The release of the recent survey that showed that most young people now believe that cannabis ‘causes schizophrenia’ goes to show how effective the government’s propaganda and misinformation campaign has been. I expect programs like ACA and Today Tonight to mercilessly bang the government's pots and pans on any issue they want promoted but I have been mortally disappointed in the ABC for propagating these misinformations.

I wonder who is monitoring the ABC for ‘right-wing bias’? I was absolutely appalled when last year Four Corners, which used to be the gold-standard in tv journalism, ran a program pushing the government’s specific line of misinformation on the subject. Recently the 7:30 Report toed the same line. I wonder if the right-wing propaganda promotion is the price the ABC has to pay to fend off accusations of left-wing bias?

Actually - to be fair - I recall a programme on ABC Radio National's "Big Ideas" on January 14th this year that addressed many of the popular misconceptions about marijuana.

During that (excellent) programme they explained and debated the "media and political spin" at work and some of the motives behind it.

For what it's worth, the notion that 70% of pot smokers are schizophreneic is a mis-translation of the true fact that 70% of schizophrenics are pot-smokers - a subtle but important distinction.
Many are drawn to this drug to relieve symptoms of an existing illness.

The sudden high media profile given to this drug was also reported to be the result of political rather than social pressure.

The problem with cannabis laws is that they are not based on the 'truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth'.
Long term cannabis use does not always lead to use of other illicit drugs, just as long term use of alcohol does not always lead to the use of hard liquor and alcoholism.
Long term use of cannabis does not always lead to mental disorders.
While cannabis can be detected in drivers weeks after they use it, it doesn't mean that it always lowers their driving ability weeks after its use.
Cannabaloids (an active ingredient in cannabis) are found in all human beings.
Further info can be found at many websites including LEAP.com ( Law Enforcement officers Against Prohibition (of cannabis).
Become enlightened, not frightened.

This is a very informative site on the subject as it discusses the healthbenefits from this beautiful plant.
http://www.globalhemp.com/Archives/Essays/Hempseed/hempseed1.html
Make sure to look on the right column of this site.
The history of its uses has been well documented as so many products have been made from it before and during ww2. From food,uniforms to a type of bakelite and medicine you name it.It's a shame that industrial clout (oil&coal companies) have gotten the hand in this also.

You are obviously monitoring the ABC for 'Right wing bias' Rob. I hope you have lots and lots of time as you will surely need it.

Posted by wobbles, Monday, 26 February 2007 9:07:11 AM
"Actually - to be fair - I recall a programme on ABC Radio National's "Big Ideas" on January 14th this year that addressed many of the popular misconceptions about marijuana."

Probably need to differentiate abctv from abcradio – they are 2 quite separate 'functional entities' as I understand it.

As Gore Vidal pointed, out in a democracy the controlling mainstream don’t have to worry about 100% media suppression-or-control all they have to worry about is 'prime-time' ie, the major media funnels. If they control all the big avenues of ‘information’ they control enough to get their electoral majorities and that is all they need to govern.

This suggests that it is even profitable for the controlling mainstream to be showing minority voices in non-major media slots because it allows the non-mainstream to feel they do actually have a voice. In this respect it acts as a pressure-release valve for people who might otherwize be more militantly discontent. It also allows the Government to claim to be fair-minded, saying that they afford fringe groups coverage commensurate with their constituency. This adds to their ‘street-cred’ as a free-society to those with no idea of what a free society would be like.

cont