**Update at the bottom**
“Smart” Approaches to Marijuana, the prohibitionist group aimed at preventing any form of legalized psychoactive cannabis, never lets an opportunity pass to share their fear of cannabis. The government has been under pressure to provide guidelines for the currently booming Hemp and CBD industry. Recently, the USDA has released their proposed guidelines on this industry.
Not surprising, SAM took this opportunity to reiterate positions that are dangerous to the current status quo. SAM continues to echo fears of law enforcement, a group that they have been advocating for and cooperating with on numerous occasions to support their views on prohibition.
They call out smokable hemp in their post:
“Third, USDA should work with the FDA to place a moratorium on ‘smokable hemp’ until the health effects can be fully understood.”
This isn’t about health. As a species, we have been smoking and consuming cannabis for millennia. What they are protecting is the probable cause when someone encounters a law enforcement officer. Since we lack any tools to differentiate the two in the field, a suspect can state they are smoking legal hemp. This already has thrown law enforcement a curveball as states like Texas have dropped possession charges. Recently, North Carolina is working to pass a bill to ban smokable hemp due to do LE fears.
What is even more ridiculous, is that any ban they want is on unprocessed plant material. They are afraid of people smoking a plant as if there aren’t multiple other plants for people to smoke.
The smell of burnt cannabis has been used as a pretext for searches and arrests. LE may see this as a hindrance to their job, since they have relied on it for so long, but this is a chance for people to gain freedom back. Legalized hemp and the SAFE Banking Act are the wedges that will drive federal descheduling.
Recently, the NYPD posted on twitter showing a 106 lb cannabis bust. The officers were smiling and happy they made such a huge bust and arrested a suspect. However, it has since come to light that the shipment was federally legal Hemp. I’ll keep an eye on this for the impending lawsuits.
