Marijuana Disinformation
Marijuana is perhaps the most controversial narcotic, for the implications of its usage are highly debatable. Any discussion of marijuana should begin with the fact that there have been numerous official reports and studies, every one of which has concluded that marijuana poses no great risk to society and should not be criminalized.
Opponents of marijuana usage believe that marijuana is gateway drug that leads to the abuse of more dangerous narcotics such as heroine and cocaine. In the ‘7o the government has waged a massive public relations campaign to inform the public of the dangers of marijuana usage, particularly aimed at adolescence, who are more susceptible to peer pressure to use drugs. In 1999, the federal government launched a $775 million advertising campaign in television, radio, and print ads to aid the “War on Drugs”.
Legal marijuana in America is now estimated to be a $1.43 billion industry. And it’s expected to grow to $2.34 billion in 2014. If those numbers hold, the 64 percent increase – a steeper trend line than global smartphone sales – would make pot one of the world’s fastest-growing business sectors.
Here are some hilarious and sometimes surprising marihuana disinformation examples.
