Jewbutca

I've recently Emailed many politicians asking for their views on the current legal status of MJ. All that I Emailed were against legalizing MJ, and most said they were concerned about it's addictive qualities, the possibility of it being a gate-way drug (which can't be denied for many people, but still should not be assumed as the norm), it's possible health consequences, etc. One of the main reason that the politicians were against the legalization of MJ was because of their growing concern with young adult usage. I did some research into the issue with young adult usage and came across a report done in 2007 by the DEA.

http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/p.../vol2_2006.pdf

Kind of long, but I'll try to summarize some of it...
- More than a quarter (29%) of today’s 8th graders have tried an illicit drug (if inhalants are included as an illicit drug), and more than half (53%) of 12th graders have done so.
- By their late 20s, nearly two thirds (63%) of today’s young adults have tried an illicit drug, and more than a third (39%) have tried some illicit drug other than marijuana (usually in addition to marijuana). (These figures do not include inhalants.)
- More than 1 in every 20 twelfth graders (5.0%) in 2006 smokes marijuana daily. Among young adults aged 19 to 28, the percentage is the same (5.0%) and very close to the recent peak level. Among those same 12th graders in 2006, one in every six (17%) has been a daily marijuana smoker at some time for at least a month, and among young adults the comparable figure is one in five (22%).

These numbers make me question whether legalizing MJ would be good or not. Some may say "Well teens can get it right now anyways...blah blah blah", but would legalizing MJ really decrease the useage with youth in the U.S.? According the the same report:

- One in four 12th graders (25%) consumed five or more drinks in a row at least once in the two weeks prior to the survey, and we know that such behavior tends to increase among young adults one to four years past high school—that is, the peak “college years.” Indeed, almost half (45%) of all male college students report binge drinking.

Alcohol is currently legal, and yet it is obviously readily available to many underage users. I'm sure we all knew this already...

Personally I agree with the politicians in their concern of young adult usage of MJ. Sure, it may be readily available to those who have connections, but for those who don't have connections... they're out of luck. If MJ became legal, EVERYONE would be able to get a hold of MJ, not just those who "know people".

The question I have for all you young adults out there is "Why do you use MJ in the first place?" I remember growing up wandering through the woods, going fishing, going to swimming pools, going to arcades, playing video games, etc. Sure, MJ was likely just as available as it is today, but I just don't see any logical reason to use drugs (including alcohol, MJ, cocaine, cigarettes, etc) when you are so damn young!

Sure most of us can agree that MJ isn't as bad as many people make it out to be... but there's a time and a place for experiencing alcohol, cigarettes MJ and other drugs out there (if you choose to), but how could that time be now for you young adults?

Just like alcohol, marijuana needs to be respected and taken very seriously; not only because of it's known health effects (which aren't major in the first place); not only because of the current legal ramifications that can come with being involved in illegal activities; mainly for the effect it can have on you for the remainder of your life. One of the reasons that alcohol is illegal for young adults is that their bodies aren't fully developed and they aren't yet mature and experienced (in respects to life in general) enough to handle such a responsibility. How could someone be experienced when they have only been alive for 17 or less years and have (likely) not even lived on their own... paying their own bills... holding a real job... raising their own kids... getting married... learning to care about things other than what is directly in front of them (like political issues or w/e else)

Though it is hard for me to define what makes someone mature enough to use MJ, I still believe that 17 (or under) is WAY too young for someone to start using drugs of any kind... And I'm sure you'll find many adults feel the same way.

I am all for legalizing marijuana, but if it means that more underage kids will be able to get their hands on marijuana, I'd be more for keeping it illegal and having MUCH harsher punishments for those providing MJ to underage users. If MJ became legal, I'd be all for having extreme punishments for those providing it to uderage kids, excluding using under the supervision of parents (as it is with alcohol).

Before commenting on what I said in this post, if you are 17 or under, please give me your reason for using at such a young age...

Peace,
Jew

Noobtastic

I'm paranoid, I'm shy, I'm an introvert so I don't have an abundance of friends, I worry too much, I have very few hobbies that stay for long, I live in a boring city, weed is the only thing I've found that helps me chill out and really enjoy life. I'm 16 and smoking weed has really screwed my head on, while I understand the concept of putting age limits on cannabis on the event of legalization I certainly don't share the enthusiasm some members do for it.

freddo1234

Obviously I'm going to argue my corner as an underage user, but what logical reason can you think of for using cannabis that doesn't apply to under-18s? I smoke weed because I enjoy it, it helps me bond with my friends, it is generally a positive influence on my life. I also drink in moderation, enjoy level-term relationships with some adults, I have a job, I don't see what rules me out of responsible and moderate use in your eyes? I hold the same opinion about drinking: I think it should be legal and socially acceptable for kids as young as 11 to enjoy a glass of wine or a beer in a safe environment under parental supervision. Binge drinking and irresponsible drug use among young people stems from the lies that the current laws and social stigmas are bound to cause. I see no harm in open and moderate use among young people in a society which accepts that pot can be a positive and safe drug.

Mike

I'm all for age restrictions on pot, mostly because I'm 19, but in my opinion while it will be alot easier for some people to get it will absolutely be better controlled if it were legalized, at my school it's easier to get pot than alcohol because of the age thing, plus it's the parents problems. And really the idea behind legalization isn't that it'll be easier to get pot but that people won't be arrested/incarcerated for something as harmless as smoking the ganja, that and it's medicinal uses, that's important too....

TwistableLime

I do agree that young adults should take the time to look into the effects and consequences of beginning to smoke marijuana, however I am not against it at all. I'm 19 and I choose to smoke because it relaxes me (obviously) and just recently I've been noticing that after smoking I can breathe much better (I'm allergic to my dog and its especially worse when she's been sitting all over my stuff). Also, the herb has been helping me fall asleep at a fairly reasonable hour (instead of being awake till 5:30am).

I'm also beginning to find that since my tolerance has gotten a bit higher I've been waking up feeling better as well; when I smoke, as long as I tell myself that "tomorrow will be a good day" and as long as I start to feel comfortable in my current situation, I generally wake up feeling great. Waking up and feeling good has not been a part of my life for a real long time and all I can hope is that this great ride continues

Buzzby

87% of high school seniors report that it is easier for them to obtain marijuana than either alcohol or tobacco. If marijuana were to be sold under the same kind of controls as alcohol and tobacco, it makes sense to me that it would be more difficult for minors to obtain. It's hard to maintain a black market when a product can be obtained legally for a fraction of the price.

If 87% can get marijuana more easily than tobacco or alcohol, it appears that almost everyone "knows people". Dealers make money by finding customers. It's much harder to get an adult to break the law by buying legal alcohol and passing it on to minors.

__________________

Jewbutca

Studies have shown that smoking can increase paranoia (I have experienced this myself, but I feel that it was mainly caused by the fear of getting caught... as I'm sure this applies to many smokers)

I wouldn't consider MJ a very good replacement for hobbies unless you put your free time (while smoking or while sober) towards more productive things (ranging from spending time with your friends, to realizing the things that truly interest you and becoming actively involved in these things, to becoming involved in the legalization of MJ)



I agree with you on the first comment ("what logical reason..."). I don't think there are many logical reasons to drink or do drugs, besides the fact that they are good ways of passing free time. When it comes to high school students, they are in school 40+ hours a week, are sometimes involved in sports, have homework/studying, and have to manage their lives to pull of decent grades (if they choose to do so). I just don't think smoking at such a young age is a very good use of your time when you have your entire life ahead of you to experience MJ and alcohol (and you don't have homework to worry about). College is COMPLETELY different than high school. You don't have school 8 hours in a row (usually) and the students have A LOT more free time than high school students. The same goes for people with full time jobs. They have a lot more free time and already have their lives figured out (in many cases) so they have time to waste with alcohol and MJ.

I want to make it clear that I'm not necesarily saying "respinsible use" in regards to using safetly (even though that is still a concern) but rather to the fact that you are still not considered a self-sustaining (able to live on your own) adult when under the age of 17. Your parents usually are still taking care of you and before using your free time to get high, you should first figure out what you're going to do in life and work towards that goal. Once you're on the right track to becoming self-sustaining, then I think it's OK to start wasting your free time on alcohol and MJ. You have plenty of time in your life to use MJ and alcohol...

What do you consider "moderate" use? Most smokers I know use every day. I wouldn't consider this to be "moderate" use...

That's the main reason I think it should become legal. Millions of non-violent users have been arrested and sent to jail because of it. Prison should be used to house those who are unable to live in society in a non-violent manner...

I bet this is because alcohol is harder to hide than MJ. MJ is likely also he drug of choice for High school students compared to alcohol, but I think it is the responcibility of parents to teach their kids the dangers of becoming involved in drugs and alcohol at such a young age (not only because some of the drugs can kill you but also because of the dodgie characters that sell the drugs. Even if MJ became legal doesn't mean these dealers would disappear)

Noobtastic

I've been paranoid and worrisome since I was a kid, the feeling also comes without using drugs, marijuana helps me chill out perfectly. Also I have extra curricular activities, I'm what you might call a jack of all trades, people like me spend more time searching for hobbies than we do partaking in them.

Buzzby

My family has wine with dinner every night. Is that "immoderate? Are we all alcoholics?

The students weren't asked which drug they preferred or which drug was harder to hide. They were asked which drug was easier to obtain. 87% said "marijuana".

90% of high school seniors drink. Fewer than 50% smoke. Doesn't that make alcohol the drug of choice? Even though it's harder to obtain, more people seem to prefer alcohol.

If they're selling ounces of weed at the 7/11 for $40, how are those $350 an ounce dealers going to stay in business? Marijuana would no longer be a highly profitable item for illicit dealers. How many kids would pay $20 for a gram when they know it's really worth $1.41?

Jewbutca

A glass of wine is much different than getting high every day. Sure some people might just get a "little buzzed" when they smoke each day, and I think that's OK... but if they are getting shit-faced high every day, then I'd consider them the alcoholics of weed.

Where are you getting these percentages from?