Oh Barney.  I try so hard to hate you, but every once and again you do something like this:

Today, Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives to eliminate all federal penalties for marijuana possession. This came only one week after he also introduced a bill to protect medical marijuana patients.

Would you please take one minute to ask your U.S. representative to support these two bills? MPP’s easy online action center makes it simple — just enter your name and contact info, and we’ll do the rest.

The Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2009 would eliminate the threat of federal arrest and prison for the possession of up to 3.5 ounces of marijuana and the not-for-profit transfer of an ounce of marijuana — nationwide.

What’s more, last week Congressman Frank introduced the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act, which would allow states to protect medical marijuana patients from arrest and jail without federal interference, as well as allow pharmacies to dispense marijuana to patients with a doctor’s recommendation. You can take action on this bill here.

MPP has worked closely with Congressman Frank’s staff in past months, helping to craft both pieces of legislation and build political support for the proposals on Capitol Hill.

Now members of Congress need to hear from their constituents who want to see it passed — that means you! It takes only a minute or two to use MPP’s online action system to send a quick note to your member of the House, so would you please send your letter right now?

Eliminate threat of federal arrest and prison for marijuana possession

Protect medical marijuana patients nationwide

News blurb courtesy of the MPP.  Help us out, take action now!

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Mike Barskey reports that he has been freed and that over 40 people were present to welcome him as he came out of the Westmoreland, NH Cheshire County D.O.C.

Learn about the entirety of Andrew’s situtation at http://andrew.jailedactivist.info

http://blogs.thenewstribune.com/

While reading an essay this morning on legalizing marijuana, a 17-year-old Peninsula High School student pulled out a joint and lit it, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department reports.

The student smoked the joint, then swallowed the remnants. He’s now in Remann Hall juvenile jail on suspicion of possession of marijuana, sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said. The Pensinsula School District is also reviewing what happened.

“If people want that law changed, they need to go about it the right way and not flaunt it,” Troyer said.

About 150 students and teachers were gathered in the auditorium at Peninsula High School this morning, sharing essays, Troyer said.

One student read his essay arguing for legalizing marijuana, pulled out a joint and started smoking it.

The school resource officer was called. By the time the deputy arrived, the student had finished smoking and swallowed the remnants, Troyer said.

A small amount of marijuana was found in the student’s possession. The boy was arrested and taken to Remann Hall juvenile jail. His parents were contacted, Troyer said.

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According to Mike Barskey in a Porc 411 Andrew Carroll is now being held at the Cheshire County Jail in Westmoreland, New Hampshire as of about 5PM.

More than 15 people walked with Andrew from Keene, NH to the jail starting at about 10:30am. They arrived to the jail at approximately 3:45PM and walked around the jail to interact with the prisoners through the windows. At 4PM Andrew entered the jail and refused him at first requiring them to wait about an hour when they then took him for booking.

With a fine of $420 and $50 credit per day held, Andrew is expected to be released in 9 days which would be Thursday June 11th, 2009.

Keep up to date on Andrew’s situation here, http://twitter.com/blogofbile and http://jailedactivist.info

James Andrew Carroll, who was convicted of illegally posessing marijuana on Monday May 18th, 2009, is expected to turn himself into the Cheshire County Jail this afternoon. This all stems from a January 10th, 2009 protest of the war on drugs in which he stood in Railroad Square in Keene, New Hampshire and openly held a bud of marijuana.

Watch this blog, http://twitter.com/blogofbile and http://jailedactivist.info/ for the latest news regarding Andrew. All information is/will be documented on Andrew’s JailedActivist profile.

http://sentinelsource.com/…

Iused to say that a libertarian is just a Republican who wants to smoke pot and watch porn. That was before I attended a Bob Dylan concert in Laconia some years ago. Shortly after the concert began, a young woman two rows in front of me stood up. She continued to stand throughout the concert. Never mind that everyone around her was seated.

I asked the man sitting in front of me to ask the woman to kindly sit because she was blocking people’s views. She continued to stand. I asked an usher to ask her to sit. He spoke to her and walked away, the offending woman still standing. I called the usher over and he told me the woman said she will stand if she wants to because it is her right; there was nothing the usher could do about it.

Apparently this phenomenon is fairly common, because around that time it was lampooned on “Saturday Night Live.” At that concert, she was one of perhaps 10 scattered audience members standing. When I regularly attended concerts in the 1960s and ’70s the audience would either collectively stand or sit. That’s when I realized my original assessment of libertarians was wrong, since even the staunchest Republican I know would have the courtesy to sit down.

Libertarians say they espouse the rights of the individual, which always seemed to me to be just a political way of saying me first, second and third and the hell with everyone else.
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