Cannabis Cronies

Cannabis Cronies

Strike it rich in Ohio

Conspiracy Theorist

By Mark Luedtke

Publication date: 041817

People literally kill to become part of the exclusive marijuana producers’ cartel. That’s because marijuana producers rapidly become obscenely rich. Of course there’s a risk because marijuana is banned. Drug kingpins risk being murdered by competing producers. They risk being murdered by cops, and cops are often competitors. Drug kingpins also risk being thrown in jail.

Except for a few. Out of 11.6 million Ohioans, twelve cronies will win the Ohio medical marijuana lottery. Ohio rulers have created their own marijuana cartel and bestowed kingpin status on them. They bestowed minor kingpin status on twelve other smaller producers.  Marijuana Times reports, “The larger growers (Level 1) will need a total of $200,000 to get a license under the proposed rules, while the smaller growers (Level 2) will only need $20,000. Besides the money, potential licensed growers will also need to prove they have enough capital funding, quality assurance and security plans, and that they test their product through a qualified lab.”

Large growers can utilize up to 25,000 square feet, small growers only up to 3,000. Because Ohio legalized medical marijuana as long as it’s produced by these cartel members, these kingpins don’t have to worry about being murdered or arrested for producing drugs. It’s hard to imagine a sweeter deal, and all you have to do to get it is pay the right rulers enough money, legally and probably not so legally, year after year. If you’re not rich and politically connected, you need not apply.

This marijuana production is supposed to be for medicinal use, but rulers heavily restrict access to it. “The Ohio medical marijuana program itself is rather restrictive, with only 21 qualifying conditions, no legal smoking and no home growing allowed, which means only a small percentage of those who could benefit from medical cannabis will be able to get it legally when the program is finally up and running,” the Times continues.

And the rules don’t stop with growers. Columbus’s News-Herald notes, “Officials from three state offices charged with developing the program are still finalizing rules for cultivators, processors, testing labs, dispensaries, patients, caregivers and doctors.”

That’s a lot of regulations to ensure pot money ends up in rulers’ wallets.

Despite the regulations, legalizing marijuana is a baby step in the right direction, but the failure to legalize home growers and smoking is a major problem. This law can’t be confused with allowing freedom. Cincinnati.com explains, “Here's the big sticking point for many marijuana advocates: Under this law, it's still illegal to smoke marijuana – even if you buy it out of state. Vaporizers, edibles and oils are OK. It goes without saying: Recreational use of marijuana also is still illegal under this law.”

No enjoyment allowed, and every Ohioan but rulers and cronies is denied the opportunity to profit.

Government’s coercive control of the marijuana market guarantees corruption will still run rampant. The Washington Post reports the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) continues to target marijuana users. “... marijuana remains illegal for all purposes under federal law, a policy the DEA emphatically reiterated this past summer. To that end, the DEA devoted 22 pages of its Drug Threat Assessment to pot — considerably more real estate than it devoted to, say, prescription painkillers (16 pages), which kill more than 14,000 people per year.”

But the Post also reports some good news. “However, the DEA makes the interesting claim, not present in last year's Threat Assessment, that ‘media attention’ to marijuana issues is making it more difficult to enforce marijuana laws and prosecute people who violate them. The agency also appears to blame the media for spreading inaccurate information about the legality and effects of marijuana use,” the Post wrote.

Anything that makes it harder for the DEA to prey on Americans is a good thing. But regardless of the DEA’s complaints, state rulers want the new revenue stream, so partial legalization and looting will continue.

Legalized marijuana draws rich, crony investors. Cannabiz.media reports, “In Maryland, 144 companies submitted applications for 15 marijuana cultivator licenses earlier this year, and the long list of diverse investors behind those applications might surprise you. In total, more than 950 people were listed as working for or investing in the companies that applied for these licenses. The list includes business executives, politicians, lawyers, lobbyists, government leaders, law enforcement professionals, and military leaders.”

And bankers. No surprise at all.

Originally published in the Dayton City Paper.

Trump Threatens the CIA

Trump Threatens the CIA

The Deep State threatens worse

Conspiracy Theorist

By Mark Luedtke

Publication date: 013117

It’s no secret the fake news campaign against then-candidate Trump was the most outrageous in modern politics, but the lengths to which the establishment is going to discredit him after his victory are more outrageous. Rulers first deployed the fake story about Russia hacking the election. While news stories talked about supposed Russian hackers hacking the DNC - we’ve since learned an insider leaked the Podesta emails, not Russian hackers - but the headlines were designed to make many believe Russia hacked voting machines. Bloggers like Christopher Keelty keep that myth alive by bloviating “There is no evidence that Russia hacked American voting machines, but reporters and experts overstep when they claim it definitely did not happen.”

Then rulers made up the bizarre story about Trump and Russian prostitutes. They’re panicked.

These actions beg the question of why the establishment fears President Trump so much. Antiwar.com explains, “Deals on the exact nature of the changes are still being sorted out, but President-elect Donald Trump reportedly plans to revamp multiple US intelligence agencies, particularly the CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, with a primary goal of shrinking them considerably.”

Uh-oh. The last president who threatened to clean house at the CIA was assassinated in Dallas, making it clear who really rules the US. Top bureaucrats at the CIA, NSA, FBI, the Pentagon and other agencies along with corporate contractors, bankers, CEOs make up what’s called the deep state, national security state, or shadow government. They really rule the US, not the constitutional government government schools teach us about.

The mainstream media is their propaganda tool. Since Operation Mockingbird, which officially lasted from the 1940s to the 1970s, the CIA has pulled the strings of the media in the US and other countries. It has long, strong ties with The Washington Post which have strengthened since Jeff Bezos bought the paper because he has a $600 million contract to provide cloud services to the CIA. When the media attacks Trump, especially WaPo, think CIA.

Rulers have become so brazen, CNN openly discussed assassinating Trump. Breitbart recently reported, “On the Wednesday, January 18 broadcast of CNN’s The Situation Room, host Wolf Blitzer aired a segment with a chyron featuring the headline ‘Developing Now.’ During that ‘developing’ segment, Blitzer and correspondent Brian Todd discussed what would happen if the unthinkable occurred on January 20. Blitzer introduced the segment, saying, ‘What if an incoming president and his immediate successors were wiped out on day one?’ and from there, CNN contributor Brian Todd took over to outline the line of succession if an attack blew up the inaugural dais, killing both Trump and Pence.”

If he had run a similar segment before President Obama was first inaugurated, it would have been bye-bye Blitzer.

Senator Chuck Schumer recently acknowledged the deep state’s intimidating rule. “'Let me tell you, you take on the intelligence community, they have six ways from Sunday to get back at you,' he told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow. 'So, even for a practical, supposedly hard-nosed businessman, he is being really dumb to do this,'” wrote The Daily Mail. “Schumer said he didn't know what agents would or could do to Trump. 'But from what I am told, they are very upset with how he has treated them and talked about them,' he said.”

Economist William Anderson wonders if this is Schumer’s dog-whistle calling for the deep state to assassinate Trump. This isn’t as preposterous as it might sound. One of Trump’s advisors was recently poisoned with polonium.

Furthermore, the New York Post reports, “Intelligence officials told the Journal that they are ultimately disgusted with the President-elect’s social media behavior and disapproval of the CIA. ‘It’s appalling,’ one official said. ‘No president has ever taken on the CIA and come out looking good.’”

That sounds like a threat.

And since US rulers ultimately strive to rule the world, it’s no surprise foreigners participate. Justin Raimondo informs, “Oh, the irony! Amid all the accusations of foreign interference in the election, the first solid indication of it showed up with the publication of a slanderous unsourced memo written by a ‘former’ British intelligence agent accusing Donald Trump of various ‘perversions’ and claiming he’s vulnerable to blackmail by those evil Russkies.”

So far these attacks have backfired, but they were hastily arranged and amateurish. With time and resources, future attacks will improve. Trump is smart to maintain his private security, but they’ll be blamed if he gets assassinated.

Originally published in the Dayton City Paper.