I first wrote about Roger Stone several months ago, after someone claiming to be his grandson sent email blasts to cannabis industry people seeking help for his “legendary” grandfather.
The email asked for donations to Stone’s legal fund and suggested the whole investigation into President Trump and the Russian connection was just one big “witch hunt” that was costing his grandfather millions of dollars. I wasn’t sure at the time if the grandson was dense and actually believed his own crap, or if he was just another in a long list of dimwits who get duped by Trump and his merry band of misfits.
Either way, I urged people in this industry to stay away.
In January, Stone was charged with making false statements, witness tampering and obstruction of justice — all serious charges. Stone, like Trump, Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn, Michael Cohen and numerous others, has proven himself to be a serial liar who will say and do anything if he thinks there are faithful followers incapable of seeing through what has been an obvious train wreck from day one of the Trump presidency.
What does this have to do with the cannabis industry? A lot.
All you have to do is look at the current border wall joke to understand that Trump and his allies on Trump TV (Fox News) have no problem misleading undereducated Americans with dishonest statements and flagrantly false information to win support. The same methods and messaging used to whip up support for the border wall could happen to the newly legal cannabis industry. It wouldn’t be the first time racist fearmongering has been used to criminalize cannabis. If people like Trump and Stone come to the conclusion that their base will support a war on the legal marijuana industry and score them a few sympathetic votes, they will have no issue with trying to shut it down.
Remember, with Trump and his close advisers, it’s all about ego. Principles and moral high ground get lost in the dense fog of deceit, fearmongering and the need for power and control.
White-collar criminals like Trump and his cronies are notorious for avoiding blame for serious crimes, pointing fingers at others and whipping up the gullible. His core base is the same one that Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart and Ted Haggard all targeted, and they use similar methods to win support. They target good people who don’t know any better or can’t be bothered to get up from the couch and do any real research.
A recent post on the Q&A website Quora went viral. It was written by a Brit who answered the question, “Why do British people not like Trump?”
The answer: “Trump lacks certain qualities the British esteem. For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honor and no grace — all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor, Mr. Obama, was generously blessed.”
The author then added: “He makes Nixon look trustworthy, and George W. look smart”
To that, I’d also add “And he’s never enjoyed a joint.”
Greg James
Publisher