The entire history of the war on drugs and targeting pot in particular has been skewed by politics. Today we are at a point where things have become out of synch, i.e. government policies and laws are no in line with what the people want. 64% of the people want some degree of legalization, and roughly 40% want just outright legalization to include recreational use. Roughly 39% of all college students smoked pot in the last 12 months.
There are few drugs that have been studied more than pot. For the last 70 years we have been TRYING to villainize this drug, to find something we can pin on it. After failing to prove it's addictive (pretending there is a psychological addiction since you can't see any physical markers), causing brain damage (mind altering substance was the term used), makes people lose their free will, we came up with this BS, "gateway drug." A last resort argument that you can accuse a cheeseburger of being. Bottom line is this, pot is not dangerous. You cannot over dose, it's hard to even argue it's addictive, people do not hallucinate and jump from a roof top, become violent, nor even tend to over estimate their abilities as with alcohol. In the grand scheme of things, pot poses a lesser danger to public health than alcohol or tobacco. yet this drug is a schedule I drug? Explain that in a logical and consistent argument? So pot is equal to LSD and heroin?
https://www.dea.gov/drug-scheduling
This is a topic right for picking! Politically exploit this one and do so in confidence that what you are doing is logical, consistent, the will of the people, and correcting a wrong that was never based on the best interests of public health and safety. The illegality of pot was never based on science, crime, or factual/objective measures. It was politics from day one.
http://www.drugpolicy.org/blog/how-did-marijuana-become-illegal-first-place
Today it is basically a combination of myth, tradition (we are conservative and tough on crime and drugs), and government institutions playing into this to justify their budget, personnel, or broad sweeping powers. Think of how many special task forces, high intensity drug trafficking areas are federally funded, how many in law enforcement of the legal system have at least built their career in part by combating this horrible and dangerous drug! No, they are not hero's, they are padding the books in a modern bureaucratic sense which is entirely legal but ever as much unethical and immoral.
It is understood that just like the Democrats are for big government, so are the Republicans. It's just that their priorities and who benefits differ. The Democrats want to protect us from the dangers of global warming, and the Republicans want to protect us from pot, just as the former Jeff Sessions explained to us.
No one believe this BS anymore, NO ONE! But instead of a face palm moment, politicians and senior government officials continue to talk about gate way drugs, addiction, and how it will turn you into a dumb worthless slug that can't hold down a job.
Pot is frankly a drug that has many medicinal uses, and that is clinically provable, unlike the gateway drug or addiction. May it be to deal with anxiety, inability to sleep, seizures, to deal with aches and pains, restore apatite (there are such people), glaucoma... there are many uses for this drug and frankly the dangers of this drug are LESS than non-prescription drugs you can buy at any pharmacy. Take it from a former Airborne Ranger vet who lived popping Motrin and other pain pills for many years (swollen knees, back pain, hip pain was a normal day in my life for years - ruck marches, intense PT, jumping from planes) and today has kidney disease, even the so called "safe drugs" the FDA lets any kid buy in a drug store can have serious health risks.
If the Republicans and Trump want to politically exploit a topic and throw a curve ball into the elections, push for the legalization of pot.
Realize, this does not make you any less conservative or tough on crime. Target drugs, go after criminals, but arbitrary laws and policies that are not rooted in any functional use are not how you go after crime and drugs. Our policy on pot is about as effective as having random executions after a crime. You have to actually identify the target and take aim at it, not just shoot around yourself and pretend you accomplished something because of how many bullets you expended (i.e. the thousands of arrests and statistics law enforcement likes to show as being "success" when they go after easy pot busts).
Put aside getting high ....
High CBD strains smoked and / or made into topical ointments give better relief from arthritis, migraines, epilespsy and other neurodegenerative or painful afflictions without getting high or having side effects.
The uses against cancer are already making their mark, again with little in the way of side affects.
The GOP should at the least support this aspect of MJ’s use
We don’t have to be pro-legalization, we should just make it a state, not federal issue.
If we had put the criminal drug users in jail instead of the drug sellers this problem would have been over in a few years. I never have understood who thought the sellers were the problem.
There were too many upper class people whose sons were users, like Senator Shelby from Alabama, Ted Kennedy’s kids and nephews.
So they choose to put poor kids in jail for working where the money was
great and let their sons go free while breaking no laws yet we the true criminals.
Great post.
Yeah, IF Republicans were smart.
They’d also focus on the freedoms of sexual behavior as well. Instead of insisting on only allowing sexual behavior for procreation, missionary position, and you’d better not enjoy it. The constitution and freedom of lifestyle should be a thing for Republicans. They’d be known for live and let live, allowing sister wives and gay communes, and attract any freedom lovers including second amendment lovers etc.
But, like you say, it could only happen if Republicans were SMART.
As a libertarian Conservative, marijuana to me is fine. Matter of fact in my yearbook back in the 70s, my classmate had a few plants in his dorm room. He is a retired DEA agent.
Ping.
5.56mm
When I read the marijuana threads, I always see the argument that only brain dead liberals use it. I’m pretty sure that there are a good number of Constitutional conservatives who use it as well. If so, wonder if Constitutional conservatives who get high are brain dead as well?
Here is what I tell Millenials and anyone who says that it is my business what I put unto my body.
“You are absolutely right. You should have the right to put whatever you like in your body. But with rights come responsibilities, if we legalize pot or any other drug, you no longer get free or subsized health care. With your rights come responsibilities, you cannot have it both ways.”
Most of the time they look at me, eyes glazed over. I can’t tell if they are confused or smoked too much weed.