Is Marijuana Addictive?

Can I Get Addicted to Cannabis?

Medical Marijuana is not physically addictive, despite what many anti-marijuana people want us to believe. Marijuana users can use it regularly, even multiple times daily, without any problem giving it up.

A very small number of people (heavy chronic users) who use marijuana can find that they have developed a psychological addiction. This can be as mild as some difficulty sleeping, slight irritability, and moodiness. Since most people who use cannabis are not heavy constant users, this is not common at all. If you are concerned about any possibility of psychological addiction it is very easily avoided by taking time off from regular use. For instance, if you use it every day, you should take one day off per week or take one week off every three months. Even without taking this time off from use, the majority of people using Cannabis report that they have no difficulty stopping usage.

Marijuana has the lowest risk of dependence and withdrawal potential if you compare it to other substances, such as alcohol, opiates (like Vicodin), caffeine, and other psychoactive drugs. Many of the anti-depressants (currently being prescribed abundantly) have very severe physical withdrawal symptoms which most patients are not warned about.

People who are addiction-prone can have trouble controlling their use of marijuana. This is an issue for about 10% of users (this number comes from looking at recreational users, not those using marijuana for medicinal purposes). A person who is considered a marijuana abuser is one who uses it to excess and finds that the use interferes with normal every day activities, like maintaining personal hygiene, going to work, having normal interpersonal relationships. Persons who find that they cannot control their use may find abstinence is preferred.

Most medical marijuana patients find that they cannot function on the medications that they have been prescribed for pain, insomnia, depression, etc. and find that they function very well on medical marijuana. It can be said that this ability to maintain a normal life without dependence and addiction is what is driving many patients to choose medical marijuana as their preferred medication.

Additionally, another compelling reason that most medical marijuana patients have switched from opiates (like Vicodin), antidepressants, or sleeping pills is exactly for the reason that marijuana is not physically addictive and can be easily stopped. Some MMEC patients report that they can use marijuana for a week for a back pain flare-up, then easily stop until the next episode. Some patients report to us that they only use it on the nights that they cannot sleep, maybe 2 -3 times per week. If you find that you are concerned about the addictive potential of the medications that you are taking, medical marijuana may be the answer for you. It treats a whole slew of symptoms and for the majority of those using it, no issues with dependence and addiction. It is a much smarter and more natural choice than many of the pharmaceuticals being pushed prescribed by doctors. And again, with vaporizers, edibles and tinctures readily available, there is no need to smoke this medication – many patients are finding the other delivery methods quite effective.

Marijuana Price Drop Hype… Or Scare Tactics?

It seems that some are a little worried that a vote that would legalize Cannabis in California might also upset supply and demand that marijuana values could plunge by as much as 90 % and perhaps challenge the tax bonus that marijuana supporters have used to sell the proposal, a study in print Wednesday found.

An intensive study by the independent RAND Drug Policy Research Center projects some attention-grabbing possibilities if Ca in Nov becomes the second state, after Alaska, to legalize cannabis for entertaining use by adults and the first to tax commercial marijuana sales sales. Do you think marijuana should remain medical

Rand Researchers are stating Marijuana prices may well plunge from $375 an oz., within the state's present medical marijuana regulation to less than $38 per oz. prior to taxes.

Headline News shared a report that a California Democrat leader Tom Ammiamo suggests legalizing marijuana to make up for the financial loss and to build on the billion dollar financial future. Breaking sides differs, as some believe it should be legalized when others do not. Perhaps learning more about marijuana helps.

If any state makes marijuana legal, you will be taxed. That extra cash will go to the state. But when it comes to production of marijuana, no one is sure if the producers will take the route that the big tobacco companies have. During the 1980's the big tobacco companies added ingredients to certain cigarettes and protected these ingredients by “trade secrets”. Trade secrets will never be given to the people, for even I tried when speaking to a Virginia company during 1987. This can also occur for marijuana if legalized. Do you like smoking something that is intended to hook you like a fish? Probably not. Ingredients will be included if produced after being legalized. However away from the ingredients, what else did Tom forget to speak about? The price of request.

Marijuana will go up in price to suit the government needs if legalized with at least a $50 tax on one ounce. That's fair cash to spit into the system, but will it contribute to an already falling California crime statistic? When proposition K was introduced in California, the authorities did a double take. Proposition K makes prostitution more lawful by not being able to investigate prostitution. Prostitutes and johns love this idea, however the family oriented citizens could do without in hopes they do not need to purchase a therapist if their child becomes a prostitute. But what does this have to do with marijuana? Crime and therapy.

If someone can not afford marijuana, sometimes they steal to get it, in any way they can. From the expensive hydroponic high-grade to the red haired bud, crimes go hand in hand to produce potent marijuana. When the government decides to make marijuana legal, it's going to most likely be a low-grade high. And then we have the psychological and health aspects to consider.

Lung disease happens by smoke as the health care industry fights daily to have citizens quit a deadly habit. Truth is, they are tired of people harming their bodies and then running to them for help only to go back to the killer. Marijuana smoke kills just the same. Marijuana resin builds on anything that smoke comes out of. That resin lays inside of you like tobacco resin. If it isn't the smoke that stops up your system, it's the way one thinks afterwards. Once you train your brain, it's used to thinking a certain way. If you haven't spoken to someone with a slight case of ADD, just talk to someone addicted to marijuana. You may be amazed at the mood swings that they can't see, but you can. There had been a report that marijuana mid to high-grade develops schizophrenia if heavily used, but what is heavily used? Daily. And once you become addicted to the company (factory) produced marijuana, the manufacturers will make sure you come back for more because they want your money and could care less how much therapy you pay for. The government would be happy too because all they want is your money. Some can be sold on this idea of legalizing marijuana, however others are not.

Honestly, marijuana, I feel should not be sold period. I have seen people pick up the slack of the addicted ones. This is when stoners stone me, aim high. But forget what I think, what do you think?

Ca.State Marijuana Law Vs. Federal Marijuana Law

Can anyone else point out the biggest problem with the Nov. vote in California to legalize marijuana… That’s right, the Fed’s. How can CA. legalize marijuana, tax marijuana, and regulate marijuana at the state level when the federal Controlled Substances Act makes it a felony to grow or sell cannabis… period. California can abolish its own cannabis laws, leaving enforcement up to the feds, chances are that no one wants’ that. But Californian’s can't legalize a federal felony. As a result, any MMJ club paying California taxes on cannabis sales or filing cannabis related California regulatory paperwork would be confessing, in writing, to multiple federal crimes. I’m not sure about you, but that hardly sounds like a good idea.

Marijuana was outlawed in 1937, to mostly a religious outpouring.

“Smoking marijuana might cause you to fall under the influence of listening to jazz! I believe that it was even said on the floor of Congress that marijuana had to be banned because smoking it might make a black man look at a white woman twice. And let's not forget that U.S. Treasury Department funded documentary film, called, “Reefer Madness!” So marijuana was outlawed as devil weed in 1937.”
This information was taken from: http://www.geocities.com/capitolhill/congress/2503/lyrics01.html

Why would the government outlaw a drug that kills… ZERO people? Because it's moral? Because it's right? Because to control the population why legalize something that won't put pending death on people? Why not, in the same thought process, have cigarettes and alcohol which kill thousands of people every year?

Besides, a man on Jack Daniels' will think about killing you, and a split second later may actually TRY to kill you. It only takings a little bit to change the inhibitions of a completely drunk person. On the other hand a person on marijuana, even if they think about killing you, will most likely only use the energy to get off the couch for a hamburger.

What's the difference here? Marijuana is probably the only drug that you can turn your back to, and not fear getting stabbed or shot. Crack? Cocaine? Alcohol? Speed? You can almost expect an attack if someone is angry at you under the influence of one of these drugs. Cigarettes? You can EXPECT to have to become addicted to the nicotine, and keep choking down the various chemicals that are in them.

On that point, marijuana is only slightly, mentally addictive. So if you smoke it everyday, and stop, you may feel a little in the dumps for a few days, but things will get back to normal very quickly. There are no physical withdrawls to pot, unless you want to call 'moving around more' a withdrawl.

Jim Stillman wrote in this article :

“The basic Federal statute regulating cannabis is the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, which describes drugs as being under one of five classes or schedules. Cannabis is considered a “Schedule I” substance, one that has a high potential for abuse, no accredited medical use, and a lack of accepted safety. (One may, and many have, questioned that description of cannabis, but that's where the law is now.)

In United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative, decided in 2001, the Supreme Court held that “medical necessity” was not a defense to a prosecution for the producing and distribution of cannabis to ill persons. The Court said that Congress had made cannabis a Schedule I drug and that was that!”

So what is so bad about marijuana? It won't kill you. Why is it a Schedule I drug? It may increase your waist size, but with a country full of overweight people it may show you just how many… May 'recreationally' use this product.

California Cannabis Vote: What will the Fed's Do?

Can anyone else point out the biggest problem with the Nov. vote in California to legalize marijuana… That’s right, the Fed’s. How can CA. legalize cannabis tax marijuana, and regulate cannabis at the state level when the federal Controlled Substances Act makes it a felony to grow or sell cannabis… period. California can abolish its own marijuana laws leaving enforcement up to the feds, chances are that no one wants’ that. But Californian’s can't legalize a federal felony. As a result, any MMJ club paying California taxes on marijuana sales or filing marijuana-related California regulatory paperwork would be confessing, in writing, to multiple federal crimes. I’m not sure about you, but that hardly sounds like a good idea.

Will the California budget crisis accomplish the long cherished goal among libertarians of legalizing marijuana? San Francisco Assemblyman Tom Ammiano certainly hopes so, for he has offered legislation legalizing and taxing marijuana.

Under the proposed legislation, every Californian over the age of 21 would be able to openly purchase marijuana after paying a hefty tax. The tax would consist of a special fifty dollar an ounce levy along with the normal state sales taxes. It is estimated that legally sold and taxed marijuana would bring in $1.3 billion in revenues to the state of California.

According to a Zogby Poll commissioned by the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) a growing number of people support the legalization and taxing of marijuana.

“When asked: “Should marijuana be taxed and legally regulated like alcohol and cigarettes to help raise money for public services and to reduce law enforcement costs?”, voters responded: 44% Yes, 52% No, and 4% Undecided.

“Surprisingly high support was reported in the West, where voters favored legalization 58% - 36%. However, the significance of this margin is questionable due to the relatively small number of respondents (232). Easterners were nearly divided - 48% Yes, 49% No - while other regions were strongly opposed.

“A similar Zogby/NORML poll in 2006 found only 36% of Americans in support of legalization, with 55% opposed.”

Libertarians and even some conservatives have maintained that the current regime of criminalizing drug abuse is counterproductive and futile. Drug legalization advocates compare the current “war on drugs” to the 1920s era prohibition, during which alcohol was banned, leading to wide spread law breaking by ordinary people and the rise of organized crime. They suggest, for instance, that marijuana is a relatively benign recreational narcotic, compared to alcohol and especially tobacco. Marijuana also has some beneficial medical properties, such as glaucoma and the pain and nausea surrounding chemotherapy.

There may well be a case for legalizing and taxing marijuana. On the other hand, many drug advocates suggest that all illegal drugs, including cocaine and heroin, should also be legalized. People, they maintain, have a right to put any substance into their bodies that they want, even ones that are unhealthy.

There is a joke that the test of a true libertarian is whether he or she believes that crystal meth should be available to school children from vending machines. The proper libertarian answer is that only if the said vending machines are operated by the private sector.

The advocates for legalizing hard drugs ignore the societal cost of drug addiction. People addicted to cocaine, heroin, or crystal meth simply are not able to function after a time. Legalization will cut costs for law enforcement and deny organized crime a source of revenue. But health care, rehabilitation, and other costs would remain and perhaps even increase.

Libertarians would respond, well, fine, drug addicts should pay for those costs. In the real world, that is not going to happen, though.

As for California legalizing marijuana, traditionally the federal government has taken a dim view of states getting wobbly on illegal drugs. On the other hand, Barack Obama promised during the campaign that he would not interfere with the states concerning drug enforcement.

Will the time come when, at least in California, one can take out a joint at ones favorite coffee shop and light up? There is another problem, which cigarette smokers are very familiar with. Because of concerns over second hand smoke, the places where one can light up anything are getting few and far between. It may be that one day one can have the right to own and use marijuana, just not the right to do it just about anywhere.

Of course there is always brownies.

Source: Legalizing marijuana could help California get out of debt, assemblyman says, Kelly Bush, MSNBC, February 24th, 2009

New Poll Finds Growing Support for Legalization, California NORML, February 19th, 2009

Obama's Drug War Budget Increase

O.K., so it seems our President has seen fit to put away his love for marijuana, as the 2011 funding “highlights” were published at the beginning of the year by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), and guess what? The Obama administration is expanding the war on drugs cannabis included and focusing its resources toward law enforcement… over treatment. The budget puts U.S. drug war spending at $15.5 billion for fiscal year 2011, an increase of 3.5% over 2010 and an increase of 5.2 % for on the whole enforcement funding ($9.7 billion in Fiscal Year 2010 to $9.9 billion in Fiscal Year 2011). Addiction treatment and preventative measures are budgeted to increase from $5.2 billion to $5.6 billion.

Meanwhile, Marijuana has been around for more than 5000 years and is considered to have an excellent safety record. Between 1979 and 1998, there were 23 reported deaths due to marijuana and when you look at the 23 people, they were all suffering from life-threatening illnesses (cancer, diabetes, etc) and were using cannabis medicinally. It is likely that they did not die from cannabis but from their illnesses. (Even if they died from marijuana that is 23 deaths over 19 years, compared to more than 100,000 deaths per year from prescription medications!)

Anyone who has been keeping up with politics in recent months is very likely aware that Obama intends to save the nation's economy by legalizing marijuana. It is not hard to imagine that the legalization of marijuana could lead to all manner of improvements in the economy, with money changing hands and a healthy tax being levied on the popular recreational drug. Unfortunately, there is much resistance to the idea of legalizing marijuana from those who believe that the use of any recreational drug use is inherently bad, despite the common perception that marijuana is basically harmless.

On the other hand, there are those who feel that legalizing marijuana will lead to rampant use of harder drugs that can cause serious social problems. Whatever your beliefs might be, it isn't hard to argue the fact that the legalization of marijuana might save the American economy. With estimates of millions of dollars changing hands and a great percentage of Americans enjoying the recreational use of marijuana, it is not hard to see that the taxation and legalization of marijuana could lead to tremendous windfall profits for the American people as well as the United States government.

With all manner of businesses and products seeing a downturn in popularity, it is only natural to look towards other sources of income in order to ensure that there is a sustainable economic model in place to assist and bring the economy back to a suitably productive level. After many decades of politicizing the argument, the effort to legalize marijuana has been dragged kicking and screaming out into the daylight where it can be discussed reasonably by adults.

Many are of the opinion that the people who first experimented with marijuana in the 50s, 60s and 70s have now grown into adults and are running the country, making it easier to discuss the argument in a logical fashion. Others stick to the idea that marijuana is a deadly drug that causes all manner of social problems. Despite the fact that not one death has ever been directly attributed to marijuana in the history of the world, the effort to criminalize the recreational drug use of marijuana has raged on for years.

With all the facts on the table, it is easy to see that the legalization of marijuana can have tremendous positive results on not only the economy but on the social and recreational enjoyment of everyone in the United States. In addition, it would eliminate the imprisonment and criminalization of certain individuals who are less than enthusiastic about having a criminal record simply because they occasionally partake in recreational marijuana usage. For those who have suffered needlessly at the hands of overzealous law enforcement agencies, it would be a welcome relief to the care and persecution of individuals who are otherwise innocent of any wrongdoing.

Legal Cannabis Price Drop Propaganda…Or fact?

It seems that some are a little worried that a vote that would legalize Cannabis in California might also upset supply and demand that marijuana values could plunge by as much as 90 % and perhaps challenge the tax bonus that cannabis supporters have used to sell the proposal, a study in print Wednesday found.

The study by the independent RAND Drug Policy Research Center projects some attention-grabbing possibilities if Ca in Nov becomes the second state, after Alaska, to legalize cannabis for entertaining use by adults and the first to tax commercial marijuana sales sales. Do you think marijuana should remain medical

Rand Researchers are stating Cannabis prices may well plunge from $375 an oz., within the state's present medical cannabis regulation to less than $38 per oz. prior to taxes.

What is wrong with the War on Drugs?

Six recent reports - from the American Enterprise Institute, Citizens Against Government Waste, Taxpayers for Common Sense, The Sentencing Project, a Harvard University economics professor, and the U.S. Department of Justice - point out the failures and steep costs of marijuana prohibition and call for a new approach.

I. Its almost certainly unconstitutional: 
Unlawful searches and seizures are not permitted - unless cops are searching for drugs, which are not legal property and therefore not protected. No self-incrimination - unless it's a drug test. No cruel and unusual punishment - unless you were caught with cocaine. And so our two greatest bulwarks against tyranny, checks and balances and the Bill of Rights, are out the drug war window.  More than 700,000 Americans were arrested on marijuana charges last year, and more than 5 million Americans have been arrested for marijuana offenses in the past decade. Almost 90 percent of these arrests are for simple possession, not trafficking or sale. This is a misapplication of the criminal sanction that invites government into areas of our private lives that are inappropriate and wastes valuable law enforcement resources that should be focused on serious and violent crime.

II.  It is not working:

After a third of a century of escalating penalties against marijuana and of antimarijuana propaganda, marijuana has reached an unprecedented peak of popularity.  Prohibition does not work. As the United States learned from 1920 to 1933, it didn't work with alcohol. As the country has been learning since 1914, it doesn't work with heroin. It isn't working today with marijuana, LSD, or any of the other illicit drugs. Nor is prohibition likely to prove more effective in the future. What prohibition does accomplish is to raise prices and thus to attract more entrepreneurs to the black market. If the drug is addicting and the price escalation is carried to outrageous extremes (as in the case of heroin), addicts resort to crime to finance their purchases–– at a tragic cost, not only in dollars but in community disruption.  What prohibition also achieves is to convert the market from relatively bland, bulky substances to more hazardous concentrates which are more readily smugglable and marketable–– from opium smoking to heroin mainlining, from coca leaves to cocaine, from marijuana to hashish.

III. It is wasting money: 

“As currently implemented, American drug policies are unconvincing,” Reuter and Boyum write. “They are intrusive … divisive … and expensive, with an approximate $35 billion annual expenditure on drug control … yet they leave the nation with a massive drug problem, greater than that of any other Western nation.” Reuter and Boyum call for, among other proposals, eliminating criminal penalties associated with marijuana and drastically increasing emphasis on drug treatment instead of incarceration.   In fiscal year (FY) 2004 alone, the federal government spent nearly $4 billion to combat marijuana. Despite spending billions of dollars over the years to enforce the prohibition of marijuana, use and perception of the drug are little different now than they were 30 years ago. Despite record deficits, U.S. taxpayers continue to watch as year after year tax dollars go up in smoke funding expensive but ineffective government programs intended to reduce marijuana use. The “Federal Marijuana Policy: A Preliminary Assessment,” released June 28, 2005 by Taxpayers for Common Sense assesses the cost of the nation's anti-marijuana efforts and the effect those efforts have had on marijuana use and finds the program to have been a failure, noting that increased federal spending on marijuana has accompanied increased use. The report singles out as particularly wasteful and ineffective marijuana arrests (which have not stemmed marijuana usage rates), the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy's youth anti-drug media campaign, and student drug testing programs.

Replacing marijuana prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation similar to that used for alcoholic beverages would produce combined savings and tax revenues of between $10 billion and $14 billion per year, finds a June 2005 report by Dr. Jeffrey Miron, visiting professor of economics at Harvard University.  Replacing marijuana prohibition with a system of legal regulation would save approximately $7.7 billion in government expenditures on prohibition enforcement - $2.4 billion at the federal level and $5.3 billion at the state and local levels (Miron’s conservative estimates).  Revenue from taxation of marijuana sales would range from $2.4 billion per year if marijuana were taxed like ordinary consumer goods to $6.2 billion if it were taxed like alcohol or tobacco.

Marijuana prohibition costs law enforcement a minimum of 2,400,000 man-hours annually. These are policeman hours and fiscal costs that could be better spent targeting violent crime. For example, following the adoption of marijuana decriminalisation in California in 1976, the state saved an average of $95.8 million annually. Of course, these fiscal costs do not end with an arrest. In many instances, police continue to investigate the facts of the case, prosecutors prepare the case for trial or negotiate a plea bargain (estimated at between five and ten hours per case), and judges and court personnel engage in a trial or accept a plea agreement in open court. These prosecutorial costs alone likely cost Americans hundreds of millions of dollars annually.  Most Americans do not want to spend public funds incarcerating non-violent marijuana offenders, at a cost of $23,000-$45,000 per year.  In 1995, nearly 600,000 of the total 1.5 million drug arrests in America were for marijuana offences.  Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that between 25 and 40 percent of the total $31 billion annual costs are related to marijuana prohibition. Using this basic calculation, marijuana prohibition costs the American taxpayers between $7.5 and $10 billion annually in enforcement alone.

IV.  It is overly nationalized:

In fact, as workers in the drug scene confirm, the “drug problem” is a collection of local problems. The predominant drugs differ from place to place and from time to time. Effective solutions to problems also vary; a plan that works now for New York City may not be applicable to upstate New York and vice versa. With respect to education and propaganda, the need for local wisdom and local control is particularly pressing. Warning children against drugs readily available to them is a risky business at best, requiring careful, truthful, unsensational approaches. Warning children against drugs used elsewhere, of which they may never have heard, can be like warning them against putting beans in their ears. The role of anti-glue-sniffing warnings in popularising glue sniffing is the most striking of many examples.

V. It is disproportionately incarcerating minorities:

Marijuana prohibition disproportionately impacts minorities. Blacks and Hispanics are over-represented both in the numbers of arrests and in the numbers of marijuana offenders incarcerated. Blacks and Hispanics make up 20 percent of the marijuana smokers in the United States, but comprise 58 percent of the marijuana offenders sentenced under federal law last year.  What started out disgraceful remains so today, as the United States continues to imprison innocent people because of victimless crimes. African Americans comprise 12% of the nation's population, and 13% of its drug users, yet they account for one third of all drug-related arrests and nearly two thirds of all convictions. In his September 1989 drug policy speech, President Bush promised to double the federal prison population. He did, and so did President Clinton in 1996. Now, “On any given day in the U.S., more than one out of every three Black males between 18-29 are either incarcerated, on probation, on parole or under warrant for arrest. The figure for Latinos is one in six. For Whites, it is one in twenty.” State disparities are equally unjust; in Illinois, 57 percent of those sent to prison for marijuana in 1995 were black or Hispanic. In California, 49 percent of those arrested for marijuana offenses in 1994 were black or Hispanic. And in New York state, 71 percent of those arrested for misdemeanor marijuana charges in 1995 were non-white.

VI. It is causing more harm than good:

A nihil nocere (a physician must guard against doing more harm than good) guideline is needed for drug laws and law enforcement. For instance, a law-enforcement policy that converts marijuana smokers into LSD or heroin users should be abandoned. The same is true of a law that turns marijuana smokers into convicts and ex-convicts, with all that the prison experience and the prison record implies. Nor can much be said in favor of a law-enforcement policy that results in raising the price of a nickel's worth of heroin to five dollars–– with the further result that addicts must steal vast amounts in order to buy their heroin.  A complete revision of laws and enforcement policies in the spirit of the nihil nocere principle is called for. The evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates the inability of laws and law enforcement to solve the drug problem, and conversely, they should not be allowed to exacerbate it.  Attempts to stamp out illicit drug use tend to increase both drug use and drug damage. Here LSD is the prime example.  Finally, as we have shown, efforts to stamp out one drug merely shifts users to another–– from marijuana to LSD and heroin, from heroin to alcohol.  

In 1972, a blue-ribbon panel of experts appointed by President Richard Nixon and led by former Pennsylvania Governor Raymond Shafer concluded that marijuana prohibition posed significantly greater harm to the user than the use of marijuana itself.

VII. It is taking aim at the wrong drugs:

The Justice Department's 2005 “National Drug Threat Assessment” concludes that not only is the war on marijuana a failure, but police officers overwhelmingly see methamphetamine as a much greater threat than marijuana. Asked to identify the greatest drug threat in their communities, only 12 percent of local law enforcement agencies named marijuana - a figure that has been declining for years. In contrast, 36 percent named cocaine and 40 percent cited methamphetamine as the greatest threat - despite the fact that marijuana use is massively more common and despite what the report describes as “marijuana's widespread and ready availability in the United States.” Yet the government stubbornly insists marijuana is the real problem.  In November 2002, ONDCP sent a letter to the nation's prosecutors declaring flatly, “Nationwide, no drug matches the threat posed by marijuana.”  The report also finds “no reports of a trend toward decreased availability” anywhere in the country … Indeed, reporting from some areas has suggested that marijuana is easier for youths to obtain than alcohol or cigarettes.”

Let's resume shall we? Prohibition produces:  Scare tactics, misinformation and lies, draconian criminal penalties, overcrowded prisons, racial discrimination, increased exposure to hard drugs, violent and criminalized black market, budget deficits, ruined lives, no discernable decrease in drug use, distrust in the government.

Why Does Marijuana Make Me Feel Good

Well, first off, there are many active ingredients in Marijuana, which is to say it is not a single drug molecule, such as alcohol or cocaine, rather a combination of more than 400 diverse chemical components. In fact, they're so different that 60 of them (called cannabinoids) are exclusive to cannabis.

While we're discussing numbers, let’s point out that the primary mind-altering cannabinoid is a little item by the name of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, or “THC”, for short. It's this chemical that triggers marijuana's main drug reactions and in turn effects the body and the brain.

THC is a mind altering compound that breaks up into at least 80 different byproducts (or metabolites) prior to being eliminated from the body… Which can take a while.

The mood altering process starts as soon as the medical marijuana's THC enters the bloodstream, and begins zeroing in on Cannabinoid receptors (anandamides) in the brain and the central nervous system.

Marijuana is the name for the drug that comes from the leaves and flowers of the Indian hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. (Elizabeth Schleichert, 1996) The plant originated in central Asia and spread to several corners of the globe. All over the world, people have used the plant as a source of fiber, cloth, paper, edible seeds, oil, and medicine. It has also been used in many cultures as an intoxicant.

The intoxicating part of the plant lies mostly in its strong-smelling, sticky, resin. This is given off by the hemp flowers, especially the flowers on the female plant. The most powerful psychoactive compounds found in the flower is called delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, more commonly known as delta-9 THC or just THC. THC is the chemical in the flower of the plant that is the key chemical to produce a “high.”

Marijuana affects different people in different ways. It usually causes the heart rate to accelerate. This can cause panic in first-time users. (Jack Mendelson, M.D., and Nancy Mello, Ph.D. 1985) The first-time user may think that they are having a heart attack. Because of the effect of accelerated heart rate, marijuana can be very dangerous if the user has a preexisting heart problem or high blood pressure. Marijuana dries the mouth. It also dries and reddens the whites of the eyes. The eyes become red because the marijuana causes the blood vessels of the eyes to dilate or widen. This causes more blood to flow through the vessels. As other blood vessels expand, the body's blood pressure drops. This low blood pressure can cause some people to experience dizziness.

From the time it was commonly used earlier in the 19th century, marijuana was viewed as a dangerous drug. It was viewed to be much worse than alcohol and tobacco and very likely to lead to hard drug addiction. A lot of information about the harmfulness of marijuana has been written to prove or disprove this viewpoint. Marijuana is considered to be a gateway drug by serious researchers. Yet, while many researchers argue on the exact nature of the damage that smoking marijuana causes to the body, they all seem to agree on one thing. Use of marijuana is unsafe, especially to the lungs and short-term memory. There is still a lot that remains to be learned about marijuana, but studies do show a link between marijuana use and experimentation with harder drugs.

Experts have pointed out another negative aspect of marijuana: THC accumulates in the body and stays there for long periods of time. Unlike water-soluble drugs that are eliminated quickly from the body, THC accumulates in the body fat . People who smoke marijuana on a regular basis may never rid of it entirely.

Studies have shown that heavy use of marijuana can damage the reproductive and endocrine systems. These are the systems responsible for distribution of hormones in the body. THC decreases the number and quality of men's sperm and damages their ability to move around. Marijuana can also disrupt women's menstrual cycles. Failure to ovulate normally, resulting in unpredictable periods of infertility, has also been linked to marijuana use.

Because marijuana crosses the placenta, it can harm the fetus in a pregnant woman who uses the drug. Children of marijuana users may be born with abnormal nervous systems. They also have lower birth weight and are generally smaller at birth. Animal studies have suggested that marijuana may also cause an increase in fetal and early infant deaths. Marijuana is secreted a woman's breast milk and may be toxic when passed to the nursing infant. Some studies have also shown that the children of marijuana using mothers may demonstrate symptoms of depressant withdrawal and suffer from convulsions. Heavy marijuana use may cause increased breakage of and damage to the chromosomes. The birth defects that result might be seen in the offspring of the marijuana user, or they may skip a generation and affect grandchildren. Obviously, the use of marijuana during pregnancy represents a significant risk to the unborn child.

Research has shown a link between smoking marijuana and lung damage. Marijuana smoke contains over 150 cancer causing substances. Scientists have found that the lung damage caused by smoking a single marijuana cigarette is equivalent to the damage caused by smoking five tobacco cigarettes. So, smoking three to four marijuana cigarettes a day causes the kind of lung-cell damage that twenty cigarettes does. It has also been discovered that smoking marijuana will deposit three times more tar into the lungs and also releases five times more poisonous carbon monoxide into the bloodstream than cigarettes do.

Marijuana smokers suffer from more infections from bronchitis, and long-term incurable conditions such as emphysema. It is also common for marijuana smokers to have constant sore throats and coughing. Various kinds of cancer have been diagnosed in young marijuana smokers from age twenty-six to thirty. These included cancers of the lung, sinus, larynx, tongue, and tonsils. It has also been shown that marijuana smokers appear to be getting lung cancer at a much younger age, at forty-five, than other people, at sixty-five.

Another reason that marijuana smokers suffer from more infections than non-users is because marijuana effects the immune system. The immune system is an important part of the body that helps to fight off infection. The most important parts of the immune system are the white blood cells. When an infection enters the body, the white blood cells divide and grow at a fast rate to fight the infection. But, when blood samples were taken from marijuana smokers, they had a significantly lower immunity level than that of nonsmokers. Further studies showed that THC causes certain types of the white blood cells to stop growing during mid-cycle. This obviously impairs the immune systems ability to properly fight off infections.

Most drugs cause withdrawal symptoms when the user stops using them. Marijuana is no exception. When a heavy marijuana smoker decides to quit, they may suffer from one or more of the following symptoms: insomnia, loss of appetite, weakness, irritability, sweating, depression, anxiety, restlessness, abdominal cramps, nausea, an increased pulse rate, low blood pressure, aching muscles, and slight tremors. These symptoms last for up to one week after the person stops smoking, and continue in a milder form for up to a month.

Many marijuana smokers believe that smoking marijuana heightens their senses. The truth is, the brain is dulled. It is more difficult for a person to learn material under the influence of marijuana. The information may never be put into their long-term memory. This means that they will not be able to recall the information later.

Richard H. Schwartz, M.D., of Georgetown University School of Medicine In Washington, D.C., studied teenagers who were using marijuana. He discovered that they did much worse on short-term memory tests than another group who had not used drugs. After six weeks of abstaining from marijuana, the teenagers showed some memory improvement, but they still did worse than the other group of non-using teens.

Many factors, both genetic and environmental, can encourage marijuana use. Studies have shown that children with a drug-addicted parent or children of alcoholics are more likely to become abusers themselves.

Feelings of inadequacy are often a factor to drug abuse. A former marijuana abuser said that her self-esteem was, “non-existent.” Another marijuana and drug abuser said, ” When I was in the ninth grade, I started getting high every day. I was feeling really lonely, and I thought that nobody could understand my pain…I finally realized that I did drugs to hide from myself. I was really insecure and had a very low self-esteem.”

A lot of young people feel distant from their families. Intense confusion is usually experienced as young people enter adolescence. If a certain crowd that appeals to them is willing to allow them be a part of their group, it is very tempting for them to join. Even if that means the price of admission to the desired group is drug use. Once a part of the group, it is hard to stop using out of fear that they will no longer be accepted.

Although marijuana is illegal, there has been much debate on legalizing it for medical benefits. Many believe that marijuana has been shown to be effective in decreasing the nausea caused by chemotherapy. Others feel it alleviates some of the symptoms associated with AIDS, such as severe leg cramps, nausea, headaches, and loss of appetite. Another alleged medical advantage of marijuana is that it lowers the pressure that builds up in the eyes of glaucoma patients which in turn helps prevents them from going blind. It is also said to relieve tremors and loss of muscle coordination caused by multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. Yet, it is illegal for physicians who believe in the medical benefits of marijuana to prescribe it. So, the question of whether it should be made legal for medical purposes has become a hot political issue.

Marijuana is classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration as a Schedule I drug. The drugs that are in this category are said to have a high potential for abuse. These drugs also produce dangerous side effects and have no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.

Advocates have wanted marijuana to be moved to a Schedule II drug for a long time. Schedule II drugs also have a high potential for abuse and bad side effects, but are considered medically useful and can be legally prescribed by physicians. Interestingly, cocaine and morphine, which can be highly addictive, are Schedule II drugs.

As for the future of marijuana, research is being done and data is being collected to help obtain a better understanding of the effects of marijuana on our health, as well as the motivation behind its abuse. Researchers hope that with new insight, the public and government will be better equipped to establish consistent policies to regulate, control, or put a stop to the complicated reality of marijuana use in the United States.

Really… Marijuana addictive?

Marijuana is not physically addictive, regardless of what many anti-marijuana people want us to accept as true. Cannabis consumers can use marijuana frequently, even numerous times daily, without any problem giving it up, when necessary.

Cannabis has the lowest risk of dependence and withdrawal potential if you compare it to other substances, such as alcohol, opiates (like Vicodin), caffeine, and other psychoactive drugs. Many of the anti-depressants (currently being prescribed abundantly) have very severe physical withdrawal symptoms which most patients are not warned about.

Medical marijuana is something I have personally seen, and seen succeed. I know a man who used to be in the timber industry. At one point, a tree collapsed as he was cutting it down and landed on him, causing massive injuries including a broken back. He barely survived, and barely escaped paralysis, but suffers from intense pain from the lingering damage to his ribs and the section of crushed vertebrae in his back.

Now, he could be reliant on strong pain medications, narcotics like hydrocodone (commonly known as Vicodin) or oxycontin. His doctors are very willing to prescribe these for him. But these drugs can cause a lot of problems, especially when they are used for every-day pain management. They can cause digestive problems, such as nausea, vomiting, and constipation. They are addictive, and an overdose can be fatal. They can also heighten anxiety.

Instead, he has a medical marijuana permit for the state of Washington. I've spent a good deal of time looking for studies that show the benefits of marijuana. Instead I mostly encountered media reporting that such studies are generally blocked by the FDA and Federal drug law enforcement, such as in the New York Times. However, according to Wikipedia there are a good number of well-known and respected organizations that support medical marijuana use, including the American Medical Association, the American College of Physicians, the British Medical Association, Health Canada, and many more.

Instead of the side effects of pain pills, I see this man get significant pain relief. He tells me the marijuana eases the inflammation and the pain with far better results than narcotic pain killers. It allows him to function at a level he otherwise couldn't. Personally, I would much rather see someone using a substance like marijuana than taking narcotic pain killers on a daily basis. It's my experience that narcotics are far more addictive (if marijuana is even addictive at all, I don't believe it's addictive, just potentially habit forming like anything else people might really enjoy), and far more harsh on the body. When this man has no access to marijuana, he has no problem waiting until he does, except for the pain. He'll simply spend a lot more time sitting still and schedule additional acupuncture appointments.

To me, it seems sad that the American government is not more tolerant of using marijuana medicinally. Cancer, AIDS, painful permanent injuries, these are all very real things that thousands of people suffer from every day. Why not use every tool available? It is my feeling, that the Federal issue with medical marijuana has more to do with the fact that people can grow it themselves. The government can't tax it, the big drug companies can't patent it, and it can more easily get into the hands of recreational users. However, recreational users already have no problems accessing marijuana. Worse, the marijuana they are buying now is often from Mexico, where drug cartels are causing chaos and carnage to get it to them. Wouldn't home grown relief for cancer patients, chronic pain suffers, and others, be better?

As someone who has trained for various sports and with a personal trainer certification, I still prefer marijuana over narcotics. I can easily imagine people using it medicinally as much better able to digest and ingest a proper diet, without such interruptions as nausea and vomiting. I can also easily imagine them still being able to be active to the extent that their illness or injury will let them. Whereas, as someone very familiar with the effects of narcotic pain killers from previous surgeries and injuries, narcotics really throw you for such a loop, between messing with your stomach (after a few days of use, in my experience) and making your mind truly cloudy and drowsy, not much activity is accomplished.

Overall, I think it is far and away an excellent alternative to harsh narcotics. I look forward to a day when society and the federal government realize they have much more to worry about than the stigma, the difficulty of regulation, and the possibility for abuse, such as the health and well-being of it's citizens.

Sources:

Researches Find Study of Medical Marijuana Discourages - NYTimes.com, Gardiner Harris

Medical cannabis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Wikipedia

Can I get addicted to Marijuana?

Cannabis is not physically addictive, despite what many anti-cannabis people want us to believe. Medical Marijuana users can use it regularly, even multiple times daily, without any problem giving it up.

The National Enquirer is claiming that Track Palin, the eldest son of Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin, was a drug-addicted hard-partying teenager whose participation in a monumental act of vandalism forced him to choose between jail or the Army. Using unnamed sources in and around Wasilla, Alaska, the Palin family's hometown, the Enquirer alleges that it discovered that Track Palin was addicted to Oxycontin, a powerful pain killer, for the better part of the past two years.

Sarah Palin, Track's mother, was present at the send-off for her son Track's Army unit, which was being deployed to the Iraq. Acting in her capacity as the Governor of Alaska, she gave a speech to the troops in which she told the soldiers that they were taking on the enemies of America, including terrorists responsible for the 9/11 Attacks.

An enthusiastic suporter of the Iraq War, Sarah Palin has told the press that she is proud of her son's service with the U.S. Army.

The National Enquirer justifies its digging into Sarah Palin's family background on the grounds that she is exploiting her family for political ends. Palin has been using Track Palin's enlistment in the Army and his imminent service in Iraq to make political capital. During the interview with ABC News' Charles Gibson, she made what might be a Freudian slip, insisting that Track's decision to join the Army was his “independent” decision, and his decision alone. The National Enquirer believes that a judge encouraged the youngster to serve his country rather than serve time in jail.

In its most recent issue, the National Enquirer is expanding on its “revelations” that Sarah Palin allegedly had an affair with her husband's business partner. The Enquirer has cast a broader net and is now published “revelations” about her children.

The super rmarket tabloid alleges that her son Track Palin and her daughter Bristol are “hard partiers” with a taste for dope (and in Bristol's case, for fooling around with all comers). Whether the revelations are true likely is beside the point. The John McCain-Sarah Palin campaign is being criticized by the liberal and moderate press for trafficking in lies and for being engaged in the sleaziest electioneering since the knock-out, drag-out electoral fights of the 19th Century. The editors of the Enquirer would argue that Sarah Palin, as an Evangelical Christian, is conversant with the Bible: What you sow, you shall reap.

What Sarah Palin has reaped is a story claiming that her 19-year-old son Track is an OxyContin addict. A powerful analgesic that has become popular with substance abusers, OxyContin is nick-named “Hillbilly heroin.”

The Drug Enforcement Administration describes the drug thusly: “OxyContin® is a prescription painkiller used for moderate to high pain relief….OxyContin® contains oxycodone, the medication's active ingredient, in a timed-release tablet. Oxycodone products have been illicitly abused for the past 30 years.”

It is a Schedule II narcotic analgesic.

The DEA notes that the problem with OxyContin addiction reached Alaska and Hawaii in the early parts of the decade.

According to the anonymous Wasilla source that gave the Enquirer the skinny on Track's bad-boy ways, Track has even gone so far to snort and inject OxyContin for a better high.

In the recent Saturday Night Live episode, with Tina Fey portraying Sarah Palin, the simulacrum of the Republican Vice Presidential nominee says, “What an amazing time we live in to think that just two years ago, I was a small-town mayor of America's crystal meth capital, and now I am just one heartbeat away from being the President of the United States,” Fey chirped.

Bristol Palin also comes under the microscope for more scrutiny by the supermarket tabloid. The Enquirer, citing “another family friend” as a source, is quoted saying, “Bristol was a huge stoner and drinker. I've seen her smoke pot and get drunk and make out with so many guys. All the guys would brag that the just made out with Bristol.”

Sarah Palin allegedly was so outraged at her daughter's getting knocked up, she banished her from the governor's mansion in Juneau. Bristol Palin went to live with Sarah's sister, until the family was reunited to further the governor's career.

Bad Boy

The National Enquirer's source also characterized Track Palin as manipulative, using his mother's status as a heavyweight Republican politician in Alaska (she was the mayor of Wasilla for eight years) to get sex from the local girls. He allegedly also manipulated his male friends into stealing things for him.

Track Palin also allegedly loved to drink and smoke marijuana and was involved in an incident in which 44 school buses were vandalized in 2005. Four teenagers were involved in the incident, and three were caught and sentenced by the courts to pay restitution and serve a sentence of in-house arrest. Two members of the posse that vandalized the buses has never been revealed.

The progressive radio station 1080 KUDO (Anchorage) reported a fortnight ago that Track Palin was the fourth, unidentified teenager who took part in the rampage. Citing an anonymous courthouse sources, KUDO reported that Track, who was then 16 years old, initiated the incident when he stole a bottle of booze. The drunken teenagers then deflated the tires on 44 buses and broke the mirrors and disconnected the engine block heaters (a necessity in freezing Alaska) of 110 buses.

The vandals were nothing if not industrious. The attack was carried out in sub-zero temperatures.

A National Enquirer writer appearing on the Howard Stern Show on radio claimed that Track, whose involvement in the episode of vandalism was covered up, was ordered by the judge to join the Army or be sanctioned by the court.

The New York Daily News disputes the allegation that Track Palin was part of a gang that vandalized the school buses. The Daily News interviewed 20-year-old Deryck Harris, who was convicted of participating in the incident and was sentenced to pay $4,000 in restitution and put in household detention for 90 days. That entailed his wearing an electronic ankle bracelet to monitor his whereabouts. He also was sentenced to perform community service and was put on probation for give years

“Track wasn't with me,” Harris told the Daily News. “Track had nothing to do with it,”

Harris told the Daily News that Track was one of his buddies, but that he wasn't there the night of the incident. He also denies that his friend was forced to join the service. “I talked to him before he joined, and he was trying to decide between the Marines and the Army,” Harris told the Daily News. It was totally his decision.”

Harris' contention that Track Palin was not one of the unidentified teens who took place in the vandalism incident was confirmed by a mother of another boy who was convicted of the crime. According to Capi Coon, “Track Palin was not involved.”

Sources:

National Enquirer, “PALIN FAMILY SHOCKERS: WHAT SARAH'S REALLY HIDING!”

New York Daily News, “Reports that Track Palin vandalized school buses aren't true, says pal”

Additional Links:

What Books Did Sarah Palin Try to Have Banned from the Wasilla Public Library?

Was Sarah Palin a Buchanannite? Did She Support Pat Buchanan's Presidential Campaign in 2000?

What College Did Sarah Palin Graduate From? What was Her Major in College?

How Old is Sarah Palin? What Generation Does She Belong To? is She a Member of Generation X?

Meidcal 420 and HIV-AIDS

THC, the main chemical component in medical cannabis, is a natural antiemetic and can help battle chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). CINV can cause patients to stop much needed treatment due to the intolerable side effects. Although recent advances have resulted in new medications to fight CINV, some patients prefer using a more natural way to treat these symptoms. Many Marijuana Medicine Evaluation Centers patients report improvement in their quality of life with less CINV when they use medical marijuana before, during, and after their chemotherapy treatments.

When I first discovered we would be doing a presentation on gays and lesbians with drug and alcohol problems, I thought to myself, 'This should be interesting.' I assumed it would be incredibly difficult to gather information on a topic so foreign to me. To my surprise, I became very interested and found it difficult to stop reading and researching. Overall, homosexuals and heterosexuals alike can become addicted to any substance over long periods of use. The unique differences really depend on the complex circumstances in the lives of homosexuals; factors that straight people don't encounter because they're straight. As Social and Human Service workers, I feel that awareness, understanding, and education on both the homosexual piece and substance abuse is critical in being truly effective helpers and effective citizens of our community. It is my idea to enlighten the reader of both subjects.

Homosexuality is not a choice. Whether it is a genetic make-up or environmental has been long disputed. In fact the difference in opinion began in the 1800's in Germany by Magnus Hirschfeld who formed the first gay rights movement. In this same country during WWII, homosexuals in concentration camps were identified by a mandatory necklace. Now the inverted pink triangle is worn by many in remembrance of those who died in such horrific conditions. (Marcus) Imagine being singled out and despised by thousands. Tortured, killed, and belittled simply because of being 'different'. Time has passed yet we still see the same hate crimes going on every day, and we're not Nazis and this isn't WWII. The reason why one is homosexual becomes less important when one thinks about it.

Homosexuals are as human as everyone else in the world. The only difference is truly the amount of stereotyping and discrimination that goes hand in hand with gays and lesbians being open. They face multitudes of acceptance issues from everyone around them. This includes their family, employers, friends, priests, and even perfect strangers on the street, treating the homosexual person in a completely different manner than they would have before coming out the closet. People don't understand the concept of being gay or lesbian and most aren't afraid to admit that they wish not to understand it. It may be human nature, based on the fact we evolved as woman and man for thousands of years, or simply because we are ignorant and do not want to be educated on the topic. Either way, the gay or lesbian person is a person who is attracted to a partner of the same sex.

GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, Transgender) work, play and relax in much of the same ways straight people do. They aren't gay on purpose, it is not a phase that one will grow out of, and it's definitely not contagious. GLBT are not all carrying AIDS or HIV. They cannot go to psychotherapists to take away and remodel their behaviors to “cure” them of being gay. It is no longer a mental disease in the DSM-IV. (Marcus) They don't flaunt their gayness just to show off, either. As someone once said,” Why would I choose to be something that would horrify my parents, get me fired from my job, and allow me to get beat up and nearly killed by strangers on the street?” Get the idea. Stereotypes are everywhere and I could spend all day just touching the tip of the iceberg with them. My point is simply that education and awarness is key to having a better understanding of the GLBT crowd.

Now getting into the substance abuse part of it is a little interesting and hard to define. Most people will become addicted to any substance if they use it enough. I smoke cigarettes and although I have tried to quit for many years without success, I have smoked for half of my lifetime. I am only 29. So what does that say? Dis I choose to get addicted? The answer is no, of course not. But what is common is the experiment of a drug, and its rather quick addiction process. Many GLBT find it hard to come out of the closet, meet partners, and deal with the stressors that many of us don't have to. I started smoking to be cool, which then lead to a need, and lastly an addiction to a substance that I thought was only 'social'. Environment, inner feelings, life cycles play an important role in the addictions of many gay or lesbian individuals.

For instance, the 'gay bars' are a commonly accepted place for GLBT. (Young)Ever notice that there are not many social clubs, meeting areas, or gatherings solely based for homosexuals? It should be no surprise then to note that there are 83% lesbians and 68% gay males during adolescence who use alcohol. (Forney)This is when most people start to identify themselves as homosexuals or at least experiment with the idea. Substances are also common in bars, such as marijuana, opiates, and pills, which relaxes a person. He or she can mingle more freely, while others just feel more attractive. The rate of drug use is above 40% in both males and females. (Forney)

There are clubs and organizations, but the mainstream public is not ready to accept a great deal of them quite yet. PFLAG (a support group), Gay Pride Marches( in June across the country since 1960's), and AA (open alcoholic support groups) are among the most common of groups and marches. Perhaps in some states, such as New York and California, society is willing to allow social settings in great numbers, but I don't see many in Bangor, Maine. In fact last voting season, when we were asked to vote on Gay Marriage, bumper stickers got as bad as the city's thoughts on Bush! However, gay bars welcome their visitors and allow them to feel familiar and not as judged. The down side to that is many people become addicted as a result.

Another interesting aspect of substance abuse is the fact that because men and women usually do not settle down into a marriage and decide to carry and give birth to children, most people do not stop their drug and alcohol use and abuse at age 30 as most of us do. For instance, Mary is twenty eight years old and her and her husband have always been social drinkers. Every weekend they hold football and basketball parties at their home, inviting many friends, and ultimately have a great time. They decide to conceive. They have been married for three years, and now is the time. Mary stops drinking and her husband decides to have a party once a month at their home instead of weekly.

Now, where would the gay or lesbian fit into this scenario. The gay couple will not be married, cannot carry a baby for nine months in the womb, and friends may not even exist in some cases. The general reason why some people grow out of drinking is because life almost demands them to. Although there are some women who continue to use while pregnant, I like to think many stop for the sake of their child and settle down into parenthood; but not the gay couple, or the lesbian couple.

Lastly, it's no wonder that homosexuals use drugs to musk over their pain. The feelings and perpetuated ideas of gays or lesbians that children face in school and from their own parents is horrendous. I cannot imagine growing up as a lesbian and hearing my mother say hateful things about other homosexuals in non chelate way. Also, the boys hear things all the time about 'faggots' and 'homos.' I don't believe anyone would be able to hide themselves from the world in such a way and for so long without turning to drugs and alcohol to elevate some of the negativity and twist of false identity.

A wise man once said, “The difference of what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve all the problems in the world.” And I would have to agree with Gandhi. If we as people in this huge world can become a little more understanding and a lot more educated, discriminations, judgements, and many of this planet's worries would cease. I hope I can change the minds of all who read this; as I have changed my own.

[flickr(medical Marijuana}]