Is your college student smoking pot?

Parents Forum
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<p>On what economic assumptions do you base that assertion? Making something more readily available (for example, by legalizing a formerly illegal or restricted substance) nearly always causes prices to fall. Falling prices reduce the attraction of that market to criminal elements, who can no longer compete with legitimate producers. It doesn’t follow that legalization here would have any effect in Mexico other than to dry up their largest potential market.</p>

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<p>Understand that nicotine is not a “drug” because the FDA has chosen not to call it a drug. It is no less a bioactive chemical than THC and other cannabinoids, the active compounds in marijuana. Nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine are all legal drugs with some addictive potential.</p>

<p>To view it another way: If heroin had never been outlawed, you might have written, “While heroin is addictive, it’s not considered a drug.” The semantics of which substances we choose to call drugs is unrelated to whether they’re addictive or non-addictive, legal or illegal.</p>

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<p>I didn’t say I supported legalization because <em>I</em> wanted to smoke it. Nor did I comment on the disparity between penalties for possession of crack and powder cocaine because it pertains to me, personally. Sheesh.</p>

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<p>Love the big marijuana ad and photo on my screen. Anybody else seeing it? College website. Cool.</p>

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<p>I just see an ad for U of O.
oh.
;)</p>

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<p>You may think that but it will actually be bad for drug cartels… In the united states the big cigarette companies would have to make little effort to switch to filling their product with marijuana, and it is easier to grow/cultivate than traditional tobacco.</p>

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<p>Then I am definitely going to buy more Altria stock!</p>

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<p>I see someplace called “Mid America Christian University.” They are wasting their ads on me and mine. :)</p>

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<p>so is he returning to school in autumn?</p>

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<p>I can’t believe im even on a college website. It seems as if very few of you can do any research instead of spouting off ignorant nonsense that none of you can even confirm? </p>

<p>Cannabis 'Scrips to Calm Kids? (news - 2004)
FOXNews.com - Cannabis 'Scrips to Calm Kids? - Politics | Republican <a href=“Fox News - Breaking News Updates | Latest News Headlines | Photos & News Videos”>Fox News - Breaking News Updates | Latest News Headlines | Photos & News Videos;

<p>10 Things Every Parent, Teenager & Teacher Should Know About Marijuana (4th Question) (no date)
<a href="Erowid Psychoactive Vaults;

<p>Marijuana Myths, Claim No. 9 (no date)
<a href="Erowid Cannabis Vault : Exposing Marijuana Myths;

<p>Cannabis substitution: An Adjunctive Therapeutic Tool in the Treatment of Alcoholism (full - 1969)
<a href=“Marijuana Statistics in the US: Cannabis Use & Abuse (2023 Data Update) - CFAH”>Marijuana Statistics in the US: Cannabis Use & Abuse (2023 Data Update) - CFAH;

<p>Report: Marijuana Less Harmful than Alcohol or Tobacco (news - 2008)
Report: Marijuana Less Harmful than Alcohol or Tobacco</p>

<p>Cannabis reverses brain damage from alcohol (news - 2008)
<a href=“http://medicalcannabisawareness.mybl…ry36.html#body%5B/url%5D”>http://medicalcannabisawareness.mybl…ry36.html#body</a></p>

<p>Cannabis as a substitute for alcohol and other drugs. (full - 2009)
<a href="Cannabis as a substitute for alcohol and other drugs - PMC;

<p>these are just a few articles, if you really want to educate yourselves instead of frantically panicking here is a link with a list or articles and links to scientific studies which can discredit any concerns and myths you heard and hold true.</p>

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<p>The indisputable fact is that in most places, possessing and using MJ is against the law, period. It doesn’t really matter so much what the individuals involved BELIEVE or WANT, it is the law unless and until it is changed. If a person violates the law & is caught, there can be very long-term consequences that may be unpleasant and bar the person from some things. Again, it doesn’t really matter what our personal beliefs are. The OP is concerned because the student involved has been caught and had legal consequences. It doesn’t matter how many “sources” you cite, how does that change the facts at hand? The other fact that the OP cited was that the student left the door unlocked without the parents knowledge or consent, inviting others into the home. Those are very troubling facts to most of us PARENTS in the PARENTS forum.</p>

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<p>Absolutely agree with Consolation on this. </p>

<p>Thank god where we live it is decriminalized. The world has not imploded, the use has not increased (or at least not that its noticeable or impactful). The law is just a bit more sane. Few I know smoke pot but no one cares if one does. It is such an absolute non-issue here. As it should be.</p>

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<p>It does become an issue if the use gets high enough that the person develops respiratory problems from its consumption, whether asthma or more insidiously COPD. Am not aware of good studies showing the safety of long-term regular use of MJ.</p>

<p>There was a study on 9/10 in Lancet showing that in Canada, 1 in 4 adults >35 years of age are projected to get COPD–emphysema and chronic bronchitis. This is already the 3rd leading cause of death & 2nd leading cause of disability in the US & projected to become the 3rd leading cause of death worldwide by 2020. </p>

<p>To the extent that cannibus may increase/accelerate development of COPD and/or asthma, this is a huge public health issue, just like tobacco use is, regardless of other issues regarding cannibus.</p>

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<p>^ Your assuming increased use - either among the population, or increased consumption by existing users- if it were legalized. I disagree. </p>

<p>You are also assuming that most users are consuming enough product, compared to say cigarettes, to acquire COPD (or increase the overall frequency). Again I disagree. People are, for the most part, not smoking pot like they do cigarettes.</p>

<p>Sure there are health implications. But there are health implications due to alcohol, cigarettes, transfat, and other legal things we consume. </p>

<p>Or are you suggesting we make all unhealthy substances illegal for adults to consume?</p>

<p>As an interesting side point, the Canadian Medical Association, actually called for the decriminalization of marijuana. Speaking against the prior law:</p>

<p>"Several other groups call the penalties, which could include a jail term of up to five years, too harsh. The Canadian Medical Association backed that position in an editorial pointing out that a criminal record effectively bars young people from getting jobs and opportunities, including getting into medical school. It called the health effects of moderate use “minimal.”</p>

<p>The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police has also advocated decriminalization, saying prosecuting people for small amounts ties up scarce resources."</p>

<p>So at least in Canada, you have the government (which by the way pays for everyone’s healthcare so they make decisions based on such costs and benefits), the primary medical association (who is very familiar with the health costs), and the chief of police (who care about scare resources going to fighting crime), push in favor of decriminalization. That is good enough for me!</p>

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<p>The harms that each combustible product poses is unique. I’ve read that cannibus has smaller particulate matter that gets further into the smallest airways of the lungs. I am unaware of studies that quantify any damage that is related to consuming the product and in what quantities. I have already stated I DON’T KNOW. I am just saying that to the extent that this, as a combustible product DOES cause lung harm to the person consuming or those who get it 2nd hand, it IS a public health problem. Just because things are consumed (whether legally or not) does not mean they do not create varying degrees of public health problems that we as a society have to pay for one way or another.</p>

<p>I am not suggesting anything, merely pointing out that risks of consuming cannibus are not well quantified, particularly as it regards respiratory harm. </p>

<p>I personally do not like having to pay the public health costs of people who make poor health choices in consuming substances in excessive quantities or unhealthy substances, but am not saying that this can or should be legislated.</p>

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<p>Well sure, we agree there are health costs to smoking pot, and like a whole lot of legal things we consume, we really don’t have a great handle on the health implications. But I think we might differ on whether that means they should make it illegal. I say not. </p>

<p>And we agree on another thing! I also don’t like paying public health costs for poor health choices. But its the system I gladly pay into and much prefer it. Do I wish all my countrymen made better choices? Sure, I really wish no one smoked, everyone ate only healthy food, and everyone exercised (I’m of a group that is well educated so pretty good on these dimensions, but far from perfect…and for others they are even more far from perfect!). Our national health care system would cost a fraction of its current cost if we were all on board. But alas, we can only work on trying to get people there, sigh. I still overall think we should pay for everyone (but that is a whole other political topic! :)).</p>