I'll preface this post with the typical, tired, preemptive strike-style disclaimer you seem compelled to make whenever wading into this topic, in order to rob the small-minded of petty, predictable character assassination opportunities...
I don't smoke pot, and, since quitting tobacco a few years back, I hardly partake in any drugs at all these days besides my daily caffeine fix, and a glass of wine, or a delicious Hefeweizen pint every now and then.
Disclaimer now fully disclaimed...
The War on Drugs is
a mindless, counterproductive waste of tax dollars that ruins the lives of countless non-violent "offenders." But, fine, if we want to continue operating under the fantasy that maintaining the contraband status of more potent drugs like cocaine, heroin, and meth is doing society at large some imaginary, immaterial favor no one can quite describe or justify in a compelling way, we at the very least have to recognize the pointless absurdity of illegal marijuana and legal alcohol. Here's Sam Harris explaining why this preposterous state of affairs has been foisted upon us, and cutting its puritanical inanity to satisfying pieces in his usual logical and eloquent manner:
When you further contemplate how the drug war impacts the climate because we have determined that
another non-intoxicating plant, with a myriad of industrial and transportation sector uses, which come at much lower environmental costs than those of other plants like sugar cane and corn, let alone fossil fuels, should be illegal
simply because it looks like and is related to marijuana, well, you have to wonder if we don't deserve
disasters of our own making.
Seriously, the stupidity of something so harmless and potentially useful remaining illegal boggles the mind. Especially in light of states legalizing the recreational use of marijuana itself. You can drive to Colorado and Washington to get high, but you can't fill your tank with homegrown biodiesel to get there.
Our silly, self-destructive, negative perceptions of
a couple plants beggar belief. I mean, what the hell are we all so afraid of?
Oh noes, our fuel production might make us look like hippies!
Imagine how much we could reduce our emissions if we combined
hemp biofuels, which can be sustainably-produced, and require minimal initial investment, with some level of
space-based solar power.
Now, if this post hasn't thoroughly infuriated all those conservative-minded climate change deniers out there, who think our emissions cause no climate disruptions at all, let alone ones worth "endangering" the safety and welfare of their innocent children and perfect little drug-free communities (apparently the ubiquity of liquor stores and prescription drugs doesn't count when labeling neighborhoods "drug-free") by legalizing the evil, society-unraveling force that is marijuana and hemp, then lemme really smear some subversive icing on their close-minded cake by embedding what will surely be for them an all too irritating blast from the past.
