[CA] Medical Marijuana Ruling

[emoo]

From what I can understand, criminalizing pot actually generates problems and doesn't solve much of anything. A lot of people, possibly most, have to buy pot of unknown origins without much assurance of quality. Not a lot of people know much about the pot they purchase other than what they can see and smell. This leaves lots of room for other "stuff" to make its way into the user's body. Laced pot is not uncommon, and the growing practices are unknown.

Pot also has few side effects. The only real side effect is a mental haze that sets in with regular use, but can fade from extended periods of sobriety. In my experience, the impairment of pot does not seem to render me as radically dysfunctional as that of alcohol. Alcohol definitely has a certain factor about it that causes a severe inability to properly assess risk; this causes lots of problems in a multitude of ways. Pot, if anything, causes me to overestimate risk.

I once heard somebody give a tiny story. Its a heavy handed comparison, but I think it is somewhat accurate in its summary. It was something like this:
A drunk dude and a high dude come to a stop sign. The high dude waits for it to turn green. The drunk dude never stops.


And since almost all pot is traded on a black market, it is surrounded by unnecessary crime. Comparing pot to something like crack, meth, heroin is short sighted. If these drugs were legalized, the users would still likely end up committing crime because of the effects of the drugs. There is nothing about pot that encourages the user to commit crime. I cannot think of any pot heads who itch so bad for some pot that they go out and mug or steal. I can think of a few tweakers, and all of them have a criminal history.

And then there's the whole "fuck off federal government, you're buggin' and need to sit the fuck down."

[ValkyrieIsAboutToDie]

Originally Posted by emoo

A drunk dude and a high dude come to a stop sign. The high dude waits for it to turn green. The drunk dude never stops.

Drunk dude smashes into car full of stoners who have been waiting for hours for a stop sign to turn green.

[emoo]

Yes, wait for a stop sign to turn green. You got the idea. I wanted everyone to live, so I chose to not have the crash in my version of the story.

[Greyskye]

I've generally stayed away from these "pot vs. whatever" arguments but in this case, considering the importance of state's rights that have been eroded I will pass on my personal experience. I ask for no sympathy. This is just a honest recollection of events that started around 1993 and ended around 1998.

On or about the fall of 1993 my mom was diagonosed with inoperable colon cancer. She was given roughly six months to live. Of course, it turned out that was somewhat of a short estimate and thanks to the doctors/oncologist at UVA she almost made it to Christmas of 1995. Almost.

Two years later I was diagnosed with colon cancer as well at age 27. It didn't seem fair but there it was. I was looking at death before age 30. Thankfully I was cared for by the best at UVA and they went with an aggressive radiation/chemotherapy combination for 2 months followed by surgery that, well, changed my life.

Post-op I also had chemo on a once/week schedule for two months. The nurses appoligized for how bad it was and it was standard procedure to give me lemon-drop candy to counteract the bad taste of the 5-FU chemo. Obviously, candy really didn't cut it. Lucky for me, I knew a friend that hooked me up with some herb.

I went from sick to the stomach and puking/dry heaving to driving myself home and ordering Italian subs and eating at least a whole one, sometimes eating almost two whole subs in under an hour. I would leave UVA and take a few bowl hits on the road then call in the sub order. By the time I got there around 30 mins later, I felt like I was starving. I could have eaten a whole pizza.

Looking back on things, I'm sorry I wasn't brave enough to help my mom in the same way. And to all you dumbshits that think pot is somehow worse than booze or tobaccoo, fuck you. Seriously.

[brekk]

Originally Posted by emoo

A drunk dude and a high dude come to a stop sign. The high dude waits for it to turn green. The drunk dude never stops.

honest to god this happened to me and two friends while I was driving, except it was a blinking red light (late at night) Sat at it for a good minute plus before my friend said "dude, I don't think its gonna turn green." Drove the rest of the way to McDonalds, bought food, made it back to campus no problem.

[Zerai]

Originally Posted by xHyLiOs55x

Nothin but truth from this man. Ive been a 'pothead' since 8th grade (7 years almost) n i have to say....not one bad thing has happened to me n my buddies or anyone else that i know who even casually smokes. For fucks sake all we have ever done was munchie runs to Car'ls Jr, Halo 3, Guitar Hero 3, n look at funny shit on the internet then pass out at our house. Most Harmless "drug" there is imo. Dare you to go find a crackhead n ask him what kind of shit they do just to try n get high. Hell, come to San Francisco n just walk down the street....u can probably find one sitting on the curb with peanut butter on their lips trying to talk to squirrels...but not stoners....their in their houses where its safe watching cartoons or playin some game laughing their ass off having a good time.

This is the only downside to Marijuana use. That paragraph was fucking painful to read.

But really. I was a pothead. I stopped cold turkey. Sometimes I miss it, but quitting was really easy. I ran out of weed, and didn't buy anymore. Do kinda wish it was legal so I could have some for random weekends when I'm bored.

[The Ancient]

Driving high isn't exactly better than driving drunk. You shouldn't do either.

[Moontayle]

Originally Posted by Chips

I'm not a doctor but I think inhaling any type of smoke will drive up health care costs. At least cigarettes have a filter.

The difference being that Pot users don't smoke the equivalent of 3 packs a day. So the health care backlash from the smoke is far less damaging in the long run.

[Sabolin]

Originally Posted by emoo

Laced pot is not uncommon

Yes it is. Dealers don't lace pot with other drugs because then they are wasting their drugs that they could have sold to someone else to make a profit.

[Eomer]

Originally Posted by Seo

to bad there is no medical reason to smoke pot. when you can get much better treatment for every problem people claim pot cures by using real medicine.

Actually, for people with nausea and appetite issues from the huge cocktail of drugs that they take (for example AIDS patients), pot is one of the few things that seems to allow them to beat back the nausea.

I do agree that smoking a joint or a pipe is probably not what a sick person should be doing. But if they use something like a vaporizer, that only vaporizes the active ingredients and provides the same benefits, without inhaling the tar and other byproducts of combustion.

Originally Posted by Kedwyn

Sure smoke it all you want just don't expect others to pay for your health insurance / coverage when your older and coughing up lungs. Unfortunately thats not how it works.

Everyone wants to be able to do whatever they want they just don't want to have to pay for it later on

It should be like it is for any other bad habit, if you're a smoker or heavy drinker or overweight or whatever, it'll have an effect on your health insurance. The reality is that regular pot consumption has been shown to be fairly benign. It isn't a carcinogen, and in fact there's been very few if any documented cases of lung cancer that can be attributed solely to pot smoking (in fact studies have shown an inverse relationship, put that in your pipe and smoke it).

It does cause other mild respiratory issues, if you're a heavy smoker, but nothing all that serious really.

Originally Posted by Moontayle

I have proof it's not as addictive living not 5 miles from my house: My parents. Used to smoke Pot. Don't anymore. Still smoke cigarettes and I once asked them what the difference between quitting one over the other was and it came down to the withdrawal effects: With pot they said they didn't have any.

Oh I definitely get withdrawal if I've been habitually smoking pot for more than a week or two. Typically I'll have a bowl or j before bed, and if I stop I'll have a helluva time falling asleep for a few days. That's about it really. Maybe some moodiness/irritability. But there's no question in my mind that you can become dependent, even though just barely, on pot.

Originally Posted by Seo

also before i start digging up links how can you people honestly deny the negative effects of pot? pot turns people into idiots. they don't learn anything while on it and sure as shit you can tell who a pot head is just from talking to them for 2 fucking minutes in person due to their cadence.

Personally pot makes me stupid, and I readily admit it. But it affects everyone differently. The dude I smoke with the most and get my pot through is working towards being a Chartered Accountant. He studies and does his module homework stoned; he finds it helps his concentration. Go figure.

Originally Posted by The Ancient

Driving high isn't exactly better than driving drunk. You shouldn't do either.

Actually studies have shown that while reaction times are impaired somewhat while stoned, the drivers also tended to drive more cautiously/slower, leave more room in front, and so on. Driving stoned is nowhere near as dangerous as driving drunk, although yes I agree it's not smart and should be illegal just the same. Problem is that judging impairment is virtually impossible.

Which is why personally, I'm in favor of coordination tests. So long as you can do hopscotch while reciting the alphabet backwards, rubbing your tummy and patting your head all at once, it shouldn't matter if you've pounded a 40 of rye. You're good to go!

[Snugglebear]

Originally Posted by Eomer

Actually, for people with nausea and appetite issues from the huge cocktail of drugs that they take (for example AIDS patients), pot is one of the few things that seems to allow them to beat back the nausea.

I do agree that smoking a joint or a pipe is probably not what a sick person should be doing. But if they use something like a vaporizer, that only vaporizes the active ingredients and provides the same benefits, without inhaling the tar and other byproducts of combustion.



It should be like it is for any other bad habit, if you're a smoker or heavy drinker or overweight or whatever, it'll have an effect on your health insurance. The reality is that regular pot consumption has been shown to be fairly benign. It isn't a carcinogen, and in fact there's been very few if any documented cases of lung cancer that can be attributed solely to pot smoking (in fact studies have shown an inverse relationship, put that in your pipe and smoke it).

It does cause other mild respiratory issues, if you're a heavy smoker, but nothing all that serious really.



Oh I definitely get withdrawal if I've been habitually smoking pot for more than a week or two. Typically I'll have a bowl or j before bed, and if I stop I'll have a helluva time falling asleep for a few days. That's about it really. Maybe some moodiness/irritability. But there's no question in my mind that you can become dependent, even though just barely, on pot.



Personally pot makes me stupid, and I readily admit it. But it affects everyone differently. The dude I smoke with the most and get my pot through is working towards being a Chartered Accountant. He studies and does his module homework stoned; he finds it helps his concentration. Go figure.



Actually studies have shown that while reaction times are impaired somewhat while stoned, the drivers also tended to drive more cautiously/slower, leave more room in front, and so on. Driving stoned is nowhere near as dangerous as driving drunk, although yes I agree it's not smart and should be illegal just the same. Problem is that judging impairment is virtually impossible.

Which is why personally, I'm in favor of coordination tests. So long as you can do hopscotch while reciting the alphabet backwards, rubbing your tummy and patting your head all at once, it shouldn't matter if you've pounded a 40 of rye. You're good to go!

I assume people drive slower while drunk, too. At least smart ones do. It's the fucking morons who drive faster and crash that we have to worry about.

[Tyen]

Originally Posted by Snugglebear

I assume people drive slower while drunk, too. At least smart ones do. It's the fucking morons who drive faster and crash that we have to worry about.

I hate when you're out with your woman and she tells you to drink and she will drive without having any drinks. About an hour later you notice her taking 4 shots which leaves you in a shitty situation.

That shit happens to me all the fucking time.

[dak]

I assume people drive slower while drunk, too. At least smart ones do. It's the fucking morons who drive faster and crash that we have to worry about.

Because people who get behind the wheel drunk are typically bastions of astuteness.

Marijuana makes people paranoid, alcohol removes peoples inhibitions.

When someone is high they usually are pretty good paying attention to deeply ingrained rules of driving and adhere to them. As long as they are not distracted by having to deal with remembering directions in an unfamiliar area they are usually fine driving.

Drunks have accidents because they are not thinking, potheads have accidents because they are thinking of something else.

I hate when you're out with your woman and she tells you to drink and she will drive without having any drinks. About an hour later you notice her taking 4 shots which leaves you in a shitty situation.

Or a very good situation depending on your affinity towards date rape.

[Eomer]

What Dak said. You're more likely to drive like an asshole when drunk because it clouds your judgement. Combine that with much slower, poorer reflexes and coordination and you're a danger to everyone on the road.

[Scorp]

So long as you can do hopscotch while reciting the alphabet backwards, rubbing your tummy and patting your head all at once

Fuck I can't do that sober. Alphabet backwards part always gets me .