The Legalization of MJ on CNN Lou Dobbs

Lou Dobbs Tonight - Partial Transcript
Source: CNN

The war on drugs in this country is being fought at the federal, state and local level as law enforcement officials try to crack down on drug smuggling and drug sales. But what you might find surprising is what's happening in some of the wealthiest circles in this country. Private donors are spending millions of dollars to promote the decriminalization and legalization of marijuana.

Bill Tucker reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL TUCKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's just a plant, that's all. Not a dangerous drug. It's a children's book, where farmers grow it and parents, doctors, mayors, even presidents use marijuana. It's aimed at 6- to 12-year-olds.
The publisher says the book is not intended to promote marijuana use but to create dialogue between kids and their parents about "the plant."
DAVID KRAHL, DRUG-FREE AMERICA FOUNDATION: It's just a plant. That completely normalizes and completely neutralizes any message that there might be anything hazardous associated with using.
TUCKER: The self-published book was funded with partially provided by the Marijuana Policy Project.
Decriminalization or outright legalization of marijuana has some colorful and very high profile people on its list of supporters. John Sperling, head of the largest online university in the world, the University of Phoenix. Financier George Soros, who provides roughly one-third of the funding for the Drug Policy Alliance's $7 million a year budget. He supports decriminalization and medical marijuana.
Peter Lewis, chairman of Progressive Auto Insurance, who supplies about one half of the funding for the Marijuana Policy Project's $8 million a year annual budget supports legalization and regulation along the lines of tobacco and alcohol.
Opponents of drug legalization are quick to point out the deep pockets of the pro-pot side of the argument, which is equally quick to respond.
ROB KAMPIA, MARIJUANA POLICY PROJECT: I have to laugh when people think that we're a well-funded legalization machine. My response to that is hey, I would take the government's budget over our budget any day.
TUCKER: At total, Kampia estimates that about $25 million is spent advocating on behalf of marijuana every year.
(END VIDEOTAPE) TUCKER: As of today, marijuana is legal for medical use in 11 states, and Christine, another dozen states are expected to soon be considering legislation that would make it legal in their states, as well.
ROMANS: OK, so where does the -- I've heard it called the anti- prohibition movement, the pro-pot lobby.
TUCKER: Right.
ROMANS: Where does this lobby fit, I guess, on the political spectrum?
TUCKER: On the political spectrum, it probably would surprise a lot of people. These groups do give money to candidates. They go to Democratic, by and large, get the majority of them. But a number of Republicans on that list, as well.
And tomorrow night, we're going to take a look at the list of who is getting money from these groups and supporting them in their pro, you know, drive to push this legislation through.
ROMANS: And the folks who are really pushing to sort of end drug use among our youth, do they say that by having this pro-pot lobby out there, that it's somehow hampering what they're trying to do?
TUCKER: Well, yes. And they're very disturbed. Because, as you would expect, the Nancy Reagan crowd, in essence...
ROMANS: Right.
TUCKER: ... the just say no group. And when you say to them, but there's 100 -- we spend $100 billion at the federal and state level right now, fighting the war on drugs.
ROMANS: Right.
TUCKER: Their response is that's not enough money. We need to be spending more money, and we need to be educating people about the dangers of these drugs. And we should not be moving in the direction that a lot of the country is in fact moving in, which seems to be a friendlier stance toward marijuana.
ROMANS: All right, Bill Tucker, thanks so much. We'll look forward to that tomorrow. Thanks, Bill.
That brings us to the subject of tonight's poll. Do you believe marijuana should be legalized in this country? Yes or no? Cast your vote at LouDobbs.com. We'll bring you the results later on in the broadcast.
Tonight there is clear evidence of how our broken border with Mexico is an integral part of the country's drug problem. A Mexican man was arrested at the Nogales point of entry into this country after authorities found more than 2,700 pounds of marijuana hidden among produce pallets on his truck. The driver was a member of the Free and Secure Trade Program, which makes it easier for so-called low-risk participants to transport goods and services across the border quickly. The driver's credentials for that program have now been revoked.
Complete Transcript: CNN.com - Transcripts
Do you believe marijuana should be legalized in this country?

Yes -- 80% -- 14572 votes

No -- 20% -- 3664 votes
Total: 18236 votes
Poll Results: CNN.com QuickVote
Source: CNN (US Web)
Program: Lou Dobbs Tonight
Airdate: February 19, 2007
Copyright: 2007 Cable News Network, Inc.
Contact: CNN.com - Contact Us
URL: CNN.com - Lou Dobbs Tonight


Here is the Youtube version for you to enjoy. It could on the whole have been a better piece in my opinion but at least the poll shows me that there is hope yet.
YouTube - The maijuana legalization movement





and Microdot

maybe one day soon what pot smokers have been waiting for.. for years will come to pass... i really hope so!!!

^^^^good show!

It has been many years since I started donating to NORML....
This is a noble cause, unfortunately things are only a little better now.
After reading Jack Herer's book I honestly thought that all hemp would be unshackled by now!...(I read the book over twenty years ago)
I have been bitterly disappointed by the large pools of voters(politicians) who irrationally oppose marijuana reform.....

If all fossil fuels and their derivatives, as well as the deforestation of trees for paper and agriculture are banned from use in order to save the planet, protect the ozone layer and reverse the greenhouse effect: Then there is only one known renewable natural resource able to provide the overall majority of our paper, textiles and food, meet all the world's transportation, home and industrial energy needs, reduce pollution, rebuild the soil and clean the atmosphere --all at the same time-- our old stand-by that did it all before: Cannabis Hemp ...Marijuana!

• Ways to Use Hemp for Medicine, Food, Fuel, Fiber, Paper & To Replace Plastic
• Just the Facts About Marijuana Smoking & Its Effect on People
• How & Why Cannabis Prohibition Began and What It Has Meant to America
• Who Profits from Keeping It in Place & How We're Going to Bring It to an End
• What You Can Do to Speed Up the Process & Profit from the Coming Changes

How Dangerous is Marijuana...in Comparison to Other Substances?

Number of American Deaths Per Year
that result directly or primarily from the following (selected) causes nationwide, according to World Almanacs, Life Insurance Actualril (death) rates, and the last 18 years of the U.S. Surgeon General's Reports.

(Figures are for 1987 from the federal governments Bureau of Mortality Statitstics and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, et al.--the last complete year at the time of this writing.)

Tobacco
340,000 to 395,000 Alcoholnot including 50% of all highway deaths and 65% of all murders125,000 + Aspirinincluding deliberate overdose180 to 1,000 + Caffeinefrom stress, ulcers and triggering irregular heartbeats, etc.1,000 to 10,000 Legal Drug Overdosesdeliberate or accidental, from legal, prescribed or patent medicines
and/or mixing with alcohol --e.g., Valium/alcohol14,000 to 27,000 Illicit Drug Overdosedeliberate or accidental from all illegal drugs3,800 to 5,200
Marijuana 0

Marijuana users also have the same or lower incidents of murders and highway deaths and accidents than the general non-marijuana using population as a whole. Crancer Study, UCLA; U.S. Funded ($6 million), First & Second Jamaican Studies, 1968 to 1974; Costa Rican Studies, 1980 to 1982; et al.

Lowest Toxicity
100% of the studies done at dozens of American universitites and research facilities show pot toxicity does not exist. Medical history does not record anyone dying from an overdose of marijuana (UCLA, Harvard, Temple, etc.).


Erowid Library/Bookstore : 'The Emperor Wears No Clothes'

Did they publish the results of the polls. I had heard that they didn't. I did notice that there were not any arguments about the $100,000,000,000.00 billion dollar figure being spent by federal, state and local law enforcement. If they had taken the time to point out that 88% of the arrest were for possesion charges it might have been a balanced presentation.