What a glorious day…Summer is here.
Why do I think this summer will be different? What will make this go down in history as the SUMMER OF NUGS?
The world has been rapidly evolving on the cannabis issue since November when Colorado and Washington voters sent a loud and clear message for cannabis freedom. The walls of weed prohibition have been crumbling, as calls for ending the madness have grown deeper and more pronounced with time. The reality is that Obama’s US Department of Justice is going to HAVE TO make a policy clarification in regards to these new cannabis realities.
My theory is that if their “announcement” were going to be the same as before then they would have made that announcement already. If you are working on a policy that allows for more cannabis freedom, that takes time and strategy. The status quo would have already been announced, so I believe the announcement will be to allow states to make their own laws for weed. What else could it be?
Colorado has already finalized its adult use cannabis program, and Washington State should not be too far behind. I believe after WA State finalizes their program we will see that policy declaration, and my gut feeling is that the policy will be a clear move to allow states to make their own weed laws.
“Why would I think that?,” many have asked. Most folks are extremely cynical, and with good cause. The US Government has been terrible where weed is concerned, refusing to look at science and continuing their unwinnable war on our own people. I can see why folks continue to be skeptical that we will see any meaningful move on the feds part.
But I am far more optimistic. Why? Because I think this is bigger than all of us, Obama and Holder included. I see the ultimate writing on the wall, and I am inspired by the overwhelming support we see for ending cannabis prohibition from community leaders, influential people, and a majority of the American people.
The time is now, and I think before the summer is out we will see that major policy announcement that shifts US drug policy forever. I think we can all agree that as Washington finalizes their program and the adult use market begins to take shape in Colorado and Washington, that the USDOJ will have to address the issue. They have already stated publicly that they will have an announcement “relatively soon.”
During a March 2013 Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing, Attorney General Holder, in response to Senator Patrick Leahy’s questions about the new state laws, promised to announce a formal policy toward state marijuana legalization “relatively soon.”
Source: Brookings Institute
Relatively soon….like maybe by the end of summer? I think so.
We can continue to be skeptical and hurt from the past…or we can look to the future with optimism and hope. That choice is ours. I will take the latter.
Some may call me naive and ignorant. Maybe I am. I would far rather be hopeful and optimistic for real change in a naive way than to be trapped in the pain and confusion of yesterday believing that the whole world is out to get me.
It is not….in fact, most stand with us. the world has changed.
Summer is here and I am dubbing it THE SUMMER OF NUGS out of the gate. This is the summer the world changes for the better and we begin a new path towards liberty and freedom. This does not mean that the battle will be over, or that there will be no more stupid prohibition bullshit to deal with.
On the contrary, it will be the beginning of a much larger, and likely much uglier, battle. The battle for the cannabis market and regulatory freedoms will begin. It will be a nasty battle because it will not be “us vs. them” anymore, yet it will be “us vs. us” and cooperation will go right out the window in the fight for the almighty dollar.
I am cool with that….that is how the world works. If the playing field is level and I do not have to worry about prison for growing and producing weed, I can compete with any clowns in the marketplace. If the opposition is other business people, and not a SWAT team, that is a battle I can always win.
So let the games begin. The #SUMMEROFNUGS is upon us. Keep being an active voice in ending this thing once and for all. Make the calls, write the letters, and talk to your neighbors about how awesome weed is.
We are almost there, and this will be a summer to remember.