As 50% of Americans now support marijuana legalization, the prohibitionists are coming out in full force with hysterical propaganda to once again terrorize voters about cannabis. We intended to scour multiple sources to compile the five most common scare tactics they use, but Joseph Summerill, director of the Summerill Group LLC, a Washington, D.C.- based law enforcement think tank and general counsel for the Major County Sheriffs’ Association, made our job easy by using all five in one op-ed piece published today in the Washington Examiner entitled, “Facts on medical marijuana are stubborn things, too“.
Lie #1) Marijuana’s not really medical. The government says so!
[M]arijuana is a Schedule I drug… a high potential for abuse or dependency… no accepted medical value… unsafe to use, even under medical supervision. [M]arijuana has not passed the rigid scrutiny of medicine proposed by the FDA.
The Truth
- National Institutes of Drug Abuse (NIDA) puts the lifetime dependence rate on cannabis at 9%, same as caffeine. Alcohol has a 15% rate of abuse and Tobacco’s is 32%.
- One third of federal jurisdictions (16 states and DC) accept the medical value of cannabis.
- The federal government is supplying four Americans with this “unsafe” medicine with no medical supervision.
- Cannabis has been used medically for 5,000 years without a single human death – a far greater safety standard than an FDA that approved phen-fen and Vioxx.
Lie #2) Doctors and scientists don’t approve of smoked medicine; they do approve of Marinol.
Institute of Medicine and the American Medical Association acknowledged the lack of data to support the use of smoked marijuana for medicinal purposes.
What is scientifically approved by the FDA and accepted by the medical community is a medicine called Marinol, a legal, widely prescribed drug currently in pill form containing synthetic THC, a main constituent in marijuana.
The Truth
- The American Medical Association said, “smoked cannabis reduces neuropathic pain, improves appetite and caloric intake especially in patients with reduced muscle mass, and may relieve spasticity and pain in patients with multiple sclerosis.”
- Marinol is 100% synthetic THC (the psychoactive component) suspended in a sesame oil capsule. Cannabis flowers are around 5%-30% natural THC combined with CBD (a component that moderates psychoactivity) and other beneficial compounds.
- Inhaling cannabis is a superior delivery mechanism for it allows the patient to self-titrate (adjust dose) and get immediate relief. It’s especially helpful to inhale cannabis rather than swallow a Marinol pill when one is vomiting. We recognize many inhaled medications (think: steroid inhalers for asthma patients) and when vaporized, any harms from smoking cannabis are eliminated.
Lie #3) Marijuana smoke is much worse than cigarette smoke!
[S]moked marijuana contains more than 400 chemicals, many of which are identical to the most harmful chemicals and carcinogens found in cigarette smoke. The fact is that a marijuana cigarette contains four times as much tar as a tobacco cigarette.
The Truth
- My pencil contains five components, two of which are identical to the graphite found in golf clubs and the wood found in golf tees. This does not make my pencil a golf club or a tee. Water contains hydrogen and oxygen. This does not make water flammable or breathable. Many recipes call for the same ingredients; it’s how you put them together that matters. Joints aren’t cigarettes, they’re far safer than that.
- Dr. Donald Tashkin went looking for that “marijuana causes cancer” connection and found quite the opposite, that cannabis smokers had lower incidence of head, neck, and lung cancer. We even have compelling evidence that cannabinoids may be instrumental in unlocking the cure for cancer.
- Very few tokers smoke 20 to 40 joints a day, but even if they did, where are these marijuana smokers with the tar-ravaged lungs filling up our hospitals? Again, we have zero recorded deaths from cannabis smoking and over 400,000 annual deaths from tobacco use. Joints aren’t cigarettes.
Lie #4) Marijuana is the gateway drug to cocaine, meth, and heroin!
[L]egalizing marijuana leads to the use of more dangerous and harmful drugs, such as cocaine and methamphetamine…. [T]eens who smoke marijuana were found to be 85 times more likely to use cocaine than those teens who do not smoke marijuana.
The Truth
- Teens who ride bicycles were found to be 85 times more likely to join an outlaw biker gang than teens who don’t ride bicycles*. So we should outlaw bicycles? Sure, most cocaine users may have started first with pot, but they also probably started with alcohol before that and milk before that.
- That same Institute of Medicine report Mr. Summerill referenced in Lie #2 said, “There is no conclusive evidence that the drug effects of marijuana are causally linked to the subsequent abuse of other illicit drugs.”
- According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, over 100 million American adults have tried cannabis. There are currently about 1.5 million monthly cocaine users, 430 thousand monthly meth users, and 192 thousand monthly heroin users. So for every 46 people who’ve ever tried pot, only one went on to become a monthly hard drug user. A gateway that only affects 2.1% of the people isn’t much of a gateway.
* OK, that one we just made up.
Lie #5) Marijuana legalization leads to carnage on the highways!
[M]arijuana use, including its use for medicinal purposes, is directly related to motor vehicle accidents and reckless driving, as cannabis affects psychomotor functioning.
In a study of fatally injured drivers in Washington state, a state with legalized medical marijuana, about one every eight tested positive for marijuana.
The Truth
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has said of marijuana testing of drivers, “It is inadvisable to try and predict effects based on blood THC concentrations alone, and currently impossible to predict specific effects based on THC-COOH concentrations” because “[d]etection time is well past the window of intoxication and impairment.” Finding pot in some drivers’ systems following a crash just tells you some people smoke pot.
- From 2008-2009, fatal crashes in the states that had medical marijuana declined overall 9.34%. Only one medical marijuana state, Rhode Island, had an increase greater than 3%, which resulted in 18 more deaths. Four other states had 1%-3% increases, leading to 9 additional deaths. Of the remaining eight states that saw declines, half saw double-digit declines, including the laxest medical marijuana state, California, which had 353 fewer traffic fatalities.
- Legalizing marijuana does not legalize DUI. People who smoke pot and drive now are busted in all fifty states and legalization doesn’t change that.
When it comes to medical information and the safety record of cannabis, we’ll trust real doctors and 5,000 years of historical use. Not the ramblings of a law enforcement think tank director desperately trying to save asset forfeiture proceeds, federal grant money, and overtime hours for state and local cops and job security for prison guards.
Mary jo anna was well here before any of us was thank god otherwise id still be in so much pain every dam dijking day if it was not for the mary jo anna 🙂
Great list!
GJ NORML!
Dear NORML Staff, Thanks for bringing these facts to light,clarifications,Statistics…I’ll Pass Them Along As Far as I Can !!! Thanks A Lot…
Hopefully the activists in the upcoming elections will refute all these dumb points that law enforcement used that pushed a few away from voting on Prop 19.
Awesome post hope this helps marijuana activists everywhere
Paul and others,
I know i posted this before but for those who missed it –
DEA to legalize marijuana chemical for Big Pharma but keep it a crime for everyone else
Have no illusions about the true nature of the so-called “War on Drugs” and the actions of the DEA. The War on Drugs has always been about protecting the profits of the drug companies which have a long and well-documented history of copying street drugs, repackaging them as “medications” and selling them to children as FDA-approved drugs (see below).
Today, yet another example emerges as the DEA moves to legalize THC in Big Pharma’s pills while simultaneously making it illegal for anyone else to grow, sell or possess THC. The DEA, you see, is working to change the classification of THC from a schedule I substance (like street heroin) to a schedule III drug (pharmaceuticals). So if Big Pharma grows its own marijuana plants, extracts the THC and puts it into a “pot pill,” those pills will be perfectly legal. They’re already FDA approved, actually, when made with the synthetic version of THC.
But if a guy grows the very same chemical in his backyard, then extracts THC from those plants — even for his own personal use — suddenly he’s guilty of committing a federal crime and will likely be subjected to an armed raid by DEA agents.
The DEA answers to its pharma slave masters
Why would the DEA decide to legalize THC only for pharmaceutical companies? Well, because Big Pharma requested it, of course! As the DEA says on the subject:
“The DEA has received four petitions from companies that have products that are currently the subject of ANDAs (abbreviated new drug applications) under review by the FDA. …While the petitioners cite that their generic products are bioequivalent to Marinol, their products do not meet schedule III current definition provided above. Therefore, these firms have requested that 21 CFR 1308.13(g)(1) be expanded to include naturally derived or synthetically produced dronabinol.”
You can read it all at the DEA’s own website: http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/f…
The DEA goes on to say:
“This proposed action expands the schedule III listing to include formulations having naturally-derived dronabinol and products encapsulated in hard gelatin capsules. This would have the effect of transferring the FDA-approved versions of such generic Marinol[supreg] products from schedule I to schedule III.”
Just so you can make total sense of this, the DEA’s loopy logic is that since Marinol (an FDA-approved synthetic THC drug) is already recognized as a pharmaceutical, the DEA is saying that other generic drugs containing natural THC from marijuana plants can also be recognized as a pharmaceutical. What they fail to recognize is that even the synthetic THC is, of course, based on natural THC grown in marijuana plants!
It’s classic Big Government pseudoscientific quackery: Only “synthetic” chemicals are considered authoritative, even when those synthetics were stolen from nature in the first place.
Your doctor is your new dealer
So now, thanks to the DEA and its twisted position on THC, your doctor is now your dealer and Big Pharma steps in to take over the manufacturing and distribution of drugs that have traditionally been handled by street criminals and Mexican drug gangs. That’s what this was always about of course: Big Pharma taking over the drug trade, using its own private gang of armed enforcers known as DEA agents.
It’s a lot like Mexico, in fact: Armed enforcers, drug profits, turf wars… except in the U.S., it’s all “legal” under the monopolistic protection of the FDA — an agency that has always sought to protect Big Pharma’s market monopolies.
What’s astonishing about all this is the DEA’s insanity in saying that the very same chemical can be legal for corporations to sell you but illegal for you to grow yourself using a natural plant. THC is THC, after all, and if this chemical is so “incredibly dangerous” that the DEA must throw people in prison for daring to grow it, possess it or sell it, why is it suddenly okay for corporations to do the exact same thing?
You already know the answer: The DEA’s position on marijuana and hemp has always been based on the king of warped logic you only get if you’re smoking crack.
The DEA becomes armed enforcement branch of Big Pharma
The real job of the DEA, you see, is not to protect people from dangerous drugs, but rather to protect the profits of Big Pharma by shooting, arresting or otherwise destroying anything that competes with Big Pharma. Namely, street dealers of marijuana.
It’s not the first time the DEA has done this, of course. Drugs that used to be sold on the street as “speed” are now FDA-approved pharmaceutical medications for ADHD — and they’re being prescribed to children by the tens of millions!
Every successful drug operation needs henchmen who run around with guns eliminating the competition. In a drug gang, that used to be the job of “Frankie” back in the Sicilian mob days. But today, with Big Pharma, it’s the job of the DEA.
Hilariously, this announcement by the DEA was posted by their “Office of Diversion Control” (http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/f…). For once, they’re honest: It is a diversion! A diversion to prevent people from realizing the truth about the DEA, the War on Drugs and the pharmaceutical industry.
Because the DEA, of course, is the armed enforcement division of Big Pharma. It works hand in hand with the FDA, of course: The FDA legalizes Big Pharma drug dealing, and the DEA targets the competition for elimination. It’s a bang-up job, a real one-two punch to protect the world’s largest drug dealers of all… the drug companies themselves.
I wonder how long it will take before a few DEA agents will wake up and realize they are the armed mercs working for their corporate slave masters known as the pharmaceutical companies?
The real criminals, you see, are not the joint-smoking hippies getting high in their basements but rather the Big Pharma CEOs whose entire careers are dedicated to addicting people to their patented, FDA-approved pharmaceuticals… even when they’re the exact same chemicals the DEA claims are “illegal drugs” on the street.
[Paul Armentano responds: I first wrote about these developments back in February: http://www.alternet.org/drugs/150009.%5D
nice run down… it’s all there.
Either cannabis prohibitionist can’t handle the truth or they have known it all along.
In the world of cannabis prohibition, every citizen of the United States are on lifetime probation and must take a drug test for any possible detection of THC so that citizens can risk failure and be forever damn and loose everything while the federal government who abide by the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, can take their property and pilfer anything of value.
Those who failed will remained an outcast or slaves in a prison complex until their debt is fully paid.
This will only work by continuing making marijuana a Schedule One Controlled Substance during the final devastating crusade by the DEA head administrator Michele Leonhart and congressman Lamar Smith.
This would not work on any other substances because of the unpopularity and the difficulty to detect.
Pharmaceutical companies, alcohol beverages, prison development complex, parental socialism, and tobacco companies are added to the cause to make cannabis illegal by sponsoring and buying political candidates and the media.
And you ask why the feds like to keep cannabis illegal?
The cannabis prohibition days are numbered because they are running out of money, and citizens had enough of this anti-cannabis foolishness.
Save the United States and end the cannabis prohibition!
VOTE!
I think the arguments against Lie #3 and #4 could use reworking. Smoking it seems to be simply the most convenient way, and how many of those chemicals come from the processing of the paper wrapped around it? I think most doctors would prefer to prescribe a vaporization regimen to their patients, but I can only guess this is so because it would eliminate combusted materials from getting in the lungs.
Also, I think the illicitness of marijuana is the only real contributing factor to Lie #4. How many people that drank in high school when it was “cool” do so now with as much regularity? I do think that alcohol and tobacco are far more likely culprits for a “gateway drug”, especially if that’s the big argument so many law enforcement agencies use against marijuana. I’m sorry, calling marijuana the root cause of the gateway drug theory just doesn’t hold water when there are so many legally accessible drugs out there. Oh, and don’t forget caffeine. We surely don’t pump our kids full of that (especially around Halloween), or fill their favorite sodas with it, do we? Hm.
How does the DEA, FDA, NIDA, and among others, ONDCP get away with keeping CBD (cannabidiol), the non-psychoactive, non-toxic cannabinoid found in cannabis, illegal?
Is it because it’s as effective as patented anti-psychotic medicines? How about that it counteracts the effects of THC? Or is it because there’s strong evidence it reduces the growth of aggressive breast cancer and other cancer cells? What about the fact that no human being has ever encountered an overdose death because of CBD? Or is it because they’re greedy scumbags that don’t care if dying patients, including their own family, have to suffer for absolutely no reason.
Whatever the reason, they better get their shit straight or we’re just going to have to recreate the Civil War towards the American government. Oh god, conspiracy! Lock me up! The truth must not be let out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It should be noted that if marijuana does become decriminalized, all adult men and women, should have the opportunity to grow and sell. If we allow the government to control it, they will hand it off to the highest bidder. And I don’t mean high on the dank. Big corporations will hold all of the financial interests in the industry and we will all still be poor. Everyone should be allowed to grow and sell, that will actually boost our economy. License growers for a low yearly fee, tax on dried weight, sell to any adult over the age of 18. If they can serve our country and die from tobacco, they should be able to get high too! Let’s “OVERGROW THE GOVERNMENT”!!
Do you have the link for the stat “(NIDA) puts the lifetime dependence rate on cannabis at 9%, same as caffeine.”I clicked on the link provided and couldn’t find that statistic.Thank you
[Paul Armentano responds: See here: http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/marijuana.html.%5D
I love it when the bicycle/motorcycle argument is used. It completely disproves the logic of gateway with little more than Aristotle’s most basic logic.
The song “Baby Don’t You Cry (The Pie Song) Lets make a pie…” by Adrienne Shelly sung by Quincy Coleman reminds me of how messed up the system can be, as there’s no reason to cry over Marijuana, but there is a reason to cry over the Government lying to us!
Not a gateway drug. More of an EXIT drug. Get off the dangerous drugs by using MJ.
[Paul Armentano responds: Indeed. I’ve previously written about the notion of cannabis as an exit drug here: http://blog.norml.org/2010/04/23/closing-the-gateway-to-drug-abuse-with-cannabis/.%5D
Read “Marijuana Gateway to Health” to learn more about how the government generates pseudoscience data to promote aggressive prohibition. Recently headlines screamed that “Marijuana Use Harms Teen Brains More Than Originally Thought” but the study didn’t look at human teens nor did it look at marijuana, the morally questionable researchers injected adolescent rats with high doses of a synthetic cannabinoid that is far more powerful than THC and acts in different ways in the body.
Jesus said to do unto others as we would have them to do unto us. None of us would want our child thrown in jail with the sexual predators over marijuana. None of us would want to see an older family member’s home confiscated and sold by the police for growing a couple of marijuana plants for their aches and pains. It’s time to stop putting our own family members in jail over marijuana.
If ordinary Americans could grow a little marijuana in their own back yards, it would be about as valuable as home-grown tomatoes. Let’s put the criminals out of business and get them out of our neighborhoods. Let’s let ordinary Americans grow a little marijuana in their own back yards.
You can email your Congressperson and Senators at http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml to discuss HR 2306, the bill that would repeal Federal prohibition.
And a big THANK YOU to the courageous, freedom loving legislators, governors, and countless others who are working so hard to bring this through! You’re doing a great patriotic service for all of America!
There are always two sides to every coin and NORML does a great job presenting both.
Law enforcement and Drug policies depend on lies and misinformation to jusify their criminal, greey acts
The gateway drug thought is soo stupid. We are not asking to legalize cocaine, we are asking to legalize a harmless plant that is produced by mother nature, not some crack head in the projects or some meth addict in a trailor. This is a harmless medicine and we need to stop being so damn ignorant and accept the fact. MARJIUANA IS NOT HARMFULL AND WILL SAVE THIS COUNTRY
I am from Oklahoma they will fight this tooth and toenail. They have so many new vehicles and equipment. They have grants to pay officers on days off just to write seat belt tickets so this will be a battle. Some one should audit the law enforcement vehicles for Marshall co ok. Smallest county, law enforcement the size i of Sherman tx. They arent going to want to turn loose of any of their toys and our crime rate us very petty. They pull dome old toothless druggies out of a house every four years for election purposes and that’s it. But thats not the way on Dianaland. 😉
The american dollar has on it ‘in god we trust’, the bible has cannabis quoted as the ‘holy herb’ Psalm 104:14, and considering ‘God created everything’, its hardly trusting god if you illegalize something he made
you forgot that the Us Gov’t holds the patent to medical marijuana as well.
Google “Patent 6630507”
Ron Paul 2012 elections. I endorse him for more then just his relistic thinking for todays society.
i support legalization, however the following point is pretty anecdotal:
“My pencil contains five components, two of which are identical to the graphite found in golf clubs and the wood found in golf tees. This does not make my pencil a golf club or a tee. Water contains hydrogen and oxygen. This does not make water flammable or breathable. Many recipes call for the same ingredients; it’s how you put them together that matters. Joints aren’t cigarettes, they’re far safer than that.”
Anecdotes and broad statements, however logical or correct, are not the best way to win to arguments. Especially this argument.
[Russ responds: Fair enough. The idea of the pencil and water similes is to poke holes in the notion that just because cannabis smoke contains chemicals known to be carcinogenic, it doesn’t follow that cannabis causes cancer. Just as water contains an element known to be explosive (hydrogen) and an element known to be breathable (oxygen) but water is neither explosive nor breathable.]
My friends were the gateway to other drugs not marijuana.
I’m digging the new norml index page.
Myth: Pot is a gateway drug.
This is based on the premise that users will constantly need to seek bigger and better highs, ultimately looking for something harder. While there may be a culture surrounding marijuana that is more friendly to other drugs simply because it is illegal, this premise is completely false. Users actually become more sensitive to marijuana with increased use, not more tolerant. Also, the incidence of “unpleasant side” effects is increasingly less with increased use. The whole argument falls apart because it rests on something that has been proven to not be true- but don’t ask the FDA, they don’t recognize any study on marijuana unless it suits their purpose.
Lying Liars and the lies they tell/told.AL Frankens book title..it is fitting here since USA has been outright lying about cannabis since 1937…even when called on these lies they have some clever yarns spun off and such.It is sad when you cannot trust your own government not to lie.How many kids went and did harder drugs because they found out that the US has been lying about pot? Kid says “Gee maybe they are lying about this too” and does his first line of cocaine and dies on the spot or becomes hooked which is almost like death.Cannabis is the Tree of Life and the sooner it is recognized as such ,the sooner we can start helping the masses.Peace and One Love BigDaddy Cool-cooler than a mentholated snowball
Surprise,the government lies to suit its needs. politicians and all their greeds.maybe if they got high they wouldn’t constantly focus on misdeeds.
The biggest “gateway” drug is alcohol. I
The biggest “gateway” drug is alcohol. If anyone doesn’t believe me walk into your local bar at 1AM and take a seat by the bathroom. Those people aren’t urinating they are extending their nights with a few “toots” which also allows you to drink as much as you like without falling down and passing out in your own puke.
[Russ responds: As someone who played music in bars for fifteen years, I will confirm this. A bar restroom toilet tank lid is one the most likely places to find cocaine / meth residue… trust me.]
Look if one could smoke pot when ever they wanted to their would be less tobacco smoked, less booze drank.and no need for harder drugs. just free it for 10 years and you will see the diffrence…
Perhaps it’s time to take this fight in a different direction. If the companies, agencies, and people that are fighting to keep cannabis and related products illegal are getting there way by bargaining with politicians, then maybe it’s time the legalisation movement starts bargaining as well. If we can offer more than the special interest groups…
Money talks, BS walks as the saying goes.
We cannot count on those with the power to decide to “make the right choice” or “do the right thing”. There are more damaging issues out there where they don’t do that, and legalisation isn’t any different. We may end up having to “buy” our right to use cannabis. It certainly won’t be the first time that we have had to “pay” for our rights. The prohibition is wrong, and for that, it should be legalised, but since so much money is at stake, there has to be something sacrificed in return.
I’m not suggesting that we discontinue trying to convice our elected officals to make the right choice, but we may have to sweeten the deal to see it through. That’s how things unfortunately seem to go in Washington. We have to prove to them that it will be worth their while. Threatening them is only effective if it can be backed up. Coercing them with what they want may make it too tempting to ignore any longer.
Certainly something to consider.
Excellent source 😉 Thanks everyone for all your input and strenght. I am thrilled to be connected to people that are not blinded by or scared of the Government. I think these actors need to be brought in front of a judge to explain in person how they actually reason. It will all come out in the wash 😉
burzynski the movie while having nothing to do with marijuana shows just how corrupt the FDA truly is.Very,Very interesting and sickening!
And everyone in the government should also be drug tested, for all drugs. Let them come clean voluntarily. Let’s see what actually is flowing thru their bodies and how intoxicated these law makers and representatives really are, legal or otherwise. That will make the laws change quickly. Their kids and their grandkids also need to be tested for ALL drugs. Then the legalization will come immediately 😉
Baby asprin is a gateway drug.Corporations are people to right:)
Kind Folk,
@Kringle cannot publish this #LegalizeCannabis piece if your Twitter “share” button gives me a 404.
Yours in the Spirit of Gifting…
Paul the link you supplied also says “Error! The file you requested was not available.”:(I was just curious to see this stat.For personal reference.
Minimum Wage Is A Gateway Drug
#6, WOW! You hit the proverbial nail right on its ugly head regarding the legal aspects of medical marijuana. NOW, if we could only uncover their names, and find out the legal HOME QUARTERS of these manipulators orchestrating the insanity of putting sick Veterans, and Citizens stuck in wheelchairs behind our Prison Walls, otherwise this injustice, and immoral WAR ON UNITED STATES CITIZENS will continue fueled by the invisible power of greed, and money.
my physican, who i trust with my life , has explained that as a believer in the hipocratic oath, has not found anything that may spoil a happy, healthy human being that consumes cannabis . yet he fears to support cannabis legalization because he could lose his heartfelt position in helping his fellow mans physical needs.he isnt the governments doctor,he has had patients who, have consumed cannabis, 4, 5 and 6 days of the week for many years and,have remained in good physical condition. those are people just like you and i.corporate greed is all our government represents wher this issue is concerned.lets here how many happy, sucessful, content families function while using a reasonable amount of cannabis each week. i found that i could consume two or three belts from the bowl damn near every nite of the week….for thirty two years of an on…..stopped inbetween as i felt i should in the position i was in (family responsibility) without a problem…yea, i tried other drugs but, soon i relized that the other stuff could lead to disaster.i felt it myself so, i responsibly, stopped. i love the taste of alcohol. it has destroyed generations of my family , cannabis has kept me from being….probably dead or, on at least, destroyed my own family by now.
i am now tested by my employer of 32 years and cannot do what i feel is right in the privacy of my own home and, it…pisses…me..off….for many years , i have been a forunate man. now, im one cranky bastard because of the law….you folks that can enjoy cannabis and work each week and dont take part in changing this selfish law, its all good now till they make you test…then, you will get off yer asses and be heard…
an, by the way…i hate cigs…never had a taste for them….no hook here!
Interesting…..if it was legel it could create new jobs, eh?
Tu., 10/25/11
Federal marihuana prohibition (1937) followed almost on the heels of Prohibition abolition (the 21st Amendment, ratified in December,1933). Most of the first federal narcs were former Prohibition agents. Go to YouTube.com and see and hear Harry J. Anslinger spout his evil lies. The anti-grass laws (as well as anti-narcotic laws in general) are historically rooted in White racism and outright hysteria. It was only in the mid-1906’s, amid the antiwar and hippy culture, when White middle class kids, the sons of teachers, bankers, doctors, lawyers and (yes) cops were facing draconian minimum prison terms that some (but sadly not all) State legislatures greatly reduced the possible punishments. “Reefer Madness” is based heavily on warped politics and outright hysteria– and not on objective pharmacology. Let’s not let law enforcement continue to dictate public health policies. Sargeant Joe Friday, butt out!
this is a very good article, good job guys
As mentioned earlier, but cannot be repeated enough:
When the US Patent Office issued Patent #6,630,507 in 2003, to an agency of the US Federal Government (NIH), the DEA should have immediately moved Cannabis from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3. I have not heard the argument relating to how shrinking cancer tumors is NOT a medicinal property of Marijuana, as stated in the patent.
The truth is an apparition to the ghosts of American justice.
Raymond DiPasquale
Do not wait until this is being bandied about during the elections. Make sure you email this article to everyone well ahead of the elections so they can forward to others and so they will not buy the prohibitionist’s arguments when they are spewed forth. Better to forewarn than have to try to stop the damage.
BTW…how many states are looking like they will be voting on legalization in 2012?
If we are the UNITED STATES of AMERICA then why is marijuana not for the states to decide? Or are we THE UNITED GOVERNMENT of AMERICA? They all will have to answer for their crimes in this govt. WE the PEOPLE are going to self defense against police violence toward protesters. If they don’t like where the people stand . TOO BAD! The only way we’re going is to go away is when things go as THERE SUPPOSE TO BE FOR ALL AMERICA!
I am starting to believe that those who become addicted are actually the people who need it medicinally, or those who grow up thinking of weed as they do cigarettes and alcohol. Many parents in minority communities do not hide it from their children because they understand that they will discover it anyway. Just a cultural observation. I believe drug awareness programs like D.A.R.E. Have an inverse effect on children, making the programs very good advertisement campaigns for drugs. If you don’t tell the kids what is or is not bad, they wouldn’t actively try to find out what’s bad about it.
Minnesota U.S. Senate DFL Candidate running in next August’s DFL Senate Primary Elction in Minnesota supports the creation of a Federal Medical Marijuana Program
Jack “Doc” Shepard asks you to vote for him in the August 14, Minnesota DFL Primary for the U.S. Senate to remove Ex- Hennepin County Prosecutor Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who in 9 years has doubled the Minnesota Prison population with non-violent drug users when she was head prosecutor.
Jack “Doc” Shepard as only one of a handful of openly Pro-Medical Marijuana Candidates for the U.S. Senate in America needs your support to eliminate a head Prosecuting Attorney who fought hard against the State of Minnesota from get a Medical Marijuana Law.
If you have any friends in the State of Minnesota please alert them next August 14, 2012 to vote for Jack “Doc” Shepard to draw attention for the legalization of Medical Marijuana Nationally, and to punish Prosecuting Attorney Amy Klobuchar for her drive to put first time non-violent drug offenders in Prison rather then treatment or re-entry programs which Dr. Shepard supports.
So spread the word to all you friends in Minnesota kick ex-Prosecuting Attorney out of the U.S. Senate and try to get Jack “Doc” Shepard a Pro-Medical Marijuana candidate in the next U.S. Senate who will start pressuring the FDA and the National Government as Senator Shepard to complete rethink its Federal Law against the legal use of Medical Marijuana.
To say marijuana does not have any medical benefits is 100% false according to Dr. Shepard a strong Pro-Medical Marijuana Candidate running for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota’s next Aug. 14, 2012 DFL U.S. Senate Primary.
So if you support Medical Marijuana get out the vote in Minnesota next Augusts’ DFL Senate Primary Election and a even $5 donation will help him get out the news about Medical Marijuana has medicinal uses that are so urgently needed by many very ill American for many different reason everything from stopping the advancement of Glaucoma to stimulating appetite for those under going painful chemotherapy. To list all the medicinal benefits of Marijuana would take pages.
Dr. Jack Shepard is a person who can empower our citizens, and restore the foundations of our nation’s strength. And work at the Federal Level for a complete re-think of the Federal Ban on Medical Marijuana.
Email him with you ideas and advice at contact@jackshepardforsenate.com to donate go to his contribution web secure web page on http://www.jackshepardforsenate.com
Spread the word Shepard for Senate in Minnesota because we need someone in the Senate to work for a complete re-think of the Federal Ban on Medical Marijuana- so support Jack “Doc” Shepard U.S. DFL Senate candidate in his Minnesota Senate Primary next August 14, 2012.
Thank you and please put me into a position to help others by working to pass a Federal National Medical Marijuana program- Dr. Jack Shepard
It’s funny considering the patent held by the US government’s department of health and human services
http://www.google.com/patents?id=0pcNAAAAEBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=6630507&hl=en&ei=LtypTvY4zMKxAs-Q4NoP&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA
Isn’t it true that making pot legal would help prevent the access to other, more dangerous drugs?
The smart shopper would never go to a street dealer again if pot was legal.
I think there might be a chance that especially young people would not be tempted to try using other stuff if they wouldn’t have to see a drug dealer to get their pot.
But why exactly is it still illegal?
If it was because of how toxic and dangerous pot is, then alcohol and tobacco would be illegal as well.
Is it because it has such a versatile use as treatment for diseases, but pharma wants to sell their pills instead of losing thousands and millions of dollars because we would grow our medicine for ourselves?
I have had huge problems with my mental health and believe it or not, pot helps to keep all these disorders locked away.
I suffer(ed) from various mental disorders (like ADHD, or depression and more.)
I don’t want to take 5 pills just to feel better in one way, but different and worse in another way.
All these pills have serious side effects and there are more pills coming out all the time.
I’ve seen all those “recall ads” made by law firms, where they tell how people who have used new medicines got really messed up for life or have died. It is frightening.
I have this theory, that pharma and doctors rather want to keep their “patients”, as their regular customers.
“Let’s keep ’em medicated and keep ’em sick, let’s not heal ’em. We need more customers.” (Otherwise pot might be legal. But it might just be another stupid theory.)
The stupidity of “decriminalization” is that growing marijuana and selling it are still felonies. It is literally going to be used so law enforcement can focus on making sure there isn’t any marijuana for you to purchase. It doesn’t really help our cause at all.
The Gov. Knows that pot is good for you It cancels out the dumbing down drugs they put in the water.HA HA??They will loose because we will never stop trying to be free.Amen.
My husband is a disabled Vietnam Veteran who has been taking Marinol since 2003. Insurance recently stopped paying for his medicine and it costs more than he receives in disability benefits. He had a few plants in the back yard, police helicopters spotted them and he was taken to jail. I was able to get a bondsman, but it took all our savings to get him out. He now faces 11 years in jail if convicted. He is not a criminal, just a sick old man who served his country. We are in Florida, and found an organization called “People United for Medical Marijuana” (PUFMM) who are trying to get an ammendment to Florida’s ballot in 2012, but they need thousands more petitions signed. Please, if you are registered to vote in FL, look up pufmm.org, print and sign and mail the petition. They are needed by February 2012. thank you
It is not just Big Pharm thats the problem.
A big part of marijuana becoming illegal was Rockefeller. Turns out Hemp seeds make really cheap gas to.And of course, don’t forget our friend bigotry.
For those that want/need to speek from the truth please read “The Pot Book” NOW.
Also, Please consider that the – uninformed, life destorying policy enforcers – are not going to give up their jobs for you or your rights. No matter how you feel about these jackals, they have bills to.
We need to leave it the people of each state, to decide how they want it done in Their state.
If you don’t want it in your state, okay. Just leave my state alone.
We need to focus on our own states. If we can get our own states going, maybe we can push the feds right out of the picture.
As Pres.Obama recently said “The Federal Goverment has Preeminent Authority”
If we can remove the “what”. There will be nothing to be authority of.
Never Forget… May4.org
“According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, over 100 million American adults have tried cannabis. There are currently about 1.5 million monthly cocaine users, 430 thousand monthly meth users, and 192 thousand monthly heroin users. So for every 46 people who’ve ever tried pot, only one went on to become a monthly hard drug user. A gateway that only affects 2.1% of the people isn’t much of a gateway.
* OK, that one we just made up.”
…when saying “OK, that one we just made up”
do you mean that that^ is a lie?
I have two teenage son. My 16 year old smokes weed. I am so glad that’s his preference. I’ve smoked it amd when I was his age we were all getting drunk. weed is so much safer.
Great report Thanks.
Kaufman, Texas is ground zero on January 6, 2012, When Judy Rayford go to trial for marijuana the trooper found after he allowed me to leave and had held me for over 3 hours with cannine and other officers search my van.Based on the trooper’s blatant lie that I was driving on shoulder of road. First charge-warning for driving on shoulder and drug paraph. I asked to go to court and was told the charges would be upped if I did not pay the fine during pre-trial. Got that Ticket in Feb. In August the charge had been dropped and I was charged with possession of marijuana. I check the troopers history and this appears to be standard practice. NEED VISIBILITY FOR AN EXCELLENT CASE OF ABUSE
61 year DISABLE grand mother with no criminal or driving record and they offered me a year probation in Texas, knowing I live in Georgia
THIS CASE IS A GOLD MINE OF INJUSTICE AND VIOLATION OF DUE PROCESS
It is A shame how much the law gets away with and its not equal.Exampel (1) If you see a cop going down the road doing say 100 mph and he has no lights or siren on who is going 2 give him a ticket? If you are going down the road and the speed limit is say 55 and your doing 50 and a cop pull’s you over for speeding you get a ticket for speeding cause he/she said so.Now lets talk about so called drug’s for 1 I dont look at POT as A drug it’s A cure for alot of things like how about our national dept legalize it and it will help it only 1/3 of the drug’s taken for evedince is reported what happen’s 2 the rest of it? they use it why cant we it’s only weed.Man made beer GOD made weed TRUST IN GOD well that about raps that up.
Legalize Marijuana and see what happens?Cant hert any Like I said trust in GOD.
Just thoguht you guys should know that you have a broken link on the “job security for prison guards.”
I GOT HIT BY LIGHTING IN 96 IVE GOT SO MUCH BODY PAIN.IVE BEEN THROUGH LORTAB AND OTHER DRUGS. ID NEVER TRYED POT THE SMELL WAS NASTY UNTIL I HURT SO BAD I JUST COULDNT TAKE IT ANY MORE.I TOOK 4 HITS OFF A JOINT AND MAN IT EASED THE PAIN SO MUCH AND I GOT THE FIRST GOOD NIGHT SLEEP IN MANY YEARS.ITS TIME WE START HELPING PEOPLE THAT ARE SICK.AND STOP BEING STUIPED.IF IT WORKD AND IS SAFER WHATS TO THINK .NOW U NO HOW FOOLISH U LOOK UP IN OFFICE
I cannot believe that people are not taking into consideration the young generation of this country. I think your groups motives are selfish and only concerned with being able to smoke pot in public and get people out of jail. GET A REAL JOB
we are drug free law abbiding husband and wife but we got our child of 14 years taken away because we smoked marijuana. ONLY because Ive had traumatic head ,neck,and brain damage since 1994 and its the safest most effective medicine Ive ever used bar none. heeeelp!!! please!!
As someone who suffers from chronic pain doctors give you enough pain pillls you can’t function or you use a little marijuana. whats your coice?
Pot is a gateway drug. A gateway to get off harmful medications that are expensive and killing people nation wide. How many people are eating hand fulls of oxytocins, or pharmacist messing up doeses or prescription.
If we legalize marijuana, the government can get tax dollars on all of the marijuana being sold.
We seriously can focus on the bigger issues in America if they stop chasing our fellow stones.
Check http://www.silverbrarcafe.com. He has a history if marijuana, showing that the refer madness was all political. Hemp used to be the premier crop for paper, rope, and plastics, and pharmaceuticals.
It was killed off for financial reasons.
cps uses misdemenor pot charges to take children from their LOVING families.. then strip away parental rights and adopt out the children, thus earning the department $5,000 per child.. its sick… my daughters house (in a prodominantly black neighborhood in Fredericksburg, VA) was raided by 30+ cops(prodominantly white) bashing into the house, breaking doors, putting holes in the walls and then held my family & friends at MACHINE GUN POINT! my daughter & her husband were charged with “possession of marijuana without a perscription” (even though it was only a bong in their room, no marijuana) and “child abuse and neglect” they were convicted of “possession of paraphrenalia” and the abuse & neglect charges had to be dropped because there was no abuse or neglect. she did everything the court wanted (even without a vehicle to get around) now the courts are about to strip her of her parental rights and allow her in-laws to adopt the children and the cps or dss deptmnt will be awarded $5,000 per child for getting them out of the system so quikly… cps told lies, their lawyers told lies and the judge in the courtroom that they told those lies allowed the lies to stand even after they were proved to be lies by lawyer & doctor… i want to tell our story to the world but dont know where to start.. i asked my lawyer how i can get the transcripts of the lies told in court that day (aug. 6 2012) i wanted to publish the transcripts.. but i was told that the fredericksburg juvenile domestic court DOES NOT take transcripts!? Really? if anyone can or will investigate this matter i think it is important.. cps worker Kelly is married to f’burg police officer Young… he does dirty work for her.. this is true.. you may think im making it up, but what if im telling the truth..the in-laws wont let any of our family see or talk to the children.. we smoke pot, its illegal not immoral, whats immoral is these “good christians” keeping children from their mother and family they love.. its a very intense and unbelievable story .. but it is true.
my name is heidi husar, im the grandparent, my phone # is 540-272-5686.
im living in arizona now due to the naziesque ways of the commonwealth-bible belt.
interresting factoid: my daughter and her husband were held without bond for 4 days when this happened… when a lawer suggested a bond had to be set it was $3,000 each..
Fredericksburg city chief of police for 23 yrs (brent taylor)traded nude pics with a minor he met on daddyhunt.com and then used an undercover vehicle to go to fairfax county to pick up that minor.. he brought the minor to a hotel in fredericksburg and had gay sex with this minor.. when the minor locked himself out of the hotel room police questioned him and waited at the hotel.. i dont know if they were surprised to see their chief of police show up at the boys room .but he was arrested , allowed to bond out immediately for $500 LESS than my daughter, he was allowed to resign after taking administrative leave WITH PAY…
this was all in the free-lance star newspaper.. please research it .. and if you could offer any dirrection or advice i would appreciate it.. i know its too late for my family, but maybe if these monsters are outted other families can be saved..
i have no reason to lie, nothing to gain.. bad things are going on in VA.
Truthfully,
heidi husar
Ask a cop sometime how much harder marijuana use has made his job compared to alcohol use. If he’s honest he’ll tell you there’s no comparison and that alcohol is responsible for 100% of the stupid bullshit he has to put up with. Domestic violence, shootings, stabbings, assaults… he’ll tell you… “It’s all alcohol.”
Studies Show Marijuana Consumption Not Associated With Dangerous Driving, May Lead to Safer Drivers
Anyone who consumes cannabis on a regular basis knows that it doesn’t make you a dangerous driver. Many people find that it makes them a safer, more focused driver; one that’s more aware of their surroundings and the dangers associated with controlling tons of gasoline-filled metal. Not only has this been an anecdotal truth for as long as cars and cannabis have been paired, science has also been clear that consuming marijuana doesn’t make you a dangerous driver, and may make some people safer drivers. More research is needed, but it’s hard to deny that of the research we have, marijuana hasn’t been found to increase a person’s risk of an accident. To back this claim up, here’s a list of studies and research conducted on this very topic, some of which were funded by national governments in hopes of different results.
http://thejointblog.com/studies-shows-marijuana-consumption-not-associated-with-dangerous-driving-may-lead-to-safer-drivers/
Marijuana and Driving: A Review of the Scientific Evidence
“Marijuana has a measurable yet relatively mild effect on psychomotor skills, yet it does not appear to play a significant role in vehicle crashes, particularly when compared to alcohol. Below is a summary of some of the existing data.”
http://norml.org/library/item/marijuana-and-driving-a-review-of-the-scientific-evidence
The incidence and role of drugs in fatally injured drivers
“There was no indication that cannabis by itself was a cause of fatal crashes.”
REFERENCE: Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
Report No. DOT HS 808 065, K. Terhune. 1992.
http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/26000/26600/26685/DOT_HS_808_065.pdf
Marijuana and actual driving performance
“Drivers under the influence of marijuana retain insight in their performance and will compensate when they can, for example, by slowing down or increasing effort. As a consequence, THC’s adverse effects on driving performance appear relatively small.”
REFERENCE: U.S. Department of Transportation study, 1993
http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Misc/driving/s1p2.htm
Marijuana’s effects on actual driving performance
“Evidence from the present and previous studies strongly suggests that alcohol encourages risky driving whereas THC encourages greater caution”
REFERENCE: University of Adelaide study, 1995
http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Misc/driving/s1p2.htm
Role of cannabis in motor vehicle crashes
“There is no evidence that consumption of cannabis alone increases the risk of culpability for traffic crash fatalities or injuries for which hospitalization occurs, and may reduce those risks.. The more cautious behavior of subjects who have received marijuana decreases the impact of the drug on performance, whereas the opposite holds true for alcohol.”
REFERENCE: Marijuana: On-Road and Driving-Simulator Studies; Epidemiologic Reviews 21: 222-232, A. Smiley. 1999.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10682259
“Both simulation and road trials generally find that driving behaviour shortly after consumption of larger doses of cannabis results in (i) a more cautious driving style; (ii) increased variability in lane position (and headway); and (iii) longer decision times. Whereas these results indicate a ‘change’ from normal conditions, they do not necessarily reflect ‘impairment’ in terms of performance effectiveness since few studies report increased accident risk.”
REFERENCE: UK Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions (Road Safety Division). 2000.
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
/http:/www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/research/rsrr/theme3/cannabisanddrivingareviewoft4764?page=12
Cannabis And Cannabinoids – Pharmacology, Toxicology And Therapy
“At the present time, the evidence to suggest an involvement of cannabis in road crashes is scientifically unproven”.
REFERENCE: G. Chesher and M. Longo. 2002.
https://www.dmt-nexus.me/Files/Books/General/Cannabis%20And%20Cannabinoids%20-%20Pharmacology,Toxicology%20And%20Therapy.pdf
Cannabis: Our position for a Canadian Public Policy
“Cannabis alone, particularly in low doses, has little effect on the skills involved in automobile driving. Cannabis leads to a more cautious style of driving. However it has a negative impact on decision time and trajectory. This in itself does not mean that drivers under the influence of cannabis represent a traffic safety risk”
REFERENCE: Canadian Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs. 2002.
http://www.parl.gc.ca/content/sen/committee/371/ille/rep/summary-e.htm
“The evidence to suggest an involvement of cannabis in road crashes is scientifically unproven.”
REFERENCE: Cannabis and Cannabinoids: Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutic Potential, 2002
Cannabis and Cannabinoids: Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutic Potential, edited by Franjo Grotenhermen, MD and Ethan Russo, MD (Haworth Press 2002).
https://www.dmt-nexus.me/Files/Books/General/Cannabis%20And%20Cannabinoids%20-%20Pharmacology,Toxicology%20And%20Therapy.pdf
The Prevalence of Drug Use in Drivers, and Characteristics of the Drug-Positive Group
“There was a clear relationship between alcohol and culpability. In contrast, there was no significant increase in culpability for cannabinoids alone.”
REFERENCE: Accident Analysis and Prevention 32(5): 613-622. Longo, MC; Hunter, CE; Lokan, RJ; White, JM; and White, MA. (2000a).
http://www.grotenhermen.com/driving/longo1.pdf
The Effect Of Cannabis Compared With Alcohol On Driving
“Although cognitive studies suggest that cannabis use may lead to unsafe driving, experimental studies have suggested that it can have the opposite effect.” U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2009
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2722956/
The Effect Of Cannabis Compared With Alcohol On Driving
“Although cognitive studies suggest that cannabis use may lead to unsafe driving, experimental studies have suggested that it can have the opposite effect.”
REFERENCE: U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2009
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2722956/
Why Medical Marijuana Laws Reduce Traffic Deaths
“No differences were found during the baseline driving segment (and the) collision avoidance scenarios,”
REFERENCE: Research published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2010
http://healthland.time.com/2011/12/02/why-medical-marijuana-laws-reduce-traffic-deaths/
Top 10 Reasons Marijuana Users Are Safer Drivers
“20 years of study has concluded that marijuana smokers may actually have fewer accidents than other drivers.”
http://www.4autoinsurancequote.com/uncategorized/reasons-why-marijuana-users-are-safe-drivers/
Risk of severe driver injury by driving with psychoactive substances
“The study found that those with a blood alcohol level of 0.12% were over 30 times more likely to get into a serious accident than someone who’s consumed any amount of cannabis. .. The least risky drug seemed to be cannabis and benzodiazepines and Z-drugs.”
REFERENCE: Accident Analysis & Prevention; Volume 59, October 2013, Pages 346–356
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457513002315
Cannabis: Summary Report
“Cannabis alone, particularly in low doses, has little effect on the skills involved in automobile driving.”
REFERENCE: Canadian Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs
https://www.dmt-nexus.me/Files/Books/General/Cannabis And Cannabinoids – Pharmacology,Toxicology And Therapy.pdf
Acute cannabis consumption and motor vehicle collision risk
“There is no evidence that consumption of cannabis alone increases the risk of culpability for traffic crash fatalities or injuries for which hospitalization occurs, and may reduce those risks.”
REFERENCE: British Medical Journal, 1999; M. Bates and T. Blakely
What’s is the deal with throwin a guy in a chair in the middle of A pretty good show about legalization in colorado,They throw a guy in a chair,Called him A” unquote Doctor,And He Blatently Said Marijuana lowers your intelegence level, 8 points,phsycosemadisizm,is the Practice putting ideas in peoples heads.
I got a good question, I got pulled over last week and the cops found a small cigarette pack in my vehicle, they said 2 pot seeds were wrapped up in a piece of paper, they did not show me what they found, I got to thinking I had saved some apple seeds from a apple I ate one day to grow a tree, would the judge realize the difference if they were apple seeds or even pot seeds? Also, would they seriously think apple seeds was pot seeds? Ohio, what a XXXked up state. Would a lawyer be good to have?
okay i think it is dumb cops wanna bust you for that like think the cocaine and everything else
Cannabis use has become engrained in human culture for upwards of 10 millennia now;
although its use being a drug (both medicinal
and recreational) could only be traced to around the year 2700 BC.
‘ advised employees to look out for opportunities of their place of employment where they might steal guidelines
and profit for themselves. Some conspiracy theorists have claimed that pro-legalization groups happen to
be subversively planting the patches to help promote
their agenda, but no proof exists thereby far
no group has claimed responsibility.