I'm Not "420 Friendly," But "420 Allergic!"

LaPlaca - Point one - I certainly did read your entry in its entirety. As for the gateway theory, I do not get my information from "the internet." I get it from peer-review scientific studies published in real journals. As for people in substance abuse treatment, that is not a representative sample of the cannabis-consuming population. If I did go to a meeting, I would imagine that cannabis was not the first psychotropic substance used by the majority of the people in treatment. As for those whose first ILLEGAL drug was cannabis, I would ask them how they obtained their first bag or vial of hard drugs. I'll bet that they obtained it either from their cannabis dealer or from a contact made through that person. This is the real gateway - the convergence of the black markets for cannabis and hard drugs exposes people to hard drugs. The real nail in the coffin of the gateway theory is the fact that the vast, vast majority of people who use cannabis do not go on to use hard drugs. Point two - So, if you do not believe that use will increase after the passage of Prop 19, what are you concerned about? As for the federal angle, as long as growers keep it small the feds will not be interested. The beauty of Prop 19 is that it allows people to grow their own small plots of cannabis. There is no way that the feds will go after a million tiny plots of cannabis. As for driving stoned, I believe that penalties for driving under the influence of anything should be increased. Impaired driving is a scourge; however, it should be targeted directly, not indirectly with prohibition. As for getting info from the internet, I agree that one has to be wary. That's why I always follow the links to the peer-reviewed studies published in "trusted hard copies" of scientific journals. - CC
— July 27, 2010 2:37 p.m.

I'm Not "420 Friendly," But "420 Allergic!"

The gateway theory. Really? Is that the best you can do? That piece of propaganda has been thoroughly debunked by the scientific research. The vast, vast majority of people who use cannabis do not go on to hard drugs. That is not causation. Here is some interesting reading to start you off: http://www.ukcia.org/research/gateway.php Your entire article seems to suggest that use will dramatically rise if cannabis is legalized. A recent worldwide WHO study found no correlation between the severity of drug laws and substance abuse rates. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/01/health/… You also seem to suggest that people will be driving high and walking up and down public sidewalks with blunts. Both of these activities will remain illegal, as well they should. I recommend supporting your arguments with peer-reviewed scientific studies. Without them, it is really just opinion.
— July 24, 2010 8:33 p.m.