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1928 League of Nations, 2nd Opium Conference, discussed and quoted by Howard Marks in England.
Note: in the U.S., a few states had made it illegal before 1928; the Federal pot prohibition began in 1937.
Although the U.S. was not a "member", it attended many international conferences and signed many treaties at that time.
The U.S. had already prohibited alcohol in 1919, so prohibiting all narcotics made equal sense to prohibitionists.
When alcohol prohibition ended in 1933, all narcotic prohibitions should constitutionally have ended, also.
WTC Towers and DEA Both Born in Dollar Dissipating Vietnam War Era. OPIUM TRAFFICKING TERRORISTS ATTACKING THE WTC ON 9/11/2001
(If you have trouble, right click, then "save target as", or "save link as".) NOTE: ALL IMAGES FOUND USING GOOGLE IMAGES.
"Nothing's Gonna Change My World, Jai Guru Deva". NASA broadcasts Beatles song, "Across the Universe" on 4 February 2008 for its 50th Anniversary Celebration - not an arbitrary date. But it turns out to be one day before the death of scientist/spiritual leader Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. This has to be a major coincidence.
Maharishi brought TM, and the term, "Jai Guru Dev", to the world. "Jai Guru Dev" means, "All gratitude to Guru Dev, and to the Holy Tradition." He also brought SCI, or the Science of Creative Intelligence, an intellectual and scientific framework for understanding the growth of human consciousness through meditation and Vedic knowledge, rather than a religious attitude, which greatly helped distinguish his teaching from most others. He was also greatly respected by a large number of prominent people such as Buckminister Fuller, Marshall McCluhan, Clint Eastwood, Joe Namath, German author Herman Hesse, and many many others. (The last three named are known to have, or probably still practice TM.)
The Natural Law Party, the world-wide political party formed by the TM movement back in the 1990's, called for the decriminalization of all illicit drugs in their presidential platform for election year 2000 when John Hagelin and Nat Goldhaber were the party's candidates for president and vice-president. The Natural Law party no longer exists except here and there as independent organizations in a few countries.
(For many years, the TM movement has had a two week rule regarding illicit drug usage. The rule is that anyone wishing to learn Transcendental Meditation must stop all illicit drug usage 2 weeks prior to beginning the TM course.)
(CLICK ON IMAGES)
The Portrait Behind Maharishi is of his Master, Guru Dev,
Swami Brahmananda Saraswati.
Lack of full scientific knowledge about marijuana chemistry and its active ingredients
was probably a factor in its loosing popularity among doctors around 1900 or so
when opiates and other very strong pain killers became popular. Recreational pot & hashish
usage was becoming popular in New York City around 1900, though, and is mentioned by prominent
feminist anti-alcohol activists as a mostly harmless substitute for addicting liquor and beer.
The general public mostly did not know in 1900 that reefer, marijuana, hashish, and cannabis, were the same thing.
By the late 1930's, the controversy over "marijuana" or "reefer" (but not "cannabis") prompted N.Y.C.
to appoint The Laguardia Committee which exonerated cannabis, as usual. The media,
intimidated by Harry Anslinger, never properly reported the results of this study or
that La Guardia was a "New Deal" Republican, which I also didn't know until recently.
Research on Alzheimer's disease and THC/marijuana. Now, consider for a moment, especially after looking over other medical conditions affected positively by cannabis, that the DEA still thinks marijuana is a "narcotic". Too bad for U.S.
(10th, 11th August '08 www.drugpolicy.org, www.hightimes.com) Simple Explanation: The Drug War is a Crime Against Humanity. The severity and specific nature of it varies, though, from place to place. As extreme as that sounds, upon careful analysis, anyone could not avoid coming to the same conclusion.
The League of Nation's charter (U.N. is the successor) mentioned "narcotics" and people trafficking as causes for it to come into existence. Without changes in international treaty, how can the "drug war" created from that legal basis change?
(Click Here) How did marijuana get on the list of "narcotics"? The fact that marijuana is not a narcotic means that we should sue anyone for calling it a narcotic. Calling marijuana a narcotic is making a fraudulent statement. Yet, that is the basis of the war upon marijuana - incorrect usage of the word "narcotic".
As far as the actual narcotics and dangerous drugs which were always meant to be "controlled substances"; how did they get out of the control of drug stores, and into unregulated alleyways and side-streets of the world?
(31 July '08) QUESTION: HOW DO DUTCH PARENTS FIND OUT WHICH DRUGS, IF ANY, THEIR CHILDREN ARE USING?
ANSWER:THEY JUST ASK THEM. (Honor thy father and thy mother; thou shalt not lie.)
QUESTION: WHY DOESN'T THIS WORK IN THE U.S.?
ANSWER: IN THE U.S., children and parents don't talk openly about such things for many strange legal reasons. The drug war has destroyed the parent-child relationship. In the U.S., many parents feel they must take blood, hair, or urine samples to find out if their children are using drugs. If they just ask, the children are usually afraid to speak openly, if at all. Fear and secrecy rule the U.S. parent-child relationship in terms of drugs. (Don't honor thy father and thy mother. Lie to them.)
(29 July '08) Back when marijuana was still legal, around 1927, we could say that many of the elements of our modern civilization had already been created such as jazz, the AC electricity system, the automobile, the airplane, the radio, the telegraph, the talking movie, the phonograph, the telephone, the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, the washing machine, modern psychology, modern universities, electric cars, solar thermal energy, women's right to vote and run for office, social security insurance in most countries, the Haarlemmermeer polder (Holland), the Brooklyn bridge, modern railroads, banning alcohol production and sales for human consumption, (just kidding), and many other progressive things.
The idea that civilization will decay if marijuana were legalized is contradicted by all the incredible progress that had already taken place before the cancer called marijuana-prohibition took hold. It appears that marijuana prohibition was a mistake. It does appear that as the U.S. gulag state and the criminal justice system become ever larger, the dollar falls ever further.
The truth of the matter is that Silicon Valley, and the economy of the western U.S., is populated with many working marijuana users. What would you expect with the Grateful Dead being the "patron saints" of the area? The tech sector of the stock market is, in a sense, often dependent on the brains of pot users. And it's been like that for a long time regardless of stupidity and ignorance about this subject. There does seem to be a rough correlation between high tech industrial areas of the U.S., and liberal pot policies, outside of Silicon Valley as well.
In contrast, stupidity and ignorance are worth nothing. (This doesn't mean that every working person out west smokes pot, but a lot there do).
(Note: a handful of American states had prohibited pot before 1937 when the federal government sneakily made it illegal with little or no publicity ahead of this prohibitionist act. In 1928, the League of Nations also sneakily added it to the list of prohibited items.
Note: members of the Grateful Dead worked directly with digital electronic inventors as early as about 1969 or 1970 in creating new types of guitars, basses, and other musical instruments about 8 or 9 years before the home-computer revolution began. They also had the world's best analog stage sound system for years, mostly built by their own techies.)
(posted 29 July '08 ENCOD.ORG)
Vienna 2008 - Live Pot Plant Treated Respectfully around Vienna, Austria after Protest in March. In a restaurant, the waiter even brought a glass of water just for the plant.
(26 July '08 www.NORML.org)
COURT'S ENSLAVED-GIRL SHOT DEAD. ENSLAVED GIRL Rachel Hoffman was shot dead due to the institutionalized self-hatred
(being compelled to "plead guilty") that is usually part of marijuana prohibition. Decriminalization also compels everyone to "plead guilty" and pay small fines - ! DON'T PLEAD GUILTY FOR POT NO MATTER WHAT! Pleading guilty for "illicit drugs" will eventually enslave and depatriate you.
Don't plead guilty; don't go to "drug court". Don't enslave yourself. Plead "Not Guilty".
Don't follow the official police system in Tallahasse that automatically makes criminals out of most young people and FSU students, by design.
How to get on a jury: register to vote and keep your address for that current. They will contact you if they need you, and they do often need jurors. On the other hand, you will have no choice in the type of trial that you take part in.
(19 July '08 www.drugpolicy.org/Ottawa Citizen) It's the "P" Word, Stupid! Some clear thinking from Canadia. Prohibition simply doesn't work, and never has. Check out the 21st Amendment which has been the law of the land in the U.S. since December 1933.
(30 June '08) What's zany about staying calm during an airline flight? Out of The Calming Blue Yonder, Formerly the Wild Blue Yonder, of FAA Regulated Airspace Comes Safer's Latest Creative Initiative - to Allow Air Passengers to Smoke Pot In Special Lounges Before Flights in the U.S. This project was prompted after a number of in-flight altercations caused by alcohol induced drunkedness. SaferChoice.org.
In this case, why would Americans wish to give greater rights to Osama bin Laden's group, in denying to themselves that which the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that Osama's group has? When you plead guilty for marijuana possession, you are placing yourself lower than the detainees at Guantanomo Bay! The drug war is like that.
(12 June '08) HOW TO PLEAD "NOT GUILTY" IN COURT. (For simple possession of pot.... or of being a pot trader.)
Decrim. versus Legalization:
Question: should those charged under "decrim." also plead not guilty, even if the fine is only $100 or so?
Answer: under decrim., ironically, I would be much more likely to plead "not guilty". For one thing, do you really think they're going to waste court time carrying through with it, and having a jury trial for just a $100 fine? However, in jurisdictions where cash flow from drug money seizures and drug offender fines are a large part of the cash flow for the local government, it is more likely they would have a trial than in the decrim. areas. Keep all of your American freedoms - plead Not-Guilty no matter what.
Many clients of so-called "better lawyers"; i.e., those who don't buy large flamboyant advertisements, are just as likely to be led by these more conservative lawyers into the "dump of criminality", as the flamboyant ones. It's a huge historical trend with all lawyers who are generally adverse to defending clients in court.
When you feel compelled to plead guilty, you are placing yourself lower than the detainees at Guantanomo Bay, according to a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in favor of those held at Guantanomo Bay.
FACT: In fact, "feeling compelled to plead guilty" does not take place in the United States. If you feel compelled to plead guilty, you have just been exported outside of the United States. You are also allowing your lawyer to get paid for doing nothing on your behalf. You are paying for a defense, yet you are getting less than nothing in return. You are getting screwed!
Simply be stubborn - return to the United States, and keep all of your American freedoms - plead "not guilty" no matter what.
In old Europe, if you were not from the upper-class, you were always presumed guilty as charged unless proven otherwise. That was why America came into existence, to establish basic rights for all free citizens, and to establish a classy caste-free society. (At first only some more wealthy white men, depending on which state, were considered free citizens; later it increasingly expanded to include all other races and both sexes.)
First of all, since you are in an American courtroom, you are alreadypresumed innocent until proven guilty. Therefore, your "not-guilty" plea is already in perfect harmony with the presumptions of the court where you are being tried. The prosecution must now prove to the court that you are guilty of the charges. They have to build a case against you and prove you had criminal intent. There is no requirement on your part to confess, or declare your innocence regarding the charges. You should be able to remain silent with your presumed state of "not guilty". You and your attorney do not have to make specific defenses for you, until challenged by the prosecution to the contrary. (Apparently, some states require you to verbally make a "not guilty" plea, others allow the presumption of innocence to be the default.)
Simply go to the courthouse on the appropriate date (court date) with or without a lawyer. When your name is called, the judge will ask you what you are going to do at some point. In some places, you may be assigned a court appointed lawyer. At any rate, don't let organized crime elements railroad you into the dump of convictees (guilty pleas). They may actually try to threaten or intimidate you, through fear, into pleading guilty and being tossed into the dump of criminality. (Even if you're not in jail, you are in the dump of criminality if you plead guilty, or are convicted.) Where these anti-American elements come from, who knows? Perhaps they are there for mere comic relief? I have no idea, but they have nothing to do with the American legal system.
At some point, with or without a lawyer, you can state to the judge, "Not Guilty". At that point, the legal process will unfold. Be very very very very very very careful to not change your plea, no matter what. Don't let your lawyer lead you into the dump. Don't let anyone else lead you into the dump. (Apparently, some states require you to verbally make a "not guilty" plea, others allow the presumption of innocence to be the default.)
Watch what happens ultimately. In many jurisdictions, it will take an enormously long time to find out what they are going to do with you. There may be a trial as that is automatically the default process if the prosecution has a case against you. You will become very happy in most cases as you are freed from the garbage truck heading to the dump of life. If the prosecution is unable to substantiate the charges against you, you will be found to be in your original presumed status: "NOT GUILTY", or all charges will be dropped without any trial. If this happens, you are helping to reduce the crime rate by this presumption of innocence, unsuccessfully challenged, that you are not a criminal.
If found guilty, you can always keep appealing until the process is terminated by intermediate courts, or ends at the U.S. Supreme Court. This appeals process could take years and years, etc., and lots and lots of money for defense lawyere, though some have made it all the way to the Supreme Court, and won with much less expense - without a lawyer, though this is extremely rare.
Down through history, many U.S. and state laws have been "thrown out" by this appeals process. Any law in the U.S. can be thrown out using this legal process of appeals if the law is repugnant to, or in conflict with, the constitution. Example: the assault rifle ban law passed during Clinton's terms was thrown out by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Note - most of the really good lawyers in the U.S. who defend those charged as drug offenders, spend most of their resources and talent defending trafficking networks; i.e, drug traffickers. They really don't give a damn about your rights as a "simple possession" alleged offender since you aren't paying them tens or hundreds or millions of dollars. Therefore, if you plead "not-guilty" and your're not Osama bin Laden or one of the Columbian or Mexican drug cartel leaders, many U.S. lawyers are not interested in taking you on as a client in the first place unless you're very very rich.
This country began as a successful "not-your-slave" plea , or a "not-guilty" plea, to the pseudo-royalty of Europe, who were once the owners and controllers of their colonial subjects (the Americans, etc.) in the New World. There were once situations where American citizens ("commoners" or "slaves" to the "lords") were enslaved by European powers controlled by pseudo-royalty, even after we became a new country. The enslavement of American civilian sailors, most presumably white, by the British Royal Navy is one of the things which started the War of 1812, aka "The Second American War Against British Enslavement" though they stopped the enslavement of Americans just before the war started. Was this the beginning of the end of British slavery? Note: the U.S. Civil War could (maybe) be called the "Third American War Against British Enslavement", as the Brits greatly financed the American pro-slavery southern rebels in a last ditch effort to revive their cherished institution of class based subjugation of blacks, white commoners, and everybody else in the world.
The tendency to plead "not guilty", though redundant, is in harmony with the presumptions of the court, and is so fundamentally American in nature. Don't forget that. Pleading guilty on the other hand, is pleading to the judge to have your American citizenship rights severely curtailed.
(12 June '08) Don't Let the Trashmen Take YOU to the Dump! Don't Trash the United States!
Pleading Guilty is Increasing the
Crime Rate & Screwing Yourself and the U.S.
Don't plead guilty, NO MATTER WHAT. Pleading guilty actually of the entire legal system, and all of society, in our country. Pleading guilty is an act of self-hatred against yourself and your country. It benefits absolutely no one - it is simply self-destruction, and nation destructive, to some extent. Don't do it. (((I am fully aware that these days, too many people have already plead guilty.)))
Question: do drug traffickers with mega-bucks have greater rights under law than YOU? If you said "no", then why would you wish to join the extremely condemned in society by pleading "GUILTY"? That's what you're doing when you plead guilty. You are saying to the judge that you belong with Charles Manson, Osama bin Laden, and many other actual or accused felonous drug dealers who got caught, etc., and/or are on a list of drug offenders including many murderers, etc., etc. In many jurisdictions, there is no distinction between felonys and misdemeanors - you are categorized with Charles Manson, to some extent, if you plead guilty for pot, or are found guilty. (((It's a clerical thing, but it's not the same as not stopping completely at a stop sign, and getting that sort of a ticket. The reefer madness presumption is in the system.
Of course, the holocaust was also a clerical thing. A simple book-keeping entry by the "polit-bureau".)))
The consequences of pleading guilty are extremely destructive to America:
You just increased the crime rate, and created a convict by pleading guilty - yourself, and you just created a bad reputation for the United States, and for yourself. If you are found "not guilty", or charges are dismissed, you will be helping to REDUCE the crime rate in the U.S. BRAVO! However, if you have just plead guilty to the judge, you are essentially stating that you ARE A CRIMINAL, NOT A CITIZEN. You are demanding to be enslaved forever in the criminal justice system, not as a positive contributor, but as a destroyer of civilization and reputation. You have just trashed yourself, America, and the legal system, by pleading guilty.
You have shouted to NORML and all other drug policy reform groups, that you are not part of their reform movement, and that you are, indeed, a threat to all Americans. You will be tracked as a threat for the rest of your life. You can never take part in most of the usual things that Americans take part in. (This varies from place to place.)
Every government of the world will know about you, and will condemn your life forever, as "criminal". Many countries have not decriminalized marijuana to any extent at all; your "criminal" data will be sent to the most repressive and stupid nations, or U.S. states, in the world who will crave to capture you as a slave or prisoner. If you don't believe this, check to see what Indonesia or some U.S. states do to pot smokers. You may have difficulty believing how harshly you would be treated for marijuana.
It is so easy to plead "not guilty", why not do it to protect yourself and your future? Pleading "not guilty" will help your lawyer to hone their skills so that they are still able to actually defend clients successfully IN COURT, like real defense lawyers do.
If you are dedicated, absolutely, to pleading NOT GUILTY, and your lawyer tries to change your mind for suspicious reasons, or puts pressure on you to enslave yourself by pleading guilty without any rational explanation, he's not a real lawyer. He's probably a comic, or fake. He is defrauding you of what you are paying for, a real defense. He is opposed to the presumptions of the American legal system, and is an alien in the court-room!
Most people who plead guilty, or are found guilty, later regret it; most who plead "not-guilty" in court, and who later have had charges dropped, or are found "not-guilty", are very happy people in comparison.
Choose an American solution - plead "not-guilty".
Last Question: do you really think that big-time drug traffickers who have had all criminal charges against them dropped due to technicalities, have more rights under law to get a quality defense, and remain free as non-criminal citizens than yourself? If not, then plead, "Not Guilty" as big time traffickers with good lawyers often do. (((Drug traffickers often can afford the best and most skillful lawyers. Good for them.)))
My apology to the REAL ROYALTY of planet earth, those who clean up the trash after the slobs have left.
Is TAR being added to various substances like marijuana
and tobacco? According to Dr. Emily Senay, medical correspondent for CBS
Evening News (podcast), this is a well known fact that everyone should know.
TAR? This is the dictionary definition of "tar" that should be used by everyone:
3. smoke solids or components
(2 April '08) Now that tobacco has been banned in Dutch cafes and restaurants, etc., they can no longer equivocate that marijuana smoke and tobacco smoke have the same risks; and tar from marijuana and tar from tobacco, are simply not the same "tar" substance, and have different effects on the human body altogether.
(April 14, 2008) Today, I read somewhere (I'll reference it if I ever find it again) that marijuana smoke is no more dangerous than campfire smoke. Political slogans...
This is a major scientific discovery for some in the world media and scientific community who thought that "tar" was a generic additive for numerous things like marijuana and tobacco products.
(MP3 Audio file.) Dr. Emily Senay, Medical Correspondent for CBS Evening News podcast, appearing to be intellectually challenged by just today referring to "tar" as an "additive" (of tobacco processing); does Dr. Senay also think that some sort of generic "tar" is also being added to marijuana? (If left clicking doesn't work, try right clicking, downloading, then playing file.)
(For all I know, maybe the tobacco companies add something to plain tobocco that manifests as "tar" upon analysis? But I think tobacco tar is also simply the residue from tobacco smoke, precipitated and collected. A person can also buy "natural tobacco" that has simply been smoked/dried with no processing other than that. Does such "natural" tobacco also manifest "tar" when burned?)
By the way, the tar on the roof above is from petroleum.
(CBS News isn't the only intellectual victim of the drug war. There are many other untrue myths which were created by the drug war as well. All such fantasizing makes rational decision making difficult for many people in positions of leadership.
And also, the British media is constantly telling everyone in the U.K. that since marijuana contains 6 times more "tar" than low-tar cigarettes, marijuana is 6 times more dangerous than tobacco. No analysis of the actual effects of tobacco tar versus marijuana tar. Error - I inititally attributed this error to Katie Couric. Sorry about that.)
(Early 2008)U.N. Anti-Drug Chief Refuses to Answer Question about Dutch Drugs Policy, becomes visibly agitated.
>
> Our friends at the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union captures a great
> moment from the United Nations Committee on Narcotics Drugs where
> UN Drug Czar Antonio Maria Costa refused to answer a question
(((from a psychiatrist and member of ENCOD from the Netherlands, etc.))) about
> why the Netherlands has a lower marijuana usage rate than
> surrounding countries. Not only does Costa refuse to answer, but
> he is visibly agitated at the question and the questioner. Enjoy...
> http://youtube.com/watch?v=fe208nLLEwk
>
>
I think this came from http://www.marijuananews.com.
(11 December '07 encod.org) Belgium Wants Cannabis Social Clubs, or Coffee Shops: Meeting held in Ghent, Belgium about cannabis policy, non-profit cannabis social clubs, commericial pot coffee shops, home-cultivation, and other related topics. Not even a mention of medical marijuana, though there is a mention about purity and quality, and freedom from discrimination and stigmatization for the users, growers, and traders of "soft-drugs".
Strong point made about current Belgian policy of creating permanent criminal records for those convicted for marijuana possession. Insane.
Sensible Fayettevillecirculating petition to get Marijuana Lowest Law Enforcement Priority ordinance question placed on the ballot in that city for the next general election to be held 4 Nov. 2008.
"Ever the worried wife,
I included a copy of the (doctor's marijuana recommendation) letter in the memory box of his casket in case the feds were waiting for him at the Pearly Gates."
Czech Republic (6 October '07 approx.) Czech Republic may decriminalize the growing of small amounts of pot with no profit motive, as well as simple possession of "soft drugs". It's about time home growing without profit motive be recognized as a good thing with very little rationale for opposition to it. This is not about medical marijuana, but any marijuana usage. (I recall reading a number of times that there was already a decrim. policy for possession of marijuana; now they're considering changing the written law. 2005 article which states that marijuana is considered normal in the Czech Republic. Even Holland seems to be wishy-washy sometimes in terms of home growing. In practice, only a tiny fraction of pot users ever attempt, much less succeed at, growing pot at home.)
1997, Ross Rebagliati KEPT his marijujana associated gold medal after the Olympic doping panel decided that marijuana, though illegal, does not improve atheletic performance after it is used on the field. The substances singled out on the doping lists are generally things which increase atheletic performance in some direct or active way.
SCIENCE: 1) Swiss Research Finds that Teens Who Use Pot Alone, without tobacco, are better off than teens who use both, or in some behaviorial categories measured, neither. In some categories, the pot using teens were better off than the total abstainers, according to this research. 2) Dutch Researcher Finds that Cannabis Not Harmful for Youth. According to these items, youth who have used, or use pot should not be labeled, "permanently damaged" as is standard policy with many drug warriors. Youth who have used or use more dangerous drugs or alcohol should also not be overly stigmatized.
TEENS RETURN HOME AGAINST FORCES OF "LAW", GOVERNMENT, AND FORCE: Another Win for Marihuana (the official government term for it) right out of Hollywood. Click Here, or here for Disney Movie Ending. Another family saved from fracture. The border patrol should be congratulated for "screwing up" here.
Since my main daily source of news at the moment is internet news, this is a newspaper clipping for me. I don't save every item that I link to. Luckily I saved this one. Someone stole my clipping, but I had a back-up.
Note: jail and prison totals together in the U.S. is actually about 2.2 million.
I saw numerous articles over the past couple of years mentioning 2.2 million as the nation's prison totals with no mention of jail totals as a distinct figure. Turns out they've apparently been keeping the figures together, jails and prison totals added as one total with no break down. My manual addition of all U.S. jail capacity of 768,000 added to the often quoted 2.2 million, to get 3 million total was in error. The 768,000 or so is included in the 2.2 million. Sorry about that. The mainstream articles that I am quoting have not been quoting the different jail versus prison categories.
Todd McCormick; former editor High Life magazine, the Netherlands, English language edition. (Wish I had a copy. It was often on display "for sale"
in many Amsterdam and Dutch coffee shops back in 1996.) Major Hemp/Medical Marijuana Activist until Prison late 1999.
To many, Todd McCormick was Proposition 215
He wrote about his own unusual life, and other topics. He had had a form of cancer, which may or not not be dormant (I don't know). He edited a magazine or two published in Amsterdam and England. He promoted a certain herbal remedy. He wound up in prison for many years. (NOTE: the following article was written probably in Fall 1995; probably just before Todd relocated to Amsterdam. He relocated to California in the U.S., I believe, in early 1997, after prop. 215 passed.) Did Todd McCormick really deserve to spend 5 years or so behind bars? Was there "justice" or benefit from that? Are there hundreds of thousands or millions like him behind bars now? What exactly was his crime compared to all those who have remained generally, out of jail during the same period that Todd was incarcerated? In a more sane world, what advice should Todd have been given, and might have followed to have avoided going to jail? I think we all deserve to know the answers to those questions. I personally do not think that Todd McCormick is a criminal, or was a criminal before, during, or after the period that he was incarcerated. A guy speaking about Todd McCormick and what happened to him from about late 1997 until 2004.
Todd McCormick was an American journalist whose career was more or less terminated by our government. I can think of very few better examples of a government engaged in self-destructive behavior against its own people. He seems to have been permanently silenced, criminalized, and in a sense, is still incarcerated. We are all incarcerated as long as citizens like Todd McCormick are silenced and virtually incarcerated for much longer than even their unjust prison terms. This is anti-American, anti-human, philosphy at its very worse.
Why do they attack a guy like this instead of concentrating on the real problems out there?
The foolish politicians who took this path of greater crime and greater incarceration will probably wind up in prison themselves.
This mechanical calculator could do division and multiplication,
with digital mechanical output (answer). If doing long division, an
answer with a remainder would cause it to run indefinitely - the user
had to manually shut it down in that situation. The top "answer
carriage" went back and forth like a typewriter carriage, but did
so in a seemingly random way when stuck in "long division".
It wasn't random, but rather behaved according to the repeating decimal value.
The shut-off repeating division lever, I think, is the red lever in the upper
left-hand corner.
RANDOM LIST OF LEGAL MARIJUANA VIDEOS
((("#" = ninth article video, "*" = other videos downloadable here, usually from youtube, "e" = external video))) NOTE!! If you are not using Microsoft Internet Explorer, click here for instructions.
(Note: pot is not legal in the Netherlands - only possession of small amounts are decriminalized. For more up to date information, check with encod.org. )
# - Jack Herer YouTube video, Nov. 1996, taped during Cannabis Cup at Positronics and GPRA.
# - Michael Moran, talks about all sorts of interesting things at the 1996 High Times Cannabis Cup 4:20 Afternoon Council open-mike meeting, such as the idea that marijuana and most other herbs, should not be heavily regulated, or maybe not regulated at all. Mike took one strong stance in this general argument.
# - James Burton an early American glaucoma research subject, and who first helped educate the Dutch about medical marijuana, tells his story in late 1993.
* - (20 August '08 google video) An Evening with Howard Marks. Howard Marks is a scholar, an English teacher, a convicted marijuana trafficker, a candidate for Parliament, and a leading member of the Legalise Cannabis Alliance in Britain.
e - (16 June '08 NORML/YouTube/Huffington Post) Congressman Barney Frank says "Whether or Not to Smoke Marijuana Should be a Personal Choice". Frank is currently sponsoring legislation in Congress to decriminalize the personal use and possession of marijuana at the Federal level.
e - (16 June '08 www.reason.com/www.pot-tv.net) DREW CAREY moderates a news story about a youthful medical marijuana user in California whose medical marijuana supplier is being raked over the coals of injustice by the feds. OK, so they state wants him to buy it from the drug underground. Maybe he can score some meth., cocaine, LSD, STP, DMT, ecstasy (MDMA), Seconol, heroin, crack, or other more interesting things while he's at it, and distribute them to all of his classmates, rather than going down to the pot dispensary, where only marijuana is available.
e - (18 March '08 YouTube, other sources) "Our friends at the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union captures a great moment from the United Nations Committee on Narcotics Drugs where UN Drug Czar Antonio Maria Costa refused to answer a question (((from a Mr. Polak, a Psychiatrist and member of ENCOD from the Netherlands, etc.))) about why the Netherlands has a lower marijuana usage rate than surrounding countries. Not only does Costa refuse to answer, but he is visibly agitated at the question and the questioner. Enjoy... http://youtube.com/watch?v=fe208nLLEwk", says the source of my source, I think. Probably came from http://www.marijuananews.com.
e - (19 Feb. '08 added 24 Jan. '08 YouTube/www.pot-tv.net) NEGATIVE CORRELATION statistically between marijuana grow-ops, and the possession of firearms by those maintaining the grow-operations, in British Columbia, Canada. According to Attorney Kirk Tousaw, 24 percent of all Canadians in B.C. possess firearms (!), while only 6 percent of marijuana grow-op operators (raided) possessed firearms. That means that police are much more likely to encounter firearms among the general population than among marijuana growers in B.C., Canada.
e - (20 April 2007 YouTube) Great Short Hemp History video from Casbah Teahouse.
e - (15 April 2007 YouTube) California guy speaking about Todd McCormick and what happened to him. Casbah Teahouse. Many presentations about hemp, marijuana, medical marijuana, and other interesting acts, and things.
* - Hemp for Victory (WWII, 1942) YouTube download/conversion; also high quality archived archived copy.
e - NORML U.S. has some brand new TV commercial shorts done by volunteers and entered into a contest during early 2007. Go to Youtube and do a search for "norml psa".
e - Above the Ignorance website videos page. Above the Ignorance website main page. (They erroneously state that marijuana contains carcinogins - not true. When marijuana is burned, like any other plant material, carcinogins are created, but it's not associated with any active ingredients. Latest research still shows pot, even smoked pot, to have anti-tumor and anti-cancer properties. Go NORML.ORG for details.)
* - Dr. Melanie Dreher of Univ. of Iowa nursing school, etc., talks about marijuana and pregnancy. Same videos downloadable from here (right click): click here for WMV file, or click here for Ipod/MP4 file. (Downloaded from Youtube or Google and converted.)
e - Green Avalanche Episode 2. And the rest of the episides are here at Tabacula. "Tabac" means tobacco in Dutch. Someone is making fun of the incredible Dutch love for tobacco, I guess. But this documentary isn't about tobacco.
e - Free Book download: How to Grow Medical Marijuana, by Todd McCormick. You can also get information about how to order the actual book, which is very inexpensive anyway at the website.
From ultra-cheap to ultra-expensive. Click on English language flag.
For cheapest room sort choice, check box first which states, "show only available hotels". Then re-search. Then sort by "cheapest room".
Forbidden Fruit Publishing, Chris Bennett & Neil McQueen's publishing website. Bennett and McQueen have written a book which postulates that Jesus Christ may very well have used marijuana.
(NOTE: "ninth article", which is not a company or an organization of any type, is not affiliated in any way with any of the logos or companies that we link to on this website.)
After a stroke or two, and almost death, Jack Herer never quits. Promoting 2008 California fully legal pot and all other aspects of the cannabis plant legal also, he speaks at the 2007 Seattle Hempfest; also famous med. mar. grower Eddy Lepp.
One of the best videos about hemp, mostly narrated by Jack Herer and other unbiased scientific experts (Casbah Teahouse-YouTube): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhr1n3da_50
Marijuana and driving:Here's clearer proof of my Car and Driver article reference which I invite anyone to read
thoroughly if you doubt my claims of what scientists and auto-journalists actually stated back in the June 1980 issue. The article mentioned is a bit zany, but the scientific facts are there if you filter out the zaniness.
ENCOD, Eurpean NGO headquartered in Antwerp, Belgium, that promotes progressive drug policies to its members.
As a teenager, I was a licensed amateur radio operator (radio addict). After my novice license expired, I later became a "ham" again as a general class licensee, and later upgraded to extra-class. My ham radio license expired in the mid 1980's. (I guess I'm no longer addicted to ham radio!)
After a particular ham radio operator gave me my first two free copies of computer magazines (the first two issues of Kilobaud magazine), this began my addiction to computers. Soon, I had my own computer, a KIM-1 (6502 chip) with video interface, expanded memory, and an IBM Selectric typewriter (I was lucky, or extremely unlucky, depending on how you viw totally obsolete and funky devices) to acquire a rare IBM I/O model 735 that was built to be interfaced. This was a IBM device that was basically a solenoid controlled IBM typewriter, with a bult-in feed-back loop. To keep this obsolete typewriter opereating, I purchased a rather cheap "service contract" from IBM who sometimes visited my place of work once or twice a week, to keep it running, under contract. It was totally unreliable and required massive amounts of skilled labor to keep it going - but IBM charged almost nothing for a service contract. There were no cheap letter-quality printers at that time for less than $3500.00, or so.) interfaced to it. I could print out letter-quality pages with this. However, mostly, I was learning BASIC and writing accounting software for the CP/M operating system running the CBASIC language on another early microcomputer - a Z80 Altos computer. This was back when computers had only one font - the one that the printer used, and the one that the CRT terminal used. Due to the interest of a customer, my computer store in 1980 was selling subscriptions eventually to an online service called, The Source, a Compuserve competitor. We were using a Commodore Pet with built-in self-dialing modem, and also with accoustic cup modem. Actually, I didn't have another computer until around 1985 or 1986 - a Radio Shack model 100 laptop with both acoustic cup and direct connection modems, which was used for accessing Compuserve aviation weather and flight planning. Then, in 1991, a Bondwell (Taiwan) 286 laptop with VGA graphics, pre-Windows with GEOS/AOL software, AOL email activated in late 1994 and shortly afterwards, with email connected to the internet, but with no built-in WWW browser yet. Also, about this time, I signed up with Delphi, an internet interface running under DOS, but never used it much. Finally, in 1994, a Tandy 486 laptop running at 25 mhz., my first web computer which ran Windows 3.1/DOS, Netscape, GEOS, Delphi, etc. 1995, an IBM 486 50 mhz. Thinkpad running Windows 3.1./DOS with Netscape, GEOS, Delphi, etc. In 1997, a Toshiba Satellite laptop with a Pentium chip and Windows 95, dialup; in 2000, a used Toshiba Satellite same as the 1997 one more or less; 2001, a used Apple Mac Titantium g4 laptop with dial-up modem, running OS 9, also with Ethernet, running Netscape Navigator, etc., in 2005, another Toshiba Satellite still in use today.
From about Jan. 1992 until the present time, I have had an interest in marijuana and drug law reform, first as a documentary video maker, selling VHS tapes mail order from about 1993 until 1998 or so (1992 and 1993 material, respectively); all the old material plus some 1996 material was edited and released on the web at http://nintharticle.com in early 2005; and then volunteer website maintainer for NORML Canada from early 1996 until Sept. 2004, with some gaps during that period. NORML supporter since 1994; now also MPP, DPA, and MAPS.
(1942)Hemp for Victory. Note: the original draft copies of the original Patriot Act, the U.S. Constitution, were written on hemp paper back in 1789 in Philadelphia. The original Gutenburg bibles, the first printed books in history, were also printed on hemp paper.
NOTE: one flaw of this film I noticed is that the announcer erroneously neglects to inform the public that the finest fabrics such as fine linens, were also made from hemp - not just the coarsest fabric and rope.
If this film doesn't make you really patriotic again, then nothing will. Pro-U.S., USDA film made during WWII to teach American farmers how to grow much more hemp which was desperately needed for many different industrial purposes. Discovered in the Library of Congress and publicized by Jack Herer beginning with early editions of The Emperor Wears No Clothes. The title of this book is from a fable by Hans Christian Anderson.
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QuickTime, Ipod MP4.
Good quality (39 meg.) Downloaded from youtube and converted.
Windows Media Video.
Video for Pocket PC (218 kbs.)(27 meg.) Downloaded from youtube and converted.
"An Evening with Howard Marks." Howard Marks is a scholar, a candidate for parliament, one of England's biggest (to use Ausssie English) former hash dealers, a former resident of a U.S. prison, and a leading member of England's Legalise Cannabis Alliance organization, similar to NORML in the U.S. This is a quick time version of a video I found at POT-TV that is at video.google.com. (About 1 hour 41 minutes.)
Note: Marks indicates that Austria is not progressive. But as of August 2008, from the www.encod.org website, there is a news item which indicates that they are continuing to decriminalize possession of marijuana in Austria, regardless of the amount.
An Evening With Howard Marks - MP4 for Ipod, Itunes, etc. Note: Right-click, then select "Save Target As", if download doesn't work with left-clicking. Then run downloaded file with Quick-Time, or Itunes. (315 meg. May take 45 minutes to download, or longer.)
Here is a text item about Marks at this website about the League's of Nations 1928 initiative, with no rational reason, to wipe out cannbis from planet earth.
(Nov. 1996), Jack Herer in Amsterdam, 9 minute YouTube video edit. This 9 minute video is edited from the same material as the one below which is 52 minutes.
(1993/1994), Stichting Institute of Medical Marijuana - Holland.......... was started in 1993 by James Burton, an American glaucoma patient and research subject on medical marijuana. James tells his story. ("Stichting" means "non-profit organization".) James actually did more production and arranging for these videos than I have given him credit for. It was he who arranged to have the Cannabis Cup photo behind him during taping. Whose cup is it? I think it was received by, and may still be owned by Dion Markgraff; or his former partners, Adam and Doug who still run "Hempworks" in Amsterdam, Holland's oldest hemp shop. (From tape 2 of Legal Marijuana in Holland; We Are Not Criminals; The Dutch Moral Majority Speak) videotaped late 1993, first sold late 1994 (12 minute play time - most camera work by Carola.).
In 2005, SIMM lost their contract to supply the department of medical marijuana. He is now trying to fight this decision in court. Dutch government's medical marijuana program website. Link to old NORML Canada medical marijuana page. SIMM link. At one time, before the government Dept. of Med. Marijuana was formed, I think James had about 10,000 regular medical marijuana customers.
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Jack Herer, ..... speaks at Positronics with Pieter D. Nieuwenhuis, a former Amsterdam city councilman. These interviews were arranged and planned by Michael Moran who also operated the camera some of the time. Fresh from overwhelming political victories of the 1996 California and Arizona medical marijuana and drug reform initiatives, in late November, Herer discusses all sorts of factors which contributed to the wins such as help and support from Barry Goldwater, Senator from Arizona and an American presidential candidate (1964 Republican candidate against Lyndon B. Johnson). Kennedy era politics. Hemp.
.....Later, at GPRA, (notice the emerald green pot plants in the background, placed there just for this event) he speaks to the group about all sorts of interesting things such as Pot and Richard Nixon.
Flashback: an actual news report of Jack's visit to Holland was web-published by NORML Canada back in late 1996 and kept online for a few months.
(I regret that this was not posted sooner. I was present for part of the interviews, operating the camera some of the time. I have other footage he took as well. Another person unnamed unknown to me may also have operated the camera. I stayed in touch with Michael Moran for about 6 or 7 months (into mid-1997) as I recall, then we lost contact. Not once during this time did he ask about any video, so I have no clear idea what his plans were for it. Mike mentions to Jack Herer, about "getting a demo together", in this video. He never mentioned any "demo" to me, so I don't know what he's referring to.
Now that I see it, it is painful to think about it, journalistically. Probably unknown to Michael, Ninth Article Productions was no longer running ads or selling tapes by mid-1998, and I had volunteered to become NORML Canada's web maintainer in early '96. The last video editing I had done was in 1994. Now in 2005, I'm able to post this video directly to the web from my own hard-drive.) taped Nov. 1996, web published Jan. 2005 (About 52 minutes - rough edited. Direct tape to digital editing. Bad drop-out on tape.) Link to Jack Herer.
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(1993/1994), Quaker Secretary Hans Weening.......... discusses Dutch Drugs Policy and Quaker philosophy (from tape 2; Legal Marijuana in Holland; We Are Not Criminals; The Dutch Moral Majority Speak) video from late 1993; first sold late 1994. Weening is not a "preacher", as most Quaker churches don't have preachers at all, in general. Quakers have "meetings" of friends. (10 minute play time).
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Michael Moran, late Novemeber 1996, ..... speaks at the High Times Cannabis Cup 420 afternoon council about legalizing or not legalizing pot, winning in court, the Herbalist Decree of 1542 from English common-law and other things related to marijuana, arguably, or historically, who knows? I just found something Michael himself wrote about himself back in 1993 which I did not know until March 2007: click here. I knew bits and pieces of this, vaguely.
Notice the hysterical lady at the end (of the following vidoes) who was upset that Michael seems to be arguing against legalizing marijuana since some people (some of those allowed to use it, an elite group) felt it was already legal enough for them. A transcript of Mike's talk was already posted to the NORML Canada website back in 1997 or so.
Note that Mike explicitely states in this video that all listeners should, "And in your state, go home and do that, whereever that may be", meaning, legalize pot in whatever method works in your area or state. I'm not sure exactly what the argument was between Mike and this lady from N.C. about legalization. Although Mike appears to be arguing against legalization, in the end, he firmly gives support to it in terms of supporting various state law changes.
(Removed due to the strange and somewhat abusive argument taking place.)
(was 8 minutes. Rough edited and posted to the web March 8, 2005.)
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NOTE: the drinking age in Europe is generally 18, or less, depending on which country. College students above the age of 18, there have always been considered to be full adults and have always been able to drink, even as freshmen. College or tech school begins in Europe at age 16 or 17, two years earlier than in the U.S., generally. The age of adulthood in Canada is 19.
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Orig. VHS tape version sold mail-order beginning late 1993 until about late 1998 or 1999. Posted to the web in original form at http://nintharticle.com in Feb. or March 2005. In May 2007, added new title background and removed one inaccurate mention of bars and cannabis coffee shop overlap. In July 2007, added new and better car driving footage.
(Orig. tapes 1 and 2 of "Legal" Marijuana in Holland...) Two Sony Hi-8 CCD-V801 editing camcorders with digital timecode, both purchased at my local Circuit City store. The first camera cost about $2000.00 in late 1991; the second one about $1000 purchased in early 1993. (There's a cameo video shot of one of the Sony cameras in Amsterdam in December 1996 at 51:02 in the Jack Herer video. At that moment, both cameras were probably almost worn out.), one obscure 1991 era High-8 era Olympus camcorder whose model number I can't recall; One computerized edit controller from a company called Future Video costing about $650.00 from New York City camera shops, capable of controlling the two Sony camcorders was utilized for all video editing of both videos, other than one minor announcer scene on Tape 2 which was done in an editing studio onto S-VHS. All titles were by a consumer priced digital titler by Videonics, which hooked up between an editing deck and another editing deck. A simple battery operated analog sound mixer was used for audio mixing. Music could not be dubbed at the High-8 level. Therefore, the music was dubbed on the final S-VHS master from which VHS tapes were duplicated and sold 1993-1998. Tapes were sold retail mail-order from advertisements placed in High Times, and Relix magazine. (I remember checking on prices of digital editing equipment around 1994, and found that a suitable digital editing setup would have cost about $10,000.00 at that moment. Prices were dropping quickly, but my masters had already been made using computer controlled analog equipment.)
This website; all orig videos from 1992-1994, and 1996 material, and other material from YouTube, etc., posted beginning in January 2005. For this website 2005-2007, the Hi-8 masters or original Hi-8 camera tapes were captured into Microsoft Windows Moviemaker, edited, then original music was re-dubbed. Some new dv material added recently.
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Some of the production audio editing/dubbing was done on an old Superscope cassette recorder that had a record audio limiter, an early Sony Walkman, and on a small Sony micro-casssette recorder, and onto and off of High-8 video tape - audio use only. The reason some odd and old equipment was used was to experiment with improving listening clarity obtained from some very marginal, highly amplified, but volume limited audio segments of "salvaged audio" which was "processed", then redubbed. You can actually hear the camera operator swallowing (tape one full length version, 28:58) on one segment of audio from her camera which was then highly amplified, and then limited, then redubbed.
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Quality was acceptable but not top quality. If all the original camera tapes could have been edited on computer, the video would have been better, especially for title video segments; some of which are 2 non-digital dubs from original. There was a lot of low light shooting without lamps and some big microphone problems were encountered. By taping some subjects with two cameras simultaneously, we got better camera shots, but hardly any of these "camera #2" shots are used at all. Some lost audio was salvaged from camera#2 when microphones failed and footage could not be re-shot. The best shots were outdoors in natural lighting with the external mike. I can't believe I made so many audio mistakes which were not repeated on tape two.
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Tape 1: I like the lack of authority figures and professional "experts", the use of many strangers "in the park", people using aliases, and anonymous talking heads; it gives it the power of everyman, or the good use of the "guy or gal on the street", rather than the over-use of propped-up pseudo-expert types. In that sense, the 9th amendment connection, the "people's retained powers amendment", is even more appropriate. Who has the right to dicate what opinions are held naturally by the general population? No one.
It was a good omen for me when Home Grown Fantasy, one of my favorite coffee shops, won the 1992 Cannabis Cup, about 8 months after we had shot our footage of the chess players there.
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My current setup using Microsoft Windows on a desktop computer is not as portable as that early '90's system, but infinitely easier to use, quicker, and more reliable. And I suppose there are laptops out there which could do the same thing.
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Analog editing early 1990's Tape 1: about 15-20 hours of video interviews, etc., were recorded on about 10 or 11 2-hour tapes. These were edited down to about 1 hour of usable video. I made lots of technical and other errors, but was able to salvage the tapes to produce something watchable. All in all, it turned out amazingly well. The editing process took about 3 months of many long days of work. Various editing equipment was tried, and various false starts of versions were produced during the first few weeks. Tape 2 was a lot more cut and dried and easier to edit. It took probably less than 1 month to edit and prepare, and could have been done sooner for those with more spare time.
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Music was composed, independent of me, by my brother, and dubbed onto audio tapes from his home recording equipment which I know little about in technical terms. He also recorded some J.S. Bach tunes. Tocatta and Fugue in D minor by Bach is the theme music for tape 2. I actually prefer the Fugue. I don't have a recording of it at the moment, but here it is. (bad quality).
Also, the camera work by Julia (tape 1), an English volunteer worker-helper-dead-head, was priceless, as was much other help. However, in many Dutch coffee shops, people are still a bit wary of cameras, and cameras are sometimes not allowed. I find this is a bit severe, and it isn't always the policy.
Holland: Hashish versus Pot, and the High Potency Pot Problem Myth. I never detected any difference of opinion concerning hashish versus marijuana in Holland. Both are totally accepted and treated equally, generally. That's how it should be everywhere. Hashish is really no more strong than good marijuana, anyway, for all practical purposes. All this baloney about high potency pot or hash is just that: SPAM.
The same people who criticize "kind bud" high potency marijuana seem to disregard the fact that extremely high potency hashish has always been readily available over-the-counter in Holland since at least 1965.
Changes made to or errors found in, the original videos, VHS tapes, as sold mail-order, and also found in some of the internet posted videos (some changes to video may occur due to historical changes in Dutch marijuana policy, but I don't guarantee to keep you informed of any changes):
(not corrected on tape) (Legal M, tape 1, all full length versions) Mis-named the 1972 U.S. government report on legalizing/decriminalizing pot, as "Presidents's Commission". Should have been, "Shafer Commission". It came out when Nixon was president. Correct name: The Report of the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse -- Marihuana: A Signal of Misunderstanding. Was actually set up by U.S. congress according to Keith Stroup of NORML U.S. and others who were involved in the issue at that time. Nixon thought pot would destroy civilization. Did he know about the first printed books in history being made from marijuana paper?
(corrected March 2005) (Legal M..., tape 1, corrected on the internet versions) the "dangling cigarette" shot (tape 1 full length, original verson, 40 minutes, 20 seconds) was replaced with a new tobacco example. I never noticed that error until a few years after the tape had been sold.
(not corrected on tape) (Legal M..., tape 1 full length version, original and internet posted versions) In the section on the June 1980 Car and Driver article about pot and driving, entitled, "Puff the Dangerous Driver", I erroneously refer to the referenced article from Car and Driver quoting a Dr. Alan C. Donelson as working for the "Nat'l Safety Research Institute". Should be, "Highway Safety Research Institute".
(not corrected on tape) (Legal M., tape 1 full length and 30 minute versions) Home Grown Fanstasy coffee shop won the 1992 cannabis cup rather than the 1993 cup. The announcement of the winner for the '92 Cup appeared in an early '93 issue of High Times, just as I was editing this video, so I just used "1993" in my preliminary title; I didn't have any idea when the actual event had occured, not noticing any date in the HT article, and assumed that when I made such an error, I would have time to correct it before production of the video. When I decided to go ahead with the video at some point, this little detail was never checked for accuracy. I actually found out that the Cannabis Cup occurs every November and I attended my first one in 1996.
(corrected May 2007) (Legal M., tape 1 full length and 30 minute versions, original and internet versions) Removed one mention by interview subject that some bars in Holland were also selling pot. As of May 2007, it is widely reported in Holland that now coffee shops can only sell pot, and bars/pubs, etc., can only sell alcohol. The trend of some bars to branch out into selling cannabis, or for some cannabis coffee shops to branch out into selling alcohol; both will no longer be possible. However, some owners have both licensed bars and coffee shops, sometimes right next door, in the same complex, or across the alley from each other. Knowing the legalistic rules of coffee shops and bars might help to understand what, if anything, has really changed in Holland. Also, many bars and restaurants (or any other business) may allow someone to smoke marijuana at the owner's discretion.
(added May 2007) Also, after finding out about it while watching CNN on TV in Belgium in late 2003, probably Holland's oldest known cannabis coffee shop which opened in 1968, I decided to add new footage of it as new and colorful title background. I had already done some interviews in that same area of Utrecht in 1992, and the existant footage meshes perfectly with the 2007 images.
Some more early history from Amsterdamers: Green Avalanche Episode 1, and Green Avalanche Episode 2, these videos from youtube have Eddy of Flying Dutchman Seed Company who was scoring pot in Amsterdam in 1965. I think there were people doing it from boats, etc. These videos have Wernard Bruining, one of the guys who started Mellow Yellow and Positronics, two places in Amsterdam that are still functioning in some form in 2007. I think Positronics is now called Positive Growth.
Now someone from Nepal, India, Africa, Mexico, South America or Jamaica will step forward and say that they had some sort of legal pot there in 1875, or 5000 B.C., or something like that. But the Pope, or the British, or the French, or the U.N. and/or U.S. made them suppress it. Then, we in the West will agree with them and acknowledge that they were earlier than us.
It has also been stated by someone that they found hashish residue in the pipes used in medieval times before tobacco was in use in Europe. The Europeans were growing hemp, and early versions of Jack Herer's book have a reproduction of some medieval text giving the medicinal uses of cannabis in England. Tobacco seems to have entered Europe and become very popular in the 1580-1640 period.
Some coffee shops in Amsterdam have pot plants growing in the open these days, for decorative purposes.
(added earlier July 2007)(Legal M1 (tape 1 08:53) original full length video.) During "Carlo" interview intro., removed annoying sound. Sorry about that.
(late July 2007) Replaced auto trip footage with new background video from Holland. Old footage was "too quick". I wanted something more relaxing and attractive, but I kept the old soundtrack.
Copyright: both tapes 1 and 2 of "Legal M..." were originally sold with full "public broadcast approval" included, in writi
- Don't Trash U.S., SUB-BLURBS, 
Ninth Article, U of W Student Pot-CoffeeShop video, sub-menu1, my blog, ext. links, Howard Stern - TM: 
"Nothing's Gonna Change My World, Jai Guru Deva". NASA 
I included a copy of the (doctor's marijuana recommendation) letter in the memory box of his casket 
European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies (ENCOD) a Brussels based NGO (Non Government Organization) which seeks to influence European drug policy, generally in a "harm reduction" and pro-hemp/cannabis direction.
Forbidden Fruit Publishing, Chris Bennett & Neil McQueen's publishing website. Bennett and McQueen have written a book which postulates that Jesus Christ may very well have used marijuana.
"An Evening with Howard Marks." Howard Marks is a scholar, a candidate for parliament, one of England's biggest (to use Ausssie English) former hash dealers, a former resident of a U.S. prison, and a leading member of England's Legalise Cannabis Alliance organization, similar to NORML in the U.S. This is a quick time version of a video I found at POT-TV that is at video.google.com. (About 1 hour 41 minutes.)
Jack Herer in Amsterdam, 9 minute YouTube video edit. This 9 minute video is edited from the same material as the one below which is 52 minutes.
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was started in 1993 by James Burton, an American glaucoma patient and research subject on medical marijuana. James tells his story. ("Stichting" means "non-profit organization".) James actually did more production and arranging for these videos than I have given him credit for. It was he who arranged to have the Cannabis Cup photo behind him during taping. Whose cup is it? I think it was received by, and may still be owned by Dion Markgraff; or his former partners, Adam and Doug who still run "Hempworks" in Amsterdam, Holland's oldest hemp shop. (From tape 2 of Legal Marijuana in Holland; We Are Not Criminals; The Dutch Moral Majority Speak) videotaped late 1993, first sold late 1994 (12 minute play time - most camera work by Carola.).
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Later, at GPRA, (notice the emerald green pot plants in the background, placed there just for this event) he speaks to the group about all sorts of interesting things such as Pot and Richard Nixon.
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discusses Dutch Drugs Policy and Quaker philosophy (from tape 2; Legal Marijuana in Holland; We Are Not Criminals; The Dutch Moral Majority Speak) video from late 1993; first sold late 1994. Weening is not a "preacher", as most Quaker churches don't have preachers at all, in general. Quakers have "meetings" of friends. (10 minute play time).
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speaks at the High Times Cannabis Cup 420 afternoon council about legalizing or not legalizing pot, winning in court, the Herbalist Decree of 1542 from English common-law and other things related to marijuana, arguably, or historically, who knows? I just found something Michael himself wrote about himself back in 1993 which I did not know until March 2007: 