I see that Obama and his Attorney General are planning to stop federal programs that enforce and restrict pot smoking/usage. This really fits into a new American lifestyle. Allow the youth to legally "drug" themselves out of reality and not feel true feelings. Allow a gateway drug to be legalized so more can become even heavier drug users and more out of touch with reality. Adopt programs that will drive crime even higher.
I have nothing against the medical use of pot where it has been approved by a Doctor and will help a patient with pain. I had a niece who at the age of 28 developed a brain tumor and ultimately passed away. Pot was
one of the ways she was able to reduce pain and I believe that medical usage of this nature is justified.
But to generally legalize it or decrimialize it is outrages. Lets be conservative and guess that only 15-20% who use pot go on to heavier drugs, (e.g. it is generally accepted by the professionals that it is a gateway drug) that is an enormous number of heavy drug users and their demand for more increases as their systems become use to the level they are using..

I think you have your facts screwed up. They are discontinuing the raids on The Cannibus Clubs. Individual states will have to deal with the issue of legalizing Marijuana or not. These raids were costly and unnecessary. Even the Mayor of San Francisco is supporting marijuana for medicinal reasons only.

Get your facts straight. hmmmmm.... have you been watching Bill Maher lately?

Attorney General Eric Holder stated this week that the Drug Enforcement Administration would end its raids on state-approved marijuana dispensaries.

Not the same as legalizing Marijuana for recreational use.

Originally Posted by chelsea24

I think you have your facts screwed up. They are discontinuing the raids on The Cannibus Clubs. Individual states will have to deal with the issue of legalizing Marijuana or not. These raids were costly and unnecessary. Even the Mayor of San Francisco is supporting marijuana for medicinal reasons only.

Get your facts straight. hmmmmm.... have you been watching Bill Maher lately?

Thanx for the clarification.

And if we are going to talk about gateway drugs, the two most common and pervasive "gateway drugs" are nicotine and alcohol by far. If we really want to address drug problems instead of using this as more of a political blame game lets start there.
More is spent on the treatment of alcohol addiction than that of any other drug, and likely more than all other drugs combined. Nicotine addiction accounts for enormous drains on our healthcare system. Tobacco subsidies from 1995-2006 totaled well over 500 million dollars, while private and government health care dollars are treating the multitude of complications (heart and vascular disease, lung disease, various cancers)associated with smoking and other tobacco abuse.
Seems we have a few gateway drugs to deal with that are not partisan or administration specific.

OK, they are stopping raids on the clubs which I think is consistent with my point that they are not going to enforce or control (federal basis) some pot usage (e.g. at the clubs which is a beginning). You can argue small points but the overall fact is that more usage will result from less enforcement's.
If your point is that is OK then so be it and you have a right to your opinion.
As far as getting facts straight lets agree that 2 Therapists with more than 50years of treating drug and alcohol additions will support that pot is a gateway drug and in fact in one case one said that a significant majority of heavy drugs users which were treated started with pot.
Is your mind clearer or more foggy when using drugs, is there a better picture of reality when using than not using, is there more or less crime when more drugs are used? And so on. I also understand that the federal government would turn the control/enforcement over to the states. Again, one less control over usage, (e.g. federal government stopping any single form of enforcement.)
I am not a fanatic on the subject but just believe it is not a plus to any society.

Originally Posted by REH7380

OK, they are stopping raids on the clubs which I think is consistent with my point that they are not going to enforce or control (federal basis) some pot usage (e.g. at the clubs which is a beginning). You can argue small points but the overall fact is that more usage will result from less enforcement's.
If your point is that is OK then so be it and you have a right to your opinion.
As far as getting facts straight lets agree that 2 Therapists with more than 50years of treating drug and alcohol additions will support that pot is a gateway drug and in fact in one case one said that a significant majority of heavy drugs users which were treated started with pot.
Is your mind clearer or more foggy when using drugs, is there a better picture of reality when using than not using, is there more or less crime when more drugs are used? And so on. I also understand that the federal government would turn the control/enforcement over to the states. Again, one less control over usage, (e.g. federal government stopping any single form of enforcement.)
I am not a fanatic on the subject but just believe it is not a plus to any society.

I am not sure its a plus to society either. I maintain though that if we are going to raise the specter then lets deal with the facts, and the facts are that alcohol and nicotine are by far the most common "gateway" drugs per the gateway theory. I think though that maybe its not as politically savy to address these. It begins to raise several questions about why alcohol and nicotine are ok and cannabis is not, and if the multi-millions we spend on marijuana is justified, especially if we continue to condone the more traditional drugs of alcohol and nicotine.
I am glad you pursued information from professionals. My experience with addictions on a personal and professional level, and contact with other professionals totaling probably hundreds of years of combined experiences drives my above comments.
I wish as a society we could get by without any mind altering substances, including all 3 mentioned above, but I doubt thats gonna happen.
If we are going to address it then lets do it, the politics have very little to do with it...fortunately or unfortunately depending on your view.

I don't understand why when marijuana is addressed and the terrible effects it has on society there is a need to try to change the subject to alcohol and nicotine? When was the last time you saw someone go to jail because they smoked a cigarette? Is it bad for you, sure.
Of course alcohol is a terrible drug and misued but does that justify using
marijuana. Is alcohol as much of a "gateway" drug as marijuana? I have not heard one professional in the field say that it is?
Back to the subject..It seems to be outrages to encourage any move to lessen the laws on using pot.

I personally think that the negative effects of alcohol and tobacco on society equal those of pot smoking. Many illnesses and deaths, and lives ruined. To think that tobacco would ever be outlawed is foolish, of course, with the power that the big tobacco lobbies wield. And prohibition didn't work either, as far as alcohol goes. And kids still smoke pot, too, for what its worth.

Originally Posted by REH7380

I don't understand why when marijuana is addressed and the terrible effects it has on society there is a need to try to change the subject to alcohol and nicotine? When was the last time you saw someone go to jail because they smoked a cigarette? Is it bad for you, sure.
Of course alcohol is a terrible drug and misued but does that justify using
marijuana. Is alcohol as much of a "gateway" drug as marijuana? I have not heard one professional in the field say that it is?
Back to the subject..It seems to be outrages to encourage any move to lessen the laws on using pot.

"Gateway Drugs" are a theory, both supported and refuted by different studies. Gateway drugs are those correlated with more or additional drug use after beginning them. If you are to claim marijuana is a gateway drug (and I happen to think it is to the same degree alcohol and nicotine are) at least recognize that other drugs/alcohol are with the same or greater preponderance.
The terrible effects marijuana has had on society? Historically they pale in comparrison to those of alcohol.
Alcohol is certainly at least as much of a "gateway drug" by all accounts (as is nicotine). Not sure what proffesionals failed to mention that to you.

And yes, back to the subject. Part of the deal here is about being accurate and not inflamatory. Kind of like saying Obama is trying to stop federal programs that enforce or limit pot smoking. Kind of like saying alcohol is not as much of a "gateway drug" as alcohol. If we are going to discuss and assign some political blame let's at least be accurate.

Didn't we learn anything from prohibition? Economic forces will soon decriminalize pot. California is broke and will turn to legal pot sales as a tax source. I believe Mass has already decided that the police will ignore possession of an ounce or less. Their court system can't deal with it and their jail system can't handle the cost. It's not healthy but neither is nicotine, one of the most addictive substances on the planet

Originally Posted by rshoffer

Didn't we learn anything from prohibition? Economic forces will soon decriminalize pot. California is broke and will turn to legal pot sales as a tax source. I believe Mass has already decided that the police will ignore possession of an ounce or less. Their court system can't deal with it and their jail system can't handle the cost. It's not healthy but neither is nicotine, one of the most addictive substances on the planet

Sadly, I agree.

And the hundreds of thousands of innocent people maimed or killed by drunk drivers!

with known statistics of incidence much higher than alcohol....however not talked about much because it is easy to fuss about something one may not participate in like alcohol or drugs....but nary a word about cell phones....because there are too many who do not want to loose theirs....hence no negative fussing....you certainly won't see a Mothers Against Cell Phone Murder.....because they all got one and don't wanna lose it.

Hypocracy....oh yeah!

BTK

Originally Posted by Taj44

I personally think that the negative effects of alcohol and tobacco on society equal those of pot smoking. Many illnesses and deaths, and lives ruined. To think that tobacco would ever be outlawed is foolish, of course, with the power that the big tobacco lobbies wield. And prohibition didn't work either, as far as alcohol goes. And kids still smoke pot, too, for what its worth.

Taj, I agree.

Surely we've learned something from Prohibition. Pot is widely used today, and drug kings are reaping the benefits. It's not going to go away. The government has been ignoring that reality for too long.

The gateway drug is Nicotine. The first thing a kid tries is a cigarette...and gets hooked pretty much automatically. Then he ventures into alcohol next...but doesn't really like the taste of beer...but needs to impress his friends...so he acts like he loves it and drinks too much. Next comes the pot. It makes you paranoid, so you are not real bent to drive a car and when you do...you drive more carefully than 90 percent of the drivers on the road...you are probably a safer driver if you are moderately stoned than straight. Now, if you are totally blitzed...you will not drive unless you are a complete moron or your Xbox is broken.

I would rather ride in a car or hang out with a pot smoker than a drinker. It is much safer and you will never get in a fight with everyone at the bar.

As far as alcohol and cigarette smokers go...they should not be allowed health coverage. They are the reason our medical system is so messed up in the first place. Look, if you want to poison yourself with cigarette smoke and destroy your liver with alcohol...don't expect me to pay for your medical coverage.

You grow out of smoking pot and quit shortly after college...but nicotine is like getting off of heroin. Most people cannot man up and quit smoking until their doctors scares them half to death with the results of their medical exam. Pot smokers for the most part...quit. They put away their toys and grow up. Smokers cling to their cancer sticks like it is life or death.

Why does the FDA allow nicotine if they are supposed to protect us?

The world would be a much better place if cigarettes and alcohol were illegal and we might actually be able to afford going to the doctor if smokers and drinkers had the door slammed in their faces until they got intelligent and cleaned up their acts. Reality can oft times be harsh.