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Chill, Baby, Chill

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The war on pot has reignited again over 420, the day everyone is supposed to share in a universal joint together.  Fox News is at the vanguard, calling in its so-called experts to tell us how dangerous the new strains of marijuana are now that it is legal in a handful of states.  It borders on parody to see guys like Brian Kilmeade and David Murray go ballistic over "skunk," a strain that purportedly is 7 times stronger than that Cheech and Chong smoked in their heyday, with 30 to 40 per cent THC.

For the record, THC typically ranges from one to five per cent by weight in marijuana and five to fifteen per cent in hashish, although it can reach as high as 20 per cent, well below Murray's overblown estimates.  THC is what gives you the high, but at most it temporarily impairs your motor skills, so you are advised not to drive for approximately 3 hours after consumption.  Of course, some doctors have claimed it can lead to long term brain damage if smoked in excessive amounts, but there has been no conclusive proof of this.  If Cheech and Chong are to be taken as examples, they seem to have fared reasonably well over the years.

However, that doesn't stop the GOP presidential candidates from sounding off on marijuana.  Jeb Bush proved to be the biggest hypocrite, admitting he smoked in college, but stating that he is against even the legalization of medicinal pot, which failed to be passed in a Florida referendum by three per cent.  Jeb claimed his state to be a "family-friendly destination," seemingly oblivious to the fact that it serves as the gateway to much of the drug traffic in this country.  Rand Paul seized on the opportunity to attack the former Florida governor, as Rand feels the drug should be decriminalized nationally, as it is now in many states, even in the Heart of Dixie, Alabama.

Willie Nelson celebrated the occasion by introducing his own strain of pot called "Willie's Reserve."  Nelson has been a long-time pot advocate, and has his own facebook page extolling the virtues of cannabis, as well as teasing those who rail against it.  Willie sells his brand of pot in what look like tea containers in Washington and Colorado and will no doubt soon expand into Oregon and Alaska.  Not so long ago, he still found himself a target of unwarranted search and seizures.  BTW, Willie is 81 years old and looks fit as a fiddle.

Ironically, many police around the country advocate the decriminalization of pot, as it would free them up to deal with more serious crimes.  Here are three ex-cops talking about their feelings toward pot while they share a bong in this promotion for the recreational use of marijuana in Washington.

While most of the country has come to accept pot as a recreational drug, religious conservatives remain steadfast in their belief that it is a gateway drug to hell.  To be fair, the more fervid Pentecostals think the same about alcohol and even chocolate, due to its caffeine content.  One should have a completely clean body to serve as the vessel of the lord.

It seems that the folks at Fox see it more as one of those rating boosters to perk up their slumbering audience from time to time, much like their annual rant against Spring Break.  If persons smoked more pot and drank less alcohol you would probably find much calmer crowds at Panama City Beach, as there wouldn't be all this alcohol-related violence.  But, I don't imagine guys like Brian Kilmeade and David Murray ever thought of that.

To paraphrase Sarah Palin, Chill, Baby, Chill!

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