War breaks out within the marijuana legalization movement

[Puffin13]

War breaks out within the marijuana legalization movement (part 1)
September 26, 2009

A war is breaking out between the Cannabusiness Community, that hopes to profit from draconian regulation of Marijuana, and the pillars of the drug reform movement that insist that the self cultivation of Marijuana become an untaxed, unregulated sacred right. The first shots were fired by a speech by Jack Herer and the firing of Dennis Peron from Oaksterdam University. Could this be our "Concord" moment?

Over the past few weeks two things have occurred that should be of paramount interest to both the majority of American Citizens favoring the Re-Legalization of Marijuana and even those that don't yet support Marijuana Re-Legalization.

First on Saturday September 12th, 2009, Jack Herer made a short but historic speech at Oregon's HempStalk Festival. And despite suffering a stroke and heart attack, back in 2000, it is abundantly clear that he put every ounce of energy and anger into this speech. It is clear that this anger is directed at the Cannabusiness community as you will understand by the end of this article. Here were the most important words from that fiery speech:

"I don't want to f**king give the United States government one f**king dollar of taxes. I think that they should go to f**king jail for getting you and me and 20 million people getting arrested for pot.
It is the safest thing you can do in the universe. And that is what we are going to do in California. Okay? Come over to my booth, over there, and I will see you next time."

In this video Jack Herer vehemently denounced the attempts by the Cannabusiness community to push for the government taxation and regulation of our Marijuana during his speech at the HempStalk Festival in Oregon (09/12/2009). Unfortunately he suffered a heart attack shortly after delivering what could become his most important speech.

Next on Tuesday September 15th, 2009, Dennis Peron was fired from Oaksterdam University. According to journalist Craig Canada, his firing was the result of Peron's opposition to his employer's state wide initiative to "tax and regulate" Marijuana.

Dennis Peron announced on Tuesday (09/15/2009) that he returned from Burning Man to discover he had been fired from Oaksterdam University because of his opposition to taxing and regulating medical marijuana. Oaksterdam University has announced it intends to spend a million dollars to promote an initiative that would tax, regulate and control marijuana by city and county, as well as at the state level.

What both Herer and Peron are reacting to is the great "bait and switch" on Marijuana policy by the Cannabusiness community and our very own government. In a nutshell what is going on is a reaction to the fact that a majority of American Citizens -- 52% according to a 2009 Zogby poll -- now support the complete Legalization of Marijuana for all citizens: not just the sick and dying.

What should also be made clear is that both Jack Herer and Dennis Peron are two of the most important and respected members of the Marijuana Re-Legalization movement. And despite this they have been demonized by groups that purport to support Marijuana Re-Legalization for many years: NORML, DPA and MPP.

Jack Herer is the author of the "Emperor Wears No Clothes" which was first published in 1985. This book clearly documented the censored history of Hemp (e.g., Marijuana or Cannabis) and essentially became the "bible" for the Marijuana reform movement. You can read (or preferably purchase) the entire book by clicking here:

Dennis Peron has also made incredible contributions to the movement towards Marijuana Re-Legalization as documented by journalist Craig Canada:

Source & rest of article

[sh@dy]

yeah, great, work as enemies instead of working together for the matter of course. THE PLANT!
I am not saying that after many years of unbelievable arrests just for possessing a few grams of a plant the governments should get our taxes, but I`d rather pay taxes than see friends or maybe myself getting treated for possessing.
On the other hand, if it was legal, do you think anyone would care if you grew your own? like the police would care about you having 2-3 plants at home when its legal , I dont know why JAck Herrer cant see this.
In the end, I am happy when it gets legalized again, if it costs me 300% taxes, I dont mind, as long as I can smoke a joint without being worried to lose my job, my flat, my whatever just because I am high.

[colinzeal]

On the other hand, if it was legal, do you think anyone would care if you grew your own? like the police would care about you having 2-3 plants at home when its legal , I dont know why JAck Herrer cant see this.

Jack Herer is well aware of this fact and it is exactly what he is fighting for. If you read the entire article you will read this

The point is that these Cannabusinesses were now making literally millions of dollars each year and the last thing they wanted to see is for these profits to evaporate in the wake of complete Cannabis Re-Legalization. They knew that, if American adults could cultivate their own Marijuana as they can presently produce their own "home brewed" beer and wine, their empire would quickly dissolve like castles in the sand at your local beach. So to protect their new empire they began using their money to steer the activist community away from the true Re-Legalization that both Peron and Herer foresaw. Because if Peron, Herer and other succeeded at allowing Americans to "grow their own" without taxation or regulation, their financial empires would crumble to the ground.