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Kansas Republican lawmaker says black people can’t handle marijuana because of ‘their genetics’

Gaea

Gaea

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Kansas state Republican lawmaker resurrected a Jim Crow myth that African Americans are genetically predisposed to handle marijuana more poorly than other races during a speech over the weekend.

As the Garden City Telegram reported, State Rep. Steve Alford (R) told an all-white crowd that marijuana was criminalized during the prohibition era in the 1930’s primarily because of black marijuana use when asked a question by a member of the local Democratic party about potential economic boons from cannabis legalization.

“What you really need to do is go back in the ’30s, when they outlawed all types of drugs in Kansas (and) across the United States,” Alford said. “What was the reason why they did that? One of the reasons why, I hate to say it, was that the African Americans, they were basically users and they basically responded the worst off to those drugs just because of their character makeup, their genetics and that.”
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Seriously.... What the F**K? That's un-f**king real.

As the Telegram noted in their report, Alford’s comments referenced a belief promoted by marijuana prohibitionist Harry Anslinger, the founding commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics.

“Under Anslinger’s leadership, the FBN came to be considered responsible for the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937,” the report noted, “regulating cannabis and further taxing it to the ultimate detriment of the hemp industry that was booming at the time.”

“Reefer makes darkies think they’re as good as white men,” Anslinger said once when explaining why marijuana supposedly caused crime and violence. The commissioner also fought for the prohibition of cannabis due to “its effect on the degenerate races,” the Telegram noted.
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https://www.rawstory.com/2018/01/ka...t-handle-marijuana-because-of-their-genetics/

Hope that guy gets voted out of office.
 
Crovax said:
Well its true that blacks are genetically more sensitive to salt which causes increased risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. It wouldn't be impossible that they are also more sensitive to THC.
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Sensitive in what way? That they "think they’re as good as white men" ?
 
Gaea said:
Sensitive in what way? That they "think they’re as good as white men" ?
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:roll: I see now that this is just a troll thread and that facts arent wanted here
 
I literally quoted the article you responded to.
 
Crovax said:
:roll: I see now that this is just a troll thread and that facts arent wanted here
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Actually the idiot in Kansas saw nothing wrong with his ignorant statement...Thank god I just fly over places like that and never have to step foot there
 
Gaea said:
I literally quoted the article you responded to.
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Lol, you think they actually read it? They saw one of their ideological kinfolk bashing black people so they were attracted like moths to a flame. Any opportunity for growth will be rejected.
 
Gaea said:
I literally quoted the article you responded to.
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You quoted something from the 1930's and then tied it to the Kansas lawmaker and then me even though I didnt express anything like that sentiment.
 
RabidAlpaca said:
Lol, you think they actually read it? They saw one of their ideological kinfolk bashing black people so they were attracted like moths to a flame. Any opportunity for growth will be rejected.
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Its clear that you havent read anything in this thread
 
Crovax said:
You quoted something from the 1930's and then tied it to the Kansas lawmaker and then me even though I didnt express anything like that sentiment.
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Well, you're free to clarify your position (so far I've only seen you use the word "sensitive", which could literally mean anything). The prohibition was part of a war on African Americans. The Kansas lawmaker is defending the prohibition on grounds that are strikingly similar to Anslinger's - which this article highlights.
 
Saladin4 said:
Actually the idiot in Kansas saw nothing wrong with his ignorant statement...Thank god I just fly over places like that and never have to step foot there
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Real enlightened person we have here
 
Crovax said:
Well its true that blacks are genetically more sensitive to salt which causes increased risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. It wouldn't be impossible that they are also more sensitive to THC.
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It's also plausible white people are more sensitive to THC. Until evidence is presented, it's all so much bull****.
 
Gaea said:
Well, you're free to clarify your position (so far I've only seen you use the word "sensitive", which could literally mean anything). The prohibition was part of a war on African Americans. The Kansas lawmaker is defending the prohibition on grounds that are strikingly similar to Anslinger's - which this article highlights.
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I could mean anything to a moron I suppose. However for those that can understand context clues, it was very obvious. I was clearly speaking in the medical context where a substance effects someone more than it should.
 
Crovax said:
Its clear that you havent read anything in this thread
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This is what was said, now, in 2018:
“What you really need to do is go back in the ’30s, when they outlawed all types of drugs in Kansas (and) across the United States,” Alford said. “What was the reason why they did that? One of the reasons why, I hate to say it, was that the African Americans, they were basically users and they basically responded the worst off to those drugs just because of their character makeup, their genetics and that.”
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Whats to misinterpret here? He is incredibly clear in his speech. If you think he's wrong or right, tell us, but don't just knee jerk defend a conservative by pretending he didn't say it.
 
spud_meister said:
It's also plausible white people are more sensitive to THC. Until evidence is presented, it's all so much bull****.
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I agree that that is possible. However I wouldn't say its BS otherwise if people happened to notice that black people seem to have a stronger reaction than whites. Thats a pretty good hypothesis to start a scientific study
 
RabidAlpaca said:
This is what was said, now, in 2018:


Whats to misinterpret here? He is incredibly clear in his speech. If you think he's wrong or right, tell us, but don't just knee jerk defend a conservative by pretending he didn't say it.
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Again you dont seem to read the actual thread, seems to be very common in your post.

The OP talked about the statement from the 1930's, "Reefer makes darkies think they’re as good as white men" and tried to tie it to the 2018 statement

then again treid to tie it to me in the next post

Gaea said:
Sensitive in what way? That they "think they’re as good as white men" ?
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Note that neither I nor the Kansas moron said that quote
 
Crovax said:
I agree that that is possible. However I wouldn't say its BS otherwise if people happened to notice that black people seem to have a stronger reaction than whites. Thats a pretty good hypothesis to start a scientific study
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I'm yet to see any evidence for that either. It's only an assertion I've ever heard from people pushing unscientific or racist bull****.

However, I found some circumstantial evidence that African-Americans would be more efficient at processing THC than Anglos:
Urinary Cannabinoid Disposition in Occasional and Frequent Smokers: Is THC-Glucuronide in Sequential Urine Samples a Marker of Recent Use in Frequent Smokers? | Clinical Chemistry
THC is metabolized to 11-OH-THC through CYP2C9 (29). Compared to African-Americans, white Americans have higher frequencies of CYP2C9*2 and CYP2C9*3 variant alleles, which exhibit decreased activity compared to the wild-type CYP2C9*1
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How your genes affect your cannabis high: The case of CYP2C9
There is a specific polymorphism that has significance for drug metabolism called CYP2C9*3. The CYP2C9*3 variant has significantly decreased enzyme activity.
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spud_meister said:
I'm yet to see any evidence for that either. It's only an assertion I've ever heard from people pushing unscientific or racist bull****.
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Well thats how science works, first you observe something unusual and then you gather the evidence.

However, I found some circumstantial evidence that African-Americans would be more efficient at processing THC than Anglos:
Urinary Cannabinoid Disposition in Occasional and Frequent Smokers: Is THC-Glucuronide in Sequential Urine Samples a Marker of Recent Use in Frequent Smokers? | Clinical Chemistry


How your genes affect your cannabis high: The case of CYP2C9
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Fair enough I think this puts the matter to rest unless a more comprehensive study comes along showing otherwise
 
Crovax said:
Well thats how science works, first you observe something unusual and then you gather the evidence.



Fair enough I think this puts the matter to rest unless a more comprehensive study comes along showing otherwise
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Science?...I thought all you conservative types didn't believe in "science"
 
Gaea said:
Seriously.... What the F**K? That's un-f**king real.



https://www.rawstory.com/2018/01/ka...t-handle-marijuana-because-of-their-genetics/

Hope that guy gets voted out of office.
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Yes, Blacks are genetically different in one degree or another from Whites. This also has the same basis when you mention Indians, both native and eastern, while Asians fall into the same category as well when it comes to some glaring dietary and chemical resistances.

Most people who come from more tribal backgrounds cannot easily handle large amounts of salt or sugar constantly in their diets.

It shows, because we have studies on heart disease that span entire genealogies and family trees.

I would not be surprised that there was a small demographic of a people, who somehow have adverse or more sensitive reactions to THC.

Medically, such an assumption is not impossible.
 
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Crovax said:
Well its true that blacks are genetically more sensitive to salt which causes increased risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. It wouldn't be impossible that they are also more sensitive to THC.
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I don't think they have the tolerance for medical science.
 
Crovax said:
Well thats how science works, first you observe something unusual and then you gather the evidence.
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Indeed, but most people making the claim haven't actually done any observing, but are simply spouting a rumour because it confirms their previously held notions.



Fair enough I think this puts the matter to rest unless a more comprehensive study comes along showing otherwise
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Agreed.
 
spud_meister said:
Indeed, but most people making the claim haven't actually done any observing, but are simply spouting a rumour because it confirms their previously held notions.





Agreed.
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Well from my observation...Rural whites seem prone to being addicted opiates, meth and heroin...I'm just sayin'
 
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