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Hardline action against cannabis is ineffective and is targeted only at poorer communities, American civil rights campaigner the Rev Jesse Jackson has told MPs.

Dr Jackson said the authorities did not dare raid places such as university campuses because of the backlash from the rich and powerful parents whose children could be caught using drugs.
"In America, we have made such a crime of marijuana for example; we have taken low-level drugs and made them as if they were assault weapons" - Rev Jesse Jackson

Yet poorer neighbourhoods were targeted by police, he said while giving evidence to the Commons home affairs select committee on knife and gun crime and drugs.

Asked if he believed UK anti-drugs policy would be more effective if forces turned their attention to campuses, he said: "You can either begin to raid campuses - you go up on a couple of high-profile universities in Britain and you do a drug raid you will get a huge reaction from people of power whose children are going to be damaged by that process.

"Or you can let the same laws apply to those on the ghetto corners, have the same relaxed notion. At least give the others the same playing field."

He hit out at the tough anti-cannabis policy in the US.

"In America, we have made such a crime of marijuana for example; we have taken low-level drugs and made them as if they were assault weapons.

"It's not working. It's very costly."

The UK Government reclassified cannabis from Class C to Class B earlier this year, in defiance of its own independent advisers who recommended it be kept in the less serious category.


http://itn.co.uk/news/4585fcb38a079842f ... 9c8ee.html

I think they are some changes gona happen in the U.S very soon,Tons of "respected" names are making noises about this now that bush & his posse have finaly gone.

Kingdoc wrote:I think they are some changes gona happen in the U.S very soon,Tons of "respected" names are making noises about this now that bush & his posse have finaly gone.

I agree. Seems like more attention is being paid to this issue at both state and federal level.
Jackson was over here in the UK, and speaking to a bunch of our politicians. Deaf ears I reckon.

Kingdoc wrote:I think they are some changes gona happen in the U.S very soon,Tons of "respected" names are making noises about this now that bush & his posse have finaly gone.

I leaning towards that conculsion, however i think whatever the outcome in the States it will not effect the policys here in the UK.

rks0 wrote:

Kingdoc wrote:I think they are some changes gona happen in the U.S very soon,Tons of "respected" names are making noises about this now that bush & his posse have finaly gone.

I agree. Seems like more attention is being paid to this issue at both state and federal level.
Jackson was over here in the UK, and speaking to a bunch of our politicians. Deaf ears I reckon.

Yea they are set in there ways here i am afraid! still we can only hope.

rks0 wrote:
Kingdoc wrote:
I think they are some changes gona happen in the U.S very soon,Tons of "respected" names are making noises about this now that bush & his posse have finaly gone.


I agree. Seems like more attention is being paid to this issue at both state and federal level.
Jackson was over here in the UK, and speaking to a bunch of our politicians. Deaf ears I reckon.

Yea they are set in there ways here i am afraid! still we can only hope.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, guys

Unfortunately, the US is still, for the most part, a VERY conservative place, so any positive changes to cannabis laws will be unlikely to happen in the near future. (For comparison, the most right-wing country in Europe would be miles to the left of the US, in terms of the typical views of the public, although to be sure, there would be a wide range of opinions, in each country.) OTOH, individual states (i.e California, Oregon, etc) could nullify/modify cannabis laws, so that there might be a patchwork of decriminalisation in the country. BUT, this might NOT deter the feds (DEA) from busting you in those states.

I think the trouble legalizing will be akin to the problems they had in the 60's with civil rights laws. (Fortunately those ones finally did pass. However, in some areas a great deal of violence was visited upon the champions of those laws.)

I think that Obama is a reformer, but with so much junk on his plate, cannabis, will take a low priority. However, given the poor economy AND the tremendous cost (and complete waste of time, effort, and money) of the drug war, perhaps, he could make a business case for legalisation?

Oh well, we can hope.

I really do hope that I am proven wrong.

The only reason we did NOT legalise it, in 2003, was because of the shit-storm that we would expect from the US. So, if they legalise it, then I'd say that we would do so, a few microseconds later.

I cant understand why the yanks take such a hard line on cannabis..

a have to be the first to admit this, i live in the UK, and the Yanks grow some seriously good shite... really they do...

The UK growers can take alot of lessons from you chaps, and you guys face much harsher punishments if caught growing, uk there is certain limits..

50 plants i think is when your looking at serious jail time, or is it 99..

if your caught growing 1-10 plants you can be prosecuted for personal growth and if no offences before, you can easily escape jail..

clearly im not a judge or lawyer so this is just based on my knowledge..

With indoor growing, ANY country in the world can produce good grass.

The "BC Bud", that gets exported around the world, is virtually all grown indoor. (Same with virtually ALL Dutch Grass.)

If I am not mistaken, Cheese, was created in the UK, so you guys also grow some good herb!

You cant legally buy a dildo in texas. I am not hopeful about US marijuana legalization my lifetime.

Clayman wrote:You cant legally buy a dildo in texas.

That's because they are all on the police force.

Puffin13 wrote:

Clayman wrote:You cant legally buy a dildo in texas.

That's because they are all on the police force.

FUCK that was good

intersting fact: i'm moving to texas in not too long.