roy,
The steak and glass of merlot is sounding really good right now! Are you talking Porterhouse? Medium rare, please.
This is interesting ... so I've written you a book. J/K (it is a bit long)
Do you mean the government statement above? Yes, I believe the stats. And they are proof both that you and I, although our viewpoints differ somewhat, are right. Cool, huh? The War on Drugs is a sham! It's not working! They have wasted money on it for 20 years, and where has it brought us? They are putting people in jail by the thousands for mj crimes. Yes, decriminalize, now, as Canada has done. What OC says is quite valid as well, imho. If it was legal, then the criminals couldn't make money off it.
As for the reported medical findings, well I would suggest not taking the government's word for it. Go read JAMA or search the web to find the studies because, as you pointed out, the government and tobacco companies were in cahoots for years about tobacco. I also keep in mind that the government has an agenda. To defend the War on Drugs, which is a huge business, huge. So no, I don't believe any of the opinion parts of it. I say, go to the source to get the real skinny.
You're right again! Take the money out of the criminals' hands. Let people grow their own, and get tough with large crack, coke and Rx peddlers operations ---> get the big guys!
Actually, I wrote out a viewpoint, but thought it too long. It's a friendly explanation of how I feel on the subject, and why. I leave you to research your own medical facts. There's lots of info out there. :)
It's a bit of a ramble ... just think of it as sitting here in Simon's pub, having that merlot ... listening to tal babbling once again ...
This was for bikerchic, but for roybatty as well, and anyone who's interested.
Kate,
I get your point. I used to be in the choir. :)
This might surprise you, but I left my first husband because he was what I would call a 'pothead'. yep Nicest guy in the world, but ... Every day, every day. Puff, puff. Sooooooo boring. *yawn* Wasted sooooo much $$$. *grrrr* buh, bye!!!
heheh Tis true!
Oy, I didn't touch the stuff for almost 10 years. I was sick of it. Just hated it, as you can well imagine. Now, I see it as an occasional thing, just as I do having a bottle of wine. I may have felt the same way about booze if I had been married to an alcoholic, many ex-spouses of boozers do.
Ah, what changed my mind, you ask? Well ...
Later in life, I made a circle of good friends. Successful ones, both in their marriages and their business careers. Most of them occasionally indulged, and I got to see the 'other' side. It's strange how life works sometimes. Then I realized, my ex had started at 14 (way too young), and was emotionally immature, just used it to escape the realities of life.
What I would like to do is *
let you into my head* so to speak, to promote mutual understanding,
as opposed to trying to change your mind.
** Don't worry, it's not too scary a place, really! ** heheh
Let me draw you a picture that might make a fine distinction. Then, think it over.
You work with someone, let's call them X. Well, X is a closet drinker pot-smoker. She's a nice woman. But she's a little off. Although she performs her duties adequately, she is really a mess. She is always in crisis, has unhealthy relationships, and is always broke. After lunch, you can always smell booze drugs on her. She is headed for disaster!
That person has a problem.
What about the person that drinks smokes a few on the occasional Saturday nite? Are they to be put in the same healthy/unhealthy category as the boozer pothead?
What do you think ...
Does it put things in a different light? All things being equal (ie, decriminalized), there's a lot of similarities of abuse of a substance. Not specific to either mj or alcohol. And both (in the amounts described) would have health risks attached.
We're talking about maryjane here in the context of adult recreational use, as opposed to abuse. From my POV, the example above provides clear evidence of the difference between the two, by its comparison of abuse of mj & alcohol.
And truth be told, here in Canada, it is indeed, a misdemeanour. It has been tested in the courts, and will soon be law. There was yet another national news item this morning.
--> So we do not have as much of a *stigma* attached to it as there is in the US. (Not so for coke, Rx drugs or others *bad stuff*.) I think that's why I am not embarrassed to talk freely.
In Canada, I am not a criminal, so I feel no need to suppress my positive viewpoint. : ) Hmm, I thought about it. I asked myself "why aren't you nervous talking about this"? Then I had a moment. It's no worse than breaking the speed limit now.
Yes, there are still people here who think it is a 'demon' weed. And there will always be studies supporting one side or the other. That's why you will rarely see surveys quoted in my posts. It's also why I suggest people web surf and read stuff from both sides of the issue, then make up their mind. :D
The only article I chose to quote from was about the US Surgeon General's (?) office (I haven't looked back there to check). I thought it made a valid point on the subject of mj's original criminalization. And it's an actual document, not revisionist-type speculation.
But note, the lobbies won out and the government made not only mj, but hemp illegal. A key question to ask re this is, Why? Is it because mj is that dangerous? The medical community didn't think so. Or is it for dollar purposes? What does today's medicine tell us about mj? Have you done your research?
imho
It is no greater sin than having a few beers or glasses of wine. You don't drive, you don't give it to kids, you don't operate heavy machinery, etc., etc. That's how adult responsible drinkers pot smokers see it. And, responsible drinkers pot smokers have no reason to be proud of it, nor do they have reason to feel ashamed.
--------->>>>
NO alcohol mj for kids - never - they are growing physically and emotionally. Neither their bodies nor their psyches are ready to experiment with mind-altering substances. The caffeine they are drinking, and the soda, and the chemicals they are taking in from our environment are already overloading their developing bodies.
I'm sure on that point, we agree. :)
So, hmm, I hope you can understand where I'm coming from. It's no big deal. Or at the very least, that you found it interesting, albeit deluded. : ) *wink*
Is my steak ready??
t
(ps, why do you think I wear shades all the time? heheh J/K ;D)
