One of the main reasons why adolescents use cannabis is because US gov refuses to regulate it and it thus seen as "the forbidden fruit". Alcohol is highly regulated against under 21's use and there is no reason why cannabis cannot also be similarly regulated for adult use - especially in view of the fact that many people have died from alcohol abuse and that no one has ever died from using cannabis. In this respect, the government is responsible for all adolescent use of cannabis, through their insistence in maintaining prohibition of a relatively harmless drug called THC.

The cannabis itself, if consumed without any other reckless or dangerous action, cannot be fatal. Cannabis consumption alone does not lead to death in any case.

I bet that most of the people who had pot in their systems after fatal car accidents were also using alcohol. Alcohol is much more dangerous than cannabis. It is articles like this that demonize marijuana that enhance its image with young people. Kids KNOW these are exaggerations and they don't like being lied to. Alcohol and cigarettes are just as dangerous as marijuana. I don't want my child using either of those substances either, but claiming that smoking pot will cause all sorts of bad things to happen to you is baloney and teens know that. Most adults do, too.

You're wrong on so many levels. Marijuana is not physically addictive at all, prohibitionists have been skewing misinformation about the plant's supposed mentally-addictive nature. Which basically means that marijuana is addictive on the same level that the internet would be addicting. There is no physical symptoms of addiction or withdrawal, unlike tobacco, caffeine, alcohol, as well as legal prescription medications like oxycotin, & codeine. You're information about THC being found as the "most commonly identified drug in fatal motor vehicle accidents," is also a tactic to misinform your readers. This might be true that THC is found within their system, but that's is only because THC can stay in a persons system for up to 45 to 60 days. This period of time is way beyond the two to three hours of intoxication caused by the ingestion of the cannabis plant. You also say that "School failure, poor grades and STD’s are associated with the use of marijuana," but all of those effects can be caused by a myriad of reasons, but most likely should be attributed to poor genetic makeup. This isn't a perfect world, and not everyone is going to be brilliant. Although admitted cannabis users Carl Sagan, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Steve Jobs, Ted Turner, Barack Obama, and countless others were most definitely brilliant men. Truly I feel sorry for you, that you have such a void in your life, that you feel it necessary to demonize a group of people and their drug of choice.

By the way, It's totally understandable that you want to keep kids off illicit substances. Any sane individual should feel that way.

Jeremiah,
I suggest you check out my sources.
Does the class war have 2 sides? those who are not breaking the law and those who do. . I am amazed at the amount of response for the promotion of Marijuana. This defense of marijuana substantiates the truth about pot , which is that it alters judgement.

First I will agree that adolescents should not use marijuana just as they should not use alcohol or smoke cigarettes. One of the reasons for the availability to adolescents is the fact that it is illegal. When something is illegal, then it is sold secretively and there are no controls. I would wager that an adolescent can obtain marijuana more easily than they can go out and buy alcohol.

"Marijuana is the most commonly identified drug in fatal motor vehicle accidents." I would love to know how NIDA came up with this one. I always thought alcohol was the the most commonly identified drug in fatal motor vehicle accidents.

"Daily weed users have reported addiction rates ranging from 20% to 25%." Again, I would love to know how NIDA came up with this one. I have never heard of any controlled studies where this was proven. To the best of my knowledge marijuana is not physiologically addictive. I have never seen anyone crave marijuana after they have smoked it once or dozens of times. I crave another piece of chocolate right after I eat a piece. Should this be called an addictive substance?

Marijuana is one of the most benign drugs known to man. I have never heard of a single person who died strictly from using marijuana. In combination with other "legal" substances such as alcohol and prescription drugs, yes, but not by itself.
Marijuana does not make one violent as can alcohol. I have been to dozens of social events where people smoked marijuana and have never seen a fight break out among users. When I was younger I worked the door of a popular Cobb County nightclub. Did I ever see fights break out among drinkers. You know the answer to that one. A resounding yes.

Of course the NIDA is a government organization and we know the federal government always is honest with us or do we? Recently our government reviewed marijuana again, and again came to the conclusion that it has no valid medical use and should continue to be classified in the same category as heroin. There are thousands of people throughout our country who are currently using marijuana for the effects of chemotherapy, post -traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain and other ailments. To say marijuana has no medical uses is pure garbage.

To sum up, while adolescents should be discouraged from using marijuana, adults should be able to choose whether we want to use it and not be banned from doing so as a result of government disinformation or bad laws.

It's always a good defense for prohibitionists to back up lies with more lies. Not one of the individuals I stated have advocated that their use of marijuana was a mistake, except maybe the president, who would have had to say it was a mistake only due to the political ramifications of admitting to have enjoyed his experience. Also, it wouldn't matter to me one bit if the individuals in charge of my medical care used cannabis in their free time. It would most definitely be preferable when compared to an individual who was a consumer of alcohol or prescription pain killers & anti-depressants. Your lies will only be tolerated for so long, and soon they will be exposed for the fallacies that they are.

Oh, by the way. How much did the government pay you to write this article?

Not nearly as much as the drug addicts who can't get a job and are getting food stamps and medicaid. Now that's a lot of money.

@ Marilyn: Learn how to spell "you loose the arguement," and then I might believe that I would ever lose anything to you. At least marijuana smoking hasn't lessened my ability to punctuate properly. I wonder what might be affecting your cognitive abilities?

"You may not believe the federal government is telling the truth but when you ask all your pot smoking friends to recall their experience with the drug, you loose the arguement because addicts will tell you lies because it is the drug talking"

This statement as it pertains to marijuana has got to be one of the dumbest things I have ever heard.

Just an after thought. The more you say, the more ignorant you sound. Apparently you have never used marijuana because you really have no idea what you are talking about.

It's simply amazing what little grasp of the facts those who are against the private consensual use of cannabis have. You people simply are not going to ever talk anyone who enjoys cannabis into stopping with such dishonest nonsense. Your description of my world bears little to no resemblance to its reality. I'm really not sure why you think presenting fiction as fact will cause youth to not try cannabis. Youth aren't stupid and it takes about 5 minutes inside my world to see that the propaganda is built on a platform of bald faced lies, half truths, and hysterical rhetoric. But the most significant reason why pursuing a goal based on fictional nonsense is that when youth discover that they've been lied to they extrapolate from the fictions about cannabis use and figure that the warnings about the dangers of hardcore drugs like opioids, cocaine and methamphetamine are also fiction spun from whole cloth.

I will bet they all drank both water and alcohol first.

Obesity is a much larger danger to our kids and our population in general than MJ ever could be.
Legalizing and regulating MJ will do more to keep MJ out of children's hands than the 40 year drug war ever did. Adults should be allowed to make their own decisions without government permission.

The best way to protect your children against the dangers of marijuana and other illegal drugs is to discuss drug use. Open lines of communication are paramount in talking with children. Children still view parental advice as important.

Your all a bunch of idiots I smoke weed all day work ride my bike everywhere and don't suffer any of those so called negative affects I'm all healthy and it's not a gate way drug it's just people are retards because I don't mess with any other drug but weed not all smokers are the same

I am a smoker and would love to see legitimate conversation about why we should keep marijuana illegal. I truly search for conversations against marijuana in hopes to understand why it is not legal; I must be missing the bus somewhere. Every conversation I see against marijuana involves an extremist who shoots from the hip claiming that they have studies to back their point. It is so easy to find studies and of course to perform studies, I encourage everyone to scrutinize those studies as data is only as valuable the perception it chooses to portray. A great professor once told me, "I can make statistics say anything I want you to believe."

I did see where someone posted that people don't remember things while they're high. We do, the reason they aren't telling you is probably because they may feel as if you would judge them. I claim to be the funniest man alive when I'm high, so yes judgement is a little off. Then again, I don't smoke when I need to make decisions.

This is an article on preventing and recognizing marijuana use in adolescents. It has spawned a discussion on the legalization of Marijuana. Here lies the problem. The adults, who have written comments endorsing legalizing pot, have reflected the message that marijuana is harmless. Children learn from example. If parents feel that marijuana is harmless then children will feel the same. There you have it. The legacy of drug use across generational lines.

Cannabis is a word used to "clean up " pot, weed or grass. You have sighted no scientific studies to prove your point. The only thing scientific mentioned is the use of the word cannabis. Read the statistics and you will see it is a gateway drug that causes physical,familial,legal,academic and social problems. I won't convince those who smoke pot to stop but my article is for those families trying to prevent problems. Ask the parents of Amy Winehouse, Anna Nicole Smith and John Belushi. Pot was a drug in their addiction equation that had multiple variables.

Here are ten of the hundreds of studies for you to look at in your spare time, since you don't seem to think that we've provided any "scientific studies" to support our claims.

http://www.theweedblog.com/top-10-marijuana-studies-the-government-wished-it-had-never-funded/

The latest government attack on cannabis (that I'm aware of) claims that marijuana can cause psychosis or schizophrenia.. The final analysis?
http://www.alternet.org/drugs/151776/debunking_the_myth_of_a_link_between_marijuana_and_mental_illness?page=1

The article following this one on Google's news page reads: "New study finds marijuana compound successfully treats cocaine addiction in mice."

Dear Marilyn,

Playing devil's advocate is a reasonable approach. Having done so, can you accept the prohibitionist arguments don't stand up?

My recommendation is collect prohibitionist merchandise now ('Just Say NO' posters etc) ... because these will be collectors items in a more enlightened time.

Sincerely

Matthew Heenan

Alcohol is always 100 times more dangerous than pot. In hand of children and adults alike

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=THC+cures+cancer

Marijuana cures cancer -- US government has known since 1974:
The Federal Government of the United States has funded several studies on Cannabis and the active components in Marijuana, which have repeatedly discovered Cannabis' Anti-Tumor properties. A couple of these studies include one conducted in the early 1970's showing a reduction in the spread of various cancers injected into lab rats. In 2006 a study aiming to find the link between Marijuana smoking and cancer concluded that there is no evidence of any kind of causal link between the two, with even some suggestion of preventive qualities.

"The active ingredient in marijuana cuts tumor growth in common lung cancer in half and significantly reduces the ability of the cancer to spread." - Harvard University

"The potential benefits of medicinal Cannabis for people living with cancer include antiemetic effects, appetite stimulation, pain relief, and improved sleep. In the practice of integrative oncology, the health care provider may recommend medicinal Cannabis not only for symptom management but also for its possible direct antitumor effect." - National Cancer Institute

"Read the statistics and you will see it is a gateway drug that causes physical,familial,legal,academic and social problems".

All those problems you're referring to, are associated with marihuana's legal status more likely. Physical problems? I'd love to see a study to back that claim, expecting to receive a scientific article, that talkes about USE, and not ABUSE. Because, we know that the abuse of alcohol brings a lot of problems on the side, we know that the abuse of marihuana can also bring problems by its side, as well as the abuse on hamburguers, video games, tv, sedentarism, and lots of things.... Everything, when abused, is wrong... If we were to treat this problem as a health problem, instead of a criminal problem, the whole scenario would be different, take a look to netherlands, they were about to close prisons due to low occupancy, until they came with the great idea to rent those prisons to Belgium, where cannabis its legal.
Take a look at Portugal's decriminalization, lowered deads because of wrong use of needles, lowered use of cocaine, lowered aids, and the people in Portugal are very comfortable with the results of that decision.... Decision that WILL be taken in every single country... Sooner or later, and I'm pretty damn sure it's a lot sooner than later.

The real risky drugs are prescription drugs, tobacco and alcohol (and in that order....)

Marijuana doesn't even come close. And Marilyn, it was called "cannabis" long before the terms "weed", "pot" or "grass" were ever thought of. Cannabis it the name of the plant, and the term "marijuana" (or marihuana, originally, because those who made it illegal didn't like the "j" that sounds like an "h" in Spanish) was used to introduce racism into the prohibitionists agenda (in the 30's, racism was far more prevalent than it is today....)

Here is my retort of the DEA's publication last July called Speaking out against Legalization.....

http://jendammit.wordpress.com/2010/05/14/speaking-out/

Here is an article that talks about how cannabis (yes that "evil" drug) shrinks brain tumors: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/12088.php

Studies have demonstrated how cannabis causes cancerous cells to simply die, it is called autophagy, and basically means that the tumorous cells put up walls to stop the transfer of nutrients in, or cancerous material out. The cell then dies off, as it would naturally. By doing so, it halts the spread of cancer (since cancerous cells tend to reproduce and spread).

Knowing that 40% of the American population will suffer from cancer, and that 25% of them will die as a result of cancer, I cannot see such a WONDERFUL cure as "dangerous." I find it far more likely that the stuff we call "food" that causes cancer is much more harmful!

Marilyn, G.I.G.O. Your sources are propaganda based and lack the science to back up the claims you've made. The NIDA and the DEA would make Herr Goebbels proud!
Are laws based upon lies legal?

You should be ashamed of yourself, as an RN, for writing with such ignorance. Your replies to the comments on the article also show how out of touch you are...I'm embarrassed on behalf of the medical profession, journalists, and women. Keep the comments coming people. She knows not of what she speaks.
*shaking head*

My comments are based on sound references. I doubt you are a medical professional because if you take marijuana then you'll fail the drug testing required by reputable medical establishments. Your license will be suspended if you have a drug problem until you go to rehab. Women and teen women should read this article especially because they can be mothers. Did you know that social services will get involved if a post partum woman tests positive for THC?

Way back in 2004, the American Nurses Association (ANA) adopted a resolution calling for research, education and supervised use of medical marijuana.
The ANA is America's largest nursing association; it has hundreds of thousands of members, with chapters in 49 states. But of course you already knew this!

In 1999, the US Treatment Episode Data Set recorded more than 220 000 admissions for primary cannabis use to publicly funded substance abuse treatment.[13] This represented 14% of admissions to these facilities, and a doubling of the rate since 1993. In 2000, that dataset reported that cannabis accounted for 61% of all adolescent admissions.[14] Australia has also seen a doubling in the rates of cannabis treatment-seeking nationally from 2000/1 to 2001/2, with a rate of 21% overall and 45.5% of those aged less than 20 years.[15] In Europe, the percentage of clients seeking treatment for cannabis as their main drug ranges from 2.5% in Portugal to 24% in Germany.[4] There has been a concomitant increase in the number of emergency department cannabis-related episodes in the United States. Taking into account changes in population, there had been a 139% increase in such presentations reported from 1995 to 2002.[16]
This is taken directly from the following:

Developments in the Treatment of Cannabis Use Disorder
Jan Copeland

Posted: 04/21/2004; Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2004;17(3) © 2004 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

>>Cannabis is a word used to "clean up" pot.
No you silly goose, Cannabis is actually the real name of the plant. Marijuana is a Mexican slang term for it. Is it too much to ask that you show that you might have done real research on this topic in your own article or reply comments?

Do you realize that Barack Obama used to inhale "frequently...that was the point" and talks about his involvement with not only cannabis but also cocaine as a youth in his book "Dreams from my Father". He turned out all right.

Do some research, read a book like "Understanding Marijuana" by Mitch Earleywine, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Psychology at the State University of New York at Albany.

We can reduce teen drug use by giving them the honest truth about drugs. We reduced teen tobacco use through education and sharing facts. We also didn't arrest any adults in the process. This article is a great example of the mis-truths that are counterproductive to keeping our children off drugs. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Alex Jones I just read your article on marijuana and all I can say is wow..I can't believe you have so many false facts that you can't even back up. Ok let's start off because it looks like you need a little education in marijuana. Caffeine is more addictive than marijuana. There are no withdrawls from marijuana. The gateway theory..lol I knew a prohibitionist like you would use this. Its funny because I know so many people who have smoked weed all their life and never tried anything else. If someone is doing heroin and they start with marijuana your going to blame the marijuana? That's like sueing mcdonalds for making you fat. If someone is addicted to heroin its the person, they are always going to do heroin whether they try weed when they are young or not..and if there's anything else about marijuana you don't know then feel free to contact me. I will inform you with information about this plant. Your article is awful I'm afraid so many fake facts I can't believe that they actually allowed you to post it. You have very poor knowledge on marijuana, so what I want to know is why are you so against it? If I want to smoke marijuana or you who is to tell you otherwise..if your worried about kids smoking it wouldn't you be for legalization? That way you have to be 21 or over to buy it. Your arguement dosent make sense to me at all. Well I hope you take the time to read this I just want you to realize.Just now

After reading this womans responses to you guys comments, it makes me wonder how she was able to write this article on so little facts she has. I like how one intelligent person wrote a TRUE fact (somthing she dosent know anything about) that no one has ever died from marijuana, and what is her response? That "dead man tell no tales" and then has no evidence of any marijuana related death...don't quit your day job because you can't have a career in journalism if you make up facts. You're an embarrasment just delete this article before you get made to look like more of an idiot than you already are. Go enjoy your sober life but I will be enjoying mine high as a motherf*cker because I like being high. I will smoke it if its legal or not or if it kills you or not. All the haters like this silly bint make me laufffff hahahaha

All these vitrioloic comments send the message to me and other readers that these individuals are really desperate to legalize pot. If any of you are suffering with addiction issues, here is a good website for help
www. samhsa.gov
I wish you Godspeed.

No not addiction darlin..its as addictive as coffee. You need to learn about marijuana before you write a crap article like that..how does it feel when you have all these comments and not one comment agrees with you.....we can't all be wrong love,

Officer Parent,
Systemic coercion occurs because adolescents broke the law. Surely, you recognize that adolescents involved in illegal activity are at risk for committing further illegal activities as adults. Adult penalties are far more severe than adolescent penalties. It is not absurd to want children to stay away from illegal substances and illegal activity. They are both roads to ruin. If you were a police officer than your experience has shown that to be true.

That web site again for people who want to get off of ILLEGAL substances is
www. samhsa.gov
By the way, Nursing always makes the top 5 list of the most trusted professions. The reason for that is because historically nurses have been involed in health promotion, prevention and caring for those in need. A commitment for the lives of others is paramount to the profession. I am proud of what I do and I encourage anyone interested in a challenging career to consider nursing.
I'm closing my comments regarding this article. My next article will be on teenage pregnacy.

Haha its so easy to become a nurse..america are at such a high demand for nurses that they are telling anyone from any country if they come over here and qualify to become a nurse they will give them a green card. The only other way to get a green card is if you are rich or you get married. Marilyn you are now closing your comments is that because you lost the arguement. I do believe so, instead of closing your comments I would close that article because its god awful lmao. Keep to being a nurse because we know you can't argue a point to save your life...tonight ill blaze a fat zoot dedicated to you ;)

The ONLY reason weed is illegal is because the money grubbing US government can't figure out how to tax it. If they (government) didn't have control over tobacco, it too would be illegal. I'm twisting a fatty right now.

Although I agree with most of the readers, nursing is not an easy degree to obtain. In fact, the Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree has been chosen as the toughest degree among all the college degrees by the Guinness Book of World Records as of May 18,2011. It has 64 university exams, 130 series exams, 174 assignments within 4 years. The author obviously needs to conduct more research on her topics, however please don't bash the nursing profession. Thanks!

Both studies paid for by Uncle Sam and idependent studies have concluded that marijuana is not the evil weed suggested by some here. Too bad you don't reach out and review all the information. This evil weed has been in use for centuries across the world and the US has been at the fore front of incorrect information based on politics, not science. Brain washed!!!

Propaganda Clown, RN. Do I sound important now? This line if propaganda makes me pissed: It is the most commonly identified drug in fatal motor vehicle accidents. This is is a FALSE statement!!!
The ONLY reason MJ is illegal is because the Government can't get their filthy greedy hands on any revenue from it!!!

Bret, I'm just curious... why do you think the government would give up the chance to make billions of tax dollars off the sale of MJ? I mean, Rx drugs are pushed down the throats of Americans daily; there are television commercials pushing the legal drugs. If MJ is so safe and 'not a problem' to society why would our government pass up the opportunity to collect tax on it?

How about if no one used drugs like pot. The drug cartels would go out of business.

How does talking about the risk of marijuana turn into a discussion on pharmaceutical companies? It doesn't detract from the dangers of marijuana use. Instead, talking about pharmaceutical companies and alcohol diverts attention away from pot. Stay on subject.
The reason you see an inverse proportion between pot and ritalin is because WHEN KIDS RECEIVED RITALIN THAT THEY NEEDED FOR ADD/ADHD, THEY STOPPED TAKING POT AS A WAY TO SELF MEDICATE..

Because pharmaceutical companies are drug cartels, and I would like to see THEM go "out of business." Their drugs are killing people daily, and yet, those such as yourself think they are fine....and "needed."

And because you are exactly right, when children are drugged with Ritalin, they don't have to "self-medicate" with marijuana. However, marijuana is safer for those children than Ritalin AND more effective for ADHD.

You've just proved my point, though. You have no concerns about DRUGGING children, this isn't about the safety of our children or keeping them off drugs - you just somehow think the pharmaceutical drugs are fine and the "pot" is "bad." You've bought the pharmaceutical drug cartel lies.

Of course you won't "dignify" that statement, because then you would have to use FACTS that don't support your position....like for instance, Ritalin can and DOES cause death in our children, when taken as directed - marijuana does not, has not and will not - there is no possible toxic dose of marijuana.

You would also have to acknowledge the high number of children who, as adults when their Ritalin is cut off because they are either A) no longer insured, or B) considered to have "outgrown" their ADHD, then move on to using cocaine. Why? Simply because cocaine and Ritalin act the same on the body. Speaking of GATEWAY drugs....

Clearly you wouldn't want to "dignify" it - it is easier to just IGNORE the truth, and hope it goes away.

Obviously I am not suggesting that young children SMOKE marijuana - that is just silly propaganda. But in edible form, in capsule form or in tincture form monitored by both parents and doctors - marijuana actually has had SURPRISINGLY good responses for children dealing with ADHD and autism.

We could look to an ACTUAL expert on this issue - Dr. Bearman, with over 40 years working in substance abuse and drug treatment. He spoke on just this subject at a 2004 medical cannabis conference:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI383Qizz74&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMoOEmN8YSA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0qsTOGwmvM&feature=related

continued....

Further, the gateway myth has long since been debunked, and marijuana does not cause any physical dependency, opponents contort the word "addiction" into an idea that would equally qualify ANY patient (including a diabetic on insulin) as "addicted" to their medicine, or any hobby into an "addiction."

Seriously, you should actually research this issue with an open mind, and let go of your preconceptions for a moment. You have been brainwashed by a system that profits from keeping marijuana illegal. Marijuana has also been shown to cure cancer (many different varieties of cancer) - as has been pointed out to you already in this thread - but it is far more profitable to "treat" cancer than to CURE it.

continued...

War for oil is far more profitable than growing our own locally, with fuel from cannabis. Construction is sustainable if houses are made from hemp shiv and lime mortar - they are carbon negative, termite proof, earthquake proof, fire resistant, rot proof, and can be pulverized at the end of their useful life and tilled into the soil as a soil amendment - unlike drywall and fiberglass which are toxic. All plastic products can be made with hemp plastics, again being biodegradable and recyclable in a sustainable way - instead of our current recycling practices for our oil-based plastics which cost more energy to recycle than they do to dispose of. We can eat hemp seeds - which are non-psychoactive, and one of the healthiest food sources known to mankind - if you were starving in the desert (as much of our third world countries are), you could live off of hemp seeds and NOT be malnourished. Hemp clothing and fibers are far more sustainable and earth friendly than cotton and synthetic fibers and last FAR longer. Pharmaceuticals - such as Ritalin - are patented and profitable and pharmaceutical companies would lose SIGNIFICANT profits if you could grow marijuana in your backyard and treat yourself, as many medical marijuana patients are learning they can.

it is absolutely about MONEY and NOT our children's health. If you believe otherwise (as you clearly do, Marilyn), you need to look at the facts.

Jennifer,
I am very pro research regarding marijuana for medical purposes. Being a cancer survivor myself and having lost loved ones to this illness, I know further research should be done. Marijuana causes appetite stimulation. For chemo and radiation patients who have a loss of appetite, this might be an answer. My article is about children. Kids who start off with pot have great risk for so many problems that it can make your head spin. It starts with addiction, legal problems, other risky behaviors, poor school performance etc. You have some interesting ideas about the environment. I hope you work in that field because you seem well versed in bio tech.

You want pot legalized so you can score your drug easily and not get busted for it. Addicts live in denial and it sounds like you can't even be honest with yourself. By the use of your vocabulary, you should pick up a dictionary not a roach.

Alcohol has been regulated and it gets into the hands of kids. Read my article on binge drinking. You must be young because you are naive to think that pot will be out of the hands of kids if it is legalized. Marijuana and other drugs are generational legacies. If parents don't educate their kids on the problems with drugs and parents support the attitude that pot isn't that bad then parents will have given this legacy to their children. History repeats itself. Parents must be responsible for their children and take the time to know where the kids are, who are the kid's friends and how are they doing in school. Parents must be the gate keeper for this gateway drug.

Most young kids and adults will tell you it is harder to get alcohol than pot. Do you really want it to be easier for kids to find cocaine, LSD, Heroin, Crack, and other illicit drugs, cause right now it's easier to get those than a beer if you don't have I.D. Do I think it will be out of their hands entirely? No, I do not, you ignorant woman, who earlier stated no one should use drugs ever, yet you are old and wise not young and naive, double standard! Unlike you I know there will always be drugs and drug users, however if you regulate them, keep an eye on them, make it legal for them to disclose that they are transporting kilos across the country, then you can track it, and better stop it from entering the wrong hands. As it is border patrol is blind to more than half of the drugs crossing the border. The gateway drugs are cigarettes and alcohol. Most people who use weed, crack, heroin, or cocaine, first started with cigarettes and alcohol. Nice try liar, but I know what a gateway drug is, they're sold in stores! Pot isn't "bad" it's been proven to supplement your body, fight cancer, you can live off of hemp seeds (which have no psychoactive effects whatsoever) and not be malnourished cause it has everything you need, hemp is the strongest natural fiber on the planet. You are ignoring the facts. Your ignorance, NIDA propoganda driven tirades on here are a failure. In short ma'am you are pathetic. Stop spewing your lies please. That is all.

Read the facts and research Marilyn. Educate yourself, NIDA's research that marijuana kills brain cells was based on a study in which monkeys ingested 30 joints a day over a 3 hour period or so for 90 days. After 90 days marijuana using monkeys began to atrophy and die, and when comparing the number of dead brain cells with monkeys not subjected to marijuana monkeys who'd been subjected had more dead brain cells. HERE's WHAT THEY DIDN'T TELL YOU, they pumped 60 Colombian strength joints through a gas mask over a period of 30 minutes. Thus no fresh source of oxygen, as a registered nurse I'm sure you know what happens when the human brain is deprived of oxygen... long story short it was misinformation. They suffocated these monkeys to prove a point when their own by-the-book research couldn't rightfully prove it, without them going beyond their duties so as to influence the outcome and therefore destroy the experiments integrity. The most celebrated study that claims to show brain damage is the rhesus monkey study of Dr. Robert Heath, done in the late 1970s. This is also the same study which I am speaking about. These are the same people you get your drug facts from. NIDA, supported them and their research and now you buy into it. Knowing this I think you should ask yourself if you've been given misinformation at any other point. Educate yourself Marilyn, for we should never stop learning, even if we find out we we're wrong. Hell prove me wrong.

The American Medical Association on Tuesday adopted a resolution calling for the government to review its classification of marijuana, in order to ease the way for more research into the use of medical marijuana. While the AMA, explicitly states it does not endorse any current state-based medical marijuana programs or the legalization of marijuana,
"Our American Medical Association (AMA) urges that marijuana's status as a federal Schedule I controlled substance be reviewed with the goal of facilitating the conduct of clinical research and development of cannabinoid-based medicines," the AMA's statement (PDF) reads. "This should not be viewed as an endorsement of state-based medical cannabis programs, the legalization of marijuana, or that scientific evidence on the therapeutic use of cannabis meets the current standards for a prescription drug product."
Marijuana is currently classified by the federal government as a "Schedule I" controlled substance, the most restrictive of five categories. Schedule I substances are considered to have a high potential for abuse, no accepted medical use and a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug. Other drugs in that category include heroin, LSD and PCP. Less restrictive "Schedule II" substances include cocaine and methamphetamine.
So they drop it a level. It probably should have never been a schedule1substance. But regardless of the classification it is still a risky drug for all.