by Daniel Haverty

The spark of freedom has our nation inhaling a legal Rocky Mountain High.

If Colorado and Washington State can get away with defying the federal government by legalizing marijuana for recreational use, it will set an incredible precedent. Colorado recently passed legislation to legalize marijuana in a recreational form for adults over the age of twenty-one, and in doing so symbolically challenges the federal government to make an objection or forever hold its peace. If states are allowed to pass legislation in direct conflict with federal laws, there will be an unbelievable floodgate opened for new and creative legislation.  Were Texas to abolish federal income tax within its borders, would Washington, D.C. be inclined to look the other way? States should be allowed to self-govern to a certain extent; however, the line that is drawn in the sand has certainly has been crossed by Colorado and Washington State by their recent Marijuana legislation.

It remains to be seen if Drug Enforcement Agency agents will parachute from the sky in a massive statewide raid, exclaiming, “Hands up citizens, if you can see us through the smoke and drug-induced haze you now dwell in.” The DEA would be within their rights and jurisdiction to attempt such a raid. The problem for the DEA would be, do they have enough manpower, and if their ranks are lacking, perhaps they can recruit from the nation’s unemployed. Our country has a lot of individuals without jobs and healthcare. These recent events concerning drug laws could provide a solution for the nation’s economy. Newly deputized DEA agents could have decent paying employment as well as the renowned federal employees’ healthcare package. As long as they do not partake in newly legalized Marijuana usage,  they can stay in good standing with their new Federal employers and possibly be eligible for a favorable retirement package.

If other states were to follow suit and create legislation that was to conflict with existing federal laws and statutes, therein lies a possibility for a statewide domino effect. The balance of power between the states and the federal government would be completely torn asunder. In order for the federal government to enforce any edicts or directives they would have to recruit more and more individuals to be employed in a massive deployment of unprecedented magnitude in order to staunch the national wound of unrest. On a positive note, a vast recruitment would put a great deal of people to work who currently only utilize their prehensile digits for remote control use, and these new hires would be paying taxes and spending their newly surplus incomes on commodities that would hopefully arouse and stimulate our national economy.

If large raids occurred and vast amounts of marijuana were to be seized, the seized material would have to be catalogued and hopefully put to good use. The medicinal quality components could be reserved for patients who require its healing and nausea-relieving effects. The larger branches and trunk-like material could be utilized for the making of ropes, paper and uniforms for our burgeoning DEA population’s training manuals, uniforms and macramé inspired-restraining manacles. Hemp paper products could also be used for official documents and anti-drug propaganda pamphlets. Our government has had a history of making good use of seized materials, and in our current economy it would serve us well to be as frugal as possible.

To make the best of a bad situation used to be the American way. When danger was near we strengthened our borders or took decisive measures. Now in the face of impending civil unrest due to the collision of state and federal legalities, we must quickly seek a logical and value-driven solution to this legal dilemma. Will it be an unprecedented federal mandate that forces states to repeal legislation that clearly violates federal law? If this type of forced repeal were to occur it would forever change the relationship between states and the federal government. This type of resolution should certainly be avoided if at all possible, because the political fallout would be catastrophic to an already economically weakened nation. In a perfect world the Federal government could lend some legal experts to help states examine possible ways to amend or rescind recent legislation that, although liberal and logical in spirit, clearly is more problematic in its implementation and clearly illegal by federal law. In conclusion let us not mar our nation’s purple mountain’s majesty with a drug induced and legalistic haze.