Tag Archive for 'barbara-boxer'

06
Dec

A response from Boxy Lady

My ongoing correspondence with my employees in Washington continues.  Back in October, I wrote to Rep. Henry Waxman and Senators Feinstein and Boxer regarding the report issued by the Global Cannabis Commission in particular, and this country’s backwards, illogical marijuana laws in general.  Yesterday, Senator Boxer’s office sent this reply:

Dear Mr. Adams:

Thank you for contacting me about the legalization of marijuana. I appreciate hearing from you.

Although I do not support the legalization of drugs for recreational use, I do believe that medical doctors should be allowed to use their best judgment, consistent with federal law, in deciding on the most effective treatment for their patients, especially those with terminal illnesses.

Again, thank you for writing to me. Please feel free to contact me again about this or any other issue of concern to you.

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

Polite, curt and completely dismissive towards the substance of my letter.  I hold onto my naive idea that those who are elected to represent my interest should at least pay me the courtesy of actually addressing my concerns.  As such…

Senator Barbara Boxer

I appreciate your office taking the time to respond to my letter.  What I do not appreciate is the fact that you did not even bother addressing the specific issues that the letter addressed.  I’ll cut to the chase and ask you two specific questions.

When all the scientific, medical and criminal evidence tells us that marijuana poses significantly less harm to the individual user and to society as a whole than legal substances like alcohol, tobacco and prescription drugs, why do you and your colleagues insist on maintaining the illogical stance of complete prohibition?

Further, when our state is facing a financial crisis, why would you and your colleagues continue to ignore the potential tax revenue from a cash crop with an estimated worth of up to $14 billion?

As always, thanks for your time.

Sincerely,

Nick Adams

10
Oct

Another email to Wax Man, D Fine, and Boxy Lady

Rep. Henry Waxman

Senator Dianne Feinstein

Senator Barbara Boxer

Representatives,

It’s me, Nick Adams, again. I’m sure you guys are well aware of the report issued by the Global Cannabis Commission. You know, the international group of scientists who studied the issue of global cannabis policy and then released their findings in a 226-page paper, Cannabis Policy: Moving Beyond Stalemate? Just in case you haven’t gotten around to reading all about it, I thought I’d point out some of the highlights of their report.

The enforcement effort has not had much success in deterring use.

Translation: With regards to marijuana, the drug war has been a failure.

The probability and scale of harm among heavy cannabis users is modest

compared with that caused by many other psychoactive substances, both

legal and illegal, in common use, namely, alcohol, tobacco, amphetamines,

cocaine and heroin.

Translation: It’s less harmful than alcohol and tobacco.

The rationale for severe penalties for possession offenses is weak on both

normative and practical grounds. In many developed countries a majority of

adults born in the past half-century have used cannabis. Control regimes that

criminalize users are intrusive on privacy, socially divisive and expensive.

Thus it is worth considering alternatives.

Translation: Our current marijuana laws are costly and infringe on our civil liberties.

In countries where data are available, arrest rates are sharply higher for many

minority and socially disadvantaged groups.

Translation: The war on marijuana disproportionately effects minorities and poor people.

Given this data, I’m sure that you will all immediately reconsider your illogical and counter-productive stance on the continued criminalization of marijuana.




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