Senate candidate backs pot law reform

[CShine]

WASHINGTON -- Wayne Sowell isn't widely known in Alabama, yet he is making history as a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate this year. The Birmingham resident is the first black Alabamian to run for the Senate on a major-party ticket. He also is one of the few major-party candidates anywhere in recent years for whom marijuana laws are an important concern. On a campaign Web site, Sowell lauds marijuana as "God's perfect plant," urges legalization for everyone 21 and older, and suggests that members of Congress take heed of the "pot vote."

"We Hempsters pray for God's continued guidance and leadership in this fight," Sowell concludes. "We will fight for our Hemp rights!!"

Sowell, who says he is on leave from his job with the Social Security Administration, has drawn few votes in several other runs for state and federal offices.

After a state Democratic panel disqualified a would-be rival last month, he became the party's impromptu standard-bearer this November against three-term Republican incumbent Sen. Richard Shelby.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/politics/2585319

[eaprez]

1. Oh God

...he ranks right up there with Jerry Springer as one of those I am proud to have representing the party. The Republicans will make hay of those comments.

[Webster Green]

5. Fuck the repukes! This guy is right on....

Itys about time people started telling it like it is instead of trying to appease a bunch of fascist dickheads.

How many lives have been ruined because of the demonization of pot.

It is the perfect plant. The real crime is the prohibition.

[tabasco]

6. Really - imagine RATIONAL laws !

If we had more leaders with spines we would have a less repressive society and less harmless people in prison. Marijuana laws in this country and the sham war on drugs is nothing less than IRRATIONAL. When will our government be guided by REASON rather than religious wackos and weirdos??

[eaprez]

7. I Don't Disagree...

....its just not going to happen. Especially in the south.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[boobooday]

2. The pot vote

Could be a MUCH bigger block than the fundamentalist Christians.

Seriously. He knows whereof he speaks.

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[Cooley Hurd]

9. I agree that the ganja vote would be huge...

...but the opposition would only have to schedule a Mystery Science Theatre marathon on election day. The weed voting bloc would melt away... :evilgrin:

[phatkatt]

18. LOL!

Bravo!

[amlouden]

3. good

more power to him, it's about time we had some people who believe in reforming the old outdated drug laws

[UnAmericanJoe]

4. It's a start

We've got a long, perhaps unwinnable battle ahead.

[NNN0LHI]

8. Whole lot of reefer grown in Alabama. This might go over there? n/t

[Jackpine Radical]

10. I don't think the big-time pot growers want legalization

any more than the Mob wanted Prohibition repealed.

The Narcs are their price support mechanism.

[NNN0LHI]

11. They are getting killed with tobacco. Its all being imported now

I think the mainstream farmers and their unemployed workers would really like to see pot legalized.

Don

[Jackpine Radical]

12. That's true.

I could see Phillip Morris backing legalization in a big way. Rumor had it that Big Tobacco had contingency plans for legalization years ago. They were ready to start rolling doobies in their infernal machines.

[Chico Man]

14. If I could grow weed legally I'd quit my 9-5 job in a heartbeat

Growing tomatoes is fun, but growing marijuana? What a beautiful job that would be..

[Freddie Stubbs]

17. If it were legalized

The price would plummet and there would be little profit in small scale growing.

[Chico Man]

25. Who cares about the profit

I'd have the finest buds around!

And who needs a 9-5 job when you have the finest buds?

[Freddie Stubbs]

26. You've got to eat

And if you are smoking a lot of weed, odds are you are going to get the munchies.

[Chico Man]

29. Plant a nice vegetable garden along with the marijuana!

And get some chickens.

[frank frankly]

13. good news

good news!

[Tellurian]

15. Hey, Hemp oil is an alternative fuel source.. so long gasoline!

The Declaration of Indy was written on Hemp Paper under the light of Hemp OIl..

About ding-dang time!

[lumpy]

19. I bet all you 'liberal potheads

wearing your little round wire-rimmed spectacles' are happy to hear this, hehehe. Seriously, pot should be decriminalized and put in the proper perspective.

[Arwennick]

20. Wayne is a brave man

He is a man whom I respect for his convictions.He knows that snowball fights in the deep south are rare.But he is a deeply religious man and looks to God for guidance.I know that doesn't go over well here,but in Alabama the heart of Dixie is also the heart of the Bible belt.He really believes he is doing Gods bidding.
The ADC(Alabama Democratic Conference) and the NSC(New South Coalition)have given him only half hearted endorsments.So most of his support is hemproots.

Every Journey starts with that first step.

http://www.waynesowell2004.org/

I will be having a fundraiser for Wayne in the heart of Republican country(Baldwin County) in the next month or two.Wish us well,for we fight for our rights unashamed and upfront.

[Chicago Democrat]

21. This person will never win.. but I'd vote for him.

The way to marijuana legalization is clear. First medical use and decriminalization. Then legalization of small amounts.

[TheWizardOfMudd]

22. I'm sorry . . .

. . . but is this the best the Democrats in Alabama can do?

I agree 100% with Sowell's proposed marijuana policy, but he is going to get nowhere by linking pot smoking to "God."

There are plenty of good economic and social arguments for the legalization of marijuana. It doesn't look like Sowell is making them. But it does look like the democrats in Alabama don't give a rat's ass about finding a candidate to legitimately challenge Shelby's seat.

This is damn near depressing!

[Arwennick]

23. Party is split

The reason is most Democrats in Alabama are split in different camps.Shelby still gets the old yellowdog vote even though he abandoned them for the money.Even Black Democrats have splits as seen in the ADC/NSC battles.It seems to me everyone is out for thier own interest in the party.
As for the God/Pot angle,if you campaign in Alabama you better have God tied to every subject.Most politics in Alabama begins either at the Country Club or the Church.
I refuse to be discouraged when I see people like Wayne Sowell and Loretta Nall stand up for the rights of all.

Chin Up
A new wind ablowin'

[TheWizardOfMudd]

24. Thanks for the explanation

[NewJerseyDem]

27. Alabama democrats couldn't find anyone

Shelby is going to win reelection and no democrat is going to run against him so they can lose miserably and ruin their political career. There was some talk of former Governor Jim Folsom, Jr. running, but he decided not to run, so that pretty much cleared the way to an easy Shelby reelection.

[Gold Metal Flake]

28. I can't tell, is this about marijuana or hemp?

Marijuana is one thing. That is a part of the whole legalization of drugs thing.

Hemp is another. An excellent cash crop that will ease demand for pulp wood and cotton and give tobacco growers something else to do. It would be nice to allow individual farmers to row it, instead of ADM, but you know how that would play out without a huge movement.

[Ganja Ninja]

30. I see no reason to make a distinction.

Marijuana/Hemp it's all good!

[Gold Metal Flake]

33. You have to make the distinction.

Baby steps. One thing at a time.

Being able to grow hemp would be good for the environment, the economy and our natural resources. It looks different from Weed, we know that. The arguements against growing hemp are bullshit. This is soemthing we really need to take up with the upcomming Kerry administration and the Democratic congress.

[webtrainer]

31. checkout this guy from the O.C. running for Ca Senate . . .

http://www.judgejimgray.com/

-----

In 2001, my book, Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed And What We Can Do About It -- A Judicial Indictment of the War on Drugs, was published by Temple University Press. It was the culmination of my experience as a former federal prosecutor with the United States Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, criminal defense attorney in the United States Navy JAG Corps, and trial judge in Orange County, California since 1983, experience which had long before had convinced me that our nation’s program of drug prohibition was not simply a failure, but a hopeless failure.

James P. Gray

-----
He doesn't have a chance (Libertarian), but I like him and appreciate his stance, nonetheless.

[callous taoboy]

32. Motto: Some pot for every chickenhawk.