an email I sent to the parntership for a drug free california...

[InfinatyBPS]

I have been hearing and feeling alot of complaints from people about those stupid commercials, that always end in "harmless?" I just had to get alot of stuff off my chest, and I'm hoping for a response. Hopefully my bad writing skills didn't discredit me so much that they think I'm a complete idiot. But anyways this is what I wrote:

I would just like to let you know that I don't approve of your ways of getting people to fear smoking pot. You are horribly twisting reality in almost all of your commercials. In the commercial with the girl and the guy on the couch at a party, you show her getting taken advantage of and her just not caring realy. Just to let you know, it is very unlikely for anyone to get so "stoned" that they would not be able to know they are about to get raped. And also, everyone at the party dosen't even notice or say anything? How more unrealistic can this be? Ok, enough of that example. Lets look at the one where the two boys are smoking out of the bong in one of the boy's father's office. Hmmm, "stoned" again I see. Now out of nowhere, the boy pulls a LOADED GUN, out of his FATHER'S UNLOCKED desk, and it has NO SAFTEY on. And oh, hes stoned so if he shoot's his friend its the weed's fault? I hope by now you see my point. Ok, if that isn't enough to show that your commercials are total crap, how about this; a joint has 4x the cancer causing chemicals in it than a ciggaret. Well I know most people smoke 1-2 joints a day, and most people not even everyday, as to where an averege smoker will smoke 1-3 packs a day, and your trying to say that marijuana is more harmfull than tobacco? Very bad comparison on your part. Ok, well lets do one more, "marijuana will get you busted. Harmless?" Let me ask you this, do you beleive that marijuana is illegal because its dangerous? Or answer me this is it dangerous because its illegal? Do you people even know why marijuana was originaly made illegal? Mabe you should check it out and put that on your next commercial. Also on your next commercial, add how many deaths have come from an OD on marijuana, then ask "Harmless?" No marijuana is not harmless, but then again there isn't much of anything that you can consume that is "harmless." I am not just sending this as hate mail. I seriously want to know where you get your idea's for commercials. Because you are doing your job right, you are scaring people out of using marijuana. But think of it like this, if you have to lie to come up with bad things about marijuana, is it realy harmfull enough to try to convince people to not use?

[RTMAGBOY13]

i agree with u 100%

[TransMan]

Ill second that....

[BobTheCow]

I thought it actually looked pretty well written!! The ONLY thing that might make them not take you seriously is when you said <i>"Ok, if that isn't enough to show that your commercials are total crap"</i>...I doubt organizations like that enjoy blatent criticism, even if the rest of your letter did bring up good points. But good luck!!

[petefol]

even though i dont smoke i do agree that it should be made legal. and an average smoker doesnt nearly smoke 1-4 packs a day, probably not even 1 pack. like i said, i dont smoke, but from what i have seen an average cigarette smoker smokes maybe 3-10 cigs a day, and an average pot smoker may smoke 1-2 joints a day or maybe just 3-6 on the weekend, so at the end of the week i would say the average cigarette smoker inhales more tobacco. and everyone should also realize that the percentage of tabacco inhaled from cigarettes is probably so large compared to the percent inhaled from weed because of two reasons. millions of people smoke cigs, and a fairly large percent of them are probably heavy smokers. also, although a lot of people smoke pot, alot of them also smoke cigs so it doesnt matter if they smoked pot because they would still be inhaling tobacco. and about weed imparing your judgement, i suppose it does, but i would like to see statistics about the % of teens (who drink alcohol and smoke weed regularly) that get into accidents when they are drunk vs when they are stoned, im sure almost all the accidents are alcohol related.

[BobTheCow]

lol I liked how one stand-up comedian put it: Have you ever seen two stoned guys get in a fight? NO!! It's always the drunk ones!! When you get stoned you don't get angry, there are no negative side effects!!

That last point (obviously) is arguable, but I still thought it was funny.

[InfinatyBPS]

Lol, I was expecting alot more people to tell me that I'm an idiot and that I sound stupid from my writing.

[-J�ker-]

Originally posted by petefol
even though i dont smoke i do agree that it should be made legal. and an average smoker doesnt nearly smoke 1-4 packs a day, probably not even 1 pack. like i said, i dont smoke, but from what i have seen an average cigarette smoker smokes maybe 3-10 cigs a day, and an average pot smoker may smoke 1-2 joints a day or maybe just 3-6 on the weekend, so at the end of the week i would say the average cigarette smoker inhales more tobacco. and everyone should also realize that the percentage of tabacco inhaled from cigarettes is probably so large compared to the percent inhaled from weed because of two reasons. millions of people smoke cigs, and a fairly large percent of them are probably heavy smokers. also, although a lot of people smoke pot, alot of them also smoke cigs so it doesnt matter if they smoked pot because they would still be inhaling tobacco. and about weed imparing your judgement, i suppose it does, but i would like to see statistics about the % of teens (who drink alcohol and smoke weed regularly) that get into accidents when they are drunk vs when they are stoned, im sure almost all the accidents are alcohol related.

the average smoker smokes 1-3 packs a day dude

[FESTUS33]

Originally posted by RTMAGBOY13
i agree with u 100%

Even Though I Quit in 1985
Rick

[battlegroup]

I think you don't understand what pot leads to! I watched my brother go from smoking pot to using crack after pot didn't give him the high it used to. He used to smoke 1-2 a day and then he started smoking more and more until he went on to something else becuase he built up a tolerance. He was just released from prison after 7 years after he nearly killed a guy over crack. I would never make Pot legal and I have seen firsthand what it leads to. Make that into a commercial!

Also, I have never smoked in my life because I had severe allergies when I was a kid and both my parents smoked since I have moved out my allergies have all but gone away. If it were up to me Smoking would be outlawed too! We spend so much tax money as a country to take care of life long smokers when they develop cancer and emphysema (sp?) related to smoking that we could use that money for other people who get diseases without willfully exposeing themselve to causes. Plus all the kids who are exposed to the smoke of their parents like I was who might not have the breathing problems they do now. There is no benefit to smoking! Florida just passed a law like california's that you cannot smoke in any public building unlees it's a stand alone bar and I am so thankfull for it. I can actually go out and not care where I sit and not have to worry about going into an allergy fit from the smoke and ruin my evening.

Back to the beginning, Pot should NEVER be made legal except for medical purposes and then you shouldn't be able to operate any vehicles while you're on it!

[petefol]

maybe a pack, but definatly not 3 or 4

[1stdeadeye]

Think about it!

Originally posted by InfinatyBPS
Ok, if that isn't enough to show that your commercials are total crap, how about this; a joint has 4x the cancer causing chemicals in it than a ciggaret. Well I know most people smoke 1-2 joints a day, and most people not even everyday, as to where an averege smoker will smoke 1-3 packs a day, and your trying to say that marijuana is more harmfull than tobacco? Very bad comparison on your part.

Think about this. Marijuana is illegal and people don't smoke it that often because of that and the cost. If Marijuana was legal and cheap, you don't think that people will be smoking packs of it? You are naive. People in general are not very smart. Leave most to their own devices and they will do everything to excess. This is a very relavent point. If it is legal, you don't think the amounts people smoke will increase dramaticly? We will then have tons of cancer ridden pot smoking morons putting the same drain on our healthcare system that tabacco smoking morons do now? We will then have people suing Big Pot!

Plus Smoke free areas will still be that. I don't care if you are smoking a joint or a cigarrette, don't do it around me!

[Automaggin2]

Re: Think about it!

Originally posted by 1stdeadeye


Think about this. Marijuana is illegal and people don't smoke it that often because of that and the cost. If Marijuana was legal and cheap, you don't think that people will be smoking packs of it? You are naive. People in general are not very smart. Leave most to their own devices and they will do everything to excess. This is a very relavent point. If it is legal, you don't think the amounts people smoke will increase dramaticly? We will then have tons of cancer ridden pot smoking morons putting the same drain on our healthcare system that tabacco smoking morons do now? We will then have people suing Big Pot!

Plus Smoke free areas will still be that. I don't care if you are smoking a joint or a cigarrette, don't do it around me!

Actually, Pot slows down the growth of cancer.

[1stdeadeye]

Re: Re: Think about it!

Originally posted by irbodden


Marijuana is cheap, you can grow it even cheaper. I don't think many people worry about getting caught as the punishment is higher for speeding in a school zone or getting caught doing doughnuts in a parking lot. $90 ticket for under 3.5 grams.

WHEN DID WE GET A SOCIALIST HEALTH PROGRAM AGAIN?

Last time I checked, smokers were covering state and national debts, not taking more money then they put in..

Medicaid!!!!!!!
This program takes a HUGE chunk out of every states budget. This is STATE PAID care for indigent citizens. In Tuesday 25 Feb 03 Wall Street Journal, there is a great article on this. It is called,"Getting Poor on Purpose". This shows haw the state ends up footing the bill for older and termanilly ill people who hide or dispose of their money. Medicaid accounts for 20% of Connecticuts total budget as an example. All of these smokers dieing of cancer in hospices or assisted living facilities are a huge drain! These older smokers with cancer are killing budgets accross the country! This will be the pack of pot smokers a day people in 30 years if Pot is legalized!

This is a huge expense, hence the Tobacco Settlement. Unfortunatly, politicians are spending that money instead of putting towards Medicaid costs as was originally intended.

Show me proof that smoking pot stops cancer!
Almost anything you smoke is loaded with carcinagins! As for people not being afraid of getting busted you are dead wrong. If people thought it was no big deal, they would be smoking them everywhere. It's just not true. Maybe you are not afraid to be busted, but Joe Average isn't happy about it! A criminal record for possession could hurt you later in life. Most employers only discount traffic offenses. Everything else on your criminal record can be reviewed!

[1stdeadeye]

Not quite!

Originally posted by irbodden
Now must I counter that number with how much the 'sin' tax on cigs brings in yearly?

If you like it or not, it's covering deficts left and right...

I wish it was! Then my property taxes would not be soaring through the roof. The Tobacco settlement and the tobacco taxes help, don't get me wrong, but they don't come close to covering the deficits or even the Medicaid costs. Also you can't raise taxes on them to the level that you would need to cover said costs. At some point smokers will quit out of financial hardship. You sure won't here me crying about it!