News media

[Pa-uul]

News Limited has published a couple of cannabis crash stories, one covered twice, in the space of one week in what I would call the largest volley to be fired yet in the recently reinvigorated war against cannabis users. All three were published in News' Courier Mail along with other News publications.

 

The first to come was on August 03, 2006 02:00am

Crash driver mother admits cannabis use

A MOTHER who was driving for almost nine hours with cannabis in her system before crashing into a tree, killing her 10-month-old son, could face charges over his death.

 

Lisa Marie Penn said yesterday she could not remember anything about the crash, which happened at 3am (AEDT) on January 3 this year, 10km south of Toowoomba in Queensland.

 

"I wish I could remember for my son," she said.

 

She was giving evidence to a coronial inquiry into the death of her son Ethan Penn-Hite in the Toowoomba Coroner's Court yesterday.

 

Coroner Greg McIntyre found that the baby died from massive head injuries, skull fractures and lacerations of the brain and had suffered injuries to his lungs and limbs.

 

Mr McIntyre referred the case to the Director of Public Prosecutions to decide whether to charge Ms Penn with dangerous driving causing death or grievous bodily harm.

 

Ms Penn cried almost continually as she told the inquiry of events leading up to the crash.

 

She said she had used cannabis three days before the crash and the day before the accident, had not eaten breakfast, had nibbles for lunch and did not eat an evening meal.

 

Ms Penn returned a positive test for cannabis after the crash….

 

….Ms Penn said she did not remember the accident or how she got out of her car and she could not remember flagging down a passing truck.

Author: Amanda Gearing

Date: August 03, 2006

Source: The Courier Mail

Copyright: News Limited © 2006

 

My comment: What does it matter that she had taken cannabis nine hours before the fatal crash? Does smoking cannabis make you forget anything? What about factors like fatigue or alcohol or, it sounds like, domestic violence and stress as factors in this crash. Not eating because you are out of money is an easy way to get into a depressed, suicidal state. Is it a beat-up or a true story of a desperate person looking for love in all the wrong places and getting in trouble?

 

The second story came on August 09, 2006 06:35pm concerning an incident on Norfolk Island

Norfolk accused 'admitted drugs'

ACCUSED murderer Glenn McNeill admitted he was under the influence of illegal drugs the day he ran over Janelle Patton on Norfolk Island, a court has been told.

 

Questioned by police after his arrest, Mr McNeill allegedly said he had been smoking cannabis that day and panicked when he found Ms Patton's body under his car.

 

The revelation was detailed in a statement by New Zealand Detective Sergeant Chris Roberts, giving evidence today at the committal hearing for Mr McNeill, a 28-year-old chef alleged to have murdered the Sydney woman on Norfolk Island in 2002.

 

Det Sgt Roberts arrested Mr McNeill on February 1 at his home in Nelson, New Zealand, and supervised his interview by Australian Federal Police (AFP) detective Bob Peters.

 

After Mr McNeill was told about fingerprints and forensic evidence allegedly linking him to the death, he "stated that he had been driving that day, bent down to pick up some smokes and had hit her", Det Sgt Roberts statement said.

 

"He said he had been smoking cannabis that day and when he got out and found that she was under the car he had panicked."….

 

….The hearing continues tomorrow.

Author: Kim Arlington

Date: August 09, 2006

Source: The Courier Mail

Copyright: News Limited © 2006

 

My comment: Bent down to pick up some cannabis smokes? It's just like when they said that Timothy Kosowicz strangled that little girl after she "knocked over his bowl of marijuana". They way they portray it is so depreciative.

 

The continuing story then appeared the next day:

Kill accused 'panicked'

THE alleged killer of Janelle Patton told police he had been smoking cannabis before he hit her with his car and that he had "panicked", a court heard yesterday.

Author: Kara Lawrence

Date: August 10, 2006

Source: The Courier Mail

Copyright: News Limited © 2006

 

My comment: I call this a "volley" in the war on cannabis because cannabis just doesn't produce these sorts of situations. You could argue that prohibition and the negative light that cannabis is portrayed in with regards to driving could make people become scared to come forth like Chante Mallard who hit a guy stoned on the way to work one morning in Fort Worth, Texas, I don't know if you remember the story. When they played the story here all I can remember is them saying that she was stoned on cannabis but I came across this Taiwanese story that says that she used alcohol and ecstasy that day as well. Oh well, I know some on this website believe that cannabis "impairs" but I don't and anyway I don't think it could have impaired these people in the way that's suggested. They are just implying that marijuana users are loony bins and do stupid stuff and get psychopathically murderous when the shit hits the fan maybe because "they have no coping skills" or "they're schizophrenic". You know; the usual stuff. Welcome to your own version of Reefer Madness News limited. Bravo.

[pipeman]

I can't see how cananbis can be blamed for either of these accidents.

 

In the first case she didn't take cannabis 9 hours before the crash, it was the night before. She had been driving for 9 hours before crashing. So, she certinaly wasn't fucking stoned was she. Maybe she just got tired after 9 hours of constant driving and fell asleep at the wheel. Its been known to happen ya wankers. But of course because cannabis was in her system lets blame it on that.

 

In the 2nd case well thats just the stupidity of not keeping your eyes on the road. You will just as easily run over someone while bending over to pick up your cigs straight or stoned. The reason stoned drivers are even safer than average drivers IMO is that they are aware that they are stoned so are more cautious. And unlike alcohol being stoned doesn't make people get more aggressive and over confident. You aren't in a rush and are happy to chill in the slow lane with some good music. Well at least thats how I drive when I'm stoned.

[Budman2012]

I agree totally with you guyz ...

This is just more disgraceful media propoganda

 

They obviously haven't told the whole story in either case , they have just jumped in to pick out bits and peices so they can be the first to have "The story of the day" i.e. The war on Cannabis users is heightening.

 

All thos fuckers are totally useless Imo. and the world would be a better place without them.

 

People crash their cars all the time ... People are nutz and never perfect by any means ... cars go too fast ... Its fucken crazy (Sorry petrol heads) ... factoring in all the things that can go wrong and potentially kill you in a split second , Driving is 1000's of times more dangerous than intaking Marijuana ...

 

Gorsh ... What dumbshits ... I wish they'd Fuck off and stop fighting this pointless and futile "War on drugs"

If they love war so much , they should go and get shot in a real war I reckon.

 

Anyway ... I'm too pissed off just now to write any more ...

 

FKTHEFKNPGZ!!! (hehe U knew it was comin' didn'tya)

 

Budman ... Out. (I read it in a newspaper and watched it on the TV ... It must be true!)

[Stoney]

hey there

 

dam the man this shitis the reason why i dont watch news or read the paper anymore the media spin anything and everything around to make a story better its just stupid

and obviously the topic of the month has been cannabis smoking

 

well im gonna go strangle some people and run some others over with me car hang on car keys check smokes check now just gotta get a few cones into me and im set

 

catch yas

[WantDaChronic]

what ever happened to stop, revive, survive? i remember those ads saying driving for longer than 2 hours at a time risks not only the lives in your car, but the lives of the other people on the road due to things like micro sleeps...but fuck that, lets blame it on the pot she smoked the day before even though its evident she had no food in her system, would have been exhausted from the 9 hours of constant driving and considering the situation she was in, ie. only her child and herelf in the car and driving for 9 hours straight, it sounds like she was fleeing an abusive partner and didnt want to stop for fear they'd hurt her or her child

 

as for the second case, you cant blame marijuana for a guy taking his eye off the road to pick up a pack of ciggies he had on his car floor, if anything the family of the deceased should go after the tobacco company who made the packet of smokes that caused the accident because it was the nicotine in their product that got that go so addicted to their cigarettes that he was willing to take his eyes off the road, endangering the lives of those around him, just so he could light up one of his cancer sticks i dont know about you guys, but i think that argument i just pulled out of my arse holds more weight than the media's anti-cannabis stance on the accident

 

since that last one was short and sweet, my reply is who wouldnt panic after running over a fellow human? i know people who have fallen into crazy levels of depression for hitting birds, running over lizards etc. which are not even someone's family pet so you can imagine how those same people would feel taking out a fellow human

[MongyMan]

This new propaganda war on pot sux, any ideas on how to pull it up though.

[stonedstump]

I agree with all of the above posters.

 

The media is worse than the government I think. I think the first step to getting anything done is to get some insiders in the media and start publishing some TRUTH.

 

Maybe then the masses of people in Australia might start to wake up? The media has been allowed to dumb people down for too long.. I mean look at America..

 

Australia is almost there too, there is no law here saying the government can't own the media is there?

[thc24]

i had one,

 

too stoned when a granny reversed into me in car park, if i was straight i would have yelled abuse and kicked a dent in her new car.

 

But i wasnt straight so i sat there waiting for her to come to me, that she didnt tried to make a dash for it. so i chased got licence and then blocked her exit.

 

 

Silly old lady said she didnt notice reversing into solid object. then she bailed because i was chasing. offered 10% of cost to fix now whos stoned.

 

3 months later and after making a fool of her i got some cash but not after a visit from her son asking me to pay her damage as she told the story like i reversed into her. Damage to back of her 3 day old beast and crumpled door on my car. do the math on that one.

 

 

Many worse drivers on the roads than a stoner, drink, pills, speed, tobacco, phones, sleep drivers, older and plain shocking drivers.

 

make Better roads more asphult less stone with poles and trees 30m back, get rid of islands at stop signs and in centre of some roads, get rid of two lanes in to one at speed and or after lights, Age limit, defensive driver course paid by government and better lighting. would be a start.

 

Then places for the youth to have alittle fun on weekends ie closed carparks or driving centres with out risk of loosing car or ending up in jail for spinnies.

Edited August 12, 2006 by thc24

[stonedstump]

Here HERE

[pipeman]

nice story thc. old grannies huh? I have come across a few con artist grannies in my time I don't give em an inch they know exactly what they're fucking doing. and they always try to push in front of you in ques as well. bitches