The War on Drugs in 100 Seconds

Comments (25)
August 14, 2008

This video is a quick showcase of a couple of quotes from Michael Pollan, author of The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s Eye View of the World.

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25 Comments, Comment or Ping

  1. william (not to be used)

    sHOULD BE REQUIRED VIEWING DURING SENIOR YEAR OF H.S

  2. Eno

    Thank you for making this video. I am sure I will make points forthe many debates over Marijuana coming up that I am involved in. Kudos to Michael Pollan and Nate Miller for their insight.

  3. GT67

    We need to stop this ignorance, I hope many more people see this video and finally come to realize why this whole drug prohibition against marijuana is just a giant folly.

  4. i think it’s a shame that our gov’t puts non-violent ppls in jail and lets thousands of violent criminals run free.the pplneed more education on this subject and the gov’t does not want us to know .its an herb not a man made synthisised drug that our gov’t supplied to the population of it’s own country.LETS LEGALIZE AN HERB!does it really hurt when u got a bunch of ppl going out to eat ’cause thay have da munchies.the video is dead on right.fight 4 ur rights, our constituion is slipping away from us.love ya all.moak it up if u can.a.bus!!!!

  5. xMARiJUAN0x

    LEGALIZE IT..!

  6. JMAN

    The question is, “Why is it illegal in the first place?”. The answer is, “Because people like McCain, and his millionaire alcohol producing wife, and many others have a strong vested interest in stopping the sale of things that compete with their profits”. Legalize it, taxize it and decriminalize it now.

  7. I am a priest of the Lord Jesus the Christ. I have been sharing the original anointing of God with people in the name of Jesus the Christ for 14 years, as I ministered to them across this whole country. I gave it to people in the name of Jesus and they accepted in the name of Jesus. There was no victim in anointing but obedience to God is accepted and associated with people in the comfort that is brought upon them by their acceptance of Gods original (Exodus 30:23) anointing (Christ).

    I, as a priest in the Etheogenic Reformation Church (zionstation.com), I have had my sacrament Abominated and my Temple desecrated by officer’s calling my sacrament criminal and by making my priesthood (Gods) criminal.

    I, an american born of God now hear my God within me crying out against my own country for denying God His highest anointing. The very consecration that brings us to the one and Only God, being illegal shows me that America is not the Country I thought it was, but an evil counterpart which has denied me my constitutional rights. I have found my country is my enemy, not looking for one since Judas died. For this, I end up in bed daily crying, because I can’t go and look for a Job, being everyone that is “anointed” (Christed) is denied employment for their piss proving they Love their God!

    Help! I am no longer crying in the wilderness.. I am with you crying out for my children to be let off the hook, that I may know the Truth without being taken into captivity. Right now, associating with the Truth (Kaneh Bosm) puts you in danger of captivity and economic punishments!

    Help us God! Our country has militantly become a force against us God!
    Help me God.. to be confident in my use of Kaneh Bosm, not fearful of doing you will God! Allow me Father God, the right to possess your sacrament in the world without persecution, or threat. Help me God and you will help millions..

    I goto court on the 22 of september in Clearwater Florida. I have asked my attorney (Public defender) to file religious rights violations for me and he has agreed though he swears Florida law will never allow religious use to be substantiated as legitament in the state. Please people.. if anyone is out there that is better suited to try my case.. help.

  8. Deaf

    Can’t understand one bit. No text. Disappointed.

  9. That ranks in the top ten the lamest video I have seen to date on cannabis law reform. Small wonder so many of the general population still think of cannabis users as stoned idiots. Please do the movement a favor and replace it with something that will move people to act or change someone’s existing beliefs about cannabis.

  10. InPain52

    I suffer from chronic severe pain from a serious car accident in which a drunk slammed my car from behind while I was stopped at red light. I lost my ability to stand, to walk more than a few steps and have had major open back surgery involving a two level vertebral fusion. I am on very high doses of both Fentanyl (50-80 times stronger than morphine) and on Norco (stronger than Vicodin) for several years. I also take Soma for muscle cramps. None of these drugs do much for the neurological pain though, the severe burning and throbbing pain in both feet, and in my hips. The last doctor I saw recently is a Columbia Medical School of Medicine who is in his sixties. He agrees that marijuana can help with neuro pain better than opiates. Unfortunately he cannot it because of federal medicare rules. There are many thousands like me that cannot avail ourselves of the drug we need because the federal govt. works in tandem with local police to arrest dispensers and patients alike.

    My state has a medical marijuana law, but that does not stop the state and local police from doing their jobs as employees of a state that has passed legislation making medical marijuana legal. Doctors who prescribe are threatened by promises to prosecute them. Marijuana generally is very benign compared with any “street” drug and with the opiates I am prescribed.

    Will someone please take the time to contact your legislators through Marijuana Policy Project (MPP.org) or NORML? We need your help to ease our pain. Please do what you can, MPP makes it very easy with easy to fill out forms–just fill in the basic information, and they send it to your legislators.

    I hope nobody you know, or yourself ever has to endure daily suffering, but if they do you will want themselves to be able to easily and safely obtain the one thing that can help. It’s known and proven by thousands of doctors, simply Google Medical Marijuana to learn more.

    God Bless

    Larry

  11. InPain52

    Correcting some typos on my last post in one paragraph–

    The last doctor I saw recently is a Columbia Medical School of Medicine graduate who is in his sixties. He agrees that marijuana can help with neuro pain better than opiates. Unfortunately he cannot prescribe it because of federal Medicare rules. There are many thousands like me that cannot avail ourselves of the drug we need because the federal govt. works in tandem with local police to arrest dispensers and patients alike

  12. Frances Griffin

    With apologies to the deaf person(hope you can fix that in the future) this video does well given the short time frame. It is more effective if you know Michael Pollon’s work and reputation.

    For most viewers, though, I think an assurance from a doctor or obviously “expert” in health matters is needed to draw the distinction between dangerous drugs and marijuana.

  13. Why I ask? If only the people that are blocking this bill would take a moment and make the decision to contact a person that is very very ill and arrange to spend sometime with them , Why? Well my belief is that there is no better way to impact a person, or group than to have them experience as much as possible the way a severely ill person tries to exist…In such severe pain that it is unbearable to withstand..and then they are given this”plant/herb” and now their life seems somewhat possible to live… Why would you not want this person to no longer suffer, I ask? So, then you have the most compassionate of people get together and form a group that has decided to fight for any human being that is terribly sufferring from 10 illnesess/diseases/disorders,, or they may have other devastating illnesses that this “NATURAL PLANT” CAN HELP THEM LIVE! I would like to end this note by saying THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! If it weren’t for MPP an organizations a like millions of us would be in such despair…for people like myself I truly am thankful because we can see a light at the end of the tunnel and it is because of groups like MPP that are making it possible…!!! MMP

  14. nwright

    I beleive that it should be leaglized. As a person who suffers daily from chronic pain that. has to take 8 different medications to help alleviate some of the pain. The nerve pain is quite unbearable and med’s don’t do much for it. I have to live with it mm could help me to move more freely ease nasuea relax the tense muscles but it is unavailable to me in tx. Where do i go for the help?

  15. kat

    Personally, I feel the government is being ridiculous where a harmless plant is concerned. A plant that can help people in pain, have epilepsy, cancer and any many other problems. It should NOT be a class 2 narcotic. I feel that if the states want it to be legal then the federal government should stay out of it.

  16. fotwenty

    smoke one!!!!!!!!!!

  17. jason

    I smoked for about two years. All I have to say is, “THANK GOD I DIDN’T SMOKE ENOUGH TO BE AS IGNORANT AS ALL OF YOU.” Thank you

  18. Wool's Eyes

    I always smoked so I could experience an expanded view of the Universe. If I listened to country music, which was totally out at the time, I found I could listen to it for what it really was, not my preconceived notions. I considered this a higher state of consciousness. I still do.

    I’m not preventing you from your view. Why deny me mine?

  19. John Keim

    Jason, you know what, it’s ignorant little butt wipes like you that make this country what it is today. What the hell are you doing snooping around on this website if you think it’s such an ignorant thing for people to do. Maybe you’re one of the big drug dealers that stands to lose a lot of money and power if marijuana was ever legalized. Maybe you’re one of our nazi stormtroopers who get their rocks off beating the pulp out of their fellow american citizens, and stealing their property. Perhaps you’re with the Pharmacutical giants and Oil giants that have the most to lose with the legalization of marijuana. Maybe you’re part of our [Injustice] System that bankrolls to the tune of $60 billion a year, by keeping it illegal.

  20. RONALD BROWNE

    READ THE TRUTH ABOUT AMERICAS GREATEST LIES, THE WILLIAM R. HEARST PERSONAL REVENGE STORY. HOW STUPID THE PEOPLE ARE WHO THINK AS THESE PAST DICTATORS FORCED AMERICA INTO CRIMES THAT WERE NEVER CRIMES IN HISTORY. http://www.jackherer.com/emperor.html GROW.HEMP FOR VICTORY,,ONCE MORE,,??1942-46 4-h’ers did it for the war as did americas farmers,it was taxed..,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,MY GOD DID NOT SCREW UP,,,MANKIND SURE HAS,,SYNTHETICS ,,,.

    FOOD,FUEL,CLOTHING, “LEVYS” 100% HEMP WHEN FIRST MARKETED IN AMERICA.
    NOW OUR FARMERS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO GROW HEMP BUT YOU CAN BUY HEMP PRODUCTS AT WAL-MART,,HOW unamerican.
    Jasom,shut the hell up ,you are so out in left field your OPINION is just that and bares no value to the truth. don’t smoke, but don’t dicate your uneducated crap and call me stupid.
    The difference between ignorance and stupidity is,,,”YOU KNOW WHEN YOU ARE STUPID” STUPID!
    ‘NAVY VET. VIETNAM, I AND MY FELLOW PUT OUR LIVE UP FOR FREEDOM,NOT STUPIDITY.

  21. Legalize freedom! Support property rights. Who owns your body, you or the government?

    …among these rights are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In order to protect these rights, institutions are created among men… Yeah right! Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Out goes the old boss, in comes the new boss. The king is dead, long live the king.

    Live free or die!

  22. thank you for the interesting video!
    sorry he brought a gun when you said don’t!

  23. unpocoloco

    funny how traffickers and opponents can share a goal like prohibition

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