MPP’s Bruce Mirken on CNN’s Anderson Cooper Tonight
MPP’s Bruce Mirken will appear on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360″ tonight to add a little rationality to the latest pronouncement regarding rising THC levels in marijuana from the National Institute on Drug Abuse-funded Marijuana Potency Project.
Drug warriors love to exaggerate small increases in marijuana potency over time and make vague proclamations linking those increases to increases in marijuana’s potential danger, even though no credible research supports such a connection. Of course, if they were truly concerned about the potential danger of higher potency marijuana, then they should favor regulating the drug and requiring manufacturers to label the product’s potency, just as we do with alcohol.
The show is scheduled to air tonight at 10 p.m. EST, but the hysteria surrounding one of the drug warriors’ favorite imaginary fears is sure to last much longer.
Tagged with: alcohol and Bruce Mirken and cannabinoid and drug warriors and junk science and THC by the author
60 comments
Go get ‘em, Bruce!
If Alcohol is so powerful that it kills 100,000 people a year, and Cannabis has never killed anyone on this planet, then why would the government say such stupid things regarding Cannabis?
Well, today’s Cannabis is stronger then it was before – the deaths rates for Cannabis used to be 0.
So, now that Cannabis is stronger – we have now reached a death rate of 0!
Hmm, Sounds Bad…
I wonder if I should switch to Alcohol? NO! – I know what kills people and what doesn’t – even if our government can’t figure it out.
By not allowing Cannabis usage while simultaneously allowing Alcohol usage this country is sickening its own people and retarding its own growth!
One thing that I don’t hear argued enough is this – When Cannabis is legalized, there will be an INCREASE in Cannabis consumption – why? Because most people will choose the SAFE ALTERNATIVE to Alcohol – therefore Alcohol consumption will naturally decrease. My argument is that if Alcohol consumption DECREASES and Cannabis consumption INCREASES that there would be very significant improvements in the Overall Average American Health!
I heard JW saying that Alcohol costs the taxpayers so very much and then he adds, so do you really want more “potheads” out there? -as if Cannabis would have the same destructive effects as Alcohol!
My answer is YES – if there were more Cannabis users than Alcohol users in this country, then this country’s health would be MUCH BETTER than it is now, where the people’s only legal recreational drug is poison (Alcohol).
Legalize Cannabis Now!
I agree Bruce with FiddleMan on this one.
Go get ‘em, Bruce!
Ask Bruce to counter with this,ask him if pot today is stronger then the Panama Red ,or Colombian Gold from the good ol days,right there the punks on the other side have lost another so called argument,Go Bruce.
Don’t forget to talk about how it is actually a good thing because we smoke less and therefore it is better for our lungs!
If a guy drinks a six pack of beer, 72 ounces, does that mean when he finds out that whiskey exists, he’ll drink 72 ounces of that, also ?
you will never see a man smoke a joint and go home and beat his wife
the people that are totally against marijuana are the biggest, most colossal, hypocritical, douchebags to the breath air on our planet. i’m all for differences of opinion, but i can’t stand when some cigarette smoking, boozebag gets on their high horse preaching about how people who use marijuana are just useless lazy stoners.
just legalize it already!!!
I’ve been smoking cannabis for over 25 years. I don’t think cannabis has become more potent. I’ve been smoking the good stuff back then. There are just more varieties, strains and growing methods have improved.
Also, back in the day we got 8ths for $20 of which is comparable to good weed now. Although we didn’t have as many the flavors and colors, the potency is about the same.
Thes Gov’t. researchers just use low grade cannabis to begin with. It’s the same stuff they give to the Federal patients. It does not look appealing. That’s why they needed to smoke 10+ joints per day because THC was too low to be effective
These idiots are comparing NIDA mexican schwag weed to medical grade cannabis. Of course there is a big difference. It’s not even a comparison.
LOL. The Gov’t should be ashamed of giving Federal patients Low Grade Cannabis. You figure after all this time, they would have at least learned how to grow some decent cannabis.
RE:Jimmy and Kevin-Absolutely true! When I was 13 in 1973 there was Thai-stick, REAL RED Panama RED, REAL GOLD Columbian Gold, and Primo and Jamaican. OH and Afgani-Hash Oil-and blonde and red and black hash.
Now it’s either schwag or greenish high-grade-which in my opinion, as a new medical MJ user, is in NO WAY as good as the old stuff that really would make a bunch of people high on one joint!
Also, it does make perfect sense that one would need to smoke less if it’s that effective. And PLEASE don’t forget Vaporization, if they give you that tar and carcinogen garbage, Bruce.
AND GOOD LUCK TONIGHT!
good luck Bruce, represent!
Come on Bruce we got to show them the truth and you can do it!!!
Yes We Cannabis!
I’m glad that someone is going to talk about this bullshit. Cannabis potency has gone up, but not really, OH NOES!
I do agree that stronger pot is more available in modern times, however, everyone I know that uses it will adjust their dose to compensate for the higher THC levels. Also, strong pot is more expensive and most people can’t afford to use the same amount as the cheap stuff.
woooo , good luck bruce, beat those bitchs to the table =)
I can’t believe the B.S about high THC levels. Hash and other concentrated forms of pot have been around since FOREVER. In the end people use the amount they are comfortable with.
Prohibitionists are now going on and on about THC percentages being high. Well then what about the prescription drug Marinol? Isn’t that 100% THC?
It is the same old story just a different version. When I smoked marijuana back in the mid 70s we could get marijuana that was very powerful. I am sure that the marijuana back then is just as powerful as some of the strains that are around now. I do not smoke marijuana anymore but if it were legalized I would want the most powerful marijuana that could be had simply because the marijuana would last longer because you would not need to use as much to achieve the same effect. This is a very mild high that can in no way be compared to hard drugs as the government would have you believe. I have seen and known people that were strung out on cocaine, heroine and methamphetamine and they were very sick people from the use of these drugs and people like that need our help not thrown in jail. I never got sick from smoking marijuana ever, and it is very wrong to lie and say that marijuana is this big bad monster drug, because it’s just not true! There are people all around you that use marijuana every day and you never know it because they lead a normal life. All you have to do is look at our President; he has used marijuana and look where he got to! If it was all right for him then it should be all right for any one that wants to use it, fact of the matter why doesn’t anyone ask President Obama about the effects of marijuana he knows first hand what it does and does not do. This whole war on marijuana is just plain ridiculous and the fact that more than half of the people in this country think that marijuana should be legalized, regulated and taxed, like alcohol and tobacco is proof enough for me to know what needs to happen. If we would just legalize marijuana and regulate it we could get it out of the hands of our children and stop all of this nonsense about locking up our people for just getting high, after all isn’t that what we all really want? Lets put an end to this war on a plant and find more important things that need our attention.
Jeez Ron you made my mouth water!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then how in the hell am I smoking bubble hash right flippin’ now? Oh, wait – I DO want more…
LOL higher THC potiency like that is a bad thing….. It just means less to smoke . It is not going to kill any one it may get a person higher than hell but their is no way in hell that a person will die from overdose of marijuana. Let just legalize it and worry about things more dangerous that needs attention.
Destory his arguments.
Bruce Mirken,
Make your opponent acknowledge the zero death rate for pot. If smoking pot can kill, where’s the bodies?
Gee, I wonder where they came up with the name of Marijuana Potency Project, hmmmm…… I wonder. Marijuana Policy Project, Marijuana Potency Project. Silly me, there’s no coincidence or connection there. Damn I’m dumb. BRUCE, ask him if he or she is so goddamm concerned about peoples health, in whatever respect, mental, lung, physical health etc..,,, then why don’t they focus on cigarettes. Of the three, alcohol, cannabis and cigarettes only the first two have been put into prohibition. WHY does no one else complain about this? Cigarettes somehow got a pardon from the FEDS. How can and how does this happen. Throw that at them aholes if there so concerned with my health, hello secondhand smoke from cigs kills to. I want cigarettes to be made a Schedule 1 Narcotic. What the hell, how did cigarettes escape from this prohibition crap. They don’t give a rats ass about my health. FFFFFF THEM.
What’s really funny is that the Drug-Free America Foundation just made a group on Change.org. Hmm. They must be pretty afraid of our movement.
Wish I could see it, Bruce. I’ll wait till it inevitably ends up on Youtube.
Thenwewill just go to change.org and set en straight,truth will win,nowits on to 360,Cooper is already going for the hypewith a line like this ,,,you will be stunned just how much stronger it is,cmom Cooper get it right
Total BS again, can’t they get anything right.
yo the ex drug czar is lying!!!! Anybody will know this!!!
wtf is up with all their slanted coverage of the cannabis issue?
i just got done watching CNN, nd that went so fast, nothin even happend bruce diddn’t even get to talk that much.
wtf this show was BS*** all it did was corrupt the minds of does ppl that dont know shit about marijuana and cannot research it for them self!
Video is posted here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azYML3gL7CI
The second part, without MPP, is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrNbmVqyu8I
Give ‘em a second if it ain’t fully up yet.
Bruce, I love you man. Look us in the eyes once in a while, though
~ Green Devil
if they r so worryd about it bein to high, nd kids can get nd smoke it, thats why they needa tax it nd regulate it so the high potency dont get sold to kids, thats why there will be age restrictions on it for 21 yr olds. our brains r fully developed. they r to stupid to even think. damn they needa grow up.
what the hell was that,until we can get some Real debates somewhere ,,this 5 second stuff here and 10 sec stuff there isnt going to make a bit of difference,any ideas on how to get real talk going somewhere ,sometime?
I laugh at this “MUCH MORE POTENT B.S.” I remember just in the 80′s you could get 5 or 6 people high on ONE joint! That meant you smoked LESS! They will fight this tooth and nail to the bitter end(Bitter for them). One other thing,this repackaging of the words “WAR ON DRUGS” means nothing to me. It’s still a “WAR ON THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”. There has been a LOT of repackaging of words by the government lately to make things SOUND kinder and gentler. It all looks the same to me. I will believe in change when I see action. AS the ol’ saying goes, Actions speak much louder than words, no matter how you package it. A rose by any other name is still a “Rose”.
Where are these people who are going to the hospital for smoking cannabis?! WHERE ARE THEY?!! OMG this propaganda is absurd.
haha, yah i was thinking the same thing, i wanna hear from the people that ended up in the ER. just some more BS from em to make it look bad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azYML3gL7CI
~ Green Devil
Did nobody stay to watch Sanjay Gupta’s take on the whole potency thing? It was amazingly fair and truthful. Dr. Gupta even stated that Bruce Mirkin made a good point about the fact that experienced marijuana users will smoke a lower quantity of a more potent bud, thereby actually lessening any possible negative effects. He also said that the “gateway drug” theory is controversial and that there is no actual evidence of any long term effects from smoking pot.
As much as I realize that John Walters was spewing BS, I dont really have a problem with it. I think he is not clever enough to say only slightly untrue things. Most of his statements are just so ludicrous that anyone that had any sort of social life in high school and college realizes they are untrue.
Bruce, just want to say that even though it was just a recording of you, I thought you got the point across very clear. I believe most people know that marijuana isn’t addicting and that it isn’t sending people to the ER. Therefor the only thing people will actually get out of this “interview” is that higher THC means people will be smoking less plant matter. Therefor it is safer.
Yes, Bruce got a line or two for a short comment on the topic of marijuana strength, but did you listen closely to the attitude toward Bruce and marijuana from the show host and the doctor? Clearly, favoritism was on Bruce’s side throughout the segment and even the CNN Doctor had to agree that Bruce made his point very well in favor of marijuana usage. I loved the final point that marijuana is an “unknown,” because there aren’t any deaths.
Mr. Mirken, your in the winner’s circle again and I don’t see why we shouldn’t take advantage of being on a roll with debates. The bottom line is, all the efforts to educate the public has paid off, finally. The general public is not so easy to lie to now.
Oh yes Dan Bernath, thank you for making the point that potentancy should be displayed when pot is sold to the public. The Federal programs that supply patients with pot will now be exposed for what they are, virtually useless. If I were on the Federal Marijuana Program as a patient, I’d figure out some way to get affective medicine in place of the weak marijuana. What would you do?
Marijuana Policy Project makes winning debates look easy, I’m proud to be apart of MPP.
HE WE GO !!!! LETS PICK APART THE POTENSY !!!!! these guys dont even want to listen to there people aboute the things that might get this country out of debt unless ther is a lot of publicaty un less they can make some money SO LETS TAX THEY HELL OUT BOF THEM … THATS ALL RIGHT WITH ME WEED GOES FROM THE SUN AND YOU CANT TAKE WHAT GOD GAVE TO ME!!!!!!!!!! THERE WILL ALWAYS BE ABLACK MARKET ON EVERY THING !!!!! LEGALIZE IT PLEASE ALLL WE ARE SAYING IS GIVE WEED A MARKET PICK UP LIKE BEER OR WHISKEY ….
Bruce,
Don’t be dismayed by the shortness of the segment, if you’d had longer to talk, the audience would loose their attention. The key to knowing that the segment was watched by many is that they put commercial right in the middle of it!
That’s right. They do not give a rats ass about our health. Why are the things that harm us legal and the things that don’t harm us illgeal. It’s all about who profits and whos money is backing it. I don’t feel cigarettes should be illegal just because they are harmful. In that case most everything would be illegal anywhere from tap water to pharmacuticals. Let us make our own decision on what we want to do and don’t stigmatise us for it, unless we are going overboard such as growing and selling. Grow and give.
The way they presented the “ER visits” statement is misleading. We should demand that they release SOME information about how these people ended up in ER . My best educated guess is that they are caused primarily from harmless panic attacks. Just look at this youtube video-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnZb5wi_jsU
The cop that called 911/ER is basically having a panic attack! Generally speaking, panic attacks are common and not a danger to your health (although they can be scary).
The ER thing is just that when you go to the ER for ANY reason, they ask you if you’ve taken anything at all recently. A lot of people smoke pot and openly tell the hospital, which is the correct thing to do. Almost all of the people being talked about aren’t admitted for smoking pot, but for some other reason (such as a broken bone).
A percentage of the population smokes pot, so a similar percentage should be mentioning that they smoke pot when they go to the ER.
Sanjay Gupta, now that was an excellent report anybody catch that?
I agree The way they presented the “ER visits” statement is misleading. But look at the brite side we wanted more coverage and the more we get the more they are likely to listen to us and not anti-marijuana people. So Lets get heard and legalize marijuana.
Isn’t one of the arguments that opponents of medical marijuana like to use about why do we need to legalize marijuana if there’s prescription drugs like Marinol out there? Isn’t Marinol just the THC portion of marijuana? Wouldn’t that make Marinol nearly 100% THC? So they advocate using an existing prescription drug (that isn’t nearly as helpful since it’s missing the other cannaboids that have medicinal values) that is way more potent than pot that is used for smoking, but yet they say the high potency is harmful?
Just another example of how their arguments make no sense at all!
FACT: Problem drinkers consume more alcohol from beer & wine beverages than hard liquor.
This certainly doesn’t support their higher THC arguments.
Throw the stress to legalize MJ back into the face of opponents simply by making them present references for all their statements, many statements they present are false. Most opponents are fighting to keep their jobs which are connected to the drug war. Misleading the public with incorrect statements will be punishable in the future as crimes against humanity if I have anything to do with reform.
Now that should strike a nerve!
Is it just me or did I perceive something to be amiss when they opened with the emergency room BS. MY wife and I just looked at each other and simultaneously yelled BS!!!! I say PROVE IT!!! Call CNN OUT ON THIS AND COMPELL THEM TO PROVE WHAT THEY’RE SAYING IS TRUE! COMPELL THEM by boycott or any peaceful and creative means that will give them the perception of lost revenue if they continue on the same course as FOX.
Yes, Dr Gupta later did mention what Bruce said, but I felt that the segment considered in its entirety was slanted toward the negative side. Bruce only had a few seconds of response time and BOOM they’d cut back to the negative arguments. It was transparently biased. Oh well…maybe next time, unless Rupert Murdoch has purchased CNN too.
IMO- the line between opinion and REAL TRUTHFUL news is becoming ever more blurry.
At least one thing will never change through all this:
Legal or not, people will always use marijuana.
Don’t forget mention no matter how potent marijuana becomes it will never be as mind altering or destructive substance as alcohol and how it could be a much safer milder alternetive for dangerous legal substances such as tobbacco alcohol and almost every over the counter pharmaceutical.
Looks like i’m late to the party….
Bruce… please get the point across that regardles of the potency… a human being cannot injest enough marijuana fast enough to induce death…
The potency argument is only as good as the increased death statics that can be provided saying that the higher the potency the more dangerous the drug. Since there have been no deaths from overdose using marijuana for over 5000 years the arguement doesn’t hold any water.
Good Luck tonight…
Bruce… one more thing…
please let the audienace know that rationale marijuana users use filtration devices to reduce the carcinogen we receive. From water pipes to vaporizers… there are clean ways to “smoke” MJ. Any health related issues are a by product of injesting the carcinogens inherent in any burned product.
Dr. Gupta what a joke! Yet this blowhard a few shows ago jokes around with Bill Maher talking about Oxycontin,he’s like hey guys if you need some i can hook ya up,what the f kind of loser dr. is this guy.
But jimmy, the important thing about Dr. Gupta last night was what he *didn’t* say. He couldn’t agree with any of the prohibitionist propaganda and rhetoric. He’s intellectually honest even if he has to mind his words a bit (ie not outright denounce the propaganda as false and misleading).
His concern is for health. And we are delusional to think that there isn’t the potential for developmental harm with adolescents using ANY substance. However, that isn’t the issue so don’t fight this battle. The issue is: how can we best mitigate this potential harm? The answer is legalization and regulation. The hurdle is demonstrating that this is true to prohibitionists and fence-sitters who find this truth counter-intuitive. IMO, the best way to illustrate it is to ask them to ask a teenager if it is easier to get cannabis or beer.
I was a bit surprised with Gupta’s responses. I thought he would be slinging the same prohibitionist rhetoric the other idiots are doing.
Doctors today are re-educating themselves about medical cannabis due to the fact it has become so mainstream and effective that they would be looked at as naive by the general public if they weren’t educated about the TRUTH’s of this powerful medicine.
In regards to it’s effect on children, a study was conducted on Rastafarian women that smoked cannabis before, during and after pregnancy. It was found that these women and their children were healthier than those that did not smoke. The babies were also a bit heavier and healthier than other children.
This is an amazing plant that should be free in a Truly Free Country.
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