SPECIAL REPORT: News that will undoubtedly make millions of Americans happy and hopeful, along with a healthy measure of skepticism, that it'll actually happen.
HB2306: "Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011", submitted to end federal prohibition of cannabis/marijuana, with the intent to permit states to regulate it. The recent bill was sponsored by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX); Initial co-sponsors include Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO).
Rep. John Conyers is on the House Judiciary. Which will prove very significant in a moment.
First, before I attempt to report on this surprising turn of events, one I fully support, I wish to point out, if you haven't read my previous post, that Nixon's legacy - "The War on Drugs " is alive and well, a complete failure. The media loves to report that America's two wars since 2001 (9/11) have cost American taxpayers over 3 Trillion dollars. They fail to recognize there is a 3RD War, the War on Drugs begun by President Nixon in 1971, at which time he created the enormously costly dept of the DEA.
With the looming prospect of America defaulting on it's debts, a fight by Republicans to not raise the debt ceiling for the first time since the ceiling was created in the early 20th century, the cost of Three Wars, one on American soil is exceedingly important. To the 3 trillion in debt brought about by the 2 foreign wars brought about under Pres. G.W. Bush, there is in excess of another trillion dollars in the cost of the failed War on Drugs, of which the primary victims are non-violent users of cannabis/marijuana, a majority who are black Americans, and degradation of respect for authority based on a lack of transparency by government as to the science behind the prohibition of cannabis, and the excessive penalties that are crushing our legal system. Not to forget, the unexplained harm to millions of Americans who choose to use a plant - given to us humans by God, in a country that proudly proclaims on the back of all our money - "In God We Trust".
The War on Drugs, against cannabis/marijuana is in my opinion equal to the an inquisition, in which individuals protected by the most civilized Constitution and Bill of Rights in the world and in known history, are not granted the rights provided by the Constitution, but rather, harassed, hunted down like rabid dogs, and denied equal rights, as opposed to their peers who can drink the highly addictive and proven dangerous drugs alcohol and/or tobacco. Two drugs that are minimally regulated.
It is a no-brainer in my opinion that HB2306 should be voted on and passed. There is literally no science to prove it shouldn't, just anecdotal hearsay and propaganda from the 1930's that say otherwise. You might all remember the scientific proof put forth by the federal gov'ts "Just Say No" campaign, such as your "Brain as an Egg in a Frying Pan", or monkeys, given 100% marijuana smoke through gas masks that died - which of course they would without any oxygen! The "Stepping Stone" theory? Yeah, expects now are convinced tobacco is much more a stepping stone to hard drugs than cannabis. And finally, there has never been an overdose from cannabis, in fact, users, heavy users, use to the point they become sober. Cannabis, unlike alcohol is not a poison to one's body... a person can only get so high, no matter what the THC content, the more THC, the less the individual needs to use. In contrast to alcohol use, the more one uses the closer to an overdose they become. This is fact.
Another fact... cannabis/marijuana has two recognized chemicals (alcohol and nicotine are also chemicals) - THC and cannabidiol. THC is the psychoactive component of cannabis, cannabidiol is non-psychoactive, however the combination of these two constituents make up the "high" of marijuana. As well as the medicine, for which many states has legalized it. Cannabidiol is generally 40% of the drug present in cannabis, while THC varies from about 5% to 15%, depending on the cultivation and strain of cannabis. Pure THC has been documented on the BBC, and proved to be a total bummer. The quality and desired "high" (to relieve stress, induce hunger, relieve nausea, etc.) comes from the average presence of 40% cannabidiol, which is sedative in nature, anti-psychotic, well, read here for yourself: .
It's a lot like the effects of alcohol, except that a person can get more intoxicated to the point of death/overdose with alcohol. But my point is that alcohol is sold as a legal high as anything from hard cider to spirits like 151 proof Rum, or liquors such as "White Lighting". One would hope the legal age drinker starts with a light beer, not White Lightning!!! They at least have a legal choice in the matter.
Cannabis/marijuana is currently illegal and essentially like alcohol, during Prohibition era 1920's, buyer beware. The product you buy could be anything, including adulterated, much like alcohol was adulterated during prohibition by our own government, as documented in an earlier post available here: BOBKAT'S LAIR - Part Three: MARIJUANA AND PUBLIC SAFETY; OR IS IT - MARIJUANA AND THE PUBLIC GOOD? CONCLUSION. "Frustrated that people continued to consume so much alcohol even after it was banned, federal officials had decided to try a different kind of enforcement. They ordered the poisoning of industrial alcohols manufactured in the United States, products regularly stolen by bootleggers and resold as drinkable spirits. The idea was to scare people into giving up illicit drinking. Instead, by the time Prohibition ended in 1933, the federal poisoning program, by some estimates, had killed at least 10,000 people."
Appears until HB2306 our government didn't care. It also didn't care where Americans got the cannabis from. During alcohol prohibition, the "cartels" were Americans... during cannabis it's reportedly Mexican. Wasn't always that way, but that's another story.
Fact is, as long as cannabis is prohibited, the source will be the current source (drug cartels, violence) and innocent people and cannabis lovers caught in the middle, just like during alcohol prohibition. The only way to change that is to legalize cannabis which is what HB2306 would do. It would put cultivation into the hands of reputable growers, along with plants like spinach, another excellent drug, used by "Popeye the Sailor Man" to defeat evil, and promote the American way of life, against the oppressors the likes of Brutus.
No, I'm not high, except on the facts!
Irrationally opposed to HB2306 is my pick for the "Naked Emperor Award" for 2011, Hon. Lamar Smith,
Chairman of the House Judiary who has vowed to make sure the bill never sees the gavel of a vote in the House. Best explained from this link from NORML: "Rep. Smith, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, responded to press inquiries yesterday about the new federal legalization bill, that will be referred to his committee, saying he had no intention of considering the bill, or even giving it a public hearing. Unfortunately, under current Congressional rules, a committee chairman is given great discretion regarding what bills to consider, and which to ignore, and it is only when another member or members of that committee, or the general public, make a big deal out of it that sometimes one can overcome the stiff opposition of a committee chair."
That's where
Hon. John Conyers, Ranking member of the House Judiciary - becomes a pragmatic hero, as he has co-sponsored HB2306. His vote actually nullifies Rep. Smith's angst against legalization.
You can view the members of the House judiary here at this link: HOUSE JUDICIARY MEMBERS. Feel free to write to them and give them your voice.
But to be fair and transparent there are those critics, like the ex-drug czar under Pres. George H.W. Bush, William Bennett, currently an editorial writer for CNN, and his repertoire of lies and misinformation, which I have no interest in propagating, but will provide this critical site for it's contrasting views on the subject of legalization:
NipItInTheBud.Org: "The youth of our nation is faced with an uncertain future in many ways, due to the economic climate and must be wondering how this issue keeps popping up once in a while and why people are making so much noise about it. Haven’t we learned enough about smoking cigarettes? Don’t we know enough about alcohol? Aren’t we more evolved than getting high on marijuana and other drugs?"
Note, the topic/focus of the critic is "Youth", a common argument with regards to legalizing cannabis, but hardly one that holds any truth anymore, as HB2306 is for the rights of Adults! Niether alcohol or tobacco are legal for children or teens to buy or use, and that's regulation, which works pretty well, much better than prohibition, which doesn't work. Prohibitionists often use the defense that "youth are at risk if drugs are legalized". However number one, alcohol and tobacco are drugs, and they are legal. Two) There are many drugs that can be abused, and not only should we make distinctions between what drugs we are referring to, but also, youth learns nothing if we lump dangerous drugs like alcohol and tobacco into a legal drug category as if they are okay, and cannabis and heroin into a "drug" category, as cannabis is not harmful as either the legal or illegal heroin, nor do youth grow up with respect for the science behind laws if we as a society are not truthful about the differences. Youth will learn the truth, and not from programs like DARE that educate them using propaganda and half-truths.
Now for the Advocates in favor of HB2306.
NORML... of course. Check them out! They're still around all you aging Hippies are stronger than ever!
And a new formidable advocate: Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP):
"Cops Say the War on Marijuana Has Failed, Let States End Prohibition"
"WASHINGTON, DC -- The first-ever Congressional bill to let states legalize marijuana will be introduced in the U.S. House by a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers on Thursday, and a group of police and judges who fought on the front lines of the failed "war on drugs" is announcing its support."
My personal thank-you to Rep. Barney Franks and Pres. candidate 2012, Rep. Ron Paul.
Please Support HB 2306. Now is the time to end the third War, fought against Americans on their own soil, with no validated scientific reason to support the war and, the harm it's caused, and is causing to millions of American citizens. The proof required to infringe on our Constitutional Rights as American citizens.
Please take a stand and send a message to your government representatives in the House, and especially Chairman, Hon. Lamar Smith, that he is wrong. (Note: Smith is refusing to communicate with the American People. He has taken down all means to contact him, the last as was reported by those trying to reach him.)
Spread the word of peace and End the 40 Year "War on Drugs" and Stop the Hurt!!!
