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Why am I not surprised that Obama finds himself on the wrong side of history on this issue

I wish that I could agree with you that this will get any attention with pols or the media. As we know all too well, it doesn’t matter what the American people might or might not want. It’s “where is the money” that matters to them. With the billions and billions at stake in the war on drugs it’s going to take a whole lot more that that just to get their attention.

Unless and until you can convince them that there is more money to be made through legalization they will ignore this issue. I’m sorry but it will take an OWS type action for any hope of change.

That’s what, about 10% higher than Obama’s approval rating?

Marijuana – more popular than the President, and 5 times as popular as Congress.

I’m waiting for it to become compulsory, might calm a few down ;)

That’s it. A constitutional ammendment that all members of congress are required to do a bong hit every hour on the hour while congress is in session

yep Obama job approval rating today was 42 percent

I think an actual productive step is for people who use pot to “come out”. Its just like with gays in the last decade. The more famous people who come out the more opinion moves in our favor.

One of the biggest PR problems for pot IMO is that its still clothed in a 1970s counter/hippie culture fringed vest. Its still something people hide.

I know this opinion will probably be unpopular. We spend alot of money locking people up(when it should be something we require a counseling appointment for to ensure the person isn’t masking issues or self medicating) and because of that I see a small positive. However, I can’t help but wonder with the number of people with mental health issues if we could be opening up a whole new can of worms by completely legalizing it for recreation.

That has been true throughout history in U.S.

It’s swell that everyone thinks it makes everyone mellow. However, considering it can cause paranoia as well, I’d rather skip a third world war. And I don’t even want to think what they’d consider proper appropriation for munchies considering they are already spending 2.6 million on food in Congress.

I really think mandatory treatment and counseling should be done away with entirely. Its not the states business really if anyone is an alcoholic or coke addict or to force treatment on anyone.

Plus if anyone wants to “self medicate” (a term that irks me) they can do it now regardless of legality. Plus someone who actually has serious issues is probably going to go for something a bit stronger than pot. But really in our pill happy society why would they need to “Self medicate” when any doctor will write a script for what ever the popular pill of the moment is.

I also dont think there is as much “mental illness” as some industries would have us believe. They have to invint names and disorders so insurance companies will cover the latest happy meds.

Dont get me wrong. There are people who actually have issues – like schizophrenia – but its every other person doesnt need to be on anti depressents.

And most people who have shot up schools or killed their babies were also on their meds at the time

It’s nice to know that your so sympathetic to the number of casualties diseases like alcoholism cost and I’m not even counting the amount of trauma and time it takes to overcome being born into a dysfunctional household.

I mean who cares that a young girl in Arizona is dead because some schizophrenic may or may not have been masking? Who cares if thousands die each year in automobile accidents when drunk individuals get behind the wheels of cars? There lives aren’t nearly as important as your liberty. Nice. Are you sure you aren’t a member of the GOP? They’ve got the same selfish type of attitude when it comes to business.

Let me make this clear. You’ve got every right to screw up your own life. My problem is that more often than not people don’t just screw up their own lives. They end up screwing up the lives of those around them.

Your liberty shouldn’t be able to impede my right to pursue happiness.

Mental illness by the numbers.

No one disputes that marijuana affects brain chemistry. Not even the people who advocate for it.

http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=About_Mental_Illness&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=53155

Groucho Marx said that Obama won’t end prohibition because nearly all marijuana users voted for Obama.

The paranoia you are so concerned about is only a manifest of the illegality. Take away the fear of incarceration and you do away with the paranoia.

Marijauna does not “screw up ” your life. Law enforcements response to marijuana is what screw up your life.

I am going to believe your heart is in the right place though we might disagree… however…

As we noted in April, NAMI gets a significant portion of its funding from pharmaceutical companies. We had to guess at what that percentage was, however, because the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) refused to detail their pharmaceutical grants and donations in their annual reports and IRS filings.

At the time, I was generous and said that it’s likely that 30 to 50 percent of NAMI’s funding came from pharmaceutical companies. I was off. Way off.

The New York Times reported yesterday that nearly 75 percent of NAMI’s donations come from pharmaceutical companies — $23 million over 3 years’ time:

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2009/10/22/nami-nearly-75-percent-of-funding-from-pharma/

Do you have scientifically backed evidence of that or is that anecdotal?

http://cannagraphic.com/cannabis/effects-of-marijuana-on-the-brain-infographic/

Like most substances that are introduced into the body, THC does not yield a one size fits all result.

I’ve done a fairly decent amount of research on the topic and my specialty in the military was pharmacy.

It’s an interesting list categorizing people’s opinions.

However, I would think “libertarian” should be there as well, since it cuts across conventional left/right or liberal/conservative divisions.

Regarding age brackets and legalization opinions, the actuaries will tell us legalization is inevitable even if it’s a way down the road yet. It wouldn’t be the first time we could forecast societal attitudes creeping up to tip the scales that way.

The numbers are backed up by the National institute of Mental Health

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/statistics/1SCHIZ.shtml

Now granted you’re more than welcome to think all of these places are just “making up” mental health problems to support the pharmaceutical companies but I am inclined to disagree. Mental illness is real and as it stands right now we have a very poor support network for those that suffer from it. Placing another substance that has huge affects on the brain(again not something disputed by either side of the debate.) could have a huge impact on this population.

Just like the conservatives and neo-liberals to drag everyone down.

The National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences endorsed controlled legalization in 1982. They have a pretty good grasp of mental health issues and statistics.
But don’t let that get in the way.. lock em up..

I would agree that the way we handle substance issues in this country is incredibly wrongheaded. I’d even argue that medically there is a place for marijuana(and yes I’m aware that Big pharma is mad that they have had very mixed results with monetizing it. Taking it orally is not nearly as effective as inhalation in terms of time release.). I’m aware that it provides relief for glaucoma and it’s immunosuppressive properties could be a boon for rhuematoid arthritis sufferers. It is an alternative to drugs like Zofran for people who are suffering nausea.

What I find baffling is that it’s supporters won’t equally admit that there are and could be adverse affects from just legalizing it without any regard as to how it affects the human body despite numerous studies that suggest that smoking it could/does effect lung function and brain function.

I support controlled legalization. What’s your point?

There is a huge difference between legalizing something for it’s medical application(controlled and followed by a physician) and legalizing it for recreation.

Considering the long history of government manipulation of research on this subject and supression of counter-narrative research, yes I am dubious. Sometimes anecdotal is the only reliable evidence. I have thirty-five years of anecdotal experience. Whether from my own personal experience or that of those I know and I see none of the “problems” associated with either casual or regular use.

From the comments you’ve already made I don’t expect any amount of evidence will persuade you and that’s fine. Understand, though, that those of us who know better will not be persuaded by you either so lets agree to disagree and be done with it. Shall we?

Yeah, it’s a win-win for these assholes. They get to sell it to you and then get paid for incarcerating you too. It’d be laughable except for the huge tragedy. My wife’s fourth graders include a shy young girl who’s struggling with her studies because her mom was incarcerated for possession. Way to go, big O. You the man.

That’s my point. We don’t have enough information at this point IMO. We’re just now exploring the receptors and Anandamide(found in 1992, the actual neurotransmitter that binds with these receptors).

Feel free to show me evidence. I’m open to learning on the subject. You are right though. It would have to be more than anecdotal to convince me to abandon my position that it should be regulated.

Point is the NRC Analysis of Marijuana Policy specifically endorsed controlled legalization for all personal use by adults, after a full consideration of the facts.
So has the California Medical Association.
Punishment of all because of the problems of a relative few is expensive and ineffective.
Prohibition has failed, and regardless of your opinion the law will change.

Because you’ve been paying attention?

who are you to tell me i can’t use marijuana recreationally?

it is one of the most benign intoxicants in the world and alcohol is 100 times worse

why don’t you mind your own business and i’ll mind mine

thank you

Re the demographic with the lowest positive response:

Stanhope on the subject: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yd5_nTwLVEg

Is this a failed public health policy or a failed personal health policy?

a) The diversion of limited economic resources
b) The social destruction of family units
c) The disparate impacts on communities of color
d) The continued demand supports violent drug cartels

Again, you have the right to destroy your own life. However, if like alcohol, this ends up causing casualties that aren’t you then YES, I not only believe your “right” should be controlled. I believe the government would have a responsibility to control it. Welcome to being a part of society, where you don’t get to behave like a spoiled brat. Laws are weighed based on the basis of promoting the common good, not just what is good for one individual.

Again, do you understand what CONTROLLED legalization is? It doesn’t mean everyone should have access to it. It means that people who have a need for it that are being supervised by a medical professional. That isn’t something I have a problem with. And as far as I’m aware it’s already “legal” in California. My problem is that many think it is a good idea to open it up as a revenue stream and give everyone easy access to it. IMO based on the fact that we are just learning about the cannaboid receptors and the neurotransmitters involved and based on the fact that there are suggestions that exposure to it could be detrimental to the health of varying percentages of the population for varying reasons I think it should be a regulated substance and it should be monitored.

I disagree with jailing people for having it. However, I do think that it is in the best interest of society to screen someone who has it in their possession that isn’t using it for “medical” reasons. We know for a fact that people with mental health issues self medicate using both “recreational” drug use and alcohol(and no I’m not suggesting it is causal because frankly the information isn’t out there whether it’s use is a “trigger” or if it is something that someone who already is struggling with mental disease ends up using since our society stigmatizes mental health.) We also know that quite often it has disasterous results both for the individual and society as a whole. Any substance that is going to affect the brain chemistry to the extent cannabis does(most of the receptors are in the brain) should be something that should be monitored carefully. The health affects should be studied more rigorously (and frankly more fairly) before it becomes something available to the population as a whole.

Whether it will change or not remains to be seen. Frankly, if medical evidence supports it as harmless then I’ll be more than happy to see it legalized and used as an alternative to alcohol. However, until it comes such time I’ll continue with the opinion I have which is regulating it and monitoring its usage.

why don’t you list all the things you like to do?

i’m sure we can find some things to disapprove as non-contributory to the greater good

you don’t know a damn thing about cannabis and your “political theory” is a rationale for a police state

if you don’t want to use marijuana, then don’t use it but mind your own business about what others do

and stop watching reefer madness re-runs

live and let live

Your definition of CONTROLLED legalization means medically supervised use.
That is your interpretation, but it is not the meaning of the NRC report or the CMA.
They are talking about availability similar to controlled sales of alcohol.
I understand that. If you read these reports, you might understand too.
Again, these organizations have carefully considered the facts, and have come to a conclusion that you do not agree with. Fair enough..
The trend of public support for legalization is clearly shown on the chart. That is factual evidence that someday fairly soon the people will vote to legalize with a controlled system similar to alcohol.
That’s my opinion, and its fair enough too.