Fact: Prohibition Creates Crime.

Everyone's always telling me the laws suck. But they don't want to do anything to make a change. If you want laws to change you can't just sit around and complain about how it'll never happen. It can, and here's why

Facts: Every year, 100's of people overdose on aspirin. Around 45,000 die from alcohol abuse, (not including drunk driving accidents), 440,000 from cigarettes, and 225,000 from malpractice and legally prescribed drugs, but no one has ever overdosed from marijuana, and it's illegal.

Shocker: In 1988, the DEA's (Drug Enforcement Agency's) own judge, Francis L. Young concluded that, “In its natural form, marijuana is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man.” He also stated that, "in strict medical terms marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume." This, after hearing evidence from both sides of a case between NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) and the DEA; he recommended that the DEA administrator reschedule marijuana. The DEA administrator ignored him and didn't have to explain why, even though evidence showed that a person would, "have to consume nearly 1,500 pounds of marijuana within about 15 minutes to induce a lethal response."

Jail+Racism: Over 300 billion has been spent on the drug war since 1980, and the major drug of concern isn't even lethal. 700,000 people are jailed every year for smoking marijuana, and the government spends an estimated $17 billion a year fighting the war on drugs. 700,000 people die from heart disease every year… I bet if the government spent $17 billion a year to find a cure we would have one by now. These people didn't kill anyone. They didn't molest any children, or rape anyone, and they're not criminals; all they did was smoke a harmless plant. This is one major reason we have prison overcrowding. Only 20% of the marijuana smokers in this country are Black or Hispanic. In jail however, they make up 58% of the arrests for marijuana. In 1937, the first U.S. drug czar (Harry Anslinger), testified against marijuana saying, "There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others.”

Corruption: In one pot bust in 1985, the Miami police took $20,000 from one man and gave him a "receipt" for $1870. Most people I know would take $18,000 if they knew they could get away with it. This goes on all the time. Isn't it time we reestablish an image of good cops? Wendy Hamilton, the president of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), believes, "We need to redirect the resources of our police officers towards the DWI driver." The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union), along with many other institutions, believe the drug war is a complete failure. We've all seen the commercial where the test dummy is smoking a joint and gets in a crash because, “1 in 3 drivers who tested positive for drugs tested positive for marijuana.” Marijuana can stay positive in your system for up to six weeks after using it. Positive does not mean intoxicated. And we've all seen the commercial where a boy cuts up 4 cigarettes and they say, "One marijuana joint contains as much cancer causing tar as four cigarettes," which is another lie. It isn't the tar that causes cancer, it's the radioactive chemicals, and marijuana doesn't have any. That's why there isn't a single case of cancer linked to marijuana use.

Holland v US: In Holland, since marijuana was decriminalized, use of the drug and crime have gone down, mainly because the black market shrunk and many drug dealers went out of business. In the U.S., despite wasting billions of dollars every year, use has remained the same and crime has risen, along with the black market. The drug war is a failure, and a sham. Medical researchers at the National Academy of Sciences have found that, “There is no conclusive evidence that the drug effects of marijuana are causally linked to the abuse of other illicit drugs.” The government tells us this isn't true because thousands are “checking into” rehab clinics. The truth is, they're being “forced into checking into” rehab by the government. We understand that marijuana can be abused like anything else, that's why we have laws that say you have to be 21 to drink, 18 to smoke, and 16 to drive. In addition, withdrawal from marijuana is not violent like alcohol, and cravings don't persist for the rest of your life, like nicotine.

Tobacco: Isn't it funny how tobacco companies don't have to list any of the chemicals contained in their cigarettes even though all of them are harmful, but Del Monte has to tell you how much nutrition is in a can of green beans? Cigarette companies claim this is so no one finds out about their “secret ingredients” because it could hurt competition. The truth is, there is substantial evidence that cigarette companies have spiked the level of nicotine in their cigarettes in order to keep a level of “sustained addiction.” Cigarettes also have radioactive, cancer causing ingredients, and marijuana has none. Tobacco companies play our government like puppets, and have spent millions on political campaigns. This is why our lawmakers can't turn their back on the tobacco industry. “According to the National Library on Money and Politics, Phillip Morris's political action committee made 4822 contributions to 383 different candidates between 1979 and 1994.” Peer pressure begins with cigarettes through advertising campaigns that make smoking look cool, but at the same time, make cigarettes the number one gateway drug. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) says that, "Cigarettes are as addictive as cocaine and heroin for some people," and that, "Smoking related illness costs the economy 75 billion a year." If we add the 17 billion spent on the drug war we can easily see that we waste over 90 billion a year, more than was estimated for the war with Iraq, every year. Politicians support this expensive and deadly substance because they represent the highest bidder, not the people. We shouldn't have to fund lawmakers extra money to represent us! Isn't that why we pay taxes?

Environment: If we grew marijuana we wouldn't have to cut down trees anymore because it produces 2-4 times as much pulp per acre than timber. Lumber companies cut countless numbers of trees down every year, even though paper made from marijuana can last for over 1500 years. People say Congress is just looking for a way to tax it, but the hemp industry isn't new to this country. They believe millions of jobs would be lost and our economy would go under even further, but Popular Mechanics magazine claimed that we could make 25,000 environmentally safe products from marijuana, so even if people grew their own, there would still be a huge market. The tobacco industry could increase its size if it came clean, and actually bring more jobs to the market if it grew pot instead. Tobacco also uses many pesticides, and marijuana grows well without any pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides. Cotton uses almost half the pesticides in the entire country, and marijuana has proven to be a stronger material for clothing. When it comes to energy, “Hemp is the only biomass source available that is capable of making the US energy-independent. Ultimately, the world has no other rational environmental choice but to give up fossil fuels.” In addition, most other countries are cashing in while the US loses out.

Medical: Sick patients who have cancer, HIV, glaucoma, asthma, or multiple sclerosis are denied access to marijuana on their deathbeds and are instead given toxic medicines. Many doctors have urged the government time and time again to let them use marijuana in treatment to no avail. 500,000 people die every year from cancer alone and if marijuana has even the slightest potential to curb that number then we should take it. With glaucoma, every single available treatment can easily become lethal, except marijuana, which is unavailable. Doctors know that they can use marijuana safely, especially under their own direct medical supervision. It is a fact. When I went to the emergency room, I was diagnosed with bronchitis and "tobacco abuse," and even though I also told them that I regularly smoked marijuana, they didn't care.

The Bible: Marijuana seeds have a more nutritious source of essential fatty acids than any other food in the world and mankind has used the drug for over 12,000 years. Even the Bible seems to take a positive stand… In Genesis 1:29 (NIV) God says, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” Though some seed-bearing plants are harmful, marijuana is not such a substance. Do we trust in what God has given us, or do we trust in the lawmakers who have repeatedly lied to us? Or maybe the toxic manmade drugs they have given us instead? It's time our politicians listen to the ones they are supposed to represent (We The People). Now they have the opportunity to come clean and tell the truth. Marijuana is one of the safest drugs in the world, and the government has repeatedly told us that it is dangerous. Nicotine is one of the most dangerous drugs in the world, and the government is paid to tell us that it's ok.

Inevitability: The prohibition of this drug has caused far more damage than the drug itself. President Carter once said that, “Penalties against drug use should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself.” Not only can you go to jail, you can lose your license, your reputation, your job, along with a score of other penalties. The war on this drug has killed far more than the drug itself. If this is at all an eye opener for you, please support us by signing our petition. Pass this information along to anyone you like. Source list available upon request by email to save room. Contact umbrella@thevortex.com. Let's put an end to any laws against marijuana now.


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They tried to prohibit alcohol in the 1920s and it created crime. They tried prohibiting black people from looking at white people in the wrong way and it created crime.
They tried to prohibit drugs and it created crime.
End prohibition, the true crime.


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