“Donut” Smoke Marijuana, Says Iowa Cops In New Campaign

In a last ditch effort to curb the use of illicit substances in the United States, police departments in areas of prohibition are now trying to bribe the American citizen with cylindrical sweets if they “donut” get stoned on marijuana.

Ahead of last week’s 420 holiday, the Ames Police Department got together with Iowa State University to produce a ridiculous social media campaign encouraging students, and anyone else willing to listen, to eat donuts rather than engage in “bad decisions” like smoking weed.

A video featuring two police officers stuffing their faces with ring shaped cakes has become the primary voice of the campaign. It reportedly went viral last week, garnering hundreds of thousands of views, because we suspect there aren’t too many people in the U.S. who would dare pass up an opportunity to watch a couple of cops do something other than harass people.

“It’s simple. Respect each other, and donut make bad decisions, and we’ll give you free donuts,” Officer Anthony Greiter says in the video.

A report from USA Today College indicates that the Ames Police Department even had a cop cruiser customized to bring some synergy to the campaign. There is now a real life “donutmobile,” patrolling the streets of central Iowa, completely decked out with images of blue donuts and the slogan “Donut Disrespect,” which has become the foundation of the movement.

Although the campaign’s primary message is an attempt to persuade people to be respectful toward others living in their community, it also suggests that anyone who gets high might not be given the same courtesy.

“Donutmobile will be out soon. Donut come baked (or fried),” the Ames Police Department posted on Twitter, along with a photo of its drug-snuffing cat, “Carlos.” The post was given the hashtag “#GlazeItDontBlazeIt,” which we admit isn’t bad for cop humor.

What is perhaps most interesting about this push to distribute free donuts is that while cops are working to discourage people from using marijuana, the campaign actually encourages people to use of one of the most addictive and dangerous drugs in the world—sugar.

A report from Healthline shows that eating sugar, one of the primary components of a donut, can lead to addiction because it activates the brain’s reward center in the same manner as opioids. Research shows that the way the brain reacts to sugar can actually make it more addictive than cocaine.

“The drug analogy is always a tough one because, unlike drugs, food is necessary for survival,” said Andy Bellatti, M.S., R.D., strategic director of Dietitians for Professional Integrity. “That said, there is an increasing body of research demonstrating that sugar can stimulate the brain’s reward processing center in a manner that mimics what we see with some recreational drugs. In certain individuals with certain predispositions, this could manifest as an addiction to sugary foods.”

Studies show that sugar is also dangerous because it can potentially lead to a variety of serious health issues, like obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, liver failure, kidney disease, heart disease, pancreatic cancer, cognitive decline and gout, just to name a few.