In fact, Lincoln’s wife was prescribed cannabis for her nerves after his assassination. Virtually every president from the mid-19th Century up until prohibition routinely used cannabis medicines.

So…  What was California’s Prop 19?

I’ll tell you what it wasn’t. It wasn’t about making marijuana a legal intoxicant, which would have legalized small amounts of recreational marijuana for personal use. It wasn’t a legalization thing. What this law supposedly allowed for was the use of marijuana to be available for any adult over 21 to grow or posses a legal narcotic. This wasn’t about legalizing marijuana so that it will make our citizens healthier, solve California’s budget crisis, or reduce drug related violence in Mexico.

I’ll tell you what it was. It was a poor excuse for a referendum on legalizing a narcotic.

Would I ever vote in favor of a law or proposition for the legalization of Marijuana? Hell yeah. In a flat heartbeat. But the main problem about floating these ideas is the ignorant folks who write these stupid propositions. They are sampling to much of their own “chronic” and have no regard for me or their loved ones or anyone else for that manner.

You want a proposition about legalizing marijuana that I will vote for? Here you go… Try this on for size.

PROPOSITION

I can have in my possession as an adult over the age of 21, and not involved with the licensed selling or cultivation, less than one ounce. Anything more than one ounce is punishable by 4 years in a federal prison. PERIOD.

If it is determined that you are driving or operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated or high on marijuana, or have a joint smoldering in your ash tray, the first offense is a mandatory punishable sentence of 8 years in a federal prison. The second offense draws a punishable sentence of 25 years. The third offense carries a life term. PERIOD!

Should it be determined that someone is killed due to your negligence and from being intoxicated on marijuana, you will be incarcerated for 40 years with no eligibility of parole. PERIOD!

Establishments that serve alcoholic beverages or have any kind of liquor license are not allowed to have on the premise anyone smoking or ingesting marijuana or indulging in the sale of the drug under penalty of loosing their business, their licenses and any and all proceeds in the till. Proceeds from the auction of the items on the premises deemed to be owned by the business will be forfeit. PERIOD!

Should you be found to be under the influence at a work place where you and/or others lives are in jeopardy by your use of marijuana, you will be incarcerated for 7 years with no possibility of parole. PERIOD!

- – - – - – -  end of proposition – - – - – - -

Throw in a crap load of legal mambo-jumbo and you have a proposition that I would vote for.

Unlike “Bubba” Clinton, I inhaled. Much like booze, I can see where this intoxicant has a place. Where it does not have a place is where it becomes a danger to someone else. Right now today, I drive down the freeway wondering what ass-hat is drunk and driving a 1/2 ton moving weapon. In and around construction sites, I can imagine grisly consequences if a worker falls asleep at his/her job due to a BAC of .09 and above.

The above are the kinds of rules I’d like to see for DUI – Alcohol. I grow weary of the repeat offender who has been tagged for four, five or six violations for driving while intoxicated and yet they continue to put me and those people I care about in harms way. Attorney’s for these folks who have been cited for intoxication, should not have any defense for their client because the client is troubled and/or misunderstood. My ass! If they are found guilty, they go away. PERIOD!

An estimated 11,773 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in 2008. The number of injured is more than three times that amount. You want to see a reduction in those numbers? Apply the rules you see above… AND MAKE IT STICK! You want to be able to relax around your hot tub in your backyard with a little weed, a Maker’s Mark (double) over ice while shish-ka-bobs roast on your grill, I have no issues. Hell, I’ll even join in. But the moment I do anything to cause harm to another due to my negligence using a vehicle or being on the job, I expect to go away. It’s the price I will pay for having the ability to smoke or ingest marijuana.

I can hear the bleeding hearts now… “Oh, my. How will we pay for all of those prisons that will be needed to house all those folks who will be incarcerated?” It’s simple. If you’re a company that wants to cultivate, produce and sell? You will pony up 10 million bucks to build an energy producing institution. The government will pony up the rest… after all, Uncle Sam will be getting a generous “cut” of every ounce sold to repay the cost of construction.

However, those poor folks who are being sent away will make, and/or manage, electrical power. The power that is being provided to the electrical grid will pay for the upkeep of the prison. There is nothing wrong with hard labor. Don’t feel sorry for those folks who made bad choices. It was those bad choices that could have gotten you and/or your family and friends killed.

Yeah… It’s harsh. It has to be. There are too many jerks on the road, or are working who are well over a BAC or .08. I sure as hell do not want to legalize marijuana so that anyone who’s had a snort and a loaded brownie can wipe out my family and be doing the same thing three weeks later. The rules associated with being able to fire up a number have to be strict. They have to be harsh. They have to be severe. You put that in some kind of proposition and I’m ready to sign my name. And then throw a blanket on the ground, roll a bomber and watch the stars twinkle against a black velvet background.

So everything you read is…  well…  interesting.  I guess what I am asking for is a proposition with some teeth. Don’t just sashay around an issue and expect the American public to swallow what you tell us to swallow.  We are already doing way to much of that right now!
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Until next time…