So it’s beginning. The DEA is raiding smoke shops for CBD with no explanation at all. They raided the Green Gorilla smoke and vape shop, stealing all their CBD products, as well as $170,000 cash. The Amarillo police department didn’t hesitate to step in an assist in this act of thievery, and violence against its community. Contrary to popular belief, CBD is not federally legal, and is still considered a scedual 1 narcotic to the feds. Even if it has 0% thc, and has absolutely no psychoactive effects whatsoever.
The Feds have previously stated that any business following their states medical marijuana laws, will be left alone, and not be arrested, or charged. This doesn’t reflect in their actions as CBD has been deemed legal in Texas.
This only adds to the confusion surrounding medical cannabis, and CBD in 2018. Even though the plant is saving countless lives, businesses are sceptical to invest, and patients are scared to treat their ailments because the government is vague about its laws.
In my opinion this is done purposefully. Local governments want to reap the benefits of taxing legal cannabis, yet the police departments, and courts don’t want to lose their revenue stream of prohibition. They are doing what they can to have the best of both worlds. Massive tax increases from legalization, while stepping up their arrests for possession and cannabis DUI with sketchy techniques, and technologies.
This is just another prime example that the battle to self medicate, with a harmless plant is far from over. I see a lot of people on the community acting, and speaking as if we have won, but the persecution is far from over. They are making more cannabis DUI arrests than ever, and stepping up the drug war against street dealers who are providing their customers with an affordable price since dispensaries are so expensive trying to comply with excessive regulation.
Some people call me a pessimist, but I’m just afraid to let my guard down. The news surrounding cannabis always seems to be optimistic, but the reality is states are handing the industry over to huge corporations, driving out small farmers. It’s almost impossible to get a dispensary license without having connections to your local government. The cops are harassing anyone with a medical card, and handing out dui’s like condemns from a clinic. Monsanto is buying out all the large names in cannabis cultivation, as well as receiving pantents on every strain they can get their hands on. If we let our guard down now, ten years from now cannabis will be controlled by big pharma, filled with GMO’s, and probably pesticides, and all of us who worked so hard to make it legal will be driven out of the industry, and into jail for DUI’s.
It’s to soon to claim victory. Their is billions of dollars to be made with prohibition. They won’t let go until they have another way to subsidize that flow of cash, like getting kickbacks from big pharma when they control it all. Not trying to be a downer, only a realist about what’s really going on. Keep up the good fight, we will win our freedom in the end.
-Daniel