As per the DEA:

Ninety-five percent of Americans do not use drugs.

Source

Keep in mind that the government is all too happy to lump marijuana in with other substances when they use the word “drugs,” but they disregard FDA approved drugs like Tylenol (which can actually kill a person). If you get semantic about it, there are hardly any Americans at all that “don’t use drugs.”

And, even in this document the DEA likes to use the word “drugs,” but calls out marijuana prominently. Leaving most readers to think that this is really only about marijuana; in which case their numbers are extremely off base. Believe it or not, there are plenty of people that use cocaine but don’t touch marijuana. This is true for many other drugs.

But that’s not what this post is about. It’s about that 95%.

At first I thought, “this is an outright lie.” But it’s not. Well, not exactly.

I thought I should look more into it just to see what the real numbers look like, and they are interesting indeed. And as a bonus, I found a new area of discussion about which I haden’t previously considered.

The Real Numbers

So let’s play with the numbers and see what we have.

The DEA says 95% of Americans don’t use drugs. Well, it turns out that more than 14% of Americans are under the age of 10. Another 4% are over the age of 80. Source

I bring these groups in as the case of a 9 year old toking up is so rare that you can completely disregard them in this case with no problems. And as for the elderly, I feel that life changes are pretty drastic in such that the availability, desire and opportunity to smoke weed is rather slim.

That leaves us with a total of 18% of Americans that are very unlikely to currently/regularly use marijuana.

This leaves us with an “eligible” 82% of the population. Already 95% doesn’t work well with reality.

What They Meant To Say

What they likely meant to say was:

95% of Americans aged 12 and older do not currently use marijuana.

Which would be closer to the truth (though still inaccurate). As of 2007 5.8% of Americans aged 12 and older have used marijuana in the last month (remember, we aren’t looking at other “drugs”). And this is only in the last month. Source

We see a total of just over 10% of Americans 12 and older that have used marijuana in the past year, and 40.6% in their lifetime.

And these are numbers from the government themselves.

When We Talk Numbers

Remember that these are surveys. Surveys that are in place by the government. I’m not saying they play with the numbers directly, but keep in mine 2 things.

First, if a cop asked you if you smoked marijuana recently, would you tell him “yes?” When people are approached by the government to answer such questions, they are naturally hesitant to give a real answer.

Second, I know for a fact that no government organization has ever asked these questions of me. Have they asked you?

The funny thing about polls and surveys is that you can continue them for so long as you have not obtained a desired number; or cease them once you have.

Let’s say you have 100 people you can poll. In reality 25% of them are left-handed. That leaves 75% who are right-handed. But you don’t know this yet. You haven’t asked them all.

You are pressed for time so you decide to ask 10 people which of their hands is dominant. 7 of them are left-handed, 3 are right-handed. Now you know, that 70% of the people surveyed are left-handed. Now pretend you need to ask 304 million people the same question.

I’m pretty sure I rest my case on that one. Or maybe I’m the dummy.

In Case You Haven’t Heard, The Economy Sucks

Now that we’ve seen how that 95% is almost a made-up number, I want to share an interesting thought with you.

When I was going through these numbers I noticed a huge decrease in use between lifetime, past year and past month users.

For example, in 2007 42% of Americans aged 26 or older reported use at least once in their lifetime. But, that number drops to 6.8% in the last year, and further to 3.9% in the last month. That’s a pretty big drop.

You could think that “hey, that shows that a lot of people try it, but don’t get hooked.” Which is a true statment. But still, that’s a really large drop.

You could also say that “I wouldn’t mind telling a cop I smoke weed when I was a kid, but I’m not fessing to doing it yesterday. What’s he gonna do?” Again, a justifiable assumption.

But as I was expressing my curiousity to a friend, he reminded me of something.

“Yeah, that’s about when the economy started to go to shit,” he so elequently stated. “How many people lost jobs and had to clean up for a drug test?”

Well, I never thought about that. I can’t say for sure that this is indeed the case, but it would make perfect sense that a ton of people lost jobs over the last few years and needed to accommodate this incredibly rediculous law in order to take care of their responsibilities (which an amazing amount of “stoners” do).

So, I leave you with that for this Friday. Next week I’m going to post on some really interesting stuff I received about Marinol. Stay tuned.

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But I beg another question. Are these dogs even effective in properly identifying the possession of marijuana? Further, should their alert be used as probable cause, the basis of a more in depth search?

Before I continue, I think the answer to those questions is “no.”

Traveling Abroad For Answers

In my limited amount of time to look into this, I couldn’t find much in the way of research on the use of sniffer dogs and their validity in America.

So, like anyone else who wants to find the answers to American propaganda I widened my search to include other countries.

To Australia!

The New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties decided not too long ago to review the Police Powers Act. With a few differences, the way in which their police use dogs as a means to find illegal substances is very similar to ours.

In their review, they found that sniffer dogs “get it wrong in three out of five searches.”

Three out of five? Yeah, three out of five. But let’s take a few closer looks at what they found.

No Suppliers Found

I’m not too sure on the details of the goals of dog use in America as it regards to the ‘War on Drugs,’ but in a debate the NSW Police Minister said:

The Bill is aimed primarily at detecting and prosecuting persons committing offences relating to the supply of prohibited drugs or plants.

Basically, they are looking for drug dealers. Has the use of dog sniffers worked so far?

Sniffer dogs are intended to help police catch drug suppliers. They are a spectacular failure. Only about 1-2.5% of all people identified by sniffer dogs are drug dealers. In fact, only about 20-30% of all people identified by sniffer dogs are in possession of drugs at all. Of those, the vast majority are in possession of small amounts of cannabis.

I see. The dogs are only properly identifying 1 – 2.5% of those alerted as “drug dealers,” and with only a 20-30% success rate in identifying even simple possession.

The review continues with:

Drug detection dogs are being used by police as an excuse to trawl the community. The dogs are being used not so much for drug detection but rather to arbitrarily stop, search and detain citizens police would not otherwise be able to. Under the guise of sniffer dog operations, police are asking thousands of people for their names and addresses and storing this information on police databases – even when the citizen has committed no offense. This is a misuse of state power and must stop immediately.

So it seems that the police were using these dogs and their alerts as a reason to stop and question citizens.

Blind Faith In Dogs

More disturbing than the inaccurate use of the dogs to find drug offenders are the stories you hear about their handlers giving them queues to alert on a vehicle or person.

I know it seems like a conspiracy theory. But think about this. You are a cop, and you want to search a vehicle. The owner of the vehicle has told you that he does not consent. Now, not only are you not able to search the vehicle, but this punk kid is being a “smart ass,” what with his rights and all. That’s fine. I’ll just pull my dog out, wave my hand a bit, and blamo; I have probable cause.

The appalling inaccuracy of these dogs is compounded by the unwillingness of their handlers to admit this inaccuracy. The handlers offer many excuses for their dogs, for example that people identified had recently used drugs or were in the presence of those who did. Such excuses do not alter the fact that these dogs cannot accurately detect people in actual possession of prohibited drugs.

This blind faith is documented in the Discussion Paper. For example, one dog handler claims that his dog ‘never lies’. This leads to the disturbing attitude of dog handlers and police that anyone identified by these dogs is in someway connected to prohibited drugs– and if the citizen denies it, then law enforcement officials assume they are lying.

You have to remember that dogs (and other animals in general) have a very simple mindset. Though they have feelings, they are not as defined as that of a human.

When being trained, these dogs are rewarded for finging drugs. So, even if done so unconciously, a handler is rewarding his dog for finding what he wants to be found.

This dog only knows that when it finds what it’s owner wants, he gets a treat. What does his owner want? This marijuana. Or, maybe it’s plastic bags. Or maybe it’s brown paper bags.

See my point? Think Pavlov.

Cannot Provide Reasonable Suspicion

Given the dismal accuracy of drug detection dogs, CCL submits that it is not possible to claim that an identification by a sniffer dog is sufficient of itself to constitute reasonable suspicion that a person is in fact carrying prohibited drugs. It is certainly not possible to say that such a sniffer dog identification is sufficient of itself to formulate a reasonable
suspicion that an individual is involved in the supply of prohibited drugs.

The question of reasonable suspicion is extremely important in policing. In the case of prohibited drugs, a police officer may stop, search and detain any person he or she reasonably suspects of having in their possession or control any prohibited drug or plant.

I bring this part up for a very important reality of what I feel most people are not aware. You may be thinking that in order for a police officer to search your vehicle they would need to establish probable cause. And that a dog’s alert is so obviously fallible that it would not constitute needed cause.

Unfortunately you would be incorrect.

In 1998 Roy Caballes was stopped for speeding in his vehicle. The officer that had stopped him went through the routine as usual. Though the officer requested no aid, Trooper Craig Graham of the Drug Interdiction Team decided to join anyway. He pulled out his dog, which alerted to the trunk of Caballes’ vehicle. And inside, they found marijuana.

There was a short debate over whether or not the use of the canine unit was justifiable in the first place, as the first officer was already writing a warning with intent to leave it at that when Graham arrived. There was no prior reason to believe Caballes was in possession, but the dog’s alert was accepted as probable cause to search and Caballes was sentenced to 12 years.

Even after the Illinois Supreme Court said that the arrival of the drug dog improperly broadened the scope of the investigation from a traffic stop to a drug investigation, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that trained drug-sniffing dogs may be used to search suspects regardless of probable cause.

In Closing

It seems that sniffer dogs unreliable at best. And now that we have adopted their use so openly, they may be used regardless of your privacy rights.

Welcome to America.

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In my post “Criminalization Creates Criminals” I touched on the perception people have for cops and the general dis respect for the law that marijuana prohibition causes.

As level-headed as I may attempt to be, even I get a pissy attitude when thinking about cops.

“Geez, I don’t want to have to deal with this guy. He’s just going to look for a reason to book me anyway.”

or

“There are a few cops over that way. Let’s go around.”

Why? Why, when I see a couple cops roaming an outside event do I decide to keep my distance? I rarely do anything even remotely illegal. I never have anything on my person that would constitute an arrest.

So why do I feel this way about our police officers?

I think it has a lot to do with our individual outlooks. We know that marijuana prohibition is silly. And we know a lot of cops feel the same way (LEAP for example). But at the end of the day, whether a police officer agrees with a law or not, they have to act in regard of it.

So, to my point of appreciation.

You Will Fall To My Powers Of Logic

I went to the mall last weekend and as we walked along the second floor we noticed a line of tables and booths on the first floor. Some sort of mini expo was going on. You could see blue and red lights flashing about 150 yards away. GASP!

Could it be? Could God have graced me with cops gallore with which to discuss marijuana legalization?

Don’t these guys know who I am? I’m a pro-legalization blogger. I’m going to thrust into the fray and make these cops wish they never showed up!

With my wife and kids in tow, I hurry to the epicenter of the action.

And here we are. In the midst of what seems to be a table for each and every type of law enforcement with every agency and department represented. K9 units have a table. Traffic cops have a table. And of course, the DEA has a table.

My eyes were wide at the site of brochures and pamplets strewn about. As far as I could see, propaganda lined the walkways. Naturally, most of what was available was aimed at kids.

Awesome.

I picked up as many of the paper lies as I could. I’m going to read these and force the pushers into a conversation about marijuana. I know I have the knowledge and logic on my side. Now is my chance to confront them publicly.

“Dude,” I say to my wife. “These guys won’t know what hit them.”

But then, I read them. I asked my fam to chill a sec while I thumbed through a few brochures on “keeping your kids off drugs” and “how to tell if your child is using marijuana.”

Wait. What the hell is this shit?!

Exactly What I Want To See

I wanted so badly to catch a lie in any of these brochures. But, I didn’t. In fact, I was quite pleased with the message selected for use.

At just under 30 years of age, it isn’t too difficult to remember being a child. I remember that the last thing I liked was being treated as a child. I try to keep this in mind with I speak to my oldest, a son of 9.

When we talk on drugs, I don’t regurgitate the DARE BS. I don’t lie to him. I would never tell him that if he smokes marijuana, that his life will suddenly fall apart or that he will kill a family member.

Instead, at his age, I try to lump all drugs into a singular object. Right now all he needs to know is that drugs are for adults, and usually initiated by a doctor or someone of qulification.

“Tylenol is a drug. That is why we don’t let you have them. We, as your parents or a doctor will decide on your use.”

I also explain that alcohol is a drug, however different it may seem. It is a drug that people use for recreational purposes, but only when they are much older, and only in a responsible manner.

We don’t talk on the consequences of use of drugs, as much as we discuss the consequences of abuse.

In my house, drugs share the same category as guns. Guns don’t kill people themselves. Guns are tools used to solve specific problems. However, the abuse of guns has a very serious, very real consequence. This is why only adults use guns, and only responsibly.

For now, this is sufficient. He needs to know one fact: Drugs are not for kids. That’s it. They are not good or bad.

What he doesn’t need to know is that marijuana will make black people think they are as good as white men, or that if he ever smokes it he will inadvertantly kill his little sister. And rest assured that when he is old enough to understand the very real danger of hate, I will show him why marijuana is really illegal.

So to see that these pamplets seem to speak in the same tone as I was a real releif. It was nice that the sentiment that I feel for my children was the same as the message these cops were promoting. There were no fake statistics used or baseless facts about marijuana. Simply, kids shouldn’t use it.

Not only were these cops peddling decent information, I got to overhear a few conversations between a lot of them and a few parents.

Even at one point one lady went halfway into a tirade about how she would beat her kid silly if she ever found a joint in his room. The officer directly in front of her explained how that would only escalate, and that sitting with her kids on a regular basis to openly talk would be more effective. He never told her to say “drugs are bad,” but that instead she should consistently ensure that the lines of communication are open. He asked “would you rather your son go out smoking and driving with his friends, or would you rather he approached you when he tried it?”

The day went nicer as I got to sit in one of the unmarked cars. Though my wife had to slap me when I accidently exclaimed “heh, never been in the front seat before!”

The Lines Aren’t So Clear…

…and that’s a good thing. With the advent of LEAP and with what seems to be even a few police officers looking at marijuana with a bit more logic, there seems to be less of a ‘good guys vs. bad guys’ attitude. At least, in this case.

I would never ask a police officer to disregard his or her responsibilities by looking at the reality of mairjuana use and let an “offender” slip away, but I wouldn’t advise against it either. Hell, simply feeling that some of these guys might actually let someone go without a problem is somewhat of a relief.

A Good Reminder

This felt good. The whole experience reminded me to make sure I look at each situation individually. Usually, when I see the materials used for a DARE presentation, I end up quite angry.

I make no mistake. The threat of the arrest of someone with a few grams in their pocket is still real. One or 2 cops hanging out on a saturday morning isn’t going to change that. But it did remind me that they are human, and the grand majority are damn good people.

To approach the situation in which I had just been was unjustifiable. To not look at all the sides before I passed judgement; to no take into account the facts before I made the assumption of misinformation. Well, that was wrong on my part.

It reminded me of the people that fight for prohibition. I just did what they did. Thankfully there was a sufficient pause before I jumped into action.

Those guys would have totally been sorry.

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It may not make you a bad person, but the law is the law.

And that’s a problem for more than just our selfish reasons. Sure, the desire to smoke legally, without fear of having your kids and possessions taken away would be really nice (and much deserved). But there’s a bigger issue here.

And that’s the state of our country in regard to the perception of our law enforcement.

They Aren’t Bad Guys

If you think about it, cops aren’t bad guys. They are just guys doing a job. I don’t mean this in a negative way, but they are little more than pawns in the legal system. So yeah, it sucks that they pull you over and give you a ticket, but they are just following orders.

That’s closer to the truth of the situation than it is the reality. In reality, we collectively hate cops for knocking down our doors, hauling friends and family members to jail and breaking up families. We hate that they take us down for responsibly taking part in an action that doesn’t hurt anyone around us, but helps to relive the stress of our daily lives.

We Abide By The Law (Well, Except That One)

Right or wrong, marijuana use is illegal. But it’s a law that is broken by millions of Americans every day, and substantially more at least once in their lifetime. But other than that, most marijuana smokers are rather law-abiding. They pay taxes, they take care of their families and they help their neighbor with their lawn (even though we work all week and really don’t want to deal with it on a nice Saturday morning).

Sure, we speed sometimes, or throw a piece of garbage out the window, but generally we don’t kill, rape or beat people up all the time.

It isn’t difficult to find a resident of your local county jail who has no priors, no history of violence or criminality, but has found himself sleeping in a small bunk for up to a year for possession. Now he’s a “criminal.”

Bad Timing

Do you know why airplane crashes are such a big deal on T.V.? Because they are so rare relative to successful flights. When an accident finally occurs, it’s a big deal. But, it looks bad when you see a few of them in a few month’s time. In reality, flying is still pretty safe, but too many pictures of burning debris strewn about the ground and you start to consider walking as a means of transportation.

This is the same thing with cops, and the timing is pretty bad. With the advent of camera phones, we are seeing more and more instances of “cops gone wrong.” From harassing EMTs to beating the hell out of 15 year old girls, cases of police brutality are all over the Internet.

However, though I have no numbers to back this up, I feel like this is a case of perception rather than reality. I feel like there are way more “good” cops than bad. Just as there are way more “good” marijuana smokers than bad.

A Dis-Respect For The Law

Tie these 3 thoughts together, and you have a large group of people that begin to dis-respect the law on a larger level, thus promoting further illegal activity, however minor.

We are constantly playing in an underground industry, forcing us to deal with people to whom we wouldn’t otherwise even converse. We have to hide our stash when driving, and are constantly looking in the mirror to see if the “fuzz” is onto us for that joint in the ash tray (Hint: don’t keep your joint in the ash tray, or any other location in plain view).

We start to regard cops as “them” instead of “us.” I don’t like murderers. I would like to think of cops as on the same side as I. But I can’t help to think of the harassment cases when I see a cop on the side of the road. I can’t help think “that dick is just waiting to bust some guy with a joint.” And that’s a real problem.

It’s Time To Come Together

I know this sounds cliche, but for as long as we divide this country into opposing sides on so many issues we only hurt ourselves. When we finally get marijuana legalized, millions of people will have few excuses to look at cops as enemies. The underground trade of marijuana distribution will diminish, lowering crime rate all around (I do have numbers for this statement, but I want to keep this post as a “thought provoker” than another war of statistics).

We will be able to free the time our cops usually spend taking some guy into jail, filling out paperwork and stressing tax dollars just to hold him. That time could be used to find the guy that took my buddy’s license plate. Or perhaps spend a few extra man hours on the thousands of kids that go missing every year. Or maybe solve that rape or murder case.

In the end, our cops are just doing their jobs. But right now, a large chunk of that job is hurting everyone involved whether you use marijuana or not. And in the end, by keeping marijuana illegal we aren’t getting rid of criminals, we are creating them.

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1. Cops: Not All Bad The thing about marijuana prohibition that often falls on my...

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It’s a good piece on America’s prohibition and its impact on the rest of the world.

Pretty good indeed.

What’s more interesting is the second comment on the post. It starts with:

I suppose it’s easy for someone who doesn’t use Marijuana to argue against its legalization, but this isn’t about the effects it has on its users. It’s about personal freedom…

And these 2 things are what today’s post is all about. First, we haven’t won anything (and I don’t think we are close enough to celebrate). Second, I don’t think segregation among the people is a good idea, even in thought. Let’s discuss.

I don’t use marijuana, and haven’t for almost 12 years now. Perhaps I will entertain the idea again, but I don’t see it in my immediate future. However, I whole heartedly believe that marijuana should be legal, even for recreational use.

No, I don’t think it’s a case of users vs. non-users. I think it’s a case of misinformation by a noneducational system perpetuated by our government. Pair those things with the greed associated with the war on drugs and we are on the losing side of this battle.

Make no mistake. I love articles like this, but I really don’t think we are even remotely close to a national reform. It feels like it, but that’s only because our government let’s us feel like it.

This is all the more reason to act, and NORML is a perfect place to do that. Get involved, donate, tell a friend; it doesn’t matter, just do something to help others become educated and get this “war on drugs” to end. But whatever you do, don’t place yourself on the other side of the non-users. This creates an exclusion and can be perceived as aggression (however passive or subtle it may be). This would make us look just like the government, and they have more money.

No, instead I think we need band together, users and non-users alike. You can’t reason with America’s government. They are like umpires; right or wrong, they stick with their answers. They don’t care who loses.

So what do we do?

Educate

I think the most important thing you can do is educate the people around you. Marijuana use comes up all the time, whether you partake or not. These conversations happen. Take it as an opportunity to educate rather than debate or argue (leave that to the lobbyist, they are better at it).

If the setting is appropriate, perhaps you could show a documentary on the subject. I spoke about the manner in which I talk to my oldest child in this post. Maybe that’s right for you, maybe it isn’t, but education starts with our kids. Maybe even purchasing a book for kids would help.

Action

I posted on an idea posed by NORML themselves. I think it’s a really good idea. This is a physical action that will be noticed. People, especially those that comprise our government, don’t always hear words or logic; they sure as hell pay attention to physical actions if on a large enough scale (please keep it non-violent though, as violence just gives more reason to keep it illegal).

Even if you don’t do that, there are plenty of gatherings across the nation that offer open arms to those that want to participate. You can even start a NORML chapter in your area if there isn’t one already, and perhaps brainstorm some gatherings and actions of your own.

Voting

I know it doesn’t seem like it most of the time, but voting is how we the people exercise what little power we have. Show your government that you aren’t some lazy pothead, but a pothead that pays taxes, and has a belief regarding the direction of YOUR country.

In the same respect, tell your elected officials who are already in office that you think marijuana should be legal, and that this topic is a large part of the determining factors when deciding on your ballot submission.

Money

Our government is arguably the most powerful on the planet. They use that power to make a lot of money. And they use that money to get what they want. We aren’t going to stop that cycle for sure, but we can get some money of our own. I know we don’t have much, but every little bit helps. NORML also has plenty of opportunity to do so.

For crying out loud. I’ve typed “NORML” so many times on this post, maybe I should approach them about a kick back or something.

Rest assured I don’t actually get anything for sending you there. I would gladly take donations here, but to be honest I wouldn’t know what to do with it, and would probably just send it to them anyway.

Learn More

No matter what you know, you can always learn more. Learn more about the problems facing the legalization of marijuana, and think of ways to get through them. The first article that comes to my mind is that by Jon Gettman on the Top Ten Obstacles to Marijuana Law Reform. Believe you me, there are plenty more out there.

In Closing

We haven’t won anything until it is over. This is not that time. We need everything we can get, and that includes non-smokers. I’m a non-smoker, and proud of it. If I were a smoker, I would be proud of that too. That doesn’t matter. What matters is the amount of research I’ve done on the subject, and my willingness to stand up for what I believe in. You…do that too.

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I thought it would be interesting to dissect their list of myths and facts, so here goes.

Marijuana Myths & Facts: The Truth Behind 10 Popular Misperceptions

Marijuana is harmless

They start by stating:

Marijuana harms in many ways, and kids are the most vulnerable to
its damaging effects. Use of the drug can lead to significant health,
safety, social, and learning or behavioral problems, especially for young
users. Making matters worse is the fact that the marijuana available
today is more potent than ever.

Interesting. First, note that the use of marijuana among teens is down according to a study comparing numbers from 2002 and 2006. This is due in large part to the number of educational programs that have been created over the last decade. These programs are not like the D.A.R.E programs that use failed scare tactics in often failed attempts. These are programs like NYC DanceSafe that  focus more on education than “just say no” programs. Even the United States General Accounting Office will tell you:

DARE had no statistically significant long-term effect on preventing illicit drug use.

Reference

This is what we pro-legalization/decriminalization citizens want. We don’t want to put this stuff in the hands of kids any more than we would want to do so with any other drug (including alcohol, tobacco or prescription drugs meant for adults). Many legalization proposals you see even ask that some of the money gained from taxing marijuana be dedicated to education the young.

So, kids are still vulnerable no thanks to the programs the government insists on piling our money into. However, we are beginning to win that battle (the one the government should be helping us with) on or own. And I believe the groups that are working will continue to do so.

As for the health problems associated with marijuana, according to  a study by the Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa:

Current marijuana use had a negative effect on global IQ score only in subjects who smoked 5 or more joints per week. A negative effect was not observed among subjects who had previously been heavy users but were no longer using the substance. We conclude that marijuana does not have a long-term negative impact on global intelligence.

A very recent study also debunked the “pot causes mental illness” claim. I also talked about depression and schizophrenia in an earlier post in which I discussed a few studies on the effect marijuana has on mental illnesses.

Marijuana is not addictive

It was once believed that marijuana was not addictive; many people still believe this to be the case. But recent research shows that use of the drug can indeed lead to dependence. Some heavy users of marijuana develop withdrawal symptoms when they have not used the drug for a period of time.

I find it interesting that in one statement, they use both the words “addiction” and “dependence.” Do some research and you will see that there is a big difference in these things. Generally speaking, dependence means that if dosage of a drug is ceased or lowered too quickly, you will experience withdraws. This is normal. Addiction (again, generally) means that a person would increase their dosage without the consult of a professional.

As you can probably imagine, there aren’t many drugs, legal or otherwise that wouldn’t have some sort of impact on a regular user is completely stopped or weened from dosage too quickly. Ever know someone that quite smoking, or done so yourself? Remember the air of anger, irritability and general crankiness?

Again, this is where the opposition seems to get hung up without understanding what it is we want. We are pushing for the use of marijuana as done so by responsible adults. The same thing we want in regard to tobacco or alcohol. The only thing that can help addiction/dependence is education.

So, look at it this way. People who desire to smoke marijuana are obviously doing so regardless of its legal status. The government is failing on that front. What we want is to make it legal, while pushing for education for our kids and those in need so that it is saved for responsible use. Well, the government is failing there too.

In that same section, the “facts” state that:

More teens enter treatment each year with a primary diagnosis of marijuana dependence than for all other illicit drugs combined. Currently, 62 percent of teens in drug treatment are dependent on marijuana.

I love it when I hear this. My response is always the same:

So let me ask you. Would you rather go to a rehab center for a few weeks or dedicate a few weekends to it, or would you rather go to jail?

I’m not the smartest guy in the world, but I’m confident that I know the answer before I ask it. I do so because that is most often the option given to teens who are being convicted of use or possession. Either go to jail, or a treatment center.

It seems to me that these numbers are not as much a result of marijuana use, as they are the direct result of the government’s actions against “perpetrators.”

Marijuana is not as harmful to your health as tobacco

Although some people think of marijuana as a benign natural herb, the drug actually contains many of the same cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco. Puff for puff, the amount of tar inhaled and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed by those who smoke marijuana, regardless of THC content, are three to five times greater than among tobacco smokers.

Boy oh boy do I love this argument. Let’s start with their incredible ability to play with words in order to get the message they want.

…the drug actually contains many of the same cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco.

Yeah, so does coffee, potato chips and a ton of other products deemed “safe” by our government.

This statement is also a little funny:

Puff for puff, the amount of tar inhaled and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed by those who smoke marijuana…

…the daily smoking of relatively small amounts of marijuana (3 to 4 joints) has at least a comparable, if not greater effect” on the respiratory system than the smoking of more than 20 tobacco cigarettes.

Here’s the thing about marijuana. Because it’s so safe to self-regulate usage (you can’t overdose), smokers have the ability to throttle up or down their usage. 3 to 4 joints is a lot if the potency is even decent. And this is all supposed to be smoked in the few hours between getting home from work and going to bed? Not likely. However, the common cigarette-smoker smokes at least a full pack (20 cigs) per day.

At the end of it, even if the consumption of cigarette smoke and marijuana smoke were so different, puff for puff, then that would logistically make marijuana safer. Wanna get high? Take a few puffs. Wanna quench that nicotine addiction (yes, addiction)? Gonna have to burn through that whole pack, today.

Just to hammer home the point, note that it is impossible to overdose on marijuana. You can’t smoke enough to kill the human body (unless, perhaps, if you are in the middle of an asthmatic fit. In which case, would you be smoking a cigarette at this time?).

Just for kicks, check out this article.

I also don’t buy this argument because the government is all too happy to give you the “OK” on the usage of drugs with which you can actually overdose or seriously become addicted. Refer to this document showing the difference between marijuana and FDA approved drugs.

I’ll draw your attention that in a period from 1/1/97 to 6/30/50:

1. There were 0 cases of death to which marijuana could be directly attributed.
2. There were 10,008 deaths to which to which FDA APPROVED were directly attributed.
3. 279 deaths occurred in which marijuana was thought to be a “secondary” suspect (someone got stoned and fell off a bridge).
4. There were 1,679 deaths of the same caliber credited to FDA approved drugs.

We don’t even have to pull numbers comparing to alcohol poisoning and other related deaths.

Marijuana makes you mellow

Not always. Research shows that kids who use marijuana weekly are nearly four times more likely than nonusers to report they engage in violent behavior. One study found that young people who had used marijuana in the past year were more likely than nonusers to report aggressive behavior. According to that study, incidences of physically attacking people, stealing, and destroying property increased in proportion to the number of days marijuana was smoked in the past year.

Yeah “not always.” First, note that there are a ton of strands out there. A large chunk of which have been used and cultivated for such a long period of time and by many people, that they are nationally known (like selecting a brand of cereal over another).

These strands all have a different effect on different people. There are even courses a grower in an approved state can take to learn what strands and types of marijuana to use for different moods or ailments in a medicinal setting.

Research shows that kids who use marijuana weekly are nearly four times more likely than nonusers to report they engage in violent behavior. One study found that young people who had used marijuana in the past year were more likely than nonusers to report aggressive behavior.

Statements like these are generally useless anyway due to the number of people that use/have used marijuana. Basically, it isn’t difficult to find different types of people in a social regard when the pool from which you pull is so large. It would be like saying “all the carbon-based life forms we studied have a history of violence.”

The studies they used also have a heavy reliance on reporting. This means that it wasn’t actually a study on the behavor of these individuals, but they had to ask questions and get answers directly. How many kids do you think mixed the truth just a bit.

I know I used to be a 15 year old boy (not smoking by the way), and aggression was pretty common. That’s when boys physiologically become men. Hormones do that to a guy.

As for the more serious instances of violent behavior like attacking people and stealing; this stems from the fact that the industry as a whole is run and regulated by people with no respect for the law. This is such a deep topic, but think about the details that must be involved.

Criminals sell and distribute a product in a black market. The people that buy the product have to associate with them on some level. Because the industry isn’t regulated, and disputes can not be solved by taking someone to court, violence is sure to ensue. This is an environment caused by the prohibition of marijuana, not its use.

Think about the violence associate with the prohibition of alcohol. Now, think about the violence due to marijuana before it was illegal (just over 60 years ago). Oh, you can’t recall that situation? Either can I. That’s because it wasn’t there.

Legalize weed, and disputes go to the courts for mediation, people have the option to buy if from an authorized dealer; which in turn will reduce the profitability in such that most dealers wouldn’t be criminals, but start shops. And now that they are making money legally with the support of the government, they don’t even want to sell to kids. Think ‘purchasing cigarettes’ again.

Marijuana is used to treat cancer and other diseases

They start with:

Under the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, marijuana was established as a Schedule I controlled substance. In other words, it is a dangerous drug that has no recognized medical value.

This is faulty logic. There was a time when women couldn’t vote, and people could legally own slaves. Law does not equal justice or distinguish between right or wrong. You can’t use the law for a reason to have said law.

Whether marijuana can provide relief for people with certain medical conditions, including cancer, is a subject of intense national debate. It is true that THC, the primary active chemical in marijuana, can be useful for treating some medical problems. Synthetic THC is the main ingredient in Marinol®, an FDA approved medication used to control nausea in cancer chemotherapy patients and to stimulate appetite in people with AIDS. Marinol, a legal and safe version of medical marijuana, has been available by prescription since 1985.

Wow. Not only do they admit that THC can be useful in some treatments, but they immediately use it as a reason to plug an FDA approved drug.

How do you get a drug to become FDA approved? Other than playing with money, you have to test and prove a certain set of results and implications of use. So where did they find this “THC?” Oh, guess it had to be in marijuana. And they deduced that THC can be useful. Instead of admitting that marijuana is not as harmful as they want it to sound, they decided to make a drug they could sell.

Marijuana is not as popular as MDMA (Ecstasy) or other drugs among teens today

Recent survey data show that about 15 million people—6.2 percent of the U.S. population—are current marijuana users, and that nearly a third of them (4.8 mil lion people) used the dr ug on 20 or more days in the past month. Among kids age 12 to 17, more than two million (8.2 percent) reported pastmonth marijuana use. By contrast, fewer than 250,000 young people (1 percent) reported pastmonth use of hallucinogens, and of that number, only half (124,000) had used MDMA.

Well that’s the point isn’t it? Marijuana is very popular among teens. They get it because we have laws forcing people to sell it illegally to anyone they can. This makes it an underground industry (wanna guess where teenagers like to play?). If we let the government and the people regulate its distribution and use, wouldn’t we then be able to better control who possesses the drug? Again, like alcohol.

And again, that’s the point of education. If the government were more concerned with the well-being of the people as opposed to saving face, they would implement more programs built on educating than on scare tactics that don’t work (and waste tax-payer money).

You know, firefighters often induce fires in a controlled environment. One of the reasons for doing this in certain places is because of the likelihood that a fire will start naturally is high, and if not controlled would be disastrous.

Firefighters know that certain things are going to happen, whether we want them to or not. It’s best to take a proactive approach and control what we can to save lives.

This is not unlike marijuana. It’s getting into the hands of the people that want it, regardless of what we do about it. I would much rather regulate and control the burn than attempt to fight a 4,000 acre wildfire with a garden hose. But, that’s just me.

There’s a big box on the page of the document that says:

Even supporters of the legalization and medical marijuana movements agree that kids should not be using the drug.

I feel like a broken record, but yeah. We sure don’t. Just like we don’t want our kids drinking beer or smoking cigarettes. The government has an awesome history of painting marijuana smokers as these evil fiends and demons; waiting outside your door to snatch your kids up and ruin them forever. Just look at the quotes that appear in the upper right of this site. These are usually by H.J. Anslinger. He was the first person to fight marijuana on a federal level (and eventually the cause of its prohibition). I mean, look at those quotes. They are simply disgusting and a blemish on the record of American government. We really need to stop that now.

Actually the rest of that whole part is one giant reason to regulate and govern marijuana. Sometimes I wish I were slimy enough to get into politics. With that quality I think I would do well because I also seem to be a bit smarter than these guys. I would rule them as their king.

If I buy marijuana, I’m not hurting anyone else

Think again. Despite its reputation as the herb of peace and love— and despite claims that smoking pot is a victimless crime—marijuana and violence go hand in hand. Marijuana trafficking is a big, violent business, whether the plants are grown on foreign soil or cultivated in basements, backyards, and farms in the United States.

Same as above.

Seriously, as their king!

My kids won’t be exposed to marijuana

Your kids WILL be exposed to marijuana. This is where we agree. Again, with my views on education. This is apparently where we disagree.

There’s not much parents can do to stop their kids from experimenting with marijuana

We agree here too. This is like saying there isn’t much parents can do to stop kids from drinking beer. The weight falls heaviest on parents. I hope you see that we can’t rely on our government to ensure the safety of our children. We need to take care of that as parents of our children.

My son is of age to discuss drugs. Not quite old enough to get into detail, but old enough to tell me as his father to start getting him ready. I explain it as I do many other things in regard to his age.

You see cussing on T.V.? Don’t do that. We talk about respect and responsibility, etc.

You see people fighting on T.V.? Don’t do that We talk about wars and why they are caused, how hurting someone physically impacts them emotionally as well, and we talk about standing up to protect yourself and others who are weaker than you.

You see that guy doing drugs on T.V.? Don’t do that. Because of his age, we don’t talk about the stuff I talk about here. Instead we talk about the consequences of actions and decisions we make regarding our bodies. We don’t get into the difference between alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Instead we talk about how all of those carry a consequence and the degree in which they can impact our lives when abused.

Just to make sure his mind as aware that things aren’t always what they seem, we immediately topics of our faith (Christianity) and how there were laws persecuting us. I don’t directly mention the correlation between my rules and that idea, but when the time comes to educate him further I want him to more easily understand the situation.

So you see, there is plenty a parent can do to stop their kids from experimenting with marijuana. But there’s even more they can do to educate them and give them the strength they need to make the right decisions as they apply to their lives.

The government sends otherwise innocent people to prison for casual marijuana use

The numbers speak for themselves. In 1997, according to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), only 1.6 percent of the state inmate population had been convicted of a marijuana only crime, including trafficking. An even smaller percentage of state inmates were imprisoned with marijuana possession as the only charge (0.7 percent). And  only 0.3 percent of those imprisoned just for marijuana possession were first time offenders.

Here’s the thing. Most people who end up in jail indeed are not there for “marijuana only” offenses. In reality, there aren’t many people in jail for any ’single’ offense, rather many.

Guys in jail for murder are not there for a single murder charge. They are there for murder, manslaughter, intent to harm, and many other offenses that tie into the crime(s).

In an effort to increase revenue and prosecutions, the legal system is built on compounding crimes in an effort to gain higher convictions.

Recollect if you will, the drug stamp tax. There was/is a stamp that drug dealers are supposed to purchase to place on their product when they sell it. This is a way for the government to make money from sales of drugs. But drugs are illegal, right?

This stamp does nothing to change the legal implications with selling. However, if you get caught selling without that stamp, then guess what charge you get to carry to the courthouse? That’s right, kids. Tax evasion.

Hey, that sounds like the way they got some other guy that was selling something illegal. Who was that? Well, you can go to WikiPedia, or you can just know that it was Al Capone. The authorites could never quite get him on the alcohol charges, but they found that he wasn’t paying taxes. That gave them enough to arrest him, then get the warrants needed to find more inforamtion to convict him.

See how that works?

So even if their numbers are correct, question how many people go to jail for minor marijuana offenses with tacked-on charges.

Well there you have it. I hope this helps you understand a bit more about the things our governemnt tells us in regard to these drugs.

I want you to keep in mind that not everyone in our government feels this way. There are more and more elected officials speaking out about this prohibition every day. The same for the cops. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) is a collective of law enforcement officers who see things the way we do. So, there aren’t any bad guys and good guys in this fight, just opposing sides.

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I can’t say how incredibly impressed I was with this documentary. John touches on so many aspects of the uses of marijuana, and the reasons it is not legal.

Sure, most of it is the same stuff you hear all the time, but it’s a very convenient package with visuals to go along with the information.

From the description:

Filmmaker John Holowach directs this fascinating documentary about the causes and effects of the war on drugs. It also delves into the little-known politics and economics behind the battle and exposes the broken lives and casualties left behind. Holowach examines the infamous drug rehab program Straight, Inc., the fight against pain medicine misuse, the history of the marijuana legalization movement and more.

I do believe I will be giving this DVD to friends and loved ones. Hopefully, regardless of their personal decision on marijuana use, it will help even one of them to understand the harmless nature of marijuana, and the rights we should have to partake in it as we responisble adults see fit.

You can see it on Netflix (they have it streaming at the moment), or you can buy it from Amazon. It doesn’t seem to be available via Hulu.com, but I’m sure there are other ways to view this movie. However you attain it, I really suggest watching it; whether you are a veteran of the real war on drugs (that of its prohibition), or a relative rookie like myself.

Just get it.

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I thought to myself “I bet that site on all those commercials makes a good case against marijuana use.” So I head to abovetheinfluence.com to research what they have to say.

Sigh. Now my post is on hold while I talk about misinformation.

It seems that a major issue with educating others about the exponentially lower risks associated with marijuana use as compared to others is that we have to contend with “experts” who spread poor information.

Now, they aren’t coming out with lies straight up; rather, they are twisting words and adding opinions to their “facts” so as to fit their needs.

Look at this partial list of side effects taken from their marijuana page.

• Impaired judgment and motor coordination
• Shortened attention span and distractibility
• Anxiety and panic attacks
• Increased heart rate
• Increased risk of heart attack
• Increased risk for schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals
• Impaired judgment
• Problems with memory and learning
• Lowered motivation
• Decreased alertness and coordination
• Addiction

Most of these, if you really think about them, are pretty harmless. I mean, you know what else will increase your heart rate? Jogging. You should stop doing that.

However, the one about “anxiety and panic attacks” and “Increased risk for schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals” really caught my attention. Not because the wording is a little vague and subjective (”…in vulnerable individuals”), but because these are pretty serious side effects.

Above the Influence was kind enough to cite their sources. As such, I thought it appropriate to look into them. This is what prompted the abrupt change in my tongue and cheek post.

Elusive Data
Before we continue, you have to be very careful with taking the results of any study, either for or against marijuana use for a few reasons. First, no research is 100% accurate. There are always problems with participation.

You should also be mindful of the many variables involved in studies relating to the mental state of the populus, especially in such social drugs as marijuana, alcohol and tobacco. There are simply so many factors that come into play that no study can take into account.

Most importantly, very few studies are conducted simply for the truth anymore. More often, they are the result of an initiative put forth by a company with something to gain. This is true for either side of any argument. As such, they will usually nitpick the information gathered to fit the needs of an argument. It’s sad, but that’s the truth.

That being said, these studies do help us gleam just a bit of information, and are often handled and managed by people smarter than me.

I’m not saying you should ignore these types of studies, but that you should take a hard look before using them to back a strong statement.

Back to my post.

The first study I looked at was “Cannabis use and mental health in young people: cohort study.”

I’m going to try to keep my thoughts in line on this post, but the information is all over the place. Please stick with me.

This study’s objective was:

To determine whether cannabis use in adolescence predisposes to higher rates of depression and anxiety in young adulthood.

The results were:

Some 60% of participants had used cannabis by the age of 20; 7% were daily users at that point. Daily use in young women was associated with an over fivefold increase in the odds of reporting a state of depression and anxiety after adjustment for intercurrent use of other substances (odds ratio 5.6, 95% confidence interval 2.6 to 12). Weekly or more frequent cannabis use in teenagers predicted an approximately twofold increase in risk for later depression and anxiety (1.9, 1.1 to 3.3) after adjustment for potential baseline confounders. In contrast, depression and anxiety in teenagers predicted neither later weekly nor daily cannabis use.

And the conclusion:

Frequent cannabis use in teenage girls predicts later depression and anxiety, with daily users carrying the highest risk. Given recent increasing levels of cannabis use, measures to reduce frequent and heavy recreational use seem warranted.

Before we continue, let’s make sure we see the numbers correctly.

• 1601 people participated.
• 60% had used cannibis before (apprx. 960)
• 7% of that were daily users (apprx. 67 people)

This is where things get funny. We are talking about 67 people out of 1601 that use daily. That’s 4%.  Throughout the study, we don’t see numbers as much as we see vague statements like “frequent” or “most.” I wish they would have been a little more strict with the use of numbers as opposed to such words.

The study also seems to place emphasis on women with statements like:

A strong association between daily use of cannabis and depression and anxiety in young women persists after adjustment for intercurrent use of other substances

and

Frequent cannabis use in teenage girls predicts later depression and anxiety, with daily users carrying the highest risk.

We know that women are more prone to depression than men anyway. (Read this for more info on that).

We also “know” that:

Major depressive disorder affects approximately 14.8 million American adults, or about 6.7 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year.

6.7%. That’s more than the daily users in our study in question. Sure, these numbers are from different contenents, and from different companies, but at least we are starting to see more of a truthful outlook.

By the end of the study we see statements like (emphasis is mine):

Possible explanations for the high degree of depression and anxiety found in young women who used cannabis often include underlying characteristics that predispose to both anxiety and depression, self medication of pre-existing depressive symptoms, and an adverse effect of cannabis on mental health. The association with cannabis use persisted after adjustment for concurrent use of alcohol, tobacco, and other illicit substances as well as indices of family disadvantage—findings consistent with a more direct relation. We considered self medication with cannabis but found no prospective relation between depression and anxiety in adolescence and later frequent cannabis use, consistent with an earlier report.

and

Cannabis use in young people remains a controversial area, and absence of good data has handicapped the development of rational public health policies. These findings contribute to evidence that frequent cannabis use may have a deleterious effect on mental health beyond a risk for psychotic symptoms. Strategies to reduce frequent use of cannabis might reduce the level of mental disorders in young people.

So, after reading through all of this, and attempting to understand as much as I can (I don’t pretend to completely do so), I feel that:

• The numbers in regular users are pretty low, especially if we are going to start talking about the number of people inflicted with depression.
• Because depression is more prevalent in women than men, this study seemed a little inconclusive with those statements; which was further promoted with words like “may” and “might.”

Hell, read it for yourself. It all seemed a bit inconclusive to me. Perfect for use in an agenda.

The next study I looked at was “Cannabis Use and Age at Onset of Schizophrenia.” Keep in mind that this is the source cited for the statement by Above The Influence:

Increased risk for schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals

The objective of this study:

The purpose of the study was to assess the independent influences of gender and cannabis use on milestones of early course in schizophrenia.

Read that carefully. Something is already amiss.

Method of study:

In this population-based, first-contact incidence study conducted in The Hague, the Netherlands, patients (N=133) were interviewed with the Comprehensive Assessment of Symptoms and History, and key informants were interviewed with the Instrument for the Retrospective Assessment of the Onset of Schizophrenia. Milestones of early course were 1) first social and/or occupational dysfunction, 2) first psychotic episode, and 3) first negative symptoms.

Wait, we are studying the onset of Schizophrenia, as it related to the first episode? We are then tying that into marijuana use? I thought we were finding out if marijuana induced the actual breakdown. Hmmm…must be my mistake.

Results:

Male patients were significantly younger than female patients at first social and/or occupational dysfunction, first psychotic episode, and first negative symptoms. Cannabis-using patients were significantly younger at these milestones than were patients who did not use cannabis. Multivariate analyses showed that cannabis use, but not gender, made an independent contribution to the prediction of age at first psychotic episode: male cannabis users were a mean of 6.9 years younger at illness onset than male nonusers. In contrast, age at first social and/or occupational dysfunction and the risk of developing negative symptoms before the first contact with a physician for treatment of possible psychotic disorder were predicted by gender, but not by cannabis use.

I see.

And the conclussion:

The results indicate a strong association between use of cannabis and earlier age at first psychotic episode in male schizophrenia patients. Additional studies examining this possibly causal relationship are needed.

Wait a minute. I think you should read that one more time. So it’s not that marijuana causes Schizophrenia, but that those who suffered from the illness suffered their first psychotic episode earlier?

And at the end of all of it, we get:

…Additional studies examining this possibly causal relationship are needed.

Possibly casual? OK, I’m done with that. It’s obvious I’m going to be reading a lot of studies in my small quest for weed knowledge, so I better learn to understand them a little better.

Keep your wits about you friends. If you are ever to have a productive conversation about the legalization of marijuana, you will be up against studies like these.

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I guess the slogan pretty much says it. It’s not very catchy, but that’s all I could come up with. To find the truth about marijuana prohibition. Actually, there’s a bit more to it.

I think it important to point you to the “About” page to learn…well…more about me (this is my blog, and I’ll be as pretentious as I want). I say so because my background mirrors more that of a person who is very anti-marijuana legalization. It surprises people to hear me say “pfft, legalize it.”

I feel it would be somewhat beneficial to the cause if someone who wasn’t personally invested in its legalization to have a say so. Hmmm…that may also be a bit pretentious.

Also, I think I would like to use this blog as a means of laying out a lot of talking points, and generally share my experiences and opinions on marijuana as a whole.

Anywho, if you would like to further instigate the inflation of my ego, please continue reading and don’t hesitate to contribute through comments or emailing me.

By all means, if you have something to say on the matter, either for or against the legalization feel free to let me know. I’ll be happy to post your thoughts and opinions as well. I only ask that it be kept professional. If we as a country can talk this issue through without taking it to a muddy level, then I think we can find a win/win situation.

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