cannabisnews.com: Legalize Hemp, End The Hypocrisy Legalize Hemp, End The Hypocrisy Posted by FoM on November 06, 2001 at 11:28:09 PT Opinion: Our View Source: Daily Forty-Niner More than any other time in our nation's history, now is the time to make changes, -- to burn bridges, make new starts and, above all, put an end to some of our governments more closed-minded and hypocritical laws. A good place to start perhaps would be the legalization of drugs. In the Midwest, farmers grow marijuana (illegally mind you) to keep themselves afloat and have been doing so for many years already. Farmers must grow marijuana to make up the money they lose due to various natural disasters over the years and the lack of federal help in recouping their losses. Farmers turn to marijuana because it is easy to grow and is obviously very profitable. As for the government's involvement, they can allow the growing of marijuana and use the hemp for various things such fuel, rope and natural gas. These things would not only be more economically viable than what we are currently using, but are also more environmentally safe. The government could tax the sale of marijuana much the way they tax cigarettes already, and use that money to possibly help decrease our countrys deficit. Plus, let's face it, cigarettes are just plain more addictive than marijuana and that's a proven fact. While all this is going on, we then should start a clean needles program, which would allow drug addicts to exchange their dirty needles for clean ones, therefore alleviating their chances of contracting AIDS, hepatitis or any other dangerous disease that racks the addict community. Contrary to popular belief, the clean needles program is not about condoning or supporting drug abuse. What the program really does is condone cleanliness for those who have made the decision or are in the situation of being junkies. You could almost liken it to sex education or the handing out of condoms in schools, -- nobody is condoning it, but if you're going to do it, then at least be safe about it. By taking these beginning steps, the government could alleviate the hypocritical stance it has taken to this point and become, for a change, a progressive thinking country. This progressive thought would put us on the level of countries like Holland where drugs are legal and England, where it was recently announced they would no longer make the possession of marijuana an arrestable offense. The war on drugs is simply a political stance, for politicians who have an agenda they are not willing to be completely honest about. It's easy to say we're fighting drugs, but it's been documented that we are losing this fight, -- or are we even really fighting? Let's not forget that California voters passed the use of medical marijuana, so it is obvious that the uses are not all that bad. Cigarettes are just as bad if not worse for you and yet they are still completely legal in the United States. We are not saying legalize marijuana so we can smoke it in peace, what we are saying is legalize marijuana to end the hypocrisy and fight the real problems that exist in this country. Source: Daily Forty-Niner (CA Edu)Published: November 5, 2001Copyright: 2001 Daily Forty-NinerContact: d49er csulb.eduWebsite: http://www.csulb.edu/~d49er/Related Articles:America Has Much To Learn from Britain's Law http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11187.shtmlPot - A Special Series - Seattle Weekly http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10673.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #1 posted by mayan on November 06, 2001 at 16:53:01 PT Hemp Action Alert!!! Send a letter straight to the DEA! The comment period ends Dec. 10th. http://www.votehemp.com/action.html [ Post Comment ] Post Comment