The Return of Reefer Madness

[kskiska]

The U.S. drug czar's office is running ads implying that smoking marijuana can lead to insanity. But pushing dubious science is no way to convince teenagers not to do drugs.

Parents who read the New York Times or Newsweek this past summer could be forgiven for freaking out when they came across a full-page ad warning them about the effects of marijuana on their teenagers. If the kids were off somewhere sparking up a joint, the federally funded message seemed to say, they were at risk for severe mental illness. Were those parents hallucinating, or was Reefer Madness, long since debunked, suddenly a real problem to be reckoned with?

The latest salvo in the never-ending war on drugs, the ads, which also ran in magazines like the Nation and the National Review, bore a stark warning. Under the headline "Marijuana and Your Teen's Mental Health," the bold-faced subhead announced: "Depression. Suicidal Thoughts. Schizophrenia."

"If you have outdated perceptions about marijuana, you might be putting your teen at risk," the text went on. It warned that "young people who use marijuana weekly have double the risk of depression later in life" and that "marijuana use in some teens has been linked to increased risk for schizophrenia." It followed with the sneering question, "Still think marijuana's no big deal?"

(snip)

At the press conference launching the mental illness campaign in May, the Bush administration's drug czar, John Walters, emphasized, "New research being conducted here and abroad illustrates that marijuana use, particularly during the teen years, can lead to depression, thoughts of suicide, and schizophrenia."

more…
http://salon.com/news/feature/2005/09/19/reefer_madness/index.html

[Bruce McAuley]

1. Another Bush appointee, another second-rater...

Where does he get these clones...?
I blow smoke in your face, Mr. Walters.

Bruce

[hobbit709]

2. Makes you wonder

what kind of drugs these people are on. Let's see-paranoia, delusions of grandeur, stupid ideas- sounds like too much coke to me.

[Gyre]

3. Love to take a look at the methodology employed in those "studies".

Let's see what you're really talking about there little Johnny! Put up or shut up!

Gyre

[blindpig]

4. how about....

living during the bu$h administration can lead to depression, thoughts of suicide, and schizophrenia. Can't have the tail wagging the dog.

[tom_paine]

5. LOTS of old nonsense coming back in a big way

Why should reefer madness be any different than "intelligent design"?

Our nation, once-free, oince-proud, once-beautiful, has embraced the kind of Dark Ages insanity that can only lead us back from the muck which our ancestors crawled out of, many of them being burned at the stake and gutted alive for their troubles.

[Blue_Tires]

6. man....i thought this thread was talking about the musical!

lol