I love Barney Frank. And not because he’s some super amazing guy (although he is). I love the man because he has common sense – and unlike most politicians – he uses it in Congress!
Today Barney Frank introduced legislation that would end the unethical criminalization of millions of hard working Americans simply because they use cannabis instead of alcohol or tobacco.
“The Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2008” is long over due. In 1972 the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse also came to the conclusion that responsible cannabis use should not carry criminal sanctions. Of course Richard Nixon ignored that report and charged ahead with the drug war. Screw those damn hippies!
In Barney’s own words, “In my view, having federal law enforcement agents engaged in the prosecution of people who are personally using marijuana is a waste of scarce resources better used for serious crimes.”
Here’s his appearance on Bill Maher a few weeks ago when he announced the Bill he just introduced.
I know that this bill won’t pass, but so does Barney. Of course he’d like it to pass but he’s doing it because it’s time to start the debate. At a time of war with fundamental extremists who have already committed a historic attack on America, can Uncle Sam really afford to be arresting, prosecuting, jailing, and imprisoning peaceful Americans? Americans whose only “crime” is that they chose to relax by packing a bowl of green instead of drinking a few Miller High Life’s? Cannabis laws don’t make sense do they?
While Barney’s at it he should write legislation that would allow American farmers to grow hemp for biofuel (and way more). That way the price of corn can come back down and maybe then we could afford to ship more food to places around the world that are starving. Then people can stop killing each other over food and eating dirt cookies to survive.
Why they continue to fight a war against the cannabis plant is beyond me. It’s starting to border on a viscious, unjustified, cultural genocide. I’m glad I’m on the good guys side. I’m positive that history will show that what was done to the cannabis culture was a cruel social experiment gone terribly wrong.
How much longer is this experiment going to last?
