cannabisnews.com: Is Pot Truly 'Addictive'? 





Is Pot Truly 'Addictive'? 
Posted by FoM on February 12, 2002 at 08:20:51 PT
By Clay Evans
Source: Daily Camera 
Marijuana "makes people lazy and stupid." So said Boulder County Sheriff George Epp in a recent interview. Exaggeration, or observation? Perhaps both. When I dabbled with pot (my youthful substance stupidity mostly revolved around alcohol and foolishly inviting nicotine addiction), it left me hungry, paranoid and sleepy, among other things. Blecch. 
But I knew a girl who went from squeaky clean, to pothead, and back, and she did seem to shed mental wattage while a stoner. We used to refer to her as "Whaa-at?" — her response to anything more complex than "Hey." However — and Epp agrees — once users quit toking up, their gray matter seems to recover. My friend is now a brilliant grownup who speaks multiple languages. (And in fairness, I have to say I've known "high functioning" stoners who could comprehend physics class while "baked" — better than I could sober.) Epp, a member of the Colorado Juvenile Parole Board, also says that "lots of kids ... are addicted to marijuana ... Maybe you can't say they are physically addicted, but these kids are sure addicted ... it destroys their lives." Addicted? Maybe not. Dr. Jack E. Henningfield of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, while with the federal government's National Institute of Drug Abuse, and Dr. Neal L. Benowitz of the University of California's medical campus, ranked six substances by their addictiveness: alcohol, caffeine, cocaine, heroin, marijuana and nicotine. Each was ranked 1 (most serious) through 6 (least serious) according to severity of five indicators of addiction, withdrawal, reinforcement (i.e. will test subjects use it to the exclusion of other substances and activities), tolerance, dependence and intoxication. In both rankings, marijuana ranks last in dependence, tolerance, and withdrawal. Henningfield places pot at fifth in reinforcement (ahead of only caffeine) and fourth in intoxication (ahead of caffeine and nicotine). Benowitz also ranks pot at fourth in intoxication, but last in reinforcement. Overall, nicotine ranked highest for dependence, but averaging the rankings, heroin is the most addictive, followed by alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, caffeine and marijuana. In other words, marijuana is less addictive than French roast. It might make you a dullard, but if you want to quit, you should succeed. Some claim pot is a "gateway" to harder substances, but the real gateways are personality, environment, brain chemistry and other factors. Humans have sought mind/body-altering substances throughout history. Despite his recent comments, Epp agrees that pot isn't the worst problem in the world. And he'd like society to stop pretending that drugs are primarily a criminal problem. "One of the biggest disservices we've ever done is to coin the term 'war on drugs,'" he says. "I know that law enforcement is not in itself a solution to the problem. We have to have education and treatment." True. But I'd like to see law enforcement's role fade completely and society recognize drugs as a public health issue. I'm not pro-pot, or any drug, and hate being around intoxicated people. But I am anti-drug war, and we should watch the rhetoric — i.e. that pot is "addictive" — lest we tempt kids to disbelieve all that we say, like "pot may dim your bulb." Source: Daily Camera (CO)Author: Clay EvansPublished: February 3, 2002 Copyright: 2002 The Daily CameraWebsite: http://www.bouldernews.com/Contact: openforum thedailycamera.comRelated Articles:Marijuana: a Gateway Drughttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10113.shtmlAdvocates of MJ for Medicinal Use Tout Its Benefithttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7376.shtml
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Comment #11 posted by CompassionPrez on February 15, 2002 at 09:41:09 PT:
half baked
I am a patient reliant on medical marijuana to reduce pain, nausea, and cramping. I was given over a dozen different pills to fight these symptoms by various "medical experts", all of which made my condition worse. All of these perscriptions left me feeling "stupid, slack jawed, and non-communicative. 
When I threw out the pills, and started using clean, organic, medical marijuana, my pain decreased, cramping was cut by 60%, and the wasting syndrome(the inability to eat) subsided. With this treatment, I did not become "stupid, slack jawed, and non-communicative." In fact, I was able to rejoin life, and enjoy the simple pleasures of good food, and a pleasant respitefrom the illness.
Such irresponsible comments by uninformed reporters and government officials are the very bricks that make up the wall that seperates those whom can get relief from their illness from that which provides the relief.
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Comment #10 posted by CompassionPrez on February 15, 2002 at 09:37:24 PT:
half baked
I am a patient reliant on medical marijuana to reduce pain, nausea, and cramping. I was given over a dozen different pills to fight these symptoms by various "medical experts", all of which made my condition worse. All of these perscriptions left me feeling "stupid, slack jawed, and non-communicative. 
When I threw out the pills, and started using clean, organic, medical marijuana, my pain decreased, cramping was cut by 60%, and the wasting syndrome(the inability to eat) subsided. With this treatment, I did not become "stupid, slack jawed, and non-communicative." In fact, I was able to rejoin life, and enjoy the simple pleasures of good food, and a pleasant respitefrom the illness.
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Comment #9 posted by Mr X on February 12, 2002 at 22:30:44 PT
Lazy and stupid?
My, what a colorful way to express your views. In my 19 years on this planet I have yet to encounter the "pothead" stereotype in real-life. Have any of you? The only time I've seen such people is when normal people try to act "'down". The giggling idiot. Yet, later when I've met up with these people they are no longer this way when stoned. Why?Simple, when people want to act cool they will do something illegal, when someone who is unfamiliar with a drug trys it to "be cool" they generally end up looking really stupid.The giggling morons usually arent even stoned! 
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Comment #8 posted by krutch on February 12, 2002 at 16:49:57 PT:
George Epp and Clay Evans....
Can both eat chain. I am neither lazy nor stupid. I will challenge either one of them to a contest of wit, productivity, or physical strength any day. Imagine a Jerk Water sheriff and a Jerk Water journalist pompous enough to make these ignorant statements.
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on February 12, 2002 at 14:02:13 PT
News Brief from SF Gate
Bay Area News Roundup 
Bay City News Report
Tuesday, February 12, 2002 
©2002 Bay City News 
URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2002/02/12/roundup.DTL 
(02-12) 11:53 PST -- San Francisco prosecutors are expressing concern about a marijuana raid carried out at a cannabis club in the city today by federal drug agents. 
San Francisco District Attorney's Office spokesman Fred Gardner said he could supply only a few details, but confirmed that agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration apparently moved in on a Sixth Street club located between Market and Mission streets early this morning. The agents are also going after an East Bay activist, among other possible enforcement actions today, he said. 
In November, San Francisco District Attorney Terence Hallinan held a news conference in support of a Northern California doctor whose offices had been raided by DEA agents and specifically warned federal officials to stay away from a city that has for years supported physician-authorized use of medicinal marijuana. 
"Lay off our marijuana clubs,'' Hallinan said at the time. 
He said that since the passage of state Proposition 215 five years ago the city's system -- in which seriously ill patients whose doctors feel they can benefit from marijuana to reduce pain or increase appetite receive official identification cards -- is working. 
"The police live happily with our law,'' he concluded to cheers from the throngs of medicinal marijuana supporters on the steps of the Hall of Justice. 
But federal officials may take a different view of the situation. In May, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case of the Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative that federal anti-drug laws do not permit an exception for these types of marijuana uses. 
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on February 12, 2002 at 10:46:03 PT
Ed Rosenthal 
I just saw in Maps coming soon section that the DEA raided and arrested Ed Rosenthal. I don't get any emails from any groups except CRRH so if anyone finds out more or a link to an article please post it. I'll keep looking.
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Comment #5 posted by goneposthole on February 12, 2002 at 10:40:32 PT
paranoia
'Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get 'cha'"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."He smokes pot to keep him from becoming a dullard.It's play. It's fun. It is not addicting.
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Comment #4 posted by SoberStoner on February 12, 2002 at 10:15:02 PT:
Yet more 'save the children' rhetoric
Reading the last couple posts, it seems the prohibitonists are falling back on old faithful, the children. Nevermind that while MJ is still illegal it is easier for children to aquire than tobacco or alcohol. But then again, when has the truth ever meant anything to a fascist?
I remember back in high school, everyone knew who the burners were. It was pitifully easy to score. I could find a sack in less than 2 periods if i really needed it. If i wanted anything legal like tobacco or alcohol, that was when the challenge kicked in. These people are so out of it, or they merely want us to believe they are that out of it. Remember, there are Go(vernment)d fearing people out there that need work, and what better way to create work for them than to create a society where you have a constant demand for workers..like an overcrowded prison population. And hey, you can also get some free slave labor out of the inmates as well..and to think that some people think slavery is gone. Slavery hasnt stopped, it's just legal now. Anyone who can make it to the march in DC on April 20 should be there, I know i will be. It is time for us to make our voices be heard. This is our time to show that we are just as capable as any other person on the street. In fact, we are even more capable than any person suffering from alcoholism or tobacco induced lung cancer. The government has fought a war of fear and intimidation against us for over 60 years now. We cannot allow this to continue, and must fight back any way that we can. but we must be careful that our actions are controlled, and easily digestable by the normal american public. it's not their fault they are wrong, they are just so willing to accept the lies of our government that they dont know they are lies. Where the government is sacriligious and irrational, we must be logical and calm. When they try to jail us, we must declare ourselves political prisoners of war. When they try to silence us, we must make sure our words are heard in other ways. Talk to your family, your friends, your coworkers. The american public is rapidly recognizing the failure of the drug war through the continued incompetence of our leaders. We must use this to our advantage. We will win. We MUST win.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on February 12, 2002 at 09:47:02 PT
SoberStoner
I read the article and it's true that if they think you are guilty you probably are and that is far from justice. Welcome Back Dr. Russo!
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Comment #2 posted by SoberStoner on February 12, 2002 at 08:53:40 PT:
FoM, here's another interesting story.
From yahoo,http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20020212/ts/fbi_terror_warning.htmlNot really a prohibition story, but the really scary part is that the whole innocent before proven guilty thing went right out the window. Now they are telling people to arrent someone BEFORE they even do anything...this country is friggen going off the deep end quick.
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Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo MD on February 12, 2002 at 08:35:10 PT:
Amen
I have been attempting to draw attention to the Benowitz-Henningfield ratings for years. Joyce and her ilk merely ignore themThis ties in to the whole MDMA controversy. When government propaganda lies to youth, what are they to believe?
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