The Corporate Boycott Of Marijuana In America

By James Donahue

Like so many other things our federal and state government “leaders” have been doing that defy logic, there has been a strange boycott of legal marijuana everywhere, even in states like California where voters have made their wishes clearly known.

In California, where medical marijuana has been legalized for several years, federal authorities have been busy raiding marijuana farms and closing down many of the “mom and pop” medical marijuana shops that have been springing up. Federal prosecutors have been escalating enforcement actions against dispensary owners, vowing to close state-licensed marijuana businesses and threatening landlords with property seizures for violating federal drug laws.

In Michigan where voters approved the sale of medical marijuana in 2008, a three-judge Court of Appeals has ruled that small private operators may not legally handle and sell the substance. The ruling forces transactions involving marijuana into the hands of big pharma.

Angry citizens have petitioned the White House from all over the nation asking President Barack Obama to call off the federal dogs and let them have marijuana, not only for medical purposes but also for recreational purposes. The petitions argue that consumption of THC either by smoking or eating this plant is shown to be much safer than that of alcohol, which is legal in every state.

Scientific studies have shown that marijuana is not only a safe product, but that it appears to be medically beneficial in the treatment of a wide range of symptoms ranging from glaucoma to the sickening after-effects of radiation cancer treatment.

Mr. Obama gained the popular youth vote in 2008 which may have been because he admitted having used marijuana during his youth. It was thought that Mr. Obama might be sympathetic to their cause and that after he took office, there was a chance of getting marijuana legalized throughout the United States.

But this is not going to be the case. After receiving the petitions, one of them just asking the federal government to stop interfering with state marijuana legislation efforts, the hammer came down.

Gil Kerlikowske, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, issued a statement that said: “We recognize that legalizing marijuana would not provide the answer to any of the health, social, youth education, criminal justice and community quality of life challenges associated with drug use.”

Neill Franklin, a Baltimore narcotics officer who submitted a petition on behalf of a We The People project, expressed his disappointment.

“It’s maddening that the administration wants to continue failed prohibition policies that do nothing to reduce drug use and succeed only in funneling billions of dollars into the pockets of the cartels and gangs that control the illegal market,” he said.

So why would the Obama Administration choose to buck a popular movement that is spreading throughout the United States? There are presently 16 states plus Washington DC that have legalized medical cannabis. They are now providing safe access to the substance for patients that want marijuana, created thousands of badly needed jobs and pumped millions of dollars of new tax revenue into struggling state and local coffers.

We believe the Michigan court ruling offers an important clue to answering this puzzling question. If there is going to be any action, the big pharmaceutical companies want in on it. They have developed a synthesized THC in pill form that can be sold by medical prescription in local drug stores. You can bet the price tag on that pill will be steep and that medical insurance companies will not help pay it.

By contrast, marijuana plants can be grown just about anywhere. They are cheap and easy to grow, even on a homeowner’s back porch.

There are some very bad things that are sure to occur because of the Obama Decision on the marijuana issue.

--Marijuana will continue to be a black market item, grown in secret hiding places and imported from Mexico and other countries. It will be sold at a high price.

--The Mexican drug cartel will continue to operate and the border wars between gangs will rage on. The whole area at or near the border will be unsafe territory in which to travel.

--If big pharma succeeds in taking over the THC business in the United States, it will not be very successful. But from our vantage point, is there much difference between the way big pharma and the drug cartel are operating? They seem to all be crooks of different appearances. Some wear suits and some don’t.

Apparently Mr. Obama and his people have sold out to one gang or the other.