It's Sunday afternoon, and I am back from a wonderful weekend out at camp which is just outside of Woodstock New York. In some ways, camp is one of those beautiful places where those who have been fortunate in life and career spend their weekends during the summer living a priviledged life, have a chance to escape from the rat race, ride around in their golf carts while their Lexus is parked in the shade next to their screened in room beside the Fifth Wheel camper or Recreational Vehicle, the flat screen TV keeping the kids (who don't want to be there) amused. My fellow neighbors out at camp own businesses, are bankers, corporate executives, venture capitalist, and smokers of the illicit Class A drug known as Cannabis or Marijuana.
Don't get me wrong, I love camp, the array of wild birds (Scarlet Tanagers, Indigo Buntings, even the common robin), the friends I've made, the campfires on Friday and Saturday nights, and the people stopping by my TIKI bar for a shot of the latest Organic Vodka. What I find troubling, is how many of these friends of mine bring their little stash up to camp, stop by to get a buzz on, but hide who they are Monday through Friday, hide their truth from their friends in the gated communities in which they live. What upsets me, is the cops I've watched who get stoned sitting around campfires who think it is OK when on duty to arrest, even imprison those who are guilty of nothing more than what they themselves regularly do every time they come up to camp.
We have around 300 million citizens of the world living here in America. Of those, approximately 25 million get stoned. Start doing the math, and we are talking a adult voting block that is bigger than almost any other...yet, our silence, our apathy, or perhaps our fear sees us remain silent, sees us keeping our use of Cannabis hidden from family,friends and coworkers. That silence contributes to the very sad reality that some 350,000 Americans were turned into criminals last year for nothing more than being in possession of some Marijuana. Be honest, examine your own behavior as a secret recreational user of Marijuana, and you have to admit that you helped turn those citizens into criminals. United our voices cannot be denied, but when those voices are hidden in closets, we remained oppressed and shamed.
Isn't it time that Marijuana Smokers come out of the closet? Isn't it time that we start putting some of our money and efforts into winning the fight to LEGALIZE Cannabis? Don't tell me a million pot smoker march on Washington would not wake up our elected members of Congress. A quality quarter ounce of pot can cost some serious change...how much did you pay for say your last ounce of premium smoke? Now, tell me how much you have contributed to those fighting the good fight to legalize Marijuana...in too many instances, the answer to that last question is NOTHING, a big ZERO! Imagine if every one of the 25 million pot smokers here in America donated just $100 per year to the cause of Legalizing Marijuana...do you know how much clout we could have with $2.5 Billion a year parked in a LEGALIZE MARIJUANA PAC? How much money did President Obama spend to become President of the United States?....not even a fifth of that amount. We have the ability to effect change, but only if we plug in and get involved, put our money where our hearts are.
Please fellow American Pot Smokers, come out of the closet, put the real face on Medical and Recreational Marijuana use, instead of letting the FDA, DEA and self serving politicians paint us out as Drug fiends and monsters. Isn't it time we dispel the myths created in the 1937 film Reefer Madness? Isn't it time to end the lie that Marijuana is a gateway drug, and that any one who smokes Marijuana is a societal misfit, a loser that society needs protected from. Isn't it time that American realizes how many of us are leaders, attorneys, business owners, doctors, and even politicians. (Our last three presidents have all INHALED no matter what Bill Clinton said.)
Please, if you are a user of either Medical or Recreational Marijuana, plug into the fight, get involved in some fashion...make a donation to my small efforts, or to those of NORML or other groups (except MPP) if you have to stay in the closet out of fear for your job, but doing nothing is unforgivable, can no longer be allowed. Pot smokers of America, it is time that we Unite, time that we win this war and decriminalize Marijuana...please, for yourselves, and for those Americans who use Marijuana responsibly come out of the shadows. I beg you to become a part of this battle, begging you to help us stop the WAR ON CITIZENS, PEOPLE, PARENTS who are being turned into criminals for doing nothing more than smoking the occassional joint.
Don't get me wrong, I love camp, the array of wild birds (Scarlet Tanagers, Indigo Buntings, even the common robin), the friends I've made, the campfires on Friday and Saturday nights, and the people stopping by my TIKI bar for a shot of the latest Organic Vodka. What I find troubling, is how many of these friends of mine bring their little stash up to camp, stop by to get a buzz on, but hide who they are Monday through Friday, hide their truth from their friends in the gated communities in which they live. What upsets me, is the cops I've watched who get stoned sitting around campfires who think it is OK when on duty to arrest, even imprison those who are guilty of nothing more than what they themselves regularly do every time they come up to camp.
We have around 300 million citizens of the world living here in America. Of those, approximately 25 million get stoned. Start doing the math, and we are talking a adult voting block that is bigger than almost any other...yet, our silence, our apathy, or perhaps our fear sees us remain silent, sees us keeping our use of Cannabis hidden from family,friends and coworkers. That silence contributes to the very sad reality that some 350,000 Americans were turned into criminals last year for nothing more than being in possession of some Marijuana. Be honest, examine your own behavior as a secret recreational user of Marijuana, and you have to admit that you helped turn those citizens into criminals. United our voices cannot be denied, but when those voices are hidden in closets, we remained oppressed and shamed.
Isn't it time that Marijuana Smokers come out of the closet? Isn't it time that we start putting some of our money and efforts into winning the fight to LEGALIZE Cannabis? Don't tell me a million pot smoker march on Washington would not wake up our elected members of Congress. A quality quarter ounce of pot can cost some serious change...how much did you pay for say your last ounce of premium smoke? Now, tell me how much you have contributed to those fighting the good fight to legalize Marijuana...in too many instances, the answer to that last question is NOTHING, a big ZERO! Imagine if every one of the 25 million pot smokers here in America donated just $100 per year to the cause of Legalizing Marijuana...do you know how much clout we could have with $2.5 Billion a year parked in a LEGALIZE MARIJUANA PAC? How much money did President Obama spend to become President of the United States?....not even a fifth of that amount. We have the ability to effect change, but only if we plug in and get involved, put our money where our hearts are.
Please fellow American Pot Smokers, come out of the closet, put the real face on Medical and Recreational Marijuana use, instead of letting the FDA, DEA and self serving politicians paint us out as Drug fiends and monsters. Isn't it time we dispel the myths created in the 1937 film Reefer Madness? Isn't it time to end the lie that Marijuana is a gateway drug, and that any one who smokes Marijuana is a societal misfit, a loser that society needs protected from. Isn't it time that American realizes how many of us are leaders, attorneys, business owners, doctors, and even politicians. (Our last three presidents have all INHALED no matter what Bill Clinton said.)
Please, if you are a user of either Medical or Recreational Marijuana, plug into the fight, get involved in some fashion...make a donation to my small efforts, or to those of NORML or other groups (except MPP) if you have to stay in the closet out of fear for your job, but doing nothing is unforgivable, can no longer be allowed. Pot smokers of America, it is time that we Unite, time that we win this war and decriminalize Marijuana...please, for yourselves, and for those Americans who use Marijuana responsibly come out of the shadows. I beg you to become a part of this battle, begging you to help us stop the WAR ON CITIZENS, PEOPLE, PARENTS who are being turned into criminals for doing nothing more than smoking the occassional joint.
