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War on Drugs Math. How much marijuana is really out there?

By January 26, 2013 0

Usually, when we talk about this failed war on drugs, we speak about the countless lives interrupted, families destroyed, and people lost to senseless murder by our own government. I guess it’s ok because we’re not getting slaughtered like the war waged by the US government in Mexico. But, that’s another story that so many people cover. I wanted to talk about the truly herculean task of the war on drugs.

First of all, consider that in 1936, Anslinger said that there was only 100,000 marijuana users. However, today, there are approximately 28,000,000 regular users, not including the weekly users, monthly users, and first timers. If there is any proof that the war on drugs isn’t working as planned, that should be it. 75+ years later and we’ve seen a 2800% increase in DAILY marijuana use. This is HILARIOUS, at best.

Anyway, the math I wanted to discuss has to do with the amount of marijuana that’s actually floating around on the market place.

In 2009, 2,980.74 metric tons of marijuana was seized by local, state, and federal authorities. It’s accepted that the amount seized ONLY accounts for maybe 5-10% of the marijuana in the nation. But, let’s do some math and we’re gonna need that part of the marble notebook in the back for our conversions. In short..

2204 pounds in a METRIC ton.
1 metric ton = 1,000,000 grams.
2,980.74 metric tons = 2,980,740,000 grams

The reason I bring it down to grams is because there’s usually 1 gram per joint and it’s such a huge number. Let’s give law enforcement some credit and IMAGINE  this number represents 10% of total marijuana production instead of the more realistic 5%. That’s 26,826,660,000 grams that gets USED in the US in 2009. There are 28,000,000 daily users in the US. That’s 958g (2+ pounds) per user per year.

Now consider the more realistic confiscation numbers at 5%. That means there’s ACTUALLY 56,634,060,000 grams, 2,022.6 grams, 4+ pounds per user per year. Personally, I don’t even use a pound in a year. I know there are people who use more than 4 pounds in a year.

Law enforcement – local, state, and federal – is failing American citizens when it comes to their war on drugs in two ways. First, for those that want marijuana eradicated, you’re looking at a 2800% increase in daily use over 75 years + a 5% confiscation rate. And, for those that want to use, law enforcement is not only attacking harmless users but leaving us fending for ourselves when REAL problems occur like school shootings. It’s just incredible to witness the magnitude of this failure in quantity and quality in any and all aspects.

Categories: Legacy, Prohibitionist Idiots

Ogden Police Messed Up, Nothing New

By January 11, 2012 0

I’ve been loosely keeping track of the home invasion by the Ogden, Utah police which resulted in the death of one of their own officers, Jared Francom, as well as 5 more officers wounded. The victim of this home invasion was Matthew Stewart, a veteran of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was also injured in the home invasion.And now, the DA is seeking the death penalty for a man who was simply protecting his home.

My big problem with this whole issue is that the police aren’t taking any responsibility for their actions. The prosecutors and judges are ensuring that the police aren’t held responsible for their actions either by charging the victim with murder. They’re hiding behind the rule of law and procedure instead of admitting they messed up by purposely creating a “war zone” situation where none existed.

First of all, let’s take a step back. Why did the Ogden police invade this man’s home? There was suspicion that he was growing marijuana. The police got a search warrant. They went to conduct a search.

So, why did this turn into a war zone? How did a simple search warrant turn into a veteran of two wars firing on police officers?

It’s because the Ogden police, like many other police departments, decided to raid this man’s home. But, they didn’t want to raid his home while he was at work. They didn’t want to raid his home while he was out shopping for groceries. They wanted to raid his home while he was IN his home. They wanted to make sure this guy was at home.

Unfortunately for the overzealous wannabe-military Ogden police, Stewart was a real military person with post traumatic stress disorder. You don’t get PTSD from sitting behind a desk for a few years. You get it from being involved in some things, like war. You get it from being traumatized and stressed so hard that it becomes a mental disorder.

So, how did the Ogden police mess up?

They forgot that they’re a pansy civilian police department. In doing so, they made of the fatal mistake of deciding to bring the drug war to a man who’s not mentally out of a war zone yet and they got their behinds handed to them. It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last. As more of our troops come home, they’ve seen and done things that aren’t easily forgotten. Many of them will have PTSD; many of them will be medicating with marijuana; and many of them will be growing at home.

How could the Ogden police have carried out this search warrant in a smarter way?

  • One, they could have tried to NOT bring a war zone to a man who’s not quite out of the war yet. You do that by conducting your search warrant while he’s NOT at home. That, alone, just might have avoided any and all confrontation.
  • Two, they could have lied to him to get him to come back home if they needed him there. That’s been done before.
  • Three, they could have maintained a perimeter (in case of escape), and just waited for him to answer the door and spoke to him.
  • Four, they could have asked his parents for help.

But see, none of these things are on the menu for most police departments. Some alternative ideas to raiding a man’s home while he’s home might not be the smartest or the best. It’s definitely not as much fun as creating a faux war zone. But then, Jared Francom might be alive today.

Hindsight is 20/20. But, with as many botched raids as have been conducted by various police departments over the years, I have to seriously wonder why law enforcement doesn’t have any kind of foresight, whatsoever. How stupid are you to create a war zone for no apparent reason especially when there are other options available?

And because of typical police stupidity, one man is dead, others are injured, and now the state of Utah wants to murder an innocent man – a man who has fought for this nation and its people – for protecting himself against a home invasion. Or do they? Let’s see what jury of his peers has to say. If I was on that jury, I’d vote “not guilty”. If Utah wanted to bring suit against the Ogden police for reckless endangerment and negligent homicide, that’s an easy “guilty” for me.

It’s so sad that any of this has to happen over a marijuana plant. It’s clear that this ramping up of state sanctioned violence against peaceful citizens is a sign that this war on drugs is coming to a close. It’s that final ditch effort by law enforcement to maintain a strangle hold of control. What they don’t understand is that it’s acts like these that help people make the decision to legalize, outright or for medical purposes.

I wish Matthew Stewart the best of luck.

Update

Help Matthew Stewart Org.

Matthew Stewart @ Facebook

Categories: Legacy, Prohibitionist Idiots

The War on Drugs is Very Winnable

By June 15, 2011 0

Why do people suggest the War on Drugs is unwinnable?

Law enforcement, in a good year, may seize 5% of the total marijuana this nation imports. Hundreds of thousands of people are arrested each year for minor possession of marijuana. Homes are invaded on a regular basis. Families are torn apart. People have lost their lives. Billions in taxpayer funds are slotted for this campaign against marijuana use

Yet, finding marijuana is actually a rare concern for many people in the US. Billions are spent yearly for a paltry 5%. People arrested have become nothing more than mild-mannered, non-threatening, financial burdens on society. How many innocent people have been harmed by raids on the wrong home or just misinformation.

If someone is to win this War on Drugs, then who would be winning if it’s pretty obvious that law enforcement has been losing?

Sounds like WE are winning the War on Drugs and we haven’t used fear or murder as a tactic to do it. We use our brains. They shut down airports, we drive it in. They shut down roadways, we burrow it in. They collapse tunnels, we swim it in. They catch our boats on the water, we go under water. All the while they’re losing the border war, we’re growing it on window sills, in pc cases, mobile closets, basements, attics, whole homes, freight bins, underground bunkers, etc etc etc.

The war on drugs is very winnable. We just don’t see that we – growers, tokers, and advocates – are the ones winning it.

Let’s stop looking at it from the point of view of law enforcement. That’s been the problem with this nation so far. We’re too individually annoyed at law enforcement’s ankle biting to recognize how far marijuana has come. We are way bigger than them. That’s why they’ve been losing.

You can’t beat a plant that can grow anywhere!!

Imagine that in 1937, marijuana was essentially criminalized. It was near impossible to get and not widely spread. They’ve set up laws, set up agencies, institutionalized and terrorized generations of Americans for some 75 years. And 75 years later, you’d be hard pressed to find a person who hasn’t come into contact with marijuana or someone who uses it.

Is the War on Drugs winnable? Absolutely. Just look at the record!!

They may never cave in or give up. Marijuana might not be legalized for a long time. But, this war will end some day. It will not end with the eradication of marijuana. Marijuana will be legalized. History is on our side.

Categories: Legacy, Opinion

Marijuana Growers, Don’t Fear Legalization

By June 28, 2010 1
Hey folks, here I am back with another post. I know I am usually far and in between with my posts but you must know I don’t blog just anything. I blog when the passion hits me. That means, it has to be important enough for me to address.


19.0 wet grams of Princess Diesel

Well, here we are in the United States, not quite on the advent of legalization but the movement is steady in that direction. We’ll truly be on the advent of legalization when the US Congress starts having the guts to challenge the status quo. But, I doubt that will happen until this treaty business with the UN is addressed. But, I will address that at another time when all my information is gathered.

Anyway, there seems to be a major problem within the marijuana growing community in regards to legalization.

What?

Some folks simply don’t want it legalized. We’re not talking about the maniacs who’ve drinking that DEA juice. We’re talking about the growers who are persecuted AND prosecuted by the very laws they want to protect.

Why?

Well, what really happens if marijuana is legalized? It means that the local and illegal market will have to contend with the world market as well as large money interests who can eye a new major industry.

In other words, COMPETITION.

It’s easy when there isn’t much marijuana to go around and millions of users. You can pretty much charge what you like. If you’re a student of business, as I was (BBA in Marketing), you understand that price can dictate demand if there isn’t enough product to go around. However, demand will dictate price if there is too much product on the market. When marijuana is legalized in the US, you’re going to have entire nations clamoring to supply this hungry market. The situation reverses.

The idea of paying $50 to $65 for an 1/8th (3.5 grams) of marijuana is out of the window.

But, is it?

Absolutely not. I want to let my marijuana growing friends know that it isn’t out of the window at all. The game just changes. And, you will have to learn to adapt with those changes. Let’s look at the tobacco market which, I believe, is identical to what a marijuana market will look like if and when legalized.

Sure, you have companies like Marlboro who sell cigarettes by the ton. But, what do they do to that tobacco? That’s right. We all know that story. The tobacco industry tuns tobacco into smokable bullets. Take enough hits and you will die. It’s as simple as that. However, who says you have to buy tobacco from Marlboro?

I always remember going to Nat Sherman in NYC on 42nd Street. It’s an amazing tobacco shop. They don’t sell crap either. I don’t smoke tobacco at all. However, if I did, Nat Sherman would be the only place I would visit. You go inside and you see jars of loose tobacco on the counter. It looks like a dispensary would look like today. As old as Nat Sherman is, I’d bet they were the model for many of these marijuana dispensaries today. But, they sell tobacco.

Simply put, there are pockets of tobacco aficionados out there. And, I know this doesn’t alleviate your fears but let me show you why you shouldn’t be fearful of a legal marijuana market. Keep reading…

Ounce of Mexibrick schwag.

At the same time, you have Mexican drug cartels who sell marijuana by the ton. We all should be familiar with Mexican grown marijuana (see pic). It’s basically the same as corporate tobacco – mistreated and trashed. And, who exists among those large corporations to bring customer high quality marijuana??

YOU EXIST!!!

Just as folks at spots like Nat Sherman don’t care for the low-cost poison that companies like Marlboro deliver to communities around the US, we don’t care for the low-cost poison that Mexican drug cartels deliver around the US. Just like Nat Sherman, you will and have always targeted folks who could afford, and would pay for, a high quality product.

Will things change? Absolutely. But, the change simply means you’ll be able to come out from hiding. You will find it easier to attract better clientele. It’s like the wine industry, the cheese industry, the beef industry and so on. They all have low quality producers and high quality producers. Someone looking forward to a nice wine isn’t going to the corner liquor store for some Yellow Tail.

If you want to stay competitive in the future, worry about the quality of your own product. Don’t worry about the large corporations, the Mexican drug cartels, or nations in Asia, Africa, and so on. They’ll all be thinking about high profits by increasing production and cutting costs. That means, just as they do with tobacco now, they’ll gladly shred up seeds and stems in your future marijuana cigarettes as well as poison them.

They won’t be able to produce a high quality product like you and therefore won’t be able to compete at your level nor for the same customer base. It’ll be the right of the people to choose their poison. And the same market that goes after high quality marijuana right now will be looking for you tomorrow. This is why I say worry about the quality of your product.

Do you think the likes of Marlboro can compete with this when marijuana is legalized?
They can’t even compete with other quality tobacco today!!

Also, differentiation and specialization will become important. Since we may be a few years away from legalization, it’s not a bad idea to shed the European breeders and start some breeding programs of your own right here in the US if you haven’t already. For example, I grew out some Princess Diesel. But, who can’t get Princess Diesel through a quick visit to the Reservoir Seeds or some other seed site. Imagine if I had a strain of my own. Sure I could grow out other stuff. But, this strain would be mine and no one would be able to grow it but me.

So, stand out even more by creating your own strain and stabilize the phenotype (grower talk). We have a few years before marijuana is legalized. It won’t hurt to start now. Just make sure that when you’re finished, you keep seeds in a safe location for the future.

Categories: Legacy, Opinion

Haaa, can’t tax my marijuana!

By October 28, 2009 0
Legalization/Taxation

The fight to legalize marijuana seems to be making major inroads as politicians, greedy for funds of any kind, find ways to get those tax revenues without a direct increase to the taxpayer. While there are some politicians have a more honorable reason for promoting the legalization of marijuana, there are many others who have no interest in the welfare of their own friends, family, and community; they’re in it for the money.

At any rate, I could care less about their reasons for legalization. All I care about is that it get legalized.

However, what I do care about is how legalization takes place, particularly in the way of taxation, for now. I assume that quality control will be an issue in the future as I am sure companies like Altria, makers of smokable poison like Marlboro cigarettes, would find ways to weaponize marijuana as they did with tobacco.

But, I have a solution for all of that.

The problem with taxation are the high expectations for tax revenues. These politicians believe that the current pricing for marijuana will be stable. For them, that high cost equals high tax revenues. But, they don’t recognize that these high costs are in part due to prohibition. Once prohibition is repealed, marijuana prices will drop considerably and those major tax revenues will drop with it.

This is why legalization is not a particularly great solution for the economy. And, here I am making that prospect even worse.

The reason I intend to make it worse is because there’s a segment within the marijuana community that believe in absolutely no taxes for marijuana use. This is because they consider marijuana a medicine and you simply don’t tax medicine. However, it stands in the way of legalization because it if we’re to get it legalized for everybody, taxation has to be a reality.

Besides, medicinal users are already being taxed by having to pay upfront fees for licenses, doctors prescriptions, and the ability to grow if they are providers.

Side Note
I call that the Republican way to tax. See, Democrats tax you from the front so you see it coming – income tax, sales tax, etc. Republicans reduce face-front taxes. They just wait for you to turn around and bend over so they “tax” you up the behind with increased fees for anything you want to do. Democrats will rather tax your income to pay for roads. Republicans rather put tolls at every street intersection they can find. For example, in NYC, Mayor Bloomberg has sought to lower “face-front” taxes, yet proposed fees for entering the Manhattan below a certain street. Hey, you’ll pay either way so just laugh about this now, think about it later.

The real issue is that medicinal marijuana users don’t like the idea of being taxed at the rates proposed under complete legalization. It truly is their medicine and they shouldn’t be taxed for it. And, let’s be honest, those rates are incredibly ridiculous no matter who’s paying. Not even alcohol or tobacco are taxed as heavily as what’s proposed for marijuana. So, I don’t blame people for getting upset.

Proposal

As a consumer, I propose that, under legalized and severely overtaxed marijuana, users, for whatever purpose, do not buy any marijuana until competition increases supply causing prices to come down and the tax rates are reasonable, at least within comparable levels with alcohol and tobacco.

The question at this point is how can this be done.

First of all, the politicians will do most of the work for this effort to be a success. By promoting prohibition level pricing, even after the repeal of prohibition, it wouldn’t make sense for a marijuana grower to sell his product at wholesale prices when he can still operate and compete as though prohibition still exists. In fact, it can be considered as prohibition-plus since taxes are going to be a major factor. As a consumer, it would make sense to simply go directly to the grower and avoid any taxation whatsoever.

Side Note
While this may not be desirable, the politicians will have to learn a hard lesson here. It’s not a lesson that wasn’t already anticipated in history. During the repeal of alcohol prohibition, politicians, then, knew that the legal market would have to price-compete with the illegal market. Otherwise, it would be impossible to regulate and collect taxes. If today’s politicians are too stupid to anticipate such competition and too arrogant to listen to the people, then they deserve to look like fools when their ridiculous taxation scheme doesn’t produce the kind of tax revenues expected.

The second and most favorable method is self-reliance – grow your own marijuana. I am always promoting growing your own marijuana for personal use, so nothing new here. If marijuana is legal, who’s going to come looking for you if you’re growing a few ounces. Even though that marijuana is illegal, it’s still safer because you completely remove yourself from law enforcement radar. You’re not a Mexican drug cartel. You’re not out trafficking bricks of marijuana. And, you’re not out dealing on the streets. The only problems you may have is if smell gives you away or someone you tell decides to snitch on you. So, limit your exposure by investing in heavy odor control and not telling anyone.

Final Side Note
Personally, the only reason I would ever get caught is because of this blog or perhaps the few people that know about me. And, I know what I am doing by exposing myself. But, if I can motivate more people to grow their own, I can help limit the violence injected into the lives of peaceful people by careless drug dealers and aggressive law enforcement as well as reduce the profits of violent drug cartels that most law enforcement protect with their support of prohibition. It’s worth it if I can save another life.

Categories: Legacy, Prohibitionist Idiots

Obama’s Medical Marijuana Memo Means Nothing

By October 19, 2009 1
Background

Today, President Obama released a memo in regards to states with medical marijuana laws. Basically, this memo is telling federal prosecutors along with the DEA and FBI not to waste their time and energy on [destroying the lives of] medical marijuana patients and their suppliers IF they conform to the state’s laws.

Feds Can’t Touch This
Justice shifts course on medical marijuana prosecutions
Feds: Medical marijuana prosecutions not a priority

Reality

This memo is nothing more than a piece of paper. It doesn’t change anything. Think of this policy change as a mother asking her child to do his chores five minutes earlier at 5:55 PM instead of 6 PM. Although, it would be nice if you did it five minutes earlier, it’s not anything you have to take into consideration. It just would be nice.

Think about it.

What laws were changed with this memo? Did marijuana, all of a sudden, become legal? Was marijuana removed from the Controlled Substances Act? Will the federal government begin recognizing marijuana’s medicinal utility?

NO!

This memo hasn’t changed anything. As long as prohibition remains the denominator in the nation’s marijuana equation, this memo is nothing more than words on paper. Without the protections and consequences that come with actual changes to the law, nothing has changed.

Problem

President Obama has failed to alleviate or even address the problems that millions of marijuana users, medicinal and recreational, face against violent law enforcement. Well over 800,000 people are arrested and incarcerated yearly. Billions of dollars are burned by law enforcement officials that are only interested in playing ‘Judge Dredd’ with the lives of nonviolent people. When President Obama has the courage to face these gun toting animals, that’s when the memos and speeches will stop. That’s when laws begin to change.

Until then, I’d rather President Obama just shut up and leave it alone if he doesn’t plan on truly changing anything or helping us. I’m used to the status quo and it’s how I operate. It’s how thousands of us operate on a daily basis. I won’t change how I do things because of some useless memo. I would hope that my grower friends, especially those in medical marijuana states, keep their heads low as well. I don’t want them falling for this nonsense.

Just know one thing. Marijuana is not going anywhere. No matter how hard the prohibitionists push against us, we’ll still be here – growing, smoking, and teaching!

Categories: Legacy, News

Why wait until you’re suffering to care?

By September 9, 2009 1
I just read a story over at 420 Magazine via Wacotrib News and it pissed me off so much that I had to say something. Enough with the formalities, let’s go.

Waco Man Teams With NORML in Push for Medical Marijuana

Alan Caruthers, of Waco, says he was 18 years old the first and last time he tried marijuana. It didn’t do much for him. Until this year, he saw no reason to try it again, and he dismissed arguments for decriminalizing it as pothead talk.

It took a four-year struggle with myelofibrosis to change his mind. His leukemialike bone marrow disease gives him constant bone pain. The chemotherapy gives him nausea that makes him vomit daily. The Vicodin, Ativan and other drugs he’s taking to relieve those symptoms are losing their effectiveness, and he’s afraid of getting addicted to them.

So now, at age 44, this Christian family man and lifelong Republican is considering medicating himself with marijuana. And he has become an unlikely advocate for the right to do so legally.
(click title for the rest of the article)

Here’s my response to the article:

This pisses me off.

“It took a four-year struggle with myelofibrosis to change his mind.”

Why in the hell do you wait until it’s YOUR problem before you actually give a damn about people suffering?? That, to me, is the most selfish reason for advocating for medical marijuana. You don’t need to be in the “crap” to give a damn about those already living in it. What’s next? His healthcare costs are going to bankrupt him so he’ll be advocating for the public option or even universal?

Or, worse. What’s going to happen when his issue is resolved? Will he go back to not giving a damn because he’s out of troubled waters, so to speak?

The most that medical marijuana advocates and legalization advocates would ask of people is that they listen and get all of the facts. But, he was not that kind of man. Many people in this nation aren’t willing to listen. I have absolutely NO respect for people like that.

I hope he gets his marijuana. I just want to see how he acts after he gets the treatment he requires.

That’s all I am going to say at this point. I am just severely disgusted.

Categories: Legacy, Opinion

Reality Check: Marijuana won’t boost economy

By March 1, 2009 22
Intro

First and foremost, let me say that I would love to see marijuana legalized in the United States. As a user, with some growing experience, I believe it will be the best thing in the long run for this nation. Let’s continue…Now that I am down from the high – that is, the high I got from hearing that California may legalize marijuana outright and NJ’s attempt at medical marijuana – I realize or at least believe that marijuana will not be that great of a boost to the economy. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that it’s the worst idea yet regardless of what side your on – for the economy or for legalization. In fact, I believe, if anything, it may be a boost to anti-marijuana groups in the long term when it does NOT work to boost the economy as many expect.

Problem One: Fallacy of Worth

Today, marijuana is the number one cash crop valued at about $40 Billion in the United States alone. No one argues that figure. California alone expects to reap in $1 Billion of that in tax revenues if they are successful at legalizing it. But, anyone with any business acumen, if they think about it carefully, knows that is not true. When gauging the worth of a product, we take in all factors – costs, supply vs demand, taxes, profit margin, etc.

Cost
If we discuss the costs, all one needs to remember is the very reason marijuana is such a high value cash crop is due to prohibition. The fact that it’s illegal drives up the price considerably. Take away the prohibition and the prices plummet from cultivation to trafficking to the final point of sale. No prohibition = no risk = lower operational costs.

Supply vs Demand
Also, it’s a given that growers will not only grow more marijuana but will be less likely to lose crops to DEA/police raids and theft. Factor in the long term potential that marijuana may have foreign suppliers from all over the world. All of this leads to a greater supply and much lower costs of cultivation along with the competition from many different suppliers from around world. Any kid, after a high school economics class, will tell you all about that supply vs demand chart. Granted, once prohibition is lifted, demand will increase but it will be wrong to imagine that competition alone won’t drive down the prices especially if US growers are competing with South Africa or Zimbabwe where you can get damn good landrace sativas for around $20 USD per pound.

Taxes
Califorina Assemblyman Tom Ammiano proposed a fixed tax of $50 per ounce of marijuana. How feasible is this when marijuana prices hit rock bottom? You get more than an ounce of tobacco in a carton of cigarettes which you can buy online for $10-$20. Imagine paying another $50 for marijuana that not only costs considerably less but probably isn’t even rolled for you.

When NY started to increase the taxes on a pack of cigarettes, it opened up a black market. I recently gassed my car at a Hess station off the University Heights bridge and there was a sign stating $7.56 for a pack of cigarettes, “lowest price allowed by law.” You can get the same pack on the street for $4. While I believe in taxation, we need to be equitable and reasonable in taxing policy, something the United States has not done very well intelligently.

All one needs to do is look up information on the 1920 and 1930’s era of alcohol prohibition to understand the TRUE value of marijuana as a cash crop [Wiki].

When [the] repeal of Prohibition occurred in 1933, organized crime lost nearly all of its black market alcohol profits in most states (states still had the right to enforce their own laws concerning alcohol consumption), because of competition with low-priced alcohol sales at legal liquor stores.

We’ve been here before. Let’s not act “new to the game”.

Problem Two: Smoker Beware

As a person with growing experience, I know what it takes to plant, care for, and process marijuana properly. One thing we don’t do as growers is use chemicals in the drying and curing process of marijuana. While I expect that to continue in the short term, in the long term, we WILL have companies like Altria (Phililp Morris/Marlboro) who infest their tobacco products with all kinds of manmade chemicals. This is to be expected if marijuana is actually legalized.

Also, let’s mention the idea that when the regulations hit, the potency will be controlled. As a user and grower, I will NOT be purchasing marijuana when they begin this practice especially when I can grow my own more potent marjuana and it should be legal for me to do so if they’re legalizing marijuana. Or, maybe I’d just get my product direct from the grower. That’s how everyone does it now, technically.

Problem Three: What about hemp?

We’re talking about legalizing marijuana but where’s the conversation about hemp and all of its benefits. It seems as though these politicians are counting on the potheads to rescue the economy without making any mention of the use of hemp as a cash crop. I’d like to assume that if the consumption of marijuana is made legal then also hemp itself, a very low-thc version of marijuana which can be used to produce food, clothing, and a million other things. I just hope my assumption isn’t far from reality.

Problem Four: Greed is always a bad idea

Legalizing marijuana because you think it will be a boost to the economy isn’t a smart reason; it’s a greedy reason. People who are greedy don’t think carefully about the actions they take. While I do believe it will be a boost in the short term as demand will increase faster than supply, in the long term, legalized marijuana will be a huge disappointment.

Legalize marijuana because it’s the right thing to do to repair the backward drug policy that does more harm to the United States than good. Even if people believe marijuana is dangerous, prohibition is a great deal more harmful to society than the substance itself. And I think with the fact that no one has ever died from marijuana use, we can safely assume that it just might be safer than drinking too much water [Water Poisoning].

Anti-marijuana ammo
In forgetting about the safety and benefits of marijuana and ignoring anti-marijuana groups’ concern for the love of money, we may give these fringe groups all the ammo they need to recriminalize marijuana in the future. Why should it be legal if it doesn’t boost the economy? It’s a pitiful backdoor attempt at legalizing marijuana, much like the people who have the audacity to piggy back onto medical marijuana efforts. I am NOT for it. NOT THIS WAY!

One Benefit: Lower Law Enforcement Costs

The greatest benefit of legalizing marijuana is the cost savings associated with the paring down of law enforcement expenditures. I’ve written about this recently [Budget cuts? Police first!]. I’d rather the United States, or California, make the smart decision to legalize marijuana instead of thinking it will be a major boon to the economy.

Perhaps, the short term boost is all this economy requires. But, then what?

Categories: Legacy, Opinion

Aha! Oakland Cops Getting Canned for Lying

By January 17, 2009 0
Oakland to fire 11 cops in search warrant case [SF Gate via Drug Law Blog]

Let’s keep this one short and sweet. Simply put, these dirty cops were caught falsifying evidence to judges to get search warrants so they could play SWAT on innocent people. Because these idiots were caught lying the city of Oakland has to suck up not one but TWO class-action lawsuits. For the record, when you see “class-action”, it means a lot of people’s lives have been negatively affected by these 11 dirty bastards.

Police are their own problem

What’s really sad about this case is that although these police were caught red handed, the other officers and attorneys are bringing out every excuse in the book to support these animals. First there’s some crap about not training the officers by the attorneys for the lying cops. I have to wonder, what kind of training is required to teach ADULTS to not lie? Is that not something you learn as a child from your parents? Did these animals grow up without any morals? With the way these police officers act around the nations, it’s totally possible they did grow up without morals or home training. I wouldn’t be surprised if they lift their hind legs to use the bathroom.

And don’t think this is just Oakland. Remember Michael Mineo? He’s the guy that was sodomized by an NYPD officer in the daytime in a train stration. Even two other police officers corroborate the story told by Michael Mineo. Let me rephrase, other police officers supported the victim’s story. So, how do other NYPD officers react to this dirty cop sodomizing another man? They come to the court to taunt Mineo and call him a faggot!
And here’s that article: Police taunt subway accuser

Seriously, how in the hell am I to have respect for police officers when they do things like taunt a victim who was raped. And, the very few that do actually have the balls to be REAL cops and tell the truth end up being drummed out of the force in some way shape or form. So, even when REAL cops do exist, they don’t last long in the department.

The Real Reason They’re Being Fired

Let’s be honest people. How often do we ever get a chance to see police officers actually be reprimanded for the willful abuse of their authority. The NYPD still consists of cold blooded murderers among the typical liars, thieves, pimps, addicts, and so on. This is because the NYPD protects themselves along with the judges and attorneys that also help protect the crooked cops. So, upon reading…

“These terminations are difficult for the city, but they show that honesty and integrity are non-negotiable for officers in the Oakland Police Department,” Russo said. “The terminations demonstrate that the Oakland Police Department’s internal review systems and reform measures are operating soundly and in the interests of justice.”

…I called BULLSHIT! Police departments do not FIRE police officers. It simply doesn’t happen. They will do their best to protect their members. Paid leave is the WORST thing a police officer will ever face even after cold blooded murder.

So, you want to know why the city of Oakland is really firing these dirty liars? Hey, even I don’t know but, I can take an educated guess. How about the economy? Cities and states are looking for any way to cut down on their expenditures. The worst expenditure any city or state can have is a class-action lawuit which can, and most likely will, amount to multi-million dollar pay outs. And Oakland has TWO of them right now.

And you know what, they just had another case in which the city had to pay out $10.5 million. Another bad expenditure is to keep proven dirty cops on the force. Beyond that, it’s costly to send the message to other police officers that their risky behavior will be protected by the city in the future. That’s 11 paychecks the city of Oakland won’t have to cut to these mongrel dogs which is money that can be used for more important things around the city.

Last Call

And, that’s hopefully a message to other police officers around the US to actually do their jobs PROPERLY for once! I hope that other cities in the US follow suit, especially here in NYC where a good portion of police officers need to be pink slipped starting with the 48th precinct in the Bronx. The memory of that 18yo beaten by five officers while already handcuffed on the ground as other officers stand around and watch will NEVER escape my memory simply because they arrested me for being a witness to their crime.

Categories: Legacy, LOL

National Geographic Explorer: Heroin vs Meth vs Marijuana

By December 3, 2008 3
Intro

Last night, I watched three back to back Explorer episodes on National Geographic. Heroin Crisis looked at heroin around the world, the second episode was The World’s Most Dangerous Drug (methamphetamine), and the final episode was titled Marijuana Nation.

Heroin Crisis

I knew a lot about heroin already. One thing that stood out to me was when the program got into the manufacturing side of heroin. Afghanistan was producing 30% more heroin than the actual demand. While I didn’t know that, I did know that Afghanistan was indeed responsible for producing 90% of the world’s heroin. In fact, I wrote about: Wakeup: Back to Reagan’s Drug War.

You see the Taliban had crushed the drug trade in Afghanistan in 2001. They tortured and murdered farmers to get their point across (much worse than the DEA’s torturing and murdering of American citizens over marijuana). Then, the first coming of the idiot-Christ, President mis-Elect Bush, came around, guns-a-blazing, to shut down the Taliban. That’s when poppy production went BACK into overdrive.

Question: Why did we decide to go into Afghanistan? Al Qaeda? Osama Bin Laden? Does it even matter?

World’s Most Dangerous Drug

Methamphetamine (crystal meth or meth) scares me! Simply put, it’s a frightening drug. I’d heard a lot about it. But, being that my one and only interest is and will always be marijuana, it didn’t make sense for me to gather more information about this drug. But this Explorer program gave me that view of meth that set me straight about it once and for all. One thing that stood out to me more and more were the before and after images of meth users. Strong healthy people now looking thin, emaciated, and gaunt within a matter of a few months to two years. Not even cocaine or heroin is that bad on the body. Don’t get me wrong. I grew up in the Bronx, New York City. I’ve seen first hand the destruction cocaine and heroin can do to a community. But, meth is a beast unto itself.

Anyway here’s a Youtube video of meth users, before and after. As much as I hate to use these people because they demonize a harmless plant along with other man-made chemicals, even a broken clock is right twice a day.

Marijuana Nation

Finally, we get to Marijuana Nation and I am happy, yet pensive due to the twisting and spinning of information by police and DEA agents. I have a problem stomaching the ignorant and arrogant ranting of bold-faced habitual liars.

Let’s think about it critically for a minute.

Who do you believe, or side with, in the War on Marijuana? Would you side with marijuana growers and traffickers over the DEA and police when it comes to legalizing marijuana? I’d side with the criminals because it’s a question of who will lose if marijuana is legal.

First and foremost, criminals – growers and dealers. They lose because if marijuana is legalized, prices drop. That’s not good for a would-be former criminal’s pocket. If you’re in the business of selling marijuana, you’d want to keep the prices high so that you can profit as much as possible. However, that will be difficult to do when you can buy a pound of decent marijuana in Zimbabwe for $20. You see where I am going on the criminal side of things. Yet, it’s the criminals, like Marc Emery, that want it legalized. People don’t sacrifice themselves unless it’s important to them, morally important.

Secondly, the police and DEA. As I watched this program, comparing it to the other two, I realized there was an incredible bump in the amount of money and resources used for marijuana eradication. But, they lose if marijuana is legal because marijuana accounts for a high percentage of their work. If marijuana is made legal, it would be difficult for the DEA to account for the expenditures they currently use $70 billion annually. In other words, they’d be losing jobs.It’s in their best interest to keep the pressure high on marijuana demonization in an effort to paint themselves as saviors and worth the cost. On top of that, if they’re not concentrating on petty marijuana crime, they’d have to actually do real police work like solving murders or catching rapists.

Who wins? Scientists and Researchers. Doctors and medicinal users. Casual Users. US citizens in general who don’t like the criminal element (the DEA) nor the wayward and errant dealers on the corner. And yes, even police. Remember Al Capone, Eliot Ness and the Untouchables? Alcohol Prohibition in the 1920’s? There’s a lesson the authorities of the United States should study extremely carefully because they’re already repeating the past. If that’s the case, we know the inevitable result.

Anyway, Marijuana Nation was good even if it rehashed a lot of the old stuff (old to me, at least) – Marc Emery (BC3 and Cannabis Culture), indoor and outdoor grow operations, and of course the obligatory save-my-DEA-job lies.

Last Puff

It’s a wonder why people continue to lump marijuana in with heroin or methamphetamine. The substances are so drastically different on so many levels. It’s like comparing water to nuclear runoff – one’s safe and naturally occurring and the other is fatal and man-made. If you “enjoy” a cup of nuclear runoff, you’re going to need lots of help. And, the people of this world, all nations, fail at the job of helping one another. We can’t continue to murder, torture, and imprison our way out of our problems. It’s the very reason they keep coming back. These people – friends, family, and others – need help in the form of common sense policy through education (which has worked for decreasing tobacco use). We can also put some of that DEA largesse into healthcare and addiction treatment. And, at $70 billion a year, we could probably provide free healthcare for all Americans as well.

Categories: Legacy, News
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