Changing attitutudes for you potheads

[Randomguy]

 

Americans now favor legal cannabis over legal tobacco

BY DANIEL DE VISÉ - 03/08/23 6:00 AM ET

SHARETWEET

 

AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File

A demonstrator waves a flag with marijuana leaves depicted on it during a protest calling for the legalization of marijuana, outside of the White House on April 2, 2016, in Washington.

More Americans now favor legal cannabis than legal tobacco, surveys show, signaling a sharp societal shift from an era when cigarette-smoking was legal pretty much everywhere and pot-smoking was legal absolutely nowhere. 

Fifty-seven percent of American adults would support “a policy prohibiting the sale of all tobacco products,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in a research brief last month.  

A slightly larger majority, 59 percent, believe marijuana should be legal for both medical and recreational use, according to a Pew Research survey conducted in October. Another 30 percent approve of cannabis for medical use alone. Only 10 percent of the American public believes marijuana should not be legal at all. 

The findings reflect growing public consensus that cannabis is safer than tobacco, which the CDC considers the leading cause of preventable death. Studies have found marijuana less addictive than cigarettes and marijuana smoke less harmful to the lungs, although doctors caution that cannabis still poses many potential health hazards.  

Public health experts don’t expect a national tobacco ban anytime soon. Instead, they hope rising anti-tobacco sentiment will drive federal regulation that makes cigarettes less addictive and less palatable to the young.

 

[maddmaxx ★]

 

[bikeman564™]

On my bike ride today, I smelled pot three times

[Randomguy]

Well, it took a while for people to glom onto this, didn't it? 

I have always hated tobacco, and never could see what others saw in it.  It just seemed to me as a foul smelling/tasting substance without a physical or pyschological benefit.  Contrasted with pot, at least you got high from it, so that was in it's favor.

I have always hated smoking anything, so I was never fully in on any parade that requires that.

[donkpow]

 

[Randomguy]

 

 

[Randomguy]

 

[shootingstar]

Meanwhile the cannabis shops in some big Canadian cities are not doing so well. Some have closed shop.  1-2 big Canadian cannabis distributors/growers have also gone out of biz or have shrunken. 

Our neighbourhood had a petition not to have one set up. Already, there are 2 shops to choose and only a 15 min. walk away.

 

[MoseySusan]

1 hour ago, Randomguy said:

I have always hated smoking anything,

Me too. Edibles make THC a more user friendly substance than nicotine. 

[Square Wheels]

To date, I've selected netiehr.

[shootingstar]

2 hours ago, Randomguy said:

Well, it took a while for people to glom onto this, didn't it? 

I have always hated tobacco, and never could see what others saw in it.  It just seemed to me as a foul smelling/tasting substance without a physical or pyschological benefit.  Contrasted with pot, at least you got high from it, so that was in it's favor.

I have always hated smoking anything, so I was never fully in on any parade that requires that.

I think I smelled a bit of pot smoke in our underground garage.  

I seriously am not interested in smelling any type of smoke.... at all.  Trust me, you would not want this smell in your home. I'm not going to pretend to be open-minded about this.

[MickinMD ★]

As far as tobacco goes, I quit rationalizing that I might not get lung cancer from smoking when I was 45 and realized that my 28 parents, aunts, and uncles - including those by marriage were doing much better if they didn't smoke.  Fortunately for me, my parents were the youngest and next to youngest of large families so many of my aunts, uncles, and some cousins were pretty old when I was 45.

It turned out, that none of my smoking relatives made it into their 80's, except one who struggled-on for several years until she died at 82. The rest died in their 60's and 70's. Those who didn't smoke lived to 88 as males and 90's as females except for two who died of non-cancer illnesses.

So I quit at 45.

As far as marijuana goes, I smoked it on occasion when I was young, but would thing it has as bad an effect on your lungs as tobacco if you smoke it regularly.

Those I knew who smoked it often seemed to go off-track in sticking to their responsibilities and acting a little goofy, though it was probably their personal character, not the marijuana that was the main culprit.

[Dottleshead ★]

Well I for one do not feel good about a society obscured in THC-itis.  But then I for one feel real good about the Tabasco -- No! I mean Tobacco -- phase out.  Death to smoking!  Or death from smoking!

 

Long live Tabasco!

[Prophet Zacharia]

1 hour ago, Dottles said:

Well I for one do not feel good about a society obscured in THC-itis

Isn’t the entire PNW with legal pot already? Have you noticed any change. At all?

[ChrisL]

In high school if you smoked cigarettes you were a dirt bag but pot was socially acceptable.  In coastal SoCal it was everywhere.  I mean Spicoli could have been 80% of the dudes in my HS before Fast Times even came out. 

[maddmaxx ★]

2 hours ago, Square Wheels said:

To date, I've selected netiehr.

Are you sure?

[Wilbur ★]

Vancouver is going ahead with decriminalizing much harder drugs.  I guess it makes sense to some. 

[shootingstar]

32 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

Vancouver is going ahead with decriminalizing much harder drugs.  I guess it makes sense to some. 

What you need to know about the decriminalization of possessing illicit drugs in B.C. | CBC News

It will not solve the addiction problem. When I read that, I felt sad.  There's whole complicated problems which starts around when the person takes drugs or just before... and of course, has nothing to do with drugs itself.

[Dottleshead ★]

2 hours ago, Prophet Zacharia said:

Isn’t the entire PNW with legal pot already? Have you noticed any change. At all?

I have not tbh. I actually think there's a strong case to be made for marijuana to be legal over booze.  But that'll never happen. I have read the rate of impairment has doubled since legalization.  

https://www.ncsl.org/transportation/drugged-driving-marijuana-impaired-driving#:~:text=New research from the AAA,state legalized it in 2012.

 

• New research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety concluded that the number of drivers in Washington who test positive for marijuana after a fatal crash has doubled—from about 9% to about 18%—since the state legalized it in 2012. However, the authors pointed out that the study found only a correlation between legalization and an increased number of drivers involved in fatal crashes who tested positive, not a causative link.

 

[Further]

 

[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]

3 hours ago, maddmaxx said:

Are you sure?

Well, if you go with the edibles you can honestly say you never inhaled. 

[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]

From the Lawrence Welk Show

 

[Prophet Zacharia]

1 hour ago, Dottles said:

the study found only a correlation between legalization and an increased number of drivers involved in fatal crashes who tested positive, not a causative link.

If marijuana is legal, of course more people are going to use it. But the drug tests are a reflection of use within the last 30 days, NOT evidence of impairment at the time of the accident. It’s one of the arguments I’ve heard against legalization of recreational cannabis, that there isn’t a test to prove current intoxication during a traffic stop or accident.

[az_cyclist]

12 hours ago, Randomguy said:

Well, it took a while for people to glom onto this, didn't it? 

I have always hated tobacco, and never could see what others saw in it.  It just seemed to me as a foul smelling/tasting substance without a physical or pyschological benefit.  Contrasted with pot, at least you got high from it, so that was in it's favor.

I have always hated smoking anything, so I was never fully in on any parade that requires that.

Tobacco is ridiculously hard to quit. I quit cigarettes on Jan 1, 1978, but smoked a pipe and occasional cigar until October 1989.  From then until 2002 or 03, I would get occasional feelings of how a cigarette would taste good after a meal, or some other situation. Fortunately those feelings are finally gone.  But, I am convinced that it would only take a few cigarettes to be back to a pack a day.

Never had that from marijuana

[maddmaxx ★]

3 hours ago, az_cyclist said:

Tobacco is ridiculously hard to quit. I quit cigarettes on Jan 1, 1978, but smoked a pipe and occasional cigar until October 1989.  From then until 2002 or 03, I would get occasional feelings of how a cigarette would taste good after a meal, or some other situation. Fortunately those feelings are finally gone.  But, I am convinced that it would only take a few cigarettes to be back to a pack a day.

Never had that from marijuana

There are subtle differences between physical addiction and psychological addiction.  My kitchen window analysis however cannot tell if the serious potheads I know were on the downhill before the pot or whether the latter is causing their problems.  Probably it's a combination of both just like too much alcohol is.

[donkpow]

https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/marijuana-addictive

These aren't really problems as long as tax money can be had.

[Square Wheels]

11 hours ago, Thaddeus Kosciuszko said:

Well, if you go with the edibles you can honestly say you never inhaled. 

I'm cutting back on sugar.

[az_cyclist]

4 hours ago, maddmaxx said:

There are subtle differences between physical addiction and psychological addiction.  My kitchen window analysis however cannot tell if the serious potheads I know were on the downhill before the pot or whether the latter is causing their problems.  Probably it's a combination of both just like too much alcohol is.

Good point, the withdrawal from tobacco is definitely not the same as with alcohol or drugs; I would agree it is more psychological.  With tobacco I believe it is the nicotine that causes the addiction. 

[Dottleshead ★]

16 hours ago, Prophet Zacharia said:

If marijuana is legal, of course more people are going to use it. But the drug tests are a reflection of use within the last 30 days, NOT evidence of impairment at the time of the accident. It’s one of the arguments I’ve heard against legalization of recreational cannabis, that there isn’t a test to prove current intoxication during a traffic stop or accident.

I’m not a dope smoker. I used to be but it was never a big draw. I can count how many times I have on one hand in the last 30 years. I’m fact I just don’t care for its effect at all. I like to be chemically free. So I have no dog in this fight. I personally have not noticed a thing. Zero. No negative impacts that I am aware of on our communities. The only difference is the people smoking it are now buying it across the counter and they have a choice of product. It’s more expensive for that service but it eliminates to some degree the seedy element (get it?) while lining the coffers of the government with tax. Like I say, I am not promoting or detracting, I’m simply saying it seems like no big deal. In fact I’m seems totally ‘natural’. I’m killing myself over here.

[Dottleshead ★]

14 hours ago, az_cyclist said:

Tobacco is ridiculously hard to quit. I quit cigarettes on Jan 1, 1978, but smoked a pipe and occasional cigar until October 1989.  From then until 2002 or 03, I would get occasional feelings of how a cigarette would taste good after a meal, or some other situation. Fortunately those feelings are finally gone.  But, I am convinced that it would only take a few cigarettes to be back to a pack a day.

Never had that from marijuana

This. Nicotine is one of the hardest if not the hardest of chemicals to get off of. It’s that addictive. Pot or alcohol is much easier IMHO.

[Further]

9 hours ago, az_cyclist said:

Good point, the withdrawal from tobacco is definitely not the same as with alcohol or drugs; I would agree it is more psychological.  With tobacco I believe it is the nicotine that causes the addiction. 

When I quit tobacco I sat in the corner shaking and sweating, Mrs., who had been after me for years to quit, said "oh for fucks sake, have a cigarette". I toughed it out, prolly, no certainly, be dead now otherwise. It was physically painful for about 2 weeks, the desire lasted for about 5 or 10 years.

I never have managed to quit alcohol.

When I quit pot is was like I forgot to smoke, had more important things to do. And then work started drug testing so pot smoking became a maybe in retirement thing.

I don't see pot as a threat to our way of life.

[maddmaxx ★]

1 minute ago, Further said:

When I quit tobacco I sat in the corner shaking and sweating, Mrs., who had been after me for years to quit, said "oh for fucks sake, have a cigarette". I toughed it out, prolly, no certainly, be dead now otherwise. It was physically painful for about 2 weeks, the desire lasted for about 5 or 10 years.

I never have managed to quit alcohol.

When I quit pot is was like I forgot to smoke, had more important things to do. And then work started drug testing so pot smoking became a maybe in retirement thing.

I don't see pot as a threat to our way of life.

Only if an impaired driver comes up on your peloton.

[Dottleshead ★]

8 minutes ago, Further said:

When I quit tobacco I sat in the corner shaking and sweating, Mrs., who had been after me for years to quit, said "oh for fucks sake, have a cigarette". I toughed it out, prolly, no certainly, be dead now otherwise. It was physically painful for about 2 weeks, the desire lasted for about 5 or 10 years.

I never have managed to quit alcohol.

When I quit pot is was like I forgot to smoke, had more important things to do. And then work started drug testing so pot smoking became a maybe in retirement thing.

I don't see pot as a threat to our way of life.

Cigarettes are the devil. You probably won’t kill anybody on tobacco and may even be more productive and skinny. But the exact opposite happens when you quit them. That’s an evil drug.

[Further]

8 minutes ago, maddmaxx said:

Only if an impaired driver comes up on your peloton.

Driving impaired is a decision the driver makes. The drug of choice is also the drivers decision   

[Dottleshead ★]

Just now, Further said:

Driving impaired is a decision the driver makes. The drug of choice is also the drivers decision   

Cigarettes though don’t impair decisions so there’s that 

[Further]

Just now, Dottles said:

Cigarettes though don’t impair decisions so there’s that 

There was a time I smoked cigarettes & pot, and drank, often all on the same night.

My decisioning was shaky at best.

[Dottleshead ★]

Just now, Further said:

There was a time I smoked cigarettes & pot, and drank, often all on the same night.

My decisioning was shaky at best.

That sounds like college to me. Probably my age more than anything else impacted my decisions.

[Further]

My daughter has been nurse for several years now, with some time spent in ER. According to her alcohol is the most destructive drug. In her characteristic emphatic style " toss a junky in a cell and he'll be sick, puck all over and carry on, toss a hard core alky in a cell and the fucker will die on you"   

[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]

I find it curious that when pot is legalized, the various states essentially put themselves in charge of it.  When you look at all the things that governments - state or otherwise - bungle up and create waste and inefficiencies it's obvious they only want to corner the revenue.  But really, there are whole organizations already in existence that very profitably deliver pot to the end users.  Why not simply pull them out of the shadows and legitimize them?  Their distribution networks are already set up and running, profitably and efficiently; no long waits for building infrastructure and appointing/confirming directors and layers of management and hiring workers.  They have an established customer base the that already buys from them and trusts them.  The states should just legalize their networks and then the states would only have to set up the taxing part, saving a ton of money.

NY got it partly right: the first permits went to people who'd been convicted of pot related offenses.  I suppose time will tell until see how this could go wrong.

[maddmaxx ★]

5 hours ago, Thaddeus Kosciuszko said:

I find it curious that when pot is legalized, the various states essentially put themselves in charge of it.  When you look at all the things that governments - state or otherwise - bungle up and create waste and inefficiencies it's obvious they only want to corner the revenue.  But really, there are whole organizations already in existence that very profitably deliver pot to the end users.  Why not simply pull them out of the shadows and legitimize them?  Their distribution networks are already set up and running, profitably and efficiently; no long waits for building infrastructure and appointing/confirming directors and layers of management and hiring workers.  They have an established customer base the that already buys from them and trusts them.  The states should just legalize their networks and then the states would only have to set up the taxing part, saving a ton of money.

NY got it partly right: the first permits went to people who'd been convicted of pot related offenses.  I suppose time will tell until see how this could go wrong.

I don't think we want the money flowing to gangs and cartels.  But then one might make a case for the government just being our gang of choice eh.

[Further]

1 hour ago, maddmaxx said:

I don't think we want the money flowing to gangs and cartels.  But then one might make a case for the government just being our gang of choice eh.

In Pa the state sells alcohol and controls all the gamboling, they control the pot sales. All they need is to get into prostitution and they will have all the vices covered

[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]

1 hour ago, Further said:

All they need is to get into prostitution

They could hire Elliot Spitzer as a consultant, and they'd be up and running in no time!

[Parsnip Totin Jack ★]

Former smoker of both myself. Started both after moving from CA to VA at 13. As an outsider it was easier to fit in. Quitting tobacco was much harder. Nicotine cravings went away after about seven days. The psychological addiction took two years to break. I quit tobacco in 1989. The devil’s lettuce when our son was born in 93. Mrs Parsnip said she didn’t want to know about partaking. She buried her head in the sand. Virginia legalized weed but has no way to sell it. They kicked that can down the road and the current government doesn’t want to talk about it. Oklahoma voters just voted no on legalization there. Which is weird because the state approved medical marijuana and placed little restrictions on the number of growers. The farmers are growing more weed than they can sell. Some of that produce is getting shipped to other states. Tokelahoma is the new nickname for that state.