Jim Finnel
Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
I am not a partaker of America's biggest cash crop. No, not corn, silly -- marijuana. Neither, apparently, are most of the lawmakers in this country.
Looking back on all the anti-dope propaganda, it seems like the "killer weed" has been discriminated against through personal biases of drug czars. Studies done have consistently shown, much to the chagrin of anti-drug proselytizers, that marijuana makes you sleepy, euphoric and somewhat hungry. Period.
This is not a personal opinion, but rather the findings of the 1972 National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse, to wit, "The actual and potential harm of use of the drug is not great enough to justify intrusion by the criminal law into private behavior, a step which our society takes only with the greatest reluctance."
Over the years, a lot of marijuana advocates have used the recommendations of that study ( which was tossed out by the Nixon administration ) to promote removal of pot from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, that being: the drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse; the drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment; there is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.
Now, I'm no expert, but I do know people ( who shall, until such time as the prohibition ends, remain nameless ) who live productive, happy lives and still use cannabis recreationally.
In fact, I will go as far as to say that everybody knows a pot smoker who is not a gutter-dwelling sex maniac on the road to heroin addiction, and whatever other negative implications that have been used to vilify marijuana usage.
This is not purely an advocacy for cannabis, however. Like many people, I do not smoke pot, it is not for me, but if someone else likes to get high and watch Three Stooges movies and eat an entire package of hot dogs, more power to 'em. There are worse things a person could do, right? But given the condition of the state and national economy, the time is now to decriminalize marijuana and apply taxation of the Machiavellian sort used for alcohol, cigarettes, gasoline and playing cards.
I'm not talking about just a pack of joints available at the 7-Eleven ( and let's see some ID, please ). I'm talking about paper ( the Constitution is written on hemp paper, and it's still around ), rope and fabric from a completely renewable source. Use it, tax it. And if you think tobacco smokers shoulder an inordinate burden, imagine how much money we can wrangle from dope smokers.
Any inmates doing time for selling marijuana, let 'em go, make them entrepreneurs instead of criminals, have 'em set up a shop, pay the city for a business license, and decrease the need for building new prisons. There should be more room for murderers, thieves and sex offenders anyway.
Plus, imagine the tourists flooding California from prohibition states. This would not only be a tax boom, but the restaurant industry could benefit immensely. And for nay-sayers who claim that so easily obtainable a substance could never be taxed, I say look for a cottage industry to explode into the biggest business on the planet.
Forget the possible medical benefits ( I have high eye pressure ). Ignore the ignorant rhetoric and associations ( pot-smoking commies, sex fiends and, God forbid, jazz musicians ) of the past. Tax collectors estimate increased revenue of $1.3 billion. Law enforcement officials estimate a $1 billion reduction in prosecuting non-violent marijuana offenders. It might not be a complete solution to our current budget process, but at least it's a step in the right direction.
It's time to just say yes.
News Hawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Alameda Sun (CA)
Copyright: 2009 Alameda Sun
Contact: editor@alamedasun.com
Website: Alameda Sun - Home
Author: Eric Turowski
Looking back on all the anti-dope propaganda, it seems like the "killer weed" has been discriminated against through personal biases of drug czars. Studies done have consistently shown, much to the chagrin of anti-drug proselytizers, that marijuana makes you sleepy, euphoric and somewhat hungry. Period.
This is not a personal opinion, but rather the findings of the 1972 National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse, to wit, "The actual and potential harm of use of the drug is not great enough to justify intrusion by the criminal law into private behavior, a step which our society takes only with the greatest reluctance."
Over the years, a lot of marijuana advocates have used the recommendations of that study ( which was tossed out by the Nixon administration ) to promote removal of pot from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, that being: the drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse; the drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment; there is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.
Now, I'm no expert, but I do know people ( who shall, until such time as the prohibition ends, remain nameless ) who live productive, happy lives and still use cannabis recreationally.
In fact, I will go as far as to say that everybody knows a pot smoker who is not a gutter-dwelling sex maniac on the road to heroin addiction, and whatever other negative implications that have been used to vilify marijuana usage.
This is not purely an advocacy for cannabis, however. Like many people, I do not smoke pot, it is not for me, but if someone else likes to get high and watch Three Stooges movies and eat an entire package of hot dogs, more power to 'em. There are worse things a person could do, right? But given the condition of the state and national economy, the time is now to decriminalize marijuana and apply taxation of the Machiavellian sort used for alcohol, cigarettes, gasoline and playing cards.
I'm not talking about just a pack of joints available at the 7-Eleven ( and let's see some ID, please ). I'm talking about paper ( the Constitution is written on hemp paper, and it's still around ), rope and fabric from a completely renewable source. Use it, tax it. And if you think tobacco smokers shoulder an inordinate burden, imagine how much money we can wrangle from dope smokers.
Any inmates doing time for selling marijuana, let 'em go, make them entrepreneurs instead of criminals, have 'em set up a shop, pay the city for a business license, and decrease the need for building new prisons. There should be more room for murderers, thieves and sex offenders anyway.
Plus, imagine the tourists flooding California from prohibition states. This would not only be a tax boom, but the restaurant industry could benefit immensely. And for nay-sayers who claim that so easily obtainable a substance could never be taxed, I say look for a cottage industry to explode into the biggest business on the planet.
Forget the possible medical benefits ( I have high eye pressure ). Ignore the ignorant rhetoric and associations ( pot-smoking commies, sex fiends and, God forbid, jazz musicians ) of the past. Tax collectors estimate increased revenue of $1.3 billion. Law enforcement officials estimate a $1 billion reduction in prosecuting non-violent marijuana offenders. It might not be a complete solution to our current budget process, but at least it's a step in the right direction.
It's time to just say yes.
News Hawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Alameda Sun (CA)
Copyright: 2009 Alameda Sun
Contact: editor@alamedasun.com
Website: Alameda Sun - Home
Author: Eric Turowski
