VERMONT AMNESTY? COMING SOON! Amnesty sounds like a crazy idea, eh!? Did to me at first, too - but the more I thought about it and talked to others, the more it makes sense. Heres a few thoughts... The Amnesty referendum calls for the forgiveness of all Cannabis/Hemp-only crimes committed during prohibition. This would theoretically include growing, selling and possession. Crimes involving guns, driving, etc. are not included. (The referendum language is purposefully vague and meant to save specific details for lawmakers.) Its simply a statement from the people of Burlington to the Vermont government that as legalization sweeps the world wed like to forgive past crimes. WHY? All of the progress weve seen in medical marijuana and decriminalization/legalization is--on some level--a tacit admission that cannabis advocates were right all along. After all, the federal governments own in-depth studies definitively stated cannabis safety and efficacy decades ago. Rather than acknowledge or act on theses studies, though, the drug war persisted unabated. Tens of millions of Americans have had their lives damaged by small and large cannabis arrests over the past 75 years, and all Americans have paid brutally for the drug war. Burlington has been fairly lenient but even minor convictions can trouble a person far into the future. Marijuana is not yet legal in Vermont. However, consumption of marijuana is not a crime - so it should no longer be treated as such. DC is set to fully legalize in a month, Warren Buffet is leasing grow space, Canada is licensing ganja factories, and cannabis is already found in hundreds of common products at the grocery store, etc. All the millions already being made on legal/decrim/medical weed makes yesteryears dealers and growers seem pathetic by comparison - and the big money is only going to get way bigger. Why should some people be allowed tremendous profit in this new era while others cant even find tuition assistance or employment because of a previous arrest? Sweeping global cannabis legalization is no longer a matter of If, but When. Too much has already been set in motion, and the economic forces are simply too large to be contained. Legalization will have a massive impact on all of us, so we should have a voice in how it plays out. At the very least, Amnesty gets people thinking about the future. At best, its an opportunity for Vermont to be world leaders and ultimately improve the lives of millions of people. wptz/news/vermont-new-york/burlington/city-council-hears-from-public-on-cannabis-amnesty/28216966
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 14:34:53 +0000
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