Reflections ►
The Hydra
by Dolores Halbin , contributing writer
Well folks , here we are again . Another January and cannabis remains on the Federal Schedule as a Class 1 Narcotic of NO medicinal value . Meanwhile , all but three of our 50 states have settled on breaking Federal Law and developing lucrative cannabis industries .
Our neighbor to the West , Kansas , is holding onto its meager prohibition income despite being surrounded by cannabis-rich states . Joined by Kansas are Idaho and Nebraska .
I love math , so let ’ s take a minute as we start our new year and figure out just how many politicians are involved in continuing cannabis prohibition .
The Mathematics of Prohibition
The U . S . Senate has 100 members , two from each state , regardless of the size of the state . So , out of the 100 U . S . Senators , all but six live in states prospering from cannabis . Easy math , 94 %.
With The House of Representatives , the math gets a little murky . My dad had his Masters in math and kept those genes to himself until my daughter Allie , a math teacher in California , who was happy to do the equations for me . Thank you , daughter !
There are 435 members of the House , and they are distributed according to population , with California having the most at 52 , or 12 %.
Rounding up from . 979 , 98 % of the U . S . House of Representatives enjoy tax revenues from the plant . Our three remaining full prohibition states , Idaho ( 2 ), Nebraska ( 3 ), and Kansas ( 4 ) members make up a paltry 2 % of the House . Added to 6 % of the Senate , that is not enough to sway a vote .
And let ’ s not forget California , with its 52 members , was the first state to “ legalize ” cannabis , generating staggering tax revenues since 1996 . According to Cannabis Business Times , on December 1 , 2023 , California had “... nearly $ 3.9 billion in taxable sales during the first three quarters of 2023 , representing a $ 5.2 billion annual run rate .”
When you say that out loud ...?
Truth and Consequences
When inflation hit and sent rent on my little country cottage soaring , like many older people , I had to get a job . Fortunately , thanks to A-3 , I no longer have a criminal record , so I didn ’ t end up at Walmart standing in front of a freezing door this winter like so many senior citizens . With an “ unimpeded ” nursing license and able to pass a criminal background check , I landed with a local NFP foundation that supports several group homes for developmentally disabled ( DD ) people .
In November , our Cannabis Community recently gave some love , by helping Agape Grace ’ s first benefit Gala . With the generosity of several , we bought tickets for four special needs parents of Missouri Canna Kids to come out to a fancy dinner ! And I got to revisit my first career as a waiter . It wasn ’ t too bad , aside from aching legs . I thought — I could do this if I had to until I dreamed of throwing a tray of champagne glasses at the bartender . Never mind , I ’ ll buy a ticket next year and get waited on . The event ’ s photographer got sick , so The EVOLUTION Magazine ’ s Clayton Stallings stepped up and worked as the fundraiser photographer . Thank you , Clayton .
Dealing with DD is difficult . Finding incentives to encourage our residents to make good choices is a daily challenge . They have rights , lots of rights . We have our wit and natural consequences to teach them values like honesty . We try to teach them how lies hurt the person who tells the lie . Lies confuse us , and we don ’ t know whether we can trust them after they lie . All we have in our toolbox are the natural consequences of right and wrong , honesty vs lies , to teach them to do the right thing .
What on earth do we have in our toolboxes against lies in perpetuity since August 2 , 1937 , the day the Federal Marijuana Stamp Act came into being ? Folks , it ’ s great to celebrate 4-20 ; however , we should be protesting on August 2 .
Lies and No Consequences
Bezos knew he could fix this little problem of lie-based Federal prohibition of cannabis . Last January , Bezos announced that all his lobbyists and lobby money were headed to DC to sort this out . Bezos has a vision of cannabis home delivery ; after all , he is Amazon and owns the Washington Post ! Of course , he can waltz in to sort it out .
44 January 2024