some sad thoughts

[darkravenAMP]

Alright, so here's the sad thoughts on why I think marijuana will not be legalized any time in the near future.

First and foremost, the judiciary system makes a great deal of money from prosecuting individuals for posession, growing, and use of marijuana. If marijuana were legalized, yes the money would go to the U.S. economy, but the judiciary system and law enforcement agency would require noticably less individuals to sustain it. Thus, on the whole, the judiciary system would suffer.

The DEA would simply fall apart. Though I don't know an exact number, I am pretty damn sure that most of the DEA's dealings concern the production and use of marijuana.

The oil companies would be in competition with hemp oil as a new fuel source. Okay, this isn't the best argument since solar energy and electric fuel can be used in combination to power vehicles, appliances, etc. and thus, hemp would be thought of as a fuel source at most as much as diesel fuel, which isn't very popular in general. Still, competing with the oil companies, who are perhaps one of the most influential monopolies within the U.S. government ranks, it is not unexpected that the oil companies have some say on the legalization of marijuana.

The paper companies, same thing.

The clothing industry, same thing.

The tobacco and alcohol industries, same thing

The black market obviously has its hand in the dealings of marijuana legalization as the most commonly used illegal drug is marijuana. In order to continue to fund the continuing wars, the governments of various countries must ensure that each country has a source of funding to ensure that each country can continue fighting wars (for economic and distraction purposes). Marijuana production provides the easiest and safest answer to that. Americans purchase marijuana from overseas/across the border and thus fund the overseas drug lords. In the US government, certain unknown indivudals (this is where i get into huge conspiracy here) make sure that marijuana is kept illegal so that other countries can continue to fight America in the wars, thus ensuring the continued economic and industrial increase due to wartime.

Any individual who fights for marijuana legalization is either a user or is framed for any reason (drug posession, drug use, drug production, or, if the individual is too clean, some other incriminating illegal act) so that he/she is never around long enough to cause any real uproar if he/she becomes really famous in the fight for legalization.

Finally, marijuana activists tend to be individuals who (like myself) tend to talk to others who agree with their point of view, or don't care about it. This is due to our individual desire not to be harassed by law enforcement agents/officers or simply plain laziness. Our only real hope of legalization is spreading the word to those who are against us and changing their point of views, but instead we sit here talking amongst ourselves . . . due to a form of weakness that I am sad to say I am also a part of . . .

Anyway, sorry to be a bummer, but I do want to hear some arguments against my above theories, which are based generally not on statistics, but on general observations.

[astro]

Here's another one: Big Medicine. If it stays illegal, then the medicine companies remain the sole supplier of legal marijuana (once it get's legalized nationwide medically). And they have deep pockets and they know how great marijuana is as a pain killer. So they'll lobby and spend millions on keeping it illegal until the end of time.

Edit: I don't think the oil companies would block it. The oil companies are the ones who are funding research in solar and hydrogen energy. The oil companies don't give a fuck where the energy comes from, as long as they control it, which is why they are researching that stuff now to get a head start. I wouldn't be suprised if they are doing research on hemp fuel right now.

[guy from 70's]

to sum it up in one phrase thats been around longer then all of us....

" You cant fight city hall"......

Im sure in the decades to follow Marijuana will become legal for many of the reasons that are now keeping it from legality...

When the government fills with generations of people that used MJ for years and know the real deal...the voting will change to effect that....

And as resources deplete and the problems that occur from that unfold marijuana will be useful to "fill" the resource gaps in medical, energy, clothing, and other areas that will need a helping hand to survive simply from depletion of the current raw material sources....

in my lifetime.....no way....in yours...proly a good chance...

[darkravenAMP]

Originally Posted by guy from 70's

in my lifetime.....no way....in yours...proly a good chance...

why do you say that? just out of curiosity

[astro]

Originally Posted by guy from 70's

When the government fills with generations of people that used MJ for years and know the real deal...the voting will change to effect that....

I hope, but here's my thinking. The Baby Boomer generation was like *the* pot smoking generation. Something like over 60% having tried it at least once. Now those people are retiring but MJ is still illegal. I'm hoping something changes but since it's still illegal even though the BB generation smoked weed, I dunno if the current generation will be any different.

[darkravenAMP]

i've heard the "legalization is just round the corner" theory. problem I see with it is that, yeh, legalization really is just round the corner, but everyone is either not interested enough or too lazy to go around that corner.

I agree that the world probably does have bigger problems to worry about than the injustice that is carried with marijuana prohibition. For the most part, the majority of those who smoke on a regular basis are not majorly affected by prohibition: they still smoke regularly, grow regularly, and deal regularly and the majority of growers, smokers, dealers are not caught.

Thus, on the activist approach, prohibition has failed, but not only this, since it is such an utter failure, most smokers, growers, dealers, etc. view this as "well, it's so safe to do all this shit, as long as i'm minorly careful, who gives a fuck about its legalization? I've got my weed and am not getting caught so i'm happy."

And those who are not regular smokers or don't smoke pretty much are indifferent on the issue these days, and indifference is the greatest weapon against freedom and justice.

If the majority of smokers just had the guts to say to the world, not to politicians, but to those who are indifferent, and say "Yeh, I smoke weed. What do you have to say about it?" Not only would people have to get off their asses and argue the point, and not only would some people be convinced of the injustice of its prohibition and criminalization, but in general, the population would be surprised at how many people have tried and are regular smokers of marijuana, not presented in a textbook or poll or statistic, but in real life, facing them physically.

I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that this is a responsibility that I should and will one day carry. It's not about my comfort or the fact that I want to smoke weed or have the freedom to smoke weed. It's not even about marijuana, it's about the injustice done to those who demand the freedom to be themselves, whether they be weak drug addict or a person who likes to relax with a substance, it's their choice, no one elses. But when they lie back and submit to the comfort of drugs to the point where they don't care about their own freedoms, then the drug lords across the seas have won and the corrupt individuals in the government who perpetuate this kind of injustice will be everlasting.

This is the biggest flaw I've seen with the majority of my generation. They fail to realize that the responsibility of being a citizen of the United States means being more than just having the daily comforts, talking about problems and philosophies and stories and movies and entertainment rather than taking those things to heart. Dedicating yourself to the ideals that our forefathers set before us isn't a privelage, it isn't a freedom that you can throw away, it's your duty, your responsibility, whether you choose to have it or not. And if you do choose to throw it away, to choose comfort and entertainment over the freedom to choose your way of life, then not only have you thrown away any right you have to complain when corruption overtakes our government, you have damned yourself to a life of monotony, servitude, and enslavement, be it to the corrupt government or the drug. When you throw away your rights, the comfort of a drug and the control of the government become the same thing: a sedative, a form of control. Are you, any of you, willing to say that what you have now is more important than the ideals that this country was founded on?

[astro]

^^^ Here's the thing though, from my point of view. Most people don't have the luxury of being activists. We have jobs, families, and lives to live that don't afford us the time to be out there spreading the word. Just this summer I was working full time and taking night classes, most of my days lasted 12+ hours of just work and class and the weekends were all studying. I mean I would love to be out there spreading the word but I just don't have time... if it wasn't for the fact that my job involved a computer I probably wouldn't have had time to even post here.

[guy from 70's]

Well guys....

First your both very with it ....

OK Ill give a combo answer for your questions.... Im 45 with bad injuries that will continue to cause problems......I proly wont get 20 more years...I think it will be in your lifetime...Im assuming your in your 20''s...I say this because ..althought the BabyBoomers did smoke MJ....The next Generation is the KEY. This generation changed social history. So did the Baby Boomers. Tho , In an entirely different way..The Boomers helped Build the country after the war and believed as deep as the forefathers in the Greatness of ther US of A...THis ran deep Learned fom their Parents that Saved the free world during WW2 The Greatest generation ...

Now the Boomers Children....Raised in comfort compared to past generartions...Im talkin about Middle class Post war 1950's early 60''s families....This Generation of Children born mid fifties was free to learn Academically..and expanded their views.....Then Vietnam....all these kids...17-21 got to go fight our second Police action disaster....I wont get into my views of Vietnam.....(( your generation is having it's Vietnam right now))....ok..The 17-21 age group in say... starting in 1965-72 either went to war without a real reason they understood....Or they some how went to college...and in College They learned that they could have a Voice and they could disagreed with their govenment and Protest which was Great

The "Flower child" Generation Used Marijuana in an open an massive fashsion never seen before...OK....now the Flower Child Gen is in their late forties an fifties up to 60 years old....Most open legsilative seats get filled by people in their forties ( just a nonminal time frame)...the point is the age groupe of 40 -60 is were the real power exist in the government....that is why I Bblieve after a few more years of Flower Child generation become empowered the laws will change...

.They have massive resentment (rightly so) against the Government, They were the first Young generation since the civil war to turn against a from of governement on this Continent , They were slaughterd for Lies, They were ostersized by their peers an elders, they came home from the war and were treatred like killers an dogs.

BUT...Most important...they got educated in high power colleges, they used and LOVED marijuana most still smoke today ( the ones I know do) and last....its THEIR TIME TO RULE........We will reap the benefits of their leadership just as all generations before have done from the effort of the previous generation....

as for being an Activist .....yes the torch is yours...take what the ones before started an dont let it die....


History and time....Gotta love em...