In It Begins, I described how the Democrats might use the relaxation or the prospect of ending marijuana prohibition to salvage as much of the 2014 election as possible given the debacle of ObamaCare and then go for a win in 2016.
That was about a week ago. Many were asking if that was just an isolated incident. Attorney Genera Eric Holder has something to say on the matter that may prove it is not an isolated incident.
Attorney General Eric Holder said Thursday that the Obama administration would soon announce regulations that would allow banks to business with legal marijuana businesses. Financial institutions have been scared away from such businesses by the threat of legal action for dealing in the profits of a commodity still illegal under federal law.
You know the old saying common among the military, “Once is an isolated incident, twice is coincidence, three times is enemy action.” I’m not going to wait for thrice. I’m going to declare enemy action now.
Except scaling back the Drug War is only “enemy action” when it comes to many of our conservative friends. Which brings up something I recently read in ABP (Associated Baptist Press) News. SBC leader opposes medical marijuana. SBC is the Southern Baptist Convention.
The Southern Baptist Convention’s top public-policy expert says any therapeutic benefits of medical marijuana are outweighed by costs to society that disproportionately burden the poor.
Russell Moore, head of the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, said in a Jan. 23 podcast that he sees nothing immoral about the medical use of mind-altering drugs like morphine by people who are seriously ill, but he believes the real motive behind the push for legalization of pot is money.
“I think as Christians we need to recognize what’s happening here,” Moore said. “There is an industry — just as big tobacco was an industry that had a cheap product that was able to hook people in — we have the same sort of industry involved here with marijuana.”
Ah yes. Big Tobacco will be replaced by Big Marijuana. That seems to be he new worry. At least according to Legal Marijuana Opponent and Kinder and Gentler Drug War Guy Kevin Sabet.
“I don’t think we fully realize as a country what we are getting into.
“This is not about your nice neighbor who likes to smoke a joint after work once a week,” he said. “It’s really about creating the next Big Tobacco, an industry that thrives off of addiction.”
I have an easy answer for that one that Kevin will definitely not like. Unlimited grow your own. That should keep the big boys from cartelizing the industry. And it should work nicely to limit profits. If that is really what worries them. Make market entry and exit easy.
Well back to the Associated Baptists. I wrote an email to them discussing some issues. One of them was cannabis as a cure for cancer. I said that they should (roughly), “Run the details in the link by some of your MD or pharmacist friends (there are details at the link on how the cure works from biochemist Dennis Hill – ceramide is a key).” I will say that information has never cured a confirmed prohibitionist. But that has never stopped me from trying.
They should also compare the stance of The Southern Baptist Convention with that of Reform Jews who came out in favor of cannabis as medicine in 2003. Check out Rabbi Kahn‘s dispensary in DC. The Orthodox also are heavily involved involved in cannabis medicine.
In addition I thought that they might find this amusing: The Jews Behind Ending Marijuana Prohibition.
I told them, ” There are more cannabinoid receptors in the body than any other receptor type. I believe that would make cannabis God’s own medicine. You can read more about cannabis as medicine at Rockford For Safe Access”
And then I hit them right square in their religion: Here are some thoughts (extensive actually – with videos) about the relationship of cannabis to the Holy Anointing Oil – it about the meaning of kanebosm – kanabos and how they related to the anointing oil. And Jesus – for those unaware – was called the Anointed One.
And then I finished them off with, “The decline of religion in America is being ably helped by some of those most heavily involved in religion. I can not figure out why. Evidently the Devil Weed is most powerful against those who do not use it. Very ironic. To say the least.”
In any case the Democrats are going to use cannabis as one of their distractions in the upcoming midterms. And it just may work. It’s working on me.
The Democrats want to run us into financial ruin. The Republicans want to maintain the Drug Gulag. I would be happiest if they both could lose. Especially given:
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7 responses to “Another Move”
The banking move also makes it nice and easy to monitor drug sales and profits. No need for money laundering, and best of all when the time comes to clamp down on the cartels’ competition they have the records available on line.
Frank,
I think you are correct. I expressed my own similar cynicism in the comments here:
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2014/jan/24/holder_says_marijuana_banking_ru
Holder’s statements were discussed in a post over at DrugWarRant.com. An update to the original post says that some Justice Department flunkies later explained that Holder really didn’t mean they were going to redo some banking regulations so that state legal pot businesses could avail themselves of banking services. It seems what they are really talking about is issuing some guidelines to Federal prosecutors and agents as to when and when not to go after banks for handling state legal marijuana business accounts. The post concludes with the statement that these guidelines really wouldn’t offer much of a safe harbor for banks who would knowingly provide services to a marijuana business.
So there may really be less here than meets the eye. Not surprising for President Choom’s administration. Link below:
http://www.drugwarrant.com/2014/01/you-can-bank-on-it/
For readers who aren’t aware, the combination of Federal drug laws and banking laws cause banks and charge card companies to deny services to state legal marijuana businesses. They are rightly concerned about being assessed fines and worse for providing services to a business that deals in a Federally controlled substance. This means that state legal marijuana stores are an all cash business. Obviously, this creates security issues for these stores due to all the cash on the premises at any given time. This is further compounded by the inability of these stores to secure armored transport services as those companies have the same fears as the banks have.
That’s drug prohibition for you, making life less safe for everyone. Way to go drug warriors.
Whoops. Posted to the wrong post. Sorry about that.
Double whoops. This was the right story after all. I must be having a bad day.
The pronouncement from the Southern Baptists isn’t surprising. It merely proves the old adage that prohibition laws serve the interests of both the Baptist and the bootlegger. The Baptist gets to display his moral bona fides by supporting laws that punish sinful behavior and the bootlegger makes a bigger profit on his sales due to the price increases prohibition allows him to charge customers. It is a true win-win for both parties.
Randy,
Haven’t been over there for a while. Thanks for the link.
Irony really abounds in Russell Moore’s statements.
Who does he think bears the brunt of the harm from enforcing drug prohibition? Hint: It’s not the rich and it’s not the middle class.
If he was really concerned about the plight of the poor, he would support calling off the WOD. Claiming concern for the poor is just window dressing for his type to hide their natural authoritarian bent. Believe me, I know. I was once a Southern Baptist myself.
The Southern Baptists were formed prior to the Civil War in protest to the many Baptists in northern states that supported the abolition of slavery. IOW, the founders of this denomination were pro-slavery. A few years ago, the SBC passed a purely symbolic resolution that disavowed their religious forefathers views and apologized en masse to any descendants of slaves everywhere. Better late than never, I suppose.
So once again the church of my upbringing fails to meet my already low expectations of them when it comes to their moral proclamations. Evidently, when it comes to marijuana prohibition, they are pro-punishment and pro-cancer as well. Given their track record, the SBC will come to its senses and disavow its current pro-WOD stance around the year 2170. Those Baptists are fast learners.
Rant over. Cheers everyone.