Ash Wednesday: Puff...Puff....Pass

"No one puts new wine into old wineskins...but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.- Mark 2:22

When people begin to speak about using drugs to cope with life, my mind quickly turns to marijuana.  Ganja, herb, grass, chronic, sensimella or whatever you want to call it is smoked by millions of people all over the world, some for medical purposes and some simply for the purpose of getting "high" and changing their mental state.

Well, as I've written numerous times on Worcester Is MAJOR!, I grew up in the Caribbean where marijuana usage was seen as "normal".  Now, I knew that marijuana was illegal then as it is now, but I have never known anyone to smoke a joint, and get so "high" that they choose to go out and destroy something or do harm to another human being.

In a time when the economy is more depressed than Charlie Sheen, it's hard to realize who is "winning" the war on drugs.

I guess William Breault is sick and tired of walking in his neighborhood, and catching a contact from all the weed smoke in the air?  Well, Billy, there are BIGGER issues than increasing fines to people smoking weed in public places.

For example, I'd rather have City Hall and Worcester focus on doing away with this dual-tax rate.  Why do you think we have all these vacant, depressed buildings that would be great for businesses looking to take advantage of the brain power in Worcester & Worcester County?  What business would want to call the City their home when they're going to be hit over the head with
a tax rate that would make them feel worse than a hit of chronic from a bong?  Puff....puff...pass.

That's right!  Any business, whether small or large will easily "pass that shit" and pass on Worcester.  And, who's to blame?  Well, we the citizens of Worcester are the ones to blame because while some have argued for years to "fix" the dual-tax rate issue, their voices have been silenced and Michael O'Brien and the City Council have turned a deaf ear to them.  Well, the time to get LOUD is NOW! 

Stay tuned!

Legalize it and Tax it!

I'm not going to stand on a soapbox and attempt to pontificate that the legalization of marijuana would be the downfall of the United States of America.

Shoot, while growing up in the Virgin Islands, it seemed as if all of my parent's friends smoked marijuana (read: weed) and more than a few grew their own stuff.  With year-round warm weather, it made for an ideal setting.

I know more than a handful of people that reside in Massachusetts that smoke weed everyday in order to alleviate pain from Multiple Sclerosis, herniated disks, glaucoma, and cancer.

These are not bad people.  They certainly aren't "druggies" that walk around flaunting it or try to influence others to smoke.  They're people that have jobs, take care of their family, run successful businesses and, shoot, one is a millionaire that owns two blocks of prime commercial real estate in Boston.

When the subject of marijuana comes up in a conversation, I always smile because of my experience and knowledge of the stuff.  I wasn't taught to "fear" the stuff or not to try it because it would make me stupid.  If there was ever a drug that I was taught to "fear", it was cocaine.

Currently, in California's upcoming November 2nd election, they're going to vote on Proposition 19, the state initiative to control and tax marijuana.

Just last week, US Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Obama administration would "vigorously enforce" federal drug laws against people who sell, distribute or grow marijuana for recreational use.

Holder's missive to the nine former chiefs of the US Drug Enforcement Administration stated:

"Let me state clearly that the Department of Justice strongly opposes Proposition 19. If passed, this legislation will greatly complicate federal drug enforcement efforts to the detriment of our citizens."

There were a number of people that rushed to echo Attorney General Holder's statement, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, in particular, held a press conference that morning in downtown LA.

Prop. 19 would allow Californians 21 and older to grow up to 25 square feet of cannabis plants, and to possess up to an ounce of marijuana. It would also empower cities and counties to regulate marijuana cultivation and sales. Several municipalities are poised to do so if the law passes, with initiatives concerning taxation and regulation on the same ballot as Prop. 19.

As we wait to see what the November 2nd election holds for the state of California, one of two things will happen: (1) the initiative will be voted "Yes" and then the respective city and town attorneys will file an injunction again Prop. 19; or (2) Proposition 19 will be voted "No" and then a number of groups will attempt to file appeals, which will go no where and waste resources.

It's already being reported that in Los Angelese, City Attorney Carmen Trutanich has contacted the Department of Justice asking them to file an injunction against Prop. 19.

Until November 2nd.........many in LA are shouting, "Puff, puff, give!"

How much are you holdin'?

I guess the police department in Mexico got tired of arresting Americans who were holdin' weight and decriminalized drugs such as marijuana, cocaine and heroin stating that if a person has "personal use" amounts will be encouraged to go to rehab.

With the drugs flowing into the United States from Mexico, this should pose interesting for law enforcement officers at the border.

Taxing Mary Jane

This is a very interesting way to attempt to save your state from massive cuts and raise over a billion dollars!

I wonder if there's such a group in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts?