 It is my opinion that most cannabis advocates out there the debate as to whether cannabis should be legal is not really a debate at this point. They see tobacco as dangerous, alcohol as just as, if not more dangerous and they see cannabis should be legal for medical, industrial, and/or recreational use. Most advocates have seen people with lung cancer, throat cancer brought on by tobacco in photos or have personally been impacted. I have personally seen friends wasted away or die in alcohol related car accidents. I knew a young college student who almost died in a fall off of a balcony at a college party and we have all seen "hazing" incidents in the news with fraternity or sorority parties. To the cannabis user, many look out at the landscape of tobacco and alcohol and we don't understand why the Feds don't just legalize cannabis once and for all. The fact is, overturning cannabis prohibition completely at this point will take a collective effort and nationwide unity is not happening. There are many reasons why there is a disconnect, too many to list however the main issue is a lack of unity within the cannabis community, I believe, is number 1. There are 22 states at this juncture with a medical cannabis program, less than half of the US. The 22 states that have a cannabis program they are ALL still far too restrictive in my opinion. Cannabis users need to STOP settling for bread crumbs! They need to organize and push for the whole enchilada! If the majority of the nation supported cannabis legalization it would be legal. The other day the cannabis community was celebrating the House of Representatives passing a bill that restricts the Department of Justice and the DEA from interfering in state cannabis initiatives and the papers all published a great deal of positive articles around it. Guys again, the law was breadcrumbs! It only included the 22 states with already existing cannabis legislation, it does not include any state without a cannabis program! So if New York passes a cannabis program this month then guess what? The Feds can still use tax payer money to ruin cannabis businesses ran by the state or private investors. This is a major issue! Read the law! It is right here... The only 22 states protected under the new proposition of the HOR We live in a country where the people choose the politicians and as a country we are not doing enough to rally for support around cannabis. If the other 28 states want a cannabis program they need to organize, take leadership, get out to the polls and make it happen. We live in a democracy people! Taking responsibility for our own lack of community involvement is the first step to accomplishing our political goals. Look at the end of slavery, the civil rights movement, and the gay-marriage movement as an example of the type of unity that it takes to get things done in America. Cannabis does have some support, but not nearly that level of unity. We are not doing enough to accomplish what we want nationwide, legal cannabis, if in fact it is what we want collectively....I am not so sure. If we did why are we 70+ years in the making still settling for a patchwork quilt of cannabis law? Why in the last 70+ years have we not rallied the troops to overturn the complete prohibition of cannabis? Why are so many cannabis users "in the closet" and not active? Yet in conversation have these overly emotional rants to anyone how cannabis should be legal? I would love to be the one that collectively brings people from out of the shadows and into the limelight under one umbrella, this is why I started the CHA. It is time to stop lying to ourselves that cannabis "is getting somewhere" with legislation, it is not. In states like Colorado and Washington there are still restrictions as far as use is concerned, you can still get arrested for cannabis, whether it is growing too much, selling it to others without a license, etc. As a cannabis advocate we really need to stop fooling ourselves. The medical cannabis program in New Jersey is a joke! The state had to be sued to just to release the annual progress report and upon reading it, it was laughable. Here are some facts:
Few Patients So Far for NJ Marijuana Dispensary I can't emphasize the importance of becoming a member of the CHA and becoming a part of the movement if you want to see cannabis legalization in your lifetime. You want to sit back and do nothing, fine. You have a chance to be a part of history. Join the CHA. Check out the NJ Progress Reports below for the weak, miserable excuse for a cannabis program they have. 
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AuthorScott Giannotti is the founder of Cannabis and Hemp Association. He is the sole writer of this blog. 
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