07-22-2012, 01:10 PM
Hemp was made illegal thanks to efforts by the lumber industry led by Hearst (with help from the cotton industry), whose fortune was threatened by the cheap production cost and high versatility of hemp products. Most of the horrible vilification stories about pot were concocted by his newspaper empire. Even the name "marijuana" was pushed forward in an attempt to tie the hemp plant to illegal mexican immigrants and criminal activity. Some things never change. The government was complicit in making hemp illegal in the 1930's mainly because there were careers dependent on prohibition, and once it became clear that would be repealed it was hoped that the criminalization of hemp would allow those careers to continue.
As for driving while impaired under any intoxicant: it's a stupid idea and anyone who chooses to disregard that basic safety takes other people's lives at risk and deserves harsh punishment. This is a car society, like cracker said, but it's also a cab society. Make arrangements in advance.
As for driving while impaired under any intoxicant: it's a stupid idea and anyone who chooses to disregard that basic safety takes other people's lives at risk and deserves harsh punishment. This is a car society, like cracker said, but it's also a cab society. Make arrangements in advance.