Posted on 08/15/2018 9:06:53 AM PDT by fwdude
Yesterday I visited our local bookstore and was struck by the abundance of magazine covers promoting marijuana. Later my wife commented that she’s received two ads this week for cannabis products, something she’s never received before! What’s going on?
In case you haven’t noticed or are simply distracted by the busyness of life, propaganda promoting marijuana and its legalization is bombarding us. Should we be concerned about something that is celebrated as a “harmless recreational” indulgence that progressive people should embrace excitedly?
Recently our state newspaper ran a prominent piece by a young woman calling for weed to be legalized. Coincidentally, she works for a statewide cannabis advocacy group. Reading her arguments and questionable statistics made me wonder if we should begin distributing marijuana freely since she opines it is so harmless and beneficial!
What follows is my pushback to the propaganda. Feel free to “borrow” any and all my counterpoints for op-eds you can submit, exposing the seductive logic.
Let’s Get Serious
“There are three kinds of lies: lies, dxxxxd lies and statistics,” said Mark Twain. He was pointing out the use of statistics to bolster weak or fallacious arguments. The dope supporter whose article appeared in our newspaper, typical of many, deserved a five star Pinocchio award for her misleading stats and misguided presentation.
Recently, I had an in-depth conversation with a police officer formerly on paid leave who has since retired. He was rehabilitating from a serious injury sustained when he confronted a young man about to commit a crime who was stoned on marijuana. He subsequently assaulted the officer, tearing his rotator cuff. He now faces numerous felony offenses plus decades behind bars, in addition to the impounding of his car containing marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Olympic gold medalist, Michael Phelps, often appears in the news with his lovely wife and two little boys celebrating his success emerging from rehab and his near-death experience. “Not wanting to be alive anymore” at one point, the champion who smoked marijuana, deceived it would not affect his ability to excel, now swears off any drugs as he encourages youth to emulate his example.
Close to where I live, a 33-year-old woman was sentenced to 30 years in prison for her reckless driving which resulted in the death of a teenager helping change his mother’s flat tire. The THP report showed her high on drugs and impaired in her driving ability as she callously fled the scene of the homicide. She’ll now have many decades to ponder her stupidity, recreational drug usage and the devastation it brought her and a grieving family.
With scores of people killed, maimed, or disabled for life from drunk driving, especially by young people, do we really want to compound the problem by adding marijuana to the mix? Teens can think they are invincible and adding a joint can seem innocuous until the tragedy happens, which it does all too frequently.
Contrary to what drug proponents profess, marijuana and other drugs take a toll—eventually, if not immediately. Drugs don’t deliver as advertised. Why do you think they call it “dope?”
Even pot-smoking, poster boy Willie Nelson, battling emphysema and pneumonia four or five times, admits his lungs have gotten “really screwed up.”
In Willie’s own words, “There’s been a lot of talk about marijuana being harmless, but I think it’s a lot more dangerous to the lungs than most dope smokers realize. Especially the strong marijuana that’s around these days. Each year it seems to get a little stronger … your lungs are not really supposed to breath anything but oxygen—pure, fresh air.”
How about the tragic, premature deaths of both Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse portrayed in recent documentaries? Both got started on the path to their destruction the exact same way, smoking weed, those “harmless” joints.
Research Studies Should Not Be Ignored As Sergeant Joe Friday used to say on the TV program Dragnet, “Just the facts!” so here they are …
The United States Drug Enforcement Agency states: “U.S. drug overdose kills more people than traffic accidents and gun incidents.” The total number cited was 46,471! If we could ask these victims how many started on marijuana or maintained their marijuana usage along with other drugs, I wonder how many would hang their heads in regret wishing they’d never succumbed to the seduction of the Pied Piper’s enticement onto this pernicious path?
My best friend growing up started experimenting with recreational drugs when he started college with me. What started as a fun escape spiraled into his premature death in his mid-20s. I carry an ache in my heart to this day from this experience.
When marijuana proponents glorify drugs and celebrate its “harmless” even “beneficial effect,” they should take heed to the words of an expert, Dr. Ed Gogek, an addiction psychiatrist. He wrote the following in the uber-liberal New York Times: “I’ve spent 25 years as a doctor treating drug abusers and they are con artists…. Marijuana activists are phony scientists. For years they said marijuana is good for glaucoma when it actually worsens it! They said it is not addictive and this is false! They said it doesn’t increase usage among teenagers and all evidence says the opposite…. It is not harmless! Youth do worse in school and have two times the dropout rate while marijuana permanently lowers their IQ.”
Joseph Califano, head of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, declares without qualification that “pot smoking adversely affects motor skills and does serious damage to the brain over the long term.” It is a fact that objective studies repeatedly show that regular users find their IQ dropping and all cognitive functions hindered. Finally, a recent study from Northwestern University established clearly that teen “potheads” had brain abnormalities related to poor short-term memory performance. Healthy individuals who did not use marijuana scored 37 times better on average than users—not just addicts—who had smoked pot in the past. The National Institute of Health makes it clear: “One in six youth who try marijuana before age 18 will either abuse it or will become addicted.” Those are dangerous odds, parents. Is this what we want for our children and grandchildren? What’s Happening in Massachusetts? The state of Massachusetts jumped on the bandwagon to legalize marijuana. After a number of months, a study was done to discover the impact on young people. The results are sobering and startling: currently 1/2 of youth ages 18–25 have smoked marijuana in the past month!
In the classic film The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy finally pulled back the curtain and exposed the deceiving mastermind behind the façade. May we do likewise amid celebrities and other pot promoters who glamorize toking up, some under the ruse of the “medical marijuana” argument (which can have some medicinal benefits but it’s not the only alternative).
A little while ago, in the mall where I daily exercise, a middle-aged mother darted from the coffee shop and stammered these words amidst her tears, “They just found my daughter dead!” She proceeded to tell me about her 27-year-old daughter who met a young fellow who influenced her to start smoking dope. Prior to this encounter, “she had never been involved with any drugs” but this was the gateway to her death and her mother’s devastation.
Here’s the deal: Scripture says, “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools…” (Romans 1:22). People will accuse us of being “fear mongers,” but we must not back down. Let’s winsomely and confidently communicate the truth about this massive deception permeating America today.
“Which you just did, hypocrite.”
So, you agree that telling others what is or is not conservative is not conservative then. Got it.
The article smells like poop and only reminds me I’m much more concerned with corrupt intrusive government and the controlling types who run it, constantly attempting to control *everything* in our lives, all while taxing the s**t out of us.
Why are you here? And why should you expect an echo chamber of your thoughts? And not just ban, but kill pit bulls if you want to be specific.
I’ll answer the “but alcohol!” narrative as not comparable for obvious reasons. You can drink and still not drink to intoxication based on very controllable, measurable actions. Can one not smoke weed to the point of intoxication?
It is a more binary condition than drinking.
Because when everyone is stoned they won’t have too much trouble controlling the masses.
As one Roman Emperor said, “Let the games begin”
No, I’m saying that judging conservatism for what it is isn’t a a matter of “conservatism” or not. Lack of judgement is a leftist dogma.
With the assistance of the Whiskey Tax of 1791...America’s first venture into crony-capitalism
How much are the Mexican drug cartels paying you to advocate for marijuana prohibition? After all, prohibition only lines their pockets.
I have linked this story several times in various addiction related threads. It’s one of, if not the best, illustration of what actual addiction is.
The substance in this case is alcohol. I do not chose alcohol in particular to make a point versus weed. There are plenty of physically addictive substances out there, alcohol being one of them. The reason I choose this video is because it is powerful. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. It’s just the story of a man and his demon.
For full disclosure, I enjoy small amount of alcohol per year. I really like Abita Andygator. My limit is two. I also enjoy a fresh squeezed margarita, that is my favorite drink, I have to say. Physically addictive substances are okay in small amounts as long as one does not let it take control of ones life. My father was an alcoholic, and my brother is an alcoholic. I am a former drug addict.
To anyone who wishes to know the true nature of an actual addiction, please watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrTlI6seM0A&t=499s
The issues, at least what I thought was the issue with most FReepers, is WHO gets to make these decisions, states or the federal government.
This article is imploring states to maintain what laws exist, not to introduce some novel construct never considered before.
You can’t get rid of pot by making it illegal. It is a plant that grows out of the ground. Even the most restrictive gun laws can’t keep guns away from criminals. Tobacco taxes don’t stop people from smoking they just make them buy cheaper cigarettes or get them from other states. Drug laws serve to make drugs expensive and many of the social ills of drugs are related to the expense of drugs. If you don’t want to smoke drink or do drugs then don’t. But those that do want to will do them regardless of legality.
It doesn’t seem like they have too much trouble controlling the masses regardless of sobriety.
Unfortunately, mass mind control seems to work on a large percentage of people.
You have no facts.
People will only learn to avoid addiction, when the substance in very available. Then they can say, no.
How do you say no, to a banned substance??
The best way to look at the pot epidemic is that the centuries ban created the current problem.
Over time, life adjusts. But this gives self righteous, know it alls, like yourself, a chance to learn moderation.
Go hang out at the DUmp, jerk.
I guess your fallacious argument applies to cocaine, heroine, and any other hard drugs which find their way into our country, then?
Yeah, that'll work! Lol.
We like to preach that gun prohibition will not stop guns from being used, and in the same breath, we suggest that somehow making/keeping pot illegal will work. Do you not realize the goofiness of that position?
I'll ask you the same question I ask of all prohibitionists: How much are the mexican drug cartels paying you to advocate prohibition, so that they can keep their product flowing?
Which, ironically, isn't a fact at all.
If Marijuana or other controlled substances are legalized,
the unemployment rate will sky rocket.
>> Many judges will be out of work
Alcohol is legal and they have lots of work due to it.
I was talking about you, not to you
I didn’t write the article, moron. Your argument is with the author.
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