An Agenda

[real Cannabis calm]

Many readers appear to have formed opinions about me, because of the name I've chosen. In fact, although I rarely smoke marijuana before 5:00 PM or smoke it every night, for several, logical reasons people make quick, inaccurate judgments about me. Some replies to my Opening Posts, which are almost always current CNN Morning Briefings indicate that many D.U. members think I write or post in General Discussion, while stoned. Occasionally, I post in the Lounge, while stoned.

The agenda -Right after I worked hard to get Governor Lujan Grisham and many other Democrats elected in New Mexico, the Roundhouse (our state legislative facility) passed a law to legalize recreational Cannabis - again. When Susana Martinez (R) was governor, she vetoed the law to legalize marijuana, after representatives of Roundhouse sent it to her desk. I believed that Governor Grisham would sign the bill into law to fund our low-rated, underfunded, public schools.

Legalized, recreational Cannabis would also create plenty of new businesses and bolster the profits of our many casinos, with resort hotels, in and around Albuquerque, not to mention what it would do to create more tourism, in places like Roswell.

Instead, Grisham vetoed the bill, claiming that it could represent a danger to underage (illegal) users of marijuana. Actually, these same underage people are able to obtain alcohol, which posses a greater risk to their health and physical/ emotional development. They can also purchase marijuana from drug dealers, who will tempt them into trying other - extremely dangerous - addictive drugs to get then hooked.

Does marijuana lead to harder drugs, I would say that it depends on where people obtain it.

How do you feel about legalizing marijuana in your state?

[abqtommy]

1. My own experience being a previous user of pot and knowing many peope who were

Last edited Sat Oct 26, 2019, 06:22 PM - Edit history (2)

leads me to believe that there's no big increase among users by the process of legalization. All
legalization does is remove the legal penalties for using/holding and that takes a big strain off our justice system. Pot may be one of the gateway drugs but alcohol is the most common gateway drug and the first one used by people who develop addiction problems. I was never addicted to pot or to the amphetamines I used to use occasionally. I never used a needle not just because I'm not stupid but because needles scared me and I have never wanted to die like that.

There was a time a few years ago when we couldn't walk out to our apartment parking lot without having to be sure we didn't step on one of the many single-use opioid syringes that littered the area. I don't see that trash nowadays so that's good. That's still a big problem to be worked on and I'm glad I gave up the whole pot/drug scene years ago.

Here in New Mexico we have a terrible problem with alcohol, with accidents causing deaths, DUI checkpoints, arrests and jailings that require large expenses for local, county and state law enforcement. It's time to advocate for real solutions to real problems.

disclaimer: After using alcohol and beginning to smoke tobacco I became addicted to tobacco. I used street drugs then stopped the alcohol and street drugs since I began using powerful psychiatric medication for many years. Then I stopped using the psychiatric medication because I learned how to cope. At present I only use medication to control cholesterol and blood pressure and that works well. Now tobacco is the only addiction I have but I own it and it's not as harmful as some things I've used.
I did purchase a vaping pen a few months ago just before the health problems associated with vaping came to light so I gave that up. If somebody can learn from this then good. It doesn't bother me to lay it out.

[real Cannabis calm]

6. Personally, I appreciate you "laying it out"

And, I hope you become motivated to stop using deadly tobacco. Vaping is a new way to get young people addicted to tobacco. The tobacco industry has a powerful, well-financed lobby. I suspect the same thing is true, here in New Mexico with the medical marijuana industry, which has the legal cannabis market cornered, in our state.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. I am genuinely up in the air, although I do generally support legalization...

Part of me wonders why we need yet another form of mind bending to become legal when we have so many problems with the ones we have now.

A larger part of me says we should have every right to do something "for the head" as long as it hurts no one. Truth is, I have known a large number stoners, addicts, meth heads, and others who seemed to be trying to destroy themselves, and while they didn't want to, they often took down others in their need to stay high. There must be a balance somewhere. Perhaps taking it out of the closet will reduce some of the worst effects.

Not immediately relevant, but an interesting article on a short history of opium/heroin addiction in our history:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/inside-story-americas-19th-century-opiate-addiction-180967673/

Note the moralistic "concerns" of society when the "wrong" addicts became more common. And the short shrift given to maintenance routines with addicts who can function.

Alcohol, which appears to cause far more negative physical and social problems than pot and some other drugs, is under assault, but we have seen how banning it caused problems than we could ever have guessed.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

8. I see a tremendous global paradox in our societies....

where we build cultures and societies that are high stress by design and sensitive people like myself seek relief with addictive substances. Yet, rather than trying to make our societies less stressful, we raise the stress inherent to capitalism and the seeking of power, and demonize those that can't keep the pace.

Some days, I think our world is fueled by hypocrisy.......

[H2O Man]

3. Recommended.

Put it on the state ballots in 2020, and you'll get a lot of the "under 35" voters to the polls.

It's not legal in NYS, but even in the very republican wilderness of the "upstate," there are very few police or district attornies who are worried about the possibility that an adult, in the privacy of his or her home, lights up. More, quite a few doctors recommend it for dealing with chronic pain.

[real Cannabis calm]

7. I believe there are other medical uses of cannabis...

Lack of research, on OTHER medical/ psychological applications of the drug are limited by the outdated views of narrow-minded people.

[H2O Man]

9. True.

I think that if adults want to use it for recreational purposes in their homes, it is nobody's business. It's a plant. It communicates.

[real Cannabis calm]

10. BTW, I really like your OPs...

I'll continue to K&R them.

[Wounded Bear]

4. Voted for it, already done...

I live in WA, one of the first states to legalize recreational use.

Trivia, what is historically important about how the first two states to legalize marijuana for recreational marked their accomplishment?

Answer, their football teams met in the next Super Bowl. Colorado-Denver Broncos and Washington-Seattle Seahawks

We won.



I'm not a user of mj, but have long supported legalization.

[Karadeniz]

5. I'm sorry you felt picked on. I hadn't noticed posts to you, but maybe I didn't see the posts

You refer to. Anyway, I'm sorry if people judged you unfairly. That's never good.

I don't do pot or drink...I smoke! That's a bad enough habit! As to legalizing it, if it reduces smuggling and jail sentences, that's good. We've seen what happened to our A-A families when their fathers were hauled off to jail for decades...just destroyed communities. Not worth it. Prohibition didn't work. Augustus couldn't legislate morality. I don't expect people to be perfectly strong. Beer goes back at least to the Egyptians. Apparently, a lot of people have always needed a release valve!