Three things that are dead-solid-perfect guaranteed to be Dead On Arrival:
• The movie Independence Day III
• The book “The Wit and Wisdom of Melania Trump”
• Arizona’s marijuana legalization initiative that appears to have been written by a committee of stoners while binge-watching a Cheech and Chong Film Festival.
My personal choices involving drugs and alcohol have not changed, nor will they ever. I will go my entire life without ever having tasted alcohol or using any drugs. But please know that I sincerely believe that my choices don’t make me better than anybody else; they just make me different. And maybe more boring.
I’ve lived a long time and I’ve heard all of the explanations/excuses/reasons as to why people smoke marijuana. Fortunately, not one has ever applied to me. I don’t need to hear music better. (If Marvin Gaye sounded any better to me, I’d probably wet myself.) I don’t ever feel the need to escape from my problems for a while, knowing that when I come back (down), they’ll still be there waiting for me. I prefer to deal with them and then move on. I am happy with the one state of consciousness and if I were any more sociable, I’d be freakin’ Ellen DeGeneres.
And, blessedly, while I have had my share of physical pain over the years, it has never risen to the level of being chronic. (Who am I kidding? It has never risen to the point where I felt the need to even take an Advil.)
I’ll admit that I used to be rabidly, knee-jerkedly anti-drug. I thought that using drugs was stupid and wasteful and dangerous. But over the years, I’ve come to realize that lots of things are stupid and wasteful and dangerous…but not illegal. I’ll further admit that some thoughtful back-and-forth correspondence with some passionate readers over the years have helped to nudge me toward the “Who Really Gives a Crap?” section of the debate (although I will always hate the fact that kids can get it so easily). I know that drugs have ruined a lot of lives, but then, so too have some overly harsh drug laws.
Some folks are attempting to make recreational use of marijuana legal in Arizona, but in their fervor (or stupor, as the case may be), they’re going about it in a manner that pretty much guarantees failure at the ballot box. Let’s assume that 40 percent of the electorate (consisting of Mormons, retired military, liquor-store owners, lots of old white guys in public office, and others) would be dead-set against legalization under any circumstances. Another 40 percent would be willing to give the law a try, figuring that things can’t be any worse than they already are. In order to get it passed, you have to work on that undecided group in the middle.
Alas, the initiative is written in such a ham-fisted manner as to tilt wildly in favor of the drug user, it’s going to be nigh unto impossible to persuade a large group of people to vote for it. To begin with, the initiative is titled the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. Clever, but false. Under the initiative, there are several instances where marijuana would not be treated the same as alcohol, the most glaring of which is the likelihood that law enforcement would not be able to cite and/or arrest ANYBODY for driving while stoned.
Part of the initiative reads: “A person may not be penalized by this state for an action taken while under the influence of marijuana or a marijuana product solely because of the presence of metabolites or components of marijuana in the person’s body or in the urine, blood, saliva, hair or other tissue or fluid of the person’s body.”
How’s that for a Get Out of Jail Free card?
When asked why there is no legal definition of impairment in the initiative (like the 0.08 BAC for drinkers), one of its backers said that the state Legislature could set one. Actually, they can’t. After demonstrating a really annoying habit of tinkering with voter-passed initiatives, the state Legislature is now constitutionally banned from messing with such matters. And while I understand that metabolites can stay in a person’s system for weeks, the wording says “metabolites and components of marijuana.” That covers everything.
There are several other items that are going to send people running into the “No” column. For example, it would keep homeowner associations from prohibiting the growing of marijuana in their neighborhoods. Now, in theory, homeowner associations are somewhat fascist, but once you own your own home, the rule of thumb on HOAs is the fascist-er, the better. All it takes to ruin a nice neighborhood is one ghetto-ass knucklehead who thinks it’s okay to park his car in the front yard. And I know I would just love to have 14 guys growing weed in a house they rented next door to mine.
The initiative would also overturn laws that require drug testing for some people who get welfare or unemployment and would prevent courts from making child-custody decisions based solely on drug use. (They can use alcohol use as a factor.) There are just too many items in this thing that will elicit negative responses.
Most change in America comes incrementally. This overreaching nonsense doesn’t stand a chance.
This article appears in Jul 21-27, 2016.
Tom, your article is an interesting take on the issue. I am thinking it might fail, because the “stoners” as you call them, will not vote for it for exactly the opposite reason. As you may be aware, there was another initiative being circulated, that was far less restrictive, but this one was funded very heavily by the medical marijuana clinics and growers, because it protects their investment by giving them a semi-monopoly on supply and distribution.
As for your demographic analysis, I am a CPA and was initially surprised at not only how many people asked if they could deduct their medical mj expenses, but who they were. Saddlebrook, Dove Mountain, Green Valley residents. And these people vote.
I would not put money on either side of this at this point.
Tom; I am an old guy, tradesman, business owner, parent, and grew up a mormon.
Basically I find your profiling of people akin to Archie Bunker and his profiling for his times. To me it is old altruistic to what the MMJ was about. I see the pandering of the media for advertising dollars. We see the media going to the Public relations/lobbyists outlets and getting spoon feed information going back to the media outlets thinking they are informed.
The hair farming tie died birkenstock body illustrated skin pierced Bob Marley group. Is not the Large part of Marijuana consumers or the advocates merely just the vocal advocates and consumers.
Personal testimonies are really not relevant are they ? I spent 6 months in a burn ward. I had 3 broken bones before I was 12 abusive parent. I still have chinese shrapnel in me. Arrested for vagrancy thrown on a Texas chain gang for 30 days, I was in a automobile accident that killed my mother drunk driver. In the trades I broke 3 fingers several cuts to many to count. Now I am old I want to grow pot in my yard away from kids not a party recreational enjoyment or social engagement. SO WHAT
Basically I dont ask myself if getting up today is worth it. If i kept up the regimented treatments of opiates stantons I was angry, nobody wanted be be around me and dont tell me how what the values in my life are I won’t think of yours.
As far as workplace I was one of the guys that took dropouts taught them a trade how to work and how to relate. I can’t tell you how many workplace accidents I have been involved in. For the last 20 years I was a superintendent for DOD contracts never under 90 million. On to of that I have spent 10 years doing USACE airports and transportation. I have seen how the workplace drug policies are implemented and enforced. With second third and fourth tiered vendors the policies are arbitrary and and enforced capricious at best. Most all are drive by the insurance industry and the legal feeders from that.
I dont have the slightest clue on your social fabric and dont care to really. I find most CPA’s, media writers, lawyers, civil servants, are just kids that are hooked on doing homework the rest of their lives. they actually contribute little or nothing to society just a parasite. Those that take the compilation of their efforts and try to make policy find the study was not relevant or biased let’s do it over. How’s that for profiling thoughts from the field no wonder we have a world of well bean counters.
That is the sentiment that drives young to things like ISIS. I have had jobs with over 2 million man hours worked and only one recordable 3 stitches. I won several safety awards but found that most went to those that golfed and banquited the USACE. Even tho I have a remarkably better safety record. at any given time I knew there was Marijuana on a military base. I did not know who what or when by at time winds prevailed. I know I was not the only nose on site. I did not want to alienate the workforce I lost 60% of the workforce when ICE did gate checks at the constructions in EL PASO
Now let’s get to this abortion of law, rights, civil concerns, called protection of children with prohibition . We see the biggest charlatans that have come out of the cesspool since snake oil and laudanum pushers were stopped by Harry Anslinger and the BNDD in 1936. And this ADA (arizona dispensary association) are using children to market their product. I find that to be worst kind of human being on the face of the earth. Since 1937 we have imprisoned killed stole lied every unscrupulous disgusting thing imaginable in the protection of children. Alas we still have a problem could the economic disparity be more relevant to children? So we tax and redistribute in the good of the children and then come in as a healer as they promote those that dont comply.
It is well known by now that Marijuana is the highway, the staple of the illegal drug world. To eliminate that would have economic upheaval all across the illicit drug world as well as the industry built to contain that. So really we need to not just slam the door what turmoil would that bring. Drug dealers now dealing in untaxed alcohol tobacco and powders?
I have raised 4 children here in Az in a blue collar atmosphere. Very limited on money and opportunity. I chose Flowing Wells as the best I could do for schooling. All of my children were subject to ridicule ostracization for one reason or another. One son arrested for shoplifting profiled inside the school district as a stoner ganger. This was the best education that I was ever able to give him. This was a platinum lined cloud. I was able to show him how to manipulate the system. Showed how the court system worked and how bogus it really was. I was able to save him as a juvenile before the social pundits got a bite. To sum this up he understood in his junior year graduated Magnum Cum Laude High school and had to fight for that It was me appealing to Peticone at the time and it was awarded. Now at the age of 35 he is Vice President of Multi National Corp with a book of business of 900 million annually. He can do this because he tears down the bullshit that most hide behind. Oh yes graduated UofA dean’s list. all my kids did. Arbitrated this year with the NLRB and settled garbage haulers union deal from San Francisco to Seattle 2 weeks no legal firm. Because he knows the bean counting and media parasites that need to feed also. A little trimmer plate there
Bottom line this CRLMA is trying to build a department akin to that of Insurance. It is not drawn by some stoners it was drawn by prosecutors and industry insiders to promote marijuana and using children to do it. By gifts to school and supposed enforcement that has not worked since Jesus walked the face of the earth certainly not since 1937.
If we in Arizona are going to have multiple departments that license vice in one form or another gambling, alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, do we need a separate and different for that combine them all. and allow 12% to be given to a rotating account and let Members of the BAR go after nonconformists and attach for costs to enforce like the EPA. Any attorney can prosecute if licensed in federal court to represent the federal government for violation of environmental laws. Then can lein for the cost of prosecution for violation of dispensaries and growers and processors distributors smoke shops. And attorney can prosecute on their own under civil action but alas this CRLMA would stop that as they will be a regulatory agency immune do we really want that.
Yea the contentious media and industry parasites that propagate the profiling nonconformists as red neck conformists, Republicans remember it was Ben Stein who first smoked pot in Nixon’s White House. Then went home played chess and Wrote some of his speeches. Marijuana has transcended all walks of society and has for the last. 30 years get a clue
Yea Danehy You’re a profiling misunderstood loner thinking that you have a finger on the pulse. This is why it won’t pass. We who have had a life and see how things work won’t let this go we have more respect for children and society. With this story Archie Bunker lives
As a matter of societal concern I would love to meet with the local advocates dispensary owners who ever in a Town Hall. To be done public one on one or with 3 advocates with time allowed. This will be non personal testimonies of anykind to start. It will be about what will happen if this proposal is passed. Why it might not and what needs to be done to get a comprehensive social and moral direction for Marijuana. Tell MPP to go BACK with Marion Berry they have more relevance there.
Think Nitzel will go for that?
HUH?
Hey CW, “Huh?” was my comment too. Then I started hearing the theme from “The Twilight Zone”
Huh? My thoughts exactly.
I really appreciate that guys. I was starting to think it was me.
“I will go my entire life without ever having tasted alcohol or using any drugs.”
And if it wasn’t for your wife (who set a shockingly low threshold for herself), you would have gone your entire life without getting laid …
Sincerely,
Danehick Sux
I would just like to add that anyone who HAS smoked marijuana knows that it’s level of motor function impairment is far closer to cigarettes than it is to alcohol. You don’t see anyone calling for blood levels of nicotine to be measured and arrests made, though tobacco can certainly make a first-time user dizzy and even sick.
Also, it is my opinion that both recreational initiatives are red herrings, and all the rambling comments and personal attacks are from a hacktivist muddying the waters to prevent people from seeing the color of the fish.
“appears to have been written by a committee of stoners”… “written in such a ham-fisted manner”……. See that reddish hue?
As a former senior policy analyst for the California Legislature (a real full-time, professional legislature, not a part-time Republican windup toy), I have to say that the legalization initiative is really well done. It’s comprehensive, it responds to widely held public opinion, is sensible (in that it is laid out in a way that people can make sense of it), and it’s ambitious.
Ambitious because it must be, in anticipation of legislative meddling that has so far screwed up everything from school funding to publicly funded elections — and which will certainly be applied by legislative shills for the tobacco and liquor lobbies, and certain churchy sects, to subvert the public will if the initiative passes. (Such meddling should worry Tom more, but in this case, he’s willing to bend his values. Sad.)
Danehy should spend some time in the legislative realm as an analyst, to get a feel for the job, although by the looks of his predisposition, I doubt he would be hireable: one thing you need in the legislative arena is being able to dispassionately assess the veracity of claims being made for this or that bill or initiative. Tom is so invested in prohibition as a moral duty, on this issue at least, he’s disqualified himself.
@Dirty, yeah, what you said, “I would just like to add that anyone who HAS smoked marijuana knows that it’s level of motor function impairment is far closer to cigarettes than it is to alcohol. You don’t see anyone calling for blood levels of nicotine to be measured and arrests made, though tobacco can certainly make a first-time user dizzy and even sick.”
If you haven’t used it, you have no idea what you’re talking about when you compare it to alcohol. The false equivalence is shocking.
Just sounds to me like a bill written to fail. Why not write the bill like the one in Colorado or Washington State? It’s pretty hard to die from marijuana vs. alcohol…all alcohol takes is a drunk and he/she kills both of you or a car full of you. Marijuana is a godsend for PTSD soldiers. Or let’s put aside that booze makes your spouse kick the crap out of you and marijuana doesn’t, and focus on legalizing HEMP like the smart people of the world have done. You can make things with it, like paper (save a tree, absorb carbon dioxide). Let’s just start there so farmers can maybe grow hemp instead of water slurping agricultural products or letting Canada chop off another mountain, or Australia. So cross out marijuana and put in hemp and ask them to change the bill and have a grown up conversation about the monetary benefits of legalizing marijuana, maybe sticking that money into education to teach people to have a grown up conversation and teaching a few grownups to do the same, which seems to be less harmful than downing a quart of whiskey because your knee hurts.