Stoners in the Mist revisited – the quiz

I couldn’t help myself. I knew better, but I decided to go back to Stoners in the Mist and explore some more of this propaganda. This time, I decided I should know some more about marijuana, so I took the quiz. I didn’t do so well (mostly because I refused to answer the answers that I knew they considered the “right” answer).
Question 1:

Approximately 1 in 10 fatal car accident victims test positive for which drug?

1. Prescription Drugs
2. Meth
3. Marijuana
4. Ecstasy

And, of course, if you choose anything other than marijuana, you’ll get:

Nice try, the correct answer is marijuana.

Studies show that approximately one in ten (12.7%) of fatal car accident victims test positive for THC (the active ingredient in marijuana). Approximately 4 in 10 (41%) fatally injured drivers tested positive for alcohol.*
*Schwilke, Eugene W. et al. “Changing Patterns of Drug and Alcohol Use in Fatally Injured Drivers in Washington State.” Journal of Forensic Science, Septemeber [sic] 2006, Vol. 51, No. 5.

If you actually check out the study, you find that it wasn’t THC that was found in 12.7% of cases, but rather cannabinoids.
And, of course, it means absolutely nothing. Since the cannabinoids remain in the system for a very long time, there is no indication that any of these drivers were even under the influence of marijuana at the time, nor that it was a contributing factor. In fact, it’s likely that 12.7% of the driving population of Washington State in general has cannabinoids in their system at any particular time.
It’s like stating that a certain percent of suicides had undigested hamburger in their system at the time. It doesn’t mean that hamburger causes suicide — just that hamburger is popular and so some of them would have likely eaten one.
On to the next question:

What has more cancer-causing chemicals: marijuana smoke or cigarette smoke?

1. Marijuana smoke
2. Cigarette smoke

You can see where this is going!

Nice try, the correct answer is marijuana smoke.

Marijuana smoke contains 50 to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke.* Other serious lung problems – such as bronchitis and persistent coughs – have been linked to chronic marijuana use.**

This is just outright dishonest sleight of hand. The presence of scary sounding “carcinogenic hydrocarbons” means nothing unless they actually cause cancer. Barbecued meat contains carcinogens. The simple truth is that smoking marijuana does not cause lung cancer. Period.
Question 3

Does smoking marijuana increase a user’s chances of having a heart attack?

1. Yes
2. No

Nice try. The correct answer is “YES.”

A marijuana user’’s risk of heart attack increases by more than four times in the first hour after smoking marijuana.*
*Mittleman MA, Lewis RA, Maclure M, et al. Triggering myocardial infarction by marijuana. Circulation 103(23):2805–2809, 2001.

This one was new to me. Heart attacks? Really? Where are all the news reports of pot smokers dropping dead of heart attacks? So I looked into it.
In the study, 3,882 patients were interviewed after suffering a myocardial infarction. Of those, 9 patients had indicated using marijuana during the hour prior to the event (although 3 of those nine had also had sex or taken cocaine). Note also that they didn’t include any marijuana users who had not had a heart attack. Not much of a heart attack smoking gun.
Question 4:

Marijuana is addictive

1. True
2. False

Nice try. The correct answer is True.

Research has now established that marijuana is addictive.* Each year, more teens enter treatment with a primary diagnosis of marijuana dependence than for all other illicit drugs combined.** Research indicates that the earlier kids start using marijuana, the more likely they are to become dependent on this or other illicit drugs later in life.***

Notice the sleight of hand again here. Nothing in the second sentence has to do with addiction — it’s about referrals from criminal justice to treatment. Can marijuana users be dependent? Sure. But calling it addictive is a gross weakening of the definition of addiction.
Question 5

What are the withdrawal symptoms from marijuana addiction?

1. Dry mouth
2. Irritability
3. Aggression
4. Shaking

Nice try, the correct answer is B and C.

People trying to quit using marijuana report irritability, sleeplessness, and anxiety.* They also display increased aggression on psychological tests, peaking approximately one week after the last use of the drug.**

Ah, so they don’t actually exhibit increased aggression in general, just on being forced to take psychological tests when they’d rather have a joint. Makes sense to me.
Of course, a quiz like this isn’t about facts or information. The cited sources are intended to make it appear all scientific and true, but our government isn’t interested in the truth about marijuana, nor are they interested in sharing the truth with the people. It’s all about pushing propaganda to support the war against marijuana users (which props up their larger war against drug users).
You’ll find a whole lot more truth in BC bud than the ONDCP.