It is astonishing to think that at one time cannabis was considered a menace to our youth and society at large.
Today, the myriad of health benefits and practical uses of cannabis and hemp are out of the bag, and this new knowledge has ignited a global referendum to abolish the ridiculous laws associated with its use.
Despite all this, as a child I was terribly afraid of pot. The lies they told us in school – how it kills brain cells, how it causes lung cancer, etc. – stuck me with me throughout most of my adolescence so intensely that even the slightest smell of the aromatic herb would cause my heart to race in terror.
I guess those cheesy anti-weed commercials did their trick at the time, but fortunately, not for long. As soon as I became old enough to question the world around me and diligent enough to do even the slightest bit of research on marijuana, that fear quickly morphed into a worthy appreciation for nature at its finest.
Surprisingly enough, cannabis propaganda can be traced back to the 30’s, when organizations such as the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (see video below) began pushing ludicrous anti-pot propaganda (lest we forget, ‘Reefer Madness’) upon a gullible population, a stratagem that poisoned the minds of generations to come.
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Over the course of the next few decades, cannabis would become the scapegoat for political, religious, corporate, and even racial manipulation and falsehood, eventually re-earning its credence with the renaissance of scientific research during the last leg of the century.
Though we’ve made great strides in exposing the truth around cannabis today, we must not forget where we’ve come from.
As an homage to the latter, let’s take a look at some of the most ludicrous (but high-larious) anti-cannabis commercials to date. Some of these you’ll likely remember.
Enjoy.
A collection of a few.
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Another one from the 70’s.
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Most notable quotes:
“What if a joint was in someone else’s hand, like your surgeon’s? Then would you think it’s harmless?“
“When you start smoking marijuana, people will start calling you all kinds of names, like ‘pothead,’ or ‘smokey-Mac-Bongwater’.“
“The brain is for thinking, not fumigating.”
“She can’t answer you. This is the way it’s been since she started smoking pot. She’s all lazy and boring.”
Comparing smoking marijuana to sticking leeches on your skin…huh?
Showing marijuana smokers as criminals…
“This is your brain on drugs” *cracks an egg onto a scorching hot skillet*. Meth maybe, marijuana no.
What are your thoughts on these commercials? Do they do a good job of convincing you to boycott cannabis? Share with us in the comment section below!
so interesting!! Had to laugh at ‘marijuana girl’ 🙂
You have to watch the old flick from years ago called reefer madness for a good laugh.
Sure pot is relatively harmless for many, but don’t believe it’s harmless for all. One of my family members is fighting for life – literally – from adrenal fatigue due to chronic addiction to pot. All the haters out there are going to jump on this but it’s true. It can really mess up a life if you let it. So don’t buy the propaganda put out by EITHER side of the coin.
I’m sorry your Family member is going through that, but that is also a rare occurrence. Very few people EVER have medical issues resulting from Marijuana use, even long term. Not everyone is the same, nor reacts to certain drugs or substances the same. You have to be smart, and you have to do what is right for yourself, regardless of what it does to or for someone else. I have watched children with debilitating seizures, stop having them all together as a result of the CBD in Marijuana. I’ve had Family members with cancer who couldn’t eat, and had nausea reversed from the use of Marijuana. So while some do experience negative and adverse reactions, overall and in general, it is harmless, especially when compared to alcohol, cigarettes and other manufactured drugs, including prescription drugs, which has killed more people than Marijuana ever has or will.
annexi While you want to blame Cannabis for your family members Adrenal fatigue..it is not the Reason…..a simple internet search shows that people under emotional or Physical stress can suffer from Adrenal Problems..There Is NO Mention of Cannabis Use in any report i have looked at. It says up to 18% of Americans can suffer from the Problem.so if it was Only Due to Cannabis then that would be Pretty obvious. Did your family member ever drink alcohol,or use Coffee,or Energy drinks, or Smoke Tobacco ,..Did the Person Ever have a relationship breakdown,or Lose a Close family member or friend? lose a job or have something traumatic happen in His/Her life? Don’t Blame cannabis as the scapegoat .there are reasons Why People Abuse alcohol,or Drugs,and the Use of these products are just to Cover up the pain.to Hide the symptoms….For some it was sexual abuse ,or being a victim of a bully …
If you google marijuana & adrenal fatigue, you’ll learn that smoking pot causes the adrenals to release cortisol. Over a decade of chronic use & her adrenals were shot. She tried nearly everything for the last 5 years to get them back – quitting coffee, diet, supplements, etc. nothing worked. Now that she has been quit for only 3 weeks, her energy is coming back & her mind is coming back. She’d been lost for a long time. I think I have my sister back. I too have been a pot smoker for 20 years, 1-10x per week depending on where I was at in life. I quit with her 3 weeks ago in a show of solidarity… and I am astounded by how much better I feel – mentally, physicaly, emotionally, and spiritually.. And I am sad that the down side of this (wonderful) plant robbed me of living my full expression for so many years. I have no doubt it can be used to great benefit. My only point is that for some, and seeing all the people I’ve smoked with through the years, it holds them back from living fully. This super adamant pro-pot movement is a natural backlash to the silly and misinformed anti-pot movement, but like most things, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
why are we debating on the safety of the drug? are cigarettes or alcohol safe? are guns safe? its irrelevant. if i believe its in my best interest to smoke weed i should be able to do it. we shouldnt be in the business of banning other peoples private behaviors based on our preconceptions. thats what got us in this mess in the first place. this is supposed to be a free country, and as humans we deserve freedom.
We are debating on the safety of the drug because those who promote it as harmless are creating a dangerous meme. For a significant portion of those who smoke, it’s not harmless. (I have also worked in the mental health field and seen first hand how it can affect the mind in a bad way… again not for all people, but enough that we can’t call it harmless). However, never would I suggest we ban it or restrict access… in fact, I’m in favor of legalization. But people should know the risks and to say it’s 100% harmless is far from true. That’s all.
It could be from the use of weed. There arent enough studies on the “drug” because of ethical reasons. Scientists dont actually know about many effects due to lack of research opprtunities.
[ Laughs ] I am happy that I forgot about them, because they were biased.
Pot is NOT universally harmless. It can have a deleterious effect on the brain and other organs. If, by smoking it, you mix it with tobacco, then it most definitely CAN give you lung cancer. Don’t be so blinkered as to believe all of the propaganda peddled by both sides of the argument. Although I accept that there are genuine medical uses for the drug, I don’t agree that it is harmless and should be freely available.
dude, really? did you just write this? “If, by smoking it, you mix it with tobacco, then it most definitely CAN give you lung cancer” seriously? then you warn people about being “blinkered”?
Tobacco and the Additives in Cigarettes Are Known to Cause Cancer But Not Cannabis..Which has been used in Various forms to Relive Cancer and Reduce the Growth of Cancer Cells.. Pure Unadulterated Cannabis has been Shown to be Safe to Use. Not one death directly Associated With cannabis use In history.but plenty of Deaths from Asprin,,prescription and Non Prescription Drugs…..
Garry, if you mix it with tobacco to smoke it, the TOBACCO can lead to cancer. The cannabis itself doesn’t somehow magically become carcinogenic. But in these times, the enlightened vapourize their herbs or extracts and so avoid all irritating and potentially dangerous chemicals formed during incomplete combustion.
We all have to decide for ourselves how to live our lives best and no one else can choose for us what that means. Responsibility is ours alone.
Lies. All lies. Has been lies since they started lying about it. It’s the ONLY substance they call a “drug”, that is actually not processed or made into anything, but grows freely from the Earth as it has since before mankind. Not one single person has EVER overdosed on Marijuana. I have smoked it since I was 13 (33 years), and the ONLY crime I ever committed while on Marijuana, was having Marijuana. It is not a gateway drug, except for those who smoke it and get nothing from it and feel they need to try something stronger, for them. I have NEVER wanted to try or do another drug simply because I used Marijuana. In fact, most purists, use marijuana exclusively because of it’s natural growth without man’s hands getting involved to process it, and ONLY use Marijuana because it isn’t processed or created by man.
And for all those who try to manage propaganda by stating their side, remember the saying, “Everything in moderation”. Sure, if some people smoke too much or use too much, it can have adverse affects on things, and sure, the lungs weren’t meant to inhale smoke of any kind, but to say it is harmful in the general status of other hard drugs, is ridiculous. YOU have to control IT, not the other way around.
the last video is 4.20 mins long
The biggest threat to the herb was the cotton industry and the chemical corps who had just invented nylon…. Big business once again squashes and misinforms the sheeple to its own profit ridden greedy practises
Don’t forget the inclined use of pharmaceuticals in the early 1900s. Big Pharma had a big role in prohibition, as well.
I have tried marijuana about 4 times in my 20s and each time it affected my mojo, slowed me down, slightly paranoid, emotionally very unstable, and lacked motivation to do anything! There might be some medical use for it , and it should be used as such. Otherwise it should not be used as recreational use, or we will have a zombie planet, and retarded births, and more burden on the people that are supporting this planet!
If CE is supporting the use of Marijuana, I will have to disconnect from you!
You should provide education on DRUGS, and what are the side effects on people who smoke it!
Since when inhaling any fumes was good for anyone?????
I am a worldly man and have contact with all levels of society, and have never ever met a well balanced person who is consuming Marijuana….
All the elite of the society are educated, not sedated!!!
Granted, weak minds should probably not try it.
Weak minds are the only minds I’ve ever seen get taken down by a plant
Give me a break cannabis use does not lead to retarded births.Your just a fear monger if you believe that BS.
Mark Mahanets ..Inhaling the fumes of Eucalyptus Oil Is great To Clear the Nose and reduce a cold…Have you Ever Heard of Sanjay Gupta? He was the USA Surgeon General…and Very Anti Cannabis.Which is Why he deceided to Do a Documentary about it. But the More he Interviewed people and Users he Got to see the results of what was happening with Users and the more he Questioned his Beliefs.He saw first hand a Child Given Liquid Cannabis Oil CBD (Not the THC) but a Strain of cannabis that Did not get people “Stoned”The person Who Discovered the plant Called it Charlottes web in Her honour .He interviewed a man with a speech Impediment and watched how after a few puffs on a cannabis Pipe he was Able to talk Normally .Check Youtube Sanjay Gupta Marijuana ..or Cannabis for the Full story.or a New Doco .The Culture High. It is a great Story about the History of Cannabis use. it actually said that there has not been a Death from Cannabis Use. Ever A plant that has been Used In India,Nepal,China Europe,England ,ETC. a Catholic Nun in New Zealand Used Indian Hemp in her Herbal medicines. Queen Victoria Used to Smoke cannabis to relive her Menstrual Cramps.
Very rare but it was found that Bruce Lee overdosed on pot. Check.
some of these arguments against using marijuana are as laughable as the videos. Yeah, please, keep it up. I especially like the “retarded birth” comment. Drop some knowledge on us, brother.
Stop calling it a damn DRUG idiots!!! It is a natural herb of the earth that grows without human interception. The people posting rants about how horrible it is are the ones who tried it once and had a bad experience, and are most likely weak and have no control over their own mind. Guess wwhatt? That is your problem, get over it! Admittingly, some people just want to be cool so they smoke weed and act foolish, and that is idiotic. However, for those who don’t brag about it and just do it while keeping to themselves, you probably wouldn’t even know they are high while they just go about their normal tasks like working and supporting their family. Get on pill poppers who get their actual DRUGS from the government. Wanna talk about zombies there ya go!!!