Finally, the President and I have something in common!
You and I both know that people smoke pot. When done so responsibly and in moderation, marijuana can be as useful and enjoyable as many other substances, both legal and illegal. Marijuana users are less likely to wage wars, commit violent crimes, and remember things compared to stone-cold sober people. Many believe that marijuana can be wholesome and open doors of creativity in a relatively safe environment.
But there are some people in this world who just plain don't like marijuana. Many government officials work very hard to keep drugs out of the hands of Americans. Using tools like mandatory minimum sentences and drug tests, these politicians hand out laws that trample on American liberties, the alleged foundation of our society. This is an increasing trend and things are looking grim for the future of recreational marijuana users. But this is not the topic of my conversation.
On February 20th, tapes of conversations between the then Governor W. Bush and Doug Wead (pronounced WEED) were released. In these tapes, George W. Bush outright states his history with the drug marijuana.
I wonder what George Bush Sr. must think of his depraved son. Did Big George, one of the toughest presidents against drugs, know about George Jr.'s habit at the time? How curious it is that Bush Jr.'s National Guard lapse coincides with the same year that mandatory drug testing was implemented therein.
So Bush smoked pot. You'd think a former pothead might have a soft spot for other potheads; but you'd be wrong again. Bush's administration has seen more nonviolent drug-related arrests than any other administration, despite declining drug use numbers nationwide. Bush is flying free and clear without fear of punishment for his "troubled years" as he refers to them. But some aren't so lucky.
Among the thousands of Americans jailed this year for marijuana, is Tommy Chong. Chong, co-star of the Cheech and Chong films has founded his own glass pipe collection "for tobacco use only". Chong, who had claimed that he rarely smoked at all was not doing anything that other pipe manufacturers have been doing for years.
Through a federal operation involving both Ashcroft's Department of Justice and the DEA, Chong and 50 other glass manufacturers were apprehended in their own homes. This sting operation was "complete with DEA agents with helicopters, news cameras, visors, flak jackets, automatic weapons and Fox News trucks". The mission was code-named Operation Pipe Dreams. Strangely enough, Chong was the only one who saw trial. Sentenced to 8 months in federal prison for simply manufacturing and transporting glass, Chong had a lot of time to think of all the bad things he had done.
Chong is a notable one of many, there are thousands of untold stories of unfair persecution of nonviolent (even noncriminal) victims of the state. Legal experts say that Chong's celebrity status helped him avoid a longer jail sentence, but then again it also made him a target of 'the man'. Where was pot-friendly George W. Bush when this happened? Surely he has seen a Cheech and Chong movie or two, doesn't he have a heart for the guy? Maybe he is just too stoned to know what's going on.
But there are some people in this world who just plain don't like marijuana. Many government officials work very hard to keep drugs out of the hands of Americans. Using tools like mandatory minimum sentences and drug tests, these politicians hand out laws that trample on American liberties, the alleged foundation of our society. This is an increasing trend and things are looking grim for the future of recreational marijuana users. But this is not the topic of my conversation.
On February 20th, tapes of conversations between the then Governor W. Bush and Doug Wead (pronounced WEED) were released. In these tapes, George W. Bush outright states his history with the drug marijuana.
Bush goes on to state his concern for the children of America as well as his selfless political goals:"I wouldn't answer the marijuana question. You know why? Because I don't want some little kid doing what I tried" - George W. Bush c. 1998
"I want to be president. I want to lead. I want to set Do you want your little kid say, 'Hey, Daddy, President Bush tried marijuana, I think I will?'"You conservatives may say, "Oh, those tapes are obviously forged." But you'd be wrong. The White House has acknowledged the tapes without objection and the President has voiced his "disappointment" with their release. Why couldn't this have happened before the election!?!?!
I wonder what George Bush Sr. must think of his depraved son. Did Big George, one of the toughest presidents against drugs, know about George Jr.'s habit at the time? How curious it is that Bush Jr.'s National Guard lapse coincides with the same year that mandatory drug testing was implemented therein.
So Bush smoked pot. You'd think a former pothead might have a soft spot for other potheads; but you'd be wrong again. Bush's administration has seen more nonviolent drug-related arrests than any other administration, despite declining drug use numbers nationwide. Bush is flying free and clear without fear of punishment for his "troubled years" as he refers to them. But some aren't so lucky.
Among the thousands of Americans jailed this year for marijuana, is Tommy Chong. Chong, co-star of the Cheech and Chong films has founded his own glass pipe collection "for tobacco use only". Chong, who had claimed that he rarely smoked at all was not doing anything that other pipe manufacturers have been doing for years.
Through a federal operation involving both Ashcroft's Department of Justice and the DEA, Chong and 50 other glass manufacturers were apprehended in their own homes. This sting operation was "complete with DEA agents with helicopters, news cameras, visors, flak jackets, automatic weapons and Fox News trucks". The mission was code-named Operation Pipe Dreams. Strangely enough, Chong was the only one who saw trial. Sentenced to 8 months in federal prison for simply manufacturing and transporting glass, Chong had a lot of time to think of all the bad things he had done.
All they knew was that my popularity commanded their attention. They couldnt give a shit if it was the stoner character that they put in jail, or me. It was all the same to them. They just wanted to show the entertainment world that were vulnerable. You do something that we dont like, youre going to end up in jail. Thats the message they put out.Chong was imprisoned for "glamorizing the illegal distribution and use of marijuana in entertainment products that trivialize law-enforcement efforts to combat drug trafficking and use." He recently finished serving his term in prison and is under strict probation. Having to submit to bi-weekly urine tests, at the taxpayer's expense, Chong is under near-constant surveillance. He can't even vote anymore. It's been over two years since Chong has smoked pot. In his interview with LA Weekly, he claims he doesn't mind that part of it.
Chong is a notable one of many, there are thousands of untold stories of unfair persecution of nonviolent (even noncriminal) victims of the state. Legal experts say that Chong's celebrity status helped him avoid a longer jail sentence, but then again it also made him a target of 'the man'. Where was pot-friendly George W. Bush when this happened? Surely he has seen a Cheech and Chong movie or two, doesn't he have a heart for the guy? Maybe he is just too stoned to know what's going on.