Weston Still Not Woke

woke: (informal adjective) alert to injustice in society, especially racism.

Why is Weston so "square" when it comes to marijuana? It is as if he has made it his personal mission; his chosen idol to demonize on behalf of humanity (HWA's was mainstream Christianity. RCM's was the homosexual. GEW has chosen the Devil's lettuce). LCG has produced a 33 page booklet on marijuana. There have been several articles on it. Marijuana was part of Weston's winter family weekend message 2 years in a row and additional must-play sermons.

In the latest issue of Tomorrow's World, Gerald has an article titled, "Cannabis: Miracle Cure or Snake Oil?" The faulty logic of "dichotomous reasoning" is on display once again; a mainstay of church of God apologetics. Marijuana MUST be a miracle plant from God or absolute snake oil, brethren. There is no in-between!

LCG has chosen to take political sides on multiple issues over the years (always leaning right) so it should be no surprise that LCG has taken a political position on the war on drugs. In the article, Weston complains about the huge cannabis lobby spreading lies. He asks, "How many know that George Soros has pumped $100,000,000 into the sales pitch?" [I see what you did there with all those zeros for effect.]

Weston actually starts the article with 2 very good questions: 

1. Why is cannabis controversial?
2.  Why do people who have no interest in using it, "suddenly" support it?

He starts his argument with a bizarre premise that the cannabis lobby is winning a propaganda war by confusing or ignoring the difference between THC and CBD. I don't know where he has been but this has been widely known and understood for decades. THC was first extracted in 1942 and first isolated from cannabis in 1964. Every child in the "just say no" era to the present learns the difference between THC and CBD in junior high health class and then hears it again once they enter the work place annually in order for the company to maintain corporate insurance breaks. This, of course, may escape most in the ministry because they never went to public schools and never held a real job in their whole lives.

The Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program lists 21 conditions medical marijuana can be prescribed for but Weston argues that one lone "distinguished member" of the Ohio Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee, Dr. Gary Wenk, is the only voice of morality and reason, who claims any doctor who prescribes marijuana is "ignorant" and "there is no reliable clinical evidence to support the use of marijuana for any of these conditions--none at all." Wenk claims evidence supporting it's medical use is anecdotal and not based on "objective and carefully performed scientific studies." [Amazing how blatant  Armstrongists are in  cherry-picking science when it serves their agenda and ignore it completely when it does not.] Weston makes another leaping dichotomous assumption by saying, "His (Dr. Gary Wenk) approach stands in stark contrast to so many uninformed enthusiasts, who jump to the defense of marijuana without asking some fundamental questions." So anyone that disagrees with Wenk is a complete and utter fool.

Since Weston's non-political, unbiased, objective, moral high ground, science-backed position is so obviously "right" then what are the answers to his two questions above? How can this even be a controversy at all?

"Follow the Money." That is the subhead and reason in Weston's perception of reality. "A funny thing happened after medical marijuana gained acceptance. Entrepreneurs discovered that there is money in it!"

Wow! That is really amazing. After decades of the seedy underworld in kahoots with the U.S. military and other governmental agencies have made billions of dollars having always controlled the flow and money exchange for drugs, Weston thinks people have suddenly awakened to the financial opportunities in marijuana. This awakening to the sudden prospect that money could be made, caused a wave of pseudo-research to be done in order to claim marijuana was medicinal? So, it couldn't possibly have been that sincere research that showed medicinal properties in marijuana starting all the way back in the 1890's is what then triggered entrepreneurs to desire investing in it? This conclusion can only be made by someone who is either willfully or out of sheer ignorance, not WOKE.

This should not be a surprise as Armstrongism has always been steeped in a peculiar brand of well and not-so-well hidden racism. I think it is both willfully and out of ignorance. Weston actually alludes to it very briefly toward the beginning when he says, "Activists have mounted different public opinion campaigns at different times, such as making the claim that the war against cannabis, and against illegal drugs in general, is racially biased." He quickly lumps this in with other ideas, he deems lies, that the war on drugs is a waste of resources, that it ruins ordinary people's lives and it withholds the medicinal properties of the plant from being utilized. All, of which, is actually true! That is the real answer to Weston's questions of why is it controversial and why people who have no interest in using the stuff (such as myself) support legalization. He literally buries the actual truth in the middle of one paragraph early on and then quickly dismisses it as propaganda, ignorance, hedonism and driven by greed for money.

He would like you to think that the so called "activists" as he calls them, are all just hedonistic potheads or amoral entrepreneurs. But the true activists are indeed medical professionals, scientists, psychologists, sociologists, judges, lawyers, police officers, social workers, city mayors and state governors and other boots-on-the-ground, good people who live the war on drugs day in and day out. Can Weston be woke? Let's try.

... ... ...

After food, water and sex, humans spend all of their resources seeking altered states of consciousness. These states of ecstasis can be divided into 3 categories:

1. Flow states, or "being in the zone"
2. Contemplative and mystical states
3. Psychedelic states

These states occur when we establish S.T.E.R. This is a sense of Selflessness, Timelessness, Effortlessness and Richness. It is opportune moments to leave the cares of the daily grind of our minds. These states have led to the production of all great art, music, literature, inventions, science, technology and general complex problem solving throughout the existence of mankind. The human quest to harness the benefits  of ecstasis  and minimize the risk is as old as civilization itself. Religions, including Christianity and Armstrongism is steeped in this quest whether Weston is willing to admit it or not. This includes everything from observing the Sabbath, song services, prayer, meditation, 72 minute lectures and fasting, to the use of alcohol, coffee, high fructose corn syrup, prescription drugs, naturopathy, chiropractic, unlicensed massage parlors in Tyler Texas and cold showers followed by vigorous toweling after an evening with one's daughter.

The often more extreme and dangerous methods involve the use of substances that operate in the realm of producing psychedelic states. What Weston fails to understand or acknowledge is that no one has really argued that marijuana and other illegal drugs are safe. But that is the straw man argument Weston chooses to make. LCG's booklet, "Marijuana: What They Aren't Telling You" is 33 pages of government sanctioned research, often exaggerated but generally true about the dangers, that "they" have been repeating for decades in elementary school health class. The booklet brought absolutely nothing to the discussion that hasn't been said since (for me) the 80's. And it completely ignored the arguments made as to why it is even controversial today. Makes for a completely worthless booklet that has actually done nothing but kill LCG's credibility on the subject. So openly biased and out-dated, the young people in the church they are hoping to persuade are laughing at their sheer ignorance. By making such a monumental piss-poor argument, intelligent young people who know how to function seamlessly in this Information Age are doing what I have done; actually getting informed on all of the arguments that have legitimately made marijuana controversial.

Weston is partly right. It is about following the money but not in the way he thinks. The story is also about governmental power and racism.When governments seek to exercise increasing power over their citizens, they inevitably seek to control that which drives us in our daily lives. So it should be no surprise that our own government, in its slide toward a police state, turned its attention to drugs. But it was not in the way you would think or for reasons you would hope were altruistic.

In the roaring 20's, Americans were having a great time. It was a period of unprecedented wealth in America to that point. Hey, drugs and alcohol flowed freely, even in the decade of failed prohibition. Nothing to complain about until the music stopped, giving way to the Great Depression. The Great Gatsby era was over and millions of people began to suffer. When people suffer, they need a scapegoat and a growing Darwinian eugenics-oriented white aristocracy was all too willing to give them one. One such priestess to provide demons was Margaret Sanger. I think most people know by now that Planned Parenthood was started to "destroy the Negro and all undesirables from America" as she put it. These undesirables also included Mexicans and other non-whites and poor whites not fit to live because of handicaps or abnormalities. Another, not-so-known, high priest of progressive thought was Harry Jacob Anslinger.

Harry Jacob Anslinger was the first Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, serving from 1930 to 1962. After WWI, he served as a prohibition agent in the Bahamas. As the prohibition years of 1920-1933 were winding to a close as an abject failure, Harry was given the first commission of a new bureau thanks to his wife being related to the uber rich Mellons. Andrew Mellon was Treasury Secretary and the prohibition department was under the Treasury.

When Harry was born in 1892, every kid in that generation (Herb's peeps) grew up in a time when drugs were legal and easily accessible around the whole world. Heroin and cocaine were available in every American pharmacy. They were in popular cough mixtures and even Coca Cola. Heroin and cocaine were outlawed in 1914 but with alcohol nearing legal status, Anslinger knew there was not enough narcotic usage in the country to justify much of a budget for his new department and before long, he could be out of his post. Then he began noticing racist headlines across the country where Mexicans were losing their minds and going on killing sprees after using marijuana. Stories of black men that were fraternizing with white women after using marijuana and going on violent raping sprees. Harry was no stranger to marijuana and was already convinced long ago that the plant was neither addictive, nor induced violence. But he changed his mind overnight when he realized it could provide money to his department, more governmental control and power and to use that power on people he already despised, along with much of white America, so it seemed. Newspapers all over the country were producing the scapegoat and so Harry ran with this opportune moment.

And that is how it was indeed about money, governmental power and racism. He preyed upon the fears of racist whites across America who believed Mexican immigrants and African Americans were the most dangerous people in the nation. To sure up his argument, he rounded up 30 scientific experts but to his dismay, they all (but one) told him what he already knew; marijuana did not cause violence and insanity, the racist stories in the press were lies and it would be wrong to ban it. Harry, of course, ignored the 29 and used his one expert to start a nationwide campaign to demonize marijuana and the blacks, Mexicans and immigrating Asians on the west coast. When he was pressed to fund independent studies by medical professionals around the country, he obstinately declared he would not, nor would he ever. In fact, he spent his decades in office spending much of his time threatening and silencing scientists, medical researchers, doctors and care-givers with his growing department resources. 

His hatred of blacks carried over specifically toward black jazz musicians. Convinced it was devil music, he harassed them mercilessly, hoping to put them all behind bars. Many believe his harassment led to the death of Billie Holiday, as he was absolutely fixated by her and hell-bent on destroying her. He made wild accusations to the press that drug addiction was near 100% among "the Negro people." He was not shy about using the N-word and if a black agent ever complained, he was fired. He promoted wild stories coming from police departments around the country. One in particular was an incident in North Carolina where an officer supposedly shot an out-of-control Negro, high on cocaine, directly in the heart and he didn't even flinch. Stories of black superhuman beasts on drugs led directly to police all across the South to increase the calibers of their guns.

He also promoted stories about Chinese immigrants who were coming over to steal white jobs and white women. Stories claimed they would lure white women into their "opium dens" and enslave them for "unspeakable sexual depravity." The endgame was to strike the white race down and gain command of the world. This led to mass raids on Chinese homes and businesses. They were driven off lands, shot, hanged and even burned alive up and down the west coast.

Harry eventually conscripted the whole world into the war on drugs. As he destroyed the lives of scientists and doctors in the United States who opposed him, he also went after Mexico's chief of Alcohol and Narcotics, Dr. Viniegra. His 14 year study showed the truth about marijuana, the failure of prohibition and the need for legal status of drugs and state control because they are dangerous. Dr. Viniegra knew this would reduce the power in the criminal underworld and corrupt government officials, and free up resources for education and rehabilitation. Harry demanded Mexico fire him. Mexico complied and the cartels blossomed in just a few short years. When Mexico then began providing rehab as a result of rising addictions, Anslinger cut off all opiates needed for pain relief to all Mexican hospitals. Mexico had a choice: writhe in agony or join the war. This policy was put on wash and repeat, bribing every nation in the world to join the war on drugs or lose American aid.

The war on drugs at its genesis was never rooted in science, compassion, or to protect children from addiction. The war on drugs was a war on minorities waged by white supremacists. And that included all the ones across the country hiding behind the badge, the printing press, business tycoon board rooms, political offices, church lecterns and everyday working people who wanted to believe that the answer to all social ills was to simply support a war on plants and those non-whites who use them.

The war on drugs is the truest example of institutional racism. Harry Anslinger is long gone and his story is not known by the average citizen today. But his legacy remains intact. Unsuspecting people around the country without a racist bone in their bodies enter the institution everyday with ideal hopes of helping and serving all people. So many are quickly disillusioned and they don't quite know why. But many of them are waking up. The reason marijuana is so controversial is because people are asking why we have such a broken criminal justice system and a supposed war on drugs with no end in sight.

Statistically, drug use is equal among all races, classes and walks of life. As I mentioned before, after water, food and sex, it is a resource that provides what all humans seek. 1993 statistics showed while only 19% of drug dealers were black, 64% of drug dealers arrested were black. 943 whites per 100,000 get jail time for drugs while 4,919 blacks per 100,000 get jail time. Drugs are being used just as often at parties in white neighborhoods but it is black, Mexican and poor white neighborhoods that get raided. The police admit they are easy targets and that raiding affluent white neighborhoods would not go over with the local Mayors, judges, politicians and wealthy donors; just as Dr. Viniegra said would happen.

Weston claims all reputable sources prove marijuana is a gateway drug and that drugs are addictive. These so called reputable sources are the same ones Anslinger put in motion decades ago. If you want funding for drug research in the United States, it must be in support of the war on drugs...period. But there are more and more reputable sources coming out of other countries and statistics from nations that have already ended their war on drugs. The facts are in. Marijuana is no longer considered a gateway drug. The only gateway marijuana provides is a prison cell for blacks. And addiction? It is now being realized globally that addiction is predominately caused by childhood trauma and not drugs themselves. Drugs provide relief from the torture chambers some poor souls endure in their minds. This does not make them criminals, subhuman, or animals worthy of imprisonment. The solution is to stop demonizing the addict as a sub-human criminal and start recognizing addiction as an adaptation to the cages we live in. Criminalization needs to be replaced with compassionate rehabilitation. All of the money wasted fighting a war on drugs would cover the costs of addiction rehab and still have vast resources left over.

Jim Brown said he originally started playing football [This is in no way an endorsement of Bob's Super Bowl doctrine] because he hated white people and it provided the only avenue for a black man to hurt white people and not only get away with it but get paid for it. I have a gay cousin who used to post articles about Catholic priests  and Christian pastors that would get exposed for molesting boys. I asked him if he did this to expose Christian hypocrites or homosexual child molesters? (He stopped posting them) My point here is that whenever someone desires to commit acts unacceptable to polite society, they will often gravitate to places that give them access to do what they desire. Sexual deviants and pedophiles become teachers, coaches and pastors. Jim Brown found a safe outlet to express his racism. And white supremacists join police forces all around the country because it gives them an outlet to terrorize black neighborhoods and be protected by the badge. The war on drugs provide these Klansmen in disguise, a legal and protected outlet to carry out their vicious fantasies. Several police officers have told me when you decide to transfer from one department to another, you do your research because one of the things you want to know is if the department is either run by or at least friendly to white supremacists. [Save all the comments running to the defense of police and pastors. It's stupid I have to ad this caveat but here it is: of course, most police officers and pastors are good people] This is to show how a system originally established under racist pretense still provides an outlet for racists today to get away with evil acts.

Police officers began noticing when they arrested rapists, incidents of rape went down. When they arrested racists, race related crimes went down. But when they arrested drug dealers, murder went through the roof. The reason is because the illegal drug trade is so lucrative, when you remove a dealer from his territory, a war breaks out for that territory. Police began realizing there would never be an end to the war on drugs unless something different was done. They recognize as well as a growing number of sensible Americans truly informed, that:

1. Drugs are dangerous and is exactly why they should be legalized, controlled, regulated and distributed under government controls.
2. Illegal drugs fuel the violent economy of a criminal underworld.
3. The prohibition of drugs in this country is rooted in racism and has left in place, a criminal justice system that is inherently racist and provides racists with an outlet to do evil.
4. Criminalizing drugs only serves to enrich criminals, while abusing the poor and traumatized in our society.

There is a growing number of police officers, judges, lawyers, prison officers and other criminal justice professionals joining a group  originally called Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) but renamed Law Enforcement Action Partnership. Founded in 2002, they now have over 150,000 members and supporters. These are the "activists" Weston brushes aside in his article expecting you to assume they are pothead rabble-rousers. They are dedicated to ending the drug war so they can bankrupt the drug gangs, replace a  90 year old racist criminal justice system and provide compassionate rehabilitation to the marginalized in society.

Adolph Hitler showed the world what the endgame of  Darwinian Eugenic philosophy looks like after learning it from America. So you see, Weston, this has nothing to do with how inherently dangerous a plant is. It's about how dangerous it has been for minorities because of how racists have used a plant against them. Weston doesn't want to hear that there are better solutions to the drug problem. So he doesn't listen for them and he doesn't tell you about them and he certainly doesn't provide the evidence that they are working in other countries. What "activists" have done for America over the last couple decades is make headway in slowly steering the colossal bureaucracy of the United States government in a better direction.  The question is, can a church with an ungodly governing structure not held accountable to it's providers, be brought to a Jesus moment on this? Or will the Jim Crow Church of God, founded by a racist and incestuous pedophile, continue to ignorantly and willfully refuse to be woke?

V