It was Ok When We Smoked It...

Another op-ed about the dangers of marijuana use today compared to the 1970's comes from Diane M. Peebles, a prevention coordinator for the Amador County Behavioral Health Services, Substance Abuse Division in California.

She titles it "Parents are Urged to Learn about Today's Marijuana." Fueling the hypocritical message of do what I say, not what I do.

First, Ms. Peebles claims that the misinformation concerning marijuana is spread only by reformers who want to "desensitize society to [marijuana's] harms and risks." She then goes on to say "Marijuana is not only harmful, but addictive and potentially deadly." If that isn't misinformation than call me Miles Davis.

Speaking of misinformation, Peebles pulls out the old "5 joints a week is like smoking 1 pack of cigarettes a day." With the amount of misinformation spread about this, its a wonder she could even come up with a solid number. I have had health teachers in high-school claim 1 joint was worth 2 packs, and plenty of literature form DARE, the ONDCP, and NIDA also report different numbers of joints equaling packs of butts.

Here's what she doesn't mention. That the largest study on marijuana and lung cancer conducted by Donald Tashkin of the University of California at Los Angeles, found "We hypothesized that there would be a positive association between marijuana use and lung cancer, and that the association would be more positive with heavier use," he said. "What we found instead was no association at all, and even a suggestion of some protective effect."

Tashkin said that while he still believes marijuana is potentially harmful, its cancer-causing effects appear to be of less concern than previously thought. Tashkin is not some marijuana loving scientist hell-bent on legalization. Many of his previous studies were used by health and drug enforcement officials in the case against reforming marijuana laws.

Well, Peebles is not done yet. She separates alcohol and tobacco from being drugs like marijuana. As if marijuana has an addiction level anywhere close to that of booze or nicotine.
This might be my favorite part:

"Most adults were teenagers themselves during the 1970s, 80s and 90s, a time when drug experimentation could be dismissed as a rite of passage to adulthood. But times have changed. Marijuana today is 15 to 25 times more potent than the pot smoked 30 or 40 years ago. "

Anyone else smell bullshit? What a hypocrite.
You really have to read this one to believe it friends. Write an op-ed in response if you have the time.