DA KINE ARTICLE IS A BAD TRIP

I was excited to see an article in the Ubyssey about Da Kine Smoke and
Beverage Shop, the Commercial Drive business that has been openly selling
marijuana for months. Unfortunately, the article left me with a taste worse
than bong water in my mouth.

To start off, the writer mentions that he was in Da Kine, which "was
recently shut down for illegal operations," so he could "investigate the
details of its closure." In the next sentence, he says that the raid
occurred while he was there. To the best of my knowledge, Da Kine has only
had one closure, at which the writer claims to have been present--how then
could he have been there investigating the details of its closure? Does the
Ubyssey have psychics among its writing staff?

Later on, the writer quotes his old economics professor, who claims that
"the increase in price [of drugs, as a result of increased police
enforcement] decreases the demand in the long run." Cannabis use is much
higher now than when it was banned in 1923--how well does this fact fit into
the professor's theory?

Perhaps my biggest beef with the article is what was attributed to
psychologist C. William Coakley: "The effects of smoking a joint can last up
to ten days...Does a doctor legally smoking pot on a Saturday night have the
right to perform surgery on Monday morning?"

This should immediately sound suspicious to anyone who's ever actually done
the drug. Perhaps traces of chemicals can be found in urine after 10 days
(THC is fat soluble, so it can show up weeks after usage--just ask Ross
Rebagliati), but to still be high after 12 hours, let alone 10 days, is
preposterous. I cannot find any literature that suggests such a long-lasting
effect--most studies I see mention "after effects" of 2-1/2 hours after the
initial 1/4 hour high. Coakley also conveniently leaves out the obvious
parallel with alcohol--you never hear anyone being wheeled into the
operating room saying, "I wonder if my doctor got so drunk last night that
he's barely able to keep down his lunch." I know of several people,
including myself, who have chosen marijuana as their drug of choice over
alcohol partially or wholly because of the complete absence of a hangover.

- --Chris Simmons is a fifth-year Computer Science student