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Simplepowa
In Pursuit of Knowledge


Registered: 03/06/09
Posts: 4,310
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Bar Fight! The Booze Industry is Furious over Campaigns Saying Weed is Safer than Alcohol 1
#19115003 - 11/10/13 01:49 PM (10 years, 2 months ago) |
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Drugs AlterNet / By Jodie Gummow
Bar Fight! The Booze Industry is Furious over Campaigns Saying Weed is Safer than Alcohol Booze lobbyists are becoming more and more pissed off at marijuana advocates as legalization sweeps the country. November 8, 2013 | Booze lobbyists are becoming more and more pissed off at marijuana as legalization sweeps the country, the National Journal reported.
In the buildup to this weeks’ pot victory in Portland, Maine, the Marijuana Policy Project put up signs around the city which read: “I prefer marijuana over alcohol because it doesn't make me rowdy or reckless," and "I prefer marijuana over alcohol because it's less harmful to my body.”
In response, the alcohol lobby freaked out. Chris Thorne at the Beer Institute told National Journal that it’s a red herring to compare alcohol to pot.
"We believe it's misleading to compare marijuana to beer," he said, "Beer is distinctly different both as a product and an industry. Factually speaking beer has been a welcome part of American life for a long time. The vast majority drinks responsibly, so having caricatures won't really influence people,” he said.
However, according to Marijuana.com, the alcohol industry is merely "whining" because they fear competition from marijuana. According ot the site, it's actually the alcohol lobby that first began spending money and running campaigns to demonize recreational marijuana consumption.
Moreover, the Marijuana Project Policy argues that the premise is valid: excessive alcohol use is the third-leading life-style related cause of death. A recent paper published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology which compared the relative physical, psychological, and social harms of cannabis and alcohol found: "A direct comparison of alcohol and cannabis showed that alcohol was considered to be more than twice as harmful as cannabis to [individual] users, and five times more harmful as cannabis to others (society),” HuffPost reported. The fierce debate is likely to continue as more and more states seek to legalize marijuana. Perhaps members of the booze lobby might want to try to relax with a cold one ... or, better yet, a nice legal puff or two.
Jodie Gummow is a senior fellow and staff writer at AlterNet.
http://www.alternet.org/drugs/bar-fight-booze-industry-furious-over-campaigns-saying-weed-safer-alcohol
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Carl Sagan - "Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people." --- Robert Pirsig - "When one person suffers from a delusion it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called religion." --- Brian Cox - "[One] problem with today’s world is that everyone believes they have the right to express their opinion AND have others listen to it. The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense."
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zZZz
jesus


Registered: 12/28/07
Posts: 33,478
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Re: Bar Fight! The Booze Industry is Furious over Campaigns Saying Weed is Safer than Alcohol [Re: Simplepowa]
#19115060 - 11/10/13 02:00 PM (10 years, 2 months ago) |
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it doesn't really matter. people will keep drinking beer every now and then. except now with more legal weed in the mix we are less likely to have alcoholics.
weird article btw
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dokunai
Cactus, Cannabis, Cubensis

Registered: 01/31/10
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Loc: Hyphal Heights, USA
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Re: Bar Fight! The Booze Industry is Furious over Campaigns Saying Weed is Safer than Alcohol [Re: zZZz] 1
#19115398 - 11/10/13 03:10 PM (10 years, 2 months ago) |
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The alcohol industry has had very little competition for a very long time, well except for internal competition between different alcohol producers of course. You currently can't go to the market or the sports stadium and buy any other intoxicant. Such industries begin to feel very entitled to having their status quo maintained. Unfortunately, these guys have essentially bottomless pockets for the purpose of lobbying and campaign contributions. Plus, most of our geriatric senators and other politicians have absolutely no interest in marijuana, but sure love to pound down premium whiskey or scotch after a long day at the capitol building. I think that the alcohol industry may have been caught a little bit off guard, maybe thinking this was a fad or that the feds would jackboot enough people in the face to stop it, but now that they have their head in the game they will become one of the staunchest opponents of marijuana.
Quote:
"We believe it's misleading to compare marijuana to beer," he said, "Beer is distinctly different both as a product and an industry. Factually speaking beer has been a welcome part of American life for a long time. The vast majority drinks responsibly, so having caricatures won't really influence people,” he said.
So true. MJ and alcohol are drastically different, and it's because one of them was popular with whites and the other seen as a substance used by undesireable minorities. You can't compare the industries, because alcohol companies at this point can be centuries old. Or did they mean that beer is liquid and weed is a plant?
The fact that they first bring up how long alcohol has been accepted really shows the weakness of their hand. That's their front line argument? That's an ad populum argument at best, and really means nothing. If I said that slavery was accepted for thousands of years, would anyone accept that as an argument to put people back out on the plantation or to allow slavery to continue? These guys love the idea of putting hundreds of thousands of people in jail every year to maintain their market position. But, try bringing up alcohol prohibition as a suggestion. They will tell you prohibition doesn't work - but only for their substance of choice.
They also point out how the majority of alcohol users are responsible, and they bring that up to contrast marijuana and alcohol. There is an implication that marijuana users are by and large irresponsible. Clearly this must be true, because for every news article about a drunk asshole beating their children, commiting murder, or causing a fatal car accident, there are at least 10 more about pot users doing the same thing, amirite?
Also, I agree caricatures don't have much influence on people, but I would really love to see the ones the alcohol industry would come up with to encourage people to drink instead of smoking weed.
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hidenseek1
Its got all the dinks.
Registered: 12/22/12
Posts: 5,423
Loc: poop
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Re: Bar Fight! The Booze Industry is Furious over Campaigns Saying Weed is Safer than Alcohol [Re: dokunai]
#19115548 - 11/10/13 03:40 PM (10 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
Booze lobbyists are becoming more and more pissed off at marijuana as legalization sweeps the country, the National Journal reported.
sounds like a pissed off stoner wrote this, well i do believe that marijuana is safer then alcohol, i find this news article pretty shitty
-------------------- You can drink at 7 A.M., because the Beastie Boys fought for that right -------------------------------------------------------------------------- pons asinorum -------------------------------------------------------------------------- lsd and the vietnam war changed music forever
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ChinChiller



Registered: 07/03/10
Posts: 3,270
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Re: Bar Fight! The Booze Industry is Furious over Campaigns Saying Weed is Safer than Alcohol [Re: hidenseek1] 1
#19115717 - 11/10/13 04:17 PM (10 years, 2 months ago) |
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tealeaf
Just Touch It


Registered: 09/21/06
Posts: 2,907
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Re: Bar Fight! The Booze Industry is Furious over Campaigns Saying Weed is Safer than Alcohol [Re: ChinChiller]
#19115787 - 11/10/13 04:34 PM (10 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
In response, the alcohol lobby freaked out.
suck it up you asses! someone is stating facts about your product and youre the one getting pissed? own up to your shit already, that's THE biggest problem with the utter lack of any morality in murica anymore. bunch of fucking assholes!
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hidenseek1
Its got all the dinks.
Registered: 12/22/12
Posts: 5,423
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Re: Bar Fight! The Booze Industry is Furious over Campaigns Saying Weed is Safer than Alcohol [Re: tealeaf]
#19115853 - 11/10/13 04:49 PM (10 years, 2 months ago) |
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ive yet to see how they got "pissed"
their quote
Quote:
"We believe it's misleading to compare marijuana to beer," he said, "Beer is distinctly different both as a product and an industry. Factually speaking beer has been a welcome part of American life for a long time. The vast majority drinks responsibly, so having caricatures won't really influence people,”
is pretty true for the most part
another problem with comparing the 2 is dose
do you compare one berr to a hit, a joint , what amount?
i know personally 1 pint of beer doesnt fuck me up as much as one joint would
i could function perfectly after 1 beer,
one joint, and i wouldn't want to leave the house and be in public
-------------------- You can drink at 7 A.M., because the Beastie Boys fought for that right -------------------------------------------------------------------------- pons asinorum -------------------------------------------------------------------------- lsd and the vietnam war changed music forever
Edited by hidenseek1 (11/10/13 04:51 PM)
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hidenseek1
Its got all the dinks.
Registered: 12/22/12
Posts: 5,423
Loc: poop
Last seen: 6 years, 10 months
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Re: Bar Fight! The Booze Industry is Furious over Campaigns Saying Weed is Safer than Alcohol [Re: hidenseek1] 1
#19115899 - 11/10/13 04:57 PM (10 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
MJ and alcohol are drastically different, and it's because one of them was popular with whites and the other seen as a substance used by undesireable minorities.
lol what? people still think weeds a black, or mexican drug or something in america?
when i hear someone smokes weed, this is my first thought
-------------------- You can drink at 7 A.M., because the Beastie Boys fought for that right -------------------------------------------------------------------------- pons asinorum -------------------------------------------------------------------------- lsd and the vietnam war changed music forever
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2859558484
Growery is Better



Registered: 01/10/06
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Re: Bar Fight! The Booze Industry is Furious over Campaigns Saying Weed is Safer than Alcohol [Re: hidenseek1] 1
#19115941 - 11/10/13 05:04 PM (10 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
Factually speaking beer has been a welcome part of American life for a long time.
uuuuh this guy has never known an alcoholic I guess....
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zZZz
jesus


Registered: 12/28/07
Posts: 33,478
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Re: Bar Fight! The Booze Industry is Furious over Campaigns Saying Weed is Safer than Alcohol [Re: 2859558484]
#19115957 - 11/10/13 05:06 PM (10 years, 2 months ago) |
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i dislike people like that. it's fucking beer not politics
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ChinChiller



Registered: 07/03/10
Posts: 3,270
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Re: Bar Fight! The Booze Industry is Furious over Campaigns Saying Weed is Safer than Alcohol [Re: zZZz] 1
#19116157 - 11/10/13 05:37 PM (10 years, 2 months ago) |
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Such greedy bastards. Its greed that got marijuana made illegal in the first place. First that paper industry going bananas over hemp, now the boose industry is fighting to stop it from being legalized.
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Esmash
aye Pan Cyan!!!



Registered: 10/13/11
Posts: 558
Loc: the Hot Desert
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Re: Bar Fight! The Booze Industry is Furious over Campaigns Saying Weed is Safer than Alcohol [Re: ChinChiller] 1
#19116656 - 11/10/13 07:04 PM (10 years, 2 months ago) |
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 Cannabis is so much better in my opinion. I get too angry and aggressive when I get tipsy sometimes 
In my state of California the asshole beer companies were funding $$$ to keep Marijuana illegal in the state of CA. Look up Prop 19.
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my3rdeye



Registered: 08/10/12
Posts: 4,354
Loc: Canada
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Re: Bar Fight! The Booze Industry is Furious over Campaigns Saying Weed is Safer than Alcohol [Re: Esmash]
#19117286 - 11/10/13 09:04 PM (10 years, 2 months ago) |
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What about booze being the date rapists drug of choice? I bet they hate when you mention that fact. What percent of guys beating their wives right now are drunk. I don't know but it sounds like its worth investigating! They get mad about about us saying booze makes people "rowdy"? I should introduce them to my buddy who got stabbed in the face by a drunk guy.
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egodeathflux
Guttersnipe



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Re: Bar Fight! The Booze Industry is Furious over Campaigns Saying Weed is Safer than Alcohol [Re: 2859558484]
#19118954 - 11/11/13 03:36 AM (10 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
wowitch17 said:
Quote:
Factually speaking beer has been a welcome part of American life for a long time.
uuuuh this guy has never known an alcoholic I guess....
This guy is obviously oblivious to the fact that marijuana was a welcome part of global culture for millennia before some ass-wad moral crusaders decided to ban fun less than a hundred years ago. Oddly enough alcohol was made illegal in the US within the same time frame. This led to the emergence of organised crime and countless crooked politicians/officials/federal agents/police etc. In turn leading to thousands of deaths, either through mafia warfare or poisonous low grade bootleg alcohol cut with all kinds of crap.
The poster above hit the nail on the head when he/she stated that the alcohol industry will vehemently defend the end of alcohol prohibition whilst at the same time clamouring for every other intoxicant to remain illegal with hefty, life destroying jail sentences attached to the debacle.
The article isn't the best and certainly doesn't break any new ground, still it's a good venue for a debate that needs repeating until we can drill some sense into these knucklehead politicians and lobbyists.
-------------------- "Atrophic interludes weave through my life far too often, for me to fight the biggest enemies" "Standing on the corner of 5th and Vermouth"
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Fungi
Psycho4ctive


Registered: 09/29/13
Posts: 393
Loc: Melbourne
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Re: Bar Fight! The Booze Industry is Furious over Campaigns Saying Weed is Safer than Alcohol [Re: egodeathflux]
#19119359 - 11/11/13 07:55 AM (10 years, 2 months ago) |
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It's tragic to still see an average Joe Blow laugh at the thought of getting smashed drunk, and cringe at the thought of smoking weed or tripping on mushrooms. Fuck I hate our ignorant system. If alcohol became illegal tomorrow, and weed legal, there would be explosion of health, happiness and our entire corporate system would start collapsing in favour of people.
-------------------- Formerly known as Psycho4ctive To Fathom Hell or Soar Angelic, Just Take a Pinch of Psychedelic
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hidenseek1
Its got all the dinks.
Registered: 12/22/12
Posts: 5,423
Loc: poop
Last seen: 6 years, 10 months
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Re: Bar Fight! The Booze Industry is Furious over Campaigns Saying Weed is Safer than Alcohol [Re: ChinChiller]
#19119630 - 11/11/13 09:45 AM (10 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
This guy is obviously oblivious to the fact that marijuana was a welcome part of global culture for millennia before some ass-wad moral crusaders decided to ban fun less than a hundred years ago.
i dont think the booze industry is oblivious, i think they purposely used " a long time" as a sort of trick statement, 100 years is a long time
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If alcohol became illegal tomorrow, and weed legal, there would be explosion of health,
i would agree with this to an extant, drinking everyday is harsh on the body, and weed seems to have a lot of beneficial qualities
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happiness
i dont see this happening, addiction of anything can result in depression in prone individuals, although there might be some interesting results with CBD stuff
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and our entire corporate system would start collapsing in favour of people.
, i dont really understand what this means, but if it means what i think it means, well stoners buy A LOT of product, from munchies to phones, video games to just about everything
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Errolscool said: Such greedy bastards. Its greed that got marijuana made illegal in the first place. First that paper industry going bananas over hemp, now the boose industry is fighting to stop it from being legalized.
this is my favourite statement in the thread, i think hemp is about 100X more important then recreational weed, and about as important as medicinal weed
i usually buy my cloths second hand, but if i didnt, canadian made hemp cloths (or american now, you guys grow hemp now right?) would be my first choice, unless i was strapped for cash, then i might buy the cheap sweat shop shit outa necessity of having cloths
-------------------- You can drink at 7 A.M., because the Beastie Boys fought for that right -------------------------------------------------------------------------- pons asinorum -------------------------------------------------------------------------- lsd and the vietnam war changed music forever
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egodeathflux
Guttersnipe



Registered: 02/02/10
Posts: 3,854
Loc: The Stygian Pits
Last seen: 1 year, 2 months
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Re: Bar Fight! The Booze Industry is Furious over Campaigns Saying Weed is Safer than Alcohol [Re: hidenseek1]
#19119878 - 11/11/13 10:46 AM (10 years, 2 months ago) |
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You can grow hemp in a lot of countries... In fact other than the US I don't know of any that have banned it. It's fully legal in the UK with the appropriate license.
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i dont think the booze industry is oblivious, i think they purposely used " a long time" as a sort of trick statement, 100 years is a long time
100 years is an incredibly short amount of time, a couple of generations. Compared to the 1,000's of years that marijuana has been used by human beings it is a drop in the ocean. That is part of the problem, just because something has been illegal for their entire, or in some cases still, most of people's lives, they get they idea that it is normal and has been viewed in that way forever, in every culture, which is most certainly not the case.
-------------------- "Atrophic interludes weave through my life far too often, for me to fight the biggest enemies" "Standing on the corner of 5th and Vermouth"
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