In order for marijuana to be legalized at the Federal level several things must change.
First public opinion must change. As long as 50% or more of Americans believe that marijuana is just as bad as or worse than alcohol its use will remain illegal. A very public national advertising campaign portraying marijuana users in an honest and open fashion and presenting facts disputing our governments misinformation campaign would do our cause a great deal of good. Most of us are not in a position to speak out for ourselves but if we have a spokesperson who would present our case to the public, we could educate and possibly change the minds of people who still believe that our government should be in the business of trying to ruin the lives of those who use marijuana. But as you know advertising is expensive. Estimates of how many people currently use marijuana are varied but an estimate of six to ten percent of the population would not be unreasonable. That’s 20 to 30 million of us. Just a few dollars from each of us would purchase a lot of advertising and as you have likely heard “The squeaky wheel gets the grease”.
Second our politicians must be convinced that we will accept nothing less than the same freedom afforded people who use alcohol. There is no moral difference between using alcohol or marijuana and there shouldn’t be a legal difference either. This is the easiest and likely the most effective thing we can do. Hand written letters or even form letters get a lot of attention from our leaders. The main thing is we must make our wishes heard. As long as we remain silent nothing will change. This is something we can all do and it costs little. A sheet of paper and a few minutes of time a stamp and an envelope is all that is necessary. NORML and MPP have a very good system for contacting your elected officials along with editable form letters to mail or e-mail your representatives. All you need is your Zip Code to get their contact information. I will also post letters to print and mail.The main thing is to be heard and this is a safe way to express yourself without fear of losing you job. Just be respectful as threats and name calling will do nothing to advance our cause.
I don’t want to give the impression that this is going to be an easy fight. Marijuana has been illegal for a long time and there are a lot of people who still believe Reefer Madness is an accurate portrayal of marijuana use. There are also a few large industries that will be opposed to legalization because if marijuana is legal they will lose revenue through competition with hemp and marijuana. Immediately upon legalization the pharmaceutical industry will lose money through competition as will the alcohol industry. Soon to follow will be the prison industry, the pulp wood industry, the cotton industry and petrochemical industry. These are industrial giants with enormous influence on our leadership in Washington and they will not let this happen without a fight. But I believe if we are persistent and make enough noise we will win because the laws against marijuana are built on lies and misinformation and we have the truth on our side.
I would love to be your spokesperson and let America know of the injustice we suffer because of laws built on lies that demonize marijuana users. We are not the enemy of this country we are Americans and we deserve equal freedom. I urge each of you to voice your opinion to your Congressmen, Senators and the President. I also urge each of you to vote. Educate yourselves about the candidates and the issues and vote for the person you believe will serve us best. I also ask that you give generously and often so that we can be heard on a national level to show people that we are not the demons of society that our government has portrayed us as. But as normal Americans who love their country. We are not the enemy we are Americans.
Randy Johnson
itsmycontrytoo.org
itsmycountrytoo.org 
U have our votes legalize marijuana!!!!!!! Alcohol is bad for Ur kidneys liver etc.. Pot is medicine never hurt a soul.
I want weed to be leagal
I want lt to be leagal
I support everything about the legalizing of marijuana and if the government put it on sell to the people of the US and the people of other countries,if a tax was put on it for every 10,000 people who buy from a government company that would be at the very least 50,000 US dollars. The number would grow much larger if our gov’t listened to us thier would be no debt!!!
i think marijuanan should be legal cause it is a scientific proof it helps people from pain and seizures prevention and nervious system and you cant get drunk off it i personal dont do it but i know a few who does and its no where near bad as alchahol itsa researched found its actually good for the body it has many roles in the health care fields and there for i think it should be legal.if you have any questions email me at judgewilliams26@aol.com
How many times have u got drunk and fought with ur best bud often but how many times have u smoked a blunt with ur buds and fought never maybe ate the house down but no fights just good times.Oklahoma brokenarrow.
Its about time sir im with u all the way. anything i cld do to help. i live in fwb. fla pn the panhandle..
The American Indians used marijuana for many different purposes. They used it in their religious ceremonies, and in some of the medicine they made form scratch, and then the one we learned in history class! The peace pipe!
Marijuana is grown, plants. theres no kind if chemicals or anything in it. Alcohol people can get different kind of drunk. Theirs funny drunk,mad drunk,stupid drunk and god knows wut else.
I think it should be legal. I have five children and would much rather them try marijuana then come home from a friend’s house drunk. Hell I would rather them smoke marijuana then cigarette’s. It is natural comes from the earth. Of course there needs to be a legal age like 18 or older. Marjiuana is healthier than cigars, cigarrette’s, pills, crack/cocaine, meth/ice/Krystal, alcohol, etc. Not to mention, it is less addictive and in some cases it can help some sicknesses, it is a plus a natural pain reliever. I could be wrong but I am sure some people would agree. Everybody is different and has their own way of looking at things, is the glass half empty or half full?
Yes it is a good medical use I have anxiety Andorra I get hi I’m fine level with the world and ready for the day my back doesn’t hurt I have curviture of the spine and my back doesn’t hurt its good for my body
I think it is funny that you would use sex with children in comparison to smoking pot, they are completely different. As Americans we know that the government instituted laws against underage sex to protect children from people that would take advantage of them. On the other hand smoking pot is a choice no different then choosing weather or not to smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol, yes I think that there should be an age limit on the use to prevent children from using it before they understand how it can affect them but The only real danger is from the smoke. I have smoked since I was 15 and most of the people I know smoke and I have never seed any of them fly off the handle unless the dealer had added something to the pot and not told them some thing that could be avoided if we could go to the store and buy product that has some guild lines as to how it is grown and what kind of chemicals can be added like tobacco does. I know that a lot of the laws are set in place to protect people but we are talking about a plant that GOD put on this planet and my BIBLE says that he put all the herbs of the earth here for me to partake of. I know that a lot of Christians think it is wrong to smoke because it is a defilement of the body, but Jesus said that it is not what goes in the body that defiles it; it is the words that come out because they come from the hart.
Barry, I love it when people speak from the heart and thanks for the words from Jesus.
Randy Johnson
itsmycountrytoo.org
I think this country would be much better off if corporation could start packaging and selling Marijuana like cigarettes and as long as the price was the same or less then that of grown and sold now people would by it and the state could tax it adding much needed funds. This would also make it easier for smokers to get jobs and keep them though I think drug testing is an invasion on privacy unless someone is caught using at work, what I do at home is my business.
The company that I work for would have a much easier job finding and keeping workers if insurance companies did not make them test everyone for Marijuana, I know from when they did not test that the workers did a much better job.
I’m not entirely sure what to make of this. I agree that making a perfectly effective drug illegal that can be used to treat a myriad of medical conditions is asinine. It is completely irreverent if there are alternatives. If the drug is effective and there are still uses for it, it should be legal to use it for legitimate reasons. Medical treatment. The drug should be held to the arguably high standards of the FDA of course. By this I mean those reasons used to qualify or disqualify any other drug from a particular should be the same reasons to qualify or disqualify marijuana.
I am concerned about legalization for “recreational use”. I’m not saying this for a flame war. I’m just expressing my honest concerns. I made the decision a long time ago that I would not purposefully use “mind altering” substances. While arguably many common things are “mind altering”, I’m of course largely referring to recreational drug use which includes alcohol. I made this choice before I even heard of “Dare” or other anti-drug campaigns. I made this choice because of personal experiences and observations throughout my childhood and adult life. My early childhood I saw what alcohol *can* do to a person who does not have their habit in control. I saw what drugs can do to a person who again cannot control their habit. As a teen, I had my own life threatened multiple times due to people who could not control their habits. I decided a long time ago that would never be me. No matter what. No beverage or strange “pill” is worth it to loose control like that. If I make choices and I hurt myself, that’s my business. But if there is a chance I could hurt someone else, because I’ve lost control. That, to me, is completely unacceptable. It sadness me greatly to know people think they need these substances to enrich their lives. I see that as behavior of a person who really hates being alive.
Now, with that said, I recognize not everyone behaves like the above nor believes as I do. Some people have claimed to be able to control their habits by using “safe” practices and not be such a threat to people around them. Personally speaking, I have never met such a person face to face. Again, I say all of this in honest experience with no intent to enrage people. I also recognize that in a society that is supposed to be based on freedom, I have no right to impose my personal beliefs on other people. My point here is that I can understand why some people think some recreational drug use should be legal, such as Marijuana. And despite the fact that I think these choices are egregiously poor, you should have the right to make what I consider to be bad choices.
But we as a society must draw lines at certain kinds of behavior and what we find acceptable. For this, we need what should be the open forum of the law. Sometimes that line gets drawn at a point where some feel their rights are being blocked. Right now of course Marijuana is illegal. And I have seen some really good arguments for both sides of the legality issue. I would love to find some sort of compromise here to allow people to enjoy their habits. Again, despite the fact that I disagree with the behavior. But for me it always comes back to how people behave when they are on these mind altering substances. I know several commenters have complained about how anti-drug speeches tend to focus on those recreational users who do act poorly. I recognize that my speech has had that tone. But, again, it’s been my experience this is the case and my speech here is not intended to be an anti-drug speech. I’m also aware some of my experiences may lead to observer bias. And so I try to keep an open mind.
In the end, what do you condemn? The chemistry that may increase the chance of poor behavior or the poor behavior itself? This is the fundamental question the law comes down to for me. And I don’t know how I want to answer that yet. I admit that part of my concern is that if it becomes legal and hypothetically speaking, there is an increase of use. I would wake up one day and find myself in a society I no longer feel I belong to and surrounded by people I no longer have anything in common with in a country I love. And that’s unfortunate.
Ryan
First I would like to say thanks for a well thought out response. I respect your opinions and hold many truths in your beliefs. People use alcohol or marijuana for many reasons, some for the relief of pain or discomfort, real or imagined, some palliative, some cureative, others just for recreation or just to relax at the end of the day. I agree most of us would be better off if we felt no need to use mind altering substances for recreational or medicinal porposes but for many that is just not how we choose to live our lives. People make decisions every day to increase their comfort or to increase excitement in their lives whether it is taking an asprin to relieve pain or skydiving for an adrenaline rush and people have been self medicating with alcohol and other drugs since the beginning of history. While I do see an increase in violence associated with recereational drug use, mostly associated with excessive use of alcohol, I believe that violent behavior is done by a small minority of its users and that this behavior should be illegal on its own accord and not allieviated by prohibition. To refuse people that choice unless they are endangering others or denying others their freedom or causing offense to the public is contrary to the basis of our freedom. Freedom, I might add, that was paid for in blood. To surrender that freedom is wrong for me as an individual and somthing that I feel is well worth fighting for. I just believe it is wrong to use the power of the Federal Government to persecute and prosecute people for choosing a safer drug than alcohol. Many of us feel we are not welcome in the society that we live in. We are not the enemies of this country, we are Americans.
Randy Johnson
itsmycountrytoo.org
Thank you for your reply. And hopefully this legality issue can be resolved in some favorable way to all concerned. It also troubles me to know that some feel like enemies of the state. I don’t think that was the intent. And I’m just going to leave with these words below. I feel I’ve said what I needed to say and it’s up to each individual person to decide what’s right.
Some more background may be in order. I’ve mentioned I’m not a user, so we know I don’t have first hand knowledge about drugs. However, sometimes it can be mistaken that people like that lack real knowledge about drugs. In my past I’ve befriended many people who have had serious drug issues and have recovered. I’m in no way trying to hold them up as positive examples of humanity in general other than the in high praise of those who have recognized they do have a problem, regardless what that problem actually is, and have had the strength to do something about it. One of my associates used to be a respectable sized drug dealer for most of his life. He turned away from that life style and instead starting helping people recover from drug related problems of all sorts. He never was one of those preachy anti-drug “drugs are bad” speakers. He simply was their to help others recover from all kinds of drug (alcohol, pot, whatever) related problems and get their life back under control. He started a multitude of help programs in a multitude of states. It’s quite possible some of these readers may know who I’m talking about (if so, please respect the mans privacy). So again, I recognize that I haven’t always seen people at their “best” for those who have used.
But I do have serious issue when people call pot a safe drug. Again, I speak solely from experience here and I’m not going to claim that my experiences are the norm. Perhaps they are not. I’m not trying to troll for an argument. I’m simply trying to express what I’ve seen. I’ve heard of police officers being asked when the last time they got into a fight with either a person on marijuana or alcohol. I’m sure there are variations to this question. Often pro legalization articles bring this up because often times police officers do mention that they fight more alcohol users than pot users. But for my self, there is no comparison. I have fought more pot users than alcohol users by far. I couldn’t even begin to count the pot induced fights. I have had some interesting dealings with people who are drunk, but we’ve always managed to walk away. With pot, I could write a several hundred page long book of short stories of pot induced fighting. In one case I had my throat slit. Albeit that sounds worse then it ended up being. This particular user was just trying to send me a message and not actually kill me. But rather demonstrate he was willing to do it. The scar has faded some as that situation was nearly 20 years ago, but it’s still there if you look for it. Never once have I see someone with an alcohol related problem who was difficult to handle. Uncooperative and angry perhaps. But never uncontrollably violent. I won’t argue that in some of these pot related violence cases there was probably more going on here than just pot, but in the end each one that comes to mind at least pot was involved. In any case I think pot related violence is under represented. I find it extremely difficult to believe that some countries claim near 0 fatalities due to pot usage. Again, that is largely just an opinion backed by observation and experience. Do with it what you wish, but keep in mind that it’s easier to make a casual observation and know someone is using alcohol than it is to know someone is using pot. Again, do with that what you wish and make your own determination.
I also know that part of the pot is safe argument pro legalization articles tend to go into focus on a hand full of articles for their support. This is an area I happen to know a great deal about, but I won’t bore you anymore than I probably already have by attempting to give biological lessons in a silly comment box. Besides, I don’t think I could comment on this portion of the topic effectively. I am trying to be non-judgmental in this post. I’m trying to expose you all to an alternative view point without propaganda. Just a perspective and experiences that I have that hopefully may help you understand the other side of this a little better, and in effect, help me understand “your” side of this a little better. I’ve largely believed that if you cannot argue for all the opposing view points to your own, you do not fully understand an issue. And I don’t feel my personal opinion is worth anything unless I understand the issue. So, I come to these sites and read these articles for that very reason. Hopefully my words have helped even just one person gain similar understanding in a positive way.
I’ll leave you all with one final thought to mull over and yes, this may take a slightly different tone in contrary to the tone of the rest of my posts. But It’s been mentioned, even by myself, how important the right to choose is. Even if the choices are considered bad by others. If that was the only thing in question, then pot should be legal to use unquestionably. But there are many examples in many societies where certain behaviors were regulated and choices were limited with the intention of enlightening society. Or on the flip side of that, society began to enlighten and the laws were created. I won’t say that making pot illegal or legal is one of these choices, that’s for you to decide. But there are many other concerns here than just the right to choose or potential tax money and other simplistic pro/against arguments. I know what I’m about to say will seem like a strange comparison, but hear me out. Even just a few hundred years ago it was perfectly legal and a normal practice to marry very young. Often, under the age of 18. In many countries and societies, this is still practiced. Someone very recently (by comparison of all of human history) drew a line in the sand and created the concept of “age of consent”. This too limited our choices and changed our perspective on these kinds of relationships (or again, it could be argued that our perspective was changing that way which created the law… but that’s not the point). In the last few decades, child pornography laws really took shape. There are common house hold innocent pictures families often take of their children which are in no way intended to be pornographic. Yet by legal definition they are. Society will change. My overall point here is that just because we used to be able to do it, doesn’t always mean we should still be able to do it. We all understand the importance of freedom of choice, but there are so many examples of laws that push our society to change. The laws we follow, make, or break really say something about us as a people and speak to future generations of what is acceptable. The choices we make today will affect what our society becomes tomorrow. I will fully declare that I personally feel the moral and right thing to do is a full ban on all forms of recreational drug use. But I also know that our society is not ready for that. So I feel we must draw a line in the sand somewhere. I’m not sure where that line belongs currently. I just hope we make the right choice and draw it at a point that speaks positively about us as a people to future generations.
I feel I should make a clarification here. I know probably almost no one will read my post (tl;dr). But for those who have, they may dismiss some of my disclosed comments about pot related violence and in their mind blame the actions on other circumstances. While again, I cannot claim each instance was solely due to pot. I do know many of them were rooted in pot. To give further details in one particular case, the person who slit my throat used to be one of my closest friends. A rather normal person whom I knew very well who lost it while on pot. In another case I was involved in a pretty serious accident that left my right arm with a slight loss of function. All because someone decided to smoke pot and drive. Again. I’m sure some instances there were other things going on. But I have many examples of first hand experiences or first hand observed experiences of known pot related violence. While I recognize that these behaviors may not be the norm. And I respect those who can control their habits, but it is quite offensive to me and what I’ve lived through to claim pot is a safe drug. I hope you can understand why I feel this way.
Ryan I am truly sorry you have had such a bad encounters with marijuana users. I don’t think we are on this earth to treat each other badly and I understand why you may be bitter. But we have reason to be bitter as well when society believes it is ok to kick our doors in at 2 or 3 AM and hold our family at gunpoint while our house is destroyed and our dogs shot and our children removed from our custody. In a society that wants to deny us employment and education benefits. A society that denied our right to bear arms after it declared war on us. A society that wont allow us the one thing that helps make our lives a little more tolerable when we are ill or dying. I’m also sorry Ryan that me feeling like the enemy of this country troubles you, but we didn’t declare this war, Richard Nixon did and this is how I am answering that declaration of war. All we really want Ryan, is to live in peace with society.
Randy Johnson
itsmycountrytoo.org
Good Heavens, Ryan. I have to side with the police officers on this. For many years I worked in a large showroom (1,200 patrons) which served alcohol and had a great variety of musical acts. I can tell you for a fact that when we had acts that drew a crowd of drinkers, there were fights all night long, girls crying, police having to come, just a complete nightmare for us staff. When Snoop Dog came or a reggae act or anything that mainly drew pot smokers, the nights were absolutely delightful. Easy. No one ever got tossed out or hit their girlfriend on these nights. It is so clear to me that the people you are speaking of were either ingesting other things or their growers were using nasty chemicals on the plants. You are the only person I have ever heard of that says they have seen a violent pot smoker. I respect your choice not to alter your consciousness with substances but hope that you consider that you have very personal opinions that are based on inaccurate information about these people who have hurt you and are obviously not just smoking clean plant.
Randy, thank you for your blog! You are amazing in your diplomacy in responding to Ryan here. Hope you run for office someday!
Marijuana Should Be legal. It’s alot safer than Booze. Not to mention all the $$ the Gov. Could Make off Taxes. It was the only thing that kept my Grandpa alive while sick, without it
he wouldn’t eat. Time for people to get over the stereotype and see what it does for people and I bet shutting down the corner dealer would also help get marijuana out of the hands of kids.
Marijuana needs to be legalized, but the government makes too much money off of it being illegal to legalize it.
I support anyone who supports the legalization and aways post/repost/share anything for the legalization of marijuana. Please do the same to raise awareness!
Jamie
Legalizing marijuana would get the country out of its economical rut that we have been in, in the last 10 yrs. or so. And also marijuana has many medical advantages. Last year, I found out that I had breast cancer and I was at a stage 3/4, and there is no stage 5. But unfortunately I live in Idaho were marijuana isn’t given to cancer patiets as a drug that helps relieve pain, promotes eating along with many other positive reactions. So I broke the law and got my marijuana off of the streets as many do so I could find my relief. It really is sad. I wish the government would stop being so ignorant and pull their heads out of their asses and realize that this is a new age for new things. And for God’s sake quit being such prudes, it really isn’t becoming.
Marla
I’m sorry to hear about your cancer. I pray for healing on your behalf and maybe soon we can wake people up who love freedom and have compassion for others. This continued war against medical marijuana by the Obama administration is nothing short of barbaric.
Randy Johnson
itsmycountrytoo.org
DIDO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you Tell Them Brother !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The fight to legalize cannabis is ultimately a worldwide concern and I believe that people from all countries should join together to legalize cannabis, not only for medical reasons but because it is a freedom issue which must be addressed and rectified. We have the right to determine what we do with our bodies; it is not the government’s concern what I do in privacy, anyway. My views are a bit controversial and I say some things about my government which are not very nice, to put it lightly. Still, I feel that these things must be said and then actions need to be taken to bring positive changes to fruition. Education of the general public is of utmost importance. I hope that you approve of this blog and encourage you to share it widely. I would appreciate your thoughts on this blog and welcome communication from you and your friends. Feel free to copy, quote or share this Op/Ed/blog . I hope that your life is healthy, happy and based in true freedom. Here is the blog…
Freedom and cannabis legalization go hand in hand.
by Johnny L. Hickman
It’s time to end marijuana prohibition. The events and facts I present here are documented in “The Emperor Wears No Clothes” by Jack Herer, The Congressional Record, The Library of Congress, Medical journals, and other trusted publications. My opinion, as stated here, is shared by millions of intelligent, productive, tax paying Americans.
Everyone knows that the American Drug War is a total failure. Having spent a trillion dollars in the last 40 years, we now find that marijuana is cheaper, more potent and readily available. During the last ten years, polls show that public school students say that marijuana is easier to get than cigarettes or alcohol. Drug dealers don’t ask for ID’s. Prohibition didn’t work with alcohol and it won’t work with drugs either.
The Drug War is all about greed, power and control… The government and law enforcement lose more credibility every day that they maintain their irrational, narrow minded stance against re-legalization. We The People need to stand up and speak out for full legalization of marijuana and industrial hemp as soon as possible. We need cannabis hemp for medicine, food, fuel and fiber. In spite of common knowledge and widespread scientific support, the federal government has for almost 30 years kept cannabis in Schedule 1, thus denying patients access to medical marijuana. http://norml.org/library/recent-research-on-medica…
We know an healing herb when we experience it. Marijuana has been to shown to alleviate asthma, epilepsy, PMS, IBS, Crohn’s, migraine headache, chronic pain, spasticity, glaucoma, arthritis and lately, the National Cancer Institute has admitted to having known that it is effective against cancer since 1974! According to a statement by the National Cancer Institute, March 17, 2011: “In the practice of integrative oncology, the health care provider may recommend medicinal Cannabis not only for symptom management but also for its possible direct antitumor effect.” An illegal cancer cure = genocide! http://patients4medicalmarijuana.wordpress.com/201… Here’s another link: http://bighealthreport.com/1407/government-study-p…
We should be allowed to light up a joint for relaxation and recreation. It is not nearly as bad for you as alcohol. What we do in privacy is our own business, not Big Brother’s. Let’s keep cannabis illegal for minors, just like alcohol. No one has ever died from a marijuana overdose; it is not toxic to the human body. Alcohol and tobacco ARE bad for you, and addictive too… but still, they are legal. Think about how many people die each year due to aspirin (7,000), prescription drugs (32,000), alcohol (85,000) and tobacco (435,000). Cannabis is less addictive than coffee! http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node/28 Do you ever wonder why marijuana is illegal?
Big business was afraid of the competition then and they still are! Greed, yellow journalism, racism, outright lies and vicious, misleading propaganda were used by W.R. Hearst (newspaper publication,timber and paper industry), the DuPonts (plastics made from oil), the Rockefellers (Big Oil, Big Pharma), Andrew Mellon (big money) and our government to get hemp banned in the first place.The Drug Czar in 1937, Harry Anslinger, used lies, racism and underhanded politics to further the agenda of the Rich and Powerful. Every Drug Czar since then has followed in Anslinger’s footsteps. Eighteen billion dollars was wasted during 2011 on cannabis prohibition. Our government forces marijuana prohibition on other nations, causing hardship and increased crime. Look at what it’s doing to Mexico…
Want to talk about addiction? Our banks and our government are addicted to the profits from the Drug War. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPGWc0eNfpE It is a sad fact that our own government no longer has the best interests of the American People at heart.
Stand up for your rights. The Powers That Be who are pulling the strings that control our federal government are doing everything they can to keep knowledge about the benefits of marijuana and industrial hemp from you. The CIA, the FBI, the DEA, the Federal Reserve, along with other Global Banksters (money laundering) and the global corporate/media/industrial/prison/military complex realize that their cash cow (the lost Drug War) is at stake. America has become a prison nation, with 5% of the world’s population and 25% of the world’s prisoners. Something is very wrong here.
Big Pharma knows that marijuana is good medicine http://weedbay.net/index.php/component/content/art icle/1974 but they don”t want you to have it unless they can control it; they’re after the MONEY. But they can’t patent a natural plant. Many medical organizations agree that marijuana is good medicine. The American Medical Association has called for rescheduling of cannabis in order to facilitate medical studies of this versatile herb. Big Brother knows that re-legalization will put power and money back in the hands of the people and they hate the very thought of that happening. They are quite willing to be heavy handed, to use blackmail and to lie to the American public (all documented!) in order to keep marijuana from being re-legalized.
All the men and women who have been incarcerated for cannabis should be released so that they can resume their productive lives. Many of them are young and an inordinate number of them are young men of color.The war on drugs has become a war on the people.
Big Brother fears cannabis hemp. Widespread production of cannabis hemp will cause them to lose their stranglehold on us and nations of the world. Hemp will grow anywhere, from deserts to mountains to rain forests… It is much better for our environment than other crops. Farmers will have a way to make a better living. We can stop cutting down our old growth forests. Canada, Central and South America can finally be allowed to legalize. The drug cartels will lose a huge portion of their business overnight. Crime will decrease. Mexico DID LEGALIZE IT a few years back but backed off quickly from that after much pressure was applied by the U.S. government.
Within three or four years, we can be making enough alcohol from hemp to allow us to wean ourselves away from using gasoline. Fuel prices will go down. Hemp oil is an excellent lubricant and can be used as biodiesel . You can make high quality paper, cloth and biodegradable plastics from hemp. http://www.hemphasis.net/ The federal government’s insistence that we must not grow hemp because there is no way to discern industrial hemp from marijuana is absurd; inspectors in other nations which do grow industrial hemp have no problem figuring out the difference. Hemp seed is the most nutritionally complete single plant food in the world. There’s only a trace of THC in the seeds; eating hemp seeds won’t get anyone high but it can make you healthy.
Inform yourself; study everything you can find out about it. Legalization is the right thing to do. God put this herb on the earth for us to use. Let’s use it wisely. Cannabis hemp is the world’s premier renewable resource. Legalize it, regulate it, tax it at a reasonable rate.
If the tax is set too high, it will only drive the market back underground. This new income will provide a much needed boost to our economy. Be wise. Listen to your heart. Then support re-legalization. America needs this. Our damaged environment needs this desperately. Support NORML, MPP, DPA, ASA, SSDP, the TeaPot party and other organizations working for re-legalization. Contact your state and federal legislators and let them know how you feel. It is no longer a question of IF cannabis will be legalized but WHEN…Big Brother is getting desperate, as clearly shown by the Fed’s recent crackdown on medical marijuana dispensaries and their legal patients!
Still skeptical? Please understand that the events and facts I’ve presented here are well documented. The latest Gallup poll shows that 50% of all Americans favor full re-legalization of marijuana and that support is growing. http://www.gallup.com/poll/150149/Record-High-Americans-Favor-Legalizing-Marijuana.aspx You need to read “The Emperor Wears No Clothes” by Jack Herer. You can read it for free, online, at http://www.jackherer.com/thebook/ Fully documented, this book will open your eyes to the truth about marijuana.
Cannabis has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years prior to its current status as an illegal substance. Freedom to use, grow and sell cannabis hemp is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s always been about more than just that; it’s about all our freedoms that are protected by the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Those freedoms are under fire right now. Stand up and be counted for liberty. Register and Vote!
“If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so.” — Thomas Jefferson.
Abraham Lincoln responded to the kind of repressive mentality that we are seeing now, in December, 1840, when he said “Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man’s appetite by legislation and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded.”
“Make the most of the Indian Hemp; sow it everywhere!” –George Washington
“Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself.”
—President Jimmy Carter, August 2, 1977
Johnny Hickman (aka Clodhopper)
San Angelo, Texas
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/johnny.hickman.589
Johnny
Thanks for your comments and information. There is so much information available that shows marijuana to be palliative, cureative and of great benefit to mankind we have only scratched the surface. It is a shame that our government has turned a blind eye to freedom and compassion.
Thanks for your post
Randy Johnson
itsmycountrytoo.org