Gaming While High

And if you thought that silly alien ad was bad, get this. The ONDCP's newest angle on getting young people to not smoke pot is... it makes you suck at video games. And then, obviously, a poorly animated Zelda look alike will make you feel bad about yourself for losing level 3. He'll also suffer a broken arm and play chess instead. By himself.

This is just plain silly. This is what we're spending $60million a year on? I've seen Kung-Fu movies that are voiced over better than this piece of shit.

Just another offensive and likely counterproductive advertisement from the folks at Above the Influence. At least with Stoners in the Mist, you could actually play a game.

Let's compare that video with Safety First's Lets Talk About Meth and Other Drugs:


Remind me again. Which one had a budget of $60million dollars?

Glenn Beck: "Let's Legalize Marijuana"

Well folks, I think its obvious that Glenn Beck must be reading the DARE Generation Diary! He seems to have completely changed his tone about marijuana legalization.

Beck starts of this segment saying "I woke up this morning and I thought, we should legalize marijuana."

I have to say, I burst out laughing at first - the resulting combination of joy from seeing this discussion take place on Fox News and the absurdity of his last segment on the subject (not to say I'm not happy that the has seen the light!). Plus, I thought he might be kidding...

But, Beck provided the venue for a fantastic and balanced discussion about the effects of prohibition. This wasn't a discussion about the benefits or dangers of using drugs. We all know that drug use, like most behaviors, can carry consequences. This was a forum about prohibition and a comparison of its failure in the 1920's to its failure today.

Beck's guest for the discussion is Mexico's former deputy foreign minister, Andres Rozental. Rozental provides unarguable testimony and at times makes touching points concerning the devastation that prohibition has caused Mexico. Beck asks Rozental, "explain to me how using marijuana is NOT a victimless crime." Rozental answers beautifully, explaining that, really, the best way to make marijuana use a victimless crime is:

"legalize it, regulate it, make sure that the purity is what it should be, make sure that it pays taxes rather than fill the pockets of criminal gangs, and then be much more reasonable and rational about the way you deal with these things."

Throughout the segment both repeat over and over again the same exact argument that drug policy reformers have been screaming for years; Legalize marijuana! Not because drugs are good and not because drugs are bad - legalize marijuana because prohibition creates violence, prohibition creates and funds terrorists and organized crime. Prohibition is the problem and legalization is the solution.

We are at the "tipping point" friends. Even if our country continues to wage this failed war on drugs, no one can continue to justify it. Not even Glenn Beck.

Rob Kampia on Glenn Beck

Kudos to MPP's Rob Kampia for sitting through this ridiculous interview about AB390, the bill that would legalize and tax marijuana in California.

Kampia remains cool while Beck makes a complete ass of himself during the segment, starting off with him giggling (for no apparent reason) and then asking Kampia, "do you smoke marijuana?"

Its seemed like Rob was waiting for some actual discussion on marijuana policy to occur. Something like objective, grown up, respectful, "fair and balanced" media. No such luck.

Watch as a little animated man has revolving thought bubbles pop up with "California Wants to do What?", "Legalizing Pot?", and my personal favorite, "Got Brownies?"

As all seriousness in the interview declines , and Beck's absurdity rises, he pulls out some cookies. Claiming that he's witnessed people smoking joints "next to a cop" in New York , Beck insinuates that no one is arrested for marijuana in the state. Kampia let's us know that there were more than 40,000 marijuana arrests in New York state last year.

If Beck actually believes his statement to be true, how could he not come to the conclusion that taxing the drug is the smartest move? He's witnessing people smoking, meaning marijuana is readily available, and the police aren't arresting the smokers, meaning they have better things to do. Astonishingly, he then calls himself a libertarian.

These are the types of interviews that make me so proud to be part of Students for Sensible Drug Policy and promoting open, honest, and rational discussion about drug abuse.

Beck should attend one of SSDP's upcoming conferences and sit in on a few workshops. We'll waive his registration fee.

Dare to Act!

The Hungarian Civil Liberties Union is demanding that Dr. Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of the UN Office of Drugs and Crime, give his explanation of a well known fact. In the Netherlands, where adults are allowed to buy and use marijuana, rates of use are actually lower than that of the United States. Significantly lower.

His explanation? Well... he's not quite ready to provide one. At least not one that the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union finds satifactory. Dr. Fredrick Polick, a dutch psychiatrist and leading European drug policy reformer, has asked Costa for his explanation on 4 occasions now.

The HCLU has created created a pretty nifty website to draw attention to this issue. I think you'll especially enjoy the personal introduction from Dr. Polick! You'll find descriptions and video for Polick's 4 "rounds" of questions and a 5th round asking you to put Costa on the spot next.

In 2008, Costa promised to publish a study that explains and provides evidence for his "availability increases use" theory. He's yet to publish it, but that doesn't mean he isn't working on it - SSDP is looking forward to reading it.

Deadly Disaster in Mexico

I think people put it best when they say we'll need to end the drug war soon enough out of pure necessity. Take, for instance, this video of what's going on in Mexico:



More than 5,300 people were killed in drug cartel violence last year. Reporters are rightfully horrified to have their name linked to any Mexican drug cartel story. Innocent children are being maliciously slain. The Texas Guard has gone on high alert for the first time in history.

Yet, when asked on Fox News why the people in Mexico are protesting the army that was sent out to supposedly help them, Senator Dan Patrick of Texas replies,

"Well, we believe Bill, that it's the drug cartels who paid the people to protest."

Ignorant? Pathetic? Too horrified to face the truth? Who knows. What we do know is that if Mexico doesn't legalize and regulate drugs soon and take away the drug cartel's major source of power, there will be no way out.

The National Drug Intelligence Center has already concluded in its National Drug Threat Assessment 2009 that "Mexico drug trafficking organizations represent the greatest organized crime threat to the United States."

Lawmakers in Texas are currently worrying about a flood of Mexican refugees attempting to escape the violence pouring into their state, but nobody really seems to know what to do.

"This violence is happening because the [Felipe] Calderon administration is doing the right thing by cracking down on powerful drug cartels," Kudwa said in a statement. "The cartels are, predictably, fighting back to protect their lucrative criminal livelihood..."[Fox News]

How can people continue to blatantly overlook the solution and honestly believe that the violent tactics being used are the "right thing" to do? Obviously these tactics are failing everyone except for the drug cartels. Obviously we need to come up with a better plan. Obviously, we need to talk legalization.

What a Couple of Dirtbags...

Can you believe this? Reading this story brought me right back to the frustrations of being a teenager.

Two Pennsylvania Judges, Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan of the Court of Common Pleas in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, have admitted to accepting $2.6million in kickbacks for sentencing juveniles to jail time in privately owned detention facilities.

Marsha Levick, chief counsel for the Juvenile Law Center, estimated that of approximately 5,000 juveniles who came before Ciavarella from 2003 and 2006, between 1,000 and 2,000 received excessively harsh detention sentences. She said the center will sue the judges, PA Childcare and Western PA Childcare for financial compensation for their victims.

Thankfully, SSDP is launching a new effort to connect with high school students and help them build chapters at their schools. Be sure to check out the website for updates on this!

Lockdown, USA

Some drug war policies are more destructive than others. A prime example are the Rockefeller Drug Laws in New York. Enacted in 1973, these laws created mandatory minimum sentencing for the possession and sale of even small amounts of drugs.

Think about this. Mandatory minimums remove a judge's discretion to hand out appropriate sentences. This is a system that gives prosecutors more power than judges - and that is a dangerous and backwards policy. A judge has to give the mandatory minimum sentence regardless of the case's circumstances. You can lower your sentence by bargaining with the prosecution.

Don't have any information? That's too bad. The only way to lower your sentence under these laws is if you can give up names of others. What ends up happening is those that are actually involved in a form of "high level" drug dealing, are able to reduce their sentences, while first time offenders, who have no connections and no names to drop, are given lengthy sentences. For this reason, New York's prisons are overflowing with non-violent drug offenders. In fact, 91% of those incarcerated for drug offenses in New York state are black and latino.

Lockdown, USA is a documentary exposing the harsh reality of a failed "War on Drugs" and the counterproductive and inhumane Rockefeller laws. It explores the lives that have been shattered and the costs, both human and monetary, of these laws. The story of Darrel Best and his family is covered:

In the fall of 2001, Darrell Best was convicted of possession of cocaine. Darrell had been doing handy work at his uncle’s house and signed for a Fed-Ex that was addressed to a neighbor. The package contained a pound of cocaine. The District Attorney offered Darrell Best a one-year plea bargain, if he admitted guilt. Darrell refused to take the plea, insisting on his innocence and claiming he wanted to set an example of integrity and honesty for his children. The Judge apologized as he read Darrell Best his sentence, 15 years to life; the minimum sentence he could give Darrell under the Rockefeller Drug Laws.

Catch Lockdown, USA on IFC starting May 5th, on iTunes May 6th, and on DVD February 2009. The film follows Russel Simmons campaign to raise awareness on this issue and features artists such as P Diddy, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Mariah Carey and Tim Robbins.

Check this film out. SSDP chapters around the country should consider hosting screenings to help support the film and spread the message.

Mexico's Drug War General dead after a week.

As a result of failed policies, from American influences, the war on drugs only continues to destroy our neighbors to the south. After only one week in charge the man Mexico coined to battle the cartels Brig. Gen. Mauro Enrique Tello Quiñones, has been brutally tortured and murdered along with two others.

"Tello, 63, along with his bodyguard and a driver, were kidnapped in downtown Cancun last Monday evening, taken to a hidden location, methodically tortured, then driven out to the jungle and shot in the head. Their bodies were found Tuesday in the cab of a pickup truck on the side of a highway leading out of town. An autopsy revealed that both the general’s arms and legs had been broken."[PoliGazette]

Sadly top Mexican officials plan to rely on the same strategies that have failed them so miserably. Since Predident Calderon started moving against the cartels 5,300 people have died in the violence, more then the entire US occupation of Iraq so far. The Mexican government has no way to curb the demands of the US market on it's own and will never take away the real profit motives that bank roll these ultra-violent organizations.

As long as Mexico continues down this path innocent people will continue to die in the violence needlessly created by their failed prohibitionist policies Xeroxed in Washington, DC.

Kellogg's Backs Heroin and LSD Users but Dumps Phelps Over Bong Hit

Kellogg's has decided to drop it's sponsorship of Michael Phelps. Kellogg's spokeswoman said "Michael's most recent behavior is not consistent with the image of Kellogg." Interesting.

My initial reaction was, "Are you serious? You guys make rice krispie treats!" My second reaction was to get online and research Kellogg's wholesome image. Surprisingly, Kellogg's is currently running a promotion with the popular video game Guitar Hero. Guitar Hero allows players, many of them children, to jam along with amazing artists such as Jimmy Hendrix, Rancid, the WHO, Cream, Stone Temple Pilots, Slash (ever seen a picture of that guy without a cigarette in his mouth?), and countless others who, in addition to producing fantastic auditory works of art, have all admittedly and unapologetically used drugs far more dangerous than cannabis.

Most parents are not going to care if Michael Phelps is on the front of their kid's cereal box any more than they care that their child is jamming out to a deceased heroin addict. Why? Because we pay those artists and atheletes because they have amazing talents, not for what they do in their leisure time.

Kellogg's surely knows there are artists on Guitar Hero games who are drug users. So why the hypocrisy? I'm not sure, but I think while you're calling Kellogg's at (800) 962-1413 to tell them you won't be buying any more of their products, you should also ask them to consider if they think they're sending mixed signals by continuing their association with Guitar Hero.

Help Phelps! Boycott Kellogg's!

I'll admit it, I'm not a huge sports fan. Its quite rare for me to get excited over a football or basketball game (although baseball is the exception) and I generally prefer the Winter Olympic games to the summer - come on - you know you love watching curling.

Despite my lack of enthusiasm for watching sports, I could not help but feel inspired when swimmer Michael Phelps won 14 gold medals, more medals than anyone else. Its astounding that right now Phelps is in the spotlight not for his amazing athletic abilities but for a stupid picture of him taking a bong rip at a college party.

Because of the picture, USA Swimming has suspended Phelps from competition for 3 months (which Phelps has accepted as being fair). As of now he has only lost one of his sponsors, Kellogg's. The cereal and junk food company decided to drop him because "Michael's most recent behavior is not consistent with the image of Kellogg." So according to Kellogg's, smoking marijuana at a party completely undoes the fact that this young man earned 14 gold medals for the U.S. in the Olympics? Its not like this picture ended up on a box of fucking Frosted Flakes.

Kellogg's needs to hear from the public that their decision will hurt their company far more than Phelps's marijuana use. Please contact Kellogg's today and tell them that you will boycott all of their products until they reverse their decision on Phelps's sponsorship. You can contact Kellogg's by visiting this page.

Just cut and paste the following message into the webform on the Kellogg's website (or edit it if you like):

I am deeply disappointed by your decision to drop your sponsorship of Michael Phelps simply because he was photographed smoking marijuana. Over half of all adult Americans, including our last three presidents, have smoked marijuana during their lives. It is outrageous that Kellogg's would hold Michael Phelps to such an unreasonable standard, rather than standing by a 23 year old who has brought more inspiration and joy to millions of Americans than most will accomplish in a lifetime. Until you reverse your decision to drop Michael Phelps' sponsorship, I will be boycotting all Kellogg's products.

Phelps' current situation so clearly shows the stupidity that is marijuana prohibition. Clearly, our schools, both high schools and colleges, are flooded with marijuana despite decades of prohibition. Marijuana use hasn't caused Phelps any problems - marijuana laws have. This is what students all over the country are facing every day. Straight A students that fail drug tests are expelled from school or banned from extracurricular activies. Others lose thier federal financial aid for a first time marijuana possession charge.

I know I won't be eating any Kellogg's products any time soon (well, not until they apologize to Phelps) although I might just consider buying myself a speedo - try that image on for size!

SSDP has created a facebook petition to show our support for Michael Phelps. If you're on facebook please sign the petition and tell your friends about it!

Of course, the more support SSDP has, the more we can give to Michael Phelps. Please donate!