Marijuana and Hallucinogens as an Effective Treatment for Depression

Depression is a serious mental illness that negatively affects how you feel, think and act.

Depression has a variety of symptoms, but the most common are a deep feeling of sadness or a marked loss of interest or pleasure in activities. Bipolar disorder is also a form of depression, once commonly known as manic depression, it is a brain disorder that causes shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function.

Although there are many other forms and symptoms of depression, this article is not about the disease itself per say, but about treating depression with marijuana and hallucinogens. If you aren't sure about the symptoms of depression, or if you have depression, I strongly recomend you research depression and its symptoms before researching its treatment.

Marijuana and hallucinogenic drugs are attracting renewed attention as potential treatments for psychological disorders, particularly in people who have not responded to conventional drugs like Elavil, Prozac, Paxil, Trazodone, Wellbutrin, BuSpar, Klonopin, Valium or the many other antidepressants.

For many people, depression cannot always be controlled for any length of time simply by exercise, changing diet or taking a vacation. It is, however, among the most treatable of mental disorders: between 80% and 90% of people with depression eventually respond well to treatment, and almost all patients gain some relief from symptoms."

Using Marijuana as Treatment for Depression

Lester Grinspoon, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School stated in his 1997 book Marihuana: The Forbidden Medicine: Thirty to forty percent of patients with bipolar disorder are not consistently helped by conventional treatment. For some of them cannabis may be useful in ameliorating the symptoms, reducing side effects of lithium, or both.

George McMahon, an author and medical marijuana patient of the U.S. Federal Drug Administration's Investigational New Drug (IND) Program, stated in his 2003 book Prescription Pot: People who have never struggled with a life threatening or disabling illness often do not comprehend how debilitating the resulting depression can be. Long days spent struggling with sickness can wear patients down, suppress their appetites and slowly destroy their wills to live. This psychological damage can result in physiological effects that may be the difference between living and dying. The elevated mood associated with cannabis definitely affected my health in a positive manner. I was more engaged with life. I took walks and rode my bike, things I never considered doing before in my depressed state, even if I had been physically capable. I ate regular meals and I slept better at night. All of these individual factors contributed to a better overall sense of well-being.

Frank Lucido, MD, a private practice physician, stated in his article "Implementation of the Compassionate Use Act in a Family Medical Practice: Seven Years Clinical Experience," available on his website (accessed June 2, 2006): With appropriate use of medical cannabis, many of these patients have been able to reduce or eliminate the use of opiates and other pain pills, ritalin, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, anti-depressants and other psychiatric medicines...

Lester Grinspoon, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School stated in his 1997 book Marihuana: The Forbidden Medicine: Thirty to forty percent of patients with bipolar disorder are not consistently helped by conventional treatment. For some of them cannabis may be useful in ameliorating the symptoms, reducing side effects of lithium, or both.

Tod Mikuriya, MD, a psychiatrist and medical coordinator, cowrote in the 1997 book Marijuana Medical Handbook: The power of cannabis to fight depression is perhaps its most important property.

The Journal of Clinical Investigation stated in an Oct. 13, 2005 article "Cannabinoids Promote Embryonic and Adult Hippocampus Neurogenesis and Produce Anxiolytic- and Antidepressant-like Effects" (Article in PDF format) by Xia Zhang et al.: We show that 1 month after chronic HU210 [high-potency cannabinoid] treatment, rats display increased newborn neurons [brain cell growth] in the hippocampal dentate gyrus [a portion of the brain] and significantly reduced measures of anxiety- and depression-like behavior.Thus, cannabinoids appear to be the only illicit drug whose capacity to produce increased hippocampal newborn neurons is positively correlated with its anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects.

The Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, stated in a Jan. 2004 article on a study designed by Prentiss, Power, Balmas, Tzuang and Israelski "to examine the prevalence and patterns of smoked marijuana and perceived benefit" among 252 HIV patients: Overall prevalence of smoked marijuana in the previous month was 23%. Reported benefits included relief of anxiety and/or depression (57%), improved appetite (53%), increased pleasure (33%), and relief of pain (28%).

Jay Cavanaugh, PhD, National Director for the American Alliance for Medical Cannabis, wrote in his 2003 article "Cannabis and Depression," published on the American Alliance For Medical Cannabis website: Numerous patients report significant improvement and stabilization with their bipolar disorder when they utilize adjunctive therapy with medical cannabis. While some mental health professionals worry about the impact of cannabis on aggravating manic states, most bipolar patients trying cannabis find they 'cycle' less often and find significant improvement in overall mood. Bipolar disorders vary tremendously in the time spent in the depressive versus manic states. Those who experience extended depressive episodes are more likely to be helped with cannabis. Patients who use cannabis to 'relax' may be treating the anxiousness sometimes associated with depression. Cannabis aids the insomnia sometimes present in depression and can improve appetite. Better pain control with cannabis can reduce chronic pain related depression. While cannabis cannot yet be considered a primary treatment of major depression it may improve mood when used under physicians supervision and in combination with therapy and/or SSRI’s.

Bill Zimmerman, PhD, former President of the Americans For Medical Rights, stated in his 1998 book Is Marijuana the Right Medicine For You?: Some patients have found the mood altering effects of marijuana to be helpful for treating mood disorders such as anxiety, depression and bipolar (manic-depressive) illness. Using marijuana to treat mood disorders was described in medical writings in the 19th and early 20th centuries... However, using marijuana to treat mood disorders can be very tricky... If you intend to use marijuana for this purpose, it is very important that you thoroughly discuss it with your doctor. Patients who respond well report that marijuana not only diminishes their undesirable moods, it also motivates them to productivity. For some of these patients, depression was a by-product of a debilitating disease or illness for which marijuana provided a welcome remedy. For others, the marijuana seems to have acted directly on the depression. The mental component of the pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) often causes psychological problems and is now technically classified as an atypical (not typical) depression. Many women report benefit from using marijuana to improve the symptoms of PMS.

It has been argued that chronic marijuana use can lead to loss of ambition, motivation, even diminished sex drive, however, the chronic, misuse of most anything is usually bad. No matter if we are talking about drugs, alcohol, TV, the Internet, porn, gambling, food or even exercise, to much of these is bad for you. Too much of anything is not good!

Before trying out marijuana as a treatment for depression, I strongly suggest you make sure you are not prone to addiction. Yes, addiction is a hereditary disease some people are more susceptible to than others. So check your family history to see if any of your immediate family is addicted to anything, particularly your mother, father or grandparents. Also consider if you have problems with overeating, habits or compulsions. Ask yourself realistically; am I easily hooked on something I like, such as TV shows, video games, etc.? Do you have a driving sweet tooth? Do you smoke?

All of the above are clues as to your likelihood of having problems with addiction further down the road. But please be aware, this is not a fool-proof method either. You need to be very careful when trying anything with addictive properties!

Using Hallucinogens as Treatment for Depression 

Studies revealed long-term benefits of taking hallucinogens for patients suffering from depression, end-of-life anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and addiction to drugs or alcohol.

Two studies published this week, in Science and Nature, confirm that certain hallucinogenic drugs stimulate healthy brain activity, even promoting the growth of neurons.

In a recent Depression and Anxiety Health Alert, Johns Hopkins just published an interesting summary of the research available on treating mood disorders with hallucinogens, whereby the author chronicles the history of hallucinogens and how they affect the central nervous system to release the right kind of neurotransmitters.

Hallucinogens (also called psychedelics) were a promising area of research in the 1960s and early 1970s, when they were being developed as possible treatments for a number of conditions, including depression, anxiety, and chronic pain. These drugs were banned in the ’70s and ’80s, however, after their recreational use became a widespread problem. 

In 1990, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) again began allowing researchers to study the effects of drugs like MDMA (also known as the street drug “Ecstasy”), psilocybin (“magic mushrooms”), and ketamine (“Special K”). These drugs are thought to change the way the brain normally processes information and may provide people with mood disorders a new way of looking at the world and their problems.

Personally, I believe that this is something many people could benefit from, not just those suffering from depression and anxiety, but people with a "messed-up" way of looking at life in general. It could help antisocial, materialistic, workaholic and overachieving people who have a hard time finding balance, fulfillment or happiness. It would even be worth exploring their effectiveness with problems of overeating, obesity, devious sexual behavior and many other issues.

Lets take a look at some of the other drugs that are being tested and tried (again) 

MDMA. This illegal, hallucinogenic drug is generating interest to treat a variety of psychiatric conditions — most notably posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in which a person experiences chronic psychological stress after a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, war, or sexual assault. MDMA stimulates the central nervous system, causing the release of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, which can have a powerful effect on thoughts and emotions. MDMA also increases brain levels of oxytocin, which arouses feelings of trust and confidence that can be particularly helpful during psychotherapy. The idea is that a dose of the drug, taken before a talk therapy session, may help individuals with PTSD reduce their fear and anxiety long enough to discuss and process the events that traumatized them. 

Psilocybin. Similar to LSD, this illegal, hallucinogenic drug binds to serotonin receptors on neurons and mimics the effects of serotonin. In a study conducted at the John Hopkins Hospital on 36 people with no serious physical or emotional problems, results showed that psilocybin could induce what the experimental subjects described as a profound spiritual experience with lasting positive effects for most of them. None had had any previous experience with hallucinogens, and none were even sure what drug was being administered. Because reactions to hallucinogens can vary so much depending on the setting, experimenters and review boards have developed guidelines to set up a comfortable environment with expert monitors in the room to deal with adverse reactions. They have established standard protocols so that the drugs’ effects can be gauged more accurately, and they have also directly observed the drugs’ effects by scanning the brains of people under the influence of hallucinogens. While some subjects had to be consoled through periods of anxiety, these were generally short-lived, and none of the people reported any serious negative effects. In a survey conducted two months later, the people who received psilocybin reported significantly more improvements in their general feelings and behavior than did the members of the control group.

Ketamine. This hallucinogenic drug is an FDA-approved general anesthetic which is also taken recreationally because of its hallucinogenic and euphoric effects. Ketamine binds to receptors in the brain and blocks the neurotransmitter glutamate that normally activates neurons producing a calming effect. Molecular psychiatrist Nanxin Li and colleagues dosed rats with modest amounts of ketamine, and observed that the drug boosted signaling between neurons in the brain even led to healthy growth of synapses. (Chronic depression can be linked to inhibited synaptic growth.) They concluded that ketamine might be useful in treating depression because it increases brain activity instantly, meaning there is no need to wait weeks or months for the drug to take effect.

The Problem

The problem is that these drugs are not (yet) accepted treatments for mental disorders, and should not be tried on your own (although I did) without the supervision of a qualified professional or outside of a clinical trial (get a list of clinical trials at, www.clinicaltrials.gov).

As a recovering drug addict myself, I no longer go near dope, however each person must find a recovery program that works for them. If recovery or relief from depression includes marijuana, or even the more drastic measure of hallucinogens, I believe the person suffering should carefully weigh their options, taking into consideration the medical and legal implications of including these drugs in their lives.  

It is my opinion that marijuana or most any drug is not harmful if used in moderation.  Those wanting to try marijuana or hallucinogens for the treatment of depression should first carefully consider if they have an addictive personality. This can be done by researching family history (addiction can be hereditary) and by analysing the way you react to other addictive substances or activities.

Conclusion

People should do what works best for them. Unfortunately, our world's governments won't let people do what they believe is best for them. Unfortunately our governments think they know us better than we know ourselves. Personally, I believe that the US government and governments everywhere should butt out of people's lives, and only intervene when people are endangering people other than themselves or society as a whole, but that's another issue entirely.

Written By: Tom Retterbush

Sources

Should marijuana be used to treat people with depression? (medicalmarijuanablog.com)

Treating Chronic Depression and Anxiety With Hallucinogens and Marijuana (psychcentral.com)

Is medical marijuana an effective treatment for depression... and similar mood disorders? (medicalmarijuana.procon.org) 

People will do Anything to get High!

Some of the stuff people do for a buzz is off the chain!

I'm sure some of you remember smoking commercial grade hemp used for making rope or the inside scrapings of banana peels trying to get high, but that's nothing compared to the insane lengths some people will go to to buzz.


One of the latest I've heard about is bath salts. Apparently it’s a certain kind of bath salts, those with the ingredients methylenedioxpyrovalerone and/or Mephedrone. These are contained in a specific brand of bath salts that’s apparently been marketed toward the stoner crowd, Ivory Soft.

But that is but the tip of the iceberg. People around the world have come up with some awfully ingenious, as well as some awfully insane ways to catch a buzz. 13 Starnge Ways People Catch a High Around the World are listed bellow. Some of them will blow you away without you even trying them.


Via: MedicalBillingAndCoding.org

What was the craziest thing you ever did trying to get high? Did it work? Was it dangerous? Come on, don't be shy, we would really like to know! Leave your experience as a comment bellow.

Written By: Tom Retterbush

If You Like to Party or Use Drugs You could Unknowingly Have Hepatitis C

How to Protect Yourself, Your Family and Friends from Hepatitis C
Regardless if you're recovering addict like me, or if you're still using, you've got a good chance of having, getting and spreading Hepatitis C to your loved ones.

Hepatitis C is more widespread than HIV

Although Hepatitis C is an epidemic more widespread and ten times more infectious than HIV, it hasn't received near the media coverage, until ex-Baywatch Beauty Pamela Anderson admitted to having the disease.

Statistics show that drug users are more likely to have Hepatitis C than people who don't use drugs. Since Hepatitis C is a virus that's spread through blood contact, such as IV drug use, sex and/or blood transfusions just like HIV, even drug users who don't use drugs intravenously are more likely to have Hepatitis C, considering they are more likely to be involved in risky and/or unprotected sexual behavior.

No matter if you have it or if you don't know if you have it, until you are 100% certain that you do NOT have it, you should be extra careful that you don't spread it to your family, friends, coworkers or people in general. Even if you're in treatment for Hepatitis with Interferon, you can still pass on Hepatitis C to others.

About 75% of people have no symptoms when they first acquire HCV infection. The remaining 25% may complain of fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle aches or fever. Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice) is rare at this early stage of infection.

Over time, the liver in people with chronic infection may begin to experience the effects of the persistent inflammation caused by the immune reaction to the virus. Blood tests may show elevated levels of liver enzymes, a sign of liver damage, which is often the first suggestion that the infection may be present. Patients may become easily fatigued or complain of nonspecific symptoms.

Symptoms may increase with time, regardless if liver damage has or hasn't occurred and can include:

• weakness
• loss of appetite
• weight loss
• breast enlargement in men,
• a rash on the palms, body, lips and/or genitals 
• difficulty with the clotting of blood and
• spider-like blood vessels on the skin

If left untreated, hepatitis C can cause life-threatening complications, including liver cancer.

In patients with advanced cirrhosis, the liver begins to fail. This is a life-threatening problem. Confusion and even coma may result from the inability of the liver to process certain toxic substances.

Increased pressure in the blood vessels of the liver may cause fluid to build up in the abdominal cavity and result in engorged veins in the swallowing tube that tear easily and can bleed suddenly and massively. Portal hypertension also can cause kidney failure or an enlarged spleen resulting in a decrease of blood cells and the development of anemia, increased risk of infection and bleeding.

In advanced cirrhosis, liver failure causes decreased production of clotting factors. Patients with advanced cirrhosis often develop jaundice because the damaged liver is unable to eliminate a yellow compound, called bilirubin that is formed from the hemoglobin of old red blood cells.

What Is Hepatitis?

Hepatitis is a general term that means inflammation of the liver. It can be acute or chronic and has a number of different causes. It can be caused by a group of viruses known as the hepatitis viruses, including A, B, C, D and E. Other viruses may also be the culprit, such as those that cause mononucleosis (the Epstein-Barr virus) or chickenpox (the varicella virus).

Hepatitis also applies to inflammation of the liver caused by drugs and alcohol abuse or toxins in the environment. In addition, people also can develop hepatitis from other factors, such as fat accumulation in the liver (called fatty liver disease), trauma or an autoimmune process in which a person's body makes antibodies that attack the liver.

Viral hepatitis is common. Thousands of cases are reported to the CDC each year, but researchers estimate that the true number of people in the United States who have the disease (acute and chronic) is much higher than the number reported.

Many hepatitis cases go undiagnosed because they are mistaken for the flu. Hepatitis can be serious because it interferes with the liver's many functions. Among other things, the liver produces bile to aid digestion, regulates the chemical composition of the blood, and screens potentially harmful substances from the bloodstream.

The five hepatitis viruses can be transmitted in different ways, but they all have one thing in common: They infect the liver and cause it to become inflamed. Generally, the acute phase of the disease lasts from two to three weeks; complete recovery takes about nine weeks. Many patients recover with a lifelong immunity to the disease, but a few hepatitis victims (less than 1%) die in the acute phase.

Hepatitis B and C may progress to chronic hepatitis, in which the liver remains inflamed for more than six months. This condition can lead to cirrhosis and possibly death.

Hepatitis C may also lead people to suffer from sexual dysfunction and moderate to severe Psoriasis on the hands, body and genitals.

How Hepatitis C is NOT Spread 

Hepatitis C is spread only through exposure to an infected person's blood. It cannot be spread through:

• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Hugging
• Kissing
• Breastfeeding (unless nipples are cracked or bleeding)
• Sharing utensils or glasses
• Casual contact
• Shared food and water

As you can see, everyday contact is not risky. "The transmission rate between people in a household is probably just a little above zero," says Howard J. Worman, MD, associate professor of medicine at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York.

Hepatitis C is usually spread through contact with blood or contaminated needles -- including tattoo needles. Although hepatitis C may cause only mild symptoms or none at all, approximately 20% of those infected develop cirrhosis within 20 years. The disease can be passed on through blood transfusions, but screening, which started in the early '90s, has greatly reduced the number of such cases. In a third of all hepatitis C cases, the source of the disease is unknown.

How Hepatitis C is Spread 

Hepatitis C is spread through blood, so follow these common sense precautions:

• If you're using injected street drugs, get into a treatment program. At the very least, don't share needles or equipment with anyone else.
• Don't donate blood, organs, tissue, or semen.
• Don't share razors, toothbrushes, nail clippers, or anything else that could have your blood on it. Cover any open wounds or sores with bandages.
• Carefully dispose of tampons, sanitary napkins, tissues, used bandages, and anything else that might have your blood on it.
• Be wary of tattoos, since tattoo needles not properly disinfected can hide trace amounts of infected blood.

What About Sex With Hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C can spread through sexual intercourse, but it's rare. And it's extremely rare among monogamous couples. In fact, the CDC considers the risk of sexual transmission between monogamous couples so low that it doesn't even recommend using condoms. There's no evidence that hepatitis C is spread by oral sex.

However, if you have multiple partners you should take precautions. Using condoms will not only protect your partners from hepatitis C, but they will also protect you from other dangerous diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis B.

Can I Pass Hepatitis C to My Baby?

It is possible for a pregnant mother to spread the virus to her baby, but the risk is low. The CDC believes the transmission rate from mother to child is about 5%. The virus is spread at birth, and there's no way to reduce the risk.

There is no evidence that normal breastfeeding poses a risk. However, if a mother's nipples are cracked or bleeding, her child could conceivably become infected from her blood.

Encouraging Others to Get Tested for Hepatitis C

While the odds of passing on the hepatitis C virus are low, you should still tell anyone at risk that you have Hepatitis C. You should tell sexual partners, spouses, and family members. Your infection may be difficult to discuss, but anyone at potential risk must know. That way, they can get tested and treated if needed.

NOTE: There are Hepatitis C home test kits available at the Addicts Not Anonymous Store.

Edited By: Tom Retterbush

Sources

Hepatitis C (wikipedia.org) / Hepatitic C (mayoclinic.com)
Hepatitis C & IV Drug Users (kpbs.org) / Transmission of Hepatitis C (epidemic.org)

Dennis Quaid's Cocaine Addiction

Quaid  became addicted to cocaine as early as the 1970s and 80s 

The 57-year-old actor first started experimenting with the drug when he moved to Hollywood to try and make it as an actor in the early 1970s and, after becoming dependent on it, continued to use cocaine until the late ‘80s.


Now, decades later, he realises his behaviour was stupid and attributes his substance abuse with the massive changes that were happening in his life.

In an essay he wrote for Newsweek magazine, he revealed: “My greatest mistake was being addicted to cocaine. I started after I left college and came to Los Angeles in 1974. It was very casual at first. That's what people were doing when they were at parties … Coming from where I came from - from Houston into Hollywood - and all of a sudden this success starts happening to you, I just didn't know how to handle that. Doing blow just contributed to me not being able to handle the fame.”

Dennis claims by the time he filmed 1987 movie ‘The Big Easy’ he was so hooked on cocaine he was getting “an hour of sleep a night” and admits it started to “affect” his acting.

The ‘Soul Surfer’ star – who was married to actress Meg Ryan while he was battling with his addiction - realised he had to get clean after his band The Eclectics split up following a concert at the China Club in Los Angeles.

He stated: “I had one of those white-light experiences that night where I kind of realised I was going to be dead in five years if I didn't change my ways."

Dennis – who fell off the wagon after his 1990 film ‘Wilder Napalm’ flopped at the box office – now believes his addiction has made him a better person.

The actor – who raises three-year-old twins, Thomas and Zoe, with his wife Kimberly – insisted: “That time in my life actually chiselled me into a person. It gave me the resolve and a resilience to persevere in life. If I hadn’t gone through that period, I don’t know if I'd still be acting. In the end, it taught me humility. I really learned to appreciate what I have in this life." Many people like Dennis, seek treatment from drug rehabilitation programs to help overcome their addiction.

Source Dennis Quaid says his 'greatest mistake' was cocaine addiction (film-news.co.uk)

Why Parents Should Support the Legalization of Marijuana in America

There are plenty of Reasons why Parents should support the Legalization 
of Marijuana 
in America.

It is important to me as a father, grandfather and a concerned citizen, but particularly as a recovering drug addict, that my children grow up in a country that rejects both the ineffective and damaging policy of marijuana prohibition and a deadly War on Drugs that cannot be won.


Legalization of Marijuana is Better and Safer for Our Children

I would like to believe my kids won’t ever head down the same road of destruction I was on, but whatever happens, I know that prohibition does not stop kids from using marijuana.

As someone who's been there, done that and regrets doing that, I am still of the persuasion that my marijuana use had nothing to do with my trying and becoming addicted to amphetamines, cocaine or heroin. As with most drug users and addicts, I too had a curious nature that got me to try pot, then all the other drugs as well. I would have tried each and every other drug even without having been exposed to marijuana.

There are those however, that stop with marijuana, not feeling the urge or need to continue experimenting. It is these people who risk being exposed to other drugs because the person selling them the pot also sells cocaine and heroin. These harmless pot smokers would never even come in contact with harder drugs if marijuana were legal.

Kids are Exposed to Marijuana before Algebra

My kids and grand kids will be exposed to marijuana along with other risky behaviors. After all, about a third of high school seniors have used marijuana within the last year, a figure that has been relatively stable over decades across the country and has not been affected by variations in laws and enforcement. Moreover, it has long been easier for kids to get marijuana than it is for them to get alcohol. The plain fact is drug dealers don’t require ID, and legitimate businesses do.  By taking marijuana out of the black market and placing it within the confines of safe, regulated, and licensed businesses that only sell to those 21 and over, Proposition 19 would actually reduce underage access to marijuana.

Kids Who get Caught Trying Marijuana will have a Record

While we don’t want our kids to try marijuana, much less use it regularly, but as it stands now, if they do it can lead to very harsh consequences if they are caught, even for actions that are not harmful to others. And this next part is really scary: when a person is convicted of a marijuana offense, he or she is precluded from receiving federal student loans, will forever have a drug record that diminishes job prospects, and is precluded from many other benefits, not to mention being arrested, possibly serving time, and other harsh and harrowing outcomes.  We don’t prevent even violent criminals from getting student loans. Or underage drinkers, for that matter. I don’t want people to have their lives derailed for a youthful indiscretion. Do you?

In the Name of Public Safety we should Control and Tax Marijuana

To truly serve public safety, we should control and tax marijuana, since under present policies, thousands of violent crimes go unsolved, while police spend valuable and scarce resources targeting thousands of non-violent adult marijuana users. Arrests for simple possession of marijuana have tripled over the last two decades. The $300 million California spends each year on marijuana enforcement would better serve our communities spent on solving and preventing violent crimes. Any new tax revenues would better serve our children if spent on drug education, drug rehabilitation, and of course shoring up our crumbling public education system.

Children and Teens are Going to Decide for Themselves

We know our children are going to make decisions for themselves, probably at an age we think is too young. Laws are not going to be nearly as effective in guiding those choices as the messages we send to them as parents and in our public education efforts. We need to help kids navigate into adulthood with the judgment to moderate their intake of so many substances capable of abuse, from sugar to caffeine, to alcohol, to prescription drugs, and of course, marijuana. Not to mention making good decisions about sex, Internet usage, driving, studying, and extracurricular activities. As a father, grandfather, uncle and just plain caring person, thinking through the list I am not most terrified by the choices they might make regarding marijuana. How about you? So let’s treat marijuana like alcohol, explain to our kids why they should avoid both, at least while they are young, and teach them how to be responsible about various choices in life.

This month, my 19 year old bought himself a sports car. He goes fast, and has a lot of confidence. I breathe a sigh of relief when he checks as she pulls out of the driveway. And I hope that he will learn to internalize that check against his daredevil tendencies. I will do my part, and I don’t want the state hovering over my shoulder, reflexively criminalizing behaviors that happen to make mothers gasp. As parents, we know that education is often more effective than punishment, and in some cases punishment is not effective at all.

Parents alone have The Power to Legalize Marijuana

Women were instrumental in bringing about repeal of prohibition in 1933, and you can be again when it comes to determining when marijuana prohibition is reversed. In my view, Proposition 19 is the right choice, not just for true law and order, but for our kids.

Amongst other things, regulations could include “age restrictions, restricting driving or operating machinery while intoxicated, limiting hours of sale and outlet density, restricting bulk sales and limiting potency of legal cannabis.”

Boiled down, this is the same message that MPP and others have advocated for years: marijuana regulation is a far superior policy alternative to the chaotic and ineffective nature of prohibition.

Gallup Poll: 46% of Americans Support Legal Marijuana

A new Gallup poll released recently shows that a record number of Americans believe marijuana should be made legal, while support for keeping it illegal continues to decline steadily.

These numbers are evidence that Americans are rejecting that otherwise law-abiding adults should be criminalized for using a substance less harmful than alcohol.

According to Gallup’s most recent polling average, 44 percent of Americans currently approve of President Obama’s job performance. More Americans now support legalizing marijuana than approve of President Obama’s job performance!

Gallup found that support for making marijuana legal was highest among liberals (72%), 18- to 29-year-olds (61%) and people living in the West (58%). Majority support also exists among Democrats, independents, men, and moderates.

No matter what happens on Election Day next week, these numbers show that nationally, support for ending prohibition continues to trend in the right direction. “If the trend of the past decade continues at a similar pace, majority support could be a reality within the next few years,” according to Gallup

Marijuana Statistics 

• The annual overall budget for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy increased by more than 600%; growing from approximately $1.5 billion in 1981 to more than $18 billion in 2002 (the last year reliable figures were available).
• Between 1990 and 2006, marijuana-related arrests increased by 150%, while marijuana seizures increased by more than 400%.
• The estimated retail cost of marijuana decreased from $37 per gram in 1990 to $15 per gram in 2007.
• Marijuana has remained almost “universally available” to American youth during the last 30 years of prohibition. 
• Today, over 100 million Americans admit to having tried marijuana, and 14.5 million say they have used it in the past month.1 A study released in December 2006 found that marijuana is now the leading cash crop in the U.S., exceeding the value of corn and wheat combined.2 According to government-funded researchers, high school seniors consistently report that marijuana
• is easily available, despite decades of a nationwide drug war. With little variation, every year about 85% consider marijuana "fairly easy" or "very easy" to obtain.3 There have been almost 9.5 million marijuana arrests in the United States since 1995, including 872,720
• arrests in 2007 – more than for all violent crimes combined, and an all-time record. One person is arrested for marijuana every 36 seconds. About 89% of all marijuana arrests are for possession – not manufacture or distribution.4 Every comprehensive, objective government commission that has examined the marijuana phenomenon
• throughout the past 100 years has recommended that adults should not be criminalized for using marijuana.5Cultivation of even one marijuana plant is a federal felony.• Lengthy mandatory minimum sentences apply to myriad offenses. For example, a person must serve a
• five-year mandatory minimum sentence if federally convicted of cultivating 100 marijuana plants — including seedlings or bug-infested, sickly plants. This is longer than the average sentences for auto theft and manslaughter!6 A one-year minimum prison sentence is mandated for "distributing" or "manufacturing" controlled
• substances within 1,000 feet of any school, university, or playground. Most areas in a city fall within these "drug-free zones." An adult who lives three blocks from a university is subject to a one-year mandatory minimum sentence for selling an ounce of marijuana to another adult — or even growing one marijuana plant in his or her basement.7 Federal government figures indicate there are more than 41,000 Americans in state or federal prison
• on marijuana charges right now, not including those in county jails.8 That’s more than the number imprisoned on all charges combined in eight individual European Union countries. A recent study of prisons in four Midwestern states found that approximately one in ten male inmates reported that they had been raped while in prison.9 Rates of rape and sexual assault against women prisoners, who are most likely to be abused by male staff members, have been reported to be as high as 27 percent in some institutions.10 Civil forfeiture laws allow police to seize the money and property of suspected marijuana offenders
• charges need not even be filed. The claim is against the property, not the defendant. The owner must then prove that the property is "innocent." Enforcement abuses stemming from forfeiture laws abound.11 According to estimates by Harvard University economist Jeffrey Miron, replacing marijuana prohibition
• with a system of taxation and regulation would save between $10 billion and $14 billion per year in reduced government spending and increased tax revenues.12 Another researcher recently estimated that the revenue lost from our failure to tax the marijuana industry could be as high as $31 billion!13

This article has been updated from my original article, Why Parents Should Support Legal Pot, which appeared on my ActionActivist.com blog, Sunday, November 7, 2010.

Please let Addicts Not Anonymous readers know how you feel about the legalization of marijuana issue, by leaving a comment down bellow.

Written By: Tom Retterbush

Resources 

• NORML - National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (norml.org)
• MPP - Marijuana Policy Project (mpp.org)

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• The Case for Legalizing Marijuana (standupforamerica.wordpress.com)
• The Top Ten Reasons Marijuana Should Be Legal (bermudaradical.wordpress.com)
• Costs of Marijuana Prohibition Economic Analysis (prohibitioncosts.org)
• How to Grow Medical Marijuana, FREE Ebook (assetebooks.com)

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