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New Push To 'tell Truth' On Cannabis
by David Wroe | April 16, 2004 | The Age | submitted by Red


Canberra -- The Howard Government's drug taskforce is launching a new offensive against marijuana, with a booklet that the taskforce's head says will "tell the truth" and combat the "trivialisation" of the drug's dangers.

Australian National Council on Drugs chairman Brian Watters yesterday said a "pro-marijuana lobby" had successfully promoted the idea that cannabis was no more dangerous than alcohol and should be legalised.

"I think there has been a really concerted effort in some quarters to trivialise its effects," he said. "The pro-marijuana lobby have done very well. They are very, very active."

Major Watters said the booklet would counter these perceptions by bringing together all of the latest research in a balanced, non-ideological way.

"It's not going back to Reefer Madness," Major Watters said, referring to the 1936 cautionary film from the United States, which has gained a modern cult following. "But it's not going to be given the imprimatur of the hemp embassy at Nimbin either.

"It tells the truth . . . what the research really says about marijuana."

Marijuana is Australia's most widely used illicit drug. A third of Australians have tried it and one in eight have smoked it in the past year, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare figures show.

Major Watters, a Salvation Army officer with extensive experience in drug management, said he was "very opposed" to marijuana because he had seen the damage it did.


[Red: I didn't realize being an officer made you a doctor?]


But David Crosby, another member of the council who expressed a more liberal view, said the booklet would provide non-judgemental information that allowed people to decide.

"There's very different views (on the council) about what we should do in relation to cannabis," said Mr Crosby, who is also Odyssey House chief executive.

Mr Crosby said heavy marijuana use was dangerous, but an "occasional joint" was probably no more harmful than an occasional drink, provided the casual user had no family history of mental illness. But because there was no summary of the latest research in Australia, a divided council decided the booklet was best, he said.


[Red: I don't believe heavy use is dangerous, but at least they drew a line between "use" and "abuse."]


Marijuana has been linked with schizophrenia and other mental illnesses, but opinion differs on whether it causes psychosis or simply triggers latent mental illness.

Major Watters dismissed the distinction. "I've always said, 'Who cares?' If my son suddenly develops schizophrenia, I don't care whether the marijuana caused it or triggered it," he said. "The result is he has a great deal of turmoil in his mind."

The council has commissioned the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre to create the booklet, expected to be published this year.

Centre spokesman Paul Dillon said the booklet would strive to avoid trivialising or demonising the drug.

"With everything we produce around cannabis, we try to keep a balance and give information that is accurate, up-to-date and does not push a barrow," he said.

 

tecnos

yeah i live in aus so that affects me thanks dr zombie

TurbulentHigh

I smell the stench of reefer madness using a more conservative approach. And a "new" age of drug-war tactics begins.

- TH421

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Kannibal

Perhaps someone over there....here too for that matter should comprise a booklet about all the pitfalls of prohibition.How prohibition is more dangerous and harmful than either alcohol or marijuana.I'll listen to both sides but I tell ya i'm really tired of listening to all the crap when the pro-prohibitionist just always turn a deaf ear.Here in the good old US of A wasn't it John Walters who implied the topic was not even up for legitimate debate? Not sure who said it but I read it here and sounds like Walters.They wanna talk but they don't wanna listen.
It should be an interesting read this booklet to be.I am anxious to see their truths.Will someone post the booklet when it comes out?It could be very useful.


Major Watters said the booklet would counter these perceptions by bringing together all of the latest research in a balanced, non-ideological way.


This I just gotta see.

BigFatBOWLing

This publication probably wont make any laws any worse, so dun worry. What it can do, is educate people. While there will be some people that are turned away from these new "truths" I think there will be a positive side. This new publication will do a few things, It will make people eaither hate MJ more or accept it more. Simple as that. This new publication can only make things get better for us, there will be multiple studies that list the negatives, but lets hope that this debunks myths, so that we have a generation of informed people. Look at water can do... drip by drip.. it carves out the grand canyon... it didnt happen over night, but it happened, all it takes is time. Every day is a step in the right dirrection for us, everyday is a chink in the armour of the drug war.

 

Higher Logic

That depends if the "truths" they are saying are really truths, or just toned-down myths that we've already heard. An example:

Cannabis has the possibility of causing cauncer to the lungs.

Is it really a truth, or a half-truth touched up a bit to make it seem legitimate instead of saying "cannabis causes lung cancer."

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Cassius

I wish I could see that booklet. If they're so sure it's an objective view, why didn't they include the text of it so readers could judge for themselves?

WNB

The ****?

This article blows zombie, sorry. Unless the only danger the booklet covers is pot's link with schizophrenia?

If that's the only thing they have, they're full of it. Saying "marijuana is linked to schizophrenia" is pretty vague. I wonder why they can't get more specific? Maybe there isn't any real research? Or maybe they figure that stupid people's imaginations will finish that statement, and create a conclusion far scarier than that the actual research presents?

Anyway, vague **** like this isn't the truth, it's scare tactics like everything else. **** 'em.

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Higher Logic

*shrug* Don't blame me for the article, I just posted it seeing as it pertains to cannabis and this is a cannabis site...