Marijuana and the Presidential Candidates

In the past finding out that a candidate or person already holding an office, smoked marijuana was a disaster. Reputable individuals would be harangued by the media, booted out of office, and ostracized by the community. Much of this stems from the faulty perception Americans originally had about marijuana. For many years it was just something the “crazy Mexicans” across the border where smoking.

As racial divides have begun to soften and research has progressed, ideas about marijuana have started to change. Open minded transparent candidates like Barack Obama, now openly admit to smoking marijuana. In fact, in the video above, he admits to “inhaling frequently” going on to say “that was kind of the point (inhaling).” Barack Obama is the only candidate that has proposed the decriminalization of marijuana and supports medical marijuana. Hillary Clinton has said more research needs to be done on medical marijuana and seems to be relatively open minded.

Political stances on marijuana do more than just tell a person about how a candidate feels in relation to marijuana. It can also act as an indicator as to the type of thinker a candidate might be. Any candidate, like McCain, that can look dying patients in the face and tell them he knows better than their own experience with marijuana, should not have a shot at the presidency. We need someone that is going to boot Bush- appointed Michele Leonhart out of the DEA and appoint someone that will tell the American people the truth about marijuana.

Alcohol Lobbyists Fight Marijuana Legalization

In the prior blog I briefly discussed the idea that the DEA and other government agencies have been influenced by special interests in Washington D.C.. As a result, in spite of a preponderance of information and support for the legalization of marijuana, legislation has failed time and time again. Upon further research I found that alcohol-industry lobby groups made “campaign contributions” totaling a whopping 10 million dollars. Logic and research would show that the alcohol companies, especially beer companies, oppose marijuana legalization because it could cut into the profits derived from the sale of its own recreational drug. So I wonder how much of Michelle Leonhart’s marijuana policy has been influenced indirectly by alcohol lobbyists?

The opposition of marijuana legalization isn’t always that well hidden either. Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) received 3,000 from Anheuser-Busch, 6,000 from Altria/Phillip Morris, and 10,000 from the National Beer Association in “contributions” in 2005-2006. Interesting that Marilyn Musgrave was, and is, a chief proponent of decriminalization for personal use. In 2006 an amendment was proposed that would prevent the federal government(DEA) from raiding legal marijuana clinics, it falied. Almost half of those that voted against the amendment recieve "contributions" from the alcohol companies on a regular basis.

I'm on to Harder Drugs, like Caffeine

Thus far no drug company has developed a drug to treat dependence upon marijuana. The chief reason for this is that there has been no research to conclusively show that marijuana creates a physical dependence in its users. Withdrawal symptoms associated with ceasing to use marijuana are on par with the irritation that one would get from breaking any basic habit. Symptoms range from slight insomnia to irritability, and are almost always miniscule.

Dr. Jack E. Henningfield Ph.D. (in Psychopharmacology) and formerly of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and Dr. Neal L. Benowitz MD of the University of San Francisco ranked six common substances in five problem areas. Of all of the substances tested marijuana was found to be the least addictive, less so than caffeine. Alcohol on the other hand was found to be more addictive than heroine and cocaine. The only substance tested that was found to be more addictive than alcohol was nicotine. It is interesting that the two most addictive substances, of those tested, are the only two that can be purchased legally.

The fact of the matter is that Michelle Leonhart and the DEA are under pressure form Washington D.C. to fabricate reasons to continue to fight the war on marijuana. Why you may ask? With so many special interests being represented in Washington D.C., is it any wonder that alcohol companies employ thousands of lobbyists to fight the legislation that would legalize marijuana? If marijuana becomes legal the alcohol companies all take a huge hit, and somehow I think they’d say and do anything to retain their profit margin.

John McCain Should Learn to Read

John McCain in the video above, basically told the lady questioning him that he wouldn’t support medical marijuana because he had been told by doctors that other pain relievers worked better. Have you actually ever read any of the research McCain? And he trusts those doctors over the physicians that claim the opposite why? And furthermore, firsthand experience counts for nothing? Why would medical marijuana patients take the time to advocate a drug that doesn’t work for them? Many of these people are dying. I really don’t care if you give them black tar heroine, if it helps it helps. Senator McCain seems to be as dimissive with his research, as he is with his body language in this video.

When a person takes a pain pill it can take up to 45 minutes for the subject to get relief. If a person is in more pain than usual they might take two pills instead of one, their pain might be fully relieved but they are half asleep, groggy and can’t function. When a pain reliever like marijuana is smoked however, because the effects are almost instantaneous the user can regulate exactly how they feel. Marijuana allows them to function, it gives them their life back.

Oh and Senator McCain you atated that you, nor anyone you know, had heard of the government arresting sick and dying people, I have a name for you, Robin Prosser. Prosser could not use traditional pain medication due to a deadly autoimmune disease that gave her allergic and dangerous reactions to most pharmaceutical painkillers; as a result she was prescribed marijuana. Prosser was arrested by the DEA in 2004 for possession of marijuana that she used to treat her horrible pain, even though it was legal in her state. After the DEA raided marijuana clinics in her home state she was forced to search for weed elsewhere. When, as a respectable and dying woman, she was unable to get the medicine she needed she took her own life.

Michelle Leonhart- Acting Administrator of the DEA

Dear Michelle Leonhart,

This April 20th was a sunny one here in beautiful southern California. Like so many 4-20’s of the past, hundreds of thousands of avid pot loving individuals have used this Sunday to communally partake in the use and celebration of marijuana.

Whatever the true story is about the relation between the time and date of 4-20 and marijuana, one thing that is for sure is in the drug subculture of marijuana 4-20 is taken pretty damn seriously. Activities from one group of smokers to the next will vary, but one thing is definitely a constant, an exuberant amount of sticky greens will be smoked or eaten.

So my question is if these people do not get behind the wheel of a car what harm are they doing? Even if I am to concede that all of the health related information that your website publishes about marijuana is true, isn’t it their body? And if health is your concern what is the DEA’s stance on nicotine? What about alcohol? Surely these are both dangerous drugs too.

No doubt law enforcement was out in full force today in hopes of catching as many pot- heads as they possibly could. It’s interesting to me that in this country that the underground holiday of 4-20 is revered by many parents and law enforcement an appalling practice that should be stopped. What exactly is St. Patrick’s Day again?

DEA Website

Hemp?

The DEA is an organization that does its job based on the idea that they are an agent of change for the better in this country. They believe that drugs pose a threat to the well- being of the citizens here in the U.S. and therefore they endeavor to eradicate these threats. Truly this makes them a very valuable organization as many of us have seen the detrimental effect that drugs can have on friends, family and people in general throughout the nation. The problem becomes when the organization loses sight of their mission, which in this case is to help.

Hemp, like marijuana, is a form of cannabis. It is a crop that has been grown for centuries around the world and has been called one of the most versatile crops ever grown. Hemp has served thousands of purposes including as clothing, paper, for plastics, food ect. Unfortunately the DEA makes no distinction between hemp and marijuana because they are both part of the cannabis family making it a schedule I controlled substance, such as cocaine. The kicker is hemp cannot be used to produce a high.

Hemp has been called integral to cutting our dependence upon oils, as well as other forms of un-renewable resources. As Canada and most other industrialized nations have begun to grow the crop, the United States remains without. In 1996 the American Farm Bureau voted to support reintroducing the crop into the U.S. Of course it was then blocked by the DEA and has met strict opposition from them since then.

If the DEA is supposed to help, why block a crop that is simply a family member to marijuana? Why block attempts to improve the economy and reliance on foreign goods?

The Problem with Prohibition

Earlier in my blog we discussed many of the myths that are associated with marijuana. Whether marijuana is detrimental to an individual’s health I must confess is not my chief concern. I feel that this fact is merely one more reason that marijuana should be legal in this country.

The fact is that what makes marijuana dangerous is its illegality. The government regulates the alcohol industry because alcohol can be dangerous. Basically they figure that the risks associated with a person making moonshine in their basement are greater than if they step in and regulate the market. During prohibition they realized that people where going to drink no matter what. They learned this lesson at the expense of their own law enforcement agents and innocent people that got caught in the crossfire of prohibition.

Similarly the prohibition of marijuana creates a market that answers to no one. It is essentially the wild- west. Yet instead of bringing law and order to a market that will never be eradicated, they leave it in the hands of dangerous drug cartels and gangs that have little interest in whether or not young Billy gets some bad weed. In an age where terrorists are a local threat, can we waste the time, energy and manpower on marijuana? The DEA has nothing but band- aids for bullet holes and its time for a long-term solution

Murderers, Rapists, and uhhh Marijuana Users?

There are 69 million individuals over the age of 12 that are criminals in this country. They didn’t commit murder, or fraud, or rape, or even steal. So what did they do? Well they used marijuana. According to a study conducted by the National Institute of Drug Abuse this is the figure for Americans that have tried weed. Over 10 million Americans had taken the drug within the last month before the survey.

As a result of the "war on drugs" introduced by President George H. W. Bush in the 1980s the U.S. has jailed over 500, 000 non-violent “criminals.” While the U.S. possesses only 5% of the worlds population , the U.S. feeds, houses, and is ultimately responsible for 25% of the worlds prisoners.

The criminalization and illegality of marijuana is a major contributing factor in the overcrowding of our prisons. Marijuana offenders do not deserve to be lumped in with dangerous and violent criminals as result of their refusal to abide by antiquated laws similar to those introduced during the prohibition of alcohol. If marijuana users suffer from an addiction, which is something the government defines as a disease. Then why are their punitive damages associated with using marijuana? Many times users are sentenced to rehab and jail time, or just jail time. We don’t give other sick people jail time do we? Could it be that the idea that marijuana should be illegal stems from the idea that its use is immoral? Much like drinking is viewed by many religious sects?

Regulating Rather than Disrupting the Marijuana Market

As the deficit in this country grows we collectively spend over 10 billion dollars a year in taxes combating the use of marijuana. We arrest 730, 000 people annually on marijuana charges and send them to the same overcrowded prisons that we send rapists and murderers as if they are remotely comparable. The heaviest jail sentences are of course reserved for those that grow and sell marijuana. Depending on the amount, and circumstances surrounding the arrest, the punishment can range from 2 to 10 years in prison.

However, possession in California is misdemeanor that carries a $100 fine and no jail time. So it is not a big deal to possess a little weed, but don’t grow it or sell it? If the true concern of the government is who is growing and selling marijuana then they should regulate the market themselves, rather than just disrupt it. Take the 10 billion that we pay in taxes every year and put it into growing and selling the safest, carcinogenic pesticide free, mary- jane the U.S. has ever seen. Not only will the government curb the many health problems associated with the many illegal pesticides growers use, but they will actually turn a profit. Can you imagine such a world? A world where the government acts as a good steward of our hard- earned dollars?

Irma Perez

Something I find particularly deplorable is using the misery of an individual and her family for the furthering of a irrelevant cause. Yet the DEA, our governments answer to the many problems that certain drugs have caused in this country has done just that. Recently I found an article on the DEA website that recounts the story of a 14 yr old girl named Irma Perez. Irma had taken a bad ecstacy pill that had caused her to experience a host of symptoms, such as vomiting and writhing in pain, that should been a major indicators that she needed immediate medical attention. However, being surrounded by other 14 yr olds she did not immediately get this medical attention, instead they gave her marijuana.

Now granted this is a tragic story of the dangers of ecstacy that needs to be shared for two reasons. The first is that kids and adults need to know the risks associated with ecstacy. It can kill you the first time you try it, it can cause brain damage, as well as lead to an array of other medical problems. The second is that if you are going to take ecstacy and you experience vomiting or pain, seek immediate medical attention as these are signs of a bad hit.

The kicker and point is this, I did not find this under the dangers of ecstacy. I found this article while following the DEA websites answer to why they object to medical marijuana. Irma’s friends gave her the weed to treat her symptoms, vomiting and pain. They gave her the weed and when she was still sick in the morning they figured it was time to take her to the hospital. The DEA saw this as a major factor to Irma’s death. Basically, their faulty assumption that weed has magical healing powers prevented her from getting medical treatment.

Now, I’m not going to say much because I think the flaw in logic here is rather apparent. The whole story is about ecstacy, why even mention weed? Could it be the DEA would like a dead girl associated with marijuana? The DEA took a recipe involving ecstacy, ignorant 14 yr olds, 24 hours with no medical treatment and marijuana, and they found the marijuana to be worth mentioning in this tragedy. It seems your grasping at straws here Michele Leonhart. If they hadn’t had the weed, God knows what they would have given poor Irma. Has anyone considered that if we could come together on the factual realities that concern marijuana they might have known better?

http://www.justthinktwice.com/itcant/irma.cfm

The DEA Kills, Not Marijuana

Robin Prosser a medical marijuana advocate in Montana had tried to kill herself before, this last week she succeeded. After being arrested by the DEA in 2004 for possession of marijuana that she used to treat the pain caused by an immunosuppressive disorder, she became appalled that the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled that medical marijuana charges could be brought against legal users by the federal government. Prosser could not use traditional relief due to an autoimmune disease that gave her allergic and dangerous reactions to most pharmaceutical painkillers. After her hard work campaigning to allow the drug to be prescribed in Montana, she was seeing that the governments hate for the marijuana ran much deeper than its concern for its citizens.

“Give me liberty or give me death,” she wrote in July. “Maybe the next campaign ought to be for assisted-suicide laws in our state. If they will not allow me to live in peace, and a little less pain, would they help me to die, humanely?”

-Missoulian.com

As a result of crackdowns by the DEA on medical marijuana in Prosser’s hometown of Missoulian, she was unable to get marijuana legally. Initially Prosser turned to illegal sources to acquire the drug, but found this difficult as well. People that promised to get her what she needed fell through and she was left to suffer. As a result, at 50 years old, unable to cope with immense pain, she took her own life.

The DEA special agent in charge of the Rocky Mountain Field Division said federal agents were “protecting people from their own state laws” by seizing such shipments.

-Missoulian.com

I can’t quite express how upsetting it is to me that this could have been allowed to happen. Now I am for the general legalization of marijuana for recreational use, as well as for medical use, but nobody kills themselves because they can’t get high on the weekends. This poor woman had a legitimate need for the relief marijuana provided her. The government unfortunately denied her that relief, and as a result she became so disparaged that she killed herself. Next time you read quotes from the DEA like the one above, picture a frail and sick woman that ended her life at 50 because the self- righteous sons of bitches in the DEA denied her, her one escape from horrible pain. How long are we going to let this go on? How long will Michele Leonhart, as acting administrator of the DEA, allow such careless and callous actions to go on unanswered?

"All it takes is one person to stand up and say 'fuck this.'"

Henry Rollins – formerly of Black Flag

Medical Marijuana

Medical marijuana has yielded impressive results in aiding medical patients that battle chronic pain, sleeping disorders, as well as nausea associated with chemotherapy. For years many researchers and medical professionals for marijuana prohibition have claimed that these benefits could be achieved through other medications.

This fact is absolutely true. For many patients traditional medications can work wonderfully. But what about those patients that are not adequately helped through traditional medications? Or those that are allergic to traditional painkillers? Are we going to deny ailing people their relief? The federal government has yet to pass federal legislation that would allow marijuana to be prescribed in all states. This means that many people that live in states that do not allow any form of use or sale for medical purposes, are forced to get it illegally if they wish to use it. And when they are caught, they are thrown into crowded jails and treated like criminals.

Until federal legislation is passed the DEA will continue to harass legal clinics producing and storing marijuana, as well as spreading propaganda as to the health effects of the drug. Legislation in congress to protect medical users of marijuana from federal prosecution has failed in the past. However, the most recent proposition failed by very little and education might be the key.

D.A.R.E.

Does anybody remember the D.A.R.E. program? Seemed like a noble enough cause right? Well unfortunately the Nancy Reagan inspired , “Just Say No,” campaign turned out to be a complete disaster. According to Time Magazine not only did the program not work, but kids that took part in the program were more likely to have tried many of the drugs that the program was meant to prevent. Ironically enough some of the most asked questions included kids asking where people got the drugs. So of all the things children learned, their main concern was where they could get the stuff that made people see Scooby- Doo.

This is part of the larger problem in the U.S. and how we view drugs as a nation. Inspiring fear and telling children to, “Just Say No,” is obviously is not working. The other aspect that is not working is telling kids how evil marijuana is. Remember, statistically these kids have already tried weed. They already know that it is not the devil, that it isn’t going kill them, and that mommy and daddy did it when they were younger too. By misleading children on the facts about marijuana, The DEA and other parties chip away at their own credibility. So if they can’t trust any authorities on weed, well maybe they can’t trust them on other drugs as well. Has the DEA considered the fact that by overreacting to something like weed, it may encourage children and young adults to try other harder drugs? Does Michelle Leonhart realize the organization that she leads may be losing trust with the very people they claim to protect?

Addiction to the Great Evil- Marijuana

Many within groups that oppose the legalization of marijuana harp on the idea that it is an addictive drug that can ruin an individual’s life. However, any substance or activity that enables an individual to experience pleasure is capable of inducing some form or level of addiction. I enjoy eating a good hot dog. I know it’s not the healthiest food, but damnit I love them. Now suppose I decide to eat hot dogs everyday, for every meal because of the intense pleasure I derive from eating hot dogs. Now my pleasure has become, what many would call, an addiction. Now is it the hot dogs that are addictive? I mean are they physically addictive?

Well no, of course not. Rather I have become psychologically addicted to hot dogs, and possibly to eating in general. In the same respect marijuana, which is not physically addictive, can be mentally addictive for some individuals, but basically on par with caffeine. Now this individual who takes it to this level is very rare. Of the 70,000,000 Americans who have used marijuana, only two- thirds have used it within the last year. Predominantly those who smoke marijuana do not let it interfere with their daily lives.

Many might argue, but Mr. Greenthumb we see it on the news and in newspaper articles and so on. Well what does the media report? Do they report when everything is going fine and dandy? Is the businessman that likes to get high and watch a movie on the weekends newsworthy? Well no, the bum on a 20/20 exclusive that is ranting about how drugs ruined his life is what’s newsworthy. Yeah and I am so sure it was marijuana and not that fucking crack in your pocket that did you in buddy.

Excuse me, uhh big bad DEA, I have a question. Exactly how many marijuana users in the U.S. sell themselves for weed money?

Marijuana and the Brain

Many researchers now openly admit that there is no evidence that weed kills brain cells. Prior to new studies scientists believed that marijuana caused a structural change in the brain after long- term use. This idea arose mostly from series of animal experiments, done by Dr. Robert G. Heath, in which he alleged to have found brain damage in monkeys that were heavily dosed with marijuana.

This study has since been refuted by a number of researchers in which better controls where put in to effect. Two similar monkey studies have included one by Dr. William Slikker of the National Center for Toxicological Research, and another by Charles Rebert and Gordon Pryor of SRI International. In each of these respective studies no brain damage was found in monkeys subjected to daily doses of cannabis. Not only was no brain damage found, but no structural changes were reported either. Studies on various cannabis loving cultures such as in Jamaica and Costa Rica have shown similar results. It should be noted that some short- term memory loss has been recorded after 6 to 12 weeks of abstinence in heavy marijuana users. Heavy should be the key word in that sentence. Nothing indicates that this is a permanent condition, and is unrelated to actual brain damage.

Alcohol, a perfectly legal drug, as well as an array of other drugs are all known to cause brain damage. Now don’t worry boozers, we already fought that fight in the 1920’s, they won’t take our booze. We just need to convince these uptight money- grubbing bastards to allow us to puff on a joint with our whiskey sours. Life is short people, lets take back some of the little freedoms. Leave fear to the politicians and their drones.

Marijuana- The Facts

Let's Chat Potency

The DEA has stated that part of the danger of marijuana comes from increasing potency levels beginning in the early 1970s. This is, not surprisingly, yet another example of the DEA’s inability to take an unbiased scientific look into the real "dangers" of marijuana. In one study cited by DEA, researchers found that the potency in an old sample of weed from the ‘70s, in comparison to a new sample, had a giant potency spike.

I won’t argue that this is indeed fact. The problem arose when Dr. John Morgan, a physician and professor of pharmacology at the University of New York Medical School, discovered that the old sample was taken from a low potency batch of Mexican swag, that had been deteriorating in a police locker for thirty years. When compared with decent- quality domestic samples of marijuana, of course there was a potency spike.  

The fact is that even in the ‘70s, high grade marijuana was more than readily available. Even in the ‘60s and prior, signature bud strains, such as Acapulco Gold and Panama Red, where more than prevalent. In addition to these signature strains of marijuana, a variety of hashish and hash oil where every bit as strong as today’s sinsemilla (bud strain high in THC and seedless).

Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts
Lynn Zimmer Ph.D.
John P. Morgan MD

Drug Policy Alliance

Learning From the Past

The prohibition of marijuana is a complete joke. By continuing to enforce laws that prohibit its use the government is impeding the development of technology that reduces the harmful effects of smoking marijuana. In addition, the illegality of marijuana forces the product into the black market. When a black market is created all regulation of the way the plant it cultivated goes out the door as well. Because the people growing and selling marijuana are not responsible to anyone the use of known cancer causing insecticides such as DDT and Paraquat are used in order to save money. If the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) were able to oversee and regulate the practices in the market, marijuana could become considerably less harmful to the body. As stated in an earlier post, the prohibition of marijuana raises selling prices across the board. This price hike makes ingesting weed in another fashion unaffordable, due to the need for more weed to achieve the same high.

The DEA and the FDA are supposed to be concerned with the health and well- being of the American people. If this is the case then why are these agencies not taking charge of the marijuana market? The DEA must know short of making the use and selling of marijuana punishable by death, they will never eradicate marijuana. They could not do it with alcohol, and they will not do it with weed. So why not learn from the past instead of creating Al Capone’s?

Baking with Mary Jane

It’s simply amazing to read the absolute bullshit that the DEA puts onto their website. They seem to have an amazing talent for misconstruing legitimate information. Of course there are some adverse effects to smoking marijuana. There are some adverse effects associated BHT a preservative found in many cereals as well. Should we make cereal illegal? No of course not, the key is moderation. Most experts in fact agree that moderate marijuana use is innocuous. Excessive use conversely, can cause respiratory damage due to smoke inhalation, as well as lead to impairment- related injuries.

However, they forget to mention that they can aid in mitigating the risk associated with the smoking of marijuana. There is of course more than one way to get high off bud. Ingesting weed orally in baked goods is one of these options. Unfortunately it takes a greater amount of weed to reach the same effects as one would experience if it was smoked. Weed, being illegal, has higher selling prices as a result. If weed were deemed legal and prices dropped, a safer way to achieve the desired effects would become a much more affordable option.

So what’s the problem Michelle Leonhart? How about instead of more scare tactics by the DEA, and obviously biased information, you begin to act as objective researchers? O wait if weed becomes legal a good portion of your co- workers lose their jobs. Is it possible it isn’t so much about the dangers of weed itself? Is it possible this could be about money?

"Gateway" Drug Propaganda

There has been no specific, nor conclusive evidence to support the idea that marijuana leads to harder, actually dangerous drugs. This idea of marijuana as a “gateway” drug arose, as many of the false ideas about marijuana do, in the wake of a national drug campaign meant to curb a spike in its use during the sixties. In the eighties this idea should have gone right out of the window when cocaine use skyrocketed and marijuana use declined significantly. In actuallity if a drug is fitting to be deemed as a "gateway" drug might alcohol be a a better canidate?

The only way that marijuana leads to harder drugs is when it is not readily available. A study by Dr. Patricia Morgan of the University of California at Berkley showed that a number of regular pot smokers switched to methamphetamines when a Hawaii’s marijuana eradication program created a shortage of the sweet leaf. Similar trends have been credited with cocaine booms in California and elsewhere. It seems that if the governments goal is to keep people from wrecking there lives with meth- mouth, cocaine paranoia, and the host of diseases contacted though intravenous drug use, they may want to consider just letting people smoke their measly weed in peace. Come on DEA it's time to fry bigger fish. When is the government going to stop relying on the cration of fear in order to impose antiquated rules and laws? There is plenty to fear in this world but in marijuana really the great evil the DEA claims it to be?

Common Sense Drug Policy

Marijuana Myths, Marijuana
Lynn Zimmer Ph.D. John P. Morgan MD

Let's Talk Marijuana

The purpose of this blog is to shed some much needed light onto a topic that is the subject of much debate. Should marijuana be generally legal here in the United States? An array of well thought out, and articulate arguments have been made in favor of both sides of the question. However, it is the opinion of this blogger that the U.S. government, namely agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), are preying on the fears of the American people through propaganda- like commercials, ads, websites ect. The DEA provides false information, which notable studies have contradicted, as well as casts a negatively biased light whenever possible onto research into the medical and social effects of marijuana use. The fact is that when it comes to marijuana, the DEA preaches only what they deem true.
Officials like Michelle Leonhart, head administrator of the DEA, owe it to the American people to tell both sides of the story. Unfortunately the DEA would rather use biased data to breed fear of cancer, lung disease, societal chaos and the utter breakdown of society as a whole. Whether it is a war on terror, or a war on drugs, the fact remains that political administrations and governments in general, love to create the feel of an imminent threat on our well being. This allows them to promise to save us, earn our trust, and get elected or re-elected. Considering the war on terror is just going so absolutely smoothly, it’s quite possible that it is time to stand up and say wait, we would not only like the truth, but the whole truth as well.
Marijuana is here to stay, and the laws do not appear to be preventing its use any more than prohibition did for alcohol. So why is it illegal? Well many claim it is a dangerous and addictive drug. You mean like alcohol? The fact is that medically, marijuana is absolutely not dangerous in moderate use. I say moderate because of course if anything is used excessively it can become hazardous to your health. Eat the same unhealthy meal everyday and your immune system is going to be negatively affected. Drinking a quart of vodka a day is going to cause a host of problems, including liver damage, and yet somehow we all have the freedom to do each of those things. So why is marijuana illegal? Well as with most things it is of course going to come back to the money, but we will get to that later.