We can do this thing!

Post Reply New Topic

I don't believe drugs have anything to do with evolution except to make the human race dumber (I have seen it happen before my eyes!!) I have no idea what you mean by the last sentence, nor do I particularly care. You'll never end the war on drugs because there will always be people adamently opposed to them!

A psychologist named Ugo Uche has said:

There are three significant symptoms an autistic child suffers from, and these are problems in socially relating to others, qualitative impairments in communicating and restrictive repetitive, stereotyped patterns of behavior. Marijuana does not improve any of these symptoms. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are eleven research studies which suggest that heavy marijuana use, (defined by smoking marijuana for twenty-seven consecutive days or more,) leads to a decline in a person's ability to learn, retain information and function successfully in society. Being able to socially relate to others in diverse settings is learned behavior, so for a child who already struggles with this skill, marijuana decreases the likelihood that any progress will be made on the issue.

Furthermore, in a 1978 research study conducted by Paul Clopton and his colleagues on "marijuana and the perception of effect."The results of this study strongly suggested that consumption of marijuana significantly reduced an individual's ability to perceive emotions in others. Needless to say the ability for one person to perceive emotions in another involves empathy on the perceiver's part and for empathy to be present; communication also has to be present. Yet another reason why giving marijuana to an autistic child is a poor medical decision, as the likelihood of a child's being able to improve upon poor communication skills is significantly reduced. The third symptom of autism in children which has to do with restrictive, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behaviors, all have to do with the child or adolescent developing an awareness on how certain socially unacceptable behaviors can put others off, and can cause a child to experience excessive episodes of rejection. Again being able to read social cues, all comes down to being empathetic.

There are enough studies out there that do not support drug use for autistic people and non-autistic people, that make my opinion--even if it is only an opinion--a valid one.

well do you honestly think having people thrown in jail for using drugs is the best policy?

Hmmm....interesting....I don't remember using those words. Sounds like you are stuffing words into my mouth.

Jail should be used for the worst drug offenders yes. For someone simply in possession of a bit of marijuana once, that is an overreaction. There should be penalities however, such as charges, to deter people from using drugs, and these penalties should be strictly enforced.

Look at some proper research by a woman instead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9WorIM0RhA



And let her explain about selection bias, funding bias, and the bias against the null hypothesis.

A little bit of knowledge is dangerous - get more![youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9WorIM0RhA[/youtube]

Or the governernment could treat it's citizens like adults and let them make their own personal decisions.

We do not live in an anarchist society (thank goodness!) The government makes certain laws that best suit the protection of its citizens and the welfare of the country. Drugs do harm to the people that use them (all of them, including marijuana kill brain cells which never regrow according to Biology professor). Drugs also do not only harm the people that use them, but their families as well. My niece and nephew who live with us via the foster care system as a result of their dead beat parents can testify to that. Drugs are a stain upon any society, and should be illegal.

Your disagreement with a person does not invalidate their research.

Personally, I do not care what anyone says in favour of drugs, I have seen with my own two eyes what damage they cause. They did not cause a bit of damage to my family, this community, this city--they have caused A LOT of damage. I will never stop fighting against drugs for as long as I live.

Ok, I thought this thread was pertaining to cannabis in the main and the problems of prohibition culture in general.

Cannabis does not kill brain cells!
This is a myth without any creditable proof, brain cells are dying all the time! Alcohol does actually kill brain cells that is how it achieves it's effect, add to that the fact that lowered inhibitions leads to a lack of moral restraint which in turn leads to increased levels of violence and sex offending, just talk to any cop about friday and saturday nights when rape complaints and assaults skyrocket as the evening becomes steadily more soaked in booze. In spite of this prohibition would not solve the problem but merely cause new ones as it has done with drug use. The problem here is cultural not legal and the solutions will be the same.

Prohibition creates a counterculture, it does not stop the use of drugs, it forces them underground, it creates a huge 'black' ecconomy which takes a portion of the countries productivity and flushes it down the toilet of criminality. Black ecconomies are a rot within a societies social fabric, as violence over the high profits to be made increases, secrecy becomes normalised as does lying, stealing and extortion. High commodity prices lead to poor alocation of resources, children of 'addicts' [harder drugs] go unfed, poorly clothed and housed and sometimes even become a comodity themselves. The ghettoisation usualy leads to them continuing such behaviours.

How has any of this been useful? how does driving wedges between societal groups and making them see each other as threats or opportunities rather than fellow citizens useful?

Well if you wish to divide those below you for your own ends I am sure it is but it does nothing but harm for everyone else.

Prohibition is indefensible no matter how self righteous you feel, any anectodal stories lead to a 'what if all that had been dealt with differently?' scenario. What if the person who prioritised drugs highly as part of their free choices hadn't had to turn to crime to supply them? What if they had felt comfortable and safe admiting to this prioritisation and been allowed to adapt their social and economic niche accordingly?

In Zen Buddhism one quickly learns to stop thinking in terms of good or bad, the absolutist diachotomies dissapear and one merely asks if something is appropriate? or inappropriate? This is usually situational and fluid!

Personally I think all drugs should be decriminalised in the first instance, and legalised and accomodated into societies structures in the main, the approach of harm reduction and accomodation does not lead to significantly increased use and abuse of drugs - those are other factors such as sense of hope/optimism/contentment within a much bigger picture.
The social and economic costs of harm reduction are lower and it is my belief that the health of the greater community increases this is a win-win situation for all.

peace j

I don't care what anyone says; pot is still bad for you. So are alcohol and cigs. That said, who cares? Just legalize it already... At least we won't have the Mexican drug cartels. This whole "decriminalization" thing is crap, because the gang warfare still exists. The "prescription" thing is stupid, too. People just go to doctors who'll help them get it for bulls**t reasons. Of course those doctors cash in on it for the price of the visit!
Patient:"Uhh, I have, like, anxiety. I need some weed, bro"
Doctor: *shrugs* "Ok." *writes prescription*

Tobacco relives my anxiety, so where's my prescription smokey smokes? Or my prescription hooch?? Life's too hard to deal with right now, doc! I need to hit the bottle!

Those are over the counter drugs. You don't need a prescription.

You should probably look at some more recent studies....when it comes to cannabis the older the studies are the less accurate they are going to be. Also cannabis helps me feel more connected to people, which means I can better relate to them and do not come off as akward. Also it helps me function because it decreases my depression and anxiety and helps me focus. Now it would irresponsible to say cannabis can always help with autism spectrum disorders but for some it does have its benifits.

Marijuana SUSPENDS brain cells, it doesn't kill them, and it sounds to me like you're displacing the blame that should go to your niece and nephew's parents onto something else. I knew several college students who use Marijuana as a vice (instead of alcohol) and they still managed to study, worked within their budgets, and didn't go around looking for trouble. Then I knew a guy who stayed mostly sober, but went into debt to make his car faster, neglected his kid, and was a burden on the people around him. I've seen with my own eyes that bad decisions are to blame for most problems and no amount of governernment intervention can stop people for making them.