Over the last few weeks I have noticed an increased buzz about the legalization of marijuana. It seems that Californians are on the cusp of ending prohibition on the recreational use of this plant. In the same way that alcohol prohibition created criminals out of non-violent users, marijuana-related crimes have filled our prisons and drawn government resources away from social issues that really matter. This is relatively old news. What has been of more recent interest to me is the parallels between marijuana distribution, especially coming out of South American countries, and the distribution of legal crops such as fruits and vegetables coming out of the same countries. If you are interested in learning about the darker side of the fruit trade, (this is why we will try to buy locally or from a fair trade importer), check out Juliana's blog about the banana trade industry and the paramilitaries that they employ: http://spiritofdreammountain.blogspot.com/2010/03/yoga-mats-flexible-babies-and-bad.html
How many of you out there who smoke pot or who have smoked or who will smoke if the prohibition is lifted have ever considered the morality of your supplies' origin? You might think twice before throwing down on that next sack. In 2000 the DEA estimated that between 40 and 50 percent of marijuana in the United States came from Mexico alone. In 2006 the Justice department estimated that the four largest drug cartels (the Federation, the Tijuana Cartel, the Juarez Cartel and the Gulf Cartel) were operating in about 195 US cities. So what's the big deal you might ask? Well the cartels are warring factions of highly developed gangs who fight against one another in territorial disputes catching innocent civilians in the cross fire. They also use brutal tactics to run off small scale marijuana farmers in order to broaden their growing territory. According to an NPR broadcast that aired today "More than 10,000 people have been killed in Mexico in drug-related violence since Calderon deployed the army against the cartels in late 2006." As I listened to the broadcast this morning a reporter described the small hut he was speaking from where he said the door was stained with blood from the farmer who had been executed by one of the cartels earlier this month. Mexico legalised the recreational use of marijuana in 2006 as part of the ongoing effort to combat the cartel violence however the U.S. market has continued to fuel the cartels and enable their brutal tactics.
What it comes down to is that with any purchase it falls upon us all to make an informed decision. The end of recreational marijuana prohibition in California likely signals a nation wide end in the near future. As we are given back this freedom we will have new choices to make. Whether we chose to grow this plant our selves, buy from a local farmer, or purchase it from afar, we must accept some responsibility within the global community and realize that this choice may have real impacts on a very humanitarian level. Let's just make sure that our decision to relax, and have a good time doesn't come at the expense of some unfortunate farmer. Let's not facilitate violence with an act that is all about getting along and getting together.
How many of you out there who smoke pot or who have smoked or who will smoke if the prohibition is lifted have ever considered the morality of your supplies' origin? You might think twice before throwing down on that next sack. In 2000 the DEA estimated that between 40 and 50 percent of marijuana in the United States came from Mexico alone. In 2006 the Justice department estimated that the four largest drug cartels (the Federation, the Tijuana Cartel, the Juarez Cartel and the Gulf Cartel) were operating in about 195 US cities. So what's the big deal you might ask? Well the cartels are warring factions of highly developed gangs who fight against one another in territorial disputes catching innocent civilians in the cross fire. They also use brutal tactics to run off small scale marijuana farmers in order to broaden their growing territory. According to an NPR broadcast that aired today "More than 10,000 people have been killed in Mexico in drug-related violence since Calderon deployed the army against the cartels in late 2006." As I listened to the broadcast this morning a reporter described the small hut he was speaking from where he said the door was stained with blood from the farmer who had been executed by one of the cartels earlier this month. Mexico legalised the recreational use of marijuana in 2006 as part of the ongoing effort to combat the cartel violence however the U.S. market has continued to fuel the cartels and enable their brutal tactics.
What it comes down to is that with any purchase it falls upon us all to make an informed decision. The end of recreational marijuana prohibition in California likely signals a nation wide end in the near future. As we are given back this freedom we will have new choices to make. Whether we chose to grow this plant our selves, buy from a local farmer, or purchase it from afar, we must accept some responsibility within the global community and realize that this choice may have real impacts on a very humanitarian level. Let's just make sure that our decision to relax, and have a good time doesn't come at the expense of some unfortunate farmer. Let's not facilitate violence with an act that is all about getting along and getting together.
Or perhaps to paraphrase a more recent piece of wisdom Think Globally Smoke Locally!
For more info on the drug war in Mexico check out this link to the NPR story:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124703094
For more info on the drug war in Mexico check out this link to the NPR story:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124703094
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3 comments:
Ugh! I think about this all the time!!! For awhile I knew a guy who had ladies growing in his basement, and that was all hydro organic goodness. Of course he got busted, neither of us live in a state friendly to the movement. Meeting another such fellow is about as likely as a lightening strike.
I'm really hopefull that the west coast ending prohibition will increase the supplies of US grown. *cross my fingers*
There's another side to this too. Have you considered what you smoke *out* of? Leaving aside the whole vape vs smoke debate. Glass pipes have been flooding the market from cheap overseas sweat shops. Poor design, hazardous practices, it's no good. The crack down on paraphenelia a few years ago opened the door to all these cheap imports. (Remember when Chong got arrested with all his glass? That's the crack down I'm talking about) With all the US glass confiscated, suppliers turned to overseas makers. Moral here is to try and support your local glass blowers, you'll get a better product, and support an American trying to make a living.
Hi Jennie, Thanks for checking out my blog! You bring up several good points. Some of these glass blowers are really talented local artists. We try to support several of the local shops, here in Bloomington, that carry glass work and more from local people. The few glass blowers I have met have been both humble and proud of their work. The quality comparison seems very apparent to me also. There is additionally the environmental impact to consider when you are buying anything that has had to travel thousands of miles from its origin to your door. Why not buy from a guy who is likely to invite you over to watch him work?
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