[Vision2020] Soda vs. Marijuana

[Darrell Keim]

Tom:

You're right-I don't want to get into a "war of experts."  That wasn't my
purpose.  My purpose was to point out that your graphic was overlooking
some fairly major issues caused and/or related to marijuana use.

I do appreciate your link to the organization.  Hadn't seen that one.  For
my job I work with the Regional Advisory Committee on Substance Use
Disorders.  This puts me into regular contact with local recovery
counselors, psychologists, etc.  I also serve on the boards and/or
regularly interact with the Latah County Youth Advocacy Council, Kamiah
Community Partners Coalition, and Clearwater Substance Abuse Workgroup.
I'm afraid my mind is pretty well made-up RE marijuana.

I do tend to favor treating it as a public health issue, like smoking and
drinking; rather than as a legal issue.  Public Health campaigns against
those substances have been reasonably successful.

On Tue, Jun 11, 2013 at 4:42 PM, Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com> wrote:

> Mr. Keim -
>
> Instead of listing inifinite sources that tend to support legalizing,
> regulating, and taxing marijuana, I invite you to start your browsing at an
> organization of which I have been a member for quite some time . . .
>
> The National Organization for the Reduction of Marijuana Laws (NORML)
> [image: image.jpeg]
> http://www.norml.org
>
> A couple other things . . .
>
> 1 - As far as that illogical claim that 95% of those currently addicted to
> heroin got their start on marijuana . . . I would be more concerned about
> the 5% who jumped right in to heroin.
>
> 2 - My "indulgences" led more to increased sales revenue at the
> neighborhood KFC versus any increased liquor consumption.
>
> Ah, the memories:  While stationed at the Presidio of San Francisco (1977
> - 1979), my two favorite haunts were Baker Beach (about a quarter mile
> south of the Golden Gate Bridge and a two-block stagger from the government
> quarters in which Rodna and I resided) and a tavern at the corner of Fifth
> Street and Clement Avenue called the Moonshiner (whose customer base
> consisted of everything from lawyers to opera singers to Hells Angels . . .
> and yours truly).
>
> To make a long (and rather interesting) story short, marijuana was easily
> procurable at each location.  In fact, I recall several occasions where
> people would sit on the curb, outsde the Moonshiner (that had no entry
> door, just a slider that would open the entire front end), openly smoking a
> joint, watching cars (including SFPD) go by.
>
> Those were the days, my friend . . .
>
> Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .
>
> "Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)
> http://www.MoscowCares.com
>
> Tom Hansen
> Moscow, Idaho
>
> "There's room at the top they are telling you still
> But first you must learn how to smile as you kill
> If you want to be like the folks on the hill."
>
> - John Lennon
>
>
>
> On Jun 11, 2013, at 3:24 PM, Darrell Keim <keim153 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Interesting graphic, though a poor logical argument.  Sure soda is bad,
> does that mean we should A.  Ban all bad things?  B.  Legalize all bad
> things?  Isn't there room for a third option?  I won't attempt to defend
> soda.
>
> The graphic goes very light on marijuana's harms.
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-term_effects_of_cannabis
> The above page mentions positive correlations to:  female infertility,
> dependency, acute psychosis (but only when tied to an underlying mental
> disorder), chronic psychosis (in adolescence), increased suicide rate,
> gateway drug (my personal anecdotal experience backs this-most of the folks
> I meet in treatment started with either booze or pot), and loss of IQ.
> Curiously, it doesn't seem to cause lung cancer (though other cancers show
> a positive correlation), though it does have some of the other health
> issues usually correlated with smoking.
>
> The above are correlated with marijuana.  I won't argue that correlation
> equals causation.  I also won't argue that it also correlates with some
> positives:  pain relief, slows cognitive decline, The Eagles famous
> "Peaceful, Easy Feeling."
>
> Sounds to me like neither is a net societal positive...
>
>
> On Tue, Jun 11, 2013 at 3:00 PM, Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com> wrote:
>
>> <1010437_10151481021971275_1141633502_n.jpg>
>> Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .
>>
>> "Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)
>> http://www.MoscowCares.com
>>
>> Tom Hansen
>> Moscow, Idaho
>>
>> "There's room at the top they are telling you still
>> But first you must learn how to smile as you kill
>> If you want to be like the folks on the hill."
>>
>> - John Lennon
>>
>>
>>
>> =======================================================
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>>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
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>>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>> =======================================================
>>
>
>
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