Own your ow legal marijuana business

Your guide to making money in the multi-billion dollar marijuana industry

Date: Fri, 12 May 1995
From: ConradBACH@aol.com
To: carlolsen@dsmnet.com
Subject: Draft of treaty proposal

 Greetings! This document is to be presented and read at the June 24 HR
'95 program and later pursued in whatever forum is most expeditious.
There are several key differences between what Mikki visualized and what
I wrote, let alone what you think.  For example, Mikki thinks we should
label the drug war a failure, and I think we should proclaim a
conclusive victory.  We both think it should be shorter, but she wants
to add more details on past and ongoing human rights abuses for
emotional impact, along with excerpts from the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, Bill of Rights, etc., and I think it should be more
general. We're now ready for your input.

HR '95: Drug War Peace Treaty (First Draft May 12, 1995)

 Preamble:  We, the people, did not choose the rhetoric of warfare as an
element of drug policy.  We did not declare war on our government, nor
do we physically attack its institutions.  We do not wish to become
combatants or casualties in the ever-escalating police actions of our
own government.  Yet, for decades, ordinary citizens have been subject
to the unprovoked violence and suffered cruel and unusual punishments in
this politically motivated and one-sided Drug War.  Having borne more
injustice than our patriotic forebears ever would have endured, we now
call for a truce in the drug war to engage our government in negotiating
a peace treaty, as follows:

 Whereas the determination whether or not to consume any substance or
medication is a very personal decision reflecting free choice and
individual preferences of lifestyle and social pastime;

 Whereas the legitimate power of any just government is derived from a
mutual respect of the government's laws by its people, and of the
people's rights by their government; and

 Whereas the existing bureaucracy has made no effort to resolve this
matter in a humane and negotiated manner, but has unilaterally pursued a
military/police option with little discussion and no regard for its harm
to families, individuals and human rights;

 Therefore, on behalf of the American people, we declare this Drug War
is ended.  We agree to eliminate the black market in drugs and the
government agrees to abide by the following terms of agreement:

 Article 1:  As a token of good faith, there shall be an immediate truce
and release of all non-violent and otherwise (aside from drug charges)
law abiding citizens held as Drug War prisoners by either side.  All
pending non-violent drug charges shall be dropped.

 Article 2:  The sovereignty of both citizen and state being the basis of
domestic law, the United States shall withdraw from and repudiate the
Single Convention Treaty on Narcotic Drugs and any other international
agreement or treaty which limits its ability to settle our domestic drug
dispute.

 Article 3:  Medicinal use of any substance is the private decision of
the patient with the guidance of a health care provider and should be as
free as possible from government interference.  No patient shall be
prosecuted nor any physician penalized for use of mutually agreeable
medications.

 Article 4:  Cultural distinctions being a natural and inherently
enriching aspect of civilization, choice of intoxicants or mood altering
drugs is a human right, as long as they are consumed in a safe and
responsible manner.  Traditional drug crops shall be allowed in all
communities and areas where they have been historically produced and
used.

 Article 5:  Consistency and fairness being the foundations of justice,
persons involved with drugs retain all their inalienable, human and
constitutional rights without exception.  Government agents who engage
in illegal activities and entrapment or provoke the breaking of laws
shall be held fully accountable and prosecuted to the full extent of the
law.

 Article 6:  The role of law enforcement being to protect the rights,
freedoms, properties and personal safety of the people, no consensual
drug activity undertaken by two or more adults shall be considered a
crime unless a charge of damages is filed by an affected private party.
Personal use of drugs is a private matter and exempt from government
oversight.

 Article 7:  Protection of public safety being a valid concern of
government, being under the influence of a substance shall not be a
valid legal defense, and every individual shall be held fully
responsible for their own actions.  Performance and coordination tests,
not forensics, shall be applied to determine impairment in the
investigation of reckless or negligent operation of a motor vehicle.

 Article 8:  The private sector being the most capable and effective
response mechanism to supply and demand, government involvement in the
manufacture and distribution of drugs shall be regulatory rather than
direct.  Such regulation may be held analogous to the wine model.
Commerce in drugs shall be subject to the same legal and ethical
standards as any other business.

 Article 9.  The elimination of the black market in illegal drugs being
a primary purpose of this agreement, persons already engaging in the
marketing of illicit drugs shall be given the opportunity to legitimize
their operations without penalties for prior illegal activities.
Testimony of satisfied customers shall be presented in support of such
application.

 Article 10:  The health and welfare of the people being a rightful
concern of government, the following harm reduction measures shall be
implemented:

 1.  Age of consent for social drug use shall be determined by the local
community.  Care shall be taken to preserve the family unit.  Policies
shall be designed to protect family properties and to avoid disruption
and separation of the parent/child relationship.  Collection of a body
of unbiased medical research shall be encouraged.

 2.  Children shall be discouraged from drug use.  Education shall be
accurate based on personal safety measures, the relative risks involving
such substances, and the importance of waiting until adulthood.  It
shall stress positive behavior patterns and promote abstinence,
tolerance and personal responsibility.

 3.  Cannabis shall be separated from other drugs through a lower age
limit of 18 years and by permitting open concessions of soft drugs,
including cannabis seeds, plants, clones, cured flowers and resins that
are free of contaminants.  Package labeling shall accurately describe
its contents and weight, include a potency rating, and list all
additives.

 4.  Policies shall favor substances in their natural raw form and
discourage use of hard drugs.  Drug crops may be legally and
commercially cultivated and distributed with a permit from the proper
oversight agencies in agriculture and public health.  Package labeling
shall accurately describe all contents, potency, dosage recommendations
and list all additives.

 5.  Chemical compounds derived from such plants shall be regulated with
synthetic pharmaceuticals and kept available at a pharmacy level.
Restrictions on access shall be based on an impartial and uniform
standard of health risk assessments and addictive potential.  Package
labeling shall accurately describe its chemical content, recommended
dosage, health warnings, and symptoms of overuse.  Accurate information
shall be included on responsible use, and the physical and mental
effects of the compounds taken alone or in combination with other drugs.

 6.  Private shamanistic, religious, spiritual or other psychological
training shall be recommended before anyone's first use of
hallucinogens.  Persons exhibiting addictive or abusive behavior shall
be encouraged to undergo humane treatment.

 7.  Clean syringes and non-judgmental health care information shall be
made available to intravenous drug users to prevent the spread of
infections via shared needles.  To prevent addicts from engaging in
property crimes, physically addictive drugs shall be made available
through the public health care system at an affordable cost.  To clean
up the streets, communities shall provide a sanitary indoor environment
and discreet health care supervision for intravenous drug users.

 Article 11:  The national debt being a pressing problem, all foreign
aid for anti-drug programs shall be terminated immediately.  This
includes the transfer or export of herbicides and equipment intended
for drug surveillance and eradication operations.

 Article 12:  Violent crime being a serious problem, narcotics police
agencies, personnel and resources shall return to normal law enforcement
investigations and prosecutions of violent and property crimes to
protect the public.

 Article 13:  Police resources being scarce, specialized forces and
surveillance equipment shall be used to combat terrorists, toxic
polluters, criminal fraud, and illegal arms traffickers.

 Article 14:  Bribery being a form of corruption, testimony given in
exchange for money payments, reduced penalties, or commission on
forfeited goods or assets shall not be used in a court of law.

 Article 15:  Property rights being central to our social order, no
property or assets may be taken by the government without due process
and just compensation.  A jury shall be required to determine the
validity of any such government claims and seizures.

  Article 16:  Urine testing being an inaccurate, invasive and costly
process and an affront to human dignity, it shall not be required for
employment, insurance, parole, probation, or access to government
benefits or programs.  This ban shall apply to all other chemical tests
for inert compounds.

 Article 17:  Commercial farming and production of non-drug industrial
cannabis sativa, L. or true hemp products shall be resumed and
encouraged in proportion to its value as a commodity and shall not be
subject to any drug enforcement oversight.