More bans and more wrong assumptions

August 26, 2010

Following 20 states and numerous cities in North Texas, the posession and sale of salvia is no longer allowed in Dallas. In a statement, Dallas mayor Tom Lennert explains:

“More and more kids are using these products because they create the same effects as illegal drugs but currently are legal and easy to get. The fake marijuana and salvia are just as dangerous as the real thing, and we need to move now to stop them from being sold and used.”

And while he may be right about ‘fake marijuana’ being as dangerous as pot (not very dangerous at all), by comparing salvia to marijuana however, he demonstrates his absence of knowledge about the effects of salvia. Again, salvia is being thrown into the same corner as synthetic cannabinoids. Clearly it is easier to protect our kids by simply banning a bunch of substances than choosing drug policies based on facts and risk minialisation..

Also see the following piece by Jacob Sullum, The Salvia Ban Wagon Makes a Stop in Dallas.