Above the Influence propaganda
 

Here's the dog one.

This is the "I choose to be not lazy" one.

Here's the "You lose your friends" one.

Here's the "Burn All Your Stuff" one.

So, yeah, I don't like weed myself. I'm not a fan of being drunk or high or any combination thereof, but you know? Whatever. To each their own. Jack Black can get as high as he wants, it's cool. So can all of you. It's an individual thing.

But, seriously? These commercials are insane. Each of them says some sort of ridiculous message of "Weed makes you lose what you used to be". I don't mind informing people that weed's not the most 100% Most Safest Thing Ever, but I feel more and more angered at the continued attempt to pull proverbial wool over people's eyes, clouding the truth about it with a ton of misinformation and imprecise messages about the 'dangers.'

And, seriously, the dog? What the heck?

Thoughts?

All I know is that I've met people who don't consider weed a drug. If my smokes count as drugs, your weed sure as heck does.

I don't mind that people are informed. It's always nice to know what you're getting into, especially something that can cause as much medical and emotional problems as drugs and alcohol. I'm cool with informing people. What crosses the line for me though is to elaborate, or make some creative changes in how you inform people to make it seem like this will automatically kill you like Fifth's seething hatred, requesting more SuNo changs from Tahr or withdrawal from NPF.

People should be allowed to have the choice of whether they want to do something or not. When you give them false information that maneuvers them into your way of thinking, that's not informing someone of potential risks, that's manipulating them to your desires.

Not to mention that over-inflated propaganda will do nothing more than encourage people to ignore the real facts when it is proven wrong. Someone could easily go, "Hey, I just smoked up and I feel kinda like I'm drunk...and hungry. This isn't so bad." The next thing you know someone offers them coke or heroin and they decide to disregard what "facts" they've been told and try it out for themselves. That my friend is why the overbearing crap is exactly that, crap.

The anti-drug campaign seems comparable to the abstinence campaign. They both like to point out all of the awful things about Drugs/Sex, but then neglect to realize that, regardless of their actions, people will continue to do such things and that hiding pertinent information that will make said actions much less risky(because initial logic makes them believe that anything that could possibly make sex/drugs seem not-bad is promoting it and everyone and their third cousins will begin doing it) and that only compounds the problem.

Which then adds statistics to their never-ending, cyclical campaign. It's a very backwards process that seems narrow minded in the grand scheme of things and only serves to promote its own agenda rather than the actual, overall well being of others.

I think that what bugs me the most about it is not just the misinformation, but the fact that if you stop and think about the commercials, they actually don't make any sense.

Like, the other commercial. Where the girl's talking on the phone and she finds out they got a picture of "Something" and it got sent around school, and she gets all horrified.

It's like, wait, weed causes temporary amnesia and the desire to give random guys blowjobs or something? What the hell?

I was gonna type up something, but I realized it'll be the same exact thing that I posted here.

But yes, I really really hate these "truth" propogandas. There are so many of them...they disgust me. They are faaar from the truth. I do not mind if these websites decide to depict the REAL effects of the drugs (benefits + disadvantages). But they are such lies and over-exaggeration....just look at this!

I think I need to go take a shower.

I was about to warn a bunch of people for this is discussion and respect other views and don't call stuff insane blah blah blah but then I decided it was just easier to move the thread to general because I mean come on, everyone hates those stupid fuckin' commercials.

They should do a full-length "Stoners in the Mist" documentary, I thought that clip was rather amusing. The Youtube videos aren't working for me though, but I did get to see the dog one. From that, I would have to agree with the sentiment that the videos are indeed lame (and the dog one was sappy too, pathetically so). I've heard arguments from both sides, that weed isn't bad and that it is bad. Personally I think any mind-altering substance is not a good thing, but if you want to use it then go ahead. Just don't bother me, is all, or anyone else. When people start to get hurt over things like that is when it goes over the edge for me.

In terms of the misinformation, I can't really say because I don't know all of the effects weed has on a person. All I do know is that it makes you see things differently (like talking iguanas), and I find the commercials no more ridiculous than any other type of media used to sway the public opinion.

All I can say is that those people are in some weird ass denial...

Anyway, those "Truth" commercial in specific always struck me as odd. They would use quotes use them out of context (or that's just what it looks like to me) or just blow them out of proportion just to make a statement. Like they're just trying to scare the public to not doing these drugs.

Personally, I don't think they're any better than the cigarette companies that they're attacking...

Propaganda that lies about weed goes wayyyyy back. Watch the History's channel, "Illegal Drugs and How They Got That Way: Marijuana and Amphetamines" for an unbiased and factual view of... how it became illegal. It had mostly to do with political maneuvering and racism. (Being linked to Mexican immigrants.) And very little to do with health problems.

Timeline of Misinformation

The Wandering God