Their story doesn’t end there. That “polite” cop – the one that everyone uses as a justification for cops being ‘the good guys’ – filed for an arrest warrant on both the man and the woman. The charges? “Maintaining a noisy and disorderly house.” Now, was this a legitimate complaint that needed attention, or police retaliation from some disgruntled officers who felt their authority was threatened? The penalty for first-time offenders of that law is $150. Did these citizens warrant an arrest over $150? It’s such an absurd assertion I can hardly wrap my mind around it. Imagine being pulled over for an illegal lane change and then immediately taken to jail.

This type of obscure, catch-all law is being used with more and more frequency as an excuse for police to circumvent common human decency and civil liberty. To avoid landing yourself in this situation, do not give the police any indication that you’re present at all. Just stay quiet, stay away from the door, and try to wait ‘em out. They’ll give up eventually.

http://www.pixiq.com/article/man-who-refused-to-open-door-for-cops-receives-arrest-warrant

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If either SOPA or PIPA pass, dark times will lie ahead for the drug enthusiasts of America. We will no longer have access to the resources that have helped make us responsible and safety-conscious drug users.

Us stoners have a reputation of being so-called “slacktivists” – only complaining about problems without taking any action or offering up solutions. So let’s change that image! Go here: http://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml and tell your representative to vote against SOPA and PIPA as hard as they can. Remind them that as their constituent, they are working for you, more than they’re working for any lobby group or PAC.

Update: It looks like something happened! Google has reported 4.5 million signatures on their petition to stop SOPA/PIPA, and millions of others have signed at Avaaz, Fight for the Future, and the White House petition sites. An impressive number of websites blacked out their content, or publicly protested yesterday. Wikipedia, Craigslist, Mozilla Firefox, Reddit, Wired, Cracked, Ars Technica and Google (and a long list of 10,000 less prominent sites) went completely black yesterday, or joined the virtual rebellion by posting up messages and selectively censoring their sites.

In the most satisfying news, it would also appear that at least 10 senators have withdrawn support for SOPA. Three House Reps who initially co-sponsored the bill have backed out, weakening support at the very base. Politicians from all walks of life, including republicans from the deep South, withdrew their support. It may have taken the entire internet rising up, but it proves that – if nothing else – they aren’t completely bought out just yet.

Lotus

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The other is the largely unknown former governor of New Mexico: Gary Johnson. A young, active, perhaps more progressive version of Ron Paul, Johnson has gained notoriety (and respect) for having climbed Mts. Everest, Elbrus, McKinley and Kilimanjaro, performing impressive 140+ mile triathlons, and a 100 mile run through the Rocky Mountains. He also survived a 50 foot fall from a paragliding accident and treated his pain with medicinal marijuana.

No, he is not a myth, though he might sound too good to be true. He is highly vocal about his disdain for the War on Drugs, specifically the War on Marijuana. In fact, he has been firmly (and loudly) of this opinion as far back as 1999, long before the argument was part of public discourse.

Nowadays, he is trying to gain footing to stage a serious presidential run, likely in 2016. Just today an op-ed piece authored by none other than Johnson was published in Big Government – a strictly right-leaning website. In the article Johnson argues for the end of the War on Drugs, citing the fiscal, social and international benefits that could come with it. And… well, I’ll let you read it for yourself:

http://biggovernment.com/gjohnson/2012/01/16/its-time-to-end-the-war-on-drugs/#more-408344

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nocarbon from the Something Awful forums has graciously provided the following insight, and I believe it is an excellent look into the mysterious world of Suboxone withdrawal. So if you’re wondering what to expect in your own future, or questioning if suboxone is right for you, or even simply curious about that mystifying human experience, read on…

—–

General disclaimer: I’m as much a doctor as George Bush is a cowboy. This isn’t medical advice. It’s my experience.

Nocarbon’s guide to buprenorphine (suboxone/subutex) detox.

Considering long-term suboxone? Read this first:

Suboxone has its place in the world. For some, it’s deserving of its name as a “miracle drug.” If you’re doing a bundle of H a day and your family, finances, and body are being ravaged by opiates, then by all means Suboxone will help you get out of your rut. Kick ass.

If you’re sitting in a nice home, surrounded by a loving family, and you want to quit your insurance-funded 240mg of oxy per day for your “legit” pain issue, tough it out. Long-term Suboxone will be a step down the rung for you. It will do more damage than good for you. You are trading 3-5 days of withdrawal for weeks of hell.

You. You’re somewhere in this continuum. You really have to evaluate your position. Despite what you’ve been told by your board-certified NAABT doctor, suboxone withdrawal is hell. Don’t believe me? Go to bluelight, subsux.com, or any of the myriad of boards with thousands of people that will say the exact same thing. You think that you’re “clean,” really you’re only delaying the inevitable withdrawal.

(Disclaimer: your definition of “clean” may vary wildly from mine. Don’t get all worked up here. My definition of “clean” is that I don’t owe my body an agonizing withdrawal if I don’t take a small strip exactly every 12 hours.)

Note: I can’t speak to a short-term (1-2 week suboxone +taper of 1-2 strips MAX) as I’ve never tried it (Can anyone weigh in?)

You’ve had enough, time to stop

My qualifications: I was on opiates for 1.5 years, peaking for 3 months with 3ml FST / ~200mg oxy per day. I tried the taper to ease withdrawal, but I didn’t try hard enough. I went on 4mg of suboxone per day and I was on for a total of 3 months. Brain fog, inability to remember words and places, and even forgetting where I was my big push to get clean.

Listen, I was not a hardcore opiate user. My habit didn’t make a fucking dent in my finances. My family didn’t even notice a change in my demeanor or attitude. I wasn’t on suboxone for that long, either (3 months). If you are a hardcore user, take my advice with a grain of salt.

On to the meat:

• I started the taper 3 months in to a 4mg/day
• I tapered to 2mg/day for 3 weeks
• I tapered to 1mg/day for 5 days

I’d speculate a longer taper would help. I don’t know because I didn’t do a longer taper. Knowing what I know now, I probably would have tapered longer. When you actually see how small 1mg of suboxone is, when you can hold that in your hand, you think “hahah this is a joke, there’s almost NO effect on my body from this. It’s a sunflower seed!” Yeah, you’re wrong. According to SA user Yermaw Zahoor, even a taper to .25mg/day didn’t help him. He went through exactly what I show below.

What helped me more than anything in withdrawal wasn’t the question “why am I feeling like this?” It was “will tomorrow be worse.” This smattrering of words is more about answering the latter question. When you know what you’re in for in the future, the present becomes easier to deal with.

Day 1:T+0 – 24 hours since last dose: Prep Day

Day 1 is all about preparation. Good on your for making the choice, now it’s time to button up the smokehouse and prepare for a long, cold winter.

Keys to today

• Get your affairs in order. Take 2 weeks off work. Tell your loved ones what you’re doing. Give them a copy of this post so they know what to expect. Pay your bills, set the phone to airplane mode. You have ceased to be a functioning member of society; you are now a bag of meat and bones solely focused on getting better.
• Go shopping: You’ll want 2 bottles of liquid loperamide (Immodium AD), 500mg pills of L-Tyroseine, Magnesium+Calcuim, a case of electrolytes (any of the “-ades”), and a good multivitamin. Ask a doctor for some Ambien (sleep medication).
• Get some sleep: Nap as often as you can. Sleep in. Soon you will forget the beauty of a good night’s rest.

Day 2:T+25 – 48 hours since last dose: False Start

Hey remember when you were on oxy/H/hydro/etc and you’d wake up in agony right about now? This is fucking CAKE! Slight discomfort, sure, but nowhere NEAR the hell that you’d normally be going through right about now. Don’t get your hopes up, buttercakes.

Keys to today

• Find some “friends.” For some people, it’s going to AA/NA. For me, it was a stupid bulletin board (which I’m posting this on now) of people that went through it. Surround yourself with positive people that have already beat this.
• Pitch your opiates. Give a friend your wallet. Take away your mechanism to score a quick fix. Flush the remaining suboxone you have.
• Get some more sleep: Again, nap as often as you can.

Day 3:T+49 – 72 hours since last dose: Halfway to Hell

At some point today, approximately ½ of the suboxone that was in your system when you took your last dose has been processed by your body and squeezed out of your dick (or whatever mysterious hole you have amidst the roast beef).

Sleep may start being a little more difficult, but don’t go nuts with the Ambien just yet.

Keys to today

• Eat: Go wild while you still can. Avoid junk. East stuff that would make your momma proud.
• Drink: Lots of water today
• Be Merry: Start with the supplements. I took 1 gram of L-Tyrosine every 8 hours, 1 multivitamin in the morning, and magnesium every 12 hours.

Day 4:T+97 – 120 hours since last dose: It begins

Okay, this is what we prepared for. You don’t need me cracking jokes about how you feel right now. I genuinely feel your pain.

You’re going to have any number of these symptoms (and others): Vomiting, Diarrhea, Chills, Restless Legs, chronic sneezing, headaches, profuse sweating, jerkiness, insomnia

Your muscles will feel like they’re tearing from your bones. You can do this. Hang in there.

Yes, it does get worse.

Keys to today

• Friends: AA/NA/Messageboards (the Crackhead Clubhouse at forums.somethingawful.com is a great group), just talk through it
• Loperamide: Yes, it’s an opiate. No, it does not cross the blood-brain-barrier. Yes, it does help with the nausea and diarrhea. Ranges vary wildly on this. Personally, I found magic at 10mg’s every 6 hours. Start small and small steps.
• Hydration: The most critical thing today is to replace all the fluid you’re losing. Keep drinking.
• Showers/Baths: It gives a good amount of relief temporarily.

Day 5:T+121 – 144 hours since last dose: Circle #9

This is what you prepared for. I know you didn’t sleep last night. I know how bad it was. Today, you’ll peak. Make it through today and you’ve got this licked.

I’m going to plagiarize SA user The-Mole here. This helped me tremendously during Day 5:

quote:

More than just breathing or meditating… probably the best thing you can do in the moment for [physical or mental] anxiety/fear is to just relax. Blah blah, easier said than done, blah blah, but that’s why you should practice it when you aren’t anxious/scared, so relaxing the grip of fear/anxiety becomes second nature. Practically speaking, make sure you aren’t hunched over (you can’t breathe deeply hunched over/slouching). Now relax your body (how mentally anxious you are is incredibly influenced by how tensed your body is). Start with your toes, when they’re relaxed, move onto relaxing your feet, then let your ankles relax, calfs, knees, thighs, groin, stomach, abs, lower back, chest, upper back, shoulders, arms, neck, fingers, hands, wrists, lower arms, elbows, upper arms, and then relax your face. While doing that, take slow, deep breaths in through your nose and out your mouth. Keep breathing and go over your body again, trying to find any places that are still tensed, relaxing them as you find them.

99% of people would find that relaxing, it’s just difficult to remember to do in stressful moments if you don’t do it sometimes when you aren’t stressed/anxious/scared. So do something like that (even if it’s just a slow deep breath or two) whenever it crosses your mind. If you want, you can literally get yourself into a habit of doing something like that any time you get scared/anxious/stressed… to the point where it becomes second nature to you. I.e. you’re relaxing yourself as soon as you feel yourself starting to get a bit dicey.

Keys to today

• Know that today is the worst. Tell yourself this over and over.
• Hydration: the only think that’s going to kill you here is a lack of fluid. Don’t be lax.
• The knowledge that others have done this. We’ve been there. You CAN do this. Hang in there.

Day 6:T+145 – 168 hours since last dose: The Waves

The worst is over. Now it’s just waves of horribleness with the occasional smattering of a few minutes of complete relief. You probably won’t sleep again tonight. You’re prepared, though. Keep the Tyrosine, Magnesium, and Imodium flowing.

Keys to today

• Hydration: Yes I keep harping on this. It’s important, dammit.
• Ambien: Use it sparingly before you think you’re able to sleep. I was able to catch the sporadic 30-45 minutes here and there

Days 7-8:T+169 – 216 hours since last dose: Oh god, when can I sleep

You’re noticing more improvements.

You slept maybe 30 minutes last night, it’s really hard to tell. Everything’s kind of blending together. The cumulative 3-4 hours of sleep in the last 3 nights coupled with zero appetite is really starting to take a toll. You feel like a shadow of your former self in every way.

The “waves” are about 15 minute cycles now. You’ll feel good for 2 minutes, bad for 10, REALLY bad for 3. It’s manageable.

One of these days you’re going to go to bed thinking “this will be it” and the next thing you know the alarm will be going off and you’ll be all AWW YEAH because you just slept all by yourself.

Keys to today

• Hydration: Yes I keep harping on this. It’s important, dammit.
• Showers and rest.
• It’s all uphill from here.

Week 2:The Fuzz

It’s going to be really hard to get sleep this week. This week is what the ambien is for. You may get 15 minute naps, some people get several hours at a time. It varies wildly. The “cycles” are really starting to diminish now. Keep drinking, eat when you can. Relax. This will be all done soon.

Week 3:Normalty returns

At some point in this time, you’re going to be back to normal

Work in progress.

This is creative commons, if you want to steal it, just give me credit for it. Have a ball.

—–

I think we’ve all learned something today. And thanks again to nocarbon for the awesome write-up.

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And while you’re there, check out their overview of the Mexican Cartel situation. What’s going on in Mexico is really appalling, and we’re more responsible than you might think.

Lotus

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The poll also shows a vast majority of Americans believe the war on drugs itself is a failure. 69% of republicans, 65% of democrats, and 70% of independents believe the war on drugs is and has been ineffective. Over a third of all Americans represented in the poll do not approve of the war on drugs. The war costs over $15 billion to the federal government each year. State and lower governments spend a combined $25 billion annually. Since the inception, the war on drugs has cost America an unfathomable $1 trillion. An expensive mistake.

Unsurprisingly, democrats favored marijuana at a higher percentage than republicans, with 63% of the democrats and 41% of the republicans in favor. It seems marijuana legalization is one issue that nearly has bipartisan support. Interesting results were had in the age category, with older respondents approving at a higher rate than their younger counterparts. A whopping 57% of 35-54 year olds support legalization, and 54% of the 55+ age group are in favor, while the younger 18-34 group was just barely across the line at 53%.

The next highest approved substance was ecstasy. However, only a meager 10% support legalization of the iconic drug, making it pale in comparison to its leafy companion. Even less supported legalization of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine or crack cocaine, all of which carry much higher risk and stigma than cannabis.

Staggering figures that not only support legalization of marijuana, but also disapprove of the war on drugs should not be ignored by politicians. 64% of Americans think the country has a drug problem, and 67% think we’re not on the right path to fixing it. Meanwhile, a drug with majority favor remains illegal, and a drain on resources and freedoms everywhere. America and I believe it is time for change.

Lotus

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While it’s fairly unlikely that any repercussions will befall the individual officers involved in this case, it is possible that the infuriated professor, Clark Freshman, will see some sort of monetary compensation. It is historically a fruitless venture to take on any wing of the American government, especially the judicial sect. And for obvious reasons. But then again, this is not the ordinary citizen, and he probably has some friends in high places. I’ll be interested to see how this one turns out.

You can view the full story here.

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The shaman sits alone in a dimly-lit shack, only thin beams of sunlight penetrating the leather walls.  A look on his face reveals how removed he is from the outside world. Within his mind a connection is being made, however profound or illegitimate, to the spiritual realm. Communication is made between dead ancestors, deities, and even abstract concepts.

In the days before missionaries and indoctrination, thousands of these men and women existed, some even in places removed from all outside influences. Shamans are seen in anthropological history as a common figure throughout most cultures. They are looked upon with mystical reverence, though sometimes seen as a bit of an “other.” Their unique ability to connect to a spiritual realm makes them a desirable addition to a society, but it also has a tendency to cause hesitation in fully accepting them into a civilization.

Still, the shaman was generally considered simply a normal person, if one with a rare and difficult to comprehend profession. While they are sometimes paid well for their efforts (most times in food or other trade items), they generally still have to work hunting or farming just like all the others. Many times they have children and act as a completely typical member of society, however the solitary ones are not uncommon.

In our modern world of advanced medicine and science, the role of shaman has been replaced by men in lab coats, or doctors bearing needles and pills of now-commonplace synthetic chemicals to cure our ills. Though some of us still turn to a more modern version of a spiritual leader, it’s one who doesn’t communicate with an alternate reality, they simply fantasize about it.

It’s a tragic loss, one that is magnified by the common perception that people who attempt to communicate with alternate realities are weird, crazy, or worse, junkies. This brings about an important question to me, one that most likely has a fairly depressing answer. What has become of the shaman, a person once revered and thought as integral to humanity as we know it? And the follow up to that; what will become of the collective human psyche without them?

I believe the first question, at least, is fairly easily answered. It started with the advent of religions and societies that say, “this is how everything works, you can take our word for it. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!” It’s a trite concept, but one that I think has at least some merit, that a major reason drugs are outlawed is to keep people from thinking too much. ‘They’ want you to keep working, playing and all around existing as ‘they’ want you to.

Whether or not a large conspiracy exists to keep the masses from having a spiritual awakening is up for debate. But it certainly seems that a large consequence of the disappearance of shamans and tolerable drug use is a near-complete cessation of any semblance of spiritual and shamanic experiences. Only a very small minority of “civilized society” makes any attempt at achieving a higher level (or at least a different level) of consciousness.

The second question, addressing the implications of that phenomenon, is much more difficult to pin down. It may contribute to the utter collapse of good will and human nature, or perhaps it will help all humans become logical, rational actors. Or, equally likely, it will have no perceivable effect whatsoever. One thing seems to stand out, however, when looking at the history of humans. We have generally always needed or, if nothing else, possessed, some sort of “larger than ourselves” concept to appreciate.

At first glance, the two ideas of logic and spirit don’t seem to be cohesive. We have all but eliminated the possibility of a sky-god, we seem to have pinned down the sun’s antics to a fair degree, and the cycles of weather and season don’t seem to mysticize us all that much anymore. It would appear that eventually science will outperform religion and spirituality on all or most explanations of the universe.

But that doesn’t rule out utilizing both at the same time. There are certain notions science may not ever address, some of which we couldn’t even begin to explain, let alone set up an experiment for. It has also been shown that while medicine is a true miracle, it isn’t necessarily the only means to an end. In some circumstances, shamanic healing has done just as much good as medicine could have. The brain is, after all, a very powerful tool.

Many of these mysterious, unintelligible notions can be experienced and discovered through the use of psychedelics. Natural psychedelics like psylocibe mushrooms, mescaline-containing cacti, DMT containing plants, tobacco, marijuana, and countless more have helped spirit-seekers achieve new planes of understanding since we’ve recorded history. There’s no reason the newer psychedelics, like LSD, the 2c series, the DO series and anything and everything else that exists or does not yet exist shouldn’t be shown the same attention.

Most psychedelic users would probably agree that something completely novel and sometimes magical seems to happen when they ingest their favorite chemical. However, even among many pro-psychedelic use people, it has become somewhat taboo to utilize them for any spiritual purpose. People who do so are sometimes stigmatized as new-age hippies at best, and amoral drug-addled junkies at worst.

In a different world, one focused more on meditation and cognitive understanding, psychedelics are used universally and with great reverence. Instead of turning to blind faith, people turn to a very real experience to cope with reality. In this fantasy, there exist a number of ‘shamanic’ individuals, who are more experienced than most with the art of the mind-expanding chemical use. When the average person needs guidance with a trip, or needs some abstract insight on a personal issue, they see this person.

The role a psychedelic enthusiast could have in modern society is one that could be very useful to our culture, and one that doesn’t necessarily involve strange, drugged-up individuals running rampant on the streets. They could be like the common shaman, simply an average citizen who happens to have a large hobby involving deep spiritual experiences.

It would naturally take a huge divergence from the current mainstream perception of drug use. Something generally reserved for experimental young adults. A pursuit that is essentially forbidden by any self-respecting, upstanding member of society. A pursuit that is, at best, looked upon as a phase to grow out of, and at worst a dangerous habit to be severely punished and outlawed.

Does it seem likely that psychedelics are a doorway to mystical dimensions, separate from and equal to our own? Well, perhaps when LSD still has a firm grip on your serotonin receptors. But in general, of course not. Can we make productive use of the strange, seemingly other-worldly, experiences they produce? Absolutely. Go forth, shamans of the modern era, experience what you can, and expand the collective human consciousness so that we may become more in tune with ourselves and our reality. After all, life is nothing but a chaotic molecule in the limited perception of an incomplete reality in an abstract universe.

Lotus

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If you click this link here, you will learn about Michigan’s new law banning Four Loko (and, as I understand it, all alcoholic caffeinated malt beverages) from sale in the state. It should be noted that a probable major contributing factor here is this incident, in which nine college freshman were hospitalized after drinking Four Loko. Because, you know, college freshman never get hospitalized for any other alcoholic beverage.

Expect other municipalities, states and hopefully not the Federal Government (don’t hold your breath) to soon follow suit.

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Every election season, both parties get caught up in hype, and each time, at least one side is left disappointed. This year, a modestly funded, *ahem* grassroots effort gained arguably more popularity for a cause than anything on the ballot. It clearly wasn’t enough, as 55% of the voting population decided that it wasn’t a worthwhile option for the state of California. And so, the revolution will have to wait a bit longer.

The 19 advocates returned hopeful from the polls, some confident that they would be a part of a new wave of rational drug legislation. But when they checked the outcome, looking upon their computer and TV screens in dismay, it is easy to dismiss the concept altogether. Many may think, ‘this country is beyond hope, the average American is no more capable of rational or logical thinking than the TV that displays their favorite propaganda machine’s rhetoric.’ And this would be a perfectly reasonable mindset, considering the direction the major American media has turned.

However, it is at this time, directly after a bitter defeat, while your opponent is basking in his glory, and you’re still dusting yourself off from a hard-fought uphill battle, that is the most important. And take it from me, someone who refuses to even cast a vote; someone who is so jaundiced by the sad state of affairs we call American politics, that if I even mention politics it is to laugh at the absurdity of it all.

Politicians on all sides are in it for nothing more than why you might wake up and sit in a cubicle all day. They are no more interested in what’s “good for America,” as you might be with your own company’s third quarter profits. As long as the company doesn’t go down in flames, whatever makes you more money is the better option. The man with a fistful of money most likely gets your attention more than a man who could use your help on something that benefits you in no tangible way whatsoever. Greed is the most useful trait in the evolution of modern society, and intelligent greed triumphs over all.

Of course, there are the people who legitimately care. People do volunteer at animal shelters, or for various community projects. There are politicians who genuinely look out for what’s “right,” over what’s profitable. Unfortunately, in politics, the only winner is money. If you have no money, you will be absolutely nothing. Many might argue that’s true for America in general, but that’s a topic all its own.

So, why bother voting? That’s the question I’ve asked myself over and over again. With politics, if someone powerful enough really wants something to happen, it will happen. And if someone powerful wants it to not happen, it will not happen. Ballots are forged or lost, money is thrown, and by next week nobody even remembers or cares who Al Gore is. And then four years later, everyone gets all excited, claims that they’ll get more people to the polls, and the same exact thing happens again. Plus, with millions of people involved, the voting process becomes more of a symbolic gesture than a legitimate political tool.

I suggest, don’t vote. Let the country run itself into the ground politically, and leave no trace that you ever even voiced an opinion. Don’t associate yourself with the pitiful condition the country insists on putting itself through over and over. But don’t necessarily give up hope on turning things around. The most important thing in America is the public opinion. And with federal elections hovering around 50-60% since the 70s, the polls don’t necessarily represent the public opinion.

This time in America is the most important of all, for drug legislation reform supporters. You must take this defeat and say, “what did we do that made this ineffective?” I don’t mean what made the vote ineffective, I mean what made the public opinion of marijuana remain ignorant and uninformed. What were the opponents of Proposition 19′s only real arguments? That marijuana shouldn’t be used in the workplace, drugged driving is dangerous, and that marijuana can lead to addiction and use of other drugs (token, “think of the children!” argument).

While these are all excellent concerns, no, they’re actually absolutely ridiculous an blatantly wrong concerns. There have been numerous studies showing that marijuana likely has little to no effect on driving capabilities, and even if they did we already have laws against that so it’s a non-issue to begin with. You are not legally allowed to drive intoxicated in any fashion. Just because you’re not allowed to text in a car doesn’t mean we should outlaw cell phones.

The concept that for no apparent reason people will suddenly show up to work unable to perform their daily tasks due to drug abuse is completely absurd and clearly an argument obtained by simply grasping at straws. It is no more likely that people will be smoking on the job than it is that people will be drinking on the job. People who don’t care about their jobs and don’t value their work will drink or smoke or shoot up heroin at work. This will not be affected by legal concerns.

Finally, the ‘gateway drug’ theory has been addressed and beaten into the ground so many times it’s not even worth more than a light chuckle, but I’ll give it a paragraph. If a magical marijuana gateway (great band name) even exists, it is completely due to the illegal nature of the drug. When a kid hears all his life that smoking a joint is just as bad as using heroin, it’s only logical that he might equate all drugs as equal danger. So, when he finally does smoke one, he may assume the mild effects are shared across the spectrum. If real drug education existed (not just drug-propaganda), teens might realize that heroin, methamphetamines and cocaine are highly addictive and deadly.

Clearly the answer to uninformed citizens is to educate. I think the whole “money” issue will eventually be immaterial here, as there is, in fact, money to be made in America with marijuana. A vast number of corporations are already aware of this, and completely prepared to take advantage of a juicy new market, but wouldn’t risk the negative image of “pot supporting company.” So, when the stigma of marijuana is removed, change will happen. When Obama can say, “I support marijuana reform,” as proudly and confidently as he says, “I support healthcare reform,” marijuana reform will happen. But at this point in time, no politician with any real hope to be elected will ever say that, even if they desperately want it just as much as the biggest stoners in Humboldt.

Now, the time is ripe for the educating. Everyone will have forgotten about showing anti-marijuana ads, and marijuana will be out of the public sight and mind. So what we need is for people to be as active as they possibly can. Take from the Tea Party and make marijuana advocates so loud and obnoxious the country can’t help but listen. Hint about it to your friends and family who aren’t wholly opposed. Bring it up to people who are against it, but in indirect, non-aggressive ways. If your grandpa says, “man I wish Obama and the government would get out of our lives,” say, “yeah I know! I say, if you want to drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes or smoke marijuana in your own house you should be able to. I hate those politically-correct liberals telling me what to do!”

Don’t worry about the politics. The wins will come later on. You wouldn’t win a marathon by practicing sprints right before a race. You consistently work and work and work, and eventually, years later, you might find yourself atop the podium. Only when you can confidently walk up to the starting line, without any concern whatsoever for the competition, will you have successfully trained. And afterwards, you’ll run over to hug the trophy girl, champagne in one hand, joint in the other.

Lotus

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