Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy
Chris Williams is sitting in a private federal prison on the Montana prairie these days awaiting sentencing. If the federal government has its way, he won't be a free man again for three-quarters of a century, an effective life sentence for a middle-aged man like Williams.
Medical marijuana provider Chris Williams in happier days (facebook.com)
Williams is one of the more than two dozen Montana medical marijuana providers caught up in the federal dragnet after mass raids in March 2011 savaged the state's medical marijuana community, including Montana Cannabis, one of the state's largest providers, where he was a partner. A true believer in the cause, Williams is the only one of those indicted after the federal raids to not cop a plea, and he was convicted on eight federal marijuana and weapons charges in September after being blocked from mentioning the state's medical marijuana laws during his trial.
It is the gun charges that are adding decades to his sentences. As is the case in drug raids where police come up against armed homeowners, or as was the case of Salt Lake City rap record label owner and pot dealer Weldon Angelos ended up with a 55-year sentence because he sometimes packed a pistol, the Williams case is one where the rights granted under the 2nd Amendment clash with the imperatives of the drug war.
Williams was not convicted of using his firearms or even of brandishing them, but merely of having legal shotguns present at the medical marijuana grow, which was legal under Montana law. Still, that's enough for the gun sentencing enhancements to kick in, and that's enough to cause a rising clamor of support for Williams as he faces a January sentencing date.
"The sentence shocks the conscience," said Chris Lindsey, a former business partner of Williams who is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to a federal marijuana conspiracy charge. "Look at (former Penn State assistant football coach) Jerry Sandusky. For 45 counts of child sexual abuse, he gets 30 years. Chris Williams is going to get three times that for being a medical marijuana provider. It doesn't make any logical sense," he told the Missoulian.
Williams supporters have created a Free Chris Williams Facebook page and are petitioning the White House through its We the People online petition program for a full pardon for him. The White House responds to petitions that achieve over 25,000 signatures; the Williams petition has managed to generate slightly more than 20,000 signatures in less than two weeks. Other petitions seeking clemency for Williams are at SignOn.org and Care2.com.
Williams and his supporters are not just relying on the kindness of the White House. He is appealing his criminal conviction to the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, and he is the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit that claims he and other medical marijuana providers were in compliance with Montana state law and the federal raid and subsequent prosecutions were an unconstitutional usurpation of state and local powers under the 10th Amendment. That amendment says powers not granted to the federal government by the Constitution and not prohibited by the states are reserved to the states or the people.
But legal experts said his chances for victory in the civil lawsuit were small, and he would still be saddled with the federal criminal conviction.
"The war on drugs is too sacrosanct a sacred cow for the courts to weigh in favor," said California marijuana attorney Robert Raich, who has argued and lost two marijuana cases at the Supreme Court. "I think we can make better progress by doing something other than filing lawsuits," he said in an interview with the Helena Independent Record.
Still, Raich said he sympathized with Williams' plight and added that the federal attack on Montana providers was among its harshest.
"Montana is the worst," he said. "The federal government has attacked medical cannabis with a vengeance in Montana more than any other state."
Williams' attorney in the civil suit, Paul Livingston, said he would press forward with the appeal even if his client is behind bars.
"He has been made a martyr," said attorney Livingston. "It's a very solid case, it is a case that needs to be decided and I think everyone would agree once they learn the facts of what happened," Livingston said.
Ironically, as Williams languishes behind bars contemplating spending the rest of his life in prison, Montana could become the next state to legalize marijuana. Medical marijuana activists there, frustrated by the legislature's gutting of their program last year and their inability to get that overturned this year, have filed papers to put a legalization initiative on the ballot in 2014. Even that wouldn't directly help Williams, but it would serve to further underline the senselessness of his sentence.
Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.
Comments
This is disgusting
This story needs more attention... I wish we could see some more major media outlets pick the story up and run it. Mr. Lindsey had a fair point in the Jerry Sandusky comparison. That is one of America's most reviled, hated figures, and he only faces 1/3rd the sentence of this man.. who was FOLLOWING STATE LAW.
It makes me ashamed... how is the US Government this out of touch with the people it represents!? Is it really greedy politicians bowing to special interest groups? Is it "traditional American values" stubbornly refusing to be open minded? I feel like the absolute insanity of the Drug War holds more than meets the eye here. There must be SOMETHING going on.. because there's just no reason for this stupidity.
I'm not too familiar with the We the People petition system at whitehouse.gov. I've only ever heard of it here and occasionally at MPP/NORML. Exactly what has the We the People petition accomplished? I mean, has it changed anything at all? The chances of that petition resulting in this man's pardon seem.. bleak.
In reply to This is disgusting by Uncle Bob (not verified)
MONEY!!
There's plenty of money made in Our UNCONSTITUTIONAL "WARS" conducted at home and abroad in "OUR NAME"! Terrorists indeed, look in the mirror and see a real terrorist! That is not to say that either you or I am a terrorist, but our self-government by "WE, the people" operates on FEAR both here and abroad and here's the problem, "they" do so in Our name!
It is way past time to get our flag back!
FREE CHRIS WILLIAMS!
conviction
I think someone is missing the point. As it is clearly stated in the above story, Chris Williams was convicted on eight federal marijuana and weapons charges. This means he was illegally selling drugs and calling it medical marijuana doesn't make it legal. He knew it was illegal at that time yet still chose to sell. It is common knowledge that it is a crime and will add additional time on to a sentence if firearms of any kind are found. Using the excuse that everyone in Montana has firearms is another cop out.
So now that it comes down to the sentencing suddenly Mr. Williams is the victim. It really doesn't matter what cause he believes in, he knew what he was doing was illegal.
In reply to conviction by Peggy (not verified)
80 years?
Eighty years, Peggy? You defend such a sentence?
In reply to conviction by Peggy (not verified)
Point missed?
If you remove the issue of medical marijuana, the point that is primarily being missed is the Constitutional right for each state to enact and enforce their own laws. While some, like you, are more than ardently opposed to the use of cannabis, sit and watch as the government uses the issue of drugs to strip us of many rights. Maybe you'll become more aware of it when you can no longer choose which doctor you or your children see, or are threatened with loss of medical insurance if you refuse to take the toxic drugs that doctor must prescribe.
In reply to Point missed? by Desi (not verified)
Point well taken.
Point well taken.
In reply to conviction by Peggy (not verified)
He knew what he was doing was illegal?
I beg to differ. In the state of Montana, the people voted by majority to allow medical cannabis in that state. He was following state law, and the President of the United States of America promised those who were doing so would not be the priority of enforcement.
Of course he packpedaled on that claim, and now for all intents and purposes an innocent man faces 80 years in prison for a non-violent act in COMPLIANCE with state law.
In reply to conviction by Peggy (not verified)
Actually the minimum sentence
Actually the minimum sentence is 92 years and the guns were present largely due to previous robberies after which the local police recommended having a gun on site.
You are the one missing the point here. He was selling cannabis legally under state law to qualified patients, I know because I worked for him and attended his trial. We had an open door policy with local law enforcement and conducted regular tours for anyone interested, including several state legislators. We never had anything to hide. Anyone calling this justice is either directly benefiting from prohibition or completely ignorant, there are no other options.
In reply to Actually the minimum sentence by Justin Van Hook (not verified)
STATUTORILY EXEMPT!
JUSTIN VAN HOOK; I can and will help, no charge, find a way to contact me, I'm not computer literate.
In reply to STATUTORILY EXEMPT! by Duane R. Olson (not verified)
Thanks for the support!
Hi Duane! If you would like to help out, you can find us on facebook or contact us at [email protected]! Same goes for anyone else who is interested in Chris's case. Thanks!!!
In reply to conviction by Peggy (not verified)
ignorance is bliss
Peggy,
It was once "ILLEGAL" to harbor runaway slaves in America & Jews in Nazi Germany. It was also illegal for colonists to rebel against King George. There are millions more examples throughout history of your naive and heartless lack of compassion for your fellow man. You blindly believe the "State" when they lie to you and convince you that a wonderful and healing plant is an illegal "DRUG", yet you probably have no problem in letting the medical mafia kill over 750,000 people EACH YEAR in the ol' US of A (FACT!). FDA-approved LEGAL drugs kill more people than ALL "illegal" drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, car-accidents, and gun crimes, COMBINED!!!
These people are fighting for freedom to use whatever medicine they deem fit for THEIR BODIES. Cannabis was a MAJOR factor in healing my cancer.
Wake up, Peggy.
PEACE FOR ALL
In reply to ignorance is bliss by Kevin Patrick Wright (not verified)
You definitely get three
You definitely get three cheers, bliss. Nicely done.
In reply to conviction by Peggy (not verified)
Peggy, it seems you are still
In reply to conviction by Peggy (not verified)
STATUTORILY EXEMPT!
Peggy; The federal drug laws are no "laws" at all, but a federal regulation. "Tricky-Dick's" linguistic and rhetorical "EXPERTS" created the bifurcated and cryptic statutes of toxic words in the Controlled Substance Act of 1970 and I ask everyone to STOP what you are doing right now and THINK! How is it that it takes an Amendment to the Constitution to make it UNLAWFUL or a FEDERAL CRIME to burn the American flag, which stands for the right to burn it, let 18 year old's vote, women vote, and PROHIBIT, FORBID, or make it a federal crime for any person to possess, manufacture, distribute, or dispense ALCOHOL? The Ninety First Congress DID NOT MAKE IT A FEDERAL CRIME to plant, cultivate, harvest, buy, sell, use, or abuse marijuana, cocaine, heroin, or controlled substances, whatever that is now or ever will be, the EXECUTIVE and JUDICIAL branch of the government of the United States did! Federal jurisdictional authority to enforce the "rules and regulations" promulgated by Attorney General GEORGE MITCHELL IS NOT CONFERED BY ANY LANGUAGE IN THE CONSTITUTION, federal jurisdictional authority comes from a real and binding contractual agreement where money changed hands between the attorney general and the registrant, hence, federal jurisdictional authority comes from a written and signed contractual agreement and any person NOT REGISTERED/REGULATED, IS STATUTORILY EXEMPT from the ambit of federal jurisdictional authority by the Ninety-First Congress!
READ THE LEGISLATIVE HISTORY of PUBLIC LAW: 91-513 as well as Title 21, United States Code, Section(s) 801, 802, 821, 822(a)(1)(2), 822(b), 841(a)(1), 841(b) and in particular, the Burden of proof statute, 885 and you tell me I'm WRONG? I imagine everyone that reads this article is thinking out loud, "He's crazy!" Yeah?
Wanna bet?
In reply to STATUTORILY EXEMPT! by Duane R. Olson (not verified)
Try telling that to a court
Try telling that to a court that defines "interstate commerce" as something you do in your back yard. I hear you. There are those of us out there that KNOW THE TRUTH. Stay strong, stay true. -- Alex in California
In reply to conviction by Peggy (not verified)
Peggy, you sound as if the
Peggy, you sound as if the Federal constraints in this matter are all that is of importance. This leads me to believe, because there is sooooo much information available on federally enforced mandates on, Medical or not, MJ use, you either are ignorant and have not participated in educating your self, or simply believe whatever the highest authority tells you. In this case, the Whitehouse Drug policy autocrats. Politicians... and you believe them. Politicians!!
"Clearly.." a wrong regulation or code or law, only changes when it is needed. In this case, 50 Billion Dollars of free money flows through these Politicians, mostly spent on MJ use eradication. I suggest you become more aware of what is happening in the decision process of policy regarding MJ, and even the historical facts of this particular state regarding attempts to grow hemp, back when MJ was prohibited. Be aware Monsanto owns a major interest in keeping Hemp seed down and has major funding for politicians in this and other States.
Ultimately, the illegality is based in corporatism, being enforced by the Whitehouse via the DOJ, which uses the IRS and DEA. All for commercial reasons(money).
This sentence is not about law, this sentence is about lawyers, helping established commerce isolate competition( MJ meds, hemp fiber, drug war dollars). Your statements are such as expected in a compliant society that is wished for by authorities everywhere. That being, do as they say, not as they do.
In reply to conviction by Peggy (not verified)
Belief
You would have been real popular in 1776 Peggy.
In reply to conviction by Peggy (not verified)
How do you sleep at night?Â
How do you sleep at night? You can actually justify 80 years in your mind because that is your job and how you make money to live? I know one thing, god does not like you. Enjoy hell when you eventually die of old age.
In reply to conviction by Peggy (not verified)
Is it federal law?
You're the one that's missing the point and that point is, how is it justified that a man that was acting under state law (forget the foolish federal "law" for now) and was told he was doing nothing wrong by local and state authorities and that he may be imprisoned for longer than a violent criminal who has killed, raped or robbed? Fuck the federal "law" I thought that states had the right to enact their own laws as long as it didn't violate the constitution and as far as I know the federal drug mandate is NOT a law but merely a suggestion.
Actually Peggy, that's not at
Actually Peggy, that's not at all what it means. Please allow me to explain. Chris Williams was a registered medical marijuana producer in the state of Montana. At the time of the Federal raid he was in compliance with all state laws. He was never charged with violating any state laws, and at his Federal trial the judge declared that it was a 'given' that he WAS in compliance with state laws. He was engaging in a business and activity that was sanctioned by the voters of Montana.
The guns in this story were never used to rob someone, or hurt anyone or threaten anyone. They were on the premises much like a liquor store owner or bar owner would have a firearm on premises to protect his business..as is his right. Additionally, it was recommended by local and state law enforcement who toured the facility that they have guns there to protect the facility from robbery. In fact, many of the guns in this story were at employees or owners' homes and yet were still considered part of the sentencing guidelines. No felonies were committed using these firearms.Additionally, 90% of Montana homes have a firearm in them, of those homes, the average number of guns is 25. (We live amongst bear, mountain lions, wolves, elk, and deer in a very sparsely populated state)
 When we regulate something
When we regulate something we do NOT automatically condone it's use; the regulations concerning alcohol and tobacco are there to protect us from the vast increase in criminality that would otherwise exist if these substances were prohibited.
A regulated and licensed distribution network for all mind altering substances would put responsible adult supervision in between children and premature access to drug distribution outlets (illegal street dealers). Regulated and licensed distribution would reflect and respect society's values, thus preventing children obtaining easy access to these dangerous substances. What we need is legalized regulation. What we have now, due to prohibition, is a non-regulated black market to which everybody has access and where all the profits go to organized crime and terrorists.
If you support prohibition then you support bank-rolling criminals and terrorists. There's simply no other logical way of looking at it.
It is now the duty of every last one of us to insure that the people who are responsible for this shameful situation are not simply left in peace to enjoy the wealth and status that their despicable actions have, until now, afforded them. Former and present Prohibitionists must not be allowed to remain untainted and untouched from the unconscionable acts that they have viciously committed on their fellow citizens.
In reply to  When we regulate something by Malcolm (not verified)
Prohibitionists have no shame
It is our great SHAME as a nation that we have the highest population of imprisoned people in the WORLD. The US...not China, or Russia, or Iran... This, in the land of "freedom", where corporate interests and getting a bigger 401K trumps the will of the people.
But what happens when the propaganda and lies no longer fools anyone? Then the politicians and ignorant people like Peggy are exposed for the whole world to see. No one takes you seriously anymore, 50% of all Americans support legalizing marijuana 70% feel that the Drug War is a failure.
We have to reform our criminal justice system. Being the #1 builder of new prisons in the world, is unacceptable. Having the largest population of incarcerated people in the WORLD is a deep SHAME that we must endure, and suddenly the land of the free doesn't look so free anymore. There should be hell to pay for this sham, our prisons should be reserved for rapists, murderers, child molesters, robbers, thieves, etc.. you know those who actually harm others. And those are the people our Police should be protecting us against.
Criminalizing something that by all rights is a civil liberty is a sham that was sold to America through lies and propaganda. It's about fear-mongering, hate-mongering, it's about oppressing minorities and the lower class. Just look at recent comments from Mitt Romney's people. They said the fact that Romney won most of the upper class white votes was a moral victory over Obama who won most of the minority and lower class votes...
What are we going to do about it?
This horrible injustice has been going on for decades...why do we tolerate it? What has happened to our 'free' country?
George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry...they would all disown our cowardly, miserable, whining asses.
Have we really come to this?
I spent 5 years in Federal Prison for a marijuana offense...from November, 1981, until November, 1986.
While I was there, I watched armed bank robbers come and go in as little as 20 months.
After 3 years 'behind the wall,' I pointed this out to the parole board. Their response: “You must understand, yours was a very serious offense.”
How do you respond to that mentality?
I laughed about the parole panel's comment for 2 more years (as I still sat in prison), then wrote my book:
Shoulda Robbed a Bank.
We were Americans pursuing happiness in our own way. Harming no one...nor their property.
That’s my contribution to helping point out just how ludicrous our pot laws truly are.
We all know that what we are seeing is wrong...very wrong. What is being done in our great nation is a crime against humanity.
What are we going to do about it?
In reply to What are we going to do about it? by FlyingTooLow (not verified)
Jury Nullification
I think we who care should all commit to the concept of Jury Nullification.
Tragic that jurors miss this opportunity in so many cases. But if we spread
the word, perhaps the citizenry itself can stop this kind of travesty more often.
In reply to Jury Nullification by Mark Mitcham (not verified)
Nullification is a local thing
Federal cases have stacked juries.
In reply to What are we going to do about it? by FlyingTooLow (not verified)
Buy your book?
Buy your book?
Prohibition Supporters
First of all sorry for my poor English, I am a Mexican living in the north of Mexico, I been witness of the consequences of prohibition I’ve seen my city that once was peaceful and beauty turn into a living hell. Gunfights 24/7, police and military forces overrun by the power of MONEY of the cartels, money that came from prohibition.
After this long period of 6 bloody years in Mexico, I only came with one conclusion, the people who supports prohibition is the people who are getting richer from it (politicians mainly, US bankers, cartels, armed forces, medical marijuana dispensaries, and hundreds of others hypocrites).
So I still don’t get how people who are not getting anything good from it, they still embrace and support this stupid war on marihuana. Also I think is stupid the so call medical marihuana, in my personal opinion I think that’s the way that the US government managed to keep this war, I think is time to cut the b.s. and don’t categorized medical users and “recreational users” (term that I oppose completely) this only allows your government to put people in jail and make other countries go in a battlefield.. I think that every person with a medical condition or not, deserves the same right of having marihuana.
I been reading allot of commentaries in this site and I still don’t believe how is still marihuana illegal with allot of people don’t want it that way. Those are the things that confuse me allot.
Mexico will be hanging on until the US stop the b.s. and make weed legal, until that we will still living this eternal hell, how many deaths do we need to wait?
Best regards from your Mexican brothers
STATUTORILY EXEMPT!
I HAVE A SOLUTION, BUT NOBODY OF AUTHORITY WILL LISTEN TO ME OR READ MY WORK! IF SOMEONE OF AUTHORITY WILL SEND ME AN E-MAIL, I WILL SEND A COPY OF MY WORK FOR REVIEW, NO CHARGE! NO! "WE" DON'T HAVE TO TAKE IT FLY-BOY, IT'S JUST THAT RICKY-DICK WAS A HELL OF A LOT MORE CLEVER THAN "WE" GAVE HIM AND HIS GANG OF THUGS CREDIT FOR, AND HERE'S THE WORST PART, ALL THE "MOVERS AND SHAKERS" IN WASHINGTON AND EVERYBODY FROM THE LEGAL COMMUNITY KNOW IT!! ONLY "WE, THE SHEEPLE" HAVEN'T A CLUE!
WAKE-UP PEOPLE, BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!
bentheredonethat
STATUTORILY EXEMPT!
WHAT? END AMERICA''S LUCIFERIAN AND MORALISTIC "WAR on DRUGS"? THERE''S MONEY IN THEM THAR HILLS BOY! AFTER ALL, "WE" DON'T WANT TO PUT AN END TO PHILLIP SMITH AND THE HUNDREDS OF OTHER "SPIN-OFFS" THAT MAKE MILLIONS IF NOT BILLIONS OFF AMERICA'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL "WARS" DO "WE". TALK ABOUT TERRORISM? NO WONDER "WE" ARE THE MOST "HATED" PEOPLE IN THE WORLD! "WE, THE SHEEPLE"! SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT TO ME! ONE THING IS FOR CERTAIN, OUR ANCESTORS WOULD NEVER PUT UP WITH WHAT "WE, THE SHEEPLE" PUT UP WITH!
The crime is in the prohibition of the most useful plant on the
The crime is in the prohibition of the most useful plant on the planet. Food, clothing, shelter, energy, medicine, insight, re-creation . Henry Ford even built a car out of it. We all have to do whatever it takes to end this prohibition and demand that those incarcerated for a non-violent possession of a plant be released.
Human rights...
We talk all the time about the awful human rights in places like North Korea or China.. but we imprison more people than any other nation in the world, and the majority of our prisoners were "guilty" of NON-VIOLENT "crimes."
We have mandatory sentences for drug trafficking that puts people away longer than rapists and murderers. Tell me, where are the UN humans rights watchdogs that should be looking at us!?
I'm curious
I'm very curious as to why the State of Montana does not use its' National Guard troops to relieve the prison where he is being held of a Montana citizen. The state made growing the marijuana legal, then the feds arrest and charge this man for doing something legal. The 10th amendment to The Constitution of the United States clearly says "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." This means that anything that is not very specifically written in this document that the federal government can do, it CANNOT and anything not written that the state cannot do, it CAN. The state is sovereign, and should use its' military force to rescue one of its' citizens who has been kidnapped by a rogue foreign power. If that means secession from the union, so be it. "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke
just say no to dogmas!
america's biggest problem is it's legions of brain dead dogma addicts who unfailingly support 'authority' in every instance, while condemning any and all with the brains and guts to defy idiotic laws and 'wars' on medicinal plants, among other things. sheeple like 'peggy' (see 4th comment made to the article above). 'authority' is always full of shit! just say no to dogmas! we need to make the 'peggys' of the world into a despised ridiculed tiny minority. that's the way to put an end to rampant abuses of 'authority'.
In reply to just say no to dogmas! by the virgin terry (not verified)
"You can't stop the signal" -Mr. Universe
Those as you've described? They are the brainwashed.. but with the Free Flow of Information (FFI), that we've seen with the natural progression of technology.. the Internet, we've seen the sharing of opinions, ideas, and ideals, more openly, with absolutely no restriction. This has propagated what we all realize is a simple truth. As a result, we are witnessing with our very own eyes, a paradigm shift... a culture change, if you will.
About 50% supports cannabis legalization now? What about a generation down the line? 60%? 70%? 80??
What about another two generations down the line?
What about OTHER important social issues?
I will now quote a fictional character, but only because I believe the dialog associated with him by the writers of that particular movie (Serenity) is very relevant to this situation: "You can't stop the signal."
For the first time in history, we've seen the "Everyman" have a voice that is truly mobile, and truly global. The Internet has done this. How ironic is it, that the Internet was the product of Government? The Internet is the child of Defense Department research and development. Now it is the ultimate tool for spreading Truth and Knowledge across the globe.
This is poetic justice. We are right, we are just, we are leading the way for the entire world.
We are witnessing the beginning of grand changes to humanity itself.. "you can't stop the signal." Every voice matters. Every opinion counts. We are one human family, all of us, together, across the entire planet. Whether you like it or not.
We have been too preoccupied with individual needs, when we need to be growing and developing as a whole. People are too concerned with filling their homes with "nice stuff", instead of progressing the cause of humanity as a whole species.
I once believed that it would take some kind of horrendous disaster or war to change that, but now I have faith that we are heading in the right direction by our own free will. You have to take a step back and understand how significant that is. The Drug War is admittedly a tiny fraction of that piece, but it represents the progress that we've been painfully lacking. Change is among us, at long, long last. Utopia is not a dream. The end of war, famine, and plague is not an impossibility. The solutions to all the worlds problems lies within each and every one us. It lies within our genes. Within the very fabric of our being.
Look back at the past. All you'll see is steady progression. Not use technologically, which is easier to measure. But morally, ethically. At one point racism was a part of our culture. It was simply a fact of life. It was considered "right." At one point, human slavery was part of our culture. These are the ugly things we try to admonish through the education system. Children growing up today are taught that those policies were wrong, and they were changed, because they were wrong.
All we see is progression, history does curve towards the path of righteousness. Some will resist change, and for various reasons. Maybe they believe the lies, they are reluctant to let go. Some do it out of greed, maybe they exploit the status quo and profit from others' misery. Yet more may do it out of fear, because it's in our nature to fear change. But more and more, we are seeing those who are not afraid to move forward.
All of this doesn't revolve around drug prohibition, or any other one social issue. But as we can see, it is showing the beginnings of moving in the right direction. When something which was once strictly taboo can be changed so drastically, it's because the Free Flow of Information across the globe. It's because the entire story can be told to all, and all who hear it can offer their input. "You can't stop the signal." We all have a voice now.
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