...and that is the problem. I read an article today, one of the folks that signed as a co-sponsor to Barney Franks bill, I think one of 7, hadn't read the bill, he just thought it was another Medical MJ bill, so he told hios staff to add his name, then he saw the bill which decriminalizes up to 100 grams, thought he had made a boo-boo. He has been receiving lots of phone calls.......thanking him for taking this stance, I think it was 80% for 20% against. He is a little suprised.
Remember the 'moral majority'? When I went to see Ethan Nedelman's speak at U of M one of the things he mentioned that is so frustrating for him, friends he used to smoke with for years won't admit it.
If you can write an acceptable proposal, and clearly demonstrate why the average non-pot smoking person should vote for it, I think you can get the same kind of response. For years, ever since the tobacco companies lost, the whipping boy for taxes has been tobacco and liqour. FREEZE THOSE TWO TAXES IN YOUR PROPOSAL. Say to the smokers and drinkers, look folks, its time for the pot heads to start paying thier 'fair share' of taxes. Its also time for some fiscal responsability. There is already a bill making its way thru the house which would decriminalize marijuana possesion at the federal level. We need to act NOW, before the politicians figure out how much money we are talking about. If we let them do it, we will hve the same bullshit as we did with the lottery. Remember the Lottery was supposed to supplement what was being spent on education, the extra money would give us a first class school system? And what happened is education disappered from the general fund budget, school funding actually dropped, they spent the money on other things. One fifth of our State General Fund goes to the Corrections Department, they get more money than our education system, how do you like them apples, and for what???
I just printed out the Office of National Drug Control Policy Report for 2008, its impressive, and I could win any debate about Marijuan and its harm just using thier figures and logic, let alone the information I know is available about the effects of Marijuna for your health. On page 12 of the report the have an ecxellent graphic. What they are trying to do is show why it so hard to stamp out Marijuana. It is titled,
Method of Obtaining Most Recently Used Marijuana Among Past Years Users. Wow.
There is a big pie on the left to show where people got thier last marijuana. Why? I don't know , lets see what they found out. 53% got thier last Marijuana for free or shared it. Hmmm. 43% bought it, they minority again. 1% grew it, uhhu, shame on us, 1% traded for it and 2% said nanahaha, they were unspecified. Now we go from that pie chart to another interesting set of pies. These pies are going to show us the source that those 43% BUYIT from and were the actual transaction takes place. They are labeled
SOURCE and
LOCATION. dOUBLE WOW. 16%, Someone just met or did not know well. 3% said nanahaha they were unspecified, 3% relative or family member. 78% bought it from a friend. OK, lets reflect. They have just spent a trillion dollars on a war, the title for this report is
MARIJUANA: THE GREATEST CAUSE OF ILLEGAL DRUG ABUSE. And you are telling me that the majority of people get it for free and the majority of people that buy it, buy it from a friend??? SOme thing is wrong here Homer, friends wouldn't let friends drive drunk, why would a friend let you buy marijuana, I mean that would make him not my friend, right??
Ok, maybe we can come back to that one lets look at where they buy it. LOCATION. 3% on school property, 6% inside a public building, 14% nanahaha, 22% Outside in a public area. 55% of the time they bought it Inisde home, apt,or dorm. (isn't the dorm school property?) Would you want your kids to go to those houses?? So basically there isn't anything they can do about it?
And the most damning piece of evidence?
Total Past Year Marijuana Users Age 12 or Older = 25.4 million
NOW do you see what a problem Marijuana is, friends sell it to friends and stay friends, we want bar fights, and we always wanted to be commandoes, just not with real criminals, they shot back. VV
... thats why I got out years ago, and sit back and watch and listen to the contacts that I have about whats going on... its a huge fucking mess, a bubble that won't take long to burst, and when it does, its all of us that are just peaceably growing our own that will be just fine. Lol, I was talking about a few friends that were in political and legislative positions (smokers!) to make a difference just by doing a few simple things, and out of greed and fear they chose not too (actually putting a few of my other friends that were their friends into prison for life!). I really wish I didn't know what I was talking about.... because I know for FACT that the GOV is making Trillions on this industry by keeping it illegal, or should I say, the banks!
