Moral Panic.

Posted on July 27, 2007
Filed Under Deep Thought, Politics, Rants |

One of my Ubuntu-uk acquaintances has posted about the moral panic being generated by the mainstream media around cannabis (again, sigh). Paladine is a clever bloke and knows what he’s talking about (alot of the time anyway :P). He encourages his reader to go and find the proof of what he says rather than preaching it as gospel. His insights in this post are better written and expressed than mine could ever be, and I agree with him completely.

Some questions which have been around for a while but are now beginning to demand answers; Why do the MSM insist on misrepresenting facts? Who benefits? You have to wonder about the timing of the Bristol University report into Cannabis, just at the time when Mr. Brown is saying he wants to reinstate its class B status. Whose press release are the various media outlets basing their story on? Did they actually read the scientific paper in question, or did they just regurgitate a PR from a political source? Whose interests do the MSM serve, ours, their own or their political master’s?

The cannabis story is old news, old research that basically says what all the other research into its use, abuse and effects has said. Which is “There is no concrete evidence of a causal link between cannabis use and various forms of mental illness. There is a correlation but it could work in either direction.” Cannabis use is so widespread that I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone in the country knew someone who Smoked, even if they didn’t know that they Smoked. Simply saying “Drugs are bad, m’kay” doesn’t have the desired effect so the governemnt wants to scare people into submission. Here’s a little experiment you can try yourself; Count your friends. Now count your psychotic or schizophrenic friends. Now ask each of your friends whether they smoke cannabis or not. Think about the answers you get.

Personally I know quite a few people who are Smokers and have only ever encountered mental illness twice in any of my acquaintances. One of those cases was definitely down to overdoing it with the weed, once he stopped for a month or two he was fine, who knows what pre-existing condition may have existed to trigger such a breakdown. The other was frankly not very stable to begin with and hadn’t had a nice time throughout his life. Everyone else I know who Smokes (some heavily, others not so) seems to me to be about as well balanced and sane as a human being can be (which if we’re being realistic, isn’t very). The evidence of my experience places no link, except a loose correlation, between Smoking and mental illness, and then only in cases of very heavy use or pre-existing problems.

The meat of my point is that sensation sells, journalists are lazy and put out any press release they’re handed without sufficient research, and it is in the interest of the powers that be that we are fearful of every shadow.

Rate this:

2.5

Bookmark to: