‘Snapshot’ Of A Day During Cannabis Prohibition In America

Like so many others these days, I use Google to aggregate news related to cannabis every hour, of every day, from all around the world. Hundreds of cannabis-related articles, columns, editorials, cultural reviews and legal cases; academic, medical and scientific papers, everyday!

I’m always amazed at both the number and scope of cannabis-related ‘news’ that now conveniently lands hourly not only at my desk, but on my iPhone as well. What I usually see through bias eyes when viewing these daily news feeds is how utterly futile it has become (probably always was to begin with) to try to enforce cannabis prohibition in free market-oriented democracies.

Just look at a Google news feed ‘snapshot’ below from midday yesterday to see if you see what I’m seeing…

Google News Alert for: marijuana

Marijuana investigation continues
Steamboat Pilot – Steamboat Springs,CO,USA
By Melinda Dudley (Contact) Steamboat Springs — Future arrests are possible as the Routt County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate a major marijuana …

Authorities destroy $64 million in marijuana off Carmel Valley Road
The Salinas Californian – Salinas,CA,USA
Monterey County authorities are looking for suspects connected to a large marijuana field found off Carmel Valley Road. County sheriff’s deputies and …

Fremont police find six pounds of marijuana in, under home
Inside Bay Area – Oakland,CA,USA
By Ben Aguirre Jr. FREMONT — Police recovered more than 6 pounds of marijuana from a South Sundale neighborhood home early Monday after someone tipped …

Drug agents raid pot farms in upscale Calif. homes
San Jose Mercury News – CA, USA
AP SACRAMENTO—Drug agents say they have arrested six key players in a Sacramento-based drug ring that was growing hundreds of marijuana plants in upscale …

Border Patrol agents seize nearly 2000 pounds of marijuana
KVIA – El Paso,TX,USA
Upon further investigation, agents discovered 1915 lbs. of marijuana worth approximately $1532704 inside the 2006 Ford F-250 truck. …

Coast Guard seizes 336 pounds of marijuana
OCRegister – Santa Ana,CA,USA
By JON CASSIDY CORONA DEL MAR – A US Coast Guard cutter based in Corona del Mar picked up four bales of marijuana weighing roughly 336 pounds after a chase …

Marijuana growing operated seized in Randolph County
Kirksville Daily Express and Daily News – Kirksville,MO,USA
The task force, partnered with the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Randolph County Sheriff’s Department, discovered 40 growing marijuana plants, …

Several Arrested In Marijuana Sweep
KQCA, My58.com – Sacramento,CA,USA
Several people were arrested Tuesday in connection with indoor marijuana-growing operations in exclusive neighborhoods El Dorado Hills, Cameron Park and …

Helicopters collect marijuana plants with nets
Victorville Daily Press – Victorville,CA,USA
The marijuana eradication operation combines efforts of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department with the state Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement’s …

Marijuana-growing operation discovered on farm
Sauk Centre Herald – Sauk Centre,MN,USA
Investigators also discovered marijuana was being grown on the property. Ahrens had felony warrants out in Wright, Douglas and Stearns Counties

Now, proponents of prohibition and the status quo may view the above example (which typifies a daily news feed re ‘cannabis’, ‘marijuana’ and ‘hemp’) as examples of successes in the government’s war against some drugs. But, however, one can also be tasked to empty an ocean with a spoon…

When looking at the numerous cannabis busts (one every 37 seconds in America…), tonnage of cannabis interdicted and eye-popping domestic cannabis plant eradication numbers reported daily via Google, one has to wonder why a simple, effective, low tech solution like a tax stamp issued at the retail level (like the way state and federal governments control—and profit from—alcohol and tobacco product sales to adults) is not preferable to the incredibly ineffective, constitution-warping and police and military personnel-endangering policies fostered under prohibition?

In a blog to be posted later this week, the answer to my rhetorically asked question above was partially revealed this week on Capitol Hill.

BTW, the media and its role in cannabis prohibition will be discussed in detail at NORML’s soon approaching national conference. Registrations and vending tables are still available, but going quickly!

Over 17,000 Cannabis-related Studies! Who Knew?!

Ever get the feeling right after a speech, presentation or debate that you didn’t include everything you wanted to?

After a few hundred public debates on behalf of NORML since 1991 in support of alternatives to cannabis prohibition, that feeling apparently never subsides…and it didn’t after a debate last week at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania with Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed.

Somewhere in the course of the formal questions, answers and rebuttals (and of course, rebuttals of rebuttals!), Mr. Freed drew upon the standard, oft-trotted, ONDCP-fed course of reasoning that 1) medical cannabis use is not accepted by health trade lobby associations like the American Medical Association, American Cancer Society and MS Society of the US (Ironically, the British MS Society supports patient access to medicinal cannabis products), and 2) there are few credible studies that look at cannabis, therefore this is proof-positive that cannabis is not a valuable, non-toxic and remarkably safe therapeutic to use under a physician’s care.

In my brief rebuttal I made two points, 1) there are hundreds of health and medical associations that support patient access to cannabis (and that, ironically the AMA was the one organization in the 1930s that actually stood up against the federal government’s efforts to create cannabis prohibition because of the plant’s clear therapeutic qualities), and 2) that cannabis (and cannabinoids) has been studied to the extreme, with over 14,000 studies on record.

In retrospect, however, I was wrong.

There are not 14,000 cannabinoid-related studies on record. Currently, there are over 17,000 according to a newly released scientific paper I failed to read before the debate!

Doh!

Note to self: Update your debate rhetoric and media talking points!

However, it is not like this one point changed the outcome of what was a well-attended, civil and informative debate.

Over the years I’ve come to learn that when it comes to debating the issue of ‘legalizing’ cannabis on a college or university campus, proponents of Prohibition and the status quo lost the debate long before they’ve hit the stage. Frankly, I think a scarecrow mounted at a podium representing reformers would win the debate anyways as college students are the most anti-prohibitionistic and pro-cannabis law reform segment of the population in America (and Canada, Europe, Australia, etc…).

NORML and I thank the students and faculty of Dickinson College for hosting a debate on the future of cannabis prohibition, and for District Attorney David Freed for his willingness to publicly discuss and debate the topic of cannabis law reform.

The Hill: NORML vs. ONDCP (Round Two)

In what is passing for one of the first public debates ever between the government’s ‘anti-drug’ office (Office of National Drug Control Policy, aka ONDCP) and the world’s most famous pro-cannabis reform organization (NORML), check out my rebuttal to the ONDCP’s attempts to discredit the nearly 40 year effort to end cannabis prohibition.

To date, this unofficial debate between NORML and ONDCP has been one of the most popular public discussions ever at The Hill’s blog, which informs their editors (as well as other major publications’ and broadcast editors) that the issue of cannabis law reform is of great public concern and ripe for ongoing public policy debates about the future of cannabis prohibition.

Preview: In advance of you reading, and hopefully weighing in on The Hill’s blog, rather than engage in what I describe as the ‘flash card’ game–where every misapplication of science or anti-pot myth needs to be addressed–in my reply to the ONDCP’s rebuttal of NORML’s pro-reform advocacy efforts I try to focus on the larger issues at hand regarding personal freedom, autonomy, the proper role of the government in the private lives of it’s citizens and the obvious juxtaposition of the legal ‘drug’ industries (alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceuticals) to the failed 70-year old prohibition of cannabis.

National Narcotics Officers’ Association Endorsement Fails To Lift Doug Ose Back To Congress And Exposes Hate Speech Against Citizens Who Oppose Prohibition

And How It Informs About Who Supports Cannabis Prohibition…

“Supporting marijuana use is an example of domestic terrorism—it puts the public at great risk and threatens the very fabric of our society.” -Ron Brooks, President of National Narcotics Officers’ Association, 4/11/08

In my many annual public appearances and media interviews advocating for cannabis law reforms, the question will often arise ‘if NORML and the other drug policy reform groups are right that there are safe and viable alternatives to cannabis prohibition laws, who then opposes you in trying to amend current state and federal laws?’

The recent political endorsement given to former Republican congressman and ardent drug warrior Doug Ose by the National Narcotics Officers’ Association (NNOA) provides a handy opportunity that helps reveal exactly who are America’s prohibitionists and what are their motivations against ending cannabis prohibition.

Who Actually Supports (Or Profits From) Cannabis Prohibition?
At this juncture having worked over 17 years at NORML/NORML Foundation, my standard reply, without achieving doctoral dissertation length is 1.) There are five basic subgroups of Americans who strongly oppose any reforms in cannabis laws, and 2.) These subgroups constantly seek to deepen and enhance prohibition laws, i.e., politically and culturally oppose citizens and organizations who don’t favor prohibition laws; advocate for greater criminal sanctions and fewer civil liberties (more penalties, longer prison sentences, higher fines, and more of the ‘Big Three Ps’: police/prosecutors/prisons) and civil penalties (forfeiture, drivers license suspension, loss of child custody for parents who consume cannabis, denial of college loans to students busted for pot, removal from public-assisted living housing, etc…).

The Five Pillars Of Pot Prohibition
For all intent and purposes, in my opinion, educators, religious leaders, health organizations, military leadership, business and insurance institutions, and economists are not rabid supporters of cannabis prohibition per se. However, the five subgroups of Americans who do support rigorous cannabis prohibition laws and penalties are: (more…)

Yellow Journalism To Blame For Pot Prohibition?

Wow! You know there’s something to this story when it’s the journalists themselves espousing it.

Writing Wrongs
via The Philadelphia Weekly

Bad journalism is to blame for marijuana prohibition. … The truth is, most people who use drugs — both legal and illegal — do so responsibly and without any noticeable detrimental effect. [Yet,] since the 1980s, drug policy — with the help of the press — has demonized drug users.

… Scientific studies are frequently reported in the media without the reporter having read more than a press release, and without any regard to sample size.

… In other cases, the news media ignore important drug–related stories — such as the federal government listing cannabis as Schedule I, alongside heroin and LSD; or that the past two presidential administrations have arrested patients authorized by states to use medical marijuana.

… It’s sad how long people have been pointing out this bad journalism, and how little anything seems to change.  

Back in March I wrote an essay for Alternet.org dissecting how the mainstream media falsely reported that inhaling cannabis poses a greater cancer risk than smoking tobacco — based on a study that concluded the opposite result. More recently, I lectured on this topic before attendees at the Fifth National Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics. It’s a subject worth revisiting.

So why does the media consistently ‘get the story wrong’ when it comes to pot? While I don’t believe there’s any grand conspiracy going on, I do believe that journalists in general engage in several bad habits that negatively skew their cannabis coverage.

First, beat writers too often base their pot-related health and science stories on press releases rather than actual data.

Second, the mainstream media often chooses to selectively highlight data implicating cannabis’s dangers while ignoring data implicating its relative safety.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, mainstream news stories about pot seldom make references to previously published research (research that typically disproves the crux of the media’s latest scare story) or place new data in context.

Writing in the journal Science nearly 40 years ago, New York state university sociologist Erich Goode aptly observed: “[T]ests and experiments purporting to demonstrate the ravages of marijuana consumption receive enormous attention from the media, and their findings become accepted as fact by the public. But when careful refutations of such research are published, or when latter findings contradict the original pathological findings, they tend to be ignored or dismissed.”

How little has changed.