Prohibition and Potency

[Ganjarden]

When the Progressives succeeded in implementing a national ban on alcohol in 1920, just 1 in 100,000 American deaths could be attributed to alcoholism. By 1927, that number had quadrupled. Clearly, people hadn’t stopped drinking just because it had been made illegal. In fact, many scholars believe alcohol consumption increased across the board during the Prohibition era: the number of people consuming any alcohol, the amount they consumed, etc. One thing that’s for certain is that the potency of the booze imbibed was much greater. This is a direct result of the Progressives’ meddling interventionism.

This is part of the conceit of the political Left: they think that just by passing a law, anything can be made so. But the reality is that passing a law banning alcohol did nothing to dampen demand; it only constrained supply. This, in turn, led to higher profits for the illegal products, which incentivized bootleggers to stimulate demand.

Just imagine yourself in a bootlegger’s shoes: Because your product is in short supply, the people who really want it are willing to pay more to get it. Thus, you have greater profit potential. Knowing this, it only makes good business sense that you would try to expand your customer base via “marketing.” This is why alcohol consumption among women and children spiked tremendously during Prohibition.

Now consider this: with alcohol illegal, would it be worth your risk to deal in beer and other comparatively tame beverages? A warehouse full of beer kegs would be easy for the feds to find, whereas a few vials of moonshine would be much easier to conceal. You could sell the potent stuff and let people dilute it themselves — or not.

This same principle applies to today’s miserably failed “War on Drugs.” C*****e, h****n, and even marijuana are much more potent today than they would be under a regime of free choice. Marijuana, for example, now features THC levels nearing +10%. Just a decade ago, THC content stood at only 5%. Ten years before that, in 1987, the average batch of weed was only slightly over 3% THC. And in the 1960’s, levels of THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) were much lower still.

Americans were much smarter in the 1920s than they are today. Former leading prohibitionists, such as John D. Rockefeller, admitted their mistake and realized Prohibition as the great failure that it was. Forty years later, the War on Drugs would ramp up with gusto. The same scenario has played out again, only worse, but this time, no one is willing to admit that the “cure” is far worse than the disease. And as a result, America continues to suffer.



News Hawk- Ganjarden http://www.420Magazine.com
Source: Citizen Economists
Author: J.D. Seagraves
Contact: Citizen Economists
Copyright: 2008 Citizen Economists
Website: Prohibition and Potency

[Soniq420]

This is so true

It's just a shame that this round the prohibition is even stricter.

In the 20's you were legaly allowed to drink in your own home and could even buy grape juice kits with the warning "do not allow to stand for 5 weeks; will ferment and turn to wine"

It would be a great improvement if we could get at least this far with cannabis (I think Alaska has this mindset)

[FreakNature]

I think there's an implied belief that there's a market driven agenda when legislators consider Cannabis. If profiteers in the war on people ingesting an herb would do the math, they may realize that not only will they not lose a lot of their market, they may add to and find a shared market in legal Cannabis users. Many people will still do the legal harmful things they do to their bodies, exclusive of or in addition to the newly legal beneficial things that Cannabis can do to their bodies, if realistic, just and compassionate laws are adopted. We are not a threat. We come in peace.

If the new administration would turn our government resources toward positive solutions for the use of hemp as an industrial commodity and Cannabis and it's extracts as medicine and social grease, the number of harmless individuals (aka prison statistics) that would be out in the workforce providing for their families and their futures would equal almost ten percent of the total number of unemployed (reported 12/08).

However, this should be countered by the excitement in the fields where family and corporate farms specializing in various strains or niche markets of medical or recreational Cannabis ramp up production, relieving the foreign nationals known to prowl our emerald hills from having to take the effort. Money previously spirited north or south of our borders would remain and enrich our local economies.

Brighter thinking resulting from satisfied Cannabinoid receptors, and the subsequent compassionate responses to individual needs as well as consideration for community benefits, will allow consumers to thrive in almost any environment. Local CSA agreements will help enlightened individuals to ensure that a steady supply of necessary herbs are available.

Cannabis is a perfect creation with the capacity in it's natural form to help many and harm none. Simple in its complexity; beautiful in all forms. Jah's sweet candy and powerful hammer. Blessed bread of the land.

[RooRman]

Well think of it this way...

Without goverment regulation on what goes into the product the "moonshiners" started cutting corners. Things like turpentine, acetone, other solvents and poisons were rumored to be cut into the final product. This could also contribute to the rapid rise in alcohol related deaths, not just a rise in consumption, but the adulteration of the product with harmful chemicals.

This is much the same with marijuana. By making it illegal, there is no way to regulate the quality of the product. Greedy dishonest people can contaminate the product when motivated by profit. This is why, for the most part, people are left to question exactly what they are inhaling along with their THC.

[RooRman]

Well given the choice, if marijuana were legalized, I think most of us would grow there own rather then buy the commercial product. With it illegal, the only choice of many is the commercial product which is sometimes questionable.

[sdseeber]

Originally Posted by Tractor-Mad

As I've mentioned in another thread, I,ve gone from thinking that The Herb would be finally legalized-not decriminalized,by 1983; to knowing it will never be legalized.

It's a war on information at this point...we WILL win eventually.