01-11-2008, 07:13 AM
Let me start by saying that I smoked a lot of dope in my teens and twenties. I even sold the stuff, quantities of 1/4 lb., so that I could sell three oz., smoking the fourth oz. as my profit. I also have to say that, on balance, we'd probably be better off as a society by legalizing private use of marijuana, taxing it, and treating it, and all forms of drug abuse, as a medical problem.
Having said that, I am a proponent of honesty. If you want to get high, say that you want to get high. Don't hide behind "medical use" of marijuana if you have no medical issues. Depression, eczema, dandruff, back pain, gas, hangnails, and other such ailments are sometimes used to get a Rx for medical marijuana from physicians who have an agenda, and which can be treated with lots more effective therapies than smoking dope. If marijuana increases the appetite in people who have lost their appetite due to chemo or radiation therapy, I'm all for that. If there is a connection between reducing the effects of glaucoma and marijuana, I'm all for that, too. But I think many people, some on this website, are perfectly healthy, but just want to get stoned. If that's the case, make an argument for the legalization of marijuana, not for the medical use of marijuana.
Secondly, it is pie-in-the-sky ignorance to state that smoking dope is good for you, or even to state that it does no harm. Do some Googling, and you can find all kinds of legitimate medical studies that link marijuana use to some health problems which are fairly benign (slight to moderate loss of memory, increased sore throat and bronchitis) to some really nasty health effects (decreased immune system effectiveness, increased head and neck cancers, three-to-fourfold increase in the risk for heart attack, etc.) Here is a link to the National Institutes of Health postition on marijuana use, supported by peer-reviewed clinical studies: http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/marijuana.html
Again, I want to say that I believe on balance we'd be better off legalizing marijuana use for the private citizen, for several reasons. I just don't think it's intellectually honest to say some of the things that I've heard said here. For example, an impaired driver is an impaired driver, whether he's drunk, frying on acid, wasted on Xanax, or stoned on marijuana. I don't want to share the same road with anybody who's impaired for any reason, and you're bull****ting yourself if you think you're not impaired when you're stoned. You're not bull****ting me, because I've been stoned lots of times, and I know firsthand how it effects my senses and reactions.
Aloha to all, good luck with a legalization campaign. Just keep it honest, and you'll gain more respect and support from people who are also discouraged with filling our courts and prisons with people who are charged with simple posession.
How do I know?
Having said that, I am a proponent of honesty. If you want to get high, say that you want to get high. Don't hide behind "medical use" of marijuana if you have no medical issues. Depression, eczema, dandruff, back pain, gas, hangnails, and other such ailments are sometimes used to get a Rx for medical marijuana from physicians who have an agenda, and which can be treated with lots more effective therapies than smoking dope. If marijuana increases the appetite in people who have lost their appetite due to chemo or radiation therapy, I'm all for that. If there is a connection between reducing the effects of glaucoma and marijuana, I'm all for that, too. But I think many people, some on this website, are perfectly healthy, but just want to get stoned. If that's the case, make an argument for the legalization of marijuana, not for the medical use of marijuana.
Secondly, it is pie-in-the-sky ignorance to state that smoking dope is good for you, or even to state that it does no harm. Do some Googling, and you can find all kinds of legitimate medical studies that link marijuana use to some health problems which are fairly benign (slight to moderate loss of memory, increased sore throat and bronchitis) to some really nasty health effects (decreased immune system effectiveness, increased head and neck cancers, three-to-fourfold increase in the risk for heart attack, etc.) Here is a link to the National Institutes of Health postition on marijuana use, supported by peer-reviewed clinical studies: http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/marijuana.html
Again, I want to say that I believe on balance we'd be better off legalizing marijuana use for the private citizen, for several reasons. I just don't think it's intellectually honest to say some of the things that I've heard said here. For example, an impaired driver is an impaired driver, whether he's drunk, frying on acid, wasted on Xanax, or stoned on marijuana. I don't want to share the same road with anybody who's impaired for any reason, and you're bull****ting yourself if you think you're not impaired when you're stoned. You're not bull****ting me, because I've been stoned lots of times, and I know firsthand how it effects my senses and reactions.
Aloha to all, good luck with a legalization campaign. Just keep it honest, and you'll gain more respect and support from people who are also discouraged with filling our courts and prisons with people who are charged with simple posession.
How do I know?
Aloha! ;-)