Herb Ninja

Iowa drug czar says pot still a big concern

12-15-2004 | Todd Dorman | QC Times

DES MOINES — Methamphetamine dominates the headlines, but Iowa’s top drug policy official said Marijuana remains a major problem around the state.

“Marijuana concerns me simply because the purity is skyrocketing,’’ Marvin Van Haaften, the director of the Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy, said during the taping of Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press’’ program.

“Our (number of) people in addiction treatment (for Marijuana) is going up. It is to the point now where I think we have to take a real serious look at Marijuana again for its addictive qualities,’’ he said.

Van Haaften said Iowa investigators are regularly seizing and testing potent Marijuana varieties that contain 24 percent tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the substance that produces the drug’s effects. Some plants being developed, he said, that contain up to 37 percent THC.

Parents who may have grown up in the days of weaker Marijuana may not fully understand the threat posed by today’s brand of pot, he said.

“When I was in the Army in 1963 in Fort Riley, Kan., it was at best 2 percent pure,’’ he said.

Stronger pot is more addictive, Van Haaften believes. He said 23 percent of Iowans receiving substance abuse treatment are trying to kick a Marijuana habit, compared with 16 percent who are addicted to meth. Alcohol addiction tops the substance abuse list, afflicting 52 percent of those in treatment.

And while efforts to keep alcohol and tobacco away from young people are yielding results, Marijuana is still easy to get in some communities. He did say, however, that a recent Iowa Youth Survey showed a 3 percent drop in overall drug use.

“Some of our students do not have access to cigarettes because of ‘We Card,’ he said, referring to a retail business awareness program. “They do not have access to alcohol because you have to show an ID,’’ Van Haaften said. “Some of the school counselors are saying it’s easier for our students to get Marijuana than it is to get cigarettes or alcohol. It’s a scary thought.’’

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Unregistered

Yes hes right, young kids probably can get access to marijuana easier because its not regulated like tobacco and alcohol. Why doesn't he look at the big picture and realize hes making an argument himself for legalization. Legalize, regulate it, and make it available to responsible adults just like other recreational drugs that are legal (tobacco/alcohol).

Zack

Hiz Highness

You have to wonder if alcohol ever went through something like this . . . back in the early days when humans first discovered it. When the first hard liquor showed up were there groups of hand-wringing ninnies crying out "Think of the children! This new alcohol is ten times more powerful than beer!!! It's not our fathers alcohol, it's a new, dangerous kind!!!"

How about all the people who don't like intoxicants go sit in their homes and put puzzles together and let those of us who do enjoy them live our lives in peace.

Is it really that much to ask? All the people who just can't tolerate seeing other people have a good time can close their blinds and knit some booties for their nephew, or whatever it is they do while the rest of us are getting high and experiencing the joys of life with our families and friends.

Can we get some rich republican or democrat to draft this position into their platform please?

-HH

freethemind

Iowa Drug Czar
Lets look at alcohol the news last night said the the schools are
having a problem with kids OD on alcohol now my ? is how many
people have OD on marijuana do your math witch drug would you take
out of the hands of the kids.
Tobacco is legal it kills is this right.
Thank about it

Free The Mind
Burn It Like You Earned It

WNB

Step 1) Make it illegal
Step 2) Force people into treatment for using it
Step 3) Point to high treatment numbers as justification of marijuana's illegality

Than we have even more brilliant logic.

Step 1) Make marijuana illegal, regulate alcohol and tobacco
Step 2) Talk about how alcohol and tobacco are ok because they are regulated
Step 3) Point to easy access to marijuana by kids because it is not regulated as evidence it should remain illegal and unregulated

This guy is a ****ing genius...

...I hate my state. Tweekers running around everywhere, and they care more about pot.

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king cola

“Our (number of) people in addiction treatment (for Marijuana) is going up. It is to the point now where I think we have to take a real serious look at Marijuana again for its addictive qualities,’’ he said

Yea that's a big surprise! Does this guy think all of us are f*ckin stupid, drug treatments went up but i would like to see the list of how many people got arrested. We all know as a first time offense you agree to a drug/alcohol program to get the offense erased from record after a year when you complete the course and stay out of trouble. It's take the program or have it stay on your record, or in some cases, take the program or go to jail, which do you think they take?

They take the drug program, then you pretty much get let go for your first offence which is good for you and now good for the state or the government cause now they add that to their number of people who were treated for a marijuana addiction.

People don't have a marijuana addiction, they just take the program so they won't have a record after a year for their first offence but it's counted as marijuana treatment, nice way to mislead the public.

I took a drug/alcohol program when i got a dui, it was my first offence, after i completed the class once a week for about 10 weeks, after a year of staying out of trouble it was off my record, yet it was considered treatment for alcohol even though i know i didn't have a drinking problem, but at the program they will determine that and decide wheather or not to give you more classes. I wasn't 21 at the time either, so i wasn't supposed to be drinking anyway, but if i told them i went to parties and drink such and such beers, bein young and stupid, it's what a lot of us do, but in the class they don't see it that way and if i admitted goin to parties and drinkin more than a beer they would have kept me longer and said well you have a drinking problem, give us more money now and we will give you further treatment.

For the people who go into that class and admit how long they smoked pot for, or how much they smoke in a day, they will turn around and say well you have a serious drug problem when these people could probably get themselves through a day or a month without pot if they really wanted to.

Maybe some are addicted to pot but the state surveys aren't accurate at all because soon as you apply for that program, it's considered treatment for whatever you were arrested for, wheather it's marijuana or alcohol.

jewishjake420

Because I should trust the judgement of someone who isn't even a doctor about a drug.

This is bad because weed is so much worse for a person than alcohol and tobacco are.

C'mon I don't have my MD yet, but even I know better than that.

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-S. Cooper

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ak-47

if we regulated marijuana in a good manner, theyre would likely be no more problems if anything much less than alcohol as far as deaths for driving or doing something stupid. i just cant grasp the concept of how alcohol is legal and running rampant killing many many people each year, but mary jane isint legal. i just dont get it

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cb007sax

Most educated people know this, but ultimately the illegality of Marijuana is based on stigma. Our parents were raised on videos that showed Marijuana as being a riddiculously dangerous drug. Older adults (Which basically rule the country) still hold onto that stigma.

But the legality of pot doesn't rely even in it's stigma, it is located in the POLITICAL ARENA. No politician, who doesn't want to commit political suicide, will endorse Marijuana because no one will vote for them! Yes, the money market is there for Marijuana, companies are READY for selling the product; however it all backs up on the views of the American People.

What will Happen: Slowly but surely, the stigma of Marijuana is declining in American Society. Within 20 years, you are looking at a complete transition of power to the next generation of adults. You are looking at the formation of Marijuana to be legal (yay) within those 20 years. This is all of course a guess, but I think few would disagree with the legalization of pot (at LEAST regulation) within most of our lifetimes.

PotShot

So..... uh, he smoked pot in the army? What is this guy trying to say? Did he perform scientific tests on cannabis? Is he just guessing.... or maybe just lying?

Regardless, he should consult somebody with any real learning on the matter,
perhaps a few of the folks on this message board.

This is the best part.
Wow, alchohol wins again. And as for the 23 in treatment for cannabis, I wonder how many are forced to go? And you would have to consider everyone that buys nicotine suppliments to be in treatment for cigarette abuse. But, then again, "Marihuana" is EXTREMELY dangerous, and by by all means we must protect the children.(PotShot Note:Or then again, maybe we must protect the system, and our god damned economy)

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