Pat Robertson. Certainly an unlikely candidate for the legalization of Marijuana. An odd juxtaposition that places him shoulder to shoulder with the likes of George Soros, who as an ardent advocate, should arouse more than passing suspicion. Soros talks about empowering the small cultivator, but this would be big business, branded goods, a zillion flavors and an export cash crop backed by huge advertising budgets.
Yes its the same Pat Robertson who blamed Haitian morality, the devil and voodoo for their earthquake. From the New York Times: “I really believe we should treat marijuana the way we treat beverage alcohol,” Mr. Robertson said in an interview on Wednesday. “I’ve never used marijuana and I don’t intend to, but it’s just one of those things that I think: this war on drugs just hasn’t succeeded.”
Mr. Robertson’s remarks echoed statements he made last week on “The 700 Club,” the signature program of his Christian Broadcasting Network, and other comments he made in 2010. While those earlier remarks were largely dismissed by his followers, Mr. Robertson has now apparently fully embraced the idea of legalizing marijuana, arguing that it is a way to bring down soaring rates of incarceration and reduce the social and financial costs….
---Read More:http://www.cnbc.com/id/36138213/Marijuana_In_America_History_Culture_And_People
“I believe in working with the hearts of people, and not locking them up,” he said.
Mr. Robertson’s remarks were hailed by pro-legalization groups, who called them a potentially important endorsement in their efforts to roll back marijuana penalties and prohibitions, which residents of Colorado and Washington will vote on this fall. “I love him, man, I really do,” said Neill Franklin, executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, a group of current and former law enforcement officials who oppose the drug war. “He’s singing my song.”
---The crowd, which later distilled into a hot-headed mob battling police, included an odd mixture of liberals dominated by organized communist, trade union and anarchist groups, as well as a large presence of 9/11 Truthers and Ron Paul libertarians. Tie-dyed psychedelic geezers from the ’60s tottered about amongst more recent generations of drug-users, and the smell of medical marijuana mingled in the air with the sounds of the zombie-like chanting made famous by the Occupy Wall Street protesters in New York.---Read More:http://www.lookingattheleft.com/
…But marijuana is a complex issue, both social and legal. For many, a dangerous weed that can be at a potency unheard of from the time of the 1960′s. And, there is no question that chronic use inhibits an ability to think clearly, disrupts the general flow of psychomotor functions, and generally can create harm for many even in the “casual use” category. There were some valid reasons that caused it to be listed as an illegal substance initially. …
For his part, Mr. Robertson said that he “absolutely” supported the ballot measures, though he would not campaign for them. “I’m not a crusader,” he said. That comment may invite debate, considering Mr. Robertson’s long career of speaking out — and sometimes in ways that drew harsh criticism — in favor of conservative family values. Recently, he was quoted as saying that victims of tornadoes in the Midwest could have avoided their fate by praying more.
But advocates of overhauling drug laws say Mr. Robertson’s newfound passion on their issue could help sway conservative voters and other religious leaders to their cause. “It’s completely out of control,” Mr. Robertson said. “Prisons are being overcrowded with juvenile offenders having to do with drugs. And the penalties, the maximums, some of them could get 10 years for possession of a joint of marijuana. It makes no sense at all.” …
---In the 1969 movie, two bikers, played by Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper, take a ro
rip filled with marijuana and LCD use, meeting Jack Nicholson along the way. In October 2009, Fonda told celebrity news program “Extra” that real marijuana was used in the campfire scene where Nicholson’s character tries pot for the first time.--- Read More:http://www.cnbc.com/id/36138213/Marijuana_In_America_History_Culture_And_People?slide=6
…I don’t think we can say that there is a particularly moral stance on marijuana. It’s much more a social issue than anything else: at issue is not the drug itself, but how it is used which depends essentially on social issues. Potentially, alcohol is a more dangerous drug than marijuana. However, responsible people have created a social ambience for it that somewhat limits and controls the dangers involved. If one had lived in Babylonia 2000 years ago, there may have been something realively similar for the use of dope. But in our context, marijuana brings a lot of social baggage. But times change. Still, you have to buy it, hide it, and explain it as things stand now. The potential for psychosis aside, and the need for altered states aside, it may not be so much the chemical effect of the drug but everything that goes along with it….
Robertson: “If people can go into a liquor store and buy a bottle of alcohol and drink it at home legally, then why do we say that the use of this other substance is somehow criminal?” he said….
---The billionaire investor/activist has written a well-reasoned essay in the Wall Street Journal arguing for an end to marijuana prohibition. The L.A. Times reports that in California, Soros is backing the cause with more than words. California’s Prop 19, as Soros explains, “would legalize the recreational use and small-scale cultivation of marijuana.” The billionaire is reportedly helping to fund the initiative, as is the guy from the Men’s Wearhouse commercials.---Read More:http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/george_soros_makes_the_case_for_
Mr. Franklin, who is a Christian, said Mr. Robertson’s position was actually in line with the Gospel. “If you follow the teaching of Christ, you know that Christ is a compassionate man,” he said. “And he would not condone the imprisoning of people for nonviolent offenses.”
Mr. Robertson said he enjoyed a glass of wine now and then — “When I was in college, I hit it pretty hard, but that was before Christ.” He added that he did not think marijuana appeared in the Bible, though he noted that “Jesus made water into wine.”
“I don’t think he was a teetotaler,” he said. Read More:http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/08/us/pat-robertson-backs-legalizing-marijuana.html
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