Extreme Ecstasy Brah!

Just when you think the ONDCP couldn't backtrack anymore, John Walters warns us of the dangers of "extreme ecstasy".

Why would anyone try to label ecstasy as extreme in the hopes that it would scare young people away from using it? Has the ONDCP ever seen the X-Games or what about Extreme Doritos? The word extreme has been used over the past decade as a youth advertisement tool for everything from snack foods to video games and has been successful. Anyone can guess what calling ecstasy "extreme" might lead to.

By calling the ecstasy extreme it seems like the ONDCP are saying the effects are more extreme or intense. As if this is some sort of new drug "cocktail" that will attract young people because its effects are stronger. This article states the obvious in saying that the "biggest reason [for mixing meth and MDMA] is cost." No other reasons are even listed because there really aren't any.

So this extreme ecstasy is actually MDMA mixed with methamphetamine and apparently is all Canada's fault. I think its important to point out that MDMA stands for 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine. See that whole part, after dioxy, that says methamphetamine. Okay, good. MDMA provides a stimulant effect. So why mix methamphetamine with MDMA pills? Because it cuts down on cost and increases profit for dealers and still gives the user that stimulant effect they expect from MDMA. Many pills have been passed off as ecstasy and when tested have been found to contain only methamphetamine or even just caffeine.

Is it really "extreme ecstasy" or is just an blatant example of ecstasy prohibition failing miserably by taking a drug that should be a pharmaceutical and placing it in the black market? As American parents and doctors pump amphetamine in the form of Adderal to children in the treatment of over-diagnosed ADD and ADHD one really has to be bewildered at this new scare tactic against ecstasy and methamphetamine.

So now American drug warriors can claim that they not only made a difference in the availability of ecstasy, or pure ecstasy rather, but they have created a new, more "extreme" drug that is more profitable for drug dealers.

Run Mitt Run!

This semester I had the opportunity to intern with Granite Staters for Medical Marijuana in New Hampshire. GSMM followed NH presidential candidates and put on the pressure about medical marijuana. Mainly we wanted to know what candidates were willing to end the raids on medical marijuana patients in the 12 states that have passed legislation protecting patients and their doctors.

National Journal did a story called Tales from NH Town Halls and reported the details of NH town hall events where the candidates had campaigned. In a section of the story titled Adventures with Advocacy Groups, the story discusses the activists that follow the candidates and promote their issues. They wrote about GSMM even including a transcript of my McCain encounter.

[Of all the NH advocacy groups] None has been more persistent than the members of the Granite Staters for Medical Marijuana, pushing to legalize the drug.

Clayton Holton, seen in this video depicting the ignorance of Mitt Romney and Rudy Guliani in particular, suffers from Muscular Dystrophy. Clayton is only 22 years old and is the youngest man ever admitted to a NH nursing home. That is where he currently lives, unable to use marijuana to control his pain, nausea, or stimulate his appetite but provided a steady regiment of Oxycontin, a drug he wishes could be replaced with marijuana.

Check out over 40 video encounters with presidential candidates by GSMM at youtube. Unfortunately the GSMM campaign is over but I plan on posting some of the highlights here on DARE Generation. GSMM was probably the most successful marijuana campaign in NH to date and Clayton Holton will surely be NH's face for medical marijuana in the Granite State.