Russia’s Drug Czar Spouts Pure Reefer Madness, Rules Out Cannabis Legalization

Russian Federal Drug Control Service chief Viktor Ivanov

Viktor Ivanov, head of Russia’s Federal Drug Control Service (FSKN), recently spouted some pure, Grade A cannabis reefer madness in an interview with the Interfax news agency. The “medical research” he quotes of course comes with no citations or sources,  but he uses them to completely dismiss cannabis legalization in Russia.

Ivanov shared debunked gateway drug gems such as, “Marijuana users have a 50 or 60 times higher risk of switching to heroin. There is one step from dope to heroin.” He also said that those who smoke marijuana for recreational purposes later suffer from depression, dissatisfaction with life and schizophrenia. Personally, I think the only thing about marijuana that likely causes depression and dissatisfaction in Russia is their horrific and dated drug policy.

The icing on the cake for Ivanov ruling out legalization is because planes, trains and automobiles all over the country would start crashing and even nuclear power plants would be at risk! “Today we live in the age of high technology, a lot of things are managed with the help of computer systems. Someone who works at a nuclear power plant can wreak real havoc after smoking marijuana,” he said.

Russia’s annual per capita alcohol consumption for 2013 was ~13.5 liters, or the equivalent of about eighteen 750 milliliter bottles of vodka, yet somehow the country’s infrastructure isn’t experiencing ‘havoc.’  Apparently only marijuana users can’t control themselves and avoid it during the work day. I don’t hear the FSKN’s Director calling for alcohol prohibition.

Unfortunately, cannabis activists in Mother Russia have a long and arduous road ahead of them.