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NORMLizer - BIZARRE DRUG CZAR

'You're all on drugs!' he tells reformers.

Mon, Jun 23, 2008 2:51 pm

more: norml, normlizer, august 2008, activism

In December 2007, UN Drug Czar Antonio Maria Costa made a rare appearance before the drug-law reform community to give the keynote address at the biannual conference of the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) in New Orleans. It appears that we made quite an impression. Speaking in Vienna this past March, Costa commented on his brief appearance with this attack: “I attended the meeting of the DPA in New Orleans last December—1,200 participants, 1,000 lunatics, 200 good people to talk to. The other ones were obviously on drugs.”

Mr. Costa also told The New York Times this past March that pot use poses a greater danger to society than heroin or cocaine.

Calling us crazy would be ironic if it weren’t so insulting. But unlike Mr. Costa, I’ve chosen not to express my thoughts with epithets. Rather, I’ve decided to simply post some of Mr. Costa’s previous statements and let HIGH TIMES readers decide which of us is “obviously on drugs”:

• “Today the harmful characteristics of cannabis are no longer that different from those of other plant-based drugs such as cocaine and heroin.” (The London Telegraph, June 27, 2006)

• “Governments and societies must keep their nerve and avoid being swayed by misguided notions of tolerance …. Amid all the libertarian talk about the right of individuals to engage in dangerous practices provided no one else gets hurt, certain key facts are easily forgotten. First, cannabis is a dangerous drug—not just to the individuals who use it …. Evidence of the damage to mental health caused by cannabis use, from loss of concentration to paranoia, aggressiveness and outright psychosis, is mounting and cannot be ignored.” (Commentary in the Independent, March 27, 2007)

• “The links between organized crime, drug trafficking, drug consumption, drug money, arms trafficking and terrorism become clearer every day. We know that even the occasional marijuana smoker is a link in a much longer and more dangerous chain.” (Quoted by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, June 27, 2005)

• “Think also of the fact that more and more people are voluntarily seeking treatment for cannabis-abuse problems and that evidence is fast mounting that even casual abuse of Ecstasy can lead to long-term brain damage. So recreational drug abuse can’t be safe, can it?” (From a speech delivered on June 26, 2003)

—Paul Armentano, Deputy Director of NORML

A complete and updated listing of state and federal laws, as well as annual numbers for cannabis arrests, are published by NORML (norml.org or 888-67-NORML).

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Tresanarchist

Dec 2 2008, 7:21 pm

People people, calm down. have you all forgotten you peaceful roots? This view they have is like a religen for them. logic and reasons will not work we have tryed and tryed, the facts are and always havebeen with us, what we need if to welcome them in with open arms. regardless of if they want to. i say get them all together and lock the doors and windows, and pump in a few thousand pounds of weed vapor from any one of their super busts. and lower a giant screen and just play cheech and chong movies for a few hours. theyll love it! And since they want to do it again theyll do what they always have done theyll act in self intrest and legalize it. and give everyone forty acres and mule to start thier own fields

cheebamonkey

Nov 11 2008, 1:33 am

This dude is obviously freebasing and going on week long crank binges. His paranoid crackhead speech is illogical and unfounded. I don't want to keep him from smacking himself out of his gord, why the fuck should he give a rats ass if I smoke a bowl. Genesis 1:29 " I have given you ALL seed bearing plants to use." Who knows better copper, you or God. I rest my case.

american citizen

Sep 28 2008, 9:14 am

plus anyone will get a shotty if they fuck with peoples crops and lively hood. SHotty to the dome MO FO. COPS AND CROP ROBBERS TAKE A LONG WALK OFF A SHORT CLIFF.

american citizen

Sep 28 2008, 9:10 am

can some one go kick this man dead square in his nuts. He's the one smoking crack being parinoid. Plus if weed was legal there would be no reason to be parinoid or worried about anyone. The one were freaked out about are the cops. DUH . YOU STUPID POLITITIAN.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

overseer420

Aug 18 2008, 8:36 am

In case you didn't know: The Gov't is the one controling the criminals. If they made POT legal that would mean they would lose Millions$$$ in untrackable income. That would also mean less people in Jail which would mean less $$ for Law enforcemaent ect...... Anyone else see the patern here?

DisgruntledEmployee007

Aug 6 2008, 2:56 am

I love the quote third one down. Because I, a casual smoker, smoke a dime bag a month, I am fueling illegal trade. Last time I checked, I was buying from a local grower. Unless....I should have known. He's smuggling weapons through my smoke.
But all that aside you'd think that the UN head of drug control would be a lil less psychotic against something many people smoke everyday and are perfectly fine.

xcalibirgst

Jul 29 2008, 11:46 am

If Cannabis has "no" medical use then I need to know why a pharmaceutical company found it important to manufacture a synthetic version of THC. Oh wait i know why, because it pays to have politicians in your pocket (or brain washed). So this way instead of growing my own medicine for for pennies a pound, I can pay tons of my hard earned money to a huge corporation for virtually the same substance. "Absolute power, corrupts, absolutely". Time for the government to return the freedoms to it's people.
No man should be able to outlaw a plant.
Legalize it, regulate it(quality control), and use the taxes to pay for all the schooling that is being cut back.
Cannabis is not making people stupid; our low-funded, wasteful, inefficient education system is.
The government should spend less time preventing me(and others like me) from consuming a plant and more time educating the young(and old alike).

gstlab3

Jul 1 2008, 10:09 am

I have hope and deep prayers that our GOD our MOTHER our EARTH will show these obviosly scared and uneeducated men and women that every thing on this planet indeed the entire cosmos is intended for positive use and benifit to all of us. There is no time for fearmongering at the expence of peoples health and the accusition of good knowledge that must be passed onto the future generations. I say and evermore loudly to all my friends GROW GROW GROW YOUR OWN AND BE DAMNED THE POWERHUNGARY MONEY ADDICTED DRUG DEALERS AND THE SAME GOES FOR THE G.D.M.F.S.O.B. that is the very government that is supposed to protect are GOD GIVEN RIGHT TO BE HEALTHY,HAPPY,and PRODUCTIVE TO OUR FUTURE AS A SPECIES ON GODS GREEN EARTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Old Arkie toker

Jun 30 2008, 3:31 pm

Ok. So another government liar, from the same bunch that gave us Nam, Iraq, and this great economy. We cannot be amused when we keep voting these lying jackasses back in office. If they weren't protecting all their friends, they might have time to do their jobs. That would include regulating and controlling and taxing the substance. However they seem intent on protecting the dealers and keeping them in business. As we remember the "great experiment", wasn't all that great. When we remember what the NRA said,"when guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns". Well, doesn't it make sense when we outlaw substances, then the control will, by default go to the outlaws, and they don't check for your kids age.

nod

Jun 30 2008, 12:37 pm

There is some truth to this.
Quote#1. I think Mr Costa may be talking about some of the contaminated pot. Stuff laced with another drug or fungus growing on it. I think where we differ is that the only way to stop this from happening is to control and regulate the pot by legalizing it and make sure we have licenced growers that would have to meet the health standards set up by our goverment for any other consumed crop.
Quote#2 No doubt pot smokers suffer mental illness in fact millions of people suffer from it and they don't get the care that they need to be able to function in society. On thing that pot can due is provide funds from the tax on it to support mental health have more clincs that help these people.
Quote#3 I think this is a no brainer. We all can see that legalizing pot would eliminate the criminal element and clearly this money is being used to buy arms. Now if we could just wean oursleves from oil that would really put a hurtin on Islamic extremist funding.
Qoute#4 (SEE ALL PREVIOUS QUOTES)

!!!!!!!

Jun 26 2008, 12:40 pm

He needs to be locked up! Costa is an idiot! Lame ass lies and crap, I'm just too pissed to write!

amused_observer

Jun 24 2008, 4:45 pm

This is a bunch of bullshit. Which guys was it that said,"even the occasional pot smoker is in a link to bigger more dangerous chain." and, "the effects of pot are no different than heroin and cocaine." These people probably have never even smoked pot. What the fuck do they know. I don't even smoke anymore, 4 years now. And, I can't get into the fucking military because of a past arrest for possession. FUCKING BULLSHIT. These people will never understand.

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