Mother Should I Build A Wall

Even in the most progressive cities across the U.S., it's still quite easy to find ignorant mothers who just want to shield their children from the growing cultural acceptance of marijuana in their communities (Oregonian 9/21).

Ignorance - a strong word - identifies a certain group of people who, for their own prejudices, feel entitled to speak out against the legalization/decriminalization/ recreationalizing of cannabis as an alternative.

Their voice on the matter is null and void because it does not affect them. They don't use cannabis and have a willful purpose in life to stand against it no matter what: and this is because they don't care to understand the growing body of research that supports cannabis use. And why should they?

A Right To Legitimate Business

The fact is, Pot Shops are merchants, and like it or not, they join the same communities that are already congested with other merchants who peddle wares like hard liquor, beer, wine, cigarettes, snuff, vapor pens, hooka lounges, strip clubs and porno.

Did I forget to mention bars, pubs, saloons and ale houses? Also, Portland - as the micro-brew capital of the world - hosts over 60 microbreweries in the metropolitan area alone. It almost seems like most Portland  moms against legalization of pot are actually just drunks with an axe to grind.

We Oregonians celebrate Oktoberfest by way of festivals, and we certainly don't limit beer sampling to the month of October. Portland seems to host drinking festivals once a month somewhere, sometime, in some kind of unique glass.

Dare we shield our children from an entire riverfront of drunks? Nope, we bring home that souvenir beer glass, the only thing aside from a massive hangover. It's a trophy we place in our cupboards for everyday use, up until it breaks. That custom festival glass had once contained intoxicants and an evening of true hedonism was explored - because this is a legal and exotic thing to do.

In fact, alcohol consumption in America is so culturally acceptable that to most it is regarded a civil right. And while virtually no real group opposes alcohol as legal substance to imbibe, there are no legal alternatives for recreational use.

No legal alternatives to alcohol is the crux of the matter.

Mother Will They Drop The Bomb?

Mothers raise their children to demonize what the government condemns. The Feds have condemned marijuana from Reefer Madness to present. Mothers toes the line.

Mothers, your children, they are beautiful, successful, righteous even. But they are violent, are they not? Your pot-hating children usually go on to military service, or college football, law enforcement, corrections officers, security, civil servants or even emergency services. We are so proud of your honorable children, they are the backbone to our society; they provide mental and physical labors that are contrary to what marijuana use fosters.

Marijuana consumption promotes camaraderie, hosts free-thinking and inhibits aggression. These are the very three effects that run contrary to the way these services and leagues operate. A stoned defensive back would get beat to his quarterback, law enforcement would not combat crime as effectively, and the U.S. Military, well...they would laugh in your face.

But let's not play down the true effects if these people were able to partake: NFL players would mitigate their opiate intake, officers would beat and kill less people, and the U.S. Military would reduce their suicide rate by at least half.

Reflecting Compassion as a Voter

Marijuana has been proven to reduce the amount of brain cells destroyed by an evening of binge drinking by up to 40%. Tell that to people who only drink and fear marijuana. This principal pertains to the large group who could partake in marijuana but choose not to. These are naysayers who - possibly by their upbringing, military service or moral standards - have never considered cannabis an alternative for recreational substance.

These are voters who - by lack of compassion for others - have zero moral ground to vote no.  They may abstain, but in the end, a no vote on marijuana in any community, city or state goes on your conscience.

Marijuana intensifies the effects of all others drugs and intoxicants, including alcohol. Don't those fancy drinks cost a bit? As a drinker, one would typically need up to a third less alcohol to reach an inebriated state when consuming marijuana. Most profound is that patients who use opiates to control pain have been able to reduce opiate dosages up to 70% when incorporating marijuana in their medication regiment. The significance of this is that during a 70 marijuana prohibition, patients the world over have been over-prescribed opiates - and millions of overdose deaths have resulted - when drug policy puts politics before people.

The American Disability Act of 1964

Over 50 years ago Congress passed the ADA. This gave unconditional rights to the handicapped, the disabled, the elderly. Of these rights came access, in the form of reserved storefront parking spaces. Without the ADA, these groups would not have their rights. Left to the states, 1964 certainly lacked a majority of compassionate voters.

Fifty years later, the mentally disabled need their rights, too - a right to a powerful plant that has no less that 150 amazing uses and treatments - a plant that we may one day prove contains all the secrets to leading a happy and full life.

But left to voters across red and blue states, here in 21st century we still see a disproportionate group of voters who lack compassion for their fellow human being.

If the ADA were left to these voters today, the disabled would not have their parking spaces.

In this light, how can anyone really oppose marijuana legalization?