it just pisses me off that everyone else gets political support with politicians on their side, but the cannabis community has to be alienated like some pedophile group or something. A recent pew poll showed that 52% of Americans say they support ending marijuana prohibition. Gallup and PPP is showing the same rise in support over the past few decades. But yet theres no politicians in Congress or in any of the state legislatures that support us. The marijuana reformers are forced to wait years till the next election, spend millions of dollars on a state ballot initiative and hope that marijuana legalization passes on election day. We cant get anything pro marijuana legislation passed by any state legislature or congress. And yet the NRA is able to get everything they want rammed through state legislatures regardless of public opinion. Kill at will laws, guns in bars, sell guns like candy, you name it. Gun nuts get political support. Pro lifers get political support with there extreme abortion bans that less than a 3rd of the population supports.. Pro choice people get political support. Hispanics get political support. Everyones trying to woo the hispanic/illegal alien vote. Cigar connoisseurs get political support for their rights to enjoy premium cigars. The gay mafia was able to get gay marriage passed in state legislature years ago even when the majority of the public was overwhelmingly against it. Theres all kinds of issues and movements far more fringe and yet they have a viable party that has their back! Everybodys got a party Democrat or Republican on their side. Everything is a wedge issue. But yet with the marijuana reformers, its BOTH viable parties equally AGAINST you even with 52% supporting full legalization and 80% supporting medical marijuana! WTF is going on? Is there any group of people or social movement you know of with this kind of disadvantage in political support vs public opinion?
I share your frustration but the fact is MJ has been villified for so long spineless politicians feel safe opposing it. All it takes is to pander to the "I'll keep your children safe", or the "I support family values" crowd and they get a free pass on the topic. The ONLY way to defeat this mentality is by becomming active in your state and contributing to the organizations that can fight this fight with the only thing politicians understand...money donated to their campaign in exchange for "favors/potential legislation" Welcome to democracy.
there is no 'off the books' profit in legal weed, nor is there profit in demilitarizing the local police...so it isn't backed by politicians masters or their lackeys.
gun control is 90% support and cant pass at any level, marijuana is not the only issue not being represented
agreed 6700. The fallacy that we have a representative form of government is exactly that, a fallacy. Our system has devolved, bribes exchange hands, and the powerful buy their personal legislation. The sad fact is "the people" became detached, they stopped caring about participating and in the blink of an eye the corporate interests swooped in and overwhelmed our system. It is now accepted that our politicians are corrupt and the people are stopped from taking it back by a manpulative, corporate media that simply keeps the populace divided. This is why I say the fight for legitimacy must be fought in the states. Co and Wa have proven it can be done and if enough people follow the lead of these 2 states, eventual federal legalization will follow.
Its because congress is well paid to keep cannabis illegal. And while a majority may favor legalization....it is not an important issue to most. They may approve of legalization, but it is not an issue that would decide a vote for them. And so the system prevails.