A4 - THE PERKINS JOURNAL, Thursday,
December
27,
201
2
Opinions
1 Acuff
The Future of Milk Business is Perilous. This is an era of As 2012 comes to a close I would like to leave my
energy drinks: little four-inches-high bottles .... ades, vitamins, readers with some food for thought; many of you
and/or protein. It's a Teeter-Totter- as energy drinks rise, U.S might call it a conspiracy theory and may be justified
Milk Consumption falls, in doing so.
There's been a decades-long decline. Dairy farmers; milk I often read one-sided debates on the legalization of
processors, and grocery stores are concerned, marijuana for medicinal use in Oklahoma. I moved
Per-capitamilkpeakedduringtheWorldWarlIem.Butit's to Stillwater from Humboldt Co., California, well-
fallen 30% since 1975, even as yogurt, cheese, and other dairy known for the quality marijuana it produces, legally
products have risen, and illegally; as a user and abuser of marijuana for
Some consumers say milk has too many calories, even with twenty-seven years I would like to share my perspec-
skim milk. Milk companies and retailers are pushing smaller, tive.
more-conveneint packages and health-orienentd varieties. Marijuana is an herbal drug whose chemical struc-
Protein-enhancedbeverages are aimedat fitness buffs. Cow's ture is complex. When coupled with the chemical
milk authenticity is touted; fast-growing altematives as soy variations of human beings, it is not possible to
and almondmilkarebeing derided as "imitations." Children achieve the same medical results on two separate
were once heavy milk drinkers. Now, they are a smaller share patients• Similar to any drug, there are contradic-
of the U.S population, tions and side effects in some people yet not others•
The decline's recent acceleration is due in part to increases Marijuana compounds these differences because
in milk's retail price. Dairy cow grain prices are soaring• different varieties have differing degrees of potency
But the depth of this slide has surprised some food-industry and effectiveness• It is not possible to regulate the
executives; retail prices have risen only slightly after surging chemical structure of marijuana.
9.2% last year, according to Federal Data. It is also not possible to come up with a reasonable
Americans drank an average 20•2 gallons of milk last year, method of diagnosis of when pain is intolerable and
a decline of 3.3% from the previous year. It's the largest year- alternative pain relief ineffective. Marijuana does
over-yearslidesincel975. Sales volume at U.S. food retail- make you not feel• I believe it does not actually
ers for all types of liquid milk, including non-dairy types has alleviate pain, but gives the illusion of the pain reced-
fallen 2.9% from a year earlier. Total dollar sales have slipped ing.., for a time. It does not address the root cause,
2.2%. Sales volume for the biggest milk category, skim and but can actually hinder determining the source of pain
low-fat milk haas dropped 4%. and hence a long term solution. Emotional pain, unad-
The slideis troubling forlarge grocery stores as Kroger's and dressed can develop physical manifestations• This
Walmart. They've long sold milk at the back of their stores pain, when "treated" with marijuana-- alleviated for
as aloss-leader, only a time--remains festering, growing and unre-
Consumers no longer consider milk as healthful as before, solved• It's really no different than relieving stress
So, Kroger, which runs its own dairies, plans tostart selling a with a martini when the source of stress is what needs
milk branded CARE-Master that contains 20% more protein attention.
than conventional milk. We live in a world full of hurt, woundedness and
Arizona-based Shamrock Farms recently began selling a lack of resolution. We tend to look for easy fixes to
"Muscle Builder" version of its high-protein milk, "Rockin' save time and effort. Short on sleep? Drink this for a
Refuel." Shamrock is in partnership with General Nutrition 5 hours fix. Short on social skills? Limit relationships
Centers with the product, which combines chocolate milk to Facebook and when someone offends you, "block"
and added protein, them out of your life--it is much simpler than learn-
TheMilk Industry is using new packaging sizes and styles to ing how to resolve conflict.
target busy families. Shamrock is producing a 12-otmce, easy I've taken the long way around to make point of
to griEmilk bottle at Subway restaurants. Seven-ouncebottles the fact that marijuana relieves more than physical
are sold at Arby's. Both are targeted at children, pain, It also relieves emotional pain and distorts the
Meanwhile, Dean Foods, the largest U.S. Dairy producer, faculties that distinguish reality and perceived reality.
last year introduced a low-sugar chocolate milk called called I've heard no one in Oklahoma, Colorado, Wash-
"TmMoo" for children, ington or California address the issue of marijuana
The Dairy Induslry is seeking to take some steam out of users functioning responsibly in society. For instance,
the plant-based alternatives by by tweaking the "Got Milk" medication bears warnings...Do not operate a vehicle
advertising and other efforts, or equipment• Alcohol has strict regulations of con-
Early next year, the Industry said it plans to use the "Real" sumption, minors, driving, even walking in public,
Seal that some dairy producers affix to milk cartons and other
dairy products. The red ar-drop seal is aimed at distinguishing
dairy milk from plant-based products.
There was some tatk years ago to stop minting the penny;
round to the nearest five-cents. Then future generations
wouldn't know "What's that supposed to mean, my two
cents worth?"
Likewise, if the word, "milk," disappears from the lexicon,
the same generatiom won't tmderstand, "Don't cry over spilled
milk, .... Raised on sour milk," "Milk of Human Kindness,"
and, "Pour the sweet. Milk of concord into Hell, uproar the
universal Peace, Confound all unity on Earth." Shakespeare,
Macbeth.
marijuana use either medically or recreationally.
I opened up the paper from back home last week
to headlines of the "Emerald Cup" competition--a
contest determining who has grown the best buds.
With more than 200 entries, the judges "spent the
entire month of November stoned" as they rated
and scored the entries• The marijuana is also sent
to a lab in Santa Cruz to measure the levels of THC
and CBD (cannabidiol). I'm sure it will be a very
coveted title•
The final sentence in the article reads "It can cure
epilepsy and cancer. They've been holding it back
from us." I chuckled recalling personal friends, daily
users of marijuana for countless years that have died
from pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer
and brain tumors• A close friend of mine has been
receiving chemotherapy since March for lymphoma
and another well-known resident is in San Francisco
cancer clinic with liver cancer and not expected to
return home. I believe there are chemical components
of marijuana could prove to be useful medicinally
just as Digoxin (derived from Foxglove) is useful in
some heart conditions; time has a way of uncover-
ing truth.
Compare marijuana prohibition to alcohol prohibi-
tion. In the days of alcohol prohibition, people made
their own moonshine, flooding the black market
and causing frequent deaths due to impurities in the
alcohol or the very real danger of dealing in black
• market transactions• Today, alcoholism in America is
a major disease. Researchers look for genetic reasons
behind alcoholism, but recovering alcoholics will tell
you the cure lies in taking inventory of your life and
what caused you to turn to alcohol in the first place.
I believe "recreational use" of marijuana is nothing
more than the proclivity to mask or avoid emotional
or relational discomfort just as having a social drink
breaks the ice or helps one unwind in the evening• I
do not judge it right or wrong, but urge users to not
let go of reality. With pot is that possible?
About two weeks ago, President Obama made a
statement to the effect that in states that have legal-
ized medical and recreational use of marijuana,
targeting and prosecuting users would not be a top
priority• The President has been stoned; he is fully
aware of how marijuana affects one's state of mind.
Problems fade, munchies strike, giggles, euphoria and
an attitude of procrastination is coupled with analyz-
ing life through a distorted reality•
Alright, here's the conspiracy theory. If a large
percentage of the population of these •United States
used marijuana, then that percentage of people would
have trouble discerning truth from fiction• Are Presi-
dent Obama and other government officials turning
to mushroom farming? Mushrooms are grown in the
dark and fed large doses of manure• What would the
government be able to get away with if the populous
were all taking a bong break? Kind of scary don't
yet no one addresses these questions when discussing you think?
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