利用者:WatfordTrump665
The war being waged for marijuana's legal acceptance in the usa has a new battleground nowadays. Media has decidedly been the tool of prohibitionist since the very earliest times of "The War On Drugs". Who are able to forget Nancy Reagan's unforgettable "Just Say No" campaign from the Reagan era. "This is the brain, here's your brain on drugs" saw the 1990's Clinton administration frying eggs for that desired effect of scaring children straight. In the 21st century, you are "Above the Influence" and asked to not follow the crowd. What message is media sending towards the adults of 21st century, the generations these messages of history were targeted at?
What do Time Magazine, The Nation Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and MSNBC all share? All these pillars of knowledge distribution have dedicated some time and space to the issue of legal marijuana in California and other areas of the country. The news pieces in question aren't in Nancy Reagan's tone of voice or point of view, however. The main difference in opinion is really as vast as possible since media has determined that a legitimate argument can be created for that abolishment of marijuana prohibition and for legalization of cannabis.
The country Magazine's December 27th 2010 edition cover features the caption "D.A.R.E. to finish the War on Drugs". Using the logo of Substance abuse Resistance Education to accent the point, D.A.R.E. is self described as "giving kids the skills they have to avoid involvement in drugs, gangs, and violence." The content "Altered State: California's Pot Economy" by Sasha Abramsky, analyzes the way forward for distribution and packaging of legal cannabis in California. The impact that's possible on tourism for the Golden State later on if recreational marijuana is legalized is discussed in addition to analyses on why Proposition 19 failed and what needs to happen for future referendums to pass through.
The brand new York Times on November 13th 2010 published articles entitled "Backers of Legal Marijuana Find Silver Lining in Defeat of California Measure" that entered great detail on what the problems were that led to the defeat of Proposition 19 on November 2nd. A conflict of ideology among the generations and also the lack of the predicted large turn out of younger voters were the main issues related to the defeat from the proposition. According to the NY Times, the main reasons Prop 19 didn't pass were that the measure would be a "jumbled, legal nightmare" and questioned estimates of the potential tax revenue that legalization will bring in. The Times also acknowledged that the Proposition didn't do well in La (47%) or using the older voters, especially that of older Latinos, a heavy voting block in Southern California.
The Los Angeles Times, within an article published on December 16, 2010 and entitled "One Toke Over The Line", takes on Obama administration policy for legal marijuana especially R. Gil Kerlikowske, the Obama administration's drug czar. Mr Kerlikowske, in reaction for an annual survery that determined that teen marijuana consumption is rising among eighth through 12th-graders, was quoted as saying "Mixed messages about drug legalization, particularly marijuana, may be to blame. Such messages certainly don't help parents who're trying to prevent kids by using drugs."
The la Times editorial continued to argue Kerlikowske's point by citing another survey by the Congressional Research Service whose April 2010 findings examined studies comparing teen pot smoking in states with and without medical marijuana laws. No connection between such laws and drug abuse was found. "Concerns that medical cannabis laws send the wrong message to vulnerable groups for example adolescents seem to be unfounded," it stated.
Time Magazine jumped in to the fray with its November 22nd 2010 cover story entitled "The United States of Amerijuana" complete with a huge burning joint on the cover from the magazine and also the caption "Legalization went up in smoke, but 'medicinal pot' went mainstream". The ten page article, complete with pictures, covers issues such as culinary arts in cannabis and how vernacular in the industry has changed from 'smoking pot' to 'medicate', 'dealers' are now 'caregivers' and also the buyers in need of assistance are "patients" and not "users". The article goes on to compare marijuana like a hot commodity in some regions of the country different color leaves as wine, chocolates and artisanal cheese.
Finally, even MSNBC, one of the largest cable news outlets on the planet, broadcast an hour long documentary on December 8, 2010 entitled "Marijuana USA". The content covered from a few in Colorado who actively promote legal marijuana as their business to some company that labels, brands and distributes seeds for registered growers to plant like a natural herbal fix for what ails you. The documentary adopts detail on how marijuana, in the states where it is legal for medical use, is being regulated, licensed and taxed, as with every other legitimate product.
The prohibition of marijuana in the usa took a strong hold in the 1930's. Richard Nixon declared the Fight against Drugs in 1971 and Ronald Reagan reinforced those efforts within the 1980s. There were times when the only real public advocates for legal marijuana seemed to be comedians such as George Carlin or Cheech and Chong which hardly gave legitimacy to the cause and weren't any match for that United States government's campaign against cannabis.