Don't you just hate the way hippies and liberals are always trying to get marijuana relegalized so they can smoke it without fear of going to jail like potheads should??
Well, rejoice!
According to these self-described Moderates and Centerists Strong Majorities Believe Marijuana Should Be Legalized, Taxed and Regulated.
Check out the linked site's self-description:
An Internet hub for moderates, centrists, and independents, with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, and right
Hooray!
So now you can get this information from people who aren't long-haired dirty fucking hippie liberals, like me.
You can get it from normal, adult serious people who want to make certain they are not too far away from the magical Center of All Things.
In that linked article, which is your basic blog-style compliation of other research, they who call themselves moderates begin with a report from the Economist
THIS week’s Economist-YouGov poll contains some exciting news for devotees of the weed. A huge majority of Americans, more than two to one once don’t knows have been excluded, support the legalisation and taxation of marijuana. Even without excluding the don’t knows, a clear majority favours treating the drug equivalently to tobacco and alcohol.
It's funny we have to hear this from foreign media.
Of course, we have to hear it from foreign media because American media is pretty-much finished. It's a wholly-owned tool of the Wealthy Plutonomists who are currently in the midst of very actively trying to reduce this country to a 3rd World backwater. You can't learn anything important from American media in a timely manner. Not anymore.
You can get unquestioned rightwing blather, but that is about it.
I digress.
We have a chart!
For what it is worth,most Americans want cannabis reform.
Most. Meaning more than just some. Over half.
A majority.
Not just crazed hippies like me - normal, short-haired, Izod and penny-loafer-clad mainstream representatives who wear ties.
Real people who have real jobs and responsible adult things to say. Who listen to Barbara Streisand and watch Meet the Press religiously on Sundays.
All sorts of people of disparate backgrounds coming together to say it's long past time to fix this unholy disaster. Even if some readers still wish to disagree or otherwise remain in the past.
Of course, you CAN find SOME quality reporting on this topic in America but you have to look elsewhere. It's not in the commercial mainstream corporate controlled conservative media.
Cannabis reform is banished from American media fore all intents and purposes.
Part 2: Democrats to the Rescue
A Colorado politician named Jared Polis - a...a...a Democrat! - is showing how this all can be done.
He is not afraid to champion the truth and he actually sat down with the folks from NORML - a terrorist network of hippies and lawyers historically attempting to get marijuana planted on all of America's playgrounds - and , showing other Democrats the way to go:
NORML SHOW LIVE: How has your stance on marijuana reform affected your interactions with your colleagues in the House [of Representatives]?
REP. JARED POLIS: You know, I find that a lot of members of Congress privately agree that we need to change our drug policy, they’re just still too timid or scared to come public with it. That’s kind of what I find. I find very few that are ‘hard core’ on the other side.
I find that last blurb interesting.
Republicans have reefer madness as an article of faith. An integral part of their political ideology. I know Republicans are liars but I am surprised to hear there are few 'hardcore' republicans. I am assuming 'other side' can only mean republicans.
I mean, I am happy to be in error because that means there are ever fewer barriers to finally fixing this mess.
NSL: We’re curious about your background. How did you come about the marijuana reform issue: was this personally important to you or just what shaped your views on this issue?
POLIS: Well, it’s important to a lot of my constituents. It wasn’t really an issue until Colorado passed the medical marijuana law. That was the will and law of the voters of Colorado so at the federal level I try to back that up. I try to make sure that we don’t have federal agents coming in and arresting law-abiding people in Colorado. We’re trying to open up the banking resources for Colorado dispensaries that have really faced a lot of discrimination and difficulty with normal banking services. We’re really just trying to support local businesses and my constituents.
So we can see that this particular Democratic politician may have actually listened to and valued his constituent's pleas.
Polis has discovered the facts: Americans want cannabis law reform but many are simply AFRAID to say it or talk about MOSTLY - I think - because of 40 years of rerpublican scaremongering and the viciousness with which marijuana prohibition is enforced.
Polis is so sure of this he has started a website: The Fearless Campaign which focuses on 6 hugely important progressive/liberal ideas/issues:
The Fearless Campaign is an effort launched from the halls of Congress to effectively coordinate fearless members of Congress with the passion of grassroots advocates to transform our country from the inside out. Through the Fearless Campaign, we will revolutionize our nation's approach to six issues where special interests have blocked progress for too long: drug policy, education, food policy, immigration, internet freedom and LGBT equality. This campaign was conceived by Congressman Jared Polis of Colorado. In his first term, Congressman Polis witnessed firsthand the disconnect between grassroots advocacy and the legislative process.
Unlike high-powered lobbyists, voters frequently don’t have the capacity or access to track bills and politicians around the clock. With so much of today’s political deal-making taking place behind closed doors, advocates are often locked out of opportunities to influence legislation.
So you have to look outside of America for proper news and 'journalism' but more and more you may be able to count on DEMOCRATS to be pushing for the changes we need, changed we have wanted, and change we have hoped for.
In Connecticut, the Democratic Governor there has a plan to deal with marijuana laws, mainly through 'decriminalization'.
Now, decrim is one of those half-steps politicians like because you get the veneer of change without any real actual change to upset the status quo. But they are considering it because they want to cut the wasted budget money the enforcing marijuana laws creates.
I call this "driving the car with the brake on":It's a complete and total waste of time and money that never has solved one problem other than getting more cops paid for, but it LOOKS like something has changed.
Private for-profit prisons like it too: plenty of non-violent offenders to herd around and make shitloads of taxpayer money off of.
The CT governor and his office are looking at how to stop this:
Students on Fairfield University's campus Wednesday were generally receptive to Malloy's proposal to decriminalize small amounts of pot.
"If this allows for less overcrowding in jails and less money being spent prosecuting people for a petty crime, why not?" said Andrew Paliotta, 21, of Yonkers, N.Y. "Fines will also generate revenue, something Connecticut desperately needs. I believe that marijuana will be decriminalized all over the country in the next decade but it will take the states like Connecticut and Massachusetts to lead the movement."
Caitlin Liguori, 21, of Lynbrook, N.Y., agreed, saying, "Malloy is allowing more time, energy and resources to be allocated to more serious crimes."
So: while a lot of Americans who get their news from American news outlets still buy into the scam of ages, plenty of Americans know which end is up on this topic and are demanding more and more that the situation be fixed.
Decrim - really and truly - is just a way to maintain the scam. It will never work because it doesn't deal with illegal production. It's destined to fail. However NOT doing the right thing and continuing to not do it even in the face of overwhelming facts is the Serious Responsible Adult Thing to do and it will keep cops employed.
Full legalization - just like alcohol and tobacco - is the only answer.
And plenty of people from all over the fabled political spectrum are embracing it.