addict
Marijuana Movement Article Revival Health Ryan Cristian Social Change

Criminal to Addict

“It’s a propaganda shell game and we can’t fall for it again.” – Huffington Post’s Amanda Reiman

With the illicit profit continuing to pour in from the War on Drugs, it is not hard to see why the government does not want prohibition to end. With the American public opinion of marijuana at an all time high, it has become impossible for the government to stop this movement with one fell swoop like they have done in the past. In a last-ditch effort to keep control of the situation, they are attempting to shift the view of how marijuana and its users are perceived. Unable to force prohibition any longer, and unable to keep the criminal image of the plant in place, they have chosen to focus on a new falsity: All marijuana users are addicts in need of treatment.

This is just another fabricated story with absolutely no facts to back it up. Point of fact, only 1.1% of marijuana users, 12 and older in 2010, went to treatment for the substance. Many of those were most likely as a result of a small possession charges pleading out and ending up with a mandatory stint in drug abuse classes. Dr. David Nathan, a clinical associate professor at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and recently elected as a distinguished fellow in the American Psychiatric Association wrote:

“Throughout my career as a clinical psychiatrist, I have seen lives ruined by drugs like cocaine, painkillers and alcohol. I have also borne witness to the devastation brought upon cannabis users — almost never by abuse of the drug, but by a justice system that chooses a sledgehammer to kill a weed.”



Since the beginning of prohibition, the angle being spun about the typical user was that of a depraved criminal not in control of his actions, lost in a haze of marijuana smoke. This image, being torn down piece by piece by the slowly awakening American people, has caused the government to search out this new angle that they are hoping can spin their losing stance on marijuana. By casting all users as addicts in need of treatment opens two doors. One being a new and prosperous avenue into the billion dollar industry that is drug and addiction treatment. A beat won’t be missed by changing from private prison money to private drug treatment money. The other is the possibility to re-shift the public opinion back to needing federal control on the topic. If the government can successfully change its stance on marijuana from prison time to treatment and convince the population that this change is their success as a movement, they will have successfully kept their Drug War money flowing and kept the harmless plant illegal. It is their intention to distract the people from the original argument: Marijuana is a safe and natural herb that should be 100% legal for any and all uses.

The American people cannot allow themselves to lose their way when so close to the finish line. They cannot be swayed by these last-minute fleeting efforts to confuse and manipulate. For the first time in a very long time, the voice of the people can be heard over the roar of politics. Marijuana law reform is just the first step in bringing the power back into the hands of the people, which is where is was meant to be all along. Stay the course and usher in a new era of American politics. One where the people speak and the world listens.

Follow the change. Be the change.



Ryan Cristián
Ryan Cristián
"Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see." - John Lennon Driven by a desire for accuracy, chef and independent news stalwart Ryan Cristián has a passion for the Truth. As a recent recipient of the Serena Shim Award For Uncompromising Integrity In Journalism, he understands that Americans want their news to be transparent, devoid of the opulence frothed out by today's corporate media. A cultured and insightful man with a worldly sense, Ryan's unjaded approach offers common sense to the individual racked by the ambiguous news cycle - a vicious and manipulative merry-go-round that keeps trenchant minds at a manageable distance from the truth. Avid writer & editor by day, Truth seeker by night, Ryan's reality defines what it means to be current.
https://www.thelastamericanvagabond.com/category/ryan-cristian/

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *