Public Service Advertisements

Is Truth a Casualty of the Drug War?

The Public Service Advertisements below ran from 1999 to 2007, focusing on misinformation in the drug war.

The Common Sense public information campaign carefully quoted credible research and leading authorities so as to provide the public with reliable information and to better inform the debate on drug policy. CSDP's PSAs ran in Reason, The American Prospect, The National Review, The Nation, The New Republic, and The Progressive.

Please note: These PSAs may be reproduced in whole or in part without permission and with or without attribution provided the meaning is faithfully maintained.

092	Would you rather die for a myth or live through medical research?	Would you rather die for a myth or live through medical research? Medical investigators in Spain have discovered that a compound in marijuana shrinks brain tumors. Tragically, this amazing discovery had been made thirty years earlier in the U.S.—but the authorities were afraid it would "send the wrong message to our children." A camera-ready copy of this PSA is available in Portable Document Format (PDF).
091	What do the US and New Zealand have in common?	What do the US and New Zealand have in common? A World Health Organization survey of 17 nations just discovered that Americans and New Zealanders have the planet's highest rates of marijuana use -- even though they have some of the most draconian drug laws. Over 40 percent in both countries have tried marijuana. No other nation was even close. A camera-ready copy of this PSA is available in Portable Document Format (PDF).
090	Seven Things We Need to Fix	"Seven Things We Need to Fix" A river of illegal, untaxed cash fuels organized crime in the US, civil wars in Latin America, and terrorism in the Middle East. The problems and unintended consequences of drug prohibition and how to cure them. A camera-ready copy of this is PSA is available in Portable Document Format (PDF).
089	Marijuana Discourages Use of Hard Drugs	"Study of 4000 indicates marijuana discourages use of hard drugs." A ground-breaking study of 4,117 marijuana smokers in California reveals that the 'Gateway Theory' probably had it backwards. Instead of enticing young people to use other drugs, this study suggests that marijuana may have the opposite effect. A camera-ready copy of this PSA is available in Portable Document Format (PDF).
088	Clergy Speak Out Against "The War On Drugs"	Protestant, Catholic and Jewish Clergy Speak Out Against "The War On Drugs." This ad is based on a short documentary produced by Common Sense for Drug Policy for the Interfaith Drug Policy Initiative by award-winning filmmaker, screenwriter, and CSDP Chairman Mike Gray. A camera-ready copy of this PSA is available in Portable Document Format (PDF).
087	Internists Endorse Legal Access to Medical Marijuana	"Internists Endorse Legal Access to Medical Marijuana" The American College of Physicians, the nation's largest organization of Internists, is calling for protection of both doctors and patients from criminal and civil penalties in states that have adopted medical-marijuana laws. A camera-ready copy of this PSA is available in Portable Document Format (PDF).
086	99 Percent Say No	"99 Percent Say No." If hard drugs such as heroin or cocaine were legalized would you be likely to use them? Zogby International asked that question of 1,028 likely voters. Ninety-nine out of 100 said "No." Only 0.6 percent said "Yes." A camera-ready copy of this PSA is available in Portable Document Format (PDF).
085	The Way We Were	"The Way We Were" When Florida Attorney Norm Kent received a form letter from Sen. Norm Coleman condemning marijuana, Kent fired off this note to his former Hofstra University smoking buddy. A camera-ready copy of this is PSA available in Portable Document Format (PDF).
084	Let us pay taxes!	"Let us pay taxes!" That's the rallying cry of a group of West Coast cannabis growers and their raw numbers suggest it's time for us to pay attention. A camera-ready copy of this PSA is available in Portable Document Format (PDF).
083	Why is the federal government waging war on medical marijuana patients?	Why is the federal government waging war on medical marijuana patients in California and other states? If marijuana indeed helps Uncle Ed with his chemo and Grandma with her arthritis, how can it be more dangerous than alcohol .. .or even caffeine for that matter?* A camera-ready copy of this is PSA available in Portable Document Format (PDF).