A letter to the editor of the Vancouver Sun, from former Airspace President Jerry Steinberg:
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Almost every article I’ve read in which a pot pusher is interviewed, the pusher tries to play down the dangers of their product by claiming that “It’s just a plant,” as though all plants are medicinal or even just harmless.
Hyacinth, Daffodil bulbs, Rhubarb leaves, Wisteria, Jasmine berries, Laurels, Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Mistletoe berries, Lily-Of-The-Valley leaves and flowers, Buttercups, Yew berries and leaves, various kinds of Hemlock, and an assortment of wild mushrooms are all plants, and they cause anything from severe vomiting and diarrhea, to serious injury to the digestive system, to death when ingested (Common Poisonous Plants and Plant Parts).
Oh yeah, tobacco is also a plant and it kills more people every year than alcohol, fires, traffic accidents, AIDS, homicide, suicide, cocaine, crack, and heroin combined.
Saying “It’s just a plant” is like saying that a toddler with a loaded gun is “Just a toddler.”
Put that in your bong and smoke it!
Jerry Steinberg