Blogging for Freedom

The Bush Administration has identified marijuana as the leading drug problem in America . Currently, $12 billion of our federal taxes are being spent on the war on marijuana, including the investigation and prosecution of medical marijuana cases. Nationally, over 400,000 Americans have been arrested for marijuana and more than 136,000 are now incarcerated. (www.legaljoint.net)

Although state and local law enforcement recognize that meth is the most dangerous drug to hit our communities, President Bush is slashing funds for meth-eradication programs. In order to continue justifying the huge amount of time, money and effort spent on marijuana, the Drug Enforcement Agency released a study called “Medical Marijuana: The Myths are Killing Us”. Authored by DEA Director, Karen Tandy, and published in Police Chief Magazine (March 2005) the article would be laughable if it wasn't so deadly serious. These are the first two paragraphs:

“APR 26-- When 14-year-old Irma Perez of Belmont, California, took a single ecstasy pill one evening last April, she had no idea she would become one of the 26,000 people who die every year from drugs. Irma took ecstasy with two of her 14-year-old friends in her home. Soon after taking the tiny blue pill, Irma complained of feeling awful and said she felt like she was "going to die." Instead of seeking medical care, her friends called the 17-year-old dealer who supplied the pills and asked for advice. The friends tried to get Irma to smoke marijuana, but when she couldn't because she was vomiting and lapsing into a coma, they stuffed marijuana leaves into her mouth because, according to news sources, "they knew that drug is sometimes used to treat cancer patients."

Irma Perez died from taking ecstasy, but compounding that tragedy was the deadly decision to use marijuana to "treat" her instead of making what could have been a lifesaving call to 911. Irma was a victim of our society's stunning misinformation about marijuana-a society that has come to believe that marijuana use is not only an individual's free choice but also is good medicine, a cure-all for a variety of ills. A recent poll showed that nearly three-fourths of Americans over the age of 45 support legalizing marijuana for medical use.” (read the full report at www.DEA.gov)

What is tragic is the federal government exploiting a child’s death from ecstasy by insinuating it was really medical marijuana that killed her. What is worse is it is a lie. An out-and-out bold-faced lie. The reporter who covered the story for the SF Chronicle confirmed there was no mention at trial or anywhere else of her friends “stuffing marijuana leaves” in her mouth. The Director of the DEA is not telling the truth in her report. Twisted facts and illogical accusations are propaganda, plain and simple.

What is beyond contempt is the misinformation and propaganda the federal government is feeding our kids so they can continue justifying their war on marijuana. Meth is destroying our communities. Young people are overdosing from cheap Afghani heroin that’s just beginning to flood our country. Abuse of prescription medication has skyrocketed among teenagers. Sniffing inhalants has increased. Statistically, alcoholism and binge-drinking is the leading drug problem among our young. These are the dangerous drugs that are killing our kids, not marijuana and certainly not medical marijuana.

We need to tell our government to get their priorities straight. We need to concentrate our efforts on the lethal drugs that are destroying our communities. We need to tell our representatives not to cut funds for fighting meth. We need to know how our resources are being spent and who’s filling our jails. We are the voters, taxpayers and citizens of this country and we deserve the truth.

Read DEA Director Karen Tandy's complete article "Medical Marijuana: The Myths Are Killing Us"  (April 26, 2005)