Oh. Okay. Cocaine is harmless? You lost me there.

actually, Diablo, that "cocaine is harmless", as you say, isn't quite correct. you see the representative of the United States of America to the WHO said not that it was "harmless." what he did acknowledge on behalf of the U.S. government is much more positive than that and shows how misguided and deceitful our Prohibition really is:

"...seem to make a case for the positive uses of cocaine, claiming that use of the coca leaf did not lead to noticeable damage to mental or physical health, that the positive health effects of coca leaf chewing might be transferable from traditional settings to other countries and cultures and that coca production provides financial benefits to peasants".

thus, acknowledging those facts he (we, the U.S.) threaten the suspension of funds to WHO research if: "activities related to drugs failed to reinforce proven drug control approaches."

now, isn't that one of the most stupid, most dishonest, most corrupt, most cruel, and most wasteful use of U.S. public funds ever (the Drug War i am referring to, do you see that?)... that is, first, to apparently be talking about ALL DRUGS; and second, to state quite emphatically, boldly, (through his and your either lying teeth or disastrously ignorant minds) that the U.S. has a "proven drug control approach."

???

(get a clue dingbat.)

want to have a Tea Party? do something useful.

"....the positive health effects of coca leaf chewing might be transferable from traditional settings to other countries and cultures....."

There's a big difference between chewing on some coca leaves and doing a few lines, or breaking out the crack pipe.

It's the same difference between a glass of wine in the evening and drinking a liter of vodka.

Whether Cocaine is harmful or not really isn't the question, the question is really: which is more harmful, the use of cocaine or the effects of law enforcement trying to prevent cocaine from being used.

ban weed. legalize coke!!!

Any serious people out there (and a couple actually seemed to have posted on this) would enjoy reading Malcomb Gladwell's "Tipping Point" where he uses addictive behavior case studies.. very interesting, and not at all intuitive..

This study, to my mind, essentially points out that simplistic approaches to complex problems are usually misguided and ineffective.

(in the interest of full disclosure.. I neither use nor support the use of illegal drugs.. but, I do think that the "war on drugs" is way off base. )

The WHO is a joke. They did a study on second-hand smoke and when it didn't yield results they could use to impose smoking restrictions, they did the study another way and chose the results they wanted to use. I'm not at all surprised that they would suppress this study as well.

The more concentrated the drug, the more people get in trouble with it. In American culture, people are socialized to prefer the concentrates. They're also socialized to prefer quantity.

It's a monster. Sure the War on Drugs has failed. Almost every sixteen year old has been taught to want his share.

We could count our blessings. There are worse things waiting in the wings that only require a youthful fad to unleash upon all of us.

" There are worse things "

Religion comes to mind.

Tobacco kills 500,000 Americans every year, is more addictive than any illegal drug, and is subsidized by the government.

Vernon is right on. Cocaine in powder or rock form is dangerous. Chewing the leaves (or for that matter, spicing up the Coca-Cola) is a different matter. And I agree with all those who say the war on drugs is misguided and in fact counterproductive.

"Religion comes to mind..."

It comes to your mind, because you've got that particular box you like. In your position I'd fear faith also, because if you had some that box necessarily goes away.

It's always disconcerting to find you've been held back by constant contemplation of every four sides to a question.

I tried the leaves hiking the Inca Trail in '01.

Absolutely horrible tasting.

I'd rather risk the hypoxia.

"....the positive health effects of coca leaf chewing might be transferable from traditional settings to other countries and cultures....."

"There's a big difference between chewing on some coca leaves and doing a few lines, or breaking out the crack pipe."

Studies of Peruvian indigs have demonstrated that while the chewing of the coca leaf is stimulating and does seem to provide benefit for breathing at higher altitudes, habitual leaf chomping rots the teeth.

Doing a few lines of snow always leads to a few more lines, then a few more lines, and even more lines. Snow is like Lays tater chips: nobody can snort just one. The high is so good and euphoric that the desire to stay up is strong. Snow is rather physically addictive (unlike Herb). Chronic snowing up the snoot will lead to the erosion of the septum, the fragile cartilage between the nostrils.

I would be on the fence if snow was ever put to the vote for complete decriminalization.

All drugs should be legalized and passed out free in over dose quantities by the governmrnt. Lace the weed with herion too. No more dealers, no more addicts, end of problem.

Future World without addicts Thom

We should not compare leaf chewing with injection of purified cocaine or smoking crack. The leaf as a tea is known to provide complete relief from altitude sickness. Pure cocaine is used to numb the eye before eye surgery.

I tried the leaves hiking the Inca Trail in '01.

Absolutely horrible tasting.

I'd rather risk the hypoxia.

#16 | Posted by Hagbard_Celine

Should have stuck with mate de coca, the tea made from the leaves. A heavenly brew, unless you drink a few cups right before bedtime!!

How many countless souls are imprisoned due to non violent drug crimes? The machine feeds itself. What a grand idea! Having a product or service with guaranteed built in clients.

I shoulda thought of that!

Hmmm. Often wondered about 'THE ORIGINAL' Coca-Cola!!!! As far as I know it did not seem to cause any major issues way back when.

Well, to much POWAH (big money money money!) has been given to the pleasure police and prohibition crowd to affect any changes. It's like a major pile of dog poop that can never be cleaned up from the public thuro-fare. We'uns are likely stuck with that stink and offal.

Yup drug policy has lead to some major forms of oligarchy and that dove tailing in with things like the (un)Patriot act pretty much means the game is over as far as any changes that could ever happen.

The study wasn't suppressed...the guys who did the study were high on pot and simply forgot to release the study. The people claiming it was suppressed are obviously stuck on some kind of bad acid trip and are locked into "Paranoia land."

"All drugs should be legalized and passed out free in over dose quantities by the governmrnt. Lace the weed with herion too. No more dealers, no more addicts, end of problem."
#18 | POSTED BY FWTHOM

And all fast food should have 10 times the fat and sodium, all drinks should have 10 times the high-fructose corn syrup. Of course all beer- even light beer should be 50% alcohol so one would put the drinker over the limit.

While we're at it, lets put a chip in cars that accelerates automatically to 150 mph and locks out the brakes if one dares go over the speed limit.

In other words, there is no such thing as moderation and everyone who doesn't feel the way fwthom does on the subject deserves to die.

FWTHOM- you have once again earned your right to be view as a complete idiot. And no doubt are proud of it.

The great truth herein comes, as it so often does, from Danni, who suggests that the hazards of drug law enforcement are far greater than the hazards of the drugs themselves.

Were these substances decriminalized, narcs and hangers-on would find themselves jobless. And since Big Tobacco has already copyrighted names like Acapulco Gold and Colombia's Finest, the only real problem might be what illicit drug dealers do then. Perhaps something that is truly a crime. herm

"And since Big Tobacco has already copyrighted names like Acapulco Gold and Colombia's Finest..."

Is that true?

Rumor is that Marlboro didn't have menthol until after Carter lost re-election because they printed up green boxes ready for Carter to legalize in his second term. Urban legend, but could be true.

""And since Big Tobacco has already copyrighted names like Acapulco Gold and Colombia's Finest... Is that true?" Please don't ask for a link or scriptural citation, H.C., but this has been folk lore for decades in my circles, rightly or wrongly attributed to both Winston-Salem and Liggett-Meyers. herm

#23 | POSTED BY CBOB
"And then you see the horrors of "legal" drugs - particularly the opiates. Here in Kentucky, oxycodone and hydrocodone have become the drugs of choice for otherwise intelligent, talented young people."

Yep. Whole lotta meth, too.

Also, the number one legal crop in Kentucky is tobacco.
The number one cash crop overall? Marijuana.

Not far from Lexington, there are at least two plaques that I know of from the U.S. government, thanking the respective counties for their massive contribution of hemp during WWII.

Pot can save this nation. The sooner people put away superstition and myth, the sooner we can be on the road to recovery.

Pot can save this nation.

#31 | Posted by kanrei

And even if it doesn't... Meh... pass the chips.

Heard that as well Kanrei

Oh and Zed coke would not exist in either powder or crack form if not for prohibition. Can you imagine trying to smuggle big bales of leaves into the states?

Often wondered about 'THE ORIGINAL' Coca-Cola!!!! As far as I know it did not seem to cause any major issues way back when.

#22 | Posted by Che_Ernesto

Why do you think the manufacturers put caffeine in soft drinks today?

Caffeine is also an addictive substance, though withdrawal is not as severe as heroin, cocaine, or nicotine.

"Please don't ask for a link or scriptural citation, H.C.,"

Scriptural citation.

LOL

#30 - Don't forget the corn needed for bourbon production!

Is tobacco still #1? If so, it's fading fast. Look for switchgrass or algae or some other biomass fuel source to take off. Kentucky has a lot of cool stuff going on on the energy front, including UK's algae/coal research project and the proposed lithium ion battery plant and research facilities.

Pot can save this nation. The sooner people put away superstition and myth, the sooner we can be on the road to recovery.

Posted by kanrei

hence using the female? for paper/dollar makin' like the pound folks do in England?

Ichiro, questioning a post of yours is no free pass to start name calling. Okay? Have you ever read my other posts on the alleged war on drugs? I have lampooned it here. So here you are calling someone who agrees with your position a dingbat. What does that make you?

So here you are calling someone who agrees with your position a dingbat. What does that make you?

Posted by Diablo at 2009-07-06 01:22 PM

A member of the Drudge Retort?

Diablo: Have you ever read my other posts on the alleged war on drugs? I have lampooned it here.

link please? i'd love to know you were an anti Prohibitionist such as myself.

i could add that i found your response so vague that is used dingbat, but that wouldn't be entirely true.

sorry, i was in an Archie mood, as i am quite often these days.
no real offense is meant (usually).

"Coke would not exist in powder or crack form if not for prohibition..."

Just a strange idea. Crack cocaine, as an example, exists because it translates almost instantly into the bloodstream and provides a more intense high, not because its easy to smuggle.

Hey, can you see the effects of cocaine use in the behavior of Obama? Read his books. What do you think? Do you think drug use is tesponsible for his inability to speak extemporaneously without his "Er, ah, a, er, uh" routine, or do you suppose that there are other problems that cause this condition?

If Obama's speech implies - to "Johnson" - traces of drugs, what in the name of Karl Rove and Demosthenes did George W. Bush's halting illiteracy imply? herm

chewing the leaves is a lot different than shooting up.

On the other hand, if someone wants to fill their body with drugs and not bother anyone else, let them. If they OD, so what?

Nice sound to the story about Marlboros, Hagbard, but they came our when I was about 20 so years old in the 60's from what I recall.

"link please? i'd love to know you were an anti Prohibitionist such as myself."

Ichro, please reason a bit: I just told you my opinion and you want a link to "prove" it?? I am anti-prohibition. This is my link, fella.
I have stated many times drug/alcohol probs (if they are probs) are health issues, not legal issues.
I can provide you with the link to this thread if you are too feeble.

In 1991, an editorial in the British Journal of Addiction condemned the inordinate amount of resources devoted to drug law enforcement, and compared the war on drugs to the witch hunts of the past

I don't know if witch hunt is the best analogy but the War On Drugs' has been an abject failure. Legalize everything for adults and take the violent profiteering out it, standardize the quality/purity but you'll also need to remove drug use/addiction as an excuse for other criminal behaviors.

"Legalize everything for adults and take the violent profiteering out of it..."

Violence will remain. The changes in brain chemistry caused by excessive cocaine and amphetamine use, as two examples, will assure many or even most addicts keep guns. To fend off the giant cockroaches, if nothing else.

True, Gimme. I always point out we had thousands of morphine addicts after the Civil War but no crime wave. They could buy it at any drug store.

I'm with you on this one gim. All the war on grugs has done is make the drug gangs rich and spread terror along the border.