Weekly: This Week in History
Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of years past.
Prominent Drug Warrior Admits Anti-Drug Propaganda is Exaggerated
I donât know what to make of this quote from NIDA Director Nora Volkow:
At first glance, it's nice that she at least admits that there's a lot of nonsense being passed around by anti-drug crusaders. It's not exactly news to anyone, but hearing this from Nora Volkow still surprised me. Anything resembling candor coming from a longtime prohibitionist like her is worthy of recognition.
Unfortunately, it's hard to take any of this seriously given Volkow's extensive track record of making crazy exaggerations. After the encounter I had with her, she really shouldn't be lecturing anyone about not crying wolf.
More likely, Volkow simply appreciates that being associated with crazy and excessive propaganda has done immeasurable harm to the credibility of the drug warrior elite and their prohibitionist agenda. If there's one lesson worth taking away from the drug war politics of the Bush era, it's that nobody wants to hear that crap anymore. Distancing herself from the excesses of her fallen peers is a smooth move for Volkow, but it won't work unless she actually stops trying to scare and manipulate everyone about the harms of drugs.
"One of the issues that's happened is that we've sent out all these messages; we've cried wolf too many times," Volkow said. "We don't need to exaggerate; the data speaks for itself. Armed with this knowledge, kids can make decisions." [San Diego Union-Tribune]
At first glance, it's nice that she at least admits that there's a lot of nonsense being passed around by anti-drug crusaders. It's not exactly news to anyone, but hearing this from Nora Volkow still surprised me. Anything resembling candor coming from a longtime prohibitionist like her is worthy of recognition.
Unfortunately, it's hard to take any of this seriously given Volkow's extensive track record of making crazy exaggerations. After the encounter I had with her, she really shouldn't be lecturing anyone about not crying wolf.
More likely, Volkow simply appreciates that being associated with crazy and excessive propaganda has done immeasurable harm to the credibility of the drug warrior elite and their prohibitionist agenda. If there's one lesson worth taking away from the drug war politics of the Bush era, it's that nobody wants to hear that crap anymore. Distancing herself from the excesses of her fallen peers is a smooth move for Volkow, but it won't work unless she actually stops trying to scare and manipulate everyone about the harms of drugs.
How Much More Proof Do You Need That Lying About Marijuana Doesnât Work?
No matter how many lies they tell, no matter how many lives they rip apart, the brave soldiers in the war on drugs wake up everyday in a country where marijuana is part of a healthy lifestyle for millions of responsible adults:
For all the insulting, outlandish, and just plain stupid propaganda that the drug czar's office has been shoving down our throats, nothing has changed. Nothing, that is, except public support for legalization, which continues to climb.
The drug czar hasn't said a word about the latest data on drug use rates, and it's fitting that the smartest strategic move to come from that office in a long time was the decision to just keep their mouths shut for once.
In 2002, 94.9 million Americans admitted having used marijuana at some point in their lives. In 2008, that figure had grown to 102.4 million. In percentage terms, thatâs an increase from 40.4 percent in 2002 to 40.6 percent in 2008 â unchanged, statistically speaking. [MPP]
For all the insulting, outlandish, and just plain stupid propaganda that the drug czar's office has been shoving down our throats, nothing has changed. Nothing, that is, except public support for legalization, which continues to climb.
The drug czar hasn't said a word about the latest data on drug use rates, and it's fitting that the smartest strategic move to come from that office in a long time was the decision to just keep their mouths shut for once.
Resignation of Mexico's Attorney General Won't Change Much
I have an invited comment online at JURIST, explaining why the resignation of Mexican Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora won't change much. (Hint: It's Prohibition.)
JURIST, which is published at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, is "the world's only law school-based comprehensive legal news and research service," according to its FAQ. It's also free, archives included. I've already added it to my Google Reader.
Insane Hospital Worker Punishes Medical Marijuana Patient
This is so out-of-control, I just don't know where to begin. If you watch one video this year of a seriously ill medical marijuana patient getting tortured by idiots, make it this one:
Someone should remind these people they live in Canada. The guy gets his marijuana sent to him by the government. He's not some punk kid partying behind the dumpster.
As far as we've come in the fight for medical marijuana, there remain countless individual battles that must be overcome before patients who need this medicine can count on being treated with fairness, compassion, and equality. Anyone who would deny medicine to the sick is a monster, to be sure. But the responsibility for this doesn't end there. We've endured decades of deliberate lies and propaganda about marijuana spread by our own public servants and it's no surprise that many among us have had their humanity and common sense compromised. It will take just as long to correct it all and events like this, disturbing as they may be, are an important part of the process.
In the meantime, here's a Google page for the Brook Haven Care Centre in Kelowna, BC, where this incident took place. You can write them a review, send a letter, or even give them a call. The patient's name is Nyle Nagy and the manager who punished him is named Adrien Vaughan. Feel free to share your concerns. I'm sure Nyle would also appreciate receiving personal letters of support.
Update: This link offers a different perspective on the situation from someone claiming to a member of Nyle Nagy's family. If this additional information is true, and it sounds authentic to me, then the Brookhaven Care Home doesn't deserve as much criticism as they've received. If I had seen this prior to writing the post, I would have approached it differently.