=======================================
This article dissects a recent Fox News report on Marijuana Legalization
in order to expose the blatant attempts to manufacture consent for a
"tax and regulate" model while censoring any discussion of an
alternative "self cultivation" model, which would arguable yield
more benefits to both individuals and society as a whole. =======================================
If you have been reading my many
articles at MERP headquarters you would know that I am an advocate for
adult Americans to be able to simply grow all of the Marijuana that they
require without any forms of taxation or regulation. While MERP does not
forbid government taxation or licensing it treats “self cultivation” as
a sacred, inalienable right.
You can learn much more about the merits of the MERP model through
numerous articles and videos available at the following website:
I maintain that the MERP model, elegant in its simplicity, would achieve
many more benefits for society than any of the proposed “tax and
regulate” models. This includes MPP’s current Arizona Initiative and
most of the “quasi-legalization” initiatives now underway in California.
Jack Herer’s CCHH initiative is the exception and largely conforms to
the MERP Model.
The reason that the MERP Model would inherently generate more social
benefits is that it would immediately take all of the excess profit out
of the market. This is because self cultivation would automatically
self-regulate Marijuana in what would be a true free market. So if
commercial prices become prohibitive every adult, over the age of 18,
would have the sacred right to simply grow their own. And even without
prohibitive pricing it is most certain that many people would take up
growing as a hobby.
By taking all of the excess profit out of the Marijuana market a number
of benefits would immediately occur which can never be realized by the
various “tax and regulate” models that have dominated the discussion on
Marijuana reform through the media. Some of these benefits include:
* The immediate destruction of the Mexican Drug Cartels
* The immediate access to free medicine for the sick and the poor.
* The immediate cessation of raid on the homes of Americans that either
grow or possess Marijuana.
For the last few years I have challenged all of the “tax and regulate”
proponents to dispute my claim. This includes Rob Kampia (Marijuana
Policy Project), Ethan Nadleman (Drug Policy Alliance) and Allen St.
Pierre (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws: NORML).
It also includes major all of the major television networks as well as
our government representatives. But so far no one has taken up the
challenge. In fact they have done everything to insure that the notion
of adult “self cultivation” never gets due consideration by the public.
And the media has also been complicit in making sure that the only
solution to Marijuana Prohibition will be a government controlled system
that would heavily tax and regulate the sale and distribution of
Marijuana.
And that brings us to this case study regarding media propaganda to
insure that “taxing and Regulating” Marijuana is the only option the
public will be “allowed” to consider.
The study will be of a interview with Rob Kampia, “head” of the
Marijuana Policy Project, on Fox Happy Hour from July 24th, 2009.
Before criticizing Kampia’s “tax and regulate” delusions I did want to
compliment him on the many arguments that he made against the current
Marijuana Prohibitionist model. I have used many of these same arguments
in my debates over the years. And the one that I found particularly
compelling is the fact that high school students have easier access to
Marijuana than they do alcohol under a prohibitionist model.
Before reading on you might want to watch the video. I will only be
focusing on the “tax and regulate” aspects of this pseudo news piece.
First of all I want you to note how the only considered solution is
framed at the very outset of the interview by “Miss Boobalicious.”
“So lets ask our next guest "Is it high time Pot should be made legal
and taxed to the hilt?"
This is typical of all of the media propaganda surrounding the issue of
Marijuana Legalization for the last two years.
Notice that she has restricted the discussion to a single solution:
“taxing Marijuana to the hilt.” By using this ploy she has restricted
the discussion to a “tax and regulate” solution. Why no discussion about
individuals being able to simply “grow there own.”
Then just a little bit later she talks about "dealing or manufacturing
the drug": referring to Marijuana. This is really a veiled attempt to
lump Marijuana in with more dangerous drugs that are in fact
manufactured: such as Methamphetamine, Heroin etc. You don’t manufacture
Marijuana. You grow it. When is the last time you told your friend:
“Hey, I’m manufacturing tomatoes in my backyard.”
Then Miss Boobalicious goes on to talk about a recent million dollar
Marijuana bust in California.
"If were legal, depending on the tax rate, California could have made
some big money."
Once again, another not so subtle pitch for “taxing and regulating”
Marijuana. And then Kampia picks right up by responding:
“It’s a real "loose, loose for the government. Not only are they
spending all of this money on law enforcement costs, to go after the
dealers and growers, but they are also foregoing all of the tax revenues
that could be generating taxing cultivation and the sale of Marijuana.”
So in short what you are witnessing here is not news, nor can it be
called journalism. It is blatant propaganda to manufacture consent for
the “taxation and regulation” of Marijuana through draconian government
taxation and regulation. Under such a stupid system the Mexican Drug
Cartels would still thrive. The sick would still be unable to afford
paying $300 to $500 an ounce for their medicine. People would still get
arrested and imprisoned for merely “growing their own.” And the police,
across America, would still be confiscating about 1.2 Billion dollars
worth of your property to continue this insane War on Marijuana.
It is stupid. It doesn’t make any sense. But the government and the
media are making damn sure that this is the only solution that you will
be allowed to consider. I have made numerous attempts to get on shows,
such as Lou Dobbs, to present my arguments of “self cultivation.” But so
far I have had absolutely no invitations on any news stations despite
over 20 years of expertise on issues of Drug Policy Reform.
Rob Kampia also makes an interesting remark in this interview that I
have heard numerous times from DPA, MPP and NORML:
“Public support for making Marijuana completely legal increases at 1
percent, each year, for the last 14 years. Support for legalization
stands at about 41% in 2009.”
What Robby is doing here is buying time in order to make sure the “tax
and regulate” model is the one we are forced to live with. Because if
there was majority support for Marijuana Legalization then it would be
harder to discount “self cultivation” as proscribed by the MERP Model,
as well as in Jack Herer’s 2009 CCHH initiative signature drive.
But the fact of the matter is that a 2009 Zogby poll has found 52%
majority support for completely legalizing Marijuana. The wait is over.
Majority support for Marijuana Legalization has already taken place in
2009 and, as Kampia says himself, support will increase by at least 1
additional percent each year from here on out.
Yet it is my contention that these moneyed pseudo-drug reform
organizations continue to use the 41 percent statistic because they are
trying to manufacture consent for a “tax and regulate” model. If the
American People realized that we already had a majority they would be
much less likely to accept such compromised solutions that don’t allow
untaxed, unregulated self cultivation.
Additional evidence of this intent to “tax and regulated” Marijuana, and
not allow “self cultivation,” is also implicit in the current Arizona
Medical Marijuana Initiative that MPP is currently working on. Unlike
the previous 13 initiatives the Arizona Initiative would prohibit any
“self cultivation” unless the “medical patient” lives more than 25 miles
from a dispensary. Any fool knows that as dispensaries multiply, “self
cultivation” will not be an option anywhere in Arizona.
The other part of this strategy to manufacture consent for a “tax and
regulate” model is to prohibit the discussion of “self cultivation”
models throughout the media. I have been trying to get on the Lou Dobb’s
show for over two years now in order to present my arguments for self
cultivation. But even after numerous discussions with Dobb’s reporter,
Casey Wian’s, I have yet to get an invitation.
I have also seen this occur locally. I have arranged a protest in
Dearborn, Michigan, to demand that Obama immediately Legalize Marijuana
on November 21st, 2009. For the last 3 weeks I have been trying to get
the “pseudo-hip” “Metro Times to run a pre-story on the event. But none
of my phone calls or emails, to Editor Brian Smith, has been returned.
And since the event is only 10 days away it is not likely such a story
will run.
Meanwhile the DPA is holding its annual conference from November 11th
through the 14th. The various breakout sessions include presentations
from both NORML and MPP. And not a single discussion scheduled to
discuss the inherent benefits of Marijuana “self cultivation.”
So the propaganda campaign to impose a draconian “tax and regulate”
model are two fold. First the Corporate Controlled Mainstream Media is
making sure that the only solution to be considered will be a “tax and
regulate” solution and no discussion of the merits of “self cultivation”
will be allowed. And at the same time this same media apparatus is
making sure that the MERP model does not have any hope of being
considered as a better solution as we consider the greater public good
of the competing models: “tax and regulate” verses “self cultivation.”
And that is too bad since the MERP Model has so much more to offer adult
Americans than this stupid notion of allowing the government to
monopolize the taxation, regulation and cultivation of Marijuana
“manufacture.”
I just hope the American people wake up and consider the difference.
With MPP’s “tax and regulate” model you will be paying $300 to $500 and
ounce for your Marijuana. Under the MERP Model you will be able to grow
it for free. Which model do you most support?
Please send the link to
activists throughout the planet. The translation bar should allow
this to be read in any language. The 5-Point Strategy for
Marijuana Re-Legalization should be easy to implement in any country
throughout the planet. I encourage all groups celebrating the
Global Marijuana March to make the immediate implementation of the MERP
Model a primary focus of the event.
Call President Obama and your Representatives and demand:
(1) Immediate clemency for Marc Emery and
(2) Immediate implementation of the MERP Model through an Emergency
Session of Congress, similar to what was used to pass the TARP Bailout
on October 3rd, 2008
President:
U.S. Senate switchboard:
202-224-3121
U.S. House switchboard:
(202) 225-3121
The President:
Comments: 202-456-1111.
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
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your views on whether Lou Dobbs should support Marijuana Re-Legalization at our
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