Results of Colorado Marijuana Legalization 4 Years Later

[truth_seeker]

No, but if you haven't used marijuana before it's hard to understand how in pretty much every way imaginable it is safer than something like alcohol (the REAL gateway drug.)

Some people become very paranoid, on strong weed. It is mind-altering.

It is very likely the "gateway" drug for countless heroin addicts, too. Plus meth, cocaine.

One in ten people that drink, wind up with alcohol trouble.


I'm sure the number is higher for drugs. Claiming weed is not addictive, is part of the mythology, advanced by proponents.

The most likely place to encounter pot smoke, is near various homeless encampment sites.

The homeless buy the pot with money from stolen articles, from our homes and cars.

The homeless are equal opportunity drug users. They smoke, drink or inject anything they can get.







 

[jmyrlefuller]

Some people become very paranoid, on strong weed. It is mind-altering.

It is very likely the "gateway" drug for countless heroin addicts, too. Plus meth, cocaine.

One in ten people that drink, wind up with alcohol trouble.

I'm sure the number is higher for drugs. Claiming weed is not addictive, is part of the mythology, advanced by proponents.

With pot, a fraction of users WILL wind up with drug trouble.
 

Heck, half the country, if not more, is addicted to caffeine, probably the least regulated drug there is. I myself struggle with caffeine after self-medicating with it for years to stabilize my mood and think more clearly.

[Dexter]

Some people become very paranoid, on strong weed. It is mind-altering.

It is very likely the "gateway" drug for countless heroin addicts, too. Plus meth, cocaine.

One in ten people that drink, wind up with alcohol trouble.


I'm sure the number is higher for drugs. Claiming weed is not addictive, is part of the mythology, advanced by proponents.

The most likely place to encounter pot smoke, is near various homeless encampment sites.

The homeless buy the pot with money from stolen articles, from our homes and cars.

The homeless are equal opportunity drug users. They smoke, drink or inject anything they can get.
 

There's a lot of really successful potheads dude. I don't think pot is why those people are homeless. I think pot is just a cheap way to get high, so a lot of poor people use it.

[Dexter]

Heck, half the country, if not more, is addicted to caffeine, probably the least regulated drug there is. I myself struggle with caffeine after self-medicating with it for years to stabilize my mood and think more clearly.

It's impossible to overdose on marijuana. That's not true even for caffeine. Also some people do stupid shit, but I doubt you've heard of many potheads that blacked out and beat their girlfriends to death. You hear about that stuff all the time with alcohol.

[goatprairie]

It's impossible to overdose on marijuana. That's not true even for caffeine. Also some people do stupid shit, but I doubt you've heard of many potheads that blacked out and beat their girlfriends to death. You hear about that stuff all the time with alcohol.

The biggest problem with pot is that it makes a person more likely to be a liberal.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

John fell to his death while high.

Rob fell and cracked his head open.  He lived, but with no memories.

Bob killed his best friend John in a van accident.

Aaron killed Chad in car accident.

Wayne died in a truck accident.

Chris and Chris drowned.

Mark got run over by a van.

But hey, pot's not dangerous.

[Dexter]

John fell to his death while high.

Rob fell and cracked his head open.  He lived, but with no memories.

Bob killed his best friend John in a van accident.

Aaron killed Chad in car accident.

Wayne died in a truck accident.

Chris and Chris drowned.

Mark got run over by a van.

But hey, pot's not dangerous.

How many alcohol related incidents do you think you could find? I bet more of those happen in a week than have ever happened from pot.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

How many alcohol related incidents do you think you could find? I bet more of those happen in a week than have ever happened from pot.

I am probably a rare case where I lost many more friends to pot than alcohol.  There are probably a lot more alcohol related fatalities than pot related.

But my friends are still dead because they got high.  It doesn't matter much to me that they died using a less risky drug.  Lower risk than an alternative does not imply safety.  Most of us abandoned that sort of "logic" around third grade or so.

[Dexter]

I am probably a rare case where I lost many more friends to pot than alcohol.  There are probably a lot more alcohol related fatalities than pot related.

But my friends are still dead because they got high.  It doesn't matter much to me that they died using a less risky drug.  Lower risk than an alternative does not imply safety.  Most of us abandoned that sort of "logic" around third grade or so.

Should we ban alcohol again because it's worse?

[DB]

Should we ban alcohol again because it's worse?

I don't want to ban either one. I think a free people have a right to either one including to the point of destroying themselves. But that right ends when it starts harming other people and/or other people are held responsible for the damage they cause.

[txradioguy]

Should we ban alcohol again because it's worse?

Link?

[Dexter]

Link?

An estimated 88,000 people (approximately 62,000 men and 26,000 women) die from alcohol-related causes annually, making alcohol the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States. The first is tobacco, and the second is poor diet and physical inactivity.

https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-facts-and-statistics

[verga]

I wouldn't try to do mine high. I like having fingers, hands, arms.

QFT

[verga]

The biggest problem with pot is that it makes a person more likely to be a liberal.

And damn near impossible for them to get off the couch.  Had a student about 6 years ago. Amazing guitar player. Got kicked out of half a dozen bands because he wouldn't show up for practices or gigs.

[goodwithagun]

I don't want to ban either one. I think a free people have a right to either one including to the point of destroying themselves. But that right ends when it starts harming other people and/or other people are held responsible for the damage they cause.

I agree, and I would add that the war on drugs needs to be ended right now and the funding eliminated, as opposed to being absorbed into another fund. That’s a tax cut I’d take any day of the week and twice on Sundays. Also in need of elimination is tax payer funded rehab. Dying in the gutter needs to be an option.

[roamer_1]

I'm not sure I could do my work without pot.

Coming out of the painting industry, where it is legal to be stoned all day, I had to deal with a lot of addiction issues in my employees - When you are buzzed all day long on volatiles, it sucks to come down, so folks just keep the light on when they get off work... So painters are very likely to be substance abusers.

I have removed alcoholics and heroin users from my employ. I have caught both getting lit during office hours.

But by far and away, outside of crackheads (who would never get hired in the first place), habitual weed abusers represent the largest group dismissed for cause. Dope smokers are the biggest segment (by a large margin) caught getting high a second time at work - abusing even with a dire warning from the first time caught.

The very best thing I did was institute random piss tests to get cheaper insurances. All the weed users left en masse. And just a mention of random piss tests stopped them from continuing and application past the interview. And good riddance.

In FACT, I would really rather have a working alcoholic than a chronic weed abuser.


So no - hear a voice of clarity: You just THINK you do you work better high.
It ain't so. Been there done that.

[Dexter]

So no - hear a voice of clarity: You just THINK you do you work better high.
It ain't so. Been there done that.

I have potent ADHD. Weed slows me down which helps me focus. The other option to help with focus is stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin. I don't really like that stuff.

[corbe]

    I smoked pot all through high school, quit when I joined the Air Force, rarely smoked for the next 40 years because I couldn't program worth a shit while stoned. Logical progressions are hard while high, as others have discussed.  Now that I'm 2 years retired, Katy bar the door as my posts usually emulate.

[Dexter]

I couldn't program worth a shit while stoned.

Penetration testing is a lot easier while stoned, imo.

[corbe]

Penetration testing is a lot easier while stoned, imo.

    Is there a sex joke in there somewhere @Dexter ?

[goodwithagun]

Penetration testing is a lot easier while stoned, imo.

I’ve heard just the opposite 

[goodwithagun]

I start radiation in a few weeks, 33 sessions to be exact. The doc said I’d be given oxy for the pain. What are the thoughts here on short term, medicinal use? Narcotic pain pills scare the shit out of me. We actually know a couple of people who got hooked while undergoing cancer treatment and I don’t need that to look forward to.

[Dexter]

I start radiation in a few weeks, 33 sessions to be exact. The doc said I’d be given oxy for the pain. What are the thoughts here on short term, medicinal use? Narcotic pain pills scare the shit out of me. We actually know a couple of people who got hooked while undergoing cancer treatment and I don’t need that to look forward to.

Try weed!

There are no physical withdrawal symptoms unlike narcotics. A lot of people struggle with eating after radiation and weed can help a lot. A LOT of people getting radiation treatment recommend trying marijuana. The worst that's going to happen is you wake up and realize you ate all of the doritos.

[corbe]

   Reformed Pill Head here and I can tell you from experience that OXY's are the scenic route on this screwed up highway.



                                                   POT helps too!

[bigheadfred]

I start radiation in a few weeks, 33 sessions to be exact. The doc said I’d be given oxy for the pain. What are the thoughts here on short term, medicinal use? Narcotic pain pills scare the shit out of me. We actually know a couple of people who got hooked while undergoing cancer treatment and I don’t need that to look forward to.

Some of it depends on your tolerance for pain. And don't lie to either your husband and doc when it comes to it. Oxy didn't do a damn thing for me. But a guy I worked for broke both ankles falling off a house and had to have multiple surgeries. He got hooked. I was the first person he admitted that to. I told him to tell his doctor, tell his wife, and tell his church leader. He is totally straight laced. No drugs, alcohol, etc. Now he is fine.