The Way Forward

[mofeta]

This thread is for ideas on strategies to free the weed, and the tactics best suited to realize them.

Although the recent climate for legalization has regressed due to the government crackdowns, the possibility of outright legalization is becoming more likely.

The new poll results from Gallup are very encouraging, here is a thread about that subject.


It is clear that in a few years, there will be overwhelming public support for legallization.

How do we capitalize on this trend? How can we hasten the process? How do we avoid retarding the progress?

I would be very interested to see a Frank Luntz style focus group on what type of framing of the issue would be most effective.

 

[Green 4 Good]

This thread is for ideas on strategies to free the weed, and the tactics best suited to realize them.

Although the recent climate for legalization has regressed due to the government crackdowns, the possibility of outright legalization is becoming more likely.

The new poll results from Gallup are very encouraging, here is a thread about that subject.


It is clear that in a few years, there will be overwhelming public support for legallization.

How do we capitalize on this trend? How can we hasten the process? How do we avoid retarding the progress?

I would be very interested to see a Frank Luntz style focus group on what type of framing of the issue would be most effective.

Well, if we are talking about legalization in the United States, the strategy you seek would be to elect the presidential candidate that is proposing legalization of all drugs. There is only one. Ron Paul. Every other candidate, including Obama, is too deeply involved with corporate sponsors to be inclined to change the status quo. End of story.

 

[tenthirty]

Even if Ron Paul was elected, he could not do this alone. The president signs the bills that congress passes.

The Tea Party has a very good model to follow. If enough states passed full legalization the fed would have no choice. This is also a states rights issue. Even if most of the states passed MMJ legalization laws, there is a good chance that the whole thing would go before the supreme court. (commerce clause).

So following this model, worst case is we would get legalization for a few years until the supreme court ruled against us, but that doesn't mean that the congress would not pass something in the mean time.

Again, this is all based on a Tea Party style movement, clean, respectful, concise, and on point. If it degrades into an OWS style protest, well need I say more?

 

[Green 4 Good]

Even if Ron Paul was elected, he could not do this alone. The president signs the bills that congress passes.

You're totally on point with that. I'm just saying he is our only hope at this point. We'll see what he can do once he's in office. His main goal is radical cuts in governmental spending and unnecessary/ineffective government agencies. Cutting spending on the useless war on drugs would fall in line with that.

So, he needs to convince enough citizens and enough politicians that the only way out of this mess is to deal with our debt problem. Right now, the media is doing their best to keep his message under wraps lest the people find out that their government(America Inc.) is molesting them terribly. Once enough people catch wind of what he is trying to accomplish, he will have plenty of support.

 

[guest86120975]

We don't really need Ron Paul. Yes, he would help, but we don't need him. It's not going to happen at the federal level...it will be a state by state issue. What we should be asking the US gov't for is to respect states rights, not to legalize

 

[Green 4 Good]

We don't really need Ron Paul. Yes, he would help, but we don't need him. It's not going to happen at the federal level...it will be a state by state issue. What we should be asking the US gov't for is to respect states rights, not to legalize

I agree that it is a state's rights issue, but disagree that we don't need Ron Paul. He's the only candidate advocating limited federal government and reliance on individual state's legislation. If the federal government doesn't get out of the way, the states will not be able to proceed.

 

[tenthirty]

In this world there are only 3 ways to deal with the political elites.

1) Be in bed with them, bribe them. We don't have near the organization of GE, GM, the big banks, unions, etc. We just don't have the money.

2) Scare them. Start a revolution. But look at the OWS situation. Look at the demonstartions in the 60's and 70's.
Also revolutions are notoriously hard to predict. Almost always the winner in a revolutionary situation, is the one that is the most ruthless. (not good!!)

Oh, I just can't help my self, I have to rant.
The news is constantly saying how the OWS people are smoking MMJ and doing dope!
This does absolutely nothing for the cause.... and I know they don't represent all of us.
This was the hurdle that MLK and the tea party had to overcome before either movement was taken seriously.

3) Look at the way the tea party conducts themselves. Do you think their demonstrations are just automatically peaceful? They don't even leave any trash.
They took their cues from the MKL civil rights movement. Before there was even one teaparty demonstration, there was a long running discussion on exactly how everything should go and mimic MLK. Gandhi was discussed as well.

If there is going to be change it would be best advised to take from community organizers where applicable (such as at the dispensary level), and take from the tea party on how to conduct a rally and exert political pressure en-masse.

So, in summation, we have to organize, legalize in at least half the states and have the political clout to sway the vote if the elected officials refuse to see it our way.
Until we get the popular vote, the political elites have more to gain/fear from the status quo....

 

[Green 4 Good]

Yes, please rant. I like the support behind OWS, but things can continue on like normal in the corporate/government world because this occupy movement really isn't doing anything to get in the way of business as usual. The only way we can change things is by pressuring our elected officials to vote the way we want and refusing to re-elect them if they don't. This will not happen overnight. We need enough people to wake up to what is going on in order to change course. Right now the media is working at "full throttle" to keep the majority of the population from knowing the truth behind our government, economy, and global domination schemes.

Also, the OWS folk need to realize that it's the Federal Reserve causing all of the problems we are facing, not Wall Street. If it weren't for the massive money printing and ridiculous bailouts created by the fed, we wouldn't be in nearly as much trouble as we are in. On a side note, fractional reserve banking is probably the root of all evil. It is essentially how all of the real wealth accumulated by the 99% gets transferred to the 1%. This video by David Icke explains it all pretty well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNGRdwE-f9o

But I digress.....I still think Ron Paul is a necessary part of the solution to initiate the massive change we need to happen. I know he can't do it alone, and I don't think we can do it without him.

I think it would be possible to legalize cannabis federally by way of enough states doing it first, but it just seems like much more work and a more time consuming way to do it at this point. My point is that the bloated federal govt is getting in the way of our freedom and needs to be dealt with first. Go Ron Paul!

 

[tenthirty]

Nice video!!!!! If you take the video and extend it, the political elites have more to gain or fear from the status quo. That said, the political elites need to fear us more or be more profitable than the powers that be that keep MMJ illegal!

I don't have the stomach for a revolution, as David Icke said, the chance of the communist/world order people will get right into power is quite high. Remember, the most ruthless usually win.

 

[crazybear]

It's never going to change with people not wanting to do anything, I have asked people on here what they are going to do & most people are happy to sit back do nothing & bitch about what the government is doing!
But when you talk about doing something letter writing , emailing the pres. etc. not me I'll just bitch about it!!!!!!

 

[Green 4 Good]

Yeah, this shit runs deep and most americans are still ignorant to what's really going on in addition to being complacent. I wouldn't be surprised if the Fed was successful in destroying our currency before people realize there is even a problem. Even then I don't think the majority will know how or why it happened.

 

[crazybear]

I really don't want to sound negative I'm hoping people will see the light that we need to group together & do something before it's too late!
I emailed the president, I was going to write but I got a response from the whitehouse & I don't have a printer & went to the library to use their computer you can't go to sites that talk about med. cannabis or print out what you do find, which is invasion of privacy & censorship, I emailed the NY post I'll bet they didn't even post it!
But we all need to do more if you have a printer print off things like the governments two faced stance on cannabis send it to congressmen etc.
I will not give up till I'm dead or this is changed the government needs to reschedule cannabis & let people use it for medicine if nothing else!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Green 4 Good]

@crazybear, I think you're being more realistic than negative. I'm really curious to see how this all plays out. I'm still more optimistic that cynical, but I've definitely got both feelings in me. It will be very interesting to see which candidate wins the presidency and what if anything will happen on 12-21-12. Keep on keepin' on man!

 

[paladin420]

You stay on em CrazyB..the recent ruling here in Mich are gettin some of 'us ' off the couch..

Here is a conference some concerened members of the Local community started..I know some of these sponsors,they are as grassrooty, n T Partay as one could ask for..

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=225389