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News & ArtsMonday, August 10, 2009
Drugs Better for Kids?
Posted by Dominic Holden on Mon, Aug 10, 2009 at 10:10 AM
Marijuana is less harmful than alcohol, of course, but who thinks we should legalize pot so teens can use it with impunity? Moms do:
"I want my children to grow up to believe that laws are just and rational, and if there's injustice, they should fight it," said Jessica Peck Corry, a Denver-based Republican political strategist. Jessica, a former GOP candidate for state senate, is also a cannabis activist who campaigned for a ballot initiative that would decriminalize marijuana possession in Colorado. "We can no longer afford to wage war on a substance that people can grow in their backyard. It's a war we can't win," says Jessica. As a mother of two young children, Jessica says she plans to have an open dialogue with her kids about drug and alcohol use, even though, she says, "I want to place them in this bubble where I can protect them." Jessica believes that by arming her daughters with accurate information, "they will respect their bodies and make good decisions." These moms insist they're not pushing their kids to abuse drugs, but prefer they choose the lesser of two evils. "Things have gotten so skewed. People look at pot like it's the bogeyman. It's not going to kill you; alcohol can kill you," said Diane.The statistics on the dangers of alcohol are staggering. Drinking on college campuses led to 1,400 deaths, 500,000 injuries, and 70,000 cases of sexual assault or date rape, according to a 2002 study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) task force.
UPDATE: Gold Star comment comes from baniak, who points out what the post's headline should have been:
Choosy moms choose spliffs
1
I've never understood how people say smoking pot can't kill you.
It's still smoke, right? And it's being inhaled. Um, isn't that how cigarettes kill people?
Maybe pot's less likely to kill than cigarettes or alcohol, but that doesn't mean inhaling smoke is danger-free.
It's still smoke, right? And it's being inhaled. Um, isn't that how cigarettes kill people?
Maybe pot's less likely to kill than cigarettes or alcohol, but that doesn't mean inhaling smoke is danger-free.
2
She wants her kids to believe that "all laws are just and rational?" Boy, she really is into the good drugs.
3
Those statistics make no sense.
More deaths from alcohol because lots of people are drinking not because pot is safer.
Driving when buzzed on pot is far more dangerous at any amount than even a moderate amount of alcohol. Your reaction time is completely f*cked.
So many people in this country drink in moderation with no negative consequences.
Those mom's children who use pot regularly will become very apathetic in life.
Probably good for careers in the arts and writing for The Stranger but most life choices; jobs, family, etc. will be hindered by daily pot usage.
If you have kids, or might in the future, would you really want your pre-teen or teen smoking pot on a regular basis?
It is sad that these moms would be so irresponsible trying in justify their own habit.
More deaths from alcohol because lots of people are drinking not because pot is safer.
Driving when buzzed on pot is far more dangerous at any amount than even a moderate amount of alcohol. Your reaction time is completely f*cked.
So many people in this country drink in moderation with no negative consequences.
Those mom's children who use pot regularly will become very apathetic in life.
Probably good for careers in the arts and writing for The Stranger but most life choices; jobs, family, etc. will be hindered by daily pot usage.
If you have kids, or might in the future, would you really want your pre-teen or teen smoking pot on a regular basis?
It is sad that these moms would be so irresponsible trying in justify their own habit.
6
#3: There is absolutely no evidence for apathy (amotivational syndrome) in pot smokers. After controlling for the negative health of medical marijuana users, there is some evidence for slightly better life outcomes in marijuana users (anecdotal evidence includes at least 3 of the past 4 presidents).
http://www.substanceabusepolicy.com/cont… (Cites many other studies, best one I could find with free full text.)
There are three negative concerns due to marijuana:
1) Prison, fines, criminal records, and denied student loans due to the criminal status of marijuana use.
2) Increased risk of car accidents when driving within 90 minutes of smoking a large amount of marijuana (although stoned driving amongst users is much less common than drunk driving amongst users -- most pot smokers don't drive after using, unlike drinkers).
3) Increased risk of lung (and possibly testicular) cancer amongst daily smokers. The risk of lung cancer from smoking one joint equivalent a day is about equal to the risk of smoking one pack of cigarettes a day, although pot smokers are much less likely to smoke daily than cigarette smokers.
There isn't any evidence for any other claims about negative effects of marijuana, and quite a bit of evidence disproving other traditional "reefer madness" claims (apathy, depression, psychosis, etc).
http://www.substanceabusepolicy.com/cont… (Cites many other studies, best one I could find with free full text.)
There are three negative concerns due to marijuana:
1) Prison, fines, criminal records, and denied student loans due to the criminal status of marijuana use.
2) Increased risk of car accidents when driving within 90 minutes of smoking a large amount of marijuana (although stoned driving amongst users is much less common than drunk driving amongst users -- most pot smokers don't drive after using, unlike drinkers).
3) Increased risk of lung (and possibly testicular) cancer amongst daily smokers. The risk of lung cancer from smoking one joint equivalent a day is about equal to the risk of smoking one pack of cigarettes a day, although pot smokers are much less likely to smoke daily than cigarette smokers.
There isn't any evidence for any other claims about negative effects of marijuana, and quite a bit of evidence disproving other traditional "reefer madness" claims (apathy, depression, psychosis, etc).
7
I'm not one to make this argument.
Personally, I think we should treat it like the more addictive alcohol and tobacco. And sell it at WSLCB stores where they card you just to come in.
Will this mean people will rebel and stop doing beer bong parties in favor of MJ bong parties? Maybe, but they're doing that now.
Personally, I think we should treat it like the more addictive alcohol and tobacco. And sell it at WSLCB stores where they card you just to come in.
Will this mean people will rebel and stop doing beer bong parties in favor of MJ bong parties? Maybe, but they're doing that now.
9
@1: Pot smoke, like all smoke, is bad for you, but the reason it's less bad than cigarette smoke is that people smoke much less pot in order to get high. Nobody would smoke two packs of joints a day for 20 years.
13
Who said you have to smoke it. There are alternatives such as vaporizers and edibles. Driving under the influence of any drug is wrong; but I would rather be driving by a stoned driver than drunk. Legal cannabis makes it harder for kids to obtain it. Just look at beer and cigs. Sure some kids can get somone to buy it, but it is much harder. It is way easier for them to get cannabis from dealers today! Just.say no........to prohibition!
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