Legalize marijuana

[shockmonster]

I watched a 60 minutes piece on marijuana in Colorado. People who study what is happening, are seeing major problems they are still examining the effects on society.
Some of what they are finding out is quite alarming. Some, we already knew but less clearly than now, and some things we still don't know enough yet.
•a large number of new born babies are born with it in their systems. In babies, the amount is much more than their mothers.
•effects of marijuana is much different than alcohol much isn't known such as how much marijuana affects driving.
,•marijuana affects the growing brain, maybe up to 25-30.
,•marijuana is stored in fat and doesn't leave the body when it disappears from the bloodstream (unlike alcohol).
•the brain is made up mostly of fat. Therefore the drug is stored in the brain and long term effects are not known. But the brain expert was not a fan.
•Organized crime is active in the Colorado drug industry.

This was s just some of what I remember. I would advise for you to watch this prorgram. This experiment sounds scary to me
•

[wufan]

Have you seen Reefer Madness? That's scary!

[wufan]

BTW, organized crime is very much a problem with marijuana in Colorado. Owners of dispensaries are paying protection money. Supply to those that do not is cut off. Deliveries are routinely hijacked, etc. The siblings of my close friend have had a lot of dealings with this as they have a store.

That said; liquor stores, pawn shops, vending machines, and "pay-day loans" are other businesses that lend themselves to mafia involvement. Being as marijuana was previously illegal and controlled by organized crime, that in and of itself does not make me feel that legalization is a bad idea.

[ShockerPrez]

I remember going to CO Springs, Manitou to be exact. It was a great place to take the family. The last time I went,I decided I will never go back with my kids. The potheads have ruined it. Its not unbearable, but it's just like a freak show. Its a destination for getting high. Im not saying it shouldnt be legalized, but I think one should be careful about the unintended consequences.

[Triticum]

•marijuana is stored in fat and doesn't leave the body when it disappears from the bloodstream (unlike alcohol).
•the brain is made up mostly of fat. Therefore the drug is stored in the brain and long term effects are not known. But the brain expert was not a fan.

The word "fat" here is used to mean two different things:
1 - Fat cells, or adipocytes, store different types of fatty acids (triglycerides etc.) as a form of energy reserves for the body. When people consume more energy (i.e. sugar) than they expend (i.e., exercise), the excess energy is stored as fatty acids inside adipocytes (fat cells). This can be seen in our expanding bellies. THC (marijuana) may be stored in fat cells for up to a few weeks after using marijuana.
2 - The brain has large amounts of fatty acids, but does not have adipocytes, which is where the THC is stored. The fatty acids in the brain are not energy storage fatty acids, but are important for various neuron/glia structures and functions.

The conclusion that the drug is stored in the brain is unfounded.

That said, there are effects of THC on the brain/nervous system, and you're right there should be more research into the how and why. If there were no effects of THC on the nervous system, then there would probably not be any reason that patients suffering from nervous disorders such as epilepsy would find a benefit from using marijuana. But they do.

There's much more to unpack in your original post but I'll leave that to other Shockernetters.

[wufan]

The word "fat" here is used to mean two different things:
1 - Fat cells, or adipocytes, store different types of fatty acids (triglycerides etc.) as a form of energy reserves for the body. When people consume more energy (i.e. sugar) than they expend (i.e., exercise), the excess energy is stored as fatty acids inside adipocytes (fat cells). This can be seen in our expanding bellies. THC (marijuana) may be stored in fat cells for up to a few weeks after using marijuana.
2 - The brain has large amounts of fatty acids, but does not have adipocytes, which is where the THC is stored. The fatty acids in the brain are not energy storage fatty acids, but are important for various neuron/glia structures and functions.

The conclusion that the drug is stored in the brain is unfounded.

That said, there are effects of THC on the brain/nervous system, and you're right there should be more research into the how and why. If there were no effects of THC on the nervous system, then there would probably not be any reason that patients suffering from nervous disorders such as epilepsy would find a benefit from using marijuana. But they do.

There's much more to unpack in your original post but I'll leave that to other Shockernetters.

Thank you for this! I started to elaborate on it, but I was not articulate on my statement, so I scrapped it. This is very well said.

[shockmonster]

The word "fat" here is used to mean two different things:
1 - Fat cells, or adipocytes, store different types of fatty acids (triglycerides etc.) as a form of energy reserves for the body. When people consume more energy (i.e. sugar) than they expend (i.e., exercise), the excess energy is stored as fatty acids inside adipocytes (fat cells). This can be seen in our expanding bellies. THC (marijuana) may be stored in fat cells for up to a few weeks after using marijuana.
2 - The brain has large amounts of fatty acids, but does not have adipocytes, which is where the THC is stored. The fatty acids in the brain are not energy storage fatty acids, but are important for various neuron/glia structures and functions.

The conclusion that the drug is stored in the brain is unfounded.

That said, there are effects of THC on the brain/nervous system, and you're right there should be more research into the how and why. If there were no effects of THC on the nervous system, then there would probably not be any reason that patients suffering from nervous disorders such as epilepsy would find a benefit from using marijuana. But they do.

There's much more to unpack in your original post but I'll leave that to other Shockernetters.

All i did was try to report some of what I remembered that was reported. I do admit to having a soft spot for innocent children and babies. The hospital doctor who reported babies who were born with large amounts of the drug in there system was gut wrenching to me. It was reported that babies born in their condition were subject to health and learning problems during their lives. Some of you may look at this experiment as a worthy cause but I hope and pray that my grand children don't get caught up in it. You should really watch the segment for yourselves. I may have gotten some of the information wrong but there were so called experts concerned with the direction of the legalization.

I will admit that illegal drugs are sought after by hurting people who look for a way to put their troubles behind them and marijuana is not as dangerous as Heroin. Some ingest that more dangerous drug as a way to feel better too. All these drugs used to be legal and maybe they should be again.

[wufan]

All i did was try to report some of what I remembered that was reported. I do admit to having a soft spot for innocent children and babies. The hospital doctor who reported the babies who were born with large amounts of the drug in there system was gut wrenching to me. It was reported that babies born in their condition were subject to health and learning problems during their lives. Some of you may look at this experiment as a worthy cause but I hope and pray that my grand children don't get caught up in it.

I'm pretty sure that marijuana in utero has not been linked to long term health and learning problems. While some studies do note increased hyper-activity and memory issues, they are similar to studies of women that smoke during pregnancy. In the studies I've seen, 80 to 90% smoked, and 30-50% did other drugs.

I would absolutely NOT smoke pot during pregnancy, but the risk is more unknown than a certainty.

[Kung Wu]

If THC didn't affect the brain, nobody would be smokin' it maaaan.

[WuDrWu]

But wait, it cures glaucoma. Some people will lose their eyesight without weed.

[SHOCKvalue]

Well it's a good thing that alcohol and controlled therapeutic drugs don't have any highly-similar negative externalizes to society. Dodged a bullet there, what with the stuff we're now seeing with potheads.

The government should regulate everything. That's my opinion. Works best that way, and I really trust the government has my best in mind.

Signed,

A (nearly) teatotaler who thinks the illegality of weed (stinky loser crap that it is) has caused an order of magnitude more ills than the drug itself could have ever, by order of magnitude.

[shockmonster]

Have you seen Reefer Madness? That's scary!

I never saw it. I did hear about it and I knew some potheads who didn't care about anything who probably liked it. The modern potheads smoke stuff that is 5X stronger than Cheech and Chongband my pothead friends. Cheech, Chong and my friends didn't go to work or school after lunch and if they did, they didn't learn anything. They just wanted more snacks or a nap.

[Aargh]

I think the negatives being found about legalization of marijuana are comparable to what similar reports would have shown about alcohol around the end of prohibition.

We've learned that Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a serious (and life-long) challenge for babies born to mothers who drank during pregnancy. Expectant mothers now try to avoid alcohol.

While organized crime may have achieved some involvement in the legal distribution of marijuana, organized crime, where marijuana is illegal, is typically the only source. The issue of organized crime is substantially reduced where marijuana is legal. What I recall from California (anecdotally) is that recreational users had trouble finding dealers because there were far fewer of them after California legalized medical marijuana.

Colorado has their taxes so high and the costs to participate in legal distribution so high, that illegal dealers can sell the same product cheaper than it can be purchased legally.

[Play Angry]

Recreational and/or full legal use is on the ballot in Arizona, Maine, California, Massachusetts and elsewhere, along with a handful of add'l states where medical use is on the ballot, on November 8.

Right now, recreational use is permitted in CO, WA, OR and AK.

The tide continues to turn on this issue. As boomers continue to exit this realm, more and more states will vote in favor of various degrees of legalization. Eventually, it will be re-addressed at the federal level once the political risk is acceptable.

[RoyalShock]

I remember going to CO Springs, Manitou to be exact. It was a great place to take the family. The last time I went,I decided I will never go back with my kids. The potheads have ruined it. Its not unbearable, but it's just like a freak show. Its a destination for getting high. Im not saying it shouldnt be legalized, but I think one should be careful about the unintended consequences.

I've heard anecdotal evidence that the homeless population in Manitou has spiked since legalization. I also remember going there in 2007 with family. I probably won't go back either.