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.

[Xenalyte]

Let's take this slowly. The reason I brought up booze was that ACG posted:

Almost all the violent offenders in Californian jails are marijuana users as well.

I could have substituted the word "milk" for "beer." I should have.

I am not equating the two. I am attempting to demonstrate the fallacy that is post hoc, ergo propter hoc.

[A CA Guy]

"Provide Evidence" that the pro-addiction crowd are not in fact mostly people promoting illegal drugs. We need EVIDENCE they are instead a bunch of these fanatical Constitutional types debating over the theory.

Show us all the other threads of vast different topics where the same posters equally post and debate for the sake of Constitutionality. EVIDENCE PLEASE!

[Xenalyte]

You're interested in making unsubstantiated accusations? Wow. That's intellectual of you.

[MEGoody]

"How are these crimes?"

Ah, so doing something that hurts others and, ultimately, society, is not a crime to you?

This is one of the issues I have with Libertarians.

[Xenalyte]

I will ask you the question that everyone else keeps refusing to answer.

If I, a single woman with no children, choose to smoke a joint on Saturday night in my own home, and do not drive afterwards, how am I hurting others?

[eyespysomething]

I said:
During a 10-month national survey, it was discovered that 80% of people who had property forfeited were never charged with a crime.

You said:
I had no problem with the forfeitures except in the rare cases where they were taken from landlords who didn't know what was going on. There was a drug connection in the forfeiture. It could have been the car where ounces of pot was found or the home where drugs were being made. That I had no problem with.

So you have no problem that, just because they appeared guilty, or were at a "wrong place at the wrong time", that although they WEREN'T CHARGED WITH A CRIME it is ok to seize their property? Sheesh, man, think about that!!

[presidio9]

This is how scrambled their brains are. They think that drug addicts make better employees. You can prove anything with statistics.

[ActionNewsBill]

You are both just too stupid to realize that you are (seriesly) outmatched.

Xena where are you when we need you?

You must be new to Free Republic....."seriesly", "series" and "hugh"(huge) are acceptable spelling variations.

[Xenalyte]

Are you calling Scientific American wrong?

[presidio9]

Oh, they read more than headlines. They are reading a story that says that a famous big time user of drugs, says that pot leads to more addictive drugs.

Here: Let's make sure some more people read it... bump

[lugsoul]

He is not interested in proving his assertions. He said so himself.

[Xenalyte]

They're also reading a story in which Ozzy says that coffee leads to Red Bull, which in turn leads to crank. But let's just ignore that part, because it doesn't fit your agenda.

[Xenalyte]

Damn this logic and reason. I wish I could be blindly biased and emotional too.

[presidio9]

With much of the civilized world recognizing that keeping pot illegal doesn't work, it is only a matter time before America will come to the same conclusion.

Wrong. I count five or six of you. I admit you are persistent, because you have become THAT dependent on your drugs, but the vast majority of this country disagrees with you.

[presidio9]

Would it help if I told you I was wearing a Star Trek uniform as I posted this?

[A CA Guy]

#1 The cost to the employer due to theft, mistakes, damage, lawsuits, accidents and violence in the workplace.
#2 The fallout to all family around them to violence, criminality to support the habit, theft, emotional costs.
#3 Societal costs in Emergency Rooms, medical care to their victims, hospitalization of addicts and so on.

These all happen more with your pro-addiction stance.

Drugs are still a big lose lose.

[ActionNewsBill]

That's coming from the "talk to the hand" guy?

Not to mention the "you are the weakest link" statement.

I would wager that this guy is a thrteen year-old living at home using his mom's computer.

[RockyMtnMan]

I was hoping the drug warriors would just come to realize we are spending ridiculous amounts of money on a failed program. In the process we are setting a precident to usurp more rights from the people. Most drug warriors have never even experienced a mild illicit drug yet are able to conclude they will destroy our society.

[presidio9]

Are you calling Scientific American wrong?

Princess, I SUBSCRIBE to SA. But the magazine has a very liberal/libertarian bent. If you want to argue the drug addicts make the best employees, be my guest.

[Last Visible Dog]

Oh, they read more than headlines. They are reading a story that says that a famous big time user of drugs, says that pot leads to more addictive drugs.

Let me get this straight. You actually believe that if Marijuana did not exist, Ozzy would have never used any drugs whatsoever.

yeah.

that's the ticket.

Do any of you people understand the requirements for establishing a causal relationship? It is more than mere observation. Example: All drug addicts have ears. Therefore having ears leads to the use of addictive drugs.