Suit Targets Ban on Pro-Pot Ads Hip Hip Hurah folks

[Lilli]

Suit Targets Ban on Pro-Pot Ads
Posted by CN Staff on February 18, 2004 at 22:12:12 PT
By Jim McElhatton, Washington Times
Source: Washington Times

The American Civil Liberties Union yesterday sued the federal government and Metro, seeking to overturn the transit agency's recent ban on advertisements touting the legalization of marijuana.
The ad at the center of the dispute is headlined "Marijuana Laws Waste Billions of Taxpayer Dollars to Lock Up Non-Violent Americans." Boston-based Change the Climate Inc. submitted the ad in January to run on Metro buses and be placed in subway stations, but the transit agency rejected the ad campaign earlier this month.

The ACLU lawsuit says rejecting the ad violates free-speech laws.

"We filed this lawsuit today because we believe that every viewpoint should have a chance to compete in the marketplace of ideas in America, including the viewpoint that current marijuana laws are not working," said Graham Boyd, policy director for the ACLU.

Metro officials yesterday said the agency, which is facing a $1.5 billion shortfall in the next six years, risked losing $170 million in federal funding if officials did not reject the ad.

Congress passed an appropriations bill in December that bars federally subsidized transit agencies from accepting ads that advocate the legalization or medical use of illicit drugs, including marijuana.

The law prohibits giving federal funds to transit agencies "involved directly or indirectly" in any activity that promotes legalizing drugs.

"Given our critical dependency on continued federal funding, we have no choice but to follow the law that Congress passed," said Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein. "To do otherwise would be a disservice to our customers and the region's taxpayers."

Marijuana ads posted on Metro buses and in subway stations last year prompted U.S. Rep. Ernest Istook, Oklahoma Republican, to propose legislation banning ads that promote legalizing drugs.

Last year's campaign by Change the Climate included an ad touting marijuana legalization that showed a young couple embracing with the caption "Enjoy Better Sex!"

In a letter to Metro officials last year, Mr. Istook said, "At a time when the nation and the Washington D.C. area, in particular, suffer from chronic substance abuse I find it shocking that provides this ad space."

Metro had rejected a similar ad campaign by Change the Climate three years ago, but the agency reversed its position after the ACLU interceded.

D.C. Council member Jim Graham, Ward 1 Democrat who serves on the Metro board, said he understands why Metro officials rejected the most recent ad, but he does not agree entirely with the decision.

"I think the Metro position is the correct one, but I'd also like to see us take a position that this advertising ban is inappropriate and interferes with our ability to operate a rail system," Mr. Graham said. "We should also make an effort to support the ACLU."

Joseph White, executive director for Change the Climate, likened the Metro ban on marijuana-legalization ads to government censorship.

"The federal government's response to open debate is censorship," Mr. White said. "Government censorship to quell criticism of its own policies should not be tolerated in the United States."

However, Joyce Nalepka, president of D.C.-based Drug-Free Kids, a national advocacy organization, said the ban should be upheld.

"My concern is that Washington, D.C., like every other major American city, has a drug problem, and everyone is struggling to find ways to improve the situation," she said.

"But these ads encourage using drugs. I would ask D.C. parents and teachers to speak out against this loud and clear," Mrs. Nalepka said.

The ad rejected by Metro was sponsored by the ACLU, Change the Climate, the Drug Policy Alliance and the Marijuana Policy Project.

Officials from each of the four groups spoke at a press conference yesterday at the National Press Club in the District, where they announced that the lawsuit had been filed.

Mr. White said his group has sponsored similar advertisement campaigns in transit agencies in Oakland, San Francisco and Nevada. Attempts by the group to run ads in Boston were thwarted when the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority rejected the ads.

The group sued the Boston-based transit authority but lost. Mr. White said the decision remains under appeal.

Source: Washington Times (DC)
Author: Jim McElhatton, Washington Times
Published: February 18, 2004
Copyright: 2004 News World Communications, Inc.
Website: http://www.washtimes.com/
Contact: letters@washingtontimes.com

Related Articles & Web Sites:

MPP: http://www.mpp.org/
ACLU: http://www.aclu.org/
DPA: http://www.drugpolicy.org/
CTC: http://www.changetheclimate.org/

Feds Face Lawsuit in Censorship Fight
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18359.shtml

ACLU Sues Metrorail, City Over Marijuana Ads
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18356.shtml

wow thank ya lord for that ! ~Lilli~
_________________

I pass to you the torch that Christ once passed to me.
Others are still in the dark and need
the light to see.
"I AM"
"Gathering the fragments so that
none are lost"
His Shepherdess
http://missouri.thcministry.org/

[TrueProCannabis420]

Yeah i read that on Google news. www.google.com/news I was lil furious at them. We SHOULD BAN their drug free ads that is showing right now on tv.
_________________
Hemp promote society. THC promote peace between humans. Now, we need someone to promote it. Let us the peacemakers show others how to make peace.

[Lilli]

Arnt those anti marijuana commercials just awful? Why are there no anti crack adds? It shows satan does not want us to have our sacrement. yeh keep all those beer commericals we all know alcohol is behind 95% of domestic violence and child abuse. Satans mouthpiece is the govermenets. if cannabis was legal my goodness joyous and happy mellow ppl everywhere. He wouldnt like that. Well with God for us who can be against us. Not satan hes gonna loose.
~Lilli~
_________________

I pass to you the torch that Christ once passed to me.
Others are still in the dark and need
the light to see.
"I AM"
"Gathering the fragments so that
none are lost"
His Shepherdess
http://missouri.thcministry.org/

[TrueProCannabis420]

ahh I TOTALLY agreed with you, sista! GOVERNMENT IS 100 percent of !!!!
_________________
Hemp promote society. THC promote peace between humans. Now, we need someone to promote it. Let us the peacemakers show others how to make peace.

[Whitegold]

I can understand their reasons for this abomination...but tarring marijuana with the same brush as speed, crack, heroin, lsd etc etc is just out of order...and needs someone to stand for office...maybe if we all donate 5 or 10 bucks each we could finance the campaign ourselves....mind you , you would need about 10 million people
_________________
ONLY SMOKE IT IF IT'S GREEN !
Shamanic THC Ministry
Cannabis Cafe Forum
Cannabis Seeds UK

[Lilli]

If you have any amount to donate May I suggest The American Civil Liberties Union or
http://www.moveon.org/front/
If anyone has a better suggestion make it. They seem to be making the most progress against bush.
_________________

I pass to you the torch that Christ once passed to me.
Others are still in the dark and need
the light to see.
"I AM"
"Gathering the fragments so that
none are lost"
His Shepherdess
http://missouri.thcministry.org/

[Rev. Chazman]

Thanks for updating us with this info sister.. I missed this news item completely.

Peace
_________________
I praise good thoughts, good words, and good deeds and those that are to be thought, spoken, and done. I do accept all good thoughts, good words, and good deeds. I do renounce all evil thoughts, evil words, and evil deeds. ---Avesta: Yasna
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Future Servant of Cannatopia ©2004 - ∞ Rev. Chazman all rights reserved