Congressional Cannabis Caucus formed

Just how mainstream is marijuana? There’s now a “Congressional Cannabis Caucus.” - The Washington Post - Christopher Ingraham:

February 17, 2017 - "This week, a bipartisan group of U.S. representatives formed the first-ever "Congressional Cannabis Caucus" to work on legislation related to marijuana legalization and regulation.

"Democrats Earl Blumenauer of Oregon and Jared Polis of Colorado teamed up with Republicans Dana Rohrabacher of California and Don Young of Alaska to form the caucus. Not coincidentally, all four representatives hail from states where recreational marijuana use is legal.

"'The federal government’s decades-long approach to marijuana is a colossal, cruel joke, and most Americans know it,' Rohrabacher said in a news release announcing the formation of the group Thursday. 'Not only have incalculable amounts of taxpayers’ dollars been wasted, but countless lives have been unnecessarily disrupted and even ruined by misguided law enforcement'....

"'Because of the conflicts between Federal and State law, marijuana-related issues are no longer theoretical — they are real, and they are affecting real people in Alaska and across the country,' Young said in a written statement. 'I look forward to working with the Congressional Cannabis Caucus to educate my colleagues in the House on the issues we are facing in Alaska, and hopefully to also develop solutions to these problems.'

"Earlier this month, Rohrabacher introduced a measure called the Respect State Marijuana Laws Act of 2017, which would protect people from marijuana-related prosecutions under the Controlled Substances Act, provided that they were acting in compliance with state laws. The bill has drawn bipartisan co-sponsorship."

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/02/17/just-how-mainstream-is-marijuana-theres-now-a-congressional-cannabis-caucus/?utm_term=.0857036e7234
'via Blog this'

Libertarian author Jerome Tuccille dead at 79

Jerome Tuccille, Libertarian Author and Trump Biographer, Dies at 79 - The New York Times - William Grimes:

February 24, 2017 - "Jerome Tuccille, who wrote one of the first manifestoes of the American libertarian movement and the first biography of Donald J. Trump, died on Feb. 16 at his home in Severna Park, Md. He was 79.

"As Mr. Tuccille (pronounced too-CHILLY) told the tale in It Usually Begins With Ayn Rand: A Libertarian Odyssey (1971), he was a disaffected Roman Catholic looking for a new faith when he discovered the writings of Ayn Rand and her radically individualist philosophy, which she called objectivism....

"In Radical Libertarianism: A Right Wing Alternative (1970), he laid out a political program that envisioned an end to conscription, taxes and government control over education, health services, transportation and other areas. It also called for the legalization of drugs, prostitution and pornography.

"In an Op-Ed for The New York Times in 1971, Mr. Tuccille called on conservatives 'who still care about such things as peace and justice and racial harmony' to vote for candidates 'who really mean peace when they say peace; who understand and intend to promote the politics of decentralization, of pollution control, of economic and judicial reform, and so on all the way down the line'....

In 1974, two years after the founding of the Free Libertarian Party, Mr. Tuccille ran for governor of New York.... Three years later, in an article for the conservative magazine National Review, he wrote the epitaph for libertarianism as a political movement. Although still committed to its ideals, he called it 'hopelessly utopian' and 'an intellectual exercise, not a serious political alternative'....

"Tuccille wrote how-to books on investing and a series of biographies, beginning in 1985 with Trump: The Saga of America’s Most Powerful Real Estate Baron.... After his Trump biography, he wrote Rupert Murdoch (1989), Barry Diller: The Life and Times of a Media Mogul (1998) and Alan Shrugged: Alan Greenspan, the World’s Most Powerful Banker (2002)....

"Tuccille remained what his son called 'a borderline anarchist. In The Gospel According to Ayn Rand (2007), ...  Tuccille wrote: 'The battle to sustain the Bill of Rights is more challenging now than ever, the fight for freedom is far from over. In many ways things have gotten worse over the decades. Government is grotesquely big, taxes are too high, civil liberties are getting crimped a bit tighter every day.'”

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/24/books/jerome-tuccille-dead.html
'via Blog this'

MDMA in final phase of FDA-mandated tests

A campaign for FDA approval of MDMA enters final trials - Business Insider - Kevin Loria:

November 30, 2016 - After veteran Tony Macie came back from Iraq in 2007, he learned he had post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD].... The retired sergeant then became part of a clinical trial organized by MAPS [Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies] that was testing an unusual substance.... MDMA, ... the pure form of something commonly thought of as an illegal party drug - ecstasy.... 'One of the first things I said when it kicked in was, "This is what I've been looking for,'" Macie says....

"The trial Macie was involved in and other Phase 2 clinical studies conducted by MAPS have been so effective that the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday agreed to allow large-scale Phase 3 clinical trials — the third and final in the three sets of human trials required before the FDA will consider a new drug for approval — to go forward, according.... If those trials continue to show that MDMA effectively treats PTSD, ecstasy could enter clinical use as soon as 2021, fitting the timeline that MAPS has been working toward for some time now....

"One of the early studies conducted by MAPS showed that 83% of the study participants no longer showed signs of PTSD two months after treatment, and long-term follow-ups conducted an average of four years later showed that most of those benefits stuck. That was a proof-of-concept study, with just 20 participants, all of whom had psychotherapy as well.... 

"Though small and preliminary, the results were encouraging enough to help lead to Phase 2 clinical trials, which MAPS announced were coming to an end last March. These trials consisted of at least eight studies that Brad Burge, the director of communications for MAPS, recently told Inverse treated 136 people using MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD.... The data released from those studies so far is very promising, with a large percentage of patients not showing any signs of PTSD more than a year after completing the therapy.

 "The final tests will involve hundreds of people and must be conducted before the FDA decides to approve a new medication. 'Phase 3 starts around 2017, and it will take four to five years to finish,' Burge has previously said. 'So that will put it at early 2021 for FDA approval'....

"MAPS is mostly raising money itself to fund what it describes as a roughly $20 million plan to complete these trials, which are largely not of interest to pharmaceutical companies since the patent on MDMA has expired. That will mean significant fundraising is required.

"Last year the organization reported $9.1 million in assets, more than $5 million of which was a bequest from a longtime board member that has been earmarked specifically for those Phase 3 trials. In fiscal-year 2015, MAPS raised a combined $2.99 million from 2,500 donors. It said in its most recent annual report that 'substantially increasing our donor base' would be necessary to move forward with Phase 3 trials."

 Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/mdma-ecstacy-fda-approval-maps-2016-11
'via Blog this'

Ron Paul and the "libertarian statists"

Ron Paul and the "libertarian statists" - George J. Dance, Nolan Chart:

February 22,2017 - "The role of U.S. Libertarian Party (LP) Chair is an administrative position, that normally receives little public attention. That changed this January, after the current Chair, Nicholas Sarwark, appeared on a year-end Lions of Liberty podcast to discuss the 2016 LP presidential campaign of Gary Johnson and Bill Weld. One comment in that 40-minute interview “caused an eruption in comments on Facebook,' and a 'debate [that] raged on social media'.

"During the discussion, the podcast host contrasted Johnson’s messaging with Ron Paul’s 'ideologically pure' libertarian message; to which Sarwark responded 'that you "run a very dangerous line" by identifying [libertarian] beliefs with any one personality.' Then Sarwark made the comment that touched off the storm, saying of Paul:

“He had policy prescriptions that were straight-up wrong and anti-libertarian. None of us should be given a pass on having to have actual libertarian positions, or not be able to be called out when you say you oppose marriage equality. You know, that’s not a libertarian position to have. State’s rights is not a libertarian position, and it’s something Ron Paul had pushed for a long time.”

"'Libertarian Party Chairman Denounces Ron Paul’s Support for States’ Rights,' was the headline on a Ron Paul Institute article by Adam Dick. 'The Libertarian Party believes Ron Paul is not a Libertarian,' headlined Liberty Conservative, with writer Chris Dixon smugly commenting: 'Before criticizing others for not being libertarian, the Libertarian Party should probably learn what it means to be a libertarian first'....

"Both fortunately and unfortunately, the storm blew over quickly. Fortunately, because it seemed like little more than an attempt by anti-LP libertarians to embarrass an LP figure, similar to many of the criticisms of Johnson and Weld during the campaign. Unfortunately, because (aside from [Mike] Maharrey’s contribution) there was little to no attempt to address the substantive issue that it reflected.

"At issue is the question of using the U.S. Bill of Rights, and the federal courts, to protect individual rights from state governments as well as from the federal government. Libertarians like Sarwark argue that 'the Federal government can protect the equal rights of people from state discrimination' – while 'states’ rights' advocates like Maharrey claim that one 'simply can’t reconcile [that idea] with the Constitution. Whether you agree philosophically with Sarwark’s constitutional construction or not, no founding era evidence exists to support it.'"

Read more: https://www.nolanchart.com/ron-paul-and-the-libertarian-statists
'via Blog this'

Arizona House passes modest forfeiture reform

Tenth Amendment Center Blog | Arizona House Unanimously Passes Bill Taking on State, Federal Asset Forfeiture - Mike Maharrey:

February 23, 2017 - "Today, the Arizona House voted 60-0 to pass a bill reforming the state’s asset forfeiture laws. The bill also takes on federal forfeiture programs by banning prosecutors from circumventing state laws by passing cases off to the feds in most situations....

"Rep. Eddie Farnsworth (R-Gilbert) introduced House Bill 2477 (HB2477) on Feb. 7. The legislation would require prosecutors to establish a higher evidentiary standard for asset forfeiture. As it stands, the law only requires a preponderance of the evidence. HB2477 would raise that, requiring police and prosecutors to provide 'clear and convincing evidence' the property was linked to a crime. While the proposed law would not require a criminal conviction before proceeding with asset forfeiture, it would take a step toward reforming Arizona’s forfeiture laws under that essential standard.

"HB2477 would also drastically increase transparency. It would establish stringent asset forfeiture reporting requirements law enforcement agencies would have to follow. Additionally, police would have to detail how seized funds are spent.

"While the reforms are modest in comparison with those under consideration in many states, law enforcement has aggressively lobbied against the bill. Activists have obtained letters sent to representatives from at least three police departments opposing the bill....  Despite the opposition, the Arizona House passed it by a 60-0 vote.....

"HB2477 also close a loophole that allows prosecutors to bypass more stringent state asset forfeiture laws by passing cases off to the federal government under its Equitable Sharing forfeiture program: 'The seizing agency or the attorney for the state may not enter into any agreement to transfer or refer seized property to a federal agency ... for the purpose of forfeiture unless the seized property includes more than one hundred thousand dollars in United States currency'....

"The inclusion of provisions barring state and local law enforcement agencies from passing off cases to the feds is particularly important.... By placing the case under federal jurisdiction, law enforcement can ... collect up to 80 percent of the proceeds from forfeited assets via the federal Equitable Sharing Program ...  a pipeline the feds use to incentivize state and local police to serve as de facto arms of the federal government by funneling billions of dollars into their budgets....

"HB2477 now moves to the Senate for further consideration."

Read more: http://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2017/02/arizona-house-unanimously-passes-bill-taking-on-state-federal-asset-forfeiture/
'via Blog this'

Conference sees good and (mostly) bad in 2017

Can libertarians mediate the divide? | Newsday -  Cathy Young:

February 23, 2017 - "The people who gathered for the 10th annual conference of the International Society of Students for Liberty in Washington last weekend were a motley crowd that included anti-war activists with neon-colored hair and law students in three-piece suits. In the exhibit hall, a display honoring Ronald Reagan was only a few feet away from a LGBT group with a rainbow version of the 'Don’t Tread on Me' Gadsen flag and from the table of a group called Muslims for Liberty.

"Despite the festive atmosphere, this year’s speakers at the libertarian event were mostly in a dark mood.... While libertarians tend to be at the Republican end of the two-party spectrum, Donald Trump Republicanism is about as un-libertarian as you get. There was raucous applause when Katherine Mangu-Ward, editor of Reason magazine ... declared at the opening-night session, 'Free movement of people and goods across the border is good.' Another Reason editor, Nick Gillespie, contrasted the libertarian spirit of “cosmopolitanism and tolerance” with Trump’s demonization of undesirables — and with the left’s anti-pluralist drive to silence politically incorrect speech.

"Tom Palmer, vice president for international programs at the nonprofit Atlas Network, ... named left-wing identity politics and thought-policing as part of the problem, [but] his focus was the threat from the right: in America, Trumpism, with its cult of the leader who embodies the people’s will and its paranoia about the foreign; in Europe, populist, nationalist, and sometimes outright fascist movements, many financed by Russia’s authoritarian regime.

"Social psychologist and New York University professor Jonathan Haidt, whose talk on the rise of the 'safety culture' in colleges was probably the biggest hit of the conference, warned that 'the end of liberal democracy” was a real threat.... Social justice, Haidt said, is replacing pursuit of knowledge as the central mission of universities, and there is less and less tolerance for dissent. The result is a generation sympathetic to censorship of offensive speech.

"While parts of the conference had a decidedly pessimistic tone, there was optimism as well — and discussion of libertarian victories from deregulation to gay civil rights. Libertarianism may not have all the answers; but right now, it may be our best hope for rebuilding a culture of freedom and tolerance."

Read more: http://www.newsday.com/opinion/columnists/cathy-young/donald-trump-is-as-un-libertarian-as-you-can-get-1.13162055
'via Blog this'

A better way to secure the border

Ron Paul: How About a Better Solution Than Donald Trump’s Border Wall? | Opinions - Noozhawk.com:

February 2, 2017 - "Just one week in office, President Donald Trump is already following through on his pledge to address illegal immigration. His Jan. 25 executive order called for the construction of a wall along the entire length of the U.S.-Mexico border ... his proposed solution will unfortunately not lead us anywhere closer to solving the problem.

"First, the wall will not work. Texas already started building a border fence about 10 years ago. It divided people from their own property across the border, it deprived people of their land through the use of eminent domain, and in the end the problem of drug and human smuggling was not solved.

"Second, the wall will be expensive.... Trump has claimed that if the Mexican government doesn’t pay for it, he will impose a 20 percent duty on products imported from Mexico. Who will pay this tax? Ultimately, the American consumer....

"Although Trump is right to prioritize the problem of border security, he misses the point on how it can be done effectively and at an actual financial benefit to the country....

The solution to really addressing the problem of illegal immigration, drug smuggling and the threat of cross-border terrorism is clear: remove the welfare magnet that attracts so many to cross the border illegally, stop the 25-year U.S. war in the Middle East and end the drug war that incentivizes smugglers to cross the border.

The various taxpayer-funded programs that benefit illegal immigrants in the United States — such as direct financial transfers, medical benefits, food assistance and education — cost an estimated $100 billion per year.... It is estimated that since President Richard Nixon declared a war on drugs, the United States has spent more than $1 trillion to fight what is a losing battle.

"Finally, ... we must soberly consider why [terrorists] may seek to do us harm.... We have been dropping bombs on the Middle East since at least 1990. Last year, President Barack Obama dropped more than 26,000 bombs. Thousands of civilians have been killed.... Ending this senseless intervention will go a long way toward removing the incentive to attack the United States....

"Trump’s plan to build a wall will end up costing a fortune while ignoring the real problem of why people cross the borders illegally. They will keep coming as long as those incentives remain."

Read more: https://www.noozhawk.com/article/ron_paul_a_better_solution_than_donald_trumps_border_wall_20170202
'via Blog this'