I didn't even know what marijuana was until I was 13 and then I came across a magazine article on it, and read between the scare-hype and saw that it didn't have any of the concrete observable effects of other drugs as compared side by side in the article.

I grew up during the initial phase of the hyped up drug war, having health education taught to me by an 80 year old nun that told us that "marijuana leads to *lust." That was the initial phase.

during the 70's the attitude eased up a bit towards marijuana. Everybody my age it seemed smoked. At parties, even the "good" kids, the straight A students, would take a hit off of what was passed around, seemingly just because it was the social norm. Nobody seemed to have a problem with it. There were no reports of increased car accidents, No jump in emergency room visits. No people running insane down the streets.... Jimmy Carter was in office and the Schaeffer commission had put out their recommendations in favor of legalizing marijuana. By 1978 everyone was sure that pot would be soon legalized......

.....Then came Reagan. I can clearly remember when seemingly out of nowhere Nancy Reagan started her misty-eyed simplistic "Just Say No" campaign, The population bulge that is the Baby Boomers were just entering the serious phase of adulthood, career and parenting which went against the grain of the marijuana movement. The attitude changed, largely because of the newly energized Drug War and all the publicity that went with it. There got to be fewer and fewer people for us remaining potheads to commiserate with, but I always seemed to find people. It looked like the marijuana movement was dead, or at least in critical condition.

Enter the 90's and Clinton came into power. A new generation was just starting to hit college and the internet also opened doors for people to speak their minds about prohibition without fear of sanctions. Medical marijuana was beginning to be discussed more and more. (Interestingly enough, in 1981 I was in nursing school and went to a symposium on cancer treatments and a nurse in the audience spoke up about her observations about using marijuana in cancer treatment, saying that "nothing works like Delta 9 THC" in treating side effects of cancer especially nausea.

Bush administration saw a return to the "conservative" politics (interesting how conservatives seem to believe that government should stay out of people's business except when it comes to what substance you smoke.)

Again, with the anticipation of Obama, and people everywhere seeking a relief from the Bush nightmare, hopes for progress were renewed when Obama made allusions to the effect that marijuana laws at least need to be revisited and called a halt to DEA interference with dispensaries operating legally under state law. But now, perhaps because of so much pressure coming from the right on so many issued, the issue seems to be moving back to the right. Which sucks.

So for whatever reason, cannabis seems to be a political volley ball. There must be some great power in letting the public use marijuana or not, for it to be so important.

Amen