The Marijuana Debate

In Colorado, there is an annual convention held by the  National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, a prominent legalization group which has been in operation for 40 years. This is of course an advocacy group that wants to see the weed  fully legalised. (Interestingly, Colorado is one of the 15 states plus DC which has legalised the use of medical marijuana.)


Today is the day for that convention and it follows yesterday's annual 4/20 Marijuana day celebration when thousands of demonstrators gathered in parks all over Colorado to smoke pot openly breaking the laws of the state and since the police cannot arrest the vast numbers who gather at specific locations, they make their point quite well. It is said that 4/20 takes its name from the code the police use in California for pot smoking and since most states take their cue from what happens in California, this is a big event.

A point to note is that in California, Democratic state assemblyman Ammiano  introduced legislation to legalize pot and allow the state to regulate and tax its sale — a move that could mean billions of dollars for the cash-strapped state. Anyway, it is well known that pot is California's biggest cash crop, responsible for $14 billion a year in sales, dwarfing the state's second largest agricultural commodity — milk and cream — which brings in $7.3 billion a year, according to the most recent USDA statistics........ and the authorities keep their eyes closed to this fact while declaring a so called "war on drugs" on sovereign nations!. The state's tax collectors estimate the bill would bring in about $1.3 billion a year in much needed revenue, offsetting some of the billions of dollars in service cuts and spending reductions outlined in the recently approved state budget.

I am almost certain that it is just a matter of time before marijuana is legalised throughout the entire United States but the USA will continue to  use their vast military might to prevent other countries from getting into the supply  side of things early.

I find the entire drug policy  in the USA hypocritical and even more so no now when we they have a president, who admitted to have experimented with drugs in his youth. His experiments have obviously had no ill effect on him, so why is he not doing the correct thing and allowing drugs to be legalised?

At the moment, the USA, the biggest consumer of mind altering drugs and marijuana, spends billions all around the world from Afghanistan to Jamaica and Mexico, on its so-called war on drugs. This spray and use other dangerous means to eliminate drug plantations in sovereign nations while also damaging domestic crops thus condemning  farmers in these poor countries to poverty and deprivation but it has in no way lessened the demand in that country for drugs in their own country.

The USA  would get far more value for money if they would stop interfering with sovereign countries and launch a massive education program, similar to what they have for cigarettes and alcohol, to steer their nationals away from drug use and allow those who want to do so to take the drug of their choice while setting up easily accessible rehabilitation centres for those who fall thorough the tracks. At least users would then be deciding on their own fate, fully cognisant of the consequences, as opposed to the situation that now exists where most people do drugs because, a) they want to experiment and b) especially where young people are concerned, the forbidden fruit has a massive pull.

Having stores that can legally import drugs and sell following the same rules as  for alcohol  and cigarettes (no selling to minors etc) will take the crime out of drug production and manufacturing .Just think how many lives could be saved on their own border with Mexico if this enlightened approach was taken.

But I guess we will never see this policy any time soon as the US economy is built on warfare and declaring war on everyone for everything seems to be in their genes.