British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith are big fat liars.
In the months prior to the duo’s decision to call for the reclassification of cannabis — a move that increases the penalties for minor pot possession from a verbal warning to up to five years in jail — both politicians claimed that the potency of so-called British ‘skunk’ was skyrocketing out of control. Smith told the Commons that the strength of pot had increased “threefold” in recent years, while PM Brown told Reuters news wire, “[T]he cannabis on the streets is now of a lethal quality.”
Both implied that Parliament’s 2004 decision to downgrade pot possession to a verbal warning was responsible for the influx of supposed ‘triple-strength killer weed.’
Turns out Smith and Brown were full of it.
According to pot potency data collected by the UK’s Forensic Science Services and published by The Guardian newspaper, the average potency of THC in seized samples of British cannabis fell approximately 25 percent between 2004 and 2007.
Predictably, neither Smith nor Brown have issued any sort of public correction for their politically expedient, though thoroughly dishonest, remarks. Nor would one expect them to.
After all, for politicians, cops, and bureaucrats, lying about cannabis isn’t even considered lying — it’s simply viewed as part of the job. In fact, for the US Drug Czar, lying is actually mandated by law.
Of course, given the relative safety of adult cannabis use and given the utter failure of US criminal cannabis prohibition, it really can be no other way. Talking honestly about marijuana undermines federal drug policy so the only alternative for our elected officials is to lie — or say nothing at all. Troublingly, the leaders of both political parties have become adept at both.
I wonder if their decision was influenced by the Bush teams visit with the new P.M. Brown. If the UK, Canada, and other allies change their policies, it would be hard for us to justify keeping ours.
It seems like it wasn’t long after a similar visit with Mexico’s President that the current “war” there started.
Who knows, but it’s more lies that have people who know better scratching their heads about why it’s being done.
Thanks NORML !!
Dear Mr Brown and Ms Smith, if this so called “SKUNK” is so lethal where are all the dead people at? Marijuana has been used for centuries and never has contributed to one single death. Now I would believe you both if you said that booze kills people because it does, that is a Proven fact. You need to smoke a skunk joint and see if it kills you is what I feel.
You should read your Bible Mr Brown. Annointing oils used by Jesus contained 9 pounds of Gods buds and not one person died over it. In fact they was cured of many diseases. It also says, “Tho shalt NOT LIE” I would hate to be you and be judged when the day comes. You and Mrs Smith need to learn the true facts about a plant that God put here for Food and said it was good. I am sorry but I am going to have to call you both liers also. It seems neither of you have done any research and just made up what you want to say.
You probably do not even know that your body is made of cannabinoids do you? What a fool you are. Just show me all the graveyards where marijuana has killed anyone and then I might believe you but until then I have to say you are far behind on your knowledge of marijuana.
Just remember there will be a judgement day for both of you one day. I wouldnt want to be in either of your shoes that day. Get some respect for yourself and learn not to LIE. The truth shall set you free.
Isn’t it what we’ve always known? Now you just have to convince those that believe these people without question.
Ah yes, how amazing it is to see the once mighty state of Great Britain reduced to America’s pathetic mouthpiece regarding everything from the war in Iraq to our failed drug policy.
First off the fact that there are stronger strains of pot being grown is no big thing. Smoking some hydroponic “one hitter quitter” instead of low-grade Mexican stress weed is no different than taking a shot of Jack Daniels instead of drinking a can of Bud Light.
To hear PM Brown talk about it this new super-weed is so dangerous that a person would wind up just like Art Linkletter’s daughter who took acid and jumped out a window.
This Brits do seem to have their own strategic variation on U.S. anti-pot propaganda which stresses the terrible “schizophrenic” effect it has on people.
And while I guess potheads are a little paranoid, we have to admit to that but what is it we’re paranoid about? It wouldn’t be about getting arrested or losing or jobs, would it? Does that make me a paranoid schizophrenic?
Sounds like the same type of scare tactics that have always worked for anti-drug zealots going back to the “Reefer Madness” days.
To me the outrageous lengths to which our politicians and law enforcement go to keep marijuana illegal is the difference between real freedom and the illusion of freedom.
Too bad governments in the U.K., U.S. Canada, etc. can’t rely on real science which has long recommended to legalize weed and get their mits on the regulation side of things since they’re so concerned about the potency of our weed.
Instead, anti-drug policy makers rely on the old addage of telling huge lies often enough to make them become the truth and their number one tool for doing so are of course the various forms of mass media including the Internet.
Lying about pot is an institutionalized mandate that has woven itself into every fabric of American and apparently British society, and I am just grateful for an organization like NORML for providing a forum where we can find some recluse from the shit-storm of lies and deceit churned out by the taxpayer-funded mass media machine which since the 60’s has grown much more sophisticated and potent to the rights of the ordinary citizen than any new strand of “killer weed.”
“To me the outrageous lengths to which our politicians and law enforcement go to keep marijuana illegal is the difference between real freedom and the illusion of freedom.”
Amen, Mikmo6.
Brown may be right to say the “pot” is lethal, but wrong to say the greater strength of skunk weed is the problem.
If you check the UKCIA (Cannabis Internet Activists) website, you can see numerous comments about a current worsening of the problem of cantamination in the cannabis supply. Dealers in pursuit of profit are adding toxic stuff like glass dust and lead (to increase weight). In Britain and parts of Europe there is a large population of “mixusers” who combine cannabis and tobacco in the same “joint” (that’s what they think the word means) or “spliff”. The UKCIA has a section entitled Toke Pure which campaigns against this terrible practice, a danger to everybody because the victims, with tobacco present, can’t tell if there is crap in their weed, and this emboldens treacherous dealers to poison the herb for everybody (especially those without the courage to say NO when it may be a while before they can find some other herb.
It absolutely amazes me that our officials are ok with alcohol and tobacco yet a much safer drug like Marijuana is deemed evil. Have any of these Goverment Officials simply thought about what the effects of both are? You have to be a complete idiot to think alcohol is a safer choice. Everyone make sure you Vote for Obama because if McCain makes office we all just took two steps backwards! And 4 years from now vote for RON PAUL!!! We all need to stand up to the bullshit!
The question I see when they say cannabis is so dangerous and potent, is where are all the sick, dying and dead people from cannabis? The last time I was at a hospital, you could see the cigarette smokers, drinkers and overeaters on the brink of death. Not a single marijuana addict?! What about the morgues full of cannabis overdoses?! Not a single one. I would ask the politicians of dangerous cannabis, okay if it’s dangerously overpotent, then where all the sick and dying from marijuana? Surely you could point to a group of people suffering from cannabis use and say, see there! Otherwise, it is an obvious lie. Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness ~ GOD
…Put out a ”big” lie to the public and keep it active long enough people will start to believe it’s the truth!!…..works practically every time!!
And Jacqui Smith smoked pot herself, see http://www.veryimportantpotheads.com/blog2007.html#jacquismith
I’m sorry Brits, but I read the article in which your PM claims that skunk weed is now of lethal quality, and I hate to say this, but you people have a complete retard as your head of state. A complete, bumbling, incompetent dunce. And I mean no disrespect to anyone who may be mentally challenged by comparing this guy to you.No one deserved to be called retarded half so much as this blundering fool of a half-wit.
The only reason this worthless British Government will not abate on the classification/re-classification of cannabis is purely because they know they can’t control it, therefore they cannot tax it.
Just look at how much tax is put on a packet of fags, or a bottle of alcohol:- so as long as they keep putting as much tax on fags and booze as they like, fags and booze will not be frowned upon by the politicians irregardless of whether or not they are more dangerous than ganga, because of the vast revenue they get from them.