Kettle Calling The Pot Black: Alcohol Lobby Pumps Money Into Anti-Pot Legalization Campaign

[David1946]

Kettle Calling the Pot Black: Alcohol Lobby Pumps Money Into Anti-Pot Legalization Campaign

http://www.huffingto...s_b_719878.html

 

California campaign finance disclosures reportedly show that the campaign to defeat marijuana legalization is being funded in part by the alcohol industry which does not relish the idea of joints replacing shots as intoxicants of choice.

 

The California Beer and Beverage Distributors contributed $10,000 to the No on Prop. 19 campaign, also known as “Public Safety First.” The industry has also spent considerable funds to fight other pot-related legal change, including opposition to Proposition 5, the Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act (NORA), which attempted to reduce marijuana possession from a misdemeanor to an infraction.

 

This is something truly out of the movie “Thank You For Smoking.”

 

Polly: Did you see the coverage the fetal alcohol people got themselves over the weekend? They made it seem like we were encouraging pregnant women to drink. I’m surprised I didn’t get kidnapped to my way to work this morning. NICK: I don’t think people from the alcoholic beverage industry need to worry about being kidnapped just yet.

 

Polly: Pardon me?

 

Nick: Look, I mean, nothing personal, but tobacco generates a little more heat than alcohol.

 

Polly: Oh, this is news.

 

Nick:My product puts away 475,000 a year.

 

Polly: Okay, now, 475 is a legitimate number.

 

Nick: OK 435,000. 1,200 a day. How many alcohol deaths a year? 100,000, tops? That’s what, 270 a day? Wow, 270 people, a tragedy. Excuse me if I don’t see terrorists getting excited about kidnapping anybody from the alcohol industry.

 

Nick: How many gun-related deaths a year in the U.S.?

 

Bobby Jay: 11,000.

 

Nick: Thirty a day. That’s less than passenger car mortalities. No terrorist would bother with either of you.

 

[solabeirtan]

Just a little off on the Firearms statistics:

"The majority of gun-related deaths in the United States are suicides,

 

with 17,352 (55.6%) of the total 31,224 firearm-related deaths in 2007 due to suicide,

 

while 12,632 (40.5%) were homicide deaths.^"

 

^{....apx 86 per day.}

 

^{Not too bad, ehh ?}

 

^{But it is the Highest in the WORLD ! Higher than S. Afrika[75], Columbia[52], Guatemala[18], Thialand[33], Mexico [19] ...}

 

They were correct it is about the same for traffic fatalities [32,788] in 2010, which is actually dropping, esp when you consider we are driving more miles ea year. Though that puts the daily tally at nearly 90 per day.

 

No doubt alcohol had something to do with a LOT of those. Even the tobacco related deaths. apx. 1376 people a day, total ? and its all legal ? Even bribing the politicians, to kill us ? Doesn't seem very fair ...

[Frank R]

Who says America has lost its leadership position in exceptionalism....

 

Big Booze feels the pressure, I think, not from social usage of alcohol vs. marijuana, but has fears of anti-social usage of alcohol decreasing.

 

Big Booze is dependant on its addict/alcoholic customer network.

 

You can't count on alcoholics for much, except they will find a way to get the booze and drink it.

 

I think Big Booze thinks legal marijuana will erode that key market base.

 

I'd really like to know what euphamism Big Booze uses to identify and monitor their 'golden geese'...

[TheBeagle]

I work and manage a a liquor and wine store.... I quit drinking o smoke cannabis! the only way to hurt these alcohol organizations is DO NOT BUY sure a beer here n there glass of wine...w/e you can go to a resturant for that its been almost a year since i bought a sixer! and do not regret it

[busa76]

I'm the same as beagle in the way I drink--One or two on rare occasion. The thought of drinking too much and getting the "spins" and getting sick to my stomach is not very appealing anymore.

 

It's common sense really that the alcohol industry would oppose any sort of Mj legalization--Legalization would allow a serious competitor to bring a strong product to market, and competition will normally lower the profits.

[Ezrah]

I have meet a lot of violent drunks and never meet a person that is violent and medicated. Of course they are pumping money into it, big business selling a dangerous product, if people actually had a choice that scares the crap out of them, might cut into profits.