Recently in my quest of fighting the good fight I’ve made friends with a group on face book known as “Marijuana prohibition is unconstitutional” which eventually got me a digital copy of a book called Satan’s Smoke by Hoam Rogh which has proven to be quite the interesting read. Its purely fictional but might as well not be.
One of the things that stand out to me and that we (most informed intelligent adults) can agree on is that marijuana laws were based on racism and corporate greed. If you don’t think American law can be swayed by the all mighty dollar look at The Federal Reserve which is actually a private organization controlled by banks.
Anyways, for a moment I would like to reflect on the racial aspect of all this.
I don’t think there will ever be a smoking gun found in the campaigning against marijuana. In the times before cell phones, e-mail, and internet; rules in business were understood. A man with power (i.e William Randolph Hearst) could manipulate any situation in the days of a young America, especially if that person controlled the media.
Fortunately the case of understood doesn’t exist in the government and with the likes of Jack Herer researching old archives he found the documentation that proved that hemp was a legitimate business supported by the American government, only to be demonized by private interests.
Now in the case of William Randolph Hearst and media manipulation this is something that has to be more dissected and reviewed.
Its proven history there was a campaign against marijuana but what about the social impact of this campaigning? At the time Anglos were the predominant voters (if not only), businessmen, laborers, and consumers. So what if you instill a fear that this plant could possible have your daughters raped and make your sons prone to commit crime. Wouldn’t this attitude eventually be passed down from generation to generation, all in the name of keeping your family safe? Until eventually somebody tries it and says “What the hell?’
Attitudes are passed from generation to generation which eventually control our lives. Don’t you think the deep seeded fear that people have towards marijuana are based off of the campaigns of men with money each with their own personal agenda?
I’ve said before I smoke marijuana for the “all of the above” reasons; religious, medicinal, and recreational. Well I forgot one thing, cultural. I am half Mexican, half Samoan, and all American. The taboo of marijuana never existed for me as it has for many.
Marijuana in cultures will be forever lost for the lack of documentation. Like the American Indians use peyote (legally) for some of their customs, so have other cultures used marijuana. The lack of documentation exists because that’s like documenting “today I breathed”, it just isn’t an issue. So let me speak now or forever hold my peace.
I wasn’t raised by my Samoan side so don’t have much reference for it culturally. What I can tell you is when I did meet my Polynesian side I was smoking like Bob Marley’s little brother (I even had dreads) and it was never an issue with anyone. I attempted to do a little research on this subject for this write and found the laws in America Samoa are extreme where as Western Samoa seems to be a village by village basis. This stringent law seems to be based off of American political correctness and nothing else.
I had some friends that went to Samoa some years ago for a church event. They came back to tell me that there are stalks of marijuana plants like trees in Western Samoa from being there for years and years. How much of this is true I don’t know but one day will find out.
On my Mexican side though, it has been medicinal since the beginning of time. My mother smoked marijuana when I was younger around me and I never associated it with her neglecting me or wanting to put me in the oven to satisfy her munchies. In fact she use to supply marijuana to my great-grandmother who would soak it in rubbing alcohol and than use that as a rub for her arthritis. As a double matter of fact I presently have great-aunts trying to score marijuana for the same purpose.
Do I have a case like Native American Indians to use something that my people have used for years? Maybe not because it wasn’t a sacrament but this goes back to the lack of documentation, I have no idea how long it has been used by the Indians of Mexico. Language barriers exist and writing wasn’t an issue. On my grandfather’s side his father had to learn Spanish since he spoke Indian and so forth. There’s too many incongruities to point when it comes marijuana use in cultures. One is because the documentation is word of mouth and the other is money and power in a young America ruled by wealthy Anglos could write any history they want.
Now that I’ve opened the door I hope other people pipe up on how they’re grandma’s were blazing up or had a personal garden. If you have a Facebook friend the Marijuana is unconstitutional group and friend Hoam Rogh, ask him for an e-copy of his book and if you get the change buy one at https://www.shadyhousepub.com.
In the meantime here’s some shit I found on the net;
First she gets popped in Africa during the World Cup now here Paris Hilton just needs to be smarter on how she does things or am I asking for too much?
Seems to me this man really believes what he’s doing is God’s work why can’t they leave him alone or at least out of jail….
And the funniest marijuana experiment brought to us by our friends in the North
