Pubdate: Wed, 11 Apr 2007 Source: Quesnel Cariboo Observer (CN BC) Copyright: 2007 Quesnel Cariboo Observer Contact: http://www.quesnelobserver.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1260 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n453/a03.html Author: Arthur Topham SCARE TACTICS ADDS UP TO MISGUIDED SCIENCE Editor: Re: Mental illness another reason to ban marijuana, Feedback, the Observer, April 8. Once again Chris Kempling is venturing into unknown waters with his assumptive, and quite frankly ignorant assertion that, "Young people need to realize today's pot can make you crazy -- permanently." Kempling's reference to Britain's The Independent and their groveling apologetics and retractions for once advocating the legalization of cannabis is nothing but another case of misleading, false, and above all else, bad science. Like all statistics they can be streamlined, cherry-picked and twisted askew in order to propound and support any type of nonsense and in the case of the Independent's data this is precisely what occurred. The whole ballyhoo about today's cannabis being up to 25 per cent stronger and therefore somehow dangerous is simply more fear-mongering on the part of those vested corporate interests who would rather have young people smoke (cigarettes) and drink than toke (pot) and think. Levels of THC in cannabis (the active ingredient that gets you stoned) have always been either high or low depending upon the conditions under which the plant was grown and those conditions haven't changed for literally thousands of years. Thanks to the fascist, draconian drug laws that prevail in western countries pot growers have been forced to cultivate their herbal products indoors under artificial lights and due to that factor the potency of the plant has been brought up to traditional levels normally occurring where climate and soil conditions being optimum, THC levels are always in the higher range. As for the schizophrenia, paranoia and psychosis alluded to in certain "scientific" studies those are symptoms of minds that have been nurtured on bigotry, lies and hypocrisy and all bearing the tell-tale marks of today's screwed up social, cultural, political, economic and educational system. I was smoking high-test (potent) cannabis in the Cariboo back in 1969 which is close to 40 years ago when most of the pot in B.C. was still coming up from Mexico and was very low grade so I find Kempling's claptrap about today's cannabis being dangerous nothing more than misguided scare tactics. The solution to the high potency nature of today's pot is no more complicated that it is for alcohol. If you're drinking over-proof rum or homemade spirits that have a high alcohol content you simply drink less to get the desired high. The same simple remedy works for cannabis and is also cost-effective. Smoke less and get to your destination for half the cost. ARTHUR TOPHAM Cottonwood - --- MAP posted-by: Steve Heath