ok, what the hell is up with the sudden marijuana propaganda campaigns?

[WindRavenX]

Just today, the UN hillariously attempted to compare the lethality (or in the case of marijuana, the un-lethality) of marijuana with cocaine and herion. Then the UN cries that the UK downplays the great danger of marijuana.
This is just the latest of some very odd and false propoganda concerning marijuana from the government,but why the latest fixation with it in the news? Is it just more election year "moral" issues? Are people starting to realize that hey, a join isn't going to kill you, and that maybe the government's bullshit WOT is not such a hot idea?
That's the only thing I can think of, because for all the big issues like the economy, the war, health insurance, etc, this latest obession with mj is getting a lot of attention...

[Rex]

1. It's because marijuana is the most used illicit drug on the planet.

It allows stupid politicians to take a non-issue and turn it into political capital. The War on Drugs...:eyes:

[WindRavenX]

2. the timing just makes me think of it as another moral outrage

What with election year and all that...

[radfringe]

10. campaign issues

there are always big drug busts and political grandstanding during campaign season -- after November it'll fade and return again in spring 2008

Pot just happens to be the drug De Jour this year.

[MADem]

11. It's also a huge untaxed cash crop

It does a lot for the economies of Canada, California, Mexico and elsewhere.

[mikelewis]

3. It's ever so much more than that...

...did I say that out loud?

Wait... what the hell were we talking about?

Holy shit, I'm high.

[cenacle]

4. there's a vote on Med MJ tomorrow in Congress...

http://action.mpp.org/c.hhLWK2PALoF/b.1408901/k.8E12/Take_Action/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=hhLWK2PALoF&b=1408901&aid=5833

The information on the vote and how to help is at that link. Connection between today's UN propaganda and tomorrow's vote? Hmmm...

[hfojvt]

5. maybe it's the

"last dance with Mary Jane. One more time to ease the pain."

[jobycom]

6. I'd guess, since it's the UN and not the US, that they are trying to

drum up opposition to legalizing it in other nations, or downplaying the dangers in the UK, specifically. There are a lot of international treaties involving MJ, and one nation bucking the ban or refusing to take it seriously affects a whole chain of agreements. It can weaken the trade of some nations, who may be subsidized to not sell it, or it could undermine US involvement in another country. Or it could just offend some nations who have extreme bans and cultural biases against the stuff. There are probably other treaties wrapped up in the bans, too. Maybe extradition treaties with Singapore require us to keep a ban on MJ.

That's why it's illegal still here, I think. Most Americans couldn't care less about MJ. I hate the stuff passionately, have never smoked it, will never smoke it legal or not, and will discourage my kids from smoking it, and even I don't think it should be illegal. But the international agreements involving the stuff are too complex to allow the laws to be changed.

If you were talking only about American politicians coming down against it, I'd say it was an effort to win the parent vote. But since you were talking about the UN, I think it's the international agreements they are worried about. They are trying to pressure Britain back into line. Think about it, too. If it's illegal in many places, and Britain legalizes it or just loosens up enforcement of the laws against it, that can cause an increase in crime in nations where it is still banned, as suppliers try to get more into Britain. In some countries, the control of the government over crime is already tenuous, and giving MJ suppliers a larger market could cause problems.

Not defending the ban. Just analyzing it.

[hpot]

7. Reclassification goes against special interests

Marijuana has medicinal value and is safer than cigarettes despite what some officials claim. In addition, corporations can't patent a natural herb or control its cultivation.

The most likely link is the pharmaceutical industry.

[Faux pas]

9. Bingo! Sounds about right to me. If it's free and actually does

something good for people, it's gotta go.

Welcome to DU hpot! :hi:

[TomInTib]

8. Just another Buzz..

Gay Marriage

Terrists

Burning Our Flag

Reefer Madness

And tomorrow... Family Values.

Just wait and see.