Travel author and TV host Rick Steves posted this column in Seattle’s largest newspaper. He’s also a member of the NORML Advisory Board.  You can also listen to my interview with Rick Steves at the 2007 NORML Conference where he cited many of these same points:

We need to get smart about marijuana
Europe, like the U.S., is dealing with a persistent drug-abuse problem. But unlike us, Europe, which treats drug abuse primarily as a public health issue rather than a criminal issue, measures the success of its drug policy in terms of pragmatic harm reduction.

Europeans seek a cure that isn’t more costly than the problem. While the U.S. spends its tax dollars on police, courts and prisons, Europe fights drug abuse by funding doctors, counselors and clinics. European Union policymakers estimate that for each euro invested in drug education and counseling, they save 15 euros in police and health costs. Similar estimates have been made for U.S. health-based approaches by the Rand Corp. and others.

When it comes to marijuana, European leaders understand that a society must choose: Tolerate alternative lifestyles or build more prisons. They’ve made their choice. We’re still building more prisons.

According to Forbes magazine, 25 million Americans currently use marijuana (federal statistics indicate that one in three Americans has used marijuana at some point), which makes it a $113 billion untaxed industry in our country. The FBI reports that about 40 percent of the roughly 1.8 million annual drug arrests in the U.S. are for marijuana — the majority (89 percent) for simple possession.

Rather than act as a deterrent, criminalization of marijuana drains precious resources, clogs our legal system and distracts law enforcement attention from more pressing safety concerns.

Like my European friends, I believe we can adopt a pragmatic policy toward marijuana, with a focus on harm reduction and public health, rather than tough-talking but counterproductive criminalization. The time has come to have an honest discussion about our marijuana laws and their effectiveness. We need to find a policy that is neither “hard on drugs” nor “soft on drugs” — but smart on drugs.

Opinion | Let’s talk about marijuana | Seattle Times Newspaper
As a nation, we spend at least $7.5 billion annually enforcing our marijuana laws. In 2006, the latest year for which we have numbers, a record 830,000 Americans were arrested for marijuana — 89 percent of them simply for possessing it.

Our criminal-justice system wastes time and resources with these low-level marijuana-possession cases while half our violent crimes go unsolved. And those facing the judge are disproportionately African American and Latino.

Indeed, the consequences of an arrest for even a small amount of marijuana can haunt someone for the rest of his or her life. We have met and heard from people who lost or were denied jobs, had their homes raided and their property seized, lost child-visitation rights, and had their medical marijuana confiscated.

We realized Prohibition was creating a lot of new problems and solving few, if any, of the old ones. States now control alcohol sales and consumption. And our tax dollars are more effectively directed at regulation, public education and treatment for those whose use becomes problematic.

It is time for a conversation about marijuana. Check out the ACLU of Washington’s project: a 30-minute informercial featuring travel author Rick Steves.

Download the NORML Daily Audio Stash for 2008-02-21

Thursday is Cannabis & The Law day on the Stash, and coming up after the news, we’re heading out to Illinois to speak with Dan Linn from Illinois NORML about three marijuana-related bills before that state’s legislature.

Cannabis Karri brings us got some great music from a Phoenix, Arizona, band called Can’t Stop the Daggers and a song called “High”.  

We round out the show with an interview of attorney Alison Holcomb from the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington State.  Alison on the Stash today to promote their new 30-minute video about cannabis law reform featuring world-renown travel author Rick Steves.

So sit back and relax with your favorite strain and enjoy your Daily Audio Stash…

The ACLU of Washington has produced a new 30-minute video featuring Europe Through the Back Door author, Rick Steves.  The video attempts to bring up the topic of marijuana law reform by showing that it is past time to have a constructive dialog about our prohibition of marijuana.  See it for yourself at marijuanaconversation.org.

Medical Pot’s Backers, Critics Speak At Capitol

TOPEKA, KANSAS - Several people urged lawmakers Monday to approve a measure that would allow some patients to use a note from their physician as an affirmative defense for possessing marijuana.

Opponents, including law enforcement, the Pharmacy Board and the Kansas Medical Society, questioned the plant’s efficacy in treating symptoms of disease such as cancer and multiple sclerosis.

Sen.  Susan Wagle, R-Wichita, the committee’s chairwoman, said the medicines used to treat pain and nausea for cancer patients have come a long way.

“I don’t see it as something that is necessary in this day and age,” she said.

Eric Voth, chairman of the Institute on Global Drug Policy, said the measure would create a “get out of jail free card” for people who could convince a physician they needed marijuana.

However, patients with certain diseases and their families see marijuana as a relief to their suffering.

When her son was suffering from multiple sclerosis, smoking marijuana stopped his screaming, said Bette Hulser of Topeka.

“After seeing my son I knew then I would never do anything to stop him from smoking marijuana,” said Hulser, who described herself as “pretty straight-laced.”

Laura Green, the director for Kansas Compassionate Care Coalition, said she’d heard from hundreds of people whose family members had used marijuana to relieve their suffering from cancer and multiple sclerosis.

“We cannot continue to let these vulnerable people be convicted of illegal drug use when they are simply trying to gain relief from pain and suffering with their doctor’s support,” she said.

Remember that all these sick and disabled people are asking is that once they are arrested for possession of marijuana, booked, fingerprinted, held in a cell, paid a bond for release, dealt with the repercussions of a drug arrest, and returned to court to face the charges, they just want to be able to tell a judge that they use marijuana medicinally and that their choice was to commit a misdemeanor or suffer needlessly.

ACLU of Wash. launches marijuana campaign _ with Rick Steves

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON — The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington state is launching a new campaign to get people talking about changing marijuana laws, and it’s enlisted travel writer Rick Steves in the effort.

Steves filmed a 30-minute video for the ACLU, in which he says he has traveled all over Europe, and he’s learned that it makes more sense to treat marijuana use as a public health issue than it does to arrest people for using it.

The ACLU says it is trying to start a national conversation about whether American drug laws are working with regard to marijuana. The organization says nearly 830,000 people are arrested on marijuana charges every year - 90 percent of them for possession - and that the U.S. spends far more money arresting, prosecuting and jailing people than it’s worth.

Rick Steves says that in America you have two choices: “tough on drugs” or “soft on drugs”.  In Europe, there is a third choice: “smart on drugs”.  Despite the latest reefer madness coming from the UK, most of Europe keep a more rational approach to drugs in their countries.

Ansonia ordered to pay lawyer fees in student marijuana case

BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT. - A federal judge has ordered Ansonia’s, Connecticut’s school board to pay nearly $18,000 in fees to a lawyer who successfully overturned the expulsion of a football player arrested on a marijuana charge.

U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall has awarded the payment to Gary Mastronardi for his representation of Tristan Roberts, a 17-year-old Ansonia High School junior.

In November, Hall approved a settlement allowing Roberts, expelled for possessing marijuana, to return to school.

Under the terms of the agreement, the school board “permanently and unconditionally rescinds its expulsion order.”

A lawyer for the school system challenged both the system’s liability for legal fees and the $400 per hour Mastronardi requested for his work on the case.

You know how prohibitionists always say we can’t decriminalize marijuana because it would send the wrong message to the kids?  What kind of message do we send when we expel them for marijuana use?  “That’s it, kid, if you make a mistake, you don’t deserve an education!”  Shouldn’t we try to keep kids in school, especially ones who may be taking the risk of experimenting with marijuana when they are too young?

 Download NORML Daily Audio Stash - 2008-02-14

Thursday is Cannabis & The Law day on the Stash, and coming up after the news, we’re taking questions from our loyal listeners about the law in our Ask an Attorney segment.  This week, criminal defense attorney and NORML Legal Committee member John Lucy IV addresses roadside searches, clean paraphernalia, and medical marijuana state reciprocity.  We’ve got some live music from Grammy winners Los Lonely Boys from back in the days when they were a Texas club band, with a Valentine’s appropriate song, “I Don’t Want To Lose Your Love”.  We’ve got an interview with travel writer Rick Steves on the European perception of marijuana.  And we round out the podcast today with NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano, with a look at the latest political battles over marijuana at the state level.  So Hempy Valentine’s Day… we got some “special” green chocolates for you… sit back with your favorite strain, and enjoy your NORML Daily Audio Stash.