Well, I get back from vacation and all hell breaks loose!
Kush Magazine published an essay of mine entitled “The Danger of Dabs”. In it, I describe the phenomenon of “BHO”, the butane hash oil that is becoming increasingly popular in the West. I explain (or at least, I tried to explain) that there is a public relations nightmare waiting for us when the mainstream media finally clues in to this process that uses propane torches (like crack) on a black gooey substance (like heroin) and occasionally leads to a manufacturer blowing himself up (like meth).
But from the Facebook comments, it seems some people think I was calling BHO users “crackheads”. Here’s a sampling:
Stabbed by one of our own. Thanks Russ for one giant step back in legalization. Comparing dabs to crack cocaine, way to go NORML!
i think Russ bailed on us, comparing concentrate users to violent drunkards, crack heads, heroin addicts and meth labs.
he talks about me (and a few others but doesn’t use our names) and calls my marijuana medicine “heroin looking goo” are you kidding me!!!?? & YOU THINK THAT ISN’T A PUBLIC RELATIONS NIGHTMARE?!!! an mmj advocate calling it these things?
WTF Russ? This is pure fear driven nonsense in my opinion. Crack? Alcoholics? Are you trying to add fuel and build their fire?
So, what do you think? Read the article for yourself. I thought I was clear in explaining “this is what our opponents will say” and “this is how it will be perceived” and “we better figure out a way to address this”, but apparently I wasn’t clear, because people who know me personally think I was speaking for our opponents.
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[...] The Danger of Additives [...]
I agree with bud. don’t scare the sheep
Hey Russ I’m sure you’ve made many interesting and informative articles and hopefully strides in the goal of what we all thought we were working towards as a team of ONE, so on that note lets not compare it to such harsh things as so and call yourself a man that roots for the master plan. You may sit at the bar and want to drink a captain and coke, I may come in and sit beside you to take a shot of captain.Your going to be Russ and I’m going to be Monte,Opinions are great, but pointing out obvious comparisons of something that may look like as what you descried but actual be on the whole other side of the spectrum is just plain unnecessary. You have to remember that you are in the position to mold minds my friend and now you have people second guessing trying something so unique and simply flabbergasting, something else to be added to your Rotation of Inhalation.I’m sure you have many people thinking some of their friends and family are doing something dangerous and over the top like if charlee sheen liked cannabis this is how he’d consume it. Pack a bowl of some “flower” Russ that’s classic it will never be lost and never die out, or how bout fire up the volcano at 446 or (9) and pump out a whole chamber of THC in practically one bag throw it on the end of your Dirty Rico and Rip up a chilled diffused bong hit of the highest THC per inhale ratio you could possibly get out of your “flower” in hand, OR…. sometimes take a “Dab” of some honey and enjoy the H- E – Double Hockey Sticks out of it! Lets not judge, lets know its still the same beautiful creation whoever or what ever you believe that made it for those of us so blessed to be able to consume it, Just tweaked in a new way. That is what man does, we are never happy because we are able minded beings that have choices to be so. Every other animals thought process is Food, Shelter, Reproduce, Sleep. We can break that one track which I am grateful for and is undoubtedly a beautiful thing for all that is human, BUT the last thing we need in times like this were its so close, so close to taking back a big piece of our freedom, is someone to come forth with such a closed mind even upon our own brother as you have stated with your dear friend from the radio show. Opinions are honored and listened to with “open” ears and eyes. some of those statements were borderline putrid and will be in the minds of those who are feeble and or look to you for guidance and your reports. A man in your position must think, think about all aspects before you document something that could have such ill effects on most importantly, friendship ,along with your reputation you have unassumingly worked very hard to build, but THE MOVEMENT, lets face it like that guy who blew him self up, hes an Moron there’s plenty more where that came from I can tell you that, but there are plenty more completing the task successfully and gracefully but most importantly enjoying all aspects of it,i can also tell you that. The idiots will not disappear because if so we would not have to fight for the reason we fight for. With that in mind just as though you wouldn’t call your friend a “stupid pothead” because that friend could be a damn rocket scientist that enjoys all of the various benefits of the plant. those “stupid pot head” stigma started from( Stupid People!) Smoking,Eating,Vaporizing,or Dabbing Pot. they were gonna be stupid with or with out it regardless.
Don’t start any more stigmas Russ,
have a good day brother
[...] smoking devices and more! check this out, I really think NORML screwed the pooch on this one: “The Danger of Dabs” ignites marijuana concentrates controversy | The NORML Stash Blog [...]
no matter how much you concentrate it, it is just still pot.
and as we know it is impossible to overdose on pot, so what is the point?
there is a danger with dabs. but I don’t think I would compare it to meth cooks crackheads heroin addicts. I use to make this stuff 5 years ago in my pre vaporizer days and the problem with it is it’s not being cleaned properly. after you blow out all of this beautiful yellow goo with butane put it in a crock pot in distilled water and boil it 4 at least 12 hours. as a matter of fact when you blow it out you can blow it out underwater into the crock pot outdoors. avoiding the fumes. after boiling for about 12 hours in the distilled water you will find the water has turned a greenish white and stinks, stinks like butane. now let it cool and throw the water out. the oil will stick to the side after cooling in you won’t lose any. you’re pretty yellow dabs will look like good old fashioned oil. not as pretty but clean. no days I just use my vaporizer I’m quite happy with that.
Russ, I take your words as a call for responsible action by responsible people. Because goodness knows there is no putting cats back in bags once patients understand the efficiencies achieved in utilizing just a little concentrated cannabis. I feel you on the torch and the media. It is over the top. But the truth is the American people will have quite a lot to swallow from the oncoming wave of new behavior that will come from regulating and taxing cannabis adults to use for wellness outside a relationship with a doctor. Terrence McKenna said as much. Thanks for provoking the thoughts, Russ!
I’m pretty sure some opponents will look to your article for support. It’s not that it’s written to bash. It just makes negative points from someone who is a part of NORML. I get free speech. I understand opinions. This is mine…
Please don’t feed the flame..We have enough of that from the people who hate cannabis.
[...] The Danger of Additives [...]
I thought it read alright, the article wasn’t really confusing, i think this is just an example of how people tend to skip over the context without reading the entire thing. and although they state that you are negatively effecting the the mmj effort, their comments could be looked at as being aggressive, or paranoid.
come to think of this olde oil stuff from back in the late 60s and early 70s, we just called all oil,, “hash oil” or cannabis oil…
where did this B-H-O crap come from,, and DABS??? please, call it what it is.
I personally see half of the battle is show-offs that just have to have some half-slang-not-real words for regular olde fashioned stuff. They have to use some off the wall intricate devise when something simple and discrete will work fine…
I may not be 100% on , but I know this has some effect on public perception.
Make it simple and olde fashioned and people will accept it.
Sit up straight and explain what it does to help you,, in plain and understandable English.
When the public sees a laid back stoner talkin Dabbs,,, what…… lets have some wide awake real talk, What is the medical and-or recreational sales pitch you would use to sell cannabis oil from your booth at the state or worlds fair.
well, lets see,, there must be a different substance that could be used in place of butane..
or, maybe a better, easier or safer =dummy-proof way to get the oil collected.
and,, maybe a nicer pipe from which to smoke it from, i remember a nice test tube set up that always worked nice and clean. I thought it was more than presentable to the general public,, more so than som bongs I have seen.
does the whole BHO thing just need a fresh make over?
I have to defend my English friend… I was paraphrasing from many conversations and I may have just thrown “mate” in there to convey the accent of the speaker.
But you’re “spot on”, if I may say so, on the Gateway Jill that will follow.
You’ve still got my vote for ‘Most-Sensible, -Rational and All-Round-Positive Voice’ for a cannabis legalisation spokesperson, Mr. Belville: of course you’re right – couldn’t agree more with every point you make in the ‘Kush’ article.
Furthermore, I’d add that in opening this Pandora’s Box for the prohibitionists, the ‘Not-Your-Father’s-Woodstock’ may be the first Jack to pop up, but it will shortly be followed by a ‘Gateway Theory’ Jill. I can hear it already: ‘They start with leafy pot and move on to more powerful skunk, but ultimately it’s all just a slippery slope downhill to hash and resin and oil, and before your know it they’re risking life and limb to distil the dangerous moonshine they’ve become addicted to.’ Jack and Jill will get together in the dark, damp corners of fear boxes in prohibitionists’ minds and spawn lots of ugly little ideas like these. Of course you were right to do whatever you could to propagate some damage control.
In fact, in view of the obvious danger some of the ostentatious showing off evident in your ‘Kush’ article illustrates (Any English person who’s spent any time in America yet continues to call people ‘mate’, for example, is obviously begging for attention.) I believe you demonstrated great restraint. Personally, I’m afraid I’d find it difficult to be so diplomatic. Let’s hope the more sensible and clever take the hint and learn to keep their mouths shut. The problem, as always, is those who aren’t very bright or sensible.
I can see how your words were misread and misinterpreted. I have spent almost a decade convincing my ex-toking parents that my medical usage (though still not legal in my state) is warranted. Now if I were to sit in front of them and go through the process of making and using BHO they would most certainly look at me and wonder what form of medication requires you to (in the eyes of the uninitiated) cook up your medicine and partake in it in such a fashion. To not step outside of the haze for a minute and imagine what it looks like to the uneducated, then to presume it doesn’t matter, is surely the first step to being taken by surprise when the world finds a new misconception to grab onto. When there is still a debate over the use of Ti pads and the potential health risk (within areas of OUR culture), should we not be expecting THEM to be infinitely more skeptical? Thanks for trying to cover our asses from our perspective, and theirs (prohibitionist). You can’t forget the oppositions perspective, otherwise you are just allowing oneself to live in self-imposed ignorance as is the case with many of them, evidenced by their opinion of our lifestyle/medicine/culture. We can do better and be better than that, it is the only way to win the fight. Lets beat them not join them. Thanks Russ….
PS…for all the medical state people and west coasties, consider that their is more understanding in your states in regards to BHO than in any other part of the country ( and they still can’t cover the subject accurately or appropriately). Now when you look outside the guilded cage (thanks Neil Peart, DOH! ) you will realize that things innately aren’t going to be understood, Russ was simply asking folks to consider that….not all perspectives were created equal, and what are we gonna do about it. Cry because one of our own pointed out the fear we will inevitably see in ones not of OUR perspective? I hope that isn’t all we can use this insight for.
Planting ideas? I’m not the guy on local news lighting up dabs with a propane torch! Don’t kill the messenger here: I’m telling you what I see happening and how it is going to be perceived and asking people for their attention and concern to this issue before it catches us flat-footed.
Russ,
I understand that you think your playing devils advocate here. But it just seems a bit silly. I mean we have concentrated forms of legal drugs such as alcohol. You can light it on fire and burn your self, is this “like meth” I mean, seriously, BHO is just a form of hash which has been around for ever. I just question what the point of writing these things is? Are you trying to convince people not to use BHO, because thats not going to happen, its great! , So the only possible consequence is planting ideas in the prohibitionist playbook.
Welcome back Russ, I liked your article, and I too am surprised that the fear media isn’t going crazy with talking about those items. First let me say thank you for all that you do to help Norml in it’s goal of pro cannabis. Second it sucks that people are only reading the words that they want and not understanding the meaning of the article. Third the optimism in me is hoping that as it becomes ever more and more clear where the public opinion lays on the cannabis issue perhaps the main stream media is slowly changing, what they cover.
when they start comparing it to herion, they will stop bitching at you perhaps?
I’m surprised we haven’t heard more from our “scare the shit outa ya” media yet. Yeah, this is perfect for our opposition to use on the sheeple. Somehow we need to shape it using wording like “concentrated cannaboids” or extra strength medicine. Still, no body dies nor does anyone get injured or harmed even in extreme overtokes while thousand still kill themselfs on legal substances. This is the message we have to hammer home along with the human and monitary costs of prohibition. It’s too bad that Russ had to take heat for just trying to warn the community that BHO will be the next “OBL” of the weed wars so we need to be ready.