# Timothy Leary : How did the authorities get away with such blatant abuses?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/timothy-leary-how-did-the-authorities-get-away-with-such-blatant-abuses/702269>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 23, 2014, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/timothy-leary-how-did-the-authorities-get-away-with-such-blatant-abuses/702269 "2014-10-23T18:26:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/timothy-leary-how-did-the-authorities-get-away-with-such-blatant-abuses/702269/21 "2014-10-25T20:59:43Z")

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> [@John\_Mace](#):
>
> In the early 60s, marijuana was considered more dangerous than LSD. I remember the _Dragnet_ episode where some kid is arrested\* for having LSD and his parents protest to Friday that “it wasn’t like he had marijuana or anything!”.
> 
> \*maybe he was just brought back to his parents

Ah, yes, that would be the infamous [Blue Boy](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eSUXogm1H9c/UEO-BYIaQwI/AAAAAAAACqA/efKOsLXIGso/s400/BLUEBOY.jpg) episode. The first part of the episode takes place before LSD was made illegal (in 1966), and so the only punishment the blue boy gets is being returned to his parents and a firm lecture from Joe. Later on in the episode, LSD has been made illegal and one of the blue boy’s friends overdoses on LSD (!) and dies. The part about “it’s not like it’s marijuana” is definitely Webb wagging his finger at society for taking so long to make LSD illegal.

(Some have noted the irony in this being the first Dragnet episode aired in color.)

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