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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I thought it would be interesting to dissect their list of myths and facts, so here goes.

Marijuana Myths & Facts: The Truth Behind 10 Popular Misperceptions

Marijuana is harmless

They start by stating:

Marijuana harms in many ways, and kids are the most vulnerable to
its damaging effects. Use of the drug can lead to significant health,
safety, social, and learning or behavioral problems, especially for young
users. Making matters worse is the fact that the marijuana available
today is more potent than ever.

Interesting. First, note that the use of marijuana among teens is down according to a study comparing numbers from 2002 and 2006. This is due in large part to the number of educational programs that have been created over the last decade. These programs are not like the D.A.R.E programs that use failed scare tactics in often failed attempts. These are programs like NYC DanceSafe that  focus more on education than “just say no” programs. Even the United States General Accounting Office will tell you:

DARE had no statistically significant long-term effect on preventing illicit drug use.

Reference

This is what we pro-legalization/decriminalization citizens want. We don’t want to put this stuff in the hands of kids any more than we would want to do so with any other drug (including alcohol, tobacco or prescription drugs meant for adults). Many legalization proposals you see even ask that some of the money gained from taxing marijuana be dedicated to education the young.

So, kids are still vulnerable no thanks to the programs the government insists on piling our money into. However, we are beginning to win that battle (the one the government should be helping us with) on or own. And I believe the groups that are working will continue to do so.

As for the health problems associated with marijuana, according to  a study by the Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa:

Current marijuana use had a negative effect on global IQ score only in subjects who smoked 5 or more joints per week. A negative effect was not observed among subjects who had previously been heavy users but were no longer using the substance. We conclude that marijuana does not have a long-term negative impact on global intelligence.

A very recent study also debunked the “pot causes mental illness” claim. I also talked about depression and schizophrenia in an earlier post in which I discussed a few studies on the effect marijuana has on mental illnesses.

Marijuana is not addictive

It was once believed that marijuana was not addictive; many people still believe this to be the case. But recent research shows that use of the drug can indeed lead to dependence. Some heavy users of marijuana develop withdrawal symptoms when they have not used the drug for a period of time.

I find it interesting that in one statement, they use both the words “addiction” and “dependence.” Do some research and you will see that there is a big difference in these things. Generally speaking, dependence means that if dosage of a drug is ceased or lowered too quickly, you will experience withdraws. This is normal. Addiction (again, generally) means that a person would increase their dosage without the consult of a professional.

As you can probably imagine, there aren’t many drugs, legal or otherwise that wouldn’t have some sort of impact on a regular user is completely stopped or weened from dosage too quickly. Ever know someone that quite smoking, or done so yourself? Remember the air of anger, irritability and general crankiness?

Again, this is where the opposition seems to get hung up without understanding what it is we want. We are pushing for the use of marijuana as done so by responsible adults. The same thing we want in regard to tobacco or alcohol. The only thing that can help addiction/dependence is education.

So, look at it this way. People who desire to smoke marijuana are obviously doing so regardless of its legal status. The government is failing on that front. What we want is to make it legal, while pushing for education for our kids and those in need so that it is saved for responsible use. Well, the government is failing there too.

In that same section, the “facts” state that:

More teens enter treatment each year with a primary diagnosis of marijuana dependence than for all other illicit drugs combined. Currently, 62 percent of teens in drug treatment are dependent on marijuana.

I love it when I hear this. My response is always the same:

So let me ask you. Would you rather go to a rehab center for a few weeks or dedicate a few weekends to it, or would you rather go to jail?

I’m not the smartest guy in the world, but I’m confident that I know the answer before I ask it. I do so because that is most often the option given to teens who are being convicted of use or possession. Either go to jail, or a treatment center.

It seems to me that these numbers are not as much a result of marijuana use, as they are the direct result of the government’s actions against “perpetrators.”

Marijuana is not as harmful to your health as tobacco

Although some people think of marijuana as a benign natural herb, the drug actually contains many of the same cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco. Puff for puff, the amount of tar inhaled and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed by those who smoke marijuana, regardless of THC content, are three to five times greater than among tobacco smokers.

Boy oh boy do I love this argument. Let’s start with their incredible ability to play with words in order to get the message they want.

…the drug actually contains many of the same cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco.

Yeah, so does coffee, potato chips and a ton of other products deemed “safe” by our government.

This statement is also a little funny:

Puff for puff, the amount of tar inhaled and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed by those who smoke marijuana…

…the daily smoking of relatively small amounts of marijuana (3 to 4 joints) has at least a comparable, if not greater effect” on the respiratory system than the smoking of more than 20 tobacco cigarettes.

Here’s the thing about marijuana. Because it’s so safe to self-regulate usage (you can’t overdose), smokers have the ability to throttle up or down their usage. 3 to 4 joints is a lot if the potency is even decent. And this is all supposed to be smoked in the few hours between getting home from work and going to bed? Not likely. However, the common cigarette-smoker smokes at least a full pack (20 cigs) per day.

At the end of it, even if the consumption of cigarette smoke and marijuana smoke were so different, puff for puff, then that would logistically make marijuana safer. Wanna get high? Take a few puffs. Wanna quench that nicotine addiction (yes, addiction)? Gonna have to burn through that whole pack, today.

Just to hammer home the point, note that it is impossible to overdose on marijuana. You can’t smoke enough to kill the human body (unless, perhaps, if you are in the middle of an asthmatic fit. In which case, would you be smoking a cigarette at this time?).

Just for kicks, check out this article.

I also don’t buy this argument because the government is all too happy to give you the “OK” on the usage of drugs with which you can actually overdose or seriously become addicted. Refer to this document showing the difference between marijuana and FDA approved drugs.

I’ll draw your attention that in a period from 1/1/97 to 6/30/50:

1. There were 0 cases of death to which marijuana could be directly attributed.
2. There were 10,008 deaths to which to which FDA APPROVED were directly attributed.
3. 279 deaths occurred in which marijuana was thought to be a “secondary” suspect (someone got stoned and fell off a bridge).
4. There were 1,679 deaths of the same caliber credited to FDA approved drugs.

We don’t even have to pull numbers comparing to alcohol poisoning and other related deaths.

Marijuana makes you mellow

Not always. Research shows that kids who use marijuana weekly are nearly four times more likely than nonusers to report they engage in violent behavior. One study found that young people who had used marijuana in the past year were more likely than nonusers to report aggressive behavior. According to that study, incidences of physically attacking people, stealing, and destroying property increased in proportion to the number of days marijuana was smoked in the past year.

Yeah “not always.” First, note that there are a ton of strands out there. A large chunk of which have been used and cultivated for such a long period of time and by many people, that they are nationally known (like selecting a brand of cereal over another).

These strands all have a different effect on different people. There are even courses a grower in an approved state can take to learn what strands and types of marijuana to use for different moods or ailments in a medicinal setting.

Research shows that kids who use marijuana weekly are nearly four times more likely than nonusers to report they engage in violent behavior. One study found that young people who had used marijuana in the past year were more likely than nonusers to report aggressive behavior.

Statements like these are generally useless anyway due to the number of people that use/have used marijuana. Basically, it isn’t difficult to find different types of people in a social regard when the pool from which you pull is so large. It would be like saying “all the carbon-based life forms we studied have a history of violence.”

The studies they used also have a heavy reliance on reporting. This means that it wasn’t actually a study on the behavor of these individuals, but they had to ask questions and get answers directly. How many kids do you think mixed the truth just a bit.

I know I used to be a 15 year old boy (not smoking by the way), and aggression was pretty common. That’s when boys physiologically become men. Hormones do that to a guy.

As for the more serious instances of violent behavior like attacking people and stealing; this stems from the fact that the industry as a whole is run and regulated by people with no respect for the law. This is such a deep topic, but think about the details that must be involved.

Criminals sell and distribute a product in a black market. The people that buy the product have to associate with them on some level. Because the industry isn’t regulated, and disputes can not be solved by taking someone to court, violence is sure to ensue. This is an environment caused by the prohibition of marijuana, not its use.

Think about the violence associate with the prohibition of alcohol. Now, think about the violence due to marijuana before it was illegal (just over 60 years ago). Oh, you can’t recall that situation? Either can I. That’s because it wasn’t there.

Legalize weed, and disputes go to the courts for mediation, people have the option to buy if from an authorized dealer; which in turn will reduce the profitability in such that most dealers wouldn’t be criminals, but start shops. And now that they are making money legally with the support of the government, they don’t even want to sell to kids. Think ‘purchasing cigarettes’ again.

Marijuana is used to treat cancer and other diseases

They start with:

Under the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, marijuana was established as a Schedule I controlled substance. In other words, it is a dangerous drug that has no recognized medical value.

This is faulty logic. There was a time when women couldn’t vote, and people could legally own slaves. Law does not equal justice or distinguish between right or wrong. You can’t use the law for a reason to have said law.

Whether marijuana can provide relief for people with certain medical conditions, including cancer, is a subject of intense national debate. It is true that THC, the primary active chemical in marijuana, can be useful for treating some medical problems. Synthetic THC is the main ingredient in Marinol®, an FDA approved medication used to control nausea in cancer chemotherapy patients and to stimulate appetite in people with AIDS. Marinol, a legal and safe version of medical marijuana, has been available by prescription since 1985.

Wow. Not only do they admit that THC can be useful in some treatments, but they immediately use it as a reason to plug an FDA approved drug.

How do you get a drug to become FDA approved? Other than playing with money, you have to test and prove a certain set of results and implications of use. So where did they find this “THC?” Oh, guess it had to be in marijuana. And they deduced that THC can be useful. Instead of admitting that marijuana is not as harmful as they want it to sound, they decided to make a drug they could sell.

Marijuana is not as popular as MDMA (Ecstasy) or other drugs among teens today

Recent survey data show that about 15 million people—6.2 percent of the U.S. population—are current marijuana users, and that nearly a third of them (4.8 mil lion people) used the dr ug on 20 or more days in the past month. Among kids age 12 to 17, more than two million (8.2 percent) reported pastmonth marijuana use. By contrast, fewer than 250,000 young people (1 percent) reported pastmonth use of hallucinogens, and of that number, only half (124,000) had used MDMA.

Well that’s the point isn’t it? Marijuana is very popular among teens. They get it because we have laws forcing people to sell it illegally to anyone they can. This makes it an underground industry (wanna guess where teenagers like to play?). If we let the government and the people regulate its distribution and use, wouldn’t we then be able to better control who possesses the drug? Again, like alcohol.

And again, that’s the point of education. If the government were more concerned with the well-being of the people as opposed to saving face, they would implement more programs built on educating than on scare tactics that don’t work (and waste tax-payer money).

You know, firefighters often induce fires in a controlled environment. One of the reasons for doing this in certain places is because of the likelihood that a fire will start naturally is high, and if not controlled would be disastrous.

Firefighters know that certain things are going to happen, whether we want them to or not. It’s best to take a proactive approach and control what we can to save lives.

This is not unlike marijuana. It’s getting into the hands of the people that want it, regardless of what we do about it. I would much rather regulate and control the burn than attempt to fight a 4,000 acre wildfire with a garden hose. But, that’s just me.

There’s a big box on the page of the document that says:

Even supporters of the legalization and medical marijuana movements agree that kids should not be using the drug.

I feel like a broken record, but yeah. We sure don’t. Just like we don’t want our kids drinking beer or smoking cigarettes. The government has an awesome history of painting marijuana smokers as these evil fiends and demons; waiting outside your door to snatch your kids up and ruin them forever. Just look at the quotes that appear in the upper right of this site. These are usually by H.J. Anslinger. He was the first person to fight marijuana on a federal level (and eventually the cause of its prohibition). I mean, look at those quotes. They are simply disgusting and a blemish on the record of American government. We really need to stop that now.

Actually the rest of that whole part is one giant reason to regulate and govern marijuana. Sometimes I wish I were slimy enough to get into politics. With that quality I think I would do well because I also seem to be a bit smarter than these guys. I would rule them as their king.

If I buy marijuana, I’m not hurting anyone else

Think again. Despite its reputation as the herb of peace and love— and despite claims that smoking pot is a victimless crime—marijuana and violence go hand in hand. Marijuana trafficking is a big, violent business, whether the plants are grown on foreign soil or cultivated in basements, backyards, and farms in the United States.

Same as above.

Seriously, as their king!

My kids won’t be exposed to marijuana

Your kids WILL be exposed to marijuana. This is where we agree. Again, with my views on education. This is apparently where we disagree.

There’s not much parents can do to stop their kids from experimenting with marijuana

We agree here too. This is like saying there isn’t much parents can do to stop kids from drinking beer. The weight falls heaviest on parents. I hope you see that we can’t rely on our government to ensure the safety of our children. We need to take care of that as parents of our children.

My son is of age to discuss drugs. Not quite old enough to get into detail, but old enough to tell me as his father to start getting him ready. I explain it as I do many other things in regard to his age.

You see cussing on T.V.? Don’t do that. We talk about respect and responsibility, etc.

You see people fighting on T.V.? Don’t do that We talk about wars and why they are caused, how hurting someone physically impacts them emotionally as well, and we talk about standing up to protect yourself and others who are weaker than you.

You see that guy doing drugs on T.V.? Don’t do that. Because of his age, we don’t talk about the stuff I talk about here. Instead we talk about the consequences of actions and decisions we make regarding our bodies. We don’t get into the difference between alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Instead we talk about how all of those carry a consequence and the degree in which they can impact our lives when abused.

Just to make sure his mind as aware that things aren’t always what they seem, we immediately topics of our faith (Christianity) and how there were laws persecuting us. I don’t directly mention the correlation between my rules and that idea, but when the time comes to educate him further I want him to more easily understand the situation.

So you see, there is plenty a parent can do to stop their kids from experimenting with marijuana. But there’s even more they can do to educate them and give them the strength they need to make the right decisions as they apply to their lives.

The government sends otherwise innocent people to prison for casual marijuana use

The numbers speak for themselves. In 1997, according to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), only 1.6 percent of the state inmate population had been convicted of a marijuana only crime, including trafficking. An even smaller percentage of state inmates were imprisoned with marijuana possession as the only charge (0.7 percent). And  only 0.3 percent of those imprisoned just for marijuana possession were first time offenders.

Here’s the thing. Most people who end up in jail indeed are not there for “marijuana only” offenses. In reality, there aren’t many people in jail for any ’single’ offense, rather many.

Guys in jail for murder are not there for a single murder charge. They are there for murder, manslaughter, intent to harm, and many other offenses that tie into the crime(s).

In an effort to increase revenue and prosecutions, the legal system is built on compounding crimes in an effort to gain higher convictions.

Recollect if you will, the drug stamp tax. There was/is a stamp that drug dealers are supposed to purchase to place on their product when they sell it. This is a way for the government to make money from sales of drugs. But drugs are illegal, right?

This stamp does nothing to change the legal implications with selling. However, if you get caught selling without that stamp, then guess what charge you get to carry to the courthouse? That’s right, kids. Tax evasion.

Hey, that sounds like the way they got some other guy that was selling something illegal. Who was that? Well, you can go to WikiPedia, or you can just know that it was Al Capone. The authorites could never quite get him on the alcohol charges, but they found that he wasn’t paying taxes. That gave them enough to arrest him, then get the warrants needed to find more inforamtion to convict him.

See how that works?

So even if their numbers are correct, question how many people go to jail for minor marijuana offenses with tacked-on charges.

Well there you have it. I hope this helps you understand a bit more about the things our governemnt tells us in regard to these drugs.

I want you to keep in mind that not everyone in our government feels this way. There are more and more elected officials speaking out about this prohibition every day. The same for the cops. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) is a collective of law enforcement officers who see things the way we do. So, there aren’t any bad guys and good guys in this fight, just opposing sides.

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