ANOTHER REASON WHY PROHIBITION DOESN'T WORK

The people helped by the marijuana prohibition are the people who benefit financially as long as it stays illegal.  Obviously, there are many for whom history has no relevance.  There are people placed where there is an advantage.  Here is a story of one of them.  Written in it is:  "Between 2003 and 2010, 129 US customs officers and border agents were arrested on corruption charges, according to the Department of Homeland Security." 

 This is the face of one who could not resist the temptation of making money where it was easily available.  We have statistics to prove he is a tiny speck at the tip of an iceberg. 

Why people think it is preferable to see all the deaths in Mexico by the cartels rather than allowing people to obtain illegally what keeps the cartels in operation and  gives nothing to our economy.  It should be clear to those resisting legalization that it does not eliminate the use.of marijuana which remains easily available illegally.

KEN BURNS: PROHIBITION

Tonight I watched the first installment of the new documentary Prohibition, beautifully done as all of his documentaries have been.  While I was watching it, I thought how timely it is.  Everything he has said about the history and repeal of alcohol should be applied to dealing with the drug problem, specifically marijuana..

The government is losing tax money,  that is money going to drug dealers and cartels. As with all illegal dealings, those who run them do it with violence and coercion and have no regulation.  While many in our enforcement employees are not without shameful and brutal actions at times, they do not quite come up to the callousness of the illegals.

Since there was never a Constitutional amendment to make drugs illegal, we need only rewrite the law to make selling of, at the very least marijuana as legal, tax it, regulate growers thus curtailing the need for importing it,  It would be likely that  those who are currently in control will not give up easily; those who are being bribed will lose a source of income with resistance, and new people will have jobs and start making money, feeding the economy rather than the drug lords.

It could happen easily if people were really thinking of their country and not their own fear of drugs.  Perhaps people will see that the evil is not in the smoking of marijuana but in those who secretly make a profit as long as it is illegal.

WEED VS BOOZE

Those opposed to legalizing marijuana are of the 'slippery slope' persuasion.  The illusion that those fighting making it legal really care about the mental and physical safety of all potential abusers are hiding the fact that many are now enormously powerful and wealthy because it is illegal.  Those who would abuse marijuana, for the most part, have no difficulty what soever in obtaining their fill.  Those who do not want to sneak around the law but who would probably only use it socially, stay away from the illegal pushers.

Paul Armentano wrote an article citing that, of the two, alcohol poses a greater danger.  It was President Nixon who launched the War on Drugs which today sees 800,000 a year in the US arrested for violating drug laws.  Since those citizens are not highly valued members of society and bear a stigma, not enough people with respect, status and clout have tackled trying to make the world see the wrongness of our present method of handling the problem. With prostitution, the prostitutes, not the pimps, are punished.  The worst of the penalties for hiring the services for this pastime is (rarely) publishing the names of the customers.

Amerstano writes  "For more than three decades, America's marijuana policies have been based upon rhetoric. Perhaps it's time to begin listening to what the experts have to say.?  For once in our country, can we not listen to the researchers, users, physicians  who study and write about the effects rather than religious zealots who truly believe their message against Weed use is coming directly from God  and from rhetoric, long established.

To read his whole article, click here.      

A REPUBLICAN LAWYER/MOTHER SPEAKING ON WHY MARIJUANA SHOULD BE LEGALIZED

This is an example of a Republican with the ability to use her common sense, knowledge, and maternal instinct to reason something out rather than follow fellow Republicans as though they are the Pied Piper.  I need to thank the person who commented on yesterday's blog for this YouTube site.

The major 'news' channels should take note of how many people have begun to get their real news from YouTube.  Read the pros and cons on this site.
It is important to note the listed cons.

The reasons for saying no are somewhat ludicrous and are clearly not researched.  Comments in parentheses are mine)

1. Marijuana is often used as a stepping-stone drug, leading to heroin, cocaine, or other harder drugs.(when is often a sufficient reason to prevent the all from their participation>)
2. Stoned driving and other dangers would be increased.  (Do these people know how readily available illegal marijuana is?  Anyone who wants it gets it, they just have to pay more and support the illegal and violent drug cartels)
3. Some consider use of the drug as morally wrong.(The answer is:  They don't have to smoke it.  I don't consider it morally wrong but I don't use marijuana anyway)
4. Legalization would increase the chances of the drug falling into the hands of kids.
5. Because of drug-related arrests, people who have committed or are likely to commit more serious crimes can be taken off the streets.(This probably wouldn't happen...even it were true...because users wouldn't be paying exorbitant rates for it requiring them to consider alternative ways in which to obtain it.) 
6. Physical damage would be done to users that abuse the drug.(Another unproven statement)
7. More widespread use would increase the dangers of secondhand smoke-damage to bystanders.(Tsk-tsk...what are bystanders who don't smoke doing around the smokers anyway?)

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REASONS TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA

The pharmaceutical companies will resist legalizing marijuana as much as the drug cartels do. However, there are many reasons that smoking would be more affordable and lower insurance costs. I can figure no reason to force dying patients to live with torturing pain rather than allow them to have a pain reliever that doctors say works for them. Fourteen states have enacted laws that legalized medical marijuana.

Apparently more baby boomers are smoking marijuana rather than reach for anti-depressants and pain killers. What could be bad about this other than not having to make the pharmaceutical industry and their share holders richer? The drug cartels will have to find another business to get into. We can be assured that crime will always be there.