Here's the missing 'u' ;>)

Comrade Gill's claims are of corse totally false:

Here are some extracts from "MARIJUANA USE BY YOUNG PEOPLE: THE IMPACT OF STATE MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAWS By Karen O’Keefe, Esq. Legislative Analyst Marijuana Policy Project and Mitch Earleywine, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Psychology University at Albany, State University of New York:

Overall, the trends in states with medical marijuana laws are slightly more favorable than the trends nationwide. California, Washington, and Colorado have all seen much greater drops in marijuana usage than have occurred nationwide. When states consider proposals to allow the medical use of marijuana under state law, the concern often arises that such laws might “send the wrong message” and therefore cause an increase in marijuana use among young people. The available evidence strongly suggests that this hypothesis is incorrect and that enactment of state medical marijuana laws has not increased adolescent marijuana use. Consequently, legislators should evaluate medical marijuana proposals based on their own merits — without regard for the speculative and unsupported assertions about the bills sending the “wrong message.”

In California — which has the longest-term, most detailed data available — the number of ninth graders reporting marijuana use in the last 30 days declined by 47% from 1996 (when the state’s medical marijuana law passed) to 2004. An analysis commissioned by the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs found “no evidence supporting that the passage of Proposition 215 increased marijuana use during this period.”

In Washington state, sixth graders’ current and lifetime marijuana use has dropped by at least 50% since the 1998 enactment of the state’s medical marijuana law. All other surveyed grade levels have seen both lifetime and current marijuana use drop by between 25% and 50%.

In Hawaii, youth marijuana use has decreased among all surveyed grade levels — by as much as 38% — since the 2000 passage of the state’s medical marijuana law.

Data from Maine suggest a modest decline since the 1999 passage of its law. Data from Nevada (whose law was passed in 2000) and Alaska (whose law was passed in

1998) show overall decreases in marijuana use, with a modest increase in a few individual grade levels.

http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/sourcefiles/2005TeenUseReport.pdf

what about the kids who are sent mixed messages about pharmaceutical drugs? What about all the parents who take this for their depression and that for their anxiety and who knows for their back pain and whatever for their god fucking damn restless leg syndrome. what about the kids who think its okay to pop their parents pills and snort adderall because, hey, those things are made in labs and they are distributed by doctors so they must be totally safe.

Right. Aaand, Cannabis is dangerous. Sure. You're addiction is someones pay check, never forget this.

It's ridiculous that nicotine, a dangerously addictive drug that is costly and very often leads to death, is perfectly legal while marijuana, which is not addictive, rarely causes death, and has medicinal properties, is illegal. There is a widespread belief that potheads are more dangerous than alcoholics, but I'd rather drive with a stoned person than a drunk any day. Alcohol and nicotine destroy families and costs lives. Marijuana does make people lazy if they overindulge, but I have never known a pothead to become violent, beat their children, lose motor control, and mow down innocent pedestrians like the drunks do.

Considering that the best pot is grown in the good ole' USA, legalization would bring a cash influx to some of the poorest areas in this country. Apparently, that is unacceptable to some very powerful interests.

Comedian Lenny Bruce once said as former stoners become cops, judges and politicians, then pot laws would go away.

We now have a current President, George W and Clinton who certainly did pot, and almost certainly stronger stuff, and nothing has changed.

If they wouldn't lump them all together and tie in pot smokers with all drug addicts then maybe young people would better distinguish between the two and be scared to try the harder drugs. But if you keep telling them that it's all the same then they may figure "What the hell, pot didn't kill me what's this pill going to do." Once kids realize that they been lying about the dangers of marijuana use they'll think the same is true of all drugs and that's the bigger problem.

In a perfect world kids wouldn't experiment with any drug or substance that alters their state but since this isn't a perfect world I think we need more honesty in these anti-drug messages. Weed is wrong or bad for whatever reason they want to state but don't hype it up as worse than it actually is or as a gateway drug.

Weed smoking should fall more in line with drinking alcohol and be legalized and regulated but I guess until they find a way to profit from it and tax it, there's no way they'll allow it.

NOW TO THE REAL PROBLEM: PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

"The survey found that non-medical use of prescription drugs rose last year to nearly three percent of the population."

I don't think there was ever a "WAR ON DRUGS"

Just a war on who would profit from them. Now that drug companies have viable alternatives to heroin, coke, etc. and investors can make money and the government can tax it and take their share its ok. They know what doctors are abusing their license and over prescribing these medications but you'll never hear about them getting busted. The doctor or doctors who killed Michael Jackson are drug pushers in every sense of the word but they still haven't been brought to justice.

So who says drugs aren't legal?

Pharmaceutical companies are the new drug cartels &

Doctors are the new drug dealers

People still getting high, ruining their lives but as long as it can be taxed and the rich can invest in it, it's ok and perfectly legal.

For the first time, abuse of painkillers and other medication is sending as many people to the emergency room as the use of illegal drugs.
In 2008, ERS saw an estimated 1 million visits from people abusing prescription or over-the-counter medicines – mostly painkillers and sedatives. That was about the same number of visits from those overdosing on heroin, cocaine and other illegal drugs, according to ..
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/18/drug-abuse-of-meds-sends_n_617186.html

Funny I had to split up my comment because the word "h a r d c o r e" is a NO NO, who knew?

i have a feeling that gothamist has the 'christian filter' on. and maybe the 'anti-terrorist filter' on as well. so far, i've learned that the following words will be rejected:

t*orture

r*ape

h*ardcore

a*dultery

i can't think of anything else at the moment. good to know though, especially when you've written a novel and can't figure out for the life of you which friggin' word it is.

Oh give us a break already, Feds. The real gateway drugs are nicotine, alcohol and prescription meds, all of which are free, consistently available, and easily obtained from a parent's cupboard.

Kerlikowske says marijuana is only a small part of mexican drug cartels but most estimates are the marijuana accounts for 60% of their income. The point is that Kerlikowske is not giving us the straight dope on this. I think it's obvious that legalization would take the profits away from drug cartels and put that money back into the legitimate economy and would save tax payers the billions of dollars currently being spent to arrest, prosecute and jail people for possession of a plant.

In case of my daughters, I think this might be true.

Okay what right wing we Hate America think tank (used loosely as they are told what to say) or christian teabagger Hate and Fear Mongering Clown is putting this BULLSHIT out yet again.

Will someone with REAL Credentials please investigate the Morons saying this, It is a Gate Way drug DUH! the same argument used since the 1920s' when certain Pharmaceutical Companies wanted it banned.

So who conducted the Survey, WHERE did the MONEY come from (PS if they don't have to tell the report is BOGUS), so what are their Political and religious affiliations? FOLLOW the MONEY that is the Key as well as HOW were the QUESTIONS worded.

You know if it is right wing WACKO survey it is SLANTED already DUH!

POTUS sucks.

"Government Survey Blames Prescription Drugs For Increased Use Of Other Drugs"

there, i've single-handedly fixed the survey to coincide with the reality of our situation.

If anything, it is the illegality of pot that is to blame for the increased use of other drugs. The fact that once you've tried pot you are labeled a criminal, social deviant, and drug addict by the government means there is an immense social barrier that no longer exists to cut against the use of other substances.

+1

Absolutely!

The danger is in using scare tactics to equate pot smoking with using cocaine or crystal meth. Once they try marijuana and see that most of what the heard or learned was bullshit it desensitizes them to the real dangers of other harder drugs.

damn, how come i always fail to follow a trend? ok, i'll try harder.

The federal government's vendetta against the good green stuff was ridiculous 50 years ago, and now it's downright reprehensible. Every last thing they say about pot is a flatout lie. There's no such thing as a "gateway drug." People who use ANY one drug are more likely to use others - because they are drug users. The government completely ignores the difference between correlation and causation whenever it suits their political agenda.

Marijuana is the ONLY thing I've EVER found that helps with the horrible nausea and vomiting I get with my migraines. I spent the first twenty years of my life suffering horribly at least once a month, losing weight and getting dehydrated and winding up in the hospital when I couldn't even keep water down. I've tried every prescription drug known to man, and they either do nothing, or put you to sleep. Clearly the government should be oh so very concerned - I use pot for really dangerous things like trying to not barf up everything I eat. It would be so nice if I could obtain it legally and have more reassurance that there's not nasty chemicals or anything like that in it.

"There's no such thing as a "gateway drug."

I would disagree.

THE FOREMOST Gateway drug is Coca-cola, since every addict I know first started with this beverage as a child, then went on to harder stuff.