Cannabis Freedom

Memphis Police are hard at work cracking down on non-violent crime. This time it's the johns they're after:

...[A]uthorities will attempt to seize 42 cars: 39 from those charged with soliciting prostitutes, as well as one from a suspect facing drug charges and two because the owners had revoked driver's licenses.

"They were used in the commission of a crime. Under state law, they are subject to seizure," Dist. Atty. Gen. Bill Gibbons said, when asked if the seizures seemed excessive. "I think it's a good law. But if you think it's too stringent, talk to your legislators."
Added Memphis Police director Larry Godwin: "I'd say seize every dadgum vehicle and send a message."

These "crimes" are consensual and non-violent. Surely we have higher priorities in the most violent city in America. And they're seizing the cars because its impossible to pick up a prostitute in Memphis without one?

This operation comes on the heels of "Operation Sudden Impact" where dozens of terrorists were captured before unleashing their wrath on the city. Well not really.

Update: The Agitator picked this story up today 4/24/2008.

In honor of 4/20 week I offer you this simple reminder.

We can watch history repeating itself on the mean streets of Chicago. Is Memphis all that different?

The gang violence of the 1920’s is the same 80 years later: it is driven by a prohibition that increases crime, violence, disease and death. The land of Al Capone should read the history books: just as alcohol prohibition in the 1920’s caused Chicago to erupt in gang violence in Capone’s era, drug prohibition is the root of gang warfare in Chicago in 2008. The black market drug trade fuels the violence, and as long as prohibition continues, the resulting violence will only increase.

This opinion isn't drafted by some junkie, rather current and former law enforcement professionals. We certainly aren't immune to the perils of prohibition. What's worse, individuals getting high in the privacy and safety of their own home or people dying of gangland violence fueled by the high profits of drugs on a black market? End the drug war, end the violence.

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

My propaganda alarm went off this morning when I saw this provocative headline:

Oral sex, marijuana use linked to throat cancer

Wow, that's quite a claim. I had to read more, especially since this story comes out of Nashville. Turns out, the cannabis use was only a "behavior associated with..." not a causality of the cancer. In fact the specific type of cancer that this report covered was HPV positive upper throat cancer. HPV, or the Human Papilloma Virus, is a sexually transmitted disease. So whoring around is still risky, imagine that.

There was absolutely no attempt to isolate cannabis use variable as a causality of the throat cancer because it isn't the cause. HPV caused the cancer. Cannabis use is often considered to be a risky behavior in clinical studies because it is illegal, not cause any significant health malady. I will concede that cannabis smokers have an elevated risk of bronchitis, but that's what I recommend a vaporizer for.

This paragraph set off another alarm for me:

"It's possible that other behaviors linked with marijuana use could be the real culprit, and our results will need to be confirmed," she [ Dr. Maura L. Gillison] said. Chemicals in marijuana called cannabinoids could affect the immune system's ability to fight a virus.

Was Dr. Gillison's quote spurred by direct questioning by the reporter, i.e. "Is 'marijuana' the contributing factor here?" If so, the doctor's response could actually be a dismissal of the proposition.

Then the reporter follows the speculation with a dubious claim of immunosuppression. The truth is, there's no evidence that cannabinoids suppress the human immune system. In fact, quite the opposite has been shown. Cannabanoids have been shown in the use of autoimmune disease patients to regulate the body's immune responses. I'm not challenging Dr. Gillison's expertise, she's not the one making the grandious claims. BTW, I actually have the courage to research and link to my health claims of cannabis.

This story is the product of a reporter with an vendetta against cannabis. In fact the original news release from John Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center doesn't even mention cannabis use. ( The updated one does. ) In fact, when I first heard about this study I couldn't find any mention of "marijuana" or cannabis on their entire website. I'm so sick of propaganda pieces like this. Believe me, my wife and I aren't going to loose any sleep over this "link", and we would have a good reason to worry. ;-)

McCain drops 2 G's at Barney's New York in Beverly Hills. This has nothing to do with anything other than it reminded me when I met Don Sunquist while he was a member of the Imperial Senate. That was before he tried to shove an income tax down the throats of the People of Tennessee.

The senator had on black alligator shoes with gold buckles and a matching belt. His ensemble was more than my dad made in a month. I remember thinking, "This is not how a conservative dresses." It was my first taste of what the Republican Party leadership was really all about. Now there is no doubt for me that Sunquist and McCain are cut from the same cloth.



thanks Crooks and Liars

The Agitator, Radley Balko sounds off again on the Memphis Inquisition on April 13. Via Reason Magazine:

What's really unfortunate is the complete lack of inquisitiveness in the local media. How many of these raids were backed by search warrants? What justification did police give for the traffic roadblocks and traffic stops? Random stops and roadblocks are only legal under limited circumstances. Fishing expeditions aren't one of them, though fishing expeditions disguised as DWI checkpoints usually are.

Guess what, Radley? This is par for the course in Memphis, TN, where the only investigative journalism is the weekly restaurant health department scores. Remember that drunk off-duty cop who shot up the bar a few weeks ago? Yeah, neither does anyone else. Here we're too busy dodging bullets to be concerned with getting pulled over on traffic violation.

Most of the locals here keep hollering for more police protection, more checkpoints, more arrests, more incarcerations, and longer sentences. Meanwhile we're looking at a 17% property tax increase, for what?

BTW, it was Free Talk Live coverage, not local media that got my attention.

Last time I went to Spring River I stopped by for a 30 pack of "Last Chance Beer" before I hit the dry counties of North Central Arkansas. I never thought about picking up a sack on my way. Stepping up to fill consumer demand, this enterprising Arkansan Pizza Hut Manager's diversification strategies landed him in hot water with the state's good ole boys. Yep, prohibition is alive and well in Arkansas.

Police: Manager sold marijuana from drive-through window
FORT SMITH, Ark. (AP) — Police have arrested a pizza parlor manager on charges alleging he sold marijuana out of his drive-through window in Fort Smith, Ark.

Authorities said Monday that state and local investigators acting on a tip went to the Pizza Hut restaurant and found six ounces of marijuana and a set of digital scales in the manager's office.

Police said they arrested 28-year-old manager Aaron Massey on Friday on a charge of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

Massey has been released on $3,500 bail.

Note: no weapons, no violence, just a plant.
Original Article