The Botany of Desire: Michael Pollan

Michael Pollan, The Botany of Desire:

What... was the knowledge that God wanted to keep from Adam and Eve in the Garden? Theologians will debate this question without end, but it seems to me the most important answer is hidden in plain sight. The content of the knowledge Adam and Eve could gain by tasting of the fruit does not matter nearly as much as its form... from nature. The new faith sought to break the human bond with magic nature, to disenchant the world of plants and animals by directing our attention to a single God in the sky. Yet Jehovah couldn't very well pretend the tree of knowledge didn't exist, not when generations of plant-worshipping pagans knew better. So the pagan tree is allowed to grow even in Eden, though ringed around now with a strong taboo. Yes, there is spiritual knowledge in nature, the new God is acknowledging, and its temptations are fierce, but I am fiercer still. Yield to it, and you will be punished.

So unfolds the drug war's first battle."

Friday, July 30, 2010

Feinstein and Grassley Introduce Idiotic Law

Sometimes D.C. creates laws that are intractably idiotic.

Cash Crop Blog via The Big Money

There is an insane bill making its way through Congress that is worthy of a 1950s health-class scare film. It takes on the mythical "candy-flavored meth" menace. Last week, a change was made to the bill that offers a bit of protection to legal medical-marijuana dispensers, but still leaves them vulnerable to prosecution.

The bill, called The Saving Kids From Dangerous Drugs Act, was written by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). It is aimed at unknown people who supposedly "target our children by peddling candy-flavored drugs," Feinstein is quoted as saying. It would double the federal sentences of drug dealers who mix their product with candy.

Because while selling methamphetamine to kids is bad and all, selling them candy-flavored methamphetamine is truly evil.


UPDATE: The law passed. Quels sots.

Cash Crop Blog is an RSS feed on my sidebar - it's definitely worth reading for a voice outside of the ongoing struggle to remove prohibition, just as those who are on the front lines are well worth reading.
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