No, I don't feel that alcohol and pot are equivalent. Alcohol has been much more deeply ingrained in human culture than other drugs have been, which is why making alcohol illegal failed. And, anyway, how can adding a layer of people who toke and drive because they can openly buy and toke now to the layer of people who drink and drive be... helpful?
I've heard there's a lot of things that people who have been pushing legalization of pot (and stand to make money off of it) haven't been mentioning about what's happened in Colorado, the state that led the dubious way in the US a few years back. Like an increase in DUIs - the layer of tokers I'm concerned about. Worse, apparently Colorado has seen an increase in emergency room treatment of small children who have gotten hold of Mom/Dad's pot laced goodies and eaten them.
I haven't chased specific numbers to verify those counter-pot claims yet, but I did do a quickie check on something more general: I found a report posted by the Colorado DOT that covers all deaths (including pedestrian) due to vehicle accidents from 2002 through 2018. I dropped 2018 since we aren't done the year yet and plotted deaths per 100,000 population for 2002 through 2017.
Colorado's law went into effect in January 2014. Note that fatalities had been declining, hiccuped up a little, then look what happens at 2014 and after. Maybe it just indicates that too many Californians who can't drive in Winter had moved there by then. Don't know. But it is an interesting bit of information.
And I do find it pretty hypocritical that it's OK to suck marijuana smoke (you know, particulate matter) containing a drug (you know, THC) into your lungs and to expose the people around you to secondary smoke from it but if you do the same thing with tobacco you are EVIL and will be confronted by pissy people who object to you doing it.
And then there is the raising revenue via taxes for health care argument for pot legalization. Not hearing good things about where our tobacco taxes go in various states, either. Apparently, not where they were supposed to.
Not only the DUI factor, but also the long term effects of pot. There is a reason they are called pot-heads. It would be interesting to see the stats on long term incidence of dementia in pot smokers. Everyone gets all worked up about Alzheimer's Dementia, and is throwing big bucks at fighting and finding a cure, but then turns around and tokes up. There are significant effects long term of pot use on the brain, not just the lungs.
ReplyDeleteNot even going there on where the money winds up, as from what I can see, most of the time money doesn't ever go to where it was supposed to.
Yes, haven't even looked at that. I do remember that the one regular user I knew in college was...slow.
DeleteMy younger brother is a long time toker of pot. He is paranoid as all get out. His reasoning is gone, he has difficulty in comprehending rudiment concepts. He comes up with all kinds of wild ideas. He thinks he is funny like a stand up comedian. At the drop of a hat he'll argue because he thinks he is being attacked. When I tried to direct him (don't take my word for it) to the studies on long term use by John Hopkins, Rutgers, Mayo, the NIH, he about ripped my head off. Myself and other siblings do not have such difficulties.
ReplyDeleteAlcohol doesn't change your DNA, pot use does. His first two sons have many birth defects due to him and his wife smoking before and during pregnancy.
Say a prayer, please.
I am so sorry and I certainly will.
DeleteAlcohol can be destructive enough. I'm not enthused about normalizing another layer of destructive.
There you go with those pesky facts again... Stop that! :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd I found a study showing that kids are using pot at younger ages - they are starting earlier in CO now..
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