OK, as The Snowman (Smokey and The Bandit) would say, “Hold onto your ***, Fred!”
In general, when it comes to Cannabis, the general public is sorely, SORELY misinformed. This is, in part, is due to the campaign of mis-information and propaganda that the government (big and small) has waged since the days of Harry J. Anslinger (1930's). To be truly educated enough to speak on the subject of Cannabis Prohibition, other than simply spewing the standard DARE and "Officer Friendly" rhetoric, I would recommend reading one book, and watching at least one documentary, if not two.
The book is
The Emporer Wears No Clothes by Jack Herrer. The documentary is
HIGH: A True Tale of American Marijuana. Both are available to read or view online. If you bit-torrent at all, they are readily available there. If so inclined, another documentary (based on Herrer's book) worth viewing is
The Union: The Business of Getting High. It is on YouTube (and other sites) in it's entirety.
Personally, I am rather well-read on the matter, and can say without hesitation that, as a people, we've been downright hoodwinked into the belief that Cannabis is even remotely the same as black tar heroin, cocaine, or LSD.
Harry J. Ansliger was a bureaucrat, and prohibitionist. When Prohibition ended, he and his staff needed jobs. Anslinger talked The President into establishing The Bureau of Narcotics, what is now the DEA. So, one may ask, "why did he do that"? Well, Anslinger was engaged to be married to a young lady by the last name of Mellon... as in financier Andrew Mellon of Mellon Bank. Who was Mellon's biggest client at the time? DuPont Chemical. And who, after World War II received a hefty share of the petrol-chemical patents that the Germans were forced to surrender? If you guessed DuPont... DING! Give that person a Kewpie Doll!
So, DuPont has all of these chemical compounds that they could make, things like nylon and plastics of all types; but, they had one problem. An article written for Popular Mechanics was expounding the value of a new "super crop"... Hemp (IE Marijuana). Seems this plant was capable of making everything from medicines, to cellulose, to textiles. You see, the ONLY difference between Hemp, and Marijuana, is how the seeds are planted. If you plant one seed per-foot.. you get plants with many, many flowers, also known as “buds”. This is where the THC that gives a person the “high” comes from, not the seeds, stems, or leaves. If, however, you cover that same square-foot with seeds, the only “bud that grows is the top kola, and this gives you a hemp plant.
Well, DuPont didn't care for that at all; so, he rang up his banker, and TOLD him to talk to his soonn to be son-in-law... Anslinger. Toss in some static from residents in the Southwest US over immigrants from Mexico, and WHAMO! Public outcry.
Honestly, if Cannabis was SO evil, why would former President Carter have come out (while in office) that he was in favor of legalization of possession of up to an ounce of Cannabis for personal consumption. This was tabled ONLY after his Drug Policy Advisor was busted for Cocaine. Leaving him no choice but to ramp up enforcement efforts. I won't even speak on the Nixon-era report that was ignored after they came back saying that Cannabis was NOT dangerous, addictive, or any of the other fodder that Nixon was trying to dump on the public.
There is more to it than this Reader's Digest posting; but, trust me, if more people knew "The rest of the story"... they'd be MIGHTY pissed off.
Like I said, I'm rather well-read on this; but, please, DO NOT trust me and MY ramblings. Educate yourselves outside of what Big Brother has told you about Cannabis... and see if it doesn't put a burr under your saddle blanket... and end up giving you ramblings of your own.
Respectfully Submitted,
