The topic of this thirteenth piece is marijuana or weed. Its use, sale and possession in the United States is illegal under federal law. However there are 38 states and the District of Columbia, which makes 75% of the U.S. states, which have legalized some form of use, including medical or recreational.
But, prior to this legalisation, marijuana was propagandised as being the most dangerous drug known to mankind. But then it is funny to think that cigarettes, alcohol and pharmaceutical drugs which are known cause of deaths to thousands of people, are still permitted and legalised.
There were various agencies in the U.S. which have plagued war against marijuana for decades with thousands being arrested for marijuana law violation. Can we ask questions like if the war on marijuana is truly a war on the people? Is it a war against the people so to keep on favouring the pharmaceutical industries so they can sell you their psychotropic drugs? Is it fine to prescribe painkillers, drugs which dull pain, but which in large doses can also cause the user a euphoric high, but don’t you dare get high on marijuana because it is going to kill you?
Reefer Madness was a celebrated PSA (public service announcement) produced for the American government known for its even-handed and unbiased reports on marijuana which it claimed was worse than heroine. Even a single puff of Mary Jane could make you dance like a fool, laugh uncontrollably or violently murder your friends.
NORML is a non-profit organisation whose aim has always been to legalise cannabis throughout America. During the 1970s, NORML led the successful efforts to decriminalize minor marijuana offenses in 11 states and significantly lower marijuana penalties in all others. Today NORML continues to lead the fight to reform state and federal marijuana laws, whether by voter initiative or through the elected legislatures. Over 800,000 people were arrested in the US in just one year on marijuana charges, and 90% of these were for possession only. Over a four-year-period this would make it about twenty-seven million people who have been screwed by the government. In the famous case NORML vs DDA, Francis L. Young, the Administrative Law Judge had acknowledged and ruled in 1988 that marijuana in its natural form is the most therapeutic substance known to man and that by any measure of rational analysis it can be safely used within a supervised routine of medical care. This was a very strong indictment against the rest of the drugs.
From the 1930s onwards, however, marijuana was the target of copious amounts of heavy-handed propaganda that claimed things like, “you’ll soon be getting all sorts of measures to get your fix,” “long-term use of marijuana can lead to psychological dependency,” “people will start calling you names like pothead,” and “losing all motivation, it’s likely that you will drop out of school and maybe even get felled by a cop or two.”
For at least 75 years, state-level marijuana campaigns were spearheaded by the federal government of the United States and its proxies. Out of the 12,000 partnership for Drug-Free America advertisements, 85 to 95% were against marijuana. ‘Drug-Free America’ is a name that elicits nothing but laughs. America Free of Drugs? The druggest adult society in human history is this one! Furthermore, companies involved in the distribution of drugs—namely, the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Pharmaceutical industries—were the ones who initially created the Drug-Free America Association.
Regardless of one’s personal views on marijuana, it is indisputable that criminalizing cannabis is not commensurate with the criminalization of other substances in the same space, such as alcohol or nicotine. But who stands to benefit from all the millions that were spent trying to stop its usage and prosecuting those who do?
Law enforcement, the very government organizations that created prohibition, such as the Drug-Deterrent Association (DDA), and the Partnership for Drug-Free America, which opposed legislation, are among the groups who actively advocate for the status quo to continue. The third group comprises the alcohol, tobacco, and pharmaceutical businesses, who have a moderate role and have attempted to initiate initiatives such as the Partnership for Drug-Free America, despite their evident opposition to the idea of a drug-free America.
The fourth group consists of businesses that profit from the prohibition: drug testing companies and private prisons. These businesses face the greatest resistance because, if you are caught using marijuana, your options are limited to going to “rehab” or facing prosecution and possibly even a jail sentence. Thus, if you were arrested by the police for possessing marijuana and offered the option of going to jail or “rehab,” you would undoubtedly pick the latter. Therefore, the government itself effectively pushes in 80% of their clients and brings them to their door. Do you understand how it works? Thus, an intimate link has been established between the government and those who profit from drug rehabilitation, bringing their customers directly to them while the rehabilitation is funded by tax payers.
Similar to consuming raw milk, there are clear health concerns associated with smoking a Mary Jane. However, strong lobbying groups have teamed up with regulatory bodies to restrict your freedom of choice, regardless of your preferences—whether you want to buy an outdoor slaughtered chicken from your farmer or blast a joint.
Social injustice occurs when the government meddles in your life because you are acting in a way that is not hurting anyone. Can marijuana be interpreted as a symbol of liberation?
Do you regard the legalisation of cannabis, even in Malta, as a metaphor for freedom or do you smell something else behind its legalisation? Is it the government which is being made to look as intervening less in your life because we are moving towards a totalitarian regime under a one world government? Was the legalisation of marijuana granted by those at the top as a ‘gift’ while the rest of your freedom and rights are being taken away?
How do governments collude with corporations, lobbyists, NGOs and academia to suppress your freedom? (13)
The topic of this thirteenth piece is marijuana or weed. Its use, sale and possession in the United States is illegal under federal law. However there are 38 states and the District of Columbia, which makes 75% of the U.S. states, which have legalized some form of use, including medical or recreational.
But, prior to this legalisation, marijuana was propagandised as being the most dangerous drug known to mankind. But then it is funny to think that cigarettes, alcohol and pharmaceutical drugs which are known cause of deaths to thousands of people, are still permitted and legalised.
There were various agencies in the U.S. which have plagued war against marijuana for decades with thousands being arrested for marijuana law violation. Can we ask questions like if the war on marijuana is truly a war on the people? Is it a war against the people so to keep on favouring the pharmaceutical industries so they can sell you their psychotropic drugs? Is it fine to prescribe painkillers, drugs which dull pain, but which in large doses can also cause the user a euphoric high, but don’t you dare get high on marijuana because it is going to kill you?
Reefer Madness was a celebrated PSA (public service announcement) produced for the American government known for its even-handed and unbiased reports on marijuana which it claimed was worse than heroine. Even a single puff of Mary Jane could make you dance like a fool, laugh uncontrollably or violently murder your friends.
NORML is a non-profit organisation whose aim has always been to legalise cannabis throughout America. During the 1970s, NORML led the successful efforts to decriminalize minor marijuana offenses in 11 states and significantly lower marijuana penalties in all others. Today NORML continues to lead the fight to reform state and federal marijuana laws, whether by voter initiative or through the elected legislatures. Over 800,000 people were arrested in the US in just one year on marijuana charges, and 90% of these were for possession only. Over a four-year-period this would make it about twenty-seven million people who have been screwed by the government. In the famous case NORML vs DDA, Francis L. Young, the Administrative Law Judge had acknowledged and ruled in 1988 that marijuana in its natural form is the most therapeutic substance known to man and that by any measure of rational analysis it can be safely used within a supervised routine of medical care. This was a very strong indictment against the rest of the drugs.
From the 1930s onwards, however, marijuana was the target of copious amounts of heavy-handed propaganda that claimed things like, “you’ll soon be getting all sorts of measures to get your fix,” “long-term use of marijuana can lead to psychological dependency,” “people will start calling you names like pothead,” and “losing all motivation, it’s likely that you will drop out of school and maybe even get felled by a cop or two.”
For at least 75 years, state-level marijuana campaigns were spearheaded by the federal government of the United States and its proxies. Out of the 12,000 partnership for Drug-Free America advertisements, 85 to 95% were against marijuana. ‘Drug-Free America’ is a name that elicits nothing but laughs. America Free of Drugs? The druggest adult society in human history is this one! Furthermore, companies involved in the distribution of drugs—namely, the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Pharmaceutical industries—were the ones who initially created the Drug-Free America Association.
Regardless of one’s personal views on marijuana, it is indisputable that criminalizing cannabis is not commensurate with the criminalization of other substances in the same space, such as alcohol or nicotine. But who stands to benefit from all the millions that were spent trying to stop its usage and prosecuting those who do?
Law enforcement, the very government organizations that created prohibition, such as the Drug-Deterrent Association (DDA), and the Partnership for Drug-Free America, which opposed legislation, are among the groups who actively advocate for the status quo to continue. The third group comprises the alcohol, tobacco, and pharmaceutical businesses, who have a moderate role and have attempted to initiate initiatives such as the Partnership for Drug-Free America, despite their evident opposition to the idea of a drug-free America.
The fourth group consists of businesses that profit from the prohibition: drug testing companies and private prisons. These businesses face the greatest resistance because, if you are caught using marijuana, your options are limited to going to “rehab” or facing prosecution and possibly even a jail sentence. Thus, if you were arrested by the police for possessing marijuana and offered the option of going to jail or “rehab,” you would undoubtedly pick the latter. Therefore, the government itself effectively pushes in 80% of their clients and brings them to their door. Do you understand how it works? Thus, an intimate link has been established between the government and those who profit from drug rehabilitation, bringing their customers directly to them while the rehabilitation is funded by tax payers.
Similar to consuming raw milk, there are clear health concerns associated with smoking a Mary Jane. However, strong lobbying groups have teamed up with regulatory bodies to restrict your freedom of choice, regardless of your preferences—whether you want to buy an outdoor slaughtered chicken from your farmer or blast a joint.
Social injustice occurs when the government meddles in your life because you are acting in a way that is not hurting anyone. Can marijuana be interpreted as a symbol of liberation?
Do you regard the legalisation of cannabis, even in Malta, as a metaphor for freedom or do you smell something else behind its legalisation? Is it the government which is being made to look as intervening less in your life because we are moving towards a totalitarian regime under a one world government? Was the legalisation of marijuana granted by those at the top as a ‘gift’ while the rest of your freedom and rights are being taken away?