LOL. What makes you think that just because its legal, you'll be able to smoke it on the job? It will have laws and regulations just like alcohol. I don't get why people think making mar1juana legal means mar1juana will run wild. Any law that relates to alcohol, can relate to mar1juana. For example, no smoking and driving, over 21, no smoking at work, ect. Hell, they could make it where you could only smoke it in specified mar1juana bars and that would be better than what we have now.
That article didn't say anything about potency, a topic that has been wildly overblown by the prohibitionists ... _________________________________________________________________ ONDCP Admits Exaggerating mar1juana Potency Printer Friendly Version Email this Article Posted in Chronicle Blog by Scott Morgan on Wed, 04/25/2007 - 9:30pm Well, that's not exactly how they phrased it. But that's what happened. After years of claiming that mar1juana is 25-30 times stronger than it used to be, ONDCP admitted that mar1juana potency has merely doubled: (Washington, D.C.)—Today, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) released the latest analysis from the University of Mississippi's Potency Monitoring Project which revealed that levels of THC—the psychoactive ingredient in mar1juana—have reached the highest-ever levels since scientific analysis of the drug began in the late 1970's. According to the latest data on mar1juana samples analyzed to date, the average amount of THC in seized samples has reached 8.5 percent. This compares to an average of just under 4 percent reported in 1983 and represents more than a doubling in the potency of the drug since that time. Compare that to John Walters' statement in The San Francisco Chronicle on September 1, 2002: The THC of today's sinsemilla averages 14 percent and ranges as high as 30 percent. Even stronger stuff is on the way. The point is that the potency of available mar1juana has not merely "doubled," but increased as much as 30 times. Maybe he thought we wouldn't remember. It's curious that ONDCP and NIDA are so proud to announce that they've been wildly exaggerating mar1juana potency for many years. Apparently, they see value in finally legitimizing their claims that pot is getting stronger, even if doing so raises the question of what the hell they've been talking about all this time. Yet a doubling of mar1juana potency hardly compliments the ONDCP's ongoing effort to eradicate the stuff from the planet. Nor does it bear any relationship to the intoxication levels experienced by users, who titrate their doses to achieve the desired effect regardless of potency. Besides, now that researchers at Harvard have informed us that THC shrinks tumors and likely prevents lung cancer, more of it can only be a good thing.
We could do all kinds of education as to the actual effects of mar1juana, but the prohibitionists won't allow any such education beyond "drugs are bad, mmmmmkay." Heck, if we regulated it, we could actually do some serious studies as to the actual effects of mar1juana and might actually learn about it, but according to the drug warriors, it is so dangerous that it can't even be studied. The biggest reason that people think it is "harmless" is because the harms are so minimal when compared to alcohol, the most popular intoxicant in the world.
Psychological dependence is relatively minor when compared to physical addiction. It is an issue, but when compared to the issues that exist with alcohol, it is an extremely minor one that shouldn't qualify mar1juana to be banned.
I smoked all day, every day, for over two years. There would always be times when we couldn't find any and then, and when my friends and I all decided to quit, we had no withdrawal symptoms beyond a 1-2 day adjustment period that amounted to "oh yeah, so this is what it feels like to be sober." I knew a lady way back when who didn't know she was allergic to alcohol until she tried her first drink and someone found her passed out in another room. It nearly killed her. Should booze be illegal because a small percentage of people are allergic? I mean, one drink nearly killed her.... I also worked in psych and addictions for four years. Not once did I EVER treat someone for mar1juana addiction. I treated booze, benzos (xanax, valium), opiates (oxycontin, vicodin) and various other legal narcs every day, as well as cocaine and meth, but never not once strictly mar1juana. Now I'm not deriding your experience, but the data are OVERWHELMINGLY in favor of there being virtually zero withdrawal and addiction symptoms associated with mar1juana. I'd suggest that you research why mar1juana is illegal in the first place. It had everything to do with William Randolf Hearst and his paper and publishing empire and nothing to do with health or addiction.
Let me sum up Lynus' well-reasoned argument with this nice little video clip... <font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#999999"><br/><a style="font: Verdana" href="http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=3914279">Half Baked rehab clip</a><br/><object width="425px" height="360px" ><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="wmode" value="transparent"/><param name="movie" value="http://mediaservices.myspace.com/services/media/embed.aspx/m=3914279,t=1,mt=video"/><embed src="http://mediaservices.myspace.com/services/media/embed.aspx/m=3914279,t=1,mt=video" width="425" height="360" allowFullScreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"></embed></object><br/><a style="font: Verdana" href="http://www.myspace.com/41078782">Mike</a>*|*<a style="font: Verdana" href="http://vids.myspace.com">MySpace Video</a></font>
Exactly. Naysayers could point to what I wrote below: ....and say "See?? SEE??!? Psychological addiction!" And that would just be silly.
Because LEGALIZE is too broad Is it legal like Smoking Is it legal like alcohol Is it legal like Pez? You have to contextualize it. Rocket River
You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to GladiatoRowdy again. Thanks to you and Lynus302.
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/V6yMj0JGLWs&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/V6yMj0JGLWs&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dFtLONl4cNc&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dFtLONl4cNc&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> (OK, not really. I don't want it.)
great posts in here. i'm not a heavy user, but i couldn't imagine being addicted. sure, it makes music, movies, live comedy, food, and sex better, but i never feel that my body craves mar1juana. it just enjoys it when i get the chance to indulge.
This sounds more like recreational social smoking, like what most people do. Smoking a couple blunts a day shared amongst friends is not what I would consider abuse or heavy smoking. What I am talking about is a $1000+ a month habit for a single person... being high 24/7 for years and never NOT being high during a day. Again, 3-5 grams a day of high grade Northern California weed. I have smoked regularly since I was a teenager. I never felt withdrawal before either to any extent. It wasn't until I started abusing weed and stopped cold turkey that I felt the withdrawal. I have friends who smoked the same amount that I did and all felt withdrawal.
CHI, Your story reminds me of a lady I saw interviewed on TV who was totally opposed to legalization...even medical...because she basically got a medical card and did the same thing as you as far as seriously abusing it and then complained about serious withdrawal symptoms when she quit. I'm not doubting what your saying is possible or probable...but it is nowhere near the normal scenario. If your argument is basically you are against it solely based on that, I can understand why you would have that perspective but I'm not going to agree with your stance because you were a special case. What you did...you should not have done. You had a choice in the matter and could have taken it easy...but you went off the deep end quite a bit from what your saying. You could use those same arguments for anything that is abused ad nauseum. It doesn't represent the majority of the users and how they approach it. So, while your vote may count, I doubt your going to find much support to vote with you against based on your scenario. You are basically part of the 1% club in my book.
I think this logic is a bit flawed. mar1juana should not be compared to alcohol; it should be compared to nothing. What are the harms of mar1juana compared to not smoking mar1juana? Also, alcohol is a very harmful drug. People become addicted, etc. etc. So, by using this logic, because alcohol is legal, we should also legalize cocaine.. cocaine is used for medical purposes as well.
Anything can be abused, Alcohol, mar1juana, etc. I don't think there is such a thing as a "recreational heroin user" etc.
