Article by our good friend Steve Elliot over at tokeofthetown.com about how many of the elected officials here in our great state are in the pocket of Big Alcohol. 1.4 Million in contributions were accepted by 5 politicians during the ’10 election cycle alone, including our esteemed Governor himself. Alcohol is more widely available in Texas than ever thanks to HB 1199, without a peep being made by police or substance abuse groups who you figure would have an interest in that. We’re not asking for a non-regulated, laissez faire attitude to Cannabis legalization, we just want the freedom to choose to relax without the fear of arrest or persecution. These politicians fighting for the state’s right to poison themselves while casting a deaf ear on many of their constituents is sickening, but sadly how it’s doomed to go if we don’t stand up and use our right to vote to change the policy makers in office. Change the makers, change the policy. Next time you hear someone you know parroting what they’ve heard from such a figure, ask how they feel about putting non violent offenders behind bars. All the while, our elected officials are lining their pockets with the money from one of the largest actual “dangerous” drug dealers in the country, Big Alcohol. Click on the link after the quotes to see read the whole story. Cannabis Liberum!
“Gov. Rick Perry and the Texas Legislature in 2003 passed House Bill 1199, which made it a lot easier for alcohol industry front groups to pass sales initiatives in “dry” cities.
Despite the tremendous social and economic cost of alcohol use on families and communities, the legislation received no opposition whatsoever from law enforcement or substance abuse prevention organizations — the very groups who are the loudest in their opposition to marijuana legalization.
Since HB 1199 took effect, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission reports at least 391 local alcohol sales initiatives have passed statewide — compared to only 71 initiatives approved by voters during the eight years prior to HB 1199 — and the number of “dry” counties in the state has dropped from 51 to 26.
Studies show that alcohol use contributes to aggressive and risk-taking behavior potentially leading to acts of violence, whereas marijuana use does not.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s National Crime Victimization Survey reported that two of every three victims who suffered violence by an intimate (a current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend) reported that alcohol had been a factor.
The survey also showed that drinking is a factor in three out of every four domestic violence incidents involving spouses.A 2004 study from the Harvard School of Public Health reported that 72 percent of college rapes nationwide occurred when the female was too intoxicated by alcohol to resist or consent.
The number of alcohol overdose deaths in the United States is shockingly high, consistently between 300 and 400 fatalities each year. There are no records of any deaths from marijuana overdoses.”
Click here to read the entire story over at tokeofthetown.com. Peace and Good Buds.
Topher Belsher
Director of Online Community Outreach
Texas NORML