kansas

Medical Marijuana Should Be Legal

Submitted by Jacob Hunter on Wed, 06/09/2010 - 9:05pm
in
By Ben Marshall
 
I never thought I would say this, but it is high time for the state of Kansas to consider legalizing marijuana.
 
Since graduating from the D.A.R.E. program in elementary school, my train of thought has always been this: drugs are bad, marijuana is a drug, marijuana ought to be illegal. End of story.
 
My right-of-center political ideology, which developed as I matured, closed my mind further. I saw marijuana users as hippie, peace-loving liberals. Reggae fans. Potheads.
 
I hear news stories about people getting arrested for possessing bricks upon bricks of weed and think justice was served.
 
That was me a few months ago. That was before I really got a chance to investigate the legalization of marijuana. I was ignorant on the issue, and I don't like being uneducated on hot-button news items. So I decided to do some research.

The Fake Weed Fight

Submitted by Jacob Hunter on Fri, 03/05/2010 - 2:31pm
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By. Rebecca Delaney

With more states debating whether marijuana should be legalized for medical use, and with many on the West Coast considering broader legalization measures, drug-policy reformers finally seem to be winning some arguments. Just not in Kansas and Missouri, where lawmakers are in a frenzy to outlaw a new pot-imposter drug dubbed "K2." If Gov. Mark Parkinson of Kansas signs off on the law, his state will be the first to prohibit the drug.

New drug bans run counter to the message of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), a coalition of current and former criminal-justice professionals. The group's main goals are to educate the public about the failures of drug prohibition and to repair the damage that the drug war has done to people's perceptions of police. They believe all drugs should be legalized and regulated. The Prospect asked LEAP member and former Seattle police chief Norm Stamper a few questions about liberalizing drug policy, K2, and what fake pot suggests about a misguided war on drugs.

Most Kansans OK with medicinal marijuana

Submitted by Jacob Hunter on Tue, 02/09/2010 - 1:05pm
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By David Martin
A state lawmaker from Olathe recently made a feeble Doritos crack in attempt to belittle legislation that would allow the chronically ill to obtain marijuana by a prescription. Turns out, the jokeman, state Rep. Scott Schwab, is out of step with most Kansans.

Legalizing the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes has 58 percent support, according to a recent poll of 500 adults. SurveyUSA conducted the poll on behalf of Wichita TV station KWCH.

Bill introduced to legalize marijuana in Kansas

Submitted by Jacob Hunter on Fri, 02/05/2010 - 3:05pm
in

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas legislator has introduced a bill that would legalize marijuana use with a doctor’s prescription.

The bill from Rep. Gail Finney, a Wichita Democrat, would set up state-registered “compassionate care centers” where people with prescriptions could buy marijuana. The bill also would require that the centers use only Kansas-grown marijuana.

Supporters of medical marijuana says it helps ease pain from chronic diseases.

But some state lawmakers were unconvinced.

Rep. Scoot Schwab, a Republican from Olathe, says the bill is simply a way to legalize marijuana. He says he doesn’t not believe the drug helps with pain management.

A legislative hearing for Finney’s bill hasn’t been scheduled.

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