cannabisnews.com: Funding an Epic Study of Drug Habits Funding an Epic Study of Drug Habits Posted by CN Staff on April 07, 2008 at 05:57:30 PT By David N. Goodman, Associated Press Source: San Francisco Chronicle Hamburg Township, Mich. -- President Nixon may not have dented the nation's drug epidemic when he named Elvis Presley a "federal agent at large" in the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs in 1970.But a $120 million research program born during the Nixon administration continues to shape America's drug policies. And it all started with a 33-year-old psychology graduate student's bold plan to poll thousands of teens nationwide each year about their drug habits and beliefs at a time when reefer madness had them in its grip.Lloyd Johnston, now 67, still runs that study from the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. His group recently was awarded a $33 million National Institute on Drug Abuse grant to continue through 2012."It's just unparalleled in its importance in our field," said Tom Hendrick, founding director of the Partnership for a Drug Free America - the group created the iconic TV ads showing a frying egg and a narrator who says, "This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?"The study owes its birth to Nixon drug czar Dr. Robert DuPont, who read Johnston's 1973 book "Drugs and American Youth" and invited the research assistant to Washington to brief his staff. Johnston pitched DuPont the idea he and colleague Jerald Bachman dreamed up of asking teens across the country about their drug, alcohol and tobacco habits and attitudes.DuPont was hooked, and secured funding for the first "Monitoring the Future" study."I said, 'We've got to do this, and Lloyd is the guy to do it,"' said DuPont, a psychiatrist and head of the Institute for Behavior and Health in Rockville, Md.The project was approved in August 1974 and the first surveys were conducted of 17,000 students the following spring.Released in late 1975, the results gave the nation a first comprehensive look at what its children were smoking, popping and drinking: 40 percent of high school seniors had used marijuana in the past 12 months and 45 percent had taken an illicit drug in that time.From the start, the annual studies drew intense media coverage, Johnston said from the airy lakeside home 15 miles north of campus that he shares with his wife and daughter."NBC put on a one-hour special called, 'Reading, Writing and Reefer,' " said Johnston, a Harvard MBA. It "had a few talking heads like me" and lots of "kids who were heavy dope users.""Anybody who was viewing the program could see that they weren't functioning right cognitively," he said. "I think it was one of the most effective prevention tools." Snipped Complete Article: http://tinyurl.com/3u3vjaSource: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)Author: David N. Goodman, Associated PressPublished: Sunday, April 6, 2008 - Page A - 14 Copyright: 2008 San Francisco Chronicle Contact: letters sfchronicle.comWebsite: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/ CannabisNews Justice Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/justice.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #19 posted by FoM on April 08, 2008 at 12:24:47 PT House Lawmakers Consider Medical Marijuana Bill April 8, 2008 PROVIDENCE, R.I. - (WPRI) - Nonprofit businesses would be able to sell marijuana to seriously ill patients under a bill being considered by Rhode Island lawmakers. The House Committee on Health, Education and Welfare was scheduled Tuesday to debate the proposal, which would expand Rhode Island's medical marijuana program. The state now allows patients with chronic illnesses to possess and use marijuana for pain relief. But the law does not spell out how those patients can buy the drug, which remains illegal under federal law. Rep. Thomas Slater's proposal would allow nonprofit organizations to sell up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana to a qualified patient or caregiver every 15 days. Copyright 2008 by The Associated Presshttp://www.wpri.com/Global/story.asp?S=8136238 [ Post Comment ] Comment #18 posted by Sam Adams on April 08, 2008 at 09:59:47 PT Scotsman "There is also no doubt that its long-term usage increases the risk of lung cancer, high blood pressure and infertility"This statement is completely false! There is no doubt that cannabis DOES NOT cause lung cancer, and it certainly doesn't cause the other two either.It's so hard for the media to distill scientific information. It's so hard to accept that cannabis is virtually harmless. But it is. Sometimes the truth goes against your intuition. Face it people. [ Post Comment ] Comment #17 posted by FoM on April 08, 2008 at 09:26:38 PT Just a Comment I haven't found any news to post so far today but I will keep looking. I hope everyone has a wonderful day.Whig when Obama becomes President that would be a very good thing. President Obama is sounding better and better every day. [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by ekim on April 07, 2008 at 19:16:21 PT gotackoutthesecommentsateeetolastired Open Thread http://blogs.salon.com/0002762/ OpEd The "wrong message" to send to any teenager, to any child, is hypocrisy. It turns them cynical and makes them disrespect the law, when trusted adults evade reality for the sake of political concerns. [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by whig on April 07, 2008 at 18:31:13 PT FoM My hope is that when Obama is president, Marc Emery will be able to come over and plead to something that will let him pay a fine and no more than a day, like what happened to Ed Rosenthal. [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by afterburner on April 07, 2008 at 17:12:33 PT Laid-back approach is best for cannabis - Scotsman Laid-back approach is best for cannabis - Gordon Brown wants to take a tough stand on drugs, starting with the regrading of marijuana as a class B drug. But, as Chris Marshall discovers, there are many doubts about his approach. 07 April 2008. Source: Edinburgh Evening News http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/Laidback-approach-is-best-for.3953772.jp [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by Mydnytmover on April 07, 2008 at 13:24:03 PT: Nazi 's "It is so easy to compare this government to Nazi Germany and without a stretch" Aint that the truth [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by FoM on April 07, 2008 at 13:12:08 PT runruff Many Republicans seem heartless to me as a group. I don't mean that in an angry way. Being a Repub seems like a religion to some of them. I mean it in a way that I have observed over the years. Everything seems to be in black and white. I believe life is many shades of gray. Maybe that is why I have always leaned towards the Democrat Party. There is more honest spirituality not religion in the Dems I have noticed on different blogs. [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by runruff on April 07, 2008 at 13:03:03 PT: For Marc's sake, I've got my fingers crossed. Could our government be any more insane to want to send a man to prison for 10 years for selling plant seeds?It is so easy to compare this government to Nazi Germany and without a stretch. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by FoM on April 07, 2008 at 10:45:58 PT A Question When will they vote the consevative Prime Minister out? [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by FoM on April 07, 2008 at 10:43:20 PT Sam I think you could be right. If Obama wins I honestly think he wouldn't push this. That would be great for the 3 of them. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by Sam Adams on April 07, 2008 at 10:36:17 PT Emery You have to think the Canadian govt. is going to stall until Nov. 5th. We're getting close and everyone knows if McCain loses the US will not pursue extradition anymore.I think the fact that it's been dragged out this long means that Canada is getting cold feet about the whole thing. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by FoM on April 07, 2008 at 09:22:20 PT runruff I tried to figure out why they won't agree with the agreement but maybe they don't want to be involved because if he served 5 years in Canada over seed sales people would be upset. Since what he did that brought the charges was in the USA that could be the reason. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on April 07, 2008 at 09:18:25 PT runruff The last thing I read was that Canada won't agree with the agreement that Emery made with the U.S. I did a search and found this article. If something happened since then I don't know about it.http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080329/pot_crusader_080329/20080329?hub=Canada [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by runruff on April 07, 2008 at 09:07:00 PT: FoM About BC Bud. Isn't that Mark's company? I heard they were still in business and wondered if they were? If they are, I admire their pluck!Did you mean that Canada is not going to hand Mark over to the DEA? [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by ekim on April 07, 2008 at 08:43:32 PT and how much will be spent on this study? http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/nc/ncmenu.htm The Report of the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse Marihuana: A Signal of Misunderstanding Commissioned by President Richard M. Nixon, March, 1972 [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on April 07, 2008 at 07:53:11 PT Storm Crow Thank you for the link. I hope things change soon. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Storm Crow on April 07, 2008 at 07:36:20 PT Prosecutor disturbed.... Prosecutor disturbed that supporters see swim school owner as victimBLOOMINGTON -- A 43-year-old private swim instructor was sentenced Friday to two years of probation for growing 79 marijuana plants in the basement of his swimming school.Robbie L. Morger pleaded guilty Feb. 14 to growing the plants in the basement of Happy Splashes Swim School, 610 E. Lincoln St., Normal. (snipped)http://pantagraph.com/articles/2008/04/07/news/doc47f956775634b661049268.txtThe kids and parents love him, he uses medically, didn't work stoned, and was an all around good fellow- and the prosecutor is disturbed that they didn't throw the book at him. The prosecutor is disturbed(period!). [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on April 07, 2008 at 06:09:14 PT OT: Pot Clubs Could Get Another Extension Pot Clubs Could Get Another Extension for PermitsBy John Upton, The Examiner April 7, 2008 SAN FRANCISCO -- Medical pot vendors in San Francisco would be allowed to wait until the nation has a new president before obtaining city permits to sell marijuana under a proposed deadline extension.Complete Article: http://www.examiner.com/a-1324647~Pot_clubs_could_get_another_extension_for_permits.html [ Post Comment ] Post Comment