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Tobacco Racketeering Case Could Reach Supreme Court
August 4, 2009

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News Summary

A case in which the tobacco industry was found to have violated federal racketeering laws could be headed to the U.S. Supreme Court, Dow Jones reported July 31.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the 2006 decision by a trial judge that the tobacco industry conspired to hide the health effects of smoking from consumers; the panel also upheld restrictions imposed on tobacco marketing. However, the appeals panel, which ruled unanimously, rejected the Justice Department's call for steep monetary penalties against tobacco companies.

The tobacco industry has requested that the full appeals court review the decision, but the Justice Department has made no such request, and experts say that the chances for a full review are slim. That could mean the next stop for the litigation is a request for review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:

Posted by ichoosefreedom on 05 Aug 09 05:18 PM EDT
Please explain the difference between racketeering and RICO charges against Big Tobacco and those who bought smoking ban laws to force the sales of their nicotine REPLACEMENT products. These products are harmful and yet they continue to sell the gum that is now known to cause oral cancer. The patches have a failure rate of 98.6% and yet doctors are mandated to tell smokers to use these products by a committee headed by a grant recipient from those who bought the laws with their grants. Is it legal in this country to buy laws to sell your products? Seems to me there's not much difference between Big Tobacco and Big pHARMa.

Posted by John from Oceanside on 05 Aug 09 06:20 PM EDT
Or George Soros, Drug Policy Alliance, and Marijuana Policy Project. BIG MARIJUANA

Posted by maxwood on 05 Aug 09 08:13 PM EDT
1. Thanks for that acrophormulation "Big pHARMa", I think I'll use it. 2. This on the same day when the FDA reportedly "bans" E-CIGARETTES (though they are allegedly still obtainable-- act fast, because even if you don't need one, you can show 20 addicts how to use it). This attitude toward a "safer" drug-delivery system (because it aint perfectly safe) aint the change Obama promised. 3. I can't see why anyone would fear a "Big Marijuana" because if cannabis is legalized millions will raise their own and no corporate or governmental entity will succeed in exploiting it. 4. That lawyers and governments can win money by beating up on tobacco companies is not enough reason to hope they will support ultimate health solutions as their conduct on e-cigarette and cannabis shows. 5. Possibly what they fear most about e-cigarette is that someone will market a THC-cartridge, destroying the tobacco cigarette tax bonanza, the tobacco diseases profitable to Big pHARMa, and thousands of other scab (including prison) "industries" which exist only because of cannabis prohibition.

Posted by John from Oceanside on 06 Aug 09 11:22 AM EDT
Maxwood your claim of the poor marijuana smoker in prison is a flat out lie. The number of prison inmates who simply smoked marijuana and are in State or Federal Prisons is .5%. Your claims come from possession charges that are included with robbery, assult, trafficing, and other serious charges.

Posted by Brinna Nanda on 08 Aug 09 01:19 AM EDT
Big pHARMa! Love it.

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