Ozzy Says He Now Believes Pot Leads To Other Addictions

MTV ^ | 07.08.2003 | Robert Mancini, with reporting by Gideon Yago

[presidio9]

Ozzy Osbourne may have weathered the lowest lows that drug addiction has to offer, but the news that his son Jack was seeking treatment for substance abuse taught him a lesson that his own decades of addiction never did.

"I used to think they should legalize pot, but you know what? They should ban the lot," Osbourne told MTV News, addressing Jack's battle for the first time. "One thing leads to another. Coffee leads to Red Bull, Red Bull leads to crank.

"When I found out the full depth of him getting into OxyContin, which is like hillbilly heroin, I was shocked and stunned," Osbourne continued. "The thing that's amazing was how rapidly he went from smoking pot to doing hillbilly heroin."

Ozzy's son entered a California rehabilitation facility in April to battle what was later revealed to be an addiction to the prescription painkiller OxyContin (see "Jack Osbourne Reveals He Was Addicted To Painkiller OxyContin"). Jack also said that he was drinking and using a variety of substances — including Vicodin, Valium, Xanax, Dilaudid, Lorcet, Lortab, Percocet and marijuana — before his trip to rehab (see "Rehab Helps Jack Osbourne Get To Root Of Addiction Problems").

Jack's laundry list of controlled substances made his father painfully aware of just how readily available drugs are. "When I started doing drugs years ago, they were hard to get, but today it's everywhere," Osbourne said. "It's not just America. It's not just California. It's not just Beverly Hills. It's not just downtown New York. It's not just London. It's all over the world" (see "All About OxyContin, The Pills Known As 'Killers' ").

This relatively easy access to allegedly "controlled" substances is especially hard for Ozzy to swallow given his firsthand experience with the damage that drugs can do.

"I'm 55 years old, and I didn't get off scot-free," Osbourne explained. "I have to take medication for the rest of my life because I've done so much neurological damage to my body," Osbourne said.

We'll have much more from our interviews with Ozzy and Jack in an "MTV News Now" special report, premiering Tuesday at 11 p.m. ET/PT (Jack's complete interview will appear on MTVNews.com when the show premieres). The show will be followed the next day by a repeat of MTV News' "True Life: I'm Hooked on OxyContin" at 6:30 p.m.

[toothless]

Don't forget the testimony from the AMA who said 'we see no reason to do this' and was asked 'why are you trying to stop our work' or something like that.

Also, don't forget the fact that Nixion's own commission determined that MJ should be re-legalized.

pesky facts.

The Report of the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse
Marihuana: A Signal of Misunderstanding

Commissioned by President Richard M. Nixon, March, 1972

http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/nc/ncmenu.htm

[presidio9]

Toothless is close to right. It was legal until six years AFTER the repeal of Prohibition. That's right. While alcohol was illegal, pot was legal. Given some of the arguments made on this thread, that is an interesting irony.

The only reason it was legal was because it was only used by a very small percantage of society. Several other mind altering drugs including cocaine and heroine once enjoyed that status. Do not irrelevance for acceptance.

[tuna_battle_slight_return]

""When I found out the full depth of him getting into OxyContin, which is like hillbilly heroin, I was shocked and stunned," Osbourne continued. "The thing that's amazing was how rapidly he went from smoking pot to doing hillbilly heroin."

Are we sure this isn't Ozzy's spokesperson saying this? How can anyone discipher what Ozzy is saying? He mumbles. Did Ozzy write the above statement down on paper and then someone translated it?

[toothless]

Especially when they read from the oz' own mouth that prohibition doesn't work?

"Jack's laundry list of controlled substances made his father painfully aware of just how readily available drugs are. "When I started doing drugs years ago, they were hard to get, but today it's everywhere," Osbourne said. "It's not just America. It's not just California. It's not just Beverly Hills. It's not just downtown New York. It's not just London. It's all over the world" (see "All About OxyContin, The Pills Known As 'Killers' "). "

[toothless]

"The only reason it was legal was because it was only used by a very small percantage of society. Several other mind altering drugs including cocaine and heroine once enjoyed that status. Do not irrelevance for acceptance. "

It wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that before the New Deal people actually knew how to read the constitution either...

[presidio9]

Don't try explaing logic to a person who admits that (shudder) Leroy is smarter than he is.

[lugsoul]

Wow - you really are that shallow and stupid. Since you can't understand a point my two year old can understand, let me lay it out for you, step by step.

Alcohol and pot are not the same.

The legal, economic and societal effects of Prohibition of an intoxicating substance are similar, and it is not necessary to equate the substances to compare the effects of Prohibition.

I know you can't understand this, but since you can't resist telling lies about my statements I will respond when you do.

I know you don't have the stones to answer a simple question, but I'll pose one anyway so you can run like a frightened child: between 1919 and 1931, which drug caused more harm to society and to "those around" users - illegal alcohol or legal pot?

Since you can't understand this simple concept, let me state it clearly - I AM NOT SAYING THE TWO ARE THE SAME. IN FACT, I AM SAYING THEY ARE VERY MUCH NOT THE SAME.

[presidio9]

By your own astute observation they outlawed alcohol before the New Deal so this is again a moronic statement. Drugs were outlawed as soon as society noticed them.

Drug users seem unable to grasp that their behavior is not normal.

Bump

[lugsoul]

What percentage, fact boy?

[toothless]

No does he have the stones to answer the question in 811.

[RockyMtnMan]

Interestingly enough, peyote is legal on some indian reservations for use during religious ceremonies. How many native americans do you here about going on a killing spree because they were wacked out on peyote?

[toothless]

Hello, there was a constitutional amendment to ban intoxicating beverages.

lol.

[presidio9]

My definition of drugs, for purposes of this argument, would be intoxicating substances used for recreational purposes.

Yes, but only because you desperately seek to keep pulling alcohol back into the debate. Which is a stupid policy. Which is why I enjoy this thread so much.

[presidio9]

Man this is fun!

[lugsoul]

By the way, I didn't say it was "accepted." Once again, you can't respond to what I actually post so you make up straw men to argue with. I said it was LEGAL. Are you now taking the position that it is okay for drugs to be legal as long as a small enough percentage of people use them? Who gets to be in the chosen few?

What a joke.

[presidio9]

Please. You can't be THAT stupid.

[toothless]

lol, alchol is not a drug.

priceless.

[toothless]

no stones.

[presidio9]

So why do you keep talking about alcohol. Legalizing pot will not change the damage caused by alohol.


bump

[toothless]

Alcohol shows the foolishness of prohibition, a fact you can't seem to grasp.