I do not believe people should be persecuted for using marijuana. However, I do have a problem with politicians and big business representatives partnering behind the scenes using the drug movement to undermine civil society and local government for their own personal gain.
The marijuana movement is telling. People at the top (stakeholders – businesses, non-profits, and politicians) interested in financial profits, tend to take advantage of marijuana consumers, as if they are personal foot soldiers. In states in which marijuana use is not yet legal, they orchestrate signature collecting campaigns and encourage consumers to pressure public officials to make legal changes. They repeat emotional arguments, emphasizing medicinal benefits and evoking cultural heritage and tradition, while downplaying side effects and drawbacks. Everyday citizens do not realize they are being manipulated until society has been transformed.
Those at the top seek to profit, and the regulatory system seems designed to favor those who already have deep pockets. They exert a measure of control through their efforts to place people on city councils, in mayoral positions, on planning commissions, on boards, and into prosecutor positions, or they use money to purchase the influence of those already holding positions of influence. Zoning laws and local laws are changed. Then marijuana provisioning centers open, followed by the emergence of grow and processing centers. Marketing campaigns follow which leads to normalization. Young people no longer understand potential dangers as those are drowned out by potential health benefits and the knowledge that using substances can result in a fun night of partying.
Ironically, it is the self-interests of the big pharmaceutical industry that have kept America from going down the drug-legalization slippery slope for decades. In efforts to gain profits, it is no secret, big pharma has lobbied politicians and universities to ensure their products were the only medical options. But now some politicians are starting to flip sides as they profess their support of legalizing marijuana, entheogenic plants, and other drugs. Ask yourself why. Could it be they now see another means to profit?
(4:04) According to Washtenaw County Commissioner and former Michigan House District Representative Yousef Rabhi who spoke at Decriminalize Nature Entheofest 2021,
“It’s no mistake that the laws that are in place have been put there, because one of the anthesis of nature is greed. Greed works against nature in some of the worst ways, and one way that it has done that is the greed of the pharmaceutical industry in this country and across the world, that have said, you have to buy our pills, our products; you can’t go and harvest your medicine in nature; you can’t grow your medicine in your backyard; we want to make money off of that. We want to make money off our pills.”
Colorado, California, and Oregon were the first to begin legalization and normalization of marijuana and Michigan has followed in their footsteps. California legalized medicinal marijuana in 1996 and Michigan followed legalizing medical marijuana in 2008. Both Colorado and Washington legalized recreational sales in 2012, and Michigan followed legalizing recreational marijuana in 2018.
Today, adults 21 and older can possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis or grow up to 12 plants for personal use inside their homes regardless of whether for medicinal or recreational use, but smoking marijuana in public is illegal and carries a $500 fine. Possession of more than 2.5 ounces but less than 5 ounces is a civil offense punishable by a $500 fine. More than 5 ounces will result in misdemeanor charges, which carries the same penalty for first-time offenders. Selling marijuana without a license is a felony punishable by 4–15 years in prison and $20,000 – $10,000,000 in fines depending on the amount sold. Like driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of marijuana is also illegal and can result in prison, fines and community service. Today recreational marijuana is legal in Michigan and municipalities have the power to regulate its sale, processing, and growing. Grand Haven has authorized sale, but has not yet provided a path for processing or growing facilities — facilities that require a lot of energy resources.
We do not need to look much farther than the origins of this movement to see where it is headed if the proper enforcement polices aren’t put into effect. The “Colorado Experiment”: Legalized Marijuana’s Impact in Colorado explains many of the problems that come along with recreational marijuana legalization. Crime and homelessness are out of control in Denver, Portland, and San Francisco. Marijuana dispensaries are popping up all over our state now, and mental health issues are skyrocketing. Due to the much higher concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in today’s marijuana, psychiatric and addictive disorders are increasing. The marijuana movement has not turned out the way people thought it would, as evidenced by the bi-partisan passage of Colorado Bill HB21-1317 which reduced the daily customer purchase limit for high-potency marijuana concentrates by 80%.
And just who is profiting? According to Luke Niforatos, Executive Vice President of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) based in Denver Colorado, in the podcast How the legalization of Marijuana Has Negatively Impacted Our Youth, he explains,
(11:40) “Big tobacco and the corporate industrial complex has totally taken over marijuana, and that’s what this is about. [] Fourth largest tobacco company on the planet is invested in marijuana. Marlboro has invested over $2 billion dollars now in marijuana. [] It’s all big tobacco. These are the players who have jumped in; Juul, anybody remember Juul? They were hauled before congress just a few months ago; and they are acting just like big tobacco. They just got an exemption from the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act, so you can smoke a joint in certain hotels, restaurants and lounges now. [] Purdue Pharma, those evil guys, their former CEO, who wrote the playbook for OxyContin, is now selling marijuana. [] Big alcohol is obviously involved; Corona Light. [] It is these guys who are pushing legalization; pushing marijuana stores; these guys are making money. [] These guys are in Wallstreet, making money off the folks who are getting addicted to their drugs, their marijuana.”
So why should we care about this in Ottawa County?
Answer: It appears local leaders in Ottawa County are following this exact same playbook. It appears they are exerting control of local governments, and changing regulations without proper public debate, that will transform our community, and are likely to provide big financial payouts to themselves and their associates.
But that’s not all. This same playbook being implemented by those seeking to profit from the legalization of marijuana are in the process of seeking similar profits through the legalization of entheogenic plants (psychedelics, fungi, and mushrooms) and have plans to legalize all other drugs.
How far down this slippery slope are we willing to go?