Victims Of Marijuana Prohibition: A Soldier’s Wry Observations

NORML introduces a few new regular blog items for 2010:

-Letters From The Victims Of Marijuana Prohibition

-NORML’s Reefer Madness Du Jour

-Who Do I Want To Smoke A Joint With And Why?

NORML is in constant contact with thousands of victims of cannabis prohibition on a weekly basis. The organization is flooded with calls, letters and emails from citizens ill-effected by cannabis prohibition laws, from getting arrested and going to prison to civil forfeiture, child custody, revocation of drivers license, removal of student loans and workplace drug testing.

Below is a prime, firsthand account of how what appears to be a minor cannabis offense can seriously impair a person’s ability to live the most productive and prosperous life possible because they chose to relax with cannabis, as compared to alcohol.

The soldier below, who got busted in what is technically speaking a decriminalized state for cannabis possession, aptly points out the hypocrisy of the government to hire him into the National Guard and Army, but, because of a minor cannabis bust years ago, he still can’t get a minimum wage job in corporate retail big box stores. These same corporate brand names often claim to support and honor the men and women who serve in the military.

It would be one thing if the government’s war on cannabis consumers was actually effective, or that when citizens were busted in the prohibition they’d repent, defer to the government’s rationale for the prohibition laws and necessarily feel good about the taxing and stressful experience. There is no correlation to greater number of arrests equating to less cannabis use. Instead, since 1965, 20 million citizens in America come out on the backside of an interaction with prohibition laws and typically develop less respect for authority and the government, and perceive police as adversaries rather than public servants. It makes them jaded about the words and promise of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. It makes some citizens on the fringes developing an anti-government attitude so strident that they advocate violent revolt.

Why is any of this good in a democracy that relies on trust, respect and fidelity to basic institutions, institutions founded in America’s basic values, largely rationality and reason?

NORML thanks SPC Hunt, and hundreds of thousands of men and women in America’s armed forces, for making great sacrifice and taking risks to keep the country as safe as it can be.

Cannabem liberemus and godspeed Specialist Hunt!

To whom it may concern:

My name is SPC L. D. Hunt.  I am 28 years old, a loving husband, and very proud father of an amazingly smart little boy.  I am also currently in Iraq.  I am writing to you in hopes that maybe my story can help motivate some of you to continue the fight you are bravely acting out in on behalf of the American people.

In May 2002 I was arrested in Brunswick county, NC for possession of less than one half ounce of marijuana.  At the time I was in my care in a private area but I was unaware of laws at the time dealing with search warrants, etc.  The police officer who arrested me drilled the hell out of me. Questioning me and making subtle threats against myself and my occupants, I agreed for him to search me personally. I told him of the bags and the bowl in my pockets and he promptly put me in cuffs and began to tear my car apart.  After the search I was taken to the magistrates office and booked.  I was given a court date and told to return.  The cute part about that was when I was getting out of the police car, the bags were on the center console and when the officer got out, his elbow knocked one of the bags down into the floor between the seat and the console.  When I informed him of what happened, he told me “not to worry about it”…

A few weeks later came my court date.  I went to court to represent myself, ready to accept whatever punishment they were going to give me.  I told the judge in a very professional manner of my mistake and my willingness to go along with the sentencing.  I was given a $100.00 fine and 1 year of unsupervised probation.  When I received the judgement I breathed a sigh of relief thinking that the worst part was over, when in fact, it was just beginning.

I consider myself a good worker, especially in terms of customer relations in sales positions.  I was also working on getting back into college and moving on with my life.  But it became quickly apparent that nearly all employers would not hire me. Target, Walmart, and many other places wanted nothing to do with me, all while I watched them hire people with felonies and much harsher police records on them.  I couldn’t figure out for the life of me how minding my own business and using such a small amount of plant material could cost me worse treatment than a car thief or someone with an assault record.  To this day I still can’t figure the logic in it. Needless to say this affected my finances very quickly.

The next few years proved to be extremely trying as the only work I could get were at construction and jobs I had no experience in and I was not good in.  I felt like I was forced into a position that made me constantly searching for new work as with that industry in NC the amount of work available was dependent on my employer’s success at acquiring new contracts.  This did not bode well for trying to pay bills, go to college, and keep a healthy relationship with my wife.

In 2005 things came to an extremely bad climax and I was without work, none was available, and there was nowhere among the dozens of job applications I put in that would give me a second thought due to my conviction.  All but one.  And it was the one place I laughed at the thought of being hired:  The North Carolina National Guard.  The decision to join wasn’t very hard when I found out that with a simple letter I could be approved to put my life at risk for my country. Once again I wondered about the ethical and moral stance that places like Walmart, Target, and the other giant companies took when it came to hiring.  How could I be rejected at a Walmart or a McDonalds and be hired in an instant by the US government?  When the paperwork was over I was among the newest of the NCNG’s medics.  I chose that job since I figured it would be a great career path and it allowed me to help stop my brothers and sisters from dying.  As a medic I knew I could make a difference.

After I completed my training and returned home I was immediately put on the Katrina relief duty and worked extremely hard, trying to earn the respect of my fellow soldiers, which I can proudly say I did. I recieved an award for my service there and I still work with that ethic in mind.  I thought once again that due to my hard efforts to make myself into a better person, those put in a position to judge me would see those efforts and be proud to hire a US soldier.  I was wrong.  Very wrong. (more…)

Ending America’s Domestic Quagmire

It’s the war on drugs!

Ending America’s Domestic Quagmire

via LewRockwell.com

In contrast to politicians who call for a review of the U.S. military’s Middle East policies, few lawmakers are demanding a timetable to bring about a cease-fire to the war on drugs – or are even calling for a reduction in the number of “troops” (i.e., narcotics detectives, DEA agents, et cetera) serving on the front lines. They ought to. If American lawmakers want to take a serious look at the United States’ war strategies, let them begin by reassessing – and ending – their failed war here at home.

Read the full essay here.