Will 2010 Be the Year California Becomes the New Amsterdam?

• tom rose
• Friday, January 1, 2010

The longer the average pothead lives, the more prone they are to buzz kill when it comes to people who treat marijuana like heroin. It’s more than 40 years now of keeping it on the down-low, and the rigors (and dangers) of maintaining a stash have taken their toll. Finally, the annoyance is filtering up to the secret stoners who actually propose, pass and enforce new laws.

A radical thought is formulating in some of those hazy brains. “What’s so bad about pot?” It’s not like it’s cocaine… or meth. It’s a hell of a lot easier on drivers than even one beer. And, let’s face it. There’s medicinal value in the ancient, wild growing weed. When are we gonna get real, man?

In several US states there’s a move to allow the sale of marijuana for treatment of a wide range of maladies, from glaucoma to inducing the munchies in patients who, for whatever reason, are not in the mood for a snack. And the movement is being propelled by former mellow heads who now dominate the influential population just old enough (or half baked enough) to want to crash through the barriers that still make pot illegal.

It’s only a matter of time, with medical marijuana being the opening salvo of the Hippy War on Drugs.

And as you might expect, in California, it’s an “Acapulco Gold” rush.

In Cali people are lining up around the block to fill legal, State-sanctioned prescriptions for primo weed, and the Feds have all but given up enforcing the national ban on an illicit substance.  Opponents still yammer, but the tax revenue is looking mighty tempting in this down economy so there are a lot more stoners running things as Left Coast society catches a killer buzz.

But as the Stoned Age Mark Twain (the King of Weed George Carlin) pointed out, “mothers milk leads to heroin.”

Although the move to commercialize pot for the entire population smacks of a glorious attempt by the Free Love Generation to leave one lasting legacy to future generations, there’s only one inevitable outcome to a world where certain drugs are allowed to be used openly. In fact, there’s a real world model to observe and learn from.

Have you ever been to Amsterdam?

If not, you’ve certainly heard about the place. It’s a mature wonderland of controlled drug use and legal prostitution that turns up its nose to the rest of so called “civilized” society, serving as the poster child for the natural evolution of free will. It’s also one fantastic tourist destination. The Dutch are in no imminent danger of financial collapse.

And it’s all because of pot. It will be interesting to see how much closer California (and the entire US) becomes to an Amsterdam-like scenario this year.

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