The document discusses several myths regarding marijuana policy. Myth #1 discusses public support for medical marijuana and legalization. Myth #2 discusses increasing cannabis-related arrests over the past two decades, contradicting the idea that arrests are trending down. Myth #3 argues that the federal government is aware of cannabis's medical properties based on a patent held by HHS regarding cannabinoids' medical uses.

1. Myth #1: Politicians typically don’t support MMJ Myth #2: Cannabis-related arrests are trending
or legalization out of fear of alienating voters down
A whopping 74 percent of Americans support medical Looking at the last two decades, the opposite is true.
marijuana rights and believe the feds should as well, In 1991, American law enforcement authorities caged
according to a Marijuana Policy Project-conducted 287,000 Americans for cannabis possession, cultivation
poll released May 11. Rasmussen Reports did some and/or sales, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime
pulse-taking of its own the very next day, reporting Reports. That figure increased every year hence; 2002
on May 12 that a “solid majority” of Americans—56 saw 697,100 Americans apprehended for cannabis-
percent—favor outright legalization of marijuana. related crime. Last year’s total reached 850,000. Long
In a genuine majority-rule democracy, satisfying story short, the arrest rate has nearly tripled in just 20
popluar opinion is a safe strategy, not a risky one. (To years.
transform this myth to maxim, simply scratch the word
“voters” and replace with “campaign donors.”)
Myth #3: The federal government remains willfully Myth #4: Democrats are more pot-friendly
ignorant of cannabis’s medical legitimacy. than Republicans
You can dispense with this myth by going to the U.S. Not if actual policies are any indication. Not in
Patent website and typing “6630507” in the search field. the land’s highest office. It’s been just over three
Since 2003 the United States Department of Health and years, and the Obama administration has already
Human Services has held a patent claim on cannabinoids raided more dispensaries than did the Bush
“in the treatment of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s” among administration during its entire eight-year span.
other neurological disorders [see last issue of THC]. The Looking at the same arrest statistics referenced
patent title alone—“Cannabinoids as Antioxidants and in Myth #2, we see that cannabis arrests more
Neuroprotectants”—touts cannabis’s medicinal value in than doubled during Bill Clinton’s two terms, from
explicit terms that no attorney could argue around. The 342,300 in 1992 to 704,800 in 1999. Indeed,
federal government violently opposes medical marijuana cannabis arrests were at their low point during the
as a grassroots industry to be sure—and keeping cannabis latter Reagan/Bush I years, a fact we’re still trying
a Schedule I drug is an obvious means to that end— to wrap our heads around.
but federal officials are quite aware of cannabinoids’
medicinal properties, as the language of this patent makes
unequivocally clear.
Myth #5: The MMJ industry is politically united
in its push for cannabis legalization Myth#6: Taxing and regulating cannabis would
Politics makes for strange bedfellows, but it makes generate more revenue for the state than outlawing it
for even stranger adversaries, as the debate General rule of thumb: institutions never resist a reform
over Proposition 19 demonstrated in 2010. As that will bring them more money. The current rules of
Californians grappled an initiative that would have prohibition allow the state to confiscate not only narcotics
legalized cannabis for all adults, many growers— during the course of a drug raid but also any crime-
accurately perceiving that their profits would related property and cash— big emphasis on cash, de-
plummet in the wake of legalization—joined ranks emphasis on crime-related. There is such a boon that
with anti-pot drug warriors in advocating and voting an increasing number of police departments throughout
against a bill that would have decriminalized their the country fund their operations almost exclusively with
crop. A bumper sticker that gained modest popularity cash and cars seized in drug busts. The state would have
in the Emerald Triangle at the time summed it to be out of its disembodied mind to trade such awesome
up: “Save Humboldt County—keep pot illegal.” seizure powers for a little bit piece of sales tax
Californians did just that the following November,
voting the bill down 53.5 percent to 46.5.
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