Do you consider smoking pot a serious problem?

[cat]

It's illegal!

 

You can go to jail.

 

It can lead to more and other dangerous drug use. The pusher will be pushing for something they can get you hooked on, like meth!

 

Nothing good can come of it!!!!

[tennismomkelly]

I would have a problem with anything that could get them in trouble with the law. For me, it's not a question of whether or not it's a "bad" thing to do. The bottom line is that it's illegal and that's reason enough to upset me.

[Caitilin]

Discalaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever smoked pot; I have no dog in this fight.

 

pqr said, among other things:

5. Given that it is illegal and use of the substance is a defacto support for drug smugglers. Using it pays for their lifestyle and a system that results in dead police, tortured DEA agents, murdered judges....etc. Just look at the drug war in Mexico...

 

This is something that I think does not get enough attention. I think I would personally feel differently about how we as a society handle pot if this were not the channel it goes through. To me, this aspect of it falls into the same category of ideas as buying local organic food rather than exotic food shipped halfway around the world, or not shopping at stores whose policies you find repugnant, or whatever "vote with your pocketbook" idea is close to your heart.

 

Thanks to pqr for bringing it up!

[laughing lioness]

Has anyone mentined that THC stays in your bloodstream for years and does bad things to your body and mind? oh yea, and unborn babies in mother's that are using while pg.

[smrtmama]

I don't see it as a problem from a health standpoint, but from a legal standpoint, I don't think any high is worth the legal risks.

[Joanne]

Yes, and not to minimise any tragic case, but one incident doesn't a case make, and nor do even many incidents, considering how widely it is smoked. Legal prescription drugs - correctly taken- and visits to hospital- kill far more people than pot.

Just because people who use heavy drugs often started with pot, doesn't mean that the majority of pot smokers go onto heavier drugs.

But you probably know that already. It's an emotional argument and its our kids at stake.

I find people who have experienced pot in their youth are often not as afraid of it as those who haven't.

I don't even like the stuff, and I don't recommend it. I still think alcohol is a far, far worse issue in our society, yet most support drinking.

 

But alcohol and presciption drug abuse are not the topic of the thread.;) Henry's story, while anecdotal, speaks directly to the topic.

 

Pot can be a gateway drug. Just like alcohol can trigger the crave dynamic in alcoholics, pot can trigger (chemically? behaviorally?) the desire and pursuit of more exciting highs. It doesn't happen in every body, but it does happen. I can't "go there" with the people who don't believe that truth.

[LauraGB]

As a pp pointed out, I'd rather live next to casual pot smokers than alcoholics, too. I've known a lot of people over the years who smoked/smoke over the past 20 years. One thing almost all of them have in common is that there was very little anger aggression with them vs the alcoholics while under the influence. In fact, there was very little "anything" compared to the drinkers, because they just tended to "hang out" instead of "go out". I can see the point of legalizing it - prohibition doesn't work well in our society. But, I can't honestly say I support legalization.

 

However, of all those pot smoking people I knew, looking back over the past 20 years, a few ended up in jail, a couple are dead and several are goiters on society by being utterly useless and collecting state money to buy their pot, alcohol and cigarettes. A few, who don't smoke anymore, have gone on to live productive lives - and of those, if they do still smoke, they certainly don't make much mention of it.

 

I would definitely have a problem if my kids hung out with the same sort of individuals I did. The thing with pot is that while it may or may not be more benign than alcohol on the large scale, the users have to get it from someone/somewhere. That's what I don't want my kids exposed to. The world in which the sellers live is not one I want anyone I love to be a part of, either by supporting financially or being friendly with in any way, shape or form. Most of the people I knew who sold pot also sold other things as their "business" naturally progressed. It is an unfortunate, slippery slope that doesn't often end well for many involved.

[Jenny in Atl]

Discalaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever smoked pot; I have no dog in this fight.

 

pqr said, among other things:

 

 

This is something that I think does not get enough attention. I think I would personally feel differently about how we as a society handle pot if this were not the channel it goes through. To me, this aspect of it falls into the same category of ideas as buying local organic food rather than exotic food shipped halfway around the world, or not shopping at stores whose policies you find repugnant, or whatever "vote with your pocketbook" idea is close to your heart.

 

Thanks to pqr for bringing it up!

 

Yup, some of the best weed is grown in the USA. And I agree (not a user/no real dog in this fight) but do care that people stop buying the propaganda.

 

Opiates & coke are the major drugs coming in through Mexico, not pot. I think the Mexicans are suffering far more than any on the US side of the boarder. It's the fact that it's illegal that drives the violence.

[Starr]

At best it did seem to rob people of motivation.

[ThatCyndiGirl]

Like Joanne, I can't "go there", but for me it is with someone who won't do the research behind WHY mj was banned in the first place. The history behind the prohibition of mj was about RACISM, not "wanting to protect society from an evil drug". Pushers of prohibition pointed out two groups that white Americans didn't wish to associate themselves with and stated,"See how they are? They are that way because they smoke that weed! IT MAKES THEM CRAZY AND VIOLENT!!!!! IT WILL HAPPEN TO YOU IF YOU SMOKE IT SO STAY AWAY!!!"

 

My only problem with it at the moment is that it is illegal. States continue to educate themselves on it's benefits and the unbelievable toll that the "war on drugs'' has taken on our country.

[Daisy]

Never mind. I so don't want to go here.

Edited June 19, 2010 by Daisy

[littlebug42]

Like other drugs, it's a problem if it's impairing your life. If it's a casual thing, it's not any more a problem than casually drinking alcohol. I'm of the opinion that pot is "bad" because it's illegal, not because it's any worse than any other drugs that are legal. And FTR, I don't drink, smoke, or use any kinds of drugs.

 

Tara

 

:iagree:In my past, I have known people that casually smoke pot and live normal productive lives. I have known others that become a slave to it and it messes with their lives. I can say the same of alcohol. My father was a terrible alcoholic and I have lived with a pot addicted boyfriend so I have experienced both sides of that coin. I even smoked it a couple of times in college and I didn't find it that great. I would not encourage or be supportive of its use in my children however.

[annandatje]

I would like to see alcohol prohibited again because it is highly addictive, is associated with fatal vehicle crashes, and destroys families.

 

If I had to choose between the lesser of two recreational drug evils, I would choose marijuana.

[Joanne]

I would like to see alcohol prohibited again because it is highly addictive, is associated with fatal vehicle crashes, and destroys families.

If I had to choose between the lesser of two recreational drug evils, I would choose marijuana.

 

Actually, I don't find the bolded accurate at all. Alcohol is not by nature or chemically addictive except in certain predisposed bodies.

 

The statistical likelihood of a alcohol related deaths and accidents is tied to addiction/alcoholism. (We are more likely to be drinking to that degree, more frequently and more likely to be driving). Alcohol doesn't destroy families; alcoholICS do.

 

Casual, non abusive, non addictive alcohol (and, for that matter pot) use exists in abundance.

[Jenny in Atl]

Like Joanne, I can't "go there", but for me it is with someone who won't do the research behind WHY mj was banned in the first place. The history behind the prohibition of mj was about RACISM, not "wanting to protect society from an evil drug". Pushers of prohibition pointed out two groups that white Americans didn't wish to associate themselves with and stated,"See how they are? They are that way because they smoke that weed! IT MAKES THEM CRAZY AND VIOLENT!!!!! IT WILL HAPPEN TO YOU IF YOU SMOKE IT SO STAY AWAY!!!"

 

My only problem with it at the moment is that it is illegal. States continue to educate themselves on it's benefits and the unbelievable toll that the "war on drugs'' has taken on our country.

 

 

It's also about cotton (hemp is a much better fiber). It was actually the law in Jamestown that farmers had to grow hemp. The tobacco lobbyist has also been hard at work for many years to keep it illegal, fearing it would cut into their profits. In the end, it's about $.

 

Oh, and the whole, THC staying in your blood, etc... What about all the other chemicals that we ingest via our food/breathing/walking on our lawns? We are bathed in far more deadly chemicals on a daily basis, and very few are demanding to outlaw the products or ban companies that manufacture them.

[katemary63]

#1. It's illegal.

#2. It is, imo, a crutch that strong people don't need. The same way I'd be worried/concerned if my dc had to drink alcohol in order to "relax". I'd probably *strongly* advise them to seek professional help.

 

:iagree:We don't "get high" here, on anything. I don't agree with loosing my own ability to think clearly and well. People do stupid things while high and people get hurt while high or at least make "decisions" they regret. I don't even take prescriptions pain meds unless I absolutely have to. I like my brain. I like to be in control of myself and not appear foolish to others. I'll never understand why people WANT to be "high" and no matter if pot became "legal" or not, it would always be STUPID and I would never do it.

[pie]

yes.

very.

[lllll]

..

[MariannNOVA]

Actually, I don't find the bolded accurate at all. Alcohol is not by nature or chemically addictive except in certain predisposed bodies.

 

The statistical likelihood of a alcohol related deaths and accidents is tied to addiction/alcoholism. (We are more likely to be drinking to that degree, more frequently and more likely to be driving). Alcohol doesn't destroy families; alcoholICS do.

 

Casual, non abusive, non addictive alcohol (and, for that matter pot) use exists in abundance.

 

:iagree:We don't "get high" here, on anything. I don't agree with loosing my own ability to think clearly and well. People do stupid things while high and people get hurt while high or at least make "decisions" they regret. I don't even take prescriptions pain meds unless I absolutely have to. I like my brain. I like to be in control of myself and not appear foolish to others. I'll never understand why people WANT to be "high" and no matter if pot became "legal" or not, it would always be STUPID and I would never do it.

 

Same here. No alcohol, no drugs, no smoking, etc. I tell my kids not to start anything they're likely to have to fight to give up when they're older. There are enough problems with getting older without adding unnecessary things like these.

 

Thank you all for articulating this (and to Joanne for the information and perspective she shared) - I think it is important for this viewpoint to be shared. And, yes, it does happen to be my viewpoint as well.

 

I guess we each have 'the talk' with our chidlren OR we don't - I guess that there is more than one 'talk' as they get older.

[Laura Corin]

#2. It is, imo, a crutch that strong people don't need. The same way I'd be worried/concerned if my dc had to drink alcohol in order to "relax". I'd probably *strongly* advise them to seek professional help.

 

You know, we can't all be strong. And there are some people who do have a hard time relaxing and a legal alcoholic drink makes it easier. And most studies suggest that drinking a bit is fine (or even good) for your health. Maybe it's better to drink a bit than to be constantly tense.

 

Laura (who has a drink two or three times a week)

[AlmiraGulch]

Statistically, less people die from smoking pot than from smoking cigarettes. You can't OD on it, it only makes you sleepy. And there are no residual effects on motivation/personality once it's out of your bloodstream. It's actually better for you than taking ibuprofen, in terms of what it does to your body.

 

 

 

I agree. I'd also go one step further and say that there have been studies conducted that have shown evidence of medical benefit.

 

That said, there are definitely larger issues with people who have addictive personalities for which any drug at all, including legal ones like alcohol, should be avoided. I have a good friend who is a heavy marijuana user that I don't always like to be around simply because he's always so boring when he's under the influence. Still...I firmly believe it should be legalized. It's much less harmful than tobacco or alcohol, and states like California could benefit greatly from the tax revenue that sales would generate.

 

And no, I don't use it myself.

[Desert Rat]

I've seen many people smoke pot and then go on to.....nothing. Just pot. They are productive citizens. They work, pay taxes, raise families. They didn't go on to be crack heads, meth heads, heroin junkies. The people that do move on to harder drugs have underlying addiction problems.

My only issue with pot is that is illegal here. It shouldn't be. I've never seen, in my personal life, someone smoke a jay and beat the crap out of his/her spouse. I can't say the same for alchohol. Given the choice of the two-I would pick pot every single time. I've seen more lives ruined by booze. JMHO

[Brigitte]

For me, the difference between pot and alcohol is largely the fact that it is possible to drink alcohol and not be impaired, but it is not possible to smoke pot and not be impaired. People smoke pot for the high. People can drink alcohol for the taste etc. Also, the pot of today is much stronger than the pot that was out 20 years ago.

[lakotajm]

The poll choices were serious problem, no problem and other. I said other because it is a problem, or can be, but not what I would call a serious one (for society).

I used to smoke pot in my youth and even was the president of a college group to legaliza pot. It did not ruin my life. I could have better spent my time and money, at times. But I managed to hold down a job, graduate college, etc. Other than the pot, I was a model citizen and never broke laws. I even got onto friends who littered!

 

It can be a serious problem for those inclined to do it very often and have no time or money or energy for normal life stuff. But for the most part it is just harmless experimentation. I easily quit when I got pregnant with my first child.

 

Experiment over.

 

Lakota

[texasmama]

I consider it a serious problem. For one, it is illegal. It is also mood altering in a way that one drink of alcohol is most likely NOT. Not too many of the successful people I know are casual pot smokers.

[lllll]

..

[Julie in CA]

You know, we can't all be strong. And there are some people who do have a hard time relaxing and a legal alcoholic drink makes it easier. And most studies suggest that drinking a bit is fine (or even good) for your health. Maybe it's better to drink a bit than to be constantly tense.

 

Laura (who has a drink two or three times a week)

I'm sorry my perspective caught you by surprise...

I have no problem with consenting adults consuming alcohol in moderation, but I do indeed view the "I need to have a drink to relax" as a weakness, and I hope (and pray) that my children can find healthier ways to relax. Exercise, find a hobby, spend time having fun with family, spend time alone, pray, meditate, get therapy, whatever, but I hope they don't *need* mood altering substances to get through their life, whether the substance is tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, etc.

 

I don't begrudge you your drink, and I think you should have it if you need it, I just wish life was not so tense that you need it to get by. :grouphug:

[TravelingChris]

I was reading a story about a doctor in CA who has identified the chemical in marijuana that helps with pain and inflammation. The interesting thing is that this chemical is high in plants that are low in THC, which is the chemical in marijuana that gives the high. So, hopefully, soon, the companies will be able to grow non thc marijuana that helps people and doesn't make them sluggards.

 

I am totally against marijuana and not because of legality. I think it makes people aimless and stupid. Furthermore, I dislike it worse than alcohol. Alcohol, in moderation, is a preventative for heart disease and some other conditions. If someone is just drinking it at home, it doesn't affect me at all. On the other hand, if my neighbor is close enough to my house (like in an apartment), their marijuana smole would affect me and affect me negatively. In the state where medical marijuana is legal, I am not sure how the courts view the rights of asthmatics and others with breathing issues versus mj users but I think they should go on the side of those who have breathing problems. The mj users could always eat their mj.

 

One of the things that made me be very against mj was my friend in college's experience. SHe grew up with mj druggies. SHe was put at risk because they would hide it in her things to help evade the police. Her dad was still using and still not any kind of help to either her or her brother. THen when I was a foster parent, our foster child told us how she had to carry drugs and run from police dogs. I also knew people who used and either wasted their lives or at a minimum, did not do as well as others who were clean.

[Nakia]

My main problem with marijuana is that it is a gateway drug. Not many people just stop at marijuana. Soon they need more and more to give them that high.

[Laura Corin]

My main problem with marijuana is that it is a gateway drug. Not many people just stop at marijuana. Soon they need more and more to give them that high.

 

I'm sure that there are people who are curious about any kind of experience and work their way through them, however marijuana doesn't offer a high in the usual sense: it's not excitement or elation - instead you feel mellow and at ease. Almost all of my friends smoked marijuana and very few went on to other drugs.

 

One has to be careful about statistics. I am sure that many people who end up on hard drugs start with marijuana. This does not mean that all/many or perhaps most people who try marijuana end up on hard drugs.

 

Laura

[HerdingCats]

I am totally against marijuana and not because of legality. I think it makes people aimless and stupid.

:iagree:

 

I have known people who smoke it regularly, and while they aren't bad people, their lives and personalities seem stunted somehow. It's a shame. Also, I think there ARE side effects from chronic use. I can't quote you medical statistics here, just what I've seen.

[freeindeed]

I think smoking pot is a big deal, and I also think that smoking "regular" cigarettes is a big deal, too. Excessive alchohol drinking is a big deal to me, and so is excessive overeating/regulary unhealthy diet/lack of exercise. I believe we should take care of our bodies. I don't believe we should put things into our bodies that we know harms them.

[Haiku]

a kid has only lived on this earth for so long. He generally thinks he's invincible.

 

But we're not talking about a kid, we're talking about a 21-year old (at least that's who the OP wrote about). I'm in favor of alcohol being legal, too, but that doesn't mean that I think 14 year olds should be drinking. The same with pot.

 

Tara

[lovemykids]

Whether it becomes legal in all states or not; smoking is still detrimental to your health. 

If my children did, I would be very upset; but I would keep it in perspective. I think it can impair a person if it is abused, which is never a good thing...

...we should not harm our bodies...that's what God's laws are for- to protect us. ;)

[Peela]

For me, the difference between pot and alcohol is largely the fact that it is possible to drink alcohol and not be impaired, but it is not possible to smoke pot and not be impaired. People smoke pot for the high. People can drink alcohol for the taste etc. Also, the pot of today is much stronger than the pot that was out 20 years ago.

 

It is possible to drink alcohol and not be impaired? Only if you build up a tolerance to it by drinking a lot, and even then, it is impairing from the beginning. I drink rarely- one glass makes me fairly tipsy. I know many people who built up that same tolerance to pot and you would never know they had just smoked in meeting them. I am not sure what sort of an argument your statements are against pot and for alcohol because I think they are provably not true.

I do not believe people drink alcohol for the taste, personally. They drink alcohol for the effect, and learn to enjoy the taste and then develop a more refined taste for it. Ever remember your first taste of beer or wine?

Pot does not give you a 'high'. It is relaxing. Like alcohol.

Yes, I agree the pot of today is stronger and that is of some concern.

[Impish]

Lets see:

 

1. You may get a criminal record.

2. It may prevent miltary service or some other types of government service.

3. It is a gateway drug to other much more harmful types of drug.

4. When using it (and this is only from what I have read) one can act in a particularily stupid and dangerous manner. Inhibitions drop and decisions can be made that will have life long consequences, perhaps taking something harder, unprotected sex, driving......

5. Given that it is illegal and use of the substance is a defacto support for drug smugglers. Using it pays for their lifestyle and a system that results in dead police, tortured DEA agents, murdered judges....etc. Just look at the drug war in Mexico...

6. It is not a behavior indicative of high moral character.

 

 

So.....yes I have a huge problem with it and would turn in anyone that I suspected of using.....friend, family it would not matter.

With the exception of #5, illegality, which it isn't everywhere, and dead police officers happen far more often at domestic violence calls (often fulled, not by pot, but by illegally obtained Rx, meth, and booze), every single item on the list is true of alcohol.

 

As far as gateway drugs go, alcohol and tobacco are the top two, last I heard. Rare is the person that starts with pot. Alcohol and tobacco are more likely to lead to pot use than pot use to other things.

 

I honestly don't understand how tobacco and alcohol are legal (except for Utah, i think, or certain parts of it) and pot isn't. I've seen first hand the relief it brings when working in home care, with clients who had cancer and MS.

 

There's a pain clinic here that is heavy into pot as treatment, teaching folks how to cook with it, use the oils, etc. Thankfully, its the University, not the one I attend. I say 'thankfully' because I have low tolerance for THC and woof my cookies.

 

I had a respected neurologist tell me to smoke a joint for my migraines, and its something that I've heard repeated over the years.

 

I've yet to hear a dr tell me to have a shot of whiskey, or smoke a stogie...but those are legal.

 

I'm firmly for the legalization of pot. Once legal, it would certainly make #5 on the list dissappear, since legal drugs do not create cartels that kill people...well, wait, I have my doubts about those big pharm companies, they could certainly bribe folks...but they are doing what they're doing already, I don't see legalizing pot to change that at all.

 

There have been times where I've thought about smoking pot...when its my 2nd, 3rd, 4th night of little to no sleep. I know that pot would put me out like a light.

 

I know that there are ppl that hold down decent, more than decent jobs and careers that smoke pot in the same way someone else would have a beer, glass of wine, smoke a cigar. I don't have a problem with that.

 

THC isn't physically addictive. Its psychologically addictive. And you can be psychologically addicted to pretty much anything. Shopping, gambling, eating, exercising, cleaning...the list goes on. We don't ban everything someone is/could be addicted to, because there would be nothing left!

 

To me, there's no difference in 'harm' from responsibly used alcohol than pot. Far different than with heroin, coke, crack, meth.

[Impish]

For me, the difference between pot and alcohol is largely the fact that it is possible to drink alcohol and not be impaired, but it is not possible to smoke pot and not be impaired. People smoke pot for the high. People can drink alcohol for the taste etc. Also, the pot of today is much stronger than the pot that was out 20 years ago.

Nope. People smoke it for pain management, and sleep. Neither of which has 'getting high' involved.

 

It has to do with receptors in the brain.

 

Give you an example. I'm on a butt load of drugs, many, most of which have a street value. A *high* street value.

 

I don't get stoned off of them at all. Not even my break through med, the one that drug seekers would be conducting home invasions to get their hands on, if they knew I had it. Its because I'm in genuine pain, and therefore the pain receptors in my brain react to the drug. If I were a drug seeker, different receptors in their brain would have them stoned as stoned could be. I've been known to joke that it kinda bums me out now and then, that I couldn't have the pain reduction and the whoot of being 'high'. A 2 for one experience, if you will. Distraction would be nice sometimes.

 

At any rate, I'm all for legalization. That way, the next time I have a 'kill me NOW' migraine, I could use what works best, and not worry about a random drug test.

Edited June 19, 2010 by Impish

[6packofun]

I think that any substance, legal or not, that can make a person act like an idiot and *look and/or act* like they are "on drugs" is usually a serious problem. I feel for those with chronic pain, and am definitely torn on that aspect of it, but pot is so misused and I think regulation is/would be way too tricky. It seems very difficult to "dose" it, and that's another aspect I don't like. Too many people acting like dorks out there already; we don't need another substance to add to it. (Don't get me started on all the huffing that's going on! lol)

[WishboneDawn]

:iagree:

 

I have known people who smoke it regularly, and while they aren't bad people, their lives and personalities seem stunted somehow. It's a shame. Also, I think there ARE side effects from chronic use. I can't quote you medical statistics here, just what I've seen.

 

I've seen those people. I also knew a few who smoke it on a regular basis who don't seem to have suffered any ill effects whether on their lifestyle or personality.

 

I think that, like alcohol, fried foods and World of Warcraft, it's bad for you when it's bad for you. If someone I knew was suffering because of it I'd step in. If the issue is simply that they're smoking it in the first place I wouldn't...And haven't.

 

EDIT: I think my point is that whether it's a problem depends on context. Alcohol isn't bad or good, it's the circumstances surrounding a person's drinking and the consequences of the drinking that determine whether it's bad or not. In my mind it's the same with pot and likely a lot of other drugs.

Edited June 19, 2010 by WishboneDawn

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

When trying to compare illegal drugs and alcohol there are two differences to understand upfront.

 

One is illegal and the other (once you are an adult) is not.

 

Second, one has many problems that derive simply from its use the other has problems that derive from its abuse.

 

(In case you were wondering-that would be alcohol abuse.)

[laughing lioness]

http://health.howstuffworks.com/marijuana4.htm

Science News has had several articles as well, over the years on the long-term effects of THC: http://www.sciencenews.org/search/seek?for=marijuana&label_id=&author_id=&edition_id=&start=&end=&find_submit=Find

[Cheryl in NM]

I have a friend whose 21 year old son is a casual pot smoker. To the 21 year old it is no big deal, everyone does it, it is no worse then cigerattes. He thinks his Mom is being an ultra-conservative nut. She is dealing with it better then I would. DH is a stickler for following the law; he would immediatly financially cut off a child of ours that was smoking pot. I'm just curious how everyone here feels about it.

 

Speaking from experience here...it's not worth cutting off a relationship with your child over. Yes, it is illegal. Yes, it kills brain cells. OTOH, it is no worse than drinking, IMO. Most casual pot smokers don't get super stoned so they aren't as impaired as regular alcohol drinkers.

 

Of course, it IS illegal. That means it's not allowed in my house, vehicle or around me or my family. I don't believe that people should smoke it around their kids and I don't think kids should smoke it. Of course, I don't think kids should drink and I don't think people should get drunk in front of their kids. So I guess in my book, it's not any worse than alcohol, but since it's illegal, it's not allowed.

[AHASRADA]

I might be a fuddy-duddy, but regarding my own kids, smoking of any sort would be considered a "big problem"! Using any type of mind-altering substance, including alcohol, would be a "major problem". I realize that some people put drugs in different categories depending on how "bad" they are (whatever that means). As far as I'm concerned, anything that is a chemical substance, alters consciousness, and will likely affect their health in a permanent fashion, is unacceptable.

[Cheryl in NM]

I might be a fuddy-duddy, but regarding my own kids, smoking of any sort would be considered a "big problem"! Using any type of mind-altering substance, including alcohol, would be a "major problem". I realize that some people put drugs in different categories depending on how "bad" they are (whatever that means). As far as I'm concerned, anything that is a chemical substance, alters consciousness, and will likely affect their health in a permanent fashion, is unacceptable.

 

 

I agree with you, but I wouldn't dis-own a child over it. I wouldn't divorce a husband over it, unless he couldn't hold a job or became violent. These statements come from direct experience. We kicked out dsd because of drugs and she wouldn't talk to us for over 2 years and then only because her brother died and we behaved better than her side of the family. I have been in an abusive, alcoholic relationship and I have been in a relationship with someone who smoked pot recreationally but was able to hold a job and be a functional member of society.

[ahousefullofjs]

I voted "problem".

Our next door neighbors smoke it all day, everyday. Sometimes the smoke is so strong that our kids cannot play outside because they say "it stinks too much out there". :glare:

Our neighbors are really nice people but it worries me that they do that all the time, and they have a 4 yr old son. They get in the car and drive 'high'. They ride their bikes down to the beach (lots of traffic along the way) with the little guy in the bucket seat of the bike. I've had conversations with them when their eyes were all bloodshot (obviously 'high') and it's ummm, like talking to a brick wall.

I understand college age experimentation but IMO, this is just irresponsible and dangerous.

[Laurie4b]

I consider it a moderate problem, not a serious problem, if done occasionally. If it weren't illegal, it would be the equivalent of getting drunk. It becomes a serious problem if done daily.

[pqr]

Yup, some of the best weed is grown in the USA. And I agree (not a user/no real dog in this fight) but do care that people stop buying the propaganda.

 

Opiates & coke are the major drugs coming in through Mexico, not pot. I think the Mexicans are suffering far more than any on the US side of the boarder. It's the fact that it's illegal that drives the violence.

 

Some actually involved in trying to stop this may disagree with you.

 

From the DEA website:

 

Marijuana smuggled into the United States, whether grown in Mexico or transshipped from other Latin American source areas, accounts for most of the marijuana available in the United States. Marijuana produced in Mexico remains the most widely available....

 

Organized crime groups operating from Mexico have smuggled marijuana into the United States since the early 1970s. These groups maintain extensive networks of associates, often related through familial or regional ties to associates living in the United States, where they control polydrug smuggling and wholesale distribution from hub cities to retail markets throughout the United States.

Groups operating from Mexico employ a variety of transportation and concealment methods to smuggle marijuana into the United States. Most of the marijuana smuggled into the United States is concealed in vehicles - often in false compartments - or hidden in shipments of legitimate agricultural or industrial products. Marijuana also is smuggled across the border by rail, horse, raft, and backpack. Shipments of 20 kilograms or less are smuggled by pedestrians who enter the United States at border checkpoints and by backpackers who, alone or in groups ("mule trains"), cross the border at more remote locations. Jamaican organizations also appear to be involved in dispatching Mexican marijuana via parcel carriers.

Organized crime groups operating from Mexico conceal marijuana in an array of vehicles, including commercial vehicles, private automobiles, pickup trucks, vans, mobile homes, and horse trailers, driven through border ports of entry. Larger shipments ranging up to multithousand kilograms are usually smuggled in tractor-trailers, such as the 6.9 metric tons of marijuana seized on April 3, 2001, by USCS officials from a tractor-trailer at the Otay Mesa, California, port of entry. The marijuana packages had been wrapped in cellophane, coated with mustard, grease, and motor oil, and commingled in a load of television sets.

Besides overland smuggling, drug traffickers use ocean vessels to move Mexican marijuana up the coast of Mexico to U.S. ports, drop-off sites along the U.S. coast, or to rendezvous points with other boats bound for the United States. Law enforcement authorities in southern California indicate that marijuana is transferred from mother ships in international waters to Mexican fishing vessels. The smaller vessels then deliver the marijuana to overland smugglers on the Mexican Baja California Peninsula. From there, the marijuana is generally moved to border transit points and then carried to the Los Angeles metropolitan area for distribution to eastern markets.

 

 

Edited June 22, 2010 by pqr

[pqr]

I consider it a moderate problem, not a serious problem, if done occasionally. If it weren't illegal, it would be the equivalent of getting drunk. It becomes a serious problem if done daily.

 

And how many people have to die before this illegal behavior is deemed a serious problem?

[Brigitte]

It is possible to drink alcohol and not be impaired? Only if you build up a tolerance to it by drinking a lot, and even then, it is impairing from the beginning. I drink rarely- one glass makes me fairly tipsy. I know many people who built up that same tolerance to pot and you would never know they had just smoked in meeting them. I am not sure what sort of an argument your statements are against pot and for alcohol because I think they are provably not true.

I do not believe people drink alcohol for the taste, personally. They drink alcohol for the effect, and learn to enjoy the taste and then develop a more refined taste for it. Ever remember your first taste of beer or wine?

Pot does not give you a 'high'. It is relaxing. Like alcohol.

Yes, I agree the pot of today is stronger and that is of some concern.

 

Sure, it is possible to drink alcohol and not be impaired. I can pour a glass of wine and sip it over the course of the evening - no impairment. I suppose a person could take puffs off a joint over the course of the evening and not get high, but is that realistic? I will grant you that many people drink alcohol to get buzzed, but you also have to grant me that most use of pot is not for medicinal purposes either. And yes, I know many people who enjoy a nice glass of wine (bourbon, beer, what have you) for the taste. We pair wine with food based on taste. Having grown up in a European family, I never had an aversion to the taste, wine (or beer, we are Belgian after all) was simply part of the meal.

 

Medicinal use of pot is another story.

Edited June 22, 2010 by Brigitte

[MyFourSons]

My brother and his wife did until she got pregnant. It didn't seem to hurt them. My friend's son does, and he's had a personality change, I swear. Maybe it affects different people differently?

 

That's why it is a big deal, everyones brain chemistry is different and for some it will cause major problems. I never experimented with drugs, I am too much of a control freak to do that to my brain. But I went to high school and college with plenty of friends who were casual users who were experimenting. Some of them quit then they graduated and went on to great careers and settled down to have families, living happy productive lives. Some of them became substance abusers, dropped out, and are now making it by week to week as pizza delivery guys or other jobs like that.

 

Another reason I am so opposed to using it is the violence that takes place in the production and trafficking side of it. Pot may seem harmless, but a lot of the "drug wars" going on in Mexico right now involve gangs who supply pot as well as other narcotics. Innocent people being killed as a result of these "turf wars" are the direct result of the demand, not just the supply side of the drug trade. This is an aspect of illegal drug use that really can't be avoided, no matter how harmless you think the actual drug is.