Since the propaganda of the early thirties caused most Americans to judge marijuana poorly the big pharmaceutical companies have kept those attitudes going. Between the smear campaigns and the hyping of their pills they have been a major force in the disinformation pumped into the publics heads. Along with the government and other corporate influence they have lied about the danger supposedly caused by using mother natures herbs, including marijuana.

Pot has been used as a medicine and intoxicant for thousands of years. When it became outlawed in the U S there were still quite a few users. Some still recognized its therapeutic values but a bunch of them just wanted the buzz. Alcohol is legal but it isn’t everyones choice when it comes down to how they want to party. Weed is a much mellower high and you usually don’t have vomiting or hangovers after smoking a lot of bud. People don’t overdose and die with the natural, unprocessed plant. At most a user sleeps a long time and might miss work or class. While not the best scenario at least they didn’t die. Alcohol poisoning and health problems caused by alcohol kill thousands of people last year. Not 1 recorded death caused by using weed.

In the late 1970’s people started questioning the illegality of a plant much louder. With it’s popularity rising in the ’60’s everyone could see the lies being forced down their throats. Studies were showing the benefits outweighed the risks in treating disease and the side effects of medical treatments. Besides when folks get stoned they are much less likely to fight, crash their cars or become a nusiance. Not so with alcohol.

Big Pharm saw the threat to their drugs which included tranquilizers, anti psycotics and even down to over the counter stomache remedies. If marijuana becomes an acceptible medicine many dollars would be lost for them. So in their interest they fund programs to misinform the public about weed.  Ironically a big part of the funding for Partnership For A Drug Free America comes from drug companies. Bill Mahr once said that if  they could figure out a way to put Pfizer on every leaf weed would become legal in an instant.

Big money is made in other industries as well. The most frightening of these businesses are the rehab industries and the prison systems. Prison systems? Yes. Most states are privatizing their penal systems and the companies that run the new joints make their money from full beds. The taxpayers are still footing the bill but it’s the corporations who profit. Keeping marijuana in a bad light is keeping the cells full.

Over 6 million people have been arrested in the United States since 1990 for marijuana charges. In some states possession is a misdemeanor ticket but in others having a joint will get you 15 or more years.  Alabama has a 10 to 15 year sentence for first offense possession. They have also begun privatizing their prisons. That makes the resistance to changing the laws more understandable. Money talks and bull…well, makes more money.

It is time the American people wake up and demand the truth. Truth has been disguized as fiction and lies have become truth for too many years. Too much like Orwell for me.

Stumble it!