Teens Who Use Drugs Are Less Likely to Get in Fights

Pete Guither at DrugWarRant points out another amusing irony contained in ONDCP's new report Teens, Drugs, and Violence. The report emphasizes the connection between teen drug use and violence with this statistic:

Nearly one in six teens (17%) who got into serious fights at school or work in the past year report using drugs;

Always skeptical, Pete used his research skills to put these numbers in perspective:

…if you look at the 2007 Monitoring the Future report, you see that the percentages of any teens who used drugs in the past year are: 8th grade (14.8%), 10th grade (28.7%), and 12th grade (36.5%). So to say that 17% of teens who got into serious fights report using drugs is not a particularly alarming thing. (In fact, it appears by these numbers that teens who use drugs are actually less likely to get into serious fights.)

It might be necessary to explain that Monitoring the Future is government data, frequently cited by ONDCP when it suits their agenda. Of course, we wouldn't go around issuing reports about how drug users are less violent than everybody else (even though that seems likely to be true). The point here is that ONDCP's insinuations about the relationship between drug use and youth violence reflect the precise opposite of what the data actually show. And this predictably proves to be the case virtually every time a report such as this is issued by that office.

One need only examine the sprawling media coverage they've generated this week to see why ONDCP has every incentive to continue issuing meaningless announcements like this as often as possible. Some news outlets did include a reform viewpoint, but that's insufficient since the headline does most of the damage and since the report's intellectual value is null to begin with.

A media that is dutifully skeptical of self-serving claims by government officials would quickly discover the treasure trove of nonsense and incoherence contained in every such announcement from ONDCP. Unfortunately, we don't have one of those. Therefore, journalists, I beg you, if you receive a press release that begins, "John P. Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy, today released a new Special Report showing that..." please understand that there are almost certainly several potent ironies and contradictions contained therein, which deserve to be noted in your reporting. If necessary, I will point them out to you with or without being credited.

Otherwise, understand that if you publish a story merely passing along claims made by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the likelihood that you've authored something inaccurate, incorrect, and/or incomplete will be extraordinarily high.

Ton of marijuana catches fire in warehouse

DINBURG - Federal authorities were trying to find out Thursday who stored 2,000 pounds of marijuana in a warehouse that caught fire.

It took more than 35 firefighters about half an hour to extinguish Wednesday's blaze with 1,000 gallons of water and five gallons of chemical suppressant, Edinburg Fire Chief Shawn Snider said.

Snider said the firefighters were exposed to so much marijuana smoke they would not be able to pass a drug test, despite the air packs they wore to prevent them from inhaling toxic or hazardous fumes.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were called in to investigate the origin of the drugs, and the Hidalgo County fire marshal was investigating whether arson may have been the cause.

Connecticut Governor Vetoes Medical Marijuana Bill

Studies conflict on how effective the treatment is.

Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell has vetoed legislation to make medical marijuana legal. She said the bill was fraught with problems and sent the wrong message to kids. Rell, a cancer survivor, said she struggled with the decision, one that many states are facing.

Medical marijuana is touted as offering relief from the nausea caused by chemotherapy and chronic pain. The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Penny Bacchiachi, said she gave her dying husband marijuana 20 years ago.

“The people who are trying to use it as medicine and want to follow a framework, they don’t want their loved ones out there buying things on the street and getting arrested … those people are affected by the lack of having this bill," she told Family News in Focus.

But Dr. Jim Small with the Christian Medical Association said there’s no need for the legislation.

“Marijuana is actually available in tablet form as a legal prescription drug," he said. "It’s called Marinol, and so there’s probably not much reason to allow it to be smoked.”

So why are some lawmakers still pushing for legalization?

"I suspect some percentage of the people who are pushing for this see it as a step toward full legalization of marijuana," Small said.

Eleven states have adopted medical marijuana laws since 1996 — most by a vote of the people.

Huge Veto Override Comes as Congress Prepares to Consider Medical Marijuana

BBSNews 2007-06-21 -- (MPP) PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND -- With the U.S. House of Representatives expected to consider a medical marijuana amendment within weeks, Rhode Island legislators have resoundingly overridden a gubernatorial veto to make that state's medical marijuana law permanent. Today's 58-11 House vote follows a 29-4 Senate vote to override on Wednesday.

Rhode Island's original medical marijuana law - also passed over a veto by Gov. Donald Carcieri (R) - had a one-year sunset clause, and was due to expire June 30.

"The fact that this override passed by an even larger margin than the original override last year says everything you need to know about how well the law has worked, and how completely uncontroversial it's been," said Ray Warren, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C.

"Thanks to this law, I have safe and legal access to my medicine, and I'm relieved that it's going to be permanent," said Bobby Ebert of Warwick, who uses medical marijuana to treat symptoms of AIDS.

"Our legislature has stood with the scientific and medical community to ensure that I and hundreds of other seriously ill Rhode Islanders don't have to live in fear," said Rhonda O'Donnell, R.N., a multiple sclerosis patient who was the first to sign up for Rhode Island's program. "But the job won't be finished until every patient in every state who needs medical marijuana has complete protection. It's time for every state legislature and the U.S. Congress to change cruel and unscientific laws that criminalize the sick."

The override heartened medical marijuana supporters in Washington, D.C., where the House of Representatives will soon vote on an amendment to bar the U.S. Department of Justice from interfering with state medical marijuana laws. "This vote helps show members of Congress that medical marijuana simply is no longer controversial, and not an issue they need to fear supporting," said MPP director of government relations Aaron Houston.

Man arrested with pot behind his ear

PALM BEACH, Fla., June 22 (UPI) -- An Illinois man was arrested on drug charges in Florida after a police officer he asked for directions spotted a marijuana blunt behind his ear.

Maurice Stuckey, 20, of Dolton, Ill., was arrested on a charge of marijuana possession in Port St. Lucie, Fla., The Palm Beach Post said Thursday.

Police said Stuckey admitted that the blunt -- a cigar that has been hollowed out -- contained marijuana. Police also said they found five grams of marijuana in a search of Stuckey's car.

He was released on $500 bond.