cannabisnews.com: Alcohol vs. Marijuana Alcohol vs. Marijuana Posted by CN Staff on June 24, 2002 at 10:35:34 PT By Lee Reinsch of The Reporter Staff Source: Fond Du Lac Reporter In most parts of mainstream American society, the social drinker is perfectly acceptable. Most people don’t see anything wrong with responsible adults having some wine over dinner if they don’t drive or put others in danger.But mainstream America is not as ready to accept a person smoking pot, even in moderation. Why is it that any amount of pot is viewed as bad? Granted, it’s illegal. Even minor misdemeanor incidents mar a person’s record. According to National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), a person caught with one joint can lose his or her driver’s license for six months. If the person is a college student, federal loan monies are instantly revoked. But how’d it get that way? What’s the difference between the buzz from a couple of legal beers and the buzz from a few drags on a pot pipe?“The Food and Drug Administration has taken the position over the years that drugs need to be regulated in terms of safety and effectiveness, but Treasury Department has taken the view that use is bad and users are bad people,” said Dr. Jonathan Nicoud, professor of psychology at Marian College. Nicoud said he thinks marijuana got a bad reputation in the 1930s, when it was associated in the media with violence among blacks and Mexicans.Nicoud said drugs should be looked at on a case-by-case basis and not automatically categorized as bad or illegal. He said drugs are not the problem. People with addictive tendencies are the problem. But not everyone is prone to addictions.“If alcohol was the reason for alcoholism, it would stand to reason that all people who drank would have a problem,” Nicoud said. “Drug use, in many ways, is like sexual behavior; it’s not good or bad by itself, but you have to take into consideration who is doing it and when, why, how often and where they are doing it.”The question of moderate marijuana use is one that St. Agnes Behavioral Outpatient Services psychotherapist Mary Arndt gets asked often.She said many people ask her if there is such a thing as a “social marijuana smoker,” just as there are “social drinkers.” She said she doesn’t have an answer to that question.“A person who is addicted can no longer safely predict how much they will use, when they use, or what will happen when they do,” she said.On the other hand, she said, “A social drinker is able to predict when they drink, how much they will consume and what happens when they do.“An addict will continue to use despite repeated negative consequences, whether they be physical, social, emotional or financial.”She said addiction tends to run in families and that, with any mind-altering substance, there’s a potential for addiction.“But even a social user is going to experience the physical and psychological effects (of marijuana). There are occasions when social users get picked up for driving under the influence. Not every one of them is an addict, but when they are referred to me, I am able to determine the severity. Based on the severity, I recommend a level of care that meets their needs.”Nicoud believes there can be such a thing as a moderate drug user. “Most people are moderate drug users. There is always some fraction of people which is immoderate,” he said.“The difficulty is, if drugs can take over your life, it can become the focus of your life. That is a problem. Any time we focus on one thing that leaves other things undone. A lot of people in Fond du Lac can play softball, and that becomes the focus of their lives. Is softball a good thing or a bad thing? I know some people who like to compulsively clean, and that is their whole focus in life. Anytime anything becomes a focus, to the exclusion of everything else, it is a problem. Drugs can be a problem when it becomes such a focus in life that everything else gets thrown out the window.”Nicoud said he thinks kids should grow up drug-free.“They (drugs) are not a good solution for solving problems and developing good people-skills and coping skills,” he said.Note: Different attitudes mark debate for casual users.More information on the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws may be found at: http://www.norml.org Source: Fond Du Lac Reporter (WI)Author: Lee Reinsch of The Reporter Staff Published: June 24, 2002Copyright: 2002 Fond Du Lac ReporterWebsite: http://www.wisinfo.com/thereporter/index.shtmlContact: http://www.wisinfo.com/thereporter/contactus/index/Related Articles & Web Site:Is My Medicine Legal Yet? http://immly.org/Health Officials Say Marijuana is Harmful To Bodyhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13210.shtmlShould Marijuana Be Legalized? http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13209.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #12 posted by Industrial Strength on June 25, 2002 at 13:17:48 PT smuggling Even more of America's notable commercial and political family's made their money bootlegging...The Kennedy's, the Rockafeller's... [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by kaptinemo on June 25, 2002 at 05:16:00 PT: It's easy, Sam How can we pretend to have a serious dialogue on drug policy when the entire ruling class goes through this experience, and then pretends like drugs are some dirty thing that the brown people do.Yes, the ruling class, made up of the descendents of those who horned their way into the opium trade;from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/heroin/etc/history.html1805 A smuggler from Boston, Massachusetts, Charles Cabot, attempts to purchase opium from the British, then smuggle it into China under the auspices of British smugglers. 1812 American John Cushing, under the employ of his uncles' business, James and Thomas H. Perkins Company of Boston, acquires his wealth from smuggling Turkish opium to Canton. 1816 John Jacob Astor of New York City joins the opium smuggling trade. His American Fur Company purchases ten tons of Turkish opium then ships the contraband item to Canton on the Macedonian. Astor would later leave the China opium trade and sell solely to England. (Emphasis mine -k.) In short, some of America's most notable commercial Families - who figure so prominently in American politics, then as now - got their 'seed money' from the opium trade. And their descendents have the temerity to cluck and wag fingers at those who choose to alter their consciousness using means their ancestors supplied? More hypocrisy.... [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by Sam Adams on June 24, 2002 at 19:10:39 PT Krutch, they don't mention the damage alcohol can do because America has a chronic denial complex on that issue. Unlike the rest of the world, everyone in the middle and upper classes has this special 4-year sabbatical from real life, where your parents pay for you to go off and drink for 4 years.All we do in college is drink until we're violently ill, and then sit around all day and talk about the things we did when we were wasted. We all knew many people who just "partied" for 3 straight months and then spent 2 weeks in the library before finals. The grocery store at my college use to have a giant pyramid of Milwaukee's Best set up by Thursday afternoon each week - it was like 6 feet high and 20 feet long. It would be gone by the end of the weekend.Think about it for a second - this is a place where we all have a blind spot. The extravagance of the college experience has really gotten out of control - it's reached Roman proportions of decadence. How can we pretend to have a serious dialogue on drug policy when the entire ruling class goes through this experience, and then pretends like drugs are some dirty thing that the brown people do. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by Sam Adams on June 24, 2002 at 18:58:43 PT Deep Thoughts Dave you're absolutely right. I often wonder though, is this a new assault on our personal freedoms and right to self-determination, or just another skirmish on a long-running battle?? When you think about it, that's why there was such rapid expansion of the US out West to the "frontier". People with a sense of independence were fleeing the repressive Victorian-era society back East. If you were even seen in public with just a T-shirt and pants on, you were considered trash, a total bum. A gentlemen wouldn't even set foot out of the house without a full 3 piece suit on, plus hat, umbrella, etc. Women had to be covered to the ankles (hmm, remind you of anyone we know?)The one difference is that the government was tiny back in those days. They did help by liberating minorities & women, instituting some environmental controls, etc, but it was a deal with the devil - now we're ALL under strict government control, and our whole society has been infected with this urge to control everything and everyone. We don't feel comfortable unless we know that there is an all-powerful government and LAWS to oversee every facet of our lives. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by krutch on June 24, 2002 at 15:47:10 PT: Important Points Missed Here No discussion of Alcohol vs. Marijuana is complete without talking about consuming to excess. What happens when you smoke too much bud? I go to sleep and have pleasant dreams. What happens when you drink too much booze? More often than not I do not pass out. I become a nasty, mean and, foolish drunk. I do insane things that I would never consider doing unless I was piss drunk and I forget all about it in the morning. I have no memory of my previous night's exploits. I could have killed someone with my bare hands for all I know. I have to call any friends who were with me, hope that they are still my friends, and have them assure me that I did not hurt anyone. Does this sound familiar to any of you drinkers out there? Have you ever blacked out?No other drug besides Alcohol has ever done this to me. I have never observed any drug but alcohol do it to anyone else. The only drugs I can recall doing that might have the potential to cause blackouts are PCP, and opiates. I can't really testify here because I have very little experience with these drugs.Fortunately, I have not blacked out in a long time and I can count the number of times it happened on one hand. The acute effects of Alcohol are far more dangerous than the acute effects of MJ. I think someting like 10,000 people a year die from Alcohol poisoning. Nobody ever dies from marijuana poisoning. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Industrial Strength on June 24, 2002 at 15:30:13 PT problems I think that almost anything can become "problematic" and it's up the user or people close to them to draw that line. But you hit the nail on the head, Raving Dave... No one has a duty to make sure everyone lives the "perfect" life. The more people that aspire to live that life, the more money people in charge of providing it make. And this is what it's all about. It's amazing how many people have been fooled so easily. The thing in this article that bugged me was "Granted, it's illegal." So the reason for it remaining illegal is because it's illegal in the first place? urgh. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on June 24, 2002 at 14:39:00 PT You're So Cool Gary I got the article posted. Of course we remember it takes a village statement. Well it takes a village to get marijuana laws changed but we are making progress. I can't imagine if everyone just quit trying to get the laws changed what would happen. It makes me shudder to think how bad it could get. We must keep pushiing forward. We don't have a choice.2 Smokers Discuss Their Use of Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13215.shtml [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by RavingDave on June 24, 2002 at 14:36:02 PT A Problem? Anytime anything becomes a focus, to the exclusion of everything else, it is a problem.It seems everyone agrees with this statement but me. I wonder, why is it a problem to focus on one thing to the exclusion of all else? Often, we see people who focus exclusively on work. Although we call them "workaholics," they are looked-up-to in our society. On the other hand, their families might call this a problem.A larger question would be whether or not it's any of our business how this person lives his life. We seem to be throwing freedom of choice out the window in our society. When I see some homeless person groveling for money, I sometimes feel irritated, but I wouldn't presume to tell him how to live his life. We don't have a duty to make sure that everyone in the world is drug-free, wealthy, "successful," or, indeed, any which way at all. We do have a duty to live and let live, and to bring out the freedom we extoll so virtuously all the time.America, it's time to put your money where your mouth is. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Gary Storck on June 24, 2002 at 14:19:21 PT THe feeling is certainly mutual, FOM! THanks so much Fom, I am just one of many folks trying to end the war. You are one of my heroes too. I don't think everybody understands the dedication it takes to keep a great site like cannabisnews fresh and current. And you have been at it a long time, that shows real commitment! Here's to you FoM, and here's yet another article from the series:Gary ------------ Newshawk: Is My Medicine Legal YET? www.immly.org Source: Fond du Lac Reporter Pubdate: June 24, 2002 US WI: 2 smokers discuss their use of pot 2 SMOKERS DISCUSS THEIR USE OF POTBy Lee Reinsch Of The Reporter Staff Following are conversations with two real people who regularly use marijuana. Lauren’s name has been changed to protect her identity, while Bruce allowed the newspaper to use his real first name.Lauren, 19, is a Fond du Lac native and currently a sophomore at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee:n Q: How long have you been smoking pot? About seven months.n Q: How often do you smoke?About every other day, but now that I’m living at home for the summer, I don’t get the opportunity very much.n Q: Have you ever been drunk?n A: I’ve been high more than I’ve been drunk. I don’t like being drunk. I don’t like being out of control of my body.n Q: What does it feel like for you?n A: I’m not a giggly high. I don’t feel stupid, just feel really glad to be wherever I am. I think people should be happy that they are on this earth. I feel so nice and so happy. You don’t feel invincible, you forget about what is going wrong in your life, that big assignment, your boyfriend dumping you. You are just with your friends and you are happy.n Q: How do you feel about the claim that marijuana is a gateway drug?n A: Marijuana isn’t a gateway drug to me because I don’t have any desire to do any other drugs.n Q: How much does it cost?n A: Depends on what kind you get. The really good stuff is the bud, called “nugs” or nuggets —$50 for an eighth of an ounce. Or there’s something cheaper, called “schwag” —$20 an eighth of an ounce.n Q: Do you live in fear and secrecy?n A: You can’t go around broadcasting that you smoke marijuana, but you don’t have to do it in an alley. There are a lot of people who are down with smoking marijuana. I can’t tell you how many friends I made that I have that in common with. They’re like, ‘Do you want to hang out,’ and we do, somebody pulls out their stash, we get stoned and the day goes on. It’s not a big deal. You have the freedom and you don’t feel guilty about it because it becomes a part of your life.n Q: Do you get stoned before class?n A: Never done that; I made a promise to myself that I would never smoke before class.n Q: Has it affected you academically?n A: I got better grades than I did my entire life. Honestly, I smoked more marijuana the first three weeks of my second semester, and I got better grades then I ever did in my life — I was so happy. I don’t think there is a connection. I would like to say there is a connection but I don’t think there is.n Q: Why do you do it?n A: It gives you a feeling of happiness. It is not like I need the drug. I could throw everything away tomorrow and not feel upset. I could make the decision to not ever do it again and I would be fine. I do it because it makes me feel good and takes my mind off certain things in my life, and it’s all right. I don’t feel like it makes me sick.n Q: What about amotivational syndrome?n A: I don’t feel it makes me less concerned about my appearance and forget about my job and schoolwork. I don’t have amotivational syndrome. I must be strong willed.n Q: What would your parents say if they knew?n A: I think some parents smoked pot in the 1960s and ’70s but I don’t know if mine did. I assume the worst, because they are pretty protective. They would think they I lowered myself to that. I guess they would be really upset; so would a lot of other adults in my life. Bruce, 47, is married with two children. He has been employed full-time for the last 13 years as an inventory control specialist.n Q: How long have you been smoking?n A: Since age 18 — almost 30 years.n Q: How did you get into it?n A: Friends. Curiosity. When I was a sophomore in high school, a teacher would pull out newspaper articles that related to marijuana, and I remember thinking if I ever got the chance, I would like to try it. It was a shrill commentary on the horrors of marijuana. But people weren’t dying on the streets. I got the chance when I was just about out of high school.n Q: Do you keep it secret from your kids?n A: They know about it. We waited for an age-appropriate time to tell them They asked questions about drugs and marijuana in particular. Given my participation in several drug policy reform groups, I gave them factual information. And they asked, ‘Did you?’ and I said ‘Yes, I have and some of my friends have as well.’ I was honest. I am a very responsible person. I don’t break any other laws, other than that one.n Q: What did your kids learn at school about drugs?n A: DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) has done a horrible thing and has filled kids with lies and propaganda. They have brought literature home from DARE, and it’s mostly lies.n Q: What do you mean, lies?n A: I would suggest doctors and nurses talk about health problems related to the smoking aspect, and not tell kids things that can’t be proven -- like it causes brain damage and it’s a gateway drug. DARE is run by police who have a vested interest. They tell kids to turn their parents in. The drug war has ruined thousands of people’s lives. Employers are reluctant to hire people with illegal drug arrests, so people go on welfare. We have exasperated all of our systems, because we have made an innocuous plant illegal. Is My Medicine Legal YET? [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on June 24, 2002 at 13:12:54 PT Hi Gary! I really admire your activism. Even though I don't know what you are doing I know that whatever you are doing will always be positive and motivated. You're one of my heroes and I don't use that expression lightly. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Gary Storck on June 24, 2002 at 13:07:03 PT Thanks, Kap! Thanks, Kap, for pointing out that this reporter is trying her best to be evenhanded. She just called me with a few last minute questions on another article in the series on mmj. She is doing a good job so far, IMHO, on staying objective.Seems like some good journalism coming out of a small town paper.Gary Is My Medicine Legal YET? [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by kaptinemo on June 24, 2002 at 12:15:37 PT: See, both sides are being presented and the reporter is keeping any opinions to herself. That in and of itself is amazing, given the tendency on the part of many journalists to inject their and/or their editor's prejudices into their work.Nearly half of all the articles that she has written so far in this series have shown the two antis vigorously brandishing their decades old, moldy, smelly, rat-chewed straw-man of propaganda and holding it up to the public...as if it had never happened before, and antis haven't tried the same tactic, in hundreds of cities across America. What's really amusing is, as E_J pointed out in another comment, they are doing this in the Age of the Internet; a child can tell they are lying simply by doing what these antis seem fundamentally incapable of doing. Namely look on the Web for refutations of their positions. Of which there are dozens if not hundreds of sites where this is freely available. It's like they are stuck in the 1950's or something, and that little box they observe Junior stares at so intently is some sort of super duper TV...with all the limitations of one. So they continue to spread lies...and are called on them.A word of warning to those too inclined towards impatience: Some people have read one article and automatically assumed that one contained the sum total of all, and have no further need to read, as it seems to do nothing but telegraph anti BS. Read further, and you find an even-handedness that's most refreshing. I hope the reporter keeps it up...this could become the American version of Dan Gardner's great work in the Canuck press. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment