Marijuana Ignorance and Marijuana Laws

Dr. Mark Kleiman scores financially Big Time!

Dr Phil Leveque and Salem-News.com publisher Bonnie King, after an expert discussion on the subject of Cannabis. Photo by Tim King

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - These people know nothing about marijuana use and marijuana users.

I was under the impression that the epidemic of “reefer madness” had subsided until I read the NYT article that “US Won’t Sue to Reverse States Legalization of Marijuana” (8-28-2013) and then the story of Dr. Kleiman totally snookering Washington State’s marijuana advisory board half-wits on how to regulate marijuana for a total of about $800,000 with probably more costs to come at $292/per hour.

It appears that his funny advice even got into the NYT’s. He may be an “expert” on drug law, but those laws are mostly to protect people against the harmful effects of drugs. The dangers of marijuana according to NIDA are minimal and are addressed by me in the article “Marijuana Dangers and the Oregonian Newspaper: Petty, Puerile, Pernicious Propaganda” (8-27-2013) quoting the NIDA article, chapter and verse.

I have Dr Kleiman’s article from the NYT before me, and I will critique it on the basis of 60-year study of the pharmacology and therapeutics of the medicine and personal experience with 5,000+ patients.

He has advised the WA state commission snookered on the following points for regulation:

1. To require testing and labeling for chemical content” Actually, the patients can do this all the time. They personally do this with every batch.
2. “Require testing for microbes, pesticides and heavy metals” (see #1)
3. “Keep the price right” If there are going to be state stores, like there were for liquor stores, it will be a financially losing proposition. The people will be able to grow their own and nothing can stop that. He thinks low prices will increase drug abuse, the drug abuse rate, and addiction is less than 10% everywhere it is available. Prices and availability notwithstanding.
4. “Monitor, Measure & Modify” The marijuana business is already self-monitored. If dealers can’t earn enough money, they go out of business. All users are potential dealers, and most likely, most dealers are probably users.
5. “Don’t allow marketing!” This is a foolish statement. There is marketing overall, all over the place. Every user or potential user can find a supply. Advertising is NOT necessary.
6. “Don’t get greedy” Users will buy from the cheapest prices or grow their own. In Oregon, there are at least 2,000 growers for 55,000 medical patients. There are probably about 200,000 non-medical users; most have easy access to their medicine via their friends and neighbors. Dispensaries will help those that don’t have a ready-access.
7. “Don’t expect Miracles” I will quote Dr. Kleiman directly: “Prohibition did not abolish the drug problem (sic) [I think he meant alcohol] neither will legislation. Be satisfied if criminal revenues go down. Fewer dealers will wind up behind bars and the number of dependent users (<) and underage users (less than 10%) don’t increase dramatically.

A NYT’s editorial on the same subject said the main aim of the new laws was to keep marijuana away from minors. Good luck, they have their own supply system and their rate of use is the same as adults: about 10%.

I thought the Washington state advisory committee would have more sense. They already paid 800 GRAND for their ignorance. I guess they will be paying more.

MARIJUANA PATIENTS CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY, AS THEY ALWAYS HAVE.

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Paula Tschida September 6, 2013 7:10 pm (Pacific time)

I believe that the WSLCB received much more salient information from individuals in their public forums and through the receipt of information from "concerned parties" than they did from BOTEC. But in their minds, they're doing it "by the book."

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