Why Isn’t Pot Legal?
With polls showing that 50% of Americans favor the legalization of marijuana, why aren’t steps being taken to make that a reality? Blame those that have the most to lose from legal weed: the pharmaceutical, alcohol and prison industries. Pharmaceutical companies don’t want people turning to pot for pain relief because it would mean fewer customers buying prescription medications. Brewers and distillers don’t want the competition either. With mounting scientific evidence that pot is safer than alcohol, legal marijuana would clearly put a major dent in the booze business’s profits. Private, for-profit prisons only make money if they’re filled to capacity, and that means locking up weed growers and pot smokers.
August 7th, 2012 at 2:23 am
In California, this ballot initiative lost by about seven points which is pretty far from winning. What is even more frustrating is that all my friends who smoke weed drove two hours to Oakland, waited for about five hours, and spent $200 to get their Medicinal Marijuana Card, but they won’t spend five minutes to register to vote.
August 7th, 2012 at 4:38 pm
Larry I has much respect for you as having been working in one of ur subsideires for quite some time. I find your work fascinating and profoundly thought provocative for this day and age. It seems that the main argument against pot legalization is not one of economics, because as it may be hard for some to believe. It would add anywhere between 15-45 billion in government revenue for the united states. The simple argument, if u can call it one, is the reactionary cultural trends not just by lefties or righties but it primarily comes from the elderly, you see tradition was, no thanks to Washington supporting the lumbering lobbyist to culturally start the war on drugs. It has gone so far as to being. ScheduLed one drug on par with heroin and meth. Polls don’t really change much because it all depends on how the w
Poll ask the question….it’s a cultural thing tied
To our parents parents, that we will see come to be resolved in the
Next 15-20 years
August 7th, 2012 at 7:49 pm
Sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll babies! Out of the closet and out of wedlock, englightened are the pushers of narcotics in the streets! Exposed are the deadbeats and hippies dissolutioned is the moment in passing that joint?
August 10th, 2012 at 3:01 am
Dear Larry, u are a rock star. I am 40 and look at your bio and think WOW! Mfer you got sum balls.
August 13th, 2012 at 1:19 pm
One can buy as much Booze & Ciggaretts at a Local store & even with all the Bad plublicity they get, every one is ok with Merchants selling it..Booze deprives the brain of Oxygen & people do stupid things & stay stupid, that works for the control elect.. Drugs, Natural Herbs that aid brain firing & deep interpersonal thought are some what Taboo.. I real Medical Dr. aught to take a persons mental & personal state into mind & prescribe smokable herbs like Damiana & weed.. If Restaurants had a License to allow a little Pot smoking, people would relax & buy a few more appetisers off the Menu.. Something any grown American MUST have the right to do.. But we are a slave race mentality, beeting our own self down.. The meaning of life is one word. PARTICIPATE & the other side of that coin is.. Encourage others to Participate, & in so bring soul evoltion.. They call Booze spirits, I think they rob the spirit & Pot can enliven it, as most psychoactive herbs & Mushrooms can offer..Right brained ADD kids benaffit from herb, a proven fact, even alshiemer people respond to pot, better than twice their prescribed pharmacutical Dog Shit…
August 14th, 2012 at 12:52 pm
On Coast to Coast Am radio, George Norray had a guest Ronald McDonald who’s book “They Own it all (including you). So when the Feds Money collapses, barterring will have a place. Perhapps weed, pot will hold a Monnatary value. After all it serves many many medicinal & Health bennafits.. Isn’t an ounce of Pot near the value of Gold?? Pull head from ass Sheaple & give me a platform mr.Flynt!
August 17th, 2012 at 2:32 pm
” GOVERNMENTS ARE INSTITUTED AMONG MEN ”
WHICH MEANS ,SUCCINCTLY, SHITHEADS GET INTO THEM , TAKE BRIBES , AND AUTO-DESTRUCT THE MANAGERIE … WHICH THEN STIMULATES US TO GO IN , HAUL THEM OUT AND HANG THE WHOLE LOT … THUS , REGAINING FULL SOVERIGNTY AND NORMAL CONTROL …
UNLESS YOU SEE – WHAT WOULD NEVER BE THERE ANYWAY -
AN AFFIRMATIVE , EXPLICIT ENUMERATED POWER TO KEEP FROM SOVEREIGN , SELF DETERMINED FOLKS , POT ….
THEN IT’S NOT ILLEGAL .. SMOKE UP , PORN BUDDY … THE BASIC LAW .. SUPREME LAW , MADE BY US , FORBIDS THE LITTLE CONGRESS TO EVEN FANTASIZE ABOUT SUCH THINGS !!!!
WE’RE JUST AT THE SATURATION POINT OF BRIBE TAKING,TREASON SUBORNING , DICTATING , TERRORIZING ,OCCUPYING AND OVERTHROWING BY FRENZIED SUPER-CRIMINALS THAT HAVE SIGNED THEIR FATE …
IN THE PHASE PROGRESSION OF CYCLES , THIS KIND – ROTTED OUT GOVERNMENT – THE END POINT IS PRECEDED BY THE LAST DESPERATE GASPS OF EXTREME BRUTAL , BUT FUTILE , ACTIONS OF THE DESTROYERS WHOSE ESCALATION ,ITSELF , WILL ACCELERATE THEIR OWN END !!!
THEN THE PIXY OF PORN CAN FIRE UP THE POT ROCKET !!
August 21st, 2012 at 12:13 pm
Dear Mr.Flynt sir. I had the fine pleasure of hearing a guest on AM Radio Coast to Coast with George Noory last night.. This woman is plugged into important ills, disterbing to those who’s head has left their ass!! She mentioned Larry Flynt & said how surprised whe was to get a phone call asking to know more about Soldiers illness.. She went on to say that Mr.Flynt “realy cares.” In 2006 he wanted to put a copy of (Beyond Treason) in every soldiers hands, but was denied access by big Gov. (of course!) I wanted to share this with ya.. Knowing know one else will!!!!!!!!!!!!! As I have stated Mr.Flynt & Hustler.. Ya need a place where people can point their fanger & say, “Hay look what they are doing!!! wa wa why a a a can’t we get some of dat?????” New Age Alternative Health Clinics where Teas are very common, like Celantro to cast off heavy metals & Far infrared saunas for sweating out detox, the list goes on & on, Gua sha massage.. When da cattle can point a digit at it & bitch, moo & bahhhhh maybe enough of them together will get a response from a sympathetic crowd & offer financial & Franchiseable support.. Or just moooo & bahhh as usual.. scum
August 30th, 2012 at 2:18 pm
I smoked pot for a long time & never got into fights with ppl wake up at home in the morning without knowing how I got there! How many ppl die each year from drunk driving? Yet booze is legal & pot isn’t? Shows just how backwards this country we live in is!
August 30th, 2012 at 11:48 pm
Dear Mr. Flynt,
Coming from a highschooler’s point of view, pot is all around us. Hidden in our cars, the public restroom, even in our clothes. Most people smoke because they’re stressed, but they wouldn’t be so stressed if thier answer wasn’t illegal. Marijuanna is an answer for most things, physical problems, but now economical problems. I say we allow plantation for weed and distribution in any store. That way the government can get it’s cut and the american can smoke weed freely without the fear of authority. If weed was legal, america would then be the ultimate tourist attraction. “hey guys lets go to amsterdam to eat space cake.” why go half way across the world for something you can enjoy in your own home? If people werent so stressed out about getting caught they would be more mature, responsible, and comfortable smoking anywhere.
Your friend, Neil Platt
August 31st, 2012 at 9:19 pm
As Bill Maher said a few weeks ago… “We just have to wait for all these old rednecks to die” in order for things to change in terms of abortion and medical marijuana.
I agree.. As soon as these old people with different beliefs from those who actually matter today die, we can change it. No matter how hard we try these old fucking losers are still in power… Its a shame!
September 3rd, 2012 at 1:37 pm
Yeah whats the problem? Should have happned a long time ago I am positive and proud of it and da ganga has helped
been + for 15 yrs and Althea is a soul really missed xxoo
September 4th, 2012 at 12:55 pm
I guess i should p.s. ‘no-homo’ on my statement above…. But my brother is gay and i love him… And gay people are (usually) just nice… =]
September 7th, 2012 at 7:30 pm
Dear Mr. Flynt, First I would like to say how much I admire you not only for your stand on the First Amendment but also for your love for your late wife. My husband left me when I had cancer. Now, what can we do to show Romney up for the elitist, sexist, racist, homophobic shmuck that he is ? I don’t think that the majority of the American public realizes the danger that this man poses to our country. Many thanks.
September 8th, 2012 at 3:18 pm
Another reason believe it or not to look into legalization of weed is the chemical industry such as Dupint for example nakers of nylon which hemp can replace and chemical lubricants that hemp oil can replace. These two alone can economically hurt these businesses. So they invest in elections and politicians and help keep pot illegal. Of course everyone knows it ia these least harmful high so one would have to look into the bigger picture. Marijuana if legalized can hurt many big businesses and they will do anything to stop it. Ask Anheiser Busch about the threat….. Okay I’m going to light up becauae after five spine surgeries it helps and it’s a hell of a lot better than being out of it on LEAGLIZED heroin Oxtcontin
September 8th, 2012 at 10:26 pm
Don’t forget Dupont. The world leader in MAN-Made Textiles. They want nothing to do with weed cause of Hemp. Both would be a bonus to farmers in ‘Merica.
September 9th, 2012 at 11:31 am
There are so many reasons that pot is illegal and classified as a much more harmful drug than it actually should be. There are many contributing factors including William Hearst’s smear campaign in the 1930′s.
I personally do not smoke pot but I certainly do not care if anyone else does. How addicting it is, whether it leads to harder drugs, I have no idea and won’t pretend to know these answers. I do know one thing though, people who want it are going to get it no matter what. Outlawing things like pot and guns just leads to more violence in my opinion. We are notorious in this country for taking away the “effect” and not the cause of situations that do not please society.
The thing I find most curious about the slow and controlled legalization of Marijuana is the fact that a financial benefit is to be had in the taxation of its sale. Funny how the well being of humanity goes out the window when money becomes the prime motivator.
Its also quite a conundrum that an illegal substance can be legally taxed. Hmmm no double standards in this country.
Larry Flynt, I really admire your tenacity throughout your life to speak the truth even in the hyper-sensitive politically correct society we live in today. The truth is not always, and in fact is rarely, politically correct.
I would love to meet you one day! You are my hero!
Sincerely,
Patrice Notaro
September 9th, 2012 at 2:54 pm
Muy buenos dias .Mr. Flynt, ayer , por primera vez vi su película “el pueblo contra Larry Flynt y creame que me ha conmovido en tal manera saber que los derechos humanos son el principi del crecimiento y desarrollo de las comumidades como de los mismos ciudadanos..esto lo digo ya que provengo de un pais y una region donde a esfuerzo de arado y machete se sobrevive para educar y tratar de brindar bienestar y especialmente suplir las necesidades basicas dignas para subsistir y poder educar unos hijos, obtener un techo y vivir , que es lo mas importante. to0tal me dirijo a usted señor Flynt para solicitarle una gran y amistosa ayuda para salir adelante con mi familia ..vi en el recuento de su historia , que el dinero todo lo puede , claro esta sin ser la base fundamental del existir … mis necesidades ascienden a un monto de 15.000 us que corresponde a mis deudas por vivienda y universidades de mis hijos ..no creo que sea yo el unico que pueda tener tales apuros , pero si se que su gran corazon solucionador, podria por fin darle u impulso a mis grandes deseos de vivir.. mi direccion es : Cartagena de Indias , Colombia , Barrio Manga , calle 29 Nº 17-275 apto 6A– mi celular 3015249352 y mi telefono fijo 6685628–
espero poder tener alguna respuesta suya . Cordial saludo ..Alvaro Isaza Arboleda cedula de ciudadania 19.282.928 . –email. aliszar2000@yahoo.com
September 9th, 2012 at 9:41 pm
I believe Fear is the biggest threat today & rightly so.. Because very few are gathering together & make ready for sudden upheavel & confusion.. We honor Music groups with yearly awards. But never do the same for Ralph Nader or Howard Zinn who have given so much & received so little. Shame on the cattatonic public cattle swine eatting Buffalow carcass masses, zoned out on distraction tv…How about Hustler build it’s own FEMA style camp & those that donate to it’s building can live theyre when need be… As well as a Mega Hustler Cruise ship to Harvest sea weed for food….Moooo,,, bahhhh go too sleep little cattle..Gida Radner said. “never mind” you just don’t get it..Help
September 10th, 2012 at 4:35 am
Lieber Larry
tue gutes und Rede drüber. Ich finds gut das du dich nicht verbiegen läßt und klar zu deiner Denke stehst.Bleib weiter gesund und kämpfe für ein Leben was frei und unabhängig sein soll. Deine Ideale, dein Leben ist ein roter Faden.
Bleib dir treu, bleib bei dir…………alles, alles Gute mein freund
September 12th, 2012 at 8:52 pm
The article question/headline “Why Isn’t Pot Legal?” gives all the right answers, but offers no real justification for making pot legal. If pot were legalized …. THEN the justification for making it illegal would be realized. The pharmaceutical companies would turn into mega producers, the term “This Bud’s For You” … would make Anheuser-Busch, Inc billions of dollars in sales, and “real criminals” would be set free and all but ignored by the Police in favor of apprehending and locking-up people charged with “driving under the influence” for going too slow on the Interstate Highway systems in the US.
No …. the right question isn’t “Why Isn’t Pot Legal?” ….the right question is “Why Isn’t Growing Pot For Personal Use Legal?”. …. or better yet, “Why Isn’t Corporate Involvement In Street Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco Legal?”.
I’m not a fan of smoking pot. After (probably) smoking more pot each year for ten years on a regular basis (as a “farmer”) than most if not all of the readers of this article will ever smoke in a lifetime, I can say (with some authority) that pot is THE gateway drug that does more to ruin a person’s potential than any other drug known to mankind. The reason is not because pot is the most mind altering drug out there …. it’s not. The reason is because pot is the most insidious drug out there.
When I quit smoking pot “cold turkey” in 1978 because my “farm” was raided and robbed by an unknown entity, I went from making 10′s of thousands of dollars each year … and thinking that I was doing great in the “agricultural business” to making 100′s of thousands of dollars each year in the piano business (something I never planned on doing …. I don’t even know how to play the piano)…. and knowing that I was doing great.
This brings me back to why I’m commenting here in the first place. Larry, if you’re reading this, last night I just found out that a piano I was working on (a 5’9″ 1928 HAINES BROS. AMPICO “B” reproducing grand piano) was formerly owned by you and sold at auction in Atlanta, GA back in the 80′s under difficult circumstances.
Since the auction, this exquisite Louis XIV style piano has been completely rebuilt and “figured grain walnut” case beautifully refinished. The AMPICO system has also been meticulously rebuilt in 2009 and also upgraded with a very rare and unusual (for a 1928 AMPICO “B” powered piano) Yamaha midi system that allows your former piano to be interfaced with a laptop computer and software which is loaded with virtually thousands of song titles that your piano can play with the push of a button.
Larry Flynt, if you read read this (or if anyone with access to you reads this and forwards it to you) and you would be interested in enjoying your wonderful one-of-a-kind piano again …. please contact me (you know how) so we can get busy making that happen.
September 12th, 2012 at 9:30 pm
Correction:
ooops! NOT …. “Why Isn’t Corporate Involvement In Street Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco Legal?”.
but … Why IS Corporate Involvement In Street Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco Legal?
September 15th, 2012 at 1:19 pm
cops are some of the greatest drug abusers. they take illegal steroids in full notice of their commanders. scumbags are in charge…
September 16th, 2012 at 10:05 am
We the people, have the power to stop all bullshit convictions by simply saying not guilty,yep thats all it takes. just one person to say not guilty! remember DA’s are terrified of loosing, So if you and I say not guilty, thay wont even try,so stand up, if you want weed legal prove it.
September 17th, 2012 at 9:29 pm
I’m 54, and I thought pot would be legal a long time ago. I believe it’s not for one major reason:
The money invested in DEA and law enforcement would be threatened if it was legalized. Think of all the money that goes into law enforcement. Now consider what would happen if we made pot legal, and took that money instead and put it towards drug education and rehabilitation. It would be a much better use of the money.
I’m also surprised the business community has not pressured the Gov’t more to legalize. The Gov’t itself could get out of debt simply by the taxes and other bullshit they could do to profit.
It boggles my mind why we are so close-minded. It borders on the insane. This no longer resembles the country I though I grew up in.
September 20th, 2012 at 2:38 pm
I am a disabled veteran, with spine problems that as Mr. Flynt can attest, are incredibly painful. I broke my body doing stupid things for our government, saving lives, and stopping tons of drugs from arriving on our Coasts.
It is when you see tons of the compressed product, (which is kind of sad), that you begin to get the idea why it’s still illegal, pot is still tainted with the history of the psychopath Pablo Escobar, who wanted this stuff in our streets in quantity, and reflected our power structure by going one step further in his brutality, one upping them, as it were. We can’t use brutality; for one, it’s not ethical, and two, it’s not legal.
Also, when you see tons of the product, it’s also crystal clear our government hasn’t figured out how they will profit from it, and simultaneously distance themselves from all the alleged negatives they’ve been insisting exist within that leafy plant. They need plausible distance from the growing, distribution, and consumption, because they need to save face. They killed Pablo. Not that Pablo didn’t deserve what he got, but we can’t very well pick up his business.
I can tell you without reservation that opiates, which I get from the government, are far more problematical, and have far more side effects, than simple marijuana. I can overdose and die from the opiates, if I overdose on marijuana, the worst which will happen is I might eat too much pizza…maybe with too much garlic. And, I’ll lose the opiates. And, I agree wholeheartedly with Larry, the distillers and tobacco growers will lose business.
What do we need to do, what can we do, without losing liberty, savings, employment, to develop a reasonable solution? How can we stop the hypocrisy within our government, which weakens it, and allow them to maintain distance? A homegrow exception? Larry?
September 20th, 2012 at 5:58 pm
To make pot legal would put the south american drug cartels out of buiseness. I find it hard to believe they would let that happen. I wonder how deep the hands of the cartels fit into our governments pockets? If pot were to become legal, like booze, america would put millions of folks back to work. Farmers, pickers, cleaners, packers, distributers, stockers, pharmesudical companies could still make money from patents and such? Stocks in hostess and lil’ ceasers and such would sky rocket! And life in general I think would be a little calmer? Anyway, just sayin, I don’t think the cartels will let it happen.
September 20th, 2012 at 10:15 pm
Too many people are getting rich by it being illegal vs a nation getting rich by legalising it. U rock larry. Stand up and help us “potheads” fight.
September 21st, 2012 at 7:38 am
hey larry,love from south mississippi.man i rember newport back in the 80s,and since my family lives in covington my cousin was hanging over there in the 70s awsome. at any rate, court ordered not to smoke pot for the next 90 days, and after that ill be tokin again. thanks for being on board in the fight to leglize.if you ever get down to south mississippi would love to meet you.
September 24th, 2012 at 1:00 pm
Dear Mr Flynt, I was wondering if you have any ideas on how to get rid of some of these Congressmen/women, who refuse to do their jobs, and just keep getting in the way of progress? pw
October 8th, 2012 at 2:01 pm
I would like to see a video of the Hulk smashing Romnie & Obama the same way he did Loakie, Thors evil Brother in that Avengers Movie & call them puny Gods! Both candidates are puppets for the hidden shaddow Money power..As a Human Society the Franchise of U.S. Government has relapsed on it’s self. People power step up & kick ass.. By building massive Mega Mall mini city’s & empowering Alternative Natural Health care (REAL MEDICINE) & building new & exotic vehicles, ceramic Graphite Turbines powered by Oxygen & Hydrogen.. Cattle wake up!! The Government will never ever retrofit what Corporate Giants control.. We need to make THEM obsolete. Let’s build America the Beautiful. Build our own schools & grow real food,etc…. piss ants
October 17th, 2012 at 12:16 pm
Larry Flynt you need to take a photo ASAP to mock mitt romeny with your hands on two large “binders with women”
November 1st, 2012 at 3:57 pm
interesting post, well legalization of marijuana means that drug companies will lose out in profits in the USA. But lets wait and see the next steps to legalization marijuana. thanks