Editor: For 45-plus years now, I've been advocating the re-legalization of marijuana. At last there seems to be a light at the end of the long dark tunnel of cannabis prohibition for several states have re-legalized medical marijuana and two, as you know, have gone as far as to re-legalize pot period. However in Colorado the state's legislators are working feverishly to circumvent the will of the people to insure the cannibus black market thrives. One way they're doing this is by imposing high taxes that will raise the price of high grade pot to some say $400 an ounce. (Black market is around $2-300 an ounce.). So why do this? Well on the political right there's A.L.E.C. A pseudo lobbying group that represent corporations in writing right wing legislation. Among their clientele is Correction Corp. of America, the largest for profit prison systems in the U.S. Studies have shown that those imprisoned on pot charges are by and large low maintenance high profit prisoners. [continues 198 words]
Editor: The New England Journal of Medicine did a poll recently where they asked doctors worldwide if they would prescribe medical marijuana to an elderly woman with cancer. Seventy-nine percent worldwide and 76 percent of U.S. doctors said they would. In another poll, 76 percent of Americans favor re-legalization of medical marijuana while 56 percent favor total re-legalization. So why isn't pot legal? Well, aside from the obvious, corporate profit, have you ever considered that the anti-gunners also don't want pot legal? The reason? Ninety percent of the gun violence in the U.S. is "drug war" related. With 85 percent of those who use any illicit substance only smoking pot, re-legalization would definitely reduce the scope and size of this war thus reducing the gun violence this war, like all war, brings with it. So it stands to reason the anti-gun lobby would also oppose marijuana re-legalization. Re-legalizing would put a real kink in their disarmament argument with the reduction of violence re-legalization would bring with it. And by the way that last statistic shoots the gateway myth now doesn't it? [continues 133 words]
Editor: Over the last few decades I've been advocating the re-legalization of cannabis, hemp, aka marijuana, pot, weed, reefer, etc. The two most common comments I've gotten are "you don't see a person come home and beat their wife, kids or family dog after a night of smoking pot like you do sometimes when they've been out drinking," or "in spite of my objections my kids indulge in intoxicating substances; I'd rather they just smoke pot." [continues 359 words]
Editor: In the April 20 issue of the CS-T there was an article about a man in Colorado who was busted by the feds for growing medical marijuana even though he was licensed by the state to do so. Events like this raise some very important constitutional questions. First off, whatever happened to the 10th Amendment? You see, the 10th was supposed to act like a wall of separation between direct federal rule and the citizens of each of the states. The only power the feds had when it came to the states was to regulate international trade and to rule on the constitutionality of state laws. In order for federal law to supersede state law, there should be a constitutional amendment repealing the 10th. I don't think the 14th is that amendment, by the way. [continues 239 words]
Editor: Since re-legalizing marijuana is once again on the minds of some representatives, I thought I'd throw my two cents in one more time. But before I get into my main argument I thought I'd dispel a couple of anti-pot myths. First is the gateway myth. If this is the case, then why is it that 85 percent of those who use any illicit intoxicants "only" smoke pot! Next is the myth that pot-impaired drivers pose the same danger as alcohol-impaired drivers. Fact is a study conducted by the University of Saskatchewan found that totally stoned drivers pose just one-tenth the danger as a minimum (.08) drunk driver. It seems cell phone users present more of a danger than pot smokers when it comes to driving. [continues 322 words]
Editor: During the Middle Ages there was a weather event dubbed the Little Ice Age. Many people died because of failing crops due to a much colder climate. Potatoes could still be grown but people refused to grow or eat them; they chose starvation instead. They did so because church leaders including a pope declared potatoes the devil's food because they grow beneath the ground. Today, there exists a plant that can produce 1,000 gallons of methanol alcohol fuel per acre, compared to 350 gallons of ethanol produced from corn. Some 60 to 70 gallons of high grade lubricating oil per acre can be produced; combine the alcohol and oil and you have bio-diesel. [continues 291 words]
