Call for LTEs

Kevin Sabet, former senior speechwriter to America’s drug czar, John P. Walters, gets the prize for most irritating and blatantly false essay of the week. He makes a mockery of the concept of scientific inquiry in this little screed published in the NH Union Leader.

He starts out with the usual sneering at drug policy reform and disseminates total disinformation on the potency of the plant. Further he cites studies regarding a nexus between cannabis and mental illnesses that have been long debunked . I think we reformers are making progress however because he takes care to refute our arguments whereas, only months ago he and his fellow prohibitionists were ignoring them. All that lying gets a little confusing though. He says:

And although a majority of kids in treatment for marijuana are referred there by the criminal justice system, it still remains only a slight majority — about 54 percent. The rest is self, school or doctor referral.

To paint the picture that the reason marijuana dependence looks higher is because of the criminal justice system is disingenuous (especially because most people who use only marijuana never interact with law enforcement as a result of that use).

What an idiotic statement. School and doctor referrals come from kids who got caught and whose parents are connected enough to keep them out of court proper. These ploys are used to keep them from having a criminal record and are often allowed by the courts to serve in lieu of actual court mandated treatment. And perhaps he had better catch up on his reading if he truly believes that our jails are not stuffed to the max with non-violent drug offenders who are there solely on cannabis possession charges. I think the latest DOJ report would refute that contention.

If you can stand it, read the whole thing, and then sharpen up your pen and fire off a letter to the editor.