Time to end the madness

Yesterday saw a law passed in Uruguay to legalise the growing, sale, distribution and consumption of cannabis. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-25315215

Slowly it would seem the world is waking up to the madness of the prohibition of weed. A prohibition which not only fills the pockets of criminal gangs, but, also denies the truth about what effectively is a wonder crop.

History often tells an interesting tale. Back in the 30's in the US William Randolph Hearst owned a lot of newspapers and owned the paper mills that printed the paper. Hemp (the male non psychoactive form of the Cannabis plant) was competing with his paper production so he rallied his friends in power (government) and finally made it illegal in 1937. A lot of propoganda was put out in Hearst's newspapers which claimed that a new drug called 'Marijuana' (never before used as a name for Cannabis) was causing blacks and Hispanics to rape white women. When the case to ban 'Marijuana' came before congress the prosecutor (Anslinger) claimed that it caused violence, attacks, delerium, death and was used by black jazz musicians. Interestingly, when the topic came back up in the 50′s the same guy (Anslinger) told congress a totally different story. Now his tale said that it should be illegal because it caused mellowness and apathy. He said the communists would try to use it against the youth in a bid to corrupt America.

The facts about Cannabis are very different from the negative propoganda that is so often put out. Firstly, there has never been one single death directly attributed to the use of Cannabis. Not one! Secondly, there are many proven health benefits to the use of the plant which is why it was used for centuries as a medicine by people across the planet. Thirdly, the psychoactive effects are consciousness expanding and can promote personal development and spiritual growth.

It is clear that we are now witnessing the dying days of prohibition on a global basis. Already decriminalised in a number of EU states including the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Estonia, Croatia and the Czech Republic, many other European countries are also looking at the status of the plant. More importantly, in the US many states have legalised its sale for medicinal purposes and two states Colorado and Washington have made it fully legal. These are essentially the PoC's for the end to prohibition across the US. Once prohibition ends in the US it will end worldwide shortly thereafter.

So today I raise my glass to the people of Uruguay to congratulate them and ask the question - when will the British governments war on consciousness end? Legalise pot now - we want the same freedoms of those people in enlightened lands such as Uruguay!