Reefer Madness Sunday

“bullet” Last week’s ridiculous “apology” in the Independent (UK) has generated some attention this Sunday, with a series of articles and letters to the editor. Quite a mixed bag.
On one side you have:

I have been a productive, happy citizen my entire adult life and have regularly consumed cannabis since I was 13 ( I am now 40 ). How is it that I have not suffered from the pernicious effects you cite? Simply, I have used cannabis responsibly.

… and on the other you have:

I can’t thank you enough for Sunday’s articles on skunk. My 18-year-old son is currently awaiting trial for his last violent outburst fuelled by his six-year addiction to the drug. I have watched helplessly as he has spiralled into self-destruction. He has transformed from a sharp-witted loving child into a monster. It is the hardest thing in the world to ask the police to take your own child away and thrust him into the criminal justice system when you know what he really needs is drugs counselling. I am delighted that, at last, hordes of terrified parents have been given a voice.

And then you have an OpEd that suggests:

The “old” type of cannabis that used to be available in the 1960s and 1970s is worlds apart from much of the stuff that is easily acquired nowadays. People will argue about the precise difference in strength ( the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol – THC ), but, indisputably, skunk is often 15 times stronger than that which used to be available. If I had my way I would legalise the old stuff and make skunk a class A drug. […]
If you see lawless groups of young kids in the street or teenagers who threaten passers-by with knives, there is a strong chance that they have used skunk in the previous 24 hours. I am not saying that skunk has caused the lawlessness, but it definitely won’t have helped. If you see a sheet-white young person who looks lost and mentally ill, then the same is probably true.

Now this is the first time that I’ve heard someone suggest making marijuana legal, while at the same time making marijuana a Class A illegal drug! Wouldn’t it make more sense to say that you’re in favor of legalizing and regulating marijuana? After all, alcohol has legal limits on how it can be sold in terms of strength.
But there’s a bigger problem here and that’s this rampant reefer madness. What’s going on that’s causing these people to foam at the mouth? (and I’m talking about the writers, not the pot smokers) I’m beginning to think that it all comes down to the use of the name “skunk.” If they’d call it something proper, like “dope” or “weed,” then maybe journalists and quacks wouldn’t be hallucinating about the madness of youth.
“bullet” And if you want some more madness, you can always turn to Bill O’Reilly, whose OpEd ‘Medical’ MJ for Teens is in papers all over the county today. He gets to push all the hot buttons: George Soros… and our youth.

The biggest bankroller of the referendum was George Soros, the billionaire who champions drug legalization. He pumped about $350,000 into pro-medpot ads, according to published reports.
Since the act was passed into law, thousands of pot “clinics” have opened across the state. In San Francisco, things got so out of control that Mayor Gavin Newsom, a very liberal guy, had to close many of the “clinics” because drug addicts were clustering around them, causing fear among city residents.
In San Diego, there’s another problem: Some high school kids have found a loophole in the Compassion Act. Incredibly, there is no age requirement to secure medical marijuana in California – and no physical exam needed, either. So some kids tell a doctor they have a headache, pay him $150 for a card, and then buy all the pot they want. Unbelievable, but true.

Interestingly, he makes a point that I’m not sure he fully realized.

If marijuana can help those suffering with debilitating diseases, then doctors should have the power to prescribe it and licensed pharmacies should carry it.

Marijuana does help those suffering with debilitating diseases. So, Bill, are you going to push for federal legalization of medical marijuana? We’d be happy to have you promote it on your show. Get your listeners to lobby Congress to remove it from Schedule 1. When you’re ready, we’ll help you out.