Bill Maher has been a proponent of marijuana ever since the 90’s. In fact, when he used to smoke weed in clubs, he was usually approached by bouncers telling him to put it out. His response to them would usually be somewhere along the lines of “I want the rapper treatment” meaning that it was OK if a black rapper smoked a joint because it was a part of his culture, but it wasn’t OK if a white kid did the same thing, even though it was a part of his culture as well. With that in mind, his attitude towards marijuana still hasn’t changed. He is still a big fan of the bud and consumes it as well. However, whether he smokes joints every day is highly doubtful, considering the fact that, well, he has to run a talk show for a living.
The Movement
You have to admit that marijuana legalization has evolved into a huge movement in the U.S. That’s pretty much because everyone smokes it, the republicans, the democrats, the hillbillies, the intellectuals, etc. Unfortunately, black people are eight times more likely to get arrested for possession of marijuana, despite it being “a part of their culture”. In the words of Maher: “More and more people over time are pot smokers. I’ve been fond of saying that it’s the one thing that unites the two parts of the country. We’re such a divided country, between the red and blue and the conservative and liberal, but everybody smokes dope. Willie Nelson smokes it and Snoop Dogg smokes it. Hillbillies smoke it plenty and so do hippies. So it’s sort of the ultimate purple issue.”
Marijuana United
We agree with him because if it wasn’t for marijuana, this country would have been even more divided than it already is. A lot of people still hold the opinion that marijuana will lead into more serious drug consumptions such as cocaine and heroin but that has been debunked through a significant amount of marijuana research studies. Still, some opinions cannot be shifted easily and it will take a lot of lobbying efforts to change those opinions. However, with a marijuana public support of over 50%, things are going as smoothly as ever. Colorado and Washington are on the forefront of this marijuana battle and in their case, it’s a battle they already own. California, on the other hand, has a pretty bad history with marijuana. Numerous dispensary crackdowns have rendered California helpless in its battle for recreational marijuana legalization so that topic might on the ballot in 2016, and that’s if everything goes well.
Bill Maher On Legalization of Marijuana Pt.II
Democrats vs. Republicans
On the other hand, Bill Maher seems to believe that Republicans are much more in favor of marijuana than Democrats. I guess the Obama administration could be responsible for that particular perspective. Even though state and federal laws collide on a daily basis, Obama’s administration hasn’t done anything to change that but rather they have taken advantage of the legal gaps in order to shut down too many California dispensaries. However, recently, the government finally approved of marijuana research and that’s a huge step in what used to be a one way street. Make no mistake, Maher donated over a $1 million to Obama’s campaign and he firmly believes that things are about to become radically different, especially because of the positive shift in support of marijuana.
Gay Marriage
He likes to compare the whole marijuana movement with gay marriage. Back when gay marriage was just starting to be an issue, pretty much everyone who wasn’t gay voted against it. Today, as more people keep toking on those bongs, it seems that the majority of Americans is starting to realize that the drug isn’t really as harmful as some claim it to be. Then, in 2010, Maher recalls: “We had it on the ballot in 2010 and it was going to pass, but not one Democrat in the state, not the Dianne Feinsteins, not the Barbara Boxers, nobody got behind it. And, of course, that left it vulnerable and sort of just swinging in the wind. Halloween falls right before November and the evil people on the other side of the issue put out a rumor that there was marijuana in the Halloween candy. And that’s all that we needed. That’s how these evil politicians work. It scared people and, at the last minute, it was going to win — and then it lost.”
Money Wins The Lottery
In the end, money is going to be winning votes on those ballots. Whoever invests more money into campaigns will eventually be winning the marijuana lottery. It would be great if all those marijuana proponents would also put their money where their mouth is and that also included the support of marijuana lobbyists. But that doesn’t mean that small donors will not make a difference. By donating to your candidates, volunteering and gathering more people to vote for your candidate, you too can make huge difference in the next ballot. In the meantime, try and educate those around you on the positive and negative sides of marijuana. Sure, we all agree that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol but that doesn’t mean you should inhale bags of marijuana on a daily basis. If you use it in moderation, it just might do you some good. However, if you exaggerate, you probably won’t have a good time.
