[Lnc-business] Marijuana Resolution - Request for Co-Sponsors

Sun Dec 18 14:14:22 EST 2016

Thank you everyone for the suggestions and the Chair of Alaska thanks you!
I will pass this one.  You guys are the best.

-Caryn Ann

On Sun, Dec 18, 2016 at 12:03 PM, Whitney Bilyeu <whitneycb76 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> ---Whereas, those arrested and accused of drug offenses, including
> cannabis offenses, are often compelled by police and prosecutors to serve
> as informants for investigations of potentially dangerous drug dealers or
> else face additional charges; this is a disrespectful and dangerous
> practice that can have lethal consequences for the accused and their
> families;---
>
> The word 'disrespectful' is subjective, and not substantive in this
> context.  I would prefer not to use it.
>
> ---Whereas, existing drug laws, including those criminalizing cannabis,
> and their unjust enforcement have caused many Americans to lose respect for
> law enforcement on all levels including prosecutors, judges, lawmakers,
> et.al.;---
>
> I would prefer this:
> " whereas existing drug laws, including those that criminalize cannabis,
> and their unjust enforcement, have created an adversarial relationship
> between Americans and officers of the law and courts."
>
> Whitney Bilyeu
> Region 7 Rep
>
> On Dec 18, 2016 12:14 PM, "Caryn Ann Harlos" <carynannharlos at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Thank you Ken, I will do that.  If you want to privately email me other
>> things you would change the Alaska Chair is actively seeking feedback.
>>
>> -Caryn Ann
>>
>> On Sun, Dec 18, 2016 at 11:11 AM, Ken Moellman <ken.moellman at lpky.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> While you are providing AK feedback, I would like to suggest the removal
>>> of a couple of things....
>>>
>>>
>>> "Whereas, cannabis is less harmful than alcohol and tobacco;"
>>>
>>> I don't like the use of "comparatives".  Saying that cannabis is less
>>> harmful than tobacco and alcohol only encourages the nanny-statists to ban
>>> tobacco and alcohol.   IMO, we should be framing all arguments from a
>>> "people have the right to do what they want to do", not a "well those guys
>>> are allowed to do that and that's worse."
>>>
>>>
>>> "Whereas, existing cannabis laws have not had a significant impact on
>>> cannabis availability;"
>>>
>>> This should also be removed. There are many people who would use
>>> cannabis as a medicinal who are forbidden from doing so.  For that matter,
>>> the DEA just reclassified/clarified CBD as Schedule I.  It suggests that
>>> the laws don't work anyway so why is there a need to change them?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> There are some other things I'd change, and re-arrange, but the two
>>> above should be removed IMO.
>>>
>>> ---
>>>
>>> Ken C. Moellman, Jr.
>>> LNC Region 3 Alternate Representative
>>> LPKY Judicial Committee
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 2016-12-18 09:08, Caryn Ann Harlos wrote:
>>>
>>> That is a fair point I will bring to Alaska's attention.  Thanks!
>>>
>>> -Caryn Ann
>>>
>>> On Sun, Dec 18, 2016 at 6:29 AM Sam Goldstein <
>>> goldsteinatlarge at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Caryn Ann,
>>>>
>>>> Other than being entirely too long, I cannot support any resolution
>>>> that "calls on  federal and state legislators to develop new
>>>> programs".  Our goal is to shrink government at all levels, not to increase
>>>> it.
>>>>
>>>> Live free,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Sam Goldstein
>>>> Libertarian National Committee
>>>> Member at Large
>>>> 8925 N Meridian St, Ste 101
>>>> Indianapolis IN 46260
>>>> 317-850-0726 <(317)%20850-0726> Phone
>>>> 317-582-1773 <(317)%20582-1773> Fax
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Sun, Dec 18, 2016 at 3:01 AM, Caryn Ann Harlos <
>>>> carynannharlos at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I withdrew this from the agenda and deferred to ask by email vote.  The
>>>> Alaska affiliate requested me to bring this before the LNC - requesting
>>>> co-sponsors
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Whereas, cannabis is less harmful than alcohol and tobacco;
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Whereas, existing cannabis laws represent vast government over‐reach
>>>> into the personal lives of American citizens and violate principles of
>>>> personal liberty and choice;
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Whereas, existing cannabis laws have not had a significant impact on
>>>> cannabis availability;
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Whereas, millions of peaceful Americans have been arrested, imprisoned,
>>>> fined, or otherwise needlessly criminalized and stigmatized, potentially
>>>> for life, because of their use of cannabis;
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Whereas, over $1 trillion have been spent nationally enforcing drug
>>>> laws, including those pertaining to cannabis, since the War on Drugs was
>>>> politically initiated by President Richard Nixon in the 1970s;
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Whereas, because of drug laws, including cannabis laws, the United
>>>> States has become a nation of mass incarceration – imprisoning 2 million
>>>> American citizens which represents the highest imprisonment rate of any
>>>> nation on Earth and 25% the world's prisoners;
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Whereas, the enforcement of cannabis and other drugs laws has been
>>>> racist and represents the new Jim Crow, disproportionately targeting and
>>>> impacting people of color and minorities;
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Whereas, the Drug War's "asset seizure" program has raised over $13
>>>> billion for local police forces across the country, encouraging more
>>>> cannabis and other drug arrests while funding the purchase of high tech
>>>> military equipment for police, further militarizing their operations;
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Whereas, there is a long history of Drug War abusive police tactics
>>>> including the murdering of unarmed, non‐violent, misidentified, and
>>>> innocent people;
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Whereas, those arrested and accused of drug offenses, including
>>>> cannabis offenses, are often compelled by police and prosecutors to serve
>>>> as informants for investigations of potentially dangerous drug dealers or
>>>> else face additional charges; this is a disrespectful and dangerous
>>>> practice that can have lethal consequences for the accused and their
>>>> families;
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Whereas, existing drug laws, including those criminalizing cannabis,
>>>> have created an illegal market for drugs contributing to crime and
>>>> violence‐ridden American neighborhoods while funding drug cartels operating
>>>> in the U.S. and in other countries such as Mexico where their operations
>>>> have thoroughly undermined civil society and inflicted unimaginable
>>>> violence and corruption;
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Whereas, there is a widespread and accurate belief that the War on
>>>> Drugs, including the war on cannabis, has been an abysmal failure,
>>>> producing much more harm than good;
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Whereas, existing drug laws, including those criminalizing cannabis,
>>>> and their unjust enforcement have caused many Americans to lose respect for
>>>> law enforcement on all levels including prosecutors, judges, lawmakers,
>>>> et.al.;
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Whereas, drug courts for cannabis offenders are no solution because
>>>> they are fundamentally punitive in nature, assume cannabis users are drug
>>>> abusers and criminals, and compel those accused of cannabis offenses to
>>>> give up their rights as a condition of entering drug court in order to
>>>> escape potentially worse sanctions; drug courts leave the accused at the
>>>> mercy of court‐appointed coercive drug "counselors," who serve the court
>>>> first and their "clients" second, and judges who can order them to jail
>>>> without recourse;
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Whereas, decriminalization of cannabis is no solution because it fails
>>>> to resolve the problems described above and because it continues to
>>>> maintain two fundamental and indefensible fictions, namely, that cannabis
>>>> is more harmful than alcohol and tobacco and that cannabis users are more
>>>> of a threat to society and themselves than those who use alcohol and
>>>> tobacco;
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Whereas, seven states, Colorado, Washington, Alaska, California,
>>>> Nevada, Maine, and Massachusetts have voted to fully legalize
>>>> cannabis, and more states are likely to follow, over 20 states have enacted
>>>> medical cannabis laws;
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Whereas, the vast majority of Americans want prohibition to end as
>>>> demonstrated by the fact that only five states in America still have full
>>>> prohibition, all others have some form of legality or decriminalization;
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Whereas, an April 2, 2014, Pew Research Center poll found that 75% of
>>>> Americans believe the use and sale of cannabis will eventually be legal in
>>>> the United States nationwide;
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Whereas, legalizing cannabis is an important social issue, and a
>>>> genuinely peaceful approach to cannabis and other currently illegal drugs
>>>> must be based on freedom, harm reduction, and, in the case of actual drug
>>>> abuse, free and readily available voluntary treatment – and not
>>>> criminalization, criminal enforcement, or criminal punishment; And,
>>>> whereas, cannabis  for use by adults should never have been criminalized
>>>> and we should act now to correct this wrong and all the many wrongs which
>>>> have followed from it;
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> * * * * * * Now, therefore, be it resolved that the  Libertarian Party
>>>> National Committee  supports the full legalization of cannabis;
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Be it further resolved that the  Libertarian Party National Committee  supports
>>>> and endorses the concurrent economic benefits arising from a fully legal
>>>> market which would alleviate many of the problems described above while
>>>> raising hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues which could be used to
>>>> support needed programs, close budget gaps, or finance tax cuts;
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Be it further resolved that the  Libertarian Party National Committee  calls
>>>> on police, prosecutors, and judges to focus on real crime and, until
>>>> cannabis is legalized, use their discretion to stop arresting, prosecuting,
>>>> and punishing non‐violent cannabis users and minor drug sellers;
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Be it further resolved that the  Libertarian Party National Committee  calls
>>>> on our President, Congress, Governors, State Legislators, Federal and State
>>>> Attorneys General, and other officials to undo the damage that has been
>>>> done by federal and state cannabis and other drug laws by eliminating
>>>> mandatory minimum sentences, releasing from prison and jail those convicted
>>>> of non‐violent cannabis and other minor drug offenses, and expunging their
>>>> criminal records.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> And, finally, be it resolved that the  Libertarian Party National
>>>> Committee  supports the legalization of industrial hemp which can be
>>>> grown containing minimal amounts of psycho‐active ingredients like THC and
>>>> used to produce renewable food, oil, wax, resin, rope, cloth, paper and
>>>> fuel in support of a sustainable full‐employment society; and furthermore,
>>>> calls on federal and state legislators to develop new programs to encourage
>>>> a decentralized family farm and community‐oriented approach to industrial
>>>> hemp development as a means to a sustainable full‐employment society.
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> *In Liberty,*
>>>> *Caryn Ann Harlos*
>>>> Region 1 Representative, Libertarian National Committee (Alaska,
>>>> Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington) - Caryn.Ann.
>>>> Harlos at LP.org <Caryn.Ann.Harlos at LP.org>
>>>> Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado
>>>> <http://www.lpcolorado.org>
>>>> Colorado State Coordinator, Libertarian Party Radical Caucus
>>>> <http://www.lpradicalcaucus.org>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> *In Liberty,*
>> *Caryn Ann Harlos*
>> Region 1 Representative, Libertarian National Committee (Alaska,
>> Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington) - Caryn.Ann.
>> Harlos at LP.org <Caryn.Ann.Harlos at LP.org>
>> Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado
>> <http://www.lpcolorado.org>
>> Colorado State Coordinator, Libertarian Party Radical Caucus
>> <http://www.lpradicalcaucus.org>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
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>

-- 
*In Liberty,*
*Caryn Ann Harlos*
Region 1 Representative, Libertarian National Committee (Alaska, Arizona,
Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington) - Caryn.Ann.
Harlos at LP.org <Caryn.Ann.Harlos at LP.org>
Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado
<http://www.lpcolorado.org>
Colorado State Coordinator, Libertarian Party Radical Caucus
<http://www.lpradicalcaucus.org>
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