USA -- Flipping through the channels, a man in a pith helmet and a white mustache flashes onto the screen, asking you to join him in his hunt for the “mature stoner.” It is yet another anti-drug commercial in the government-sponsored ad campaign “Above the Influence.” Filled with propaganda and falsified information, the series of four commercials chronicles the adventures of “Dr. Puck” and his assistant, Baldric. They watch “stoners” in their natural habitat: relaxing, going to school, and even driving. This series of ads perpetuates many of the myths associated with marijuana use.
The first commercial opens with a monologue from the doctor while standing on a suburban street. The good doctor prepares us to hunt the “remarkably unmotivated” stoners who are cloistered in a smoke filled basement. Strewn about the pair of stoners are food wrappers and empty bottles, and the two are mesmerized by the television. Apparently marijuana makes you not notice two complete strangers lurking behind the potted plants in your house.
According to Above the Influence, marijuana makes people so oblivious to their surroundings that Baldric is able to place a tracking collar on one of the stoners without being noticed. After the collar is installed, the two researchers retire to their surveillance van where you find out that marijuana makes you sit on a couch for three days without moving to, you know, go to the bathroom, shower, see family members, etc.
Dr. Puck then decides to observe the female stoner in a social situation. A boy walks up to the female stoner and initiates a little flirting, but the female stoner can’t remember his name or the flow of conversation. She is constantly embarrassed as the simple social interaction is bungled, and then her questionable hygiene is revealed when the boy notices a chunk of brownie in her hair. The doctor feels that marijuana-users lack the motivation to keep chunks of random food out of their hair.
In the next commercial, the Doctor and Baldric have managed to re-create the stoners’ natural habitat in a lab environment. The brave assistant, clad in cover-alls and a gas mask, enters the smoke-filled chamber and puts the stoners through a series of tests. Baldric proceeds to test the stoner’s reflexes by throwing different objects at the young man and he makes no attempt to catch any of them. The doctor decides to move onto trials to test the young girl’s concentration. Baldric engages in a game of blackjack with the young girl who tells him to “go fish.” Obviously, marijuana-users cannot handle the simplest of tasks, but can they drive a car? That’s what the doctor tries to prove, and apparently the answer is no. The stoner drives like someone 20 beers deep, crashing into different obstacles and leaving the obstacle course in ruins.
This newest batch of propaganda ads is reverting back to the lies of the 1930s. Although it cites many sources to bolster its points, most of the sources are from the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) a government funded research institute. NIDA controls the growth and distribution of all medical-grade marijuana in the United States, and they have been known to be very stingy, not allowing marijuana to be given to studies that contradict their findings. NIDA’s stated mission is to “lead the Nation in bringing the power of science to bear on drug abuse and addiction.” This mission would obviously tend to favor the negative aspects of marijuana rather than any potential benefits.
Dr. Puck and his assistant perpetuate the many myths and assumptions that surround marijuana users. Bad hygiene, slurred speech, shortened memory span, and decreased awareness of surroundings are all effects taken straight out of the NIDA pamphlet, even though there has never been solid proof that marijuana negatively affects the brain. These campaigns are often weak and ineffective, providing nothing more than TV fodder for stoned teenagers. In 2005, a survey company named Westat was hired to do a comprehensive study on the effectiveness of the “Above the Influence” campaign. The study concluded that the ads had a negative affect because “greater exposure to the ad campaign was associated with weaker anti-drug norms and increases in perception that others use marijuana.”Government funded ad campaigns take about a half a billion dollars of the tax payers’ money each year. The government is wasting its time and money to stop people from using the most popular and widely used recreational drug. Marijuana use has not declined over time. In fact, studies have shown that is the drug with the fastest growing user base.
Obviously, the government’s tactics are not working, and it is time that our legislators took a new stance on marijuana
http://cannabisnews.com/news/23/thread23859.shtml
The first commercial opens with a monologue from the doctor while standing on a suburban street. The good doctor prepares us to hunt the “remarkably unmotivated” stoners who are cloistered in a smoke filled basement. Strewn about the pair of stoners are food wrappers and empty bottles, and the two are mesmerized by the television. Apparently marijuana makes you not notice two complete strangers lurking behind the potted plants in your house.
According to Above the Influence, marijuana makes people so oblivious to their surroundings that Baldric is able to place a tracking collar on one of the stoners without being noticed. After the collar is installed, the two researchers retire to their surveillance van where you find out that marijuana makes you sit on a couch for three days without moving to, you know, go to the bathroom, shower, see family members, etc.
Dr. Puck then decides to observe the female stoner in a social situation. A boy walks up to the female stoner and initiates a little flirting, but the female stoner can’t remember his name or the flow of conversation. She is constantly embarrassed as the simple social interaction is bungled, and then her questionable hygiene is revealed when the boy notices a chunk of brownie in her hair. The doctor feels that marijuana-users lack the motivation to keep chunks of random food out of their hair.
In the next commercial, the Doctor and Baldric have managed to re-create the stoners’ natural habitat in a lab environment. The brave assistant, clad in cover-alls and a gas mask, enters the smoke-filled chamber and puts the stoners through a series of tests. Baldric proceeds to test the stoner’s reflexes by throwing different objects at the young man and he makes no attempt to catch any of them. The doctor decides to move onto trials to test the young girl’s concentration. Baldric engages in a game of blackjack with the young girl who tells him to “go fish.” Obviously, marijuana-users cannot handle the simplest of tasks, but can they drive a car? That’s what the doctor tries to prove, and apparently the answer is no. The stoner drives like someone 20 beers deep, crashing into different obstacles and leaving the obstacle course in ruins.
This newest batch of propaganda ads is reverting back to the lies of the 1930s. Although it cites many sources to bolster its points, most of the sources are from the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) a government funded research institute. NIDA controls the growth and distribution of all medical-grade marijuana in the United States, and they have been known to be very stingy, not allowing marijuana to be given to studies that contradict their findings. NIDA’s stated mission is to “lead the Nation in bringing the power of science to bear on drug abuse and addiction.” This mission would obviously tend to favor the negative aspects of marijuana rather than any potential benefits.
Dr. Puck and his assistant perpetuate the many myths and assumptions that surround marijuana users. Bad hygiene, slurred speech, shortened memory span, and decreased awareness of surroundings are all effects taken straight out of the NIDA pamphlet, even though there has never been solid proof that marijuana negatively affects the brain. These campaigns are often weak and ineffective, providing nothing more than TV fodder for stoned teenagers. In 2005, a survey company named Westat was hired to do a comprehensive study on the effectiveness of the “Above the Influence” campaign. The study concluded that the ads had a negative affect because “greater exposure to the ad campaign was associated with weaker anti-drug norms and increases in perception that others use marijuana.”Government funded ad campaigns take about a half a billion dollars of the tax payers’ money each year. The government is wasting its time and money to stop people from using the most popular and widely used recreational drug. Marijuana use has not declined over time. In fact, studies have shown that is the drug with the fastest growing user base.
Obviously, the government’s tactics are not working, and it is time that our legislators took a new stance on marijuana
http://cannabisnews.com/news/23/thread23859.shtml
