| Thanks to a failed prohibition of certain mind-altering | | | | unconcerned with, but President Obama will have a |
| plants which have been revered throughout the world | | | | tough time convincing his supporters (much less, critics) |
| for thousands of years, we have collectively | | | | that scientific integrity doesn't really matter-at least not |
| developed the ability to grow plants indoors, efficiently | | | | in this particular instance, which happens to dictate the |
| and without any natural sunlight or soil. The | | | | use of hundreds of billions of taxpayers' dollars every |
| overwhelming demand for these illicit plants, combined | | | | year... |
| with our government's attempts to disrupt the trade | | | | The funny thing is, even if Obama refuses to end the |
| have led to technological and manufacturing | | | | policies which were once referred to as the "War on |
| accomplishments which will soon have a huge benefit | | | | Drugs"; this ongoing battle against ourselves is almost |
| for society as a whole. | | | | over. Laws can be quite powerful when properly |
| If these plants had not been made illegal, indoor | | | | enforced, but the evolution of technology is easily |
| gardening would have still been relatively in the stone | | | | orders of magnitude more influential in our society |
| age (please pardon the pun.) As it turns out, our drug | | | | today. |
| war did have a purpose: to make indoor gardening | | | | Thanks to an insatiable demand for mind-altering |
| available and monetarily feasible for the majority of the | | | | substances derived from plants, along with our nation's |
| population. "Mission Accomplished", thanks to the latest | | | | attempted prohibition of said plants; the artificial lighting |
| generation of LED grow lights and the corresponding | | | | and related indoor gardening industries have come a |
| advances in aeroponics (the most efficient, highest | | | | very long ways just in the past few years. They have |
| yielding form of soil-less growing.) | | | | come so far, in fact, that they have rendered law |
| According to the DEA and Congress, certain plants | | | | enforcement's last best tool completely useless: LED's |
| are too dangerous for us to consume and therefore | | | | and other new, more efficient lights have made it |
| must be wiped off the face of the earth. Never mind | | | | impossible to locate indoor grow operations using |
| the gasoline I could just as easily huff or the rubber | | | | electricity usage data and/or thermal imaging |
| cement we all played with in elementary school; the | | | | equipment. |
| thousands of deaths directly attributed to these | | | | In addition to making it much easier to circumvent an |
| dangerous substances are worth the risks, just like | | | | already unenforceable law, the rapid advance of |
| pharmaceutical concoctions. But somehow, certain | | | | lighting technology along with corresponding advances |
| plants are not. Even a plant that has scientifically been | | | | in soil-less growing techniques such as aeroponics |
| proven to be safer than tylenol, that just happens to | | | | have made it feasible for the average person to build |
| have a 'cousin' which can be cheaply grown on | | | | their own indoor garden, where they can grow their |
| marginal land and made into practically anything. | | | | own fresh, organic herbs and vegetables all year long. |
| This absurd stance has been held by our elected | | | | Although self-contained, pre-manufactured systems |
| leaders for a very long time now, yet the public is still | | | | are still relatively expensive, the recent federal policy |
| largely unaware and our (now contradictory) laws | | | | change recognizing people with state-issued "green" |
| remain completely unquestioned by practically all | | | | cards ensures that there will be plenty of demand and |
| politicians. A notable exception of late was in the UK, | | | | healthy competition in this emerging market. |
| where the top drug adviser was fired for "claiming" | | | | The combination of our capitalist system and moral |
| that both cannabis and ecstasy are safer than alcohol. | | | | ineptitude has enabled us to develop the tools with |
| He directly attributes this viewpoint to the results of | | | | which we can build a sustainable society. Although |
| scientific studies, which overwhelmingly show that both | | | | growing our own food locally, possibly even in our own |
| substances are indeed less dangerous to the user and | | | | homes, may seem like a trivial step-keep in mind that |
| society than alcohol. | | | | food in this country currently averages 1700 miles |
| One particular article brings up some good points, but | | | | "from farm to fork". Plus, you've never tasted a better |
| stops short of destroying the government's credibility | | | | tomato than one you grew yourself. |
| by citing the actual studies. Opting instead to refer to | | | | Self-sustainability has become much more feasible, |
| the former drug adviser's statement as a "claim", the | | | | thanks entirely to a failed policy which should have |
| article downplays what could the biggest story of the | | | | scrapped decades ago. Please be sure to call your |
| decade: scientists and respected leaders demanding | | | | representatives in Congress and the Senate, let them |
| that drug laws conform to some type of logic and | | | | know that their ineptitude has actually paid off! You |
| common sense. Oddly enough, the article leaves the | | | | might also want to let them know that it's time to finally |
| reader to ponder the following quote from Prime | | | | end our collective misery by following the advice of |
| Minister Gordon Brown: | | | | the U.N. and Law Enforcement Against Prohibition ( |
| "On climate change, or health, for example," he said, | | | | Then we will win the war in Afghanistan , secure our |
| "we take the best scientific advise possible. But in an | | | | borders and rebuild our economy while creating |
| area like drugs we have to look at it in the round." | | | | sustainable industries (based on the incredible versatility |
| Luckily, the article also provides a list the scientist in | | | | of hemp.) The politicians will have a field day with their |
| question, David Nutt, published as part of a paper that | | | | speeches, going on and on about all of the prosperity |
| helped lead to his termination as top drug adviser. It is a | | | | and opportunity that they have created-by finally |
| list of drugs, ordered from most dangerous to least; | | | | scrapping a law they all knew was bogus anyway. At |
| and it is based entirely on the latest scientific data | | | | the very least, it ought to be entertaining. |
| available. Something that Gordon Brown appears | | | | |