Should Tennesseans be ALLOWED to vote on Cannabis reform / Prohibition repeal?

This blog is in reference to a story in the Johnson City Press

Click Here to read that article

Today ( December 5th) is the 80 year anniversary of the end of alcohol prohibition, the racial war on Irish and Italians. I hope Tennessee, steps up to the plate and ends the war on the American people, because that is what the 'war on drugs' is, a war on the American people.

In case you haven't heard some statitstics; 

• America as a country claims the highest incarceratoin rate than any other country in the world. The racial ratios are ridiculous, a first grader could spot the problem.
• Our local police forces now have anti missile tanks, drones and specially trained drug task forces that have endless authority over citizens and thier property. 
• Our own federal goverment has been implicated in drug trafficking time and time again, from Vietnam to 'Fast and Furious'. 
• Close to 15% of Tennesseans fall below the national poverty level. This group is largely impacted by this ‘drug war’.
• Middle Tennesse's homeless population has been as much as 30 % over the national level in recent years, again this group is dramatically impacted by this ‘drug war’.
• The violent crime in Tennessee has risen so quickly that we managed to be recognized nationally as the most violent state while at the same time making the top of the lists in most corrupt states as well, all for 2012. Gun Permits have also risen dramatically here in our state
• the Tennessee Drug Task Force has been operating with no advisory board, and after a local news investigation  “Policing for profit”, will now have a board appointed.
• For several years running cannabis has been our states largest cash crop, and our proud state has been the 2nd largest producer in the nation, just behind California.

These are just a few examples of some alarming trends that have been occurring across the state. But let me tell you my story.

I am a hiker, I love to hike, especially in the winter when the birds of prey are easily visible in the trees and skies. Not long ago, on federal land, here in middle Tennessee, I was enjoying a warm day in January out on the trails. My partner and I had spotted an eagles nest and I wanted to get close enough for a picture, I had no intention of disturbing anything at all, and I had no clue for what was next.

After hiking through several fields we finally approached the area of the nest, as we moved closer to the nest, I kept my eyes on the nest, so far up in the sky, when I felt a searing pain up my leg. My first thought was ‘bear trap!’, but it wasn’t a

bear trap. I had just impaled my foot on what I would later learn is a punji stick. This was bad, we were at least 5 miles from the car, I had to get back to the car, and I had no health insurance.

My partner and I sat there for a few minutes, Joshua worried about getting back and me trying to forget the pain by staring at that eagles nest just over my head. I looked down at the ground, for the first time really and was surprised to see several of these bamboo spears sticking out of the ground, my first thought was how strange that bamboo breaks like that. It would not be until a few days later that I heard about punji sticks, where they come from and why I would see them guarding federal land.

Punji Sticks are a weapon of sorts that originated in Vietnam, what I read about them is that the villagers would cut the bamboo to a very sharp point, then heat it so that it hardens like steel. At that point they would then usually rub the points ( which are hollow, similar to a needle) in human or animal waste. They then would place these sticks, point up in the ground, leaving them from 4-6 inches exposed, so that soldiers coming through would step on them and be taken off of the battle field. The articles I read said they were very effective, thousands of people have lost their foot due to the infections from the wounds of punji sicks. 

So why would one of these vietnamese booby traps be on federal land in Tennessee?

As Joshua and I made our way back to the car, I kept my head down and just kept moving forward, the pain was very bad during that walk. As we made our way across the fields we noticed a motorcycle riding across the field, it seemed to be coming towards us, it then veered off and started to circle the field, it never stopped circling the field until we were back to the parking lot where we had left our car. Just after the motorcycle, a small plane started flying circles over the field as well, at that point I started to think I might want to look up and move a little faster, but still did not put two and two together.

We made it back to the car, both Joshua and I have backgrounds in healthcare. We nursed my foot as we would have a patients and I was lucky, no infection, but it took weeks before I could walk, and months before I could hike again. Those months of convalescing, not being able to do the things I wanted to do made me aware of something that has been going on right under our noses all along. 

The mexican cartels that you hear so much about in the news, the ones that killed more people in the last 10 years than all the wars in the middle east put together, they are right here, in our own backyards.

Our police departments have been reduced to common thieves, forced to confiscate property from ‘drug king pins’ so that they receive a paycheck that will actually pay the bills. 

If you are found with cash, you must now prove it isn’t drug money or it is confiscated until you do. 

There is no longer a pretense that the police must have a reason to stop you, racial profiling is encouraged in the culture that has been created within our law enforcement.

Our sons and daughters are in prison for small amounts of cannabis, while the mexican cartel is given free reign of our public parks.

People are leaving our state so that they can make a choice about their own healthcare, families with young children who are hearing about the ‘miracle properties’ of this illegal plant.

Our society has come to believe that it is ok for man to outlaw nature, we as a race have come to such a place of superiority over the world that we think we can eradicate it at will, this is very dangerous thinking, ask anyone who survived WWII.

What will really be effected if cannabis prohibition were to be repealed?

• Our Prison system will lose employees, possibly close certain locations.
• Our court system would be freed up to prosecute real criminals, the ones that are violent towards society - NO LONGER enforcing others morals on society.
• A legal market has the potential to take down a black market now controlled by crooked politicians and the mexican cartels
• Law Enforcement can enforce the law, not enforce morals
• Pharmaceutical companies will lose their economic edge on humanity, many people will choose to use cannabis as a medicine rather than allopathic healthcare.
• Both Federal and State Governments would suffer from the loss of confiscated goods.
• With the introduction of Hemp as well, the cotton,oil, logging and paper industry all have a lot to lose
• As Tennessee has been a large outdoor cannabis producer in the past, that tells us there is already an underground industry in place, a good portion of this industry will lose out, some will move into a legal industry
• As we see the mexican cartels no longer able to operate in a legal market, we may see a drop in violent crime.
• As we remove black markets that are able to corrupt our politicians, we could see some great things here in our state 

The list could go on and on. Cannabis legalization is the most moral and ethical thing any American could want today. It is moral to offer help to those who feel they must escape, It is moral to question why such a large percentage of our society feels the need to escape. It is moral to do all we can to keep Tennessee families together, both parents present. 

It is immoral to lock people up when all they are looking for is relief, whether they are a medical user or an addict, or an abuser, or just someone who had a tough day, all they want is relief. We say nothing about someone having a drink to escape, although alcohol has been proven to much more dangerous and addictive.

It is immoral  to criminalize any drug use when the pharmaceutical companies are allowed to peddle their poisons, advertising on TV, Billboards and every other media choice we have today. While millions of people die every year from these poisons, and not one death can be attributed to the illegal cannabis plant - unless you count the ones that law enforcement has caused with the war machines that our governments have equipped them with.

Although you would like to believe that this is a ‘black’ problem, a ‘mexican’ problem, a ”poor” problem,  not your problem - it is an AMERICAN problem. 

It is the vehicle with which our rights as citizens have been forfeited, It is the machine that has taken over and common sense is gone.

 When we have Law Enforcement with war machines, under investigation for ‘suspicious’ seizures on the highways and we, the people they have sworn to protect, do not call a criminal a criminal, then we are allowing our rights to slip away, we are allowing our government to become corrupted by the very black market that they will not allow us to even vote on. 

This is about more than morals. It’s about economy, it’s about civil rights, its about our freedom under the constitution and its about caring for our country, all of our country no matter what color or creed they happen to be.

If you agree with this, please get involved, there are many organizations here that can help;
Norml
Tennesseans for Compassionate Care
Or write your story and send it to the Johnson City Press - they asked for it….

If you know of other resources for Tenneseeans to turn to, please leave them in the comments, Please and Thank-you!