The End of the Marijuana Prohibition
It’s been almost a month since President Obama was ‘forced’ to have to answer a question about legalized marijuana helping out the economy. Apparently the ‘marijuana lobbyists’ had flooded the system voting on questions, submitting questions regarding marijuana and medical issues, social issues, legal issues etc. With almost 3M votes - Obama did the right thing - and brought it up.
I’m going to use that historic event as a marker for the end of this prohibition. Lets count down how many days since Barack answered that question - until this prohibition has finally ended.
This prohibition has tremendously hurt not only our own country, but the world’s economy and legal system. Can you imagine how much money would make its way back ‘above ground’ if we legalize it? Columbia, Lebanon, Nepal, Hawaii, California - would all immediately have billions more in tax revenues.
Our jails are full of people who’s only crime was to smoke a natural herb which does almost no harm and apparently was only turned into a crime by the tobacco lobby - back in the 40’s.
Have you ever heard of a rasta dying of lung cancer?
How many drunken ‘marijuana smokers’ create traffic fatalities every year?
One of the negative effects of refusing to allow adequate research on the effects of marijuana - is that we’re years behind to proving the BENEFITS of marijuana. But we do know that when you arrest people and throw them in jail - they come our hardened criminals.
This is the #1 reason why marijuana leads to harder drugs - because as long as you force people to go to criminals to BUY marijuana these same dealers than push harder drugs on these purchasers. You don’t have to be a sociologist to figure that out.
So how much longer?
I predict it’ll be halfway through Obama’s second term - and we’ll finally see an end of the madness.
This is the BIGGEST issue we have right now. Bigger than Iraq, the economy, Palestine, racism, the environment, energy - it’s the BIGGEST one of them all.
Because if 25% of Americans smoke pot - what does that say about these laws?
Isn’t that what was going on during the alcohol prohibition - widespread hatred of a bad law? Didn’t that prohibition give rise to the Mafia in the U.S.? Wasn’t the Kennedy fortune built on that prohibition?
Can’t we change bad laws?
How many vested interests do we have to list off that WANT to keep marijuana illegal? What percentage of our jails are full of marijuana related criminals? What percentage of our drug rehabilitation program’s budget is spent on marijuana?
One thing that really pisses me off is that many of our industry’s leaders, press, execs, bloggers, techies all smoke pot. But they’ll NEVER come out and say it publicly. That’s hypocrisy.
We need to ‘stand up for our rights‘ - as Bob Marley used to sing.
It is now 4:20 on 4/20/09.
How much longer do we have to wait to repeal these bad laws?
I think if they decriminalized marijuana, it would be mostly eaten or drank in some way, rather than smoked, thus further reducing disease like lung cancer etc. Free the Weed!
Hooray and thanks for saying this out loud.
I think you’re about right, that this will be an Obama second-term development. But if he’s serious about stopping the DEA from raiding medical marijuana dispensaries, those of us in California and a handful of other states are already living in an effectively decriminalized world.
The change in the federal position is what prompted me last week to go and get an ID card. When the doctor said, “You can now have up to eight ounces” I thought he was joking. Apparently not.
So let’s take this 4/20 and celebrate this important development. Thanks for speaking up Marc. It’s time more of us did the same.
eliminating the human consequences of criminalization, tax revenue for our failing government monopolies, breaking cartels and criminal orgs, focusing on healing and treatment, lay-offs for prison guards, reduction of the time-burn this metes out to the the Court system…and I am just getting warmed up -
It so over due this change; and it would ease so many integrated issues towards the positive.
just do it
Marc,
You may appreciate this post by Stevey:
http://steve-yegge.blogspot.com/2009/04/have-you-ever-legalized-marijuana.html
(It’s longish, is in favor of what you’ve written, but points out why it’s going to be a lot of work.)
- Seth
Well said!!
Hi… I am an American.. yet I am a criminal, because I smoke pot.
Free the Weed!
I hate our oppressive government for stupidly and blindly clinging to the racist status quo that keeps marijuana illegal.
Pointing away: “But our vaporware is more intuitive… you look at your herbs after a few test hits and if they are too dark/brown you turn the temp down a bit or draw air in faster.”
http://www.vaporbrothers.com
end smoking.
Thanks for posting this. I have debated posting something similar, but I don’t feel like I have quite enough freedom to do so.
Of course, you did stop short of an admission
I live in a civilized state - considered from one point of view - that permits marijuana for medical use: California. You are right about the top rank of high-tech industry being hypocritical on the subject. I know because I was at more than a few parties, back in the day.
Maybe you should start a wiki of our industry’s leaders, press, execs, bloggers, techies that smoke pot. Let’s get it all out in the open. Didn’t Barack admit to having smoked marijuana before? We know Clinton and GWB did… That’s 3 presidents in a row that have smoked pot…
That pretty much means it’s not the end of the world.
Good post Marc
The idiotic way the question was worded – “How would legalizing marijuana improve the economy and job creation (sic)?” – allowed Obama to equivocate, without saying where he stood on marijuana legalization, or even decriminalization.
I fully support the complete legalisation of marijuana.
However, I think the most pressing political issue in the United States today is the Strike4Change from ChangeCongress. If I were an American citizen I would sign up immediately. I encourage all my American friends to support the campaign.
I believe this is the necessary first step to serious political change in the United States.
Will never be legalized, much to my disappointment, since there is a multi-billion dollar prison industry tied to it.
Follow the money to see how the prison industry has paid lobbyist whos full time job it is to make sure it stays illegal:
opensecret dot org
Out law paid lobbyists first, then de-criminalization can pass.
As much as I love marijuana, law unfortunately doesn’t. I was really suprised to find out that some alternatives are actually pretty decent. They’ll never replace my first love, but at least they can be a good hold-over.
http://www.enddrugprohibition.com
EVERYONE please sign this petition. We need more support. Also, call this number 973-409-3274. Its a 30 second automated petition to reform marijuana laws. WE NEED A MILLION. Thank you for all your help.
BTW Great Post!
Mr oboma smoked pot maybe we should vote him out of office if marijuna is so bad. I am a american i whant freedom of relegion so legalize pot save our world Grow some balls