Ending the Drug War is Good for the Environment

The public thinks that the government is doing a very poor job on the environment. The latest Tory cabinet shuffle seems to be an attempt to change this public perception. Harper knows there is no way he is going to get a majority government if he continues to put this issue on the back burner. This could be a good time for potheads to push their environmentally-friendly agenda.

We are always reading about the high power consumption of indoor marijuana grow ops. The lights used to grow weed are 1000 watts a piece and are often powered by stolen electricity. This is a total waste of energy when you consider that marijuana grown outside would use no electricity at all. Not that it's relevant, but outdoor weed is of much finer quality and it would put an end to all those scary grow-ops we keep hearing about. Since reducing energy consumption is one of the key goals of the Kyoto accord, letting us grow marijuana outdoors could have a significant impact on energy consumption and the environment.

The US government spent millions of dollars eradicating ditch weed also known as hemp. 200 years ago a farmer could be jailed for not growing hemp during periods of hemp shortages. Hemp used to be vital for food, fuel and fibre, especially during war. So why are the drug warriors so intent on trying to eradicate an extremely useful, hardy plant? Beats the hell out of me. Letting the ditchweed grow would allow it to use up carbon dioxide. Instead, the drug warriors use poisonous chemicals resulting in marijuana that is resistant to herbicide. Great job! I should send the DEA a thank you letter for breeding a new super weed. Maybe I should make a trip to Mexico and bring some of those herbicide resistant strains of marijuana to Saskatchewan. That would be the way to overgrow the government!

Let's hope that Elizabeth May can bring this message home, instead of trying to win points with anti-choice douchebags. Red Tory has an excellent analysis on the new green Tory government.