MARIJUANA PROHIBITION IS A BIG GOVERNENT PROGRAM

MARIJUANA PROHIBITION IS

A BIG GOVERNMENT PROGRAM

TODAY’S CANNABIS BUSINESS PLAN IS

        YESTERDAY’S MARIJUANA CONSPIRACY

 

MERCY, COMPASSION AND JUSTICE

ARE AT THE INTERSECTION OF

BUSINESS, POLITICS AND PROFIT

POLITICS OF POT AND THE PRISONERS LEFT BEHIND

Exciting new businesses are being formed and their many new symbols slide across the trader’s screens, CGC – Canopy Growth, CRON – Cronos, TLRY – Tilray, ACB – Aurora, ACRGF – Acreage Holdings and on they go.  They are being closely scrutinized by those who are betting on the new cannabis business enterprises.  They are worth billions.  Simultaneously millions of new dollars are being funneled to Washington lobbying firms. 

There are new opportunities for those who operate in the juxtaposition between government and private enterprise.  They are establishing firms or hiring firms in the nation’s capital.  Financial participants are rapidly expanding and their names are rolling out as this opportunity explodes,  John Boehner, Newt Gingrich, Martha Stewart, Ron Klink, Joe Crowlay, Joe Montana, Barney Frank, Bill Weld to name a few.

It appears that marijuana legalization is the horse that has left the barn as this federally illegal substance has been legalized to some degree in 33 states plus the District of Columbia.  Over 70% of the population believes that marijuana should be legalized.  

In the meantime marijuana remains on the Controlled Substance Act’s Schedule as a Schedule 1 drug.  It is designated as a more dangerous substance than Fentanyl, OxyContin, and Meth.  In 2017 there were over 600,000 arrests for marijuana. 

There are nonviolent marijuana offenders in federal prison serving sentences of life without parole that will not receive sentencing relief from the First Step Act and did not receive clemency from President Obama.  Concurrently, there are estimates that we spend up to $42 billion per year for marijuana prohibition.  This money is spent for investigating, arresting, prosecuting and incarcerating. 

This Alice in Wonderland scenario simply illuminates the dysfunction of our legislative process, criminal justice system and administrative law.

  

It is the formula that triggers disrespect for the law and calls into question the integrity of those who are charged with enacting and enforcing it. 

Consistency and integrity would require that all engaged in the emerging cannabis business enterprises be prosecuted for engaging in the sale of this substance that is scheduled as more dangerous than Fentanyl and OxyContin.  If congress is not willing to kill this golden goose then those who are paying the ultimate price for this heresy should receive immediate sentencing relief by Presidential Clemency. 

Congress also needs to act quickly to remove this substance from the Controlled Substance Act’s Schedule and let states regulate it as they see fit.  Anything less is sheer hypocrisy.