cannabisnews.com: Government Is Lying To You Again About Marijuana Government Is Lying To You Again About Marijuana Posted by CN Staff on January 15, 2003 at 11:25:35 PT By Keith Stroup, NORML Executive Director Source: NORML A Refutation of the Drug Czar's "Open Letter to America's Prosecutors"It will come as no surprise to most Americans to learn that our federal officials tend to exaggerate the potential dangers of marijuana in order to justify our nation’s criminal drug policies. But recently, the White House’s anti-marijuana propaganda campaign has taken on an increasingly alarmist and extremist tone – arguably crossing over any reasonable line of probity. The Bush Administration’s latest rhetoric does not qualify as a mere exaggeration; they are flat-out lying to the American public. They are purposely misrepresenting the available research in an attempt to justify federal and state policies that result in the arrest of more than 650,000 Americans annually on minor marijuana possession charges.Specifically, in an "open letter" to America’s prosecutors (dated November 1, 2002), ONDCP Deputy Director Scott Burns insists, "Nationwide, no drug matches the threat posed by marijuana," and urges law enforcement officials to "aggressively prosecute" marijuana violators. The letter further advocates prosecutors "tell the truth" about marijuana, and then lists more than a dozen unsubstantiated, misleading and fallacious statements regarding cannabis – including the allegation that marijuana is more addictive than "alcohol, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, ecstasy, and all other illegal drugs combined." Apparently the Drug Czar’s office has forgotten about the very real risks of truly dangerous drugs such as heroin, methamphetamine, crack and powder cocaine – as well as tobacco and alcohol, two legal but far more lethal drugs than marijuana.NORML has decided it is time to blow the whistle on this shameful exercise in government propaganda by launching our own marijuana "truth" campaign. The first salvo in this campaign is presented here: a point-by-point refutation of the ONDCP’s "open letter" to America’s prosecutors. We invite all who are interested in learning the truth about marijuana to read the Drug Czar’s letter, and then read NORML’s rebuttal, and decide for yourself who is lying about marijuana and why. NORML believes there is nothing to be gained by exaggerating marijuana’s harmfulness. On the contrary, by overstating marijuana’s potential harms, our policy-makers and law enforcement community undermine their credibility, and their ability to effectively educate the public of the legitimate harms associated with more dangerous drugs. In addition, exaggerating the dangers associated with the responsible use of marijuana results in the needless arrest of hundreds of thousands of good, productive citizens each year in this country. We cannot any longer remain silent and permit this taxpayer-funded propaganda to occur without a challenge.Finally, if you believe the Drug Czar has been lying to the public about marijuana, then please join us in protesting their behavior by sending an e-mail telling them how you feel. And while you are at it, please let your representatives in Congress know you oppose spending tax dollars on counterproductive, exaggerated anti-marijuana propaganda.Let's reel-in the government propaganda machine, and begin an honest public education campaign about the minimal risks presented by marijuana. In essence, let’s allow the science (as opposed to the rhetoric) to dictate our public policy regarding marijuana. As you will see, the facts speak for themselves.Complete Title: Your Government Is Lying To You Again About MarijuanaSource: NORML and the NORML Foundation (DC)Author: Keith Stroup, NORML Executive DirectorPublished: January 15, 2003 Copyright: 2003 NORML Contact: norml norml.org Website: http://www.norml.org/DL: http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5515 CannabisNews NORML Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/NORML.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #4 posted by afterburner on January 15, 2003 at 21:29:07 PT: Thanx 4 the link, Doc Mark Twain once said, "The most outrageous lies that can be invented will find believers if a man only tells them with all his might." and "The glory which is built upon a lie soon becomes a most unpleasant incumbrance. How easy it is to make people believe a lie, and how hard it is to undo that work again!" He also quoted Disraeli, "There are three types of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." NORML's well-reasoned and well-researched response is clearing the air on many of these lies and misrepresentations.ego destruction or ego transcendence, that is the question. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by AlvinCool on January 15, 2003 at 16:46:30 PT WOW I really like this rebuttal. I'm sending them a donation to keep up the excellent work. Now I just have to figure out what I can do with it to make a difference. Besides sending it to my congressman and requesting another audience.This is so accurate and truthful it almost hurts to read it. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Ethan Russo MD on January 15, 2003 at 13:34:03 PT: NORML REPORT The report is available in PDF form:http://www.norml.org/pdf_files/your_gov_is_lying.pdfSpread this to all politicians. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by p4me on January 15, 2003 at 12:45:10 PT My email to John Edwards ----------The corruption of EverythingI could have copied the text from NORML that spawned this email. Let me just say it would be hard for me to be more disappointed in all the members of Congress than I am now.I don't need some ego like John Edwards telling me the new tax cut is for the rich. It is obvious and well represented on the Internet. Everything is about the rich and the plutocracy control of everything including John Edward's tonque and pen.The insane policy on cannabis that kills and tortures people is no less than murder and conspiracy in my book. But I am thankful that many people use their view through the cannabis policy portal to see the widespread corruption of government. What the government isn't lying about as in Iraq they are silent on as in the case of MTBE,growth hormones in milk, the Asian Brown Cloud and pollution in general, the corporate control of media and its related mind control/brainwashing, and what the H is going on in Afganistan.No one even speaks of a federal deficit growing $1.3 billion dollars a day much less the CIA involvement in controlling illegal drugs that John Kerry knows all to well.I think collectively history will look on the last Congress as traitorous to the public interest and who in Congress is speaking the truth about anything much less denouncing the lies and the use of the public treasury to spread them. If John Edwards cannot tell the truth of medical cannabis and present an arguement for the continued arrest of people that use cannabis and protect the police state from seizing their property, why would I want him as any kind of elected official. If he cannot come to a simple decision on an obvious travesty of justice, reason, freedom, pragmatism, and medical science why would a reasonable person think he could decide anything else?The Monsanto policy in Columbia and the US involvement in Venezula are just more subjects that inflame a reasonable man. We are supposed to be interested in protecting the rain forest instead of poisoning it and the animals and people that live there. We are supposed to be supporting democracy and not undermining elected officials that are required to have a mojority of the voters support and did so overwhelmingly.I need to be able to grow cannabis to take as medicine because you corporate-monied people in Congress are making me sick abondoning the public good. You can now get back to poisoning us as the way to solve the socil security problem.And if you want to know a positive thing to do instead of just reading an honest evaluation of Congressional corruption, here it is. Build windmills. 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