a very real side effect for example. You can choose to just read the articals that are for your cause, but you are getting about 1/2 of the real story. And for all you incredibly ignorant people who think it is safe to drive when you are high on weed, wow......I ask you this question. Would you allow some one who is high on weed to drive your child around in a car. My guess is no. Just as you wouldn't want a person who is drunk to do the same. Marijuana has many of the same side effects-decreased ability to react to a stimulas (a red light, stop sign, a child in the street), dilated pupils ( in-ability for the eyes to constrict and dilate as need for changing light conditions), decreased motor functions (slurred speech, impaired balance)............

brianfl79 said on December 27, 2009 at 4:06 PM

I am not contesting the medicinal uses for marijuana by any means. There are legitimate uses for it. But medicinal drugs are not illegal.... including marijuana. The uncontrolled use and distibution of it is. The reasons for this are abuse and misuse. Marijuana has a valid medical function-but about 80% of the people who are being granted medical marijuana cards are abusing it....they will ruin it for everyone. Un-regulated so-called doctors issue these cards for a small fee with very little or no exam! No regulation on the cards means it will be abused.....JUST LIKE IT ALREADY IS. As for "interning in a jail", that is about the same as calling yourself a cop because you road in the back of a cop car once. You can pretend to think you understand both sides if you choose. That is your right. But you are not a corrections officer, nor a police officer. Because you had a teacher that used to work as an FBI or CIA agent....don't think they are the un biased voice of law-enforcement.

gypsyb said on December 27, 2009 at 3:31 PM

cont. The recently discovered endocannabinoid system has greatly increased our understanding of the actions of exogenous cannabis. Endocannabinoids appear to control pain, muscle tone, mood state, appetite, and inflammation, among other effects. Cannabis contains more than 100 different cannabinoids and has the capacity for analgesia through neuromodulation in ascending and descending pain pathways, neuroprotection, and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. This article reviews the current and emerging research on the physiological mechanisms of cannabinoids and their applications in managing chronic pain, muscle spasticity, cachexia, and other debilitating problems.

gypsyb said on December 27, 2009 at 3:31 PM

PubMed U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health J Opioid Manag. 2009 May-Jun;5(3):153-68. Medicinal use of cannabis in the United States: historical perspectives, current trends, and future directions. Aggarwal SK, Carter GT, Sullivan MD, ZumBrunnen C, Morrill R, Mayer JD. Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. Cannabis (marijuana) has been used for medicinal purposes for millennia, said to be first noted by the Chinese in c. 2737 BCE. Medicinal cannabis arrived in the United States much later, burdened with a remarkably checkered, yet colorful, history. Despite early robust use, after the advent of opioids and aspirin, medicinal cannabis use faded. Cannabis was criminalized in the United States in 1937, against the advice of the American Medical Association submitted on record to Congress. The past few decades have seen renewed interest in medicinal cannabis, with the National Institutes of Health, the Institute of Medic

gypsyb said on December 27, 2009 at 2:59 PM

http://www.cannabinoidsociety.org/ Stay current no cancer connection http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/25/AR2006052501729.html Oh and if you want to get down to it, why not make your beer with out hopps? http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2736886/?tool=pmcentrez "Potential utility of comparing gland ESTs from hop and Cannabis The PKSs and many other genes identified in this study are closely related to those from hop (Humulus lupulus). Humulus and Cannabis are monotypic sister genera in the family Cannabaceae (Datwyler and Weiblen, 2004). Glandular trichomes located on the inflorescence bracts of both Humulus and Cannabis are the location of unique PKS-derived secondary metabolism (Nagel et al., 2008; Wang et al., 2008). Hop glands produce the bitter acid humulone, which is important for beer flavour, and the prenylated chalcone xanthohumol, which has several potential health beneficial properties (Stevens and Page, 2004). The biochemical pathways le

gypsyb said on December 27, 2009 at 2:29 PM

Ah brianfl79, be very careful of throwing out such statements! My major was criminal justice, and I interned in a jail. I will tell you politics run rampant there, and I was accountable to a retired FBI agent with my reports. One of our biggest class discussions (most of the instructors were retired FBI and CIA agents) was our failed "war against drugs", the corruption found in our legal system because of it, the violence caused by the cartels being the ones to have a corner on the market, and how actually our society was far better off with out the prohibition and as far as history goes, prohibition is a fairly NEW thing. People pushing their morals, greed, and prejudice, etc.. were behind it. Prohibition did not work with alcohol and will not work with drugs. I stated old reports, but if you would like there are many more that are current, and totally positive for marijuana. As long as drugs are illegal we will spend billions. And yes I am also a member of LEAP, I stay informed.

jsknow said on December 27, 2009 at 2:12 PM

NO ONE, OF ANY AGE, IN ALL OF RECORDED HISTORY, ANYWHERE ON PLANET EARTH HAS EVER DIED FROM THE INGREDIENTS IN MARIJUANA, MANY HAVE DIED FROM ITS PROHIBITION, LEGALIZE MARIJUANA! More information about drugs and drug policy from Just Say Know: Using Internet Explorer web browser: http://jsknow.angelfire.com/home With All Other Browsers: http://jsknow.angelfire.com/index.html

jsknow said on December 27, 2009 at 2:12 PM

I have interviewed traffic cops and they all say pretty much the same “except for the smell of marijuana the only way they can spot a person driving under the influence of marijuana is by looking for drivers that are being a little too cautious or driving a little too slow”… I can think of a lot worse dangers to society than that! It’s obvious the vast majority of marijuana users use it responsibly, if they didn’t there would be dead bodies piled up on every street corner. All the reefer madness and scare tactics are a pile of hogwash. I have seen people work dangerous jobs day after day for years and smoke marijuana on the job and I have never seen any of them have an accident.

jsknow said on December 27, 2009 at 2:09 PM

According to law enforcement’s own estimates they only catch about 10% of the marijuana. That means every time you hear about 1 ton of marijuana being confiscated 9 tons were consumed. Where are all the dead bodies? Where are all the mentally incompetent marijuana users? Where are all the car wrecks caused by marijuana? THEY DON’T EXIST! The reason marijuana is not as dangerous as alcohol when it comes to driving is because unlike alcohol users, marijuana users are aware that they are slightly impaired and the vast majority effectively compensate by being a little more careful. Learn the truth about the drug war! Using Internet Explorer web browser: http://jsknow.angelfire.com/home With All Other Browsers: http://jsknow.angelfire.com/index.html

jsknow said on December 27, 2009 at 2:08 PM

There is only one reason marijuana remains illegal, CORRUPTION. Learn the truth, Google: why is marijuana illegal. As far as driving goes, marijuana is nothing like alcohol. Marijuana doesn’t cause any significant impairment that should have everyone up in arms. Many far more mind bending FDA approved drugs are legal to use and drive like morphine for example. Marijuana should have a warning that says “ don’t drive or operate dangerous machinery until you determine how this drug effects you”. Of course people that are too impaired to drive should be taken off the road but anyone that wants to use marijuana is doing it already, it’s amazing that NONE of the reefer madness scares have come to be reality. Learn the truth about the drug war! Using Internet Explorer web browser: http://jsknow.angelfire.com/home With All Other Browsers: http://jsknow.angelfire.com/index.html

brianfl79 said on December 27, 2009 at 12:22 PM

Gypsyb- As for your argument of our jails being filled with pot heads....another poor mis-informed therory. I challenge you to walk a day in their shoes and see how non-violent their jobs are. I'm just guessing you the type of person that believes rehabilitation is the best way to reform prisoners....no jail, no real consequences. The illusion you are allowed to live in (the US being a safe place to live) is built by the legal system-Courts, Police Services, and Corrections. You are blessed with this way of life yet you despise how it is accmplished. You don't have the back bone, heart or valor that it takes to work day in and day out for an increaslingly less greatful society that enjoys the freedoms fought for....the price paid by us is measures in blood, sweat, long hours, and loss of close friends. But you wouldn't know about that so I don't expect you to understand- and in that respect I can't fault you for it either.

brianfl79 said on December 27, 2009 at 12:11 PM

Gypsyb- I'm glad you're using your basis of infromation from a report completed in 1972....Thats almost 40 years old! I have the same argument for you. You have the false preception that these pro-cannabis research firms/doctors/paid to place an opinion that is favorable to the cause of leagalizing marijuana- aren't motivated by money. What benifit would they have in even doing the research if there wasn't something for them to gain.....don't think for one moment it is on there sheer good will for men. Why don't you check a current medical journal and read the most current-up to date research conducted by independent researchers....not the DEA and not a more or less lobbiest group trying to legalize marijuana. You are sorely mis-informed if you think for one second marijuana is not harmful to the human body. Nature produces alot of things that are bad for us....more plants are deadly to us than are ingestible . So you can throw that argument in the trash.

gypsyb said on December 27, 2009 at 11:33 AM

brianfl79 I don't know what archive you pulled your so called "facts" out of, but it clearly was NOT a scientific one! Look up the Shafer Report, 1972 US; U.S. Dept of Justice DEA Sr. Judge Francis Young Docket #86-22, then you can look up people like Dr. Melamede, and and research organizations such as ECNS http://www.endocannabinoid.net/ I"m one of those who doesn't believe every piece of spoon feed info. I hear and read, so I research. DOCTORS and Scientist are qualified to find the ins and outs of how the plant effects a person, not law makers with political agendas or the DEA who clearly didn't even listen to the facts presented to them in the 70's and are still putting off moving marijuana to a schedule II from schedule I as the AMA HAS REQUESTED! It's big money and politics. After all what would the jailers do if they had to deal with prisons full of violent criminals rather than laid back ones? Oh yea, they wouldn't be full because close to half are filled with NON-VIOLENT crim

gypsyb said on December 27, 2009 at 11:07 AM

Jeapfreak may want to check out youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3zou4F00Ic It's an experiment done in England with someone who's stoned and driving. The person clearly is more conscientious of his surroundings and actually drives better. Driving stoned and driving drunk are two different things. With that said, It's very sad that people do not know the facts (still buy the old reefer madness propaganda) and still judge their loved ones to the point of banning them from family get togethers. It is impossible to search the web any more and not find the fact that marijuana is actually GOOD FOR YOU! More and more results are showing it heals many diseases, curbs pain, and has properties that are created by the human body. Please people, step away from what the alcohol and tobacco co's have been telling you, through funding the drug prohibition (yes they back it heavily to cut competition), and do some research yourselves from more than one or two sources!

vigilee said on December 27, 2009 at 9:40 AM

to scottportraits: your "kind of woman" wears a beard and is a grandfather.

brian520 said on December 27, 2009 at 8:39 AM

When a guy says "drugs ruined my life," he's implying that "my family and employer disowned me and fired me because they knew I smoked pot and cast me into the outer darkness." Anti-drug people ruin lives. Laws ruin lives. Invasive drug testing ruiins lives. Religious fundamentalism ruins lives and casts unsuspecting people into a stage play they didn't write.

seattlebear said on December 26, 2009 at 8:10 PM

This is crazy I can't believe this because I smoke pot I'm going to start other drugs well it may have happen to you but it not happen to me. as for you hippiegirl yes my typing sucks,

scottportraits said on December 26, 2009 at 7:09 PM

Vivian McPeak, you are a saint ! I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! You are my kind of woman. This is great !!

brianfl79 said on December 26, 2009 at 6:20 PM

Here's a wild idea.....make everyone who buys tobacco, alcohol and marijuana show proof of health insurance....no insurance, no purchase. Sorry, we're not gonna take care of you when your health goes down hill from these vices. On a seperate note......everyone receiving public assistance need to take a UA. Dirty UA, no $$$$$$!!!!!

masterblaster said on December 26, 2009 at 4:44 PM

Alcohol is the gateway drug.

vigilee said on December 26, 2009 at 4:38 PM

Trolls that use names like "hippiegirl" and "40yearsmoker" are humorous, albeit nauseating.

vigilee said on December 26, 2009 at 4:29 PM

I attended the vigil at the jail. This was my 10th consecutive Christmas day jail vigil at 5th and James. It is interesting reading these comments, especially because of how ill informed and mean spirited some folks are. But you know, us pot smokers are very used to being judged harshly. We have been demeaned using cheap cultural stereotypes, gross degradations, and hurtful, spiteful relegation to second class citizenry status. I really like the one about how lazy we are to stand in front of the jail, despite the fact that we have shown up for a decade time after time without incident. How about the fact that the people producing the vigil are volunteers who run the largest and most famous pot rally in the world, and have been doing so for 19 years? Yeh, lazy, un-motivated. No, you hurl the same 60's throw back cultural hit jobs, like "we were told in '65 to change it from the inside" and whatnot. Well, we are doing our activism strictly legit. This is a human rights struggle.

40yearsmoker said on December 26, 2009 at 3:03 PM

And finally, Billiameveryman is a voice of calm reason and sanity. You break the law, there are consequences. They told us in 1965 to change the law from the inside......hyberbole (obviously an educated man) is exactly what it is.

40yearsmoker said on December 26, 2009 at 3:00 PM

Ahhh....the corporation conspiracy. I haven't heard that one in ohhhh, 40 years. Hippiegirl had it right, Seattlebear, some people can handle it. I once knew a man like you. Me. It took me 37 years to get to the gateway and 3 years to lose everything. Don't defend what is inherently wrong. We should outlaw alcohol and tobacco (the biggest killers) also, but you can not legislate the fallen nature. AND on the other hand, filling the jails and prisons with pot smokers isn't the answer either. Marijuana does have medicinal uses, but most people just want to get high. Same penalties as alcohol? Fine. Does this sound rambling and circular and like I'm on both sides of the fence? Of course. THIS SAME DISCUSSION HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE 1964 OR SO. We have debated the issues. All of this is old hat. I thought it was going to be legalized in the early 70's, then Nancy Reagan got elected president. I missed the 80's and 90's and half of the 2000's. UP IN SMOKE.

billiameveryman said on December 26, 2009 at 1:10 PM

On a side note: is it not a bit of hyperbole to say that crack dealers are out in an hour, and pot smokers are doing hard time? I really don't think this is accurate... Prove me wrong if I am...

billiameveryman said on December 26, 2009 at 12:29 PM

Ok, so I'll agree to the fact that marijuana use is generally non-violent and harmless... If it was up to a vote, I'd vote to legalize it, but until that day, there has to be some deterrent to put a price on breaking the law (lets face it, drugs are the main cause of all the USA-Mexico border violence)... Perhaps until marijuana is legalized, the punishments for its sale and use could just be fines?

hippiegirl said on December 26, 2009 at 12:26 PM

Seattlebear: You sound like a lecturing, condescending jerk. You obviously missed English class while out smoking weed in your youth.

seattlebear said on December 26, 2009 at 12:05 PM

If smoking pot is so bad why did I have 4.0 gpa in college and I have great job, have great home that I own out right and make 80,000 a year as for pot being a gateway drug I never once did any other freakie drugs beside pot grows in the wild in some area I never stold or wanted to hurt or kill someone to get more weed, but they jail someone for smoke pot but if you smoke crack oh thats another story the police will do jack to them, whats up with that if smoking weed is such a big deal why is that the crack dealers and users can smoke and sell in public and if their arrested they are out in a hour, but if your smoking pot your busted your doing some time. And to Moms and Dads out there remember when you where growing up and you smoked pot be open with your kids make more time with them get to know what they like or dislike who they hang out with

brianfl79 said on December 26, 2009 at 11:06 AM

Well here's an idea.....lets look at all the negative side efftects from marijuana use. I bet most of you enjoying the "marijuana never hurt anyone" weed never cared enough to know that it casues cronic and severe depression with habitulal and prolonged use, is 20 times more cancerous than a cigarette, is scientifically proven to slow brain development and knowledge retention, reduction of sex drive, premature impatince, lowered sperm counts, endometriosis, and don't forget this one.....it makes you lazy! Ever guess how many fatality collisions have drivers with marijuana in their system......over 50%!!!! You guys are so right, marijuana never hurt anyone. As far as your argument of legalizing marijuana so the government can tax it....do you really think anyone will buy something that is easily grown at home??? Sure, some people will utilize purchasing it, but no to the point where it will be profitable for tax purposes.

cloverhill said on December 26, 2009 at 10:16 AM

Cannabis should never have been allowed to be made illegal in the first place. Cannabis was made illegal not for the safety of the people or the dangers the drug possessed but for monetary gain of many corporations--particularly pharmaceuticals--they're the real drug dealers. Legalization of cannabis means the legalization of hemp. Hemp can compete with many products including lumber, paper, nylon, shampoos, many medicines and many many other products. These are all very rich corporations that stand to lose a lot of money due to hemp becoming legal and they will fight tooth and nail to not allow it to ever become legal. Cannabis that is smoked or ingested marijuana has a healthy, beneficial, stress-reducing, cancer-preventing effect on humans. To ban this substance is like banning water or air. So go put that in your pipe and smoke it!

logic14 said on December 26, 2009 at 10:03 AM

IDIOTS.

ss427 said on December 26, 2009 at 9:18 AM

Oops, forgot something. Did you folks see this news story on TV? King TV found someone to say that the protesters were wrong. Yep, they actually found someone. What reason did they give for such an opinion? Why smoking marijuana is illegal of course. With citizens like that, our nation is in big trouble.

hippiegirl said on December 26, 2009 at 9:06 AM

Our son got very messed up by marijuana during high school. He never remembered anything, he had zero motivation, his attitude was rotten, he never took care of himself physically, he didn't care one iota about anyone but himself, his grades tanked, and it was like living with a three year old. I could go on and one about how much negativity it brought to his life, and ours. It doesn't affect everyone the same way, but those it does affect in a very negative manner no one will want driving on our roads. And for a large portion of the public it is very much a "gateway" drug, so it can beget even more problems. I can't believe people want to legalize this stuff. MJ is like alcohol and guns. Some people can use them responsibly, but for a huge part of the population who can't, their use hurts or kills innocent people and breaks up families. I would hate to see even one other family go through what we did due to MJ.

40yearsmoker said on December 26, 2009 at 8:14 AM

With some experience in this area, I believe that pot is......what was the question?

weedwarrior said on December 26, 2009 at 3:36 AM

The "anti-drug" freaks, the anti-marijuana nut jobs, are nothing but fascists. They're nazis that want to criminalize nature. As "driving under the influence", alcohol, far more injuries than marijuana is, is legal. Driving under it's influence is not. No one is advocating driving stoned you freakin' rednecks. We're advocating making smoking, growing and possessing marijuana legal. The only reason it's "illegal" is the timber industry is threatened by what hemp, the male plant with no THC, can produce. Anyone who has bothered to research it, which the "anti-drug" freaks have never done, knows this. Prohibition didn't work, it made rich powerful cartels out of petty criminals, the same thing is happening with drug prohibition. Cops are fascists, legalizing marijuana will take that more authoritarian power away from these nazis.

chiapetto said on December 26, 2009 at 1:05 AM

Uh, hey KING5, I thought you were better than this.....try PROOFREADING this article, for crying out loud. NUMEROUS mistakes in this brief article. Maybe Eric Schudiske smoked a bit of the subject of the article?

eightwrong said on December 26, 2009 at 12:29 AM

I agree we need to fix the laws so crack is dealt with more harshly--but yeah, protesting outside the jail on Christmas really "sticks" the point home to lawmakers. Have another toke, do another protest--hold up a sign. Maybe hand out a couple of pamphlets justifying yourself. Driving to Olympia during the legislative sessions takes too long when you could be kicked back at home rolling a fat one.

skydog said on December 25, 2009 at 11:48 PM

Everybody knows marijuana is a harmless herb. Cigarettes kill millions, so does alcohol. When was the last time you have heard about somebody dieing from marijuana use?

frederickef said on December 25, 2009 at 11:27 PM

They Jail someone for smoking pot but under the new law in King County it will take a person to be arrested 10 times for the use and sales of crack before they have to do any long period of jail time this does not make any sence to me. But these are the laws in King County handed down by the king county board and the old King county EX I think we need to rethink our laws and for those poor people who are upset because of Hemp fest being a big problem I live on street where crack is sold every night but these people who buy and sell crack get to walk away most of the time and if some is seen smoking pot they to jail they don't get to pass go or collect $200.00

ednorton1 said on December 25, 2009 at 10:45 PM

Many people are under the impression that using marijuana is a victimless crime. Doing drugs in general seems like it doesn't hurt anyone. Also, what difference does it make whether it is alcohol or cannabis? Maybe not that much but let me tell you this, alcohol and drug use destroys lives. Marijuana use wrecks families and lives. OK, you won't find a doobie smoker killing four cops on a binge and maybe marijuana abusers are less likely to be violent than other drug users but the actions of users do speak loudly in many other ways. The victims of drug abuse are often second hand not just directly. The cost is still great.

browndog said on December 25, 2009 at 10:04 PM

It is not that marijuana that hurts anybody; it is the crime that goes along with it. So if we legalize and use the same laws as alcohol combined with cigarette smoking laws, then it would get rid of a lot of violence in drug dealing, and the government could create revenue through a tax that many people are willing to pay. Though the government is trying to stop people from smoking in general so I think it would be hypocritical for them to legalize marijuana. I am for it, but it will create a lot of controversy. We do live in what is supposed to be a free country. I have the right to own a gun as long as I use it in a responsible way, so people should have the right to use marijuana in a responsible way.

hmmmm said on December 25, 2009 at 9:51 PM

Personally I think it's a waste of tax dollars to lock someone up for petty marijuana charge. Also allows people like the person that mowed down 4 officers to be released due to overcrowding.

puyalluprox said on December 25, 2009 at 8:10 PM

Jeepfreak......driving under the influence of marijuana should be illegal - just as it is for driving under the influence of alcohol. However, the possession and use of marijuana should be regulated and taxed just as is done with alcohol.

jeepfreak said on December 25, 2009 at 6:57 PM

I do not want some stoned idiot driving around killing someone because they messed up. Just as bad as drunk driving.

justinsane said on December 25, 2009 at 5:52 PM

Cannabis never heart anyone. It inspires depth and surrender. Ever notice how "straight edge" bands totally SUCK?