Pot Foes Continue Distorting Facts

[Herb Fellow]

It was interesting to see the Press make reference to the movie "Reefer Madness" in its June 2 editorial supporting a state bill that would allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes. The movie, like the misinformation Partnership for a Drug-Free America feeds the public, is full of lies. The religious group that financed "Reefer Madness" simply made stuff up.

These groups say smoking pot is bad for you. It probably is. But nobody says you have to smoke it. You can eat it.

They say it's a gateway drug. In 2006, the government arrested 829,625 people for marijuana offenses. This number has been rising every year since the drug war started in 1914. Common sense should tell you that by now, there should be a lot more hard-core heroin addicts than there are if you believed the lies. When our government started the drug war, 5 percent of the population was addicted to hard-core drugs; 94 years later, it's still 5 percent. The only thing that's changed is 1 in 100 Americans now are in prison. More people are in jail in America than in China, which has four times the population.

What's the harm if medical marijuana is legalized? I've never heard of anyone's child overdosing on marijuana, but thousands die of acute alcohol poisoning. Police are arresting more than 800,000 people for this drug each year. At least 10 times that number are probably using it. If all those scary things about the dangers of marijuana were going to happen, they would have happened by now.

The drug war is a failure. Our government has gone from going after dealers to going after users because users don't have the money to fight back. The government takes people's homes and sells their property at auction for its own benefit. It makes money off this war. Our prisons are filled with more nonviolent drug users than violent dealers.

Talk shows tell us federal prosecutors are letting illegal-immigrant drug smugglers go if they have less than 500 pounds of marijuana, while we have local prosecutors sending Americans to jail for an ounce. The do-good groups, the federal government and law enforcement should be ashamed of the lies they tell and the things they do.

News Moderator: Herb Fellow - 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: APP.com | Asbury Park Press | Monmouth and Ocean counties news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Monmouth and Ocean counties, NJ
Copyright: 2008, Asbury Park Press
Contact: Edward H. Decker, MANCHESTER
Website: TOPIC OF THE DAY: Medical marijuana | APP.com | Asbury Park Press

 

[Boss]

Great post!

 

[Jimbo]

Well, my friends...It's time we stopped talking about it, and started our own campaign to do something about it.
All pot smokers seem to do is bitch about our unfair treatment and never taking a stand.
We are going to have to take a stand and start supporting each other and disputing these lies with hard facts.
It's time for a re-education process to start taking place.
People need to know that they are not alone and that their are ways of supporting marijuana reform.

 

[zolar]

real simple we all write congress asking for updated open hearings on all controlled stuff because of constitutional duties of congress to "provide for the progress of science" 1914 and 1930's or even 60's data is proven false
in many current medical and scientific journals shouldn't our laws be based on
fact and not ideaology/conservative religion.....

 

[trigerzzz]

Facts are being distorted so lobbyists for keeping MJ criminal are getting those envelopes filled with money to vote against legalizing and then probably buying with those envelopes drugs including MJ as we see in papers everyday. It is political and a matter of only caring about themselves as there would be no envelopes or a lot less if they voted for legalization. This is how our country is run. The all mighty dollar in hands of people who are supposed to serve public but serve their own needs like a milion dollar house on a 200,00.00 a year salary and houses in vacation spots with 100,00.00 cars and 500,00 boats for entertaining and all wives with 5 carat diamonds. On 200,00 dollars? No way!

 

[Dr. 215]

great read

 

[Boss]

You can also help the cause by informing yourself on the facts, and not being afraid to fight for the truth, even when it's uncomfortable. Too many people back off in public conversations because they don't want to feel isolated and intimidated.

It is your obligation to speak the truth, everywhere, anywhere, all of the time. Even when it's uncomfortable.

 

[Cherma]

If Refer Madness, the movie is still being used as a tool of propaganda by many organizations than maybe with all the cannabis industries momentum at this time and place in history, and the enormous amount of cash capitol that is available, a new version of Refer Madness - Cannabis Craze or something like that be made to help educate instead of parodize and mock the cannabis industry. Anyone see the price of oil today? Have we looked at the fuel pump when filling up lately? What cost is cotton compared to cannabis? How many chemicals does it take to produce an acre of cotton to an acre of cannabis.
Medical Marijuana and safe access to it is a great goal and privledge to have for many of us. for those who do not have that right or access to medical marijuana, there are those that continue to fight for those rights along side of you.