There are a great many reasons to legalize but often they do not resound with the power brokers. Consider using this one: By making Cannabis and other drugs criminal you are dramatically increasing the size and diversity of the underground economy. You are making people think of the law as something to be obeyed when necessary. You are making people feel that they can not trust the authorities. There are a great many of other aspects to this, but the point is that these things come together to make the nation more vulnerable to Foreign Intelligence Services, Terrorists, and organized crime. each of these threats function better when the target has a strong, diverse underground economy.
Its a very good angle. The fact that the "black market" for marijuana would go up in flames (no pun intended) and the demand from other countries and their criminal elements would also be gone..And the fact that a lot of money would now be generated from and re-spent in America would also help to make the fat cats' mouths water; and possible lobby or "help" it get passed, just as people have been keeping illegal for profits sake. Although id like to see big business stay away from marijuana for as long as possible after it does get legalized...... I dont want there to be the Mcdonalds equivalent of a dispensary on every corner selling shitty buds for a dollar or two all day and taking all the business.....
Can you imagine a world in which the inspired feeling you get when smoking; and the feeling of belonging to the community you live in were not diametrically opposed to each other. Imagine the benefit to our society. Can you imagine talking to a police officer and not feeling anxious?
i dream of it. literally. i have dreamt of walking out on my back porch to sunshine and a backyard full of 10 foot plants. The amount of time i spend outside would double lol
If they know it would, that is take money away from the underground, then what keeps it the way it is?
Many lawmakers vote against marijuana for a variety of reasons. A significant number are worried about the specter of masses of hippy youth spending their days smoking on some hill side somewhere. If they only understood that there are enormous numbers of very valuable contributors to society that wish to use MJ, they might behave differently when they go to vote.
That's true of the middle aged and older lawmakers...those that believed that Nixon and Reagan were telling the truth... AND it's the born again christian tea party control freaks.... it's the politicians that are tied to their local law enforcement it's the lawmakers that get huge donations from the private prison industry it's the truly insane lawmakers who think that if we just toughen the laws more, drug control will work this time....you know the definition of insanity right? doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.....
It's like everyone forgot that this is a nation of the people, and that we reserve all rights. They forget that We the People gave the government certain powers to protect our rights; we did not surrender the right to choose what to do with our time. They simply dreamt up the idea of a better society guided by the wise leaders in Washington. I never asked them to tell me what was good for me, just to keep others from harming, coercing, and defrauding me.
Great post. I definitely dreaded the days that I had to obtain my cannabis from "shady" people in order to smoke with honest hard working friends.
I once saw a great t-shirt that had a big pot leaf and said "I support terrorism". Not advised to wear when you're going to fly somewhere...
They hired how many tens of thousands of federal foot soldiers already under the guise of terrorism? (Border patrol, Coast Guard, etc.) I hardly see how this argument is any different than the arguments put forth to instill fear and authorize all the "Homeland Security" agendas they already have. The companies which support prohibition have made a nice living off the fear of terrorism too. The power brokers are fine with the status quo. They didn't need fear of drugs/criminals to pull off what they have already. Some non-existent bearded guy in a cave halfway around the globe is all it took. Plus, when there is strong evidence our own government is the biggest drug dealer on earth, its hard to tell them to fear themselves.
I know... We should think of the FDA as certifying that drug sellers claims are true. The FDA should not be able to prohibit us from buying a drug, they should only be responsible for ensuring we are not defrauded by those who sell them without making their risks and side-effects clear.
Which is super evident by the lack of side effects on the drug ads on the TV. FDA is a lost cause. Most of their funding comes from the corporations whose drugs they are tasked with approving. A more heinous conflict could not exist.
Fair enough. I was only saying that the government should not tell us what we should and should not do. Only make sure that other people live up to the obligations they assume and refrain from coercing us.
I know its painted with flowery historical imagery, but government IS coercion. When you think about a bunch of slave owners framing our "freedoms," it loses a little of its cache. It's never been about being upstanding.
They say: 'Hypocrisy is the tribute that vice pays to virtue'. The rather blatant hypocrisy of the founding fathers is no argument against the system of government they established. However much I believe that the government of the United States has fallen to the influence of traitors and fascists; I still hold true to the Constitution of the United States. I still feel duty bound to resist and oppose all enemies to the Constitution even when those enemies are the pretenders to government.