Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Another installment of 'The Company You Keep' It really does get interesting to see who comes out of the woodwork to defend prohibition. And more and more, they're the real nut cases. John English: The Drug War Marijuana is a life and death issue for your children. Drug use is not a game! Users are thoroughly out of control! Their myopic mindset sees only it's hedonistic desire. They have come to hate law enforcement, those who respect it and would bring about the end of civilized society if let be. English also wrote yesterday: Medical marijuana The societal ills, attributable to marijuana, warrant keeping it illegal! The term, "Medical marijuana" is a misnomer. Plain and simple, legalization is a dangerous scam and needs to be exposed as such! It's no more a medicine than is the elixir a snake-oil salesman sold off the back of his covered wagon -- the one that mixed opium with alcohol! Marijuana has been intentionally misrepresented to be medicinal, by those who want to get high, without incurring the consequences. Of course, this is not anyone of real significance, but he is the caliber of most of those today who write in favor of continued (or increased) prohibition. See Ted Nugent: Ted Nugent: We could be winning war on drugs Legalizing drugs would be like pouring gasoline on a blazing fire in hopes of extinguishing it. We have all the laws we need to fight drugs. What America needs is the willpower and a renewed warrior spirit to crush evil and evil-doers. [...] Every American who smokes dope, manufactures, buys or sells meth or uses any illegal drug is aiding and abetting the enemies of America. Case closed. This spiritual inbreeding and cannibalism must be identified, admitted and stopped immediately. America can and must do this. Good over evil. Next. This is pure crazy. When you look at these, and then read the statements of the supposedly 'sane' prohibitionists out there, you start to realize that there's not really that much difference... Kevin Sabet: The price of legalizing pot is too high What is rarely discussed, however, is that the likely increase in marijuana prevalence resulting from legalization would probably increase the already high costs of marijuana use in society. Accidents would increase, healthcare costs would rise and productivity would suffer. In sections, he at least sounds more reasonable than Ted Nugent, John English, or Stephen Baldwin (and has a better sense of grammar), yet when you analyze the content, the disconnect from reality (and lack of interest in facts) is palpable, and has little difference from the crazies. Interestingly, in the Sabet article, you get the impression that he's trying to line up with Caulkins and Kleiman. Make of that what you will. 11:20:34 PM | drug policy | Related  | permalink | comment []

Congressman wants to outlaw Koosh Who could be against this fun little stress-relieving ball? Well, apparently, according to WGN 'reporter' Judie Garcia, that would be Illinois Representative Mark Kirk. It also sells for more on the street, and on the street, it's commonly known as "koosh." "Koosh is a modified marijuana that delivers up to ten times the THC level of the marijuana we may have seen in the 1960s and 70s," Congressman Mark Kirk said. Except, of course, nobody calls it "koosh." (not even the Congressman) And a search of Google shows "koosh" most commonly refers to the ball pictured. Judie Garcia also claims: A strain of highly-potent marijuana is hitting the Chicago suburbs and causing concern for local lawmakers. Now they're calling for stricter laws against trafficking. Yet she fails to mention a single lawmaker other than Mark Kirk. Judie Garcia of WGN "News" also fails to actually report anything except what Mark Kirk says about "koosh" (such as, oh, any facts, or what someone else might say about Kirk's stupid bill). Mark Kirk is an idiot and a fool. His "kush" bill (calling for up to 25 years for even a first offense of certain marijuana dealing) is ridiculous and unlikely to go anywhere. Hopefully a bone-headed move like this will term-limit him. But irresponsible reporting like that of Judie Garcia's should also result in consequences. For more coverage of Mark Kirk's outrageous bill, see Congressman Proposes 25 Years In Prison For Pot by Paul Armentano at NORML. 12:38:25 PM | drug policy | Related  | permalink | comment []