A Weed Grows In Our Forests: Marijuana Speech #13

13 ^th speech in this series to the Josephine County Commissioners, August 26, 2009.  Posted on ILoveGrantsPass.com.  Video is available at http://www.co.josephine.or.us/Page.asp?NavID=893  

The next reason for passing A Resolution Regarding Marijuana is:

“WHEREAS great quantities of illicit marijuana are being grown in our national forests;”

A weed is a plant growing where it is not wanted.  Marijuana has been called the evil weed because, where the authorities find it, they tear it out.  In the news recently, as happens this time every year, we hear of thousands of pot plants being uprooted and hauled out of the forests at great expense because they are growing where the owner— the federal government or sometimes a private large landowner—doesn’t want them.

These huge grows are generally planted and tended by illegal immigrants brought in by Mexican crime cartels.   I suspect that they are the source of some of the best commercial weed available.

I cannot say that passing the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act will have any immediate effect on the growing of illegal weed in remote forest lands.  Most of it is probably shipped out of this state, where medical marijuana plays hob with black market prices, especially right after harvest, when risk-averse licensed medical growers are trying to get rid of their excess as soon as possible.  The only thing that will stop the weed from being purposely grown in our forests is full legalization throughout the nation.  But it is a good first step in that direction.

This is the 13^th speech in this series supporting A Resolution Regarding Marijuana.  We have yet to hear any reasons from any opposition why you should not pass it.  We have heard from one person who appeared to be concerned about respect for the law, when I admitted to ongoing felonies in buying marijuana, and about the example that I set for children by such admissions.  We have not heard any reasons why you should support the present law that you do not enforce against me, any reasons why you should not ask the legislature to repeal it, or any reasons why you should not ask the legislature to replace such laws with the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act.

Supposedly, this is a controversial issue.  Regarding controversial issues, one generally has no problem getting an argument in this meeting.  I am waiting for an argument to answer, so we can have a debate.

There must be some opposition out there.  Perhaps they don’t think that you will take me seriously—but an unopposed 13-speech series is pretty serious.   Perhaps they don’t pay attention to what goes on in your meetings—in which case, they deserve to be surprised by whatever you pass.  Or perhaps my arguments are unassailable and unanswerable.

I call on the opposition to my proposal to put up or continue to shut up.  If they will not put forth an argument against it, I call on this Board to pass this Resolution.