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.