Alaska Ponders Pot Initiative

Fox News ^ | Friday, August 20, 2004 | Dan Springer

[TKDietz]

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The last frontier just may become the first state in the nation to legalize marijuana completely. Backers of a controversial ballot initiative want pot to be treated just like alcohol. If voters pass the measure, it would be legal to grow, smoke and sell any amount of marijuana so long as one is 21 years of age. The state would regulate the cannabis industry just like it licenses booze and cigarettes. "Alaskans are independent and I think Alaskans believe people should have the maximum freedom of choice," said Ken Jacobus, a pro-marijuana attorney. "Adults can choose cigarettes, they can choose alcohol." But state Attorney General Gregg Renkes said he opposes the initiative. "It's going to lead to a higher rate of addiction for marijuana and other drugs, it will increase the burden on the state and I think it's really a disservice to our young people," Renkes said. Alaskans can currently possess small amounts of pot for use in their homes and medical marijuana is allowed. But the state has the highest drug addiction in the country and is among the nation's leaders in unemployment, child abuse and domestic violence.

[TKDietz]

I was curious about the claim that Alaska has the highest drug addiction rates in the country so I tried to serach for proof of this claim. I did not find anything saying this specifically, but I did find some interesting data from our government's 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). When you look at the tables for people twelve or older or 26 and older you will see Alaska right up there with the states with the highest dependence and abuse rates for alcohol and drugs. When you look at children from ages 12 to 17, Alaska is near or at the bottom range on the tables as far as dependence and abuse goes. Alaska has a higher male to female ratio than any other state I believe and males are more apt to abuse drugs and alcohol than females, so I would expect Alaska to have high rates of addiction in relation to other states. I did not expect to see abuse and addiction rates to be among the lowest for children. It appears to me that the overall rates are skewed because Alaska has a relatively young population. Seniors don't tend to move there to retire, and when you look at these NSDUH statitics, people 54 and under are several times more likely to have used illegal drugs than people 65 and older. This explains why the overall addiction rates are higher than in much of the rest of the country where most of the elderly reside. But why is it that Alaska has such lax marijuana laws yet they have among the lowest addiction rates in the country for children 12 - 17 years of age?

[TKDietz]

Here's a link to the NSDUH tables I mentioned: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k2State/html/ch5.htm

[CSM]

Mr. Leroy, is that you?

(Anyone posting these articles must be Leroy, don't ya know!)

[robertpaulsen]

Already posted here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1195249/posts

[dead]

Generally, the words "pot" and "initiative" don't go well together.

[TKDietz]

I forgot a couple of links.

Here's the age breakdown for use of any illicit drug in America:

http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/nhsda/2k2nsduh/html/Sect1peTabs1to110A.htm#tab1.19b

Here's the age breakdown for use of any illicit drug in America:

http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/nhsda/2k2nsduh/html/Sect1peTabs1to110A.htm#tab1.20b

As you can see by these statistics there is a huge drop off for senior citizens.

[TKDietz]

Oops, I looked but didn't find it already posted.

[Onelifetogive]

Backers of a controversial ballot initiative want pot to be treated just like alcohol. If voters pass the measure, it would be legal to grow, smoke and sell any amount of marijuana so long as one is 21 years of age.

Can I "grow, smoke and sell any amount of alcohol" to anyone over 21???

[beachn4fun]

Hey Ma, you in on this? ;->

[Mudboy Slim]

"Alaska has a higher male to female ratio than any other state I believe and males are more apt to abuse drugs and alcohol than females, so I would expect Alaska to have high rates of addiction in relation to other states."

Plus, with no women around, you might as well just fire up a doobie...then again, perhaps women cause the tension that begs fer a bong hit...LOL!!

Go Alaska Go...MUD

[Mudboy Slim]

"Hey Ma, you in on this?"

I hear Kathy's got one hellUVA bootleg garden goin'...LOL!!

If this passes, Alaska's tourist industry will benefit...MUD

[jmc813]

Hey rp, I'm a little bummed that I haven't seen you much on the Alan Keyes threads. We can definitely use your help against the anti-Keyes dopes.

[RightWhale]

Nobody would be surprised to find Alaska has the highest drug use of any state. Alcohol, too. It is an obvious big deal. But not everyone in Alaska is a pothead. In fact, there is an equal number who are teetotalers. Persons kind of have to follow their natural inclinations in Alaska since the social structure is relatively weak, so some go toward being stoned, at least for a while, and some go towards being stone sober.

[babble-on]

LEGALIZE IT!!

[robertpaulsen]

Go to Table A.16 Percentages Reporting Past Year Any Illicit Drug Dependence among Persons Aged 12 or Older, by Age Group and State: 2002.

If you exclude the District of Columbia and Rhode Island, Alaska is the highest. Maybe he has access to 2003 numbers?

[beachn4fun]

LOL....I'm sure there are already many farms there awaiting the official confirmation so that they can now go legit! Profits will surely go down after becoming legit though!

[Mudboy Slim]

"Profits will surely go down after becoming legit though!"

Yes, but profits will now be taxable, thereby allowing other forms of taxation to be decreased.

I hope this passes...MUD

[robertpaulsen]

I got one ping (from unspun) on Keyes, and that was on the reparations issue. Geez, don't ask me to defend that!

I like Keyes, and I think he'd make a great Illinois Senator. Ping me on a thread, and I'll also look around.

[jmc813]

I agree that the reparations thing is dumb. However, there has been a group of 10 or so freepers who have been undermining the campaign since day 1 and it is extremely frustrating. I'll ping ya to some of the better threads.

[EUPHORIC]

I hope they legalize it just to see what the ads for it are like... :)