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GOP Congressman Warns Of The Real Social Ill Destroying American Values: Marijuana
Huffington Post ^ | Sep 26th, 2014 | Elise Foley

Posted on 09/26/2014 6:15:59 PM PDT by Mariner

WASHINGTON -- Conservatives are losing ground on the fight to keep marijuana illegal, a Republican congressman warned in dire terms at the Values Voter Summit.

During a conference mostly focused on religious liberty, abolishing the IRS and promoting small government, Rep. John Fleming (R-La.) delivered a full speech on the ills of decriminalizing and legalizing marijuana.

Fleming, a medical doctor, warned of a "growing acceptance" of marijuana -- a fact hard to deny, considering public opinion and state laws. Colorado and Washington state have legalized recreational marijuana, and 23 states and the District of Columbia have allowed the substance for medical use.

(Excerpt) Read more at huffingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Colorado; US: Louisiana
KEYWORDS: cannabis; colorado; johnfleming; libertarians; louisiana; marijuana; medicalmarijuana; pot; rockymountainhigh; wod
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To: Mariner
"GOP Congressman Warns Of The Real Social Ill Destroying American Values: Marijuana"

Right, it wouldn't be turning away from God, destruction of the family, abortion, homosexuality or anything like that, would it be?

41 posted on 09/26/2014 7:51:57 PM PDT by steve86 ( Acerbic by nature, not nurture)
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To: ConservingFreedom

that’s some extraordinary research right there, I don’ care who you are.


42 posted on 09/26/2014 7:52:07 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: gusopol3
Pot and alcohol are each bad for developing brains. As I said, and got no relevant rebuttal: Young people report that they can get pot (which is illegal for all, except in a few states) more easily than beer or cigarettes (which are legal for adults). It appears that the most effective way to reduce access to marijuana by young people is harnessing the power of the market by legalizing for adults, so sellers have the potential loss of their legal adult market to discourage them from selling to minors.
43 posted on 09/26/2014 7:54:19 PM PDT by ConservingFreedom (A goverrnment strong enough to impose your standards is strong enough to ban them.)
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To: gusopol3
No serious person has ever said it is harmless, and EVERYONE knows it hurts kids.

But they'll still get it and smoke it and there's nothing anyone can realistic do to stop it.

44 posted on 09/26/2014 8:02:45 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: gusopol3

I think other, more serious factors are in play when it comes to dumbing down the American mind. This substance, like any, should be subject to limits and moderation, but should not subject to criminal prosecution in every instance. This is one area where, if Republicans played the cards right, they could gain a substantial coalition in terms of general liberty and respect for the Constitution. Mind you, that does not mean libertarianism, as if no one is accountable to his neighbor.


45 posted on 09/26/2014 8:03:23 PM PDT by Fester Chugabrew (Even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.)
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To: ConservingFreedom

This distinction between developing brains and not, does it come into effect at age 70 or so?


46 posted on 09/26/2014 8:06:00 PM PDT by Fester Chugabrew (Even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.)
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To: Mariner

Marijuana my butt!

The real threat is islam

Wake up and smell the jihad!


47 posted on 09/26/2014 8:07:32 PM PDT by Califreak (Hope and Che'nge is killing U.S.)
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To: gusopol3
I certainly do everything I can to discourage my kids from using marijuana, alcohol, or tobacco. However, the recent study you cite is far from an end-all on the topic.

For one thing, the n sample size is too small to be confident of conclusions. Since this is a non-interventional approach, and no harm to subjects comes about, a larger study using hundreds of subjects is needed. A second criticism involves the self-statements of the subjects as to how often they smoked, which was seen to correlate with degree of "abnormality". This is likely to be wildly variable in reality and some subjects have reasons to not give correct answers, yet the amount of smoking was found to predict abnormality by degree very nicely, in a manner which seems a little too good to be true, especially in such a small study. A third criticism is that no functional description is tied to the abnormal brain structures, other than the rather large leap to the animal study and the conclusion about diminishing efficacy of natural reward. No test scores, etc. Individual brains vary a lot from one person to another. It is conceivable that the "abnormality" could even be superior in some way, if it in fact exists as a result of the THC ingestion.

My impression is that these neuroscientists (a field in which I was trained also) went into the study to prove something and By God did they ever find what they were looking for! Maybe a little too enthusiastically. We will have to wait for future larger, longitudinal, and function-measuring studies to clarify the real cause and effect involved here, and if the "abnormalities" are found reliably and even matter.

48 posted on 09/26/2014 8:19:48 PM PDT by steve86 ( Acerbic by nature, not nurture)
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To: Mariner
Uh, no. The real social ill is people letting union represented taxpayer supported employees replace mothers and especially fathers as the teachers of values.

Among other things.

But marijuana isn't even close to the top of the list.

49 posted on 09/26/2014 8:19:56 PM PDT by Clinging Bitterly (I will not comply.)
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To: ConservingFreedom

It’s hard to answer someone who argues against himself. Legalizing , “harnessing the power of the market, “ alcohol and cigarettes, has not limited the availability to minors. The Harvard / Northwestern study showed significant brain changes in “casual users;” that’s not something your pop psychologists at Psychology Today demonstrated in alcohol users. Legalizing most anything is going to increase availability because “ there’s no law against it. “ Furthermore, it’s well demonstrated that children pick up their parents ‘ habits. But of course, it will be only the’best parents” who will be buying marijuana, they won’t be smoking marijuana in front of their kids, or leaving a few joints around that will be easily picked up.

BTW, the trend may be down in Colorado for thinking this was a good idea: “

“Most of the attention paid to the new survey of Colorado voters by Suffolk University and USA Today has focused on what respondents had to say about the election contests for governor and U.S. senator.
But pollsters asked a lot of questions about other matters — including marijuana. And the results, issued Wednesday, seem to show a change in thinking about the legalization of pot.
Fifty percent of likely Colorado voters now disagree with the decision to legalize recreational marijuana in Colorado; 46 percent agree with that change.And 49 percent says they disapprove of the way the state is managing legal pot sales, versus 42 percent who approve.”

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/blog/broadway_17th/2014/09/not-so-hot-for-pot-and-more-takeaways-from-new.html

I’m sure Soros can reverse the trend with an advertizing blitz though.


50 posted on 09/26/2014 8:23:42 PM PDT by gusopol3
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To: steve86

One was multi drug toxicity, another heroin overdose, and another had full blown AIDS. Don’t know exactly what the AIDS victim’s certificate if death said. The only one involuntarily committed was for suicide attempt, but I didn’t actually see the certificate there, but that’s what the guy told me. Another hears voices and is borderline. The others are at all levels of dysfunction—abuse of multiple substances and array of self destructive behaviors (stripping, prostitution, dealing, thievery, inability to hold a job, a long list. It hurts to see it.


51 posted on 09/26/2014 8:25:32 PM PDT by ViLaLuz (2 Chronicles 7:14)
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To: steve86

Does your critique apply to the Psychology Today study cited as well?


52 posted on 09/26/2014 8:25:33 PM PDT by gusopol3
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To: Mariner
As far as I know nobody has died as a direct result of ingesting cannabis.

I lost a couple friends to pot induced accidents, both falls. One died, and one suffered brain injuries such that he could not remember anything before the fall. I suspect pot was probably the main contributing factor in a couple other driving deaths of my friends.

But I'm still a proponent of legalization. People, including kids, have no problem getting it today. They might as well get it from a tax paying American farmer instead of funding Mexican cartels.

53 posted on 09/26/2014 8:27:43 PM PDT by Darth Reardon (Is it any wonder I'm not the president?)
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To: Darth Reardon

No problem for some to run over people in their cars either, but we need adults, not addicted recreational drug abusers.


54 posted on 09/26/2014 8:31:48 PM PDT by A CA Guy ( God Bless America, God Bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: ViLaLuz

Well, I have to extend my congratulations that you did in fact provide an unexpected list of etiologies. However, I see all kinds of things on that list but not marijuana. Apparently those of us who presumed that marijuana was the main problem for these poor people were incorrect. And I know you aren’t going to tell us that marijuana causes full-blown AIDS or somthing like that.


55 posted on 09/26/2014 8:37:05 PM PDT by steve86 ( Acerbic by nature, not nurture)
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To: gusopol3
"The Harvard / Northwestern study showed significant brain changes in “casual users;” that’s not something your pop psychologists at Psychology Today demonstrated in alcohol users. Legalizing most anything is going to increase availability because “ there’s no law against it. “ Furthermore, it’s well demonstrated that children pick up their parents ‘ habits. But of course, it will be only the’best parents” who will be buying marijuana, they won’t be smoking marijuana in front of their kids, or leaving a few joints around that will be easily picked up."

I contend Cheese burgers and fries do far more damage to both the health of the nation, and individuals.

Arteries to the brain are blocked by the over-consumption of saturated fat and transfats.

AND it blocks arteries going everywhere else.

I could list HUNDREDS of per-reviewed studies to support my contention from THE most respected publications in the world.

10's of millions die prior to reaching the age of 70, as awarded in the Bible, as a DIRECT RESULT of the consumption of transfats and saturated fat in combination.

56 posted on 09/26/2014 8:43:58 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: steve86

No but it sure doesn’t help from what I see. Another illicit behavior that holds people back. Stunted and wasted potential, wasted resources, drawn into a downward spiral.


57 posted on 09/26/2014 8:46:01 PM PDT by ViLaLuz (2 Chronicles 7:14)
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To: Mariner

Like-minded people like Bloomberg and Michelle Obama are doing much to advance your cause. Rejoice!


58 posted on 09/26/2014 8:49:29 PM PDT by gusopol3
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To: ViLaLuz
"Another illicit behavior"

Our nation has a strong proclivity toward redefining "illicit".

59 posted on 09/26/2014 8:51:34 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: ViLaLuz
"Stunted and wasted potential, wasted resources, drawn into a downward spiral."

I agree with you; heavy chronic (daily or almost daily) use is really bad. But the fact is that if these same individuals (chronic users) did not have marijuana many would probably be involved in some even more harmful drug, one entailing a true addiction and other hazards including infection and contamination. Some people just get into trouble and not always much you can do about it.

60 posted on 09/26/2014 8:54:07 PM PDT by steve86 ( Acerbic by nature, not nurture)
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