cannabisnews.com: Reefer Oldness: Potheads Hijack AARP?





Reefer Oldness: Potheads Hijack AARP?
Posted by CN Staff on January 05, 2005 at 22:19:50 PT
By Camille Dodero
Source: Boston Phoenix
Potheads are preying on the elderly! Or so went the accusation lobbed against the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) last week, when the conservative press-watchdog group Accuracy in Media (AIM) charged that the elder-advocacy organization had suffered "a counter-culture takeover." Last month, the Associated Press reported findings from an AARP telephone poll suggesting that the majority of older Americans favors legalizing medical marijuana — according to the AP report, 72 percent of the 1706 respondents supported the idea. Jay Leno even joked, "And you thought Grandpa used to forget stuff before!" But what got AIM’s tighty whities in a bunch was the poll involvement of AARP the Magazine editor Ed Dwyer, whom AIM described as "an admitted former drug user and dealer." Turns out, Dwyer co-founded the ganja-glorifying glossy High Times.
Dwyer hasn’t tried to conceal his history with the Playboy-for-potheads. In the bud-loving bimonthly’s November/December 2004 issue — a 30th-anniversary hurrah featuring filmmaker Jim Jarmusch interviewing punk icon Iggy Pop, a Q&A with Norman Mailer, and a marijuana leaf on the front cover — Dwyer penned a nostalgic essay about the magazine’s embryonic stages, reminiscing about an early-’70s period that was "the most exhilarating and memorable stretch of my life." There’d been plenty of sex, nitrous, and pot strains with names like Maui Wowie to go around, even some to sell, he recalled. Dwyer’s AARP position was referenced beside his byline in the table of contents, reading, "BTW (and no kidding), Ed Dwyer now works as a features editor at AARP the Magazine."Since the AP report, Dwyer has been understandably mum. AARP spokesperson Steve Hahn says he knows little about the survey, clarifying that the parent AARP organization didn’t release the results, and that the study was exclusively a magazine initiative. "[The poll] was going to be in a magazine story that’s going to run this spring," says Hahn. "It wasn’t released by AARP."In any event, High Times editor Steve Bloom doesn’t see what the fuss is about. "[Dwyer]’s being attacked by a conservative organization. They’re looking at his background and saying, ‘How dare he work for [mature] publications?’ I don’t really understand the whole issue." Besides, Bloom believes seniors really do support medicinal marijuana. "It might be surprising that seniors support this. But if you think about the reality of what seniors are up against [physically] — they’re just open to anything that might work for them." He adds, "Many of them may’ve never smoked a joint in their life. Yet if they found that it will help them with a given ailment, they’ll try it or they’ll support somebody else trying it." In any case, Bloom doesn’t think Dwyer’s in the wrong. "If Ed does have an agenda due to the fact that he used to work at High Times, more power to him."Source: Boston Phoenix (MA) Author: Camille DoderoPublished: January 7 - 13, 2005Copyright: 2005 Phoenix Media Communications GroupContact: letters phx.com Website: http://www.bostonphoenix.com/ Related Articles & Web Site:AARP Magazinehttp://www.aarpmagazine.org/From Pot To Porn To AARP http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20072.shtmlPoll Examines Medical Marijuana Supporthttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20041.shtml
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Comment #6 posted by global_warming on January 06, 2005 at 15:22:23 PT
Late News
"Potheads are preying on the elderly! Or so went the accusation lobbed against the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) last week, when the conservative press-watchdog group Accuracy in Media (AIM) charged that the elder-advocacy organization had suffered "a counter-culture takeover."In the meantime, the profitable pharmacos, the profitable companies that are peddling their genetically modified plants are all happily gathering before the alter of greed and money: that is power, that is what is importent to these people.God has a sense of humor, for no matter how importent you think you are, you are going to die, yep, right there along with all those poor people, you are going to to be buried, maybe they will have some more flowers for you, but you are going into that grave, you will be buried, along with all those people that you dislike, along with all those children that "you" buried, along with all those foreigners, along with all those "liberals" along with those whom you loved and cherished, we are all in the hands of God, we are little children.Keeping a Light On,
gw
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Comment #5 posted by freedom23 on January 06, 2005 at 12:23:17 PT
Vioxx vs. MM
Let's see: say you're in your sixties, have the normal aches and pains for your age group, know that if you are careful you should have atleast another 10 to 20 years of life and you're given a choice: Drug A: which could cause upper respiratory infections, hypertension, diarrhea, headaches or death. The US FDA has said that drug A has contributed to almost 140k Americans dying or being seriously injured as a result of taking the drug A.Drug B: which could cause dizziness. Zero deaths.What's your choice? My guess you're screaming at the top of your lungs "I've been saying this for years!" Well, the message is finally being heard. I'll choose the safer of the two: marijuana.So tell your friends: "Be safe, live a longer life and use marijuana!" =)
"Bullsh*t: Penn & Teller" vs the War on Drugs
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Comment #4 posted by dididadadidit on January 06, 2005 at 08:43:22 PT
"an admitted former drug user and dealer." 
How about AIM direct a little investigation towards our first lady's former drug use and dealing in her college days (the go to girl for dime bags)? Or preznit(wit) on cocaine? Not bloody likely. Hypocrits!My guess is this poll was conducted before so many prescription and over the counter pain drugs encountered the recalls and cautions on usage over the past month or so. Considering the lack of saftey of so much that big pharma sells seniors at inflated prices subsidized by borrowed money for their grandchildren to repay, the saftey aspect of medical cannabis for pain relief, if made well known within the older community, would likely see a nice bump higher than the reported 72% should the poll be reconducted.Go AARP! Voters the Repignicans ignore at their peril even if they do own the damned voting machines and the counters in some states. Speaking of which, go Barbara, the senator with the cojones!Cheers?
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Comment #3 posted by mayan on January 06, 2005 at 07:31:27 PT
unrelated
It seems as though Senator Boxer has joined the challenge!!!Democrats to Force Debate on Ohio Results: 
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20050106/ap_on_go_co/electoral_vote
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Comment #2 posted by goneposthole on January 06, 2005 at 06:09:43 PT
This is reefer madness
Geritol replaced by cannabis? Some truth to that these days. The AARP, the American Association of Reefer Proponents, sent me an invitation just yesterday to join their organization. Time for a change. 
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Comment #1 posted by mayan on January 06, 2005 at 04:27:34 PT
Ya' There, Joyce?
Last month, the Associated Press reported findings from an AARP telephone poll suggesting that the majority of older Americans favors legalizing medical marijuana — according to the AP report, 72 percent of the 1706 respondents supported the idea.If the AARP Magazine poll results would have suggested that the majority of older Americans opposed legalizing medical cannabis would Ed Dwyer's background even be an issue? Sorry, Joyce & friends. You just can't handle the fact that your peers have turned their backs on your lies. Care to respond, Joyce? Yeah, right.On an unrelated note, this just might be a historic day...Sen. Boxer may challenge results of presidential election:
http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/010505/jackson.htmlClaims proliferate that at least one senator will challenge electoral vote tally:
http://www.bluelemur.com/index.php?p=530Olbermann Says Challengers Are Go!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6210240&&CM=EmailThis&CE=124 House Members Plead for Discussion on Electoral Vote Tally:
http://rawstory.rawprint.com/105/final_plea_105.phpCongress: Tainted Votes Must Be Rejected!
http://www.votecobb.org/OHIO MUST BE EXPOSED!!!
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