O, the tangled weaves of Webb...

As many of you know, Sen. Jim Webb (D-Virginia) has introduced Senate bill S-714: The National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009. S-714 is designed to take a look at the problems of our criminal justice system, mostly as they relate to drug prohibition. While it is an interesting coincidence that the numerical designation of the bill is the same as one of the most popular love drugs of the 70s - Quaalude 714 - it seems no coincidence that the Commission will be a time-consuming one: 18 months.

I've been politically aware since 1968 and have seen many a "Blue-ribbon Commission" come and go - and most all are formed as stalling tactics, with both good and bad ones routinely ignored. I don't have much higher hopes for S-714. But what infuriates me the most is that during that 18-month commission - which will probably be, when it's all said and done, at least 24 months - close 2 million (mostly young) individuals will be arrested for the simple possession of marijuana and injected into the same criminal justice system S-714 intends to investigate...

I've been castigated for taking the position that medical marijuana is the wrong strategy for moving the drug debate forward. And that's OK. But where is the outrage over S-714? Do we just accept those 2 million arrests as collateral damage? I don't think so. And it is a question I asked of both Kris Krane and Ethan Nadelmann during our recent interviews. Find out what they have to say by downloading those two very interesting interviews from archives - you may be surprised.

Stay healthy and high when it helps.