As the marijuana lobby enjoys growing success with legalization in more and more states and restrictions being reduced, I'm reminded of the process used by other campaigns to change America's perception of various practices.
In the 1940's, 50's, and 60's, the tobacco industry unleashed a campaign to send America up in smoke. Tobacco ads filled the radio airwaves. I remember that almost every ad before a movie was about tobacco.
The strategy was to seduce younger and younger children to start smoking knowing that, if successful, they would have a consumer for life. "Scientific" studies were released by the boatload that showed that tobacco use was not harmful to health. Star studded ads were used to convince America that to be a real man or woman, you needed to smoke. About half of America was convinced and tobacco sales soared.
I was one of those children sucked into the practice at an early age. Fortunately, due to the stubborn persistence of a baseball coach, Paul Reichart, I quit at the age of 13. Unfortunately, not everyone had someone like my baseball coach to guide them and millions have paid a horrible price for being duped by the propaganda. Eventually, medical facts trumped the propaganda and the practice has decreased. But, people like the famous baseball star for the Padres who recently died of tobacco induced cancer are still paying the price.
The Tobacco campaign still stands as one of the most successful campaigns of all times driven by myths concocted by a well financed lobby. But, there are others which are challenging that success. (See my March 31, 2013 article entitled "The Ruse" to learn about the homosexual lobby's myth driven campaign to change America's perception of their behavior). Now it is the marijuana lobby's turn to unleash more agony on our population using their long debunked myths.
Back in the early 70's, I was working on the Northwestern campus. The school has very high academic standards for admission. But, marijuana use was also high. I remember walking down the sidewalk trying to help these very intelligent users find their classroom and class building. They were potheads who could not read a class schedule due to their marijuana induced stupidity. Short term memory loss was epidemic. I saw thousands of America's brightest young people turned into zombies by a joint. That's where we are headed if we let this lobby have its way. Marijuana has recently been exposed by medical studies as causing severe damage to the brain and to the ability to function normally. It is much more deadly than tobacco, yet politicians are falling over themselves to promote it in order to be politically correct.
A recent story by a New York Times writer tells of her experience experimenting with marijuana. She writes about the hell she went through for days. She was totally non-functioning, sick, and had suicidal thoughts. Yet, her conclusion was that she just needed to consume less over a longer period of time. No, the rational conclusion is to avoid it altogether! It is very harmful and shouldn't be promoted or used by any responsible person.
Remember what it is that drives these lobbies. It is simply greed and selfishness. The welfare of the public is not an issue to them. We need many more Coach Reicharts.
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