Mexico Leaders Call out For Legalization of MJ aka the POT

[Vic]

Originally posted by: palehorse

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: palehorse

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
The reason it was made illegal in the first place was to discriminate against Mexicans in America as there are no serious consequences to having it legal.

What's to be confused about that?

I agree with the second part -- the lack of serious consequences if it were legal -- but, it was NOT originally criminalized in an effort to discriminate against Mexicans in America.

That's f'n ridiculous, regardless of how many NORML pamphlets you may have rolled up and smoked with those words in them...

First, nice straw man. If you had lived in the 1920's, would you have accused everyone opposed to alcohol prohibition of being an alcoholic? In the 1990's, did you accuse everyone who wanted to repeal the 55 mph national speed limit of being a reckless driver? Do you accuse everyone who wants lower taxes of being a tax cheat? Because that's your logic here.

Second, that is in fact why marijuana was originally criminalized in America. Not the only reason, and not the reason why it was criminalized on the national level, but it is why it was originally criminalized in the individual states. Why do you think its name was changed from hemp to marijuana?

 

[TechBoyJK]

Originally posted by: Modelworks

Originally posted by: ebaycj

Originally posted by: Modelworks
We can't even grow the low THC content hemp for industrial use, and that would provide jobs and help the economy as well as the environment. They are never going to pass the kind preferred for smoking just because people want to get high. If money will not do it, then nothing can.

Why not? In a Democracy (or Democratic Republic, in our case), is it not the fundamental role of government to serve the will of it's citizens (as a whole)?

When was the last time this government did something to serve its citizens and not its own agenda ?

government paid for highways and roads?

w/e dude there are many social services that help people.

 

[InflatableBuddha]

Originally posted by: Blackjack200

Originally posted by: palehorse

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: palehorse

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
The reason it was made illegal in the first place was to discriminate against Mexicans in America as there are no serious consequences to having it legal.

What's to be confused about that?

I agree with the second part -- the lack of serious consequences if it were legal -- but, it was NOT originally criminalized in an effort to discriminate against Mexicans in America.

That's f'n ridiculous, regardless of how many NORML pamphlets you may have rolled up and smoked with those words in them...

It's not the only reason, but it is where the initial push came from. Pretty much everything I've read on the matter is in agreement on that point, and I've yet to find any account that takes a different view.

However, while this is an intriguing tidbit, it's ultimately irrelevant. Marijuana was effectively banned about 70 years ago. Whatever the reason was, we should base our decisions going forward on what we know now. Based on everything that I've read about MJ's toxicity, addictiveness, medical potential (which is poorly understood because of its status as a Schedule 1 substance), and neuro-effects, it doesn't seem to make much sense to continue such heavy restrictions. I don't think anyone is suggesting that kids should be able to walk into a convenience store and buy MJ.

Hemp also has tremendous potential as an ecologically friendly renewable resource. It can be used to produce paper, reducing the number of trees which need to be cut down. It can also be processed into clothing and bags, reducing demand for plastic and petroleum-based fibres. (This ties in with my other post about why DuPont pushed to further criminalize hemp.)

 

[InflatableBuddha]

Originally posted by: Blackjack200

Originally posted by: frostedflakes

Originally posted by: palehorse

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
The reason it was made illegal in the first place was to discriminate against Mexicans in America as there are no serious consequences to having it legal.

It's actually not that far off. Many drugs in the US were banned for similar reasons. Look up the reasons behind the US ban of opium, it was largely due to anti-Chinese sentiment.

And cocaine was banned out of fear that southern black users would become violent and unruly. It's absolutely fascinating stuff when you look into it. Heroin was thought to be a wonder drug when it was first synthesized. Bayer sold it as cough suppressant. And we think that pseudoephedrine is bad!

To build on this, there is a chapter in the Culture of Fear about the so-called crack "epidemic" in the 80s. The problem was overblown, but the crux of the issue is that penalties for crack use/possession were far more stringent than for cocaine. Higher percentages of ethnic minorities, especially Blacks, lived in poverty. Crack use was more widespread among Blacks because it was much cheaper than cocaine.

Combined with racist policies designed to enforce drug prohibition more among Blacks than Whites, Black people were disproportionately arrested and convicted (and because of the more stringent penalties, they spent longer periods in jail).

While everyone rails against meth nowadays, the US supplied amphetamine to WWII pilots to improve their reactions and alertness. (It was still used by the US Air Force as recently as 6 years ago.) Ritalin, very common nowadays, is chemically very similar to cocaine and amphetamines.

I realize I'm addressing two distinct points here, but both are fascinating: the institutionalized racism in drug prohibition, and the fallacy of widespread illegal drug abuse (prescription drugs are abused far more commonly).