“The absolute scum of the earth”

“If you want to see the absolute scum of the earth go to any prison in the US during shift change.”

–Paul Harvey (attributed)

If you doubt the truth of that statement, consider the new piece on the excellent investigative site, The Intercept, “Police and Prison Guard Groups Fight Marijuana Legalization in California,” by Lee Fang, reporting on the funding of the opposition to the initiative repealing marijuana prohibition in California:

Roughly half of the money raised to oppose a ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana in California is coming from police and prison guard groups, terrified that they might lose the revenue streams to which they have become so deeply addicted.

Drug war money has become a notable source of funding for law enforcement interests. Huge government grants and asset-seizure windfalls benefit police departments, while the constant supply of prisoners keeps the prison business booming.

One thing The Intercept piece didn’t mention is that opposition to legal and medical marijuana initiatives also comes from the private prison industry, which contributed significantly to the opposition to the 2010 medical marijuana initiative in Arizona, which barely passed. (In 2016 one of the largest contributors opposing legalization in the state was Insys Therapeutics Inc., a fentanyl manufacturer, which contributed $500,000 to the anti-legalization drive, which barely lost. Not incidentally, hospital admissions for opioid abuse and dependency have dropped by over 20% in states where medicinal pot is legal; full legalization would likely lead to an even larger drop.)

Another thing  The Intercept piece didn’t mention is the power that pot prohibition gives the police over the public. It’s probably the primary example of government intrusion into the private lives of individuals.  It’s a license for the cops to terrorize people in SWAT raids–breaking down doors, beating people, holding guns to their heads. And it’s a damn good bet that some of them enjoy doing that. Sadists don’t willingly give up their power over their victims.

Think about it. The arguments in favor of prohibition have been thoroughly discredited for decades, and millions of people who have done no harm to others have been thrown in prison because of barbaric prohibition laws.

The pro-prohibition forces are driven by sadism and the desire to lock people in cages for victimless “crimes,” because they profit from it. They want to lock innocent people in cages for money.

The prison guards, private prison industry, police chiefs, fentanyl manufacturers, and other parasites opposing marijuana legalization truly are “the absolute scum of the earth.”

 

Related articles

• A look at marijuana laws around the US and the globe (usnews.com)
• 4/20 – Marijuana and where it’s legal (amarillo.com)
• Thousands to puff for legal pot at San Francisco 4/20 party (newsday.com)
• Rutledge clears form of marijuana legalization amendment (arktimes.com)
• Rhode Island Marijuana Legalization Hearing Scheduled for Tuesday (thedailychronic.net)