Tuesday, December 23, 2008

The New Green Economy.


"Legalize it, and I will advertise it"


~Peter Tosh~



O man, if this is true, we will be naming a National Holiday after you in my homeland. Are you kidding me? Making the ganja plant legal will give you icon status right next to brother Bob with Yawdies world wide, and with a significant segment of the A-merry-can population right here at home. I just hope that they vote.


As someone who does not partake of the good collie weed (stop laughing, I don't) I can honestly approach this debate from a totally objective point of view. And if we are going to be fair we have to say that decriminalizing the drug would be the best way to approach the drug epidemic that has been sweeping this country for years.



The O man himself has said that the current war on drugs is an "utter failure" and that we should "shift the paradigm to a public health approach" in how we deal with this issue. From all accounts we could generate anywhere from "$10 to $14 billion in savings and taxes every year", and we could put a serious dent in all the money we spend on public safety and redirect those resources to areas where it is really needed in the law enforcement arena. It all sounds good to me, and all I can tell you is that there are some very smart people who agree with that approach as well.


I am just hoping that this is part of the new green economy that his O ness is always talking about. We can only wish. Now this is change that I could believe in. (Oh field stop it, you are an officer of the court, why are you encouraging pot smoking?) I am not. If it is made legal it should come with a warning label, just like cigarettes. And folk s should be encouraged to smoke responsibly, just like drinking.

Now you wanna be Rastas who believe that "the herb is the healing of the nation" don't go getting your hopes up too high just yet. ( No pun intended) His O ness has been known to go back on a promise or two of late. And from all accounts there is a good chance that he might select a real tough law and order man, Jim Ramstad, who would never heed Peter Tosh's words, as his Drug Czar.

So let's see what his O ness does. I know he smokes cigarettes, or he used to, so maybe there will be some sensitivity to this issue, smoking I mean. Maybe just maybe the O man will throw us secular progressives a bone with some meat on it. It would be about time, I am starting to get really hungry.





















44 comments:

Anonymous said...

Field,

Unfortunately, I have to agree with the logic that proponents of this view have saying for decades.

But social control in this area will come in a different form than law enforcement.

Here is several catches that I see:

1) Employers will still be given the right to disqualify candidates via drug screening.

2) Life and Health insurers (who screen for it anyway) will be have a lot of liberty with their premiums as they underwrite people - as will companies that insure automobiles. They will be given a lot of power to discriminate in their price structure. You can bet I will be buying shares of stock in "Sweat Leaf Manufacturing" AND those lab companies whose job it is to test blood and urine for insurability.

3)It could result in a step backward for people who want nationalized health care. There will be an explosion of jobs in the private sector: health care providers, retail, agriculture, and the insurance companies.

Anonymous said...

I'm OK with it, but it will look bad if he acts on this in the first 100 days. The Prez can't really do this all on his own, can he? He just lobbys it? I'm not sure. One of the worst mountain music songs I've heard was dedicated to Obama. Maybe they'll do better with this inspiration.

szpork

rainywalker said...

Less drug wars, less war on drugs, less deaths, more taxes, I don't smoke and its fine with me. Make it just like alcohol and stop clogging up the court system and sending people to jail for smoking it. Field where do you get these great ideas, I may still get my Social Security. Wow or wow spelled backwards!

Rick Warren is the first person who needs some and those setting on the front pews.

Christopher said...

The real reason pot isn't legal is opposition from the alcohol lobby.

The alcohol lobby is cool with folks stressed out from a hard day at work coming home and tossing back a beer or a glass of wine but a joint? No way, no how.

Now, to Obama "making it legal," don't hold your breath (no pun intended.) Obama can't stand up to the religious right -- you think he has the balls to take on the alcohol lobby?

I'll believe it when I see it.

Rater said...

It is documented that cigarettes cause cancer and other ailments.

Where are the documented cases of marijuana causing cancer?

It is documented that excessive alcohol consumption can erode the liver.

Where are the documented cases of marijuana causing liver erosion?

If life threatening health ailments caused by marijuana haven't been cited by now, it is safe to say that there are no life threatening health ailments associated with marijuana use.

The point I cannot understand is why does the government advocate (allow companies to market) the use of products that will kill individuals, but will outlaw something that hasn't killed one person? In fact, marijuana is used for medicinal purposes.

I am not buying the "marijuana is the gateway to crack, heroin, LSD, etc" bullshit.

I just don't freaking get this lunacy!

Anonymous said...

Peter Tosh, original rude bwoi! Nows there's a blast from the past.

Methinks that Obama is just blowing smoke up our collective asses, pun intended.

Anonymous said...

what would be the benefits of legalizing the pot?

LISA VAZQUEZ said...

Okay Field Negro....

Now what's next after the legalization of pot?

McDonald's selling a combo meal with a packet of crack instead of the Disney toy??

Anonymous said...

I think it would be great.
Some of them Palinites need a smoke/toke to chill out since their messiah didn't win!

Shady_Grady said...

It's not a change Obama can make on his own. There are federal anti-drug laws that would need to be changed and that means Congress. So I think that's a dead letter.

Even if the feds decriminalized marijuana usage there are still many states with very harsh laws. I don't think these would automatically be voided would they? I mean we still have lots of dry counties despite the 21st Amendment.

Mahndisa S. Rigmaiden said...

12 24 08

Merry Christmas FN! I think legalizing MJ is a good idea and suggested it on my blog to generate revenues for my broke assed state. Anyhoo, the federal government could tax and regulate MJ just as it does other things and the industry is a billion dollar industry! States could get a nice amount of tax money from MJ. Besides that, I feel like the drug war is a privacy infringement and a violation of our personal liberties, so despite the illegality of MJ I still have no moral problem with it at all, and think it is a good thing!


Lastly, to address the commenter above, let's not get naive about the side effects of marijuana. We are under MJ prohibition in the US, therefore ACCURATE medical information on MJ is hard to come by. This means both the good AND bad effects of the drug. I found research done by scientists in Holland that suggest that MJ is great for anxiety reduction and appetite building, but can affect motivation and if smoked, can irritate the lining of the lungs. I am all for marijuana and its legalization but lets not make it a wonder drug that has no adverse effects associated with it. True there aren't documented cases of an MJ overdose but I've known folk whose memories are shot to hell!

ArtMaggot Hysteria said...

Merry Christmas To All!

Hawa Bond said...

I don't smoke pot. And sometimes you can find me giving a side-eye to somebody who does. But I still can't understand for the life of me why it isn't legal.

You can't legalize known killers like cigarettes and alcohol, and not deal with legalizing pot. In fact, alcohol crosses the line into killing 3rd parties (drunk drivers). I agree that the legal system is clogged with "victimless crimes" as light and moderate pot smokers are considered criminals (along with their retail providers. hehe) It's silly and reeks of an economic conspiracy (e.g. as mentioned - the alcohol lobby not wanting another vice to kill their sales).

@BlackWomenBlowTheTrumpet: I don't subscribe to the "slippery slope" argument on this one. To save space here, Deacon Blue did an excellent post on the dangers of applying the slippery slope theory to certain arguments.

Merry Christmas, everybody!

Hawa, author of
Fackin Truth Blog (Personal Blog)
and
Cleanse Master Remix (Health Blog)

Rater said...

"What would be the benefits of legalizing the pot?"

What does the concept of benefits have to do with a person's right to privacy and autonomy of his/her body?

To answer your question, one benefit of the legalization of pot is the same as the benefits of abolishing prohibition and legalizing cigarettes-- tax revenue.

Rater said...

No one asserted that MJ is a wonder drug. How did you infer that from "medicinal purposes"?

Anonymous said...

You can't even get medical marijuana in New Mexico. And for some who are gravely ill, such as a dear friend in California, this is really the only thing that stimulates the appetite and relieves some of the pain.

Along with the alcohol industry's lobbying efforts, for many of us older folk whose parents were influenced by the film Reefer Madness, a lot of bad myths about the herb still remain. Marijuana leads to heroine, etc.

But unlike alcohol which is a depressant--not in a bad way necessarily, but it does depress sensation, marijuana is a stimulant that enhances sensation. Except of course when you are driving under the influence (at 10 MPH) and you know that even though there is not a vehicle anywhere on the road, in either direction, that the very moment you try to change lanes, a phantom vehicle will appear out of hyperspace and crash into you. :-)

Wishing Field, Mrs. Field, and all the members of this blog a jolly holiday of your choice.

Anonymous said...

FN, that's not hunger. It's the munchies!

Seeing as how you don't indulge, you must have been around some folks partaking of the weed.

Legalization of marijuana will happen as soon as the government finds a way to minimize sales by bootleggers. This ain't cigarettes and alcohol where quality is limited to factory-made products.

Anonymous said...

@ Rater:

It is only recently that I have a paradigm shift on this issue. I am forced to agree with you. The truth is that much more medical and social harm has come from the abuse of alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and the abuses of prescription medication.

@ Mahndisa S. Rigmaiden:

I recall reading some information that rolled out of Netherlands on Marijuana use and anxiety reduction, relief of symptoms of depression, etc.

There has been research done in several countries on the correlation between marijuana use and " diminished motivation". If it ever becomes legal in the U.S., I believe the private sector will lobby heavily to discriminate among uses and non-users to select their candidates for jobs.

I do see a time when "it may be legal, but one will never rise above a certain pay grade if it is in one's blood."

ch555x said...

legalize it!!!

Anonymous said...

Good post field.

But I don't see why your not partaking makes you any more unbiased. I know plenty of religious nutcases who preach against it and have never partaken. They certainly aren't unbiased.

Facts are facts, whether or not one partakes. Based upon all the available facts, science and study, this is one of God's safest substances. It would truly be a money maker if it were taxed.

But this isn't just about marijuana, it is as much about hemp (which you can't even get high from).

There are a multitude of reasons why it is not legal (in the 1600's the only laws regarding hemp were that land owners were MADE to grow it), but the main one is Big Money (primarily Big Prison, but petro-chemicals, alcohol, timber and many others who benefit financially).

I am pleased to see that you are in law enforcement and see where things could be made better. It ain't about getting high. Its about medicine, fuel, and the most versatile substance known to man.

This is a particular subject of expertise for me and my blog.

field negro said...

Adam, don't say "unfortunately", you make some good points. But I still think that the overall benefit of legalization outweighs the negatives.

Still, there were some good points made as to why it has not happened yet.

But as gwpriester said, there is no denying the benefits of the weed for patients who are suffering from various ailments. And I can't get over the fact that if we legalized it we could tax that bad boy to the benefit of all of us.

For me though, it' a personal rights issue. I am still waiting for someone to show me a study that proves that MJ is too harmful for individual use (more so than some legal subtances that we have now)and that legalizing it would be bad for society as a whole.

Merry X-Mas ArtMaggot and others.

BeulahMan, I will be sure to check out your blog for more info on this subject.

Anonymous said...

Hey Field,

I guess I say "unfortunately" because I still do not like the idea of my children seeing someone fire up a joint, a hitter, a bowl or a bong in the parking lot of a Dairy Queen and the I have to explain what it is that this person is doing. I really don't like that.

This issue, however, forces me to be emotionally and intellectually honest. My children see their Daddy enjoy red wine, many types of foreign beers, and I drink coffee like it is water.

I am much less judgmental and biased than I used to be...and that is a good thing.

May You and Yours Have a Blessed and Safe Holiday Season.

-Adam

Anonymous said...

I'd prefer pot be legalized so that I can:

1. Find the really good stuff easily.
2. Buy it without hanging around sketchy people.
3. Not worry about the law catching me and locking me up for some bullshit the president-elect has done and the outgoing president probably did too.

Could you imagine if the presidential candidates went to bars and had a joint instead of a beer to appear like regular people? It'd be awesome.

Jody said...

Legalize it, sell it in state run stores, treat it like alcohol in its limitations of where and when it can be consumed, tax the shit out of it and dedicate the taxes to real drug education-rehabilitation, not just the bullshit just say no crap.... but not just marijauna... all of it! It would empty the courts tomorrow. It would treat addiction like the illness it is rather than a crime. It would reduce robberies for those that need a fix. There are downsides, but I think the upsides out weigh them.

She Draws said...

I say let the nation vote. There are pro's and con's but yes I could see this happening.

I can't say if I would vote yes or no though. I'm thinking the price would sky rocket once Uncle Sam got his little fingers around it.

What do you think?

Go B

Anonymous said...

Field,

Mele Kalikimaka from makaii on Maui, another land of ganga where even my state representative is a fan of this political move of "making it legal"

May you and your family enjoy every minute of your Christmas vacation and have a safe trip back to Philly when you come back.

Now, one little thing. I always like to follow your links but the last one in this blog{new green economy} is broken. When you have time could you fix it?

Also noticed that when I tried to link to BuelahMan blog by clicking on his name there is no blog listed at the blogger profile???
Did he smoke too much of the product he is extolling or is there something wrong with my computer today??? or did he forget to include a link to his blog in your comments section post I read???

Makaii

? said...

He needs to start with the green, and then legalize ALL drugs. Legalization is the only way to break the back of the drug cartels and gangs. If people want o use after that, they can get a prescription from the government. All the money from the drug war can be pumped into education and prevention. How sexy will drug use be when you have to go to a government store and fill out paper work and look like a fucking junkie?

Meanwhile, Marijuana can be packaged like cigarettes and sold (with a big tax.)

Anonymous said...

Sorry

Najmah said...

I agree - de-criminalize MJ and let's move on already - how about real war on poverty funded by the proceeds from the end of the fake war on drugs?

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you Field, and to all of the regulars here on this blog. You all are the best. I pray that regardless of your race, creed, sexual orientation, or political affiliation, YOU WILL BE BLESSED in 2009!
Peace, Naj in VA

PS - ya'll pray for me because my son is 12 going on crazy as hell in Middle School - lawd have mercy if I don't take him out of this world in the next 6 months I have truly done something!!!!

field negro said...

Adam,happy holidays to you and yours as well. The same for everyone wishing me a happy and safe holiday. Thank you from the bottom of my cold heart.

Mele, sorry about that broken link. I will try and fix it. Won't be easy, I am on the road.

A Go Bytch, it could be a state rights issue, I have no problem with individual states having the right to vote on this issue.

Jody, did you start a blog? I think I linked one that belonged to you recently.

Anonymous said...

@ gwpriester

"marijuana is a stimulant that enhances sensation."

Marijuana is not a stimulant ie: cocaine, amphetamine etc. It falls under the halluncinogenic class of drugs ie: LSD, PCP, Peyote etc.

Anonymous said...

It falls under the halluncinogenic class of drugs

Marijuana is NOT a hallucinogenic.

It is a psychoactive drug that works on the central nervous system, but it sure as heck does not need to be compared to LSD, mushrooms, etc. Nothing alike whatsoever.

Anonymous said...

BlackWomenBlowTheTrumpet,

Kind of a big leap you make there. They don't sell booze or cigarettes at McDonald's. So how do we go from legal pot to handing out drugs to the kids in their Happy Meals? You can disagree, but let's not lose complete perspective.

Point is that pot, near as I can tell, is on the same order as alcohol and tobacco. It is NOT on the same order as coke, crack, heroin or anything else like that.

? said...

BlackWomenBlowTheTrumpet,

Th drug war that has raged since Nixon was president has done nothing to halt the flow of drugs or keep them out of the hands of kids.

"Yet heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and other illicit drugs are cheaper, purer and easier to get than ever before. Nearly half a million people are behind bars on drug charges - more than all of western Europe (with a bigger population) incarcerates for all offenses. The war on drugs has become a war on families, a war on public health and a war on our constitutional rights."

Sharon from WI said...

Someone mentioned dry counties.

You may not be able to buy beer, wine or spirits,but you are not going to be arrested for purchasing it elsewhere and drinking there.

patsy said...

legalize all drugs, that will stop a lot of crime, I have agrued this point with people and they say , they will use the drugs and kill them selves. let um, if that is what they want.

patsy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I'm not holding my breath, but damn that would be cool. The So-Called War On Drugs is a cancer in the body politic.

Admiral Komack said...

Merry Christmas, Field.

Bob said...

A guy in Jersey with multiple sclerosis was recently charged with growing 17 plants. It's generally agreed that he was growing them for personal medical use. His mistake was that he didn't limit the number to under 10, because more than that is "maintaining or operating a drug production facility," 20 years in prison & the same penalties as operating a meth lab.

Anonymous said...

The so called war on drugs is good for the machinery same as the so called war on terrah as W. likes to call it. It's totally unwinnable and can't really be defined in any clear sense but it's a great place to throw money instead of putting it into social programs. Also if the right and the machinery are patting themselves on the back for their efforts they never have to deal with the underlying despair, hopelessness, mental illness and joblessness that make drugs so appealing. And when some poor slob gets pinched with a brick of weed they can all pose for the pictures like W. did with Mission Accomplished and present some small trophy in the war for the 23% of American morons who support this kind of shit and W. meanwhile AIG is scheduling another cocktail, cucumber massage at a spa somewhere under another assumed name yet nobody has a problem with it.

Anonymous said...

I smoke - daily - and I think Merry Jane should be legal.

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