I chose this topic because an a Vancouverite I have witnessed alot of activism on this topic. I thought it would be interesting to do a topic that is widely relatable, and effects everyone, whether in reference to the violence resulting from prohibition, the accessibility of marijuana as a therapeutic drug, or the arrests and enforcement surrounding this drug.
I know people eligible for medical marijuana, and understand that in certain situations anything that can ease the pain, or nausea, or other ailments is one of the greatest reliefs. I was also familiar with Marc Emery and Tommy Chong prior to this project. I have now learned alot more about these two activists, but at the time I was already confused as to how one qualifies for extradition, the events leading up to both arrests, and the circumstances in which those arrests were justified.
I was also curious as to whether there was anything I could do to discourage the apparently negative outcomes of prohibition. And there is. I sent my letters on the arrest of Marc Emery today: One to Mr Vic Toews, the Canadian Minister of Public Safety; one to the US Department of Justice; and one to Peter Julian, a MP. I also sent a painting and letter to Mark Emery explaining my project and wishing him the best of luck in hopefully being transferred back to Canada to serve his sentence at home.
I have learned alot researching this project, but what stands out the most to me is that marijuana prohibition was started with the assumption that cannabis is dangerous, and at the time the technology needed to support or oppose such a statement was not available. The issue is that the prohibition has not yet been adapted to today's knowledge of marijuana. But slowly, people seem to be reconsidering what is consistently drilled into them: "Drugs are bad."
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