“Stop driving us to drink!” – Students seek reduced penalties for marijuana use

Today, on more than 80 college campuses across the country, students organized by MPP-grantee Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER) are calling for changes in campus policies that steer students toward the use of alcohol instead of marijuana. Although the national day of action was timed to coincide with the first day of Alcohol Awareness Month, the organizers played off the April Fool’s Day theme by emphasizing that the health and safety of students is not a joke.

[Disclosure: I am one of the co-founders of SAFER. But I will try to be objective while discussing today’s brilliant, aggressive, and well-coordinated events. ;-) ]

There is no doubt that many Americans who read about this effort will initially dismiss it as the actions of a bunch of students who “just want to get high.” But that would be missing the point entirely. What these students are trying to say is that they and the vast majority of their fellow students are going to do something to get intoxicated at parties. And for most of these students, the choice is between one of two substances – alcohol and marijuana.

The conundrum though is that on almost every campus in the country, the penalties for being caught with the less harmful substance, marijuana, are far greater than the penalties for being caught with alcohol. The students are trying to raise awareness about this widespread irrational disparity. It is a disparity that steers students toward alcohol and the more harmful effects – both in terms of health and campus safety – associated with its use.

Let me be clear here: Neither I nor MPP are promoting or encouraging marijuana use by students. The point here is that university administrators, as well as our elected officials, need to examine their policies and regulations and determine whether they are really protecting the health and welfare of community members. By punishing individuals more harshly for using the less harmful of the two recreational substances, it doesn’t appear that current policies do.

The Chronicle of Higher Education, the publication of record for university administrators, posted a solid article today about SAFER’s efforts. And if you want to read more about the movement to educate the public about the relative harms of marijuana and alcohol, check out Marijuana is Safer: So why are we driving to drink?, a book I co-authored with SAFER’s executive director Mason Tvert and Paul Armentano of NORML.

40 comments

1 Mike R { 04.01.10 at 3:44 pm }

While it’s easy to get the point with a slogan like “Stop driving us to drink!”, I really do not like it at all. Nobody drove me to smoke my first bowl and nobody drove me to drink my first beer. I chose both, of my own free will because… … I can.

This “driving us to drink” garbage is like admitting that we’re mindless addicts that are doomed to the never ending pursuit of a fix. It’s like telling the neocons and drug nazis that they were right about us all along – we’re just mindless hippies addicted to whatever’s available.

Me, personally, I smoke weed. Sometimes, I enjoy a drink or 20. I accept personaly responsibility for any and all consequences that may come of these decisions. No one compells me to do anything…. well, at least until I get busted…

The point is, now is NOT the time to subscribe to this inane and utterly irresponsible crap about being driven to drink. Now is the time to emphasise that people can RESPONSIBLY CHOOSE to smoke marijuana, not that we need it as a lesser of two evils.

Epic Fail.

2 Ryan Rasmussen { 04.01.10 at 4:52 pm }

The citizens of America WOULD responsibly choose marijuana if the government didnt make cannabis smokers into criminals. America needs places like MPP and SAFER to help organize efforts just like this.

EPIC SUCCESS!!!!!!!!

Keep it up and someday EVERYONE will see what damage prohibition has done to scociety!

3 A guy at University of West Georgia { 04.01.10 at 6:10 pm }

Look, I saw one of the flyers on a table in a campus building. And I liked it. I think its a great idea and I plan on joining to keep this movement going. I want full legalization. I want to be able to put some herb on my pasta like its parsley.

4 dazed and confuzed ? { 04.01.10 at 6:33 pm }

NOW,NOW fellow smoker’s let us all remember the firsttime that we cracked open that cold frostey beer it tasted great and about 25 more later we could not remember how we got from one partey to the other!!? and we all woke up with wet pant’s and a acheing head trying to think of the wild night before ?? and the other time that we did not drink at the party and just smoked some pot and remember’d more than we wanted to about that one dumb-ass that was so wasted at the party from drinking that he not only pissed his pant’s but he also did some stupid shit that now in the mornig light has brought more pain and total imbarisment to himself that he qiut going to school all together .. and now is the joke of the town because he or she did some freaky stupid shit !!alchole is a bad thing and you can not control your stupid actions!! smokeing pot leaves you with your image intact!! legalize it and lets all smoke and be free!!!

5 Grandma420 { 04.01.10 at 7:22 pm }

At one time in your lives, you will be able to choose your vice instead of our government choosing the worst one that can kill us. It would really be nice for my son to smoke pot again. Yes, he used to smoke but he has to test clean to get his kids. Now he is an alcoholic and can’t stop drinking. I am really scared for him.

6 Joel { 04.01.10 at 7:33 pm }

Like always, prohibitionist will believe that it will lead to bad grades, heroin, cocaine, date rape, and murder.

7 Mark { 04.01.10 at 7:49 pm }

“Keep it up and someday EVERYONE will see what damage prohibition has done to scociety!”

just another reason why it’s still illegal: the prohibitionists don’t want to look at the damage they have done. Kinda like the Nazis at Nueremburg……..

8 Dave S. { 04.01.10 at 8:16 pm }

Marijuana laws don’t cause anyone to drink and I think it’s reckless to argue that without evidence.

Empirical data promoted by MPP itself shows that punishment doesn’t influence rates of marijuana use, i.e. between states with and without decrim for example. The same has been proven by comparing countries with different marijuana policies.

We have so many good arguments for reform that it shouldn’t be necessary to advance such dubious logic. This whole “driving people to drink” argument inherently validates prohibition by suggesting that marijuana laws are effective in driving people away from marijuana.

I’m discouraged to see MPP increasingly rely on this silliness. It offends me as a drinker and insults me as an informed follower of drug policy research and advocacy. It also confuses me as a marijuana user who’s never been deterred by the law nor known anyone else who was.

9 Dirty D { 04.01.10 at 9:50 pm }

Haters will hate. Keep it up MPP!

10 Stonified { 04.02.10 at 1:19 am }

It is great to see people organizing for what they find important. I am both a drinker and a toker and support the movement. The slogan “driving us to drink” is actually a message that might get the attention of prohibition supporters. I too am witnessing the affects of alcohol abuse by cannabis smokers because of the laws against cannabis. I personally know adults that choose to consume alcohol versus cannabis because their job randomly drug tests.
The campaign might be the culture shock needed to address out dated policies and laws.

Keep it up!! Power to the people!

11 Robert Chao { 04.02.10 at 2:30 am }

quote from Ryan Rasmussen { 04.01.10 at 4:52 pm }

“The citizens of America WOULD responsibly choose marijuana if the government didnt make cannabis smokers into criminals.”

Marijuana and alcohol have been around a long long time. If the citizens of the world wanted to choose the SAFER drug, ie marijuana, then they would have chosen it long before it was illegal in the US in 1937. Can anyone tell me of any notable civilization throughout the history of mankind that preferred marijuana over alcohol? Obviously, alcohol wins out globally and it’s not because of the fear of police because marijuana laws are weakly enforced in most countries that still have them. More Dutch youth drink alcohol than Americans while fewer Dutch use marijuana. That right there appears to debunk the “Driving us to drink” mantra, but perhaps it confirms the “forbidden fruit” effect, i.e. more people will use marijuana simply because prohibition makes it more enticing, especially among youth.

12 JJ { 04.02.10 at 5:45 am }

have you guys not liking the slogan read steve fox’s book ? Its “Marijuana is safer: so why are we driving people to drink”…its a great read..only book I have actually read and not just read the cliff’s notes!!!

13 Conservative Christian { 04.02.10 at 5:47 am }

I think we’ll make a better impression on the VOTING public by steering away from the comparison to alcohol and comparing marijuana to aspirin and coffee. A lot of the prohibitionists are against alcohol consumption, so we don’t make a lot of points with the “alcohol is legal so marijuana should be, too” line of thought. On the other hand, very few people are against medical aspirin or recreational coffee. Let’s draw our comparison to something that’s widely considered to be safe and user-friendly, and I’ll think we’ll make more progress.

14 JJ { 04.02.10 at 5:54 am }

its called suggesting a “vice”. alcohol is legal. weed is not. if you want to party, 80% of parties are alcohol. I remember once in college, I drank myself til I puked, busted all my vessels in my eyes turning them completely red, I had lost all contnence of bowel and bladder, and I some how lived through this. I probably was ment to die that night of alcohol poisoning, but one of my frat brothers stayed with me all night to make sure I did not lay on my back. Coincidently, he was smoking weed all night beside my bed while he watched over me. From that night on, I stopped drinking. yeah, i have had a few sips of wine here and there going to work parties, but for 99% of the time of 9 years, I have been sober. I blame the government for the laws. I blame the cops for enforcing barbarian like laws. these paths closed off from weed caused me to drink since EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ILLEGAL FOR UNDERAGE USE, I still did itbecause other people could easily buy it for me at the corner liquor store. SO honestly, the laws STEERED me in the direction of alcohol

15 Donno { 04.02.10 at 6:01 am }

A major stumbling block is that prohibitionists do not and will not ever believe that cannabis is less harmful than alcohol. Our culture is saturated with alcohol, and the drug war is a form of denial that we have a problem with it. If we demonize alternatives and make those users criminals, then we can somehow comfort ourselves with the illusion that alcohol is not really so bad.

The truth is that even if all illegal drug use ceased overnight, the overall death and social costs from drug use would be virtually unchanged because those effects are primarily from use of alcohol and tobacco.

16 Mark { 04.02.10 at 6:08 am }

Dave S. said: Marijuana laws don’t cause anyone to drink and I think it’s reckless to argue that without evidence.

When I was on my conditional discharge last year and had to clean up for 45 days to pass a piss test, I resorted to beer to calm my anxiety (for which I normally use weed) . During those 45 days I managed to ruin a few personal relationships, one of which had been previously ruined, repaired and now ruined again because she ‘s anti pot and I was drunk and called her out on it. She drinks wine every day. She is my sister.

So there’s your evidence. Now shut the fuck up.

17 JAY { 04.02.10 at 6:32 am }

The Viet Nam war ended with a bunch of students becomeing active.

18 JJ { 04.02.10 at 8:02 am }

Dunno #15,
Watch the debate between a prohib against Steve Fox…I dont have the link, but it is on the MPP homepage. The prohib actually admits at the end of the arguement that alcohol is worse than weed. They were not able to debate anymore after the prohib said this because they were out of time but HE ADMITTED it. And I agree with Conservative Christian on the comparision thing. People already know alcoholism is bad. Alcohol is legal, but there is millions that are against alcohol just as there is millions against weed. We need to first find out if they are mad at the government for any reason. If they are mad about guns, health care, and such as, then they are mad about personal freedoms. Personal freedoms are rights given to us that allow us to do mostly anything as long as it dont infringe on another person’s rights. If they are Christian and believe God and the bible say weed is bad, well, there really is not a verse in the bible saying this, but you need to tell them that god gave us seeds and he gave us water. He told us that all things on this earth is for our consumption. ALL THINGS. There is always an issue with ANYONE that the government pisses them off with. Find their weakness. Then attack. If they have a family, ask them how they would like it if one of their children had cancer and was going to die. Weed will help them. there are many ways to persuade. Get under their skin like they get under yours. Just be civil about it and always tell them that we are not forcing them to smoke weed or even like weed, but yet to uphold personal freedoms, to find cures for the uncurable, and just maybe to give a little relief from death knockin on the door.

19 Robert Chao { 04.02.10 at 9:43 am }

Quote from JJ { 04.02.10 at 5:45 am }:

” have you guys not liking the slogan read steve fox’s book ? Its “Marijuana is safer: so why are we driving people to drink”…its a great read..only book I have actually read and not just read the cliff’s notes!!!”

Tell me why alcohol use is higher in the Netherlands than in the US while marijuana use is lower among teens and adults, and I guarantee I will buy his book. That’s the only country in the world that has legalized open marijuana sales for the adult population. Yet people still choose DANGER over SAFER

20 Dave S. { 04.02.10 at 10:01 am }

Mark, I think your point is fair and I apologize for not acknowledging the substitution effect that happens when a marijuana user is directly forced to abstain.

Still, this whole argument rests on the premise that there’s an inherent need for intoxication and that people will switch around between drugs based on external influences. It might be true sometimes, but I don’t think our opponents want to be convinced that people just need to get high on something. This logic only works on people who already agree with us, which makes it a poor approach.

Once you understand that the punishment for marijuana doesn’t influences rates of use, the whole “driving us to drink” concept stops making sense.

21 Robert Chao { 04.02.10 at 10:35 am }

David S: “Once you understand that the punishment for marijuana doesn’t influences rates of use, the whole “driving us to drink” concept stops making sense.”

Bingo! If you look at how many people used marijuana during 2008 (25, 768,000) versus how many were arrested for marijuana violations that same year (847,900). That’s a 3.3 percent arrest rate at MOST since not all persons arrested were past year users. MPP would have a much stronger case comparing the deterrence effectiveness with dollars spent on deterrence.

22 Steve Fox { 04.02.10 at 10:42 am }

Dave -

Regarding this quote — “Once you understand that the punishment for marijuana doesn’t influences rates of use, the whole “driving us to drink” concept stops making sense.” — you are making quite an assumption to say that punishments for marijuana don’t influence use.

Do you really believe that there are *no* Americans who are not using marijuana right now because of the potential punishments associated with its use? Putting college students aside, who can lose financial aid and get kicked out of housing, there are millions of Americans subject to workplace drug testing. You don’t think workplace drug testing influences whether someone uses marijuana or alcohol? If you were going to be drug tested at work and knew that you would be fired for a positive result for marijuana, would you use marijuana or alcohol to relax at night?

And, of course, there are the laws. Many Americans don’t want to break the law. The mere fact that marijuana is illegal steers them toward using alcohol instead. I am not saying it *forces* people to use alcohol. That would be absurd. I am simply saying that it makes them more likely to use alcohol, when they otherwise might have enjoyed marijuana.

And, Robert, regarding your last post. You referenced the fact that 1 out of every 33 marijuana users gets arrested for marijuana possession. Doesn’t sound so great to me. What percent of alcohol users get arrested for simple possession? You may be a gambling man, but not all Americans are — especially when losing in this game could mean losing your job, having your kids taken away, and even, depending on what state you live in, ending up in jail.

23 Mike R { 04.02.10 at 11:34 am }

Mark #16:

You were locked up, and to comply with early release, you couldn’t smoke weed so you abused alcohol and destroyed personal relationships in an effort to …. relieve anxiety?

That’s proof of….. what? That your drinking isn’t your fault? That you were driven to it? The only proof I see is that you’re still not taking responsibility for how badly you’ve jacked up your life. Sorry for you.

The ONLY reason people should ever smoke weed, or do anything else for that matter, is because they CHOSE to. Unless someone waterboarded liquor down your throat, it was your choice.

24 Robert Chao { 04.02.10 at 12:27 pm }

Stever Fox: “And, Robert, regarding your last post. You referenced the fact that 1 out of every 33 marijuana users gets arrested for marijuana possession. Doesn’t sound so great to me.”

Sorry, to be clear, I was referring to the total arrests, not just possession, which accounts for 89% of the total according to MPP’s own data. Moreover, I referenced that AT LEAST 97% of marijuana users manage to avoid arrest each year. The National Survey on Drug and Alcohol Use underestimates marijuana use. Furthermore, according to Jeffrey Miron’s report “Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition, (funded by MPP) he estimated that about half of the marijuana arrests involve other crimes. So if you are an otherwise law-abiding citizen and not selling marijuana, the odds of being arrested shouldn’t be much of a psychological burden if all you are doing is smoking marijuana in the privacy of your own home. According to credible survey often cited by fellow drug policy reformers (you may find it on DrugWarFacts), legal concerns ranked among the least significant factors in people’s decision to start or quit using drugs.

Steve, have you considered that the “forbidden fruit” effect may entice more young people to use marijuana than they would if it were legal.

According to an MPP study:

” While some people find it important to be viewed as law-abiding citizens and will avoid using marijuana because it is illegal, this use-limiting factor for some teens may be counterbalanced by the “forbidden fruit” effect for others.

In sum, prohibition seems to have a very slight, if any, effect on preventing some people from using marijuana. However, the small effect that may exist is counterbalanced by prohibition’s numerous counterproductive effects on drug abuse prevention, as detailed below.”

http://www.mpp.org/archive/marijuana-prohibition-has-not-curtailed-marijuana-use-by-adolesc.html

Moreover, young people choose to drink in greater numbers in the Netherlands than they do here. Even though open marijuana sales are legal there, marijuana use is lower among teens and adults, which seems to shatter the idea that more people would give up alcohol and start using marijuana if the latter were legal.

25 Dave S. { 04.02.10 at 1:42 pm }

Steve, I appreciate your response, but your argument strikes me as heavily speculative; that because marijuana is illegal there must be lots of people drinking simply to avoid the punishment for marijuana. I’m not saying you’re totally wrong, but I do think you’re misdiagnosing the motivations of most users most of the time.

I’ve frequently seen MPP touting data showing that punishment doesn’t influence rates of marijuana use, and I’m curious how you’d reconcile that with the “driving us to drink” argument.

26 Steve Fox { 04.02.10 at 1:58 pm }

Dave -

Many of the points being made on both sides of the argument are highly speculative. We do not know exactly what will happen when marijuana use becomes legal for adults in this country. And looking at rates of use in other countries, as Robert proposes, is not necessarily going to provide us a definitive answer.

What I know, anecdotally, is that many Americans do not use marijuana because of the potential negative consequences, whether it is the law or other factors like workplace drug testing. Some of these people, perhaps because they have other issues they are dealing with, seek some other form of intoxication. In the vast majority of these cases, the other form is alcohol. Moreover, these same people may have substance abuse issues. Instead of an over-reliance on marijuana, they end up over indulging in alcohol. This can be extremely destructive — far more so than over indulgence in marijuana.

Since you seem so passionate about this issue, I suggest that you grab a copy of “Marijuana is Safer.” (The link is at the end of the original blog post.) I am not suggesting this just so I can sell a book, I really think you will find the book interesting — whether you agree with its main thesis in the end or not. It is not just about comparing the two substance; it discusses why the message is important to the battle to change marijuana laws.

Anyway, I appreciate your passion for this issue. Clearly, we have the same goal. We just see different means of reaching the same end.

27 Robert Chao { 04.02.10 at 3:12 pm }

Quote by Steve Fox { 04.02.10 at 1:58 pm }: “We do not know exactly what will happen when marijuana use becomes legal for adults in this country. And looking at rates of use in other countries, as Robert proposes, is not necessarily going to provide us a definitive answer. ”

Do we need a definitive answer to have a good idea of regulation’s impact on marijuana use. Netherlands has successfully made marijuana boring, but if you have any doubt about how popular marijuana will be once it’s re-legalized then just review your world history. Even though marijuana and alcohol have had plenty of time to earn popularity among the global population, major civilizations throughout the history have adopted alcohol as their most popular drug of choice while recreational marijuana use never caught on. Check out this cool interactive time line from PBS’s Botany of Desire on the spread of marijuana:

http://www.pbs.org/thebotanyofdesire/map-timeline.php

28 Sinistry { 04.02.10 at 5:37 pm }

I never in my life thought I would ever agree with a conservative christian. My whole world has just been turned upside down.

29 Ryan Rasmussen { 04.02.10 at 5:55 pm }

Robert is obviously Pete Coors and Jack Daniels’ best friend.
And I would like to thank you Robert for adding to the ignorance that alcohol isnt everything that prohibitionist say marijuana is.
People that thought alcohol was harmless has almost killed me not once but twice in my life. [car accidents] These people were good hard working Americans that chose to use alcohol so they wouldnt be made into a criminal by ignorant cannabis laws.
I will give my life to defend your right to say anything you want, BUT DONOT EXPECT PEOPLE TO BELIEVE IT WE KNOW THE TRUTH!!!

30 Robert Chao { 04.02.10 at 6:26 pm }

Ryan, what are you talking about? Just because alcohol is more popular than marijuana doesn’t mean it is safer. I agree with MPP and SAFER’s message that people shouldn’t be punished more severely for using a safer substance, but the “Driving people to drink” mantra is overplayed and gives way too much credit to the law enforcement.

31 Mark { 04.02.10 at 6:43 pm }

Mike R said:

Mark #16:

You were locked up, and to comply with early release, you couldn’t smoke weed so you abused alcohol and destroyed personal relationships in an effort to …. relieve anxiety?

That’s proof of….. what? That your drinking isn’t your fault? That you were driven to it? The only proof I see is that you’re still not taking responsibility for how badly you’ve jacked up your life. Sorry for you.

The ONLY reason people should ever smoke weed, or do anything else for that matter, is because they CHOSE to. Unless someone waterboarded liquor down your throat, it was your choice.

I smoke weed to deal with anger , anxiety, depression, ADHD all of which I have been treated for with conventional medcines and THEY DO NOT WORK in fact THEY ONLY MAKE THINGS WORSE.

it aint about getting high, you asshole.

I stayed clean for 45 days because I had to take a piss test. The rest of the year I was smoking weed because of the horrible side effects of booze and abstinance from my medcine of choice. Take a diabetic off insulin and see what happens you asshole. Its no different for weed. I take full responsability for my life.I’m a lot easier to get along with and a lot happier when i smoke weed. You have no idea of what causes my depression or anger or about the side effects I still have from Ritalin ingested 40 years ago. So shut the fuck up you pompous asshole.

32 Mark { 04.02.10 at 6:54 pm }

Dave S: Thank you but this is not the only example I can share.

here’s 2 more:

Good friend of mine lives in New Mexico. We did a lot of partying together in high school. We were very tight. Weed reigned supreme along with LSD. booze was frowned on, but we did it every now and then.

Wee get out of HS and into the work force and Rob is working for an aviation company building small planes. One day they spring a pop piss test on him which he fails. He is forced to go to rehab. He completes rehab and swears off pot because it take 45 days to clear your system. He takes up drinking instead. Now, 35 years later he day goes like this: Go to work at 8AM, get off at 4PM and hit the bar where he drinks until 2AM and then goes out to his car and sleeps until 6AM, drives home, takes a shower and repeats the process. ALL BECAUSE HE HAS TO TAKE A PISS TEST FOR A HARMLESS SUBSTANCE UNJUSTLY CRIMINAIZED BY GREEEDY RACISTS.

The other case involves my cousin who is USMC and did 2 tours in Iraq, which left him with PTSD. But he won’t smoke weed for the same reason as Rob. A FUCKING PISS TEST. And my cousing likes to smoke weed. But now he too has become an alcoholic, exaserbating (sic) the PTSD.

33 Ryan Rasmussen { 04.02.10 at 8:32 pm }

If the government only alows one substance for recreational, relaxing or just plain addiction then the government is saying that it is safer and we should choose this one substance. If it is all they allow then it is plain ignorance to say they arent pushing us to use alcohol.
The amount of money alcohol companies throw away in Washington D.C. every year should prove to everyone that the GOVERNMENT IS PAID OFF ON THIS SUBJECT. If they lightin up on cannabis laws and start allowing people safe access to cannabis the money will stop flowing to their personal bank accounts and their vacation homes will be reposessed.

Mr. Chao this is what im talking about.

34 Mark { 04.03.10 at 6:13 am }

we need to incorporate a new mantra into our struggle, so I suggest this:

GOP:

the Grand Old Party needs to Get Over Prohibition!

35 JJ { 04.04.10 at 5:23 am }

hey guys, just a little question.
do you really think that the children being taught that dumbass DARE program is going to choose marijuana over alcohol after they pretty much tell you that marijuana will kill you, destroy your life, and you will die lonely and unhappy. then they tell you that you just should not drink and drive. they do not tell you that you will get intoxicated, make horribly bad choices, and probably either kill yourself (car or just get depressed and off yourself) OR you could kill innocent victims.

So really guys, you say that the arguement and reasoning for marijuana is safer than alcohol are already installed in our brains and it makes sense so we should move on. Well, maybe its not that MPP, NORML, Drugwarcoalition, etc should move on. Maybe YOU should just not read these topics if they make sense to you. BUT A 18 YEAR OLD MIGHT BE CONFUSED. A 17 YEAR OLD. Hell, I started at 12. I was not impressionable. I made my decision. But I know a lot of kids that were and STILL TO THIS DAY drink instead of smoke and they will tell you they just think marijuana is unsafe and that is that, no changing their minds. ITS ALL CUZ THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND COPS TEACH AT A YOUNG AGE (when the kid is easy to impress). IF parents would teach their kids, such as I have done to my kid (she is a str8 A kid, 9th grade, already has 4 top colleges looking at her(some taught some Presidents)) AND SHE MADE THE CHOICE TO THIS DAY TO SAY NO THANK YOU. but she made it HER choice. she dont go around PREACHING it will even hurt you.

36 JJ { 04.04.10 at 5:27 am }

Continued

My daughter has made the right choice for her. That is what I think should be included with Steve Fox’s title. YOU MAKE THE CHOICE, Not the Government. THAT MY FRIENDS IS THE POINT THEY WISH TO TELL UNINFORMED PEOPLE. not just that pot is safer.

37 FreeTheWeed { 04.05.10 at 9:32 am }

Do I have a story for you guys. Alcohol vs. Pot. This has all happened this weekend.
I went upstate NY for a bachelor party, I refuse to drink because I hate the person I turn into when I’m drunk. Bachelor party is an alocohol dominated event but my friends don’t mind me not drinking, some of them join me to smoke some cannabis. Bottom line, at the end of first night, I’m standing on a porch and watching a bunch of butt naked guys chasing deer in the woods.
Funny story, no harm no foul. Second night we go out to a strip club, same scenario, i’m smoking, the rest of the crew is drinking. End of the night, I’m having to pay the bouncer for the damages to the club. Next morning, none of my boys have any clue what happened. I come back to NY on sunday and find out that my gf went out drinking friday night and almost got raped. My sister went out drinking saturday night and was robbed/lost her purse and everything in it, phone, money, ids.
I cant imagine how anyone can argue that alcohol is a less harmful substance.
I think alcohol has one thing over weed, why people still choose to get drunk. Weed will actually keep your mind straight and you will remember and regreat any stupid shit that you, if that was ever to happen. While with alcohol you get this free pass called black-out, you get trashed, you do a bunch of stupid shit and you wake up next morning with a crazy hangover but not remembering anything negative about the previous night.
I know it’s idiotic but i think if people could see themselves drunk through someone elses eyes, we’d have a lot less drinkers.

Free The Weed. Free The People.

38 Interested but confused { 04.12.10 at 6:49 pm }

I think that yes although alcohol is dangerous, weed is not all that you think it is. I am doing a paper over it and I’m using this website as research, because although it is sort of biased it has good information. But I have a question. Why do you want recreational weed so badly? Do your lives suck that badly that you can’t handle reality? I believe in it for medical purposes but not just because you want it. And for those of you who say its not bad. I had a close friend die in a car crash because the driver was higher than a kite off of weed. So shouldn’t both be illegal and call it good?

39 Morgan Fox { 04.13.10 at 7:29 am }

Personal attacks have no place on this blog.

40 FreeTheWeed { 04.14.10 at 11:37 am }

@Interested but Confused – it’s a matter of personal freedom. I will only speak for myself, but it pisses me off that people can get pissed drunk and it’s ok by law but people can’t smoke cannabis. If this was a free country, prohibition would not be a word in our president’s vocabulary.

Free The Weed. Free The People.

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