Friday, June 10, 2011

War on Drugs a Success - Pot Propaganda Continues




Sometimes it amazes me the crazy tales those against legalizing drugs will write to support their position. I came across an article that was so full of BS that I felt I should share it with my readers.



War on Drugs a success

 FTA: I know because from 1976 to 1981, I was administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. In 1976, we had more than 500,000 heroin addicts and over 2,000 heroin overdose deaths. This has decreased significantly; currently there are 200,000 heroin users, less than half the number of 35 years ago and half the heroin overdose deaths.

But a little research shows interestingly enough most people would not use hard drugs if they were legal, that shows educating people does work!

If hard drugs such as heroin or cocaine were legalized would you be likely to use them?
99% SAY "NO"
Zogby International asked that question of 1,028 likely voters. Ninety-nine out of 100 said "No." Only 0.6 percent said "Yes
source

Now we see Mr Bensinger turn his spin machine to the anti-marijuana mode with no shame for ruining his credibility with old out of date propaganda.

Legalize marijuana, which contain 468 different chemicals and 60 percent more cancer-causing agents than a cigarette


Well a quick Google search for marijuana and lung cancer turns up this well known fact:

Study Finds No Cancer-Marijuana Connection

But it goes beyond not causing cancer!

Marijuana Cuts Lung Cancer Tumor Growth In Half, Study Shows

 Now as for:

Drugged driver fatalities are three times higher in states with medical marijuana.
Link to Mr Bensingers article War on drugs a success

 

I will quote from the US Governments own report and you decide if his claim to three times the fatalities in MMJ states rings true.


U.S. Department of Transportation,National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(DOT HS 808 078), Final Report, November 1993
Drivers under the influence of marijuana retain insight in their performance and will compensate, where they can, for example, by slowing down or increasing effort. As a consequence, THC's adverse effects on driving performance appear relatively small.
source
I will add this to the marijuana and safety question:

Oregon's workplaces safest ever, despite 40,000 medical marijuana patients

Source



I think that you can see a pattern dealing with truth or the lack of it in Mr Bensinger's article. It amazes me that anyone would write such nonsense in the days of the internet, when fact checking is as easy as a few well thought out Google searches. Mr Bensinger you will have to do better at fact checking in the future as your credibility and reputation are on the line.

*Please note Mr Bensinger does not cite any sources for the statistics he claims in his article, I wonder why?

Free Cannabis,
End Prohibition Now!

2 comments:

Intelligent opinions and structured debate are always welcomed, but name calling and personal attacks do not belong here, have fun!