Re:Cannabis first domesticated 12,000 years ago
by 8note on Monday July 19, 2021 @02:47AM
(#27879902)
In the US it was that cannabis users were likely to not vote for Nixon in the next election.
If they can't vote, they can't kick Nixon out of power
Re:Cannabis first domesticated 12,000 years ago
by hypertele-Xii on Monday July 19, 2021 @03:04AM
(#27879986)
It's inconcievable to me to think that enprisonment in the US forfeits one's right to vote. Such a twisted flavor of democracy. "Everyone is equal except those who have made a mistake."
It's not just about feeling good (though that can be threat enough for some authorities -- dancing bans[1], for example).. Cannabis can have psychedelic effects at high doses, and has been used for religious and sacramental purposes (there has been speculation that cannabis was part of the anointing oil used in the bible, and perhaps in some of the biblical incenses used for religious purposes).
Secular and religious authorities have historically wanted to be in control of what people feel, believe, and think.. so when a plant can alter that or is believed to provide a direct route to communing with a diety or the spirit world instead of relying on the authorities to tell them what to believe or think, then it's easily seen as a threat.
In the US cannabis use was also associated with the counterculture, with the antiwar movement, and with anti-authoritarian sentiment, and with minorities.. all seen as threats to the establishment.
[1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_ban