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Pubdate: Wed Jan 08 02:12:23 2003
Source: Cleveland Daily Banner (TN)
Contact: news@clevelandbanner.com
Copyright: 2002 Cleveland Daily Banner
Website: http://www.clevelandbanner.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/947 Webpage: http://www.clevelandbanner.com/NF/omf/dail... [translate]
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[ topical analysis ] propaganda analysis
by Jerry Estes District Attorney General
Published Sunday, January 05, 2003 6:00 AM EDT
Have you ever wondered why there have been so many drug
legalization efforts in various states recently? The
answer may be connected to the efforts of three wealthy
individuals according to a research paper published by
the National District Attorneys Association.
The paper, prepared by Teresa P. Miranda, Policy
Attorney for the NDAA, states that propositions,
proposals and legislation to legalize or decriminalize
controlled substances have been springing up all over
the country. Three American businessmen have largely
bankrolled these efforts.
According to the NDAA, New York financier George Soros,
Cleveland Insurance executive Peter Lewis and John
Sperling of Arizona, founder of the for-profit
University of Phoenix, have organized a political
machine under an umbrella group called the Campaign for
New Drug Policies.
Prior to last November's elections, the trio had funded
19 initiatives in states across the country attempting
to loosen drug laws, and had only lost twice. According
to the NDAA, the movement is well funded and highly
adept at manipulating the media. In Arizona and
California proponents from out of state sources spent
$1.4 million in each state.
The manipulation of the media may have its foundation
in the promotion of various myths about drugs.
According to the Office of National Drug Control
Policy, there are several myths about drugs that have
been making the rounds.
One myth that has been promoted is that marijuana is
harmless. However, the ONDCP maintains that as a factor
in emergency room visits, marijuana has risen 176
percent since 1994, now surpassing heroin. Its usage
leads to adverse affects on alertness, concentration,
perception, coordination, and reaction time. As much as
45 percent of nonalcohol impaired drivers have tested
positive for alcohol.
The idea that marijuana is not addictive has also been
promoted. Yet, a University of Mississippi study
indicated it is much stronger and more addictive than
it was 30 years ago. Another study shows that of those
who try marijuana at least once, nearly one in 10
become dependent.
Proponents argue that marijuana and violence are not
linked. However, research shows a link between frequent
marijuana use and increased violent behavior, and youth
who use marijuana weekly are nearly four times more
likely than nonusers to engage in violence.
Prosecutors are criticized with the claim that our
prisons are filled with non-violent, casual marijuana
users. This claim ignores that overwhelmingly drug
users, especially marijuana users, are first treated.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, those in
state prisons across the country for drug offenses are
overwhelmingly drug dealers, as opposed to casual
users. The average amount of marijuana possessed by
federal inmates for marijuana possession is 90 pounds.
Those favoring marijuana legalization promote the
position that marijuana has medicinal value. However,
according to the ONDCP, there is no research that has
demonstrated that smoked marijuana is helpful as
medicine, but that it does contain over 400 chemicals
that can increase the risk of cancer, lung damage and
poor pregnancy outcomes.
Sometimes the Dutch are held up as an example of how
well legalization of marijuana can work. But, the ONDCP
argues, the Dutch government is now reconsidering its
laws and policies because after coffee shops started
selling marijuana in small quantities, its use nearly
tripled among 18-20 year olds. While our nation's
cocaine consumption has decreased by 80 percent over
the past 15 years, Europe's has increased.
The drug legalization effort may have received a set
back from recent elections. Last November the voters
turned down an effort to legalize possession of
marijuana under a certain minimum amount in Nevada, a
state where prostitution and gambling are legal.
The ONDCP warns that no drug matches the threat posed
by marijuana because the addiction to marijuana by our
youth exceeds their addiction rates for alcohol,
cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, ecstasy and all other
illegal drugs combined. They point out that out of 16
million drug users in America, about 77 percent use
marijuana, and 60 percent of teenagers in treatment
have a primary marijuana diagnosis.
Dan Alsobrooks, NDAA president and a Tennessee
prosecutor says, "We know through overwhelming
experience that a majority of the crimes in our
communities are drug related. Moreover, the crimes
related to substance abuse go far beyond mere drug
possession -- they range from environmental pollution
to murder; they include gang wars to control drug
markets; methamphetamine manufacturing sites that are a
biohazard and deaths caused by drug-impaired drivers.
Our communities are victimized daily by the scourge of
substance abuse."
Substance abuse may be the legacy of the baby-boomers.
Coming of age in a period of dissension, many
experimented with illegal drugs. An acceptance of drug
usage has been passed down to subsequent generations,
and manifests itself in the form of lenient jury
verdicts or legalization efforts. Now that we know the
rest of the story, what will we do?
COPYRIGHT . 2003 Cleveland Daily Banner, a division of
Cleveland Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved.
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