Research helps dispel marijuana myths

Sober Talk ^ | Thursday, August 1, 2002 | By BECKY CLARK, MSW, CSW

[Behind Liberal Lines]

As we endeavor toward a more lucid and informed discussion of substance abuse, let's deconstruct the mystique of marijuana and recognize it for the dangerous drug that it is.

Marijuana is a substance that's worthy of our concern. It is the most prevalent of all illicit drugs used in the country. The 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse reported that 34 percent of Americans have used marijuana in their lifetime and 5 percent are current users.

[William Terrell]

Well, if one is familiar with the bible and actually cares what God has to say on issues, He does tell us to be sober and clear minded. Pot certainly won't do that for you - in fact, you are just the opposite when high on dope.

I believe going drunken into public places is more like it, being impared, dangerous. Cannabis has no such effect. Clarity of thought? Would you agree that developing software requires clarity of thought? I know a software system written and installed almost a decade ago, had very few production errors to be fixed at installation, is running without error today, and every line of code for which was written while stoned on cannabis. I know this because a friend of mine wrote it, and his time to production was relatively short.

[jayef]

Thanl yoo fot rhat correvtion.

[headsonpikes]

Smokin' again? Forgot you'd posted? Will we see it a third time? LOL

[jayef]

Once again, you are so off base in your assumptions as to be hillarious. Whatever you think you know about me, I'd bet you're about 180 degrees off.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Yeah, that's it, man... ;-)

[jayef]

'On the contrary,' he said, 'you have not controlled it. That is what has brought you here. You are here because you have failed in humility, in self- discipline. You would not make the act of submission which is the price of sanity. You preferred to be a lunatic, a minority of one. Only the disciplined mind can see reality, Winston. You believe that reality is something objective, external, existing in its own right. You also believe that the nature of reality is self-evident. When you delude yourself into thinking that you see something, you assume that everyone else sees the same thing as you. But I tell you, Winston, that reality is not external. Reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else. Not in the individual mind, which can make mistakes, and in any case soon perishes: only in the mind of the Party, which is collective and immortal. Whatever the Party holds to be the truth, is truth. It is impossible to see reality except by looking through the eyes of the Party. That is the fact that you have got to relearn, Winston. It needs an act of self- destruction, an effort of the will. You must humble yourself before you can become sane.'

[headsonpikes]

YO! TONE!

Are youse gonna be on the 'I ain't no stinkin' hippie' Team???

I hope so; I really, really hope so...BWAHAHA!!

[William Terrell]

This basic scenario happened in Springfield on an episode of "the Simpsons" and legalized pot was defeated. Why? The "stoners" were too high to remember to vote.

Are you so desperate you have to use a contrived tale written for a cartoon? This thread is packed with references to, if not actual quotes therefrom, statistics, studies, technical data and irrefutable logical inferences that hack your position something terrible. And you return with a cartoon?

[newcats]

Thank God my parents were never hippies!

Perhaps if they were, you would not fall into the mindless non-thinking trap of generalized stereotyping.
But it is so much easier to make them then to actually use your mind and think. Would rather be waht I am than a mindless sheep.
And I say this with great reverence. :)

[newcats]

Anytime, pinko punk. See my #281

Ah name calling...the last resort of a desperate "debator".

[knighthawk]

Interestingly enough, pot is decriminalized in both countries (at least in most of Germany, although not as much in the southern districts).

Betäubungsmittelgesetz, paragrafen 3, artikel 1:

In Germany it is forbidden to deal, import, export deliver and buy drugs, punishable by a sentence of a maximum of 4 years.

The thing you are adressing is that in most the districts -mostly southern districts- there is made no distinction between hard and soft drugs.

In Germany usage of drugs is not illegal, but possession is. You will be arrested when possessing more than 10 grams in most districts. After conviction one may choose between jail and a program to get off drugs.

Drug possession has got a low priority in law enforcement. Recently Germany officialy protested the soft stance on drugs in the Netherlands.

Hey, why don't you people come over here and enjoy the nice laws here. But don't go to Rotterdam, because there is a chance you might get kicked out, because there citizens took matters in their own hands and kicked out all the junks they could find.

Amsterdam may be nice. But don't go to 'de Bijlmer' at night. You will be mugged or shot just as quickly as in the worst parts of NY, while there only live less than a million people. How come Dutch cities, which are much smaller than US cities, are just as dangerous?

Ask the people in Rotterdam, where half the people feel so unsafe to go on the streets at evenings.

Gee, it sounds like we in the Netherlands are doings something wrong, as there are four times a much murders in Amsterdam per 1000 citizens than in Rome.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Are you so desperate you have to use a contrived tale written for a cartoon? This thread is packed with references to, if not actual quotes therefrom, statistics, studies, technical data and irrefutable logical inferences that hack your position something terrible. And you return with a cartoon?

Holy 7^cking $#!7.

Can't you tell a joke when you see one?

I posted a G0))@man CARTOON with it, for pity's sake.

You are without a doubt the most dense, humorless, person I have ever, EVER, seen on this board.

In fact, I would hazard a guess that if you do, in fact, smoke pot, it is in a vain hope of asphyxiating the enourmous BUG that has crawled up your @$$.

Go light up another one and try to "mellow out," dude.

[headsonpikes]

That would be 'debater'. Please.

And, you're right, 'pinko punk' is a name; the post was meant to be somewhat ironic, but I can see that I presumed too much.

And I've got 'last resorts'
that you haven't dreamed of. ;^)

[Redleg Duke]

I see the Brownies are working the legalize drugs line today...legalize kiddie porn tomorrow.

[MEGoody]

"I don't know. When you oil up, I suppose."

At this point, it seems your 'challenge' was quite empty. Let me know if and when you are actually up for it.

[Virginia-American]

Yes, and for being just 5% of the population, these "midnight tokers" sure are a loud and obnoxious lot, don'tcha think?

There may be non-tokers who take the same position. Ron Paul (R-TX) and Gary Johnson (R-NM) come to mind. Are there *any* D*m*cr*ts that support re-legalization?