Brits Grasping at Straws to Demonize Cannabis

[Skip]

Here's an article where a British mother wonders whether cannabis is to blame for her son's death. I guess it doesn't matter that he had NO DRUGS at all in his system when he killed himself. Nor does it matter that he had been depressed and tried to commit suicide before.

Nope, all that matters is that he "dabbled" with cannabis when he was 18 years old. When he died he was 25. So I guess a few hits of cannabis at age 18 made him depressed for the rest of his life!

Why does the media hype up these lies? Cause the UK government is paying them too (probably along with the DEA).

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/newshome/Was-cannabis-to-blame-for.5964365.jp

 

[Really Sam]

I hope England jumps on this in order to shut down their burgeoning pharmaceutical research into cannabis medicines. We have to keep research down like we've done the world over since the early 1970s so that when we finally give the go ahead we own the plant. Take down GW Pharm and their evil child murdering ways.

 

[fatigues]

I have to admit, I have a very hard time understanding the Brits on this issue. It is one thing for a government to take a position which appears to be contrary to the overall historical trend. The Canadian government under PM Harper has done this as well. It is reactionary social conservatism at work - no great mystery, really. It has ever been thus throughout the ages.

But for the media to be so accommodating of this new reefer madness propaganda? Very, very troubling.

There seems little doubt that the knee-jerk reaction in the media to sensationalize these sorts of stories seems particularly acute in the UK. Exactly why that is? I'm not sure. But that's a question that needs answering.

No - it isn't cash payment to the media from the DEA or the Gov't. Those sorts of explanations lack any credibility or "political sense" and have me reaching for a tin foil hat.

However, just because the offered explanation comes off as a bit nutty, does not mean that there is not something meaningful that needs explaining.

Because there clearly is a pattern at work. Explaining it more fully would assist us all - and greatly too.

 

[Skip]

Fatigues I guess you're unaware that for more than three (maybe four) decades now the US gov't has paid to have anti-drug commercials and references placed into programming. Yes, they actually PAY good money for it. Where do you think some of that $80+ billion a year for the drug war goes? A Tin-foil hat isn't necessary here.

They also pay for anti-drug stories planted in the media. So if you write up an anti-drug piece you can get paid around $1000 I believe if it's picked up by the media. Just watch, you're going to see more and more of these anti-drug stories coming because traditional print media is dying and they need any revenue source they can find! California is about to be innundated with anti-cannabis propaganda. Just wait...

It's just like the oil & coal companies paying for anti-global warming stories. This kinda shit's been going on a long time now, and it is the media that has to answer because it completely biases the media.

Also the government will withdraw such monies if a media outlet promotes drug use. I believe there may be other more subtle penalties that can be applied as well...

 

[Kola Radical]

The same thing is going on here. Every other day in the newspapers there is some one sided, right wing, propaganda.

The Denver Post is a huge reason why printed news is obsolete.

Joseph Goebbels Jr. is the owner and editor up there... I swear.

 

[Blimey]

It's also about who buys the newspapers....the print media is chasing an ever-decreasing section of society, as younger people turn away from buying newspapers. All newspapers' circulations are down over the last few years.

So they print stories that fit in with an increasingly-elderly demographic's view of the world. Which tends to be less cannabis-friendly than the national demographic as a whole.

But there is pressure from the Govt to play along with their message. You want that interview with the Prime Minister? Well, stop printing stories that don't agree with the Government's message....that sort of thing.

 

[Skip]

It's also about who buys the newspapers....the print media is chasing an ever-decreasing section of society, as younger people turn away from buying newspapers. All newspapers' circulations are down over the last few years.

So they print stories that fit in with an increasingly-elderly demographic's view of the world. Which tends to be less cannabis-friendly than the national demographic as a whole.

This is a great point!

But there is pressure from the Govt to play along with their message. You want that interview with the Prime Minister? Well, stop printing stories that don't agree with the Government's message....that sort of thing.

Funny, I was going to mention that too. Nowadays this is standard practice for the President's administration to refuse media access to anyone or any company that prints things the President and his staff don't like.

That is exactly how the Bush admin was able to force the networks and newspapers to print whatever Cheney wanted printed or broadcast. This goes double for the leadup to the Iraq War. They threatened America's media with a ban on meeting the president or his staff if they didn't tow the gov't line.

And the proof of this is the fact that once Obama came into office, these restrictions were lifted to an extent. Most notably, some media outlets have now done a 180 on marijuana and are now publishing the facts about it. But many are afraid of losing their drug war money and are still touting the conservative line on cannabis...

 

[ureapwhatusow]

Was cannabis to blame for our son's suicide?



Published Date:
07 January 2010
By Sion Donovan

The parents of a young musician who killed himself on a railway line have been left questioning whether cannabis caused their son's mental illness.
Ben Gregory, a talented trombonist, was prone to stress when he started using the Class B drug when he was 18 years old.

But after starting university studies, he began showing signs of paranoia and was diagnosed with psychosis and paranoid schizophrenia after suffering from night frights, depression and hearing voices in his head.

The 25-year-old, who lived in Wisteria Gardens, Havant, was given medication and received counselling. But he died after stepping out in front of a train at Warblington Railway Station in Havant on June 8 last year.

An inquest in Petersfield heard Ben didn't have any alcohol or drugs in his system when he died. But his parents still don't know whether cannabis caused their son to develop his mental illness.

His father, Raymond, said: 'The medics couldn't tell us for certain. But we know cannabis can cause psychosis in about one per cent of young men.

'Stress can also be a trigger. He was finding it difficult to cope with his university course and family problems and his grandfather died in the middle of this.'

Ben's mum, Pamela Parry-Jones, said: 'He dabbled with cannabis when he was 18. He had difficulties all through his life. He found it difficult through school and college, and he found our divorce difficult.'

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the article is much longer but

A) his last recorded medical reaction was with prescribed meds not pot. may anti depressant anti anxiety meds have this side effect

B) his family is in denial about the magnitude of their marriage falling apart as they impress him to invest in his life and to do a proper job while hes at it

 

[litebuzz]

of course it probably wouldn't occur to them that this poor kid was fuked up all through his life...she said it herself. it's their pain that's talking...these parents need something to blame...i'm sure there's a part of them that blames themselves because they knew their divorce was difficult on him.
people have mental illness...not everyone is sound. and anti depressants most certainly have suicidal side effects...but hell, no one will blame big pharma... sometimes life isn't fair...but don't blame pot.

 

[Finepointcanon]

The status quo sure is worth upholding, isn't it?

 

[Pistil_Party09]

i suspect the only reason this was news at all is because they can point a finger at cannabis and the conservatives cant stand losing out on an oppertunity to blame cannabis for another one of the worlds problems.

 

[bombadil.360]

no matter how many lies they keep on making up about cannabis, they will still be all lies at the end of the day.

they are just a bunch of soulless losers.

 

[Randybobandy]

"The 25-year-old, who lived in Wisteria Gardens, Havant, was given medication and received counselling. But he died after stepping out in front of a train at Warblington Railway Station in Havant on June 8 last year."

"WAS GIVEN MEDICATION"
I like how the parents are so brainwashed they don't even consider if it was the antidepressents. Those things make people kill them selves. Seritonin uptake is not even fully understood yet and they are using people like guini pigs.
Weed never hurt anyone.

 

[baan]

"was given medication"

well there's your problem

 

[!!!]

This is almost as bad as the mommy who blamed Salvia for her son's death. These parents are pathetic.

 

[Hydrosun]

"The 25-year-old, who lived in Wisteria Gardens, Havant, was given medication and received counselling. But he died after stepping out in front of a train at Warblington Railway Station in Havant on June 8 last year."

"WAS GIVEN MEDICATION"
I like how the parents are so brainwashed they don't even consider if it was the antidepressents. Those things make people kill them selves. Seritonin uptake is not even fully understood yet and they are using people like guini pigs.
Weed never hurt anyone.

What I find even funnier is who cares what the parents "Think". If their thoughts are not based on medical evidence, and they themselves aren't doctors why should their opinion matter.

I am sorry they lost their son but feel even worse that they lost their own ability to think and find solace in demonizing MJ.

If the headline read parents 100% sure son killed himself because of MJ, should the world care? NO NO NO NO we should not.

Son kills himself because of romantic break up, happens thousands of times in this world annually, but we don't ban girlfriends.

Peace,

PS. WTF is a June 8, 2009 suicide cause for a MJ story in Jan 2010? Slow news day Brittan?

 

[bombadil.360]

maybe they should ban girlfriends and legalize prostitution...

j/k

or am I?

 

[Chronic777]

Funny how they said it could've been caused by weed, but dont suggest it could've been caused by the meds they put him on

Propaganda, with or without weed the boy was depressed
We're gonna see ALOT of this stuff coming up in the next few years i reckon
We get it all the time in the UK, its cause they decriminalized it, then recriminialized it & had to make excuses about it causing scitzophrenia

It could just be the mum who thinks it though & convinced a local paper to write about it, as i know some of my friends mums who are so unbeleivably against weed, one of my mates went home stoned a few months back & his mum starts crying making him feel like hes a criminal drug addict or something, but when he comes home steaming drunk she laughs about it & cooks for him...

On the other hand i do see it possible how strong weed could make some people mentally lose it... but much less than you can feel physcially sick from drinking alcohol

 

[fatigues]

Fatigues I guess you're unaware that for more than three (maybe four) decades now the US gov't has paid to have anti-drug commercials and references placed into programming. Yes, they actually PAY good money for it. Where do you think some of that $80+ billion a year for the drug war goes? A Tin-foil hat isn't necessary here.

I'm quite aware of that, thank-you. But the article in question is published in the U.K., not in the USA. The advertising funds appropriated by congress are for advertisements within the USA, not beyond its borders in foreign jurisdictions (without getting into the question as to whether or not a story is an advertisement under the appropriation authorization).

I guess another equally valid explanation is that the daily and news editors in most newspapers are inherently senior positions that tend to go to those who are older and more likely to have extremist prohibitionist views.

Nevertheless, it's still very troubling. Mind you, the Brits appear to tolerate intrusive video monitoring of their daily lives on such a vast scale that if it was attempted here, I would be publishing pamphlets a la Tom Paine and attending secret meetings on how best to overthrow the government and hang several of the bastards responsible for it in front of the Banquet House at Whitehall. I can't believe they put up with that level of public surveillance. It's Orwellian, that's what it is.

Yet the Brits seem to take it all in stride. *shrug*

 

[Chronic777]

What 'level' of surveillance?

We got cameras at train stations & city centres, thats it