An antigun editorial, a pro-pot article, and a question.

[friendly_iconoclast]

The first two are from the latest issue of Boston's "Phoenix" magazine. The question is mine.

http://thephoenix.com/boston/news/149580-can-gun-reform-misfire/#ixzz2GP4J1Nc5

...How can Congress fail to act in the wake of 20 children and six adults murdered by a lone gunman at Newtown's Sandy Hook Elementary?

At its long-awaited December 21 press conference, the NRA failed to confront the issue of assault weapons specifically and gun murders/violence in general (conference transcript available at nra.org). Even by its own tone-deaf standards, this enabler of mass mayhem remained brutally indifferent to the indisputable fact that the US leads the world in gun violence and murder, and that Newtown is but a heart-wrenching blip on the screen of terror.

As the NRA's hang-tough stance demonstrates, banning semiautomatic weapons and the large-capacity clips that make them even more deadly is going to be a more daunting political task than enacting national health care.

It is, however, time to smash the nation's gun culture. The way to begin is to restore common-sense meaning to the Constitution's second amendment...

Glad to see one gun Prohibitionist, at least, admit to wanting a culture war. I find the candor
refreshing.

http://thephoenix.com/Boston/news/149582-medical-marijuana-caregivers-a-growing-need/

Medical-marijuana caregivers: a growing need
Common Sensi
By ARIEL SHEARER | December 28, 2012

"Common Sensi" is our new series covering the local impact of a national cannabis revolution.

In his Oxford shirts and slacks, Gary still looks like the network engineer he used to be. But his current occupation is far from average. He lives in Maine with his wife, two older children, and nearly three dozen cannabis plants.

Gary is one of hundreds of medical-marijuana caregivers registered in his state, legally permitted to cultivate cannabis and sell it to up to five patients. As Massachusetts joins Maine and 16 other states in legalizing medical marijuana, there's much speculation about how our Department of Public Health will regulate dispensaries. But caregiver crops like the one in Gary's basement will be flowering throughout the Commonwealth by DPH's May 1 deadline.

Gary asked me not to publish his last name. He says he keeps his business on the DL, partly because of the social stigma tied to growing and selling marijuana, but primarily out of fear of being robbed.

"It's completely normal and legal [on a state level], but it's still a dark art," he says. "I still sing in the choir at church," he adds, "but my church doesn't know what I do."...

My question is this: How large would the collective aneurysm be at The Phoenix's offices
if some state voted to simply ignore Federal gun laws?

I think it would be a very large one, indeed...

FYI, I think the Federal ban on cannabis is idiotic and should be repealed forthwith.

[MichiganVote]

1. I'll take a pot smoker over a shooter any day. Smoke away...

[shadowrider]

8. You do realize, of course

The benign pot smoker is responsible for over 30k deaths in Mexico, right? I mean, drug wars there to provide pot to the US kills thousands every year.

FWIW, I think pot should be legalized and taxed. It would give police the resources to combat truly destructive behavior.

[Ashgrey77]

12. If you live in Colorado that's not really true anymore.

The cartels although I'm sure are still around are not a big player in the cannabis market in Colorado. Other drugs, sure, but not really with pot anymore. Ever since the MMJ laws were passed and now with amendment 64 passing it's pretty much killed the illegal side of it. Why buy total crap that is brought up from Mexico and treated with god knows what so they can sneak it across the border, when you can get top shelf cannabis for free if you know the right people or just grow it yourself. Or you can get a medical license if you qualify and you can buy it at licensed dispensaries. And the taxes from the MMJ dispensaries have helped keep Colorado from going broke like a lot of other states. And I fully agree it should be legalized.

[guardian]

11. Considering the drug violence

and the 50,000+ deaths in Mexico in the last 5 years due to drug gangs ...

would you give up smoking pot if it would save JUST ONE CHILD?

Just one child?

Smoke on that.

[gejohnston]

2. Quite huge

I think Montana kind of does.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

3. it is another way to control the masses.

[virginia mountainman]

4. Gun Control to Democrats, is what marijuana is to Republicans..

[Crackinrocket]

6. Great comic. It's a good comparison to make.

Both wars should be ended.

[Ashgrey77]

13. +1 n/t

[Eleanors38]

5. Many in MSM have been showing for a culture war of guns. Such peace, compassion, and tolerance.

Excellent juxtaposition of confused logic and ethics.

[Crackinrocket]

7. We hate what we don't understand.

[Eleanors38]

10. This is true.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

14. +1 n/t

[Remmah2]

9. Select segments of the population have been ignoring federal gun laws/MJ laws for years. nt

nt