There have been astonishing new developments in this case in the past week or two. Naturally, the new information is the work of private bloggers and it has not yet reached the news media. When it does, and it may not until the George Zimmerman case comes up for judicial determination, there may be an explosion.
First, the research done by bloggers began with Trayvon’s Facebook page, which until last week was on view. On it he had open discussions with friends about drugs, both marijuana and a concoction of Dextromethorphan, Arizona Iced Tea watermelon juice flavor and Skittles, the candy. These components, mixed together, make a cocktail which gives a potent high from sipping it over an hour or two. The mixture is referred to on the street as “purple drank,” and the process as “sippin.”
Trayvon’s Facebook page contained many of the references to this cocktail. There is information that chronic use, which is evidenced by the entries on Facebook for nearly a year, can lead to brain damage and behavioral abnormalities. Some of that behavioral effect can be seen in the 7-11 video recently released. Some of the networks showed part of the video, edited and speeded up to make Trayvon’s behavior look more normal. The comments at most of the sites showing the video mention that his encounter with George Zimmerman was “moments later.” It was actually nearly an hour later and there is considerable discussion about what took place. Some versions of the video show three other men meeting Trayvon and may show him conducting a transaction with them.
He has an interaction with the 7-11 clerk. The audio is edited from this segment but the clerk points to a shelf behind the counter and shakes his head. That shelf is where Dextromethorphan is kept. The drug, also referred to as DXM, is the effective cough suppressant in cough syrup and those brands containing it are labeled “DM.” When I was a child, codiene, a more effective cough suppressant, was in popular use but abuse of it for recreational purposes made it prescription only. DXM is headed the same way for the same reason. In fact, chronic use of DXM is dangerous and may cause behavioral changes including rage reactions to minor stimuli. The Arizona Iced Tea watermelon juice flavor and Skittles were found in his pockets, as well as a lighter but no cigarettes.
The best site for explanation of this new information is here (a video), an here, and it is especially important to read the comments, which will take an hour, but there is a lot of information there. The reference to “Treepers” refers to the parent site, Conservative Tree House, a group site with two major bloggers, Sundance and Dedicated Dad, who tell most of the story.
Prepare to spend a couple of hours going through all this but it contains the answer to what happened, I believe. The purple drank concoction, is also referred to as “lean” because it makes the user lean and move slowly, which describes Trayvon’s behavior in real time in the 7-11. This has not yet hit the news, and may not until the court date, but it is powerful. There are also some suggestions from the Facebook entries that Trayvon was selling marijuana to classmates but that is secondary to the story of the shooting.
It is also significant that the father and the girlfriend went out to dinner leaving Trayvon and Chad, the son of the girlfriend, alone. The father turned off his cell phone when he went to bed and did not know anything was amiss with Trayvon until the next day. There are many questions about all this but most are covered at the links I provided.
Thanks, Doc!
I was on vacation last week and when I’m on vacation I adhere to a total news blackout.
BILL