Philip-Morris, Where Are You When I Need You?

The video below is of Dr. Claudia Jensen. She advocates the use of marijuana as a better alternative to Ritalin for kids who have ADD and ADHD. It's fantastic and inspiring and i hope you enjoy it, but please let me rant a little first.

If you're asking yourself, "How could anyone justify giving weed to a kid?" please don't let that be a rhetorical question. Most of the lawmakers in this country seem to have a double standard for what kinds of drugs get utilized. We need to acknowledge the fact that many prescriptions drugs' side effects are worse than marijuana's and that abuse of prescription drugs is becoming just as prevalent as the abuse of any illegal drug. If we deem it safe for kids to take a drug whose long-term side effects include vision problems, skin rash, insomnia, loss of appetite, anxiety, weight loss, (if you're lucky) uneven heartbeats, light-headedness, and increased blood pressure (if you're not),* then it is reasonable that we could acknowledge and take advantage of the benefits of weed.

But law reformers have been making this same argument in favor of the legalization of weed for years; doesn't seem to work. Doesn't the government know how much money it could be making? And what about Philip-Morris? I heard a rumor in high school that, in anticipation for the eventual legalization, they made a design for Marlboro Greens, their first marijuana cigarette. Why aren't the big, evil tobacco companies using their lobbying power? I don't want them to make anymore money than they already have, but if they can help me get high on the up and up, i'd do a little soul-selling.

Anyway, enjoy the video.


*This information was found on drugs.com.