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~Let’s Fight The Policies and Change Our Culture on Drugs and Humanity~
BESIDES choosing lawmakers, on November 4th voters in three American states and the District of Columbia considered measures to liberalise the cannabis trade. Alaska and Oregon, where it is legal to provide “medical marijuana” to registered patients, voted to go further and let the drug be sold and taken for recreational purposes, as Colorado and Washington state already allow. In DC, a measure to legalise the possession of small amounts for personal use was passed. A majority of voters in Florida opted to join the lengthening list of places where people can seek a doctor’s note that lets them take the drug. However, the measure fell just short of the 60% needed to change the state constitution. Even so, that such a big state in the conservative South came so close to liberalising shows how America’s attitude to criminalising pot has changed.
The drug war has produced profoundly unequal outcomes across racial groups, manifested through racial discrimination by law enforcement and disproportionate drug war misery suffered by communities of color. Although rates of drug use and selling are comparable across racial lines, people of color are far more likely to be stopped, searched, arrested, prosecuted, convicted and incarcerated for drug law violations than are whites. Higher arrest and incarceration rates for African Americans and Latinos are not reflective of increased prevalence of drug use or sales in these communities, but rather of a law enforcement focus on urban areas, on lower-income communities and on communities of color as well as inequitable treatment by the criminal justice system. We believe that the mass criminalization of people of color, particularly young African American men, is as profound a system of racial control as the Jim Crow laws were in this country until the mid-1960s.
The Drug Policy Alliance is committed to exposing disproportionate arrest rates and the systems that perpetuate them. We work to eliminate policies that result in disproportionate incarceration rates by rolling back harsh mandatory minimum sentences that unfairly affect urban populations and by repealing sentencing disparities. Crack cocaine sentencing presents a particularly egregious case. Since the 1980s, federal penalties for crack were 100 times harsher than those for powder cocaine, with African Americans disproportionately sentenced to much lengthier terms. But, in 2010, DPA played a key role in reducing the crack/powder sentencing disparity from 100:1 to 18:1, and we are committed to passing legislation that would eliminate the disparity entirely.
The life-long penalties and exclusions that follow a drug conviction have created a permanent second-class status for millions of Americans, who may be prohibited from voting, being licensed, accessing public assistance and any number of other activities and opportunities. The drug war’s racist enforcement means that all of these exclusions fall more heavily on people and communities of color. DPA is committed to ending these highly discriminatory policies and to combating the stigma attached to drug use and drug convictions.
Awareness Of Our Current Food Regulations
Non Organic Foods it’s safe to eat
The food movement is definitely picking up steam these days: Farmers markets are on the rise, organic sales are up, and California is poised to vote on a proposition to label GMOs—which could set the pace for the rest of the nation.
Despite these advancements, we still have a ways to go. Until we attain a fair, sustainable food system for all, eating according to your values can cost a pretty penny. Organic produce, for example, tends to cost more than its pesticide-doused counterpart. The good news is, thanks to organizations like the Environmental Working Group (EWG), we know that some non-organic fruits and veggies are safer than others to eat. If purchasing organic food is too expensive for your family, go for these fruits and veggies next time you hit up the produce aisle.
Pineapples,Avocados, onions,Cabbage,Sweet Peas, Eggplant,Mangoes, Sweet Potatoes,Kiwi..
18 ‘Food, Inc.’ Facts Everyone Should Know
The Food Label That Has Kraft, Nestle, And Coca-Cola Shaking In Their Boots
Unfortunately, this label is not about to happen, but it should. Why? Because right now food manufacturers can put whatever mutant food they want in your grocery stores — without labeling. There’s no indication if the food in that can of soup is, you know, actually real food. I want a label like this to exist so I can avoid living in a dystopian future where I don’t know what goes in my face-hole.
Monsanto in 1950
Prior to renaming itself an agribusiness company, Monsanto was a chemical company that produced, among other things, DDT and Agent Orange.
Lack of USDA Power
In 1998, the USDA implemented microbial testing for salmonella and E. coli 0157h7 so that if a plant repeatedly failed these tests, the USDA could shut down the plant. After being taken to court by the meat and poultry associations, the USDA no longer has that power.
Monsanto’s Soybean Monopoly
In 1996 when Monsanto introduced Round-Up Ready Soybeans, the company controlled only 2% of the U.S. soybean market. Now, over 90% of soybeans in the U.S. contain Monsanto’s patented gene.
Minimal Food Inspections
In 1972, the FDA conducted 50,000 food safety inspections. In 2006, the FDA conducted only 9,164.
Big Ag Controlling the FDA
During the Bush administration, the head of the FDA, Lester M. Crawford Jr., was the former executive VP of the National Food Processors Association.
Big Ag in the USDA
During the Bush administration, the chief of staff at the USDA, James F. Fitzgerald, was the former chief lobbyist for the beef industry in Washington.
The average chicken farmer (with two poultry houses) invests over $500,000 and makes only $18,000 a year.
Sewing Seeds of Discontentment
Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas was an attorney at Monsanto from 1976 to 1979. After his appointment to the Supreme Court, Justice Thomas wrote the majority opinion in a case that helped Monsanto enforce its seed patents.
Approximately 32,000 hogs a day are killed in Smithfield Hog Processing Plant in Tar Heel, N.C, the largest slaughterhouse in the world.
Illusion of Options
The modern supermarket stocks, on average, 47,000 products, most of which are being produced by only a handful of food companies.
GMO Woes
About 70% of processed foods have some genetically modified ingredient.
No Right to Know
The SB63 Consumer Right to Know measure, requiring all food derived from cloned animals to be labeled as such, passed the California state legislature before being vetoed in 2007 by Governor Schwarzenegger, who said that he couldn’t sign a bill that pre-empted federal law.
Diabetes Rates on the Rise
According to the American Diabetes Association, 1 in 3 Americans born after 2000 will contract early onset diabetes.
Among minorities, the rate will be 1 in 2.
Foodborne Illness Becoming More Widespread
E. coli and salmonella outbreaks have become more frequent in America. In 2007, there were 73,000 people sickened by the E. coli bacteria.
Hope in Organics
Organics is the fastest growing food segment, increasing 20% annually.
The Impact of ‘Food, Inc.’ Lives On
Food, Inc. revealed powerful truths about the American food supply, from the inhumane treatment of factory farmed animals to the dangers of GMOs. Been a while since you’ve seen the film? We’ve compiled some of the most shocking facts from the movie. Read them to remind yourself why choosing sustainable, ethical food is so important—then share the info with those you love. Click through the gallery to see 18 truths you’ll never forget.
