I give to you my open letter to our politicians requesting a real discussion.

If you aren’t living in Florida you’re lucky enough to be in a state that isn’t so far behind the times that you often wonder if the rest of the country even takes you seriously (”CHADS” anyone?).

We have some of the harshest laws in regard to marijuana use and possession and it’s mostly thanks too the politicians in our state.

The Laws

In Florida, possessing anything over 20 grams is a felony. Admittedly, I am not too sure how much that is in regard to amount of smokeable substance, but I did okay in Math and Science, and the hair on my head weighs more than 20 grams (I’m bald).

House Bill 173

During the 2008 Legislative Session, a law sponsored by Senator Steve Oelrich from Gainseville and Representative Nick Thompson from Ft. Myers was passed as House Bill 173. It was officially signed into law by Governor Charlie Crist soon after.

Now, to be fair the law targets the cultivation of 25 or more plants with the intention of distribution. 25 plants is a lot (at least to me) if you’re talking personal use. That being said, it does carry a felony charge and jail time.

I don’t have as much of a problem with the law itself because I know we will eventually fight through it (you can indeed cure stupid, it just takes time). The problem I have is a lot of the reasoning behind the law provided by Rep. Thompson and Senator Oelrich. The usual mis-information and poor logic.

So, though I think 25 plants is a lot for personal use, it does show that these are the guys that make decisions. And from them, I want real answers. More specifically, because Charlie Crist signed it into law, I really want answers from him.So I sent the questions to him via email.

Give Them To Me

What I want are real answers. No double talk, no political speak, no dodging/deflecting, etc. Just real answers as to why such a law was created which pulls us further from the future. I want real answers to the followup points. I direct my letter to Governor Crist specifically, but if anyone would like to take part in the discussion, I would be more than happy to open it to them as well.

I wouldn’t mind doing so via email, which would allow for time to think about answers and questions as the conversation grows.

My Expectations

Admittedly, I am not well educated in the realm of politics. I’m not sure if I’m even barking up the appropriate tree. I can’t actually tell you the difference between a governor and a senator. But, I am a resident of Florida and more importantly America. I have opinions on a matter that I feel is important enough to warrant attention. I have kids that I would like to raise in an America not governed by fear or ignorance. I’m just a regular guy who wants answers.

So, I would be amazed if I get a response. I would be blown away if he actually agrees to answer questions. I am 100% sure that I won’t actually get any real answers. I would really love to hear them, but I’ve been lucky (unfortunate) enough to deal with this state before, and the odds of something coming from this are very low.

However, I hope that this will at least get others to think about these things when voting time comes. I hope that perhaps somewhere there is a politician that can help lead Florida to a better position.

No offense to Governor Crist, but maybe we can get someone into office who thinks for the future with an educated stance as opposed to the perpetuation of mis-information.

If anyon in the anti-legalization crowd is interested in taking part in this discussion, please feel free to do so.

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And I really don’t understand that.

I see all these debates on Youtube, and read the many ‘back-and-forths’ in the tons of articles I get throughout the week, but they all contain the same information, and end in the same manner. Nobody has an answer to my question; is there a good reason to keep marijuana illegal?

Every time we see an article on this topic, we see the same questions. We then usually see the same responses. Then we see an answer to that response, but that’s it. It never seems to go any further. Why not?

Following are a few examples of common arguments, the responses and the lack of answers.

Marijuana Is Dangerous

You often hear how dangerous marijuana is from the government. They usually have “studies” to prove this as well. The problem is, the pro-legalization crowd answers with a dissection of those studies and where they fault. Then, we share our own studies that show the exact opposite of their claim.

Sometimes we even see the conversation move towards the governments own FDA-approved drug; Marinol. Marinol is basically Marijuana, but you don’t smoke it. Seriously, that’s the difference. Same amounts of THC and all.

Then there is silence. I never see the government respond to this fact. I never hear them try to explain themselves.

Buying Marijuana Contributes To National Crime

Another argument the government seems to get all hushy about is the fact that buying/selling marijuana contributes to crime. The picture they like to paint is that if you buy marijuana, you are providing money to people that fight for their black market share. These people kill others over money, etc.

The problem we have with this is the fact that the prohibition of marijuana is what causes the crime, not the use. We usually respond that “if marijuana were legal and regulated in much the same way alcohol is, then there wouldn’t be such a black market.” And this is true. There were a ton of violent crimes commited in conjunction to alcohol distribution during its prohibition. But you don’t hear many stories like that anymore. Why? Because the government stepped in and regulated it, and there was no need for a black market.

Again, silence. I want to hear someone talk on that point, without any double talking or attempts at word-play. Just answer that. If prohibition has created crime in the past, and was alleviated by the legalization of alcohol; and prohibition is causing the crime now, then what say you?

Marijuana Is A Gateway Drug

We hear this one time and time again. Marijuana is a gateway drug, and if you smoke weed for a while, you will want to try other drugs.

The thing about this claim is that I haven’t seen a study, even of the fake sort that would back this claim up. It reaks of Anslinger’s fear tactics.

However, we have a different view. In 1995 marijuana use took up around 77% of all illicit drug users in America. 77%. That’s the number of people that use marijuana, but not other drugs (not including alcohol or tobacco). So, out of all the drug users in America, 23% of them are using drugs other than marijuana. Hmmm….doesn’t quite sound like a gateway drug to me.

Also keep in mind that the number of marijuana users has, and will continue to climb among adults. The use among kids and teens has been on the decline. So, it would seem that marijuana is indeed NOT a gateway drug.

I never hear them respond to that. Even in the video I mentioned in another post, that same fact was posed to FBI Director Robert Mueller, with no response (other than the goofy “dammit I’m stuck” look on his face).

Marijuana Users Entering Into Treatment Are On The Rise

This one is true, but with a twist. The government likes to tell you that around 62% of the teens in drug treatment centers are there because of marijuana.

What we like to say is “well, yeah. That’s the choice I would make too.” You see, when you get busted for minor possession, sometimes you get “lucky” and the judge will tell you that you can serve time, or you can go to a treatment center for your “problem.” What would you pick? This is becoming more common with the amount of officials that have a vested interest in filling such facilities (commissions for doing so).

It appears that prohibition again is the culprit. But again, we don’t hear what the government has to say about that.

This Isn’t Just The Government

The real problem is that this isn’t just the government spitting propoganda, it’s the whole country. Every time you get into a discussion with someone about this, they too are left with little to no answers. This is because they are only repeating what they heard in school. Unfortunately, the government has a monopoly on that front as well.

So, I ask you. Do you believe everything you hear? If you use some of these reasons as to why marijuana should be illegal, can you answer my rebuttals? If so, please do so. These questions are burning inside, and I think they are what fuels the pro-legalization crowd.

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It may not make you a bad person, but the law is the law.

And that’s a problem for more than just our selfish reasons. Sure, the desire to smoke legally, without fear of having your kids and possessions taken away would be really nice (and much deserved). But there’s a bigger issue here.

And that’s the state of our country in regard to the perception of our law enforcement.

They Aren’t Bad Guys

If you think about it, cops aren’t bad guys. They are just guys doing a job. I don’t mean this in a negative way, but they are little more than pawns in the legal system. So yeah, it sucks that they pull you over and give you a ticket, but they are just following orders.

That’s closer to the truth of the situation than it is the reality. In reality, we collectively hate cops for knocking down our doors, hauling friends and family members to jail and breaking up families. We hate that they take us down for responsibly taking part in an action that doesn’t hurt anyone around us, but helps to relive the stress of our daily lives.

We Abide By The Law (Well, Except That One)

Right or wrong, marijuana use is illegal. But it’s a law that is broken by millions of Americans every day, and substantially more at least once in their lifetime. But other than that, most marijuana smokers are rather law-abiding. They pay taxes, they take care of their families and they help their neighbor with their lawn (even though we work all week and really don’t want to deal with it on a nice Saturday morning).

Sure, we speed sometimes, or throw a piece of garbage out the window, but generally we don’t kill, rape or beat people up all the time.

It isn’t difficult to find a resident of your local county jail who has no priors, no history of violence or criminality, but has found himself sleeping in a small bunk for up to a year for possession. Now he’s a “criminal.”

Bad Timing

Do you know why airplane crashes are such a big deal on T.V.? Because they are so rare relative to successful flights. When an accident finally occurs, it’s a big deal. But, it looks bad when you see a few of them in a few month’s time. In reality, flying is still pretty safe, but too many pictures of burning debris strewn about the ground and you start to consider walking as a means of transportation.

This is the same thing with cops, and the timing is pretty bad. With the advent of camera phones, we are seeing more and more instances of “cops gone wrong.” From harassing EMTs to beating the hell out of 15 year old girls, cases of police brutality are all over the Internet.

However, though I have no numbers to back this up, I feel like this is a case of perception rather than reality. I feel like there are way more “good” cops than bad. Just as there are way more “good” marijuana smokers than bad.

A Dis-Respect For The Law

Tie these 3 thoughts together, and you have a large group of people that begin to dis-respect the law on a larger level, thus promoting further illegal activity, however minor.

We are constantly playing in an underground industry, forcing us to deal with people to whom we wouldn’t otherwise even converse. We have to hide our stash when driving, and are constantly looking in the mirror to see if the “fuzz” is onto us for that joint in the ash tray (Hint: don’t keep your joint in the ash tray, or any other location in plain view).

We start to regard cops as “them” instead of “us.” I don’t like murderers. I would like to think of cops as on the same side as I. But I can’t help to think of the harassment cases when I see a cop on the side of the road. I can’t help think “that dick is just waiting to bust some guy with a joint.” And that’s a real problem.

It’s Time To Come Together

I know this sounds cliche, but for as long as we divide this country into opposing sides on so many issues we only hurt ourselves. When we finally get marijuana legalized, millions of people will have few excuses to look at cops as enemies. The underground trade of marijuana distribution will diminish, lowering crime rate all around (I do have numbers for this statement, but I want to keep this post as a “thought provoker” than another war of statistics).

We will be able to free the time our cops usually spend taking some guy into jail, filling out paperwork and stressing tax dollars just to hold him. That time could be used to find the guy that took my buddy’s license plate. Or perhaps spend a few extra man hours on the thousands of kids that go missing every year. Or maybe solve that rape or murder case.

In the end, our cops are just doing their jobs. But right now, a large chunk of that job is hurting everyone involved whether you use marijuana or not. And in the end, by keeping marijuana illegal we aren’t getting rid of criminals, we are creating them.

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It’s a good piece on America’s prohibition and its impact on the rest of the world.

Pretty good indeed.

What’s more interesting is the second comment on the post. It starts with:

I suppose it’s easy for someone who doesn’t use Marijuana to argue against its legalization, but this isn’t about the effects it has on its users. It’s about personal freedom…

And these 2 things are what today’s post is all about. First, we haven’t won anything (and I don’t think we are close enough to celebrate). Second, I don’t think segregation among the people is a good idea, even in thought. Let’s discuss.

I don’t use marijuana, and haven’t for almost 12 years now. Perhaps I will entertain the idea again, but I don’t see it in my immediate future. However, I whole heartedly believe that marijuana should be legal, even for recreational use.

No, I don’t think it’s a case of users vs. non-users. I think it’s a case of misinformation by a noneducational system perpetuated by our government. Pair those things with the greed associated with the war on drugs and we are on the losing side of this battle.

Make no mistake. I love articles like this, but I really don’t think we are even remotely close to a national reform. It feels like it, but that’s only because our government let’s us feel like it.

This is all the more reason to act, and NORML is a perfect place to do that. Get involved, donate, tell a friend; it doesn’t matter, just do something to help others become educated and get this “war on drugs” to end. But whatever you do, don’t place yourself on the other side of the non-users. This creates an exclusion and can be perceived as aggression (however passive or subtle it may be). This would make us look just like the government, and they have more money.

No, instead I think we need band together, users and non-users alike. You can’t reason with America’s government. They are like umpires; right or wrong, they stick with their answers. They don’t care who loses.

So what do we do?

Educate

I think the most important thing you can do is educate the people around you. Marijuana use comes up all the time, whether you partake or not. These conversations happen. Take it as an opportunity to educate rather than debate or argue (leave that to the lobbyist, they are better at it).

If the setting is appropriate, perhaps you could show a documentary on the subject. I spoke about the manner in which I talk to my oldest child in this post. Maybe that’s right for you, maybe it isn’t, but education starts with our kids. Maybe even purchasing a book for kids would help.

Action

I posted on an idea posed by NORML themselves. I think it’s a really good idea. This is a physical action that will be noticed. People, especially those that comprise our government, don’t always hear words or logic; they sure as hell pay attention to physical actions if on a large enough scale (please keep it non-violent though, as violence just gives more reason to keep it illegal).

Even if you don’t do that, there are plenty of gatherings across the nation that offer open arms to those that want to participate. You can even start a NORML chapter in your area if there isn’t one already, and perhaps brainstorm some gatherings and actions of your own.

Voting

I know it doesn’t seem like it most of the time, but voting is how we the people exercise what little power we have. Show your government that you aren’t some lazy pothead, but a pothead that pays taxes, and has a belief regarding the direction of YOUR country.

In the same respect, tell your elected officials who are already in office that you think marijuana should be legal, and that this topic is a large part of the determining factors when deciding on your ballot submission.

Money

Our government is arguably the most powerful on the planet. They use that power to make a lot of money. And they use that money to get what they want. We aren’t going to stop that cycle for sure, but we can get some money of our own. I know we don’t have much, but every little bit helps. NORML also has plenty of opportunity to do so.

For crying out loud. I’ve typed “NORML” so many times on this post, maybe I should approach them about a kick back or something.

Rest assured I don’t actually get anything for sending you there. I would gladly take donations here, but to be honest I wouldn’t know what to do with it, and would probably just send it to them anyway.

Learn More

No matter what you know, you can always learn more. Learn more about the problems facing the legalization of marijuana, and think of ways to get through them. The first article that comes to my mind is that by Jon Gettman on the Top Ten Obstacles to Marijuana Law Reform. Believe you me, there are plenty more out there.

In Closing

We haven’t won anything until it is over. This is not that time. We need everything we can get, and that includes non-smokers. I’m a non-smoker, and proud of it. If I were a smoker, I would be proud of that too. That doesn’t matter. What matters is the amount of research I’ve done on the subject, and my willingness to stand up for what I believe in. You…do that too.

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We’re a country of free speech, and so I think the last thing anyone in the administration would do would be to supress free speech and that discussion. As regards to “legalization,” it’s not in the president’s vocabulary, and it’s not in mine.

So what does NORML think we should do? Well, what any friend would do, help Gil out. Let’s send him a dictionary.

You have a couple options, but I think the first would have the bigger impact.

1. Go to your local discount store and buy a cheap pocket dictionary.
2. Find legalization inside and mark it with a yellow highlighter and a Post-It® or paper-clip on that page
3. Mail that dictionary to the Drug Czar at:

Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
Executive Office of the President (EOP)
Attn: Director Gil Kerlikowske
Washington, DC 20503

The other options are a good choice too, simply send a postcard, or donate directly to NORML (a good idea even if not for dictionaries) as noted on their page on the subject.

Again, I want to stress the impact I think a truck full of dictionaries would have. At the least, it would make for a good news story, and perhaps force Gil to seriously answer the question.

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