Study: Marijuana Imagery In Anti-Pot Ads Encourages Teen Use
September 9th, 2009 By: Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy DirectorShare this Article
[Editor's note: This post is excerpted from this week's forthcoming NORML weekly media advisory. To have NORML's media advisories delivered straight to your in-box, sign up for NORML's free e-zine here.]
Anti-drug public service announcements that feature teens using marijuana are less likely to dissuade viewers from experimenting with pot than are advertisements absent such images, according to survey data to be published in the journal Health Communication.
Investigators at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania assessed the attitudes of over 600 adolescents, aged 12 to 18, after viewing 60 government funded anti-marijuana service announcements. Specifically, researchers evaluated whether the presence of marijuana-related imagery in the ads (e.g., the handling of marijuana cigarettes or the depiction of marijuana smoking behavior) were more likely or less likely to discourage viewers’ use of cannabis.
Messages that depict teens associating with cannabis are “significantly less effective than others,” the researchers found.
“This negative impact of marijuana scenes is not reversed in the presence of strong anti-marijuana arguments in the ads and is mainly present for the group of adolescents who are often targets of such anti-marijuana ads (i.e., high-risk adolescents),” authors determined. “For this segment of adolescents, including marijuana scenes in anti-marijuana (public service announcements) may not be a good strategy.”
Since 1998, Congress has appropriated over $2 billion to fund anti-drug advertisements as part of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. Independent reviews of the campaign have determined that the ads fail to discourage viewers from trying marijuana or other drugs.
In 2006, a study published in the journal Addictive Behaviors reported that teenagers who were most often exposed to the ad campaign were also most likely to hold positive attitudes about marijuana and were most likely to express their intent to use it.
Tags: Above the Influence, Annenberg, National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, Stoners in the Mist
September 9th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
[...] here to see the original: Study: Marijuana Imagery In Anti-Pot Ads Encourages Teen Use Share and [...]
September 9th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
“Since 1998, Congress has appropriated over $2 billion to fund anti-drug advertisements as part of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign”
* * * And just imagine how many school books that could have bought so my son who is 8 isn’t using the same books with my name written in them that I used in the same school when I was his age and back then remembering using books that had my fathers name written on the front cover. This fucking government is a disgrace.
September 9th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
those anti marijuana ads made me want to smoke. even more so than the tv ads was in third grade when they started teaching us about drugs and why people use them. the teacher told us that people used drugs because the drugs made you feel good and that marijuana smokers would hold in the smoke for a long time to make these effects more intense. needless to say ever since then i have been fascinated with marijuana. seeing the president talk on tv in our classroom about the new epidemic known as crack and how powerful it is and how users get an instant “rush” just added to these feelings of wanting to use drugs. and guess what…i did use drugs. ive done almost everything in the book.the first time i ever smoked crack was in the 8th grade(i was never a crack head.only experimented a few times).the only “drug” i do these days is smoke sweet mary jane. has anyone else had this experience growing up in the 80’s and early 90’s? i would like to think my teacher and the president meant well but all they did was advertise the drugs and the effects that they had.
September 9th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
The ads are laughable at best and everyone knows it.
September 9th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Doug Benson put it into perspective: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f_PLXw6JdE
September 9th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
dude! your blinking!
September 9th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
That was the gayest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. The stereotyping of “stoners” is pathetic. And has anyone EVER seen someone who had been using pot act that fucking stupid? What’s so lame about this tripe is that it perpetuates idiotic stereotypes and gives absolutely no message whatsoever.
Whoever came up with the idea for that one is a fucking fruitcake dipshit. Pardon all my “French” but they are so friggin asinine I can barely sit still.
Fucking morons.
September 9th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
they’re anti marijuana campaign is fucking ridiculous and a huge waste of tax payer money.
even those were for heroin or coke they would still be absurd
September 9th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
The whole “Above The Influence” thing makes me laugh.
I remember the video where the girl falls asleep and her friends can’t wake her up. They’re all “LOL SHE’S GONNA HAVE SUCH A HEADACHE IN THE MORNING!”, like the good friends they are coloring on her and stuff.
I don’t ever recall having such things happen to me while high… I do, however, recall having such things happen to me while drunk.
Who’s paying for Above The Influence anyway?…
I certainly hope not the people of the United States.
It’s quite sickening they’re allowed to tell such lies. If they wanna help make a difference in the youth of America, discourage brain-cell killing, liver-rotting, cancer-causing legal substances.
[Paul Armentano responds: Above the Influence is taxpayer funded, so yes you and I are indeed the ones footing the bill for this stereotypical nonsense. Fortunately, federal funding for the Media Campaign has been slashed dramatically in recent years.]
September 9th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Notice that they disabled the ratings, because they know that otherwise they’ll be torn apart.
September 9th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
When I was eleven in 1966 there was a detective daily comic strip in the newspaper, and the characters mentioned “smoking grass”; the next day I’ve tried to smoke lawn grass.
It took few months later of listening to anti-marijuana films at school to understand what “smoking grass” ment. Then in 1969, the first year of high school, I smoked my first joint.
Thanks for the school drug education programs.
September 9th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
I liked some of those old anti-pot propaganda.
I’ve misspelled “meant” on my last reply.
September 9th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
It’s a set up…
September 9th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
One of the main problems with cannabis prohibition is not just that it does not work, but rather that it is part of a “war on drugs” with countless unintended consequences that actually make things much worse. The failure of anti-cannabis propaganda aimed at children is simply yet another example of a costly, counter productive, failed effort. Another reason these government lies fail is that while kids are a lot of things, stupid is not one of them. Although physiologically people should avoid all unnecessary drug use until 25 or 26 years of age, our children and society would be much better off if they consumed cannabis, rather than alcohol/tobacco. That is the truth. Our government would rather continue to lie to our children, and us.
September 9th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
That’s why they run the ads. They are designed to continue the never ending flow of “criminals” to feed the greed of the Prison-Industrial-Congressional Komplex. This is not about ending drug use. It is about continuing the status quo and continuing to frighten voters into continuing this un-winnable war on some drugs. The ads are designed to get children to use and adults to keep saying no.
THE ADS ARE WORKING AS INTENDED!!!
September 9th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
I wonder if the people who write these anti-marijuana ads feel good about their work when they go home at night, especially after learning that their ads actually cause more people to smoke weed. lol
September 9th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
LOL. These anti-cannabis ads have always made me laugh. Evevn when I was a teen . If a teen doesnt trust the government to begin with, they wont care what propaganda they use. I didnt. I was able to get cannabis at any time then(humm…still can) and smoked just as to say “F^%K you” to our gov. I mean really. Go find your self a teen and tell them they cant do something, see what happens.
What was with this ad anyway? Looked like a preveiw for an up coming sequel to Bill and Teds Awesome Adventure. Dude your blinking! YA? Cool,party on!
LOL duh!
September 9th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
That seems to make sense. Most of the ad’s released in the past few years have made me rewind the dvr and watch the commercial again just so I can say to myself: “Are they serious?”. I could see kids thinking the same thing and becoming more motivated to experiment with marijuana before they are dissuaded from doing so.
September 9th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Wow what a boring useless fuckin article.
September 9th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
First , there has not been an anti anything law that has either encouraged or discouraged a young person to do anything ; so that in and of itself is rediculous. Medical marijuana is SO helpful for those who are going through chemotherapy . My mother’s doctor told me to ” get it somewhere ,but I can not prescribe it , but it will help ” , not only for comfort , but to help her to eat and retain nourishment. It seems to me if , morphine, demorol , oxycontin, etc. can be subscribed , which is potent and harmful, it is ludicrous to withold marijuana . Enough of this nonsense ! And for the record , I haven’t been encouraged to use it , nor have I used it ,but if I thought it would help I would .
September 9th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
The lies don’t help!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CFJ
September 9th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
you got to feel bad for the people who write these commercials. They are in quite a bind. If they make up lies about cannabis to scare people they lose credibility because everyone calls bullshit. If they try to show a more realistic (not actually realistic, just somewhat more related to reality) portrayal of someone using pot, people watching the commercial are probably thinking, ‘hmm, that doesn’t seem so bad, looks like fun’.
September 9th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Wow, two teenagers are using their spare time to safety have fun within their own home this really convinces me as a teenager that pot is dangerous… >.>
September 9th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
The government has no creditability when it comes to telling the public the truth about drugs. They can not fool the young people of this country or many other places in the world. Even the young know bullshit when they hear it. Until the people in government start by being honest they will never be able to convince anyone that they know what they are talking about. We all know that they accept huge amounts of money from special interest groups like big tobacco and pharma and they are told what to say by those with the most money. You don’t need a PHD to figure this one out.
September 9th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
I wrote an email to that company when I saw that ad and received no real response, only an email that they received my comments and would share them with their Media Campaign staff…AKA, a complete blow-off.
The email was as follows:
I found the documentary “Stoners in the Mist” to be extremely offensive. The choice to smoke marijuana does not turn someone into an animal. The responsible use of marijuana does not necessarily turn someone into a lazy bum who sits around all day. Chances are, people like that were lazy before they did that. The “facts” presented in this “documentary” were insulting to people who use marijuana responsibly and lead perfectly normal and productive lives. I have a job, I am a full time college student, I have been dating my boyfriend for over a year, and I have a large group of friends. This production of yours is narrow-minded and functions mostly on stereotypes. Sufficient research on the effects of marijuana has not been done because of the prohibition of marijuana. Sure, there are marijuana users who are lazy. Sure, there are marijuana users who are depressed. Sure, there are marijuana users who are socially inept. However, aren’t these also just types of people? Alcohol, which is a LEGAL substance, is a depressant by classification. But, alcohol is only bad when consumed by people under 21. I suggest that you consider the fact that a person can be a good, responsible, functioning person, and also be a marijuana user. Not everyone who chooses to look past the government’s propaganda is an animal.
September 9th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
hahaha! It always cheers me up how stupid prohibitionists are.
September 9th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO @ THE END
“dude… your blinking”!!!!
ROTFLLLLL… hey at least they were more realistic with how actors acted this time lmao…
September 9th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Amazing how these antidrug PSA’s work OPPOSITE as intended…
- Just like when a non-pot parent’s
protestations to their child(ren), of their coworkers’ pot use, merely piques their teenage children’s curiosity…ultimately turning peer-pressure on its head when their teenage-child smells cannabis smoke at school for the first time, they, (the high-schooler), “pressures”
their peers to share it with them!!!
(The sweet fragrance and relaxing effects,
(of cannabis),
are what ultimately fuels demand for the
SAFER relaxant…).
September 9th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
All the money wasted on anti drug ads could of helpd those from Katrina,all the money could of taken alot of bumbs of our streets,see where im going? Sum it all up WASTE OF MONEY cuz look !! there not wrkin either. My theroy is the gov jus found out that we found out that cannabis does no harm n could possibly stop cancer tumors so right now there proly like o shit what do we do now?,Who leaked this info…lol idk
September 9th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Where can I get one of those flashing necklaces.
I think it would be great to have one when I am getting stoned in the mist.
September 9th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
Good article. On topic, check out “Weed Card”, a Youtube video Garfunkel and Oates posted today. They sign about getting a card in California.
September 10th, 2009 at 12:15 am
ROFL. I smoked too much once and had to keep moving my hands to remind myself that they were there.
September 10th, 2009 at 1:32 am
The “Above The Influence” ad campaigns are from the “National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign”, which ran by the “ONDCP” which is controlled by the President.
Enough BS Obama, END THE PROHIBITION.
September 10th, 2009 at 2:12 am
I sent them the following message via their YouTube account. I suggest everyone else do the same, with your own message, of course:
Folks, your lying and perpetuating of myths and stereotypes of drug users is flat-out pathetic. You can wander around in the land of Harry Anslinger and the propaganda nonsense that he started as you attempt to… to do what, exactly? From your most recent attempt to influence people (frankly, I’m not sure who you’re trying to influence, other than people who see right through you, which you are just pissing off) I cannot discern exactly what your message is.
Are you trying to tell teenagers that smoking cannabis is wrong somehow? Or are you trying to tell parents that this is what their kids will be like if they use marijuana? Or are you just putting whatever tripe you can slop together so that you can keep wasting our taxpayer dollars? I’ll say, you’re doing a paramount job at that – wasting our money.
I, for one, am so very saddened to see that the “don’t do drugs” message has come to this. It was pretty weak before, but this is pathetic. You know, if you people had any sense whatsoever, you would focus your marketing skills on EDUCATION by using FACTS to convey the true evils of drugs – especially the legal ones such as alcohol and tobacco. Those kill hundreds of thousands of people each year. Cannabis has killed no one. Alcohol causes violence. Cannabis does not. I could go on and on and on but you already know the truth. You refuse to say it because you are raking in our tax dollars for your junk and it is obvious that you don’t give a bit of a damn about America’s kids.
Get a life. Put your skills to some honest use. PLEASE.
September 10th, 2009 at 3:47 am
LMAO at SMOKING LAWN GRASS!!!!!!!
anyways, has anyone seen the new one? it has a person getting ready to smoke some and his parents pop up on his shoulder with a little angel and say they are disappointed and then a football player pops up and says that he wont make anything of his life. Its actually pretty sad that the prohibitionists are still using the same ol campaign techniques. But you wanna know what the even sadder part is, people still listen to them. One happens to be my daughter. She wants to know why pot is so bad. She wants me to not do it. I told her i wont stop so she automatically thinks its addictive. She, along with millions of others, just believes the nice gym teacher that teaches them health and DARE actually cares about them and doesnt want them to smoke pot cause it will cause them to be lazy in their life. It makes me sick. When will the dumb ass mother fuckers learn that we want it legal so there will still be a choice of using or not, but also so that our kids cant use it til they are actually old enough to form their own opinions and when they are done developing.
STOP THE TYRANNY. OBAMA, YOU WANT TO HAVE A TRIAL ON THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION, WELL YOU BETTER START TO THINK REAL FAST. YOU HAVE 25 MILLION PEOPLE ABOUT TO COME AFTER YOU. WHAT DO YOU THINK WE WILL WANT FOR PUNISHMENT FOR KILLING AND JAILING MILLIONS OF OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
STOP THE BULLSHIT OR GET THE FUCK OUT OF OUR FREE COUNTRY. OR WE COULD TIE YA TO A RAILROAD TIE AND TAKE YOU OUT OF THE COUNTRY THE OLD FASHIONED WAY. OR WE CAN JUST HAVE A TRAIL AND FIND THAT YOU HAVE COMMITTED TREASON. isnt the punishment for treason to be hanged?
STOP THE BULLSHIT. STOP KILLING AMERICANS. OR KARMA MAY FIND YOU!
September 10th, 2009 at 4:07 am
OH, AND IMPEACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 10th, 2009 at 5:20 am
#4 David: Sure the ads are laughable. But the fucknuts putting them out don’t care if they are effective. They have funding to spend and, dammit, they are going to spend it.
September 10th, 2009 at 8:27 am
i can see how it would have that effect. looked fun.
September 10th, 2009 at 10:43 am
It makes me feel good that their lies backfire on them.
September 10th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Marijuana enforcement is still the most ridiculous aspect of US law enforcement.
In spite of a more liberal public atttide, law enforcement are still acting as if it is all out war, because of policy definition of agencies and the need for job survival concerning agnencies which depend on marijauna enforcement. Like their Republican sponsors they will never change their atttiude and willl insist on punishing the marijuan user as long as they have the power.
The comic/tragic aspect of marijuan law enforcemetn is how untruths are used to incarcerate peoples lives while ridiculously expensive and extreme force is used to control and/or modify behavior, when it is quite obvious tremendous amounts of resources are just going down the drain because law enforcement in general is eiuther incapable or too pig headed to back track and admit that it has made a mistake by ruining the lives of millions by engfrocing a trerrible draconina policy whic hdoes more harm than good. The idiots have termed it as a war and they will spare no expense to avoid the embarrassment of losing a war that they unilaterally defined using false terminology, sort of simialr to the Iraq War, another war fought justified by using false pretenses.
And they wonder why Washington and the government has a credibility gap? and are regarded as the classic examples describing hypocrites
We are delighted to hear how law enforcement has inflated the value of pot plant seizures, with plant seizures at anall time high in 2009, in spite of a supposeddly more enlightened governemnt policy, to so many billions while community law enforcemtn tricks extort from the public needed meony for operations by making up exorbitant fines with respect to very petty offenses by taking eadvantage of big brother’s new elctronic gadgets..
The numbver of arrests concernng petty offenses then can make law enforcement like thehy are doing their job while police make rank in porportion to marijauan arrests and traffic tickets issued.,but also while being incapable of really dealing with the more serious law enforcement issues..or maybe ther ejust isn’t really enough serious crime to keep them all busy so they need to spend the spare time pursuing petty offenses and raise revenue., like a law enfrocement corpoationin need of making a profir by dipping into the pockets of the public using snooping techniques of questionable constituonal legality, but they have the judges in their pocket so no need to worry about violating rights except under rare embarrassing instances, when they get caught red-handed. in spite of cover up attempts..
It is amazing how they claim to seize scores of billions of marihuana plant value but are unable to raise such revenue to pay for seizure activites through using ethical and legitimate finacial efforst.other than borrwoing money without a true ability to repay., which some do not regard as properly ethical.
Drug enforcemtn, especiaqaly marijauna seizures, is paid for by US governemnt debt and borrwing. Another residue of lets make up an agency to enforce an unpopular arbitrary policy for the public’s own good with no need to worry about where the money comes from because governemnt will always right a blank check to cover the operations. Hence, it easily seen that by using human common sense, marijuan law enforcement is an unnecessary drain on the economy and does not make any postivei contribution whatsoever, but creates only misery instead.
Itis an excellletn example of bad and corrupt governemnt policy which cannot be changed because the politicians are incapapble of admitting to serious mistakes, so they must pretend still that marihuana enforcemtn is still a very good policy.
They , like idiots, will keep repeating the same mistake over and over again, expecting the marijuana using public to change its behavior while the government and lwa enforcement continue exercising draconina forceful measures which history has shown to usually fail
September 10th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
What happened to the greatest country in the world?
P.S. Everyone smokes weed! republicans and liberals alike. My doctor and priest probably smoke or have smoked it. Give it a break already and lets just relax and enjoy life like some of our European brothers and sisters.
September 10th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Yeah, all the anti – drug propaganda in the ’60’s just made me wana try it. The showed hippies talking about peace and love as if it we’re a bad thing and the rednecks in the small Texas Jr High we’re talking ’bout who’s ass to kick that week. Hmmmmmm, which to choose….
September 10th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Oh, and by the way. The local paper today was showing off the Hummer the sherrifs dept aqqired through the seisure laws from an “alleged” drug dealer. Funny, I grew up believing you we’re inocent till proven guilty and taking someones propeerty was stealing. They sure look proud of the car they stole to arrest people for the ganja.
September 10th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
i apoligize for bein off the subject line but, i got to get this off my chest . ill tell you right now what encourages pot use and that is alcohol. yea, that alcohol buzz leads way to “gee, i wonder what pot is like ” that is damn sure what my friends and i said back then! now , you the government blame cannabis for throwing people into drug use. that is a load of crap. of course , im glad that i went green and stopped drinking because all alcohol did was destroy my family through violence and death. and yea, i did try coke and pcp a few times but, i knew not to cross the line. we all know of that line (no pun intended ) and good i listened to good sense.its just like everything else we do as adults. the right thing to do is stay away from that which is bad. cannabis is not a bad thing used in moderation by sensible adults.dammit!my doctor,a professional in the medical field and with whom i trust with my life explained to me he would rather see me consume a bit of cannabis then any form of alcohol especially after i explained about vaporizing .i will listen to him over an entire government who only made this law to support big pharms new bed sheets.
September 10th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
ASSHOLES!!!!!
September 10th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Hey NORML how about making a cannabis commercial similar to the famous beer commercials that we love to watch during the super bowl. What would it be like to watch TV and have regular commercials advertising various types of cannabis?
September 10th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
all of what i read in these comments and articles is true , i’m 18 and me and all my friends used to send each other these links and videos just for the lulz , i’m going to continue smoking regardless of the opposition and i dont want to be a tax payer supporting this nonsense , this is a clear sign that our government is no longer listening . its turned a deaf ear to the masses because it would rather capitalize on the various businesses such as big pharam names , and the good honest hard working people they put in jail… so whats my solution you ask? i’m gonna get out’ve this country asap. i refuse to blindly throw my hard earned cash at a government that not only doesnt care what i have to say but a government that doesnt care what anyone has to say just because it would rather capitalize , even sweden sounds like an excellent idea or maybe canada but i’m done with this corrupt system . they have no right to strip me of years of my life as a free man just to earn a dollar off me and my family , more and more laws are constantly being passed to further restrict the ideals of freedom . and let it be alone i’m not some one in a million teen that feels this way , i know more then enough people who not only feel the same way but also wont put up with this . wake up folks americas going corrupt quick and we need CHANGE
September 10th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
and when i say going corrupt i’m talking not only on a marijuana basis i’m talking military healthcare , stock market , and capitalistic ideaology , and the manipulation of the masses through centralized media , were losing our say people , STAND UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN
September 11th, 2009 at 12:26 am
[...] to interact and befriend pushers of other illegal, more dangerous drugs. It compels young people to dismiss the educational messages they receive pertaining to the potential health risks posed by the use of “hard drugs” [...]
September 11th, 2009 at 9:38 am
no they are not working at all they never have i used to listen to my health teacher talk about the efffects of drugs and thinking it sounds fun to be high. and i was right.
my mom found a tinfoil pipe in my room when i was 14 and she immediatly thought i was smoking crack cause according to her you can only smoke pot in joints. i dont think she paid attention in health class
September 12th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
“after viewing 60 GOVERNMENT FUNDED anti-marijuana service announcements. ”
YOU are paying for this people!! Vote out EVERY incumbent in 2010 and 2012, including nobama. Vote 3rd party of your choice where you can. REAL CHANGE.
September 13th, 2009 at 3:31 am
I would say this is for a reason. The Government wants people to use Marijuana. Fines are the business. If no one was smoking, the prisons would not be nice and full, and everybody would not be on probation.
September 13th, 2009 at 5:51 am
my hubby smokes dope and couldent care less i hate achole how aNy times do you hear of a person getting so stoned that they bash there wivwes lol
worst thing thst happens is he eats to many biccs i dont smoke cause i dont like the feeling but have nothing againts him smoking so FUCK WHAT IS THE PROBLEM.
AS LONG AS LIKE3 ANY HABIT YOU HAVE IT IN CONTROL THEN ITS FINE THE ONLY THING GOVERMENT HAS WRONG WITH DOPE IS THEY CANT CONTROL THE GROWTH THERE FOR THEY CANT GET THE TAX.
TAX IS THE ONLY FUCKEN PROBLEM AND TO ALL THE WANKERS HOW THINK OTHER WISE HAVE A BONG AN CHILL THE FUCK OUT .
NO TAX NO WORRIES
September 13th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
wow that was the stupidest fucking commercial ive ever seen they must think us kids are allready stupid. that would have been something to show my lil sister whos 6 and a half and i doubt she would have even found it interesting
September 17th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
THE CRIMINAL CHARGE: Mr. Harry J. Anslinger, an agent for the Federal Government, did willfully and wantonly committed Fraud and Constructive Fraud, of which Mr. Anslinger perpetrated upon the United States people as a whole and their United States Congress for the sole purpose “ to impair or injure public interest” in the cannabis plant as a traditional medicine or as a valuable agricultural crop.
Fraud: as defined by Black’s Law Dictionary, “An intentional perversion of the truth for the purpose of inducing another in reliance upon it to part with some valuable thing belonging to him or to surrender a legal right; a false representation of a matter of fact, whether by words or by conduct, by false or misleading allegations, or by concealment of that which should have been disclosed, which deceives and is intended to deceive another so that he shall act upon it to his legal injury.”
Constructive Fraud: as defined by Bovier’s Law Dictionary – 1856 Edition which states, “Constructive fraud: A contract or act, which, not originating in evil design and contrivance to perpetuate a positive fraud or injury upon other persons, yet, by its necessary tendency to deceive or mislead them, or to violate a public or private confidence, or to impair or injure public interest, is deemed equally reprehensible with positive fraud, and therefore is prohibited by law, … ”
Harrison Narcotics Act – 63rd US Congress 1914
Marihuana Tax Act – 75th US Congress April 14, 1937, signed August 2, 1937
The Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act – 91st US Congress October 27, 1970
The Legislative Branch of the United States, sitting past & present, lacked / lacks the constitutional privilege or right granted to Congress by the United States Constitution in which to abrogate the natural inalienable rights secured by the people unless the U.S. Legislative branch has reviewed valid evidence, held fair, impartial, and publicly transparent hearings which showed, or shows, that our nation’s health and or welfare would be, or is, negatively effected should the United States peoples’ continue to execute their natural inalienable right of access to the cannabis plant can it be outlawed. Absent of these reasonable conditions Congress can not, may not use it’s privilege or right of abrogation of Constitutional Rights secured by the people.
It is only upon the reasonable presentation of scientific evidence which presents a valid social claim, and or an individual claim of harm that negatively impacts upon the whole, or part of, the Nation’s people does Congress have the responsibility to secure the nation’s health and welfare by use of it’s congressional privilege or right of abrogations by due process to secure said health and welfare of the Nation. But no U.S. Legislative body, past or present, has the congressional privilege or right to abrogate the natural inalienable rights secured in the United States people based on distortions, fanciful conjecture, and intentionally misleading medical and legal information. No where in the people’s founding contact adopted by the people and sworn to by this elected government does it allow deception, criminal and civil fraud, intentional misinformation, purposely tainted testimony, and the denial of any expert testimonies as bases for granting any elected and sworn U.S. Legislative body present or past with the misuse of it’s privilege or right of abrogation which allows the outlawing of the inalienable rights of the peoples’ of these United States without proper due process of law.
Therefore the foundation laid in Congress to abrogate the natural inalienable rights of the people lacked any real evident that the cannabis plant is or was, ever a safety issue which negatively impacted the health and welfare of the American Society, in part or as a whole. Furthermore, the U.S. Congress did not, can not, and still does not have the privilege or right granted in the United States Constitution to write any such legislation that would abrogate the American people from their natural inalienable rights to use the cannabis planet for reason of traditional medicine, or as a traditional food supplement, as an alternative fuel source, for the making of clothing, used as a replacement for wood, used in the making of traditional paper, and or for the peoples’ ancient spiritual, religious, or cultural practices of which is clearly protected for all time sake by our founding fathers’ constitutional preamble and the first ten amendments of the United States Constitution.
Hence, the United States Legislative actions known as the Harrison Narcotics Act of the 63rd legislative session, the Marihuana Tax Act of the 75th legislative session, and the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of the 91st legislative session and all those sub-action therein, which abrogate the natural inalienable rights of the people to have unfettered access to the cannabis plant is built upon a fraudulent act and therefore unconstitutional because these legislative foundations are based on fanciful propaganda which lacks any real legal scientific evident that demonstrates any negative impact on society by the use of the cannabis plant. The three legislative action listed above do adversely effect the safety and welfare of the America. These fraudulent acts of congress continue to harm the nation and drain the people of their valuable resources. Most importantly these acts have eroded the relationship between all three branches of government and the people they are suppose to represent.
Our Federal Congresses in the above named sessions have acted upon the U.S. constitutional provision involving the American peoples’ natural inalienable rights and have unlawfully abrogated those natural unalienable given rights of the United States people based solely on questionable congressional witness testimonies, a bombardment of fraudulent media presentations, and grossly misquoted medical and legal data, of which is still pervasive today in the minds of the American people. There is however an overwhelming, and ever growing mound of world-wide scientific data that demonstrate to the contrary the fraudulent education material perpetrated upon our society as well as the 63rd, 75th, and 91st United States Congresses. Our U.S. Congress therefore lacked then and still lacks now it’s constitutional privilege or right to abrogate the cannabis plant from the American people. All legislation, status, and laws written and enacted from these fraudulent act of intentional misguided legislation should be ruled by the Supreme Court in the land as null and void because they are repugnant to the foundation of the United States Constitution.
“ The Constitution is a written instrument, as such, its meaning does not alter. That which it meant when it was adopted, it means now.” South Carolina v. United States, 199 U.S. 437, 448 (1905)
“To disregard such a deliberate choice of words and their natural meaning, would be a departure from the first principle of constitutional interpretation.” “Every word must have its due force and appropriate meaning; for it is evident from the whole instrument, that, no word was unnecessarily used, or needlessly added.” Chief Justice Taney in Holmes v. Jennison, 14 U.S. 540, 570-1
“ Every word appears to have been weighted with the utmost deliberation and its effect to have been fully understood.” Wright v. United States, 302 U.S. 583 (1938)
“All laws which are repugnant to the constitution are null and void.” Chief Justice Marshall in Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. 137, 174, 176 (1803)
“If the legislator clearly misinterprets a constitutional provision, the frequent repetition of the wrong will not create a right.” Amos v. Mosley, 74 Fla. 555; 77 So. 619. (Congress)
“Where rights are secured by the Constitution are involved, there can be no rule making or legislation which would abrogate them.” Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 491.
“When any court violates the clean and unambiguous language of the constitution, a fraud is perpetrated and no one is bound to obey it.” State v. Sutton Minn. 147, 65 NW 262, 30 L.R.A. 630 Am. St. 459)
“The due process clause of the Fifth Amendment guarantees to each citizen the equal protection of the laws and prohibits a denial thereof by any federal official.” Bolling v. Sharpe, 327 U.S. 497
. “Fraud vitiates the most solemn contracts, documents, and even judgments.” i.e. Documents, Constitutions, Court Decisions….. U.S. vs. Throckmorton, 98 U.S. 61
September 27th, 2009 at 10:18 am
[...] to interact and befriend pushers of other illegal, more dangerous drugs. It compels young people to dismiss the educational messages they receive pertaining to the potential health risks posed by the use of “hard drugs” and [...]
October 27th, 2009 at 3:32 am
don’t you all get it?
the ads are countereffective for a reason.
they’re subliminally promoting pot.
January 3rd, 2010 at 7:41 am
[...] care de obicei incurajeaza consumul de droguri mult mai periculoase. Pentru ca ii determina sa respinga mesajele educationale referitoare la potentialele riscuri ale drogurilor mai grele asupra sanatatii sau a drogurilor [...]