Here are some excerpts from their website:
S.O.S.: "Marijuana remains a Schedule I drug because it has no accepted medical value...."
WRONG. First off, let me say that 15 states of the wonderful USA happen to disagree with you, as 15 states of the wonderful USA have passed laws in which patients are allowed to use marijuana medicinally. If there is no medical value, why does almost a third of the United States seem to think it does?Also, not only does almost a third of the US disagree by not only opinion but actual state law, many doctors, scientists, and large health organizations that have actually conducted real studies disagree as well. There are over 60 U.S. and international health organizations -- including the American Public Health Association, Health Canada and the Federation of American Scientists -- that all support granting patients immediate legal access to medicinal marijuana under a physician's supervision. (source) This might just be a guess, but I'm pretty sure those associations have more grounds to state findings of scientific studies, than say - the DEA?
Numerous findings are available. Marijuana DOES have medicinal value, and it has been proven time and time again. The only real reason the DEA and the federal government is stating that it doesn't have medical value is to continue the lie that they have already created. You can find the truth out there for yourself, go search right now and see what research is available. Studies released by WebMD have also stated: “We’ve shown again that cannabis is an analgesic. Clearly it has medical value.” (source)
S.O.S.: "Marijuana remains a Schedule I drug because it has no accepted medical value and has a high potential for addiction."
WRONG.Marijuana has "no accepted medical value" because when Harry Anslinger became the first Commissioner of the Treasury Department's Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN) he went on a witch-hunt against marijuana and made it his goal to criminalize it.This goal was not inspired by facts and statistics and scientific studies, but rather inspired and supported by racism against people who were the main users of marijuana: Hispanics and blacks. Harry has even been quoted as saying, “…the primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on the degenerate races.”
If that isn't evidence of marijuana laws being based on racism, you might want to take a deeper look into the subject and do some actual unbiased research on your own.
Marijuana was never declared illegal due to health reasons or public safety. It was outlawed due to racism and monopolization with the avid support of two racist men named Harry Anslinger and William Randolph Hearst. Anslinger became head of/and was recognized by the Bureau of Narcotics, a newly founded governmental agency of the early-mid 1900's to combat the heroin and opium trade.However, onc e Anslinger came to power, things started to change. "The FBN [was] credited for criminalizing drugs such as cannabis with the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937". (source)
"Harry Anslinger got some additional help from William Randolf Hearst, owner of a huge chain of newspapers. Hearst had lots of reasons to help. First, he hated Mexicans. Second, he had invested heavily in the timber industry to support his newspaper chain and didn’t want to see the development of hemp paper in competition. Third, he had lost 800,000 acres of timberland to Pancho Villa, so he hated Mexicans. Fourth, telling lurid lies about Mexicans (and the devil marijuana weed causing violence) sold newspapers, making him rich."
"By using the mass media as his forum (receiving much support from William Randolph Hearst), Anslinger propelled the anti-marijuana sentiment from the state level to a national movement." (source)
"Hearst and Anslinger were then supported by Dupont chemical company and various pharmaceutical companies in the effort to outlaw cannabis. Dupont had patented nylon, and wanted hemp removed as competition. The pharmaceutical companies could neither identify nor standardize cannabis dosages, and besides, with cannabis, folks could grow their own medicine and not have to purchase it from large companies." Harry J. Anslinger was actually quoted on saying things like “Marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality, and death”, “You smoke a joint and you’re likely to kill your brother”, and “Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind” (source).
Marijuana remains a Schedule 1 drug because the Anslinger, supported by the FDA, purported lies to get it Schedule 1 in the first place back . No real sound scientific studies were used in criminalizing marijuana. To make that assertion that marijuana has no valid medical use still holds no evidence due to the sole fact that real studies were never done. During these hearings, one scientist claimed he ran tests of injections of marijuana on dogs and saw adverse effects. This is completely impossible to have marijuana injections, as marijuana was not synthesized till years later. More evidence of S.O.S.'s complete lies.
S.O.S.: "95% of Americans do not use drugs."
WRONG. According to the past several years, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the results from their "National Survey's on Drug Use and Health", the real number of Americans who use drugs has averaged around 46-47% for about a decade.To assert that only 5% of Americans are using drugs is absolutely absurd.
Also consider that prescription drugs - are still drugs. According to the Center for Disease Control & Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (including other various Federal health agencies and professional health associations - source) "almost half of Americans take at least one prescription drug".
Let me repeat that, ALMOST HALF OF AMERICANS ARE ON DRUGS. Not 5%. Sorry S.O.S...
I would also consider cigarettes (which contain nicotine - a drug) and alcoholic beverages (which contain ethanol - another drug) to be still classified under the label of "drugs", even though they are legal, they are still "drugs" are they not? American citizens are allowed to drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes without fear of punishment from the law. Yet alcohol and cigarettes both contain a host of various disease causing chemicals and illnesses, but they are still legal and accepted in our society. A lot of people drink and smoke in America, and I'm pretty sure the number is above 5%.
Factor legal drugs (prescriptions, cigarettes, alcohol) into the number of illicit drug use (which is once again around 46-47%) and I think you would have a lot more than just 5% of America using drugs.
S.O.S. is an outrage to society, not a savior. How can an charitable organization spread so much invalid information purely in the interest of continuing a failed war on marijuana? Has the idealistic misnomer of "Reefer Madness" still lingered after 70+ years since cannabis was pointlessly criminalized? Prohibition has failed, and S.O.S. only furthers support of a failed cause.
I ask all who support a free America to expose S.O.S. and reveal the truth of their true nature - biased prohibitionists with no scientific evidence to support their claims.
