NOW HEAR THIS

This past weekend I did a little impromptu poll among 15 or so random
people chilling in one room of a big party.

I asked how many people in the room went through the D.A.R.E.
program.

All but three hands shot up into the air. I then asked how many people
were binge drinking or using other drugs at that very party.

One hand went down and a roar of laughter came up from the cheap
seats.

So much for Reagan's war on drugs.

It's time the conservatives faced the music: Human beings like being
impaired. Drug use (and by drug I mean any substance taken to actively
impede or enhance some of your senses) is part of the human
experience. Pagan mythology is painted with tales of Dionysus, the
Bible is positively replete with wine drinking and the famed HMS
Mayflower was originally a wine transport vessel that came to the New
World bursting in the belly with beer kegs. In 1999 an archaeological
survey in present day Romania found charred cannabis seeds in a ritual
barbecue (of sorts) dating back more than 3,000 years.

The sacred Hindu Vedas refer to a hallucinogen called "soma" that many
anthropologists believe to be a cannabis reference.

The Assyrians, Aryans and Scythians all used cannabis in their
religious ceremonies. Various Sufi orders of the Muslim faith used
cannabis between 1215 and 1500 B.C.E.

Simply put, for as long as humans have been humans we've been finding
ways to enhance or dilute our sensory experience, whether that be in
the name of worship, poetry, health care or simply the exaltation of
life itself - all in the name of a good time. It was in this vein we
chose to tackle the touchy issue of cannabis use, abuse and
legalization. In my personal opinion, I find the criminalization of a
drug that is scientifically proven to be much less dangerous than both
alcohol and tobacco absurd and hypocritical. Anti-pot ads run by the
American Ad Council are laughably exaggerated (and seem even more so
when they come on after those awesome liquor ads promoting the glamour
of getting sloppy with the help of a little ethanol). Pot has a stigma
that has much less to do with the realities of toking ganja and much
more to do with the neo-conservative right (not to mention W. R.
Hearst's vendetta against the hemp market for fear it would cut into
his cotton profits back at the turn of the century). So I encourage
tokers and non-smokers alike to learn some facts before being so harsh
to judge, and, as always, ladies and gentleman, know your rights!

Peace.