Paul Stanford, a “Legal Pot Pusher” with “$3 million business”? CNN, Anderson Cooper, shame on you!
Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 8:20 pm | By: Radical Russ
Well, now if I were the president of this land
You know, I’d declare total war on The Pusher man
I’d cut him if he stands, and I’d shoot him if he’d run
Yes I’d kill him with my Bible and my razor and my gunGod damn The Pusher
Gad damn The Pusher
I said God damn, God damn The Pusher man–Hoyt Axton
Tonight on Anderson Cooper 360°, as part of the continuing series, “America’s High: The Case For and Against Pot”, CNN managed to malign this podcast’s sponsor and a personal friend of mine, Paul Stanford of The Hemp & Cannabis Foundation. I knew we were in for something sinister when during the preceding Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, Mr. Cooper promoted the segment by saying we’d meet “the man some call ‘King Bong’”, a reference to a derogatory moniker given by the headline writers of the Willamette Week.
During the Joe Johns interview of Mr. Stanford, the onscreen graphics called him “Legal Pot Pusher” and a bullet point showed he runs a “$3 million business”.
push er -noun
1. a person or thing that pushes.
2. Slang. a peddler of illegal drugs.ped dler -noun
1. a person who sells from door to door or in the street.
2. a person who tries to promote some cause, candidate, viewpoint, etc.
According to my dictionary (dot com), the only way Paul Stanford is a “pusher” is if he is “a person who tries to promote the cause of illegal drugs”, technically true, since he produces a TV show and sponsors this podcast both dedicated to promoting what is defined as an illegal drug. As in a “pusher” for “legal pot”.
But we both know what you really meant, and it’s that Hoyt Axton lyric wailed in the late Sixties by John Kay and Steppenwolf, “the pusher is a monster, good God, he’s not a natural man.” As in a “legal pusher” OF “pot”, not a “pusher” FOR “legal pot”.
Combined with the graphic of “Owns a $3 million business”, your viewers will be led to the conclusion that Paul Stanford is able to legally sell marijuana and become a millionaire. Will they hear Joe Johns’ voice explanation that his business is a medical marijuana consultation and referral business and that he gives away medical marijuana, or will they see “Legal Pot Pusher”, “Owns a $3 million business”, and a screen full of pot plants? They won’t ever know from your report that Paul Stanford doesn’t sell so much as a gram of marijuana, but he gives away literally hundreds of pounds of it, or that nearly all his money is plowed back into the marijuana movement while he lives a very frugal lifestyle.
However, Paul has his talk down, especially when he smacks down the idea that the social costs of legalized marijuana would outweigh the tax revenue and savings with, “That’s assuming that marijuana is like alcohol and tobacco, and it isn’t. Marijuana is a healthy alternative and much safer than alcohol and tobacco.” I’m still waiting for someone to point out that people are already smoking marijuana now, so we’re absorbing any social costs already without gaining any tax revenue and we’re spending money on a fruitless effort to prohibit marijuana. That $20 billion number CNN flashed on the screen is how much new marijuana users, above and beyond the 22 million current annual users, would have to cost us before that theory makes any sense. And even if it did, then you have to explain why we’re so eager to take a loss on alcohol and tobacco, but not demonstrably safer marijuana?
(The final absurd point about the cartels “ramping up” their sales of methamphetamine and cocaine made me laugh. Wouldn’t it be nice if people weren’t buying one of your products anymore, you could just “ramp up” their demand for some of your other products? Who are these cartels going to sell coke and meth to?)
This not-so-subtle stereotyping is beneath you, CNN and Anderson Cooper. You know millions of people watching your broadcast primarily get their information from the pictures, not the audio. While I’m happy you prominently displayed the addiction rates for various drugs and that Dr. Gupta seems to have gotten some education since he was writing “Why I Would Vote No on Pot” for TIME Magazine, you needlessly slandered a good man who has helped thousands of the most vulnerable Americans and is employing hundreds of dedicated activists.
Let’s put things in context:
The song distinguishes between the cannabis merchant and the purveyors of addictive opiates. There is no condemnation of the dealer of the love grass.
-ED
Exactly! Which is why “pot pusher” is an oxymoron. Unlike John Walters, who is just a moron.
What the hell’s a “Pot Pusher”,
Another ‘effing “unicorn”???
Another stupid news-spin, derogatory-adjective!
(Never had pot ‘pushed’,
always
SOUGHT IT OUT for myself).
Peer-pressure???
No such thing,
EXCEPT…
Pressuring my peers to smoke their pot with me!!!
Thanks for posting that WA NORML. Im not surprised!!!!
I got called the other morning by CNN trying to get me to say a whole bunch of stuff about Paul Stanford. They also tried to tell me he founded WA NORML (which is completely untrue). Not only did Anderson Cooper want to hurt Paul’s character, but also tie the hate and mis-information directly to NORML. I didn’t bite, I gave them some credible information and some actual facts and was then told goodbye and hung up on. Biased media is a terrible thing in America now and must stop. Facts are what the media needs to report on not some advertizing moguls morals or political agendas.
FROM GREEN CROSS IN MONTANA THANK YOU PAUL FOR EVERYTHING, WISH WE HAD MORE LIKE YOU.
AND TO EVERYONE HAVE A GREAT DAY
Mr. Cooper,
What is going on with you? Since you’ve began “America’s High…” I’ve seen you with a different face. Where is your objectivity? Where is your consideration of others?
First, let me begin with you and CNN’s take on Paul Stanford. Your thoughts and beliefs are not based on facts and are indeed slanderous once the facts are looked at. A pusher? Really? What about all those pharmaceutical companies using billions of dollars pushing drugs while using CNN as an outlet? Is that not pushing? Your definition of “pusher” is strange. You should probably offer your apologies.
Second, is your blog an outlet for CNN’s and CNN correspondents’ personal beliefs and opinions without objectivity and consideration of others….
Here is your tip for getting a blog posted..”5. We like criticism. We’re big fans of the 1st Amendment – we use the free press every day. We aren’t afraid of criticism in your comments, but let’s keep it intelligent and thoughtful, perhaps even constructive.”
Yet, look here:
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2009/06/18/legalize-pot-why-not-legalize-being-a-loser/
Is this intelligent, thoughtful or constructive? I think no. However, according to the 1st Amendment, he has a right to say this. But, should you post it? So, it’s alright for CNN and CNN’s correspondents to call millions of people losers and have it posted on your blog?
I had a deep respect for you, but I see a conflict of interest while your job and responsibility is to provide honest, objective and consider reporting. However, you’re doing nothing as such. What a disappointment. I’m one viewer that will turn away from CNN and what you all represent. I can’t believe you are buying into what you are “pushing”.
After that comment I stopped watching so I caught the rest today and really it went well, its a shame AC had to slander Paul, the only pushing Paul does is for our rights!
I wonder if they told Paul they were going to call him a Pusher(he wouldnt have done it) or if they just threw that in since the segment was so positive for the pro marijuana side they had to make something look bad?
i stopped watching the propaganda channels months ago. i will not add to their ratings or support the products or politics they “push”.
“Well, now if I were the president of this land
You know, I’d declare total war on The Pusher man
I’d cut him if he stands, and I’d shoot him if he’d run
Yes I’d kill him with my Bible and my razor and my gun
God damn The Pusher
Gad damn The Pusher
I said God damn, God damn The Pusher man”
Brings back memories of the marjuana protest, “Reefertorium”, in San Diego Harbor in the late ’70s. Steppenwolf was there and played this song.
Great point that is never mentioned, in that we already absorb social costs with 0 tax revenue. And even more so because of all the people forced into treatment when they are just fine, if it were legal we wouldn’t need treatment, most clear thinking americans can see the logic there. And I also was expecting alot of total bullshit from Gupta, it wasn’t as bad as I expected.
Once again awesome job Russ ! You said it. Cannabis will never have the detrimental effects on society as tobacco and alcohol and them keep constantly repeating that montra is bogus. Like you said, we already are absorbing all the effects of cannabis use with none of the benifits of legalization.
and ya…
Havent you seen the drug cartel’s marketing and commericals ? They are so highly effective, I think I want to smoke crack now.
I agree, didnt even mention how much he gives away. I mentioned in the fresh stash cant complain to much, but this is one area to complain alot. That was bad……
Didn’t mention the real drug pushers, Mereck, Phiser, makers of every drug pushed in TV ads. They are more dangerous than Paul could ever dream of being.
Because these companies pay for alot of their broadcasting in some for or another, big no no for CNN to bite the hand that feeds them.