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Stop Treating Marijuana Like Heroin

nytimes.com

21–30 of 266 posts

Re: Stop Treating Marijuana Like Heroin

#21

While I'm totally for drug (all drugs - not just cannabis) legalisation/regulation, I do think the "dangers" of marijuana have been really downplayed over the last few years. I know a lot of people at university who got into smoking it very often and basically lost 10+ years of their life to complete apathy to anything. Some have now stopped and are totally different people - just 10 years behind. While it doesn't ca…

Almost anything can be addictive not much we can do about it.

Re: Stop Treating Marijuana Like Heroin

#22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn't realize marijuana caused cancer.

Any kind of smoke inhalation will cause cancer

Smoking isnt the only way to consume mj, btw. Tinctures, edibles, lotions, lip balms, etc all offer alternatives. From what I understand vaping reduces plant particulate the most, but the high temps can hurt throats, so an ideal setup would be a vape through a bong.

Re: Stop Treating Marijuana Like Heroin

#24
post #6
post #4

Stop demonizing heroin. To be honest, not sure what is right here. Is it ok to demonise interracial marriage while trying to get the minority the right to vote? Does the end justify the means? But if you think heroin is a demon and marijuana(or alcohol) is ok you are sadly mistaken.

But if you think heroin is a demon and marijuana(or alcohol) is ok you are sadly mistaken. 1 of the 3 is ok, by some definition of ok. My definition: doesn't have serious health effects and users can (and do) live normal lives.

I can't for the life of me work out which one you think is OK. Neither marijuana nor alcohol, in non-excessive quantities, will necessarily cause serious health effects, and people consume either whilst living perfectly 'normal' lives.

Re: Stop Treating Marijuana Like Heroin

#25
post #21

While I'm totally for drug (all drugs - not just cannabis) legalisation/regulation, I do think the "dangers" of marijuana have been really downplayed over the last few years. I know a lot of people at university who got into smoking it very often and basically lost 10+ years of their life to complete apathy to anything. Some have now stopped and are totally different people - just 10 years behind. While it doesn't ca…

Almost anything can be addictive not much we can do about it.

addiction + adverse effects on one's brain/life.

There are a lot of benign addictions, which we call habits. We should be a bit more careful in casually classifying marijuana as benign on grounds that is not as bad as heroin.

Edit. "Classifying" in educational sense, not in legal sense.

Re: Stop Treating Marijuana Like Heroin

#26
post #2

I've been a daily user for about 30 years now. It's more like coffee and cigarettes than it is like heroin or alcohol.

I didn't realize marijuana caused cancer.

As far as we know, it doesn't. Some studies suggest that it may shrink lung tumors.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23802821

http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/hp/cannabis...

Re: Stop Treating Marijuana Like Heroin

#27
post #25
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Almost anything can be addictive not much we can do about it.

addiction + adverse effects on one's brain/life. There are a lot of benign addictions, which we call habits. We should be a bit more careful in casually classifying marijuana as benign on grounds that is not as bad as heroin. Edit. "Classifying" in educational sense, not in legal sense.

By definition addiction has a harmful effect on the user.

> We should be a bit more careful in casually classifying marijuana as benign on grounds that is not as bad as heroin.

Yes, definitely. I'm strongly in favour of legalisation, but I recognise that for some people cannabis will be harmful.

Re: Stop Treating Marijuana Like Heroin

#28

Stop treating addiction as a legal problem and treat it as a public health problem, like Portugal. Decriminalize all substances and push addicted to treatment programs. And just legalize pot entirely, one of these is not like the others (at least Canada is leading the way there).

It may need a good government, which is hard. E.g, I don't think SF can manage to handle so many homeless addictions. Yes, ideally it can be managed in this way. In fact, it's hard to be carried out. And the result would be catastrophic.

Maybe the $30-60,000 per year spent to incarcerate every low level drug offender could help. And it's not like they're avoiding managing it now between policing, encampments and incarceration. Not to mention health costs.

Re: Stop Treating Marijuana Like Heroin

#29
post #25
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Almost anything can be addictive not much we can do about it.

addiction + adverse effects on one's brain/life. There are a lot of benign addictions, which we call habits. We should be a bit more careful in casually classifying marijuana as benign on grounds that is not as bad as heroin. Edit. "Classifying" in educational sense, not in legal sense.

Sure, but does it justify its place on Schedule 1? Hardly. As a whole alcohol does far more damage to society and yet it is very lightly regulated.

Maybe Schedule 4 or 5 might be more appropriate? i.e Xanax, Tramadol, less than 200mg codeine, etc.

Re: Stop Treating Marijuana Like Heroin

#30
post #6
post #4

Stop demonizing heroin. To be honest, not sure what is right here. Is it ok to demonise interracial marriage while trying to get the minority the right to vote? Does the end justify the means? But if you think heroin is a demon and marijuana(or alcohol) is ok you are sadly mistaken.

But if you think heroin is a demon and marijuana(or alcohol) is ok you are sadly mistaken. 1 of the 3 is ok, by some definition of ok. My definition: doesn't have serious health effects and users can (and do) live normal lives.

Heroin is awful, but if heroin-addicted people can get heroin, they're fine.
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