Monday, March 9, 2009

Legalization is everywhere



For all the wonderful brave things that are in Barack Obama's budget, he did not propose legalizing drugs. It is a wonder because just about everybody else is.

Here is but a small sampling. One piece in the Economist is subtitled, "Legalization is the least bad option." It essentially argues that the prohibition of drugs has been an abysmal failure. And not for lack of effort, it says, "The United States alone spends some $40 billion each year on trying to eliminate the supply of drugs. It arrests 1.5m of its citizens each year for drug offences..." It is a very persuasive piece. (Of course, legalization surely jives with Clarion Content's libertarian bent.)

Another one from the blog Wallet Pop, starts with discussing a backlash Kellog's is facing for having dropped swimming star Michael Phelps in the wake of his bong hitting photos. Apparently a Facebook page ripping Kellog's has 6,000 members. One commentator pointed out that the company didn't drop Phelps for a DUI in 2004. The article goes on to list a standard litany of reasons to consider legalization.

The final piece from the San Francisco Chronicle
is subtitled, "Smoke this recession." It argues if there ever was a perfect time to legalize this is it. Unlike the Economist's piece which focuses on the public health benefits and advocates legalizing everything, including hard drugs, (full disclosure: this is the position the Clarion Content favors) the Chronicle specifically advocates just legalizing marijuana. It is written from an angle that believes vices are counter-cyclical and takes quite the California perspective.

2 comments:

AnthemSled said...

Wonderturtle's Mom sent me a fwd urging a boycott of Kelloggs, over some righteous indignation on behalf of Michael Phelps. But she's a well known dope fiend.
Also, I already buy the store brand of Corn Flakes. We are in a severe economic downturn, after all.

Clarion Content said...

Do you add sugar or honey to them? I eat either Grape-Nuts with honey or this generic granola cereal, so likewise no opportunity to boycott Kellogg's.

It is getting a ton of play, though. For instance the fourth thing that comes up when you Google Kellogs (apparently the stoner spelling) is the boycott. When you Google Kelloggs the third thing that comes up is a Newsday article about the company donating all the boxes of Corn Flakes and Frosted Flakes with Phelps picture on it to a San Francisco food bank.