posted November 06, 2014 04:18 PM            

Martinis are mind altering too, you know, though if you are a habitual drinker you might not notice the effects much.

posted November 06, 2014 04:39 PM            

Your idiot in the OP is just an idiot.

But really, what good does the current Prohibition do anyone but gangsters and fine collectors? Why shouldn't it be as legal as alcohol?

If the Teettotalers Brigade pushed through alcohol prohibition tomorrow would you stop drinking? Isn't that a manifestation of the Nanny State? An outrageous expense for apparently NO gain on the part of govt all over the country?

posted November 09, 2014 02:35 PM            

Jwop, you really shouldn't be so judgmental. I have experienced first hand how beneficial marijuana can be in treating chronic illness. I have a chronic autoimmune disease, and marijuana helps with the joint pain, nausea, and overall well being. I am fortunate that I have been relatively healthy for the last 2 years and have not had to be on the powerful drugs that are usually prescribed. I haven't smoked in several months, but luckily most of my symptoms are in remission for now.

I have been given drugs that can actually cause death, blindness, and suicidal thoughts, just to name a few, which are readily prescribed. Most doctors recommend being on these drugs indefinitely, and they all caused me to have horrible side effects. One drug might have even caused me to have a minor stroke at the age of 27. Medical marijuana should not even be an issue. Of all places Florida....I went to a clinic with a minor illness and the doctor walked in with pen and prescription pad in hand and asked me what type of drug I wanted. Of course he also had an in office pharmacy, but I've never left a doctor's office without a prescription for at least one drug. This guy was nothing but a legal drug pusher, and no doubt contributed to the many overdoses in Florida about 10 years ago. I could end up in prison for buying marijuana, but could legally be prescribed life threatening addictive drugs. That's just wrong!

If you haven't had to experience these circumstances, then consider yourself blessed, but you should have some compassion for those that are not as fortunate. Especially people that are dying of cancer. Even if someone smokes marijuana recreationally, it doesn't make them a pot head. Just as someone that drinks on occasion is not an alcoholic.

I'm sure this won't change your mind, because I've read many of your political posts, and you seem very closed minded to anyone that does not agree with you. I think your motive for opening threads like this is to incite anger. You are clearly biased in your views, but I wanted to offer an alternative opinion based on first hand experience.

If your "reality" involved a debilitating illness, you might have a different view.

You're right about alcohol not being equal to marijuana, because alcohol is far more dangerous! That is a fact. Same goes for prescription drugs and cigarettes. These things kill people and ruin the lives of those that are addicted. The only person that I know that I would consider to be a major pot head is well educated, has been at the same high paying job for years, and in his mid 30's has never been arrested. I think his biggest problem is the amount of money he's spent on high quality marijuana. Of course, if he were to get caught with it, he would be a criminal. There's something seriously wrong with that.

posted November 11, 2014 11:07 AM            

Yeah, and we don't need a pot shop on every corner in Florida...like they have in Colorado. Let all the potheads move to Colorado. We won't miss them a bit.

Originally published November 10, 2014 Regular pot smokers have shrunken brains, study says

Experimental mice have been telling us this for years, but pot-smoking humans didn’t want to believe it could happen to them:

posted November 12, 2014 11:54 AM            

The study has no "before and after" info. Maybe those pot smokers were always light on grey matter? Then again other studies indicate that the longer you smoke the less this pronounced this "effect" is and that "white matter" - which helps us make connections - is more plentiful in pot smokers. Again, as this report points out, whether this is cause or effect is not yet known.

posted November 12, 2014 11:38 PM            

I havent seen one study that indicates that gin cures anything but insecurity, and that wears off in the mOrning lol. Nor does the us government have umpteen patents backed by rigOrous research that show how effective whiskey can be in cancer treatment.

posted November 13, 2014 02:08 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by jwhop:

Well, if you want to say potheads are intellectually inferior from the moment of conception, I'm not going to argue with you.

---

First of all, brain development is not determined at the moment of conception.

I'm curious if you feel the same way about other legal substances that are consumed by millions in the US. Alcohol is proven to degenerate the orbitofrontal cortex and can lead to dementia later in life. People that are hooked on pain killers have similar brain function patterns of those hooked on heroin. Cigarettes are also highly addictive and kill people, even through secondhand smoke. Marijuana is far safer than all of these. Are you rallying against these things as well? You are clearly biased, and you allowed your own opinions to misrepresent what the study actually concluded.

This is a quote from Francesca Filbey, lead author of the study and an associate professor of the neurogenetics of addictive behavior at the University of Texas in Dallas...

"We found that while the orbitofrontal cortex was smaller, there was greater functional and structural connectivity," said Filbey. "The white matter seemed to have greater integrity than the [non-marijuana using group]. And the connection between the orbitofrontal cortex and other areas were stronger."

That's potentially positive news suggesting that whatever impact marijuana use might have on the size or volume of that part of the brain, it may be offset by better connectivity and structural soundness. "It suggests that there is definitely a more complicated pattern that the brain seems to be able to compensate for any kind of loss in order to keep that network maintained," Filbey said.

Another quote from the article "And it is possible that the small orbitofrontal cortex observed in marijuana users predated their marijuana use".

This study is flawed in a few ways. It was already pointed out, they were not tested before the long term marijuana use in this study. It's possible that they were more inclined to use a mind altering substance, since this area rules decision making and emotional reward from certain behaviors. Also, it was based on 48 heavy marijuana users(average of 3 times per day for an average of 10 years), and of those 48, 27 of them only used marijuana. So nearly half of the heavy marijuana smokers used other substances as well. This definitely leaves a lot of room for skewed results, especially if they drink regularly, which is known to affect the orbitofrontal cortex.

Any way you cut it, nothing in this study should be used as justification to vote against medical marijuana use. You can keep posting the propaganda and the petty insults, it only makes you look foolish.

posted November 13, 2014 11:15 PM            

The article is long and written by research scientists...love to hear your thoughts on it... http://alcalc.oxfordjournals.
org/content/36/5/357

posted November 14, 2014 12:45 AM            

The OP sounds like Morgan was encouraging young people to smoke pot, that he was in a bar STONED...well he was stoned, as in drunk...and everyone there was obviously old enough to drink. Ironic that, no one suspects maybe the crowd were also a bit rowdy with a few under their belts?

Not all people who want medical marijuana to be legal are potheads. Apparently his brother has medical issues and reason to think cannabis is good medicine?

The way nonsmokers talk about weed smokers sounds eerily like the way the Teetotal ladies talked about the "lowlifes" and "ravages" of alcohol. They were right, in some cases, but that doesn't mean a scotch and soda leads to automatic damnation. Or even a daily cocktail/beer/dram.

There are very few belligerent potsmokers, unlike Hopheads who have a reputation for pugnacious talk and behaviour...like John Morgan for instance!
http://www.floridatoday.com/sto ry/news/politics/2014/09/04/attorney-john-morgan-makes-obscenity-laced-campaign-stop-medical-marijuana/15062731/

here are two different opinions about the clip, one from the campaign against the Prop, the other from the pro side.

"During the video, Morgan talks about 'smoking grass' and encourages young adults to get out and support Amendment 2, clearly showing this is about legalizing pot. This is not about sick Floridians; this is about pot for everyone and anyone. Just ask John Morgan."

Ben Pollara, United for Care director, said Morgan "says nothing in that video other than dropping a couple of f-bombs that is different from what he says everywhere he goes." Morgan makes the point that the initiative is about helping sick people like his brother, Pollara said, and never suggests he supports legalizing marijuana.

posted November 14, 2014 09:35 AM            

Memo to the Potheads:

Your support for legalizing pot has nothing whatsoever to do with providing medical pot for the treatment of disease. Nothing whatsoever.

All this wheezing, whining, screeching and shrieking is total bullshiiite designed to make potheads appear compassionate by providing relief for symptoms of disease.

The real purpose of these Pot Amendments and laws across America is to legalize pot for recreational use...and nothing but. That's what you potheads really want and that's what the totally fraudulent John Morgan of Florida really wants.

You got shut down in Florida by people who voted using their brains...which weren't shrunk by pot use.

So come on you compassionate potheads who say you want a law which would permit pot to be used by victims of disease.

OK, here's one:

Pot shall be available for treatment of disease by written prescription by medical doctors only after physical examination. The prescription shall be specific to the diagnosed disease and the prescription shall state which disease is being treated. All prescriptions for medical pot shall be filled at established pharmacies and the drug held in secured facilities which store other addictive drugs. All pot prescriptions shall be filled at licensed pharmacies by licensed pharmacists.

Penalties for misuse of Pot.

Any physician who writes a fraudulent prescription for pot shall, upon conviction, be subject to loss of medical license, 5 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.

Any pharmacy which dispenses pot without a doctors prescription shall be subject to loss of their license to dispense controlled drugs and a $1,000,000 fine.

Any pharmacist who dispenses pot without a lawful prescription shall, upon conviction, be subject to loss of their license, 5 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.

Any individual in possession of pot without a current legal prescription shall, upon conviction, be subject to 1 year in prison, loss of their license to drive for 5 years and a fine of $100,000 which must be paid before application is made for a new driver's license.

No person under the influence of pot shall operate a motor vehicle.

There you go potheads. This is your chance to show how compassionate you are towards those who have true symptoms of disease treated or eased by medical pot.

Of course, that's not your true motives for supporting pot legalization. Your true motives are legalizing pot for recreational use and it always was.

The people of Florida just told you potheads to go suck a tailpipe. If the laxity of the language in the proposed Florida legislation had been known to voters it would never even have gotten on the ballot for a vote.

We in Florida don't want to share our streets, highways and freeways with drivers high on alcohol OR pot.

Colorado beckons you. Have a nice trip!

posted November 14, 2014 11:10 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by jwhop:
Let's cut straight to the chase here and shut down all the horseshiiite.

Memo to the Potheads:

Your support for legalizing pot has nothing whatsoever to do with providing medical pot for the treatment of disease. Nothing whatsoever.

All this wheezing, whining, screeching and shrieking is total bullshiiite designed to make potheads appear compassionate by providing relief for symptoms of disease.

The real purpose of these Pot Amendments and laws across America is to legalize pot for recreational use...and nothing but. That's what you potheads really want and that's what the totally fraudulent John Morgan of Florida really wants.

You got shut down in Florida by people who voted using their brains...which weren't shrunk by pot use.

So come on you compassionate potheads who say you want a law which would permit pot to be used by victims of disease.

OK, here's one:

Pot shall be available for treatment of disease by written prescription by medical doctors only after physical examination. The prescription shall be specific to the diagnosed disease and the prescription shall state which disease is being treated. All prescriptions for medical pot shall be filled at established pharmacies and held in secured facilities which store other addictive drugs. All pot prescriptions shall be filled at licensed pharmacies by licensed pharmacists.

Penalties for misuse of Pot.

Any physician who writes a fraudulent prescription for pot shall, upon conviction, be subject to loss of medical license, 5 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.

Any pharmacy which dispenses pot without a doctors prescription shall be subject to loss of their license to dispense controlled drugs and a $1,000,000 fine.

Any pharmacist who dispenses pot without a lawful prescription shall, upon conviction, be subject to loss of their license, 5 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.

Any individual in possession of pot without a current legal prescription shall, upon conviction, be subject to 1 year in prison, loss of their license to drive for 5 years and a fine of $100,000 which must be paid before application is made for a new driver's license.

No person under the influence of pot shall operate a motor vehicle.

There you go potheads. This is your chance to show how compassionate you are towards those who have true symptoms of disease treated or eased by medical pot.

Of course, that's not your true motives for supporting pot legalization. Your true motives are legalizing pot for recreational use and it always was.

The people of Florida just told you potheads to go suck a tailpipe. If the laxity of the language in the proposed Florida legislation had been known to voters it would never even have gotten on the ballot for a vote.

We in Florida don't want to share our streets, highways and freeways with drivers high on alcohol OR pot.

Colorado beckons you. Have a nice trip!

---

Get a grip Jwop!

Once again, do you have this same issue with other prescription drugs? Because prescriptions are written everyday for pain killers which are addictive and can cause impairment, and they can be legally prescribed for "moderate" pain. A lot of people don't need these, but take them recreationally. As far as all the fines, some individual doctors in the state of Florida had over a dozen patients that had died from Oxy(a drug that made Billions), and faced no fines. Remember Rush and his Dr shopping? You cannot compare the effects of marijuana to these seriously impairing prescription drugs. If Pfizer could put a patent on it this would not be an issue, they had over $50 billion in sales last year-51,600,000,000 to be exact. It's big Pharma that doesn't want to offer an alternative to their side effect riddled pills. I'm sure Big Tobacco isn't happy either.

I'll point out once again that the majority did vote for it-58% is the majority, incase there was some confusion there. Unfortunately it needed 60% to pass. To suggest that the 58% that voted for it are all potheads is just plain stupid! The thought of all the geriatric voters in Florida doing bong hits and listening to Pink Ffloyd is pretty funny, but it's far from accurate. Obviously a large number of the elderly would have had to vote for it in order to get 58% for and 42% against. You are in the minority here. I supported Prop 2 and I'm not a pothead, I haven't had a single puff in nearly 4 months. I do enjoy smoking recreationally, but I have felt the benefits that it's had on my symptoms.

It's okay, it will be back on the ballot next year. They will probably rephrase the "caretaker" bit, which was the straw all the opponents were grasping to as justification to vote against it. As it is now, any person that has a debilitating illness such as cancer can have their caretaker pick up prescriptions for them, so this should not have been an issue. It can be quite difficult to get out of bed to fill your marijuana prescription when you're dying of cancer. There was nothing laxed about the way it was written, there were strict limits on the number of dispensaries, number of plants that could be grown , and limited THC content. Get your facts straight.

Judging by how hell bent you are against anyone smoking recreationally you must think "Reefer Madness" was a documentary!

I really don't get what motivates your fanatical anti-marijuana stance, other than just liking to stand on your soapbox and ruffle feathers. I usually don't even respond to your threads because they are so seething with anger that it's downright toxic. I'm only responding to this because it affects my life personally, and you are spouting a lot of BS.

posted November 14, 2014 01:24 PM            

You are exhibiting the stubborn inability to take on new concepts described in one of the articles about the effects of ALCOHOL...

And missing the point entirely. The crowd of rowdy young adults in the bar were IN A BAR ie drinking not smoking pot. The slurred and swearing speaker was also drinking not smoking pot. Yet the campaign against medical marijuana, like yourself, dont know the difference.

Nothing wrong with the guidelines you posted on medical marijuana (but do doctors "dispense" drugs? Dont think so). Your black/white paradigm is showing again.

If I defend your right to a cocktail does that make me an Alchie? Hardly. My veryy straight 74 year old sister has been taking medical marijuana while undergoing chemo for cancer. She hasnt gotten high on it and doesn't want to. She has beaten the cancer though.

posted November 14, 2014 01:49 PM            

quote:

---

The thought of all the geriatric voters in Florida doing bong hits and listening to Pink Ffloyd is pretty funny, but it's far from accurate.

---

Oh dear, Pink Floyd fans are now geriatrics

My sister has Chrons and has basically been gutted by the disease. She uses medical pot for her pain & nausea of the meds she has to take..
Like Cats sister, she doesn`t smoke it or get high. The quality of her life since starting has improved by a 100%.

My concern about it is it is against the law and one can be fired or jailed/fined even when they have a license to use it.
A law either allowing or disallowing it needs to be clear cut.
Maybe that is what the voters are trying to get figured out "how to" one way or the other.
I hold no judgement against a drinker or pot smoker healthwise; it`s their health not mine.