Lies in the War on Marijuana
Comments (34)
October 8, 2008
October 8, 2008
Join MPP’s Sara Cannon as she takes a look at outright lies made by the Drug Free America Foundation.
Every 36 seconds, someone is arrested for marijuana in the U.S. Coincidentally, it only takes about 36 seconds to sign up to receive MPP’s free e-mail alerts and start finding out what you can do to help end the war on marijuana users.
The opinions expressed below by our viewers and posters do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Marijuana Policy Project. These views are those of the individual authors alone. MPP does not condone or support the illegal use of marijuana. We do encourage open and frank discussion, but if a comment has been posted that is in some way significantly inappropriate, please e-mail us at socialnetwork@mpp.org to report it. Thank you, and we're looking forward to what you think!
34 Comments, Comment or Ping
Yvonne
Pretty sad that people follow like sheep and believe their lies that are against Marijuana, and would they prefer that people just die sooner from starving to death if they have no appetites due to illness and even depression? Or pain of any kind physical and or emotional. They say that teens that smoke it are more likely to try to commit suicide; I was a teenager and if I would have had it as often as I needed it I would not have tried to commit suicide, the prescribed pills I got however increased my suicidal tendency, that was due to the many dysfunctions of my family (especially sex abuse).Later I realized that if I smoked it when I couldn’t eat, I did eat enough to stay alive and to feed my brain which also stave’s off more depression. I know an amputee in the North west that wants to smoke it who is lonely and alone, but the law is against it there.Why should anyone have to suffer like that?
Oct 9th, 2008
Kerm
I have a chronic illness , and marijuana makes me feel “human”. Sometimes my illness makes it difficult to funtion as i once used to . I smoke 2-3 times daily and feel I’d be worse off without it . In light of medical or recreational use ,I feel marijuana should be strictly a freedom of choice issue on an individual basis and NOT a choice made my lawmakers. Legalise it , Put an age limit on it and tax the hell out of it and balance the national debt and help those of us who are sick as well .
Oct 9th, 2008
stephen
yeah, it seems that almost every anti mj organization does absolutely nothing but lie and twist the truth to the extreme, because thats all they have to work with. and unfortunately they still have a lot of people fooled with their nonsense. maybe someday they’ll see the light
Oct 9th, 2008
Michael Zilavy
She read her lines without passion or dramatic inflexion. What she said was great, and indeed, she is pretty. Passion is what would sell this to the non-believers. Sorry for complaining… truly trying to be helpful for future productions.
Oct 10th, 2008
tintala
I can’t beleive people , intelligent people swallow the propaganda that the government feeds them! It would appear that these tactics are a result of failing evidence that these crappy organizations cannot come up with. So they have to lie! How much more obvious does is need to be that cannabis is safer than alcohol, tobacco, pills and Mcdonalds! Well good thing that Barry Cooper author of ‘NEVER GET BUSTED AGAIN” and NEVER GET RAIDED has come up with a reality series that called “COP BUSTERS” . This new reality show will show real corrupt cops getting exposed for being corrupt!
Oct 10th, 2008
jason
The effectiveness of marijuana for medical purposes does not support your claim that marijuana is harmless. Perhaps this erroneous claim is partly to blame for the increase in prescription drug abuse: kids think it’s harmless simply because it has medical purposes. The truth is that with advances in neurological science, we are learning that marijuana can be harmful to the brain especially when used outside of a doctor’s recommendation, as can be other prescribed medicines such as Vicodin (derived from opium) and Adderol (an amphetamine).
Oct 10th, 2008
Frank Uribe
Seek the truth and it shall set us all free!
Oct 10th, 2008
Myrna
So, if the naysayers say it’s it’s harmful, I’d say cancer is more harmful and someone needs the relief of pain give it to them.
Oct 10th, 2008
Diana
I will never forget Mark Souder stating that todays marijuana is like crack cocaine. Don’t forget that one. The drug war is such an industry. Even decriminalizing marijuana on the federal level would take away so much of this industry’s justification for swindling taxpayers out of their money to feed the drug war industry’s hungry mouth. Wouldn’t be seizing so much property either would they. The Mark Souders wouldn’t get invited to so many award banquets by so called drug free family value groups be wined and dined and handed some ridiculous award on some stage somewhere . Decriminalizing Marijuana on the federal level would set a very bad precedent for state county and local government who enjoy seizing property and fining people for marijuana offenses. How about the people who are making money from these big prime time “anti drug” television advertisements. They sure dont mind the taxpayer dollars lining their pockets do they. The so called “marijuana rehab” industry wouldnt appreciate it much either. Just what in the world is “marijuana rehab” anyway? If marijuana makes any patient suffering from any chronic illness more comfortable then it is good medicine. ?It’s not for a so called “expert” to say whether or not marijuana alleviates discomfort, it’s for the patient to say.
Oct 10th, 2008
Eric
A perfect storm. As of today the financial world is coming apart and taking Main St with it. Legalize MJ, tax it like cigarettes, age requirements, treat it the same as alcohol, and the people of this great country, will begin to recoup the TRILLION DOLLAR LOAN. Primarily, having MS, I really want it at least medically legalized.
Oct 10th, 2008
Brian Krebs
One thing that Marijuana use seems to do: is make non smokers lie. Its all marijuanas fault. If there was no marijuana; these people would be not be liars.
I guess it should be all destroyed so that they can start telling the truth !
I am willing to do my part ! I will burn all the marijuana given to me to help these people into leading honest lives. Its the least I can do.
I find it interesting that one big Marijuana opponent is Lou Dobbs- who has been seen going outside his office building to smoke cigarettes…..
I don’t know when all this insanity will end; and pot will be legalized.
Lies like these people are presenting as ‘fact’ : sounds very much like the whimpers of a dying cause.
Oct 10th, 2008
jean
screw all propaganda! people spend less time in prison for murder than people whobuy and carry less than an 50 dollar bag of weed. i could kill YOUR mother while high on PCP and get out in 10 years. while my brother thats 25 can sell you a QP and and see his 50th birth day behind bars. thats the problem…thats the issue.
Oct 10th, 2008
patti mcgill
anyone remember ” reefer madness” the biggest joke around, which started the lies rolling. I have never seen anyone who ever smoked mj acting like the movie had them acting but the people in that day and age never questioned the truth of it. Then we were truly a nation of sheep.
As a teenager i read a book “up against the law” It showed how stats could be twisted to say what anyone wanted them to say. One instance was that all hard drug users started by smoking mj’, but the truth was that only 1% of all smokers went on to the use of hard drugs. When will people learn to do their own research and not believe everything they here and take it as the truth
Oct 10th, 2008
christina
I agree with the legalization and think it’s a brilliant idea to tax the shit out of the sales and it will reduce our national debt. I also know that it would drive dealers out of business forcing them to look for other work, which improves the un-employment rates and creates more jobs, these people put into the taxes and things probably are looking up for the American economy. Christina for president??? j/k but really look how simple the math is………..
Oct 11th, 2008
Hugh Downs
“Popular Mechanics” article appeared over half a century ago, many more applications have come to light. Back in 1935, more than 58,000 tons of marijuana seed were used just to make paint and varnish (all non-toxic, by the way). When marijuana was banned, these safe paints and varnishes were replaced by paints made with toxic petrochemicals. In the 1930s no one knew about poisoned rivers or deadly land-fills or children dying from chemicals in house paint.
People did know something about hemp back then, because the plant and its products were so common.
All ships lines were made from hemp and much of the sail canvas. (In fact the word “canvas” is the Dutch pronunciation of the Greek word for hemp, “cannabis.”) All ropes, fozzers (sp?) and lines aboard ship, all rigging, nets, flags and pennants were also made from marijuana stalks. And so were all charts, logs and bibles. Today many of these items are made, in whole or in part, with synthetic petro-chemicals and wood. All oil lamps used to burn hemp- seed oil until the whale oil edged it out of first place in the mid- nineteenth century. And then, when all the whales were dead, lamplights were fueled by petroleum, and coal, and recently radioactive energy.[7]
Oct 12th, 2008
Hugh Downs
Today, there are anywhere from 25 to 30 million Americans who smoke marijuana regularly. As an industry, marijuana clears well more than $4 billion a year. [This must have been a misreading of his notes--for 1990, the minimum figure would have been at least $40 billion for the entire nation. (phone interview with Jack Herer)] Obviously, as an illegal business, none of that money goes to taxes. But the modern marijuana trade only sells one product, a drug. Hemp could be worth considerably more than $4 [$40] billion a year, if it were legally supplying the 50,000 safe products the proponents claim it can.
If hemp could supply the energy needs of the United States, its value would be inestimable. Now that the drug czar is in final retreat, America has an opportunity to, once and for all, say farewell to the Exxon Valdez, Saddam Hussein and a prohibitively expensive brinkmanship in the desert sands of Saudi Arabia.
This is Hugh Downs, ABC News, New York.
Oct 12th, 2008
David McDonough
Thank you, Hugh Downs for telling the publick the truth.
DaveMan50
Las Vegas
Oct 13th, 2008
Steven Rollins
I, Steven J. Rollins, declare: During my maturing, I was learning life; what was missing, why was the law twisted, why does a person do evil, etc? I knew there was a God but was not connected unknowingly (Ephesians 2:12-13). There are two ways of learning: experience and reading. I tried to read the KJV of the bible but didn’t understand so I lived life through trial and error. It has words in it that are not in the English dictionary. It was written for England (preface). If there wasn’t anything wrong with it, all these other versions would not have been written. My parents did a good job at raising me (1 Cor. 9:5). I read the NIV of the bible for the first time in 1996, which was the beginning of my path of faith. I was baptized January 2000. I’ve read the NIV 12 times to date, many other versions of the bible, Koran, Karma Sutra, Dead Sea Scrolls, Wycliffe Bible Commentary, etc. Those who wrote the Koran read the KJV of the bible and then wrote that book. Judas was replaced by a man named Matthias, so there were still 12 apostles (Acts 1:26). Don’t read to memorize, read to get an understanding. If you only read part, your mind is left to wander about the rest.
Marijuana (THC), Weed is Genesis 9:3 in the bible. A drug is two are more chemicals or man-made. (Anything sold in the meat market) USDA, at $5lb and weed dispensary membership (1 Cor. 10:25). Mr. Government, you are wrong for all the confusion that you have caused, from the homeless to a person losing their life over a single joint. Labeling weed a narcotic. The officer said he was doing his job. Illegal search and seizure, detained, harassed, no suite?
I declare under penalty of perjury of the law of the United States of America that the above is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
Steven J. Rollins
P.S.
False prophets, lying preachers and blind leaders are what I’m up against? God made you not Satan. The people ate weed back in the day. The people are separated from the church by the state of their minds or because of the state of their minds (2 Cor. 3:15). This is the separation of church and state. What is the difference between being saved and being born-again? Being baptized.
I’m to come biblically about weed!! The only way to know the truth is to read it for yourself. There once was a law that if you read the bible they would kill you. When in Rome, do as the Romans do? You better read Romans before you relate (Psalms 120:6-7). No more blind leading the blind. The badge is a servant of God, to protect and serve (Romans 13:1-7). The purpose of the law is to bring a person to God (Galatians 3:24). How are you going to accomplish this if you don’t know God yourself (Luke 7:29-30). John 16:2-4 is a terrorist, the blind, a cop.
“If you don’t know the truth, you are only left to believe a lie (1 Timothy 4:1-16).
Acts 3:22
I’m one of millions
the best of the best
set apart from the rest
I stayed ready so I wouldn’t have to get ready
Get right or get left (Get right with God or get left behind)
“There is a God, He has a son and his name is Jesus.”
Oct 14th, 2008
Bruce S.Zembko
This is what liars are about. I signed up for Viet Nam in 1973 because they were stll drafting & the law could put you in jail for not signing up. How many 1000’s of 18 year olds died , had to stich up their own guts from hanging out, lost their foot , feet , leg or legs from stepping on a toe popper of other type of land mine. went blind from beehive rounds hitting them in the face and body and lived through it or were permanently paralized to live in a wheel chair. McChain commanded a 36 foot long boat with 20 men that never saw action. The boat broke down and they had to fly them out . The plane he was on was shot down & he was captured. No man alive never talked for food. So he’s living proof of a liar. They showed Palin shooting a military rifle saying look how good she is. Could she carry a 90lb backsack & stitch herself up when lost alone in the jungle ? She said taking off the gloves & putting on heels. Why did she not say army boots ? Shes another liar. Now what I am trying to say is they complain you can go to war but can’t drink.( Alcohol makes people who drink insidious people most of the time.) All these 18 year olds & up that returned with ruined lives. If caught with some cannabis will go to jail and the government does not care if they are raped or stabbed to death. But if was McCains wife or kids or family nothing would happen. The same with the police. They bust you with some cannabis put you in jail then go home & if their wife was smoking it would do nothing. If their kids get caught they let them go. If the judges kid gets caught he would tell them to not do paperwork or rip it up & give them the favor if ever needed.If we are all created EQUAL in this country then why are they more EQUAL then all of us ? This is a joke to them. Democrats = Democracy Republicans = Rebuttals Republicans are all for big oil & pharmacutical companys. Here is my last reason in this writting. There are 77,000 illegal interveinous drug users in New Jersey multiply this by the 50 states and you get over 3.5 million addicts. Just say their are only a million of them. Sad amount for only 300 million people in his country. Just about all of them do not work. If they only robbed $100 a week from stores , people , ect pawning it off for a fix that would be $5200 a year. But multiply this by a million & that is 5 billion in merchandise, cash, jewelery, ect plundered each year. So why do they hand out needles & not care if these users OD in 30 seconds on their next shot. Is because they use Tax Dollars , Contributions, Funded Programs, ect to purchase the needles that make the pharmacutical company’s 100’s of millions of dollars each year. But for cannabis which you cannot OD on no matter how much you consume you have to be arrested & go to jail. 700,000 americans arrested almost every year. Why don’t they arrest every addict that uses illeagal drugs & leave the non violent cannabis user alone. Because the pharmacutical companys will lose billions in pills they lie about that cause liver damage or even death where cannabis would be more effective & at the same time be non addictive & safe. Way more safer then cigarette smokers that 1000+ die every day in the USA from years of smoking poison with arsenic, fermaldahide, and every other chemical they can put trace amounts in and the government allows it. It’s time for this country & it’s people to grow up and stop hurting each other. Put the addicts that rob & lie in jail along with all the government & police who are caught lieing through others that they work with that are not. Let normal good caring people have their own judgement to decide what will help them. While teaching the young not to need any tobacco. alcohol , drugs , ect. And letting cannabis be a possibility as life goes on to find if it has benifits that can help them for a reason Even if they are not sick. We do need Change in this country. Not liars or more bigatry in any form or fashion. I just hope it starts with the Federal Government no longer being able to prosicute people with state ID’s for Medical Cannabis. How can a state allow it. Doctors prescribe it. People be given the ID to use it. Yet their is no legal way to get it. And the Federal Government has the power to override it. What good are state laws then ? Grow Up America !!! Learn to help each other and give back to the government for the good things they do for you. Maybe then they will feel gulity for hurting their own for no reason and the men & women who fight & give their lives for all in this country. Who they hurt. Which means we are all used by liars with power. With Best Regards !!! Bruce S.Zembko
Oct 14th, 2008
Martin Cobb
America is ran by corperate America they dont care if you are black, white, yellow, or blue all they care about is money and power. So until the people wake up they are going to keep sticking it to us all because we allow these rich assholes to do what they want to us. LETS WAKE UP AND TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER AND STOP TRUSTING THIS HELLISH COUNTRY!
Oct 14th, 2008
John Keim
I came across a website recently about a gentleman in Nova Scotia, Canada, that discovered how to make hemp oil, because he had heard of it’s medicinal qualities for curing cancer. It actually cured him. I would urge everyone who hasn’t seen the Documentary he put together, please go to this website. http://www.pheonixtears.ca It’s quite impressive.
Oct 15th, 2008
John Keim
Correction: It’s http://www.phoenixtears.ca Sorry
Oct 15th, 2008
Marcia
In response to a blog left by JASON on October 10th: Please provide information on the study(ies) that you base your comment(s) on regarding marijuana having adverse effects on one’s neurological system. One should always provide a published clinical reference when making such claims.
I wholeheartedly disagree that when used outside of a doctor’s recommendation, marijuana can be as harmful to the brain as synthetic narcotics such as Vicodin and Adderol. The mentioned drugs are highly addictive man-made substances that traditional medicine and society approves of so long as a prescription is written by a licensed physician to cover their dispensing. Thousands of people become addicted to Vicodin through the legal means of obtaining narcotics, because even under a doctor’s recommendation and prescribed orders, the drug is overused and abused. You state it happens “when used outside of a doctor’s recommendation.” No, Jason…it actually happens, more often than not, that one becomes addicted to Vicodin when it is being recommended and prescribed by a physician.
I’ve been in the healthcare industry for more than 30 years, with most of those years being in Pharmacy. I’ve seen some pathetic situations involving drug-seekers who have a preference for prescription narcotics, up to and including robberies at gun-point by addicts trying to get a fix.
Never in my entire life have I witnessed a situation where someone had a physical need for marijuana, as I’ve witnessed with Vicodin, Oxycodone, and the like.
Marijuana is used to relieve symptoms. Whether it is used for medicinal purposes defined by law, or purposes surrounding one’s personal circumstances in life, it’s positive contribution to the relief of symptoms from intractable pain, insomnia, anorexia, depression, stress, as well as glaucoma, CANNOT continue to go unrecognized. There is no other drug that can cover such a broad range of symptoms with the success that this ONE drug can cover.
Having gone through early menopause, I suffer from severe insomnia. I choose to get a good night’s sleep by smoking marijuana before retiring for the night. It’s a CHOICE….not something I MUST do…..however, I think that getting the amount of sleep that one needs to function at the high level that is expected of me in my profession and as a single mother is of the utmost importance, so I CHOOSE to smoke it to enable me to get the amount of sleep that I need. I’d rather “go green” with my choice than ingest a synthesized substance that I undoubtedly would become addicted to in dealing with my insomnia. You see, my condition is on-going: I have to go to sleep EVERY night. If I am going to need the aid of an agent to provide me the means to sleep a 5 to 6 hour stretch rather than awakening every 1 to 2 hours, I will ALWAYS choose a natural means over a synthetic means, which includes alcohol. Oh, I almost forgot….Alcohol is LEGAL, and has been made socially acceptable by lawmakers, so I suppose I should just overlook the destruction that it causes to those who become dependent on it’s use.
My brain is completely intact and I’ve been a frequent user of marijuana for decades. Please send me the reference information that substantiates your claim that marijuana causes neurological damage when used outside of a doctor’s recommendation. I’d like to know when to expect to check myself into a memory-care facility due to my marijuana usage.
It all boils down to responsible choices. Unfortunately, no matter what the substance, there will always be over-indulging. I DON’T condone the use of marijuana, or any other substance “just to get high”. However, I support that marijuana should be an option available legally to responsible adults when they need symptomatic relief to conditions where marijuana has been proven to be effective.
What works for one person may or may not work for another. As a nation built on democracy, it is an injustice that marijuana is not a legal CHOICE for one to consider. Too many tax-payer dollars are being wasted to try to abolish it’s use. Let’s focus on the drugs that truly cause destruction to lives and finally give marijuana the credit it’s been long overdue.
Oct 15th, 2008
Joshua Thevenot
I think that the fact they have to lie to keep something illegal is completely bogus. Why don’t the people at these administrations find a real job, like chasing rapists or child molestors and murderers. It would be a much better past time than trying to control the freedom of a nation that was supposedly built on freedom. Marijuana is a plant, it grows in the ground, anyone can grow it, but it would be hard to tax. Why? Because any one can grow it, unlike tobacco which requires much more attention. I think that the American government needs to reanalyze their views on Marijauana, and realize that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.
Nov 4th, 2008
kris
this is just an excuse for you to not get in trouble when you people are caught with a controled substance its a drug that illeagal and should stay that way ok so what about all the people that get high get into a car and kill some possible a family member you would feel diffrient
Nov 12th, 2008
Matija
lol kris. and what about crazy Connecticut ppl who become a president of the usa and then go around the world directly or indirectly killing millions of innocent family members and enslaving other nations and stealing their natural treasures just to “enforce democracy” (make us economy work)? should we, the rest of the world, outlaw unprotected sex with or between americans, or americans themselves completely?
stupid and irresponsible people have always existed and, sadly, always will… maybe even as a majority. it’s a responsibility of the responsible and the thinking ones to teach them (beit through positive teaching, or penalisation) to behave responsibly.
in this case all of the relevant statistics show that alcohol influenced drivers are the number one threat in traffic and yet, alcohol isn’t banned. you can’t punish people for something they could have done or for having a way or a mean to do something wrong… you, on the other hand, can punish those that have done something wrong severely and, by setting examples, teach others to think before acting. or, in this case, driving.
in the end i’d like to state i’m for legalizing everything that one does to himself as long as that action doesn’t have negative (or unwanted) consequences on other people or their posessions… or pets
Nov 16th, 2008
TerrierBram
The problem is Cannabis is too beneficial. Obvious that some people rather sell their stuff, instead of having people healthy and happy. The way the industrial powers use their force to spread lies, lobby in the right places is causes breath taking nausea by every person that knows the benefits of Cannabis. Cannabis brings, healing, it brings health, it bring human possibilities in many ways that are on every feature on this plant none toxic, friendly and endurable. Who are these people that want to sell their coal, oil, chemicals in benefit of their own wallet? 225.000 ton of pesticides worldwide every year for cotton ( Cannabis does not need poison to grow succesful ), my nephew hanging over the toilet because of that chemo ‘therapy’, 20 millions people in jail because they had Cannabis flowers, … the insanity and lies go on and on. And the struggle of the Cannabis people too.
Eat Cannabis, wear Cannabis, use Cannabis beneficially for your life. If doing so you support the healing of the world, by being a healthy part of the world and providing a reason for Cannabis to live.
Cannabis is the healing of the world!
Nov 20th, 2008
doggod
next time you see footage of conde or shrub etc having talks with the saudi sek. look around the eyes…. man sum are so that cased . cheesezzz grins too. seen one the saudi speaking his eyes were so bloodshot he looked possed. ………they lust on our misery……….crime doesn,t pay unless you all are guilty something? anything they don,t care!!!
Dec 4th, 2008
Hermit the Frog
BLAZE ALL DAY EVERY DAY!!! (*_____*)
Dec 17th, 2008
Cliff
I am 56 years young. I have known cannabis for 40 years. The lies used against cannabis come from hate and greed.
The creator gives us cannabis as a gift, a blessing, part of his love for all.
Tax and regulate cannabis? Why should a government that has handed out pain and suffering for decades profit from cannabis? I would have to see a new form of government before I would consider tax and regulation.
I would support forfeiture of assets assessed to all drug warriors. Said assets would be given to drug war victims.
Dec 27th, 2008
legal free advice
Castlebar. ie was a tremendously popular local website, receiving as many as three million hits per month- or at least it did up until last Saturday, when the site announced on its main page that it had been‘ forced to cease operation after more than 10 years of publication[ due to] threats of legal action received from a commercial publication based in Castlebar’, which it identified as the Mayo Echo. Editor Geraghty had objected to critcism of his article, and him, on the site’ s very active forum. Indeed,…
Jan 6th, 2009
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