THE MARIJUANA SOLUTION
Posted in Uncategorized on November 30th, 2005
Hello, and welcome to my second column. It’s also the last one I’ll give a number to. At some point it’s going to get redundant. I most say, with the introductions out of the way, my mind has been racing on where to begin. Since the first response I’ve gotten had to do with marijuana, let’s start there.
First off, the legalization movement in this country (U.S.) is laughable at best. I’ve gone to a few of the local rallies and left wondering if it’s a good idea myself. Please people, do yourself a favor and clean up your act a little. Do you really think anyone on the fence is going to be persuaded to vote for legalization after witnessing a crowd of people with bad hygiene, many who have never held a job, selling hemp jewelry and homemade pipes while carrying small children? Your clutch of friends may think your cool but the rest of us think you’re a burden we’ll have to carry. I know a lot of pot smokers who work hard, take good and proper care of their children, bathe regularly and are all round good citizens. The problem is, most of them are too busy taking care of things to go to your rallies. Step one is for the good people to step forward and the rest of you to hide yourselves and stop scaring the public. By the way, get a job and give your poor parents a chance to get on with their lives without you living in their basement.
Now, let study the problem. Politics is a game run by the number 51, as in 51 percent. Since you have no chance of legislation being introduced by Congress, your best bet is a referendum-put it to the vote. This is where the number 51 comes in. You have to find a way to legalize marijuana that 51 percent of the people will accept. This requires you to understand their concerns. Once their concerns are laid to rest, they can be persuaded to your side.
Let’s look at what these concerns are. Number 1 first and foremost is children. They don’t want them to have access to it. A reasonable request. Young people on marijuana make bad choices. They get pregnant, they drop out of school, they try other, far worse drugs. These are facts in their minds. It’s not open to debate. Debate them on this issue and you lose them as voters. Do not do it. Number 2. They don’t like seeing it in public. Most people by now have associated smoking pot with anti-social behavior. In their eyes your a bad influence on their children and a affront to respect for law and order. You must convince them It’s a harmless pastime (like beer) and not part of an anti -social movement. Number 3. With increased awareness of impaired driving, they will never accept you driving stoned. This most remain illegal. This also extends to working stoned. Number 4. Selling and trafficking of marijuana, even by big business (think of the tobacco industry) will not be accepted. Most people figure we have enough vices being peddled with alcohol and tobacco, we certainly don’t need a third. selling of marijuana must remain illegal.
Now for the solution. Marijuana can, in my opinion, be legalized for private consumption in your home. Even my most conservative friends really don’t see it as a big problem. I propose home cultivation, similar to micro brewery of beer. You would be allowed to grow your own marijuana, in a limited space, under lock and key. You would not, however, be allowed to transport it, sell it, give it away, or step outside with it. All current laws regarding driving, selling, or public consumption would stay in place. You would be limited in what you could grow by a space no bigger than 8 feet long by 8 feet tall by 4 feet deep powered by no more light than generated by 8-8 foot fluorescent bulbs or 640 watts total. This would be enough for a small reasonable farm. You would get your Federal or State permit from your local building inspector who would inspect your site, making sure it is safe and secure and not accessible to children. You would have to own you own home or have the permission of your landlord. Permits would be bought, with percentages divided between Federal, State and Local. Example: $300 permit = $100 Fed. , $100 State, $100 Local. Portions of each could be earmarked for drug prevention programs or school funding. Permits would be bought yearly with a review of your behavior. The permit performs a very important function. It puts money in their hands and alleviates funding problems without raising taxes. That gives them less incentive to fight you tooth and nail. Law enforcement would spend less time on law abiders and focus more directly on troublemakers.
I’m still refining my proposal. Together we can do this. Too many good people are having their lives ruined over marijuana. I welcome your questions or comments but mostly I need your help getting this idea out. H.C.
Posted in Uncategorized on November 30th, 2005
Hello, and welcome to my second column. It’s also the last one I’ll give a number to. At some point it’s going to get redundant. I most say, with the introductions out of the way, my mind has been racing on where to begin. Since the first response I’ve gotten had to do with marijuana, let’s start there.
First off, the legalization movement in this country (U.S.) is laughable at best. I’ve gone to a few of the local rallies and left wondering if it’s a good idea myself. Please people, do yourself a favor and clean up your act a little. Do you really think anyone on the fence is going to be persuaded to vote for legalization after witnessing a crowd of people with bad hygiene, many who have never held a job, selling hemp jewelry and homemade pipes while carrying small children? Your clutch of friends may think your cool but the rest of us think you’re a burden we’ll have to carry. I know a lot of pot smokers who work hard, take good and proper care of their children, bathe regularly and are all round good citizens. The problem is, most of them are too busy taking care of things to go to your rallies. Step one is for the good people to step forward and the rest of you to hide yourselves and stop scaring the public. By the way, get a job and give your poor parents a chance to get on with their lives without you living in their basement.
Now, let study the problem. Politics is a game run by the number 51, as in 51 percent. Since you have no chance of legislation being introduced by Congress, your best bet is a referendum-put it to the vote. This is where the number 51 comes in. You have to find a way to legalize marijuana that 51 percent of the people will accept. This requires you to understand their concerns. Once their concerns are laid to rest, they can be persuaded to your side.
Let’s look at what these concerns are. Number 1 first and foremost is children. They don’t want them to have access to it. A reasonable request. Young people on marijuana make bad choices. They get pregnant, they drop out of school, they try other, far worse drugs. These are facts in their minds. It’s not open to debate. Debate them on this issue and you lose them as voters. Do not do it. Number 2. They don’t like seeing it in public. Most people by now have associated smoking pot with anti-social behavior. In their eyes your a bad influence on their children and a affront to respect for law and order. You must convince them It’s a harmless pastime (like beer) and not part of an anti -social movement. Number 3. With increased awareness of impaired driving, they will never accept you driving stoned. This most remain illegal. This also extends to working stoned. Number 4. Selling and trafficking of marijuana, even by big business (think of the tobacco industry) will not be accepted. Most people figure we have enough vices being peddled with alcohol and tobacco, we certainly don’t need a third. selling of marijuana must remain illegal.
Now for the solution. Marijuana can, in my opinion, be legalized for private consumption in your home. Even my most conservative friends really don’t see it as a big problem. I propose home cultivation, similar to micro brewery of beer. You would be allowed to grow your own marijuana, in a limited space, under lock and key. You would not, however, be allowed to transport it, sell it, give it away, or step outside with it. All current laws regarding driving, selling, or public consumption would stay in place. You would be limited in what you could grow by a space no bigger than 8 feet long by 8 feet tall by 4 feet deep powered by no more light than generated by 8-8 foot fluorescent bulbs or 640 watts total. This would be enough for a small reasonable farm. You would get your Federal or State permit from your local building inspector who would inspect your site, making sure it is safe and secure and not accessible to children. You would have to own you own home or have the permission of your landlord. Permits would be bought, with percentages divided between Federal, State and Local. Example: $300 permit = $100 Fed. , $100 State, $100 Local. Portions of each could be earmarked for drug prevention programs or school funding. Permits would be bought yearly with a review of your behavior. The permit performs a very important function. It puts money in their hands and alleviates funding problems without raising taxes. That gives them less incentive to fight you tooth and nail. Law enforcement would spend less time on law abiders and focus more directly on troublemakers.
I’m still refining my proposal. Together we can do this. Too many good people are having their lives ruined over marijuana. I welcome your questions or comments but mostly I need your help getting this idea out. H.C.
1 comment:
It amazes me that tobacco companies can continue to push a product that is SO LETHAL that they forcibly create ANTI ads to avoid civil liability. Meanwhile marijuana (which to my knowledge is not dangerous; unless you consider euphoria a threat to the system) is outlawed.
I suppose you have to ask yourself which group(s) stands to benefit if weed is legalized. Its certainly not the government.
I heard that some parts of Canada have actually legalized weed as long as its grown and used at home and not distributed out in the streets. Is that true?
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