Show Me the Facts

I have long believed that the best discussions and debates I’ve ever watched were on PBS. This follows that rule. The one comment I have to add is decriminalization is not the answer as it does not allow a market to be made surrounding marijuana in this country. It needs to be legalized and utilized. I also don’t agree with the ladies’ comment regarding “making it very expensive”. If you go through the hassle of legalization, putting an artificially inflated price tag on it will only make a nice cosey space for the underground markets to still exist.

Two days ago I glimpsed past a mention of another Stephen Baldwin debate. At first I thought for sure this wasn’t a new article, since who in their right mind would put Baldwin in any position of authority after his failed attempts at logic while debating Ron Paul back in March, or being embarassed on Larry King Live while attempting to convince Montel Williams that marijuana should remain illegal. Sadly, my hopeful assumptions were made in vain as this was indeed a new peek inside the twisted, desperate world of fallacious prohibitionist syllogisms.

The format this time was a guest column pro/con opinion piece run by CBS News.com. On the pro-side, we have the friendly, familiar face of Ethan Nadelmann, founder and director of the Drug Policy Alliance. Nadelmann does a wonderful job at providing a serious response to a serious issue facing our country (if not the world). He provides a clear, concise viewpoint which is complimented by various references to current events and statistics.

On the con-side, we have a co-written piece by Stephen Baldwin and Kevin McCullough; I can only assume that the task of putting 500 or so different words side by side was a bit overwhelming for any single prohibitionist? For those of you not familiar, Stephen Baldwin is an actor who became a born-again Christian after his cleaning woman prophesized that Stephen and his wife would have their own ministry in the future. He has since “turned his life around” and one of his major targets is marijuana (perhaps no one told him that marijuana is not a sin?).

Stephen’s partner, Kevin, is quite the colorful, loving character as well. You may be familiar with some of his articles, including, Why Liberals Still Think Like the KKK, Obama as Hitler, Why Liberals Despise American Patriots, and–my personal favorite–Obama: America’s first Gay President?. Yes, this is who Stephen chooses to associate himself with because, as we all know, the answer to “WWJD” is, “Hang out with people who know how to write passionate hate-pieces.”

I will be responding to Stephen and Kevin’s article on a point-for-point basis, per my usual style. I want you to pay attention, however, to the overall condescending, patronizing tone used throughout the article. This is a common technique by prohibitionists as it helps create a more friendly and open “voice” for the reader, which helps to make an emotional connection in hopes of gaining support for beliefs which can not stand on their own merits. In other words, when faced with debating about a topic of which the individual in question has no education or authority, some choose to compensate with charm and quips.

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The goal of this website is to create a useful tool that can be applied to relevant, current events. All information is great information, but applicable information is powerful information. In this case, a reader, @MaryJCannabian, found the transcription to the video for me so I could show her the facts. Well, @MaryJCannabian, I would love nothing more than to de-filter this segment for you and my other readers.

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On May 6th, 2009, Anderson Cooper did a segment regarding marijuana legalization on his show, AC 360. In the segment, he did a short “debate” between Jeffrey Miron, a Harvard economist, and John Walters, former Drug Czar for President George W. Bush.

As you will see in the video clip (which I hope stays up), the information war starts before the debate even begins with a curious statement made by John Coleman, director of the pro-prohibition group Drug Watch International. In response to the question of whether or not marijuana has gotten stronger in comparison to decades ago, Coleman claims:

No question about it. I mean, it’s the difference between having maybe a 4 ounce glass of beer versus an 8 ounce glass of Jack Daniels.

He completed his sentence with a bit of a chuckle, but to be honest, the only thing I find funny is the idea that he somehow became the director of an international non-profit organization while lacking the ability to do simple conversions in math.

The purpose of his claim is to illustrate just how much more potent “today’s marijuana” is when compared to marijuana from, say, the 1960’s. To do so, he needed to use something that is more tangible to viewers (such as comparing it to one of America’s most popular drugs, alcohol). The problem is, however, that the comparison is completely misleading when you look at the numbers.

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(4/29/09: update added to end of article)

(6/1/09: update added to end of article)

So as the world slowly but surely begins to freak out about the new swine flu going around, I came across an interesting article about Cannabis Science Inc. reporting on a “prospective life saving treatment for H1N1 Swine Flu and H5N1 Bird Flu”.

For those of you not aware, swine flu is highly virulent (meaning there is a reason behind the global interest in finding a way to stop it from spreading).

In walks Cannabis Science Inc. with their “whole-cannabis lozenge”. From the article:

Dr. Robert J. Melamede, Director and Chief Science Officer, stated, “The influenza virus has a unique genetic make up that, in combination with its replicative machinery, has an extraordinary capacity to mutate. As a result, the high lethality of some strains can be attributed to the resulting adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ARDS is caused by an excessive immune inflammatory response driven by Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) that leads to the death of respiratory epithelial cells and resulting organ failure. Endocannabinoids are nature’s way of controlling TNF activity. Existing peer reviewed publications have shown that phytocannabinoids can prevent this cell death by mimicking the endocannabinoids that nature has selected to prevent excessive inflammatory immune responses.”

In other words, the reason swine flu is so dangerous is because it causes your immune system to go into overdrive. Marijuana, however, is a proven immune system suppressant which, in this case, may aid in survival.

So we have a non-toxic, safe, cheap, potential-treatment for a disease that has some people using the word “pandemic”. On top of that, Cannabis Science Inc. has “offered to produce up to 1 million doses” of its lozenge and “provide them to HSA (Homeland Security Administration) for distribution at cost.”

What is there to lose?

(via MarketWatch)

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Update (4/29/09): Just to make it clear to anyone thinking, “Hey, smoking marijuana will keep me safe!” This research explicitly states that smoking marijuana will likely not provide the same medicinal affects that a lozenge would. The best affects are shown through absorption via the mouth (lozenge) or digestion (edibles).

Update (6/1/09): For those of you who are not aware–which based on the various comments made on this page is a lot of you–immune system suppression is not the same as a weakened immune system. The way the flu kills you is by causing your immune system to go into overdrive. Cannabinoids have been shown to keep the immune system from overreacting (supressing it) NOT by weakinging it by any means at all. So please stop making comments about this being “stupid” because it makes you weaker. If you belive this, you believe a fantasy.

I stumbled upon a great article today and I wanted to share it with everyone. It was written by John Stossel and addresses the current double-standards/ignorance when it comes to dealing with drugs and the drug war going on in Mexico.

My favorite part from the article:

I don’t expect politicians to be sticklers for logic, but this is ridiculous. Americans also have a hefty demand for Mexican beer, but there are no “Mexican beer cartels.” When Obama visits France, he doesn’t consult with politicians about “wine violence.” What’s happening on the Mexican border is prohibition-caused violence.

A legal product is produced and traded openly, and is therefore subject to competition and civilizing custom. If two beer distributors have a disagreement or if a liquor retailer fails to pay his wholesaler, the wronged parties can go to court. There’s no need to take matters violently into their own hands. As a result, in legal industries the ability to commit mayhem is not a valued skill.

On the other hand, dealers in a prohibited product operate in the black market. Upstanding businesspeople stay away, relinquishing the trade to those without moral scruples. Black-market operators can’t resolve disputes in court, so being good at using force provides a competitive advantage.

Politicians gave us prohibition and created the conditions in which violence pays. This doesn’t excuse those who commit it, but the fact remains that a legal drug market would be as peaceful as the beer, wine and whiskey markets. When alcohol prohibition, which spawned large-scale organized crime, ended in 1933, there was a brief upsurge in drinking, but America became a more peaceful and less corrupt place.

We should learn from that, but we haven’t. American politicians are largely responsible for the atrocities now taking place.

The whole article, located here, is well worth a read. It is a refreshing perspective with unique comparisons, like the one above. Bravo, Stossel.

U.S. asked to stop ‘false information’ on medical pot

Advocacy group tells the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that the government needs to update the official view of marijuana to reflect its use as a pain reliever.

By Carol J. Williams and Maura Dolan

8:07 PM PDT, April 14, 2009

Reporting from San Francisco and Los Angeles — Citing “overwhelming” evidence that marijuana eases pain and anxiety for the chronically ill, medicinal pot advocates told a federal appeals panel Tuesday that the federal government should be stopped from spreading “false information” about marijuana.

As was argued in the debate over whether stem cell research should be resumed, Americans for Safe Access cast the Bush administration’s opposition to any legalized use of marijuana as being shaped by conservative sentiments instead of hard facts.

President Obama has signaled to Cabinet members that science should be guiding government judgments in controversial matters of medicine and technology, not the prevailing political mood. On Tuesday, however, a government lawyer told three judges of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that the administration wasn’t required to explain or retract its statements that marijuana “has no currently accepted medical use.”

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Update: So I added this video earlier but didn’t have time to post my thoughts until now. As I made clear in the about section of the site, this site is only a resource regarding the legalization of marijuana. And that is the only professional position this site will work to educate others on. If you wish to know my personal position on other drugs, feel free to contact me.

I really wish Ron Paul would have responded differently to the gentlemen from the DEA who claimed legalization of marijuana would some how increase “addicts” or children using marijuana.

Here are the facts: If you don’t wants kids using marijuana, you must support legalization. Why? Because legalization creates a market where black-markets can’t easily survive (How many black-markets do you know for alcohol? How many liquor stores do you know? Which one do you think is more likely to ask for ID before purchasing alcohol?). To be clear, let me say it again: If you make something with a consumer demand illegal, you will create a black-market and encourage smuggling, no matter what the substance. It is wrong and it is stupid (yes, stupid) to think that the perpetuation of black markets via the drug war creates a safer environment for kids. It truly annoys me that such fallacious and idiotic arguments would even be replayed on mainstream media.

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Update: I have added a response (and my reply) from Mr. Silverman to the bottom of this post.

Dear Mr. Silverman,

I recently viewed your article on “How Medical Marijuana Works” located here: http://health.howstuffworks.com/medical-marijuana.htm/printable

While, overall, I enjoyed reading much of your article, I am quite confused and even insulted with your selection of terminology and, especially, with the video used on the page. At first, I thought the video was going to be a satirical (a bunch of misinformed youths talking about myths regarding marijuana). I honestly kept waiting for someone to cut in and say something like, “Now for some truth.” Sadly, that moment never came.

I’m not sure who was responsible for the creation of that video, but it is not only an insult to people like myself, but an insult to every visitor that comes to your site looking for well-researched opinions. The very fact that you guys chose to create/display that video makes me question the integrity of the site as a whole, and because of this, I am writing you this e-mail in hopes you will correct these blatant mistakes.

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Via: Libertarian Perspective: Respond to Medical Pot Raids with Legalization:

Activists are outraged over President Obama’s raid of Emmalyn’s California Cannabis Clinic in San Francisco (http://www.mpp.org/states/california/news/ca/dea-raids-pot-dispensary-in.html), but they should not be surprised.

Obama’s attorney general, Eric Holder, had promised to end federal medical marijuana raids as conducted by the Clinton and Bush administrations, leaving alone dispensaries operating legally under state law (http://www.ocregister.com/articles/policy-marijuana-judge-2345186-lynch-department). Obama broke the spirit of the promise, but not the letter. The excuse for this last raid was state law violations — supposedly, sales taxes were being evaded. Now the feds will probably prosecute under federal law.

The state government was not agitating for a crackdown. Sacramento was not complaining about sales tax evasion. San Francisco had given a permit to this dispensary.

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This 10 minute special features Drew Carey narrating the story of Owen Beck and Charles Lynch. Click through to read more and watch the video…

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