Well, I am sure we've all heard the news about how the Justice department in the U.S. not going to mess around with the states w/regard to "medical marijuana."

I am a longtime user of the stuff, but I won't put it up as any kind of savior. I do however feel very strongly about the hypocrisy of the laws regarding it. And I am of the opinion that pot's illegality is merely another profit pump disregarding the truth in order to serve it's own endless hunger for MORE.

In that vein, here is a website you may not have run across:

http://www.leap.cc/cms/index.php

LEAP stands for law enforcement against prohibition. The organization is made up of judges, lawyers, cops--employees of "Justice" who see that justice is little served in the "War on Drugs." Profits are served. Corporations of jailers who use tax dollars to house a prison population of stoners.

Percentage-wise, the United States has more of it's population imprisoned than any other country on the planet. For those of you who "work hard and pay your taxes" that alone should be a wake up.

Benefits of marijuana use? That depends on the user. That debate has as many points of view as folks who have tried it. The alcohol/pot contrast has a lot to offer. So why is alcohol so accepted, even encouraged? We jack up folks daily at everpresent coffee shops, and "Red Bull gives you wings!" So why not an ad that says: "Share the fattie; spread the chill."

One argument against smoking the ganja is that one loses motivation and is apathetic. Stoners "do" less. Well, isn't this overwhelming preoccupation with accomplishment what trashed our planet? What would be so terribly wrong about a more thoughtful, reflective, contemplative society? One that giggles more and "produces" less?

I known how frustrating it must be for my sister to worry over and try to control every little aspect of her life, and the lives of her family, and then talk to me, usually some degree of stoned. Most of her concerns seem trite and trivial to me. But there was a time I lived in her basement and worked at Starbucks. We had a moment alone in the kitchen, she says: "Alan, how are you doing? You seem to be really stable and in the groove...?" I had suffered some heartbreak and twenty years of psychiatry.

"Well, I've been stoned since I have been here..." This gave her a moments pause, then she said:

"Then maybe you should just stay stoned?" Eureka! Recently I reminded her of this conversation, but cognative dissonance did it's job again. She denied it. Ah well, a crack in the veil goes a long way to reassure.

My pot jar is empty. I'll feel a little different today. I'll observe myself, physiologically, emotionally, physically, spiritually. But I AM, regardless of what I've ingested, sometimes inspite of. I'll try not to worry about that dust in your eye while I have a log in my own.

Shine Bright.