I would like to make a request. Watch this film. If no other film, watch this one. Also enjoy the music.
http://theunionmovie.com/
search youtube for The Union: The Business Behind Getting High
Watch it, Research, THINK.
Please.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
How do you write what cannot be expressed? It can only be felt..
Are they thoughts? They are everything. Tiny morsels of information passed down from God knows when...continuing. Just continuing. What else is there to do than be? When all is said and done, it call comes back around to the beginning.
Are you aware of your own awareness?
Are they thoughts? They are everything. Tiny morsels of information passed down from God knows when...continuing. Just continuing. What else is there to do than be? When all is said and done, it call comes back around to the beginning.
Are you aware of your own awareness?
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Current Interests
So I've had a few things that I have been getting into lately that I would like to share. First, I have been reading a book entitled Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self by Richard Waggoner. Lucid dreaming is a topic that I have become enthralled with as of late. I think one reason for this is because lucid dreaming is in the same realm as all other psychedelic experiences...after all, dreams are just DMT trips at night. This book has presented a lot of information so that one can use lucid dreaming to explore the mind. I feel this information could really lend a hand in the realm of exploring other psychedelic experiences.
Here's a link to the book I'm reading:
http://www.lucidadvice.com/
Secondly, it turns out that I will be taking Asian Philosophy this semester and in the spirit of that, I am getting into the art of meditation. More specifically I'm reading up on Mindfulness which is a meditation practice commonly used in cognitive behavioral therapy and Buddhist meditative practice. One man that I have studied is a Vietnamese Buddhist named Thich Nhat Hanh. Here is a good introduction to him. A youtube search will provide a wealth of information.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZKrl5n79hY
Check it out. Do your homework.
Here's a link to the book I'm reading:
http://www.lucidadvice.com/
Secondly, it turns out that I will be taking Asian Philosophy this semester and in the spirit of that, I am getting into the art of meditation. More specifically I'm reading up on Mindfulness which is a meditation practice commonly used in cognitive behavioral therapy and Buddhist meditative practice. One man that I have studied is a Vietnamese Buddhist named Thich Nhat Hanh. Here is a good introduction to him. A youtube search will provide a wealth of information.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZKrl5n79hY
Check it out. Do your homework.
I'm Back
So...I took a long break once the semester began and I had to get back to work. But now I am back in action. Stay posted to find a real post coming shortly.
Farewell,
Jason
Farewell,
Jason
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Marijuana Inc. on CNBC at 8pm
Don't miss out on CNBC's special "Marijuana Inc." tonight at 8pm central time. CNBC has a poll asking whether or not the reader supports the decriminalization of marijuana. The results have been a resounding 98% Yes. Yes we DO support decriminalization. Yes. Yes. YES.
Please America, end the ridiculously expensive (both monetary and personal) War on Drugs. It did not work, is not working, and will not work. Let's get smart about our drug laws!
Let's just hope this special will be an unbiased look at the marijuana industry in America. Be sure to tune in!
Please America, end the ridiculously expensive (both monetary and personal) War on Drugs. It did not work, is not working, and will not work. Let's get smart about our drug laws!
Let's just hope this special will be an unbiased look at the marijuana industry in America. Be sure to tune in!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Change.org
So a website called Change.org decided to compile a list of ideas voted on by the American people to give to the President-elect. Change.org also claims that they will create ways to further the ideas in policy. This sounds good, but we have heard it all before. So what was the number one question?
Ending Marijuana Prohibition of course.
Change.gov (not to be confused with Change.org) is the website of the President-elect. It is currently compiling ideas to go into a "Citizens Debriefing Book" in which Mr. Obama is supposed to take the top ideas and work on while he is president. So what is the number one issue?
Ending Marijuana Prohibition of course.
Change.gov had also held two different instances of their Ideas for Change application of voting in which citizens asked questions to be answered by the transition team. What dominated both?
Ending Marijuana Prohibition of course.
We have several states currently working on new controversial legislation to join the many states that have decriminalized marijuana and legalized medical marijuana. Mainstream media is finally showing glimpses of giving marijuana prohibition a critical look. Polls show that Americans support ending marijuana prohibition.
So Mr. Obama...what now? You asked for what the people want and they have spoken. We don't expect to have marijuana legalized overnight by any means, but we do want to be taken seriously.
Ending Marijuana Prohibition of course.
Change.gov (not to be confused with Change.org) is the website of the President-elect. It is currently compiling ideas to go into a "Citizens Debriefing Book" in which Mr. Obama is supposed to take the top ideas and work on while he is president. So what is the number one issue?
Ending Marijuana Prohibition of course.
Change.gov had also held two different instances of their Ideas for Change application of voting in which citizens asked questions to be answered by the transition team. What dominated both?
Ending Marijuana Prohibition of course.
We have several states currently working on new controversial legislation to join the many states that have decriminalized marijuana and legalized medical marijuana. Mainstream media is finally showing glimpses of giving marijuana prohibition a critical look. Polls show that Americans support ending marijuana prohibition.
So Mr. Obama...what now? You asked for what the people want and they have spoken. We don't expect to have marijuana legalized overnight by any means, but we do want to be taken seriously.
Friday, January 16, 2009
UM NORML update
Greetings readers,
I met with the University of Mississippi chapter of NORML's future faculty adviser Neil Manson today. He proves that this issue reaches out to more people than we think. Mr. Manson informed me that he had never tried marijuana for his own reasons, and that he was supporting us from a libertarian perspective. This is great. This is exactly what we need. It is important for people to realize that those supporting the legalization movement are not just some "lazy potheads." We are a group of individuals for one reason or another coming together to point out an injustice that needs to be corrected.
I am extremely excited about starting this NORML chapter and hopefully progressing an honest discussion about Cannabis in Mississippi.
Until next time, take it easy with a smile,
Peace,
Jason
I met with the University of Mississippi chapter of NORML's future faculty adviser Neil Manson today. He proves that this issue reaches out to more people than we think. Mr. Manson informed me that he had never tried marijuana for his own reasons, and that he was supporting us from a libertarian perspective. This is great. This is exactly what we need. It is important for people to realize that those supporting the legalization movement are not just some "lazy potheads." We are a group of individuals for one reason or another coming together to point out an injustice that needs to be corrected.
I am extremely excited about starting this NORML chapter and hopefully progressing an honest discussion about Cannabis in Mississippi.
Until next time, take it easy with a smile,
Peace,
Jason
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
New ONDCP Anti-Marijuana Ad
Greetings readers,
Check out this new ad from our lovely Drug Czar:
Maybe it is just me, but...does this not either sound like a) they have been drinking alcohol....or b) are just normal teenagers?
I think I have to say this may be the worst one yet. Ambiguity embraced 100%.
Congratulations John Walters,
Goodbye, and good riddance.
Check out this new ad from our lovely Drug Czar:
Maybe it is just me, but...does this not either sound like a) they have been drinking alcohol....or b) are just normal teenagers?
I think I have to say this may be the worst one yet. Ambiguity embraced 100%.
Congratulations John Walters,
Goodbye, and good riddance.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
A Good Month
Greetings Readers,
So it seems that January '09 is becoming the month for marijuana. Perhaps with any luck the year '09 will become the year for marijuana. So let me try and lay things out, if I can.
In the brief half month that has passed this year:
El Paso is finally thinking about calling it quits on marijuana. Apparently the attorney general took one big look at the drug cartel wars on the border and saw a sort of resolution. "Why don't we legalize it?" Of course this proposal was quickly vetoed by the mayor, but sources say that they are voting on whether or not to overturn that veto. Whether or not they do or do not overturn the veto, it is important to see the bigger picture. El Paso is one of the cities that originally started the criminalization of marijuana, and now they are actually proposing to just end it once and for all. This says wonders for where we are at in this battle.
Once again on the President-elect's website, Change.gov, there was an astounding response to the Open for Questions feature. The public gave massive support to questions relating to drug law reform. Of course, yet again, the transition team failed to answer these questions.
Change.org is compiling its own questions to ask the president-elect at a press conference on Friday. Currently the top question confronts legalizing marijuana.
Mainstream media is finally jumping on the bandwagon. You can view one of my previous posts to see that major news networks are having specials on medical marijuana, the dangers of being an informant for the police, and the wasteful spending of the war on drugs. Also, last month National Geographic came out with their special Marijuana Nation. Look at my previous articles or goto NORML.org to read more about these specials that are coming out this week and next.
We have a new administration coming in. The President-elect has said in 2004 that the "war on drugs has been an utter failure, and we need to rethink and decriminalize our marijuana laws." The President-elect has also stated that he does not think we should use federal resources to prosecute medical marijuana users. Mr. Obama has also admitted to using marijuana and cocaine as a young adult. Obama has still yet to pick the new drug czar, the head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and this is keeping all of us that are a part of this fight on edge. He states he wants to work on a platform of science, so let's hope that is true and maintains.
Finally, at the beginning of this year, law went into place in Massachusettes that decriminalizes marijuana and brings it down to a civil offence if someone is caught with an ounce or less. Of course the law enforcement are fighting this, but the people have spoken and the law is the law.
I'm sure I am forgetting some things, but a lot is happening. Keep holding your breath. It is small steps that brings us to the end. Lots of small steps. This issue has really come a long way and I feel that we are on the latter part of the war. The war may not be over any time soon, but we are closer than farther away. Just keep reading, keep learning, keep talking, and keep fighting. I know that many do not understand the passion behind what we are doing, and I understand, but to many of us, this is much more than a battle to use a substance legally. This is a battle for our freedom when it comes right down to it. This country was founded on the principles that as long we are not hurting anyone, we can live how we see fit...we can live in the way that makes us happy. It does not matter if someone else disagrees with it or thinks it is wrong.
This is a huge fight to show that the people can change things. This is a fight to restore an America that we've only read about in history books. It is a fight that once you legitimately face head on with an open heart, you cannot turn from.
So it seems that January '09 is becoming the month for marijuana. Perhaps with any luck the year '09 will become the year for marijuana. So let me try and lay things out, if I can.
In the brief half month that has passed this year:
El Paso is finally thinking about calling it quits on marijuana. Apparently the attorney general took one big look at the drug cartel wars on the border and saw a sort of resolution. "Why don't we legalize it?" Of course this proposal was quickly vetoed by the mayor, but sources say that they are voting on whether or not to overturn that veto. Whether or not they do or do not overturn the veto, it is important to see the bigger picture. El Paso is one of the cities that originally started the criminalization of marijuana, and now they are actually proposing to just end it once and for all. This says wonders for where we are at in this battle.
Once again on the President-elect's website, Change.gov, there was an astounding response to the Open for Questions feature. The public gave massive support to questions relating to drug law reform. Of course, yet again, the transition team failed to answer these questions.
Change.org is compiling its own questions to ask the president-elect at a press conference on Friday. Currently the top question confronts legalizing marijuana.
Mainstream media is finally jumping on the bandwagon. You can view one of my previous posts to see that major news networks are having specials on medical marijuana, the dangers of being an informant for the police, and the wasteful spending of the war on drugs. Also, last month National Geographic came out with their special Marijuana Nation. Look at my previous articles or goto NORML.org to read more about these specials that are coming out this week and next.
We have a new administration coming in. The President-elect has said in 2004 that the "war on drugs has been an utter failure, and we need to rethink and decriminalize our marijuana laws." The President-elect has also stated that he does not think we should use federal resources to prosecute medical marijuana users. Mr. Obama has also admitted to using marijuana and cocaine as a young adult. Obama has still yet to pick the new drug czar, the head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and this is keeping all of us that are a part of this fight on edge. He states he wants to work on a platform of science, so let's hope that is true and maintains.
Finally, at the beginning of this year, law went into place in Massachusettes that decriminalizes marijuana and brings it down to a civil offence if someone is caught with an ounce or less. Of course the law enforcement are fighting this, but the people have spoken and the law is the law.
I'm sure I am forgetting some things, but a lot is happening. Keep holding your breath. It is small steps that brings us to the end. Lots of small steps. This issue has really come a long way and I feel that we are on the latter part of the war. The war may not be over any time soon, but we are closer than farther away. Just keep reading, keep learning, keep talking, and keep fighting. I know that many do not understand the passion behind what we are doing, and I understand, but to many of us, this is much more than a battle to use a substance legally. This is a battle for our freedom when it comes right down to it. This country was founded on the principles that as long we are not hurting anyone, we can live how we see fit...we can live in the way that makes us happy. It does not matter if someone else disagrees with it or thinks it is wrong.
This is a huge fight to show that the people can change things. This is a fight to restore an America that we've only read about in history books. It is a fight that once you legitimately face head on with an open heart, you cannot turn from.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Ole Miss NORML Chapter
Greetings readers,
I am delighted to let all of you know that I am currently working with NORML to try and establish the first NORML chapter for Mississippi here at the University of Mississippi. I am working on communicating with the Dean of Students and other faculty to get the ball rolling, but I hope to have everything up and running very soon.
For those of you that do not know, NORML is working hard lobbying around the country and spreading a wealth of information to the general public about our laws concerning Cannabis. They hope to end the arrests of non-violent offenders and change the issue from a criminal issue to a health issue.
For more info visit: http://norml.org
If you are interested in being a part of this organization please let me know as I am the one putting it all together.
Until next time, take it easy with a smile!
Yours truly,
Jason.
I am delighted to let all of you know that I am currently working with NORML to try and establish the first NORML chapter for Mississippi here at the University of Mississippi. I am working on communicating with the Dean of Students and other faculty to get the ball rolling, but I hope to have everything up and running very soon.
For those of you that do not know, NORML is working hard lobbying around the country and spreading a wealth of information to the general public about our laws concerning Cannabis. They hope to end the arrests of non-violent offenders and change the issue from a criminal issue to a health issue.
For more info visit: http://norml.org
If you are interested in being a part of this organization please let me know as I am the one putting it all together.
Until next time, take it easy with a smile!
Yours truly,
Jason.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
New Arrival
Greetings readers,
So I just got my copy of the High Times Pot Smoker's Handbook. I saw this online and thought I just had to check it out. It is packed with a wealth of information about the history of this mysterious plant, cannabis culture, cannabis foods, the laws, and cultivation. It also contains a look at the top Cannabis affiliated movies, books, and music. One highlight of the book is a list of 420 things to do whilst stoned. This list is lackluster but is still fun to read through. My favorite thing about the book is just its informative nature. I learned a lot I did not know, like the University of Mississippi has supposedly developed its own strain dubbed "G13" by the Cannabis community. "G" for "government" and "13" for the 13th letter of the alphabet, "m" for "marijuana." Thus the government marijuana is G13. If anyone has twenty bucks to blow, I would recommend picking this up from Amazon.com. It is an entertaining read if nothing else and provides a wealth of information to the ignorant and knowledgeable alike!
From anecdotal evidence I have concluded that the ping pong ball is making a come back. Currently there are eight ping pong balls flying about in my apartment room in a simulated ping pong ball military attack. It proves incredibly enjoyable and I encourage everyone to try it. Just take the ball and pinch it between your thumb and index finger until it shoots out.
Until next time, take it easy with a smile.
Peace,
Jason.
So I just got my copy of the High Times Pot Smoker's Handbook. I saw this online and thought I just had to check it out. It is packed with a wealth of information about the history of this mysterious plant, cannabis culture, cannabis foods, the laws, and cultivation. It also contains a look at the top Cannabis affiliated movies, books, and music. One highlight of the book is a list of 420 things to do whilst stoned. This list is lackluster but is still fun to read through. My favorite thing about the book is just its informative nature. I learned a lot I did not know, like the University of Mississippi has supposedly developed its own strain dubbed "G13" by the Cannabis community. "G" for "government" and "13" for the 13th letter of the alphabet, "m" for "marijuana." Thus the government marijuana is G13. If anyone has twenty bucks to blow, I would recommend picking this up from Amazon.com. It is an entertaining read if nothing else and provides a wealth of information to the ignorant and knowledgeable alike!
From anecdotal evidence I have concluded that the ping pong ball is making a come back. Currently there are eight ping pong balls flying about in my apartment room in a simulated ping pong ball military attack. It proves incredibly enjoyable and I encourage everyone to try it. Just take the ball and pinch it between your thumb and index finger until it shoots out.
Until next time, take it easy with a smile.
Peace,
Jason.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Prohibition Media Coverage Announced by NORML
Greetings friends,
If you are in the world of drug law reform, then this month may be exciting for you. I have just had it brought to my attention via NORML.org that major media networks are all putting together one hour programs relating to Cannabis and its prohibition in some way.
Dateline - Friday, January 16th
Dateline will be showing a one hour piece on the death of Rachel Hoffman. Rachel Hoffman was only one of many tragic deaths that come with the dangers of becoming an informant for law enforcement. Her death is causing law enforcement to reexamine how they are handling their laws and if perhaps prohibition is really the best option. (If you are EVER asked to be an informant, do NOT agree to do it. It is dangerous and does nothing to help to end prohibition. It only causes further spending, ruining someone's life, and may not help you at all.)
ABC 20/20 - Showtime either Friday 9th or 16th at 10pm Eastern
ABC's 20/20 is putting together a story about the government's wasteful spending and overreach. Specifically they will focus on a Cannabis dispensary owner named Charles Lynch. Charles Lynch operates a medical Cannabis dispensary openly abiding by California state law but the federal government continues to raid and arrest Cannabis dispensary operators.
CNBC Marijuana Inc. - January 21st, 9pm Eastern
This special will focus on the billion dollar untaxed marijuana industry in the United States. They will be showing interviews with cultivators, medical Cannabis dispensary owners, average middle-class Cannabis consumers, and law enforcement. This is sure to be quite interesting.
The good news is that finally the issue of Cannabis and its costly prohibition are being brought into the national media spotlight. This puts me on edge though because one can only hope that they will view prohibition more critically than National Geographic's recent Marijuana Nation. It is critical that the public see exactly how much prohibition is costing us, how much prohibition is hurting us, and how most of the people that are using Cannabis are just normal people that lead normal lives. There is a huge untapped resource in Cannabis for recreational, medicinal, and industrial uses. With just a change of legislation, we could open up millions of jobs, gain billions in taxed revenue, and even grow our own industrial Cannabis for all of the thousands of uses it serves as a fibre, oil, fuel, food, clothing, plastic, and more. It is important for this concept to creep into the minds of America.
I hope that all of you will keep tabs on these specials and try and catch them. If you miss them I am sure you will be able to find them online somewhere. At any rate, keep these specials on your mind, and try to view them with a critical but open mind. Also, research. Learn, learn, learn.
Until next time, take it easy with a smile,
Peace,
Jason.
If you are in the world of drug law reform, then this month may be exciting for you. I have just had it brought to my attention via NORML.org that major media networks are all putting together one hour programs relating to Cannabis and its prohibition in some way.
Dateline - Friday, January 16th
Dateline will be showing a one hour piece on the death of Rachel Hoffman. Rachel Hoffman was only one of many tragic deaths that come with the dangers of becoming an informant for law enforcement. Her death is causing law enforcement to reexamine how they are handling their laws and if perhaps prohibition is really the best option. (If you are EVER asked to be an informant, do NOT agree to do it. It is dangerous and does nothing to help to end prohibition. It only causes further spending, ruining someone's life, and may not help you at all.)
ABC 20/20 - Showtime either Friday 9th or 16th at 10pm Eastern
ABC's 20/20 is putting together a story about the government's wasteful spending and overreach. Specifically they will focus on a Cannabis dispensary owner named Charles Lynch. Charles Lynch operates a medical Cannabis dispensary openly abiding by California state law but the federal government continues to raid and arrest Cannabis dispensary operators.
CNBC Marijuana Inc. - January 21st, 9pm Eastern
This special will focus on the billion dollar untaxed marijuana industry in the United States. They will be showing interviews with cultivators, medical Cannabis dispensary owners, average middle-class Cannabis consumers, and law enforcement. This is sure to be quite interesting.
The good news is that finally the issue of Cannabis and its costly prohibition are being brought into the national media spotlight. This puts me on edge though because one can only hope that they will view prohibition more critically than National Geographic's recent Marijuana Nation. It is critical that the public see exactly how much prohibition is costing us, how much prohibition is hurting us, and how most of the people that are using Cannabis are just normal people that lead normal lives. There is a huge untapped resource in Cannabis for recreational, medicinal, and industrial uses. With just a change of legislation, we could open up millions of jobs, gain billions in taxed revenue, and even grow our own industrial Cannabis for all of the thousands of uses it serves as a fibre, oil, fuel, food, clothing, plastic, and more. It is important for this concept to creep into the minds of America.
I hope that all of you will keep tabs on these specials and try and catch them. If you miss them I am sure you will be able to find them online somewhere. At any rate, keep these specials on your mind, and try to view them with a critical but open mind. Also, research. Learn, learn, learn.
Until next time, take it easy with a smile,
Peace,
Jason.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Dispatches from (A)mended America
Greetings readers,
This will be my first real "blog" outside of old blogs and greetings.
So currently I find myself contently resting in a recliner in Oxford, MS. My friend, Jason Nichols, is here with me and we have found ourselves in the most interesting of predicaments. We are currently housing two documentary makers of some sort that hail from New York City. They are a delight. They are currently gathering interviews with the general public around the South about the impact of Mr. Obama winning the election. We have certainly had a good time thus far engaging in delightfully stunning conversation concerning politics, music, and the usual. I'll keep you informed on our adventures.
Their project can be found on facebook by searching for "Dispatches from Amended America"
They also have a blog that can be found via the Facebook.
Godfrey and Brandt have a very intriguing project going on here and it is definitely worth keeping tabs on! Supposedly I am getting interviewed so we will see how that goes.
Until further notice, Farewell and great tidings,
Jason.
This will be my first real "blog" outside of old blogs and greetings.
So currently I find myself contently resting in a recliner in Oxford, MS. My friend, Jason Nichols, is here with me and we have found ourselves in the most interesting of predicaments. We are currently housing two documentary makers of some sort that hail from New York City. They are a delight. They are currently gathering interviews with the general public around the South about the impact of Mr. Obama winning the election. We have certainly had a good time thus far engaging in delightfully stunning conversation concerning politics, music, and the usual. I'll keep you informed on our adventures.
Their project can be found on facebook by searching for "Dispatches from Amended America"
They also have a blog that can be found via the Facebook.
Godfrey and Brandt have a very intriguing project going on here and it is definitely worth keeping tabs on! Supposedly I am getting interviewed so we will see how that goes.
Until further notice, Farewell and great tidings,
Jason.
Financial Aid and Drug Laws
Greetings readers,
As the beginning of the school semester draws near, I feel I just have to talk about something that a few of you may be unaware of. Currently, the law on the books for students receiving financial aid (which I feel is most of us) reads that any student that is receiving federal financial aid, if convicted of a drug charge, misdemeanor or felony, must lose and be denied aid. Right now how it works is, for your first conviction, you lose aid for one year, for the second conviction, two years, third conviction, aid is lost indefinitely. This does not take into account how hard it may be to regain the same aid that you had once it has been gone for any amount of time on top of the simple fact that once someone takes a year off from school, it can be hard to get back in. Now does anyone else see anything wrong with this picture?
I’ll save my usual rants for the end of this writing, but for now let’s talk about what I haven’t previously touched on. One, besides the fact that it is pretty well known that a lot of college students choose to experiment in drugs. Our friendly president-elect Mr. Obama has admitted to trying marijuana and cocaine. Now, with this piece of legislation, it does not matter whether you are a first time user, regular recreational user, addict, or if you are upholding a great GPA while you choose to use, if you get caught, you essentially get kicked out of school. This also does not take into consideration whether or not the law you broke was a misdemeanor or a felony. In many states now (including Mississippi) there are decriminalization laws in place that reduce the severity of punishment for small amounts (under 30 grams in MS) of marijuana. So think about this, if you are convicted of a misdemeanor possession of marijuana charge of less than one ounce, you lose your federal aid for a year on top of paying the fine and all the trouble that comes with the legal system itself. Now on top of losing the aid, it becomes nearly impossible to get it again. If someone commits a felony rape offense, they can still get aid once they get through the legal system. Why are misdemeanor drug charges (which are almost always for possession) treated the same as or more harshly than other felony charges? It is very confusing and it becomes obvious that this piece of legislation was not written very well.
Here comes the part that bothers me the most. The biggest drug problem on college campuses is (drum roll please…) alcohol. BUT if someone is convicted of an alcohol offense, including underage drinking, they are not affected outside of the legal system. What sense does this make? Legality aside, a drug is a drug is a drug. Alcohol kills more people than all the other drugs (minus tobacco), but apparently that is not the issue here.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has stated that they have found no evidence that this legislation has deterred drug use. Well then why in the hell does it exist?
We’re taking up anyone that we see that chooses to use a substance other than the currently legally acceptable (let’s not make any distinctions between use, abuse, and addiction), and on top of stamping their permanent record with a drug charge that will already make it difficult to find a job, we are going to deny them aid and make them drop out of college? Shouldn’t we want people going to school, maturing, working toward degrees, and benefitting society?? Oh yeah, on top of all of this, they also cannot vote. Does this seem asinine to anyone else?
I am sick and tired of seeing how poorly this country is run and how inconsiderate a human race we have become. What is wrong with us? When will the United States stop locking up a quarter of the human population? When will we begin to make strides to HELP people? Let’s distinguish between the people that choose to use and the people that end up abusing and getting addicted. Let’s get the addicts help, provide real education for both the users and the non-users, and encourage learning and becoming a great contributor to society. We are the ones telling drug users that they will amount to nothing. We are the ones that give them no chance. We are a sick and dying country.
You can make fun of this problem and me for supporting a resolution to it all you want, but that will not make a seriously problem go away. This is a real problem and we need to wake up and realize what we are doing. It is time to tell our law makers, drug use is a health problem and NOT a criminal problem. We don’t arrest alcoholics or cigarette smokers…now why is that? The drug problem should only be a criminal problem when an impaired individual is endangering someone else.
So, if you have been convicted of a drug charge and need financial aid, is there hope? Yes, there is. You get to become a statistic. You get to play into their machine that keeps it all going. If you are convicted, there is a chance that you could attend a treatment center for a disease that you may or may not have. In turn, they will add you to the number of those in treatment for whichever drug you were busted for (probably marijuana). You’ll get to be treated like a drug addict whether you are or not. You will have to give up your civil liberties and submit to random drug tests the entire time so that they can monitor what you are putting in your body at all times. And then maybe, just maybe, if you play their game, they’ll play yours and give you your money back so that you can go back to school. No telling what happens to you during that time that you’re out of school and whether or not you will want to go back.
And in turn for you doing all of that, they get to add you as a statistic to turn to so they can say, “Hey look! These drugs are even worse than we thought! Look at all of these kids getting admitted into treatment for (drug of choice). This means we have to crack down more than ever! Tighten the punishment! That will keep our youth off of drugs.
Give me a break. Prohibition has never worked, and will never work. It is time to start to regain some trust in our government. How about we handle the situation for what it is. There are drugs. People are going to use drugs. They have for all of history. With that knowledge, let’s instead try and truly educate ourselves about these drugs so that we know what they do to us and the possible health risks associated with them. We could offer treatment to those with a problem. And perhaps we could even begin to regulate them so that we could accurately research them and treat them according to a margin of safety like every other legal substance. Simply waving a magic wand of prohibition will not make the problem of drug use go away.
Want an example of how a system of regulation and education can work? Look at cigarettes. The biggest killer of them all and one of the most addictive, and yet, more and more people are quitting and simply choosing not to start smoking. Why? Education. We know more now than we did before. We know that people DO die from these things and they DO cause serious side effects. People are still going to smoke, of course, but the fact that there has been a great reduction in use over the years shows that a system of education works far better than a system of “Just Say No.”
Now that I have gotten my usual spill out of the way, I hope that any of you reading will take what I say seriously because all of this IS a serious issue. It is important that you take it upon yourself and research and learn the truth because the government sure is not going to feed you with good information most of the time. Please educate yourselves and let your law makers know that you do not support this sort of thinking any longer! One reason that most law makers do not support this kind of reform is because they do not hear from those that they represent. We need to let them know that it would NOT be political suicide to support drug law reform; it would just be common sense.
We need to get smart about our drug laws.
We need to get smart about our kids.
Let’s encourage support. Let’s encourage love.
We’ve tried a doctrine of fear and hate for half a century, how about a doctrine of compassion?
Thanks for your time,
Jason.
Remember, get out there and research. We can change things, we just have to learn things.
As the beginning of the school semester draws near, I feel I just have to talk about something that a few of you may be unaware of. Currently, the law on the books for students receiving financial aid (which I feel is most of us) reads that any student that is receiving federal financial aid, if convicted of a drug charge, misdemeanor or felony, must lose and be denied aid. Right now how it works is, for your first conviction, you lose aid for one year, for the second conviction, two years, third conviction, aid is lost indefinitely. This does not take into account how hard it may be to regain the same aid that you had once it has been gone for any amount of time on top of the simple fact that once someone takes a year off from school, it can be hard to get back in. Now does anyone else see anything wrong with this picture?
I’ll save my usual rants for the end of this writing, but for now let’s talk about what I haven’t previously touched on. One, besides the fact that it is pretty well known that a lot of college students choose to experiment in drugs. Our friendly president-elect Mr. Obama has admitted to trying marijuana and cocaine. Now, with this piece of legislation, it does not matter whether you are a first time user, regular recreational user, addict, or if you are upholding a great GPA while you choose to use, if you get caught, you essentially get kicked out of school. This also does not take into consideration whether or not the law you broke was a misdemeanor or a felony. In many states now (including Mississippi) there are decriminalization laws in place that reduce the severity of punishment for small amounts (under 30 grams in MS) of marijuana. So think about this, if you are convicted of a misdemeanor possession of marijuana charge of less than one ounce, you lose your federal aid for a year on top of paying the fine and all the trouble that comes with the legal system itself. Now on top of losing the aid, it becomes nearly impossible to get it again. If someone commits a felony rape offense, they can still get aid once they get through the legal system. Why are misdemeanor drug charges (which are almost always for possession) treated the same as or more harshly than other felony charges? It is very confusing and it becomes obvious that this piece of legislation was not written very well.
Here comes the part that bothers me the most. The biggest drug problem on college campuses is (drum roll please…) alcohol. BUT if someone is convicted of an alcohol offense, including underage drinking, they are not affected outside of the legal system. What sense does this make? Legality aside, a drug is a drug is a drug. Alcohol kills more people than all the other drugs (minus tobacco), but apparently that is not the issue here.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has stated that they have found no evidence that this legislation has deterred drug use. Well then why in the hell does it exist?
We’re taking up anyone that we see that chooses to use a substance other than the currently legally acceptable (let’s not make any distinctions between use, abuse, and addiction), and on top of stamping their permanent record with a drug charge that will already make it difficult to find a job, we are going to deny them aid and make them drop out of college? Shouldn’t we want people going to school, maturing, working toward degrees, and benefitting society?? Oh yeah, on top of all of this, they also cannot vote. Does this seem asinine to anyone else?
I am sick and tired of seeing how poorly this country is run and how inconsiderate a human race we have become. What is wrong with us? When will the United States stop locking up a quarter of the human population? When will we begin to make strides to HELP people? Let’s distinguish between the people that choose to use and the people that end up abusing and getting addicted. Let’s get the addicts help, provide real education for both the users and the non-users, and encourage learning and becoming a great contributor to society. We are the ones telling drug users that they will amount to nothing. We are the ones that give them no chance. We are a sick and dying country.
You can make fun of this problem and me for supporting a resolution to it all you want, but that will not make a seriously problem go away. This is a real problem and we need to wake up and realize what we are doing. It is time to tell our law makers, drug use is a health problem and NOT a criminal problem. We don’t arrest alcoholics or cigarette smokers…now why is that? The drug problem should only be a criminal problem when an impaired individual is endangering someone else.
So, if you have been convicted of a drug charge and need financial aid, is there hope? Yes, there is. You get to become a statistic. You get to play into their machine that keeps it all going. If you are convicted, there is a chance that you could attend a treatment center for a disease that you may or may not have. In turn, they will add you to the number of those in treatment for whichever drug you were busted for (probably marijuana). You’ll get to be treated like a drug addict whether you are or not. You will have to give up your civil liberties and submit to random drug tests the entire time so that they can monitor what you are putting in your body at all times. And then maybe, just maybe, if you play their game, they’ll play yours and give you your money back so that you can go back to school. No telling what happens to you during that time that you’re out of school and whether or not you will want to go back.
And in turn for you doing all of that, they get to add you as a statistic to turn to so they can say, “Hey look! These drugs are even worse than we thought! Look at all of these kids getting admitted into treatment for (drug of choice). This means we have to crack down more than ever! Tighten the punishment! That will keep our youth off of drugs.
Give me a break. Prohibition has never worked, and will never work. It is time to start to regain some trust in our government. How about we handle the situation for what it is. There are drugs. People are going to use drugs. They have for all of history. With that knowledge, let’s instead try and truly educate ourselves about these drugs so that we know what they do to us and the possible health risks associated with them. We could offer treatment to those with a problem. And perhaps we could even begin to regulate them so that we could accurately research them and treat them according to a margin of safety like every other legal substance. Simply waving a magic wand of prohibition will not make the problem of drug use go away.
Want an example of how a system of regulation and education can work? Look at cigarettes. The biggest killer of them all and one of the most addictive, and yet, more and more people are quitting and simply choosing not to start smoking. Why? Education. We know more now than we did before. We know that people DO die from these things and they DO cause serious side effects. People are still going to smoke, of course, but the fact that there has been a great reduction in use over the years shows that a system of education works far better than a system of “Just Say No.”
Now that I have gotten my usual spill out of the way, I hope that any of you reading will take what I say seriously because all of this IS a serious issue. It is important that you take it upon yourself and research and learn the truth because the government sure is not going to feed you with good information most of the time. Please educate yourselves and let your law makers know that you do not support this sort of thinking any longer! One reason that most law makers do not support this kind of reform is because they do not hear from those that they represent. We need to let them know that it would NOT be political suicide to support drug law reform; it would just be common sense.
We need to get smart about our drug laws.
We need to get smart about our kids.
Let’s encourage support. Let’s encourage love.
We’ve tried a doctrine of fear and hate for half a century, how about a doctrine of compassion?
Thanks for your time,
Jason.
Remember, get out there and research. We can change things, we just have to learn things.
Welcome
Greetings readers,
Welcome to my new home for my "writings and ramblings." Here you will find whatever I feel like informing the general public with at the time. I'm sure the majority of it will be political, but I will try and keep it lighthearted at times. At any rate, I encourage all to check back for news, thoughts, and all that jazz. Until then, take it easy with a smile. Peace to all.
P.S.
I will be transferring blog posts from Facebook to this site so for those of you that have read them already, disregard them, and for those of you that have not, feel free to take a look. Thanks.
Welcome to my new home for my "writings and ramblings." Here you will find whatever I feel like informing the general public with at the time. I'm sure the majority of it will be political, but I will try and keep it lighthearted at times. At any rate, I encourage all to check back for news, thoughts, and all that jazz. Until then, take it easy with a smile. Peace to all.
P.S.
I will be transferring blog posts from Facebook to this site so for those of you that have read them already, disregard them, and for those of you that have not, feel free to take a look. Thanks.
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