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Jailing marijuana users is terrible

 
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Jan 09, 2007 - 08:37:02 CST
By WILLIAM VOLLAN
Bismarck
I wish to comment on the article, “Christmas behind bars.” The article was about the women’s prison at New England. The use of marijuana was mentioned a couple of times.

I agree with Bill O’Reilly on TV and the radio — when is North Dakota going to wake up and decriminalize the use and possession of this non-addictive substance. It seems law enforcement would rather let out sex offenders to make room for marijuana convictions.

I greatly respect Alaska, Montana and Canada for changing their laws dealing with marijuana. Especially since they have large Native American populations, and for these people alcohol has been a killer for more than a hundred years.

How do I know marijuana is nonaddictive? In the early ’80s, I began teaching math and science in an Eskimo village on the west coast of Alaska. It takes too long to mention everything I did as a coach and teacher for the young people — but every student was using marijuana when I began — when I left after two years to get my master’s degree, not one student was using it.

I respect and admire Willie Nelson for not being an alcoholic. The NFL is a stupid organization for testing for marijuana — guess how many alcoholics play professional football? It is a high stress job, and to smoke a little ganja would relax them properly when they get home. But no, the NFL would rather see them have car accidents, shoot each other, abuse their wives, have fights and become alcoholics. Any sex offender will readily admit that alcohol is their trigger.

To put women and young people in jail and prison because of marijuana is terrible. A reminder: Do not ask law enforcement or federal drug agents about this because they love marijuana — it provides them with jobs and convictions.
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Jailing marijuana users is terrible
Comments

johnny wrote on Mar 21, 2008 6:09 PM:

" opinions from non users arealways funny as they think themselves an authority on the subject after you have smoked pot daily for 35 years you may be able to discuss this subject with mewith real knowledge, i have never been arrested and have never committed a violent act against any one or caused a traffic accident due to pot have been married for 34 years and am worth over 10 million dollars and have employed over 40 people at times in my businesses "

sumar wrote on Mar 22, 2007 7:43 AM:

" i fully belive that marijuana is not addictive but only if you have a addictive personality i also belive that it should leglized for people ages at least 21 or over. thanks for reading "

riffraff wrote on Feb 6, 2007 4:03 PM:

" Well, you made a lot of good points in your excellent post sir. But, of course, I don't know how someone that drinks 5 times a year can be against legalization of marijuana. Decriminalization is not enough. I wouldn't ask any drinker to settle for only being fined a small amount and having his beer taken away if he's caught having it in his home. I would expect him to be just as angry as I am about the whole marijuana situation in this country. I'd also have to disagree with the "We all want less drug use" part, if you are referring to the drugs we are talking about here (alcohol/marijuana). Both of those substances can be just swell if a person uses them correctly. It's probably not the most popular idea ever, but to tell you the truth; Based on my personal experiences, I wouldn't recommend completely abstaining from either of them to any adult. Sometimes, they just hit the spot. And all the drinkers out there agree with me, except for the whole part about marijuana. The thing is, I'm pretty sure it's natural to want to alter your consciousness in some way. That's another idea of mine that isn't very popular. Yet, pretty much every civilization that's ever existed used some sort of mind altering drug. Thats why I get a kick out of people that don't drink or do drugs, and think that the rest of us should do the same. Sorry, I'm going to go ahead and follow the desire that was implanted in my brain by God, natural selection, whoever or whatever. And I'm going to disobey any laws that try to prevent it or limit my options as to how I do it. "

Fence Rider wrote on Feb 6, 2007 1:03 PM:

" I choose to not take a position but to offer somethings to think about. I am a child of the 60's and 70's (what ever that means). What has been most notable to me is that most people are not fully satisfied with the state of the existence. Why do I say that, because more people than not choose to alter their consciousness with the use of drugs which by defintition allows me to include alcohol in that group. So to those of my generation who say, "I am glad my child only drinks and doesn't do drugs," I reply, "Your child is drinking his/her drug rather than shooting it or smoking it." It may be by the shear numbers of users, "but the amount of damage done by illegal drugs in America compared to the use/abuse of alcohol is a small drop in the bucket." I put this in quotes because it comes from a friend of mine who is 60 something and is a recovering alcoholic,(for over 20 years). He goes on to say, "You know why people drink, because it does something for them." Very simplistic but true. It might be to relieve stress, to be more socialable, to be more assertive, more comfortable, more relaxed, what ever the reason there is a reason. For those who become alcoholics the dynamics of use change from want to need. For marijuana use, I would say the vast majority use for the same reason. There were those who recognized the inheirent dangers that came from using alcohol and they outlawed its use,(Prohibition-The Great Experiment) did it work? No. Why? People wanted something, (a illegal drug which they percieved to be mostly safe)to change or alter their state of existence, and they didn't want to be called a criminal for doing so. They were people who worked hard, raised families, and when they had a chance they "played" hard. Is marijuana safe, absolutely not. Do I want my bus driver, my pilot, my surgeon,etc stoned...no. But I don't want these individuals drunk either. Is marijuana a "gateway" drug? I think if you asked every herion addict if they first used marijuana, nearly all would say yes. Does than mean all marijuana users end up as herion users? The answer to that comes from reports issued the US Dept. of Health. Their report states that for every 104 marijuana users, 1.2 become addicted to cocaine, and less than one become addicted to herion. Does this make the tragedy of addition any less devastating for those and their families who become addicts to cocaine or herion, no? The same report says that kids that smoke cigarettes are 8 times more likely to use illegal drugs than kids that don't. Is nicotine a gateway drug? Why are cigarettes still legal for any segment of society,(18 older), if this is the case? Are marijuana users more violent. I hate statistics because they can be made to say anything, but for those with any personal experience in drug use(including alcohol)which have you seen to be more violent, those that are drunk at a party, or he "stoners"? How many have seen your daughters,or sisters, or mothers report to a emergency room and say, "my spouse, my boyfriend, my dad, my husband got really stoned and beat the s--- out of me." Honestly, how many do you know? On the other hand how many restraining orders are issued because most often when drunk.....these people resort to violent behavior against women and children." Sometimes this may involve the use of more than one drug, and often includes meth which is so very nasty but ask law enforcment how many restraining orders go to persons, men and women who drink too much, and then ask how many are issued to marijuana users. Which is more dangerous, marijuana or alcohol? Society and jurisprudence have already determined which is more dangerous by the severity of their laws for use and the amount of money spent on enforcement and incarceration. Sorry for some of the rambling. In closing, it is obvious that our programs to deal with drugs in America is a failure because with small spikes and vallies, the use of marijuana has remained fairly constant since the 70's. Most users of marijuan quit or drastically reduce use in their 20's or early 30's because of jobs, marriage, carreer threat, non interest, availability, legal concerns or what ever. But the fact remains that about 53% of people 18 to 25 will use marijuana. Over half of your children, your neices andd nephews, your grandchildren will be labeled as criminals for using marijuana. Because of that fact alone users who are arrested for using (not selling or cultivating) can be subject to random drug test, loss of college financial aid, loss of professional drivers licenses, loss of carreer, child custody, loss of access to certain carreer choices,a possible permanent criminal record and more. Yet more than half will choose to use at somepoint in their lives. Is legalization the answer? My answer is no, there are too many unanswered questions, but decriminalization just may be. It would take away most huge amounts of money which are now spent for both the purchase of and for law enforcement. Would society go into a moral tailspin because of it? Hard questions. We would need to look hard and honestly at those countries where it has been decriminalized, i.e. most of the European countries. It is reported that the Netherlands which has the most liberal use laws in the world has about half the percentage of regular users as America. Why is that. It moght not have anything to do with its legal position, but what is the answer. We all want less drug use and certainly less abuse, but what is the answer? I don't believe our present laws and focus are reaching their goals. Why do people want to get high (drugs or alcohol)? What makes people willing to risk a lifetime of heartache for a "feeling" of betterment? How better can we spend the massive amounts of money we presently spend on failed systems. Or is keeping the present percentage of use acceptable, cause that's what we've done for the last several decades. We need to ask better questions and we need to get better answers. For me I find my fulfillmet in Jesus Christ, I drink sociable maybe 5 times a year, (why I an still not sure), and I do not smoke, but I have been to town and I have seen the elephant. I am married for over 20 years and I have teenage children. I occasionally argue with my wife and children, I don't always like my job, and I want a better world for all.I number myself with the many, not the few. Thanks for letting me think out loud. "

GL wrote on Feb 6, 2007 9:20 AM:

" "addicted" to marijuana has a nice ring to it. I would guess that there are worse things that could happen. There are a ton of people addicted to legal things that aren't good for them. But the govnt taxes and regulates it. Why throw these particular people in jail for it??? Why?? "

Yes Riffraff wrote on Feb 5, 2007 12:35 PM:

" The same thing happened to alice. She fell down a rabbit hole and found herself in wonderland. Was it mello yellow, the wrong catus apple? The story never told. But you do know and still like the trip. Shame on you mr raff. What part of hallucinogenic do you not understand. Was Mr Vollan your school teacher? "

riffraff wrote on Feb 5, 2007 9:53 AM:

" I wouldn't expect you to believe it, as you've already demonstrated that you are not all that good at deciding what or what not to believe. I'd be happy to provide you with some urine and/or hair for testing purposes if you'd like. Your actual problem is that it's fruitless to argue with someone when all the facts are against you. Not that you can really call when you've been doing lately "arguing", that would imply that you have an argument, but I don't even know what the point you're trying to make at this point, other than that I'm "addicted" to marijuana. "

To Deuce wrote on Feb 4, 2007 9:22 AM:

" Sorry Deuce, I come from a generation that learned the phrase "The guy was Deuce" mean he was totally messed up. If you were actually advocating something that was good and useful for society I would jump on your bandwagon. But YOU are trying to legitimize a vice YOU can't get a handle on. Don't push it on others. People who advocate the use of drugs are usually "put off" because "people in authority" have put restrictions on other "harmless" things like speeding, drinking and boating, spousal abuse aka: "correcting a bad behavior your wife or husband might have", pornography, sex with minors, etc. Well educated is not the same as being educated. Some remarked that Ted Bundy seemed "well educated". "

Deuce wrote on Feb 3, 2007 4:37 PM:

" Harmless, I have to give a thumbs Up to the Bismarck Tribune. For bringing such situations serious as this to light. I am a well educated young man in this community, and have been persecuted for my recreational use of marijuana. Which is the lesser of evils facing us all these days. Back Off. Face the facts. Freedom will Reign. Law enforcment is a key factor in all of this, meaning that their revenue would be jepordized. Which is a bunch of bologne. I pay their salarys. VOTE! "

to riffraff wrote on Feb 3, 2007 2:44 PM:

" I have learned that it's fruitless to argue with an addict about the substance said addict it addicted to. (obviously I don't buy your claim of not smoking marijuana for close to a year, ha... ha...ha.) In your case this certainly bears out. You can legally drink draino..but before you do, I would recommend you read up on it from level headed sources and not persons advertising "If you drink draino it will solve all your prolems". And while that's potentially a truthful statement, similiar to your case, I would consider the source. "

riffraff wrote on Feb 2, 2007 2:09 PM:

" I agree Mrs. Hill, people should lead healthy lives for the sake of their families, themselves, as well as for the rest of the society that they live in. I also think that people should be allowed to legally make the choice to use a drug that is less harmful for everyone involved than those that we are currently allowed to use under our current laws, should we ever discover one. I think most people would agree with that. So, should we ever discover a drug that is without a doubt safer than alcohol or tobacco, I sure hope we are able to use it. And surely we would be right? We're all about freedom here and the people that we elect as leaders will always have our best interests in mind at all times. They would surely legalize that drug whether or not there was any money to be made. "

Mrs. Hill wrote on Feb 2, 2007 10:47 AM:

" I believe that a drug is a drug. Marijuana use is illegal, therefore if you do the crime, you should do the time. A person is suppose to live a healthy lifestyle, for the sake of their families, so they should not be smoking marijuana. "

Wow wrote on Feb 1, 2007 5:47 PM:

" I think Sam is smoking way to much crack. "

Don't do it never wrote on Feb 1, 2007 3:47 PM:

" Remember the story about the young lady who kissed a frog and it turned into a prince. Poison frogs can be a trip. You can see many things when around poisonous or hallucinogenic chemicals. Don't kiss the frog, just don't do it. You might spend the rest of your life addicted to kissing frogs. "

Sam wrote on Feb 1, 2007 3:28 PM:

" Here is some information from webmd.com. http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/73/81986.htm?pagenumber=1 "

Sam wrote on Feb 1, 2007 2:36 PM:

" Not on drugs:) But clearly I do have a brain and compassion and realize there is more to our nation than just me and my simple problems. Others have far more serious problems. Education on the facts would be helpful when you live in a world full of industries that only work towards changing the laws if it benefits them financially. I can hardly lobby the legislature on my own. It takes open minded people to change this law. I am trying to open them up to the truth and facts. I relaize there is a large part of ND that won't take the truth from anyone but an official. LAMBS. "

comical wrote on Feb 1, 2007 1:24 PM:

" to Sam: If you are anything like your posts, you are one goofy chick. This is clearly "your brain on drugs" "

Sam wrote on Feb 1, 2007 12:45 PM:

" www.marinol.com Now why is marinol(synthetic THC) legal as medicine but marijuana is not? WHy are we spending so much money on this war on marijuana>? Ruining childrens lives by taking their parents away and incarcerating them, when the pharmaceutical industry can sell it to our sick? And it is safe and not addicting? Not exactly Cyanide now is it>? Here is an exerpt from the what is marinol section. Dronabinol is a synthetic version of a naturally occurring compound known as delta-9-THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) Delta-9-THC stimulates appetite and reduces nausea and vomiting by binding to special receptors found in your nervous system Delta-9-THC is also one of many components in marijuana. In fact, delta-9-THC is the main ingredient responsible for most of marijuana’s effects And from the "is marinol safe" section Ideas for important medicines have originated from plants (including MARINOL). Aspirin from willow bark and the cancer drug paclitaxel from the Pacific yew tree are just two examples MARINOL has been proven to be safe and generally well tolerated. MARINOL is unlikely to lead to abuse and addiction—a fact the federal government has formally recognized. "

Sam wrote on Feb 1, 2007 7:18 AM:

" Now on the other hand studies have shown that tobacco use causes low birth weight babies, and miscarrriages, and preterm deliveries. (It is legal to smoke cigerettes while you are pregnant.) Partially because some pregnant women who smoke also diet during their pregnancies. I personally smoked through all 4 of my pregnancies and had 8 1/2 to 9 pound babies. But I also ate freely, I have always eaten when I am hungry and what I am hungry for. My babies all had to be induced over their due date as well. And I am not over weight. Some women smoke cigerettes instead of eating. "

Sam wrote on Feb 1, 2007 7:01 AM:

" Having stated these facts, I would like to point out that in this country there's no way to know if the pot you're smoking has been laced with other drugs (such as PCP) or contaminated with pesticides, so I wouldnot recomend its use during pregnancy. "

Sam wrote on Feb 1, 2007 6:57 AM:

" Not to mention it also causes heart attacks. "

Sam wrote on Feb 1, 2007 6:56 AM:

" Around the rest of the world, studies have been done on marijuana and pregnancy. It is not like alcohol. (Does not cause fetal alcohol syndrome) For instance in Jamaica women who use marijuana through their pregnancy have been found to have larger, healthier babies. Maybe because they do not lose their appetite and the sale of marijuana brings in extra income for food. Soem countries allow marijuana use for morning sickness medicinally. You are not educated on marijuana in this country because of all the scare tactics. It is my experience that meth addicts self medicate with marijuana to help them sleep and eat. Meth kills because people starve to death, and go insane from lack of sleep. "

FYI: wrote on Jan 31, 2007 7:45 PM:

" Anybody read about the lady in Wyoming pregnant with twins, and doing meth AND pot? They had to put that nobrain in jail just to try to save those twins. That's a shame. She was endangering the twins with her stupid addiction to drugs. POT being one of them. "

Reefer Madness wrote on Jan 31, 2007 5:02 PM:

" Oh, wow man! I forgot what I was going to say . . . . . "

riffraff wrote on Jan 30, 2007 7:44 PM:

" No, you're mistaken. Let's recap, shall we? It's been over a year since I've smoked any marijuana. That's been stated by me many times, scroll back. And I "quit" without even putting any thought or effort into it. By comparison, I've tried to quit smoking cigarettes every few months since about a year after I started, failing each time. Which leads me to believe that while marijuana is infinitely more pleasurable than tobacco, it is much easier to stop using, and is therefore not truly addictive. Just fun. And had tobacco been illegal, there's no way I would waste my time finding tobacco to buy, because it doesn't do enough for you. If it would require any more work than walking into the nearest grocery store, convenience store, kmart, walmart, etc. and purchasing a pack for a couple dollars, I wouldn't have spent as much time smoking as I did. "

to riffraff wrote on Jan 30, 2007 5:55 PM:

" Please tell me you're not smoking while you're typing because your logic is slipping again. I believe you've stated that cigarettes to you, are much more addictive than marijuana, but then you turn around and declare "If I had to buy my cigarettes from a "drug dealer", then I would have quit shortly after starting". The fact is you now buy your marijuana from a "drug dealer" and are unable to quit. Are you admitting you've discovered marijuana to be more addictive than cigarettes? And please don't come back with something like: no, I just find marijuana to be more pleasurable. Whether you are addicted to the pleasure or pain it brings, you're addicted. "

riffraff wrote on Jan 30, 2007 5:12 PM:

" Yeah, that's what I've always thought too. If I had to buy my cigarettes from a "drug dealer", I would have quit shortly after starting. It really makes no sense at all that tobacco is legal and marijuana is not. If we honestly cared about the health of the population, it would definitely be the other way around. But, I don't think either one should be banned. At first, I thought it was sort of amusing that marijuana, with all it's therapeutic properties is illegal while these other drugs that do less positive and more negative are legal. What did I care, since I decided that I liked marijuana more and I was going to do it either way? But, looking at the big picture, I realize that it's really just tragic and wrong. People deserve to be allowed to use marijuana as an alternative to these other drugs. "

Sam wrote on Jan 30, 2007 4:09 PM:

" This weekend we went to Minnesota. We listened to the talk shows on the radio. Thoses people sure are in an uproar over their proposed smoking bans in restaraunts and bars. Those people seem to feel it is private property and the government shouldn't be able to police something that is legal. I say prohibit tobacco tomorrow. I would quit if I couldn't just walk to the gas station and get a pack whenever I got "stressed out." Lets trade tobacco for marijuana, marijuana makes me feel good and happy. It is an instant mood booster for me. "

riffraff wrote on Jan 30, 2007 4:01 PM:

" Well, at first I only smoked when I drank, which was pretty amazing. Having a few beers and then a cigarette was excellent for quite a while. But, it quickly lost all its fun when I started smoking regularly. So now I'm going on almost a month without a smoke, after a couple years of smoking a pack a day, and oh god do I miss them. It's really sad. "

Sam wrote on Jan 30, 2007 3:43 PM:

" Riff raff~ What fun did you get from tobacco? It doesn't even make you feel good. It makes you feel sick. (Just wondering, I am a die hard smoker and do not get any pleasant benefits.) The closest I have come to fun and tobacco was when my Dad used to blow smoke rings. "

raffriff wrote on Jan 30, 2007 3:18 PM:

" Yeah, on a related note, it's also funny how people are fine with someone getting behind the wheel of a car, teaching/babysitting their children, and working for their company while taking prescription Adderall or Desoxn but at the same time they look at meth addicts as absolute scum and want to lock them up for as long as possible. Apparently they are not quite aware of how closely those drugs are related to the meth like that's made in North Dakota. If people are serious about keeping "stoned" people off the highways, we definitely shouldn't allow people to even posses these dangerous drugs. "

riffraff wrote on Jan 30, 2007 2:47 PM:

" to riffraff(1): Well, I chose my moniker as a sort of humorous reference to how North Dakotans like to say that the frigied climate "keeps the riffraff" out of our great state. Who exactly these riffraff are, I am not sure. But yes, probably pinko commie marijuana smokers. Funny, the people that say that usually are the same ones that like to think of themselves as better or perhaps more "moral" than said riffraff. | to riffraff(2): Well, I dunno what to say. I can't say alcohol and tobacco are harmless, that's for sure. But, alcohol also has done a lot of good for a lot of people that won't get the press of a nice bloody multiple fatality DUI accident. I've had a lot of fun with alcohol and somehow tobacco as well. So, I'm happy that alcohol is legal for me, as an adult, to drink. Tobacco, I probably wouldn't try again, if I had to do it all over again, but I don't care much if its legal or not. I don't think we should outlaw something as soon as it's learned that it can be unhealthy or dangerous in ways. I'm only comparing marijuana to them because they are legal and commonly used, not because they are 100% exactly like marijuana, or even close really. I've always said that I think marijuana is a superior drug. Saying that marijuana is like alcohol except without hangovers, the ability of overdose, the extreme impairment of driving ability, etc is actually a huge difference. The worst thing about marijuana is that it's usually smoked (but doesn't have to be), which is not exactly beneficial to the lungs. That's really the only reason I would compare it to inferior drugs like tobacco or alcohol. Its positive effects are quite different. Being able to smoke about the same amount as 1/2 of a king size cigarette and almost instantly getting the relaxing effects similar to drinking 2-3 beers as well as euphoric effects that are unique to marijuana, all the while being much more in control of your speech and balance, is wonderful. And again, that's without having to worry about hangovers or having to drink bottle after bottle of a not so tasty liquid which leaves you with a sick feeling in your stomach. You say you don't hear alcoholics praising alcohol's legal status, but what about just regular drinkers? Surely they are happy that they are free to legally drink a beer or 12 when the want to. I don't see recreational drugs as inherently bad, so I guess thats where our opinion differs. "

Sam wrote on Jan 30, 2007 1:51 PM:

" ~to Sam~ You and the vast majority of ND accespt pharmacuetical use. I can imagine an official stating the marijuana facts and the sheep of ND would accept it. (medicinal) but if someone tries to get away with using a plant for medicinal purposes (free) the industry squlashes that thought. Money grubber supporters is all you really are. "

Sam wrote on Jan 30, 2007 1:34 PM:

" Well you are looking down on us, alot of people smoke pot, and if you think it should stay illegal you are looking down on us and saying we are criminals. Marijuana is safer than cigerettes and alcohol. It fits quite nicely into a balanced life with recreation. No one wants kids to have it, no one wants on the job abuse, we want legal recreational decisions. It really doesn't matter to most pot smokers if it is illegal, but it matters to me because I would like to not go to jail, or feel like a criminal, on the rare occacion I indulge in a toke or two. And there are REAL medicinal purposes for marijuana that have been recognized by 9 other states. It isn't bad enough to keep it illegal. "

to sam wrote on Jan 30, 2007 1:24 PM:

" Tolerance for drug use is not something I or the vast majority of North Dakotan's are going to accept. Sorry. Apparently you also have a poor self image. I come into contact with all types of people on an almost daily basis. They all start out on the same level playing field with me. Regardless of the label society has placed on them. It's only when people do things like support the legalization of marijuana that I, importantly, start to form an opinion of them. And please don't accuse me of labeling riffraff, he/she chose their own label. Take it up with him/her. "

Pizzaface wrote on Jan 30, 2007 1:16 PM:

" As a pizza shop owner I am all for legalizing marijuana. Much of my business comes from the rather red eyed users of this product and we have never had incidences with them. As it is a calming drug people are less likely to act out or cause others harm like alcohol etc. The only issue I see is a lot of overeating and some large marges coming from it. Legalizing it and taxing it would be a great revenue source by which to affect change in lowering our real estate and income taxes. "

Sam wrote on Jan 30, 2007 12:52 PM:

" ~For:To riffraff~I like people, whether they have a bad reputation or not. I'd rather be looked down on by people like you than be like people like you, that is for sure. Tolerance is the name of the game, get off your high horse. You would be surprised at the success levels of people you are standing up against on this post. "

to riffraff wrote on Jan 30, 2007 12:43 PM:

" I'm a little confused. It seems to me you provide as part of your argument for the legalization of marijuana by constantly comparing it to alcohol and cigarettes. Saying it's no worse than those substances. Then you turn around and slam both of those as being bad for you. Where am I supposed to glean a positive endorsement for marijuana from that reasoning. I don't see many alcoholics and persons suffering from the ill effects of being a smoker presenting themselves as fine examples of why it's good that those substances are legal. I don't endorse the use or abuse of either of those things. They are unfortunately present and we are dealing with the effects of those two damaging substances. Lets not create a three headed snake from the two headed snake we are already forced to deal with. "

to riffraff wrote on Jan 30, 2007 12:27 PM:

" I would guess that you came up with your blog name of your own free will. That tells me alot. Websters defines riffraff as: "Persons of the lowest or most disreputable class". Evidently you have a low self image. Your only objective here is to legalize marijuana so that you can get it cheaper and attempt to improve on your low self image by dragging others to your level of morality. We won't be following the advice of a marijuana addict. Thank you. "

idlose wrote on Jan 30, 2007 11:45 AM:

" i think that frank made the best sense out of all of the posts. here !!! here here frank!!!!!!!Frank wrote on January 24, 2007 2:10 AM:"Marajuwanna smoking longhaired hippie commies! If they manage to get it legalized, what will happen to all that money for the prison-industrial complex? Plus police will have to put their lives in danger by going after muderers, rapists and bankrobbers and other real criminals! Besides the REAL problem is milk! Did you know that ALL criminals started out drinking MILK? By the time they realized too late that milk is a gateway drug, they were already looking for new "kicks" in various forms of food! Look how many people, especially criminals, are addicted to food! I mean really, it is much stronger than heroin and marajuwanna combined! Once you have your first taste of food, you are hooked into an endless road of ruin and despare! Therefore we have to adopt a "no tolerance" policy on milk producers and pushers. Dairys must be confiscated. Farmers must be jailed. Breast milk for babies must be banned. In fact ALL breasts should be banned! No more cows either! Let's end this madness now! Just say "no" to milk! Whew! This gets me so riled up, I have to end now so I can have my pack of cigarettes and bottle of Jack Daniels for dinner. You'll never see old Frank hooked on anything, especially that marajuwanna!" "

idlose wrote on Jan 30, 2007 11:17 AM:

" ok, yes i do see the model T, 3 speed bike, and WAY too many polyester suits still today...and no i dont believe that pot is the gateway drug, actually i believe that ignorance is the gateway. I started with cigarettes then stole my grandparents alcohol long before i tried pot...all you people need to realize that you can complain all you want but you need to get off the pot is the gateway drug...it is a false statement...look back and remember, did you try smoking or drinking when you were a kid, or are you just too perfect and never experimented with anything? in which case you have no educated opinion on the subject. pot is not the gateway but the drugs that are readily available to us...I will bet you that almost every pot user will tell you that they started with stealing alcohol from family before they ever smoked pot...wow i cant believe the ignorance that is still in society...no body thinks that alcohol or smokes are bad for you...oh yeah thats right...its because it is legal...my bad...and if i didnt have a job that drug tested...I WOULD STILL GET HIGH!!! and not wake up married to some swill i brought home from the bar due to beer goggles. I would watch dazed and confused and laugh and maybe eat a bowl of ice cream or fruity pebbles...mmmm those are good. "

Riff Raff wrote on Jan 30, 2007 11:08 AM:

" Relax. I'd probably tell them the same things you would, for the most part. It's not like I'm going to recommend to any kid to drink, smoke, or use any drugs. I just wouldn't differentiate between marijuana and alcohol as someone such as yourself probably would. Unfortunately, it would take a bit of courage to do that, being that we like to teach kids that it's a good idea to follow the laws and not to question them. Even if it was 100% scientifically proven that marijuana was infinitely safer than alcohol, you couldn't do it. You can't tell a kid that anything that is illegal is in reality better than something that is legal. I don't know how I would explain to a kid that the marijuana laws are wrong, but the drinking age laws are right. I understand that it's a lot easier to tell them that the laws are perfect, and that all illegal drugs are equally dangerous, whether they are or not. I'd just prefer to be able to not lie to the kid, if it is at all possible. Especially when I know for a fact that there's a better chance of this kid being harmed badly by consuming alcohol than smoking marijuana. Personally, I didn't suffer too many consequences from being lied to, it could have been worse I suppose. I smoked my first cigarette after discovering that marijuana wasn't as bad as I had been lead to believe. I used to drink more before I discovered marijuana, and I did some very minor stupid things while drinking. Things that I would never do while smoking marijuana, that's for sure. I judged good people for using marijuana while I drank alcohol, that's about the worst of it. The truth is that marijuana is very much like alcohol except with no hangover or danger of overdose. I feel sorry for someone that does actually cause some damage while drinking alcohol before even having tried marijuana though. "

Sam wrote on Jan 30, 2007 10:33 AM:

" I only know 3 teachers in the public schools, they are close friends since high school. I have smoked pot with 2 of them. I know alot of other people who smoke it in other public professions. They do excellent work, they are not criminals. It is a recreational drug to them, as it is to me. Some people just have blinders on and that is why it is still illegal. It won't be for much longer. The facts will not allow it to be. "

Leonard wrote on Jan 30, 2007 10:18 AM:

" Smoking pot can lead to harder drugs, like CIGARETTES! "

To Mr riffraff wrote on Jan 29, 2007 11:42 PM:

" You stated (("In hindsight, I wish that I would have had a few teachers that taught me the truth about drugs")) Please Mr riffraff, if you were a teacher what would you say to a young student? What is it that you should have heard? Please be honest. "

riffraff wrote on Jan 29, 2007 7:40 PM:

" Nowhere does he (or I) condone children using marijuana. However, since I'm not brainwashed, and I know what I'm a bit of an authority on the subject of marijuana; I know that a school teacher that uses or condones marijuana is no worse than one that condones or uses alcohol. Sorry, but it's the truth. In hindsight, I wish that I would have had a few teachers that taught me the truth about drugs, and that not everything the government says is true, or that all laws are not perfect and just. That would have saved me a lot of time figuring it out on my own. But no, I got the DARE lies, the same ones you are espousing. "

To Mr riffraff wrote on Jan 29, 2007 6:01 PM:

" As usual you are rambling and ranting and make little good sense. How do you feel about someone who claims to have been, or is, a school teacher and condones marijuana for children. Mr Vollan who wrote the above article condones marijuana for children. Mr Vollan thinks police love to arrest and jail marijuana users. You Mr Riffraff sound as paranoid as Mr Vollan. "

riffraff wrote on Jan 29, 2007 11:43 AM:

" Keep up, we established that the gateway theory is BS about 400 posts ago. Three speed bicycles, the model T, the quill pen, polyester suits, and DDT are hardly the same thing as marijuana and/or hemp. How about you name another plant that's been widely used for thousands of years for many different purposes and suddenly becomes obsolete for every single one of those purposes? That list is pretty short, and consists mainly, if not completely, of plants that produce "drugs" that are illegal in this country. What a coincidence that is. | idlose: Might as well not even bother arguing with these people. They know infinitely more than you about all drugs, eventhough you've USED the drugs they are speculating on and regurgitating myths and stereotypes about. Meth is equal to pot, and they're both horrible, addictive, and deadly compared to our harmless alcohol and cigarettes. | Hopefully you guys wake up someday, some of us are trying to evolve here and you guys are stuck on simple things like whether it should be illegal or not for an adult to smoke a plant. This should take a reasonably intelligent person about an hour to see the facts, and see the truth. How do you guys handle deciding on an issue that's not so obvious and actually difficult to decide on? Fine by me, you feel free to stay in your ignorant hypocritical world, and keep drinkin' beer. Enjoy your cirrhosis, domestic violence, rape, and your dead drunken teenagers burning in a mangled wreck wrapped around a lightpole or drowning in their own vomit. And I'll enjoy my occasional illicit good time on the couch watching movies, laughing healthily and loudly while eating domino's. "

Concerned Parent wrote on Jan 29, 2007 10:18 AM:

" Most teachers are very good people. This is a wake-up call when someone like this goes public about his bias toward marijuana. "

To Pig person wrote on Jan 29, 2007 9:36 AM:

" You are missing out on the best part. This Vollan person is one of those school teacher types that want to raise our children correctly because we less educated parents are so inferior. Let me copy and paste his last paragraph, these are his words: ((("To put women and young people in jail and prison because of marijuana is terrible. A reminder: Do not ask law enforcement or federal drug agents about this because they love marijuana — it provides them with jobs and convictions"))). So you see Mr Pig that this guy is delusional. He thinks the jails and prisons are full of young people and women, and police love putting them there. He claims to be, or have been, a school teacher with advanced college degrees. Right now on another site there is a bill going through to make it legal for minors to get advice from school teachers and doctors about things including VD, pregnancy, and drug usage without notifying parents. These are the people who want to be the real parents of our children. We need to keep this guy on the page a bit longer and use him as an example. Lets keep this going. "

pig wrote on Jan 28, 2007 10:34 PM:

" Is Vollan in prison for Marijuana. Nobody gets put in prison for usage amounts of Marijuana, but maybe they should be. Is Vollan a teacher still? I hope he does not work with the youth in this state. I think this story has been on this site too long! "

Thank you Mr Vollan wrote on Jan 28, 2007 10:14 PM:

" I agree with Mr Vollan. If we would just make marijuana legal we would empty our prisons. Our policemen in our cities could again spend their days in doughnut shops. We could ship marijuana to people overseas that do not understand us and they would be our friends. Think of a world without war. Everyone could sit under trees in the sun and smoke pot. I must stop now because my last joint is wearing off. Anybody know where I left my shoes? "

Fat Kid wrote on Jan 28, 2007 9:16 PM:

" "Pot Heads" are no more addicted to marijuana than fat kids are addicted to cake! "

to idlose wrote on Jan 27, 2007 7:22 PM:

" Another glowing endorsement for hemp and marijuana. Could it be that giving up marijuana, and all the cornucopia of drugs you mentioned (I would guess the first illegal drug you tried was marijuana. Can YOU say "gateway drug"?), was a turning point in your life. It's nice to hear you are a straight A student in college. It's a shame you had to wait to take on that challenge in your thirties. But I have seen people rendered rudderless by marijuana and other illegal drugs. So I think I understand what took you so long. It's nice to see that you were smart enough to put it behind you and move on. That's the objective of the "war on drugs". I'll make one comment in regards to your attempt to endorse hemp/marijuana with the statement that "back in the day they realized that hemp was one of the best product there was". They said the same thing about the three speed bicycle, the model T, the quill pen, polyester suits, DDT, .....the list is endless. Do you see any of those things still around? Don't bother defending hemp and marijuana, they are both things we don't need here in North Dakota. "

JustSayNo wrote on Jan 27, 2007 1:23 PM:

" Everyone knows that marijuana makes you real hungry and high. You puff then as if sleepwalking you head for the refrigerator and eat two chickens. Next thing you know you have diabetes and heart disease. Then the only thing that can save you is having your stomach stapled and your teeth wired together. "Just say no". "

idlose wrote on Jan 27, 2007 12:03 PM:

" Hemp. back in the day they realized that hemp was one of the best products there was. The DuPont industry said NO to that because it would put them out of business. They didnt want that. Now anything that stems from hemp including the smokable and get you high part is illegal. I have been on many kinds of drugs and quit them all. I am in my 30s now and have a great family and I am a straight A student in college. I was a meth junkie, pot, LSD, pills, alcohol, cigarettes. I still use the latter of these. I cant quit smoking. anyhow in Amsterdam it is legal and well the people who live there dont do it all that much because it is so available. People do things because it is illegal. That is part of the thrill of it. Marijuanna is not addictive and the reason people dont quit is because they like the high. you dont get hung over or wake up next to someone from the bar that you dont remember leaving with. the most it does is make you laugh and want to eat. oooooooooo look out for that eating. People will always find something to complain about, no matter what is legal or illegal. If it is legal fine, if it stays illegal, fine. I dont care either way. I just think that a lot of people who are complaining so loud on here are not nearly educated enough. I dont use it anymore but have many friends who do and let me tell you that they dont act nearly as jerky as an alcoholic does...all I know is that I do the best I can to inform my kids that drugs arent good for them be it alcohol, cigarettes, anything that you put into your body and hope that they make good, sound choices for their future. If I had to choose between alcohol and pot, it would be pot all the way because it doesnt have nearly the repercussions that alcohol does to the body. Good luck with the rest of the word battles going on in here. "

riff-raff wrote on Jan 27, 2007 2:07 AM:

" Well, I'd prefer to be in compliance with the law, so that's out of the question for me. I am a relatively upstanding moral citizen with a spotless record, you see. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure that cultivation of any amount carries harsher penalties than possession of small amounts. So alas, I will just continue funding the black market dealers when I need my occasional bag of weed. "

re: to all cops wrote on Jan 27, 2007 1:48 AM:

" We do arrest everyone we can find who is drivng under the influence, whether it be drugs or alcohol. We just have no where to put them, the jails are always full, and there is that thing called bond. The amount of time a drunk driver stays in jail isn't up to the street cop, it is up to a judge. By the way we also pay taxes which contributes to our salary's. "

raffriff wrote on Jan 26, 2007 5:57 PM:

" Lots of places not far from cities that you could probably go by yourself and live by yourself and grow a few marijuana plants. Either use a grow light, or both incandescent and florescent to get all the wave lengths the plant needs. Then use a timer to shorten the days so you can make it mature when small enough for just you..... Unfortunately no one wants to do marijuana by themselves, alone. They want to share and involve others. If any children are around they will learn what you are doing. Try to make a moral decision and give it up. Or make a moral decision and go to Alaska. Mr Vollan will be glad to tell you exactly where you can go. "

riffraff wrote on Jan 26, 2007 4:37 AM:

" If it was possible to make good tax money from it, it might be legal by now. I think the powers that be realized a long time ago that it will be hard for any money to be made on a weed. Money doesn't grow on weeds. I have a hard time believing that most politicians don't know, deep down, that marijuana is pretty much like alcohol. I no longer believe that taxing retail marijuana sales will be much of a cash cow. Even if it was, with all the people eventually switching to marijuana from alcohol, it's going to take away from the tax money that is produced from beer sales, so that's not accomplishing anything. Additionally, eventually people will just grow their own. And even if it was legal to use, but NOT to grow without a license of some sort, law enforcement wouldn't enforce it much. So then you'll have all these people growing plants in their homes and gardens that produce the marijuana equivalent of Kegs of Coors Light every few months. Nah, not Coors Light, even better. This would after all be "today's marijuana" that Miler spoke of earlier. So it would actually be the equivalent of some really expensive alcoholic beverage, like some good wine or some such thing. You know, 50% more THC than in the 60's etc. And, every harvest would last people forever. That would make for a lot fewer beer runs to the neighborhood liquor store. Add to that the effect it would have on the ever growing pharmaceutical industry, and from an economic standpoint, it would change a lot in this country. Even if just a few people trade in their tobacco, beer, and zoloft for marijuana, that's too much for those industries' comfort. Why even mess with it? And fortunately for them, most people are happy (complacent?) with the way that we currently consume drugs in this country. "

To the cops out there wrote on Jan 25, 2007 8:53 PM:

" Just get them all off the road. If they cannot drive and cannot walk straight then put them somewhere. I do not care what you call the place just put them where they cannot get back to their car. My tax money helps pay you so "just do it". "

This Guy wrote on Jan 25, 2007 4:03 PM:

" I think the issue here is all about greed. Greedy officials looking for anything and everything to lock you up for. "Just doing their job". HA! As an official or officer of the law your job is to protect and serve the community. This does not mean to protect their own butts and serve us tickets. This is not a "drug", it is a plant used for recreational and medicinal purposes and certainly is not a gateway drug. It was not the pot that made you go get the meth and shoot those bathroom chemicals amongst whatever else is in that stuff into your arm. It was your own bad judgements that turned you to other drugs. We have way too many innocent people in our jails today spending all of our tax money to support them and taking all the space needed to keep sex offenders and murderers off of our streets. With the amounts of money they will make taxing marijuana that will make up for most of the revenue lost for the bogus fines paid for possession of pot. When will the representatives and the people finally speak up to get rid of these types of issues and concentrate on what needs attention like illegal immigrants, oil wars, and murderers! It makes me sick "

Gezzzzzz.... wrote on Jan 25, 2007 3:47 PM:

" Does this article have anyhting to do with selling a house anyways? NO, "

Gezzzz........ wrote on Jan 25, 2007 3:38 PM:

" To the person who wrote to Gezzzzzz...... People smoke cigarettes in their houses all the time, that's more contaminating then marijuana. "

riffraff wrote on Jan 25, 2007 3:18 PM:

" dang people: You can use something called a "vaporizer" that doesn't produce any smoke at all. Also you can bake it into food and eat it. But, I'm hopeful that people will come to their senses before smoking (tobacco) in your own house or yard is made illegal. Tobacco isn't a good enough drug to be made illegal though, and it's also the perfect product. It does absolutely nothing for the user and is addictive. Not that I would care. I already have to smoke one substance illegally, another one is no problem. "

To Gezzzz wrote on Jan 25, 2007 3:02 PM:

" You cannot just sit there smoking marijuana or tobacco in front of the television worry-free. You must be aware of the resale problems that will soon be involving your home. Soon decontamination specialists from the MillerDeb company will get big money purifying your home before sale is permitted. "

Gezzzz......... wrote on Jan 25, 2007 12:01 PM:

" I agree with the article, a little bit of weed isn't going to kill anyone, and it definitely doesn't destroy your liver! There are so many drunk drivers out there, I think if Marijuana was to be leaglized, there would be fewer accidents. I believe people tend to be more cautious driving when they are more relaxed, rather than nerved out. There are so many more worse crimes out there, look at all the sex offenders who get released, and then end up going back to prison for not learning their lessons. Or what about the Meth heads? That's what authorities should be focusing on. That will kill you! To throw someone in the slammer for having a couple ounces of weed, is kinda harsh. Atleast "potheads" for the most part, veg out in front of the TV, I would rather see that, then a bunch of drunks coming out of the bar trying to drive home. "

Hello "Dang People" person wrote on Jan 25, 2007 2:07 AM:

" You got part of it nailed down. In several U.S. cities the police take away (and sell) the automobiles of "Johns" soliciting prostitutes. You might recall how that began with police in florida taking away the drug smuggling boats. But the money is just to good and once something gets ingrained. Los Angeles Police were outgunned by bank robbers many years ago and the result was not just better guns for policemen. Every city of any size had to have a SWAT team. They now had to dress funny and rappel down ropes (can't let the firemen have all the fun). Now in big cities they break down doors in the middle of the night dressed like ninja's or army special forces. You do not need to look very hard to find cases where they got the wrong address and shot innocent people who acted startled as they awakened and grabbed for whatever protection they could find. Hard to think clearly when your door is being broken down by someone with a mask claiming to be police. The mob often claims to be police when they make a hit. Easier to believe your eyes than what is being shouted. Anyway I have very little sympathy for anyone arrested for marijuana. But the facts are clear that "our" police are being required to do things most of them did not hire on to do. Cigarette smoking laws and taking cars away from some idiot soliciting a prostitute are just two. About twenty years ago the Los Angeles narcotics team was accused of keeping half the money when they made a bust. It did seem strange that they all had very expensive speed boats and houses far better than average police. An internal investigation cleaned them out and the city was left with one more reason to not trust the police. Eventually you find corruption at much higher levels. Our southern border is wide open and now two border patrolmen are in jail for shooting and wounding a drug smuggler. Perhaps the border patrol will at least be permitted to give illegals tickets for smoking cigarettes as they jump the border with backpacks full of drugs. You are right it will never be legal to smoke marijuana. However unless a person is a traffic problem, or selling, the cops are pretty burned out on the issue. North Dakota is a much better place to be than big crowded states and we need to hang on to that goodness and realize just what we have. Stay clean and give our good cops a break. "

dang people wrote on Jan 24, 2007 11:10 PM:

" Dang folks - The system is already working on drug courts to still "deal" with dope smokers without packing our jails but why would they make it legal now after all you have to "smoke" it to get high and if a law passes in one city in California it will be illegal to smoke anything in the city - yes even in your own home/car so unless you can find up with a new way to get stoned without smoking it you are SOL as it's only a matter of time. You think the jails are full now - wait 10 years tell they start putting people in jail for smoking a camel in their own back yard while firing up the BBQ. "

Might know him? wrote on Jan 24, 2007 8:25 PM:

" I think I might know this guy Frank. And he was straight until he had just one marijuana cigarette. See what it does. "

Frank wrote on Jan 24, 2007 2:10 AM:

" Marajuwanna smoking longhaired hippie commies! If they manage to get it legalized, what will happen to all that money for the prison-industrial complex? Plus police will have to put their lives in danger by going after muderers, rapists and bankrobbers and other real criminals! Besides the REAL problem is milk! Did you know that ALL criminals started out drinking MILK? By the time they realized too late that milk is a gateway drug, they were already looking for new "kicks" in various forms of food! Look how many people, especially criminals, are addicted to food! I mean really, it is much stronger than heroin and marajuwanna combined! Once you have your first taste of food, you are hooked into an endless road of ruin and despare! Therefore we have to adopt a "no tolerance" policy on milk producers and pushers. Dairys must be confiscated. Farmers must be jailed. Breast milk for babies must be banned. In fact ALL breasts should be banned! No more cows either! Let's end this madness now! Just say "no" to milk! Whew! This gets me so riled up, I have to end now so I can have my pack of cigarettes and bottle of Jack Daniels for dinner. You'll never see old Frank hooked on anything, especially that marajuwanna! "

Hi Sam wrote on Jan 24, 2007 1:33 AM:

" You are so right. The cops are just out there pulling over drug users left and right. They arrest a lot more drug users than killers, and never bother all those cohabitators. Maybe they have some telepathic thing going on and people using drugs need to think of something else. That's it, if the drug users could think of something other than drugs the cops could not read there minds and arrest them. It will be hard at first but we can do it. This is Rod Sterling signing off from the twilight zone. "

Sam wrote on Jan 23, 2007 4:53 PM:

" I hear more people killing and doing wrong of alcohol then i ever had when somebody is under the influence of "pot"! People are right cops are more out there to get the people with drugs then they are protecting and serving the city of the crimnals killing people by drunk driving or the sex offendors out there killing and raping children and women!!! For the last 5 years is all i hear about is police buckling down on getting those teenagers with under age smoking or illegal drugs!!! What about all the other crimes out there i'm so sick of hearing about somebody being murdered or somebody drinking and driving and killing or injuring people!! My opinion is the police are never going to be able to stop under age smoking, drinking, or the use of marijuana.... I'm not saying i agree with illegal use of drugs or underage smoking but I havent heard of people killing people everyday off the use of marijuana, there as been some crimes, but if you think about it not as many as there is when humans are on Meth, Alcohol, or speed, or any other drug that makes you not all there in the mind!!!! My opinion is police should Protect and Serve against whats really hurting this city.... Sex offenders should not be let go, that is the dumbest thing i've ever heard.. Oh and when you put people in jail for drugs how come i see the murders or sex offenders getting out before the drug users that disgust me and doesnt make me feel safe!!!! "

C5323 wrote on Jan 23, 2007 2:12 PM:

" If the argument is that pot should be illegal because the accidents that can occur during or after its use then alcohol too should be illegal. But it is legal and contributes to a lot of road-related accidents. So saying keep pot out because of the accidents that can occur is somewhat invalid due to the fact we still adore and love our booze. There has to be stronger arguments than that for banning pot. The only other argument I've seen against pot is what it can do to one's personal health and quite frankly that is no one else's business than the user's. "

Riff Raff wrote on Jan 23, 2007 6:06 AM:

" Well, you see, I endorse the idea that adults should have the right to use any drug, should they want to. Tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, crack for all I care. Whether or not I actually recommend using them them is a different thing. I know it's a tough concept to grasp. Do you see that those are two different things? It's this whole freedom thing that we get hung up on here in the USA I guess. Anyway, I'm still waiting on the explanation as to why you aren't calling for alcohol prohibition to be reinstated while you're fine with marijuana being illegal. Chances are I'll never get one, because you yourself don't know. | More Drug Testing: It's too late, we've already got legal tobacco, legal caffeine, and legal alcohol. We're already sliding down the slippery slope. Fortunately for you, marijuana is more similar to those drugs than to something like meth, so don't fret. Just out of curiosity, how does one "choose marijuana over being a father"? It seems pretty hard to believe that he couldn't do both at once. Surely there is more to the story than that. And also, was his rehab voluntary? I've certainly never known anyone to go to rehab for pot, unless they are forced to do so by the courts. Anyway, aren't the drug laws supposed to prevent this kind of tragedy from ever happening? I mean, it's illegal, what more can you do? That guy's actions shouldn't affect my ability to use marijuana, should it? I've never lost a family, a kid, a car, a wife, a job, or anything as a result of using marijuana, sorry. | alright, letsee. who else has posted something stupid lately. Oh here's a good one. "Other Article": That's our point! Criminals are making money from selling marijuana because only brave and/or stupid people are willing to get into such a risky profession. If the price of marijuana wasn't so artificially inflated by virtue of being illegal, you would rarely ever see a story of a drug dealer caught with marijuana. Think about it, you don't see drug dealers selling beer or tobacco. err, nevermind. Yesterday already said all this stuff, doh. | I think it's wonderful that Savitex is such a great drug, and will probably be FDA approved soon. It sorta validates a lot of the good things I've said about marijuana. Sort of funny how a huge drug company is throwing all this money into marketing a drug derived from a plant that has no medical benefits according to the Supreme Court and the FDA. Correct me if I'm wrong, but is there not a lot of medical conditions that don't have a single "best" or "only" medicine? I mean, check that out: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Medications%20Used%20in%20MS.asp Since marijuana is said to only help with a few of those symptoms, is it worthless because it won't help all of them? I think you're deluding yourself with this irrational hatred for this drug. You can't accept that a might be recreationally as well as medically beneficial. "

Why? wrote on Jan 22, 2007 5:34 PM:

" You ask why the natural remedy is being balked? Because all the other methods and medications are dispensed by a medical professional under monitored and controlled conditions. Pot is abused and used under the wrong conditions most of the time, not for medical but for a high, period. That makes it dangerous. "

Hello Yesterday wrote on Jan 22, 2007 5:29 PM:

" There are no medical conditions where smoking marijuana is the best or only "medicine". Thirty years ago it was the best for treating nausea caused by chemo therapy. AIDS patients "claim" it helps increase appetite. You are deluding yourself because you really like this drug. There is a web site that gives the cost of various types of marijuana and hashish in Holland. I believe it averaged about 8 Euros per gram. It is never going to be free anywhere. Anyone who wants recreational use of any hallucinogen should move to a city with rapid transit or to Europe where bicycles can be used and carried on busses and trains to other cities. Driving a car and eventually killing or injuring someone else while on any hallucinogen is not acceptable. If you remain on this drug it will negatively effect your life and the lives of anyone who cares about you. If any children depend on you they may find a time you are not there for them. Do yourself and your family/friends a favor and find something else to focus on. It can't possibly be that important, unless you admit it is very addictive. Then you should admit you need help breaking the addiction. "

Yesterday wrote on Jan 22, 2007 3:21 PM:

" The days of killing and guns and whatever else they can set their criminal minds around would be over if it was legal. Then the police and prisons could be concentrating on other more harmful to society illegal drugs. The only thing wrong with marijuana is that it is illegal. It is not a threat to society on its own, it is safer than alcohol and tobacco, keeping it illegal is where the threat comes in. Alot of decent people who are not criminals are forced to purchace it from drug rings, in this way marijuana being illegal is funding force behind illegal drugs. It is so widely used by people in all walks of life. Remove the funding and concentrate our forces on the killers to society. Meth, crack, heroin etc. The drugs that take away parents from there childrens lives and actually cause children to become prostitutes. We have prostitutes in ND. For hard core addicting illegal drugs. Meth and some prescrition drugs(oxycoton). No users are losing their lives over marijuana, they choose to break the law but it is not ruining anyone anymore than alcohol or tobacco, unless they get busted and do time. Decrimnilize marijuana and up the time for other offenses, and offer treatment to people with drug problems instead of prison time or along with prison time depending on what lengths there choices have made towards the criminal mind. I just feel so bad for the old folks with glaucoma, marijuana is the only medication that has been shown to treat and actually prevent blindness in these cases, and it has been shown to benefit people with diabetes and alzheimers. Why is its synthetic version legal and not harmful to society, as far as driving etc? No one cares about that but we can't grow it ourselves for free? We need to pay someone for the synthetic version? Why? Why is it ok for people in our society to get prescriptions for it but regular paople cannot use it to calm their nerves and help them relax? But we can give them Xanax and all other kind of synthetic drugs to treat their life problems. But the natural rememedy is being balked at as some kind of crime. WHY? "

Other article: wrote on Jan 22, 2007 2:47 PM:

" If you read the article about the drug killing, it appears good ol' pot was right in there with all the other hard drugs. No good can come from making that even more available!! And, to Why, your comment about Missy contacting Jason was so out of line, and so blatantly stupid. Indescribably ignorant. Are you for real? Leave these on-line editors out of these discussions!! They are doing a job behind the scenes, have guidelines that come with that job, and are kept quite busy keeping this civil and legal. They could refuse to post comments and not have to even acknowledge that or explain themselves. And anyone with a brain won't ask that of them. When some of my comments have not shown up, I go back, re-read, redo the acidic parts and wouldn't you know? They appear! I respect their decisions and bloggers should, as well, and quit with the assinine accusations. "

Hello Good Grief wrote on Jan 22, 2007 2:11 PM:

" If we could get them to stop killing each other by parachuting marijuana cigarettes into the war zone it would have been done long ago. You might recall in Somalia (Black Hawk Down) the warlords kept control of the very young and very well armed militias by giving them drugs. Illegal drugs are more often used to control people and make war, or gang wars, than to mellow anyone out. I believe in the mid east illegal drugs are usually one of those offences that gets peoples heads chopped off. As always the people at the bottom of the food chain (money and power pyramid?) are victims that need protection even from themselves. The world seems to spin a little to fast for some innocents. "

Good grief wrote on Jan 22, 2007 10:47 AM:

" How bout we send these people to the front lines in Iraq? then may be they will get everyone to try marijuana over there and all will be peaceful???!!!! "

Dave Bundy, editor wrote on Jan 22, 2007 10:35 AM:

" To Missy: We didn't post the link to the flier because, in my opinion, it seemed to be encouraging an activity that is, for now, illegal. You're free to protest, and even to encourage supporters to join you, in this commenting string, but we can't allow people to encourage others to engage in an activity that currently is illegal. "

Dave Bundy, editor wrote on Jan 21, 2007 7:29 PM:

" To Why: Sometimes when we deny a comment, the commenter wants an explanation. If the decision is complicated, we often prefer to do it away from the forum. That's the case here. Though I assume your comment was actually a joke. "

Why wrote on Jan 21, 2007 5:56 PM:

" And "WHY" is Missy supposed to contact Jason at the Tribune? I do hope he is not seeking out a contact for his possible drug of choice?? "

More Drug Testing........ wrote on Jan 21, 2007 5:45 PM:

" Let's see, "Bismarck woman gets six years for delivery of meth". Does this phrase ring a bell in anyone's head--that if marijuana is legalized, other drugs may as well be too!! My daughter lost a loving relationship with her father, who has chosen the marijuana road over being a Father?? Yes,he is addicted- has been through rehab more than once (yes, for marijuana). I just wonder how many other parents are out there taking care of their children ALONE, while the other parent is seeking out any kind of drug to make all the pains of life disappear. LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT!!! If you "ALLOW" drugs, alcohol, cigarettes or any other drug to become your crutch, you will never be able to face reality and deal with real life. Please ND, get off the drugs for the sake of our aging parents and our young children !! Forty and fify year olds getting picked up for delivery or possession, come on..... time to BUCK up and get back to reality!! Also, a little hint for employers-- DRUG TEST YOUR PEOPLE .....you deserve GOOD workers who perform 100% - Get rid of the druggies in this town by NOT employing them!!!!One large manufacturing company in Bismarck may want to be one of the first- they may have to shut down their plant if there is mandatory drug testing!!! "

to riffraff wrote on Jan 20, 2007 7:43 PM:

" Yea it's me again. I don't recall ever endorsing the consumption of alcohol or cigarettes. Personally I don't smoke, and drink alcohol very seldom and in moderation. But let me quote you, "Thank God for those liberal immoral drinkers back then". And if you think back to one of your earlier comments "I'm about 4 days into my latest attempt to quit tobaco." You can't even remember if you are bad mouthing or supporting alcohol or cigarettes. At least Chavez, GL, Missy, OK and others had the sense to move on after FINALLY realizing their stuff was stinkin' pretty bad. "

carefull wrote on Jan 20, 2007 4:14 PM:

" If we are getting thrown in jail for marijuana, we aren't mature enough to use it. In the privacy of our own homes is the only place it should be. Teenagers get busted for pot for being stupid using it, drug dealers go to prison for carelessly selling to anyone. If we have respect for beer, pot, tobacco we should'nt have a problem. "

riffraff wrote on Jan 20, 2007 4:12 PM:

" old guy: Some people just refuse to use their brains, at least until an issue directly affects them. Some people aren't going to realize that legalizing and/or taxing might be a good idea until their favorite windbag talk radio host tells them it's a good idea. I refer to this "to riffraff" fellow, of course. He fancies himself morally superior to me and anyone else that has the audacity to use marijuana (dopers, as he calls them) even though it is illegal. The guy probably drinks, maybe even smokes tobacco. Perhaps that is the reason he cannot answer the question as to why smoking marijuana is more immoral than using those drugs other than to say "because marijuana is against the law". Just remember, in the 1920's, it would have been considered a "left leaning" idea that it should be legal to drink alcohol again. Thank god for those liberal immoral drinkers back then. "

Middle ground wrote on Jan 20, 2007 3:09 PM:

" The drug discussion should be part of the build new prisons discussion. It should be part of the discussion of who goes to a mental hospital and who goes to prison. Right now drug rehab is almost the only "middle ground" between prison and the mental hospitals. People are often not being treated for their mental problems, they are being treated for drug problems. This means they are only treating the obvious problem not the underlying problem. Actually the study of New York and California "Correctional Institutions" would show that North Dakota cares more than most about the "middle ground". But why are so many young people still willing to believe people like Mr Vollan? "

SM wrote on Jan 20, 2007 2:50 PM:

" Maybe you should stop using marijuana "

Darwin's Law Lives wrote on Jan 20, 2007 2:33 PM:

" I want to know exactly what is wrong with drugs and overcrowded prisons? Drugs help kill off the stupid and genetically inferior. Prisons help keep them from breeding at least for a while. Prisons help them finish puberty. Not all that long ago they would have been burned as witches or hung for either violent or property crimes. "New" England was just like old England for a long time. Everyone belonged to the king of England. Property crimes were considered to be very serious. We still are living through the backlash of rejecting the kings brutality. Now we are so forgiving we allow criminals to recruit even more criminals. Every generation seems to end puberty with far to much bait in the water, and adults seem less willing to protect the others during and ending the brave and gullible puberty years...... How many people go to prison for the first time over age 30? Find just one and study that person. Then get very angry at those who are helping our youth to corrupt each other. The meanest thing you can do is let the crime and prisons become like the modern California and New York crime and prisons. It all starts with educators like Mr Vollan and young people permitted to repeat the lies. Certainly Mr Vollan is helping to fill the prisons and to keep Darwins theories alive and well. Thank you Mr Vollan. Nice to have people around willing to help thin out the herd. "

old guy wrote on Jan 20, 2007 10:30 AM:

" politics,politics,politics. Alcohol is legal, all the "right" people are making money! Tobacco is legal, all the right people are making money! Marijuana is illegal, all the wrong people are making money! ????Legalize it, TAX IT, control it(the paperwork would/should be a nightmare). Everybody pays in the end and all the right people would make money, so who cares about the fallout! The health care issues for all of these, while different, still cost this country a lot of money. In the end should all these be made illegal to cut down on health issues, oh , but super overcrowd prison systems. Who would make the most money that way? "

to riffraff wrote on Jan 20, 2007 9:23 AM:

" I guess the public will judge who between the two of us appears to be "ranting". I don't consider myself to be morally superior to the "average" individual. But in comparison to you I think I would grade out pretty well. And I only state that based on what you've included in your blogs. My point is I'm comfortable where the norm is today in regards to marijuana. I don't want people like you (proponents of legalizing marijuana) moving it left. And to get back to the point of this discussion, marijuana is illegal and when people who use it, possess it and/or distribute it in significant quantities come in contact with police officers whose job it is to uphold the laws. They must go to prison. If you don't like it try to take your ideas mainstream in a more dignified and effective way. The "mainstream" public doesn't respond well to "doper" logic and insults. "

Mr. Riffraff wrote on Jan 20, 2007 5:33 AM:

" Never said that it could not kill you. My point was that it is a plant with psychoactive effects, can be very dangerous, yet is totally legal. I'm not recommending it, of course. | to riffraff: Actually, this is about how these debates go. The prohibitionists have their "facts" refuted and have nothing more to say, besides resorting to flimsy moral arguments. I mean, you're saying that you're right because your opinion is MAINSTREAM and MORAL. That's such a silly elementary school tactic. As if the validity of my points is judged by how many people have been taught the same "morals" as I have, and therefore agree with me. Jesus, I can't argue with that now can I? Unfortunately, those two things have absolutely nothing to do with the truth. Your beliefs are what you were taught, nothing more, and unfortunately that doesn't make them true. So, I won't even bother debating you if you're going to use morality as an argument that is supposed to trump facts and reason. Except to say that I can't imagine any morality where drinking beer and smoking tobacco is somehow morally superior to smoking marijuana. | The fact that you use terms such as "fringe thinker" and "left leaning agenda" while ranting incessantly about morality suggests that you really get worked up and hot and bothered about the whole Left vs. Right, American politics thing, probably while watching Fox News. So, I wouldn't expect you to have any idea as to how "mainstream" the marijuana legalization idea is these days. It certainly isn't very popular among those of your ilk. But, if you'd bother to take a look around the country that we live in, you'd see that it is gathering some momentum. I'd look for a couple states to pass recreational marijuana ballot initiatives within 4-8 years. "

Drug Gangs very near wrote on Jan 20, 2007 4:50 AM:

" This is interesting to read. It is a few months old. Sureno (Mexican Mafia) gang members deported from Minnesota. http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/newsreleases/articles/061026bloomington.htm "

riffraff wrote on Jan 20, 2007 1:51 AM:

" Right, now here is a logical statement: 1.) "They" seem to want all excessively intoxicated people off the highways. | Is that so? Wow, that does sound like a noble thing to want to do. But tell me, if that is true, why is alcohol legal in this country? There's no way around it, you need to provide a good answer to just that one simple question before any sane person can accept the idea that marijuana is illegal for your safety and "the safety of your neighbors". Unfortunately, I can only accept that argument from someone that also wants the 21st Amendment repealed. I assume you're not one of them. "

Sorry to live in your world, even for a day wrote on Jan 20, 2007 12:44 AM:

" So I am going to have to say this out loud, and I want to have it come across loud and clear. I would rather live in LA LA land in the safety of my own home than live in your world with your rules, your industries, that would trade my body, and then ask me for a donation. It is just unbearable. There now I said it. Why have you forsaken me, I offer peace for life that is against your jewish rules, but fall gently into your ten commandments, of which Love eachother is your main goal... "

to riffraff wrote on Jan 19, 2007 10:36 PM:

" The good news is people are tired of hearing your non-logic and this commentary is winding down. You were two easy a target to debate. It's nice to know that fringe thinkers like you are the major proponents of legalization. It makes it easy to point out the danger of letting this type of thinking become mainstream. I think people with real problems keep trying to push a very left leaning agenda. Because they hope they don't look so out of touch. You need a moral cause to fight for not an immoral one. You'll feel much better for it. "

Wrong again riffraff wrote on Jan 19, 2007 10:11 PM:

" Datura can kill you. You need to get away from drugs and quit recommending them. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datura Also known as: jimson weed, Devil's weed, Devil's cucumber, thorn-apple (from the spiny fruit), pricklyburr (similarly), and somewhat paradoxically, both angel's trumpet and devil's trumpet (from their large trumpet-shaped flowers. "

Yes riffraff, no riffraff wrote on Jan 19, 2007 9:54 PM:

" Yes riffraff "big government" is meddling in our lives. "They" seem to want the pushers real bad. "They" seem to want all excessively intoxicated people off the highways. Maybe that is the reason we vote for them. Most drug addicts in state prison are not in prison for just narcotics crimes. At the very least they were pushing drugs to others in order to pay for their own habit. Again your post shows no concern for the safety of your neighbors. I totally enjoy your posts because if Mr Vollan had any logic to his argument you show how completely wrong he is. "

riffraff wrote on Jan 19, 2007 6:10 PM:

" Sadly, it is a political issue that pretty much goes along party lines. It will be a wonderful day when the so called "conservatives" wake up and get a little more consistent on their mantra to the keep "big government" from meddling in our lives. Hearing them whine about smoking bans in bars as "eroding our freedom" while defending marijuana prohibition was humorous at first. I'm a huge fan of irony. But at this point, it's just getting old. I like to think of the war on drugs more as a civil rights issue than a political one, but that's just me. I don't care much for hypocrisy and propaganda keeping unjust laws in place in order to benefit certain industries at the expense of the rest of the population. | Here's a couple more new articles that some might find interesting by the way. http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7154 | http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7156 | To: to riffraff: Right, and on that wikipedia page it states: "Datura is occasionally used as an available alternative to illegal drugs. Typically it is *not illegal*, although some American states do have laws regulating its consumption. It is typically consumed as a sort of herb tea, though it can also be eaten or smoked. Overall, it has a very low demand as a recreational drug, because it has a reputation as a very poor/unpleasant high." I'm no lawyer, but I could probably give some to anyone I wanted, since it's legal and unregulated. I don't believe that would be any more illegal than giving the neighbor kid some Draino to unclog his parents bathtub drain. Whether or not he drinks it and kills himself is no fault of mine. I could also legally give him 5 gallons of water knowing full well that he could kill himself by drinking all 5 gallons. Today's drug laws have nothing to do with safety, but they are easier to perpetuate using that excuse. "

Southpark wrote on Jan 19, 2007 4:21 PM:

" to O.k.- I disagree with you. Legalizing marijuana is not a political issue. Let me clarify. It "can" be a political issue if one desires to make it one but then so could every issue. Not ALL democrats are on board with this. Sorry. "

Ok wrote on Jan 19, 2007 3:02 PM:

" Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, southpark, but legalizing marijuna is a political issue. The liberal democrats are all for it, although I have heard on this post some republicans support legalization as well, they are just not as "LOUD". "

No to all Locoweeds wrote on Jan 19, 2007 2:44 PM:

" More than one kind of locoweed. As a general overlook it appears the drug gangs have no market for the hallucinogenic weeds that might cause painful death or causes one to defecate in pants. Locoweed causes symptoms similar to Mad Cow Disease. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locoweed "

Southpark wrote on Jan 19, 2007 2:08 PM:

" to o.k..... You really think I am the online editor????? Sorry...If I were the online editor I would have cut you off 50 bumbling posts ago. Your paranoid and out of touch with what is real. Please refrain from turning this into a "political battle". Not everything has a political agenda. "

OK wrote on Jan 19, 2007 1:03 PM:

" Oh, sorry . I am just getting all ryled up for nothing!!! "

To riffraff wrote on Jan 19, 2007 12:25 PM:

" No you cannot give anyone any poison legally. Your writings speak for themselves. You need to get some help. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimsonweed "

Online Editor wrote on Jan 19, 2007 12:14 PM:

" To OK: Comments cannot be replaced with this system. They are approved or deleted. Your assumption of who I am is incorrect. When I post, I do it as "Online Editor". "

To OK wrote on Jan 19, 2007 12:12 PM:

" Yes the Bible does mention burning tree sap. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankincense http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrrh Hmmm... 64 percent fewer seeds are produced when you excessively milk the sap from Frankincense? the Kings burned tons for many hundreds of years. Helped to turn the area into a desert. No toilets or embalming in those days. Funerals and sewage were a problem in the Castles. No one complained (like our tobacco) about (secondary) smoke. The bible mentions stoning women but it was not recommended. "

OK wrote on Jan 19, 2007 12:11 PM:

" Yes, I personally am a Peace hippie. I believe the US should be diplomatic rather than war mongering. You voted him in! I fit right into the liberal left wing demacratic party. And I love it where I am. I only wish our troops were actually fighting for our freedoms, but no, they die for oil for the liberal party. ~Don't think for a second I didn't catch that ~ South park, I saw my post was replaced by yours so I would assume you are the online editor? Nice. "

Cheech wrote on Jan 19, 2007 11:54 AM:

" Hello my name is Doctor Green Thumb. I got the bomb stuff where we're from! "

OK wrote on Jan 19, 2007 11:50 AM:

" I have some fliers printed up, if you want to pick some up, give me an email and I will have you stop by. I want them on all bulletin boards in town. This is a peace bud protest, there is nothing illegal about protesting the laws. "

Crystal Clear wrote on Jan 19, 2007 11:41 AM:

" To O.K.- do you mean, we are to burn "sweet" things to him? Sweat just doesn't seem all that appealing. Hopefully your kids are at school while your dance around in lala land. You clearly can't deal with reality. "

Southpark wrote on Jan 19, 2007 11:38 AM:

" oh and so the saga continues. The peace hippies want to have their little pot fest, with o.k. leading the way on the capital grounds. This will be fun to watch. When your sitting in prison with Bubba, make sure your high enough to forget your there. Comical. "

OK wrote on Jan 19, 2007 7:39 AM:

" To OK~ There are many instances in the bible referencing "incence". We are to burn sweat and pleasing things to him in our offerings. "

riffraff wrote on Jan 19, 2007 1:45 AM:

" Right, but I think that you should be able to use those plants and animals as well, as long as you don't hurt anyone else. If you kill yourself because you possessed it and did something stupid, that's your own fault. Apparently, lawmakers agree with me, as none of those other things are illegal in this country as far as I know. Locoweed? You mean jimson weed? Pretty sure that stuff can be very dangerous, and yet is still completely legal? Please, let's get the DEA on that right away. It's funny how the actual danger of the plant has nothing to do with the legality. Absolutely nothing. Sorta makes you think that those in charge don't actually care about our safety, yet they can trick people into thinking they do. To think that, if I wanted to, I could grow jimsonweed plants all over my yard, with "Hallucinogenic Jimsonweed" signs next to it, within mere feet of where my neighbor's kids play. Hell, I do believe I could just give them some, legally. Apparently a safe recreational plant is more dangerous to society than one that is actually deadly. But why the inconsistency in the law, I wonder? Aren't the marijuana laws there to protect people from a dangerous substance? Or does it protect the interests of industries which would consider legal marijuana as unwanted competition? I'm sure they wish marijuana did indeed have more harmful negative effects since fewer and fewer people are believing the lies nowadays. As far as the smoking on capitol grounds and all that, I don't see how that will accomplish anything except to perpetuate the idiotic stereotypes that people like Crystal, Miler, etc have stuck in their minds. But I'd probably be up for it.| Gold is gold: Ok, thank you for confirming that I am not an addict, I was beginning to worry about my health for a while there. I won't spend much time responding to your post, except to say that an ounce can last quite a long time, even for an "addict". Also, you can get lesser quality stuff for much less than 300.00 per ounce, and you dont HAVE to buy it by the ounce. Me mate Dave is what you would probably call an addict, and he pays no more than $150 an ounce. Funny thing though is that he gets that money not from pawning or stealing, but rather by working a fairly well paying job by North Dakota standards. Yep, it does add up to millions of dollars, all tax free. "

To Madmike wrote on Jan 18, 2007 7:58 PM:

" The Rainman had a higher IQ than you. But all he could do is repeat what he heard and read. Strange our colleges have no test to measure morality and usefulness. "

To OK wrote on Jan 18, 2007 7:51 PM:

" And God put poison hemlock on the earth. And God put Locoweed on the Earth. And nowhere did God say to burn any plant and inhale it. Nowhere did God say that every plant was even good to eat. Not all animals are good to eat. Do not try smoking or eating a poison dart frog. A much better use is for poison darts. "

OK wrote on Jan 18, 2007 6:57 PM:

" OK, so I have done some research, and it is legal to possess and consume marijuana on the capitol grounds, as a protest to the laws. "

Online Editor wrote on Jan 18, 2007 6:38 PM:

" To OK: That forum was removed. "

OK wrote on Jan 18, 2007 6:26 PM:

" Friday April 20~ 2007 Capitol Mall, Bismarck 4:20pm Genesis 1:11 - And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. Psalm 104:14 - He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth "

Madmike111 wrote on Jan 18, 2007 5:50 PM:

" Crystal Clear, et.al.,you are obviously one of the ignorant people that bought into the 1940's argument that stated "Marijuana causes black men to go crazy and rape white women" The argument against the legalization of cannabis has had all of the wind from it's sails in recent years, having each of it's arguments systematically destroyed and dismembered by the science community. My last I.Q. test was 153, what was yours? "

Online Editor wrote on Jan 18, 2007 4:04 PM:

" To Missy: It's your choice, I have nothing negative to say. I need to clarify a couple of things that would be easier over the phone and you would remain entriely anonymous - our phone system doesn't even have caller ID. If you are uncomfortable with that you could get a temporary email address to remain anonymous and email me from it. My address is jason.lueder@bismarcktribune.com. "

Programs for 420 party wrote on Jan 18, 2007 4:04 PM:

" We need to have programs written up so everyone at least knows the players. While the little red riding hoods sing and smell flowers the wolves (pushers) will be circulating. The rangers (undercover DEA) will be circulating in the crowd looking for the wolves. The harness bulls (uniform police) will be writing down out of state license numbers and pulling over anyone dressed poorly that are driving new expensive vehicles (transporters?). A good time can be had by all. "

Missy wrote on Jan 18, 2007 3:21 PM:

" Southpark, haven't you learned anything from this forum? You can't smoke yourself into a coma. Marijuana is safer than cafeine. No one is going to actually smoke pot on the 20th. Gather for your rights and bring the children. "

southpark wrote on Jan 18, 2007 2:47 PM:

" O.K.- your comments are alarming. It would be one thing to legalize marijuana but to offer face painting for KIDS at your smoke fest???? Your dillusional. Go smoke yourself into a coma. "

Online Editor wrote on Jan 18, 2007 2:47 PM:

" To Missy: Please give me a call so we can discuss your post. 250-8291 or toll free 1-800-472-2273, ext. 291. "

10-4 on that 420 wrote on Jan 18, 2007 1:58 PM:

" What's the 10-20 for that 420 party... Capitol Grounds 10-4, April 20 (4-20-07). You will see the big cardboard clock with the hands stopped at twenty after four. Sounds like a big 10-200, 10-4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/420_%28cannabis_culture%29 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten-code "

I love this site wrote on Jan 18, 2007 1:38 PM:

" This is good stuff... I think it is a riot.. Go Pot HEADS!!!!!! "

Tommy boy wrote on Jan 18, 2007 1:35 PM:

" June 13th is my moms birthday... that would be perfect. "

Dave Bundy, editor wrote on Jan 18, 2007 1:00 PM:

" To To Tribune editor: The last thing we want is a bunch of the comments we've taken the time to read and post to be deleted. This is a technical issue that seems to be happening at several papers that employ this type of commenting software. People have been working on this for at least a couple months, but no one has figured it out. "

OK wrote on Jan 18, 2007 12:33 PM:

" April 20th it is . See you on the Capitol mall! I don't think it will be too difficult to get the musicians there. (I personally know a few artists in the local music scene.) We may even have face painting for the kids if I can pull this off. I have a few organizers in my corner. "

to tribune editor wrote on Jan 18, 2007 12:25 PM:

" The past comments posted as a response to the article discussing the 26 pound marijuana seizure have been removed. That's a sure fire way to stifle comment. If you can repost them I think you would be allowing an important discussion to continue. "

To Sahm wrote on Jan 18, 2007 12:20 PM:

" If you know a doctor that is smoking marijuana then do not go to that doctor with any medical problems. I once went to a doctor with an intestinal obstruction and he and his secretary were laughing when I walked in and was laughing when I left. His only "medical" comment was that "many people only have stools once a week". No examination. Later when I had been around people on marijuana I recognized the inappropriate laugh. "

to ok wrote on Jan 18, 2007 12:17 PM:

" I think you should organize your smoke out for some time in the spring and make it in front of the Burleigh County Court House. I'm sure you will get a lot of attention there. 2nd option would be in front of Bismarck P.D. That would get you noticed as well. By the way, nobody gathers anywhere legally to smoke marijuana. It's just a question of whether the authorities choose to do anything about it. Like I said I think you would get the proper attention here in Bismarck. Good luck. See you there. "

420 wrote on Jan 18, 2007 11:59 AM:

" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/420_%28cannabis_culture%29 "

OK wrote on Jan 18, 2007 11:46 AM:

" I think that April 20th is national Marijuana day. But it would be nicer to do our smoke out in the summer. Don't you think? On a Saturday in June maybe? June 16th? "

Online Editor wrote on Jan 18, 2007 11:07 AM:

" To OK: The Tribune has a forum at www.bismarcktribune.com/forum "

OK wrote on Jan 18, 2007 10:54 AM:

" Is there any organizations in ND that are pro legalization? I have been to the smoke outs in St. Paul. People legally gather and consume marijuanan on the state capitol grounds. I want to be a part of that here in ND. If anyone knows anything or has organizational skills to get this together, there are outlets like bismanlive.com, rivers edge newspaper and the prairie companion. Anybody have any ideas my email address is tylanek@msn.com. Lets organize for our rights, right here in ND. "

SAHM wrote on Jan 18, 2007 10:45 AM:

" The comment on marijuana users being criminals, theives,etc. was so rediculous!!! I know a doctor who smokes weed every now and then! I don't think he steals for it. I'm sure yes, not all marijuana users are perfect, no kidding, neither are all completely sober people. Wether everyone is smoking pot or not everyone is still human. AND, when is the last time you saw someone smoke weed a few times and start doing ANYTHING to get it, when have you seen someone go into a p-o'ed rage when they didn't have it with their brain on a chemical fritz, when have you seen them go through violent sickness (shakes, puking, sweats) trying to get it out of their system like heroin or meth or something harmful and addictive?????? I have been around plenty of weed smokers, smoked it myself and have NEVER experienced ANY of that!! LOL!!! "

Crystal clear wrote on Jan 18, 2007 10:18 AM:

" After reading through all the comments here, it has become quite clear that the "pot heads" have been smoking just a little to much. If we were sitting around talking to you, you would be jumping from subject to subject and babbling around a cloud of smoke. Unable to focus or concentrate, oh, and let's not forget, proud of your own statements and smarter and funnier than everyone else. Is this a re-run of "that 70's show?" "

pot head wrote on Jan 18, 2007 9:51 AM:

" seems that the amount of comments should speak for itself. as long as no-one knows who we are. is that what we've become. we need to rally the capitol and stand up for what's right. how's June 13 flag day? "

GL wrote on Jan 18, 2007 9:13 AM:

" legalize it and take all of the crime out of it. sell it like booze or smokes and tax it.. end of story. let the state and local government make a ton of money off of it and save the money they are wasting now by jailing all of these guys. "

OK wrote on Jan 18, 2007 9:13 AM:

" The argument against legalization is not good enough, the facts are all in and in my mind there isn't even one good argument made for keeping it illegal . Some laws are just outdated and this is one of them, as far as I am concerned. That is why 9 states have legalized. Someday we won't be criminals. "

Gold is gold wrote on Jan 17, 2007 11:57 PM:

" riffraff, I thought we already established that you only smoke 5 or 6 joints a year. That means you do not qualify to be an expert. You are not an addict nor expert but you think addicts can afford 300 dollars an ounce. That is about the same price as gold especially when you consider that gold is bought and sold based on 12 ounces to the pound and marijuana is 16 ounces to the pound. You guys up here are just the sheep in the distant pasture. The slaughterhouse is in the big city where this adds up to millions of dollars. How does it feel to be little red riding hood and the wolves are closing in. They fight among themselves and protect the customers. But the customers must take their own chances on how they get the money. Like the ladies in the above article are not in jail for marijuana. "

The Math wrote on Jan 17, 2007 11:37 PM:

" Hmm... according to the article on the 26 pounds worth 125,000 dollars on the street.... Must sell for about 300 dollars an ounce.... Everyone can afford that why would anyone steal. Probably that burglary was to buy beer at less than 2 dollars a can...... "

riffraff wrote on Jan 17, 2007 10:24 PM:

" Yes, definitely. All marijuana users are criminals, thieves, and losers, right? What an ignorant statement to make, that "potheads" get their money from stealing and pawning. You know, perhaps most marijuana users are just as hardworking as most nonsmokers. Just a thought here. And no, I don't believe it's necessary for DEA agents to have any knowledge about the addictiveness of drugs in order to do their job of busting drug users. I'm sure they're all really good at their jobs without ever having used a drug. But, their job is to enforce existing drug laws, not to know anything about addictions. I would rather listen to scientists, healthcare professionals, and current/former users. "

Hey: wrote on Jan 17, 2007 4:57 PM:

" I wonder if the thefts at the university had anything to do with who was going to purchase that 26 lbs. of pot. These potheads get the money someplace, probably by stealing and pawning. Not saying that's where the profits from that particular theft went... but who knows if those profits were meant to go up in smoke? Who worked an honest job to buy that stuff that was stolen, possibly to enable the thief to buy drugs? Just a thought here. "

Hello Tommy Boy wrote on Jan 17, 2007 1:52 PM:

" You miss them too... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Mafia They did not disappear S-a. The old eme (emprisoned mexicans) are doing well inside and outside the walls. Thousands of surenos have copied and joined with them. You do not need to write them. Lots of good stories in Los Angeles and Sacramento papers you can read online. They own the california prisons with the help of the aryan brotherhood. They hope to own california in a few years maybe. They do not come this far north because a mexican with all those tattoos would kind of stand out. Later homie. "

Tommy Boy wrote on Jan 17, 2007 1:11 PM:

" Ahh the good ol days of the mexican mafia.. those were a bunch of hard hitting guys.. wonder what ever happend to them? they never call, write... "

Your right GL wrote on Jan 17, 2007 12:53 PM:

" Yes everyone will sleep better at night. Except the guy that got caught moving the 26 pounds of stuff. He either bought the marijuana drugs with his own thousands of dollars, or now owes some drug gang big bucks. If he was working for himself he should go to prison for a long time as a big time dealer. If he was working as the middle man for a drug gang he is history. I do not know much about the Asian gangs that are moving the drugs down from canada. The mexican gangs that move the drugs across the southern border really play rough. They were not quite so bad until after they all saw that Marlin Brando Godfather Movie back about 1970. They showed that movie in all the prisons. Blood in Blood out are the rules the enforcers now live by and play by. Maybe this guy can stay alive by moving a bigger load. Maybe him and some friends grew it themselves and it's no big investment. But that would make him a grower and transporter and...??? Such a shame, they are so young. If this was a big east or west coast city the enforcers would have already snuffed a likely snitch. Yeah these guys are paranoid and do not believe any policeman ever finds anything himself. Maybe someone in wisconsin who just got a slap on the wrist will be suspected of being the snitch. Big illegal money stuff is so curious. Gosh I miss the rat race. Nothing better than when the mexican mafia makes a hit on one of their own and he lives, and he snitches them all off, and you now need to hide him, and he has no good choices. "

OK wrote on Jan 17, 2007 12:37 PM:

" Well, I know the people who operate treatment centers better have some addiction. And there is where people with drug problems belong, treatment. I think you people who are so against marijuana should listen to us. It is not addicting. BTW~ for those of you concerned with my bipolar, I can move today. I don't know why, maybe it is because the sun came out yesterday. The chemicals in my brain are friends with eachother again. Thank God. I can't wait until summer. "

To RiffRaff wrote on Jan 17, 2007 12:00 PM:

" Mr Raff, you wrote: "But anyway, DEA agents haven't used drugs. How does that make them an expert on drugs and addiction?" So Mr RiffRaff you must think a Brain Surgeon needs to have his brain operated on before he is a real surgeon? Perhaps experts on nuclear weapons need to actually experience the blast first hand. You yourself only remember smoking 5 or 6 a year so either you are no expert or it has greatly effected your memory. "

GL wrote on Jan 17, 2007 9:07 AM:

" 26 elbows found in the trunk of some college kids car..in mandan last friday $100,000 dollar bond. my lord?? what would have happend to that weed. he would have sold it and people would have smoked it.. then Twinky sales would have gone up in the Bis man area.. that would be the bottom line. there would have been no murders or rapings. its a waste of time. All that will happen now is that the 5000 other weed dealers in the state will sell theirs instead.. That sounds like a lot of MJ.. but they didnt make a dent. Think about what a 100lb bale looks like. how far do you think that goes towards the entire state. all that happend was that while all of those HP cars were parked at the funeral home a bunch of dangerous (speeders) drove by. a bunch of the states money will be wasted on jailing these two kids and in the end they well live to smoke and deal again. bottom line.. what good happens from this? 26 pounds of weed didnt hit the street... thank god for that.. I know I'll sleep better at night. lol "

To Hemp should be illegal. wrote on Jan 17, 2007 9:01 AM:

" Hemp cannot be mistook for MJ.. the "weed" that is smoked has "Buds" Hemp does not bud out the way that MJ does.. and you cant bet "high" on Hemp... it is a great replacement for cotton. and a good crop for ND. The US government grew it during WWII for rope and such. "

RIFFRAFF! wrote on Jan 17, 2007 8:32 AM:

" Well hold on here. DEA agents have never used drugs, ever. It's in the job description that they must not have ever "experimented" with drugs. Exceptions are indeed made for applicants who "admit to limited youthful and experimental use of marijuana." These people are no doubt usually relatives of polticians, etc. Basically, they don't want anyone that might have an opinion of drugs that doesn't mesh with their insane policies. But anyway, DEA agents haven't used drugs. How does that make them an expert on drugs and addiction? To use your analogy, I would not want to have my house wired by a supposed expert that has never personally wired a house before, but has told millions of others how they can and cannot wire their own houses. Funny how you assume that people that smoke marijuana are not sick of the alcohol related deaths. If anything we are sicker than you are of seeing them. Especially those like me, who have had such deaths in my family. But, it's never going to stop. People are going to drive drunk. I think if alcohol had a little competition as far as legal recreational drugs go, it might cut down on the DRUNK driving a bit. What's debatable is whether or not "stoned" driving would increase, and if it so, is that any safer than drinking and driving? Surely one has go to be better than the other. It would certainly be an amazing coincidence if they were "equally bad" wouldn't it? I'd love to see some more studies done comparing the two. "

RiffRaff wrote on Jan 17, 2007 3:22 AM:

" Yep, I'm just like an addict or alcoholic except for the whole "using drugs" part. I know you probably missed the part of the conversation where I said I haven't smoked any of the "addictive" marijuana for over a year, and even when I did, it was no more than 5-6 times a year. So, you must understand why it's funny when people such as yourself pretend to be experts on the subject and insist that it's an addictive substance. I must have tremendous will power. I admit that part of the reason I don't smoke marijuana more often is the trouble I have to go through finding it to purchase it. If I could buy it in a store or legally grow my own, I'd probably use it a little more often. Although, I've had a bunch on hand, but would go weeks without even wanting any, so I'd forget I even had it. Apparently, I had no idea how much it affects the memory! How many regular smokers are capable of just FORGETTING that they have their next pack of cigarettes in the house? When I was a smoker, I remembered at all times where my smokes were. There's also never been a 12 pack of even the most disgusting beer that has sat a month in my refrigerator either. So, the notion that marijuana is addictive is laughable to me, I'd feel guilty if I didn't defend it against people that say that it is. Nicotine, there's a real addiction, even the most strong minded person will have a hard time quitting that. Marijuana is completely different. I know a few daily marijuana smokers, so I guess you could call that being addicted, although I personally don't notice many problems that it's causing in their lives, so who am I to judge? Given my own experience with the drug, I truly believe they're addicted in the same way someone would become addicted to a food or hobby. I think if we're going to have laws against marijuana, we're going to also have to prohibit a long list of POTENTIALLY addictive and POTENTIALLY harmful substances and activities, which for the most part harm no one but the user. Anti-Depressants, gambling, diet coke, caffeine, coffee, prescription drugs, endorphins, fast food, any food, internet, pornography, internet pornography, video games, sports, jobs, liquor, masturbation, nicotine (in any form, in any location), religion, extreme sports, power, shopping, sleeping pills, television, sugar, sex. So, who's with me to help working on the ballot measures to prohibit all of these things? Let's start gathering signatures and restricting freedom immediately. Oh, you're not down with that? But why don't you care about the children? Sadly, far too many people would be all for banning some of those things, while they themselves participate in others on the list. "

Who are the experts wrote on Jan 16, 2007 11:00 PM:

" Hmmm... If you were having your house wired you would want an expert that knows the pit-falls. Nice to have experienced professional plumbers, carpenters, roofers, that have been involved in the industry and have seen what can go wrong. In drugs it is the police and ambulance drivers that get tired of picking up the injured and deceased on the highways. The DEA are the experts on what is addictive and what is not. Soo... who would I believe.... Someone who claims marijuana is not addictive and claims they only use it on occasion and want it legal. Or do I believe the guys that get tired of seeing the same old alcohol and drug related crashes and crime. This might be a difficult choice.... Maybe not. Years ago I was driving from town to town doing a thirty mile commute working the night shift. It probably does not matter that it was a state where roads had to follow hills and curves. On three occasions I stopped to help drunks that had gone off the road and either rolled or crashed into something. Once it was a pretty young lady about 25 years old laying about thirty feet from her upside down car. Later I read in the paper she had died. She was breathing when we all stopped our cars to try to help. She was not bleeding externally and was unconscious. The helicopter was soon above us waiting for a policeman to come and block the road so they could land away from the trees and creek. The spotlight from the chopper/air-ambulance on her was surreal. It was one of those strange scenes where you were sure she was leaving this world and the smell of alcohol, the slight rise before the curve, the chopper that could not immediately land. A few months later I drove by two twisted masses of compact cars that had met at high speed. The patrolman waving us around the wreck had an expression on his face that only people who see death and dying have. I did not stop to share the moment. I saw the same expression on a fireman's face who had a highway blocked because a family had driven into an approaching truck at highway speed. I guess I believe expressions and twisted vehicles. I certainly know I could never be a policeman, fireman, or ambulance driver. Anyone whose driving ability is "impaired" by anything should be taken off the road and somehow convinced not to do whatever.... "

hope for riffraff wrote on Jan 16, 2007 9:52 PM:

" You remind me of smokers and alcholics who when asked the question "Why don't you just give it up?, answer, "I could if I wanted to, but I don't want to" Everybody but themselves have figured out they are in the grips of a substance that really in the long run seriously compromises their long term prospects for a healthy lifestyle. Addicts unfortunately struggle with the consequences of their lies and poor choices they perpetrate mostly on themselves regarding their addiction. Good luck to you. I hope you figure it out before you start to seriously compromise your health. When you are ready to conquer your addiction you can be sure there will be people who have gone through it and are willing to help. "

riffraff wrote on Jan 16, 2007 8:46 PM:

" Oh and by the way, "You want to know the effects marijuana has on the brain.... check out o.k.'s posts. Case in point." and "Not on $450/month worth of meds. It would also be safe to say that I am not lazy, I 'm not bi-polar and am not a self proclaimed internet addict. Perhaps I don't feel the playing field is even remotely level. Your best bet would be to debate with someone with OCD. " those are the comments I'd probably find insulting if I had one of those disorders. But, maybe not. Anyway, your main arguments seem to be either lies, exaggerations, or insults. You say cocaine and pot have the same effects on the brain and provide no proof for such an insane statement. But, I suppose you said it yourself, we can talk until we're blue in the face and you will never be convinced of anything other than what you already think. No amount of facts will change that, I'm sure. "

riffraff wrote on Jan 16, 2007 7:30 PM:

" Well, I'd say that the THC content thing is both exaggerated and irrelevant. Apparently the percentages are a bit higher, but not to the degree that is usually reported by the anti-pot folks. Here ya go, directly from The Marijuana Potency Monitoring project which was sponsored by the US National Institute on Drug Abuse.http://www.briancbennett.com/charts/fed-data/thc-content.htm | So lets see, according to that, never was the average THC content in the seized marijuana below 1%, so you're wrong on that one. Also to say that the average potency for marijuana sold today is 10% is a lie, unfortunately. Marijuana with high THC content does exist, and if it were legal, it would be the most desirable kind, of course. What I need some more convincing on is the idea that that would be a bad thing. Wouldn't it be better on the lungs to smoke less of the stronger stuff than more of the cheap stuff? I think so. I wasn't around in the 60's, so I have no idea what that stuff was like. Although I'm sure some pretty good stuff could be located if you were lucky enough though. Since I wasn't around in the 60's, obviously ALL of my experience has been with marijuana at todays apparently super-high THC averages, so I stand by my previous statements. I don't remember saying it was a good idea to smoke when you need to go somewhere, such as a hospital, nor is it a good idea to drink when you NEED to go somewhere. When you have things to do, you don't smoke. Just as you don't get blind drunk when you're supposed to be babysitting. What is this, an ONDCP ad? And yes, it is just as easy if not easier to take "just a puff" of marijuana as it is to drink 1 beer, 2 beer, or 3 beers. Unless you want to smoke yourself to sleep, you smoke until you get the desired effect and stop. I cant discuss the comparison of someones ability to drive while intoxicated on marijuana and alcohol, because personally I dont like to get into the habit of comparing the two. I sick at either one so I abstain from driving either way if possible. If I ever have to in an emergency, I guess I'll find out for myself. But, surely you know better than me. But how do you explain away all these studies like this one: http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn2063 . It would appear that you are wrong I guess, since those results contradict yours. But maybe they used 1960's marijuana in that study, right? This paragraph is pretty interesting, and I must say I agree with it: "But the study also found that drivers on cannabis tended to be aware of their intoxicated state, and drove more cautiously to compensate. Indeed, doped-up volunteers often rated themselves as being more impaired than police surgeons brought in to evaluate their sobriety. Surprisingly, drinking alcohol didn't offset this cautious behaviour, opening up the unproven possibility that a driver who is moderately drunk might be better off under some conditions if they had also smoked." "

Hemp should be illegal wrote on Jan 16, 2007 3:47 PM:

" If Hemp looks like marijuana then how will anyone know what they are buying. Nobody needs another phoney lookalike kinda thing. Make it all legal or keep the lookalikes away. When marijuana finally get legal the acres of hemp will be a big problem. "

user wrote on Jan 16, 2007 1:51 PM:

" I think throwing someone in jail for marijuana is a bit ridiclous. There are far more worse crimes out there. "

zelda wrote on Jan 16, 2007 1:46 PM:

" Oh, come on! it's not about caring for one's health! It's about MONEY, MONEY, MONEY and control. Too many people's salaries are predicated on the money garnered from busting hapless pot smokers. Law enforcement and the prison industry and "addiction" counselors all want the marijuana laws kept in place to keep their paychecks rolling in. "

SAHM wrote on Jan 16, 2007 11:29 AM:

" Yep, stay at home mom. 2 gorgeous kiddos, currently another on the way. So no booze or pot for me right now. And if anyone is wondering.. has she ever smoked it around her kids.. nope & never would, just as I would never get drunk around my kids. I am not a heavy pot smoker, not saying that even heavy smokers do or would, nor a heavy drinker. I indulge a bit when going out for special occasions where we have a responsible babysitter. ... Which is the way it should be, wether it is legal alcohol or with weed. My hubby works full time, doesn't smoke weed. But doesn't mind if & when I do. If it was legal... he'd probably smoke responsibly as well. .. be better, then I wouldn't have to deal with his hangovers!!! "

The Professor wrote on Jan 16, 2007 11:00 AM:

" 1. Some of the smartest people I know are potheads. One went to MIT. That's not to say it makes you smarter, but I don't think it's particularly harmful, either. 2. The war on drugs is lost, and much of the reason is because too much time and effort is spent on marijuana. 3. It's been said before, but let's say it again: alcohol is THE gateway drug. No one smokes weed before chugging their first beer. "

Miler wrote on Jan 16, 2007 10:43 AM:

" Deb: you make some good points. Riffraf: I don't recall making fun of O.K's bi-polar disorder. Please enlighten me. I'm not sure what point it is you are trying to make with your posts. You need to be careful with your assumptions. My opinion does not come from some off the wall pre-judgement or theory of what marijuana can do to people. I can fairly say that I have life experience forming my opinion. I don't think there is anything more to address with you as "To Riffraf" has done an excellent job. This debate is no different than any other debate. Both sides have good points. "

Rep. Johnson wrote on Jan 16, 2007 9:45 AM:

" Every pot smoker knows you cannot get high off of hemp. There is no THC. So no one is going to try to smoke the farmers hemp and ruin it for everyone. And if they did smoke it they would only do it once! (Who wants to smoke twine?) It was a glorious day to all pot smokers in America when Johnson passed the bill to allow farmers to grow hemp. It has been illegal for over 70 years! (Guess what is next?) "

Leonard Mosbrucker wrote on Jan 16, 2007 9:28 AM:

" I AGREE, MARIJUANA IS A GATEWAY DRUG THAT CAN LEAD TO HARDER DRUGS, LIKE CIGARETTES. THERE ARE NO STATISTIC REGARDING DYING FROM SMOKING POT., HOWEVER OVER 400,000 PEOPLE DIE ANNUALLY FROM TOBACCO PRODUCTS. "

OK wrote on Jan 16, 2007 9:17 AM:

" I have heard that too. It appears marijuana touches on specific brain chemicals and "tickles" them. It actually has been shown to protect on a cellular level. A friend of mine had cancer, got treatments, started smoking weed and drinking heavily. The cancer cam back, her autiosy showed the only part of her body that did not get cancer were her lungs and liver. Strange huh? Studies are showing marijuana lowers cancer rates in users as well as treats nauseau and lack of appetite, and calms stressors in cancer patients. It treats the depression that comes along with any terminal illness as well. "

Online Editor wrote on Jan 16, 2007 9:15 AM:

" To all readers: I have deleted a few comments related to this story this morning because of name calling and profanity. Please keep this debate civil. "

GL wrote on Jan 16, 2007 9:05 AM:

" from what I have heard anyway.. booze kills brain cells. weed does not?? is this true? "

OK wrote on Jan 16, 2007 8:51 AM:

" I don't believe legalizing marijuana will cause user rates to go up. Most everyone has tried smoking it, the people that like it still do, the ones that don't like the way it makes them feel don't. In other countries when the legalize teenage user rates drastically fall, and population rates do not increase. Marijuana is a special drug, it does not settle right on everyone. "

Sam wrote on Jan 16, 2007 8:35 AM:

" I overdosed on alcohol when I was a teenager. 4.0 my family got me to the hospitol or I would have died. After alcohol treatment and being called an alcholoic, etc (I am not, I do not even drink often now) I was thinking "How could something that is legal kill you?" I want to tell you I am seeing some discrepancies here on weed. Someone said it is dangerous to drive if you have an emergency and need to. Studies have all showed that alcohol is what impairs driving, marijuana has been shown to makes people overly cautious. So you have a misconception about weed, you are comparing it with alcohol. They are not the same things. "

Missy wrote on Jan 16, 2007 7:01 AM:

" Is sahm stay at home mom? "

SAHM wrote on Jan 16, 2007 1:48 AM:

" Well, I've read quite a few of the comments here. All very interesting. My opinion - I smoked pot in high school, fairly often. I drank also, most small town kids do. Looking back I'd say my safest times were the times when only marijuana was involved. I never heard of a kid die from marijuana use, but I had a few friends get alcohol poisoning one almost died. Then after high school there were a few years where I didn't smoke any weed. Now I am an occasional weed smoker, I like to take a couple of hits when I am drinking... so I don't get sick from the alcohol! I find I drink less and enjoy myself way more without a hangover. I feel I am now pretty responsible when enjoying either substance, the things that change when you become an adult. Learned responsibility. Thats why we have an legal age set for alcohol right. Although I am a light user of both alcohol & occasionally weed I can definately see where I could end up with way more serious problems due to the alcohol. Wether it be alcoholism or a bad hangover. Now for more serious look on it, I have seen plenty of people around locally go WAY down the tube from Meth use! AND I've read in the paper people getting WAY more charges for marijuana use! ???????? Does that make any sense?! NO NO NO NO!!!! I have seen people I used to hang out with go down a terrible road with meth. YES, I have smoked weed but I tell you one thing I will NEVER ever even try meth! Imagine that smoking weed does not make me want to go out and dump toxic chemicals into my system. How can that be!! Simply because they have no similarities and no ties. Do people say alcohol leads to meth or coke or whatever? No, why would weed? Give one proven factual reason why. I think people just associate them together because they are currently both illegal. One guy got thrown in jail for not paying enough child support, while there he met some meth heads and got a recipe, well when he got out he had a plan to make some money to pay his child support..... Wow did he ruin his life, the guy used to be a happy go lucky beer drinking weed smoker, and truely a good guy, he even mowed my lawn just for the heck of it sometimes on his day off from his job he'd had for YEARS hanging billboards... untill he got that recipe for meth. You want to see something that causes a problem... this guy went from healthy to UNHEALTHY, cooking meth, selling it using it - lost his job he'd had for years, didn't shower (was always clean cut before wether he'd just smoked a joint or not) didn't get haircuts, looked downright sick! Well, he's in jail now, for like the 2nd time. I don't think he's getting out any time soon. All I can say is concentrate on getting rid of the meth problem! Not the weed that grows out of the ground for petes sake. From my experience as a teen to now as an adult I can honestly say I believe marijuana has more benificial effects for many people, and certainly isn't even as harmful as alcohol - or possibly even cigarettes - both of which are legal?? It doesn't make any sense to me. AND yes, how sick does it make me to my stomache when a sex offender walks free, I'd certainly rather walk down the street and see someone who just smoked a joint wave at me then someone who raped someone or molested a kid wave at me. Duh. Once in high school I looked marijuana up in the encyclopedia, it said for side effects, may cause dry mouth, may slow motor skills some. Ok, whats the big deal, alcohol makes me puke and really slows my motor skills! Please legalize marijuana, what is stopping this? We are free to use alcohol, many abuse it with VERY bad side effects. What is the huge issue with weed? You want to put a limit of its use like only serving so much alcohol a night to a customer.. go ahead. But why aren't americans free to choose the use of something that doesn't affect anyone any worse than alcohol, doesn't kill others around them by growing it, and could possibly medically or even non-medically benefit people? But we can have cigs and booze? "

riffraff wrote on Jan 16, 2007 12:51 AM:

" I fail to see the connection between that guy, his stripper wife, and the "drug crowd". Unless you're implying that a majority of members of the "drug crowd" do things such as uh.. marry strippers? If so, that's quite a reach, much to the chagrin of many drug users. :( But, I imagine that at least one of your favorite co-workers at that job was also a member of the drug crowd by virtue of using marijuana as his only "drug", yet was still a pretty decent guy. But I suppose he doesn't cancel out the other guy in your eyes. Again, no one is going to go out of their way to let you know that they use an illegal substance, unless they are an idiot, or they think you can get them some. "

My fear: wrote on Jan 15, 2007 11:21 PM:

" Apparently there is quite a bit of pot smoking going on now, and it's costly and illegal. If it is legalized, the use will most likely increase as the cost and threat of possession decreases. If we think we have burned out potheads out there now, just wait until it is legal and these potheads can do it in front of their children, my children, their employers, their mothers..... won't that be sad? We would just be enabling them to further cook their brain and endanger themselves and others. I want more than that kind of world for my kids. Zombies belong in movies. As far as the hemp grower, hemp is not made to smoke, it is used for products. There will always be the hard core abusers who will smoke it or whatever they want to do, and ruin what it is for it's intended purpose, so the potheads will ruin the whole concept. Man, those dudes will smoke anything - pathetic as it is! That seems to be the main fear when growing this. As I stated, the potheads will kill any integrity this concept may have by abusing it. "

The guy by the pool wrote on Jan 15, 2007 10:51 PM:

" The drug crowd is different. Their world is an interesting one to question. I was once working a motel night shift (west coast) when I struck up a conversation with a guy standing by the pool. He introduced himself as a bodyguard for an exotic dancer. He had just been to a room where he explained the no touching rule to the customers and had collected the money. The dancer then went in and he hung around outside in case of problems. I questioned his value to her that far away. He explained that all she needed to do was hit one button on her cell phone to alert him to problems. He also checked back every several minutes at which time she used hand signals to tell how it was going. The conversation was going well until the "other shoe" dropped. He mentioned that he had been her bodyguard for two years before they got married???? So it had slowly happened and now he was out by the pool while his wife is in a room taking off her clothes to music???? He said they made 4,000 dollars a month working 4 hours a night. But I really was not listening after hearing they were married. Staggers the imagination. "

how about some discussion wrote on Jan 15, 2007 9:25 PM:

" To anybody with an opionion of marijuana's sister HEMP. Go to the story about the North Dakota legislator filing to be the first person to grow hemp legally in America. Go to that story and post an opinion! "

Medical Marijuana wrote on Jan 15, 2007 9:20 PM:

" California has medical marijuana laws. http://www.modbee.com/local/story/13198593p-13839008c.html As you see by the above story there are always people who are against progress. "

to riffraff wrote on Jan 15, 2007 9:14 PM:

" I won't assume you've ever had the ability to reason out the problem with legalizing marijuana but if you once had that ability, I would have to point out that I think your use of marijuana has significantly impaired your ability to do so now. So let me take this slow. I would expect YOU know this, but let me make it clear for other readers. The marijuana being sold today is significantly more potent than it was even twenty years ago. The average THC content of marijuana has gone from it's 1960's one or two percent to todays "average" THC percent being around ten percent, with the highest tested percentages coming in at over thirty percent. I have seen people under the influence of marijuana at todays averages. NOBODY would claim that the motor skills of people under the influence of marijuana at that potency are not significantly impaired. So now, Joe Blow, living in a world where marijuana is legal, after work and in the privacy of his own home sits down to have "just one", just like he did when his drug of choice was alcohol. However, unluckily for Joe, a medical emergency occurs at his house (his son breaks his arm skateboarding) and he is required to drive to the hospital. Under the influence of one, two or even three beers, Joe is much more capable of arriving at the hospital without killing someone along the way. However after Joes one high potency marijuana cigarette and because of the deteriorated state of Joe's motor skills Joe is taking a far greater chance that his trip to the hospital will result in tragedy. Who cares about the people he takes out on the way to the hospital. "Marijuana never killed anybody". People who smoke marijuana will happily tell you that marijuana will "take you to another place, far from your troubles of the day" but when that's a bad thing they are not willing to admit it. "

Missy wrote on Jan 15, 2007 8:18 PM:

" I think he was just trying to say there is a legal alternative to alcohol now. Out of ignorance~ Is there any religious background with native americans and marijuana>? I know with alcohol there is with Christians, Somehow I always imagined marijuana in the peace pipe rather than tobacco. "

UnHappy Native American wrote on Jan 15, 2007 7:26 PM:

" I read your article above and in one paragraph it it stated someone "greatly respect Alaska, Montana and Canada for changing their laws dealing with marijuana. Especially since they have large Native American populations, and for these people alcohol has been a killer for more than a hundred years." To me that is like they are hand picking the Native Americans to be something they are not. It is like saying all Native Americans are drunks. Yes there is a alcohol problem but not just with in the Native American population. Whites, Blacks, Mexicans can have alcohol problems. I am a Native American that just so happens to be sober and well far away from an alcohol problem. I do not appreciate being discriminated against because of my race. "

riffraff wrote on Jan 15, 2007 6:17 PM:

" I'll pass on the poison ivy and the wild berries. I'll stick to rolling around in my front yard on the grass and eat.. I dunno, raspberries? Not EVERYTHING that grows freely is bad for you either. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that it's more likely that marijuana falls into the "good for you" category rather than the "bad for you" one. Call me crazy, I'm basing that solely on the fact that even heavy use HAS NEVER KILLED ANYONE. I'm going to interpret the fact that this non-toxic plant is without a doubt fun to use (eat, smoke, drink) as a sign that I'm supposed to use it, for some reason. Perhaps its purpose is to allow people to avoid whichever mental illness Miler suffers from, which makes it impossible for him to accept the fact that he knows nothing about this subject. You can't INSIST that it's addictive, or dangerous, or anything when you have never used it, nor have you known any "responsible users" whose behavior would contradict your assumptions. Which is probably good for them, as you would most likely turn them in, thinking you're saving them from themselves. For every negative marijuana story, there are hundreds of positive ones, it's a shame you haven't heard any of them. You can can cherry pick sources of information that "prove" your predetermined opinion that marijuana is addictive and dangerous. Yes, it's true that there are many types or marijuana, but they're all essentially the same. There's no high powered mutant strain out there that will addict, kill, or cause you to go insane. But, it's fine if you want to resort to tired "stoner" stereotypes while making fun of OK's bi-polar disorder as your main arguments. "

Missy wrote on Jan 15, 2007 5:39 PM:

" That is funny that you should say that freud, everytime I smell an armpit (BO) it makes me think of weed. "

Stealing is wrong wrote on Jan 15, 2007 5:32 PM:

" Those Eskimo kids Mr Vollan refers to probably got their rear ends spanked for stealing daddies marijuana. Or maybe they did something nice for a teacher to get marijuana, at that age. "

Freud wrote on Jan 15, 2007 5:24 PM:

" Actually it has been proven that new babies know the scent of their mother. nursing mothers should not be allowed to smoke marijuana or cigarettes or the baby might identify the odor to the "mommy" part of the brain and be hopelessly drawn to said odor for life. "

Deb wrote on Jan 15, 2007 5:06 PM:

" Some thoughts on this debate: Some people have addictive personalities and anything can be an addictive substance to them. That is a brain checmical issue that is specific to that person. Marijuana in essence isn't checmically addictive. I think what is addictive is the lifestyle that may come with it. Is it possible that simply becuase it is illegal, it harbors some fantastical lure to kids to become involved with it? May those same kids possibly have situational and/or hormonal/chemical issues that makes them become addicted to the drug, thus having horrible impacts to hir ir her life? I'd say possibly. Would making the drug legal solve these issues? I don't know. What I do know is that marijuana is used a lot more than many would think, by a lot more so-called "upstanding" members of our society. I'm not taking about the local manager at the record store, either. I'm talking top level executives in some of the most successful private and public companies in town. I do not smoke pot. I did in college, and it didn't do anything for me that a miller lite couldn't do, other than make me mega-paranoid. So I quit using it years and years ago. But, because some people have awful stories relating to it, or have family members who suffered with it, or in general think it is bad for society without ever having used it - does that mean that everyone should have to use it only illegally? Because it will be used regardless of legalization. Remember the days of "Demon Rum?" Didn't stop the bootleggers. I think this country could legalize it, tax it and regulate it and spend all funds from said tax toward welfare or other public funding and it would be a great thing for this country. But that is just one idea. Far from the best, I'm sure. "

Miler wrote on Jan 15, 2007 3:41 PM:

" To No documented case: Get a grip. You don't know there has never been a documented case. You need to put down your peace pipe.... it is clearly becoming to much for you to handle. "

No documented case wrote on Jan 15, 2007 2:57 PM:

" There has never been one single documented case of a person doing any armed robbery while smoking a marijuana cigarette. You would have a big problem finding any crime being committed while one is actually smoking a marijuana cigarette. Now if the girlfriend and her friends smokes all the stash when one is sleeping it off, then maybe some adjustments might need to happen to the witch. "

Miler wrote on Jan 15, 2007 1:52 PM:

" OH, and one more thing GL. How do you know when someone robs a 7-11 or steals that he is not high??? I have heard this ridiculous statement made over and over on these comment boards. How do any of you know what a criminal is on when they commit a crime? maybe they are on something, maybe they are not. You sure the heck don't know. Give me a break. It alters your mind, period. It might make you mellow and the next guy nuts. Plus, there are so many different forms of marijuana, it's hard to know what your smoking and what kindof high you will get off of it. "

Miler wrote on Jan 15, 2007 1:36 PM:

" To GL: Go snort a line and then tomorrow smoke some dope. Come back and give us a report. You are all fools if you think marijuana is not addictive or destructive. You want to know the effects marijuana has on the brain.... check out o.k.'s posts. Case in point. Oh, and G.L, your funny. In an earlier post you claim I am the kindof person who believes everything I read, yet you are constantly looking for the "article" to prove something. Both you and o.k. (aka NOT o.k.) can talk until your blue in the face. There are still many of us you will never convince with your "it's nature's drug" and " it's not addictive" BS. Go run through some poison Ivy and eat some wild berries. Not EVERYTHING that grows freely is good for you. "

GL wrote on Jan 15, 2007 12:01 PM:

" oops.. I smoked a joint and just finished robbing the local 711 ... been locked up for a few days.. I blame the weed. I blame the weed for making me steal. Has anybody ever heard this kind of comment from a criminal?? didnt think so. Miler--- where is the information on cocaine and weed having the same effect on the brain?? cant find it? "

OK wrote on Jan 15, 2007 11:50 AM:

" I think when you have seeds left over you should start planting it around town and tell your friends;) Thanks! "

OK wrote on Jan 15, 2007 10:47 AM:

" Yes, Miler, you are probably right. It must be my fault that people can't use their spatial abilties to type in the image verification correctly. Blame everything on marijuana and the people who passionatley need it legalized. "

Miler wrote on Jan 15, 2007 10:35 AM:

" To O.K. I see 5 posts in a row from you. Going on and on about nothing. You have made your point and we can clearly all see you feel it would be best to legalize marijuana. You have a right to your opinion. Perhaps the reason there are missing posts is because you are so busy posting, no-one else's posts get to be heard. Slow down.... take a deep breath and let someone else say something. "

OK wrote on Jan 15, 2007 10:14 AM:

" And here is the million $ ?. Do you want your tax money to pay for ME, with MY reasons, to be housed in a prison? "

ok wrote on Jan 15, 2007 9:50 AM:

" As far as I can see, seeds are legal, and consumption is legal. So I am not going to be breaking ALL the laws, just possession, and in the privacy of my own home, I feel like it is none of law enforcements business, as long as I don't sell. (My friends will have a kindbud gift;) "

OK wrote on Jan 15, 2007 9:41 AM:

" I have decided to get some seeds and set up shop in my guest room closet, I am going to install a lock so my kids don't know what is growing. ( I just can't imagine financing drug lords)If I get busted I will get a lawyer and get the laws changed in ND. Wish me luck! One question, so if I smoke it alone, is that the same as when an alcoholic drinks alone? I will have to share with my friends I think ;) "

OK wrote on Jan 15, 2007 8:48 AM:

" I would imagine my medication causes suicide because it does not change my mood (marijuana does) but it lifts the physical symptoms and provides for mental energy. Most depressed people are too low to act on a suicide ideation. "

OK wrote on Jan 15, 2007 8:46 AM:

" They do not do any testes for my brain chemical levels. The only tests I get are blood sugar tests because my medications have been shown to CAUSE diabeties. No, that is not a trade I want to make . I would much rather medicate with medication that hasn;t been shown to cause suicide or diabeties. I would choose marijuana if given a choice. "

Dave Bundy, editor wrote on Jan 15, 2007 6:43 AM:

" To TC: Sorry, but everything we've gotten from you has been posted. I can't find your missing comment. "

riffraff wrote on Jan 15, 2007 6:00 AM:

" OK: Yeah, I always thought it would be funny if there was such thing as a marijuana deficiency, and that some sort of health problems are caused from it. Oh the crazy stuff that one thinks about while intoxicated on the evil demon weed. Like that humans are supposed to use a plant that is pleasurable and at least in the short term, in many ways, beneficial to them. hah! One that grows anywhere that it's allowed to. (LOL). We'll swallow the idea that widespread "chemical imbalances" require that an inordinate percentage of our population needs to take prozac and zoloft, but have a hard time considering the possibility that regular marijuana use might have been placed here on earth with us for a purpose other than for our DEA agents to eradicate. I wonder how americans' opinions would change should it be determined that monthly or annual marijuana use prevents Alzheimers 100%. Back to the mood altering prescription drugs. It's a little troubling to me the way these doctors diagnose people and prescribe this stuff. If it helps people feel good, fine by me. But, do they do any tests? Surely they must use some high-tech method to measure your serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine levels, right? This is after all the most complex organ in the body. But no, as far as I know they don't do that, and there is no evidence that depression is caused by a "chemical imbalance". Still, this crap is prescribed for anything, anything that effects a person's mood. Depression, anxiety, smoking cessation, etc. I don't see how that's any better than some guy smoking some weed once in a while, since it's been said to be good for a lot of the same symptoms. Did you also know that "Under the brand name Sarafem, the active ingredient in Prozac is also prescribed for the treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), formerly known as premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Symptoms of PMDD include mood problems such as anxiety, depression, irritability or persistent anger, mood swings, and tension. Physical problems that accompany PMDD include bloating, breast tenderness, headache, and joint and muscle pain. Symptoms typically begin 1 to 2 weeks before a woman's menstrual period and are severe enough to interfere with day-to-day activities and relationships." So it's called PMDD? And that's different than just regular PMS? Again, are there tests to show that it's worse? Nope, lets just give them drugs. Again, people should be able to see how legal marijuana would affect the sales of this product. Plenty of people have used it for PMS for thousands of years. "

To TC: wrote on Jan 14, 2007 10:55 PM:

" Maybe you put in a wrong code and didn't notice it. Sometimes we can get off the page too quickly after posting and don't see the red warning. Some of the codes are easily mistaken. "

Dave Bundy, editor wrote on Jan 14, 2007 10:49 PM:

" To TC: I'm seeing that we've approved and posted every remark you've sent in. I'm not sure why you're not seeing them. I can't find any of yours that we have not posted. "

riffraff wrote on Jan 14, 2007 10:30 PM:

" There was no ADHD and bipolar or there were no people diagnosed with it? If it exists today, who knows if it does or not, surely it must have existed "back in the day". People sure didn't get treatment for it back then in the form of the insane amount of prescription drugs that we have today though, that's for sure. I dunno, I'm at the point that I don't really care about that either. If people actually get relief from their mental health problems, diagnosed or not, using whatever drug they feel they need, I dont care. Marijuana helps me in a way that's probably similar to how antidepressants help people. So yes, it's pretty safe to say that the prescription drug industry definitely has an interest in keeping it illegal. To i'm relieved: Probably a lot of people are like me in that they settle for beer most of the time. It sucks that my first choice is illegal, especially when it may be safer and more beneficial than alcohol. You can't replace marijuana with nicotine, caffeine, and booze. I wouldn't expect anyone else to replace booze with marijuana, nicotine, and caffeine since their effects are pretty different. When you want a beer, you drink a beer. When you want marijuana, you smoke some. It's an option that would be available to everyone in my fantasy world where freedom is actually valued rather than paid lip service to. "

T.C. wrote on Jan 14, 2007 10:14 PM:

" To Online Editor: I have written several comments on this and other stories in the last couple of days and would be interested in knowing why they have not been posted. I do not curse, name call, abuse, or any of that, I stay (or try to) on point. Yet it seems that some of my comments have gotten lost or something. Please respond soon as this is my second message asking about this. Thank you. "

Because it's so good wrote on Jan 14, 2007 5:02 PM:

" You really should know where your drugs are coming from. I knew these guys (Mexican Mafia, Nuestra Familia, Aryan Brotherhood) way to well back in the 1970's. A friend of mine was followed home one night and killed. I will try not to express my anger at this subject because this would not get printed. They smuggle drugs, it's blood in and blood out to join or leave. They now number in the thousands. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Mafia Another good article is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sure%C3%B1os "

I'm relieved: wrote on Jan 14, 2007 4:04 PM:

" Excuse me, I have one question. Years ago there was no ADHD, bipolar, and all that. A kid misbehaved and they got a good whooping and that took care of it. People had jobs and held them, the population wasn't all zombied up. What happened to change all that? "

I'm relieved: wrote on Jan 14, 2007 4:01 PM:

" All I can say is that I am so happy that we can get together with our friends on occasion and play cards and snack and drink pop or an occasional beer and have fun, without this monkey on our back. I would hate to have to plan a get-together around my supply of pot, or hate to think that I couln't relax and be enjoyable company without that pot. Or tap my fingers until the company leaves so I can HAVE that pot that I have to keep hidden and can't bring out in front of my friends. The freedom from worrying about if pot is legal or not is great. I sure appreciate the fact that I don't have any of my life situations riding on legalizing this mind altering junk, I can be me and like it! Yeah, I like me. The real me. "

Rocky Mountain High wrote on Jan 14, 2007 3:22 PM:

" I find it rather ironic. When I lived in Boulder, Colorado in the early 1970's, of course there was alot of Mexican marijuana around and relatively cheap to buy. I noticed one thing. I frequented the bars occasionally and one time that I was in Smitty's Bar, there were very few customers drinking their beverage of choice. I asked the bartender, what's up with no people in the bar. He said "Oh, it's simple, when there are lots of drugs around, nobody needs to come in for their "high." When the bars are full, there is not enough drugs around to keep everyone "happy" until the next drug shipment arrives and everyone is consuming alcohol." It'a all about the economy of drugs and alcohol! Rocky Mountain High . . . "

OK wrote on Jan 14, 2007 3:18 PM:

" On the rare occassion someone passes me some kindbud, it puts a smile on my face and a giggle in my step. "

To Melissa wrote on Jan 14, 2007 2:03 PM:

" What happens when the baggy runs empty. What happens when there are no more good drugs and good feelings. What happens when you replace the good THC with nicotine, caffeine or booze? And how do violent people respond between hits? "

Melissa wrote on Jan 14, 2007 11:39 AM:

" When was the last time that you heard of a person committing a rather violent crime when smoking marijuana? You Never hear of such a thing. Marijuna just mellows a person out, and doesnt make people want to rape, commit murder or any violent acts of crime!!!! If I had it my choice I would make it legal and demand that all violent people should have to smoke so much everyday, and then guess what, our world would be a better place!!! People might be a little hungrier but our crime rate would drop dramatically!!! So go smoke some weed today! "

OK wrote on Jan 14, 2007 8:16 AM:

" Maybe alzheimers disease is a human marijuanan deficiency, it being illegal is why we have millions of cases in our country compared to other countries. "

Ok wrote on Jan 14, 2007 8:08 AM:

" THC is not the only chemical found in marijuana, it is very intricit. In some patients who use it for medicinal purposes, they are unable to keep things down ( because of nausea, or they just won't accept a pill form) You can use it in a vaporizor type machine, the kind our senator is outlawing, I suppose.(the alcohol vaporizer) Another importanat factor for you to know is you cannot overdose on marijuanan. A little or a lot you have the same effect. Marijuanan is safer than cafeine. So careful administering of synthetic is not the only option. "

Missy wrote on Jan 14, 2007 8:02 AM:

" So I would think this would be some really useful information to have, say if you have a parent or relative that has alzheimers, for yourself since alzheimers is a genetic disease. I think they should do studies. Maybe the people who use marijuana on a regular basis don't get alzheimers. Just a thought. I have worked in our nursing homes and have talked to family members, alot of times the people who have it lead "good" lives, did not drink or smoke. But sometimes they are addicted to coke and soda directly from a can. (aluminum)_ "

riffraff wrote on Jan 14, 2007 1:19 AM:

" I have a small recipe question for these Alzheimer's brownies. In case of a shortage in my area of synthetic cannibinoids, or if I just plain don't care to pay hundreds of dollars for them, can I just substitute some garden variety marijuana? I figure it would be much cheaper for me and I believe it would supply the necessary medicinal effects just as well. Would that be doable? Thanks, Riffraff. "

Missy: wrote on Jan 13, 2007 10:55 PM:

" Administered through the FDA and the patient's doctor under controlled amounts and circumstances, your synthetic brownies would probably be fine. "

Missy wrote on Jan 13, 2007 6:17 PM:

" Would it be ok with you if I wipped up some brownies for these poor folks? I found this information on Norml.org Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurological disorder of unknown origin that is characterized by a progressive loss of memory and learned behavior. Patients with Alzheimer’s are also likely to experience depression, agitation, and appetite loss, among other symptoms. Over 4.5 million Americans are estimated to be afflicted with the disease. No approved treatments or medications are available to stop the progression of AD, and few pharmaceuticals have been FDA-approved to treat symptoms of the disease. A review of the recent scientific literature indicates that cannabinoid therapy may provide symptomatic relief to patients afflicted with AD while also moderating the progression of the disease. Writing in the February 2005 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, investigators at Madrid's Complutense University and the Cajal Institute in Spain reported that the intracerebroventricular administration of the synthetic cannabinoid WIN 55,212-2 prevented cognitive impairment and decreased neurotoxicity in rats injected with amyloid-beta peptide (a protein believed to induce Alzheimer’s). Additional cannabinoids were also found to reduce the inflammation associated with Alzheimer's disease in human brain tissue in culture. "Our results indicate that … cannabinoids succeed in preventing the neurodegenerative process occurring in the disease," investigators concluded.[1] More recently, investigators at The Scripps Research Institute in California reported that THC inhibits the enzyme responsible for the aggregation of amyloid plaque — the primary marker for Alzheimer's disease — in a manner "considerably superior" to approved Alzheimer's drugs such as donepezil and tacrine. "Our results provide a mechanism whereby the THC molecule can directly impact Alzheimer's disease pathology," researchers concluded. "THC and its analogues may provide an improved therapeutic [option] for Alzheimer's disease [by]... simultaneously treating both the symptoms and the progression of [the] disease."[2] Previous preclinical studies have demonstrated that cannabinoids can prevent cell death by anti-oxidation.[3] Some experts believe that cannabinoids’ neuroprotective properties could also play a role in moderating AD.[4] In addition to potentially modifying the progression of AD, clinical trials also indicate that cannabinoid therapy can reduce agitation and stimulate weight gain in patients with the disease. Most recently, investigators at Berlin Germany’s Charite Universitatmedizin, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, reported that the daily administration of 2.5 mg of synthetic THC over a two-week period reduced nocturnal motor activity and agitation in AD patients in an open-label pilot study.[5] Clinical data presented at the 2003 annual meeting of the International Psychogeriatric Association previously reported that the oral administration of up to 10 mg of synthetic THC reduced agitation and stimulated weight gain in late-stage Alzheimer’s patients in an open-label clinical trial.[6] Improved weight gain and a decrease in negative feelings among AD patients administered cannabinoids were previously reported by investigators in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry in 1997.[7] Additional study of the use of cannabinoids and Alzheimer’s would appear to be warranted. "

riffraff wrote on Jan 13, 2007 6:12 PM:

" Wait a second, is this "To on line editor /you know what?" guy saying that they shouldn't allow posts by people on a certain side of this particular issue because they are "excessively immoral, unethical, illegal, etc." ? Wow, I can't believe someone would even suggest such a thing. If you're sick of hearing about such immorality, don't worry, don't read it or just wait, the posting will go away altogether on its own. Then people can go back to ignoring this problem and think about more pressing issues such as smoking bans, etc. Facilitators have tremendous responsibility to allow actual open debate on this issue, since rarely does that ever occur. "

OK wrote on Jan 13, 2007 5:29 PM:

" Q: How many states have passed medical marijuana initiatives? A: Nine: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Arizona and California voters approved medical marijuana laws in 1996. Voters in Alaska, Oregon and Washington approved laws in 1998. Voters in Maine approved their medical marijuana initiative in 1999. Voters in Colorado and Nevada approved medical marijuana laws in 2000. Most recently, Montana voters approved a medical marijuana initiative in 2004. District of Columbia voters approved an initiative in 1998 with 69 percent of the vote, but Congress later overrode the law. "

J. Stein wrote on Jan 13, 2007 4:43 PM:

" I would assume Alaska has a high rate of mental disorders because of their sun exposure, in the same way that Seattle is effected. Bipolar and several other mental disorders have been shown to be exasperated when seasons change, and are actually treated with sunlight, the man made variant being lithium. In Alaska I would assume many people self medicate with marijuana, and the facts would show that it is beneficial to people with mental disorders. (I also am bipolar/manic depreesive)I personally have very difficult days when it is cloudy. My mood is remarkably different on those days than sunny days. When the seasons change, medicated as I am, I require changes in medication because my mania begins in the fall, and returns again in the spring. I am sensitive to nature. Marijuana has been shown to be the natural remedy, just like sunlight. My Dr recommends its use in my case. I do not use it because of its' legal status. "

ryanm424 wrote on Jan 13, 2007 4:20 PM:

" The author seems opposed to NFL players beating their wives. Are none of our traditions sacred anymore? "

OK wrote on Jan 13, 2007 4:01 PM:

" We live in the US. Of which our neighbor, along with several other states have legislated to decriminalize marijuana. So the Tribune allowing us to talk about us actually moving along with the times is in no way a negative attribute to their business. I personally commend them on this subject. I know there are some people who are hard bent to ever see truth and reason, we will leave their minds in 30's, where it belongs. The way I see it, the dems listen to what the people have to say, and I can see that they are starting to hear "US". We are the United States. "

To on line editor /you know what? wrote on Jan 13, 2007 3:26 PM:

" The tribune is a news reporting organization. It's a business and will succeed or not, based on it's business acumen. When it comes to what will or will not be permitted to be written or blogged ie., letters to the editor or blog responses, there is a decision making process. The decision making process should include considerations such as: what is appropriate to report, how it should be reported, should the emphasis on a particular topic be jammed down the public's throat, to which side of an issue do you give the most access, etc. In my mind you do have a responsibility to be responsible. You must necessarily edit the comments submitted. Free speech should not permit excessively immoral, unethical, illegal, etc. commentary. Not everyone will choose to follow your lead and keep it civil. I think nearly everyone that reads and contributes to the conversation you've created and/or fostered would, for the vast majority of the time, commend you for the quality of the product that is being published. I can only imagine it's the result of many hours of hard work. However, I don't think you can or should expect a free pass and you should expect that some will question your thinking process from time to time. I goes with the territority you have established and permitted others to enter. Facilitators have a tremendous responsibility. "

ok wrote on Jan 13, 2007 2:48 PM:

" http://www.faqs.org/faqs/drugs/hemp-marijuana/ "

OK wrote on Jan 13, 2007 1:38 PM:

" Yes, I would imagine there are some pretty angry, hate filled comments coming through that are not appropriate for the public. I would imagine the sex offenders and child molesters getting out and public announcement articles recieve the most hate and intolerance. I can't imagine much hate towards the potheads that are in jail in their place. The outrage is the error of our legislators in not changing the laws. "

Online Editor wrote on Jan 13, 2007 1:17 PM:

" To You know what?: Thanks you, thank you, thank you. "

OK wrote on Jan 13, 2007 11:53 AM:

" I am just curious, mine IQ 128, what's yours? "

You know what? wrote on Jan 13, 2007 11:03 AM:

" This online blogging is not something the Trib HAS to allow. They are giving people a chance to offer opinions and other sides of issues. I don't really see why the online editor has to explain anything or answer to accusations about what appears in the paper. Jeez, people. Take it for what it is, and appreciate the Trib and the editors time going through all these and monitoring what I am sure are some pretty bizarre comments sometimes. That job would be hard enough, I don't think the online editor needs to be scrutinized or criticized. I can't believe it. Does everything have to be taken so far all the time? They have quite a job behind the scenes to keep this half way decent (and legal) and to determine what is acceptable on here and what is not. Let them do their job and leave it be. Have some respect for their position and stop dragging them into personal issues. "

OK wrote on Jan 13, 2007 10:34 AM:

" Also I wanted to make a point against Miler for trying to put my disease, which is bipolar, in derogatory terms, like there was something wrong with my mind. The only thing wrong with my mind is that my BODY becomes manic and does not sleep or eat. Then my MIND goes into an insomnia induced psychosis. You trying to use bipolar in a degrogatory manner, to me is like someone trying to use someone with cancer as a fault. And the morbity rate for people with bipolar is 20%. Yes 1 in 5 people diagnosed with bipolar commit suicide. So watch what you say. You sound like one of the bullys in school who pick on the handicapped kids. BTW~ Most bipolar people probably have a much higher IQ than you. "

Online Editor wrote on Jan 13, 2007 9:33 AM:

" To OK: I understand your statement a little more now. It's important to make a distinction between the editorial pages and the news pages when talking about this issue. Each day the Tribune publishes an editorial taking a stance on an issue, it may be political it may not, it may be an endorsement of a candidate or an issue. On the same page we also publish letters from readers. This happens in nearly every daily newspaper around the nation and the world. News stories, however, are completely separate and must remain unbias. The reporter has to try to represent both sides of the issue. "

OK wrote on Jan 13, 2007 9:20 AM:

" Riff raff~ Thank you for posting about all the people in different walks of life that smoke.(the church lady kind of comforted me, since I am a christian and wondered what my churches stance on marijuanan is since I am so passionate about this subject.) I was wondering if maybe my group of people I know is the minority, because I look at the numbers who do in my life and imagine that might be how the rest of the US is. (Most of the people I know do, or think it is beneign) I've been swimming down at the river and a stranger came over to talk to me and sparked one up. I wonder if that happens to non smokers? Can people just tell by talking to someone if they are "down with it" or not, do you think? I think the majority are down with it. "

Ok wrote on Jan 13, 2007 9:01 AM:

" The only reason I stated this is a political newspaper is the measure #3 stance they took. I can't think of any other political issues off the top of my hed but I am sure there are more, I have heard people talking about different subjects and stating they shouldn't be choosing sides but they do. Yes, I am paying attention :) "

riffraff wrote on Jan 13, 2007 1:37 AM:

" I think that just because it happens to have medical properties, doesn't mean that you have to be sick to use it. Society isn't going to crumble if someone who is not sick uses marijuana, it's happening right now. I've noticed, in our society, nothing can fit into more than one category at once. Drugs with medicinal properties are not safe for recreational use. All recreational drugs must be addictive or cause severe health problems. (Except for 2, those two are just fine). Anything that is extremely enjoyable,not only has to have an equally major downside but also surely cannot possibly be of any major medical benefit to the user. You'd be a fool to think something exists that can be safe, enjoyable, and beneficial. There has to be a huge sacrifice, no way around it. That's how we see it, and sometimes it's true. Occasionally though, it's not true. I'm talking about stuff like chocolate, green tea, red wine, coffee. All legal products,all enjoyable to consume, but the medical benefits are not immediately noticeable. This is where marijuana should be categorized, if it can't have a category all to itself. Although, Marijuana's recreational and medical effects are more profound and immediate. On a somewhat related note, I've also read that nicotine might have a positive effect on patients with Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's disease. That's pretty sweet too. Anyway, for the people that were debating whether all "potheads" are losers, hippies, and such, you might want to check out these sites, which are run by Dr. Lester Grinspoon of Harvard Medical School. This guy originally started writing his book "Marijuana Reconsidered" in the 1970's to be an anti-marijuana book, but as he researched, he changed his mind, finished the book before having used marijuana in his life, and has been an advocate of legalization ever since: http://www.marijuana-uses.com/read.html | And for medical marijuana: http://www.rxmarihuana.com/comments_and_observations.htm |Just a bunch of intelligent, short stories and opinions that should be interesting to some. "

rbeesh wrote on Jan 12, 2007 11:33 PM:

" finally someone said it. i no longer smoke pot because i am in the military. there are a whole lot of drugs that are being used that will drain your bank account and leave you rock bottom. however i feel pot is much better for mood and health problems. studies have been done and i'm sorry to say i would rather be high than drunk or coked up. anyways more power to those who choose a more peaceful route than hard drugs or alcohol. i don't remeber ever being compelled to commit robbery or a serious offense against the public while i was high. hell half the time i couldn't even feel my feet. PEACE "

Online Editor wrote on Jan 12, 2007 10:45 PM:

" TO to online editor: We run as many local letters to the editor as possible. Just like commenting, the number of letter goes up and down. A topic usually gets a response and it goes back and forth until the opinion page editor decides it is time to move forward. Obviously, this is a topic that brings out strong emotions in people. As a side note to all posters, please try to post your opinions on the issue, not taking shots at other people. My job is much easier if we stick to the issue at hand and don't make it personal. "

to online editor wrote on Jan 12, 2007 10:05 PM:

" You made the mistake of thinking OK is paying attention. I thing OK might be busy right now "burning one down" again. I would like to however comment on OK's observation regarding your recent letters to the editor. It seem like the tribune has posted many commentaries lately regarding marijuana and hemp. The two topics are undeniably connected and have attracted many of the same butterflies to the flame. I have to question whether you are consciously giving this to much air time or you don't get much quality commentary to choose from. "

OK wrote on Jan 12, 2007 8:56 PM:

" And I feel like there must be something mentally wrong with you if you can live in the world with the people we have here and have no mental problems. You don't know much about bi polar, we can see. "

Online Editor wrote on Jan 12, 2007 8:36 PM:

" To OK: You are incorrect. This is a letter to the editor. We publish letters in support of or against a wide range of issues. Letters are the opinions of the writer, not necessarily the Tribune and its staff. "

OK wrote on Jan 12, 2007 8:12 PM:

" This is a political newspaper. Do you really think they would let this story on here if there wasn't a strong backing and support for legalization? "

OK wrote on Jan 12, 2007 7:57 PM:

" Why is alcohol legal! They don't make that illegal because it kills people and makes people abusive, and immoral with adultry. I would say people misuse it to a great effect in this country. I think the only reason it is legal and marijuana is not is because more people try it and like it. I know alot of people who tried pot, didn't have anything bad to say except it made them feel self conscious and overly precautious. You can't argue misuse. It should be kept behind the counter away from children. But adults who pay taxes in this country should not be criminlized for something they have found no adverse effects from. And studies actually found medicinal properties in. You can't say that about alcohol and tobacco. I agree with marijuana is about addicting as a bologna sandwich if you like to eat bologna sandwiches. You can't say that about meth. Meth kills people, it rots their teeth, they starve, and I think they even become sex fiends, they become insane from lack of sleep and then people sleep for 4 days when they come down. Regardless if they have children in the house to care for. We have a 5% rehabilitation rate for meth users. Pot users quit simply and forcibly often when ever it becomes dry. Meth labs are hazardess to the envirnment. All I have to say is we win, you neighsayers lose. It is FINALLY legal to grow hemp in the US. The female version of the plant will be following close behind. "

T.C. wrote on Jan 12, 2007 7:14 PM:

" Game, set, match, to Miler. "

Morning Tipoff wrote on Jan 12, 2007 6:57 PM:

" One of my favorite things to read every morning in the sport's section of the Tribune is the Morning Tipoff. The only downfall is that it seems every other day or sometimes consecutive day's in a row, a story about the Dakota wizards BB team is portrayed. I have always veiwed the morning tipoff as a review of sports stories involving local hometown hero's! It's alot more interesting to read storie's on athletes you know and remember from the Bismarck area then basketball players who were passing through our city in hopes of getting to a higher level of play! If there is someone out there who enjoy's reading about the Wizard's day after day, Im sorry. But I do believe this should be set up for people who grew up and are from our area. It's always fun to pass these on to someone you know and remind them how old they are! If no one right's back, could the online editor please write me a few words of encouragement just to at least humer me and make me believe they will start putting in more hometown stories instead of the Wizards who I bet no one remember's from a hole in the wall! Thanks" "

To OK: wrote on Jan 12, 2007 6:50 PM:

" This medicinal properties thing - lots of things have that, yet have to be sold by prescription or kept behind the counters at grocery stores. Why? Misuse! If pot was legalized and only the sick people would use it for the purpose of physical treatment, well....we know that won't happen. Innocent cold remedies are being used and turned back into illegal drugs. Kind of goes full cycle there. There's such a difference between use and abuse. Pot is already a problem, why sugarcoat it and legalize it so it can be a legal problem? At least the potheads now have to keep an eye over their shoulder.Medicinal my bong! What pothead cares about that? "

riffraff wrote on Jan 12, 2007 6:34 PM:

" Well, OK would be one of the people I was referring to. She's tried meth, she's tried pot, she's not advocating legalizing meth. Why not? That's a question that should be asked whenever you have the chance to interact with a former meth user, if you give a damn about this country's drug policy. That way, you can put your mind at ease knowing that the goal isn't to all drugs, if you truly worry about that. I still have a hard time believing that people actually think that marijuana users really care about other drugs. And Chavez is 100% right on a few points that hadn't been made yet; Amsterdam doesn't have as many people using pot, and people in the United States start using pot at a younger age here than there. Is that the intended effect of prohibition? To have more people using it, younger people using it for the first time, and to arrest and fine thousands of people per year. Oh wait.. fines. Hah, maybe that is the intent. http://www.cedro-uva.org/lib/cohen.users.en.pdf Theres a dutch study that pretty much confirms all that. It's mostly boring numbers though, so I doubt many will even bother. No doubt a lot of you probably watch Bill O'Reilly and read his books. You don't want the "Social Progressives turning this country into the Netherlands". I think you might want to dig a little deeper than that, and find out how relaxing the marijuana laws might be a good idea. People need to get away from the tired left/right politics just for a bit, for this issue. There are conservatives, religious groups, cops, former cops, etc. that support the idea. Sure, they are relatively small in number, but so is the percentage of overall population that supports changing the laws. During the 06 Nevada "tax and regulate" campaign, something like 33 religious leaders from around the state supported it. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbpFkaygfb0 ). In Colorado, Mike Rosen, A Denver conservative radio host, endorsed it as well. A close relative of my girlfriend is what some would call a "fundamentalist christian". Yes, Jesus Camp style. Privately, she would tell you that she supports marijuana legalization. She also admits that she would probably smoke it again, only if it was legal, after not using it for some 26 years. This lady goes to more church events than anyone I've ever seen, working with kids mostly I believe. Doesn't swear, doesn't drink, doesn't smoke. Oh well, I've gotten off the subject again. Anyway, Amsterdam had at least 1 good idea, I don't see what's wrong with stealing it, if it works. From what I've seen, it does. "

OK wrote on Jan 12, 2007 4:58 PM:

" Well good, I am glad to see that you have been reading my posts! Maybe some of my honesty on this subject will seep in. "

Miler wrote on Jan 12, 2007 4:49 PM:

" to O.K. You have gone off the deep end. I think it would be safe to say that my mind is free and clear. Not on $450/month worth of meds. It would also be safe to say that I am not lazy, I 'm not bi-polar and am not a self proclaimed internet addict. Perhaps I don't feel the playing field is even remotely level. Your best bet would be to debate with someone with OCD. "

OK wrote on Jan 12, 2007 4:38 PM:

" And it's not anger and hatred, it's frusration. There is a difference. "

OK wrote on Jan 12, 2007 4:35 PM:

" I am debating your mind!~Free it! "

Miler wrote on Jan 12, 2007 4:28 PM:

" to O.K. It is Miler, with one L. Clearly you have an imaginary poster you are debating with. Over what, I'm not sure. You have chosen the tribune comment board for your outlet. All your anger and hatred is spewing out. Good therapy for you.. I guess.I wouldn't be surprised if I see a computer tossed out of window laying on the street somewhere this weekend. "

OK wrote on Jan 12, 2007 3:45 PM:

" THAT PRISON MONEY NEEDS TO GO TO TREATMENT IF SOMEONE HAS LIFE PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF DRUGS. "

Ok wrote on Jan 12, 2007 3:32 PM:

" I keep seeing all these sex offenders getting out of jail because they are rehabilitated, just to reoffend and kill so they won't get caught. And we have pot smokers in jail for longer, because of you Miller! It is because of people like you. "

Ok wrote on Jan 12, 2007 3:26 PM:

" Do you realize that 1 in every 30 people in the Uniteds States is in Prison or out on parol or probabtion. I think there is something wrong with that number. How does that make you feel? Like you live in a country full of criminals, or a country full of obsolete laws? Tell me! "

OK wrote on Jan 12, 2007 2:50 PM:

" Marijuana ruins lives because it is illegal. The criminal element needs to be removed. "

OK wrote on Jan 12, 2007 2:44 PM:

" Miller~ Marijuana is not a drug, it is a plant; it is an herb, it contains medicinal properties. There are other herbs that cause peoples minds to feel differently. I have tried some teas that make me fill a little like the same way marijunana makes me feel. That night time tea, what is it called?That is the whole reason people are posting to this. Society is confused.You are confused. "

OK wrote on Jan 12, 2007 2:24 PM:

" I do not blame ANYTHING for my life and my siblings lives going wrong, but alcohol. Alcohol caused my parents divorce, casued alot of abuse, and caused alot of personal problems in my life as well. Do you even know what incoherent means? Just because I am telling everyone stories and views and truths from my life does not mean I am unconscious to what you have been saying. What exactly do you mean? "

OK wrote on Jan 12, 2007 2:21 PM:

" Wait a minute. I have tried meth, and it does not do the same thing as marijuana. I have family that are victims to the addicition. One of my siblings actually got busted with a meth lab. My friend, they do not even compare to marijuana. "

OK wrote on Jan 12, 2007 2:14 PM:

" Miller, were you trying to be abusive to me with some name calling? "

Miler wrote on Jan 12, 2007 2:11 PM:

" To GL: So, your asking me to reference an article based on what I am saying in order to remain on this board? Hmmmm... this coming from the same person who just said " I have never tried coke, but I know people who have and they are nuts". GL, seems to me you have your opinion and I have mine. My opinion however may be based more widely on life experience than reading your "articles". I grew up in the city. Although I am not debating the fact that Coke and Meth are brutal drugs, I know people who's lives were ruined over marijuana. Yes.. that's right, you heard me.. I did not stutter. Lives are ruined by drugs. I wish the online letter would post my comments regarding o.k. Seems o.k. can go on endlessly and completely incoherent. Chavez: your a good soul. "

zelda wrote on Jan 12, 2007 1:05 PM:

" Amsterdam has not slipped into the sea because of legalized, controlled pot/ hash smoking nor have the American states that have decriminalized its use. Reefer Madness is just that! It is a knee jerk reaction to the use of a plant that is much more benign than any alcoholic drink. I'm surprised that the food industry doesn't take up the banner for legalization because that's what people do when "high" on marijuana...they eat. "

OK wrote on Jan 12, 2007 12:48 PM:

" I want some of Riffraffs uncles home grown. As long as he doesn't sell meth to kids:) I wish I could just call him, but no, the cops would probably bust him. "

Online Editor wrote on Jan 12, 2007 12:40 PM:

" To all readers: This story has generated some great conversation, but stop the name calling. "

to Miler from GL (again) wrote on Jan 12, 2007 12:29 PM:

" Snorting Coke or Smoking a joint have the same effect on the brain?????? Where do you get this stuff from?? I have never tried Coke but I know a few people that have.. they act NUTS!! same person after a joint is totally relaxed and non violent. You are one of those people that just believe what you read and are told. although I doubt you can find anything that will state that smoking a joint and snorting a line of coke have the same effect on the brain.. in Fact.. I challenge you to reference all of us an article on this.. if you loose and cannot find something that states that you will forever leave this board. talk about (flapping gums) and thinking before you talk.. "

OK wrote on Jan 12, 2007 12:27 PM:

" For the person who says people should deal with their problems without drugs. Do you have any idea how many people are on prescription medications to deal with their lives? Millions. Why is it ok to deal with life with man made drugs, but not God made herbs? "

Chavez wrote on Jan 12, 2007 12:25 PM:

" To Miler: Doesn't Charlie Brown's mother (and teacher) have that muted trumpet sound "Wah, wah, wah...")? If so, point taken! We may disagree on this topic, but we have done so honorably. By the way, my kids once told me that I sound like Charlie Brown's teacher, too! "

OK wrote on Jan 12, 2007 12:17 PM:

" My parents got divorced and my Dad got custody. I grew up in an abusive household. My Dad was an alcoholic and my step mom was a psycho. I rebelled and ran away from that and turned to alcohol. I lived with my Mom for awhile as a teenager (as a runaway) and realized that if they wouldn't have gotten divorced, my life and my siblings lives would have been alot better. My mother would have NEVER allowed my dad to spank his kids, with a belt or with anything. My Mom would have been a really good mom, and I would have never had to turn to alcohol to take away the pain. She was the smartest person I know. So please don't say anything derogatory about her because you don't know her. "

GL wrote on Jan 12, 2007 12:13 PM:

" Stairway, Gateway, Stairstep drug... I am not sure why it matters what term I used for my post.. I am also not sure why it matters what color cars I like. I think that maybe pot should be made legal. especially the person that posted with the agression. "

OK wrote on Jan 12, 2007 11:52 AM:

" My Mom always had weed. (She is dead now, VIOXX ripped her heart open.) She told me I could have as much as I wanted, but she wouldn't give me her cigerettes or alcohol. I didn't want weed everday, it is not addicting. But I can tell you I wanted to drink whenever possible and I wanted to smoke cigerettes all the time. Weed has never been "important" to me.I don't believe it is addictive. At least to me it's not. "

OK wrote on Jan 12, 2007 11:29 AM:

" Really I liked to watch cartoons. My favorite was beetlejuice. It doesn't make people bar hop or party hop. You just have a nice time hanging out with your friends. Things are funnier and happier. "

Ok wrote on Jan 12, 2007 11:10 AM:

" Chances are pretty good your kids are going to face marijuana. It is out there, just because it is illegal doesn't mean it is invisible. The thing that I noticed growing up was alcohol impaired my judgement when it came to sex. Marijuana allowed me to say no and keep my bearings. I never did anything that I regretted later after smoking weed. Alcohol destroys but it is illegal. I would much rather deal with the effects of marijuana than alcohol. Any time hands down. Because I know, I have wisdom on these subjects. Life experience. "

OK wrote on Jan 12, 2007 10:57 AM:

" Miller~ am I scaring you because you know I am telling the truth? Sometimes it gets to you where you didn't expect it. And I agree with you, I should be able to smoke it if my DR tells me it would be beneficial. The laws are outdated. "

OK wrote on Jan 12, 2007 10:50 AM:

" Kind of makes me think of STDs, like some people preach abstinance, and then their kids are learning from eachother, catching all kinds of diseases and getting pregnant. When really they need knowlege about condoms. (not only Birthcontrol pills)This subject is exactly like the marijuana subject, I think. Except I can't really think of any life changing problems associated with marijuana, besides over indulgence. But I guess your life could be ruined if you are a sexoholic and that's all you think about and want to do everyday :) Everything in moderation w/precautions, my friends:) "

Miler wrote on Jan 12, 2007 10:36 AM:

" to O.k.. you scare me.. Your meds aren't working..it's time to revisit the doc. If you aren't smoking pot, maybe you should. Maybe you would be more coherent. Chavez, I appreciate your opinion and respect it, I just don't agree with it. The longer your post gets though the more I find myself thinking I'm listening to charlie brown's mother. "

OK wrote on Jan 12, 2007 10:09 AM:

" Now I am not saying that I only want it legal for medicinal purposes. But I know that getting high occassionally, like I do , is a lot funner than getting high everyday, like some people do. I really have a good time when I get high or catch a buzz from a couple drinks. Really what I am saying is it is BETTER in moderation. And that is what I will teach my children. They need to have that adult knowlege before I send them out into the world. Also I will teach them how alcohol actually works. You have 1 or 2 drinks and all is well, but if you are at an all nighter, the more you drink the thirstier your body gets, so I will recomend they drink 7up or water after 3 drinks or so. My kids aren't going to be iognorant to world when they leave. I am afraid that some of your kids out there are going to be learning from their friends, like I had too. It takes awhile to actually figure the truth out on your own, and wisdom comes through many many mistakes that could have been avoided with some honest real-world parental advice to start out with. "

Ok wrote on Jan 12, 2007 9:36 AM:

" So, I was thinking. There are different variants of marijunana. There is all kinds available in California, for different types of illness. It really isn't fair, me being a liberal, that I should only have man made options for my illmess. I truly feel like I am being cheated. I don't trust these pharmaceuticals with all their side efeects and who knows what they actually cause. Look at VIOX. I want the option to use natural remedies. It is a herb for crying out loud! Not everyone who uses it for medicinal purposes smokes it. Alot of people cook it and eat it in a paste with a little salt and pepper. Would that make you feel better about my choice? If the house won't burn down. (BTW~ My husband and I both smoke cigerettes, OUTSIDE! and not around our children) "

Chavez wrote on Jan 12, 2007 9:19 AM:

" to Miler: some of the falsehoods and hysteria concerning marijuana, in fact, were stated by nurse in an earlier post. Others (such as those dreadful anti-pot tv ads a few years ago)say essentially that if you get high you will get pregnant, accidently shoot someone, etc. I guess my main point is that since pot is by every study made, shown to be safer than alcohol and tobacco--legal substances, mind you--why is it still illegal? The "gateway" drug theory has been shown to be false, and that was the major reason the feds set forth for many years; they no longer make that claim because it is untrue. You then ask whynot make meth and cocaine legal--because they are shown to positively be highly addictive, cause terrible personal and social behaviors, and can kill their users. Pot does not of those things. I am verymuch in favor of keeping meth, coke, and what have you illegal because they truly are dangerous. You have yet to show that pot is illegal, as you claim. I will grant you that some may develop a psychological addition to it, but again studies have shown such "addictions" to be minor and rare. Pot is essentially legal in certain zones in places like Amsterdam. Do they then have higher rates of pot use among their young? NO. The rate of use among 15 to 25 year olds is less than half that of the US among the same age group. When pot is illegal, it can be purchased by children in grade school, even here in North Dakota. If you legalize it and sell it in cannbis shops and/or liquor stores, those coming in will be carded. Legalization can work, just as when they legalized alcohol again after prohibition ended in the 1930's. Those against alcohol legalization in the 1920's and 1930's made very similar arguments that you are making now. Yet few, if any, would want go back to prohibition of alcohol. Why? Because when alcohol was illegal it was the criminals who benefited, became wealthy, engaged in crime. When alcohol was again made legal, the criminals had no profit to be made and got out of the business. I sincelely hope that I will live to see the day when pot is legal, or as a first step, decriminalized. Decriminaliztion would me it is still illegal, but is no more serious an offense than a traffic ticket--except for dealers, of course, who would still face stiff penalties. There is a better way, and those of us in favor of legalization and/or decriminalization are in fact on the same side of those who want to keep pot from the children. May decriminalization is the best meeting point to begin with, at least a great deal of the US thinks so and state after state lower the penalties fo pot possession. "

OK wrote on Jan 11, 2007 8:28 PM:

" I know I said goodbye all ready, but I am addicted to the internet. I can't just tell myself no more. "

to OK wrote on Jan 11, 2007 8:17 PM:

" Let's hope you don't fall asleep on the couch while "burning one down" and burn something down you didn't intend to. If marijuana smokers were always the only ones that suffered due to their poor choice to smoke marijuana I wouldn't care. Fire them up, just not around me. But I would personally understand if someone got down right nasty if your irresponsible behavior ever cause injury to a loved one. "

Ok wrote on Jan 11, 2007 8:11 PM:

" All I can seem to do is sit on the interet all day listening to music. I can't seem to move. I think we should make it illegal so a bunch of lazy butts can't sit around all day while other hard manual labor workers have to go out in the snow. It is a travesty! "

riffraff wrote on Jan 11, 2007 7:39 PM:

" Yeah, I wonder where all the "please legalize meth" people are. Or the "lets tax and regulate heroin and sell it in liquor stores" folks. None to be seen. All these other drugs, which are without a doubt addictive, and no one wants to legalize them, not even those that are addicted. I don't know too many meth or heroin addicts, but I would assume they have the same opinion about their drugs as cigarette smokers have about their drug. Yet, there's no problem finding people who think marijuana should be either decriminalized, legalized, taxed, regulated, or made mandatory. It's hard to find someone who's used pot in the past that, when being honest with themselves, will warn people against using it to the degree that former/current meth, crack, heroin users warn people about their drugs. That's a little bit odd isn't it? Why would that be, I wonder. Perhaps that in itself is proof of what we've been saying all along; Marijuana is a relatively safe drug, similar to alcohol when used responsibly, and does not belong in the same category as the other drugs. That's not to say that I think that users/addicts of other drugs deserve severe penalties either, because I believe addictions can be treated more effectively, inexpensively, and humanely. Since I have no interest in using other drugs, I am admittedly quite ignorant to the laws and such. http://www.drugwarfacts.org/crack.htm , that sounds pretty messed up to me. But hey, that's a small minority of the population right? Who gives a darn about them. I haven't heard of too many people wanting to legalize all drugs, one of the few groups I've seen is LEAP(Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) (http://leap.cc/) which is made up of former law enforcement people. Surely they are just stoners that want to legalize all drugs and get high on crack, smack, boom, pow now that they're retired right? They can't be concerned with anyone but themselves. I also think there's a difference between a marijuana "manufacturer" and a heroin dealer, or meth lab owner. My fat stoner uncle that grows plants in his basement for his own use and a few friends is not a menace to society. "

OK wrote on Jan 11, 2007 7:31 PM:

" Come on now. All the kids from HS who got knocked up lived on welfare. Kids can't afford to support babies with a full time job and paying for daycare right out of HS. And I applaud the ones that keep the Dad around, and don't have 5 kids from 5 different Dads. Not all lazy people smoke pot, I am pretty darn lazy and I don't smoke it! As a matter of fact I am THE LAZIEST person I know :) "

Hey OK: wrote on Jan 11, 2007 7:29 PM:

" I thought you were giving up on all these uneducatable people. You may as well, because you won't ever convince me that adding an illegal drug to the legal list is going to do any good to a country already burning out. You better change your name, since you already said good-bye. "

OK wrote on Jan 11, 2007 5:38 PM:

" The burn one down I have is actually Jack Johnson ft. Ben Harper "You might just let go (please)" It might be different.(probably). "

To NDr: wrote on Jan 11, 2007 5:30 PM:

" I'm with you. Let's put an end to all this shacking up, instead of just complaining about it. We have welfare that is suppose to be to take care of the kids, but people are inviting their boyfriends to enjoy the heat, housing, and food that WE are paying for. I have seen it. These welfare people buy their smokes, alcohol, and whatever else, and share it with the bums that move in. I say there SHOULD be legislation enforced for that. Rather than backing down to the negative, i.e. pot and shacking up, let's address these issues and ease the tax burden for those who work and don't have the leizure time to smoke pot or lay around. Not that I would waste leizure time like that anyway, but I'm the one getting out in below zero weather to go to work while the shackers watch from their heat assisted windows. Now you're talking. "

OK wrote on Jan 11, 2007 5:24 PM:

" "By my side", "not fire not ice" and "gold to me" are my favorite from Ben Harper, if you are intersted. "

OK wrote on Jan 11, 2007 5:06 PM:

" BEN HARPER LYRICS "Burn One Down" Let us burn one from end to end, And pass it over to me my friend. Burn it long, we'll burn it slow, To light me up before I go. If you don't like my fire, then don't come around, 'cause I'm gonna burn one down. Yes, I'm gonna burn one down. My choice is what I choose to do, And if I'm causing no harm, it shouldn't bother you. Your choice is who you choose to be, And if you're causin' no harm, then you're alright with me. If you don't like my fire, then don't come around, 'cause I'm gonna burn one down. Yes, I'm gonna burn one down. Herb the gift from the earth, And what's from the earth is of the greatest worth. So before you knock it try it first, Oh, you'll see it's a blessing and not a curse. If you don't like my fire, then don't come around, 'cause I'm gonna burn one down. Yes, I'm gonna burn one, oohhh. "

I pick the nurse: wrote on Jan 11, 2007 4:58 PM:

" I understand your explanation, but that wasn't the case here. I was simply stating that the one blogger said all kinds of people, and he mentioned doctors, smoke pot. As I stated, I don't think this one was on pot, but who knows what damage can be done if that blogger was telling the truth? Years ago I had a serious surgery that was done by a doctor that was later "dismissed" due to a drug addiction. Not a very comforting feeling when I found that out! If pot becomes legal and I think that my doctors or other health care professionals are on it, I would certainly think twice. Would you willingly put your life and safety in the hands of someone who smokes pot? Things out there are bad enough. "

Miler wrote on Jan 11, 2007 4:52 PM:

" See what smoking pot does to people's brains? one minute your debating legalizing marijuana and the next thing you know people are debating over how long doctors work and if they get enough sleep. Crazy, isn't it? "

To: I pick the nurse wrote on Jan 11, 2007 4:36 PM:

" "the incompetent doctor was working for 15 hours. Our situation wasn't a TV drama show. It wasn't an emergency calling for immediate action, it wasn't an intern with no experience, nothing like that. It was a scheduled surgery done by an established doctor in a practice who should have had a good night's sleep" O.K. Now lets be realistic; Unless you work in a hospital, you probably don't know just how long the doctors are working. They do work 15 hours~ and even longer. Just because your relative had a scheduled surgery doesn't mean that that doctor didn't have other scheduled surgeries planned for the day and probably even some emergency cases to attend to. Go to a hospital late in the evening sometime-you'll probably even see your family doctor making rounds at 9 or 10 o'clock to his patients that are hospitalized after he already put in a full day at your clinic. It is a reality, not just on TV. "

to NDr.... wrote on Jan 11, 2007 4:33 PM:

" NDr wrote on January 02, 2007 3:08 PM:"In ND living with another person without being married is also against the law. So.... why aren't all those "living in sin" and causing the moral decay of our country also in jail? I know one thing. If ANY law enforcement person in my city ever shacks up with someone, I'm going to MAKE the local sheriff arrest them. What's good for the potheads is good for the shaggers." ----What right do you have to make that decision?...find one cop/sheriff who would actually do that?! They probably did the same thing when they were younger....everyone has a choice and that law needs to change. Think of it this way, if you live w/someone for 7 years, you are legally married(State decides this, as well as deciding that unmarried persons can't legally live together....)You tell me which is outdated on that issue, not realted to the Mary Jane at hand!!!! "

Miler wrote on Jan 11, 2007 3:35 PM:

" To chavez: fair enough. I don't believe Pot being illegal is based on hysteria or falsehood. Why legalize pot but not meth or cocaine? Smoking pot or snorting a line of coke has the same effect on the brain. Now you state that pot is not addicting however I would disagree. I don't smoke it and frankly hope my kids don't grow up thinking they need to smoke it to deal with life. Just like I hope they don't drink to deal with life. Pot alters your mind and dulls your senses. I want my kids to know it is illegal and no good for them. I can't imagine legalizing pot. Where would we find the resources to police it? You say you want to keep it out of the hands of our youth. How? IF it is legal, it will be more tempting and easier to get than it is now. Just like alcohol is. We expect our kids will drink. Why? Because it is legal. Will our kids try pot? Maybe. But they may be a little more consciences about it if it is illegal. "

Chavez wrote on Jan 11, 2007 2:57 PM:

" To miler: You stated that I was a pot-smoker and therefore my opinion was not worth as much as the nurses. That is what was insulting: your presumption and arrogance. Yes, I have studied this topic for several years, researched it rather thoroughly, too, I might add. My desire is simply to see the marijuana laws change to better fit society and its realities. I seek to change the laws to make them more reflective of that reality, not to cling to old misinformation. I do not want your children or mine (mine are adults) to have to face criminal charges, loss of financial aid, and a record simply because they choose to use a less dangerous albeit still illegal drug like pot. Bear in mind that I still heartily oppose legalization of truly dangerous drugs like meth, cocaine, and the like. I am as much in favor of making pot unavailable to youth as you or the nurse are; I am as much in favor or NOT seeing people smoke pot and drive; and I am in favor of having laws that are not based on hysteria and falsehood. If my opinions are offensive to some, so be it. I am free to express them as are they. I will not, however, be brushed aside as irrelevant simply because I state my opinion and can demonstrate that those with a contrary view to mine are wrong. That doesn't make you or those who disagree with me a bad person, or an idiot, or anything else derogatory. But this issue too long has been wrapped in falsehoods and exaggeration. It is time that we step back, look at the insanity that is our nation's drug laws, and demand change from our government. "

Missy wrote on Jan 11, 2007 2:46 PM:

" Do you think it would be ok if ok got some bud?? "

I pick the nurse: wrote on Jan 11, 2007 2:25 PM:

" OK won't be with us anymore but he seems to think the incompetent doctor was working for 15 hours. Our situation wasn't a TV drama show. It wasn't an emergency calling for immediate action, it wasn't an intern with no experience, nothing like that. It was a scheduled surgery done by an established doctor in a practice who should have had a good night's sleep. I didn't say he was smoking pot...but according to some of these posts that claim that successful people are....well, if they are, maybe they aren't quite so successful. To be real honest, the problem most likely wasn't pot, just a lack of knowledge and an inflated ego. Wait a minute now... "

Miler wrote on Jan 11, 2007 2:06 PM:

" Chavez: Whoa..... Insult and run???? What makes you think your posts are anything but insulting to the others that have posted? Re-read them Chavez.. you may learn something you didn't know about your character.. or lack of...Oh, and your inviting me into the debate? Why, Thank you Chavez. From what I have seen of your posts, you are a self proclaimed pot expert. You are ripping the nurse's post to shred's with your own opinions. So that is what provoked my post... you.. and only you... "

Jim S wrote on Jan 11, 2007 12:41 PM:

" Geez, I have been missin out! There are some great anti-pot smoking bashing goin on! Legalize it! Tax it! and move on!!! "

to Chavezl wrote on Jan 11, 2007 12:34 PM:

" Chavez, I ask that you please DON'T suggest to the Tribune Editor that they not permit incompetent commentary or you would disappear from the blogosphere and we would not have the perfect foil to respond to. "

OK wrote on Jan 11, 2007 12:12 PM:

" Have a Happy New Year! "

Ok wrote on Jan 11, 2007 12:09 PM:

" I am done here, it is apparent to me that when people have their minds made up no amount of debate can educate or change anyones mind. "

Ok wrote on Jan 11, 2007 12:07 PM:

" ~ Maybe that Dr hadn't slept for 15 hours. I would say that is more likely. "

I pick the nurse: wrote on Jan 11, 2007 11:57 AM:

" According to posts here there are doctors that smoke pot. Guess I'll have to believe the nurse. Maybe that's what happened to my family member who is now permanently disabled from a run of the mill surgery. I should have had the doctor undergo a urine test first. Is that what it is coming to? "

Chavez wrote on Jan 11, 2007 11:50 AM:

" miler suggested that I was pot-smoking stoner, when of course he/she does not know me at all. I did smoke pot when in college decades ago, not any longer. Morever, even if the nurse is in truth in a medical profession, that does not necessarily mean that she has her facts straight, if she has them at all. You presume far too much, miler, and like most closed-minded individuals you cannot see beyond the narrow confines of whatever it is that prompts you to comment as you did. If you have something competent to say or wish to debate, then by all means join in. but to simply insult and run speaks much to your own intellectual shortcomings and the cowardice with which you present it. "

OK wrote on Jan 11, 2007 11:43 AM:

" And I think they would even let me drive! I am pretty sure I wouldn't want to though :) Those Californians, they must all be crazy :) "

OK wrote on Jan 11, 2007 11:22 AM:

" If I lived in California the medicine I need wouldn't be against the law. "

OK wrote on Jan 11, 2007 11:18 AM:

" DO you believe my educated DR, or this ignorant nurse? "

miler wrote on Jan 11, 2007 10:58 AM:

" to Chavez: A post by an educated, non drug using nurse, and a post by a pot smoking stoner.... hmmmmm. who has more credibility here??????? "

Holy Cow: wrote on Jan 11, 2007 10:28 AM:

" There sure are some ruffled feathers here. I am amused how people can manipulate the law to suit their lifestyle. Pick the laws you want to obey and ignore the rest. How does that work? Are we allowed to put our own slant on each law, or to set our own interpretation? I didn't know that! Cool! I thought all laws were as written, you follow them or you don't. I thought they were made for the protection of the people, sometimes from themselves, even. So, does this mean that I can say I am following my god, then, even if it's pot? And here all my life I thought to change a law meant to go legislatively, or through legal sources or government methods. Riffraff says we can do it from the comfort of our own home and mind. "

OK wrote on Jan 11, 2007 9:49 AM:

" You trust the medicine man makes, but you don't trust the medicine God made. "

to grandma wrote on Jan 11, 2007 9:43 AM:

" just because you made some bad decisions doesn't mean that you can blame it on pot it's not what happens to you but how you handle it that determines what kind of person you turn out to be. i'd like to see our congress and all government officials and employees subject to drug testing and see how fast drug testing becomes obsolete. i am a veteran and have seen lots of drug use by everyone i have came in contact with for 45 years. the "potheads" are some of the best and brightest that i have seen--doctors, lawyers, police, leaders of our communities(and you would probably never know they smoked pot because of prohibition and the fact that they don't advertise it cause it's illegal)unlike the alcoholics and methheads--potheads just are good people-don't cause trouble for anyone else--the only thing that should fear a pot smoker is a freshly opened bag of potato chips--munch munch munch-- "

OK wrote on Jan 11, 2007 9:11 AM:

" Nurse, your opinion~ Will it be ok with you if someone on synthesized marijuana was piloting your plane or driving your kids? I am sure that would be just fine, wouldn't it? You are ignorant. Open your eyes. "

OK wrote on Jan 11, 2007 8:13 AM:

" The thing that upsets me the most is the pharmaceutical companies are working on synthetic form of THC, then I can use it. $500/ month instead of free from my garden. It is all a money racket. It makes me want to cry, people are so blind, and ignorant. Yes, the insurance companies will soon be paying money for synthetic marijuana, many Drs will prescribe it because it is a medicine, as well as a recreational drug. You people make me want to dig a hole. "

Chavez wrote on Jan 11, 2007 8:04 AM:

" my opinion, a nurse, repeated some often told misinformation about marijuana. First of all, it is NOT addictive; true, some people can develop psychological dependence upon it, much as you might if you suddenly stopped drinking coffee. By ever major university study and government report, both here and in Europe, the facts have shown that physical and even psychological "addiction" to be at a minimal--certainly far lower than that attributed to alcohol and cigarettes. The nonsense you unknowingly spouted (I hope it was unknowingly) about testicular shrinkage, impotency, men growing breast tissue, have all been shown, again, in study after study, to be false. Memory loss, at least short term memory loss when high, is a given. Everybody knows that. Personality disorders are not caused by pot, either, although it is true that some with certain kinds of pre-existing mental illnesses (sometimes bipolar, for instance, or some more serious mental illnesses) should NOT smoke pot. It isn't the pot that creates the mental illness; it can, however, in a few, exaserbate the problem. Tthey sometimes now even prescribe marinol for depression and mania in some cases. The rest of your post is merely more of the same misinformation that has been around since the 1930's about pot. And Parkinsons? My dear nurse, cannabinoids have been proven to reduce and even arrest alzheimers! British medical journal Lancet has many articles about this, as has JAMA and many others here in the US. Within a few years you will see it prescibed for that purpose. Finally, NO ONE, and I mean NO ONE is in favor of anybody letting kids have pot or seeing people drive under the influence of it. People like you keep pulling out that red herring or straw man and is, at least by me, resented. "

OK wrote on Jan 11, 2007 7:45 AM:

" I won't "buy" marijuana, because I know that it would be funding the immoral drug rings. I don't want to fund people that will just as easily sell my children meth, so they can become prostitutes for their addiction. I have NEVER heard of a marijuana whhore! What you people do not understand is people who don't think it is such a bad drug (like meth, crack, heroin) are forced to fund and support drug dealers! Legalize it! "

OK wrote on Jan 11, 2007 7:29 AM:

" Nurse~ I am taking $450 worth of antidepresants for bi polar/or major depression not sure which. The medication that I am on causes men to grow breasts, women to skip their menstrual cycle. What kind of havoc is that causing on my hormones? I take all this medication because I get manic some times and don't eat or sleep. (marijuana has been shown to cause people to eat and sleep) but it is illegal so I don't use it on a nightly basis for medicinal purposes. I can't use what God made because of liars like you! Did you ever think the crap you are lying about might be caused by the synthetic medication your DR you work for is prescribing these withdrawing patients! If I don't take this medication I am all doped up on, I don't sleep or eat and my husband has to take me in to the emergency room for an injection. The mentally ill have NO rights as far as to what medications they want to take. Stop spreading lies about marijuana! My DR tells me it would be beneficial to me to use it! But I can't, because of liars like you! "

RIFFRAFF! wrote on Jan 11, 2007 4:31 AM:

" My actions are square with the law of god, no doubt about that. I'm about as likely to obey the law prohibiting marijuana use as I am to obey one that would prohibit the possession of chocolate. I suppose you would have said the same thing to Rosa Parks eh? "Come on, it's the law." No, not all laws are equal in my book, sorry. Some people speed, some people park in handicapped spots, I use marijuana in my own home. Which of those 3 acts causes the most suffering for someone other than myself? Questioning someone's "morality" based on whether or not they obey marijuana laws is pretty foolish. But who am I to judge how you measure morality, I guess. Not that it matters much, but I am also disappointed in the disposable fast-food "instant" society. I'm also against using drugs to escape, but I am all for using them for fun. You will probably argue that there's no such thing as using drugs for any other reason than to escape. Millions of people around the country that drink a few beers maybe once a week will argue that point with you. Hopefully you are at the very least equally scared of the possibility that your teen will become influenced by the alcohol advertising she's exposed. Something tells me that you're not. There's a survey from a while back that says kids these days believe that smoking marijuana once or twice per week is more dangerous than binge drinking once or twice per week. (Binge drinking being defined as at least 5 drinks at once.)I will never, ever, let my kid be one that thinks that. North Dakota is a binge drinking haven, and no one minds. At least not until some poor kid drinks himself to death, we see it on the news and "IT REALLY MAKES YOU THINK" for like a day. But you're more concerned about a substance that no one's ever overdosed on. Oh yes, and Nurse: How does alcohol affect this gynocomastia that you speak of? I have heard of it, but wrote it off as a silly myth since I have seen my fair share of chests belonging to male marijuana smokers. They were not very woman-like. But, turns out it does actually exist. Please, tell us the exact role that marijuana plays in this disorder. Marijuana is the only cause of it, and most marijuana smokers do get it, right? Right. I'd like to know why some people go through so much trouble to spread misinformation about marijuana. You're a health professional and you're espousing the same sort of stuff seen in "Reefer Madness". We know, you will turn into an unmotivated loser, a killer, a rapist, a murderer, you will grow breasts and your testicles will fall off. Also, you didn't finish your sentence on parkinson's and nuerological diseases. I assume you were going to state how marijuana has been shown to provide for relief for patients of Parkinson's and other neurological diseases right? Yes, we do need it legalized believe it or not. "

Holy Cow: wrote on Jan 11, 2007 1:51 AM:

" Well, that's reassuring. I appreciate it. Your faith in our state is refreshing, and some positive slant on this is welcomed by parents trying to do the right thing so our next generation has the ability to think and survive on their own strengths. Thanks. "

to Holy cow wrote on Jan 10, 2007 11:29 PM:

" I agree it's hard not to believe that the world is going to..you know where..in a hand basket after reading some of these dead head bloggers. I want to assuade your fears by telling you that I have for many years come into necessary contact with people who have made the poor choice of becoming seduced by the lady "Mary Jane". Those people are by far a "small" crowd. I mean that in every sense of the word. The vast majority of people I have come in contact with in North Dakota understand that marijuana in any form is not good and have made up their mind it will not be legalized in North Dakota, not now, not ever, no matter how this "small" crowd tries to dress up the lady. This a free country, we enjoy freedom of speech so they rightfully get their say. It's just sad they just can't grasp how silly they sound. "

Holy Cow: wrote on Jan 10, 2007 10:29 PM:

" I am trying to raise a teen in this day and age. What ever happened to morals and ethics and respect for the law? What ever happened to NOT doing something because it was against the law, rather than today's attitude to DO it because it feels good. What ever happened to self discipline and working out your problems rather than covering them up with a haze? At some time or another you still have to come out of that haze and face reality. This society is too weak to do that, apparently, and depends on pot and other chemicals to solve their problems and "help" them think. That's the problem - they aren't able to. Everything is "instant" these days, even if it means solving problems by mind altering methods. This society needs to grow up and learn how to think and find solutions for their problems that are permanent, solutions that will be there when the haze lifts. It's downright scary - frightening - what this society has become. By reading the number of pot supporters, I am disgusted, disappointed, and scared to death for the future of my teen if she becomes influenced by all these potheads who claim it is so awesome. Dependency - that's all it is. Running away from life. "

my opinion wrote on Jan 10, 2007 7:07 PM:

" I am a nurse and I will inform you that you CAN be addicted to marijuana, despite popular belief. I have many patient's that report being addicted to pot. They even experience withdrawel symptoms!!! So it is YOU that has been misinformed. Also, pot interferes with the mind. You are in an impaired state, and people do things they wouldn't normally do if they were not impaired. Marijuana users do also have health consequences, including impotency,testicular shrinkage, memory loss, anxiety attacks, gynocomastia (which is where MEN grow BREAST tissue), many people will develop personality disorders or other mental illnesses, lung cancer, heart attack, stroke, paranoia, many studies show that users score less on tests and do poorly in academic activity, another interesting fact is that studies show that people who use marijuana regularly do not live as long as non-users, it is also thought that some neurological diseases such as parkinsons. Do we really want a drug like this legalized? Do we really want the pilot of our plane on marijuana, or the driver of the car holding our children? I certainly wouldn't. "

To GL wrote on Jan 10, 2007 6:52 PM:

" On your 10:07 AM entry you used the word "stairway drug". Perhaps you meant Gateway. Perhaps it was a simple Freudian Slip. Perhaps you have Repressed Conflicts from childhood preventing you from reaching upward, and your subconscious has you teetering on the edge of a Conversion Disorder. Question, when you are driving past an automobile dealership do you only notice the black cars or the red cars? "

Tony wrote on Jan 10, 2007 5:32 PM:

" Booze you lose, dope is hope. "

Observer wrote on Jan 10, 2007 5:18 PM:

" TO GL - Your comments about smoking pot are ridiculous. Now, there's a great family memory - dad smoking pot and drinking booze w/ his underage son. You really should think before you speak. From what I've gathered reading these commentaries is that sometimes comments are made and judgements made about people when all the facts are not known. Each time you make a frivolous comment or come to a conclusion, think about it for a little while before you start flapping your lips. "

riffriff wrote on Jan 10, 2007 4:04 PM:

" "to GL" is right. Unfortunately, it would indeed be hard to get any profit from a marijuana industry, the way I see it. Once the plant is accepted into society as a drug that they can legally use, and people realize they can grow their own supply pretty easily, it won't have any value at all. Sure, you could require licenses for growing and charge an insane amount for the licenses, then make laws that severely punish growing marijuana without a license with a lengthy prison sentence (Since we Americans already have no aversion to punishing marijuana dealers/growers severely.) I don't know why any government would want to do anything that could possibly take away from the tax money that they already get from alcohol sales though. Surely they already get a bunch from that, why even bother messing with that by legalizing a "safer" alternative? I'm beginning to wish that GOD hadn't made THC in plant form and left it growing everywhere. He also could have made it actually addictive, so that an industry could survive in a capitalist society. He is such a prankster :( Yes, we've all heard the "100 times more carcinogens than tobacco smoke" etc. At first, that was sorta scary. But then when I realized that even if it is true, I smoke more than 100 times less weight/volume in marijuana than any cigarette smoker I know, my mind was eased. Perhaps tobacco growers should use the same method that marijuana growers are supposedly using that, as the propagandists say, makes "today's marijuana thousands of times stronger than it was in the 70s". That way I could take one puff of a cigarette and it would last me at least 2 hours, instead of having to smoke the whole thing and wanting another one in 30 minutes. kgirl: thanks, I try. You, I, and millions of others are extremely rare aberrations in the gateway theory/fact. We should all be taken in for scientific experiments at once. And then probably fed liquor, nicotine, and jailed for a while. "

OK wrote on Jan 10, 2007 3:55 PM:

" You will learn that marijuana does not cause COPD, emphysema, and studies have actually shown a decrease in cancer in people who smoke it. It has been shown to be therapeutic. Read the facts. And stop spreading lies. "

OK wrote on Jan 10, 2007 3:37 PM:

" So,go to wikipedia and search "health issues and the effects of cannabis" "

Ok wrote on Jan 10, 2007 3:34 PM:

" Look at the section about smoking. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_issues_and_the_effects_of_cannabis "

Miler wrote on Jan 10, 2007 3:33 PM:

" Chavez: use continues to climb because people need drugs to deal with life. Pot is a drug that alters the mind. Period. Check out Kgirls post. Freaky. She wouldn't even have to mention she's a stoner. It's obvious. I sure hope the next plane I get on doesn't have a Moker or a Kgirl behind the controls. yowwww. "

Chavez wrote on Jan 10, 2007 2:59 PM:

" To Taking a Higher Road: You speak like a moralizer who decides what or whom is "weak" and that you and your sort should then set that forth for society. Then to have teh temerity to suggest that you are on God's side only adds to the blindness and self-righteousness of your statements. and no, I have never buried a pot-smoking friend, but in my years I have lost some to alcoholism and drunk driving. The bottom line, or so it appears with you, is that you set yourself up as some sort of moral authority as to which intoxicants are "moral". You sound like Bill Bennett when you so do. Again I state, there are no pot deaths ever recorded due to overdose, 100 million Americans have at least tried it once, 30 million are regular users (5 times a month or more), and some 10 million are daily users. It isn't a matter of keeping it away from children--they have easy access to it now illegally--it is a matter of legalizing, taxing, and regulating it so the criminals are kept out of the picture. Alcohol prohibition proved that you cannot legislate morality nor keep a popular drug away from a market that demands it. Pot is no different. After some 40 years of the War on Pot, use continues to climb. "

OK wrote on Jan 10, 2007 2:58 PM:

" TO GL~ You seriously need to research the health aspects of marijuana. Stop spreading lies. "

to GL wrote on Jan 10, 2007 2:54 PM:

" Think about it (and preferrably the next time before you blog). If marijuana was legal it wouldn't generate a tenth (a very generous estimate even if the number of marijuana users increased several fold, which I doubt. If you don't believe me all you who partake, cost it out as I'm sure you are aware of the going price(s) of marijuana) of the revenue attributed to it. That equates to a tenth of the "estimated" revenue or approximately seven million to 12 million dollars for the great state of California. That wouldn't come close to funding the health related problems that are associated with smoking marijuana, which educated people know contains many times more harmful carcinogens (a substance or agent producing or inciting cancerous growth) than cigarettes. Admit it, smoking anything is a bad habit and only made worse by the fact that marijuana specifically impairs your ability to reason things out. "

GL wrote on Jan 10, 2007 12:01 PM:

" Check this out.. www.norml.org January 4, 2007 - Oakland, CA, USA Oakland, CA: A new report to the Measure Z policy oversight committee, entitled "Revenue & Taxes from Oakland's Cannabis Economy," has concluded that Californians consume between $870 million and $2 billion worth of medical marijuana each year, but because of federal law, loses most of the $70 million to $120 million in state sales taxes that would otherwise be collected. "

To take the higher road from GL wrote on Jan 10, 2007 11:58 AM:

" Big words.... large words....ITs a choice today as it was 50 years ago. more people smoke pot today than 5 years ago. the argument here is " do they belong in Jail??" the answer is no!! the "War on Drugs" is a gigantic waste of taxpayers dollars. the same people that want to pull out of Iraq dont have a problem funding the war on pot... a battle that the US have been loosing since it started. as a man in my late 20s I can tell you this... I have many successful friends that will smoke pot occasionally. like drinking (socially) and function just fine.. but I have friends that dont drink or smoke that are worthless.. maybe the eception to the rule but still.. It should not be illegal is the point. It should be no worse than a bottle of Jack Daniels or a pack of Smokes, chewing tobacco or NyQuil. "

Here's an idea wrote on Jan 10, 2007 11:49 AM:

" Just a random thought...Maybe if all of the world's leaders smoked marijuana, they would mellow out and not want to fight and kill each other all the time. "

Take the Higher Road wrote on Jan 10, 2007 11:48 AM:

" Chavez, you say "Christian fundamentalist are sure they have God on their side". Perhaps you should change the wording. "Who is on Gods side" or maybe "who is on the side of goodness". People who advocate a moral compass try to help those who are weak and respond to all "the chum in the water". Remember the first marijuana cigarette is always free. The verbal praise for drugs is free. But it is chum (bait) in the water. Bait for a new generation to support the growers and smugglers. The "high road" is not in getting "high". Obviously you have not buried and squandered enough friends yet. Obviously you have not looked around at the broken homes and broken lives. Remember the old Hippie Joke. The guy was hit by a car and he turns to the drugged out hippie and says "call me an ambulance". The Hippie responds "okay, YOU ARE AN AMBULANCE". "

ok wrote on Jan 10, 2007 11:13 AM:

" Old friend~ I want it in my garden ;) "

Justin wrote on Jan 10, 2007 11:02 AM:

" I guess I would rather see violent offenders locked up more though. "

Justin wrote on Jan 10, 2007 11:02 AM:

" Marijuana is and always will be a gateway drug, just like smoking cigarettes. It will probably lead to bigger and better things, well maybe not bigger. I can't believe how many comments are posted. I guess if it was used in moderation, but that is on all the liquor bottles and beer cases. "

Old Friend wrote on Jan 10, 2007 10:36 AM:

" Having been a smoker on and off since the late 60's, only because of supply and demand, anyone who thinks that marijuana is a gateway drug is very much misinformed. The goverment back in the 20's and 30's and the sugar industry and the tobacco cartels decided that marijuana was not such a good idea. How can you get someone addicted to something organic? How much sugar does it take to make a case of beer or a quart of whiskey? You can't make a profit on non addicted people. Does anyone realize they put chocolate in cigarettes? They want you addicted to what they can turn a buck on. They will never legalize marijuana because they don't know how to patent it. Also, what would they sell to us? Do you think that they would not "tamper" with this to? Just let it be and keep it to your self. I'm 56 and have seen what the goverment does and dosn't do. Norml has been at it for years and they can't get it done, then neither can we. Democracy, ain't it great? "

Miler wrote on Jan 10, 2007 9:55 AM:

" to GL: don't generalize and make assumptions. You have no clue how we raise our children. So, how is it exactly that you teach your children the right and the wrong way to smoke pot? What is the right way to smoke pot??? with a bong? Your going to sit down with your kid and smoke a joint with him? You are clearly the parent that wants to be the kids "buddy". Which I must say doesn't always work out the way you want it to. Kids need direction. Hopefully from someone who can deal with life instead of turning to drugs to get high. I don't want to teach my kids that it is o.k. to do drugs. Yes, they might try it but with proper guidence may decide it isn't the right thing to do. Snap out of it. Your exactly what is wrong with society. You and smoker moker. "

kgirl wrote on Jan 10, 2007 9:42 AM:

" Riffraff...i would like to say that I admire you and your opinions are like music in my ears. Growing up, I was exposed to a lot of drugs. It's funny that all I have done is marijuana. It helps me relax and when I smoke I can easily gather my thoughts and process what happened in my day and be happy about it. Smoking weed irresponsibly is what fries your brain and creates the negative image. What does it do, it make me feel warm and fuzzy. Its just like coming inside after playing in the snow and sipping on hot chocolate. Simple as that. Now, if pot is such a gateway drug to those of you who very well stressed you point, then explain to me why I have not done anything else, I dont even smoke cigarettes, obviously my brain isn't fried because I am a very intellectual person and I enjoy reading. Wait....I remember being 13 or 14 and I found out my mom smoked meth. Whatever I always hated her anyway, but I asked her if she smoke ganja and she said never.....so obviously it is possible to turn yourself into a worthless crackwhore without even so much as looking at marijuana. Also, i have never touched meth, I absolutely despise it, my stomach is turning right now just thinking of what my mother deprived us of to support her habit. If she had smoke pot, well, guaranteed she would be putting me through college. Marijuana is a good thing to those who use it well. sorry is this is nonsense to your ears, i just wanted to defend the herb......have a good year yall "

Chavez wrote on Jan 10, 2007 9:40 AM:

" It is quite apparent from the comments posted here by the anti-legalization folks that the idiocies and false information that has been passed around about marijuana just continues to hang on, despite study after study that shows that pot is considerably less harmful than alcohol and tobacco. But no, the prohibitionists, like the alcohol prohibitionists of the 1920's and 1930's will not hear reason, will not believe anything beyond their narrow-minded and uneducated opinions, and like a christian fundamentalist are sure they have God on their side. The good news is that inside both the national Democratic and Republican parties, there are moves afoot to at least decriminalize pot. That means it is still illegal but no more serious than a traffic violation. The venerable Conservative Republican magazine, National Review under Bill Buckley has also long since come out in favor of legalization. The head of the national Marijuana Policy Project, a major reform group is also a conservative Republican. The laws will eventually change, but we need to hold at bay the clock-stoppers and paranoids who cannot see beyond their fears, fantasies, and medieval mindsets. Like the Bush administration, all they have is fear tactics, not facts. "

OK wrote on Jan 10, 2007 9:24 AM:

" The left wing liberal democrats are lobbying for the decriminilization and legalization of marijuana. We won't really "need" a "grassroots" lobby in ND I don't think. All we need is education for the public about all the marijuana myths and lies. If we actually get the border to Mexico closed, either the American people will have an uproar over the "dryness" when Mexico can no longer supply, or they will start bringing the drug rings in the Northern border. (which has already happened to extent.) At that point, Meth, crack and heroin, prostitution etc. will get a lot worse around here and in the border states. I hope the right wing politicians can see that. Really the only way to avaoid that would be to legalize and take the funding away from the drug rings. "

Miler wrote on Jan 10, 2007 9:23 AM:

" Moker, clearly all your brain cell killing pot smoking has clouded your judgement. I agree with To O.K. You speak of what a great life you have but still feel the need to "get stoned". Life is a gift and if you open up your blood shot eyes, life is fulfilling enough without smoking dope. You are dulling your senses and will teach your children it's o.k. to fry your brain. What a shame. "

GL wrote on Jan 10, 2007 9:07 AM:

" I would much rather educate my kids on the right and wrong way to smoke pot, drink booze than to take the path that most of you are taking..( eyes wide shut) I went to college with a ton of kids like yours. Once they are out of the house they go nuts at school. trying all sorts of drugs and booze. some make it, some dont. I would much rather sit down with my 18 year old and smoke a joint and drink a few beers to let him know that there is a right and wrong way to do this. Instead of keeping my blinders on and "pretending" that they never are going to try the stuff. Some of you will agree, some of you wont. I want my kids to know that pot is not the same thing as Coke, or Meth.. it shouldnt be classified as the same thing. My feelings are the reason somepeople call it a stairway drug is that the government and most of the people that live around here classify it that way. The kid gets to college or high school and thinks "well they told me that pot was horrible and it wasnt? maybe Coke isnt either?? Yeah I'll try a line of that too.. You are all victims of your own creation. Idiots!!! "

to Grandma wrote on Jan 10, 2007 8:55 AM:

" Thank god they didnt discover booze... sounds like you have a family that should have stayed in ND.. I dont think you can blame the pot on your family problems.. there was something else that caused them to try to smother feelings with "the pot".. and that west coast herb was pretty strong in the day. I have smoked pot for 20 years.. you would be amazed if you knew what I did for a living. oh my god would you be amazed. Thank god the state doesnt drug test me. "

mandan grl wrote on Jan 10, 2007 7:43 AM:

" How many violent acts are due to using pot? I can't think of one! "

riffraff wrote on Jan 10, 2007 1:39 AM:

" Wow, I thought the pro-marijuana people were supposed to be the paranoid ones! *rimshot* THC in caffeinated drinks and chocolate? Wow, that certainly is scary, and plausible. I suppose our children will be able to buy these products from vending machines too right? Because god knows lawmakers will not be intelligent enough to restrict how and where the marijuana is sold and who it is sold to. When was the last time you opened a can of pepsi only to find that the can does not actually contain pepsi but rather Mickey's Malt Liquor? Or bitten into a snickers and get a mouthful of tobacco? What would be the point of doing that? Your story of the brownies is mildly entertaining. I don't see what point you're trying to make though. You could eat many pounds of marijuana if you really wanted to. It's not the nicest thing to do, but there are worse things you could do to someone. For the record, I am against getting high against your will! Yes, cops deal with drunk people, people using drugs, and sober people all the time. But have you any idea the number of people that are smoking marijuana and/or drinking alcohol right now that are *gasp* not causing problems at all? It's astronomical. I know it probably doesn't matter to you, but believe it or not, all drugs are not the same. You like to use the term "drugs" as if a meth addict that hacks up his dealer with a hatchet and throws his body in the Red River is the same kid thats a normal person that just happens to be a marijuana smoker. Chances are someone that you know and think pretty highly of has tried marijuana, and prefers it over alcohol, and fits into the the second category. Not too many people, other than young kids, go out of their way to make it known that they like to use a substance that is illegal. So let's limit the conversation to the problems caused by marijuana only, since that's what we're talking about. Are you saying that you want to alcohol and all drugs outlawed because people act immorally when using them? That point is impossible to argue since you essentially want to hold all people to your apparently lofty moral standards. And you honestly think that its impossible to act morally while using recreational drugs? You assume that since I have a couple beers, or a few puffs of marijuana, that I'm automatically going to do something immoral or criminal, therefore I shouldn't be able to. I think that is the epitome of selfishness. Marijuana and alcohol in moderation are wonderful things that have done a lot of good for our country, but you won't see the good things on the front page of the Bismarck Tribune. Mr. Observation: Why anyone want to move to San Francisco? Oh right, I get it now. It's the Left/Right thing that people are so hung up on nowadays. It's really amazing that not wanting the government to legislate what you put in your body is not a conservative ideal if you are talking about smoking marijuana in your home, but it most certainly is when you're talking about smoking a cigarette in a bar. You are surprised to see that people that enjoy using marijuana might think that it's also a good idea to allow farmers to grow hemp? I don't think posting stuff here really counts as pushing an agenda, and, unfortunately, I don't think the people that want to grow industrial hemp really care about legalizing marijuana. I think Johnson really thinks it could be good for North Dakota. "

Yep wrote on Jan 10, 2007 12:49 AM:

" To Ok, By the way OK you rock let's do what we can. OK? funny huh? Let's go bigger than this, Mokey you in? How do we set up an EFFECTIVE lobby pool? "

Grandma wrote on Jan 10, 2007 12:11 AM:

" To OK, I take offense at your statements. I did say that overall I have had a good life. Yes, I do blame a lot of the bad things in my life on POT because my parents went to the west coast from ND and started "smoking the herb" and mine and my sister's and my entire families lives fell apart. over the following years all of us became users and it went from occaisional to regular because that was the way it was at the time. It brought my housewife mother to being a barmaid, my college proffesor father to prison, my straight A student sister to be a drop out and myself to a teenage pregnancy. Only my sister became addicted to the hard stuff but it ruined all of our lives due to our experimenting which led to more and more. This led to needing more and dealing as I stated earlier. I got away from all of it and have a college degree and am currently working on getting a double degree. The years before drugs became popular in the USA if you look back in your history books (circa 1900's on and previous) you will notice had a lot more morality, less crime, people cared more for one another. since the advent of pot, free love, and the revolution of the species all I see is a lot of unemployment, teen pregnancy, crime, mental illness, drug & alcohol addiction, war, violence, global warming, etc. the list goes on. I don't see that having POT, alcohol, nicotine, or any of the other things our great revolution brought has made anyone any happier legal or illegal. "

Crazy Eddie wrote on Jan 9, 2007 11:41 PM:

" I couldn't care less if they legalize it or not. Won't use it either way. Yes, I am taking robbery. In the case of burglary, they ask you to send in a statement. They don't even come out. If there are shots fired, they will have mutual response from other agencies. Otherwise, response may be 45 minutes out. Reminds me of the joke about the guy who calls in to say that someone is breaking into his garage only to be told that no officers are available. So he calls back and says not to worry because he has shot the guy. Cops show up 5 minutes later, only to see that the crook is on the ground, but not shot. The cops say I thought you said someone was shot. The guy responds, I thought no officers were available..... And yes, I am all for tickets being issued for people deserving of them. infact, I use the citizen report option every chance I get. It makes the road safer for my family. I have nothing against cops earning their keep. If pot is illegal, then write them up. Don't think it is worth jail time for a small time user though. If the spare tire is removed so more pot will fit in the trunk, that is not a user. Hang em high. "

Yep wrote on Jan 9, 2007 11:13 PM:

" By the way, I meant to support the blogger who said no one ever OD'd on MJ. Look at all the money that is spent to stop it and how much could be made to legalize it. Enough said, think about it. "

Yep wrote on Jan 9, 2007 10:51 PM:

" Horse Hockey! Bull-olloney! Meth, crack yeah let's stop it. What kind of pothead ever shot a family man at a truck stop in ND. But the weed is an herb, it is natural. Addicts as spoken before are addicts for deeper reasons for escape not a relaxer or fun and move on to more dangerous as the resistance builds. Bring on the Hemp farms. "

just an observation wrote on Jan 9, 2007 9:24 PM:

" It's no coincidence that many of the blog contributors that pile on ridiculous arguments for the decriminalization of marijuana are to a great percentage the same bloggers that posted to other articles arguing for the State of North Dakota to attempt to gain approval from the government to grow industrial hemp. As I've said before this is a very, very transparent attempt by people with an agenda to get marijuana legalized. They continue and won't quit to put a positive spin on a lifestyle that's bad for North Dakota and bad for America. Here is more proof where the backing for the push to permit the growing of hemp in North Dakota is principally coming from. Anyone who has spent any effort to research this issue knows this scenario of down playing the dangers of illegal drugs and trying to soften their image knows it is playing out all over the country and thankfully the proponents of legal drug use are continuing to get a dose of reality from non addicted Parents, School Teachers, Judges, Community Leaders. It's true that in some communities some of the very people I just mentioned have come under the grip of this character killer. I don't necessarily blame those people, it's a testament to the power of these dangerous substances. I just don't want to see it happen here. Move to San Francisco if you can't control yourself. On the issue of hemp in North Dakota, Agricultural Commissioner Johnson needs to stick with ideas that are positive and beneficial for the State and not buckle under to people that he doesn't have enough of an understanding of the issue to sniff out...Unless I'm wrong and he knows exactly what this means in the long run and why he's pushing this forward. "

Hello again Mr riffraff wrote on Jan 9, 2007 8:27 PM:

" Legalization is not going to happen, period. If it somehow did happen then suddenly all the caffeinated drinks would soon also contain THC. Chocolate items would contain THC. It would be like the old days (1800's) when the traveling medicine salesmen (snake-oil salesmen) had cocain in most medical remedies. Coca Cola owes it's name to the old days when such drugs were legal (before microscopes and discovery of germs). More recently A friend on mine who works in a large transmission repair shop on west coast once told of the day another mechanic brought marijuana enhanced brownies to work. The boss/owner who is very anti drug noticed and tried one. He liked it and was offered more. Everyone was very surprised (according to the story) how high and funny the boss got that day after several brownies. He had no accidents. No one ever told him and he still thinks he has never had an illegal drug in his life. So think again about it Mr riffraff and think if you want yourself or your family to be the victims of idiot jokers perhaps at you local hamburger shop, or wherever. The organization "Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)" was started by a mother whose daughter was killed by a drunk driver. They helped pass laws and tighten other laws on drunk driving. It is not likely any mind altering drug is going to be legalized when we are constantly tightening up on the alcohol laws. Drunk driving and drunk in public are more than nuisance laws. Most (evening/night shift) big city police spend most of their time going from one bar-fight, to a domestic fight drugs or alcohol involved, to traffic accidents where alcohol and/or drugs are involved. The expense of policing, the expense of the broken lives and homes, is a burden. Drugs and alcohol reduce moral teachings and help cause many underage pregnancies. Various narcotic rehabilitation centers are full of young men who were burglars for drugs, and young women who sold their bodies for drugs. Your perception of freedom is very selfish. Society should be free from drugs. Go sit in a corner facing the corner for a fifteen minute time out. "

riffraff wrote on Jan 9, 2007 5:10 PM:

" You're right, as a percentage of the population they are indeed a very small percentage. Not even close to the majority. But I don't think that means that those people are insignificant and don't deserve the freedom to decide which substance they want to put into their body and accept any consequences that it causes. It's sad that someone would think that it should require a majority of the country to be a marijuana smoker before any marijuana legalization should be considered. Are we, even those that don't have any desire to use marijuana, not capable of seeing unjust laws? Thankfully, there are a lot of non-users that understand it. Those people will play a big part in ending this madness, when it finally does end. If marijuana users ever do become the majority or whenever the laws are changed, they're not going to force you and everyone you care about to smoke marijuana. It's not likely that there will ever be a mandatory marijuana law. "

riffraff wrote on Jan 9, 2007 4:37 PM:

" Yeah, add me to the list of people that are NOT condoning smoking in public or driving while intoxicated on any drug. Nor do I think it is a good idea to be smoking while you're 8 years old. To the chick that was driving home from her boyfriend's place: When you realized that you were in fact driving the wrong way, that was pretty scary wasnt it? That is why I don't drive after smoking, because it's hectic and scary, and I end up driving (much more slowly than usual) around getting lost anyway. Yet, I'm far more brave and less aware of my impairment after a few beers when it comes to driving. Grandma's story is indeed a sad one. "smoked pot for 11 years. I started in the 70's. My parents smoked, so did my sister. I started at age 8, by 9 I was drinking, by 10 doing speed, by 11 & 12 basically everything but heroin." However, it doesn't support the idea that keeping any substance illegal will prevent adults, or children for that matter, from using it. The legal drinking age in the 70's was not 9 years old to my knowledge. And like the other guy said, your case is definitely the exception rather than the rule. There are millions of regular marijuana users in the world that don't have a story like that to tell. Most of their lives are as uneventful as anyone else's. I smoke about 4-5 times a year normally, but it's been over a year since the last time. Although, lately I also have been thinking about trying some to help me with quitting tobacco. (Update: I'm on day 6 or so I think). I recommend "Easy Way to Quit Smoking" by Allen Carr by the way. Read the book, and smoke while reading it. As useless as useless and destructive as tobacco is, I don't think that should be illegal either. It was fun for about a day. Anyway, My mother and sister were injured, and my mom's boyfriend was killed after being hit by a drunk driver about 10 years ago. One of my better friends is a hardened alcoholic, at the rate he's going, I doubt he'll live past 35. I find that odd since he had a brother that was killed by a drunk driver when he was pretty young. He's very aware that he has a problem, and has tried to get help, he was on "Antabuse" at one point. And when he is fortunate to locate some marijuana, he is a a lot more fun to be around than when he's drinking. He's more fun to be around than when he's sober too, of course. My mother suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, and has developed her own drinking problems over the years. Should she someday somehow learn that marijuana helps her out with that, I think she should be able to use it. Furthermore, people like her shouldn't be afraid to try a drug that could help them more than anything else, because it's illegal. So, just understand that from my perspective, the marijuana situation is all messed up in this country. I'm pretty sure my perspective is also unique, so I understand if most people don't have such strong feelings. I guess I'd just prefer that people are indifferent rather than to believe myths, propaganda, and opinions of people that mean well but are in my eyes wrong. Also wow, how is miller living a double life? Is marijuana use somehow incompatible with going to church? I'll assume that he's going to tell his kids that it's ok for them to use marijuana at the same time as telling them that it's ok for them to use alcohol. I'm sure you'd rather he lies to them and tells them that its as destructive as heroin. "

OK wrote on Jan 9, 2007 4:34 PM:

" Please look at this website. http://www.hempcar.org/untoldstory/index.html "

OK wrote on Jan 9, 2007 3:55 PM:

" Yeah, like president Bill Clinton. Oh, wait he didn't inhale! (I bet just like he didn't have sexual relations) "

to okl wrote on Jan 9, 2007 3:47 PM:

" I would venture a (educated) guess that as a percentage of the population the number of people that smoke marijuana would be small. At least I am confident that most would agree marijuana smokers do not make up a majority of the population. I'm comfortable with that and will personally always consider people that smoke marijuana to be people with a bad habit that I would steer anyone I care about away from. Marijuana can't do for me what a healthy, challenged, happy and involved lifestyle hasn't already done for me. My suggestion for marijuana smokers is they try a little of that. To moker, I doubt you are the picture of contentment you make yourself out to be otherwise you wouldn't feel the need to achieve contentment through smoking anything let alone marijuana. Stop kidding yourself and grow up. Meanwhile I'm content to know that you (and others addicted to marijuana and therefore unable to make the wise choice to give it up) will remain in the minority. "

Moker wrote on Jan 9, 2007 3:44 PM:

" Miler, thanks to people with narrow minds (like yourself) I'm effectively forced to lead a "double life." I'm an honest, hard working family man with a great career who's very civic minded. But since there is such a stigma attached to the consumption of a (WRONGLY) illegal substance, the very people who look up to me and appreciate me for who I am would shun me and look down their noses at me for what I do in the privacy of my own home. You and many others would be VERY surprised if you knew just exactly how many people smoke marijuana. You'd probably have to change your shorts if you knew the careers and community positions some of these people hold. "

OK wrote on Jan 9, 2007 3:17 PM:

" I am a she too. "

Yep wrote on Jan 9, 2007 2:57 PM:

" I think Moker might be a she, and she is right. I have never been or will be into the herb but I think it should be legalized, citizens shouldn't be jailed for reasonable possession. Just because many don't use it, doesn't mean they aren't supporters as well. I know LOTS of people who were or are users and you should write your congressmen and senators! Every year! Legal or not, its not going away so lets change what's not working. Miler, wow, good for you to be so squeeky clean. "

OK wrote on Jan 9, 2007 2:25 PM:

" And I think that would be a great idea. Everyone who smokes marijuana should speak out to the community. Open the eyes of the non smokers to how many in their midst actually are. We all would be surprised. "

OK wrote on Jan 9, 2007 2:22 PM:

" Miller~ I would say 21. Just like alcohol. "

Miler wrote on Jan 9, 2007 1:45 PM:

" To Moker aka Cheech: You have two beautiful children? At what point will you tell them they can smoke pot because it is o.k.? How funny that you live a double life. You should plan to be a guest speaker at your church and tell everyone about your drug use. Make sure you tell them what a great guy you are though. "

OK wrote on Jan 9, 2007 12:57 PM:

" My experience~ as an adult have you found yourself to be a more responsible person? And you would never dream of getting high and driving, or going to work high, would you? Neither do I . "

OK wrote on Jan 9, 2007 12:56 PM:

" My experience~ as an adult have you found yourself to be a more responsible person? And you would never dream of getting high and driving, or going to wrkr high, would you? Neither do I . "

OK wrote on Jan 9, 2007 12:00 PM:

" My experience~ None of us are condoning getting high and driving, or going to school high. People do it everyday, if it was legal that doesn't make more irresponsible people. People drink alcohol and drive, and no doubt some go to school drunk. No one is condoning marijuana for children. Just like alcohol. Most of us are responsible.It would be easier to police marijuana if it was sold in a controled atmosphere, like alcohol is sold. Drug dealers wouldn't be giving kids marijuana; and then meth or crack or heroin, they would be out of a job. "

my experience wrote on Jan 9, 2007 11:44 AM:

" I hope me writing this sheds some light on the use of marajuana.For strarters ,I started using "pot"at about the age of 141/2 and quit at 17.I remember the effects it had on me and still do today.the "high"for me was a tingly,"fuzzy kinda feeling over my body,a no care in the world,light-headedness,where the stupidest,idiotic,and even dangerous things were hysterical.I have heard alot of marajuana user say it just make you "mellow."This is true to a certain extent,but if they were honest with themselves and others they would have to admit that along with the mellow effect comes,slow reflexes,the lack of inhabitions(poor judgement),etc......for example:I remember that one day I had left my boyfriend's house to go home and was on a busy highway and laughing at the fact people were driving on the wrong side of the road!When it fact it was me who was on the wrong side.I am thankful to say I did realize at some point and got over and that there was no accident,but nontheless I actually thought it was funny!!So today given my experience,if I had to chose between riding with a person under the influence of alcohol or "pot" I would walk!!Also one day i smoked some marajuana during my walk to school,when i started my classes I had a suprise math test and took it.The next day (sober)I got my test back,I had aced the test,but sober I didn't even know how!! This led to me quitting it at the age of 17.My feeling was,"this is stupid,and I don't want to go threw life passing "tests" with no idea on what I'm doing."I have found some lasting effects from the usage.My reading comprehension was effected by it.As for legalizing marajuana like alcohol,to my knowledge "they" are unable to measure the amount of "pot" in your system like they do for alcohol,so therefore legalizing it with limits would be impossible.Also it effects people differently too.I still could go on and on but i think i'll end here for now. "

Chicago Cop wrote on Jan 9, 2007 11:25 AM:

" Eddie First I workecd in Bismarck at the beginning of my career. Next,I doubt it takes that long for the police to show up for a robbery. Do you even know what a robbery is? It is not someone stealing your property or breaking into your house, it is the use or threat of force to obtain property of another. Someone sticking up a gas station with a gun is a robbery. Yes the department probably does monitor the number of tickets each officer writes, productivity is important in any job, afterall you are paying taxes for the officer to do this. Beleive it or not not people want there police writing citations, it is called traffic safety. And Eddie I am supportive of controlled legalization of marijuana. I don't think it should be for minors or used when a person is driving but I feel that the laws in place need revision. However, if you really want these changes to occure I would suggest you curtail your public thoughts on this subject because your ideas are unsound and I'm afraid that they would make a rational person who is on the fence about this issue side with keeping pocession a crime a crime. Another words you are not a good example of why we should legalize the stuff. "

OK wrote on Jan 9, 2007 10:40 AM:

" Grandma~ I take great offense to your statements, you make it sound like you blame your life on marijuana. I blame your life on poverty and lack of education, and alcohol. Marijuana is not a gateway drug, the only gateway is that other drugs come from the people you get your marijuanan from, if we were getting it at the gas station we would remove the network of illegal and immoral drug dealers from peoples lives. Nicotine and cigerettes are the gateway drug. That's what you started first. I know. If it was up to me I would ban tobacco tomorrow. I have been trying to quit and cannot and the only thing I can think now is if it just wasn't available. Marijuana is available, and I would like the legal opportunity to use it occassionally, and try smoking that less addictive drug to over come my tobacco habit. I have tried nicotine patches, nicotine gum, lozenges, I am addicited to the act of smoking and nicotine. I need a non addiciting replacement. "

Moker wrote on Jan 9, 2007 10:25 AM:

" Grandma, I'm glad you shared your story. However, for every story filled with heartache and troubled lives, there is another story that is a non-story. I've been smoking marijuana for well over 20 years. While I have dabbled in other drugs, I don't consider marijuana to be any type of "gateway drug" in any sense other than the fact that it's more readily available than other harder drugs. Pot is my drug of choice. During the 20+ years I've been smoking, I graduated from high school with honors, making Nat'l Honor Society and receiving the Presidential Academic Fitness Award. I acquired a college degree and have thus far had an outstanding professional career. I am happily married, own a nice home, and have 2 beautiful children who are well loved and taken care of. I volunteer at my church, and am actually looked up to by many people as a good neighbor and benevolent citizen. Not all of us who partake in the herb are skid row types. I know cops, lawyers, doctors, and business leaders from all walks of life who can live happy normal healthy lives and still take a toke now and then. Marijuana needs to be decriminalized, plain and simple. The myth created by the US Government in the early 20th century has been proven to be BS over and over again. "

pot head wrote on Jan 9, 2007 8:14 AM:

" for those who say they've never tried weed and wonder what it feels like.. think about that question.. you probably know the answer i would give you.. i've smoked the stuff for alot of years, close to 30.. graduated on the honer role in high school and played sports.. i have been around pounds and pounds of the stuff.. the people who say there are more drugs offered in these enviroments are right.. taking that responsability "selling the pot" out of the hands of the big time dealers is the only option to battle some of the hard core drugs that most people claim to want.. i've known policeman, prosecuters, fire fighters, public office holders, and other pillars of communities that smoke the gonga.. some of the smartest people i know do.. which doesn't include any of the previous list.. when something is wrong, we as parents have to fix it.. George Washington would agree with that.. that means to me that the laws on marijuana need to alter.. we need to embrace the concerns of our countryman and defend our democracy.. looks like we know what to do with the hitlers and saddams out there.. i had a friend who was killed on a job because of an equipment failure, his wife and 3 young children recieved nothing because there was a trace of pot in his system.. i hope we as a country can see the greater wrong in this in the future.. no doubt we need more prisons, in fact i would donate a parcel of property in a remote area to handle this.. especially for the sickos.. united we will stand.. but to be united we need to give respect to others who don't totally agree with your aspect of the laws.. i always have.. but i have lied to keep myself out of jail.. maybe we should take away alot of lawyers and make some more pot heads who just want to enjoy little things in life rather than benefiting on other peoples misfortune.. "

Grandma wrote on Jan 9, 2007 2:56 AM:

" Continued. I also wanted to say that I am not just whining. I have had a good life overall. I am one of the lucky ones. My daughter loves me, I have 3 beautiful granchildren. I told this story so people wouldn't say I did not know what i was talking about. Pot is a gateway drug. My parents were ND farm kids, moved west and got into the hippie era of the 60's & 70's & started smoking pot. This led to the story I told. It ruined their lives, their kids lives, and their grandkids lives to an extent. I also am responsible for the ruination of I don't know how many lives by my dealing and by "turning on" my "first time smoker" friends, some of whom I know for a fact when on to harder drugs & prison terms. It is also a known fact that the THC in pot numbs brain cells and that if you nunb them often enough or long enough they eventually just die. No one will ever convince me that Marijuana is a "harmless" drug. There is no such thing. Marijuana kills the same as any other drug, it just does it in a more roundabout & insidious way. Thanks for taking the time to read my story. Sorry for taking so much space. "

Grandma wrote on Jan 9, 2007 2:44 AM:

" Continued. Back to myself. I moved to a new state away from my immediate family and spent the next 10 years trying to figure out how to be the grownup that noone had yet shown me how to be, eventually went into counceling and spent some years working on myself and now am hopefully a reasonable facsimile of an adult who is capable of raising children and being a productive citizen. The only problem is my child is already grown and my productive years are waning fast. Back to my sister, she eventually got clean in her late 30's, (to late for her kids to)went back to school, got remarried, blamed our mother for everything & herself for nothing & has as of yet to grow up. My father meanwhile is in a mental institution for the rest of his life. My mother recently moved to another state again, she is now on a c-pap machine at night with heart trouble among other health problems but still insists that pot is just an "herb". Stepper, the "high" is awesome at the time. The world fades away, becomes warmer, funnier, easier to deal with, everyone is more friendly, wanting to "share the high" you feel like you are noticing more when you are not, you feel like everyone is your friend when they aren't, you believe your in control when your not. Don't ever let anyone talk you into trying it. Chavaez & others, "Pot is addictive". Maybe not in the conventional sense of the word but definently addictive, if not the drug then the high, and if not the high then the need to conform at any cost. I did pot for years after I wanted to because of the pressure to conform from my family and friends. I had to move half a country away to quit. Continued. "

riffraff wrote on Jan 9, 2007 2:30 AM:

" You want to stay high for 168 consecutive hours, or just during certain hours of said week? I don't know how to answer that question. Why don't you tell me how many 12-packs of Coors Light would keep someone drunk for a week and I will try to come up with some sort of marijuana equivalent. All I can say is that it costs a whole lot more than it should, thanks to its legal status. These drug rings don't kill people for nothing, ya know? Yeah, you're right about that aspirin company thing though. Clearly a wacko liberal conspiracy theory that is. An Aspirin company would never have the ability much less any reason to want to keep marijuana illegal! Aspirin has medical benefits while marijuana has absolutely none, remember? That wouldn't be believable at all. Well hold on, wait a second, what do we have here? http://www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2004/bayer-to-market-marijuana.html So yes, an aspirin company and another pharmaceutical company joining forces to bring Canadians, and pretty soon Americans, a marijuana spray for $500.00/month. What do you suppose legal marijuana would do to their profits from that? I don't even dabble in economics, but I am going to say that it could be detrimental. Unfortunately, no, I don't think I'm underestimating the opposition to legalization. It's never going to happen if we rely on politicians to do anything about it. I'm sure it will be legalized in some form by ballot initiative in a state pretty soon, maybe even Colorado or Nevada since they were so close in 06. It will be interesting seeing how that state's new law meshes with the federal law. But that won't happen until at least 2008 or even 2010 maybe. My dream is that the citizens of a certain agricultural Midwestern state could recognize that the possible benefits of some sort of marijuana legalization just might be a solution to some of their problems, and get on it before the rest of the country. Yes, a state that lately seems to have trouble keeping their young people to stick around, one that's developing a bit of a binge drinking problem, ranking #1 in the nation in that category more than once in recent years. Yes, that one. But alas, that could never happen here could it? Probably not. Although, it's a amazing and it almost makes me feel proud to be a North Dakotan when I see Roger Johnson and David Monson clashing with the DEA over this industrial hemp deal. Damn, a 50 year old nationwide ban on industrial hemp that could end in North Dakota of all places. At the very least, perhaps it will wake people up around here as to how silly the DEA can be. "

Grandma wrote on Jan 9, 2007 2:22 AM:

" I smoked pot for 11 years. I started in the 70's. My parents smoked, so did my sister. I started at age 8, by 9 I was drinking, by 10 doing speed, by 11 & 12 basically everything but heroin. My parents in the meanwhile split up, my father spent a few years molesting me followed by my new stepsisters (and no he was not an alcoholic)and beating us all, my mother became a bartender but not a drinker. She followed this by becoming a drug dealer and having my sister & I deal with her. I started dealing in 3rd grade. I "turned on" a lot of my friends to pot & alot worse. I was running away from home by 10 and prostituting myself by 11 &12. I got pregnant at 14 with my daughter, became a mother 4 days after I turned 15. I started trying to quit at 15, I quit for the last time at 19. My sister went on to continue dealing untill she was in her mid-30's, got married at 16, had 2 kids got divorced at 19, had 1 more kid, continued using untill she became a meth & heroin addict who looked 50 not 30 & whose once beautiful face and eyes became pockmarcked & haunted. Her kids had no real mom, she dropped out of school and could not keep a job so basically had to deal to live. My father meanwhile went to prison for pedaphelia, got out& went right back in for another 17 years. In the meanwhile my mother was still dealing as well and about 10 years later did a brief stint drinking but quit that and went back to pot. She had a heart attack & could not survive her hospital stay without pot so my sister brought her pot brownies in the ICU. She got out kept smoking pot. continued. "

Crazy Eddie wrote on Jan 9, 2007 12:27 AM:

" Hey Chicago, where did I say that cops get 1 penny from tickets? I said money in the coffers, which means the city, state or whatever agency did the stop. I also stated that performance is meaqsured on how many tickets that are written. It may lead to more money through promotion, but that is the same with any job. If you are treating customers better at Mickie Dees, you are more likely to get the promotion. As for cops not liking the cameras, that must be why they sit in the vans with the cameras on the front taking pictures in the school zone. Johnny lawman must hate having to catch 50 speeders in the time he would normally catch and process 5. Let's see, I live in an area that has cameras, but yet when I call 911 to report a robbery in progress, it takes 45 minutes for an officer to respond. Don't sound like they are bored because of the cameras. "

To Chicago Cop. wrote on Jan 8, 2007 11:28 PM:

" You make some interesting points. But you live in CHICAGO not here. I highly doubt you make alot of arrests for murder and rape, unless you are a detective. I did not see that in your comment. I am not a rookie or young, but I do believe in taking people using and selling drugs off our streets. Drugs have over run your city and I do not want to see that happen here. Im kinda shocked you don't see this as a problem. I wonder how many of CHICAGO's thefts ,muggings, or killings happen because drug enforcement is not a priority where you work, or maybe it is, just not to you. My empathy is for the family's, children and victims , due to someones poor life choices. Most family's cannot handle a childs drug problem, Many times the only way he can get help is through the courts. Most parents feel a sense of relief when there child is arrested and is made to go to some kind of treatment. You call me immature and that I act like John Wayne. I say you are neglegent in your duties. I now see why you are posting on this article. I'm referring to your comment of "I did pot and I turned out fine". Just remember this is Bismarck North Dakota not CHICAGO! "

OK wrote on Jan 8, 2007 11:10 PM:

" People with drug and alcohol problems need treatment and follow up, not prison. "

OK wrote on Jan 8, 2007 11:04 PM:

" Keep the sex offenders in prison. The laws are so backwards I can't even express how frustrated I am! And how about this; Put the burglars in prison too. "

Ok wrote on Jan 8, 2007 10:32 PM:

" And I blame the industrial revolution for the marijuana laws.It was legalized when nylon and synthetic fibers came on the scene. Hemp was in direct compition, so they outlawed it. They didn't outlaw because it was causing society harm. "

Ok wrote on Jan 8, 2007 10:29 PM:

" I don't get high for a week at a time. I get high maybe 3 times a year. I don't know anyone who needs to stay high for a week. Marijuana is a recreational drug, just like alcohol to me. I drink maybe 3 times a year too. "

Ok wrote on Jan 8, 2007 10:15 PM:

" Legalize it. It is causing more harm than good keeping it illegal, it is THE FUNDING FORCE behind illegal drug trade. "

Hello OK wrote on Jan 8, 2007 10:11 PM:

" So how much does it cost nowadays to buy enough marijuana to stay high for a week? And why do you guys no longer blame the aspirin manufactures for the marijuana laws? Trying to get more believable? "

Ok wrote on Jan 8, 2007 9:36 PM:

" So I would go with whatever, like crack or meth, not marijuana. I am sorry, but people don't need marijuana like that. They need other drugs like that,enough to burglarize homes for money. "

Hello Chavez wrote on Jan 8, 2007 9:12 PM:

" No it has not stopped http://www.ncjrs.gov/policing/por673.htm Lots of information on internet about numerous cities taking a persons car when drug crimes or soliciting a prostitute. I had a brother in law who was raised in Los Angeles and was more afraid of the police than the criminals. He went through college to be a minister but dropped out shortly after graduation. Part of his training was to go to New York (45 years ago) and sit through criminal trials. He claimed that half the criminal cases were thrown out of court because of obvious rubber hose marks on the delinquent teenagers (confession not voluntary?). There are lots of reasons why people get evasive when talking to police in big cities. All this does is make it harder to catch and convict drug offenders. Search using keywords forfeiture vehicles drugs prostitution johns. On the other extreme end we have people like Mr Vollan (above article) that condones marijuana and claims police enjoy catching them. He needs to go out and look at the real world through sober eyes. In the greater Los Angeles area the drug pushers teach the kids that most homes are empty during the daytime because most women must work also. They teach the young druggies to knock on the front door then go around back and use something heavy to break the rear door window (usually sliding glass door). They are taught to hit the master bedroom first using a pillow case or sheet for jewelry, small electronics, guns, and any other small expensive items. That buys them the next marijuana or whatever. "

riff raff~ wrote on Jan 8, 2007 7:06 PM:

" I think the number of people that would not be against legalizing is much higher than you think. It is just that the law enforcement have there minds so made up, brainwashed, And the drug companies don't want it because they will lose money because marijuana has medicinal properties that would be free in your own garden if it was legal. "

riffraff wrote on Jan 8, 2007 6:31 PM:

" Exactly. Of course he had an opinion, privately. But as far as when campaigning, he "didn't really care" if people vote for or against it. That's my point. It's easier and smarter to just be silent on the issue of marijuana if you're in politics, unless you're demonizing it. Carter realizes that you absolutely cannot say anything that can be construed as positive about marijuana, it's not compatible with politics in America. It has nothing to do with guts or no guts. Most politicians are already fully aware of the fact that marijuana is not a dangerous drug, at the very least no more dangerous than alcohol, and in a lot of cases beneficial. And what does it matter, we're talking about a very small percentage of the country that uses marijuana on a regular basis. Why make a statement that will make a few people want to vote for you when it will probably frighten away 5 times as many potential voters? Why speak out for the truth, when people don't want to hear it anyway? I think it's interesting that you say that the laws aren't broken. It certainly isn't broken in the eye of the person that is unaffected by the law. Five years ago, as I had not smoked marijuana before, I probably would have said the same thing. It didn't affect me either way, most marijuana users I had known at that point were annoying idiots, and I figured weed was probably harmful in some ways, some of the so called "myths" had to be true. Why do we need more legal drugs? Why would I have seen the laws as broken? I feel a little silly having stuck my head in the sand for so long. "

history lesson wrote on Jan 8, 2007 4:45 PM:

" Jimmy Carter, our past president (don't get me started on him) changed the long standing tradition of a dishonorable discharge to read "other than honorable" discharge for the purpose of making the reason his son "departed the military" not look so bad. I'm pretty sure Jack has an opinion regarding marijuana he just didn't have the guts to bring it up prior to the election. Thank heaven for Nevada they showed him the door. P.S. I'm a big proponent of "if it ain't broke don't fix it". "

riffraff wrote on Jan 8, 2007 3:21 PM:

" BS: Can't said budgets be cut or increased from time to time? What would cause that to happen, I wonder? I'm not saying that individual officers necessarily go around trying to keep their quotas up by somehow going out of their way to find marijuana users or anything like that, but I'm sure having crimes that people can be arrested for helps maintain funding. Lately, when efforts have been made to "change the laws", oddly enough, law enforcement people are probably the most consistent opponents of it, such as in this youtube video taken before Nevada's "tax and regulate" initiative was on the ballot in 06 and failed by 5% http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSlSnMjPuD0&mode=related&search= Assuming those numbers are true, wouldn't 45 million translate into a pretty large percentage of a lot of police departments' budgets across the state? Writing your congressmen isn't going to accomplish much, as no politician from either of the two major parties can afford to look soft on drugs, no matter their personal opinion on the issue. Jack Carter, who was kicked out of the Navy 30 years ago for using marijuana, ran for congress and had no opinion on the Nevada initiative. If you support the idea that adults should have the freedom to use a relatively harmless drug, you're a hippy, liberal, wacko that doesn't care about the children. So yeah, for now, I think our best hope is to complain about it on the comments section of a poorly written letter to the editor on the Bismarck Tribune's website. Damn you police officers! ARGH. "

To Chavez wrote on Jan 8, 2007 1:50 PM:

" Thanks for the unintended consequence of your last input. It's good that the drug dealing portion of the public learns (most already know) that law enforcement, working hand in hand with State and Federal Prosecutors do indeed have tools for taking away the ill gotten gains of drug dealers. It's a very useful tool that tells drug dealers they may at any time lose what they have gained by living an unlawful life style. The forfeiture laws have undergone changes in the past that's true and I believe they were some necessary changes. The punishment must always fit the crime as defined by established statues. So thank you for the air time. "

Chavez wrote on Jan 8, 2007 11:48 AM:

" To BS: I think what is being confused here is that under federal law, organizations like the DEA and some state and local law enforcement agencies can in fact confiscate property under forfeiture law. The laws may have changed in recent years, I don't know, but in the past property could be taken even if it was later ascertained that the person in question was not guilty. It was a means of padding budgets, as the confiscated property was then put up for sale with the proceeds going to fund further drug war related investigations. Abuses were common in the late 1980's and throughout the 1990's, and there were calls from both Democrats and Republicans to roll back such forfeiture allowances. But it did happen, and I hope the practice has stopped. "

BS wrote on Jan 8, 2007 11:24 AM:

" To all you idiots who think police departments make a profit for their enforcement of laws you must be high. Police departments, at least in Bismarck, Mandan, and the Sheriff Departments are given a budget to work within. That budget is set by the City/County Governments. Officers are not paid according to the dollar amounts they bring in to their agencies. If you people don't like the MJ laws the police are'nt the problem. Get the laws changed. That means writing Senators & Congressmen, not complaining about the police. "

Decriminalize it! wrote on Jan 8, 2007 10:48 AM:

" Stop whizzing away taxpayer dollars prosecuting and jailing nickel-and-dime marijuana offenders. The 85 year old granny in the Buick on State Street is far more dangerous than the dude on his couch who just torched a bowl. Meanwhile, there are pedophiles and predators running free. If lawmakers can't do what's right, police agencies SHOULD. Officers should be trained to turn a blind eye to a joint and be more vigilant about protecting our roadways and our children from Granny and the perverts. "

A Proud American wrote on Jan 8, 2007 9:02 AM:

" The US should start an exchange program with Mexico. We will exchange one Mexican wanting to come into the US to live for one of our prisoners to house in the Mexican prisons. The prisoner that is choosen is anyone not on death row and randonly selected. I would think twice about doing ciminal acts not knowing if I would be on the exchange program with Mexico. This way the US will support a Mexican and Mexico will support an American. GOOD TRADE???? I think so. "

SDV wrote on Jan 8, 2007 8:54 AM:

" Chain gangs and tent prisons for the crime paid. Cheaper to run and they are doing the public a service. "

YES wrote on Jan 8, 2007 8:51 AM:

" A master's degree only means that he received a peice of paper but what was his GPA? It does mean that he has common sense. "

A non user wrote on Jan 8, 2007 8:49 AM:

" I really can not believe all the money used on people to quit using drugs. What about all people that have never used. I would rather get a $1 for every day I do not use as a reward than spend 1 cent on a drug user. "

Connor wrote on Jan 8, 2007 8:46 AM:

" Community service would be a proper sentence for this behavior. While you are serviing your community then you can think about what you have done and maybe make some better choices. "

Remembering Professor Timothy Leary wrote on Jan 8, 2007 12:00 AM:

" The above article by Mr Vollan gave me sort of a flashback. In this case a memory that there have always been educators that condone drugs and lie about the effects. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Leary Claiming that people are in prison for only smoking Marijuana and that the police love to catch them falls in that category of lying to yourself and others. Claiming the DEA website on Marijuana is wrong, and that marijuana is not addicting classifies Mr Vollan as a Judas Goat. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judas_goat Everyone should know a few in this life as a measure of others. "

Chicago Cop wrote on Jan 7, 2007 7:23 PM:

" Only a couple of problems with your theory Edward,cops don't get the money from the tickets they write and the decision to put up those cameras come from the city councils or traffic engeneers not the police. Also,despite what you may think, most cops do not like the cameras,they (cops)can get caught by them too, no getting off then because the tickets are computer generated. We also do not like the fact cameras hurt the chances for getting overtime on special details for writing tickets at problem intersections. Finally we would never get the chance to meet smart people like you who know so much about law enforcement! "

Crazy Eddie wrote on Jan 7, 2007 4:40 PM:

" Funny that we are talking about smoking weed, cause you are smoking something if you don't think the goal for law enforcement is to make money from tickets. Out in Washington State the new rage is cameras hanging on light post that take your picture and send you a ticket if you run a light or speed in a school zone. Why do they do it? Because they can make a fairly large investment and recoup the costs after a year, and then it is almost pure profit after that. It's not for public safety. A $100 ticket for going 5 over in a school zone at 1AM is not going to save the kids. You would be pretty hard pressed to find an agency that does not base performance on how many tickets they issue. If the cops are not making stops, are they needed? If I hire brickmakers to make bricks, I am going to give the better performers the better raise. Common sense. In fact, the last HP leader in Wa said that his first priority when he waqs hired was to make a significant increase in tickets, which he did. "

riffraff wrote on Jan 7, 2007 3:44 PM:

" I dunno, my thinking and everything normally goes back to normal within a few hours. Again, I've never used it heavily or for an extended period of time, like weeks or months in a row, everyday. For me, a few times a month for a couple years was as often as I'd smoke it. As far as I know, marijuana doesn't affect dopamine levels much. I think I read that it's increased about the same as it is when doing other pleasurable things. (Eating, Sex) So once again we're talking about becoming "addicted" to pleasure. But, I haven't read many studies so I dont know. I've never had a problem quitting marijuana so I havent looked into the science that makes it supposedly hard to quit. I do believe that cocaine, amphetamines, and nicotine have quite have some crazy effects on dopamine though. As far as I know, the exact mechanism in which dopamine is affected differs from drug to drug. So, its hard to say "this drug screws up your dopamine more than that one". I'm no scientist or a doctor, but perhaps if it is true that marijuana does not affect the regulation of dopamine in the same way as something like say nicotine, perhaps that is why most people (including myself) don't consider it addictive in the same way as nicotine. "

To Crazy Eddie wrote on Jan 7, 2007 2:11 PM:

" Thank you for the new concept. Law enforcement actually making money by writing tickets and arresting people? Maybe we should dwell on that longer. Lets fire policemen that do not write enough tickets to pay for his wages and the wear and tear on his patrol car plus make a profit for the city? No I do not think it is likely any time soon. Your taxes still pay for police, jails, the state prison, and federal prisons. A hundred years ago State Prisons in various states did make a profit hiring out chain gangs for roads, levees, and even harvest time. The invention of the "Tractor" made chain gangs no longer cost effective. Now what we need is voluntary ankle bracelets for marijuana users that show they are not leaving their house when high. Yes... That will be the automated computerized "House of the Future"! The house will be programed to not let a marijuana user out until the required number of hours since the "smart house" detected him using marijuana. Yes, "Smart House" technology can be the future of penology. In domestic violence prone homes each room could have a panic button that automatically dials a counselor who immediately comes on all house speakers with "are we having a communication failure today". The counselor would have instant access to the levels of drugs and alcohol in the "smart house" air. Does all this sound expensive? Not if we consider the 40 to 50 thousand dollars per year we spend keeping each felon in prison. Perhaps in the future our homes will become "Virtual Reality Rehabilitation Centers" so group counseling classes can happen on line with camera conference calls. The money saved by not needing prison guards, cooks, nurses, secretaries, can all be spent on extra group counselors with psychology degrees. No, it will not work. The main requirement for modern penology is to restrain those with little desire to restrain themselves. A "Smart House" would still be subject to Murphy's third law that says "you can never make anything foolproof because fools is so ingenious". "

GL wrote on Jan 7, 2007 11:41 AM:

" thank you NoJailtime... a little common ground goes a long way.. lets start here... "

gl wrote on Jan 7, 2007 11:40 AM:

" Riff raff is right.... tennesee #1 cash crop is weed.... because of the value it has been given due to beeing illegal... "

Crazy Eddie wrote on Jan 7, 2007 11:26 AM:

" The reason that weed will never be legalized is because there is money to be made by enforcement. Most small-time weed users get a ticket and off they go. Cash in the coffers with very little work. Can't legalize and tax it cause everyone will grow their own. No money to be made if nothing changes hands. I have never used any drugs in my life because I have too much to lose and can get tested any time. But, reading the facts tells me that pot is not addictive. If we are going to say pot leads to bigger drugs, then we need to outlaw mopeds because the kids may move up to racing rice-rockets. Is the scooter at fault? If you are jealous of the money made by dealers, legalize it and the profits will dissapear. As for the idiots that complain about how dangerous alcohol is, get real. It is how people use it that is dangerous. Heck, water is dangerous if you hold your head under it too long, but I haven't heard any calls to eliminate it. People get killed farming every year, but tractors are still rolling out of the dealerships daily. "

To RiffRaff wrote on Jan 7, 2007 10:59 AM:

" So you say a person can test positive for marijuana weeks after getting high. So how long is thinking and judgement impaired. Studies show that extra dopamine is dumped into the brain by the THC. Does it just taper off and become normal when you float down out of the clouds or is there a lower than normal dopamine level afterward. Is it the same for everyone? I've read that schizophrenics have excess dopamine and one of the newer treatments has been dopamine inhibitors. Unfortunately dopamine that is to low causes parkinsons symptoms (shaking). Do you ever tremble after coming down off the high. Would dopamine inhibitors taken with the marijuana maybe help you quit? "

JIm S wrote on Jan 7, 2007 10:31 AM:

" I am not an user of pot nor do I drink. Some of you people here are nuts. Everything in life is addicting. Why are so omany people fat? They are addicted to things that make them fat, they are addicted to food, either the wrong types or too much. Same with any beverage. Maybe those same people are addicted to their couch and don't get out and exercise. I used to drink....A LOT, I used to smoke......A LOT. One day I just decided I was not 21 any more and it was time to do something else. I still am not against anyone who chooses to use either, I just desided it was not for me. But what I am trying to get at is, everything you do in life can be addictive. Maybe it has control over you, maybe it is just so much darn fun that why quit. It really is no different that a few beers or a drink of whiskey. I would rather see our laws and courts be used for other offences than a little bit of pot. Pot is a natural substance. "

NoJailTime wrote on Jan 7, 2007 10:08 AM:

" I agree that it is silly to put marijuana users in jail. It is a waste of tax payers money. HOWEVER, for those posting on this site trying to excuse pot as a harmless drug, etc... I do not agree with you on that. I agree that marijuana is no worse than alcohol or cigarettes, and we don't put those users in jail, but by no means, do we excuse marijuana as a harmless recreational substance. Anyone who uses marijuana during work, high in front of their kids, driving while high, etc... should be treated axactly like any other intoxicated person and get the same punishment that a drunk person would get. In other words, if the drug causes you to do something illegal because of its use, then you do jail time. Example...a person drinking at home in his garage would never be arrested, but a person drunk and then driving around town with his kids in the back seat would be. Same should apply to the pot user. "

riffraff wrote on Jan 7, 2007 3:08 AM:

" Testing positive for marijuana isn't necessarily the same as being high on marijuana at the time the test is taken, since you will test positive even if you haven't smoked any for weeks. But, your point is still valid I suppose, if you want to say that a high number of people arrested for domestic violence have used marijuana fairly recently and that their longterm use of marijuana somehow affects them even when they are sober. However, I'm sure that the percentage would be higher for the alcohol-only cases if such a test existed that would detect any alcohol consumption during the last few weeks before the incident. I'd love to see more research done on it. The one study on this that I've seen lately states that: Of the psychoactive substances examined, among individuals who were chronic partner abusers, the use of alcohol and cocaine was associated with significant increases in the daily likelihood of male-to-female physical aggression; cannabis and opiates were not significantly associated with an increased likelihood of male partner violence. …the odds of any male-to-female physical aggression were more than 8 times (11 times) higher on days when men drank than on days of no alcohol consumption. The odds of severe male-to-female physical aggression were more than 11 times (11 times) higher on days of men’s drinking than on days of no drinking. Moreover, in both samples, over 60% of all episodes occurred within 2 hours of drinking by the male partner. (page 1557) Source: Fals-Stewart , William, James Golden, Julie A. Schumacher. Journal of Addictive Behaviors. 28, pages 1555-1574. Intimate partner violence and substance use: A longitudinal day-to-day examination. Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, State University of New York "

riffraff wrote on Jan 7, 2007 1:46 AM:

" Some (me) might say people shouldn't do time even for "pounds upon pounds of the stuff". The truth that none of you will understand is that 1 ounce is no more or no less dangerous than 12 pounds. Smoking neither amount will cause someone to become dead. The only danger of marijuana is that it's worth so much more than it should be. We've managed to turn a weed that is worth about as much as alfalfa into the nation's #1 cash crop by prohibiting it. Nice Job, America. America's marijuana crop is worth more than the annual crop of wheat and corn combined. And unfortunately, that money isn't always going to upstanding citizens like your neighborhood corn and wheat farmers. All over a drug that is less harmful than alcohol, keep that irrefutable fact in mind at all times please. I'd say that the penalties for cultivation are far more in need of change than those for possession. Anyone that wants to grow a few (or a lot) of plants in their garden should be able to. I'd feel better about my kids growing a few plants in their apartment than I would knowing that they are purchasing their marijuana from dealers that are also in possession of other illegal or dangerous products (meth, crack, heroin, guns). Although the gateway theory is silly and false, and I know that a very small percentage of marijuana users ever actually use harder drugs, I'd rather they are exposed to those products as rarely as possible. But that's just me, since I really actually care about the safety of the kids. "

TO TELL IT LIKE IT IS wrote on Jan 7, 2007 12:06 AM:

" I didn't mean to give u the impression that I don't arrest them. More often than not I do. However there are times that I believe the family can handle, these situations better (youths)and it is not improper or against policy to let them do so. My point was that this other officer is probably young and has a bit of the John Wayne syndrome. Rarely do I get satisfation from making an arrest, however I do get it from helping people. I suspect that as he matures he will feel the same way. "

JM wrote on Jan 6, 2007 8:34 PM:

" Get real people. Nobody gets sent to prison for only being guilty of marijuana possession. Unless ofcourse you're talking about pounds upon pounds of the stuff. Do you realize how much people get away with before they even see a minute in prison? I guarentee you that those women interviewed for this story have committed much worse crimes than simple marijuana possession. One of the women in that story has an extensive background in prostitution, thefts, cocaine, meth, prescription drugs, and fraud. Read the court section of the paper from time to time, and see what sentences are being handed down. Most of the sentences are suspended, time served, and very little prison time is handed down. "

Alaska Problems need study wrote on Jan 6, 2007 5:44 PM:

" Using your search engine using the words "Alaska domestic violence marijuana" shows part of the problem. A very high percentage of people arrested for domestic violence in Alaska test positive for marijuana. No doubt we also need to know if the majority were combining marijuana and alcohol when they exploded. I find no statistics on what happens when both are used together. Perhaps after the "Alaska Experiment" is properly analyzed we will know more. Perhaps in the future it will be a very serious felony to be under the influence of both Marijuana and Alcohol. Definitely we know that Alaska legalized small amounts of marijuana partly to deal with prison overcrowding. As far as I can find Alaska still sends excess prisoners to Arizona? In the above article Mr Vollan would lead you to believe the ladies were in prison for smoking a marijuana cigarettes and nothing else. I have personally know two ladies that enjoyed getting their husband/boyfriend in fights in bars. Eventually they ended up with obvious bruises/depression from eventually becoming the target. Other wives just made the mistake of joining in combinations of recreational drugs with alcohol. Others had made the mistake of trying to get druggie husband to bring his paycheck home. Domestic Violence is one of those "indicator crimes" that tell you how big the social problem is getting. At this point we only know that the "pro-marijuana" groups and websites are using the "Prison Overcrowding" propaganda to attempt to legalize their favorite drug. "

GL wrote on Jan 6, 2007 5:36 PM:

" people... quit wasting you breath on these brainless people.. most of them never went to college.. if they did they would prob smoke pot.. lol that means "laugh out loud" to all of you people that are against weed.. I will be in the garage smoking for the rest of my sat night.. not driving to the local bar and drinking booze all night and then driving home.. Ohh yeah booze is legal.. its the getting home from the bar part that isn't.. idiots!! when will you open up your eyes and smell the herb?? "

riffraff wrote on Jan 6, 2007 2:56 PM:

" Well, the Alaska governor that you speak of lost pretty badly in his bid for re-election. Lost pretty handily in the primary I do believe. Actually, he came in 3rd in the primary. So, at the moment, for the time being, residents can currently posess up to an ounce in their own home. Not too long ago, before all this Murkowski stuff started, it was 4 ounces. It's not so much "Alaska trying to change" as it was "Frank Murkowski trying to change Alaska, failing, and then losing his job". You know, I didn't notice the world ending since Alaska started allowing its citizens to possess and use all this marijuana. Actually, the funny thing is that there IS great interest in putting the ingredients into a patch or pill. Marinol's been on the market for years, although it apparently does not work. GM Pharmaceuticals is attempting to get their Savitex spray FDA approved while letting their employees go off and speak and campaign against recreational and/or medical marijuana. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_Barthwell It's sad to watch these people, with their endless budgets, brainwashing people into voting against these initiatives by exaggerating and lying about marijuana while attempting to market it in spray form for $500.00 per month to sick people. And please, stop with the "50% more blah blah cancer causing hydrocarbons than tobacco" crap. How many people actually smoke as much marijuana in a day as the average smoker smokes in tobacco? None that I know. Marijuana is a lot more efficient than tobacco I would say. Isnt a pack of cigarettes a half an ounce? That would last most people more than a day, I believe. You have to remember that it's not addictive, and you don't have to smoke some every 30 minutes, or even every day, or week, or month. And for those that buy into all the lies, you will know that "today's pot is not the pot of the 70's, its way stronger, with much higher uh.. THC levels". Even if that were true, it would mean that the user would have to inhale less to get the desired effect. And truckers prefer to use speed or something rather than marijuana, I thought. Why would anyone take something that makes you sleepy? So yes, you can rest easily knowing that the truck drivers you meet on the road are likely only high on meth, coffee, and cigarettes. Not the demon weed. "

to: to ha ha wrote on Jan 6, 2007 2:04 PM:

" excellent! exactly what this person needs to be told. just hope this person reads it and becomes a better person. we need more like you in your profession! and way less of people like ha ha. "

Tell it like it is wrote on Jan 6, 2007 1:56 PM:

" To person claiming to be a Chicago Police Officer: First of all I admire anyone who would take on the job of law enforcement in the City of Chicago. I can only imagine the stress a Police Officer in that city must come under and I hope you can keep it together. However, arresting people that break the law is a Police Officers job. Empathy is a fine and I would say necessary trait for a law enforcement officer to possess. But don't let empathy degrade you to a mindset that you'll just let this one go because it's a small deal. And please don't let empathy ever justify illegal drug usage on your part. That would make you a crook with a badge. As any Police Officer would know, in ANY jurisdiction, anywhere in the country, an arrest for possession of a small amount of marijuana is not overly punative. It's treated as a wake up call. It's meant to send a message that most thankfully get. But to those that don't it may be the only indication that the arrested individual is involved in something much bigger and it's always helpful when you must deal with significant dealers of drugs to have a prior drug conviction on their record. Then you can administer the hammer when the hammer is called for. But I suspect you know this. So I'm just a little disappointed you as a Police Officer didn't mention it. "

to HaHA wrote on Jan 6, 2007 10:22 AM:

" You better re-evaluate your choice of a career. I am a police officer too, in Chicago. I probably have arrested a lot more people for drugs thsn you ever dreamed of. The only differance between us is that arresting a murderer or a rapist makes my day while arresting some kid smokin a little weed or some person who is hopelessly messed up on meth gives you enjoyment. Personally I think the kid smoking pot should be treated as a family matter and the person who is additted to some hard drug needs help. So instead of patting myself on the back for busting them, I try (under most circumstancese), to get them some help. Most of them are not bad people but people with a bad problem. By the way when I was a teenage I smoked the stuff and still have had a very good career. Empathy is a wonderful thing, try it some time. "

LJ24 wrote on Jan 6, 2007 3:07 AM:

" I have been an alcoholic for 16 years, well since i was 14. I have had some experiences with weed, and damn let me tell you. Weed would be the most safest drug there can be, alcohol brings out the mad man, the killer, the abuser of wives, the best driver, the know it all, and last but not least the truth of our innerselves. Weed on the other hand in my experience, calmed me slowed me down from this fast pasted earth. I never have had an addiction to it and never really spent that much on it, it really is a cheapper drug then ALCOHOL. It is indeed a mellow drug! Ask any law enforcemnet agent about who they had a tougher time with, a drunk or a pot head? i would bet they had some good safe laughs arresting a weed smoker, because drunk alcoholics like Myself do not like the law enforcemnet for some odd reason. So to all the people that never had real experiences with weed, don't knock it till u tried it! And to Mr. TAG the corrections officer, This is not a great country no more! When a country hides behinds its wrong doings and thrives on its so called FREEDOM, its not a country. When one man can send more then three thousand men an women to there death over something that this country should have never been involved in he's a tyrant, not a president. i do support there decisions of joining the American military, but i do not support this war that Bush has started!! But back to the point, WEED IS SAFER THEN THOSE OTHER DRUGS. "

riffraff wrote on Jan 6, 2007 2:49 AM:

" Well, they pay high prices for it because that is the only option. It's not as if they can buy legal marijuana anywhere, nor is there a legal substance that provides a similar enough effect to marijuana. It's a one of a kind plant, that's for sure. God broke the mold after making it. I mean, I suppose people could use alcohol for their recreational drug needs, and most people do, but not everyone likes alcohol. Not everyone likes sobriety 100% of the time either.I don't, that's for sure. Is there absolutely nothing that exists on this planet that you wouldn't break the law to be able to experience if you needed to? Something unique and pleasurable? Something that harms no one else? I'm sure there is, but that doesn't automatically make that product "addictive". I guess the thing that makes it even more sickening is how alcohol, while obviously an inferior drug in terms of enjoyment and an inferior drug for a person's health and safety, is legal, celebrated, and jammed down our throats during every commercial break. As far as people driving while under the influence of marijuana, I can't understand why anyone would want to. It's quite different than driving under the influence of alcohol, but I still wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I don't know that there has been a lot of research into marijuana's effect on driving ability, but from what I've witnessed first hand and read, I'd much rather ride with a stoned driver than a drunk one, if I HAD to choose. http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4270 There's a link to one such study. I don't see the harm in allowing people the choice to use a safer substance than alcohol. Someone please explain to me what all the fuss is about. I hear you guys saying how marijuana is terrible, yet you've got a pretty nasty drug used all over the country everyday causing violence, rapes, death and I dont see you calling to reinstate the prohibition of alcohol. "

Alaska trying to change wrote on Jan 6, 2007 2:42 AM:

" http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003041665_webalaskapot05.html Yes Alaska is trying to tighten up the marijuana laws but now the ACLU is suing them. Above article is several months old. Says Alaska citizens can have 4 ounces of marijuana for personal use. Governor is trying to change it to over 4 oz is felony, one to four would be misdemeanor 1 year in jail, less than one oz 90 days in jail. Gee I wonder why the governor is so concerned... Maybe because a large part of his two biggest cities are military air bases? Maybe they do not want stoned people flying multi million dollar war planes? (How does the old song go "fun fun fun till her daddy takes her T-Bird away-hey"). "

Homework is good wrote on Jan 6, 2007 1:09 AM:

" In writing the above article Mr Volland did not do his homework. There are about 11 states that have "medical marijuana laws". http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2006/09/28/newsbutte_top/20060928_newsbutte_top.txt Very often these laws get abused. The montana "medical marijuana law" allows one ounce of marijuana or six plants for a person with serious medical conditions like glaucoma, cancer, or AIDS. Now they are arresting people with far more marijuana than permitted and with California Medical Marijuana paperwork. In California police are constantly being told by persons with medical marijuana permits that their plants were stolen. The game of ways to deal in drugs legally has gotten much more interesting. The people who use medical marijuana always want to smoke it. No one is interested in putting the ingredients in a pill or patch. With fifty percent more cancer causing hydrocarbons than tobacco this will be fun to watch. No one has yet passed any laws about secondary smoke effecting children or others in the homes. Lawyers and police have a new field developing. I presume no one smoking medical marijuana will be driving any 80,000 pound big rig semi's down the highway? "

Not addicting? wrote on Jan 5, 2007 10:38 PM:

" If pot is not addicting, why are people paying high prices to get it? And why do people risk getting caught doing something illegal just to be able to smoke it? Why do people risk their jobs if a random drug test on them comes back positive? I wouldn't go through all that for something if I wasn't addicted to it. I have never smoked it, but I would assume a high would include mind altering effects, slowing reflexes, spacy and airhead feelings. Not the kind of influence I would want someone under when our cars meet on a narrow bridge. At this point it is against the law. Until the time it isn't (let's hope that time never comes) there are consequences, be it jail or fines or losing your job. You play - you pay. "

you betcha wrote on Jan 5, 2007 9:53 PM:

" If you build prison's they will come! So lets build some more I say. Most of the people who are in prison's are there not because of personal usage amounts. Ya they might get a few days in county jail but thats it. Most of the people in Prison are , dealers and or the people who stole things to get money for drugs. Some of the bloggers on here say marijuana smokers can still drive and don't get violent that is hogwash. If you stop caring about the little things how can you drive. Examples could be stopping at stop signs, red lights, kids crossing the road, school zones, seat belts, oncoming traffic, speed zones, road workers, these are just a few but you get my point, unless your high. "

HA HA wrote on Jan 5, 2007 9:41 PM:

" Yeah thats right you do forget about the little problems in your life,like your family, your children, your job and paying your bills, but you'll spend hundreds of dollars on weed. All of you lazy potheads can go on and on but legalization will not happen so get over it. In fact we now have a law on the books for consumption of marijuana and other illeal substances. I classify all drug uses in the same catagory whether it be cocaine, meth or Marijuana. Nothing makes my day more than arresting a druggie. I get to listen to the legalization theory alot, so this story kinda makes me laugh. But By these blogs I can see we have some work to do, see you guys later. "

Stepper wrote on Jan 5, 2007 5:52 PM:

" Thank you to all that answered my question. I now have more information from different perspectivs than I had before and when this comes up in legislature again, I might be able to make a more informed decision of whether to encourage my legislator to vote for leglization or not. Riffraff..good luck quitting smoking, now that is addictive (nicotine) and the patches help to get past it. I do not indulge in smoking (any longer for years now), drinking, pot or other illegal drugs. One more question...with the illegal drugs the addiction is to the ingredients but most on here say there is no addiction to marijuana itself but...would it be an addition to the high that it gives that keeps people smoking it? If so, is being addicted to a high (if that is possible) a "real" addiction? Thanks. "

riffraff wrote on Jan 5, 2007 4:43 PM:

" Hah, first let me respond to the endless spews of "if it's not addictive, why can't you stop!?? DOPERS, etc". What a silly thing to say. Well, it's been over a year since I've partaken in any marijuana. No withdrawal symptoms, no nothing. How many of you have gone that long without doing something that you enjoy? Now, that's not to say that I don't have the desire for some from time to time. Does that make me an addict? I desire marijuana about as often as I desire pecan pie I would say. Perhaps it's different for other people, but I'd venture to say that marijuana is about as addictive as pecan pie. However, I'm about 4 days into my latest attempt at quitting tobacco, and that's a totally different animal, but I think I will succeed this time. I can't believe it's 2007 and we're still debating these notions like the "gateway" theory and the addictiveness of marijuana. Take money home wrote:"It would be nice if husbands brought paychecks home instead of giving money to dope pushers and smugglers. " That's true. The solution to that is not to keep it illegal and therefore expensive. It's laughable that people are paying hundreds of dollars per ounce for a plant. I'm rather fond of apples, but I would not pay 250.00 per ounce of apple. There's no way to dance around the hypocrisy that we as a country condone alcohol use, but outlaw marijuana, and our citizens swallow the BS that is fed to them as the supposed reasons. Stepper, explaining the effects of marijuana is hard of course, but I'll give it a go. I guess it is similar to enjoyable effects of alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine in ways, but at the same time it's different than all of them. Drink exactly 2.5 bottles of miller highlife, chew a couple pieces of Jolt(TM) caffeine gum, then smoke 1 regular American Spirit cigarette. Sit in a quiet room and listen to your favorite music for a while with no distractions. Then let your mind wander I guess. Thats about as close as I can get to the experience using legal substances. Small things that you normally stress over seem unimportant or comical, and you are more curious about random things. Food tastes better, things that you've previously not noticed in movies, music, food etc are noticed more easily. It seems to make me sleep better. Any drug that can provide the same positive effects as alcohol with none of the negative effects would make for some stiff competition for the alcohol industry. Especially if individuals could grow their own plants. That would be like the ability to grow a small garden full of plants that produce kegs of your favorite adult beverage. "

whatever wrote on Jan 5, 2007 3:11 PM:

" Hey stepper - have you ever drank alcohol or taken a prescription pain med....then ta da you have been high on something! Just because it is not illegal doesn't mean it doesn't make you stoned. "

Think people! wrote on Jan 5, 2007 3:09 PM:

" First to HA HA: Your kids are probably already around it. Except you wouldn't know, because there is no regulation and because it is illegal so people keep it hush hush. Believe it or not, I'll bet that some of your kids' friends that live even in suburbia have parents that will indulge from time to time. Maybe even when your kids are sound asleep at a slumber party at thier house! Second: If marijuana was sold in a shop (like a liquor store) to persons over 21, there wouldn't be a market like there is right now. I know kids in middle and high school that have a much, much easier time getting a hold of pot than they do alcohol because to buy alcohol, they have to find someone of age that is willing to risk buying it for them. Yes, today it is a fact that when you buy pot, you may eventually be offered meth. But 1) You have a choice to say no (which everyone should if they were smart and did thier research) and 2) if it was sold in shops and taxed (Just think of all the tax revenue!), you wouldn't be going to some drug dealer that doesn't care if they get your 14 year old hooked on meth. As far as being irresponsible and not being able to deal with life's problems, why do people drink alcohol? For the exact same reasons people smoke pot. And if we are going to attack people for going out and enjoying themselves from time to time (to rid themselves of thier problems as some have said), maybe we should feel sorry for people who have to meditate or do yoga to de-stress as well. Lord help us if everyone doesn't live a perfect stress-free life! "

dp to Chaves wrote on Jan 5, 2007 2:55 PM:

" Great Post! with the drug companys & The Booze & Tobbaco companys using there mega money to stop the Goverment from legalizing "refer" it will not happen. "

Chavez wrote on Jan 5, 2007 8:23 AM:

" "being responsible" said that the "clear minded" will always oppose marijuana legalization, which of course, it utter nonsense. According to polls taken by Gallup, Barnum, and others, nearly half of all American adults favor outright legalization and upwards of 70% favor decriminalization. Those in favor of medical marijuana jumps into the 80% range. I counter that it is the "clear minded" or rather open-minded who favor legalizing pot, not the other way around. No drug is safe, that is true, but compared to alcohol and cigarettes, pot is relatively harmless. Besides, "being responsible", if the clear minded were in against pot legalization, surely they would also be in favor of alcohol prohibition, too. That was already tried, and with catastophic results in the 1920's and 1930's. It is time to stop the "reefer madness" mentality of the past 60 plus years and recognize that a huge segment of our population uses pot and wants the laws to change to fit the reality. Only the dinosaurs and old drug warriors can not and will not see the truth. But then, those same people often are blind to any change. "

V.x. wrote on Jan 5, 2007 2:42 AM:

" Marijuana USERS should not be in jail. Jail will make them a real threat. The only real threat at this juncture is in the unregulated business of the plant. You cannot overdose. You do not become violent. You can still drive a car or do anything else required of your body. You can, however, become addicted. I have seen it first hand. But you can become addicted to diet coke. Marijuana is like anything else we humans consume. It can be a bonding experience or it can drive a wedge in a situation. it can be relazing or it can give you anxiety. Moderation is the key to everything folks. Do not fear a plant. Our in this case an untapped resource....the list is endless(industrial, medical, nutrional...). And what benefit does alcohol serve??????????????????????????? Lets keep our jails open for the real criminals. "

HA HA wrote on Jan 5, 2007 1:17 AM:

" I have to laugh at alot of these comments. I wonder how many of the pro pot commenters were high when they were typing. GL are you serious when you said we should follow along with Alaska, Montana and canada, yeah they are really ahead of the times. Some of you should watch the documentary called Shattered lives it's about Meth in ND. Inmates were interviewed, they all say thier Meth use started with POT and moved to meth. Where there is pot thier is meth, sooner or later you will be offered it and it only takes one time. We may be fighting a losing battle against drugs, but imagine how it would be if we didn't fight it at all. I don't want my kids around it and I don't want it in my neighborhoods. 30 years from now you potheads will be sitting around with that same stupid grin on your face doing the same old thing, having nothing to show for your lives. But hey you can always get that warm fuzzy feeling in your basement with the curtain s closed. "

being responsible/the anti-drug wrote on Jan 4, 2007 9:35 PM:

" This article and the accompanying commentary it has generated has run true to form with many thousands of others before it that have dealt with the subject of marijuana legalization. The obvious conclusion is always the same. You have comments from responsible people that recognize the dangers of mind altering substances like marijuana and many others, that irresponsible people choose to indulge in because they can't cope with the everyday pressures of life. Those clear minded, responsible people recognize you can't run from lifes difficult times. Responsible people understand you face them and deal with them the best you can. Those same responsible people will never support the legalization of marijuana because they recognize marijuana is a drug that people indulge in to escape from the real world. Then you have the advocates of the "if it feels good do it" lifestyle. It's sad and I feel for those that have a hard time facing the difficulties and challenges that life throws at them. But the solution is not to legalize mind altering drugs for the benefit of those that can't cope. I give credit to DEA for doing and saying the right things just like most responsible health care professionals. Marijuana is addictive, It makes liars out of people and makes it necessary for it's users to continue to attempt to persuade others that they are doing no wrong, even though marijuana grips them in such a way that they can't even acknowledge their addition and it's negative consequences to themselves. Thank Heaven clear thinking people are and will remain in the majority and marijuana will stay illegal. I don't believe that will ever change even though weak willed and/or addicted people continue to insist that would be the easier and therefore right thing to do. "

Jan wrote on Jan 4, 2007 8:27 PM:

" PO3...you make us laugh! Like Palosi said today during her temporary reign as queen bee...it's all about the children...every bill we pass will be about the children. Ahhhhh yeah, like her support for abortion? What a joke. "

Jan wrote on Jan 4, 2007 8:23 PM:

" They can't remember how they felt. Just that everything was funny. That's how wonderful it is. Glazed over starey eyes, and a goofy grin plastered on their face. I think it is funny when those that smoke dope say "you wouldn't even be able to tell that I am high, people that smoke dope function normally and you can't even tell". Yeah...dream on Goofes! "

Stepper wrote on Jan 4, 2007 4:09 PM:

" To PO3..."jailing anyone for any crime is bad..." "San Francisco forgiveness?" What are you talking about? "

Stepper wrote on Jan 4, 2007 4:07 PM:

" Thanks Not Neither. I have seen people under the infuence of pot and to me it seems like they are drunk. I thought maybe if they are acting like that, by smoking pot, then maybe smoking pot does affect them adversely. I don't know. I wish someone who has gotten high on pot would enlighten me. Do they feel like they are drunk or what? Again, thanks. "

PO3 wrote on Jan 4, 2007 3:53 PM:

" Jailing anyone for any crime is bad, where are our San Francisco values of forgivness? Were in a new age now with Pelosi in charge, and putting people in jail for breaking our laws is like jailing illegal mexicans for coming here only taking our Social Security that americans don't want. "

Not Neither wrote on Jan 4, 2007 3:46 PM:

" Stepper, I read that there is about 30 cancer causing chemicals in marijuana smoke. I also have not tried Marijuana so I am making a guess on "what it does for you" based on observation. The really big smiles and distinctive laughter is interesting. Often the laughter seems inappropriate for the situation like the brain neurons are contaminated and not firing correctly. The lasting effects seem to be a reduced feelings for situations of others. They might feel warm and fuzzy about others but never empathy. The laws seem to be humorous to them. They all claim to not be addicted but certainly want it legalized. Naturally sick people want to feel better. In the 1800's most so called medicines had cocain in them. The "women's christian temperance movement was not just about alcohol. We are constantly re-learning how bad things can be with no help from Hollywood. The list of Hollywood actors that died in car accidents, suicides, and drug overdoses is very long. I really think that we need a volunteer prison in a remote area where marijuana users and other drug users can go to use their favorite drug. The only stipulation would be that they would need two weeks clean time before being allowed to leave. That would clean up the streets and be a cheap solution. They could spend years telling each other how they are not addicted and could quit and leave any time they really wanted. http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/marijuana.html "

Stepper wrote on Jan 4, 2007 1:38 PM:

" For all the "users" posting here...what does smoking pot do for you? Can you explain what it is you feel when you smoke it? I have never been "high" on anything and I want to know what a smoking pot high is like. This is a serious question. I am not not judging or condoning, just wanting to know what it is you feel when you smoke pot. Thanks. "

college grad wrote on Jan 4, 2007 1:26 PM:

" I don't know about any of you, but I went to college and took a Pharmacology class where I learned alot about marijuana. According to college text books & my instructor marijuana is not physically addictive &, as another poster here pointed out, there has never been ONE overdose death for marijuana in recorded history. The same cannot be said of alcohol. You can attack Mr. VOLLAN all you want but the facts are he is correct in his assertion that marijuana is not addictive. Check any medical text book and you will read the same thing. "

bigpoppakdog wrote on Jan 4, 2007 1:18 PM:

" chavez you brought out a good point....our society tolerates certain mind altering drugs then condemns others....we allow people to have their stomaches stapled shut instead of diet and exercise and then ban sports supplements for people who do exercise....I think the original author brings about a great point, although his words could have been chosen a little better....drug offenders need help....they need more than jail...they need treatment.... "

Chavez wrote on Jan 4, 2007 12:04 PM:

" lawdog said that marijuana is a "gateway drug" and always has been. Hell, lawdog, even the DEA and federal anti-drug education folks are not making that bogus claim any more. You know where the "gateway" is? From drug dealers who sell pot and also sell other things; they have availablity of one (pot) and ask their customers if they want something else (meth, coke, whatever). If you legalize pot, you put a wall between the dealer and the smoker who only wants pot. The "gateway drug" is a myth that faile organizations like DARE routinely use. Also, consider this: Every person I have ever known who smokes weed, first started with cigarettes and alcohol. Why are not those the "gateway" drugs? Because they are legal? Such double standards in the laws now and in the close-mindedness of some law enforcement folks--to say nothing of law makers! "

Take money home wrote on Jan 4, 2007 12:00 PM:

" It would be nice if husbands brought paychecks home instead of giving money to dope pushers and smugglers. "

GL wrote on Jan 4, 2007 11:45 AM:

" to online editor... Thanks for posting the past few comments... Much truth to be heard here..a waste of time, money, and sex offender prison space.. "

What about... wrote on Jan 4, 2007 9:39 AM:

" You don't have to be a harcore user of pot! There are many people out there that use it socially as they would alcohol and have never tried another drug. I know of a couple of people who only "use" it about 3-4 times a year! How does that make them an addict? It is called responsibility, you need that no matter what kind of substance you put into your body. You can become addicted to alcohol just as easy as you can with marijuana and alcohol's physical side effects are much worse too. While I agree that this letter wasn't the best written letter int he world, at least he had an opinion he had the guts to put his name on. "

pot head wrote on Jan 4, 2007 9:38 AM:

" smoked first when I was 5, in my mid 30s now. still on occassion. education is the key. too much of anything is a bad thing. especially booze. ask me. laws that bend society in hopes to make their own perfect world. what ever happened to freedom. I know all of us would kill or die for it. being able to be honest with our own kids is very importent in my book. hiding from the truth is never good. I am not a bad person because of smoking weed. our kids will always have opportunities to try other drugs whether pot is illegal or not. everyone wants nothing but the best. making weed illegal is a step in the wrong direction. go troops USA "

Chavez wrote on Jan 4, 2007 9:16 AM:

" The War on Drugs", especially as pertains to marijuana, has been a farce. There is not ONE overdose death for marijuana in recorded history, it is not physically addictive, and its continuing to be illegal a farce. Some will say, that we do not need to add pot to already legal intoxicants, but these same people forget that it is already widely available, and unregulated, and even children can obtain it. Legalize it, tax it, make it unavailable to any under 21 and sell it in "Cannabis shops" or whatever. All over the western world pot is at least being decriminalized. If we in the US and North Dakota cannot stomach legalization, at least decriminalize it. Around 100 million Americans have at least tried pot; 30 million use it at least five times a month, while another 8 million use it daily, according to the FBI. These are your children, parents, uncles, brothers, sisters, and even grandparents. Stop the madness of the war on pot! "

billy wrote on Jan 4, 2007 9:14 AM:

" all our prisons are so crowded with drugs now where are we going to get the money to build new ones I think they should ban smoking completely then people would'nt want to try something stronger they sat it takes smart people to stay off drugs I don't believe that it just takes common sence "

GL wrote on Jan 4, 2007 8:58 AM:

" You people have been fighting the "WAR on DRUGS" for 50 years... have you made any ground??? my lord!! we go to Iraq for 3years and everybody wants to pull out and go home... but yet the same idiots keep spending all of the tax payers dollars on this loosing battle.. all you have done is drive the price of the "Illegal Weed" up and made the growers rich, rich, rich... legalize it and tax it.. educate kids about the pros and cons and move on with your life.. its a choice that they make.. I would venture to say that you all know somebody that burns the herb... they might not make it public but they do smoke... I see people everyday driving around bismarck with the one hitter going strong.. most of you think they are just smoking those legall cigarettes.. (those harmless things) If I want to smoke a joint I will... in my basement with the curtains pulled... what are you going to do about it??? knock down my door and throw me in jail? take my kids away? that is reasonable.. How about I make booze illegal and take your precious bottle of mogan david away.. oh yeah they tried that in the 30s and it failed.. Bunch of idiots that think they are doing anybody any good for locking people up for grass... makes me ashamed to live here.. "

GL wrote on Jan 4, 2007 8:51 AM:

" Reading some of the comments here makes me realize why ND is always so behind the curve on things.. Alaska, Montana, and for god sake Canada is ahead of us on this one. All of those people that say that Weed is a "stairway" or "gateway" drug have simple been told that for years and now they believe it. There are thousands of people smoking pot everyday in Bismarck.. If we believe what they are saying.. than we are on a highway to hell.. the whole city is going to become meth and heroin addicts.. right.. I personally know many highly respected individuals in this city that burn gras on a regular basis.. sure they might go to Jamacia or Mexico to do it.. but never the less for some reason it is OK when on vacation.. You drive by bar after bar of people everyday that are doing something that is way worse for society and your body than smoking a little grass.. you will never hear a criminal say that he robbed the store to get money to buy weed... he might say that he robbed the store to get money to pay the guy that he gets his weed from... because it is illegal and not taxed.. there is not much competition for weed dealers.. they can fertilize it with whatever they want and sell it for however much they want.. Legalize it, Tax it and regulate how it is grown and everything will be cool maaaan.. There have been more fights started by drunk people than high... "

Jayce wrote on Jan 4, 2007 8:16 AM:

" ahhhh wowwwwww..ask anyone on any kind of drug and I'm sure they are going to deny they don't have a problem, or there is nothing wrong with it, it is not addictive, etc..just so they can compensate their reason to keep using without people judging them. "

law dog wrote on Jan 4, 2007 5:33 AM:

" You are right don't ask us. We know it is a gateway drug and always has been. You are either a user or have been busted. You call yourself a teacher, teachers are role models and don't promote illeagal things such as this. I sure hope you do not teach in any of our local schools. Maybe you should go back to the village you came from. "

Simply amazing wrote on Jan 4, 2007 1:55 AM:

" I agree that prohibition should be ended on Marijuana. I also find it funny that a good majority of the people posting that they know that marijuana is addiciting are just purely believing any propaganda they have heard; typical of any close minded people. Marijuana as a gateway drug is a nice theory. "

He's using wrote on Jan 3, 2007 10:50 PM:

" William Vollan's sentence structure and use of words is not what is expected from college grads. Unless he has been using marijuana an exceptionally long time? "

Shocked wrote on Jan 3, 2007 10:26 PM:

" The above article by William Vollan says that he was a school teacher who did nothing when students were using marijuana. He further states that he believes marijuana is not addictive. He follows that with claiming that police love marijuana because the convictions provide them with jobs. I am shocked that a person this paranoid and biased in favor of an illegal product was teaching school. I hope he is not presently in any job around children. "

NDr wrote on Jan 2, 2007 3:08 PM:

" In ND living with another person without being married is also against the law. So.... why aren't all those "living in sin" and causing the moral decay of our country also in jail? I know one thing. If ANY law enforcement person in my city ever shacks up with someone, I'm going to MAKE the local sheriff arrest them. What's good for the potheads is good for the shaggers. "

FormerUser wrote on Jan 2, 2007 2:16 PM:

" To: "comment of my own" I AM expressing MY opinion also...but because it is a conflict of interest with Mr. Vollan's and yours that I have to shut up and am not allowed to express my opinion in return? Mr Vollan opened up the pandora box with his comments and now in return is getting a response from people who oppose his views. If you are going to express your views, expect people to respond to them...some positively and some negativley. Because you obviously agree with Mr. Vollan, you are allowed to respond, but if we don't agree, we are supposed to shut up "

To Comment of My Own wrote on Jan 2, 2007 1:44 PM:

" If Mr. Vollan is allowed to express his opinion, so are each and every one of the people who comment here - freedom of speech, right?? Just because you don't agree with what people are commenting about, doesn't mean they have to "shut up" as you command. I would wager that the people YOU say aren't saying anything nice, are the people I believe are spot on in their opinions - there's MY freedom of speech!! Have a nice day! "

Comment of My Own wrote on Jan 2, 2007 9:26 AM:

" With so many perfect people in the world today, it's too bad that Mr Vollan can't express his opinion freely without crass and down right disrespect from fellow citizens. If you don't have anything nice to say, just shut up! THIS IS AN "OPINION" column, that means people get to write about their opinions, it's called freedom of speech. I bet none of you foul mouthed, judgemental people have never smoked a cig, drank a beer or tried a drug in your lives, right??? BULL!! Maybe instead of everyone getting so high and mighty on their own soap boxes, everyone should except others as they are. I feel sorry for your kids and grand kids!!!! "

big al wrote on Jan 1, 2007 2:16 AM:

" do your self a favor and visit with an addiction counselor at the heartview foundation about the use of mary jane. they are the professionals that deal with this epidemic on a daily basis. regarding the poor ladies in prison missing their kids. maybe there is a message there for them. america is rotting from within and a large part of the rot is drug and alcohol addiction. "

Just a fine? wrote on Jan 1, 2007 1:10 AM:

" Just what we need. Let's back down to the potheads. They are breaking the law!! There are consequences to doing that. This country can find all kinds of money to cover the use and abuse of welfare, and hand-outs to illegal (and legal) immigrants, and hammers and screws that costs hundreds of dollars, so tell me again why we can't build prisons to put these people away and off our streets and away from our kids. Pot is a good starter for those who eventually go on to bigger and higher levels of drug abuse, it is relatively cheap and easy to get. How many of our people are ruining their lives, and the lives of those around them, with meth and other mind altering substances, and they probably got familiar and comfortable with pot initially. If our country ever decides to take care of their own instead of all the immigrants, we could afford to separate these people from society. "

Drugs Bad, Sober good wrote on Dec 31, 2006 8:16 PM:

" I had some high school friends using marijuana. Later they began using it with alcohol. Then they got arrested for bar fights and drunk driving. Then they left town because "they were being harassed". One was later injured rolling his car over. Two had bad on the job accidents. One of those two put a shotgun under his own chin at about age 40. I doubt that Mr Vollan's students were "A" students. I did not know any "A" students that smoked dope. Oh well, it's a free country and people with masters degrees can say stupid things if they so desire. "

Archaic Pot Laws wrote on Dec 31, 2006 8:15 PM:

" Mr. Vollan, I agree with many of your positive statements about the laws governing marijuana use and so called abuse. One of the main stumbling blocks of the reduction of marijuana possession laws is the control the D.E.A. has over this subject. (They want to protect their jobs) The place to start to reduce the possession of marijuana laws is looking to your U.S. Senators and Representatives. They are the ones responsible for creating all the laws that pertain to drug consumption in the U.S. Congress needs to act and reduce the penalties with these obsolete marijuana laws. The "buck stops" at the U.S. Congress. Begin there if you want change. "

Wrong wrote on Dec 31, 2006 7:31 PM:

" The only way a bunch of Eskimo kids would be on marijuana and then all quit would be if the pusher fell through the ice. Or maybe they got a new brush pilot delivering the mail. Or maybe the schoolteacher got nervous about pushing drugs. If it is not addictive why is it so very hard to get users to give it up. Years ago Buddy Hackett and Joan Baez got in a discussion on the Johnny Carson show. Joan claimed Marijuana did not make you paranoid. Buddy Hackett was quick to disagree. She said "how do you know if you have not tried it". Buddy said "I smoked marijuana for 13 years and it does make you paranoid". He continued "when you are watching a football game and you see a team in a huddle, and you know they are all talking about you, that is paranoia". Other stories are to numerous to mention. In those days when you would see Joan Baez on Television she had very large pupils (eyeballs) which is typical because the drug relaxes the eye muscles. Dark glasses are usually worn to prevent pain and sun damage to the dilated eye. No way to shelter the brain from becoming comedian and/or paranoid and a danger to others when around vehicles or construction equipment. There needs to be a special place in hell for schoolteachers that condone drugs. "

Bookworm wrote on Dec 31, 2006 2:15 PM:

" Richard Nixon was our president when "the war on drugs" was declared in 1972, I think. Estimates of cost of this war to the U.S.A exceed 100 billion and yet we are unable to have a civilized discussion about decriminalization of reefer without people suggesting that maybe one is a user. The Feds are stuck on the "gateway drug" and "reefer madness" while Meth is destroying families in the Midwest. "

TAG to reply to tag wrote on Dec 31, 2006 11:58 AM:

" The main reason our population has gone through the roof in the past five years is because of the boom in meth arrests. By just fining the marijuana users instead of putting them in prison would help a very small amount. We would still have the promblems with overcrowding. As for the sex offenders your 100% right, these people should serve a mandatory 15-20 years. They have no reason or right to be walking on a public street for a long time,,,, that's my opinion. Please understand that there are many reason we need a NEW prison, overcrowding is a big part but by no means is it the only reason. "

wow wrote on Dec 31, 2006 11:54 AM:

" Mr. Vollan - Your claim that marijuana is not addictive is based purely on your skewed stats. I find it hard to believe that when you went to Alaska "every student was using marijuana when I began — when I left after two years to get my master’s degree, not one student was using it." First, how would you know this as a teacher, that "every" student used it and that "not one" student used when you left? You must be some miracle worker to break the habit of all those young people in such a short time. Why don't you take your miracle teaching plan and educate others, instead of complaining about people being punished for breaking the law. The law is simple, follow it or go to jail. If marijuana is not addictive, it shouldn't be too challenging to quit using. "

wow wrote on Dec 31, 2006 11:54 AM:

" Mr. Vollan - Your claim that marijuana is not addictive is based purely on your skewed stats. I find it hard to believe that when you went to Alaska "every student was using marijuana when I began — when I left after two years to get my master’s degree, not one student was using it." First, how would you know this as a teacher, that "every" student used it and that "not one" student used when you left? You must be some miracle worker to break the habit of all those young people in such a short time. Why don't you take your miracle teaching plan and educate others, instead of complaining about people being punished for breaking the law. The law is simple, follow it or go to jail. If marijuana is not addictive, it shouldn't be too challenging to quit using and avoid jail altogether. "

Mary wrote on Dec 31, 2006 11:20 AM:

" So "Jonny paycut", what have you done with your life since then? Are you still using it since it is not addictive? I truly doubt your accusations that cops and judges get paid money on the side for their busts and convictions. Sounds like your making excuses for your stupid mistakes in life...blaming others for your stupidity, but not yourself. "

Dan wrote on Dec 31, 2006 11:15 AM:

" I've hung with people who were drunk and I've hung with people who were high on pot. Believe me, there is no difference. Both lame and not fun to be around, you just don't know it, cuz you think you are acting normal. The only ones who think you are cool and normal, are the friends doing the same thing as you. Your kind keep telling me there is nothing wrong with pot, it is not addicting, and you can stop whenever you want. But, you never do. "

FomrerUser wrote on Dec 31, 2006 11:06 AM:

" Mr. Vollan...your letter to the editor was the most arrogant peice of crap I've read in a long time. It sounds to me you are trying to win over decriminalization for your own benefit...I'm questioning if you are using it and are maybe having problems quiting the junk?. You don't mention any personal experiences in the abuse of this drug other than how a bunch of eskimos used it for a couple years and all quit. Why did they quit using it if nothing was wrong with it? Did you use it and then quit over time also? Dude...you nade a bunch of dumb comments that made no sense and then left too many unanswered questions concerning the reasons you think the drug should be decriminalized...you left me with the impression that you are using it, can't stop, and now are pleading with everyone to decriminalize the drug to make it okay that you are still addicted to the junk. Sorry dude...you didn't win me over. "

Gyp wrote on Dec 31, 2006 10:51 AM:

" I agree with mr. Vollan! Lets leave the prison space for the real criminals!You hear about more people killed from drunk driving than from being "high" on marijuana!About johnypaycut's statement--is this also true for a DUI offense? I say that's Interesting!!!! "

TH wrote on Dec 31, 2006 9:16 AM:

" Mr. Vollan I totally agree with you. Alcohol should be illegal too, you don't have blackouts from marijuana like booze. I say legalize marijuana and ban alcohol. "

Reply to TAG wrote on Dec 31, 2006 9:05 AM:

" I agree that Mr. Vollan's rationale for believing that marijuana is not addictive is flawed; however, I agree with him about jailing people for marijuana possession and usage. Our state is looking at spending millions of dollars on either a new prison, or renovating the existing facility. I would bet that if you considered all of the marijuana users in prison, and fined them instead of jailing them, we would have room for the "real" criminals. We wouldn't have to add to the existing facilities. If somebody is selling marijuana, they could be incarcerated, but not simply for possessing. People get more time for possession of marijuana than sex offenders. Think about it! "

johnypaycut wrote on Dec 31, 2006 8:40 AM:

" Jailing youth for simple possesion is a crime, i say this as i had a personal experence with a "set up". although i was inocent i was only 19. i did hard time, later it was revealed that the arresting officers got $50 per "bust" the judge got $100 per conviction. it was all suppresed 'until 7 years after i got out. this was Mass. 1969 i'd recently seen another 19 yearold "1st" offender given 20years for 1 ounce? "

TAG wrote on Dec 31, 2006 6:43 AM:

" Mr. Vollan you state that your were a teacher? I hope you used better judgement when it came time for class discussions or assignments. All I got from your piece was you blowing your own horn about how long it would take for you to mention all the good you did as a teacher/coach!!?? Second, all you do is complain about the laws, law makers and law enforcement. How about sharing your wisdom and giving us a solution instead of just putting down the people you disagree with!!! I work in corrections so technically I am not considered law enforcement. I can tell you Mr. Vollan the above crimes you mentioned happen when someone is high on marijuana also, not just alcohol. Many inmates will tell you they started w/marijuana and progressed to the harcore drugs from there. Thats why they call it a gateway drug. And you really didn't answer how you KNOW marijuana is not an addictive drug. Is it because when you got to Alaska everyone was using and when you left two years later to get your masters(toot,toot,toot) not one student was using. That is simply amazing. Your last statement says its horrible TO PUT women and young people in jail/prison for pot. Mr Vollan these young people and women are putting themselves in prison and jail by not following the laws of this great Country. "

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