Just When You Thought You Were Safe

When I went to high school, our school had an FFA program where students could raise cows, goats, sheep and grow crops.  Some of my friends chose to cultivate a number of cannabis plants behind the taller rows of corn.  For months, these enterprising youth carefully hid their endeavors from prying eyes of administrators as they grew their product (and subsequent business).  Who knew they were years ahead of their time.

Fast forward a few decades when Californian's passed Proposition 64.  While the stated position of Prop 64 was to legalize marijuana for both medical and recreational use, the real reason is to provide mountains of tax revenue to state coffers.  I mean, come on, did you really think California politicians cared about the people?  Yeah, right...grow up smell the poppies.  Politicians don't care if it's addictive or if it can kill you.  Politicians only care about money.  Lots and lots of it (and preferably if it's in their pockets).

Fact is, even though recreational use of marijuana is legal, you can still be fired from your job if you use it and your employer runs a drug test.  That's right folks, freedom has its restrictions.  

So, picture it, you spend the weekend enjoying the fruit of the weed, come into work on Monday and your boss declares that s/he is conducting a "random" drug test and that YOU are the random person of the day.  Urine in a cup and three days later you get a pink slip - and it's all legal.  Gotta love those catch 22's

Thing is, there are a number of states that say marijuana use is legal but there are no laws on the books that say employers can't fire you.  So, let's say you decide to quit working and grow your own weed. Yeah, that's the ticket - be your own cannabis dealer (because if you grow more than 5 plants and you aren't an authorized dealer of weed, you are looking at some stiff penalties).

If you want to start a business selling weed, you'll probably have to register as a business owner (ca-CHING!).  Then there are those nasty regulations that will govern growing marijuana plants (CA-CHING!) and and where you can grow (ca-CHING!) and for how long (CA-CHING!).  Can't you just hear the cash register's ringing?  I'm sure the politicians can which is why they wrote Prop 64 to favor the state - not the people.  

If all that doesn't take the cake, the funny part is that no one really knows where all the money for pot sales is going to go. Certainly not for schools or social projects.  Heck, Prop 64 even says a pot czar will be "appointed" (that's appointed as in not elected) who will decide what to do with all the proceeds. So, where do you think the Pot Czar will decide to send all the BILLIONS of dollars collected from pot sales?? Well, I suspect wherever the person who appointed the Czar tells them to, that's where.

Too funny.  Maybe, just maybe, next time a law comes out that looks too good to be true, you, the fools who voted for this poorly written bit of legislation, should take some time to research the law before you vote for it.  Just maybe.