Up In Smoke
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Remnant first-timer Jonathan Adler joins Jonah today, not to watch Cheech and Chong over a bag of Doritos, but to talk about the politics of marijuana. Earlier in the year (right around the time that the world was ending, actually), Adler edited a volume entitled Marijuana Federalism, which explored the legal contradictions within the laws regarding cannabis in the U.S.; the situation is somewhat unprecedented, in that we now have a substance that is a federal crime to possess, while many states have had such an overwhelming turn in public opinion that this same substance has now become perfectly legal within their own jurisdiction. How do individual states get away with this without the feds swooping in? The amusing answer is something like: Eh, turns out that the feds are pretty understaffed.
Jonah then moves on to his role - well-known among the Remnant fan base - as Inquisitor of Libertarians, figuring out how Adler feels about total drug legalization. He gives one of the most grounded and logical responses to this inquisition we’ve ever heard on the program, continually emphasizing the fundamental fact of American federalism: “The freedom to live how you want to live also includes the freedom to live conservatively.” This brings the two gents down the avenues of nationalism, post-liberalism, and the hope for a return to localism, all wrapped up with a bow of “420” puns that Jonah just can’t help but put to good use.
Show Notes:
-Marijuana Federalism: Uncle Sam and Mary Jane
-The origin of “laboratories of democracy”
-Vitamin E Acetate as the root cause of many vaping illnesses
-The Office, a dinosaur in internet years, is Netflix’s most popular show
-For the uninitiated, the fusionist’s Bible
-Acton.org/Dingo to subscribe to the Acton Line podcast
-Gabi.com/Remnant to stop overpaying on your insurance today
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Wow, I guess there's a first time for everything! Jonah, your comments about the dangers of legalizing marijuana because, in some people, it can take away their motivation to work hard and better their lives, sounds like the most hypocritical and in my opinion, wrong thing you've ever said!
First the hypocritical: So does alcohol!!! And you don't seem to have interest in banning that.
Wrong: Only if abused and generally only in people susceptible to abuse - just like alcohol!
I know many people who are most productive when they use marijuana on occasion and even daily - if they use it while not working. Obviously there are some who are less productive if they use marijuana daily. But I see the exact same thing with alcohol! What's the difference? My understanding is marijuana is less addictive than alcohol. Finally we've all heard of people dying of alcohol poisonins - i.e. alcohol overdose. I could be wrong, but I've never heard of anyone dying of marijuana overdose.
So I'm shocked you said this stuff.
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I have to admit that my libertarian bent seems to stop in its tracks when confronting the emotional reaction I have to legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes. My partner's use of marijuana was one of the main causes for the loss of my prior marriage, and I've never been able to get past that. The discussion in this podcast is the first time I have been able to take a rational and intellectual view of this question in a long, long time. Thank you for an enlightening and interesting episode!
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