cannabisnews.com: A Doper's View of the Drug War A Doper's View of the Drug War Posted by CN Staff on August 13, 2002 at 06:54:06 PT By Peter Bronson Source: Cincinnati Enquirer Phil has trouble finding his glasses, but he never loses a game of Trivial Pursuit. “I don't know about that short-term memory thing. But I'll put my brain up against anybody, and I've baked it for 25 years,” he says. He says, “My mother would have a heart attack” if I used his last name. But he is remarkably candid about his cannabis habit. He is a dedicated, enthusiastic pothead. He has been toking weed, rolling joints and smoking left-handed cigarettes for 25 of his 40-plus years, and he apologizes to nobody. “I'm a role model for responsible pot smoking. I only use it at home, never at work. Heck, I've fired people for using drugs at work. “On the other hand, I tell kids to never smoke it. Just look at me. I graduated from Covington Latin at age 15, and I'm a house painter.” He admits another downside: “I've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on pot.” High costs His habit burns up $600 a month. An ounce these days goes for $150 for the average “stuff,” and as high as $300 for the really good “hydro,” or hydroponically grown buds, he said. He blames the government for the high cost of getting high. Despite the war on drugs, “They are really easy to get,” Phil said. But pot is much stronger and more expensive, he says. He should know. He's a major consumer of the local product, which comes mostly from Kentucky. Snipped: Complete Title: http://enquirer.com/editions/2002/08/12/loc_bronson_a_dopers.htmlSource: Cincinnati Enquirer (OH)Author: Peter BronsonPublished: Monday, August 12, 2002 Copyright: 2002 The Cincinnati EnquirerContact: letters enquirer.comWebsite: http://www.enquirer.com/today/Related Articles & Web Site:Ohio Drug Reformhttp://www.ohiodrugreform.orgTreatment Advocates Turn in Amendment Petitionhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13674.shtml700,000 Ohioans Sign Petitions Backing Plan http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13671.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #13 posted by krutch on August 14, 2002 at 13:26:40 PT: Big Lungs This guy burns 2 ozs. a month of kind bud? He must have some large lungs, or he must share with many of his friends who don't share back. Seems like a allot to me. [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by Industrial Strength on August 13, 2002 at 16:05:39 PT taste I really like the smell and taste of good herb. I really do think that Manitoba is a close second to BC when it comes to dope in Canada. An 1/8 of the stuff you see on the cover of High Times sells for $25 American, $40 Canadian. [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by Dan B on August 13, 2002 at 13:38:16 PT: You nailed it, Canaman! That is exactly the song, of course--"The Trial" from Pink Floyd's The Wall. Well done. Also, I noticed you began commenting here a little while ago, but I have not yet formally said "welcome." So, welcome to Cannabis News. You've already proven to be an asset here, and I look forward to reading your future comments.Great nick, by the way.Dan B [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by FoM on August 13, 2002 at 13:05:56 PT Dr. Russo I think I understand. Different aromas produce different effects. I think that's right but that's how I took what you said. If so that's nice to know. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by canaman on August 13, 2002 at 12:58:21 PT just in case Pink Floyd "the Wall" [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by canaman on August 13, 2002 at 12:54:40 PT answer to Dan B's quotation (long version) The Trial (Roger Waters, Bob Ezrin) The Prosecutor: Good morning, Worm, Your Honour. The Crown will plainly show The prisoner who stands now before you Was caught red handed showing feelings, Showing feelings of an almost human nature. Ah, this will not do! Call the schoolmaster!Teacher: I always said he'd come to no good In the end, Your Honour If they'd let me have my way I could Have flayed him into shape. But my hands were tied, The bleeding hearts and artists Let him get away with murder, Let me hammer him today!The Defendant: Crazy toys in the attic, I'm crazy Truly gone fishing. They must have taken my marbles away!Chorus: Crazy toys in the attic, he is crazy.The Prosecutor: Call the defendant's wife!The Wife: You little shit, you're in it now, I hope they throw away the key. You should have talked to me more often than you did, But no, you had to go your on way. Have you broken any homes up lately ? Just five minutes, Worm, Your Honour, Him and me alone! Mother Mother: * Babe ........ Come to mother, Baby, let me hold you on my arms. M'lord, I never wanted him To get in any trouble. Why'd he ever had to leave me ? Worm, Your Honour, let me take him home!The Defendant: Crazy over the rainbow, I am crazy Bars in the window. There must have been a door there in the wall When I came in!Chorus: Crazy over the rainbow, he is crazy.The Judge: The evidence before the Court is incontrovertible, There's no need for the Jury to retire. In all my years of judging, I have never heard before Of someone more deserving the full penalty of law. The way you made them suffer, Your exquisite wife and mother, Fills me with the urge to defecate! Since my friend you have revealed your deepest fear, I sentence you to be exposed before your peers! Tear down the wall!!!Chorus: TEAR DOWN THE WALL!!!! TEAR DOWN THE WALL!!!! TEAR DOWN THE WALL!!!! TEAR DOWN THE WALL!!!!* Sung by Marianne Faithfull [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Ethan Russo MD on August 13, 2002 at 11:58:31 PT: Cannabis: A Matter of Taste Taste, as applied to cannabis, is a function of its terpenoid essential oil components, and has nothing to do with THC.Components include:limonene: lemon scent, antidepressant effectpinene: pine scent, stimulating, bronchodilatormyrcene: peppery scent (black pepper), analgesic/anti-inflammatorycaryophyllene: balsamic scent, anti-inflammatory, gastric cytoprotective (prevents stomach ulcers)1,8-cineole: cinnamon scent, stimulantThese substances not only influence the "taste" of a given cannabis strain, but modulate the effects in definite physiological ways. That is, unless you believe the NIDA-sponsored research that says THC accounts for all:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12073159&dopt=AbstractMy LTE to the journal, Psychopharmacology, has already been sent. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by kaptinemo on August 13, 2002 at 11:46:24 PT: "Taste" Forgive me; perhaps I grew up with a very flat pallate. But I have only once in my smoking career ever 'tasted' the weed. It had a really 'perfumed' flavor to it.Tasting my food on the other hand, was no problem...of course. (Smile) Which leads me to ask: any studies on this? I realize that the input is almost entirely anecdotal, but I would like to see it... [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Naaps on August 13, 2002 at 09:58:31 PT Dan, Sir, Congratulations for your well-composed letter recently published in the Amarillo Globe. Seizing children from parents due to cannabis use is absolutely heinous, and egregiously despicable. While the costs are one issue, the availability of quality cannabis is another thing.Superior quality cannabis is indeed preferable from a health perspective. The Canadian Special Senate Committee on Illegal Drugs has determined that the most significant potential harm with cannabis is the ingestion of smoke on the lungs. They have determined that cannabis is roughly equivalent to tobacco in this respect, except that the typical tobacco smoker consumes many times more of the burning vegetative matter than the typical cannabis toker.For example, a package of cigarettes probably weighs half an ounce, or 14 grams. A typical smoker could easily smoke the pack in a day. Now, Phil from article, spending his $600 month, gets 2 ounces of good cannabis, which is merely 2 grams a day. Other times, the quality cannabis is rare, so Phil burns 4 ounces a month of the cheaper stuff, or approximately 4 grams a day. From a health perspective, the quality cannabis has a lesser impact on Phil’s health, with positive consequences affecting his continued ability to work, and provide for loved ones; as well as putting less strain on the health care system.I’ve personally been fortunate to obtain a supply of the most potent, savory cannabis that I’ve had in years. The only thing is that using it one can’t say one smokes for the taste. A mere couple tokes is enough, leaving the pleasurable taste ephemeral and fleeting until the next time! [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Dan B on August 13, 2002 at 08:26:25 PT: Dead on, Naaps! Excellent point. And if it were legal, I might be able to get some decent cannabis around here (there's a reason why it sells for just $60 an ounce here), which would greatly reduce the harsh effects it has on my lungs when I do have it (very rarely). And, I might be able to get a vaporizer so that I wouldn't have to breathe in all the particulate matter with my cannabinoids.As it is, the feds would rather have me choking and risking damage to my lungs. Gee, what great, compassionate people they are . . . not.Dan B [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Naaps on August 13, 2002 at 08:12:05 PT The Cannabis Community Pays, Pays, Pays ”His habit burns up $600 a month”While, the governments pat themselves on the back, maintaining prohibition, driving the price of an agricultural commodity outrageously high, the cannabis user pays, pays, pays. But is it good? If Phil could obtain the same quantity of pot for much less won’t he than have more money available to tackle debts, enhance opportunities for his children (assuming he has any), invest, or save for retirement. Heck, he might even have money for philanthropic donations, to his favorite right wing organizations. The policy of prohibition is costing Phil big-time. Not only does the law actively discriminate against his intelligent choice of herb with the potential of charges, not only does his tax dollar prop up the prohibition machinery, but for the cannabis he uses the price is ten times more than it ought to be. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Dan B on August 13, 2002 at 07:53:53 PT: Okay--minus the &quo Oops.For some reason, opening quotes are okay in the Subject, but closed quotes are a no-no.Dan B [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Dan B on August 13, 2002 at 07:52:24 PT: "There must have been a door there in the wall&quo This article ends with the following:"They [people who use cannabis responsibly] think the drug war is a trivial pursuit - and I'm beginning to wonder if they have the right answer. What he means, if you didn't get it from the context of the snipped article (the entire article can be found at the link FoM graciously provided for us), is that he is "beginning" to think that the war on some drugs is a bad idea--that time would be better spent going after real crime. It is always refreshing to read such a statement from someone I do not know. I think the mesage we are trying to get out is actually getting out and doing some good. I'm seeing people change their minds, and I think it's great. There will always be those whose opinions are swayed by the critical-mass "public opinion," but I don't think we have reached "critical mass" stage yet. We are getting there, though, and the evidence is in articles like these that show people from various stages of the political spectrum agreeing that what we (I'm using the collective pronoun knowing full well that "we" doesn't really refer to most of "us" on this site) have done for the past X years isn't working (X meaning 20, 30, 80--wherever you believe the drug war began). Maybe it's not so much that the wall is crumbling, but that we are building a brand new doorway through it.Dan BP.S. This should be an easy one (think 1979), but does anyone care to guess where the quotation in the Subject is from? [ Post Comment ] Post Comment