By "Radical" Russ Belville on February 4, 2009
When commentary like this from Kathleen Parker starts hitting the staid Washington Post, can real change we can believe in be far behind?
…Olympian swimmer Michael Phelps and Sheriff Leon Lott of South Carolina’s Richland County are being forced to treat seriously a crime that shouldn’t be one.
Our marijuana laws have been ludicrous for as long as we’ve been alive. Almost half of us (42 percent) have tried marijuana at least once, according to a report published last year inPLoS Medicine, a journal of the Public Library of Science.
There are good reasons for substance restrictions for children that need not apply to adults.
That’s the real drug message that should inform our children and our laws, rather than the nonsense that currently passes for drug information.
Today’s anti-drug campaigns are slightly wonkier than yesterday’s “Reefer Madness,” but equally likely to become party hits rather than drug deterrents. One recent ad produced by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy says: “Hey, not trying to be your mom, but there aren’t many jobs out there for potheads.”Whoa, dude, except maybe, like, president of the United States.
Once a kid realizes that pot doesn’t make him insane — or likely to become a burrito taster, as the ad further asserts — he might figure other drug information is equally false. That’s how marijuana becomes a gateway drug.
Posted in ACTIVISM, ENTERTAINMENT | Tagged gateway drug, kathleen parker, Michael Phelps, Reefer Madness, Washington Post
I am the host of the NORML SHOW LIVE and The NORML Stash Blog. I'm married, live in Portland, Oregon, and I am a registered medical marijuana caregiver in this state. I've worked days as an IT geek and nights as a professional musician. Previously, I have been the host of my own political talk radio show on satellite radio. I've been the High Times "Freedom Fighter of the Month" for my work producing Oregon NORML's TV show, "A Cannabis Community Forum", and for helping to institute Portland's wildly successful medical marijuana cardholders meetings, where we help sick and disabled Oregonians acquire cannabis plant starts, learn gardening, and understand the medical marijuana law. I've dedicated my life to bringing an end to adult marijuana prohibition and re-legalizing cannabis hemp, and I'm honored to be chosen by NORML to be our daily voice.
Great idea Lane…Done, just wrote mine!!!!!
Please take a moment and drop Kathleen parker a line thanking her for her column today. Joe Klein cited this column on his post entitled “Legalize it, already”. When well known reporters take us seriously and stop the “Stoner Joke lines”. Legalization isn’t far behind.
“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.”
Legalizers we are entering “they fight you” stage, soon we win.
Well put Russ, I am one who after trying Marijuana
later said well Marijuana was not as bad as they said it was then maybe they were lying to me about other said drugs as well