Another drug czar says some really stupid sh*t

[marmar]

from AlterNet:



Drug Czar Blames Rising Teen Pot Use On Medical Cannabis Laws Rather Than On His Own Failed Policies

Since 1975 the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor has been tracking students self-reported use of cannabis and other intoxicants, and every year their use of these substances trends either up or down from the prior survey. Predictably, when self-reported use goes down, drug war lackeys like Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske claim that drug prohibition is working. Conversely, when use trends upward — as it did this past year — drug warriors respond by pointing the blame at everyone else.

White House Drug Czar: Teen Marijuana Use on the Rise

via ABC News

Teenagers are beginning to think of marijuana as medicine, and more and more young people are toking up as a result, White House drug czar Gil Kerlikowske argues upon the release of a major survey on teenage drug use.

The 2010 Monitoring the Future Survey queried 50,000 eighth, 10th and 12th graders about their use of, and attitudes toward, illicit drugs.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy survey found that daily pot use among high school seniors is at 6.1 percent, its highest point since the early 1980s. In the past month, 21.4 percent of 12th graders said they had used marijuana, continuing an upward tick that began in the middle of the decade. Monthly, more seniors now smoke pot than cigarettes, a phenomenon not seen in nearly three decades.

It’s the decreasing perception of the harm of marijuana that is leading to increased pot use, according to the drug czar.

“If young people don’t really perceive that (marijuana) is dangerous or of any concern, it usually means there’ll be an uptick in the number of kids who are using. And sure enough, in 2009, that’s exactly what we did see,” Kerlikowske told ABC News Radio.

“We have been telling young people, particularly for the past couple years, that marijuana is medicine,” the former Seattle police chief argued. “So it shouldn’t be a great surprise to us that young people are now misperceiving the dangers or the risks around marijuana.”

On the other hand, he said, a broad understanding of the harms of tobacco and alcohol has led to lower cigarette smoking and binge drinking in teens. Regular cigarette smoking continues its decline, and binge drinking (five or more drinks at one sitting) among high school seniors is down from 25.2 percent to 23.2 percent. Tougher enforcement has also contributed to these declines, Kerlikowske said.

“We know that through education and enforcement, something can be done. But I think we should also be very concerned about these marijuana numbers, particularly among these very young people,” Kerlikowske said.

Okay, let me get this straight: California enacted legislation legalizing the physician-supervised use of medical marijuana in 1996 — some fourteen years ago — thus kicking off the national debate that is still taking place today. Between 1996 and 2005, nine additional states enacted similar laws (Alaska, 1999; Colorado, 2000; Hawaii, 2000; Maine, 1999; Montana, 2004; Nevada, 2000; Oregon, 1998; Vermont, 2004; Washington, 1998). Yet, the Drug Czar claims to the national media that this discussion has only been taking place in earnest for “the past couple years”?! Does he really think the public is that stupid?! ........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/393487/drug_czar_blames_rising_teen_pot_use_on_medical_cannabis_laws_rather_than_on_his_own_failed_policies/

[droidamus2]

1. Over the years

I have come to the conclusion that the anti-pot warriors don't know how to make their case without telling lies or grossly spinning what is going on. I can put another spin on the numbers, since the medical effectiveness of marijuana is now accepted in many states and by many people maybe it's just that the kids are more willing to admit they smoke rather than more kids are toking. I think any effect good old Nancy Reagans 'just say no' program had was to convince the kids if somebody asks you if you smoke pot 'just say no'.

[surrealAmerican]

2. How accurate are these "self-reported" surveys anyhow?

The trend they are seeing could easily be this: less social stigma means fewer kids lie about their marijuana use.

[xchrom]

3. Kerlikowske is another idiot in that job. Nt

[social_critic]

4. makes sense, if it's medicinal, then why not take it?

I don't use drugs, but I can see why smoking pot would increase if it's being used for medicinal purposes. Since pot isn't addictive, it sure seems dumb to outlaw it anyway. So the question is, where did this guy get the idea that it's bad if young people use pot? What we need is more pot smokers, so that eventually the great mass of gerbils out there will wake up and form a huge crowd of people asking for their freedom from stupid laws. The best solution I got for the drug czar is for him to retire and go home, save us the money.

By the way, did any of you see the interview with the US Army officer in Afghanistan? The guy was giving an interview discussing how well things were going for the Army, how they controlled the area and the locals were all so happy to be under the thumb of foreign occupation forces, when a large truck, loaded with pot, drove by. It was really funny, very Monty Python, and shows just how stupid our government is.

[RainDog]

5. Prohibition of cannabis is the problem

if cannabis were treated like alcohol, fewer teenagers would have access and public relations campaigns could deal with issues like responsible use - including age restrictions.

The drug czars have lied to people for so long that no one takes anything they have to say seriously. Reagan era bullshit taught an entire generation that everything they learned from "Just Say No" was based upon false evidence in contrived studies (i.e. suffocating monkeys and calling that a side effect of cannabis use.)

Clinton's anti-cannabis campaign that was launched in response to the 1996 CA ruling was ineffective, again, because of lies.

That this drug czar continues to make claims about the dangers of marijuana relative to other legal drugs (and in and of itself) is another illustration of the problem - the lies are what make people disregard the law. - Drug laws - but also make people skeptical about any claims from any governmental authority - and rightly so.