Addictions & Answers_ Legalized Pot -- Wisdom or Folly

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Addictions & Answers:Legalized pot -- Wisdom orfolly?ADDICTIONS & ANSWERS

Friday, November 12th 2010, 10:00 AM

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BILL: When California recently voted down Prop 19to legalize pot I spoke to LarryBouchard, MA, the most dedicated drug/alcohol counselor I know. A Californian himself,he was very pleased by the outcome. "My most belligerent patients were marijuana-onlyaddicts. Their 5-year recovery rate is near zilch. Marijuana impairs judgment, distortsaudio and optical perception and eye-hand coordination. Bill, my grandchildren will soonbe driving in this state."

DR. DAVE: During Prohibition, a lot of doctors suddenly began writing prescriptions forimported Canadian whiskey, as a m edical cure-all. In a s imilar manner, marijuanasupporters have been promoting all-but-legal pot, once again for whatever ails you. Sortof like the 19th Century "Magic Elixirs" sold at carnivals to cure wh atever ailed you1 partcocaine and 2 parts alcohol!

BILL: What do you think of argument that if you end pot prohibition, the s tate could tax it."Instead of building prisons," one supporter said to me, "we could build s chools."

DR. DAVE: Even with the tax windfall sorely needed by a state si nking into debt, the votersrejected that argument. It wasn't even close, with 54% voting No'.

BILL: U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced just before this last election that theadministration would enforce the federal law fully even if Prop 19 pass ed.

DR. DAVE: All the Feds are doing is pointing out that the pot promoters have done nothingto be responsible about its downside of creating intoxication. And getting loaded on pot isa big underground business in California.

BILL: Remember the old parable about King Canute? Driven egotistically mad by theflattery of his courtiers, Canute had his throne brought down to the sea and told the tidesto retreat upon his command. Dave, this determination not to legalize pot reminds m e ofCanute. After all the millions spent, the helicopter search flights, jails and lives ruined, atthe recent end of the "2010 enforcement season" (as they call it in California), theCampaign Against Marijuana Planting reported that 411,0004 pot plants were seized inTuolumne County, 572,680 in Mendocino. Almos t one mi llion in just two counties alone.

Dave, the tide just keeps rolling in.

DR. DAVE: Even "The Governator" was out socially promoting California's laissez faireattitude on Jay Leno's show this week.

BILL: I saw that - telling the world that in California "no one cares if you smoke a joint ornot."

DR.DAVE: As if smoking a "joint" is in the same category as having a cold Pina Coladaon a hot San Diego beach.

BILL: Since I never liked pot, legal or not, perhaps I can claim an objective point of view. Adrunk speeding at 100 mph is a public menace. But we don't outlaw cars, we punish thedrunk. Just like s cotch or gin, pot can be abused. We don't punish the occasional drinker.Why punish people who occasionally light up for recreational use?

DR.DAVE: One of the chief arguments used by the proponents of Proposition 19. Theyare already gearing up for another try in 2012 because they believe there will be more

young adults voting, in a Presidential election year.

BILL: Sort of looking for the "Stoner Vote?"

DR. DAVE: The real question is , how will the m oderate voters swing i n the next 2 years?

BILL: I think we can agree that the top-of-the-lungs brawl between the moral abolitionistsand the aging Cheech and Chong generation does not shed any light. Didn't the subjectcome up in a recent Colorado election?

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11:03:33 AM

Nov 12, 2010

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Thank you for an intelligent back and forth on this matter.

Unfortunately, most conversations come from a purely pro-legalization and do not give a voice to those of us who are against it. Itwould also do everyone well to remember, that we are not talkingabout something important like providing health care to everyone, weare talking about the selfish need to get high.

12:51:33 PMNov 12, 2010


Two babbling idiots with zero intelligence on the topic at hand. What awaste of editorial s pace. Their opinions are irrelevant on this topic.

12:58:40 PMNov 12, 2010

Also, kamandi, I suppose you've never witnessed anyone onesuffering greatly from "wasting disease" (lack of appetite) due tocancer which causes severe mal-nutrition. I've had numerous doctors

here in NJ s uggest to me, on the side of course, that my best optionis to get the patient marijuana vs the alternative man -made ****Marinol which does nothing but make a patient more sick. But oh, thegovt. backs Marinol because it's man-made by Big Pharma whichcontinues to pad their pockets. Sure, there are many who support thelegalization simply to get high, but what's it to you? Ever see severelyintoxicated people spilling out of a bar at 2AM and hop right into theircars? As long as alcohol and tobacco are legal in this country, I will

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DR. DAVE: The issue there wasn't to ban or legalize pot. The vote was on taking steps toregulate and tax the marijuana dispe nsaries. At last count, all those m easures werepassing. That seems to be the next logical s tep in medical marijuana--start to apply thesame s tandards of regulation and control as we do to pharmacies and drug companies.

BILL: Have you been reading about these places that are marketing gourmet pot? They'recompeting to see who can offer the best baked goods containing the patient's"medicine."

DR. DAVE: Clearly, some health care regulation is in order. It certainly beats waiting forthe San Francisco City Council to ban the adult version of "Happy Meals--"

BILL: --unless the hash brownies are made from whole grain organic flour?

#

Dr. David Moore is a licensed psychologist and chemical dependency professional who is

a graduate school faculty member at Argosy University's Seattle Campus. Bill Manville is

a Book of the Month novelist; his most recent work of non-fiction, "Cool, Hip & Sober," is

available at online book stores. Bill also teaches "Writing To Get Published" for Temple

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continue to reiterate my point that marijuana is no where near as badas either one of those legal "drugs". Can't wait to get home from workand sm oke a fat J.

1:52:48 PMNov 12, 2010


It's time for us all to stop being ignorant hypocrites and start beingTRUE conservatives! Pragmatic libertarians (minim al-statists) and"true" Conservatives agree that many, if not most, of soc iety'sproblems are caused by government usurping choices that couldbetter be made by individuals and that government is just about theworst way of doing alm ost anything. Where libertarianism normallyparts company with "fake" conservatism is over moral issues . But a

true conservative would have no problem with agreeing, that whatpeople do with their own bodies, and especially in the privacy of theirown home, s hould be s upremely their business, and that anythingelse would entail ignoring the basic tenet of limited government.Fake-Conservatism on the other hand has much in common wi thsocialism ; Both Leftists and Fake-Conservatives appear to harbor thebelief that nature does not exist and that any human can be anythinghe wants to be, or can for the "greater good", be "re-educated" i

1:54:52 PMNov 12, 2010


If you support prohibi tion then you are NOT a conse rvative.Conservative principles, quite clearly, ARE: 1) Limited, locallycontrolled government. 2) Individual liberty coupled with personalresponsibility. 3) Free enterprise. 4) A strong national defense.Prohibition is actually an authoritarian War on the Constitution and allcivic institutions of our great nation. It's all about the market and

cost/benefit analysis. Whether any particular drug is good, bad, orotherwise is irrelevant! As l ong as there is demand for any mindaltering substance, there will be supply; the end! The only affectprohibiting it has is to drive the price up, increase the costs andprofits, and where there is illegal profit to be made criminals andterrorists thrive.

1:56:32 PMNov 12, 2010


The cost of criminalizing citizens who are using substances no moreharmful than sim ilar things that are perfectly legal like alcohol andtobacco, is not only hypocritical and futile, but also simply not worththe incredible damage it does. Prohibition provides America's s wornenemies with financial "aid" and tactical "comforts". The Constitutionof the United States of America defines treason as: "Article III / Section3. Treason against the United States, shall consis t only in levying waragainst them, or adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and

comfort." Support for prohibition is therefor an act of treason againstthe Constitution, and a dire threat to the nation's civic institutions.

11:55:27 PMNov 12, 2010


Hey, kamandi, is the "selfish need to get high" anything like theselfish and completely irrational des ire to micro-manage the privatelives of others, and to keep people from making their own choices?This is supposed to be a free country, not a dictatorship with kamandimaking people's decisi ons. Yes, the majority of these posts comefrom those who enjoy cannabis, but also from people like Malcolmand I who have a pathological desire for public policy to be based ontruth and respect for the natural right of personal autonomy. We alsohave a strange congenital defect that makes us outraged whenpeople post up a series of bald faced lies, half truths and hystericalrhetoric, which is the sum total of substance that comes from peoplewho for some insane piece of reasoning think they have the right to

come into my home and to tell me how to live my life. Hey you know,maybe I should come over to your house and make som e decisionson how you li ve your life? Do you have any drinking a l

11:59:23 PMNov 12, 2010


Hey you know, maybe I should come over to your house and makesome decisions on how you live your life? Do you have any drinkingalcohol? How about if we s tart by pouring it down the drain. Religionis abs olute nonsense, so whatever religious icons or holy books youhave, we're going to toss in the fire place. Well unless your Jewish.No, I'm not one of the 144,000 but the Jews have been picked onsince before the alleged birth of Christ and they're the one organizedreligion that hasn't attempted to manipulate or force people of otherfaiths to become Jewish or get murdered. Also, they endorsed thepassage of Prop 19. But don't worry, since it's winter you'll save a fewpennies on your heating bill so it won't be a total waste. But the

simple fact of the matter is that you are absolutely incorrect about thepoppycock claim that this is about 'the selfish need to get high.' Areyou stupid enough to think that I don't get high already? I haven't hadany problem getting high s ince t

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