lol
LOL and a bag of chips. The author writes
"Does that matter? I firmly believe it does, because the cannabis now in circulation (like Canada's BC Bud) is many times more powerful than the weed that today's aging baby boomers smoked in college. The characteristics of cannabis are no longer that different from those of other plant-based drugs, such as cocaine and heroin."
One of the reasons that marijuana is more powerful today is because of the concentrated effort to stamp out its cultivation and its use. Because of this there is now a higher risk involved in its cultivation. No longer is the person growing pot the laid back college student who grows for his own use or to sell to friends. Instead we have cartels both foreign and domestic who are willing to assume that risk in exchange for the high profits they make. Like any other business they have figured if they offer a better grade of pot their profits will be higher. This is what makes the risk worthwhile to them.
Sadly since they are willing to assume the risk they are also willing to protect their investment. Unfortunately this protection is usually in the form of armed attacks on law enforcement and innocent trespassers. And the bigger the money involved the more likely the growers are to be armed and dangerous.
As for the second part of the statement that "The characteristics of cannabis are no longer that different from those of other plant-based drugs, such as cocaine and heroin." I am not a botanist or a chemistry or pharmaceutical expert. But I have a feeling that this statement could be challenged on all of these fronts. One thing I do know is that pot smoking does not have the same effects on society at large that cocaine and heroin do.
I live in Florida and I remember the cocaine wars of the 70's. I have yet to read about a promising young person od'ing on pot. I have yet to read about a father and husband embezzling to support his marijuana habit. I have yet to read about a mother leaving her children in squalor while she went to get her pot fix.
The author needs to realize that most people who use pot are ( with the exception of the pot smoking) law abiding people, they have jobs, families and would never think of using stronger substances.
It is not the usage of pot that is the problem. The problem is that the stiff criminal penalties have lead to the growing of pot becoming a major profitable criminal enterprise. The legalization or decriminlization of pot would do a lot to put an end to this.