Lies our drug warriors told us

Reno News and Review ^ | August 24th, 2006 | Dennis Myers

[mugs99]

The year before the 1914 Harrison Anti-drug Act 1.3% of the US population was addicted to drugs. In 1970, 1.3% were addicted to drugs. In 2003, 1.3% were addicted to drugs.

Liberties lost, over two million in prison and drug addiction has remained the same!
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[mugs99]

I am not sure how the laws protect drug gangs

Not only do drug laws protect the gangs by creating the underground market, the use of the Commerce Clause to fight the drug war gives direct legal protection to the drug gangs.

Lawyers for the U.S. Justice Department argued to the Supreme Court that homegrown marijuana represented interstate commerce, because the garden patch weed would affect "overall production" of the weed, much of it imported across American borders by well-financed, often violent drug gangs.

Think about that. They argued that home-grown weed would "affect" the inter-state commerce of "violent drug gangs"...It would reduce their commerce!

By accepting that argument, the Supreme Court has ruled that individuals growing marijuana unfairly reduce the inter-state trade of violent drug gangs!
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[zeugma]

Remind me in the future to check the posters name before reading the comment as it might have been posted by you,

I always look for Laz's posts.  Sometimes, when I'm reading something really twisted, I think to myself, "Must be Laz". 9/10, it is. 

[zeugma]

The War On Drugs is not a war on drugs. It's a war on people.

Almost right. In addition to being a war against the people, it's also a war against the Constitution.  It is the latter war that causes it to continue long after sane people would have looked at the consequences and decided it wasn't a good idea, as with prohibition I.

[PaxMacian]

What does conducting a terror campaign upon the people
have to do with a government of the people, by the people and for the people?

[William Terrell]

I agree with you about the nature and precedence of the budding young American socialist systems. But the only way to dismantle them is to either starve them (remove funds) or bankrupt them (over-access).

I doubly doubt that health issues even remotely related to cannabis use is a drain on public funded health care. You might wish this would be otherwise, as do I.

I think the only way now to ruin the public's ignorant positive attitude of socialist systems is to allow them to experience financial pain leading to the realization of the source of the pain.

This means you and I have to feel the pain along with them until a critical mass is reached.

I'm afraid all that is a pipedream, though. I predict much blood spilled before we can rid ourselves of the socialist tumor.

Politicians on both sides love it.

[Mojave]

What does conducting a terror campaign upon the people

What does lying have to do with rational debate?

[Mojave]

I agree with you about the nature and precedence of the budding young American socialist systems.

Don't worry. The NRST national universal welfare system will never pass.

[PaxMacian]

Pax wrote: What does conducting a terror campaign upon the people
have to do with a government of the people, by the people and for the people?

Mojave wrote: What does lying have to do with rational debate?

It is no lie that the lack of results in a generations long civil war(WOD) relegates all action taken by the government as significant only for the TERROR that it inflicts upon the citizenry in effort to control their appetites. (Not a Constitutionally mandated federal power!) The DEAmen are the Taliban of America.

FBI definition of terrorism: "The unlawful use of or threatened use of force or violence against individuals or property to coerce or intimidate governments or societies, often to achieve political, religious, or ideological objectives."

[pageonetoo]

I came home one day and caught my oldest son and some friends in my back yard hitting a bong, they all went to jail that day.

What lesson did you teach them? To be blindly obedient to authority? If he had enough early training, you could have already known about him. Where was he before he went out to the back yard?

You certainly earned their respect, I am sure. (/sarcasm)

I drove up to visit a friend of mine in Marshall, Va. one day. He lived on the side of a mountain, on 108 acres. His 4500 sqft chalet backed up to the mountain, with a low roof.

Sitting on top of his house were he and one of my sons. I parked, walked around the house, and climbed up on the roof with them. As I sat down, Jim reached over and handed me a joint. I had smoked them with him previously, but never around my son.

I first started smoking the stuff while stationed with the US Navy. I was on a Mid-shipmens cruise in 1967, and some friends and I decided to visit Haight-Ashbury. As we walked down the street, all sort of things were offered, and we decided to try some pot. We bought a matchbox full of Mexican weed for $2.

We had rented a hotel room, and went back there to smoke it. We emptied out a cigarette, and stuffed it into the tube. It was better than I thought. I never cared for drunkenness, because of the loss of control and other defects associated with it. I did not experience that with pot.

I smoked a lot over the years, but had quit when my oldest son was born. I hadn't smoked it until meeting Jim. He was not a pusher. He had a business employing a lot of good people. he is a contributing member of society, more than most I know.

Anyway, after Jim took the joint back from me, he handed to my son. He hit it and grinned at me. I couldn't have been mad at him, obviously. We sat on the roof and watched the sun set and then burned some steaks, played with the dogs and frisbees on the hill, and crashed in our bedrooms, tired and satiated. All in all, we had a wonderful time.

You should wish your son turned out like my kids. One is a cop, another a school teacher. One is in securty, and the other customer service. My youngest is 17, still in HS, works at a motel cleaning rooms (her choice...yucccchhhhhhh!), and wouldn't go near drugs or alcohol. She loves to draw, create with words, and play her various musical instruments. they all have talents of their own. She can have anything she wants from me, but likes to be independent. All of my kids have been.

You should be ashamed of yourself, friend, IMHO. You failed your son, and taught him nothing. Then you shipped him off for what? He will only die in jail, in spirit. Your son is your responsiblity, not the jailer's...

Whose bitch did he become, since he couldn't be yours any more?

[A CA Guy]

So considering the push for drug legalization we have kept according to your sources the status at minimum growth.

Great success then.

[mugs99]

Politicians on both sides love it

Democrats want to be your Mommy and Republicans want to be your Daddy.
.

[Zon]

The 1.3% drug addiction is constant regardless of prohibition. Drug prohibition created high profits which in turn caused illicit drug dealers to push drugs onto children. If anything government kept the drug addiction rate from declining. With your support government turned over the drug trade to criminals and organized crime. There is no government oversight, no quality control, no potency regulation and drugs are sold to school children thanks to you and drug-warriors.

Continued in post 183

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition -- LEAP. Watch the 13 minute introduction video. Its excellent. The Web site is most informative. Introduction video. Real Media (14 mb) - MPEG-4 (23 mb) 

[sean327]

"You should wish your son turned out like my kids. One is a cop, another a school teacher. One is in securty, and the other customer service. My youngest is 17, still in HS, works at a motel cleaning rooms (her choice...yucccchhhhhhh!), and wouldn't go near drugs or alcohol. She loves to draw, create with words, and play her various musical instruments. they all have talents of their own. She can have anything she wants from me, but likes to be independent. All of my kids have been.

You should be ashamed of yourself, friend, IMHO. You failed your son, and taught him nothing. Then you shipped him off for what? He will only die in jail, in spirit. Your son is your responsiblity, not the jailer's...

Whose bitch did he become, since he couldn't be yours any more? '

That's what I love about the druggie crowd. Everyone of you clowns claim to be non-judgemental, but you are just as bad, if not worse than everyone else. If you read my post all the way through you will see that my son has turned out pretty good. He is Specalist E-4 in the army, is married, and has a little girl. He also thanked me for doing what I did. This incident wasn't the 1st. I had enough at that point, and was at the end of my rope with him.

I know I didn't elaborate on the problems that have happened in my family in the past, so here is why I detest drugs. When I was a junior in high school my cousin overdosed and died. We were close untill we got to high school, in 10th grade he quit playing football and started running with a crowd of douchebags. A year later he was dead. Why? T0 get cheap thrills? To be a rebel? Bullshiite! he wasted his lif on dope and broke his familie's hearts. My wife got the crap beat out of her on a regular basis by her Methhead ex-husband, he messed her up pretty bad physicaly and mentaly. I met her a year after she left him, and had to deal with threats to her and myself from this jackass. It's taken a good part of our 18 years together for her to get over the crap he did to her.

So go ahead and judge me for trying to protect my family from this crap, I really dont give a rats a$$ what anyone thinks. And like I've said before, what you do in the privacy of your own home or property is none of my business, as long as it doesn't affect me or mine.

[AmericaUnite]

I don't know if the article will come trough without registration so here's an excerp. One of my son's who was adopted at 2 days old and was exposed to fat soluable marijuana throughout the pregnancy. He is disabled. His memory problems I attribute to MJ.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/515684_5
"Physiologic Effects of Prenatal Cocaine Exposure in Neonates

The fetus is at significant risk from cocaine exposure secondary to maternal use. Cocaine has a low molecular weight and is both hydrophilic and lipophilic. These properties allow significant levels of cocaine to cross the placenta and pass through the blood brain barrier. The metabolism of cocaine in the fetus is known to be considerably slower than that of the adult. Fetal exposure to cocaine is, thus, prolonged (Schenker et al., 1993; Wagner et al., 1998). A study by Mahone and colleagues (1994) found cocaine and its derivatives to not only be transferred to the fetus via diffusion into the umbilical cord and within the placental vessels, but also to be in the amniotic fluid and then swallowed by the fetus. The dose, the duration of drug ingestion, and the point in gestation at which the fetus is exposed to cocaine determines the effect the drug may have on the fetus. The majority of research on the topic points to a myriad of clinical manifestations that present in the infant/young child.
Intrauterine Growth (Birth Weight, Length, and Head Circumference) and Prematurity

Variations in intrauterine growth in infants with a history of prenatal cocaine exposure have been observed. IUGR and prematurity of the newborn have been associated with maternal cocaine use. Most studies have found increasing rates of low birth weight, deficits in birth length and head circumference for gestational age, and prematurity among cocaine exposed newborns despite differing methodologies (Bada et al., 2002; Chiriboga, Brust, Bateman, & Hauser, 1999; Richardson, Hamel, Goldschmidt, & Day, 1999; Singer et al., 2002). However, other studies have found limited or no significant associations in birth weight, length, head circumference, and/or prematurity (Bandstra et al., 2001; Bateman & Chiriboga, 2000; Eyler, Behnke, Conlon, Woods, & Wobie, 1998).

Singer and colleagues (2002) compared 218 infants who were prenatally exposed to cocaine and 197 who were not and reported that cocaine use during pregnancy was associated with an increase in premature labor and delivery, lower birth weight, smaller head circumference, a decrease length at birth, and shorter gestational age. Similarly, Bandstra et al. (2001) noted cocaine-associated deficits in birth weight and length but not head circumference. Prematurity was not found by Bandstra et al. (2001), as the infants studied were full-term. Both Singer et al. (2002) and Bandstra et al. (2001) included a target population of primarily African American pregnant women of low-socioeconomic status with cocaine use, identified confounding variables including poly-drug use (i.e., alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, etc.), and controlled for these variables in comparison groups.

In a study examining 295 infants prenatally cocaine-exposed whose mother received no prenatal care as compared to 98 infants whose mother did receive prenatal care by the fifth month of pregnancy, Richardson et al. (1998) noted that during early pregnancy infants from both groups exhibited a reduction in their gestational age, birth weight, length, and head circumference. The authors concluded prenatal cocaine-exposure was associated with IUGR regardless of prenatal care. Confounding factors (alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, other illicit drugs, maternal and infant variables) were controlled for and at the end of each trimester both groups were questioned about their use of cocaine/crack, alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and other drug use.

In contrast to the findings of Richardson et al. (1998), a secondary analysis of data from the Maternal Lifestyle Study (MLS) found that only after 32 weeks of gestation did infants prenatally cocaine-exposed exhibit a decline in their birth weight, length, and head circumference (Bada et al., 2002). Covariates controlled for included clinical site, opiate use, alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use, and maternal and infant characteristics.

In contrast, Eyler et al. (1998) discovered that no significant differences were found between infants prenatally exposed to cocaine and non-exposed infants in terms of birth weight and length while examining 154 pregnant women identified as cocaine users with a matched control group. However, smaller dimensions in head and chest circumferences were found in infants whose mothers used cocaine and who also smoked tobacco. Cocaine users were found to have more infants born prematurely in comparison to the control group. All pregnant women were from a rural population, and the majority were African American and of low-socioeconomic status. Subjects were excluded if illicit drugs were used besides cocaine and marijuana; alcohol and tobacco were statistically adjusted for. The authors also reported that pregnant women were more likely to use a larger amount of cocaine during their first trimester. This is of great concern because this period of gestation is most critical for proper fetal development.

Bateman and Chiriboga (2000) investigated the relationship between birth weight and head circumference with the quantity of cocaine exposure in 240 non-randomized full-term infants from a well-baby nursery in a single inner-city hospital. Levels of cocaine exposure were measured using radioimmuno-analyses of the hair (RIAH) in the third trimester of pregnancy. Measurements indicated: no exposure (136 infants), low exposure (52 infants), and high exposure (52 infants). Adjustments were made for the confounding variables of use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and opiates during pregnancy as well as infant and maternal characteristics. A dose-response effect of cocaine on the neonates' head circumference or, as they defined it, "head wasting" was only found in the high exposure group. Chiriboga et al. (1999) and Kuhn and colleagues (1999) reported similar findings. Chirboga et al. (1999) also found a decrease in birth lengths among infants prenatally exposed to cocaine at high levels of exposure.

In summary, research indicates prenatal exposure to cocaine may affect the infant's gestational age at birth, length, weight, and head circumference, although the findings are not conclusive or consistent."

[AmericaUnite]

I forgot to say he was exposed to cocaine for the whole pregnancy as well and was positive for it as well. The rest of the MedScape article goes into more about the negative effects of cocaine.

[pageonetoo]

That's what I love about the druggie crowd. Everyone of you clowns claim to be non-judgemental, but you are just as bad, if not worse than everyone else.

That's what I love about the drug warriors. They all have someone who OD'd and wasted their lives. It's amazing that so many of my "druggie" friends own their own business and pay lots of taxes.

I wonder if alcohol had anything to do with it? I wonder where the parents were, whne the time came to prepare the child for the future, instead of wringing hands over how things turned out, after the fact?

So go ahead and judge me for trying to protect my family from this crap, I really dont give a rats a$$ what anyone thinks.

Yep, it always works best to close the door after the cows are out to pasture. I judged you on the way you raise your child. You must have missed the classes on compassion and love...

BTW, if you don't care what others think, why bother to visit the thread?

[William Terrell]

Thanks, but I worry. If the NRST benefits the federal government at the expense of public financial sovereignty, it will pass. If it benefits the public and acknowleges a greater public sovereignty in any way, it will not pass.

This post is not intended to hijack this thread and start a NRST bloodbath.

[William Terrell]

Do you support the federal government's war on drugs, specifically cannabis?

[Zon]

This post is not intended to hijack this thread and start a NRST...

Not to worry. It was Roscoe's intent and why he injected the off-topic NRST comment.