Sunday, June 17, 2007

Science: Another victim of the drug war One of the things that is the most frustrating about being a drug policy reformer is fighting through the assumption by the uneducated (drug war uneducated, I mean), that the only reason to be in favor of drug policy reform is so people can do drugs. And, of course, if they said that, the easy response would be: "You stupid twit. People can do drugs now. They do drugs now." But, of course, they don't give you that option. Most times, they don't actually say it. They just look at you with that expression that says "what a strange reason for him to invest all this time and energy." Of course, the reasons for supporting drug policy reform are too numerous to count, including: taking the profit out of the black market and de-funding violent criminal enterprises; reducing corruption in police and public officials; reducing overdoses and dangers from tainted drugs; doing a better job of keeping dangerous drugs from kids; restoring our constitutional rights; injecting some sanity into foreign policy; stopping the waste of billions of taxpayer dollars; increasing business productivity through reforming human resource policies; teaching children how to be responsible free citizens; restoring sanity to medical practice; and a whole lot more. Science has long been one of the victims of the drug war -- ever since Anslinger distorted science to fit his drug war fantasies. This article at Memepunks: America's War on Science, provides a chilling picture of the future of science education (and the encouragement of young scientists). Whether it's concern over homemade fireworks, methamphetamines, or homeland security, it is now almost impossible to get useful chemistry kits for kids to learn and experiment. In an attempt to curb the production of crystal meth, more than 30 states have now outlawed or require registration for common lab equipment. In Texas, you need to register the purchase of Erlenmeyer flasks or three-necked beakers. The same state where I do not have to register a handgun, forces me to register a glass beaker. Mr. Wizard (who died last week), is probably spinning in his grave. For example, when a current company tried re releasing a kit based on the one marketed by Mr. Wizard himself back in the 1950s, they found that they could only include five of the original chemicals in the set. The rest of the items were replaced with inane things like super balls and balloons. So no, drug policy reform isn't just about letting people smoke pot legally. It's about saving the country from a host of serious ills related to prohibition. Some people get stupid when they do drugs, but that's usually for only a few hours. The drug war reduces the intelligence of the entire country's future. 10:19:12 PM | drug policy | Related  | permalink | comment []

Odds and Ends Richmond, Virginia prosecutors and police plan to start seizing houses where they find drug activity and selling them off, even if the owner wasn't directly involved. But there's a catch. But officials said seizing a house under the forfeiture law, a civil proceeding, can be a time-consuming and complex process. Oh, gee, you mean you have to go through, like, procedures and stuff before you can take someone's home? Dan Gardner has a good column in the Ottawa Citizen: We Can Score One For The Naysayers. He reminds the U.N. of their specific plans for a drug free world by 2008. In 1998, Pino Arlacchi said the naysayers were wrong. Give it 10 more years, he said. We did. The naysayers were right. And it's well past time those who make a living pursuing this mad policy were held to account. The Washington Post has a really bad OpEd by long-time drug warriors J. Michael Walsh and Robert L. DuPont (yes, that one): The Drugged Driving Epidemic. It is a hopeless piece of dreck, using bad science, anecdote, and irrelevant data to proclaim an epidemic that doesn't exist, all to support their drug testing and related businesses. (Interestingly, Walsh's group lists both the ONDCP and the Washington post as their clients.) The anti-pot pill turns out to be a pretty stupid idea. (We could have told you that.) Apparently, blocking the natural cannabinoid receptors in your body leads to depression, nausea, vomiting, and suicidal tendencies, among others side effects (possibly including central nervous system damage). And why were they creating this pill? For weight loss. Ultimately, in the eyes of the FDA, a healthy body needs all the "pot" it can get. (That last line in the story is got to be stinging the FDA right now.) 9:00:01 AM | drug policy | Related  | permalink | comment []