Denver, the Clusterfuck: Weed, Jobs, and Homelessness

These days, there are several articles and studies that suggest that because weed was legalized in CO that there's a direct connection to the rising homeless population. Yes, there's a lot of people that have become homeless since January 2011, but many of them came to Denver for the purpose of making money during the economic boom that is still rolling on to this day. This is not to say that there are not a lot of homeless pot users. Indeed, most of the ones that you see asking for change are using said change to get to their next joint/blunt/bowl/dab, and many have even gotten into the habit of stating it outright on their cardboard signs. I do believe that there are some people who have lost their livelihoods or ability to return to their families from marijuana and other drug use, and to say that otherwise would be a misstep on my part.

However, I've also noticed a sharp rise in employers that both require years of experience and drug test for menial, everyday positions. During my search for employment, I've been seeing more and more simple jobs that pay either minimum wage or near it requiring people to get tested and have "experience" in the field. Why does a person that is going to be washing dishes for $8.50 an hour need to have a resume, two years of experience, and be submitted to drug testing? Is flipping a burger, busing a table, or scrubbing a toilet really that difficult that you have to make people jump through so many hoops just to get the job? Or is it that these businesses are trying to filter out those of us who smoke, knowing that the majority of the younger and poorer population either has smoked or currently does?

Yes, weed has been legalized for adult use in Denver, but the prevailing business culture seems as if it hasn't caught up to accepting that yet. Even though it's perfectly legal for adults 21 and over to have a smoke here in CO, these business owners still think that all pot smokers are lazy and not worth having on staff. Even though there are several examples of successful people that have smoked their entire lives, they still shame and naysay it. Despite the fact that some individuals cannot function properly without it (either mentally or physically), these older, more established Baby Boomers still seems to have the same backward attitude towards it that they had during the days of Reefer Madness.Yet somehow, they don't do the same testing for alcohol, which is under the exact same strictures that weed is here in Colorado. As a matter of fact, some businesses encourage drinking, holding business functions and such with open bars, bottles of wine, and gift baskets with alcohol in them. It is extremely frustrating knowing that one legal substance that has been proven to kill people in several ways is considered perfectly acceptable, all while another that has actually been shown to help certain individuals is still anathema even when it has been legalized.

Yes, businesses have their own prerogatives when it comes to choosing who they hire. No one has to hire any of the thousands of pot smokers there are out here, ones that are willing to work just as hard and are equally as human as non-pot smokers. However, it's absolutely ridiculous that in a state that has made a stand and declared pot to be legal that one can still be disqualified from being able to work because they've consumed it anywhere within two weeks to a month of applying for a job. Just because a person smokes in their free time doesn't make them a bad, lazy, or unfit worker, just as having a drink every now and again doesn't make one a drunkard. Therefore, seeing as they are in the same exact class of substance, Denver businesses should not test for marijuana just as they don't test for alcohol. This double standard is unfair, biased, and based only on the generational hate-mongering and misinformation smearing that has been going on since marijuana was banned in America. I understand testing for harder drugs, but for one that has been approved by the state for general consumption, it makes zero sense and only helps to boost the homeless population that these people look down upon so quickly.

#OpMoneyMouth

Good day, World.

Recently, I've been watching the American people, observing how we've been dealing (or not dealing) with several social, environmental, and economic issues. After years of studying, reading, and writing about these things, I've come to the conclusion that the majority of Americans are somewhat aware of the issues that are plaguing our society. Even those who only view mainstream news and media at least have some knowledge of one side of many of these stories, and now that grassroots movements have shown that they can influence larger media outlets, more problems are being brought to the forefront that otherwise wouldn't even be on the radar. Independent news companies like The Young Turks, The Daily KOS, and Info Wars are also gaining momentum every day, using their more varied stories and viewpoints to build a viewer base from people who may be getting bored with all the usual rhetoric. Twitter, Facebook, and other social media forums are also being used to get messages from the underground out, with pictures, videos, tweets, and such now being a main mode of judging popular opinion on a daily basis by both individuals and news companies big and small. The knowledge of these issues is out there, and slowly, but surely, people are listening.

However, the reason why people do not act upon their knowledge of these things is that we feel helpless to change these situations. We know that the Walton family is making money hand over fist and somehow is barely paying its workers, buying cheaply made foreign goods and flooding our homes with them. We know that the minimum wage is too low, and that bureaucrats who have been making a fortune on our tax dollars are fighting to keep it that way. We know that the US government is spending far too much money on war and not enough on social issues, and that we've been fighting wars all over the world that seemingly have nothing to do with us as a people. We know those things and more, and yet the story remains the same. Why? Because we feel like the problems are too big for us as individuals to address.

Well, what if I told you that every little change counts, that we can start shifting the outlook of the future, and that it only takes a little bit of effort? Would you believe me?

We can.

See, the reason these companies, politicians, and figureheads are in the positions that they are in is because we have allowed ourselves to become blinded to the terrible things that they do in order to maintain that power. Therefore, in our ignorance, we give our money, the most basic and effective form of power that we have, to people that may not care a single iota about us. If we start paying more attention to the companies, products, and services that we choose to give our money to, we can redirect the flow of power to these people who are destroying us by inches.

For example, I am a big fan of Dr. Bronner's Soaps. They're all natural, free of animal testing, smell great, safe for the environment, and clean just as well as any conventional soap. And so, knowing that other companies put things into their soaps and body washes that pollute, are not safe, and could kill you if accidentally consumed, I choose to give my money to this small company that makes a quality product which doesn't have much of a negative impact on the environment.  ( http://www.drbronner.com/ )

The same goes for Marcal tissue, a company whose CEO actually got mad at Greenpeace for not fighting harder to make sure that Kimberly-Clark used more recycled material for their paper products. Of the Kimberly-Clark/Greenpeace "truce," he actually said, "Using any percentage of virgin tree fiber to make household paper products is still destroying the planet." ( http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/marcal-paper-ceo-comments-on-greenpeace-and-kimberly-clark-truce-62184077.html ) After hearing that, I switched to Marcal's Small Steps 100% recycled tissue and paper towels, seeing that the head of the company was actually trying to do something about the issue rather than just talk a good game.

Another company I support and have personal experience with is TerraCycle, a company that's been gaining momentum over the past few years using purely recycled goods to create practical products for everyday use. They started with an all-natural fertilizer based on worm compost and have been growing ever since. Now, they offer building materials, home and office goods, electronics, and other useful items that anyone could use on a daily basis, all made out of majority post-consumer waste material. ( http://www.terracycle.com/en-US/products.html?page=1 )

These are just a few of the companies that I know of that can be used as alternatives to working with other more nefarious and greedy corporations that are out there. There are so many more that are there, though the few that I have provided you with is a good launch point to start with. A little knowledge goes a long way, and examining the methods and motives behind the companies that you choose to give your money to is the most effective way to reroute power from those who care nothing for you. Yes, Reader, you are only one person, but by nature of being a human in America, you are a part of a network. If one person sees your behavior and decides to change one thing about what they buy or support, it's a start, and even if no one else follows you, you're still doing the best you can to improve the world around you.

Be the change. Use yours.

Put your money where your mouth is.

#OpMoneyMouth

Good day.

Find me: @xXxAnarchosxXx