“I don’t believe that any psychoactive substance should be used for recreation.” – Steven DeAngelo, Executive Director, Harborside Health Center

“Wine and cannabis… you know, I support any effort to change the cannabis laws that’s going to get the people who are in prison out of there, and if we can do it by repeal, great, if we can do it with a wine analogy, great.” – Steven DeAngelo

“We will say right here on this show, Bill [O'Reilly], that we do not support the legalization of cannabis for recreational purposes.” – Andrew DeAngelo, General Manager, Harborside Health Center

“The mission of Harborside Health Center is to advocate for full access to cannabis for purposes of health and wellness. While it is not our mission to advocate the legalization of cannabis for recreational purposes, we do feel criminal penalties for cannabis are unjust and should be repealed.” – statement from Harborside Health Center after the DeAngelo brother’s appearance on The O’Reilly Factor

“As someone who has dedicated his life to the cause of medical cannabis, Prop 19 is going to advance the cause of medical cannabis and not set us back.” – Steven DeAngelo

“Rather than positioning recreational cannabis as being in opposition to medical cannabis, my fellow activists might instead recognize that promoting recreation is one of the many health and wellness benefits provided by cannabis. Recreation itself has long been recognized in America as an essential ingredient for health and wellness….

The soccer moms of America are never going to buy the argument that their kids need one more thing to get high on, no matter how safe or natural that thing is. But they might vote in favor of allowing adult citizens to make their own health and wellness decisions. Legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes–a strategy that emphasizes cannabis as an intoxicant– plays right into the hands the prohibitionists, who are itching for another opportunity to portray cannabis users as decadent hedonists. And at this time, in this place, the legalization strategy is not merely misguided-it is dangerous.” – Steven DeAngelo

As can be seen above, there have been some confusing statements coming from the world’s largest medical marijuana dispensary on the matter of cannabis legalization.

I have considerable respect for everyone who works at Harborside, and for the DeAngelo brothers as well. The service they provide is immeasurably helpful to their almost 100,000 patients.

And Steven’s point about coming at prohibitionists from a medical viewpoint is a valid one, considering the amazing medicinal properties of the cannabis plant.

But in the end, legalization is not about semantics or being politically correct. It’s about freedom. It’s about adults being allowed to do what they want as long as they don’t infringe on the rights of others. It’s about the prison industrial complex in this country and its insatiasable appetite for cash.

There was a time for finesse when it came to marijuana legalization, but that time has passed. It’s time to get into the face of “The Man” and tell him we are taking back our rights. We won’t sit idly by while you intimidate and imprison us for your own nefarious purposes.

We won’t stand for the corrupt War on Drugs and the corrupt officials and politicians who profit from it. Whether you use cannabis for “health and wellness” or you use it to get high, as long as you do not infringe on the rights of another, IT’S NO ONE’S BUSINESS!

This concept is sorely lacking in today’s society. Anyone with a belief or an opinion thinks it’s the government’s job to force that opinion on the rest of us. But we are a free people, with a free will. And the suppression of that free will is tyranny, plain and simple.

We will no longer stand for tyranny, no matter who chooses to tyrannize.

- Joe Klare

And be sure to check out our Open Letter on Behalf of 30 Million Cannabis Users and join us in our fight!