What's the Matter With Kansas City?

At The Pitch, Kansas City's alt-weekly, Eric Barton profiles medical marijuna activist Jacqueline Patterson. It starts with the story of Patterson's recent, disastrous appearence in front of legislators, trying to sell them on decriminalizing small quantities of cannabis.

Patterson launches into a tangent about her broken neck and how doctors had to drill holes in her skull. She follows that with a diatribe about the inconsistent quality of cannabis. At least a couple of the reps look disgusted as she describes the time she begged a friend to let her smoke a bowl with him while she was eight months pregnant.

She's lost all of them.

The rest of the article follows like this; it's a soul-crushing story of how the people who could make the most use of decriminalized marijuana can be easily marginalized.

Comments

[Akira MacKenzie]

What did she expect? You can't fight nearly a century of prejudice and government-sponsored propaganda with someone who comes of like a junkie despite the sympathetic appeal.

On the other hand, I've seen articulate and thoughtful proponents of legalization armed with loads of data and rational arguments hand-waved off by the prohibitionists as well.

In politics, reason and emotion will always lose because pure stupidity married with the politician's drive to keep their worthless ass ensconced in public office is infinitely much more powerful.

[chewy]

Reason will lose, I agree. But emotion? I think it wins everytime some one whines about the children.

[biologist]

new slogan: legalize marijuana- for the children!

[David]

new slogan: legalize marijuana- for the children!

For the children only works when people want something banned.

[fyodor]

BAN PROHIBITION!!!

[Lara]

If you want to illustrate a point by showing how it affects a single person, you have to go to special pains to make sure that person is above reproach. In this case, because the woman used marijuana while pregnant, she obviously is not above reproach (duh!); she's simply the wrong person. This shows poor judgement on the part of the activist.

[chewy]

biologist,

now you've got the idea, though it'll have to be a little more elaborate. Something like, marijuana might make abortions more dangerous, therefore we should legalize marijuana and ban abortions for anyone that tests positive.

[Ruthless]

Is everyone aware George Melloan, columnist for the Wall St Journal recently opined that the War on Drugs is a lost cause? (The official WSJ position remains pro-war.)
Anyhow, the best we can do is keep acting like ducks and keep nibbling at politicians.
Surely what we do here on H&R counts as a nibble or two.

[Larry A]

In this case, because the woman used marijuana while pregnant, she obviously is not above reproach (duh!); she's simply the wrong person. This shows poor judgement on the part of the activist.

How so? When legislative committees hold hearings it's the committee that chooses who will appear, usually with a subpoena. If the committee believes that medical MJ is a Bad Idea they can easily choose an articulate opponent and flaky proponent. Flaky proponents usually lack the ability to realize they will do more harm than good.

"Reasonable activists" generally have little or no say in the process, therefore their judgement is irrelevant.

The media operates much the same way.

[Warren]

What are you try'n to do to me Dave? This is enough to drive me to drink.

[Paul]

If you want to illustrate a point by showing how it affects a single person, you have to go to special pains to make sure that person is above reproach.

[Paul]

See what happens when you roast the chronic? Your posts are in all italics. Far out, man. I'm on a bus to D.C. to talk to my congressman, 'n stuff. Oh wow.

[joshua corning]

in honor of all those stupid hippies who have the exeptional talant of taking a good idea then fuking it up i have this to say:

I blame nixon

[Clean Hands]

For the children? Dammit, they'll smoke it all up, and there'll be none left for the rest of us.

Damn dopehead children...

[dead_elvis]

I think fyodor is really on to something... That call should be trumpeted every time a little kid gets shot in the crossfire of gang violence. Ban Prohibition- For the Children! I like it.

[Robert]

Even I had to chuckle at "I drrr- ... I dr- ... I drove my husband to suicide, you know."

[Joe Naborz]

Pauline Sabin led the Mothers Of America to repeal alcohol prohibition..."For the Children".

[Joe Naborz]

Pauline Sabin led the Mothers Of America to repeal alcohol prohibition..."For the Children".

[SteveInClearwater]

I suppose I chuckled too the first time I saw one of LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) prominent bumper stickers:

SAVE OUR CHILDREN - LEGALIZE DRUGS (right next to the big gold LEAP cop shield).

And LEAP speakers and office staff are prepared to rationally defend that slogan by patiently explaining how illegal drug dealers are the ones who sell to kids and also the only drug dealers who recruit minors as employees.

I am happy to forward as many as requested on single condition that they be put onto vehicles and into places where a fresh audience will constantly be exposed.

email me heath at leap.cc