OT: Something for the Conspiracy Theorists

[Tim Daneliuk]

[Rod & Betty Jo]

synthetic THC is readily available as a prescription drug and in Canada cannabis-based prescriptions are legal......with such suppression it is hard to whip up a healthy froth of indignation. Rod

[Greg G]

Actually, somewhat old news - particularly for the stinky, long haired hippy types. ;-) But seriously, The American Thoracic Society released a similar finding in May 2006 vis-a-vis lung cancer.

question now becomes, why are we spending increasing amounts of time and US tax dollars harassing the population for possession of small quantities. Jails are overflowing in many areas due to persecution of penny ante users. You can buy alcohol on any corner (or the DOT freeway rest stops in New Hampshire), which has a far larger negative impact on society as a whole than marihuana, yet millions of dollars and many lives are negatively impacted by a specious war on drugs that has done nothing to curtail usage.

Want a conspiracy theory? It's yet another pork barrel. The private prison industry is one of the few boom businesses left in the country, and legions of pettifoggers profit defending this victimless "crime". And of course, it's an election talking point that whips up a frenzy amongst the unenlightened masses.

The Bush administration is, in fact, actively pressuring California and others to do away with the medical marihuana program, even in the face of many states recent decriminalization of small quantities; New Mexico, I believe, being the most recent. Close ties with Eli Lilly and other pharma lobbyists may be yet another factor - why buy overpriced pills when you can grow you own - or can you? Considering the number of patents applied for by biomed research firms attempting to register portions of naturally occurring living things, it should prove quite profitable to hold a patent on a drug that actually works.

FWIW,

Greg G.

[Robatoy]

On Jan 7, 7:57=A0pm, Greg G. wrote: [snip].

Yessss, it would be a bitch trying to outsource jails to other countries, because there are no other countries on the planet which allow prisoners the same sets of rights as the US. Because in other countries prisoners can be interrogated more harshly than....wait...What?

On the weed thing being dangerous...I have never heard of a guy blowing away his wife and kids because he had smoked a doobie. I really never understood why potsmokers have been persecuted like they have been. I say, Lets sew a green triangle on their shirts!! Lock the perps into their houses with a bag of cheesies. House arrest! I honest-to-f*ck thought we'd outgrown that bullshit 30 years ago.

[Greg G]

A friends son was recently arrested for possession. He's still in jail because of probation violation for... ta da.. pot. His life as a child was a nightmare, his dad was an alcoholic who held police at bay at a hospital because they wouldn't treat him for falling off a scaffold - while drunk. He is now in his 20s, barely managed to get out of school, and faces grim prospects for the future. Facing these problems was bad enough, but now he has the mindless bureaucracy up his arse. He probably won't make it to old age.

I'm not even going to rise to the bait of that last statement... ;-)

I have known three people who have done such a thing locally - a lawyer, a stock broker, and a garage owner. The latter videotaped it. Alcohol was involved in two of the cases. They were all tightly wound white guys with plenty of money. The stoners are waaay too mellow for that sort of thing. Meth, crack, cocaine, yes. Pot? Never.

I do have to point out, however, that locking the perps in their houses with Cheetos wouldn't be much of a deterrent, especially if you throw a video game console into the mix...

Greg G.

[Jeff]

Of course not. He's sitting on the couch watching Little House on the Prairie reruns because the remote is so on the other side of the room....

[Tim Daneliuk]

Let's keep in mind that EVERY administration has fought the highly vaunted "War On Drugs" ... "For the children ..."

[Tim Daneliuk]

Make 'em watch "Rosie" reruns, I say. That'll sober you up in a second.

[Robatoy]

So you support torture, huh? :-)

[Tim Daneliuk]

No ... I want the Powers That Be to understand what drives people to drug abuse ...

[Greg G]

OK, so much for generalizations. (I know you're being facetious...?) First of all, what's so wrong with Little House on the Prairie. A bit maudlin and contains religious and moral overtones, but a better message than much of modern TV. I've watched it a time or two. Second, I have known teachers, nurses, firemen, a cop, a lawyer, and several Q-tips who professed to smoking the evil weed and none have succumbed to reefer madness as of yet. As with anything, it's all in the approach. But as with liquor, certainly don't want to see access for children or formative minds. By the same token, it's probably better than Ridlin and such... And just think of the economic boon to munchie manufacturers...

Greg G.

[J. Clarke]

What's "Ridlin"?

[Doug Winterburn]

ritalin

[J. Clarke]

Oh. Having been treated with Ritalin, I don't see any reason why liquor or the like would be "better for formative minds". Unfortunately it stopped working for me.

The stuff doesn't do any of the stuff that you hear about in all the ritalin-bashing sites.

[Mark & Juanita]

Are you sure you are the person who should be making that pronouncement? ;-)

[Greg G]

Sorry, should have speeled it correctly. Ritalin.

Greg G.