Regulated cannabis programs have created jobs, increased tax revenue, positively impacted the opioid crisis, and through expungement programs, ever so slightly reduced the impact the War on Drugs has taken upon communities—primarily communities of color. It’s not perfect, but it’s doing more good than harm, and is a huge step up from nationwide prohibition.
Yet, there are still places in the U.S. where cannabis is an excuse to harass or imprison people—or worse. Here are some recent examples of the true dangers of “Reefer Madness.”
Jamaican-born Oregon musician Patrick “BlackFire” Beadle possesses an Oregon Medical Marijuana card to treat chronic pain issues. In March 2017, he was driving through Mississippi when he was arrested after a traffic stop uncovered 2.89 pounds of cannabis, legally purchased in Oregon. Despite his OMMP cardholder status and what prosecutors admit was zero evidence of drug trafficking, Beadle was looking at 40 years in prison. In October, he was sentenced to eight years without parole for drug trafficking. According to Mississippi’s Clarion Ledger newspaper, in February, he was allowed to enter a guilty plea to simple possession, which came with a 12-year sentence, but offers potential parole after three years.
The smell of cannabis can be dangerous, too. Earlier this month, four Virginia University of Lynchburg football players leaving an early morning workout were pulled over for what officers said was a broken tail light. According to eyewitnesses and cell phone video, the officer approached the car with his hand at the waist, then pulled his gun. Additional officers quickly arrived, handcuffed the students, and placed them on the curb, no doubt due to what The Root wisely determined was “Because of the influx of broken tail lights and the association of broken tail lights leading to murders.”
As ABC3 News reported, in the video, the officer explained that he pulled his gun because he smelled marijuana, adding that the Supreme Court says guns and drugs go together. A search of the vehicle did not turn up any guns, drugs or marijuana.
Growing cannabis can be dangerous, as well. According to High Times, a Pennsylvania man was checking on his illegal, outdoor, 10-plant grow on state game lands about 75 miles outside Philadelphia. (Pennsylvania has a medical cannabis program, but prohibits anyone from growing for themselves or others.) Greg Longenecker, a 51-year-old short-order cook, was with his friend David Light, examining their plants when authorities arrived. Light surrendered, but Longenecker chose to flee into dense underbrush.
Authorities decided the best option would be to use a bulldozer to clear a path into the brush where Longenecker had fled. In doing so, the bulldozer, moving at speeds of 1 to 2 miles per hour, ran over Longenecker. His family filed a lawsuit for wrongful death, questioning the police account that Longenecker was high on meth and dove under the bulldozer.
As High Times reports, in an affidavit, Light stated “That morning, Gregory was not high or under the influence. There is no way Gregory crawled underneath the back of the bulldozer. It is unthinkable and ridiculous that anyone would say he crawled underneath.”
The risks of cannabis use certainly shouldn’t involve any of the above, including being run over by a bulldozer for the crime of growing 10 plants. Those with cannabis programs should work to ensure everyone has the same access, so these become stories for the history books.
**This version has a corrected name of the football team that had its players pulled over by police. The school was the Virginia University of Lynchburg, not University of Lynchburg. We regret the error.**
This article appears in Apr 3-10, 2019.
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Americans don’t have to like cannabis, but they should hate its prohibition. This prohibition law strikes at the very foundation of our society. It is a tool of tyrants, used to violate core American beliefs and nearly every aspect of the Bill of Rights.
A populace that accepts and becomes accustom to overreaching government policies, such as the prohibition of relatively safe, popular substances, becomes more accepting of overreaching, powerful government in general. This devastates America, not a plant that has been used by mankind since the beginning of recorded history.
Those who believe in limited government, personal responsibility, free markets, and individual liberty should embrace the ending of this irrational, un-American, fraudulently enacted cannabis prohibition experiment. It should be the cornerstone of current GOP policy.
Federal studies show about half of the U.S. population has tried cannabis, at least 15% use it regularly, over 80% of high school seniors have reported cannabis “easy to get” for decades. This prohibition, like alcohol prohibition has had little of its intended effect. In many cases cannabis prohibition makes cannabis usage problematic where it would not have been otherwise, be it light, moderate, or heavy usage. For the most part, cannabis prohibition only successfully prohibits effective regulation.
A few issues created by prohibition: there are no quality controls to reduce contaminants (harmful pesticides, molds, fungus, other drugs), there is no practical way to prevent regular underage sales, billions in tax revenue are lost which can be used for all substance abuse treatment, underground markets for all drugs are empowered as a far more popular substance is placed within them expanding their reach and increasing their profits, criminal records make pursuing many decent careers difficult, police and court resources are unnecessarily tied up by pursuing and prosecuting victimless ‘crimes’, public mistrust and disrespect for our legal system, police, and government is increased, which is devastating our country.
Prohibition is also very expensive, though, a cash cow for a number of powerful groups such as those related to law enforcement and the prison industry. These organizations have powerful lobbies and influence that perpetuate a failed drug policy through ignorance, fear, disinformation and misinformation. This ensures an endless supply of lucrative contracts, grants and subsidies from the government and its taxpayers to support their salaries, tools of the trade, ‘correctional’ services, and other expenses. Cash, property and other assets from civil forfeiture laws also significantly fatten their coffers while often violating civil rights.
America was built on the principles of freedom and liberty. In some cases there are extreme circumstances that warrant intervention with criminal law. In the case of mind-altering drugs we have already set this precedent with alcohol. Cannabis is less harmful than alcohol to the consumer and especially to others. If we are to have justice, then the penalties for using, possessing and selling cannabis should be no worse than those of alcohol.
Regardless of legal status, a large market for cannabis will continue to exist as it has for decades. Either the underground controls the market and profits from it, or the state does…all while ending their assault on our citizens. Let’s end this costly, futile attempt to eradicate a plant that a majority of Americans believe should be legal.