WHO ARE THE REAL RECREATIONAL DRUG USERS?

It's been an interesting year for users of marijuana, as we've
watched news media, politicians, law enforcement and fellow community
members trot out their usual stale condemnations of marijuana based
on the same old ignorance, prejudice and hypocrisy.

I say ignorance because it's disappointingly clear that most folks
don't know even the basic facts about marijuana, and they won't
bother to lift a finger to find out the facts. The idea that anything
said by politicians or law enforcement officers or news outlets must
be the unvarnished truth has been proven time and again throughout
human history to be a bad idea. Yet the information that most
community members use to judge marijuana primarily comes from those
same often-unreliable or biased sources.

I say prejudice because quite often people who are presented with the
facts about marijuana still refuse to acknowledge the truth,
preferring to cling to disproven opinions. One shocking example of
this was the farcical "Prop 19: Just the Facts" forum held in Grass
Valley. The emcee from KNCO (I say emcee instead of "moderator"
because he made zero attempt to keep the speakers on time or on
topic) was openly prejudiced, as evidenced by his belligerently
interrupting my post-forum chat with two of the speakers to say that
he didn't believe anything I was saying.

When I told him I'd send him info so he could easily check out the
facts for himself and draw his own conclusions, he hollered that no,
he did not want to see any facts or research that contradicted his
pre-conceived notions. That's prejudice at its worst: do not show me
any facts or information that might correct a misheld opinion; and
this from the "moderator" at a "Just the Facts" forum. (It was clear
many facts weren't welcome, since no pro-Prop. 19 speakers were
allowed and the entire audience was completely forbidden from speaking.)

I say hypocrisy because the overwhelming majority of adults in our
community are themselves regular recreational drug users who happen
to prefer as their dope to get high one of the most dangerous and
toxic drugs: alcohol.

Many of you are fond of referring to recreational drugs as "dope" and
the users as people getting high, so to not be hypocritical, let's
call alcohol what it is. All research conclusively shows that alcohol
is a vastly more dangerous dope than marijuana ever will be.

Day after day our newspaper proves how regularly destructive the
recreational drug users of alcohol are: sexual assaults, violence
against people and property, alcohol-fueled death and injury in
vehicles, addiction, and family-sanctioned drinking starting as young
as 9 years old.

I'm sure many alcohol dopers in the community will be using their
recreational drugs around kids during the holidays and even illegally
share their drugs with their children. Not a single alcohol-drinking
doper has a medical need for it, yet our community is loaded with
HUNDREDS of for-profit recreational drug dispensaries locally
permitted and ready to meet your cravings to get high. But just
mention allowing one or two locally permitted non-profit medical
marijuana dispensaries and the political hypocrisy erupts.

We get to read about fundraisers for fighting breast cancer that
offer recreational drug tastings, even though research shows alcohol
has ties to breast cancer and no amount of it is safe when it comes
to breast cancer. We get to read about anti-domestic violence
fundraisers that offer recreational drug use (more tastings!), even
though domestic violence is often fueled by alcohol. We also get to
see local fundraisers aimed at fighting youth recreational drug use
that tout recreational drugs will be available (beer and wine at the
bar!). What's next, hosting an anti-lung cancer event with free cigarettes?

If methamphetamine or heroin were behind even half of the crime and
violence that alcohol is reported to be associated with in our local
news, then we would be hearing constant cries that we're in an
epidemic and something must be done. But alcohol? No way. We love it
so much that we're willing to live in denial. Just ask law
enforcement officers, who as chronic recreational drug users are
known to abuse the drug alcohol at twice the rate that the public does.

So remember: the majority of you readers are recreational drug users,
with many of you addicted. Don't believe me? Then simply go 90 days
without recreationally consuming the drugs alcohol, tobacco and
caffeine. It's really that easy to prove! Because you're certainly
not addicted to mind-altering recreational drugs, are you?