The Plant of Renown

(Revised 5-21-2008)

"I will raise up for them a Plant of Renown, and they shall no more be consumed with hunger [for truth] in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they are my people." (Ezekiel 34:29-30)

What is the "Plant of Renown" ?

A lot of people have thought they’ve known what it is, and many Christians have postulated that Ezekiel was speaking of the Christ Jesus. But I do not believe that. I believe that is merely another case of erroneous attributions and referrals to Judaic (Old Testament) scriptures made by many Christians.

The error is in believing that Isaiah 53:2 speaks of the Christ Jesus where it is written: “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant…” However, Isaiah was using the word as a metaphor, while Ezekiel was talking literally about a plant. Furthermore, in that instance, Isaiah was not referring to the Christ Jesus, but of the next son of man who fulfills both Judaic and Christian prophecies. That become evident when you consider the context.

 

“For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he has no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.” (Isaiah 53:2‑4)

 

Many Jews erroneously think that speaks of “Israel” the Israeli people collectively, but it does not, nor does it speak of Jesus. Granted, a little bit of Chapter 53 of Isaiah probably does speak of the Christ Jesus, right after that, in verses five through eight. That is because Isaiah could have foreseen the son of man named Jesus being whipped, crucified and martyred as a sacrificial lamb of God. After all, Isaiah wrote about “his stripes” (from being whipped), and even wrote that “he shall be brought as a lamb to slaughter.” That would certainly indicate Isaiah was talking about Jesus in certain instances.

I believe Jesus played a very crucial role in the fulfillment of certain Jewish prophecies, not only because of that, but also since his father Joseph and he were descendants in the line of King David. That’s why Jesus was the Christ-Avatar of the passing age, rejecting the worldly throne and serving as a Master Teacher.

Furthermore, the Christ Jesus was a great prophet, and he made many crucial prophecies about the next son of man and messenger for the Spirit of truth, who fulfills not only the prophecies of Jesus, but of Isaiah and many other prophets of Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Taoism, Sikhism, and other religions.

Most Christians do not understand that. As I’ve explained more fully on the pages about Prophecies About the Messenger, and The Martyrdom of Jesus, many Christians do not understand why Jewish Rabbinical scholars do not accept Jesus as Moshiach (Messiah), or why many Muslims and many progressive Christians refute or at least question many claims made in Christian gospels of the New Testament of the Christian Bible.

There is good reason for that. Most of Chapter 53 in the book of Isaiah clearly does not speak of Jesus, because he was "comely" and handsome. The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus even said he was beautifully and meticulously groomed. Moreover, Jesus was not stricken and afflicted, and his life was not prolonged but cut short at the age of 33. Furthermore, according to the gospel writers and the impartial historian Josephus, Jesus was highly esteemed as a Christ by a good many people in his generation, by the multitudes, including many Jews and many Greeks.

When you see and consider all the evidence, it becomes clear that Isaiah 53 speaks mostly of the one who now does fulfill both Hebrew Jewish prophecies and Christian prophecies. In fact, the book of Isaiah speaks mostly of the "son of man" Jesus said would come, but would "first be rejected by his generation and suffer many things" (after he is stricken and afflicted). As I’ve explained on the page to which I referred, Jesus was not speaking of himself when he said that. He was speaking of this son of man, just as Isaiah did.

However, the point of this article or page is that The Plant of Renown to which Ezekiel refers is actually a plant, or an herb. For Isaiah used the word "plant" as a metaphor for he who is "despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" and is "esteemed as stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted," but Ezekiel used the word plant literally. In order to understand why, though, it is important to first understand a related issue.

As you may or may not know, the word "Christ" is a title, which is why I call Jesus "the Christ Jesus," when I speak of him. It’s the same title as the Jewish Moshiach (which means Messiah). In a very literal sense it means he is "anointed."

Judeo-Christian religious tradition holds that the anointing is in oil, and that brings me to the main point of this article, because the oil involved is from the "Plant of Renown."

Of course, as I’ve explained on other pages and in books, the title of Moshiach or Messiah or Christ also means spiritually "anointed" in the sense that he is "baptized in the fire" of the Divine Light of God's Spirit. But, in this discussion, I want to discuss the "anointing in oil."

You see, many Jews and Christians insist that the anointing in oil is a qualifying event for the person who fulfills Jewish prophecy and Christian prophecy. They believe that the Moshiach or Messiah, the son of man, will be physically anointed with holy oil by official clergy, and then rule from the “mountain of the Lord” in Jerusalem. But, as I explained on the page titled The Crusades for Jerusalem, they do not really understand what the "mountain" of the Lord God is, nor do they really understand what the modern "anointing" of the servant and messenger of God is.

Granted, there are literal scriptural references to the anointing oil. According to the Greek translation of the Bible, Moses wrote in Exodus 30:22-24 that the holy anointing oil contains cassia, cinnamon, myrrh, and calamus mixed together with olive oil. That is the oil religious authorities believe will be used, because that was what was used more than two thousand years ago by the rabbinical patriarchs who abided strictly by the Torah. So, let’s examine that.

In the original Hebrew of the Torah (Old Testament) we find that the word calamus is derived from the Hebrew word "kaneh bosm." It’s the key ingredient, and in the mid-twentieth century an anthropologist concluded after much research and etymological comparison that the proper translation for "kaneh bosm" is Cannabis Sativa, which we know as Marijuana, which is The Plant of Renown. After all, its active ingredient is known to scientists as tetrahydracannabinol (THC), in oil form, and in 1980 the Hebrew Institute of Jerusalem confirmed that "kaneh bosm" is indeed Cannabis.

Of course I realize that some people will be shocked and horrified that I say that. But it’s true.

I must tell you that most of what was claimed by those who created Marijuana Prohibition in America in 1937 was blatantly false. Not only that, what was claimed by those who restored Marijuana Prohibition in 1970 was mostly false and misleading, and what has been claimed by the Prohibitionists ever since then is also mostly false and misleading. And, when you learn that much scientific research has been gathered for thousands of years and increasingly during the last 60 years, which proves the value and benefits of Marijuana and debunks the false claims against it, you will understand why I must tell you the truth.

The holy oil from the Plant of Renown was mentioned not only in Judaic scriptures, but in Christian scriptures as well. In the "Gnostic" Christian Gospels written by some of the original disciples of the Christ Jesus, there is much written about the "anointing." But those gospels were not included in the Christian Bible. In fact, it wasn’t until they were rediscovered at Nag Hammadi in Egypt in 1945 that they started to become known again. That’s why I mentioned the gospel of Mary Magdalene on the home page.

If we now put all the evidence together from scriptural and scientific sources, it becomes apparent that one of the reasons Jesus came was to restore the use of the holy oil from the Plant of Renown, so that the people "shall no more be consumed with hunger (for truth) in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they are my people."

Jesus of course also came to anoint and baptize people with the "fire of the Holy Spirit," as John the Baptist said. But the Gospel of Philip states that, "There is fire in Chrism," and "The Chrism is superior to baptism for it is from the word Chrism that we are called Christians, certainly not from the word baptism." The word "Chrism" is a Greek word literally meaning "an anointing," and it is mentioned in many early Christian writings. One early Christian writer states that being "anointed with the oil [Chrism] of God" was the sign of a Christian, and a physical representation of having the gift of the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. So, the holy oil from the Plant of Renown is indeed a big thing.

But wait. There is much more to the story, because the Holy Oil can be used and ingested in different ways. Besides, we will soon enter a new day and age, and the days of official clergy anointing a king with holy oil to sanction his authority were over a long time ago. Monarchy is rapidly becoming obsolete in the world, and we are all equal joint heirs to the “kingdom” to come, where we will all share the “throne” and the power, with government that is at long last, of, by, and for the people. And as Isaiah foresaw and foretold, the witness and servant of God will not cause his voice to be heard as an orator, but will send his work before him so that it is the truth, and nothing but the truth, that liberates and unites humanity.

As for the “anointing” with the oil from the Plant of Renown, take a look at this.

"You shall have a song"... "and gladness of heart, as when on goes with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord." (Isaiah 30:29)

"And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power..." (Revelation 15:8)

Considering those words, and considering that when the Old Testament prophets spoke of being "astonied," they probably meant, as we say, being "stoned" on the smoke of Marijuana, which quickly delivers THC into the system.

Of course, some people have assumed that "astonied" simply means "astonished," but that assumption is not correct. Job, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel all used both words, so astonied and astonished don’t mean the same thing. Therefore, it’s reasonable to assume that astonied means "stoned," especially since there are many scriptural references to "smoke in the nostrils" and "smoke in the temple," which probably refers to smoke from the Plant of Renown.

Therefore, it is not difficult to assume that Marijuana is what many people think it is — a holy sacrament, as well as a medicinal herb and a social and spiritual aid . After all, when used properly and in the spirit of love and true kinship, it does enable us to know and feel that God is indeed with us, and that we are all brothers and sisters.

The trouble is, when Marijuana users are under threat of arrest and punishment for using it, it is very difficult to use it properly in an atmosphere conducive to feelings of love, peace and freedom. The proper atmosphere and frame of mind of users is crucial to achieving positive, inspiring and creative effects or results. In fact, used in the wrong frame of mind, it can, in some cases, produce negative effects or results, especially when you use too much at one time. But, used properly, sparingly, and for the right reasons, it is indeed a holy sacrament, and the Judeo-Christian scriptures confirm that.

I’m sure critics will claim that I am wrong and even blasphemous, just as certain fundamentalist religious critics accused Jesus of being blasphemous in his day. That’s to be expected, and that’s one of the reasons why Jesus and Isaiah predicted that I would be at first rejected by my generation.

Therefore, I will say that even if there were no Biblical or divinely inspired references to Marijuana , the fact is that it (or Cannabis, also called Hashish in its resin form) has been used to good effect throughout history all over the world, particularly in China, in the Mid-East, and in the Americas. In fact, in many places, particularly in India and other places in the Mid-East, it has been considered as a medicine and a spiritual aid for many centuries, even for thousands of years. And when you consider what I have to say, I trust you will see the real facts of the matter.

Granted, Marijuana, like any good medicine or substance, can be harmful when overused or abused. Heavy, chronic smoking is not good for your lungs. There’s no argument there, and there may be some half-truths and even some truth in some of the other claims of Prohibitionists against Marijuana. For example, heavy or over use or abuse of Marijuana can produce certain damaging effects in the body, and it can even produce psychological dependence on it. However, while it is important to acknowledge the risks, they are actually very small. As most research shows, it is only a very small percentage (2%) of Marijuana users that actually have any problems with it. Most users do not over indulge, and most suffer no ill effects, and I’ll show you evidence of that.

It’s important to know why in America during the 1960s and ‘70s, many millions of people smoked Marijuana socially. That was largely because they learned from scientific research studies that it was basically harmless, that the law established in 1937 against it was based on lies, and that those who passed that law ignored scientific evidence from the American Medical Association, which advised against prohibition.

In the 1960s and ‘70s, most users were very educated about Marijuana, and most people who were not considered "up-tight" or "square" smoked it. It was a socially acceptable thing to do, even in public settings. In fact, far more people in America smoked Marijuana in the 1960s and ‘70s than most people today would think or imagine. Many people who smoked Marijuana at the time were not even aware of just how popular and widespread its use was. You had to travel widely and socialize in many different places around the country to be aware of the reality and realize just how widespread and popular it was in many social circles.

Of course, many former users are now in denial about that due to the social stigma against it, so today many people are not aware of that history. But we should all be aware of it now.

You see, in 1970, in response to Marijuana’s rapidly growing popularity, the U.S. Congress adopted the Controlled Substances Act, which re-classified Marijuana as a "Schedule I Drug" right along with hard drugs and narcotics like heroin. Without any evidence, and despite much evidence to the contrary, that misguided law claimed that "Marijuana has a high potential for abuse, has no accepted medical use, and is dangerous and unsafe even when used under medical supervision." That is blatantly false, but many conservative politicians were hysterically fearful and felt very threatened, and they managed to get that law passed in spite of much evidence revealing the real truth. History repeated itself, and what happened in 1937 happened all over again.

Following that, the Prohibitionists managed to get police to start a crackdown, and by 1972 many people were being arrested and imprisoned for using Marijuana. The Prohibitionist’s use of more falsehoods and more scare tactics began to work once again, as it had from 1937 to 1960.

But even the police crackdown did not stop most users from using it, because they knew the claims made by Prohibitionists were blatant lies. In fact, Marijuana’s popularity continued to grow throughout the 1970s and even peaked in 1979, even though many users and dealers were arrested and imprisoned for it.

Even when the political winds shifted far to the Right in 1980 when Ronald Reagan came to power and enforced the rigid kind of Marijuana prohibition that had begun in 1937, many people still continued to use it. Many still do even today, even though an intense and dramatic propaganda war waged by Prohibitionists against Marijuana made it not only legally taboo, but eventually, to a significant extent, even socially taboo. That’s why many users quit, and former users are now afraid or reluctant to talk about it, or, if and when they do talk about it, make fun of it as if it was foolish.

But, I need to tell you that in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Marijuana users actually became safe from the law. Police eventually just looked the other way when they saw people smoking Marijuana in a park or at a concert or on college campuses. Marijuana use was even "decriminalized" by many state legislatures because they realized how silly it was to try to make criminals of all the millions of users. In most places people were able to use it in an open and peaceful environment, free from worry. And it was, for the most part, wonderful, and not foolish at all.

Of course, prudish critics called widespread Marijuana use hedonism, especially when they viewed the news videos of "The Summer of Love" in San Francisco in 1967. But it was really just new-found freedom, uninhibited freedom, to fully enjoy life and all of God’s creation. Marijuana users didn’t bear "the shame of the heathen any more," and they knew that "the Lord their God is with them," just as the prophet Ezekiel wrote and as the Christ Jesus confirmed. That freedom was welcomed gladly, and with great joy, and it enabled users to show their love for all humanity. It enabled them to speak up and stand together, mostly as peaceful and loving "flower children," as most of them were known as in those days. And it also enabled some of them to speak up and stand together as righteously indignant dissidents and protesters against injustice, inequity, bigotry, hypocrisy, and war, who knew God was with them in their demand for justice, equity, equality, and peace.

It must be said, however, that it was a relatively small number of users who became highly politicized and marched in protests and demonstrations. The majority of Marijuana users were more introspective, and while some chose somewhat traditional paths, some simply "dropped out and turned on."

Furthermore, even though some Marijuana users experimented with other drugs, it was not because Marijuana is a so-called "gateway" substance. It was because some drug dealers sold many different illegal drugs, and some people were thus tempted to experiment with other drugs, as the scientific evidence I will show you reveals. But, as the evidence also reveals, most Marijuana users used only Marijuana, and the vast majority used it to good effect.

While smoking Marijuana, most users got "turned on" to many worthwhile things -- non-materialistic, altruistic, spiritual, natural things -- things that nurtured their souls and made their hearts sing. They absorbed themselves in music, arts, crafts, gardening, farming, and communal living. They experimented with many different ways of becoming more in tune with nature, with the earth, and with each other. And that’s not to pretend that it was all hearts and flowers, but in general, it is probably accurate to say that for many of them it was the best time of their lives. That’s why the Woodstock Generation need not be ashamed any more. They should remember the good old days fondly, and be proud they were part of it.

Now, everything I’m telling you can be supported by fact. For in addition to it being of great value spiritually and socially, the fact is that Marijuana has been proven as a good medicine.

Modern research studies clearly show that. For example, in 1999 a report of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine called Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base concluded that "Scientific data indicate the potential therapeutic value of cannabinoid drugs, primarily THC (marijuana’s active ingredient), for pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation."

More specifically, the report states that "for people suffering from symptoms of the late stages of AIDS and cancer, marijuana may be among the most effective treatments." It also concludes that "The psychological effects of Cannabinoids, such as anxiety reduction, sedation, and euphoria can influence their potential therapeutic value," and even though "those effects are potentially undesirable for certain patients and situations," they are "beneficial for others." And there has been much more research since then that reveals even more medicinal benefits

In Europe and Canada, and even to some extent in the U.S., Cannabis Cannabinoids have been proven to destroy cancer, prevent Alzheimer’s disease, and promote the growth of brain cells. It is being used to treat Alzheimers, multiple sclerosis, autism, epilepsy, diabetes, emphysema, asthma, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Tourette’s syndrom, Crohn’s disease, migraine headaches, arthritis, cystic fibrosis, glaucoma, herpes, chronic pain, nausea, depression, skin disorders, alcoholism, drug addiction, among many other disorders, ailments and diseases.

But some of this is not new, because written references to the medicinal use Marijuana date back nearly 5,000 years. The world’s oldest surviving text on medicinal drugs, the Chinese Shen-nung Pen-tshao Ching, specifically cites Marijuana’s medicinal qualities, including the ability to reduce the pain of rheumatism and treat digestive disorders. Western medicine embraced Marijuana’s medical properties in the mid-1800s, and it was first listed in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia in 1850. By the beginning of the twentieth century physicians had published more than 100 papers in the Western medical literature recommending its use for a variety of disorders (T. Mikuriya, Marijuana: Medical Papers 1839-1972).

In the late 1800s and early 1900s Marijuana was recommended by doctors as an appetite stimulant, muscle relaxant, analgesic, sedative, and anti-convulsant, as well as a treatment for opium addiction and migraine headaches.

That, in fact, is why a representative from the American Medical Association representative argued before Congress in 1937 in favor of its medicinal use and against its prohibition, but his testimony was ignored and false testimony was instead used to justify prohibition.

In the 1960s the lies were exposed and it was revealed that more recent research, studies, and reports had been done, such as the La Guardia Report, which was completed in 1944 (but was largely ignored at the time). It showed that Marijuana is essentially harmless and even beneficial for a variety of purposes. In fact, the La Guardia Report, like all valid and honest reports and studies before and since, have all stated much the same things. That’s why in the 1960s many articles and books were written explaining the real truth, which is why Marijuana use grew so widespread and so rapidly in that incredible decade.

Since the 1960s, Marijuana has been widely researched by both private and government agencies, and there is scientific consensus that only two percent of Marijuana users ever have any problem with it. That figure, by the way, has been cited by many scientific researchers, including Grinspoon and Bakalar in Marijuana: The Forbidden Medicine and Marijuana Reconsidered.

You see, by 2001 at least seventy million people had smoked Marijuana, and the majority of them had good experiences, and that is according to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The actual number is surely far greater than that, but that’s an "official" figure, and the official conclusion is that for the vast majority who have used Marijuana, it is not a problem.

In fact, many researchers have arrived at that conclusion, and considering all that research, a member of a task force commissioned by the American Medical Association (AMA) has said: "The biggest harm reduction we could see would be to stop putting people in jail for drug use." That was said after the commission had thoroughly studied Marijuana and drafted a report on their findings. But, unfortunately, that draft report was subsequently shelved because conservatives in power felt it came up with the "wrong" conclusions.

Many similar conclusions favorable to Marijuana have been drawn by most scientific studies and surveys about it. The same conclusions were drawn even by researchers who were hired by conservative prohibitionist forces to try to find evidence against it. They wind up showing how beneficial and essentially harmless it is for the vast majority of users. Yet, in spite of that, Prohibitionists still cite whatever findings from those studies suit their purposes, even if they have to resort to bolstering their argument with half-truths, exaggerations and distortions to reach the desired conclusion. And, if that doesn’t seem strong enough, they resort to throwing in some blatant scare tactics and claims that are simply inaccurate or untrue.

For example, in spite of false prohibitionist claims that Marijuana is a "gateway substance," reliable studies have shown that "at least seventy million people have used marijuana and 98 percent of them did not proceed to hard drugs or narcotics." (Grinspoon and Bakalar in Marijuana: The Forbidden Medicine and Marihuana Reconsidered.)

Furthermore, studies cited in Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts, by Linn Zimmer and John Morgan, also show that: "For the vast majority of marijuana users it is a terminus (a goal, or a boundary or limit) rather than a gateway drug." And, according to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), even though "75 percent of illicit drug users use marijuana, only 18 percent of them use another drug as well."

That is confirmed by a U.S. National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine report in 1999, which states: "There is no conclusive evidence that the drug effects of marijuana are causally linked to the subsequent abuse of other illicit drugs." In fact, the main reason some Marijuana users come in contact with drug dealers who may sell other drugs is because Marijuana is illegal and is treated as an illicit drug. If it were legal, the vast majority of users would not even look at other drugs. Some would, of course, but not because they first used Marijuana.

There is similar proof to refute most other false claims that prohibitionists make about Marijuana, such as the absurdly false claim that it is "addictive." In fact, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine confirmed in 1999 that "marijuana rarely even causes psychological dependency." And, while the same report stated that some researchers claim to have identified "a distinctive marijuana and THC withdrawal syndrome in some users," even those researchers had to admit "it is mild, subtle, and short lived." In other words, the vast majority of Marijuana users can stop using it at any time without any withdrawal symptoms or psychological dependency.

Besides that, the claim of Prohibitionists that it "impedes performance" is also blatantly false. After all, most of the great, classical rock music of the 1960s and 1970s was written and performed with the aid of the beneficent herb. It is quite obvious that creativity flourished and performances were amazing, because virtually all the great musicians and bands at that time used Marijuana. So, it is simply not true, as Prohibitionists claim, that Marijuana impedes performance, nor is it true that it "interferes with short-term memory and learning."

Marijuana can in fact enhance memory and learning if the user is paying attention and focusing on the subject at hand. The trouble is, some people have a tendency to "space out" and let their mind wander, or be preoccupied or absent-minded. If that is their normal inclination and tendency, they tend to do that even a little bit more while using Marijuana, and they therefore cannot recall some things. After all, if one is preoccupied and not paying attention to something they are doing or something that is taking place, one does not remember it, whether one is stoned or not.

Conversely, if one focuses with undivided attention on something, one remembers it, whether one is stoned or not. Marijuana can in fact help one learn that if you focus on your senses with undivided attention, you get much more out of whatever you are doing, seeing, hearing, feeling, touching, tasting, etc. That’s why people like to smoke it when they are doing the things human beings enjoy most (sex, food, music, dance, art, viewing nature and beautiful scenery, etc.).

That is really why I later wrote the chapter on The War on Marijuana in my second book, More Observations & Suggestions: The Followup to Real Prophecy Unveiled. It tells the whole history of the war on Marijuana from when it was first made illegal by the U.S. Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, and it lays out what I think is a compelling argument proving that the war against Marijuana is based almost entirely on falsehoods. In fact, the war on marijuana is not only based on falsehoods, it totally ignores clear and overwhelming refuting evidence provided by many reliable scientific sources, some of which are the government’s own sources.

Moreover, I wrote that chapter on Marijuana not merely because it is for the most part harmless and in many cases beneficial. I wrote it especially because it is time to face the fact that if we did not lock up people who have committed only minor offenses and have caused no harm or loss to others (like non-violent people who only use, grow and sell Marijuana), it would not be necessary to increase jail/prison capacity. After all, Marijuana arrests have accounted for over 40 percent of all drug arrests in the misguided and fruitless war on drugs.

Just between 1972 and 2002, over ten million Americans were arrested on Marijuana charges. In one year alone, law enforcement charged almost 600,000 Americans with Marijuana violations. That figure was the greatest number ever recorded since Marijuana prohibition began in 1937, and in 2001 it climbed to 700,000 Marijuana arrests per year. That means that one Marijuana smoker was arrested every 45 seconds in America.

In America, because of the unreasonable laws driving the war on drugs, all police need is "probable cause" (the most relaxed and loose legal standard possible) to search an individual or an automobile, home, boat, or plane for "contraband" (drugs or drug paraphernalia, or anything else that might be construed or misconstrued as "drug-related"). Furthermore, the definition of probable cause is sometimes stretched to absurdity, allowing the police to search with very little justification. They can frisk your person or search your car or break down your door and literally tear your house apart searching for drugs. If they find anything that remotely indicates the possibility or probability or even suspicion of drug use, they can seize practically everything you own, including your property and all the cash money you may have on your person or property. Under state and federal forfeiture laws, many suspected Marijuana offenders actually lose their cars, cash, boats, land, business equipment, and houses. What’s more, 80 percent of the individuals whose assets are seized are never even charged with a crime, because police suspicion is often based on erroneous assumptions and false reports.

Even worse, many of those arrested were put in prison, taking up space that should be reserved for those who really ought to be there. And this situation has only gotten worse since then. As I stated on the page titled Violence in America, in order to focus on serious crimes, the police and prosecutors should stop spending so much time trying to deal with victimless crimes like the use of harmless substances like Marijuana. And it really should be decriminalized once and for all.

I hope you can now see why I am so very much against Marijuana Prohibition, and so very skeptical of "evidence and proof" against it presented by Prohibitionists. For the fact is that some of what they claim is blatantly false, a lot of it is misleading, and much of it is based on half-truths. Very little of it is actually valid and true, and most of it is simply scare tactics designed to instill fear.

I think all people, especially children and youth, are much better off and make better decisions when they have truthful, accurate information. In fact, I’m certain we can and will do a much better job of keeping children and youth free of all drugs and alcohol if we would only be genuinely honest and frank with them, and not give them so much reason to disbelieve, distrust, and ignore adult authorities.

After all, as it is, every year there are millions of young people who use drugs for the first time, in spite of all the scare tactics against drug use, and more drugs are available on the street than ever before. There is also more binge drinking among young people. This is due to the dismal failure of the counterproductive and unreasonable war on drugs. It is time that we adopt rational and reasonable policies and laws regarding drugs, especially Marijuana.

We need to be sane and realistic about this, and we need to reject the foolish, senseless, misguided claims of Prohibitionists who claim that Marijuana is harmful. It is not, when used properly, sparingly, and for the proper reasons. In fact, it is actually a highly beneficial herb, a good medicine, and even a holy sacrament!