If Not Now, When? Ending the Drug War

Wizard’s culture-jammed version of a print ad for a popular cleanser envisions potential benefits of medicinal cannabis, still illegal in 36 states, if US researchers were freed of prohibition-mandated limitations.

IF NOT NOW, WHEN? Ending the drug war
By Mariann G. Wizard / The Rag Blog / February 27, 2009

As The Rag Blog reports on important developments in Washington, DC and in California within the last few days, in which the idea of ending cannabis (“marijuana”; hemp) prohibition has overnight become politically possible for elected and appointed government officials to discuss in public, it is important to realize a few bottom-line truths:

1. Cannabis prohibition and the so-called war-on-drugs have become deeply rooted in our society, and even if federal prohibition were overturned tomorrow, in an unprecedented act of Congressional lucidity and courage, it would take much longer to root out its remnants in public housing policies, educational loan discrimination, employment discrimination, and more. The beast has grown strong since 1937.

2. There are ten thousand reasons to legalize cannabis, for every purpose and use that clever men and women can devise. The only reasons to continue prohibition are:
a) to continue locking up ordinary men and women who have done nothing more than smoke pot, to the detriment of themselves, their families, and society as a whole; and/or
b) to increase the importance of prison-building, prison-supplying, prisoner-exploiting, urine-testing, fake-drug-“rehab”-program-running, snitch-and-narc character traits, and prison-guard-as-employment-preference in the Land of the Free, while thousands of rape kits go unopened, and crimes of violence unpursued, in police agencies across the country.

3. The escalating drug violence in Mexico, and the mounting death toll, may be laid squarely at the feet of an unscientific, unconstitutional, immoral, and ignorant attempt to flout the law of supply and demand, and of people like you and me, who know the truth, and allow their elected representatives to think differently. In breaking news on Friday, Arizona’s Attorney General suggested that US marijuana legalization could end Mexico’s cartel violence.

4. All those silly, hippy-dippy things you heard about “hemp” in the 1980s: that it is a renewable, nontoxic fuel source; that it is a fabulous, nutritious food; that anything that can be make from plastic can be made from biodegradeable hemp — ARE ALL TRUE. They were true in 1920 when the Scientific American wrote about them, and they will continue to be true — AND OTHER COUNTRIES WILL BENEFIT FROM ACTING ON THE KNOWLEDGE — until Kingdom come! Failure to act upon it will more surely consign our nation to the dustbin of history than any terrorist plot.

The announcement that the Drug Enforcement Agency will no longer attempt to enforce federal laws where they conflict with state statutes regarding medical marijuana use; the introduction of legislation in California, no matter how unlikely its passage, to legalize, regulate, and tax the number one cash agricultural crop in America; and the recognition by corporate news shapers that the “wacky tobacky” has much more to offer than a doper’s “pipe dream”, are visible twigs floating on top of a deep, broad, fast-moving river of change. They are joined by the El Paso City Council majority’s desire for an open and honest public discussion of drug prohibition; by Harris County (Houston) judges calling for legal treatment of cocaine to be the same as for high-fructose corn syrup; and by many more visible signs that the tide of the drug war has turned. The only people who still claim that prohibition “works”, or is valid on any grounds, are people who make a living from it (including certain media hacks, of course)!

But it will still take courage to win through to the potential victory, a victory with far-reaching positive benefits for the US and the world, a world that could know bounty, for once, and peace. Isn’t that what we’ve been working for all these years? Wouldn’t that be worth an occasional doobie?

President Obama’s official stance is that he is “not in favor of legalizing marijuana.” But even that much is far different from what every previous president since Reagan has tried to promulgate, and I assure you, my dearly beloved, lazy homo dopers out there, riding the pineapple express, that if enough of YOU are for legalization, we will (eventually) be able to win him over. It is this simple: stand up for what you know is right. Tell the people you elect to represent you to end cannabis prohibition. Do it now.

[Mariann G. Wizard was among original Rag founders and is a frequent contributor to The Rag Blog. She reviews scientific and regulatory publications for the Austin, TX-based American Botanical Council.]

The Rag Blog

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9 Responses to If Not Now, When? Ending the Drug War

  1. Anonymous says:

    There is room for optimism!
    I recently attended a conference on
    Natural Health Products, where a gentle person from OLE MISS talked about medical cannabis and the isolation of constituents that were able to offer health benefits.
    The possibility that rational thinking is moving onward through the fog is good news!
    (Check it out at melsohly@olemiss.edu
    pms

  2. Richard Lee says:

    So, what is your point? Are you trying to say, YES, WE CANnabis?

  3. Anonymous says:

    Richard:
    The point is that mainstream medical R&D is being publicized. The hemp plant is getting respect.
    pms

  4. Mariann says:

    Mis amigos — to see what R. Lee refers to, check out this new link!

    Gimme hats and buttons now available with the slogan

    YES WE CANNABIS!
    Legalize It!

    (Gracias, mi Capitan.)

  5. Anonymous says:

    Oops!
    I missed the “YES WE CANnibis site”. It makes the point of legalization very well. Medical and other R&D will help the cause.
    Thanks for the info guys
    pms

  6. Mariann says:

    pms — no oops — the link wasn’t in the original story,and I think Richard L., who had seen the buttons, was teasing me for leaving it out. I was nearly finished with the story, though, when the news of AZ’s AG raising the issue of legalization as a means to end drug cartel violence in Mexico popped up on the http://www.drcnet.org, a premier site for news from the drug war’s many fronts. I was so excited, I couldn’t wait to send the piece to Thorne and Richard J to post on the blog!

  7. Anonymous says:

    ….and the dopers continue to push ‘medicinal reasons’ to get shit-faced.

  8. Anonymous says:

    Anonymous commenter most recent: what is your excuse for being illiterate? Do you read no further than one sentence or two before forming your bigoted opinion? Or have you never had a family member unable to eat due to the ravages of chemotherapy? Whatever, you are living in the discredited past — try to get educated, OK?

  9. Anonymous says:

    Shit Faced Anonymous:
    With all due respect you really should check out the medical benefits.
    Yes people want to get “shit faced” sometimes for the euphoria, sometimes to dim the lights. Getting shit faced (ie dumbed out) is not desirable.
    Getting a mind state that is “entheogen ” is desirable. Pot can help finding that path.
    Peace brother,
    pms

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