This is not a recommendation for or against either candidate.

However, in past elections (and present) it has been interesting to ask candidates where they stand on the war on drugs.  (Link below was added in case anyone is interested....)

Xxx wrote:
>
> Where do you stand on America’s war on drugs?
>
> Sincerely,
>
xxxx

From Mitchell Clogg:
>
It's a hoax. Meth is a horrible scourge, the worst I've seen, but "war"
is a childish idea and another fraud.

for more info

http://www.mitchcloggforcongress.com/

           Thank you for writing me to express your concerns about Mr. Timothy Garon, a medical marijuana user who suffered from Hepatitis C. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond.

            As you are aware, Mr. Timothy Garon died on May 1, 2008 after suffering from Hepatitis C. Mr. Garon was denied a liver transplant because he used marijuana with medical approval under Washington State law. However, in a 2005 decision, Gonzales vs. Raich, the Supreme Court held that Congressional authority under the Commerce Clause includes the power to prohibit the local cultivation and use of marijuana, even if state law permits such actions.

I understand the concerns you raise about the current legal classification of marijuana and the conflicts between state and Federal laws. While I do not support the legalization of marijuana or other illegal drugs for recreational use, please know that I do recognize that marijuana may have medicinal properties that could alleviate conditions such as AIDS-related wasting and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Given this, I am examining what, if any, changes to Federal law are called for.

Finally, as you know, Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) introduced the "Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act" (H.R. 5842). Currently, there is no companion bill in the Senate. Please know, however, that I have made note of your support of this legislation and will keep your thoughts in mind should the Senate consider medical marijuana-related issues in the 110th Congress.

Once again, thank you for your letter. I hope you will keep in touch on matters of importance to you. Best regards.

Sincerely yours,

Dianne Feinstein
        United States Senator

US Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, who won eight gold medals in the Beijing games last year, was photographed smoking cannabis at a college party in November. He issued the standard apology after a picture of him holding a water pipe surfaced in the tabloids this week, telling the Associated Press he engaged in “regrettable” behavior and “demonstrated bad judgment." Time will tell if the incident will have any effect of Phelps’ career or his lucrative endorsement contracts.

So why is cannabis use by a 23-year old athlete considered newsworthy? Phelps is a public figure, of course, and tabloids need to manufacture controversy in order to sell copies and ads. But setting aside the shortcomings sensational media, there is still a great public ambivalence about using cannabis. Parents and pundits will wring their hands in the op-ed pages worrying what message Phelps’ transgression sends to children.

Medical cannabis advocates would do well to take note of the brief public controversy surrounding this photograph. 80% of Americans support medical cannabis, but that does not mean they are comfortable with its use – especially when they see it publicly or in their neighborhood. As the state of California moves closer and closer to full implementation of its medical cannabis laws, neighbors and local representatives are encountering the issue of medical cannabis use in very up close and personal ways – loved ones are getting recommendations, dispensaries are opening nearby, and advertising for medical cannabis is increasingly commonplace.

Most Americans have some experience with cannabis use, theirs or a loved one, and not all of those experiences are good. Much of that baggage will come up as we continue to engage this issue in neighborhood councils, City Councils, and other local forums – in California and other medical cannabis states. Advocates for medical cannabis should not underestimate this concern in the neighborhoods as we push for implementation, especially for local regulations for medical cannabis dispensaries. The seeds of a backlash lie in this ambivalence, and the consequences can be severe – even this late in the process.

Greetings from the Gulag—

Thank you to all interested in helping to achieve justice for medical marijuana caregivers and patients prosecuted and incarcerated for violating federal law.  Your support is vital and can go along way toward ending the nightmare that all of us in one form or another live through daily.

To find out how to help this effort along, I suggest contacting ASA, probably George Pappas, or Common Sense for Drug Policy, attention Mike Gray. 

Short of that, write an email to the White House demanding that all medical marijuana prisoners be set free.  If you wish to be more selective, that is certainly your right -- and you can address that by naming those you believe should be set free in your email – but please avoid suggesting that some prisoners may be undeserving – while your opinion might have merit, it will only serve to divide, and at the moment when hope has never been more justified, we really need to stand united. 

Just remember this – possession, use, or distribution of marijuana in any form, and in any amount, is still against federal law.  This means there really isn’t any safe number or use in the eyes of Uncle Sam – we are all still at the mercy of the whims of the U.S. Government. 

Our goal should be first and foremost to change government policy toward medical marijuana.  The Pardon Project will help achieve that goal by forcing the government to see the folly and cruelty of punishing those who are simply trying to improve the quality of their life.  Please don’t let our difference of opinion on who is worthy and who isn’t stand in the way of unity.  Anyone wishing to correspond with me is invited to so.

Dustin Costa
RN 62406-097
Federal Correctional Institution
1900 Simler Ave.
Big Spring, TX 79720

From ASA Medical Cannabis Prisoner info – Dustin Costa was “Turned over to the federal government by Merced DA; serving 13 years.” 

Note, Dustin Costa went to trial.

Below are responses received from two of the POW's.

-- Thank you so very much for writing it means so very much....

-- Thank you very much for the Christmas card!  It put a huge smile on my face, and as of late they are few and far between.  I just wanted to let you know that in times like these, little things like that will make somebody's whole week. .....

I've personally seen Aaron help countless individuals, even when he thought no one was looking.  That kind of stuff doesn't matter to him.  His focus was on helping people who couldn't help themselves.  He helped me.  Our government lied to him and they're lying to us.  They didn't even let him defend himself.  Here's the story if you're unfamiliar:

http://reason.com/blog/2012/10/12/can-j … aron-sandu

Here's the petition. 

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petiti … n=shorturl

Thank you for your positive energies and support.

Notice of appeal filed in D.C. Circuit challenges recent denial to reschedule marijuana for medical use

http://www.americansforsafeaccess.org/a … hp?id=6760

Washington, DC -- The country's leading medical marijuana advocacy group, Americans for Safe Access (ASA), with the Coalition for Rescheduling Cannabis (CRC), today appealed a recent decision by the federal government to keep marijuana classified as a dangerous drug with no medical value. The appeal to the D.C. Circuit comes just two weeks after the Obama Administration denied a 2002 petition to reschedule marijuana filed by a coalition of patients and advocacy groups. ASA will argue in a forthcoming appeal brief to be filed in the next few weeks that the federal government erred by keeping marijuana out of reach for millions of patients throughout the United States.

"By ignoring the wealth of scientific evidence that clearly shows the therapeutic value of marijuana, the Obama Administration is playing politics at the expense of sick and dying Americans," said ASA Chief Counsel Joe Elford, who filed the notice of appeal today. "For the first time in more than 15 years we will be able to present evidence in court to challenge the government's flawed position on medical marijuana." Although two other rescheduling petitions have been filed since the establishment of the Controlled Substances Act in 1970, the merits of medical efficacy was reviewed only once by the courts in 1994.

Patient advocates argue that by failing to reclassify marijuana, the federal government has stifled meaningful research into a wide array of therapeutic uses, such as pain relief, appetite stimulation, nausea suppression, and spasticity control among many other benefits. In 1988, the government ignored the ruling of its own Administrative Law Judge Francis Young who said that, "Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man."

Since the CRC petition was filed, even more studies have been published that show the medical benefits of marijuana for illnesses such as neuropathic pain, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's. Recent studies even show that marijuana may inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Earlier this year, the National Cancer Institute, a division of the federal Department of Health and Human Services, added cannabis (marijuana) to its list of Complementary Alternative Medicines, pointing out that it's been therapeutically used for millennia.

Ironically, in December of 2010 the Obama Administration issued a memorandum on "the preservation and promotion of scientific integrity" of the executive branch. Yet, the application of such integrity appears to be applied selectively and not with regard to medical marijuana. "With science on our side, we will put an end to the government's political posturing," continued Elford, "and force the Obama Administration to adhere to its own stated policy of emphasizing science over politics."

When the latest petition was filed by the CRC in 2002, eight states had adopted laws recognizing and decriminalizing the medical use of marijuana. Today, sixteen states and the nation's capitol have passed medical marijuana laws with many more states currently considering proposals to implement similar laws.

Further information:
ASA notice of appeal filed today: http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org/downl … Notice.pdf
DEA answer to CRC petition: http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org/downl … Answer.pdf
CRC rescheduling petition: http://www.drugscience.org/PDF/Petition_Final_2002.pdf
White House scientific integrity memo: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default … 172010.pdf

I've cajoled, pleaded, bitched & moaned, etc...  trying to get changes made here for a LONG time.

I understand that ASA Brass doesn't appreciate the body of information represented in this forum, or at least hasn't applied themselves to promoting it or extending the reach of the forum to mobile devices, etc.
(this would have brought in more funding, and was relatively easy to do)

I bet Don and Paul (maybe Hunter?) have been having fun playing whack-a-mole with the spammers, all so unnecessary if Paul had properly and successfully blocked those domains.

ASA is working on a shoe-string budget like most other non-profits, I just disagree with the path they have chosen, especially under such financial constraints.  Regardless, I wish ASA well and hope they have clearer communications between their chapter members and ASA, as well as their online members, and that this helps in their funding efforts.

My final request to ASA after all these years, is PLEASE, perform a full backup of the forum and it's data and burn it to CD or DVD, so we don't lose all this forever.  It can be imported into another forum somewhere, marking it off as an old ASA archive and not an active forum.  I would gladly receive that disc and keep it safe until it can be resurrected as both a resource of information but also a historical view of the movement.

Grant me at least THAT wish... oh, and one other,
I've used a nom de plume here the entire time, did anyone ask me if it was ok to use my full name?  NO. 
So please change it to back Looney, pronto, ok?

I'll miss having access to Seraphs old threads, and the variety of folks that have come and gone over the years...  even when it was 'not' so civil discourse

Thank you LindaAnne, you are one of a kind.

James, you misunderstood SOB   You're brilliant and have a great heart.

Curious, Arrow, Jeanne...  many many others, _Living Green_ (I lost touch with him when he was going through a real rough patch health-wise, if anyone knows what his status please let me know).

And primarily, Seraph...  who quickly became a close friend, and his posts kept me coming back here.

I'll miss you all, I wish you all happiness and health (and wealth if it works out)

Much white light, stay well.

Looney

ASA will be shifting the focus of our networking and outreach to better utilize social media as the powerful tool it has become. Please like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Also, check our frequent blogs about news and activism. This is one of the best ways to stay current on what’s going on with ASA and medical cannabis nationwide!

I say it is time to organize a recall instead.  Let's get some council members who not only realize they should be making policies that the majority wants, but also we want council members who are promoting jobs instead of outsourcing them to the drug cartels.  Doesn't LA need the tax money dispensaries give anymore, has our budget miraculously been fixed?

I was thinking of coming to the protest tomorrow, but now I'm thinking what for.  Their minds are made up (and probably paid for).  It is time to change the strategy.  Instead of benevolence and sympathy for patients (which seems only important to bleeding hearts like me), to any officials against legal dispensaries is a job killer and wasteful, which is also equally true.  For those without compassion, a common sense approach should be taken.  We need our politicians to spend our money promoting jobs and safety.  Simple supply and demand will close any excess dispensaries.  I want murderers and real criminals investigated and locked up, that would make me feel safer.  I do not feel safer because the marijuana trade is pushed under ground, quite the opposite.  You know it won't go away.  Our safety and protection money should be used much more efficiently chasing real criminals.

How do you start a recall petition?  Someone start it now, please.

TONIGHT: StoptheDrugWar.org Marijuana Legalization Initiatives Teleconference

by David Borden, September 27, 2012, 03:09pm

[Please join us tonight! Updated agenda below]

StoptheDrugWar.org is pleased to announce our first teleconference, featuring the initiative campaigns in Colorado, Oregon, and Washington State to enact regulatory (legalization) systems for marijuana. Please join us by phone or Skype on Thursday, September 27, 6:00pm PST / 9:00pm EST -- call (805) 399-1200 and enter access code 135516. We will discuss what the initiatives do, what their prospects are for passage and for fueling further reform, and what people can do to get involved.

The following exciting speakers have agreed to join us:

    Oscar Eason, Jr., NAACP Alaska/Oregon/Washington State Area Conference
    Alison Holcomb, New Approach Washington
    Paul Stanford, Oregon Cannabis Tax Act
    Steve Fox, Marijuana Policy Project (coordinating Colorado efforts)
    Tony Ryan, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Moderated by David Borden, executive director of StoptheDrugWar.org, and joined by Drug War Chronicle writer/editor Phillip S. Smith.

Please RVSP here on our Facebook event page or our evite, and please spread the word! We will accept questions by email, now and during the teleconference -- send them to borden@drcnet.org.

Please stay tuned also for announcements of additional teleconferences to discuss the upcoming state medical marijuana initiatives, prospects for reform in Congress next year, and other topics. If you are not already subscribed to the Drug War Chronicle newsletter, you can subscribe here -- follow us on Facebook and Twitter too.

http://banana1015.com/michigan-medical- … for-usage/

We've gotten several comments on our Facebook page saying that we are trying to bring down Obama and that Romney will be worse. From the patients' perspective, it's hard to see how things could get worse. And we are not campaigning against the President, but waking him up to the fact that there are a million legal medical marijuana patients and he can't take their votes, and the votes of their loved ones, for granted.

Can you help spread the word? Here's the post on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid … mp;theater

Thanks!

Jonathan, ASA Social Media Director

Any size donation will put you in the new drawing for a free trip; but if you purchase a ticket to ASA's anniversary dinner, you will be entered twice! [ http://www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/donate ] We are also going to send anyone donating $50 or more a bond copy of the legal brief signed by ASA Chief Counsel Joe Elford. You have just 96 hours to enter, so don't wait!

The hearing on our rescheduling lawsuit, ten years in the making, gives us a rare chance to steer the national dialogue about medical cannabis back to the core of this issue. We will have a national media spotlight to talk about cannabis as medicine, science, research, and patients' needs. These are important topics, often obscured by the usual criminal justice debate.

We know that when we talk about medical cannabis in terms of science and medicine, people listen. Barriers come down. Politicians find a safe place to stand for sensible policies. As the nation's largest organization working exclusively on medical cannabis, ASA is uniquely positioned to change the national conversation.

The hearing will be a big win in the courts, but it can be an even bigger win in the court of public opinion. Great media stories don't just happen. We need to seize this opportunity to get editorial boards and the health sections of newspapers to weigh in.

As we all know public discourse influences the courts in this country. Imagine the impact we could have over the next twenty-five days if ASA could hire more media support. Imagine the press coverage the hearing will get if we fill the media with stories about rescheduling and fly the plaintiffs to the hearing. We need your help to do it. We need more proactive media, more grassroots organizing, more capacity to tell our story. In short, we need the resources to make it happen.

Can you help ASA make the most of this historic hearing by making a special donation of $35, $50, $100, or more today?  [ http://www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/donate ]

Your support now means we can ramp up our work right away. And if you donate within the next four days, you may win a free flight to Washington, DC, to hear the oral arguments and to be our guest at a very special anniversary dinner on the evening of October 16.

We won't get an opportunity like this again for a long time. Help us make the most of the time leading up to the hearing on October 16, and you may win a chance to be a part of it.

Thank you for helping,

Steph Sherer
Executive Director

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