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Alan Rockefeller
Mycologist


Registered: 03/10/07
Posts: 48,276
Last seen: 47 minutes, 58 seconds
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Salvia Divinorum: Virginia House Passes Ban (Virginia residents - Call your state senators) [VA]
#7982996 - 02/05/08 03:06 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Salvia Divinorum: Virginia House Passes Ban http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/519/virginia_house_votes_ban_salvia_divinorum
A bill to ban the hallucinogenic herb Salvia divinorum was approved by a vote of 98-0 in the Virginia House of Delegates Tuesday, paving the way for the Old Dominion to join the handful of states and localities that have already criminalized the member of the mint family. The measure now moves to the state senate.
Salvia divinorum produces powerful but short-lived psychedelic effects. Once obscure, it has become increasingly well-known thanks to Internet-spread word of mouth. While the DEA considers it a "drug of interest," the agency has yet to move to designate it a controlled substance, and it remains freely available over the Internet or at various retail outlets in locales that have not banned it.
Sponsored by Delegate John O'Bannon (R-Henrico), HB21 (http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?081+sum+HB21) would move salvia from unrestricted status to a Schedule I controlled substance under Virginia law. O'Bannion said he introduced the bill after receiving suggestions he do so from law enforcement.
"It's really not a pleasant thing to take. It can cause bad trips, dysphoria and sweats," O'Bannon said.
Which is why, despite all the hullabaloo, salvia has not emerged as a popular drug. Most users are quite happy to limit themselves to using it once or twice.
O'Bannion demonstrated an idiosyncratic view of individual liberties as he discussed his bill. "I'm respectful of individual liberties and public good. I think what's happening is this is becoming a drug that can be misused," O'Bannon said. "Putting it on the Schedule I will not harm anybody," he said, but would make "a reasonable balance between public safety and civil individual liberties."
Of course, putting salvia on Schedule I, where its users would be subject to the same prison terms as the users of other proscribed drugs, would harm those people unfortunate enough to be arrested with it. But O'Bannion and his fellow delegates apparently didn't consider the impact that being caged in jails or prisons for long periods of time has on individual liberty.
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Here is a list of Virginia state senators:
http://sov.state.va.us/SenatorDB.nsf/$$Viewtemplate%2Bfor%2BWMembershipHome?OpenForm
And a link about contacting Virginia state representatives:
http://legis.state.va.us/1_cit_guide/contacting_my.html
Here is a link to the proposed state law:
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?081+fuh+HB21E+407482
How to track a bill through the Virginia state legislature:
http://legis.state.va.us/1_cit_guide/how_track.html
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Chemy
Jesus is Lord

Registered: 10/05/07
Posts: 6,276
Loc: A Church
Last seen: 14 years, 1 month
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Re: Salvia Divinorum: Virginia House Passes Ban (Virginia residents - Call your state senators) [VA] *DELETED* [Re: Alan Rockefeller]
#7983030 - 02/05/08 03:14 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Post deleted by ChemyReason for deletion: Reason for deleting?
-------------------- Alcoholics Anonymous Narcotics Anonymous Get help, help is free and available 24/7/365. God bless you all and I hope you receive the help you need to turn away from your lives of sin. Mushrooms and drugs make you gay, you can reverse this homosexual condition with rehab, get help! Stop being gay!
Edited by Chemy (02/05/08 03:30 PM)
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Siekoaktiv
version 2.0



Registered: 03/18/07
Posts: 1,337
Last seen: 13 years, 6 months
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Re: Salvia Divinorum: Virginia House Passes Ban (Virginia residents - Call your state senators) [VA] [Re: Chemy]
#7983064 - 02/05/08 03:25 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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"Putting it on the Schedule I will not harm anybody," he said, but would make "a reasonable balance between public safety and civil individual liberties."
Yes, not allowing an adult to SMOKE A FUCKING PLANT... very reasonable.
-------------------- I'm in need of a sterile sporeprint, if anyone wants to do a trade for some seeds or something, or maybe just for free if you have a lot of them............. i'd really appreciate it NuggetPorch said - "YES! YES!!!! Coaster its Faint, but its fucking there YOU see it!!! Perhaps we are both on some sort of unusual wave length associated with unusual neuro-transmitters, mind expansion white light, or something we can not even begin to understand or fathom to conceive because it is a gift of insight or a curse given to us by powers beyond our control, something we are not meant to know."
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Groomies
Ghost



Registered: 08/16/07
Posts: 1,119
Last seen: 7 years, 1 month
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Re: Salvia Divinorum: Virginia House Passes Ban (Virginia residents - Call your state senators) [VA] [Re: Siekoaktiv]
#7983148 - 02/05/08 03:52 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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I Agree with Chemy. anybody in power should pass a IQ test and a personality test. It takes 10 years to be a doctor but any dumbass can be a president? an IQ test should be appointed.
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pokermush
Waterboardingmyself toprotect America!


Registered: 09/17/06
Posts: 475
Loc: Utah
Last seen: 15 years, 9 months
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Re: Salvia Divinorum: Virginia House Passes Ban (Virginia residents - Call your state senators) [VA] [Re: Groomies]
#7983259 - 02/05/08 04:23 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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When it comes to a public vote, nobody can vote against scheduling a drug. These sorts of votes are usually unanimous or close to it, since no politician wants to look soft on drugs.
These laws can be beat, but only in committee. I'm not familiar with VA specifically, but in general after a law is passed by the house, it then goes to a Senate committee. The committee hears public comment about the bill, then decides whether to allow the full Senate to vote. If it passes committee, it's a sure-thing to pass the full Senate vote.
Phone calls are better than nothing, but not by much. To make a difference, call each of the Senators on the committee and voice your opposition to the bill. Stress that salvia poses no danger whatsoever, and that it can be a critical tool in the state's fight against addictive hard drugs.
But to really defeat this bill, show up at the committee meeting and speak your mind there. For the most part, they aren't going to care about liberties and fairness. They need to know that salvia is harmless and poses no threat to public health or safety to alleviate their fears. Then they need to understand that salvia helps break addictions to meth, opiates, and even alcohol, and that your state can't afford to be taking something off the market that can reduce addiction to hard drugs. Some users actually break their addiction with just a single use of salvia (yes, this is true).
Make sure the committee members understand that if they are serious about fighting drug addiction, what they really need to do is figure out how to educate addicts that salvia can help them.
Don't assume someone else will show up to defend salvia. They won't, these laws are almost always unopposed.
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DragonChaser
Ice in Her Ass and Pussy


Registered: 04/27/06
Posts: 7,212
Last seen: 6 years, 2 months
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Re: Salvia Divinorum: Virginia House Passes Ban (Virginia residents - Call your state senators) [VA] [Re: pokermush]
#7983604 - 02/05/08 05:44 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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I'm going to skip classes and go to the Senate meeting if I can. Can people help me find out where the Senate meets in VA, and when this bill is scheduled to be voted on? Also, if people have well researched evidence as to the harmlessness or salvia, or to its psychologically beneficial aspects, please let me know so I can compile a bunch of data. Any help would be much appreciated, feel free to PM.
-------------------- My name is Mud
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mizderbeatz
Stranger
Registered: 08/14/07
Posts: 2
Last seen: 12 years, 6 months
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Re: Salvia Divinorum: Virginia House Passes Ban (Virginia residents - Call your state senators) [VA] *DELETED* [Re: DragonChaser]
#7983684 - 02/05/08 06:03 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Post deleted by mizderbeatzReason for deletion: becuase
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pokermush
Waterboardingmyself toprotect America!


Registered: 09/17/06
Posts: 475
Loc: Utah
Last seen: 15 years, 9 months
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Re: Salvia Divinorum: Virginia House Passes Ban (Virginia residents - Call your state senators) [VA] [Re: mizderbeatz]
#7983802 - 02/05/08 06:30 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Guys, thanks for being willing to stand up for what's right!
Here is the VA Senate committee that will be considering this bill: http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?081+com+S4
Here you can track the progress of the bill: http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?081+sum+HB21
Notice that the bill was referred to the House committee on 11/29/07, but didn't pass the committee until 1/10/08. However, these bills sometimes accelerate as they progress, especially if VA has a strict legislative schedule. HB 21 was referred to the Senate committee on 1/16/08, so it really could be any time. You can view their docket, including agendas by clicking on "committee dockets" on the committee page. The direct link is http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?081+doc+DOCS04
Unfortunately, VA seems to be a bit behind on the functionality of their web site, so it doesn't have an automatic email subscription list for committee schedules and agendas. I would suggest contacting the chair of the committee, Senator Edward Houck http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?081+mbr+S16 Let him know that you want to attend the committee meeting where HB 21 will be considered; they may be able to add you to an internal email list so that you'll know when this bill comes up.
Tomorrow is Utah's committee meeting and I'm compiling some information to help SWIM in that meeting. I'll post and/or PM that information, plus anything else I think might be helpful, tomorrow.
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