Bill Bennett Blames 'Weeds' for Increasing Marijuana Use

[Jim Finnel]

Michael Whitney at FDL points out the latest crazy rant from former drug czar Bill Bennett, who co-authored a CNN piece today blaming drug use on everything and everyone except the people who choose to consume intoxicants.What begins, predictably, with an attack on the Obama Administration for failing to obsess over the latest drug use statistics soon nosedives into an absurd attack against popular television for failing to depict all drug use as profoundly unpleasant:
As for the popular culture, the message has been even more damaging. Where once television shows actively promoted the dangers of drug use, several of our more popular shows, from "Weeds" to "Entourage" to "Mad Men," make drug use a laugh line.

Back when our country was making a serious assault on drug abuse, a show like "Weeds" would never be aired. Today it is promoted in full page ads in our nation's most popular magazines. This, for a comedy about the life and times of a marijuana-growing and -dealing family.
…
With all this, it should be no real surprise the drug numbers are on the increase. Our national leaders are silent, our culture makes laugh lines of drug use and serious numbers of serious people are advocating further legalization.


So what then shall we do about all these "serious people" hell-bent on drugging American culture into oblivion? Clearly, this is a job for Taylor Swift and the Jonas Brothers:
We should see public service announcements and ads from the likes of Beyonce, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Lopez, Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, the Jonas Brothers; from the likes of the Williams Sisters and the Manning brothers; from Jimmy Johnson and Danika Patrick.


Sadly, 90% of the work that went to into drafting the op-ed was spent identifying this embarrassingly short list of allegedly drug-free celebrities, and they still somehow forgot to include Stephen Baldwin. I would also caution against the potential consequences of suggesting to young people that avoiding pot could cause them be more like the Jonas Brothers.




News Hawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: StoptheDrugWar.org
Author: Scott Morgan
Copyright: 2008 StoptheDrugWar.org
Contact: drcnet@drcnet.org
Website: Bill Bennett Blames 'Weeds' for Increasing Marijuana Use | StoptheDrugWar.org

 

[DrProfessor]

No it's the Anti-drug commercials doesn't everyone take a hit when they see one I DO!!!

Yeah no one smoke or grew weed before that show damm I guess I shouldn't let my kids watch Dexter........art imitates life!!

 

[SnowBender]

And somehow the 1000's of beer ads on other channels are not responsible for drunk driving deaths?

 

[DrProfessor]

And why do we pay these fools.......idiots.......how about they start with the worst crimes stop those and when they get all the way down to Weeds maybe we'll think about giving a shit.

It's really gonna stir the pot when prop19 passes cause mass confusion....the Feds think it has no chance let's push this issue and get Cannabis out of the shadows!!!! yes on 19

 

[Oddnonsmoker]

I would also caution against the potential consequences of suggesting to young people that avoiding pot could cause them be more like the Jonas Brothers.

Made my day, right there.

 

[DrProfessor]

And I coution them, Just because one of theses so called role models hasn't crashed and burned doesn't mean they won't.......and kids are going to make they're own mistakes tell them left they go right it's human nature.

You say I can't go fast watch me.....I can't grow pot watch me that's how we work!

 

[Phelyons]

Speechless, everything got said in other comments.

Now get the fucking out, Bill Bennetts, you are not welcome here in the new incoming generation.

 

[DrProfessor]

Speechless, everything got said in other comments.

Now get the fucking out, Bill Bennetts, you are not welcome here in the new incoming generation.

Yes sir Bill we are done with intolerance and bigotry we can do without you go eat yourself to death..........funny a guy that's easily obese telling us pot is bad??

Now just so everyone knows I have no problem with anyone being overweight I know I could be way more fit myself. I do have issue with someone who obviously eats and probably drinks to excess telling me about health.

If your a fat gym teacher "I'm just saying it gonna be hard to get the kids to listen when you say no soda pop"

 

[trekie]

Is WAR MOVIES the caused for the 2 wars we are in... ?
We are sinking further into the darkness daily...
Time to start the changeby ... VOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTE YES on prop 19...

 

[medMUser]

Weeds causes people to smoke pot? It hardly centers on MJ any more. Nancy got into hash making in the last few episodes, but I cannot see how any one would want to get into pot from watching the dysfunctional family in this series.

I wish some one would come up with a realistic show about true to life stories about people who use pot. If they need violence they could show how the cartels, street gangs & dealers connected to them are the real perps of drug violence. Also how keystoned kops botch a LOT of raids & some times kill innocent people.

Weeds is entertaining & got badly off track, but it hardly a poster show for legalizing MJ or even it's use. IMO Weeds does more harm than good in that regard.

mM

 

[Jim Finnel]

....I wish some one would come up with a realistic show about true to life stories about people who use pot....

it wouldn't get any ratings. most Cannabis users lives are pretty average.

 

[SnowBender]

Id like to see "dirty jobs" in humboldt.

 

[medMUser]

Dirty jobs would be cool. Especially in HB County & the tri-state area!

I know most of us are pretty much normal except for us with med conditions.

On a more realistic show though they could do episodes on bad busts, people like Angle Raich who get persecuted for using MMJ, rippers hitting a grow...lots of stuff for action & drama. Or episodes about peeps who are newly diagnosed & are torn about should they hit the street for safe meds. Stuff like that. Then they could puff legal MMJ from dispensaries, how it's organic, no junk in it.

Also stuff about peeps like Marc E who get persecuted for being activists. Bogus arrests like what happened to Marc E, Gene Kruppa, Robert Mitchem...They could do flashbacks to who was instigating MJ prohibition, how & why MJ was prohibited. Thow in a bit of Reefer Madness movies for comic relief. Shoot, that one would make a great movie or docudrama!

I think Hollywood, Showtime or HBO could get some good stuff from their writers. They could figure out how to bring in the violence from the cartels & how it's better to RE-legalize grass than let it be in cartel hands. Also corrupt cops & how they push informants & some times get bogus info.

the movie Homegrown did a good job with regular folks who went a bit over the line. Pineapple Express was a bit un-realistic, but not bad. Episodes could show gorilla grows & how the cartels are sending peeps to grow for them in the US.

Any who, just trying to stimulate ideas so we can inform the public that big bro is a liar when it comes to cannabis. Anything that's more real & informative than Weeds.

mM

 

[weedfairy]

Well hopefully when Cali votes cannabis legal ; The cartels will be out of a lot of business.