I'm so scared... I'm going to quit RIGHT NOW!!!!!

Breukelen Advocaat has a good quote. That is absolutely why those figures sound the way they do. A kid passes out at a party... goes to ER... doctors ask kids what they were doing... "Drinking and smoking," they say... and then that's ONE MORE STATISTIC TO ADD TO THE LIST.

I'm pretty much finished with anti-marijuana ads and "scientific studies," because I have been doing my own study for the past 10 years. Never been to the Emergency Room ONCE for a marijuana related incident.

Another good thing to address here is the statistics of young people in rehabilitation for marijuana. I'm not sure where I found it, but I read that the highest number of teens in rehab... are there for marijuana. Now, when most citizens read that... I just supports their ignorant fears about the substance. However, these facts are very misleading.

For example:
When a high school student is caught drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes (both dangerous substances that can kill you) they are usually punished by there parents and may miss out on school activities, depending on the situation. If police are involved, it is usually just there job to detain the teen until parents arrive.
NOW... when a teen is caught smoking marijuana, either at school or at a party... law enforcement is almost ALWAYS involved. The teen will most likely receive a fine, community service, and drug counseling.

I must admit, I have experienced this first hand. In high school I was caught drinking on numerous occasions... and it usually resulted in me not being able to go out (not really even that though). Now, I was caught smoking during a lunch break... got arrested... detained for almost 24 hours... questioned by a detective blowing cigar smoke in my face... calling me a prick because I wouldn"t tell him anything... treated like a dog... sitting in a cell in my socks and underwear. I was then almost tried as an adult, spent over $5,000 in legal fees, ordered to do hundreds of community service hours, and forced to undergo drug counseling. Later, at the meetings, the counselor told me that I absolutely DID NOT have a drug dependancy problem like the court decided I did... and it was a waste of tax payer money to have me doing this. I was like 16 or 17.

When a teen is caught abusing alcohol (a PROVEN dangerous and addictive substance) they are considered to be going through the natural phase of curiosity... and receive minimal LEGAL punishment. When a teen is caught experimenting with marijuana, they are hit with a flood of legal, social, mental, and physical punishments that can scar the young person for life.

Now... how accurate do you feel those statistics are? To me, it is like when a driver experiences a fatal crash... they test his blood... and he tests positive for marijuana (even though he may not have smoked in weeks) and the official cause of the accident is driving under the influence of a controlled substance.

So to any "anti-marijuana" advocates that may happen to stumble on this forum and particular post...

UNLESS YOU SMOKE AS MUCH AS I DO.... YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO MAKE CLAIMS OF THE POTENTIAL HARM I AM DOING ON MY BODY!

I'm seriously going to start calling the police when I see a fat person eating a candy bar or a cheeseburger. If we are allowing other citizens to police morality, based on their idea of a healthy life... well... fat people shouldn't eat fatty foods right???

Oh wait... I forgot... WE DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO TELL PEOPLE WHAT TO DO WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR BODIES!!!

Well... that's my rant for the day. Stay and Keep :jointsmile: