Posted on 09/18/2002 7:44:23 AM PDT by JediGirl
WASHINGTON, -( AP )- The nation's drug policy director warned parents Tuesday against trivializing the dangers of marijuana to their kids, warning them that more teens are addicted to pot than to alcohol or to all other illegal drugs combined.
MANY PARENTS and children have outdated perceptions about marijuana, said John Walters, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. They believe marijuana is not addictive, that it's less dangerous than cigarettes or that it has few long-term health consequences.
In reality, more teens enter rehabilitation centers to treat marijuana addiction than alcohol or all other illegal drugs combined, Walters said.
"Our effort is to correct the ignorance that is the single biggest obstacle to protecting our kids," he said as he announced an advertising campaign by his office and 17 education, public health, anti-drug and family advocacy groups.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.com ...
A good point worth repeating.How many Anti-W.o.D. Freepers advocate decriminalizing anything other than marijuana?
Yeah, because they got busted for smoking a joint and the judge said, "Go to rehab or go to jail". What a joke.
Wrong on both counts.
1) more teens drink alcohol than smoke pot, by a wide margin.
2) marijuana isn't physically addicting.
Over the past 40 years I've heard and read widely about pot and other drugs, the level of misunderstanding and misinformation is unbelievable. I'm not sure what I really think, other than smoking anything can't be good for you and that excess with any psychoactive substance - from caffeine right on up through the hallucinogens - is not good for you either. The laws are stupid, but I'm not sure legalization's the answer: it hasn't much reduced alcolholism. Quality's better though.
That said, I could tell you some pretty sad stories I've known or seen over the years. People who've totally blown their minds on one drug or another, some after repeated abuse, others after just a few times. I guess it depends on the person's psychological make-up, and there may be physical psychopharmeceutical aspects as well.
My advice to my own teenagers, after letting them know it's illegal and they shouldn't do it at all, is that all drugs can be dangerous and have to be approached with caution and respect. And not when there's work to be done or you're going to drive. And in moderation -- as soon as it seems like you can do it often, you're in trouble!
Quite a few I would say, based on Constitutionality issues mostly. However, if given a choice, I would be satisfied with the sole decriminalization of MJ ... for the moment. This idiots heroin to pot comparison demonstrates the level of deceit the he and his ilk will stoop to in order to preserve their power (and job). It will also ultimately be a major source of their impending downfall as more and more people are victimized and/or awakened by their lies and the insane WOsD in general.
LOL! You're no physician, that's for sure.
The ONDCP is in a panic, Canada will soon legalize MJ. Their jobs are at stake.Have you noticed how the volume and shrillness of the lying has increased?
So it is with anything you like too much, and some people do commit themselves to the pursuit of the mundane for fear of becoming enamored of some novelty. Somehow, I think there's supposed to be a little more to life than that.
I don't know, this is what you wrote.
What I wrote was that the only thing that is wrong about marijuana is that it is illegal. Just as the only thing wrong about driving without a license is that it is illegal. Or the only thing wrong about riding a motorcycle without a helmet is that it is illegal. There are a lot of things that are wrong and the only reason that they are wrong is because they are illegal. Just because something is illegal doesn't make it wrong.
During prohibition, drinking commercial booze was wrong because it was illegal. After prohibition, it wasn't wrong to drink commercial booze because it was legal. Same product, nothing wrong with it, before or after.
I have family members that are doctors. I also have a family member who is a marijuana addict (and admits it).
It is certainly true that it is not nearly as physically addictive as harder drugs such as crack and heroin. But heavy users can indeed become physically addicted, and even experience withdrawal symtpoms. Here's a couple of web sites with more info:
http://www.dva.gov.au/health/menshealth/marijuana.htm#Is%20marijuana%20addictive?
http://www.sccdads.org/newsletters/choices_0302.PDF
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