Let's Talk About Pot

As a boomer, I feel that pot is a subject that belongs to our generation, but the reality is, it belonged to all the generations before us; until 1939. Our government, well Congress is attempting to make a federal case, once again, out of POT. Barney Frank, for some reason right before a major election wants to bring up the old "liberal vs. conservative" debate about pot. Why, when the majority of either party really doesn't want pot to be an issue in this year's election, he would do this is beyond me. So, I felt, as a law abiding citizen that believes it should be legal, I had to comment. Not wanting to put my foot in my mouth or to speak without knowledge, I did just a bit of checking regarding the facts. Here I thought I was going to be arguing for the legalization of a plant and instead, I found information that literally shocked me, beyond belief. Did you know, our country retains the availability to pronounce a death sentence for owning a certain amount of cannabis setiva? That's right, the offending amount is rather large, but still . . . the death penalty? Statistics tell us that there are a certain number of avoidable deaths each year attributed to alcohol consumption and prescription drug overdoses or errors. Actually the statistics are staggering, as in the thousands, but there has never been so much as one death attributed to an "overdose" of pot. And considering the number of arrests made when pot is involved, the majority of the crimes are simply the pot, no other crime is in process. They aren't assaulting someone, they aren't driving impaired, they aren't robbing anyone, they are just "in possession" and possibly stoned.
Now, here is the surprise. I found out that according to the 1994 Crime Act, there is written the potential death sentence for being in possession of 60,000 kilograms or 60,000 plants. A DEATH SENTENCE . . . Then I read that Newt Gingrich, in 1996, wanted an automatic death sentence for the second offense of smuggling 50 kilos. That bill didn't pass! How crazy is this? I do have to say, our country hasn't used this "available option" at this point, but it is on the books. The Supreme Court does not uphold the decision, but it's there and we all know, the so called majority does not want the Supreme Court making law at the bench after Congress has written it. And this law is in place, and was put on the books through the administration of the very first president to ever admit to a toke! Well, we all know Bill didn't inhale. Right? I think what caught me most by surprise was the small number of countries that take pot so seriously. Many countries have some legislation on the books and some countries get tough, others look tolerantly away, but according to my research, there are only 8 countries that have the legislative poower to carry out an execution over POT. The Philippines did have it on the books, but abolished capital punishment in 2006, so that leaves Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Singapore, People's Republic of China, and the good ol' USA. Interesting company we are keeping on this topic, don't you think? I was truly shocked that a religious country that espouses creation, or so they say, could find plant ownership worthy of the death sentence.
He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: a Psalm of Holy Scripture