"Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food."◄ NIV Genesis 1:29
Anugrah Kumar, of the Christian Post brings us the story that Oklahoma Senator Quotes Genesis 1:29 to Seek Marijuana Legalization, by means of a statewide initiative petition that will require 160,000 signatures from registered voters to get on the ballot.
State Senator Constance Johnson says God created "this wonderful, miraculous plant," and:
"We're putting forth Genesis 1:29 as the basis of this campaign," KFOR.com quoted Sen. Johnson, a Democrat, as telling supporters at the State Capitol on Friday after filing the petition with the office of the Oklahoma secretary of state.
"God created this wonderful, miraculous plant and we know that it has been vilified for the last 100 years, and it's time to change that in Oklahoma," added the senator, who has led efforts, along with attorney David Slane, to legalize pot.
"We've experienced anything from downright disregard to ignoring us to telling us to, 'Go to hell' pretty much," Johnson said. "And this is where we've had to go. We're taking this to a vote of the people because we know the people of the State of Oklahoma, in spite of what the policymakers refuse to do, want to have a voice on this matter."
The proposal would allow up one ounce for recreational use and three ounces for medical use.
Senator Johnson is also proposing a $7 per ounce tax which would be split between the Department of Education, the Oklahoma City County Health Department, and the general revenue fund.
She also asserts that such a change would take pressure off of the prison system saying," (w)e're locking up non-violent, marijuana possessing people, giving them felonies and filling up our prisons."
"It's just the right thing to do. It's a plant. It's a God given plant and it could change the world," Fox 25 quoted a petition supporter, Pamela Street, as saying Friday.
We will have to see how this initiative does in one of the reddest states in the country. Some political strategists have suggested that it might be clever to get such initiatives on the ballot in as many states as possible to drive up voter participation which generally should favor Democrats.
It's high time we decriminalize marijuana across the entire nation.
Let us pray.
6:30 PM PT: It's taken me all this time before I realized that my kicker (closing line) should have been, "Let us pray!"
Sheesh, I'm slowing down. And, I am 100% sober - no excuses.