News and Current Events - 2012

[Marge_Innavera]

Missouri attempts to pass “Don’t Say Gay” bill of its own
By Scottie Thomaston

There’s a new trend happening across the country in which legislators attempt to silence people who are LGBT via passage of “Don’t Say Gay” laws – erasing any school discussions of LGBT people and even refusing to step in and stop anti-LGBT bullying through educating students about the harms it causes. In Tennessee, their “Don’t Say Gay” bill, authored by state senator Stacey Campfield, passed out of committee a week ago.

Now Missouri is joining in on this tactic. They’ve referred to committee their own “Don’t Say Gay” bill:

Sign a petition for oppose the bill at http://equalityfederation.salsalabs.com/o/35019/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=902

And get ready for gravedigger posts saying "it won't do any good."  

[brokebacktom]

The Husband smokes a little over a pack of cigarettes a day.

If he smoked that much weed, he'd be just a puddle in the basement by now.  

My question to all this is; is weed just has addictive as cigarettes? Either way the smell from weed makes me sick.

[oilgun]

My question to all this is; is weed just has addictive as cigarettes? Either way the smell from weed make me sick.

Weed is not physically addictive, although it can be habit forming.

[janjo]

I am not trying to suggest that weed is from the devil anymore than alcohol is, after all alcohol kills people in their millions, only that we all need to do something to relax etc, and that as we already have enough problems, probably freely available weed might not be a good idea.

[doodler]

Actually, according to ALL the articles I read yesterday, marijuana IS addictive as it does cause physical changes to the brain. It is just not the same type of addiction as heroin or even tobacco.

And several of those articles came right out and said that people who regularly use marijuana tend to function better when on it then when not. What other substance does that?! Well, air.

[Marge_Innavera]

I am not trying to suggest that weed is from the devil anymore than alcohol is, after all alcohol kills people in their millions, only that we all need to do something to relax etc, and that as we already have enough problems, probably freely available weed might not be a good idea.

What would be a good idea would be an aggressive campaign similar to that against cigarette smoking. When smoking was acceptable, even chain smokers didn't think cigarette smoke smelled good but you rarely heard anyone describe it as nauseating or disgusting. People now think it is because, essentially, we've been told over a course of decades to think that. No reason that can't be done with alcohol, uneasy as the idea should rightfully make people feel.

Sorry, can't agree that alcohol, so much more dangerous than cannabis, should continue to be legal while a much more benign substance is illegal; it amounts to little more than denial of reality. And remember, anything sold on the black market has its own built-in dangers not to mention increased cost.  

Interesting, too, that what seems to be a universal human desire to alter perception of reality, at least temporarily, is routinely referred to as a "problem."  I suspect that in earlier centuries the "problem" would have retro-morphed into "sin."

[janjo]

I don't have strong feelings about liberalising or restricting cannabis, you certainly can't ban alcohol, they tried that with prohibition, rather that we should all beware of enjoying them a little too much.

[Marge_Innavera]

IMO civil governments, at least in Western cultures, don't have a legitimate role in deciding when people are enjoying themselves too much and cracking down accordingly.  That's what two out of the three Abrahamic religions specialize in.

[brokebacktom]

So, where are the small Government advocates on this one. They will always protect the rights of the 1%. Obama saids we'll VETO it.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/26/cispa-passes-house_n_1457548.html#comments

[janjo]

IMO civil governments, at least in Western cultures, don't have a legitimate role in deciding when people are enjoying themselves too much and cracking down accordingly.  That's what two out of the three Abrahamic religions specialize in.

I don't know, I tend to agree with you in many ways, and God knows I like a drink so who am I to advise, but I have had at least two students who have had drug induced psychosis from smoking cannabis, and young people do have to be protected.
Our Safeguarding Officer at college seems to think that about two thirds of our students regularly smoke weed, and that would go along with my feelings and observations.
I suppose legalising it would at least mean that as well as any health problems cannabis may cause at least young people wouldn't have a criminal record to contend with.

It is complicated and I am no puritan who would want to stop people enjoying themselves, however, I don't smoke, never have, my mother did, and as a child I formed the view that it was a revolting habit, so never started. I think I may have been lucky, because I haven't had it to give up, but because I don't smoke cigarettes, I have never been tempted by cannabis. So I may be biased.

Myself, I will just stick to alcohol and men as my favourite vices!

[garyd]

I don't know, I tend to agree with you in many ways, and God knows I like a drink so who am I to advise, but I have had at least two students who have had drug induced psychosis from smoking cannabis, and young people do have to be protected.

And, of course, we all know or have heard of instances in which students have become severely ill, even died, from binge drinking.
The fact of the matter is that anyone on any sort of anti-psychotic/anti-hallucinatory medication should not be using cannabis.  They should not be drinking either.

It just seems to me that we should legalize and regulate cannabis in a similar manner to which we legalize and regulate the sale of alcohol. 

[Marge_Innavera]

It just seems to me that we should legalize and regulate cannabis in a similar manner to which we legalize and regulate the sale of alcohol. 

Often thought that if growing cannabis was legalized, I'd start inquiring PDQ about anyone interested in leasing our extra acres to grow hemp.  IMO that's where the real money would be made.

[AZ.bbm]

Maybe because I haven't had any in quite a while? 

 

[garyd]

Often thought that if growing cannabis was legalized, I'd start inquiring PDQ about anyone interested in leasing our extra acres to grow hemp.  IMO that's where the real money would be made.

You're probably correct.  I want to say I have read where a couple of states have authorized production but are, of course,in violation of Federal law and so not much has come of it.  Oregon maybe, or Vermont?  It is a truly silly law.  As I understand it, one would need to imbibe an entire acre of hemp to even get the "munchies". 

[doodler]

Often thought that if growing cannabis was legalized, I'd start inquiring PDQ about anyone interested in leasing our extra acres to grow hemp.  IMO that's where the real money would be made.

I am approached several times every year by people wanting to plant stuff on the land I'm not using. They're not talking about corn and tomatoes Now that making/selling moonshine is legal in TN, can weed be far behind?