Michael Bloomberg on marijuana: Legalizing 'another addictive narcotic' is perhaps 'stupidest thing anybody has ever done'

Newsweek ^ | January 23, 2020 | Tim Marcin

[Trump20162020]

Former New York City Mayor—and potential 2020 Democratic presidential candidate—Michael Bloomberg called efforts to legalize marijuana "perhaps the stupidest thing anybody has ever done."

Speaking at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, on Tuesday, Bloomberg said on the subject, according to WBNG-TV:

"We have a different kind of problem in America, for example. Last year, in 2017, 72,000 Americans [overdosed] on drugs. In 2018, more people than that are OD-ing on drugs, have OD'd on drugs. And today, incidentally, we are trying to legalize another addictive narcotic, which is perhaps the stupidest thing anybody has ever done. We've got to fight that, and that's another thing that Bloomberg Philanthropies will work on it in public health."

[Vermont Lt]

I grow it....but don’t smoke all that much.

[gcparent]

Its not a positive thing. Its the higher thc levels that are causing panic attacks and paranoia and restricting blood flow through vessels. I wouldnt touch the stuff. But it will be legal soon.Then never smoked cigarettes either. I hate smoke.

[NobleFree]

Higher THC levels means less harmful smoke inhaled to achieve the same effect - it's a positive change.

Its not a positive thing. Its the higher thc levels that are causing panic attacks and paranoia and restricting blood flow through vessels.

What is your evidence for these claims? Higher THC INTAKE could be a culprit - but higher levels only means higher intake if the user doesn't know the strength of what he's using ... a problem that only a legal regulated market can address. As for panic and paranoia, it's my understanding that the primary problem is strong illegal marijuana that the CBD has been bred out of in search of higher THC - again, a problem that only a legal regulated market can address.

[bella1]

I stand corrected. What I bear witness to on a daily basis must be a figment of my imagination.

[wardaddy]

Well as one who smoked from 1971-1984 I can only speak from personal experience that it’s not addictive whatsoever

It’s habit forming though like diet Dr Pepper or sex

Chronic all day use does stymie people no doubt

[NobleFree]

This is not your mother's, or...ahem...our marijuana from the 70s.

Yeah, yeah, it's stronger - and liquor is stronger than beer. What of it?

I stand corrected. What I bear witness to on a daily basis must be a figment of my imagination.

I didn't question nor correct your statement, but challenged its relevance.

[gcparent]

You think i just make this up. Check out NPR of all places) may 15 2019.

I dont care about pot or potheads.

[gcparent]

Npr Highly potent weed: what we know about the health effects. May 15 2019

[JoeFromSidney]

Well, the son of a service buddy got himself high on marijuana and jumped off the roof of their apartment building. Killed, of course. I felt sorry for my buddy, but it served as a good object lesson for my kids.

[NobleFree]

Its the higher thc levels that are causing panic attacks and paranoia and restricting blood flow through vessels.

What is your evidence for these claims? Higher THC INTAKE could be a culprit - but higher levels only means higher intake if the user doesn't know the strength of what he's using ... a problem that only a legal regulated market can address. As for panic and paranoia, it's my understanding that the primary problem is strong illegal marijuana that the CBD has been bred out of in search of higher THC - again, a problem that only a legal regulated market can address.

You think i just make this up.

No, I think you tend to hear/read things and remember them in a way that fits your preconceptions.

Check out NPR of all places) may 15 2019.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/05/15/723656629/highly-potent-weed-has-swept-the-market-raising-concerns-about-health-risks

A bureacrat's say-so is thin evidence; nothing at that link indicates that Director Volkow ever considered the points that I raise.

[NobleFree]

In 2017, over 17,000 people died from overdosing on heroin, cocaine and other illegal hard drugs. Over 15,000 died from overdosing on prescription drugs like Valium. And over 30,000 died from alcohol-related issues. There are no recorded instances of anyone ever dying solely from the use of marijuana. I haven't tried marijuana since my twenties, but Bloomberg is a moron.

Well, the son of a service buddy got himself high on marijuana and jumped off the roof of their apartment building. Killed, of course.

What AUG said remains true. And people do fatally stupid things under the influence of all sorts of substance - very much including alcohol. That's not sufficient justification for a ban.

[BipolarBob]

Correlation isn’t the same thing as causation. I suspect someone doing that or other acts of violence have other issues and that is the scapegoat.

[jonascord]

And a functional alcoholic, like Hillary, or Nancy, is more laudable and “Creative” than the one squatting on a sidewalk in San Francisco, throwing up in a doorway?

[NobleFree]

And a functional alcoholic, like Hillary, or Nancy, is more laudable and “Creative” than the one squatting on a sidewalk in San Francisco, throwing up in a doorway?

Of course - to remain functional is self-evidently superior to allowing oneself to become nonfunctional. Hillary and Nancy are the opposite of laudable because of the evils they do and support.

[Svartalfiar]

It's not like pot users are inventing Mars rovers...

I bet several of them do. And other pot users are winning more gold medals than anyone else in history!

[jonascord]

I know I always trust functional drunks...

[NobleFree]

It's not like pot users are inventing Mars rovers...

I bet several of them do.

I know I always trust functional drunks...

Make up your mind: are you talking about users or addicts? Not every user of marijuana or alcohol has a dependency.

[Svartalfiar]

It's not like pot users are inventing Mars rovers...

**I bet several of them do.**

I know I always trust functional drunks...

Make up your mind: are you talking about users or addicts? Not every user of marijuana or alcohol has a dependency.

I assume that is directed at jonascord and not me? I know plenty of people who've gotten good engineering/programming/business/other jobs, who are plenty professional, who have no issues consuming weed on the weekend or even at home through the week. None of them are that hard into it to the point that is has a noticeable detrimental effect on their work. The only groups as a whole that really don't use weed at all are those with a TS clearance or current military.

[NobleFree]

I assume that is directed at jonascord and not me?

Yes; sorry if that was ambiguous.

[Does so]

A
Several years ago, Canada was treating patients with medical marijuana. The complaint was always the same: “This stuff is too weak”.