What makes it propaganda? I'll highlight the p-words in
bold
and my comments in
(parenthesis italics)
Depressed Teens
more likely
to try
pot
Report: Depression-marijuana combo
can
also increase
chance of addiction
(the propaganda mantra, may, can, could, might, aaaand repeat)
The Associated Press
updated 9:03 a.m. ET, Fri., May. 9, 2008
WASHINGTON - Depression, teens and marijuana are a dangerous mix that
can
lead to dependency, mental illness or suicidal thoughts, according to a
White House report
being released Friday.
(as if the words
White House
lent credence to its validity)
A teen who has been depressed at some point in the past year
(well hell, who has not been depressed at least twice in a year in your teen ages? Its a time of angst! notice they didn't say 'diagnosed with depression' which is an entirely different thing
) is more than twice as likely to have used marijuana as teens who have not
reported
being depressed — 25 percent compared with 12 percent, said the report by the
White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
(ah the ONDCP, another bastion of truth when it comes to cannabis use and misuse)
“Marijuana is a more consequential substance of abuse
than our culture has treated it in the last 20 years,” said John Walters, director of the office. (
when this man opens his mouth and talks about drugs, he is lying)
“This is not just youthful experimentation that they’ll get over
as we used to think
in the past.”
(straw man argument)
Smoking marijuana
can
lead to more serious problems, Walters said in an interview.
For example, using marijuana
increases the risk
of developing mental disorders
by 40 percent
, the report said.
And teens who smoke pot at least once a month over a year long period are three times more likely to have suicidal thoughts than nonusers
, it said.
(so where are the bodies, WHERE ARE THE BODIES?)
The report also cited
research that showed that teens who smoke marijuana
when feeling depressed
were more than twice as likely as their
peers
to abuse or become addicted to pot — 8 percent compared with 3 percent.
(the margin of error in most studies is +/- 3%, yet its 'twice as likely"? And just what does 'addicted to cannabis mean versus, oh, self-medication? Why do people take drugs? To
feel
better.)
Experts
who have worked with children say
there’s nothing harmless about marijuana.
(oh boy, the 'experts' aka people who are paid to say bad things about cannabis, otherwise..they don't get paid!)
“I’ve seen many, many kids’ lives negatively impacted and taken off track
because of marijuana
,”
(Woah, declarative statement there; got any proof that cannabis was the sole cause here, Liz?)
said Elizabeth Stanley-Salazar,
director of adolescent services for Phoenix House treatment centers
in California.
(who, of course makes lots of money off 'concerned parents of addicted youth' and getting quoted in major stories so concerned parents can contact her for...you get the cycle)
“It’s somewhat Russian roulette.
There are so many factors, emotional, psychological, biological. You can’t predict the experimentation and how it will impact a kid.”
(WHICH IS JUST WHAT THIS STORY SAYS THE REPORT DOES!!!)
The drug control policy office analyzed about a
dozen studies looking at marijuana use, including research by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
(
aka other government propaganda mills, concerning cannabis use and misuse)
Overall, marijuana use among teens has decreased 25 percent since 2001, down to about 2.3 million kids who used pot at least once a month, the drug control office said.
While the drop is encouraging, Walters appealed to parents to recognize signs of
possible drug use and depression.
(tying the two at the waist, classic reefer-madness)
“It’s not something you look the other way about w
hen your teen starts appearing careless about their grooming, withdrawing from the family, losing interest in daily activities
,” Walters said. “Find out what’s
wrong
.”
(by now, I think you have learned enough to spot what the hell is wrong with THAT statement)
Commentary: Now, this interview, story, 'research' and 'fact assembly' probably cost you and me over 5 million dollars in tax money. Of course, General Electric aka MSBC trumpeted the propaganda free of charge. How..nice. Makes me want to go out and buy a energy wasting incandescent bulb.
And screw it up the ONDCP's ass.
URL:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24530651/