Reason.tv - Topics

Moms Say, "No More Drug War!"

Sun, 13 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

"Mothers throughout history have come forward for the sake of their children," says Gretchen Burns Bergman, executive director of Parents for Addiction Treatment and Healing (PATH). "We're coming forth saying that the drug war has been more damaging to our families than the drugs themselves."

The Woman's Christian Temperance Union is well-known for helping push forward Prohibition in the United States. But perhaps less well-known are groups such as the Women's Organization for National Prohibition Reform, who were instrumental in the effort to repeal the 18th Amendment.

In that the tradition, Moms United to End the War on Drugs gathered on the steps of the Los Angeles Superior Courthouse to deliver a message this Mother's Day: no more drug war. Reason.tv was on the scene to talk with mothers who'd had their families torn apart by U.S. drug policy.

"You don't realize the drug policies in this country until they have an effect on you," says Lorraine Rebennack. "And when you lose a child, your life is never the same. Nor is your family."

Produced by Zach Weissmueller.

Approximately 3 minutes.

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LYNCHING CHARLIE LYNCH Director Rick Ray Discusses His New Film

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EDT

In 2006, Charlie Lynch opened a medical marijuana dispensary in Morro Bay, California. He was such a stickler about following California state law that he called all the legal authorities he could. The ribbon-cutting for his shop was attended by local pols and chamber of commerce types and his shop flourished due to his outgoing personality, dedication to customer service, and strict enforcement of all laws related to medical marijuana.

In 2007, his dispensary was raided by the Drug Enforcement Administration and local sheriffs. Thus began a legal nightmare from which Lynch - and the country - has yet to awake. Placed under house arrest, threatened with an effective life sentence, and stripped of his income, Lynch became one more casuality in the war against medical marijuana.

Eventually, Lynch was tried in federal court, where the Kafkaesque proceedings meant his defense was not allowed to tell jurors that medical marijuana was legal under California law. Eventually, Lynch was sentenced to a year and a day, and was allowed to be free pending an appeal that seems unlikely to ever be fully resolved.

Lynch's ordeal - and the country's - is the subject of Lynching Charlie Lynch, a new documentary made by Rick Ray, who helped produce Reason.tv's original coverage of the Lynch case as it unfolded.

Alex Manning and Zach Weissmueller talked to Ray about his movie, which opens today at iTunes, Amazon, and other online and on-demand venues via Brainstorm Media .

About 7 minutes long.

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Watch ReasonTV's coverage of Charlie Lynch here .

Matt Welch Talks DEA Raids on CA Pot Clubs, Obama, & Rolling Stones on Varney & Co.

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

On Fox Business' Varney & Co., Reason Editor in Chief Matt Welch discussed the outrageous DEA and IRS raid on Oaksterdam University in California. Welch also discusses the increase in gun sales amid a slow economic recovery and reveals his favorite Rolling Stones' song. Airdate: April 6, 2010.

3.40 minutes.

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What We Saw at the San Francisco Marijuana Rally

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EDT

On April 2, federal agents raided Oaksterdam University as well as the home of Richard Lee, Oaksterdam founder and the main supporter of Prop 19, California's 2010 initiative to legalize marijuana that received 46% of the vote.

On April 3, several hundred people gathered at a rally at the San Francisco City Hall to protest the federal government's crackdown on medical marijuana dispensaries.

On the City Hall steps, six of the eleven San Francisco Supervisors spoke out against the federal crackdown, as did representatives of the city council, the city attorney's office and the California State Legislature.

Later in the day, protestors marched to the Federal Building a few blocks away and chanted "DEA go away" to a line of federal officers guarding the entrance.

Approximately 2 minutes.

Produced by Paul Feine and Alex Manning.

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Transplant Denied

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST

Norman Smith seemed to be making progress in his liver cancer recovery at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, Calif. He had some of the best doctors in the world, he was on a transplant list and he had completed a successful clinical trial that had his doctors dubbing him a "miracle man."

Then, his cancer returned and two months before he was would have received a transplant, he was de-listed for smoking marijuana prescribed by his oncologist at Cedars-Sinai. Now, if he doesn't receive a transplant, he will die.

"It's only my life that I'm fighting for," says Smith. "What do I have to hide? I have nothing to hide."

Smith's situation represents one of the first battles being fought over the place of medical marijuana in medicine and it has left him in limbo.

Cedars-Sinai declined interview requests but referred Reason TV to Peggy Stewart, a clinical social worker with UCLA's transplant program, which holds a similar position to Cedars-Sinai on medical marijuana.

"Marijuana is considered substance abuse," says Stewart. "The legality of it is really not an issue."

Stewart and Cedars-Sinai did say that transplant patients who consume marijuana put themselves at potential risk of infection from a mold found in cannabis called aspergillus.

But not everyone sees the mold as a potential threat.

"The truth is that Norman lives in Los Angeles and there are laboratories that he can take his medicine to and make sure that it doesn't have contaminants," says Stephanie Sherer of Americans for Safe Access , which works to break down political and legal barriers to medical cannabis.

Further, a 2009 study from the American Journal on Transplantation that looked at potential liver transplant candidates said that there wasn't a significant difference between marijuana users from marijuana non-users.

Sherer points out that Smith isn't alone, his problems are the reality for many patients caught in-between managing their pain and receiving a transplant.

"In our database at our office, we know of over two dozen patients that are going through this and unfortunately half of them have passed away because they did not receive these transplants," says Smith.

Music by audionautix.com and freeplaymusic.com

About 6:48 minutes. Written and produced by Paul Detrick. Camera by Alex Manning, Zach Weissmuller and Jim Epstein.

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Heather Donahue on Growing Marijuana, Life After 'Blair Witch,' and the Beauty of 'Grey' Markets

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

"To me, the 'canna-business,' it's a great example of community-level capitalism working well," says Heather Donahue, Hollywood actress-turned-marijuana farmer and author of the new book Grow Girl.

Donahue sat down with Reason.tv's Tim Cavanaugh to discuss why she left acting only a few years after her iconic role as "Heather" in the Blair Witch Project and how she ended up cultivating marijuana in a small Northern California community known as "Nugget Town."

Although Donahue favors legalization of marijuana and acknowledges the terrible toll that prohibition has taken, she also thinks that California's medical marijuana market has flourished in the legal "grey area" that currently exists.

"By creating this grey area, you're actually creating a system that works," says Donahue. "This is a system on a human scale, and that's part of why it works so well."

Approximately 9:43 minutes. Interview by Tim Cavanaugh. Shot and edited by Zach Weissmueller.

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MTV's Kurt Loder and Kennedy Talk A Libertarian Year in Review

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

MTV VJ and Reason Magazine contributor Kurt Loder joined fellow VJ Kennedy and Fox Business' John Stossel to discuss same-sex marriage, medical marijuana, Sesame Street and other libertarian stories from 2011.

Approximately 8 minutes.

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Weed Wars: Medical Marijuana Hits Reality TV

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST

"Most of our patients and our staff were really skeptical about doing a reality TV show because they were watching Jersey Shore and The Kardashians," says Andrew DeAngelo, general manager of Oakland, California's Harborside Health Center, the largest medical marijuana dispensary in the world. Andrew and his brother, Harborside's Executive Director Steve DeAngleo, are co-stars of Weed Wars, a new show by the Discovery Channel that looks into lives of those who run Harborside, the patients that seek out their services, and the politicians looking to shut them down.

"There are a lot of stigmas about medical cannabis patients, that we don't work hard, that we're a bunch of stoners, that we are lazy, that we are really criminals or drug traffickers," explains Andrew DeAngleo. "All that is a lie that has been perpetrated by the feds and the media." By opening up their work and lives to cameras, the DeAngelo brothers hope to present a side of the medical marijuana debate that is rarely seen on American television. "This is our chance - and our patients and our staff's chance - to shine."

Reason.tv sat down with the DeAngleo brothers to discuss the show, the multi-agency crackdown on medical marijuana dispensaries and how the Obama Administration's recent reversal of policy is creating an opening for Republicans this election cycle.

About 8.20 minutes. Produced and edited by Meredith Bragg. Interview and camera by Anthony Fisher.

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Ending the Global Drug War: Voices from the Front Lines

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:05:00 EST

“Ever since the War on Drugs, everything has hit the fan,” says Romesh Bhattacharji, former Narcotics Commissioner of India. Rather than continue the unnecessary and costly drug war, Bhattacharji advises the United States to simply "Relax, take it easy, [and] tolerate.”

Last month, at the Cato Institute’s “Ending the Global War on Drugs” conference, Bhattacharji’s sentiments were echoed by ex-drug czars, cops, politicians, intellectuals, liberal and conservative journalists, and even the former President of Brazil. Reason.tv attended the event and spoke with a number of the featured speakers, including: 

Glenn Greenwald, Salon.com

Mary Anastasia O'Grady, Wall Street Journal

Tucker Carlson, The Daily Caller

Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou, Speaker of the House of Deputies, Uruguay

Leigh Maddox, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition; University of Maryland School of Law

Enrique Gomez Hurtado, former Senator, Colombia

Larry Campbell, Senator, Canada

Romesh Bhattacharji, former Narcotics Commissioner, India

Eric Sterling, Criminal Justice Policy Foundation

Harry G. Levine, Queens College (N.Y.)

Juan Carlos Hidalgo, Cato Institute

About 6.15 minutes.   Produced and Edited by Anthony L. Fisher. Camera by Joshua Swain, with help from Seth McKelvey.   Graphics by Meredith Bragg.

For more Reason coverage on the Drug War, go here.   For Cato Institute Drug War coverage and research, go here.

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California vs. The Feds: Obama's DOJ Cracks Down on Medical Marijuana

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

The federal government is in the midst of a crackdown on medical marijuana dispensaries across the state of California.

This is despite repeated claims from President Obama and his Department of Justice that they would not devote federal resources to circumventing state medical marijuana laws.

"The law has been hijacked by profiteers who are motivated not by compassion, but by money," said Melinda Haag, one of California's U.S. Attorneys, at a DOJ press conference on October 11, 2011.

Aaron Sandusky, owner of G3 Holistic, a group of medical marijuana dispensaries in California's Inland Empire, is one such target of the DOJ's crackdown on medical marijuana "profiteers." The DOJ sent him a letter promising to shut down his operations within 14 days. And they followed through.

Reason.tv talked to Sandusky, who's long battled the city of Upland's sordid handling of medical marijuana dispensaries, before and after he was raided.

"We all want the same thing," said Sandusky. "We want to see less crime. That's why we have these places."

Sgt. Glenn Walsh and Agent Mark Brewster, both members of the California Narcotic Officer's Association, believe that the stepped up enforcement from the DOJ is a positive development.

"There's no avenue in the law, whatsoever, to accommodate the sales of marijuana," Brewster said.

Walsh concurs, arguing that California's Prop 215 and SB 420 allow for the collective cultivation of medical marijuana but do not allow for a single cent to exchange hands during that process.

"If it's my land, and I want to help you cultivate marijuana [on it], I can do that," said Walsh. "You cannot, however, reimburse me for any expenses."

The prospect of cultivating and distributing a legal product to a large demand base without any money changing hands seems far-fetched to medical marijuana growers and sellers like Sandusky, who himself invested hundreds of thousands of dollars and years of his life in a grower's facility before it was raided and destroyed in early November.

"They seized all of our assets, all of my personal assets," said Sandusky. "I have sixty dollars in my pocket. That's it."

The DOJ has issued threatening letters to dozens of dispensaries across the state and plans to continue shutting them down one by one. While some in the government work to shield Obama from criticism on the issue, the President has so far remained curiously silent on the crackdowns.

About 10 minutes, 30 seconds. Written and Produced by Zach Weissmueller. Associate Producer is Tracy Oppenheimer. Shot by Paul Detrick, Oppenheimer, and Weissmueller.

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Pot Prevails: Rob Kampia Discusses Marijuana's Recent Political Triumphs

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST

Medical marijuana is now legal in 16 states plus the District of Columbia, according to Rob Kampia, co-founder and executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project.

Kampia speaks to Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie, and says that advocates for legalizing marijuana have recently seen the best run of victories, ever. He explains why he thinks marijuana has moved to the back burner of political issues, and why this might cost President Obama come November of next year.

Held each July in Las Vegas, FreedomFest is attended by roughly 2,000 libertarians and advocates of limited government. Reason.tv spoke with over two dozen speakers and attendees, and will be releasing interviews over the coming weeks. For an ever-growing playlist, go here now.

About 5 minutes. Shot by Zach Weissmueller and Jim Epstein, and edited by Tracy Oppenheimer.

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Prohibition Vogue: Why We're Still Talking About "The Noble Experiment"

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EDT

Alcohol prohibition may have been repealed in 1933, but Americans have rarely been more intoxicated with the "noble experiment" than they are today.

Between "Last Call ," Daniel Okrent's best-selling 2010 book, leading clothing designers taking inspiration from jazz age fashion, a new prime-time documentary by Ken Burns, and the new, second season of HBOs critically acclaimed Boardwalk Empire, it's impossible to ignore the new interest in Prohibition. With a fixation on "classic cocktails" and faux-speakeasies, even drinking culture itself seems to be bellying up to the bar.

What's fueling this fascination and where will it end? Reason.tv talks with filmmaker Burns, author Okrent, and drug policy activist Aaron Houston of Students for Sensible Policy , who argues that "Culture and art right now are reflective of a general sentiment in this society that the war on drugs has not worked."

And that change is in air. Marijuana legalization initiatives will be on the ballot in at least two states in 2012, Reps. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and Barney Frank (D-Mass.) have introduced legislation to let states decide pot's legal status, and record high levels of Americans are in favor of legalization. As Okrent tells Reason.tv, the need for excise tax revenue during the Great Depression helped make repeal of alcohol prohibition not just possible but desirable. Coupled with a sense of exhaustion at a drug war that has done little to prevent drug use, the dire financial straits of government at all levels may just spell the demise of contemporary prohibition.

Approx. 5 minutes. Written and produced by Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie, who also narrates. Additional camera work by Jim Epstein and Anthony Fisher.

For more Reason.tv on drugs and alcohol, go here .

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The CA Marijuana Movement after Prop 19: Q&A with Dale Gieringer

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 11:10:00 EDT

A year ago, people across the country were keeping a close eye on California to see if golden state voters would be the first in the nation to legalize marijuana. Prop 19 didn't pass, though it got close with 46% of the vote.

Why didn't Prop 19 pass? What's next for the marijuana movement in California? We caught up with Dale Gieringer, director of CA NORML, at the 2011 Seattle Hempfest and asked him what's been happening since Prop 19 failed to pass last November.

Approximately 5 minutes. Produced by Paul Feine and Alex Manning.

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Dennis Kucinich: "It's Not a Radical Position" to Want Pot Legalized

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EDT

"It's not a radical position...to say that decriminalization or legalization ought to occur," says U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio).

Reason.tv caught up with Kucinich at Seattle's 2011 Hempfest, where he spoke with Nick Gillespie about growing political support for marijuana legalization and the need for citizens to speak up frankly about their drug use. "The cost of enforcing these laws is prohibitive," says Kucinich, who says "libertarians on both sides of the aisle" are gaining ground in Congress and among the electorate at large. "The American people are mature enough to make their own decisions."

Seattle Hempfest is an annual event that started in 1991 as a protest against the prohibition of marijuana, the commercial cultivation of non-psychoactive hemp for a variety of uses, and related issues. Every year since, tens of thousands of people gather each August to listen to speakers and bands and to show their support for legalizing pot and hemp products.

About 2.30 minutes. Shot by Alex Manning and edited by Zach Weissmueller.

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PBS Travel Guru Rick Steves: Smoking Pot is "My Civil Liberty"

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

"I'm a hardworking, tax-paying, kid-raising, church-going citizen of this country," say author and PBS travel host Rick Steves, "and if I work hard all day long and want to go home and relax with a joint, that is my civil liberty."

Reason.tv caught up with Steves at Seattle Hempfest in August, where he spoke with Nick Gillespie about marijuana laws and whether his outspoken defense of legalization has effected his books sales, tour bookings, and television career.

Seattle Hempfest is an annual event that started in 1991 as a protest against the prohibition of marijuana, the commercial cultivation of non-psychoactive hemp for a variety of uses, and related issues. For 20 years, tens of thousands of people gather each summer to listen to speakers and bands and to show their support for legalizing pot and hemp products.

About 4.15 minutes. Shot by Alex Manning and edited by Meredith Bragg.

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40 Years of Drug War Failure: LEAP's Neill Franklin

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EDT

On June 17, 1971 President Richard Nixon launched the modern-day drug war, an effort perpetuated by every one of his successors.

As the reform group Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) documents in a new comprehensive study, the drug war has destroyed lives and property, shredded the constitution, and distorted American education, health care, and even foreign policy. That's why, notes LEAP, fully 75 percent of Americans and 69 percent of police chiefs agree that the drug war has failed.

Reason's Nick Gillespie talked with LEAP's Executive Director Neill Franklin, a retired major in the Maryland State Police. As Franklin explains, he was one of the most bellicose drug warriors around until a comrade was killed during an undercover operation. The best way, argues Franklin, we can pay tribute to his fallen friend - and all the other people whose lives have been laid waste by a war on drugs that has caused far more bad than good - is to turn away from prohibition and embrace regulation and control similar to that used for alcohol.

Shot by Jim Epstein and Joshua Swain, who also edited.

For more videos and information about drug policy, go to here.

For more information on LEAP and to read "Ending the Drug War: A Dream Deferred," go to http://www.leap.cc/40years/

Alan Bock, rest in peace

Fri, 20 May 2011 16:00:00 EDT

Alan Bock, longtime editorial writer at the Orange County Register, died on May 18 at his home in Elsinore, California. Alan was a champion for liberty and a good friend to many of us at Reason. Alan, you'll be missed.

Alan wrote four books, including Waiting to Inhale: The Politics of Medical Marijuana (2000). In 2007, Drew Carey interviewed Alan about that book for a reason.tv program on medical marijuana. Here are some excerpts from that interview.

Approximately 5 minutes.

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Nanny of the Month (March 2011): Drug Warrior-in-Chief Barack Obama!

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Last month, Reason.tv recognized Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) as our nation's most irritating scold after he busted out a sneak attack on the the world's oldest profession.

This time top dishonors go to the Drug Warrior-in-Chief Barack Obama, whose DEA banned fake pot, thwarted a scientist's decade-long campaign to study marijuana, and raided dispensaries in Montana and California—all in one month!

(Seems like only yesterday when Obama promised he wouldn't waste Justice Department resources raiding medical marijuana dispensaries.)

Presenting the Nanny of the Month for March 2011: President Barack Obama (with DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart grabbing a dishonorable mention)!

Approximately 1:40.

"Nanny of the Month" is written and produced by Ted Balaker. Associate Producers: Hawk Jensen and Zach Weissmueller. Opening animation by Meredith Bragg.

To watch previous Nanny of the Month episodes, go here.

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Drug Raids Go Hollywood as Obama Admin Breaks Promise

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 10:50:00 EDT

Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agents with the help of the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Sheriff's Department raided the Zen Healing Collective and Alternative Herbal Health Services medical marijuana dispensaries in Hollywood, California on March 15, 2011.

The warrants served were federal and law enforcement took one individual into custody, which may result in arrest. Agents did not want to speak on camera but spokesperson for the DEA Sarah Pullen gave this statement to Reason.tv:

"DEA, with the assistance of the LAPD and the LASD served federal search warrants at approx. 210 pm this afternoon, March 15, 2011, as part of an on-going investigation. The warrants are federal and under seal by order of the court. Locations were 7800 and 8400 blocks of Santa Monica blvd, West Hollywood. We have one individual in custody right now, which may result in an arrest. Since the warrants are under seal I am unable to discuss any details regarding the warrants or investigation at this time."

When asked about raids on medical marijuana dispensaries in California in February 2009, Attorney General Eric Holder indicated raids would end on state approved dispensaries.

“What the president said during the campaign ... will be consistent with what we will be doing here in law enforcement … What (President Obama) said during the campaign ... is now American policy,” said Holder.

Obama told the Medford Mail Tribune in Oregon during the 2008 campaign “I'm not going to be using Justice Department resources to try to circumvent state laws on this issue.”

“I think the basic concept of using medical marijuana for the same purposes and with the same controls as other drugs prescribed by doctors, I think that's entirely appropriate."

On March 10, Los Angeles voters passed Measure M, or the “pot tax,” which will tax dispensaries by collecting $50 out of every thousand dollars made.

Produced by Paul Detrick and Zach Weissmueller. Edited by Weissmueller.

Approximately 1 minute.

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For more drug policy coverage, go to Reason.com's archive.

Artists vs. the Drug War: On the Scene at the Drug Policy Alliance's re:FORM Art Auction

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 09:00:00 EST

Think the drug war does more harm than good?

The Drug Policy Alliance sure does, and recently the DPA hosted the re:FORM Art Auction where artists donated their work to raise money for a most worthy cause—ending the war on drugs. Reason.tv was on the scene at the Honor Fraser Gallery in Culver City, California to talk to art lovers and drug policy reformers about everything from fixing our nation's prison policy to legalizing marijuana.

"I think the number one thing is basically to break the taboo on really open and honest dialog on all drug policy options including legalization," says Ethan Nadelmann, founder and executive director of the DPA.

Contributing artists include: Josh Levine, Ed Moses, Jeffrey Palladini, Gina Stepaniuk, and Jill Sykes.

Approximately 2.5 minutes.

"Artists Versus the Drug War" was Produced by Ted Balaker, Hawk Jensen and Alex Manning.

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Creating a Free State: Filmmaker Christina Heller on Building a Libertopia in New Hampshire

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 09:00:00 EST

Tired of waiting for a libertarian United States of America? Maybe the answer is to start small.

Enter Libertopia, a documentary by director Christina Heller and producer Craig Goodale that follows three guys' attempt to make one state free. Heller sat down with Reason.tv's Ted Balaker to discuss the Free State Project, why she admires libertarians, and how a persuasive band of Free Staters just might have transformed her from a liberal into a libertarian.

The Free State Project was proposed by a Yale PhD student in 2001, and the goal was to convince 20,000 pro-liberty activists to commit to moving to New Hampshire in hopes of returning the state to its "Live Free or Die" roots. So far, the project reports that there are more than 10,000 participants, and almost 900 "early movers" have already settled in the Granite State.

The documentary follows one man who is walking across the country to raise awareness about the Free State Project, another who already moved to New Hampshire and works as an advocate for medical marijuana patients, and a Ron Paul-inspired teenager who decides to leave his friends and family in California to live in New Hampshire.

Interview by Ted Balaker. Shot by Zach Weissmueller, Hawk Jensen, and Alex Manning. Edited by Weissmueller.

Approximately 9 minutes.

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Brian Doherty On The Annie Duke Show Discusses Pot Prohibition

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

Reason Senior Editor Brian Doherty appeared on The Annie Duke Show to discuss the how failure of Prop 19 in California has not stopped the increasing movement to decriminalize marijuana.

Air date: November 9, 2010.

Doherty appears at minute 34.

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Jacob Sullum Discusses Synthetic Drugs on Phoenix's KSAZ News

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

Reason Senior Editor Jacob Sullum discusses how the unintended consquences of the drug war has created a market for more dangerous synthetic drugs and advocates for drug legalization on KSAZ News, Phoenix's Fox affiliate. Air Date: December 15, 2010.

Approximately 3.47 minutes.

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Brian Doherty Explains The Failure of Prop 19 and What it Means for the Future of Pot Legalization

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EDT

In the 2010 election, California voters rejected Proposition 19, which would have legalized the possession and sale of marijuana in the state.

Reason Senior Editor Brian Doherty explains to Reason.tv why Prop. 19 lost, and says that despite electoral defeat, the proposition actually resulted in a number of victories for the legalization movement. Doherty also explains why he believes legalization is inevitable in the next four to six years.

Approximately 5 minutes. Produced by Zach Weissmueller and Alex Manning. Edited by Manning.

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iGrow Medical Marijuana: A California Growth Industry

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EDT

The California economy is in trouble, but there's at least one industry in the state that's booming: medical marijuana.

Even though medical marijuana has been legal in California since 1996, the people working in the industry continue to operate in the shadows of legal uncertainty. Dispensary owners and growers live in constant fear of being raided by federal agents who maintain that marijuana, medicinal or otherwise, remains illegal under federal law. And for years, indoor marijuana growers have dropped big bucks on growing equipment while keeping mum about what exactly it is they've been growing.

In Oakland, however, things are changing. Earlier this year iGrow (now called weGrow) became the first hydroponics store to come out of the grow closet and proclaim to the world that they exist to help farmers grow more and better medical marijuana. iGrow's slogan? There's no such thing as a $10,000 tomato!

We went to iGrow, the first US hydroponics superstore catering explicitly to pot farmers, to learn more about the burgeoning medical marijuana industry in California.

Approximately 6.5 minutes. Produced by Paul Feine and Alex Manning.

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Matt Welch Discusses Anti-Prop 19 Mentality on Russia Today's The Alyona Show

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Magazine Editor in Chief Matt Welch appeared on Russia Today's The Alyona Show discusses how Anti-Prop 19 advocates are using misinformation and fear-mongering to make their case. Air date: October 28, 2010.

Approximately 5.44 minutes.

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The Science of Medical Cannabis: A Conversation with Donald Abrams, M.D.

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 09:00:00 EDT

Donald Abrams, M.D. is chief of Hematology and Oncology at San Francisco General Hospital and the co-author—with Andrew Weil—of Integrative Oncology (Oxford University Press). Abrams has extensive experience working with cancer and HIV/AIDS patients and is a pioneer in the field of medical cannabis research.

The U.S. government classifies cannabis—along with heroin and LSD—as a Schedule I drug, the most tightly restricted category of drugs in the United States. According to the federal government, Schedule I drugs are unsafe and have "no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States."

However, as medical cannabis proponents have pointed out since the Controlled Substances Act was passed by Congress in 1970, cannabis has been used medicinally for thousands of years, and there has never been a reported case of a marijuana overdose. Moreover, in recent years clinical researchers around the world have demonstrated the medicinal value of cannabis.

Reason.tv's Paul Feine sat down with Dr. Abrams to learn more about the science of medical cannabis.

Approximately 10 minutes. Produced by Paul Feine and Alex Manning.

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No Accepted Medical Use? Three Perspectives on Medical Cannabis

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT

The U.S. government classifies marijuana—along with heroin and LSD—as a Schedule I drug, the most tightly restricted category of drugs in the United States. According to the federal government, Schedule I drugs are unsafe and have "no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States."

Really?

As medical marijuana proponents have pointed out since the Controlled Substances Act was passed by Congress in 1970, cannabis has been used medicinally for thousands of years, and there has never been a reported case of a marijuana overdose. Moreover, in recent years clinical researchers around the world have demonstrated the medicinal value of cannabis.

We talked to a doctor, a pharmacist, and a patient to get three firsthand perspectives on medical cannabis. Special thanks to Dr. Donald Abrams, JoAnna LaForce and Don Grubbs.

Approximately 10 minutes. Produced by Paul Feine and Alex Manning.

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Welcome to Oaksterdam!

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 07:00:00 EDT

Located in the pot-friendly "Oaksterdam" section of Oakland, California, Oaksterdam University aims to teach its students the fundamentals of growing and marketing marijuana.

The curriculum covers everything from law and politics to business and horticulture. The university also provides training for entrepreneurs in the pot industry as well as several dispensaries, a Bulldog Coffeeshop, and a gift shop. University founder Richard Lee tells Reason.tv that he and other Bay Area activists were inspired by the example of Amsterdam, a city with some of the most liberal marijuana policies in the world. As he put it, "We went to Amsterdam and said you know, hey, we can do this here; it shows it can work.”

Oaksterdam University is one of the major sponsors of the “Tax and Regulate” initiative that will be on the ballot in California this November. If passed, marijuana would be legalized and regulated like alcohol.

Produced by Paul Feine; shot by Alex Manning, edited by Hawk Jensen and Alex Manning.

Approximately 8 minutes long.

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3 Reasons to Legalize Pot Now!

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 06:29:00 EDT

As the United States enters its 72nd year of marijuana prohibition, it's time to consider legalizing pot once and for all, for at least three reasons:

1. The tax revenue and savings in law enforcement costs. A 2005 cost-benefit analysis done by Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron found that legalizing marijuana and taxing it similar to alcohol would generate over $6 billion in new revenue and save nearly $8 billion in direct law enforcement costs. Pot is already the biggest cash crop in many states; bringing it into the open market would pump all sorts of energy into the economy.

2. It's going to happen anyway, so why delay the inevitable? Increasing numbers of Americans realize that pot prohibition is an ineffective and costly policy. A 2009 poll by Zogby found that 52 percent of Americans agreed that marijuana should be taxed and regulated like booze. A Field Poll last year of California residents, who will vote on a legalization ballot initiative in the fall, found that 56 percent wanted legalization. Other polls show historically high percentages favoring legalization. In a world of busted budgets, it's crystal clear that spending time and energy policing marijuana is not worth it.

3. Keep Your Laws Off Our Bodies. Never mind that by virtually every measure, pot is safer and less than disruptive than booze. Pot prohibition in the 1930s was the result of hysteria, not serious threats to society. We own our bodies and should be free to eat, drink, and smoke what we want. And to take responsibility for our actions, whether we're straight or we're stoned.

Approximately 2.30 minutes long. Written and produced by Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie, who also hosts.

Will California Legalize Marijuana? Q&A With Assemblyman Tom Ammiano

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 07:00:00 EDT

Tom Ammiano is a California assemblyman from San Francisco, a former teacher, a long-time civil rights activist and a stand-up comic. Last year, Ammiano introduced a bill to legalize pot in California.

Reason.tv's Paul Feine sat down with Ammiano in March to talk about his life, his bill, and his relationship with Gov. Schwarzenegger.

Approximately 10 minutes. Produced by Paul Feine; shot and edited by Alex Manning.

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How iPad Technology and iPhone Apps Expand Liberty

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 07:00:00 EDT

Got a pothole? There's an app for that. Need a medical marijuana dispensary? There's an app for that, too.

Reason.tv's Ted Balaker sat down with Matt Harrison and Justin Hartfield of the Prometheus Institute to discuss how new technology can expand liberty. Harrison and Hartfield are the creators of the Do-it-Yourself Democracy iPhone application, which allows users to expose government waste, organize protests, or simply hector officials into finally fixing a long-neglected pothole.

Hartfield is also the creator of WeedMaps.com, a site and iPhone app that locates medical marijuana dispensaries and allows users to interact with other medical marijuana patients.

Other topics include: Revamping classic libertarian books with iPad technology and how Steve Jobs manages to be both an uber-capitalist and a progressive hero.

Interview by Ted Balaker. Shot by Alex Manning, Hawk Jensen, and Paul Detrick. Edited by Paul Detrick. Music: "Get What You Want?" by Beight (Magnatune Records).

Just under 10 minutes. Scroll down for iPod, HD, and audio versions of this video.

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Judge Jim Gray on The Six Groups Who Benefit From Drug Prohibition

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST

In 1992, Jim Gray, a conservative judge in conservative Orange County, California, held a press conference during which he recommended that we rethink our drug laws. Back then, it took a great deal of courage to suggest that the war on drugs was a failed policy.

Today, more and more Americans are coming to the realization that prohibition's costs—whether measured in lives and liberties lost or dollars wasted—far exceed any possible or claimed benefits. Reason.tv's Paul Feine interviewed Gray about drug policy and the prospects for reform. The interview was shot by Alex Manning and edited by Hawk Jensen.

Judge Jim Gray is the author of Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and What We Can Do About It: A Judicial Indictment of the War on Drugs.

Approximately 8.30 minutes.

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And come back to Reason.tv March 15 through March 19 for the debut of Reason Saves Cleveland With Drew Carey: How to fix the "Mistake on The Lake" and other once-great American cities, an original six-part documentary series.

Pot Wars: Battlefield California

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST

Over the past couple of years, the medical marijuana industry in Los Angeles has exploded. Estimates vary, but there may be as many as 800 dispensaries currently open for business in the city of angels. An ordinance recently passed by the LA city council, however, is about to change all that.

The new ordinance will force hundreds of dispensaries to close and all but a few to relocate. The goal was to bring clarity to the medical marijuana industry, but the only thing that's clear is that the transition process will be difficult. Especially now that the DEA has begun raiding dispensaries again despite the promises made by the Obama administration.

While federal, state and local governments struggle to make sense of medical marijuana laws, an increasing number of Californians support a completely different approach: marijuana legalization. Nothing more than a pipe dream? Maybe. But consider this: Fixty-six percent of Californians currently support pot legalization, the same proportion of Californians who voted for the Compassionate Use Act, which legalized medical marijuana, back in 1996.

Produced by Paul Feine. Shot and edited by Alex Manning. Graphics by Hawk Jensen.

Hosted by Nick Gillespie.

Approximately 9 minutes.

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Watch it at Reason.tv's YouTube channel (subscribe and receive automatic notification when new material goes live!).

Jessica Corry: Republican Mom for Pot Legalization!

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:01:00 EST

Jessica Peck Corry is a Denver-based attorney, public policy analyst, and political strategist. She has been called one of Colorado’s most influential women by the Denver Examiner and named one of Colorado’s top political "movers and shakers" by the Colorado Statesman.

Reason.tv interviewed Corry on November 10, 2009. On the same day, she spoke to students at the Washington Center for Journalism and Politics on "The Politics of the Drug War" with the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Law's Keith Stroup. Stroup's interview is available here. The whole panel, hosted by Reason contributor Terry Michael, can be viewed here

Shot and edited by Reason.tv's Dan Hayes. Approximately 6 minutes.

Terry Michael, Jessica Corry, and Keith Stroup Discuss Marijuana Policy

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:01:00 EST

On November 10, 2009 Reason.tv caught up with the National Organization of the Reform of Marijuana Law Co-founder Keith Stroup, attorney Jessica Peck Corry and Reason contributor Terry Michael. They spoke to students at the Washington Center for Journalism and Politics on "The Politics of the Drug War." Shorter interviews with Stroup and Corry can be viewed here and here.

Shot and edited by Reason.tv's Dan Hayes. Approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Keith Stroup, Co-Founder of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:00:00 EST

Keith Stroup is an attorney and founder of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

Reason.tv conducted this short interview with Stroup on November 10, 2009. On the same day, he spoke to students at the Washington Center for Journalism and Politics on a panel called "The Politics of the Drug War" with Jessica Peck Corry. Corry's interview is available here. The whole panel discussion, hosted by Reason contributor Terry Michael, can be viewed here.

Shot and edited by Reason.tv's Dan Hayes. Approximately 6 minutes.

Buy American Pot: A Special Message From The AMGA

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:17:00 EST

We all know that a lot of people are harmed by prohibition, but who benefits? Strangely enough, some of the biggest beneficiaries are the bootleggers. Sure, they take a big risk, but black marketeers don't have to pay taxes, they're protected from foreign competition, and they benefit from artificially inflated prices. Talk about protectionism.

What kind of message would an honest American Marijuana Growers Association have for us? "Thank you for your support of marijuana prohibition and buy American pot!"

"Buy American Pot" PSA was produced by Paul Feine, Alex Manning, and Hawk Jensen.

The farmer is played by Alexandra Fulton, who also has a pages on Facebook and IMDB.

For downloadable versions and embed codes, scroll down.

Visit Reason.tv's YouTube channel here.

"This is an injustice and I think everyone has gotten the message."

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Charlie Lynch is the medical marijuana dispensary owner whose business, fully legal under California state law, was raided by federal agents in 2007. Lynch was charged with five counts of violating federal drug laws. He faced as many as 100 years in prison, but on his June 11, 2009 sentencing date many expected the mandatory-minimum five-year sentence.

Although the fact that Lynch was prosecuted at all is an affront to anyone who believes in the 10th Amendment or the efficacy of medical marijuana, Lynch and his attorneys were relieved with the 366-day sentence delivered by U.S. District Court Judge George Wu. Lynch is free pending appeal, and his attorneys are hopeful he can avoid prison entirely. If he is imprisoned, the actual time he would spend behind bars would likely be about four months.

Defense attorney Reuven Cohen expects that his client will be among the last dispensary owners prosecuted in our nation’s failed war on drugs. "I really think," says Cohen, "you're looking at, if not the last, then the penultimate or third to last medical marijuana dispensary prosecution in the United States....This is an injustice, and I think everyone has gotten the message."

This video update is approximately three minutes. Produced by Ted Balaker; shot by Alex Manning and Paul Detrick.

The reason.tv documentary short, "Raiding California," which brought the Lynch case to a national audience, is here.

Reason’s coverage of the Lynch saga is here.

Lynch Media Tour Rolls Along

ted.balaker@reason.tv (Ted Balaker) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Charlie Lynch--and attorneys Reuven Cohen and John Littrell--speak with Larry King sub Tavis Smiley about the case at the center of the medical marijuana debate.

And hey, remember Smiley chatting with a certain game-show host, you know, the who was also the first to bring the Charlie Lynch story to a national audience?

Did you see Charlie Lynch with Al Roker? How about TIME's coverage?

Here's hoping that sunlight is indeed the best disinfectant.

Lynch on Larry Tonight

ted.balaker@reason.tv (Ted Balaker) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Tonight's Larry King Live will ask, "Should marijuana be legalized?"

Charlie Lynch, the former medical marijuna dispensary operator whose fate was recently put on hold, is scheduled to appear--as are Montel Williams and Stephen Baldwin, who will debate the question of the day.

To whet your appetite I include the above clip of Baldwin battling Ron Paul over the Phelps phlap.

Perhaps Larry will reflect on what it was like to be a boy in an America where cannabis was legal (And that's no hyperbolic dig at the newsman's age--his earliest years preceded the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act).

The Reason.tv Talk Show, Episode 13

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:30:00 EDT

Reason.tv's Michael C. Moynihan and Nick Gillespie sit down with Kristina Rasmussen, Director of Government Affairs for the National Taxpayers Union, and Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, to the prospects of ending the drug war, the Obama administration's policy towards medical marijuana, the stimulus plan, and the Bush tax legacy.

Approximately 20 minutes. Shot and edited by Dan Hayes.

Click here for an archive of previous episodes of the Reason.tv talkshow.

Will Medical Marijuana Dispensary Owner Charlie Lynch Spend Decades in Jail?

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:07:00 EDT

Morro Bay, California medical marijuana dispensary operator Charles Lynch finds himself caught between the old guard and the new guard. While the dispensary he ran was fully legal under state law, he was convicted under federal law last year and faces the prospect of decades in jail--all for helping sick people.

Lynch is waiting on his sentence. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder recently signaled that the Obama administration would break with the Bush administration and prosecute medical marijuana dispensary owners only if they violated both federal and state law.

Lynch was convicted during the Bush years, but his sentencing will occur under the new regime. So where would that leave him on his sentencing day--a free man, a lifelong prisoner, something else?

It turns out that the man who hold Lynch's life in his hands isn't sure how the policy shift should affect sentencing. U.S. District Court Judge George H. Wu postponed his decision until he learns more about the Justice Department's policy regarding such cases.

In this press conference, Charles Lynch and Reuven Cohen, one of his public defenders, answer questions about the man who stands squarely in the middle of the nation's debate over medical marijuana. Will Lynch be punished for following the law? Or will he be set free from the drug war's long reach?

Produced by Ted Balaker and Alex Manning of Reason.tv. Approximately 5 minutes.

For more video and information on Lynch's case, go here.

Watch "Raiding California," which lays out the miscarriage of justice at the heart of this case.

For more Reason.tv, go here.

Lynch To Be Sentenced Monday

ted.balaker@reason.tv (Ted Balaker) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT

This Monday, March 23 we will learn what the federal government will do with Charlie Lynch. Will he get the mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison? Will he spend the rest of his life behind bars?

But what about Attorney General Eric Holder's announcement that dispensaries will now have to violate both federal and state law before the feds will target them? Great news, but it could be too late for Lynch, which kicks the outrage meter up a few more clicks.

To review: Lynch operated his dispensary in accordance with state and local law (remember, even his mayor attended his ribbon-cutting ceremony).

San Louis Obispo County Sheriff Pat Hedges staked out Lynch's dispensary for nearly the entire first year of operation. He was just itching to find some state-level violation to pin on Lynch, but he couldn't--which is why he invited the feds to raid Lynch's home and dispensary.

And now what do we hear from Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for Thomas P. O'Brien, the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles?

"In every single case we have prosecuted, the defendants violated state as well as federal law," Mrozek said.

How interesting, because during the entire trial Lynch's attorneys did everything they could to appeal to state law, but each time they got their hands slapped because, as they were reminded again and again, state law is irrelevant in federal court.

Sentencing is set for 10:30 am at the Federal Courthouse, 312 Spring Street, LA, CA (Judge Wu's courtroom). All are encouraged to attend.

Jacob Sullum at Hampden-Sydney College

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EDT

In September 2008, Reason senior editor Jacob Sullum spoke at Hampden-Sydney College in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia, as part of a lecture series sponsored by the school's Center for the Study of Political Economy. His talk, Voodoo Pharmacology: Drug Use and Loss of Control, is approximately one hour.

Obama, You're No Stranger to the Bong

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 07:00:00 EST

Thank you, President Obama, for keeping your campaign pledge to end raids on medical marijuana dispensaries that are legal under state laws in California and elsewhere. Thank you for reversing an inhumane policy established by the Clinton administration and continued by the Bush administration.

Given the experience you and other elected officials have had with illegal drugs and your willingness to challenge the status quo, now is the time to reconsider decades of prohibitionist drug policies that have succeeded only in massively increasing the toll of human misery, violence, and hypocrisy. As with alcohol prohibition, the drug war intensifies and exacerbates every negative outcome it is ostensibly designed to combat.

President Obama, do the right thing and end the war on drugs.

"Obama, You're No Stranger to the Bong" was written, performed, and edited by Paul Feine; special thanks to Alex Manning.

GUILTY

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 03:00:00 EDT

The jury has delivered a verdict in the trial of Charlie Lynch: Guilty on all counts. The former medical marijuana dispensary operator could very well receive a sentence much longer than the average sentence first-degree murderers receive.

Hear from two of Lynch's defense attorneys, as well as the jury foreperson, in this video update produced by Ted Balaker and Rick Ray. Associate Producers are Seth Goldin and Brittney Bussian.

Previous Lynch trial video updates can be found here and here. reason.tv's documentary short, Raiding California, can be found here.

Silencing Owen

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 09:00:00 EDT

Chemotherapy treatments and an amputated leg left 17-year-old Owen Beck in constant pain and nausea. Nothing gave him relief until he tried the medical marijuana his parents purchased for him at Charlie Lynch’s dispensary in Morro Bay, California.

After armed federal agents raided his dispensary in 2007, Lynch now finds himself in the midst of a trial that could land him in prison for the rest of his life. On Tuesday Owen Beck was called to the stand to speak on Lynch’s behalf—and then promptly silenced.

In this video update, reason.tv continues its coverage of the saga first told in the documentary short, Raiding California: Medical Marijuana and Minors.

To learn why Owen's testimony was cut short, read Seth Goldin's courtroom dispatch.

The trial of Charlie Lynch is expected to continue into the week of August 4. The public is encouraged to attend:

U.S. District Court
Courtroom 10
312 North Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Raiding California

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 18:00:00 EDT

UPDATE: On August 5, 2008 Charlie Lynch was found guilty on all five counts. Sentencing is scheduled for June 11, 2009.

For reason.tv's coverage of the trial (including an on-camera interview with the jury foreperson), go here, here, and here.

For more information, visit Friends of Charles C. Lynch.

For information on how to contact your elected officials, please go here or here.

______

June 10, 2008

Should medical marijuana be kept from minors at all costs? Why is it that pharmacists can dispense amphetamines without getting busted, but legal operators who dispense medical marijuana face prison time? Why do armed federal agents persist in raiding California?

With its sun, surf and small town atmosphere, California's San Luis Obispo County is a good place to grow up. Seventeen-year-old Owen Beck played football and soccer for a local high school, but one day his thoughts abruptly turned away from sports and school. Doctors told Owen he had bone cancer, and would have to begin chemotherapy right away.

The young athlete suffered another blow—doctors would have to amputate his leg to try to keep the cancer from spreading. Chemotherapy attacked Owen's cancer and his body, leaving him bald, gaunt, and vomiting the food he needed to recover. The amputation introduced Owen to a bizarre, new agony called phantom pain, and although doctors gave him powerful medication, nothing helped.

But might a new kind of pharmacy offer new hope? A medical marijuana dispensary had recently opened in the nearby city of Morro Bay. More than a decade earlier, California voters legalized medical marijuana and Morro Bay's mayor and Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the dispensary, and its owner Charlie Lynch.

Owen's parents knew the idea of giving medical marijuana to a 17-year-old strikes many people as scandalous. Local Sheriff Pat Hedges even asserts that allowing medical marijuana is "not in the best interest of a community that prides itself on providing a healthy, family environment."

But the Becks weren't concerned about what other people thought; they were focused on helping their son. So with a written doctor recommendation in hand, they purchased medical marijuana for their teenage son. The new medication eased Owen's pain and nausea like nothing else had, and the Becks grew fond of Charlie Lynch, who would sometimes refuse payment because, says Steve Beck, "He was just a compassionate kind of a guy."

But one day, Owen's life took another abrupt turn. Federal agents and local sheriff deputies raided Charlie Lynch's dispensary, and seized nearly everything inside, including Owen's medicine. "He had a prescription from a doctor at Stanford, and they took his stuff!" says Debbie Beck. Federal agents cuffed Lynch, and put him behind bars. Even though state and local laws allow for it, medical marijuana is still illegal under federal law. And because he had clients like Owen who were under age 21, Charlie Lynch faces heightened penalties. In California the average first-degree murder serves 20 years behind bars; Charlie Lynch could face a sentence as long as 100 years in prison.

The trial of Charlie Lynch begins this July.

KEEP stanHOPE ALIII...

ted.balaker@reason.tv (Ted Balaker) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:32:00 EDT

Ahh never mind.

Stick with the likes of Ron Paul or Chris Dodd if you're looking for a presidential candidate who wants to liberalize drug policy. Doug Stanhope has pulled out.

But you can still check out the comic's rant on medical marijuana; his rant on freedom is here.

Silly Olbermann, Pot is for Kids!

paul.feine@reason.tv (Paul Feine) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:00:00 EDT

Claudia Jensen, who lost her battle with cancer recently, was a pediatrician and USC instructor who advocated medical marijuana for children diagnosed with ADD and ADHD.

MSNBC's Keith Olbermann interviewed Dr. Jensen during the summer of 2006.

Medical Marijuana

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:00:00 EDT

“I think it’s clear by now that the federal government needs to reclassify marijuana. People who need it should be able to get it – safely and easily,” says The Price Is Right and Power of 10 host Drew Carey in a new Reason.tv video examining medical marijuana and the war on drugs.

One of the most outrageous consequences of the war on drugs is the federal crackdown on medical marijuana, which is used by patients to help treat the effects of cancer, glaucoma, HIV-AIDS, chronic pain and nausea, and other severe symptoms associated with serious illnesses. Medical marijuana prescribed by a physician is legal in 12 states, yet federal agents are raiding state-approved dispensaries and preventing patients from having safe access to this drug.

In Episode 2 of Reason.tv's Drew Carey Project, Drew takes a look at patients who need and use medical marijuana in California, and how the federal government is making their lives even worse.

Episode 1 of Reason.tv's Drew Carey Project, Gridlock, is here.

Magic Weed

ted.balaker@reason.tv (Ted Balaker) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 11:06:00 EDT

The story of cannabis, Part 1.

Find subsequent parts under the "related videos" column here.