The Return of a Foe - Reginald Vs Kevin Sabet
The benefits of cannabis legalization are numerous and undeniable. For starters, legalization would allow for the regulation and control of cannabis, ensuring that it is produced and sold in a safe and responsible manner. It would also free up law enforcement resources, which could be better spent on fighting real crimes and keeping our communities safe.
Legalization would also create jobs and stimulate economic growth. The cannabis industry is booming, and legalizing cannabis would allow for the creation of a whole new sector of the economy. It would also generate tax revenue, which could be used to fund schools, infrastructure projects, and other public services.
But, perhaps the most important reason to legalize cannabis is that it would end the harmful and ineffective policy of prohibition. Prohibition has done nothing to stop people from using cannabis, and has instead created a whole host of problems, including a massive black market, increased rates of incarceration, and the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes and stigmas surrounding cannabis use.
Legalization would also allow for more research into the medical benefits of cannabis, which could lead to the development of new treatments and therapies for a variety of illnesses and conditions. It could also help to reduce the harm caused by other drugs, as people would have access to a safer alternative.
Cannabis legalization is the only sane approach to drug policy. It would benefit society as a whole, by creating jobs, generating tax revenue, freeing up law enforcement resources, and ending the failed policy of prohibition. So let's stop the fear-mongering and start embracing the many benefits of cannabis legalization.
However, not everyone sees it like this.
Which brings us to the main topic of our article today - me eviscerating the arguments of a seasoned prohibitionist. And who are we talking about?
Well, my old Pal Kevin Sabet. You know, the seasoned prohibitionist who takes money from Big Rehab and has an agenda to keep cannabis “not legal” so that they can continue to make money from people being ordered by the courts to attend their rehab programs.
Well, to be technically factual about everything, he’s the founder of SAM or “Smart Approach to Marijuana” which takes money from Big Rehab. I think it’s important to mention this as this is clearly a conflict of interest. Perhaps not more than my own, who would like to see cannabis legal.
Perhaps, Kevin and I are the same beast but on opposite spectrums? I’m just way cooler!
Anyhow, let’s not beat around the bush. Kevin is up to his no good tactics and published an article on multiple outlets which is bashing New York’s legalization efforts as a “reason why cannabis should not be legal”, but i’m going to point out how it was “Affirmative Legalization” mixed with prohibition that is truly responsible for the claims he made.
So if you’re ready for a wild ride…let’s get to jousting!
Kevin’s First Claim: Legalize and kids will use it!
It seems obvious: When society puts its stamp of approval on today’s high-potency marijuana, more kids will start using it.
This is his opening line on the article. The idea that legalizing cannabis will result in more kids using it is simply not supported by the evidence. In fact, studies have shown that legalization does not lead to an increase in teen cannabis use, and may even have the opposite effect.
One reason for this is that legalization would take cannabis out of the shadows and into the light, making it less mysterious and more boring to young people. Legalization would also allow for better education and prevention efforts, which could help to reduce the rates of teen use.
Furthermore, the evidence shows that cannabis use among teens has actually decreased in states that have legalized cannabis. In Colorado, for example, teen cannabis use has decreased since legalization, and is now below the national average.
It's also worth noting that the harms of cannabis prohibition far outweigh any potential risks of legalization. Prohibition has created a massive black market, which is controlled by dangerous criminal organizations. It has also resulted in increased rates of incarceration and racial disparities in the criminal justice system.
Of course, Kevin is talking about another marketplace - New York - which took a completely different approach to cannabis legalization and as a result, has created a bloated black market. We’ll get into that later as much of Kev’s arguments depend on it. For now, this idea doesn’t stand up to scrutiny as it’s not true for other “approved” substances such as alcohol.
Kevin’s Second Claim: Legalization Expanded NYC Black Market
Legalization has certainly expanded New York City’s black market. Dealers who once operated in back alleys still do that, but many have set up illegal “shop” to augment their delivery and other businesses.
These prohibitionists are like a bad penny, they just keep turning up no matter how hard we try to get rid of them.
Now, Kevin seems to think that when New York legalized cannabis, it inadvertently expanded the black market. But, as is often the case with these prohibitionists, the truth is far more complex than that. While it's true that there are roughly 1400 unlicensed cannabis stores in New York now, the reason for this is not solely because of cannabis decriminalization.
In fact, there have been a number of other factors that have contributed to the rise of these "illegal" dispensaries. As Christopher Booker noted in a recent PBS article, sweeping criminal justice reforms in 2020, including bail reform, have also played a role in the rise of unlicensed dispensaries.
Furthermore, the pandemic has created economic hardship for many, and cannabis is a hot commodity. It's not surprising that some people have turned to the black market to try to make a quick buck. To blame this situation solely on cannabis legalization is not only disingenuous, it's purposefully deceptive.
The truth is, the rise of unlicensed dispensaries is a complex issue, and it cannot be attributed solely to cannabis decriminalization. However, one cannot be surprised by a dying species’ survival instincts - in this case, the prohibitionist.
Kevin Admits he’s wrong
Compounding the issue is the fact that law enforcement officials are unable to crack down on stores that sell to minors. They can only issue $250 fines to those who sell without a license, illustrating why the negligible fines have failed to serve as a deterrent against illicit sellers.
Within the article, Kevin eventually cites the very thing I cited earlier a “$250 fine”, which plays into the whole criminal justice reform issue we touched earlier.
You see, where Kevin Sabet and I have always agreed upon is that “children should not be smoking weed”, or drinking, or doing any of that crazy stuff. Nobody has ever argued that this be the case.
However, it is equally as atrocious to deny an adult autonomy to their own minds and body on a international scale. Both of these issues are equally important. Yet prohibition also creates inequality, injustice, makes drugs & neighborhoods more dangerous.
If over the period of nearly 80-years under the steel-toe boot of prohibition the US government with its fat, inflated war budget - only managed to increase the prevalence of cannabis, make it more potent and spread across the world…it speaks to the futility of this action. Hell, it’s straight up “masterbatory” at this point.
The issue here is not that weed is illegal, but rather that the penalties for selling without a license has shifted, embolden criminals to behave more “criminally”.
I’m sure you’ve seen the videos of the crazy stuff happening in New York - and while I’m certain that this is a microscope over the macrocosm that is the city and state, the fact is that it does happen. Every New Yorker has a crazy story.
The point here is that it is true, we have to make sure that kids understand the risks involved with consuming cannabis - especially consistently smoking high-potent stuff while still being a bunch of dumbasses who still don’t know how to use their genitals properly.
We need to come to a point in society where we can accurately distinguish the differences between “Adult behavior” and “child behavior”.
The World Kevin Dreams of…
Imagine the world of Kevin - a world where everything is "child-proofed" and no one is allowed to do anything remotely dangerous or risky.
In Kevin's world, everything would be censored and sanitized to protect the children. No more alcohol, no more cigarettes, no more fast cars, no more spicy foods. All of these things would be banned because "what if a child" got a hold of them.
In Kevin's world, we'd all be wearing helmets and knee pads, and bubble-wrapped from head to toe. We'd all be living in padded cells, with no sharp objects or potentially harmful substances allowed. We'd all be living in a world that was sterile, safe, and utterly boring.
But, of course, this is not the world we want to live in. We don't want a world where everything is child-proofed and no one is allowed to take risks or make their own choices. We want a world where we can live our lives as we see fit, without fear of persecution or judgment.
So, let's reject the world of Kevin and embrace a world where we can make our own choices, take our own risks, and live our lives to the fullest. Let's reject the notion that everything must be censored and sanitized for the sake of the children, and instead focus on providing them with education and guidance so that they can make their own choices in the future.
PS.
If you are reading this far, I didn’t go through all of the article because at the end, Kevin shifts gear towards citing studies that allege that cannabis does damage to kids…which may or may not be true because most of those studies never prove a causal relationship.
Virtually every study will have the phrase, “more research is needed…” yet due to the prohibition machine, there are an infinite number of these studies available to the tune of 95% of them being funded by the government specifically looking for “dangers of cannabis”.
Therefore, I didn’t want to divert the conversation away from the main point I am making…you can’t blame “legal weed” for the shit that’s happening in the NY market. If it was legal weed, why isn’t it happening everywhere cannabis is legal?
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