Jim Finnel
Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
Marijuana prohibition began when a corporate interest made a “policy choice” to solve a few business problems.
First, vilifying Mexicans for political gain was a real and ongoing method to get votes. The accusation that such things continues to this day in, say, Arizona, would be met with charges of racism to shame the accuser and shield the one accused of being racist.
Hispanics today have rights like they were any other American, because that’s how America works. It works for people. The term “people” has grown beyond white protestant males to include fictional creations of law that can even dole out their treasury funds in political speech.
However, back in the 1930s, America still engaged in racist policy. Segregation existed. The Japanese were interned in the 1940s. Even in the past decade Arabs were held at Guantamo Bay, conviently denying these men their due process rights.
Why? Because we were scared. When people get scared, the due process rights guaranteed by the fifth amendment and the fourteenth suddenly loses its force.
This fear can become action. In the prohibition of cannabis no fewer than 4 interests colluded to ban the substance.
First, politicians of the western and southern states wanted a method to control the influx of Mexican immigrants.
Second, corporate interests of steel, chemicals and newsprint all required the absolute prohibition of a plant that could give their monopolies some serious competition and under cut their costs.
Third, the Depression saw many federal prohibition agents laid off and hurt the moral majority of the population that believes in legislating their personal morality on the entire population of we, the people.
Fourth, the vast majority of the cultural power at the time had no familiarity with the herb’s effects.
The most compelling reasons for cannabis prohibition rely upon politics. In politics you need corruption because power is highly concentrated and vertical. The only way to get action is to reach a higher and higher level until someone can “take care of it” for you.This creates a problem, the weak and the strong co-exist without any change. The weak will remain the weak and the strong the strong. The stasis in America’s marijuana policy over the better part of the past century exemplifies this fact.
NewsHawk: Jim Behr: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: shadyhousepub.com
Author: T.E. Horwitz
Copyright: 2011 Shady House Publications
Contact: SHPC: Your Voice for Liberty
Website: examples of arbitrary law are not hard to find in US history
First, vilifying Mexicans for political gain was a real and ongoing method to get votes. The accusation that such things continues to this day in, say, Arizona, would be met with charges of racism to shame the accuser and shield the one accused of being racist.
Hispanics today have rights like they were any other American, because that’s how America works. It works for people. The term “people” has grown beyond white protestant males to include fictional creations of law that can even dole out their treasury funds in political speech.
However, back in the 1930s, America still engaged in racist policy. Segregation existed. The Japanese were interned in the 1940s. Even in the past decade Arabs were held at Guantamo Bay, conviently denying these men their due process rights.
Why? Because we were scared. When people get scared, the due process rights guaranteed by the fifth amendment and the fourteenth suddenly loses its force.
This fear can become action. In the prohibition of cannabis no fewer than 4 interests colluded to ban the substance.
First, politicians of the western and southern states wanted a method to control the influx of Mexican immigrants.
Second, corporate interests of steel, chemicals and newsprint all required the absolute prohibition of a plant that could give their monopolies some serious competition and under cut their costs.
Third, the Depression saw many federal prohibition agents laid off and hurt the moral majority of the population that believes in legislating their personal morality on the entire population of we, the people.
Fourth, the vast majority of the cultural power at the time had no familiarity with the herb’s effects.
The most compelling reasons for cannabis prohibition rely upon politics. In politics you need corruption because power is highly concentrated and vertical. The only way to get action is to reach a higher and higher level until someone can “take care of it” for you.This creates a problem, the weak and the strong co-exist without any change. The weak will remain the weak and the strong the strong. The stasis in America’s marijuana policy over the better part of the past century exemplifies this fact.
NewsHawk: Jim Behr: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: shadyhousepub.com
Author: T.E. Horwitz
Copyright: 2011 Shady House Publications
Contact: SHPC: Your Voice for Liberty
Website: examples of arbitrary law are not hard to find in US history
