The California Baby Boomer Bong Proposition (2008)

California Baby Boomers try again to Legalize Marijuana

The Baby Boomers ARE getting older and crankier.

Who wants to deal with "scoring" pot anymore.

Enough is enough they say and now...there is another initiative in the works that could end up on the November ballot.

This one seeks to remedy some of the failures of the 1996 compassionate use proposition and that allows for marijuana to be sold to anyone, and anywhere that already sells alcohol.

Its being called The Inalienable Rights Enforcement Initiative - (text of initiative).

From the initiative:

This initiative will amend the Constitution of California to defend and safeguard the inalienable rights of the People against infringement by governments and corporations, providing for the lawful growth, sale, and possession of marijuana. Marijuana will be taxed through a system of stamps and licenses--a $5 stamp will be required for the sale of an eighth ounce of marijuana and a $50 annual license will be required for the growth of one marijuana plant. To protect participants and encourage participation in the system, such licenses and stamps will be available anonymously in stores where marijuana is sold.

No more scary back-room doctors and $150 dollar "prescriptions" for chronic pain, anxiety, nausea, muscle spasms, arthritis, migraine, menstrual cramps, alcohol and opiate addiction, and depression and other debilitating mood disorders. Or even, say, these diseases:

• AIDS. Marijuana can reduce the nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite caused by the ailment itself and by various AIDS medications.
• Glaucoma. Marijuana can reduce interlobular pressure, thereby alleviating the pain and slowing -- and sometimes stopping -- the progress of the condition. (Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the United States. It damages vision by increasing eye pressure over time.)
• Cancer. Marijuana can stimulate the appetite and alleviate nausea and vomiting, which are common side effects of chemotherapy treatment.
• Multiple Sclerosis. Marijuana can limit the muscle pain and spasticity caused by the disease, as well as relieving tremor and unsteadiness of gait. (Multiple sclerosis is the leading cause of neurological disability among young and middle-aged adults in the United States.)
• Epilepsy. Marijuana can prevent epileptic seizures in some patients.

And probably more. Because really, one man or womans religion and/or medicine is not any other persons business. Or maybe, just maybe, it's all just a "dumb" government conspiracy ala THIS VIDEO, using the "we get smarter on dope argument."

So, in exchange for less "risk", there will be a tax. Because if there is something politicians can do, it's tax. Especially "hidden" taxes where people don't normally include them in their assement of their total tax burden. Like "extra" street parking tickets and automated intersection cameras. This is a tax people will gladly pay - considering the alternative.

This initiative will allow adults to buy pot easily, but how easily? And how good? And when I say good, I mean how pure and controlled? I still don't want Billy Bob grower spraying a little of this meth or a little of that MDMA on to the pot to make it..."better." Can we get a list of ingredients and maybe a nutrition facts box? What about country of origin and THC content? What about what meal it goes best? Is it a steak pot or a chicken / fish pot?

It is good that marijuana will be put into the same class as alcohol and cigarettes. It's where it belongs. Not some Schedule 1 and lumped in with crack-cocaine and heroin.

The initiative goes on to say why. Why? As if reason and intelligent analysis has anything to do with politics these days:

We also hold these truths to be self-evident-That, as an intoxicant, marijuana is far less harmful to the health and safety of the People than alcohol--That, as a smoking substance, marijuana is far less addictive or harmful to the health of the People than tobacco--That, even though alcohol is harmful to the health and safety of the People, the prohibition of alcohol from 1920 to 1933 only increased the harms associated with alcohol use: criminals seized control of the alcohol market, crime and violence increased greatly, and poverty, unemployment, and corruption flourished, while otherwise lawful alcohol drinkers were treated as "criminals" subject to detention, arrest, and incarceration, even though they had not harmed the rights of anyone--That, as with alcohol prohibition, the prohibition of marijuana has only increased the harms associated with the use of marijuana: criminals control a multi-billion dollar market, crime and violence have increased greatly, and poverty, unemployment, and corruption flourish, while otherwise law-abiding marijuana smokers are treated as "criminals" subject to detention, arrest, and incarceration, even though they have not harmed the rights of anyone-That the history of marijuana prohibition is a history of repeated injuries and infringements upon the inalienable rights, powers, and best interests of the People.

A little revolution talk perhaps, but a little revolution of sorts is just what's needed regarding drugs in this country. A little less Big Mama Government and a little more personal responsiblity.

Where we need the government is to fight and protect us from the large pacs/corporations/gangs that seek to pervert the system by using bribes/blackmail/money/congressional golf junkets to insure that their cut of the pie is much larger than anybody else's cut. Like say, the Pharma-Industrial Complex.

Despite the harms of marijuana prohibition, politicians persist in imposing and upholding marijuana prohibition, because these politicians are not working for the People--they are working for the corporate executives who financed their campaigns, such as corporate executives in the alcohol industry who want to protect their monopoly on intoxication, corporate executives in the tobacco industry who want to protect their monopoly on smoking, corporate executives in the pharmaceutical industry who want to protect their monopoly on expensive medicines, and corporate executives in the many industries threatened by competition with hemp. These corporate executives pull the strings of the government to perpetuate marijuana prohibition despite its harms, because they do not care about the inalienable rights and best interests of the People--they care about taking as much money from the People as possible. These corporate executives also use their control of the mainstream media to make it seem like marijuana prohibition is a failed attempt to serve the interests of the People, censoring the idea that marijuana prohibition is a successful attempt to serve corporate interests at the expense of the People. For these corporate interests, politicians sacrifice the inalienable rights and best interests of the People. This corruption and corporate influence is worse at the national level, where the People can least afford political influence and the media is most effective at manipulating public debate. Because of this corruption, it is futile for the People to turn to the federal government for protection--because the federal government is the source of the harm. The repeated attempts by the People to reduce the harms of marijuana prohibition have been answered only by repeated injury. The harm from marijuana prohibition is ongoing and the need for relief is urgent. Such is the suffering of the People, and such is the necessity that constrains us to alter our former systems of government. A government with a character marked by every act that defines a tyrant is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. Therefore, appealing to humankind for the rightness of our intentions

694,354 signatures are needed by September, 5, 2008. And no, don't get high and sign twice. That is not helpful. Last time it was Proposition 215, also known as the Compassionate Use Act of 1996. It was a proposition on the November 5, 1996 ballot. It passed with 5,382,915 (55.6%) votes in favor and 4,301,960 (44.4%) against. 

This time it's The Inalienable Rights Enforcement Initiative. Or, what I like to call it,  the Baby Boomer Bong Prop.

It does have at least one little problem, one of those "let's shoot ourselves in the foot clauses." Buried in the initiative is this little gem... "There shall be no income tax on profits from the sale of marijuana until the end of the government prohibition of marijuana and unless approved by the People in the manner described below. It shall be unlawful for any person or household to profit by an unreasonable amount from the sale of marijuana in anyone calendar year." Humm, what...exactly...is unreasonable? And will this upset the pols and their taxing jones' enough to kill the whole thing?

Anyway...

Congratulations Boomers. Your power to change the world is ready. Use it with compassion.