Legalize Marijuana Already!

[420 Warrior]

See that Budweiser commercial during the Super Bowl, the one about the end of Prohibition? It was meant to be - and it was - an attempt to stir our emotions about how wonderful a nice, cold beer tastes, and how silly it was this all-American beverage was kept out of the hands of normal, law-abiding people due to a lunatic law.

Well, it got me thinking about a lunatic law currently on our books, and how one day we'll look back at it through the same emotional, old-timey prism Budweiser took us through.

Yep. It's time for my annual "I Can't Believe Marijuana is Still Illegal in America, I Mean, How Stupid Can We Be, It's Only Weed" column.

Let's start here: Over 50 percent of Americans support legalization - that's the highest ( heh heh ) percentage ever - according to a recent Gallup poll. When Gallup first asked the question in 1969, a measly 12 percent of Americans supported legalization. Clearly, demographics are shifting, with old fuddy-duddies dying off and being replaced with a new batch of old fuddy-duddies. Chief difference? These new fuddy-duddies have gotten stoned in their lives and have lived to tell about it.

I wonder what this same Gallup poll is going to show in 10, 20 years. Is 75 percent out of the question? Maybe even 90 percent?

So right off the bat - or bowl, bong, whatever - we've got a majority for the first time on the legalization front.

The next front I'd like to quickly explore is criminal justice.

I talked to Det. Lt. John Dehart of the Trenton police department, and in 2011, Trenton's VICE and TAC squads confiscated over 75 pounds of marijuana. And while 75 pounds isn't exactly a monster number, consider how much time must have been spent by Trenton's finest, from patrol on up, on battling the demon that is mary jane.

You ask me - and especially in this impossible budget era - any time spent on keeping marijuana off Trenton's streets is a colossal waste of time, energy and money. There are a near-infinite supply of bigger problems out there. I'm not telling police how to do their job; but if I was mayor, I would.

Besides, taking pot off the streets does absolutely nothing to stem - or seed, whatever - the tide of people who smoke marijuana or the ease with which you can acquire it.

I haven't smoked pot in over a decade, but I'm pretty confident that by the time you finish reading this column, I could get my hands on a dimebag. ( Do they still sell dimebags? I have no idea. )

Check out this duo of statistics, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Justice: In 2006, over 2.6 million pounds of marijuana was seized in America. By 2009, that number swelled to 4.3 million pounds.

Clearly, with a 65 percent increase is seizures, marijuana use must have cratered, right?

Not so much, as it turns out. Actually, not at all. In 2006, 10.3 percent of Americans 12 and over copped to smoking a doobie in the previous year, while by 2009 that number had risen to 11.3 percent.

So yes. Seizures up 65 percent, usage ... up 10 percent.

Can I get a "I rest my case" up in the house? Eh. let's pile on. According to a study done by Dr. Jon Gettman titled "Marijuana in New Jersey," and published by drugscience.org, the war against marijuana cost New Jersey taxpayers $352 million in 2006, from street arrests to trials. Think that money could be used better? And furthermore, 87 percent of marijuana arrests were for simple possession. Enough is enough. The prohibition of marijuana is A ) a losing cause, B ) not supported by the majority of Americans, C ) doing nothing to stop people from smoking pot, D ) costing a fortune and E ) giving otherwise law-abiding citizens a police record.

Shame on us. As a society, we deserve an F.

News Hawk - 420 Warrior 420 MAGAZINE
Location: Trenton, NJ
Source: The Trentonian
Author: Jeff Edelstein
Contact: letters@trentonian.com
Copyright: 2012 The Trentonian
Website: The Trentonian

 

[Newfriend]

Shame on us. As a society, we deserve an F
In more ways than this.
Thanks
If you wanted to start a SUPER PAC I would help support and would vote for you

 

[420 Warrior]

What I would support, would be a campaign to ban alcohol advertisements.

I don't necessarily support the prohibition of it, because I don't support prohibitions but I do think these misleading alcohol commercials should be "Nipped In The Bud" (lol, like my play on words?)

 

[SS420]

I think that one of the obstacles on the road to legalization that I haven't heard mentioned much is public perception. As we are headlong into the election year and we are being bombarded with commercial after commercial, I am reminded just how much the media shapes perceptions in this country. So the question begs; why aren't "we" as a movement using what works best, a Madison Avenue style advertising campaign that is geared towards changing public perception. The fact is that as us boomers continue to age, not only do our physical needs change, but our perceptions do as well. Classic example; just found out an elderly family member is not only smoking, but is also in favor of legalization. The other perception that needs to be exposed is that it is ok to drink, but not to smoke. We've got all the stats we need on that, we just need to get it out there.
Gonna take quite a bit of money to do it right; question is are we ready to self fund something like this to further our cause? Change public perception enough and the politicians will listen.

 

[420 Warrior]

I think that one of the obstacles on the road to legalization that I haven't heard mentioned much is public perception. As we are headlong into the election year and we are being bombarded with commercial after commercial, I am reminded just how much the media shapes perceptions in this country. So the question begs; why aren't "we" as a movement using what works best, a Madison Avenue style advertising campaign that is geared towards changing public perception. The fact is that as us boomers continue to age, not only do our physical needs change, but our perceptions do as well. Classic example; just found out an elderly family member is not only smoking, but is also in favor of legalization. The other perception that needs to be exposed is that it is ok to drink, but not to smoke. We've got all the stats we need on that, we just need to get it out there.
Gonna take quite a bit of money to do it right; question is are we ready to self fund something like this to further our cause? Change public perception enough and the politicians will listen.

While I totally agree with you that it needs to be put out there for all to see, the question I have is; How are you going to get a bias 'Mainstream Media' to come over to our side when they are being paid so well to tell lies about it?...If they even talk about it at all!

That being said, we have been getting more television shows concerning Canna these days...More than ever before in fact...Remember "Weed Wars", "Weeds" and all the other documentaries on Nat Geo and discovery?

We are on the threshold of something great in this country, for sure....Can't Y'all feel it?

Never in my 42 years did I ever think I'd see shows on TV, putting Marijuana in a positive light and now I have so, that's saying something right there!

What's needed now, is every Cannabis user in this country, speaking out and getting involved in the mission! That will be the tipping point!!!

 

[Brinna]

Hi 420 Warrior
Thanks for all the great articles that you are posting! I have a request. Would
it possible to put a link to the direct URL of the article. Whenever possible, if I have an appropriate comment, I like to attach it to the original article.

The thing is when the link is to main site, as it is in the case of the above article, it's sometimes difficult to find the original.

Once again, I do want to say, the work that you are doing is wonderful and much appreciated.

Cheers,
Brinna

 

[budbro]

Just so you guys know, there are and have been commercials on legalizing the beloved plant. But MPP, ASA, NORML, and etc. have limited resources and they concentrate those commercials only in certain areas, usually in states that have voter initiatives pending or legislative action going on and they think they have a chance of winning. This is one from NORML that I like and that they have run in the past in the hot states: NORML Commercial

I think they had a contest for college students to submit to them, and this one won. Very professional, maybe not a 10 million dollar ad, but well worth running.

There are millions of dollars pouring into state campaigns, but very few see changing the perception of every American through TV ads as an effective tool to legalization, so far. When you see the Gallup Poll reach 65-70%, you will start to see the commercials. A SuperPAC would be a great idea and I'm a little surprised we haven't seen one in this election, but maybe someone will, and get those ads started up.