Schaffer Library of Drug Policy
May 20, 2006 10:06 AM   Subscribe

Schaffer Library of Drug Policy - read the transcripts of hearings held on the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act, or the text of court decisions regarding drug policy, or the well-researched Consumer Unions report on licit and illicit drugs, or the differences between beer and drugs, according to Anheuser-Busch. A huge archive of materials, admittedly compiled from a pro-reform perspective.
posted by daksya (27 comments total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
I love how Anheuser Busch propagates the old "the drug dealers are waiting at the schoolyard to turn your children into addicts" meme.

Where were all the dealers giving away free drugs when *I* was a kid? I always had to pay...
posted by MythMaker at 10:13 AM on May 20, 2006


Wow, and I thought he was just the band leader for Letterman. Go Paul!
posted by blue_beetle at 10:47 AM on May 20, 2006


Funny, I don't remember the beer industry doing any of that from around 1920 to 1933, what was going on then?
posted by furiousxgeorge at 10:53 AM on May 20, 2006


MythMaker writes "Where were all the dealers giving away free drugs when *I* was a kid? I always had to pay.."

Srsly.

I hate this anti-drug propaganda bullshit. It's been around for what, ~30 years now?

NEWSFLASH: IT DOESN'T FUCKING WORK.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 11:15 AM on May 20, 2006


>>NEWSFLASH: IT DOESN'T FUCKING WORK.

It works on dullards, of which there are many, it just doesn't work on the majority of us.
posted by SaintCynr at 11:34 AM on May 20, 2006


I love how people forget how, prior to the 1920s, drugs were completely legal.

Of course, as we all know, nothing ever got done in this country back when drugs were legal. Nope, everyone was just a bunch of lazy, unmotivated stoners.
posted by Afroblanco at 11:44 AM on May 20, 2006


No one in the brewing industry promotes abuse.

As far as I understand it, no one promotes much of anything in the illegal drug industry. I've never known a dealer to say, "You should smoke more pot." They don't produce advertisements. No one tries to make heroin use appear as if it is a part of a healthy lifestyle involving clubbing, beach volleyball, and barbeques.

If all currently controlled substances were legal tomorrow, you wouldn't see dancing crack whores on the TV, either.

I imagine the worst kind of promotion you get out of a dealer is "this is good shit" when it isn't.

I've never known a dealer who actively seeks out new clientele either. They've all been very reluctant to meet new prospective customers.

Crack, cocaine and heroin are produced by a totally-unregulated industry that pays no taxes [...]

No shit. It's a black market.

Basically, that's their entire basis for why beer is good and controlled substances aren't: Beer is legal.

I'd also love to see them prove that cannabis is "destructive to the user's health regardless of the frequency of use."
posted by effwerd at 11:47 AM on May 20, 2006


NEWSFLASH: IT DOESN'T FUCKING WORK.

Sadly, you would be quite surprised how many people I hear repeating the old canard, "If you do x drug once, you'll be addicted, and end up in a gutter somewhere."

Anyone who has ever known drug addicts knows that in order to become addicted to a drug, you must (A) like it alot and (B) do it frequently.

However, a lot of people have never known any drug addicts, or at least didn't know that they knew drug addicts. Pretty much everything they know about drugs came from TV or movies.
posted by Afroblanco at 11:50 AM on May 20, 2006


There is no such thing as responsible or moderate use of marijuana, crack, cocaine amd[sic] heroin.

Well, I'm convinced!
posted by borkingchikapa at 12:29 PM on May 20, 2006


Beer is almost always consumed as a refreshment. Marijuana, crack, cocaine and heroin are used to radically alter the normal physical and emotional state.

I love this line. It's so contrary to my experience. Most beer drinkers I know, drink it because it gets them a little drunk. Or a lot drunk.

I love me a good beer. But, by god, if it's refreshment I want, a cold glass of water is the ticket. If it's tipsy refreshment, then that's when the beer comes in.
posted by five fresh fish at 2:04 PM on May 20, 2006


Wow, and I thought he was just the band leader for Letterman. Go Paul!

You mean you don't worship him already? The guy co-wrote It's Raining Men, for fuck sake.
posted by cillit bang at 2:54 PM on May 20, 2006


Beer is almost always consumed as a refreshment.

Yeah, that very word "refreshment" is such an insidious meme. I must say, I have never felt "refreshed" after drinking beer.

I come across this either/or road-block in people's thinking a lot.... legal drugs must be good, they're legal... illegal drugs must be bad. And the vehemence with which people defend pharmaceuticals, which are often barely tested by companies who basically promise good results without lying and make millions doing so, with an FDA that's run by industry insiders, etc. I have seen numerous people succumb to addictions and destroy their lives in the process -- most of them were doing pharmaceuticals and alcohol.
posted by bukharin at 3:12 PM on May 20, 2006


You know all of the drug warriors are right.

One time I smoked a joint. Later, I woke up with a trumpet and a pair of grandma underwear on my head. The cops said I transformed into a raging jazz musician and had my way with old white ladies. Be careful kids!
posted by i_am_a_Jedi at 4:21 PM on May 20, 2006


bukharin writes "Yeah, that very word 'refreshment' is such an insidious meme. I must say, I have never felt 'refreshed' after drinking beer."

Have you never chugged a nice cold beer on a hot day?

Or have you just never had good beer?


Word to the wise: Innis & Gunn.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 5:56 PM on May 20, 2006


Anyone who has ever known drug addicts knows that in order to become addicted to a drug, you must (A) like it alot and (B) do it frequently.

Why would I ever want to do anything that I wasn't pretty sure I'd like a lot and want to do frequently?

Imaginary Drug Pusher: Hey, Jek, you should try this awesome heroin!

JekPorkins: Will I like it a lot?

IDP: Probably not.

Jek: Will I want to do it frequently?

IDP: Of course not.

Jek: Well, in that case, let's give it a go!
posted by JekPorkins at 6:32 PM on May 20, 2006


According to the National Survey of Drug Use and Health 2004, of the estimated 69,576 people who first tried heroin in 2004,

70.3% used it on 1 day in the 12 months prior to the survey
15.3% used it on 2 or 3 days
4.6% on between 6 and 10 days
6.4% on between 17 and 23 days
3.3% on more than 50 days.

There's a wealth of data to be mined from the survey. You won't find it in the govt. press releases, but the database alongwith online software is made available (the 2004 dataset was released just today!) for mining.
posted by daksya at 7:40 PM on May 20, 2006



Have you never chugged a nice cold beer on a hot day?

Okay, I'm drinking a beer right now, and it is indeed refreshing. I'm also drunk.
posted by bukharin at 8:59 PM on May 20, 2006


Crack: a part of the good life.
posted by StickyCarpet at 10:37 PM on May 20, 2006


There is no such thing as responsible or moderate use of marijuana, crack, cocaine amd[sic] heroin.

All together? At the same time? Yes?

Then I would definitely agree with that statement. You would be askin' for trouble.
posted by Enron Hubbard at 7:14 AM on May 22, 2006


Why would I ever want to do anything that I wasn't pretty sure I'd like a lot and want to do frequently?

Eh? I don't know, to find out whether or not you like it?

And I don't know about you, but there are definitely things which I like a lot but do not want to do frequently.
posted by ludwig_van at 6:29 PM on May 22, 2006


Eh? I don't know, to find out whether or not you like it?

Right, but if the options, as suggested above, are either like it and become an addict or don't like it, then it would be stupid to try it. Either I won't like it, in which case I'll regret having tried, or I'll like it and become an addict, in which case I'll regret having tried. Maybe it's a false dichotomy and it's possible to like it but not become an addict. But above, it was asserted that prerequisites to addiction are 1) liking it a lot and 2) wanting to do it frequently.

And I don't know about you, but there are definitely things which I like a lot but do not want to do frequently.

For example? What can you think of that you really like to do, but you don't want to do frequently?
posted by JekPorkins at 10:33 AM on May 23, 2006


Get in a fight.
posted by longbaugh at 11:04 AM on May 23, 2006


Oh, and get fucked up on whiskey and make a complete and total arse of myself for a short period of time.
posted by longbaugh at 11:05 AM on May 23, 2006


For example? What can you think of that you really like to do, but you don't want to do frequently?

Get piss drunk? Trip on mushrooms? Eat fast food?
posted by ludwig_van at 11:39 AM on May 23, 2006


Take LSD and then write bizarre poetry or make strange drawings of dismembered Scottish witches with wings growing out of the back of their head? Run around in a forest after taking loads of speed and hit each other with big sticks?

I can probably name a bunch of others but you get the picture I hope.
posted by longbaugh at 11:42 AM on May 23, 2006


Those are things you know you shouldn't do very often. But that wasn't the question.
posted by JekPorkins at 12:24 PM on May 23, 2006


Sorry, what? Weren't we talking about heroin before? You've lost me.
posted by ludwig_van at 1:25 PM on May 23, 2006


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