Is there a bigger media whore on TV today than Dr. Drew? I actually crossed paths with him a few years ago at the National Association for Campus Activities’ annual convention. We were both there to to present 15-minute samples of our respective college lectures. His was a solo talk about teen sex, while I was doing my “Heads versus Feds” debate on marijuana legalization against former NY DEA chief Robert Stutman.
Seconds before I was scheduled to take the stage, however, Pinksy collared me and began ranting about how a recently invented cannabis antagonist was going to make it impossible for people like me to ever get high on cannabis again. His plan was to have all known users of cannabis forced to take this new drug. He was smirking, gloating and trying to pump as much negative energy into me as he could. When I pointed out that I was about to take the stage in front of thousands of people to promote a program that actually educated students about real facts about marijuana, he ignored me and continued his diatribe a few inches from my face until Stutman came over and told him to lay off. At the time, I had no idea who Pinsky was, but I did form an opinion of him as a jerk based solely on that incident.
It’s interesting to note his much-hyped cannabis antagonist drug went down in flames very soon after this confrontation. Yes, they did develop a synthetic drug that blocked the primary cannabis receptor site. But after studies with the drug revealed people who took it became severely depressed, the drug was scrapped. If Pinsky did his research, he’d know that the endogenous cannabinoid system is actually one of the most important, and least understood, systems of the body, and it is essential to maintaining a healthy immune system, as well as creating feelings of bliss and inner peace that occur naturally through exercise and/or meditation. And that is why these same feelings can be achieved with cannabis, which duplicates the body’s own natural cannabinoids. Although this system is essential to creating and protecting neurons in our brains, it is located throughout the entire body, especially in vital organs. The other day I was channel surfing while at a motel immediately after at “Heads versus Feds” debate, when I caught a few seconds of Pinksy’s new TV show. He was interviewing porn star Capri Anderson about intimate details concerning her association with Charlie Sheen, who has lately replaced Lindsay Lohan as Pinksy’s favorite celebrity target. Pinksy believes Charlie should be forced into a psyche ward and have all his assets seized as he is legally insane and not able to care for himself. The reason for this is because Sheen (like most people on this planet) likes to get intoxicated.
It was absolutely creepy to watch Pinsky manipulate Anderson into talking about her intimate sex life. He also kept reaching over and fondling her knee during this interview, which made it clear he derives some sexual pleasure from his interrogations. It’s absurd to think Pinksy is doing anything other than glorifying the worst aspects of celebrity culture through these programs. He’s not part of any solution to our growing cultural narcissism since he clearly is a media whore who revels in sticking his nose into intimate details of celebrity lives that are actually none of his business. He does this to achieve ratings, not to help anyone. If Pinsky truly wants to do something to help people with addiction issues, he’d be much more effective referring them to ibogaine centers in Canada, since ibogaine has a much better success rate than the 12-step programs he currently promotes. And he needs to realize that cannabis has nothing to do with hard drugs, and some patients with addiction problems could actually benefit from medical cannabis.