Do a lot of people in CO smoke pot? Should MJ be legal? (maintenance, statistics)

[DurangoJoe]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

Ol' SoButt just made the case against legalization. What he basically said in the above post was that work, family, and legal considerations at least moderated his pot use (but he still did it, despite the legal and other risks), but now that those restraints are lifted, he can use as much as he wants as often as he wants. That says two things:

1. That such prohibitions are least somewhat a deterrence to use.

I never said it stopped me from smoking Jazz. The law didn't deter me in any way, it only required me to be discrete in my advocacy of the herb. And "as much as I want, as often as I want"? I can do that now if I want. I'm a moderate user Jazz, I don't enjoy getting blown away on any substance, cannabis, alcohol, whatever. Should this make me a criminal?

Originally Posted by jazzlover

2. That pot is an addiction, whether psychological or physical, that he does not want to or can not control. When people are willing to sneak around and engage in activities that are illegal, could wreck their career, could raise havoc with their family, then they have an addiction or substance abuse problem. And just because they got away with it doesn't change that.

Let's see, I do not want to quit drinking coffee, drinking alcohol, eating juicy burgers, and any number of things that I do every day that carry bigger potential health issues than cannabis. My cannabis use was never a danger to my career, family, friends, or health in any way. As a responsible adult, I understand the need to be discrete about anything that may be unpopular or illegal. Even my cardiologist has not advised me against cannabis use and I tell him of my use at every 6 month checkup. I'm not the one with the problem Jazz, you have a much bigger problem with my use than I do. I'm happier than a pig in slop, life is good. I'm retired, healthy, getting ready to start a new phase of life in the southwest, and have great relationships with friends, family, and former customers and associates. I enjoy fine cannabis in the same way as I enjoy fine wine, and after I build my Durango home, I'm going to have a party and invite my fellow CD stoners. Should be a great time!

Originally Posted by jazzlover

I also don't buy the professional success crap. Two of my favorite jazz performers were Billy Holiday and Chet Baker. Both, by any estimation, were masters at their craft and professional successes. And both were heroin addicts. Notwithstanding their professional success, substance abuse wrecked their personal lives and caused them to die prematurely. No, pot ain't heroin, and legal alcohol abuse is as much or more destructive than pot abuse. Still, I don't see a reason to add more stuff to the list of what people can legally abuse and become addicted to.

You don't buy it because it doesn't fit your pre-defined beliefs. You only know the side that you believe in and reject anything else which dos not conform to your beliefs. You can choose to believe it or not... it's a fact. I'm one of millions regular responsible cannabis users who lead happy successful lives. We raise families, we pay taxes, we vote, and we we exercise discretion in our activities with no desire to flaunt it or throw it in someone's face. Your opinions in this paragraph are based upon assumptions and not facts. You assume that all users of these intoxicants are the same and have the same issues. That black/white view is a result of only having some of the facts, and not all. As a successful sales executive over the years and a practiced debater in college, I've learned that unless you understand & can argue both sides of the issue, you only have half the story. And half the story is not conclusive, it is only conjecture.

Finally, it's probably overused, but these are the people who agree with me on legalization. If you haven't seen this before, it's a very surprising list.

We are the Marijuana Majority.

[DurangoJoe]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

I have an idea: let the feds make pot legal, but put a mandatory FEDERAL prison sentence of a minimum of 20-50 years, plus forfeiture of all their money and property, on anyone convicted of seriously injuring or killing anyone while high or impaired on alcohol, pot, or any other illegal drug.

Jazz.... I thought you were some kind of self professed legal genius? Really? More laws? We already have laws on the books for DUI, vehicular homicide, manslaughter, etc. You think we need more?

Wow, for someone who is

Originally Posted by jazzlover

completely ignorant about the law

, even I know that. You're flailing again.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by proveick

A friend's mother (68 yrs) has fibromyalgia and RA.
She makes her pot butter, cookies and brownies.
Her condition has improved markedly.

About four years ago one of my sisters came down with a terribly painful and crippling illness called PMR (Polymyalgia rheumatica). She was almost unable to move, her husband had to help her into / out of bed, help dress her, etc. It usually goes away within two years, but for her it was two years of hell, especially since she could not ride her horses, only hug them a bit.

A neighbor got her some joints to smoke; my sister swears they were the best form of pain relief she had, and she had access to all sorts of pain meds. She's never been a user of any illegal substances; she has two rum and cokes on Friday nights at Karaoke and that's all. Her testimony about the viability of MMJ is more than enough to convince me, and two of the yes votes on the Amendment 64 came from my wife and I.

She's back to riding her horses now that PMR is gone, and the day she was able to lift the saddle, saddle her former racing standardbred horse and ride it she cried like a baby.

She also beat breast cancer last year; she's been through a lot. Her husband sold his boat to pay for her chemo which was very expensive. If she needs MMJ for her pains, she should be able to get it legally.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by proveick

A friend's mother (68 yrs) has fibromyalgia and RA.
She makes her pot butter, cookies and brownies.
Her condition has improved markedly.

Good to know. My mother (74 years) has had 25 years of fibromyalgia, CFIDS, atopic dermatitus, among other chronic ailments, and the Oxycontin and Percosets she is prescribed (along with 15 other meds) are working less and less to control the pain. We've been discussing MMJ possibilities, but there's always those damned nursing home regulations...

[Natural510]

Originally Posted by bigdumbgod

Good to know. My mother (74 years) has had 25 years of fibromyalgia, CFIDS, atopic dermatitus, among other chronic ailments, and the Oxycontin and Percosets she is prescribed (along with 15 other meds) are working less and less to control the pain. We've been discussing MMJ possibilities, but there's always those damned nursing home regulations...

What about marinol (legal derivative of cannabis)?

[Xplorer]

Originally Posted by bigdumbgod

Good to know. My mother (74 years) has had 25 years of fibromyalgia, CFIDS, atopic dermatitus, among other chronic ailments, and the Oxycontin and Percosets she is prescribed (along with 15 other meds) are working less and less to control the pain. We've been discussing MMJ possibilities, but there's always those damned nursing home regulations...

This is a good read... This stuff works on all types of ailments, not just cancer........

Run From The Cure: How Cannabis Cures Cancer And Why No One Knows | Cannabis Culture

[delta07]

In regards to industrial hemp, I just got an email from one of the hemp textile suppliers I use. Very exciting! EnviroTextiles -

[allprolab]

Originally Posted by Natural510

What about marinol (legal derivative of cannabis)?

You mean a synthetic substance made by pharmaceutical companies that comes with side effects over a completely natural substance with very little side effects? Why? Not only is it not as effective, you're supporting the same people that are trying to suppress the legalization of cannabis so they can profit from their own products.

[delta07]

Originally Posted by allprolab

You mean a synthetic substance made by pharmaceutical companies that comes with side effects over a completely natural substance with very little side effects? Why? Not only is it not as effective, you're supporting the same people that are trying to suppress the legalization of cannabis so they can profit from their own products.

Exactly! Bake her some brownies instead. You don't have to smoke it. My husband and I are trying to convince my MIL that she should consider cannabis, even though it's illegal where she lives. She doesn't care about the legality, she just doesn't want to smoke. However, she's on some many pharmaceuticals and most of them don't work at all anymore for her pain. We'd like for her to give it a shot since so many people find the medicinal value in it.

[DurangoJoe]

Originally Posted by Natural510

What about marinol (legal derivative of cannabis)?

Marinol is not as effective as the smoked marijuana for many people. Marinol isolated THC and a few other ingredients whereas smoked marijuana contains hundreds of ingredients, of which numerous play a role in the benefits. Anybody undergoing chemotherapy can't keep anything down so if they take Marinol, it comes right back up. In addition, feedback from people who have used it indicates that many find it very unpleasant because it makes them intensely high unlike smoked marijuana with which they can titrate their dosage by smoking only until are comfortable. Smoked marijuana effects occur in seconds.... Marinol takes time to take effect since it must be digested. Marinol's dosage is already set and once ingested, there is no control over how intense the effects may be.

And finally, treatment with Marinol costs thousands of dollars a month, well beyond the reach of most people. Again, this is what big Pharma wants. Put everything in pill form and run up $B in profits for them. Big Pharma is one of the major sponsors of marijuana prohibition because it threatens their profits.