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International news over time. - 2016 GMM-420. - Cannabis is safer.

See: More news. Archive. News sources. Facebook: Global Marijuana March [28][29][30]. Hashtags: [31][32][33]. Twitter: [34][35][36]. Google+: [37]. Congressional Scorecard. NORML. 2016 ballot issues. Register, VOTE! HuffPost Polls, Charts. 2. Gary Johnson opposes the federal minimum wage. As governor he vetoed an increase. 2016 Early Voting Underway! And: 34 states have no-excuse early voting programs. Maine voters may legalize marijuana in November. Social clubs too. See poll. Montana will vote to overturn severe Republican medical cannabis restrictions. Republicans block bipartisan federal sentencing reform (nonviolent offenders). Dr. Bronner’s donates over $600,000 to marijuana legalization efforts in five states. [38]. The racism of drug war and all aspects of the criminal justice system. Italy's Largest Police Union Now Supports Legalizing Cannabis. Make America Great. Like Canada with single-payer healthcare . And Portugal with harm reduction and drug decriminalization . And Australia with a $15 dollar minimum wage. And Barcelona's private marijuana clubs. And: PBS’ Rick Steves will lend ‘European Perspective’ to 2016 legalization vote in Massachusetts. Minimum wage on the ballot - Ballotpedia. And: These states will vote on increasing the minimum wage this election. And: Remember How Republicans Like Trump Said Minimum Wage Increases Hurt The Economy And Cost Jobs? They're wrong. Trump video: "I would not raise the minimum wage." Flip flops. And: Wikipedia: List of minimum wages by country. [39]. And: Trump’s new tax plan screws the middle class. Nashville passes marijuana decriminalization measure. And: Marijuana Strains Developed By Merle Haggard to Hit the Market. 2.3. Mass incarceration could be costing the United States over $1 trillion a year. [40]. See Alternatives. See costs. 9 States Have Marijuana Initiatives On November Ballots. Clueless Republican Governor of Arizona still claims alcohol is safer than marijuana. And: Fentanyl Maker Donates Big to Campaign Opposing Arizona Pot Legalization. [41]. And: Prop 205 Poll: Half want to see marijuana legalized in Arizona. 50% for, 40% against. HuffPost Polls, Charts [42]. Vote Republican! America needs the Freedom of continued Mass Incarceration, a low federal minimum wage, more income inequality, and Schedule 1 cannabis. Congressional Scorecard. NORML. Your state representatives graded from A to F. American Legion Calls for Marijuana Rescheduling. Vets want Republicans to return protection for VA doctors recommending cannabis. In VA funding bill. [43] Alternatives to Republican mass incarceration. - Denver votes on marijuana in cafes, etc.. And: Unprecedented number of states vote on marijuana. 44% of Black women (and 32% of Black men), but only 12% of White women (and 6% of White men), have a family member imprisoned [44]. Prisons and taxes keep the poor in line: Trump’s tax plan penalizes single parents. And: House GOP’s ‘Better Way’ Tax Plan A Much Better Way For Richest 1 Percent. Obama alone can not reschedule marijuana. Neither will this Republican Congress. Rejecting opioids, pain patients find relief with marijuana. - Boston Globe. Census Data 'Starkly Illustrates' the Time for Single Payer Is Now. The failure of private health insurance. Canadian single-payer healthcare and Portuguese decriminalization. Amendment 70. Colorado. Why small business owners support raising the minimum wage. And: Banning Canadians from U.S. for life for smoking pot 'ludicrous,' says Goodale. And: Narcan Prices Are Skyrocketing, and Republican Big Pharma Is Ecstatic. Philippine madman. Philippines President calls Obama a "son of a whore" concerning 2,400 drug user killings 2.. Duterte says he is no American puppet. Appalling Absurdity of Mandatory Minimum Prison Sentences. [45]. Refuse to serve as juror on felony cases. Tell judge you won't convict. USA. Life for pot. And: What It Will Take to End Mass Incarceration [46]. Melissa Etheridge's cannabis business, Etheridge Farms products. Moderating a sports panel on concussion. Cannabis is safer. See Philippine petition. Duterte enacts emergency powers by declaring 'state of lawlessness' in Philippines. And: Refuses to meet UN chief during Southeast Asian Nations meeting. Income inequality is slowing the global economy. And: Want to Reduce Crime and Mass Incarceration? Raise Wages. And: Minimum wage splits candidates along party lines. And: Republican Chris Christie Vetoes New Jersey Minimum Wage Hike. See Minimum Wages by Country. And: Overzealous Prosecutors Are Losing Elections. And: Obama Administration Continues Pulling Away From Private Prison Companies. And: Pennsylvania Poll Shows Why Democrats Are On The Verge Of Senate Takeover. A Lot Of People Are Dying At This Understaffed Texas Jail. And: How the Money Bail System Perpetuates America’s Mass Incarceration Problem. And: Justice Department blasts ‘unconstitutional’ fixed bail schedules. Many innocent people in jail. Obama to meet Philippines President Duterte, raise issue of 1,900 drug war killings. CNN. Philippines: 5-year-old girl killed in drug war. Human Rights Watch. CNN. And: National police chief tells drug users to kill drug dealers and burn down their homes. See: info Oregon has first legal pot display in a state fair in the US. And: USDA approves organic hemp certification. [47]. EpiPens cost just several dollars to make. Customers pay more than $600. [48]. Canada's Single Payer healthcare helps remove some of the monopoly profit. A Day in the New Life of an Injured, Marijuana-Smoking Army Veteran. Time. And: Republican governor Hutchinson of Arkansas opposes legalizing medical marijuana. And: 5 Olympians Who Smoke Weed & Win Gold. More THC allowed in blood tests. 1,800 dead since May 10, 2016 in the Philippines’ War on Drugs. Time. 2.3. Lists. Philippines President Duterte threatens to leave UN over criticism of his brutal drug war, and death squad killings of alleged drug users or dealers. [49][50]. Republican Texas has highest maternal mortality rate in developed world. See: more: Country Life expectancy Under-five infant mortality rate per 1000 live births Per capita expenditure on health (USD) % of health costs paid by government Australia 81.4 4.2 3,137 67.7 Canada 81.3 4.5 3,895 69.8 France 81.0 4.0 3,601 79.0 Germany 79.8 3.8 3,588 76.9 Japan 82.6 2.6 2,581 81.3 Sweden 81.0 2.5 3,323 81.7 UK 81 4.8 2,992 81.7 US 78.1 6.9 7,290 45.4 Single Payer. Developed world paying half of what USA spends on healthcare. And: Kentucky's Republican governor wants to eliminate health insurance for over 400,000. Like the rest of the Republican South. In contrast: Patients can grow their own medical pot in Canada under new rules. [51][52]. And: Marijuana Growers' Fair Opens in Oregon. First time at a state fair. The VA: Another reason for single payer. Physicians for a National Health Program. And: New Jersey veterans fight to use medical marijuana for PTSD. Cannabis is safer. Sanders Says DOJ Ban on Private Prisons Doesn't Go Far Enough. And: DEA Stops Calling Marijuana One Of The 'Most Dangerous Drugs'. Ronald Reagan, 1980 campaign speech 1: "Leading medical researchers are coming to the conclusion that marijuana, pot, grass, whatever you want to call it, is probably the most dangerous drug in the United States, and we haven't begun to find out all of the ill effects, but they are permanent ill effects. The loss of memory for example." Republican leaders losing war to impoverish, enslave, and disempower the poor. Nation’s first memorial to commemorate victims of lynching and mass incarceration. [53]. Republican state senator opposes "more race talk". And: Republican Chris Christie Vetoes Automatic Voter Registration Bill Again. But 5 other states have it. And: 86% of eligible Coloradans are registered to vote. Text voter registration, too. Sanders Condemns Obscene Levels of Inequality Documented in New CBO Report. And: Judge rules in favor of minimum wage. And: Baltimore votes for $15 minimum wage by 2022. And: Trumponomics: Off-The-Shelf, Warmed-Over Trickle-Down Policies. Newsweek. And: 5 States Voting on Recreational Marijuana This Election.. 2..3.4.. - Register, VOTE! Cannabis is safer. As legalization spreads, marijuana use overtaking tobacco. 2. And: Big alcohol is working to undermine legalization. 2. Duterte’s Brutal Drug War Skyrockets Killings In The Philippines. Richard Branson asks President Duterte to stop murderous Philippine drug war. [54][55]. And: Washington Post editorial board: Death squads in the Philippines. And: PHOTOS. Dead bodies and hellish prisons on Philippines police graveyard shift. [56]. Duterte wants martial law. Obama frees 214 inmates (67 in for life), almost all for nonviolent drug offenses. 2. And: Obama's approval rating is near its highest point ever. Bodies pile up in Philippine drug war. AFP. See maps, charts, lists of dead. And: Jennelyn Olaires hugs murdered partner Michael Siaron, 30, killed by presidential Philippines death squad in July 2016. Hundreds of alleged drug users killed with approval of President Duterte. [57]. See: Kill List. And: "Olaires insists that he was just a pedicab driver and had no ties to the drug trade." - CNN. Wikipedia: Philippine Drug War. And: Rodrigo Duterte. At least 704 people have been killed since May 10, when Duterte’s election win became clear. And: Choirgirl, 22, killed with a bullet to the head during Duterte's 'state-sponsored butchery'. And: Human Rights Watch: Duterte’s drug war packs jails to ‘breaking point’. And: Philippines President Vows ‘No Mercy’ In Drug War; Estimates 100,000 Will Be Killed. And: Seeks even more Presidential power, though public opinion turning against giving it to him. On first day in office Philippines President Duterte Asks Civilians To Kill Drug Addicts. As mayor, he approved of death squads that killed 1000 people. Wanted to be first in gang rape of "beautiful" Australian missionary who died. 2.3.4.5.6. Ambassadors condemn remarks. Duterte calls one a gay son of a bitch. 2. Time magazine. Can Medical Marijuana Help End the Opioid Epidemic? Philadelphia during the Democrat Convention. 26 July 2016. Part of "the 'Great Wall of Love' with our LGBTQ friends to keep out the hate spewing bigots from the Westboro Baptist Church." [58]. Illinois reduces punishment for minor pot possession from jail to citation. 2. 3. In a first, Oregon State Fair to feature marijuana plants. And: If You Are Succeeding in the Cannabis Industry, Thank an Activist. When and how did the British monarchy lose actual power? One hopes U.S. presidents also become token figureheads without veto power. George Washington could have been a king, but refused. We need more democracy. The majority wants a higher federal minimum wage, legal cannabis, cheaper single-payer healthcare, more taxes on the rich, and less taxes on the middle class and poor. Republican obstructionism in Congress is responsible for the impoverishment of the middle class, and continued mass incarceration. Marijuana rallies in decriminalized Philadelphia during Democrat Convention. Medical marijuana has potential as Alzheimer's treatment, study says. And: Republicans block it?: Senate Bill Would End Massive Tax Breaks for Private Prisons. [59]. And: Legal medical pot nationwide would save Medicare $468 million. [60]. Virginia Governor Bypasses Court Ruling To Help 200,000 Ex-Felons Vote. Republicans block cannabis/drug felons from voting against drug wars. Pot activists meet with cops to prep for Democrat Convention. And: Restorative justice. An alternative to mass incarceration. [61]. Versus $31,000 a year for prison. Florida: More high-THC medical marijuana available if 2016 ballot issue passes. And: Police head wants less limits on past marijuana use of police recruits. Trump family would get $7 billion windfall from his plan to eliminate all estate taxes. Republican Party. Greed, ground wars, drug wars, and mass incarceration. Michael Moore Thinks Donald Trump Will Win Presidential Election: Find Out Why! And: Italian Parliament To Consider Marijuana Legalization. [62]. And: Italian farmers are planting hemp to decontaminate polluted soil. And: Latin American Medical Cannabis Conference in Costa Rica – July 27-29. And: MP to move bill in Indian Parliament to legalize common recreational drugs like pot. Republican platform opposes increase in federal minimum wage. Internal squabbling over Trump's proposal for HUGE tax cuts for the rich. Florida police shoot black man with his hands up as he tries to help autistic patient. And: Trump campaign channels Nixon "law-and-order" strategy (and war on drugs?). And: Politifact agrees that Nixon's drug war led to a massive increase in incarceration. See Wikipedia: War on drugs. See: Drug war causes high U.S. incarceration rate. And: Lancet: Mass imprisonment of drug users driving global epidemics of HIV, hepatitis, and tuberculosis. And: Pot Vs. Pills: Can Marijuana Help Cure The Opiate Crisis? Video describes how Portugal's decriminalization and harm reduction reconnects people. 2.. And: Times of London has called for Portugal's decriminalization. 2. More current and former Canadian cops are using medical marijuana. Veterans too. After Democrats back marijuana rescheduling, Republicans vote against medical pot. [63]. Canadian Single-Payer Healthcare and Portuguese Decriminalization. Saves trillions of dollars. Obama and Democrat platform want single payer (public option) healthcare 2. Republicans will expand the useless health insurance industry. Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate in the U.S. and the world. Georgia has around 8% of its adult population under correctional supervision (jail, prison, probation, parole). And: 2. Kansas City Marijuana Reform Advocates Launch Decriminalization Ballot Initiative. [64]. World’s Saddest Polar Bear Dies After 22 Years In Concrete Pit. End solitary confinement. Humans too. Zoo will Free Its Animals! Stop mass incarceration of all. Detailed history of marijuana on the ballot - Ballotpedia. Years, charts, timelines. Democratic Party platform on marijuana: "Because of conflicting laws concerning marijuana, both on the federal and state levels, we encourage the federal government to remove marijuana from its list as a Class 1 Federal Controlled Substance, providing a reasoned pathway for future legalization." See: Full text. The Netherlands has a strange problem: Empty prisons. 2nd lowest incarceration rate in Europe. Radical Republicanist leaders fear direct democracy and high voter turnout by Bernie supporters for these issues: Colorado will vote on single-payer healthcare. [65][66]. It will cover everybody, and cost less. Republican Koch Brothers, and health insurance companies, oppose it. 4 states have minimum wage on the ballot in 2016. 12 states may Vote on Marijuana This November. Republican Speaker Paul Ryan’s Tax Plan gives big tax breaks to the 1%. Congresswoman proposes drug tests for 1% getting huge tax breaks. Vs food stamps. Never-ending wars and drug wars paid for by the 99%: Judge orders Illinois Republican flunkie to add PTSD to medical marijuana list. 2. And: Congress: Republicans Derail Efforts to Expand Cannabis Access to Veterans. 2.3. And: House Republicans blocked an effort to open up banking for marijuana businesses. On first day in office Philippines President Duterte Asks Civilians To Kill Drug Addicts. As mayor, he approved of death squads that killed 1000 people. Wanted to be first in gang rape of "beautiful" Australian missionary who died. 2.3.4.5.6. Elizabeth Warren & other Democrats ask DEA for immediate marijuana rescheduling. 2. California Democratic Party Has Endorsed the Marijuana Legalization Initiative. 2. Tony Blair, like Republican Bush in the past, blasted by UK Chilcot Report on the Iraq War. [67] [68]. And: House Republicans Buy the Navy a $400 Million Pork Ship the Secretary of Defense does not want. And: New Mexico (Republican governor) Defrauds The Poor Out Of Food Stamps, Whistleblowers Say Vote! The Republican War on Voting Is Working. [69]. Part of the War on the Poor, drug users, and the 99%. Historic discontent related to more than a decade of declining bottom-quartile wages. And: Income Inequality Is At The Highest Level In American History. "Incomes for the 99 percent have only recovered about 60 percent of what they lost. But the rich are doing great. ... They captured more than half of all the income growth in the country." Republican leaders are ecstatic. Top doctors group (AMA) declares gun deaths a 'public health crisis'. Murder in Western nations. USA on top. See above 1950-2010 chart. Homicide rates of USA (top line), Australia, Canada, Spain (ESP), Great Britain, and the Netherlands. From: OECD "How Was Life?", page 147. If Islam Is a Religion of Violence, So Is Christianity. Radical Christianists have promoted the drug war, and approved the killing of gays. Both historically in the Bible, and today. No religion is inherently peaceful or violent. 2. More people killed by US domestic gunmen (1,516,863) since 1968 than in all wars fought by America (1,396,733). [70]. And: Mass Incarceration and high murder rate damage U.S. Global Peace Ranking. - U.S. News and World Report.. Incarceration rate of 693 per 100,000. [71]. Most firearm deaths in the USA are from handguns. [72][73]. Canada has a much lower rate of handgun ownership than the USA. See chart. And Canada has a much lower murder rate, and little mandatory sentencing. See: NRA's high murder rate, and mandatory sentencing And: A ten-round magazine is sufficient for semi-auto rifles in the real world. And: What a semi-auto rifle can do to the human body. And: Congress Refuses, So California Funds Its Own Gun Violence Research Center. Tipping point? Ohio is 25th state to legalize medical marijuana. [74][75]. Advocacy groups call for solitary confinement reform in Ohio. [76][77][78][79]. And: "We will not sit on the sidelines": John Legend’s proposal to end mass incarceration [80]. Maryland repealed mandatory minimum drug sentencing despite initial Republican opposition. “We have an under-incarceration problem.” Republican Senator Cotton. Trillions of dollars. Poll: Most Democrats and Republicans Want Open Primaries. [81][82]. What are the chances Democrats will gladly change all states to open primaries? Then ask what are the chances independents will gladly vote for Clinton in November. Republican big spending: Ground wars, drug wars, and US healthcare costs and incarceration costs. See: Business people for Single-payer Healthcare. Fed up with uncontrollable costs of U.S. healthcare. Democrats want independents to vote for them, but NOT in the primaries. *Greg Palast: Many independent voters illegitimately stopped from voting in California [83]. Institutionally-rigged nature of many closed and semi-closed Democrat primaries. See: Wikipedia: Primary elections in the United States. See OpenPrimaries.org map. Click states. California was a semi-closed primary that locked out many independents. [84][85][86]. Bernie wins the debate: 50-39% Sanders vs Trump. Clinton follows in Al Gore's footsteps. “No We Can’t” Hillary puts down the "Yes we can" independents who far outnumber Democrats. 52 vs 40%. Why Does Sanders Do Better Than Clinton Against Trump? - NBC News. Man sentenced to 55 years for small-time cannabis dealing is released early. [87]. Bill Maher And Bernie Sanders Take Down ‘Chicken’ Donald Trump. [88][89]. Presidents have too much power. Canada elects a prime minister who can be removed by a majority vote. In the USA Republicans and Democrats are often closed political cults. Wikipedia: Results of the Democratic presidential primaries, 2016. Many Democrat primaries lock out independents. World’s Saddest Elephant Dies After 60 Years Alone In Her Cell. Stop mass incarceration and solitary confinement. Of all species. Gallup poll: Majority in U.S. Support Single Payer Healthcare. As do doctors. [90]. And: Polling shows the majority of Americans agree with Bernie Sander's views: Single payer healthcare (which costs less per person), income inequality, progressive taxation (it does not increase total taxes; it assigns higher and lower tax rates depending on income), minimum wage, cannabis reform [91]. See Wikipedia: List of countries by total health expenditure per capita. Canada's popular single-payer healthcare is not socialism. Like road building, it is done by private services. Saves trillions of dollars. See: Canadian healthcare and Portuguese decriminalization. Sanders versus Trump. Polling trendline over time. Women who smoke weed are smarter than those who don’t. And: Republicans block drug law reform unless their criminal friends allowed to thwart environmental and business regulation. And: E-cigarettes should be offered to smokers, say doctors - BBC News. [92]. Canada has much lower murder, robbery, and sexual assault rates than the USA. Without the high household handgun ownership rate of the USA. And without US-style mass incarceration. And: At the UN Canada announced that cannabis legalization will occur in the spring of 2017. Happy 4/20! NORML Unveils Our 2016 Congressional Scorecard. And: A or F? How Congress scores on marijuana. Grading based upon members' 2015 voting records. "Of the 233 Democrats in Congress, 208 members (89.3 percent) received a passing grade of a 'C' or higher. Of the 302 Republicans in Congress, 102 members (33.8 percent) received a passing grade of a 'C' or higher." Mexico proposes legal medical marijuana, and increasing legal recreational possession from 5 to 28 grams (1 ounce). [93][94][95][96]. And: White House to meet with cannabis activists. Bernie can pay for 2 years of public college by making 16 the legal age of adulthood. Freeing up 2 years of average public high school costs of $12,000 a year. Plus room and board costs. [97]. Bernie Sanders Pulls Ahead Of Hillary Clinton In New Poll. Bernie wins in all national matchups. These Cannabis Growing Nuns Answer To A Higher Power. [98][99] Maryland Ends Mandatory Minimums For Drug Users, Lets Non-Violent Offenders Out Early. And: Medical Marijuana Legalized in Pennsylvania [100][101]. But also building prison. And: Victoria becomes the first Australian state to legalize medical cannabis. [102] [103]. And: DEA could soon announce a major decision on rescheduling marijuana. And: Whoopi Goldberg founds medical marijuana company for women. And: Cancer patient shares graphic photos in call for pot to be legalized in Australia. Vote for cannabis! US Republicans limit voting via longer lines, and fewer ballots and polling places. They limit or veto early voting, same day registration, and automatic registration. And: They block reform of mandatory minimum sentencing laws. Trillions of dollars for the prison-industrial complex. And: Why Trump’s support for private prisons and mass incarceration should worry you. Republican system of inequality, endless drug war, and mass incarceration being crushed by independents from within and without. The GOP house continues to block veterans from using cannabis -- by denying prescription VA painkillers if they use cannabis. Idiotic and cruel, since cannabis is much safer. [104]. Nixon Aide Admitted Drug War Was Meant To Target Black People. Intense racial targeting associated with the drug war wasn’t an unintended side effect — it was the whole point. And GOP mass incarceration helps in enforcing income inequality. Total arrests down in legal states, but blacks arrested for marijuana at twice the rate of peers. And: Trump and Cruz: Huge tax cuts for the rich paid for by tax increases on lower incomes. Republicans want to put a conservative drug warrior on the Supreme Court. Supreme Court rejects conservative challenge to Colorado marijuana law from Republican states. 2. And: Republicans are busy filing retrograde drug bills across the land. Rally against Republican committee leaders refusing to allow vote to reschedule cannabis. High Times: "it will be helpful, and indeed crucial, for advancing legalization for Democrats to take control of the Senate" Republican obstructionism has blocked bills against mass incarceration. Number incarcerated went up in 2014 after years of Obama helping turn around the Reagan-Bush War on Pot, mandatory minimums, and mass incarceration. See: US incarceration peaked in 2008. 2016 Calendar of American cannabis events and cups. Including GMM and 420 events. Bernie is Mainstream. The many issues of his that polling shows the majority of Americans agree with. [105]. Single payer, income inequality, progressive taxation, minimum wage. These issues have been blocked over many years by a Senate 60% rule that is not found in the constitution, and that can be removed by a simple Senate majority vote to remove this undemocratic rule. Undemocratic Presidential vetoes too. By Bush for example. War on Drugs 'Is an Unmitigated Disaster': Former Latin American Heads of State. CNN: Study: 3 federal laws could reduce gun deaths by more than 90%. Oops, we didn't need the NRA-championed mandatory minimums and the incarceration nation. Trillions of dollars wasted. Bernie Sanders won the Colorado primary. His cannabis views helped. And: CNN poll! Bernie crushes Trump, Rubio, or Cruz. Hillary loses to Rubio or Cruz. Wins against Trump. And: Independents greatly outnumber Democrats or Republicans. True compassionate conservatism saves trillions of dollars: Canadian single-payer healthcare, and Portuguese drug decriminalization. On ballot in 2016: ColoradoCare. 2. It would cover all residents and cost less than the current system. One primary payer, and no deductibles and no co-pays. See: Business people for Single-payer Healthcare. Fed up with uncontrollable costs of U.S. healthcare. Save trillions of dollars. Al Franken (Senator and SNL comedian) about Republican "Big Idea" on health insurance. [106]. CNN. Medical marijuana legalized in Australia. Legalise cannabis. Says Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Trump, Sanders, Clinton all support Government-Funded Universal Healthcare. 2. Republicans and Hillary want to continue subsidizing the health insurance racket. Bernie wants to save trillions of $ by phasing it out, and eliminating the middleman. Canada's single-payer universal healthcare costs less per person than U.S. healthcare. 2.3.. For more countries and charts: 4.5.. See chart below to the right: Canada leading the way: Minimum sentence for drug trafficking struck down by Canadian judge . And: Ban on medical marijuana patients growing own pot struck down by Canadian Federal Court. Maryland Lawmakers Override Republican Veto of Marijuana Paraphernalia Decriminalization. [107]. Existing pot decrim meant a fine for possession, but jailed for the joint paper or baggie. An economist says Bernie's universal healthcare would save $6 trillion over 10 years. 2. A Chicago Tribune healthcare article: In Europe, Sanders would be center-right. And: Nurses Applaud New Sanders Plan for Healthcare for All. 2.3. And: President of Physicians for a National Health Program: Single-Payer is The Only System that can Achieve Universal Health Care. Sanders says Clinton fails to mention that 'Medicare for all' (Single Payer) saves families about $5000 a year in premiums, deductibles, and co-pays. Republicans think they can spend an infinite amount of money (many trillions of dollars) on health-insurance-company-based healthcare, and have an infinite number of babies, to feed their appetite for endless ground wars, and for more inmates for more prisons for more drug war. Marijuana on the ballot - Ballotpedia. And: Register, VOTE! - Cannabis is safer.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Social media, Facebook Edit

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Facebook:

• Annual Amsterdam 420 Smoke-out (official group).
• #AMS420 Smoke-Out 4-20-2013.
• Nessuna condanna, per una canna.
• The Cannabis College.
• Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum.

Local links Edit

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Search for marijuana march videos. And more.

2016, 2015 Global Marijuana March. Crowd photos. Facebook

• Netherlands. Cannabis-related links.
• Coffeeshop map. Resource for planning a trip, or using in Amsterdam.
• Amsterdam 420 Smoke-Out protest + 420 Festival & After-Party
• cannabis bevrijdingsdag (Cannabis Liberation Day).
• cannabis tribunaal
• vereniging voor opheffing cannabisverbod
• vereniging voor cannabis consumenten (vvcc)
• legalize
• cannabis college
• cupwinners.nl
• Hash marihuana and hemp museum.
• legalize.net/allphotos.php - photos for many Amsterdam events.
• Cannabis Seeds

City info Edit

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• Google Maps: Amsterdam.
• Google images.
• Wikipedia: Amsterdam.
• Wikitravel: Amsterdam.
• Wikivoyage:
• Amsterdam coffeeshop directory Great guide to all the coffeeshops.
• WeBeHigh.org - Amsterdam.

Coffeeshops Edit

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Amsterdam is the capital city of The Netherlands (although the government resides in Den Haag (The Hague).

Like in the rest of the country, cannabis consumption is (almost) legal in the city. Of all places in the country though, Amsterdam is the most liberal when it comes to smoking your stuff. In practice this amounts to a very high concentration of 'Coffeeshops' in the centre of the city and the fact that you can smoke a joint anywhere out on the streets. Legal as in "tolerated". It is still "the pure crime". Also you are only allowed to buy 5 grams a day in a coffeeshop.

Although all coffeeshops DO sell coffee, that's not the reason for visiting them. Coffeeshops are the only places in town that are legally allowed to sell cannabis products (stuff that you buy in tourist shops that have cannabis leaves printed on them (like cannabis lollipops and stuff) will NOT have any cannabis in them). Coffeeshops come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, from dark brown, old-fashioned Dutch bars to high-life, fancily decorated coffeeshops with designer furniture and of course the rastafari-themed shops filled with green/red/yellow decorations and Bob Marley posters.

Coffeeshops generally have two menu's: A drinks menu and a cannabis menu. A lot of coffeeshops will have quite an elaborate drinks menu that features various fruit juices (sometimes freshly squeezed), various kinds of tea and coffee, soft drinks and chocolate milk. As from late 2007, there are no more coffeeshops with a licence to sell alcohol.

The quantity and quality of different kinds of weed and hash on sale differs between coffeeshops. Some shops feature only organic weeds, others feature a lot of imports, still others focus on many kinds of hashish. Some are expensive while others are cheap. There are certain kinds of weed (White Widow, Some kinds of haze) and hashish (Moroccan, (super) polm) that will be on sale practically everywhere and their prices give you a good idea of how 'expensive' the shop is on the whole. (for instance: White Widow (which is a great variety left from the nineties) should generally not be sold for more than €8 (8 Euros),- a gram and is normally priced around €7,- a gram).

You are required to consume something in a coffeeshop. When you bring your own weed, you are expected to buy drinks.

I will give a very short list of my favourite shops here with a little description. If anybody has any more favourites, just put 'em up here:

Abraxas: Pretty large shop with some nice decorations. It's always pretty busy here on weekends but that's no surprise: they have a large selection of weed/hash and there are couches lined with Persian tapestry all around the shop. Just sit back, relax, and talk with some of the people on the couches around you, it's easy to socialize there.

Kadinsky: It's a chain of coffeeshops. Normally they're pretty small, with a fashionable and clean minimalist interior. It's a bit posh here compared to other shops but they generally have good service, good seats, large windows and laid-back music with laid-back atmosphere.

The Jolly Joker: On one of the corners of the Nieuwmarkt, this is an old Dutch brown bar. The selection of weed is limited but they stock standard good stuff at a very affordable price. You get a nice view of the marketplace and the wooden interior is not like most other shops.

Rookies: Near Leidseplein. They're not cheap, but their selection of all organic weeds is quite perfect. Their house brand (simply called 'Rookies') is my favourite weed; quite potent and completely uplifting. They also have vaporizers here.

Mellow Yellow: Quite well known with the locals. There's nothing special here actually, but there's a good atmosphere there. They have an elaborate menu with weeds and hashish in every price range. Their deal on Super Polm is the best in the city: 2.5 grams for €11,-!

De Dampkring: The name of this shop is the Dutch word for 'Atmosphere' and literally translates to 'The Circle of Fumes'. It's probably the most expensive shop in town but it's decorated interior is unsurpassed. Made to look like it's made from fairytale-like tree stumps on the outside and with an interior made completely out of illuminated, organic shapes in yellow, red, orange and green, this is something special. Their menu is very elaborate and they have a large selection of very high-potent weeds and hashish. Again, these are all more expensive than anywhere else in the city but this place is still worth checking out.

My advice: Don't spend more than €10,- or €11,- on a gram. Even the most potent weeds like Super Silver Haze, Buddha Haze etc. are sold for about €11,- although some places charge silly prices for them.

La Tertulia: A coffeeshop annex gallery on the Prinsengracht with a beautiful indoor "mineral garden" . A relaxed atmosphere and reasonable prices, with a terrace outside for when the weather permits it.

The legal issue Edit

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In short: Nobody has full knowledge of the precise legal status of cannabis products in Holland, mainly because all municipalities are allowed to regulate the sale as they see fit, however there are some general rules that uphold anywhere in the country:

- You are allowed to possess a small quantity of weed or hashish. Having 5 grams or less on you at any time is perfectly alright and police won't check for larger quantities on you unless you give them a reason (like causing public disturbance or ignoring traffic lights). Police are not looking for anybody that has weed on them, nowhere.

- You are allowed to buy weed at coffeeshops, that's it. They are allowed to sell you a maximum of 5 grams per day.

- It follows that you are not allowed to sell cannabis products yourself.

- In some places (like Amsterdam) you can smoke almost anywhere on the streets. In some other places you are not allowed to just puff away anywhere you want. When somebody asks you to stop smoking your joint either because that's against local regulations OR because they don't want people smoking in front of their property (bar/store/restaurant) you are legally required to comply.

- You are not allowed to take weed across the border but there's no checkpoint at any EU-border. It is known that there are controls on the highway. Possession of small amounts is not considered a legal offense in some places (like Germany or Belgium) but it is in other places (like France). See: Legality of cannabis by country. This does not include smuggeling.

Global Marijuana March Edit

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GMM (years signed up). This city participated or signed up one year (or more) for the Global Marijuana March (GMM), or the Million Marijuana March (MMM). 225 cities from 42 nations signed up for May 4, 2013 or thereabouts.175 cities from 33 nations signed up for May 5, 2012 or thereabouts. See also: 4/20 event lists. 872 different cities have signed up from 80 different nations since 1999.

Global Marijuana March links.

See also: Local links and other links. Latest links for Global Marijuana March. See GMM: basic city lists, detailed city lists, graphics, photos, maps, regions, links, years. Google images: Crowds, flyers: Marcha da Maconha. And: Marche Mondial du Cannabis. And: Global Marijuana March. See the latest GMM graphics, and worldwide GMM city list and map. Years signed up: Browse the basic GMM city lists by year: ~ 1999. 2000. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 2010. 11. 12. 13.14.15.16. ~ Or search them. Add city name to search (nation, state, province is optional). Here is an alternative search that includes the latest city lists.

2016, 2015 Global Marijuana March. Crowd photos. Facebook

Right-click any region for its city list.

2013 Edit

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See 2013 Global Marijuana March map.

April 20:

• ENJOINT.com » 420 Smoke Out Amsterdam.
• #AMS420 - 'Smoke-Out' Program Infopage US/UK.
• Facebook:
  • Annual Amsterdam 420 Smoke-out (official group).
  • #AMS420 Smoke-Out 4-20-2013.

June 16:

• Facebook: Cannabis Brevijdingsdag 2013

2012 Edit

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See 2012 Global Marijuana March map.

April 20, 2012:

• Cannabis Tolerance Endangered In Netherlands; Protest Planned. By Steve Elliott. December 21, 2011 article.

2011 Edit

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See Global Marijuana March 2011 map.

GMM, May 8:

• Facebook: Worldwide Global Marijuana March 2011.
• YouTube search: Cannabis bevrijdingsdag 2011 (Cannabis liberation day 2011).

-- VOC | Vereniging voor Opheffing van het Cannabisverbod:

• Photos: Foto-serie Cannabis Bevrijdingsdag II.
• Photos: Heel veel foto’s van Cannabis Bevrijdingsdag: de VOC-mentaliteit in beeld.
• Volledig programma Cannabis Bevrijdingsdag.
• Kom naar Amsterdam op 8 mei en vier onze cannabiscultuur!

April 20:

• Facebook: Stand up and speak out Netherlands rally.

2010 Edit

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8 Mei Cannabis Bevrijdingsdag (Cannabis Liberation Day), Westergasfabriek terrein, Amsterdam.

• Link: http://www.cannabisbevrijdingsdag.org
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=101821423189542&ref=ts

2009 Edit

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9 Mei Cannabis Bevrijdingsdag (Cannabis Liberation Day), Museumplein, Amsterdam.

See GMM 2009, and GlobalMarijuanaMarch.org archive, 2.

Amsterdam: Rob - Cyberskeu@gmail.com, Jeroen - Keesthemad@gmail.com Meet up!

• Link: http://www.cannabisbevrijdingsdag.org
• Media: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/05/10/2565707.htm

2008 Edit

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See 2008 GMM, and GlobalMarijuanaMarch.org archive, 2.

Rob - Cyberskeu(at)gmail.com <Cyberskeu(at)gmail.com>, Jeroen - Keesthemad(at)gmail.com <Keesthemad(at)gmail.com> Meet up!

• Photos: http://s304.photobucket.com/albums/nn183/Globalmarijuanamarch/GMM%20Amsterdam%2008

• Report (from old GMM site):

Due to various goings on here in cannabisland, it's been very hard to generate any interest. Some great new people came along and we all agreed that it would be shameful not to have a protest in Amsterdam. Especially because of the current repressive situation.

So in just 10 days we put an impromptu gathering together on Damsquare. About 150 people gathered and Evert was there with his mobile vaporiser people from the Ccollege. Signature gathering, nice weather and a peaceful gathering fairly left alone by the police. How unlike Antwerp and Moskou/Brazil.

2006Edit

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Legalize! Street RaveEdit

June 10, 2006:

• Photos: http://goa.trance.fotopic.net/c987023_1.html
• Newsletter-flyer: http://www.legalize.net/warondrugs/p059%20legalize.pdf
• Photos: http://www.legalize.net/more_news.php?item=2&more=1

Grass-A-Matazz Edit

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November 21, 2006:

"Grass-A-Matazz is a, free-of-charge, jazz & Blues event, held during the annual High Times Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam (NL). The Grass-A-Matazz party celebrates, and keeps alive, the connection between Jazz & Marijuana."

-- Above quote is from this report:

• http://www.grass-a-matazz.com/party/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5&Itemid=6

Poster: Image:Amsterdam Grass-A-Matazz 2006 Nov 21.jpg

2005 Edit

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Global Marijuana March Edit

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May 7, 2005:

Bush's welcome to the Netherlands.

Photos:

• http://legalize.fotopic.net/c534927.html
• http://www.cannabisculture.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=1079686

Report (from old GMM site):

Report from Amsterdam

On the 7th of May, Bush visited the Netherlands. Worldwide over 181 cities are demonstrating against HIS cannabis policy under the banner of: MMM, the Million Marijuana March!

We were intending to hold a demonstration on the Dam Square but were prohibited from doing so by our city council. We asked for this MMM demonstration even before anybody knew Bush would be around.

As soon as we heard the news that he was coming we decided to hook up with the www.stopbush.nl demonstration to organise against this very dubious and unwanted visit from Bush.

5.000 people showed up despite terrible weather. One of Legalize's board members D.C Lama, and the famous Dutch rapper Def P. sang a song together condemning Bush's drugs policy and the Legalize! truck at the end of the demonstration parade warmed everyone up!

Legalize it street rave Edit

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June 4, 2005:

Photos:

• http://fotoalbum.dds.nl/bas/legalize

English preview:

• http://www.simplyamsterdam.nl/news/Legalize_demonstration_in_Amsterdam_against_war_on_drugs.htm

Google searches:

• http://www.google.com/search?q=Legalize+streetrave+2005+Amsterdam
• http://www.google.com/search?q=Legalize+street+rave+2005+Amsterdam

2004 Edit

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Legalize it street rave Edit

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June 5, 2004:

Report and many links:

• http://www.partyvibe.com/vbulletin/archive/index.php/t-1730.html

Description and photo links:

• http://www.partyvibe.com/forums/pda/t-1730.html

Photos:

• http://goa.trance.fotopic.net/c199151.html
• http://www.legalize.net/allphotos.php
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfiRwdLQTg0

• See: Video help and search links.

02:05

Saturday June 5, 2004 Legalize! Street Rave. Amsterdam.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfiRwdLQTg0

2000 Edit

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• Link: http://www.worldcamp.org/mmm1_401.htm

Preview from above link (spelling corrected):

AMSTERDAM

Legalize! Event at: International Court of Justice in The Hague, the famous Vredespaleis (Peace-Palace). The two Saturdays following May 6 Legalize! we will have similar demonstrations in two more Dutch towns. On May 27th we will stage our yearly (4th!) 'Legalize! Street party against the Global War on Drugs' in Amsterdam with a number of mobile sound systems. We will also do our normal parade across the Amsterdam center of town!

E-Mail: rappa(at)casema.net

Web: http://www.legalise.org

More info, links, years Edit

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Cannabis is safer Edit

Return to top. See article: Cannabis is safer.

• Obama correctly said that cannabis is safer than alcohol. See: Cannabis is safer. He also said marijuana should be treated more as a public health issue than a criminal one. And: Obama signals support for legalizing medical marijuana. [116]. See video.
• USA. 1 in 10 deaths of working-age adults are alcohol-related (disease, overdose, car crashes, falls, violence, etc). 87,798 per year, 2006 to 2010. [117][118][119][120][121].

See longer article: Cannabis is safer.

• Imagine if Mitt Romney had been elected President in 2012 instead of Obama.

• Obama on marijuana legalization. [122]. "My suspicion is that you’re gonna see other states start looking at this". The Washington Post. Jan. 22, 2015.

Above quote is from Sanjay Gupta interview of Obama on April 15, 2015. Interview aired on CNN on April 19, 2015. [123][124][125].

• Obama administration asks Supreme Court to reject lawsuit filed by Republican governments in Oklahoma and Nebraska to stop legal marijuana in Colorado [126]. December 2015.

• Holder's Legacy: Steering Away From the Drug War and Mass Incarceration. [127][128].

Obama alone can not reschedule it Edit

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See main article: Obama alone can not reschedule marijuana.

Obama alone can not reschedule marijuana. [129] [130][131][132]. Since HHS (Health and Human Services) and the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) have again declined to reschedule or deschedule cannabis, then only Congress can do so.

• Wikipedia: Removal of cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.
• DEA Pulls Back From Calling Marijuana One Of The 'Most Dangerous Drugs'. By Cody Fenwick. August 16, 2016. Patch Media
• The Science behind the DEA's Long War on Marijuana. 19 April 2016. Scientific American. Unless Congress acts, the DEA has final say on rescheduling or descheduling marijuana.
• Medical Marijuana Advocates Rally to Loosen Restrictions. By Alicia Ault. 23 Mar 2016. Medscape. The Republican committee leaders refuse hearings on CARERS bill to reschedule cannabis.

Pot Matters: For Legalization, Set Your Sights on the Senate. 23 Mar 2016. By Jon Gettman. "it will be helpful, and indeed crucial, for advancing legalization for Democrats to take control of the Senate."

• FDA Weighs in on Rescheduling Cannabis. By Ben Adlin. 28 Dec 2015. Leafly.

2016 election and marches Edit

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See public opinion polls over time about cannabis.

2016 Global Marijuana March and 420 events. Public opinion wins elections. So get out and march!

Register and vote for cannabis in 2016.

Republicans are busy filing retrograde drug bills across the land. Republicans want to put a conservative drug warrior on the Supreme Court to replace Antonin Scalia, and to reinvigorate their drug war. Supreme Court rejects conservative challenge to Colorado marijuana law from Republican states. 2.

USA Today: 11 states least likely to legalize marijuana. Republican states across the nation.

Marijuana in the South: A State-by-State Guide. Republicans created a THC-free south.

Drug-war mass incarceration Edit

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See: Drug war causes high U.S. incarceration rate. And: Drug War, mandatory minimum sentencing, handguns. And: US incarceration peaked in 2008. And: Number of marijuana prisoners in the USA. And: List of countries and U.S. states by incarceration rate. See articles: Cannabis prisoners and Drug war cost charts, infographics..

The majority of people incarcerated in prisons and jails in the USA are in due to drug-related offenses, crimes to get money for drugs, or drug-related parole or probation violations. Wikipedia: Drug-related crime. The number of inmates in the USA has increased almost 5 times over since 1980. The USA has the highest incarceration rate of any nation b c (except for the tiny country of the Seychelles). Compare incarceration rates worldwide. The cost of the U.S. drug war is at least 1.5 trillion dollars. Cannabis is safer! Share link.

A Lot Of People Are Dying At This Understaffed Texas Jail. And: How the Money Bail System Perpetuates America’s Mass Incarceration Problem. And: Justice Department blasts ‘unconstitutional’ fixed bail schedules. Many innocent people in jail.

Canadian single-payer healthcare and Edit

Portuguese drug decriminalization Edit

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See: Portugal. Cannabis-related links.

• See: Wikipedia: Health in Portugal and Wikipedia: Drug policy of Portugal.

Canadian single-payer healthcare, and Portuguese drug decriminalization. On ballot in 2016: ColoradoCare. 2. It would cover all residents and cost less than the current system. One primary payer, and no deductibles and no co-pays. See: Business people for Single-payer Healthcare. Fed up with uncontrollable costs of U.S. healthcare. Save trillions of dollars.

• Canada has saved trillions of dollars by eliminating the middleman, the health insurance companies.

Canada's single-payer universal healthcare costs less per person than U.S. healthcare. 2.3.4.5.. For more countries and charts: 6.7.. And the USA has lower average life expectancy than the OECD average (OECD = developed economies). 8.. Click chart to enlarge:

• Medical Bills Still Take A Big Toll in USA, Even With Insurance. NPR. March 8, 2016.

Green love Edit

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The Global Marijuana March is the first Saturday in May. The first Saturday in May is also World Naked Gardening Day. [133]. But, be safe!

• Abortion Rates Dropped Sharply. What Caused It?
• Free birth control under ObamaCare.
• Colorado’s Effort Against Teenage Pregnancies Is a Startling Success. Free birth control.

Republicans think they can spend an infinite amount of money (many trillions of dollars) on health-insurance-company-based healthcare, and have an infinite number of babies, to feed their appetite for endless ground wars, and for more inmates for more prisons for more drug war.

As with cannabis legalization Colorado leads the way.. More info. 2.3..

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Categories Edit

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