The Emperor Wears No Clothes

by Jack Herer

Double Standards

In the 1980s, when U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist was “nodding off” in court – and sending other druggies to prison for their habits – he kept feeding his eight-a-day Placidyl habit. This was the equivalent in dollars, “high,” and mental effect to that of a $70 to $125 a-day street abuser’s heroin habit.

Placidyl, a cousin of Quaaludes, is known as a “heavy down,” popular on the streets for imparting a very placid feeling in users.

The physical dependency and mental effects of using the legal drugs Placidyl, Dilaudid, Quaaludes, etc., are virtually the same as for the reviled barbiturates, opium, morphine and heroin. In essence, they disturb the body’s “endorphin” (pain-receptors and nullifiers) balance.

Rehnquist, who was said to have used Placidyl far in excess of normal limits, did not have to rob liquor stores, physically assault his fellow citizens, or commit any of the other anti-social behaviors attributed to “junkies.”

His habit was easily maintained because Placidyl was both legally available and within his normal income limits. Placidyl was also well labeled as to purity and frequency of dosage, while people with outlawed drug habits have to get by on a “dime of tar” (a 10 dollar bag) the purity of which – whether 5% or 95% – is unknown. The great majority of drug overdoses are caused by this unknown, unregulated, and unlabeled purity factor.

The government acknowledges that 90% or more of overdoses from illegal drugs would probably be avoided with accurate labels and appropriate warnings.