Well, it's high time indeed that the U.S. stop wasting money and destroying lives because people want to smoke pot, whether as medicine or for recreation. As a child of the 70s, when weed was everpresent and viewed as benign, I was stunned, to say the least, that the governmental trend did not continue towards decriminalization but actually became increasingly tyrannical, throwing hundreds of thousands into prison for merely possessing small amounts of this "god-given" herb. Pot busts eventually made up something like 50% of criminal arrests, if I recall that obscene number correctly - quite a profitable industry. Often during this draconian anti-drug era youngsters' lives were destroyed simply because they smoked a joint. "For their own good," they were thrown into prison, where they could face rape, beating and all manner of trauma, over the consumption of a plant!
Now, after decades of activism by countless people who not only wanted the freedom of not being busted for a medicine that has been used in numerous places globally for millennia, it seems the tide has turned at last - and the dam has burst. Let us hope it stays that way, and we never go back to such fascism again.
In a similar vein, American hemp production is up as well, with various states finally legalizing it, despite the federal prohibition. According to some, hemp production could save the U.S. economy almost singlehandedly. Hemp production should never have been outlawed in the first place - in fact, many of our troubles with pollution and national security can be traced to hemp prohibition.
Support for legalizing marijuana grows rapidly around U.S.
...the American Medical Association reversed a longtime position and urged the federal government to remove marijuana from Schedule One of the Controlled Substances Act, which equates it with heroin.
A few days later, advocates for easing marijuana laws left their biannual strategy conference with plans to press ahead on all fronts -- state law, ballot measures, and court -- in a movement that for the first time in decades appeared to be gaining ground.
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|2009-11-26 03:11:38 AnonymousNapoleon invaded Russia for the purpose of keeping the Tzar from selling hemp to England, some times transported via US merchant ships. Britain had plenty of cotton from India, but cotton is not nearly as durable as sail cloth made from hemp. The next township to the West of me is called East Hempfield. I hope they will soon grow some hemp there, again.
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|2009-11-26 07:29:27 gregbeen a hempster for years , was a pioneer in the idea ( over grow the government),And here in british columbia in the last 25 years we have done just that ..
but whets really cool is I have this old bible , printed in 1765 , and I always mention to any christian fundamentalists' who comment on it .. Yes its a a beautiful book , but god forbid ,,its printed entirely from hemp, love to see the look on there faces as they try to justify there so holy of books made from such a demon plant ... god love em
one to one
hempster
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|2009-11-26 17:42:48 JH Chrestos - Americas War on DrugsThere is a great documentary on Showtime called America's War on Drugs. It does a very good job of telling and showing why it has remained illegal. The end game is that even though the overwhelming majority of offenders are non-violent they are imprisoned for this so-called crime, and since many prisons are now privatized, this manufactured crime goes a long way to keeping them filled. These prison owners are the major lobby that continues to propagate the myth that pot is bad. The documentary also shows using indisputable data that pot is not harmful and that if legalized and regulated would reduce drug crime to almost nil. Unfortunately Barry MaCafrey, US Drug Czar is a true believer in his cause. And , as we know all too well, true believers can be shown several mountains of evidence proving that they are wrong and it won't mean a thing to them.
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I still remember reading that previous users of marijuana would say that they did go onto using harder drugs seemingly to support the claims of those against legalizing it. But, I don't remember hearing anyone say that maybe that was because they got introduced to the harder drugs from their experience with harder criminals due to being locked up with them.
It almost fits that saying of a Self-fullfilling-Prophecy, but I think I might be mis-using that term a bit.
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I remember seeing videos with you (Acharya S) in some type of town meeting urging some government official to accept hemp. I was aware of your work with Zeitgeist, but a bit surprised to see you so outspoken with that politician, but in a good way.
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|2009-11-28 18:54:37 Acharya SHoly moley!
Where the heck did you see that? My goodness, that was the Jerry Brown for President press conference in Los Angeles in 1992, if I recall correctly.
I would love to have a copy of that. How did you recognize me?
Wow.
If they'd taken my advice back then, we wouldn't have all these problems. :angry-red:
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|2009-11-29 22:49:46 Arhata - Pot - YesLegalize pot. Make it illegal to smoke anything on public property. Should have drug jails. It's illegal to have an open container in public. Make rules for pot use. Ban all public smoking! Have 'breathalyser tests' in parking lots at ball games.
All this will happen, but society is retarded so it will be a 22nd century happening IF we still have humanity.
Prison and jails reduce all alcohol and drug consumption :ooo: It's a complicated affair. But it's time to take a hard look.
Oh, and meditation and soul fu**ing are the 'healthy way'!
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|2009-12-01 22:27:32 Sean - Enlightenment shruggedYou know something interesting that has crossed my mind recently. As a whole, pot smokers tend to be more philosophically, artistically, and spiritually oriented people. People used to introversion and deeper thinking then the average beer swiller. It occurred to me that maybe this is why it has been demonized so in this country. After all if one cannot control or choose their own conscious state of being then what power and freedom does one really have?
