Back in the day, we used to talk about "hard drugs" and "soft drugs". You never hear those terms anymore. The idea that cannabis is the same as heroin, coke and meth was embraced by Americans across all sectors as they embraced drug testing in schools and workplaces and life destroying mandatory minimums they would have never tolerated as young people.
Faced with this overwhelming social, cultural and legal ostracism cannabis users who previously spoke freely of their use of cannabis went underground or "in the closet". This was the only way they could practice their spirituality without the fear of jail or losing their jobs.
The consequence of this cultural change was that those who were now the open advocates of cannabis, were those with no fear of jail or losing their jobs. These spokesmen and advocates living on the margins were easy targets for their non traditional lifestyles and became the poster boy for the "cannabis user". The result was to associate daily cannabis consumption with Jimmy the hippy and not someone like Carl Sagan.
In some areas of the country the conversation has changed. People realized cannabis is nothing like heroin, cocaine or meth and over time the medical benefits of the plant become obvious to all. Not long after that people recognize that enforcement of unjust cannabis laws were designed as a tool to target minority and non traditional groups. Soon the movement becomes framed as a civil rights issue, righting injustice, promoting health, freedom and the promise of economic growth.
Cannabis advocacy has changed from the marginal to the mainstream, that scares the shit out of them.
The mindshift is tectonic, the tsunami of cannabis freedom will one day wash over Ruben Santiago. He'll need to go with the flow of freedom or drown in his sewer of repression.
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