Posted December 5, 2007

Analysis by Richard Cowan

Sometimes there are reports so insane that I could just post them without any comment, but that is why I get the big bucks – pause for laughter.

Recently, I dissected an Op-Ed by Florida’s Attorney General that was an insult to the intelligence of his constituents.

See
Fort Myers News-Press Invites Florida AG to Lie to Its Readers About Marijuana.

The current Governor Charlie Crist is a former AG, himself, who was called “Chain Gang Charlie” when he was in the state Senate is from the same twisted mold

Florida has had to suspend the death penalty for murderers, but Crist, who once sponsored a law allowing the death penalty for “major drug kingpins”, is trying to make it easier to execute dealers. Of course, it isn’t likely to happen and it would have no impact on the supply of hard drugs, even it did, but that is irrelevant to any good drug warrior.

This week, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement released an interim report by the Florida Medical Examiners Commission on “drug-related deaths.” Of course that does not include alcohol or tobacco, but, nonetheless, in just the first six months of this year, of the roughly 87,000 people died in Florida 3,980 of them had one or more “illicit drugs” in their bodies. That is almost 5%, but that does not mean that they were killed by the drugs. They could have been murdered or killed in an accident.

Today, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune joined the Ft. Myers paper in proving its willingness to print prohibitionist propaganda in a “news” story.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, HOMEGROWN MARIJUANA BIG PROBLEMS

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — State officials say prescription drugs accounted for nearly three-fourths of the 7,741 overdose deaths in Florida last year.

The statistic was presented to Gov. Charlie Crist and the state Cabinet at a drug abuse seminar Tuesday.

“I guess it has this cloak of legality about it because they’re made by a legitimate company instead of grown in somebody’s field somewhere,” Crist said.

“Nevertheless it’s just as detrimental, can be just as destructive, so we again just have to work that much harder.”

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement also released numbers showing 3,980 autopsied bodies in the first six months of 2007 had one or more drugs in their system, mostly prescription drugs at lethal and non-lethal levels.

See
John Walters Says, “Prescription Drug Abuse Is The Second Largest Illicit Drug Problem” – After Cannabis, Of Course! Different Measures for “Success” and Failure. Seeking New Victims.

Copyright: 2007 Sarasota Herald-Tribune

wendy.dial@heraldtribune.com

Now, let’s get this straight, so to speak. Around 5,000 Floridians were killed by prescription drug overdoses. No one was killed by a cannabis overdose, but the prescription drugs “can be just as destructive” as a drug that does not kill anyone.

Is this the “new math”?? Or is it just the same old lies and the same old “journalism.” AKA, stenography. In fairness to the reporter, if she had tried to print the truth she would probably have been reassigned or fired.

Of course, prohibitionists invariably claim that legalizing marijuana would “send the wrong message to children” that marijuana is “safe” as prescription drugs – which kill thousands.

See UK Committee Will Endorse Reclassification – “Decriminalization” By Another Name, But Says Real “Decriminalization” Would “Send the Wrong Message” Cannabis Equals Valium Is The Right Message?
and
The Clichés of Prohibitionism: “Sending the Wrong Message.”

Also, it should be understood that many prescription-drug-related deaths may not be the result of the misuse or “abuse” of illegally obtained pills. In fact, many of them may have gotten them from a doctor who prescribed them in good faith.

Moreover, it does not include the fatal side effects of drugs that were used exactly as prescribed.

Nor does that include deaths caused by over-the-counter drugs such as aspirin and acetaminophen or cold remedies.

See

“No Medicine Is Smoked.” Okay, But Why Isn’t Cannabis Sold Over-the-Counter? New MAPS/NORML Vaporizer Study Undermines Key Part Of Prohibitionist Party Line On “Smoked-Marijuana.”

and

“Marijuana Isn’t Harmless.” Okay, But Why Isn’t It Sold Over the Counter? Or Would You Ban Something That Causes 300,000 ER Visits Every Year, And Kills A Child Every Month? (Trick Question)

Prohibitionists in states with medical marijuana laws claim that marijuana is “diverted” from the medical distribution system, and they use that as a argument for the repeal or limitation of these laws.

However, I have never heard one say that pharmacies should be closed because of the diversion of the vastly more dangerous prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Meanwhile, the quackocracy remains silent, perhaps because they are afraid of the truth… or just the DEA.

See
No, Cannabis Will Not Be “The 21st Century Aspirin” – Because It Doesn’t Kill Anyone! People Suffer And Die, While “Scientists” Try To Pharmaceuticalize The Aspirin Of the 21st Century B.C.

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