Quote:
Originally Posted by REH7380
It would appear that my thread was sort of hijacked to include alcohol and cigarette's along with pot. It probably makes sense since these are also mind altering drugs which in some way dull feelings, change behavior and effect basic health. Whether they are legal vs pot being illegal is not relevant other than from the standpoint of a pot user risking fines and jail to alter their behavior?
My basic question remains. Should the government loosen any of it's laws regarding another mind altering drug and why would someone want to dull their feeling with another escape route, (medical usage being an exception). I am not a medical person but as I understand it alcohol effects every organ in your body, cigarettes are a major cause of lung cancer and pot can cause birth defects, shrinks the stem of the brain, etc. and all cause some loss of feelings and changes in normal behavior. OK now tell me why it make sense to let loosen up another problem on our already swamped next generation.
|
I won't pretend to be able to answer for everyone. Possible answers may include the following.
If there is no fundemental difference in marijuana use than alcohol use why are we spending hundreds of millions in the "fight against it? This basically feeds the criminal machine and crime and violence associated with it much as was the case in prohibition.
More specifically, your original reference was clarified by another poster, in that the present administration was stopping federal involvement of raids on cannabis clubs, which really exist
primarily for those to old, sick, or infirm to get the marijuana by more "traditional" means for the symptoms they need to treat, ultimately leaving it to the states to decide. Lets be real, anyone that wants pot for recreational use has no problems in procuring it.
Are we loosening up another problem on our already swamped next generation? Perhaps, depending on your view. Are the same people asking these questions the same ones that cry for less federal government intervention and more personal resposibility? Not sure, but a valid question I think.
Before anyone accuses me of being an advocate for more and/or easier drug use realize nothing could be further from the truth. I have been and am constantly exposed to tradgedies associated with addiction to all 3 of the above mentioned substances and more. But addressing this in the context of the original post requires accurate information with regard to the political accusations, the whole "gateway" theory, and our double standard with more traditionally accepted drugs (i.e. alcohol/nicotine).
Personal resposibility? I am ALL for it, seems to be a lot of that missing these days. I think we as a society also have some responsibility to find more effective ways to treat addiction since we won't do away with all mind altering substances, but this is not a popular subject. And to keep perspective, not even the majority of those that try alcohol or marijuana end up addicted to anything. There are simply those that will succumb to the disease. But that is a whole different subject and thread.