Why is marijuana illegal and alcohol is not?

Alcohol is responsible for 75,000 deaths a year in the United States, mostly from traffic collisions. Thousands of these deaths are from alcohol poisoning (overdosing on alcohol).

Of course it should be legal.

You are correct in stating that Marijuana has never EVER been associate with death. However you are incorrect in stating that it is impossible to overdose on Marijuana. You can, but in order to do so one would need to smoke or ingest roughly 15 pounds of sweet Mary Jane in a span of about 15 minutes. So theoretically you could overdose but it has proven to be impossible because a human being would pass out before they could get that much into their system.

The prohibition of Cannabis began…I think in 1937 or 1932 with the assistance of William Randolph Hurst who was also backed by multiple oil tycoons (SunCo Oil) because at the time hemp oil was being used for heating of homes. Studies even showed that hemp could be used to create methane based fuels that would rival petroleum based fuels. Not only was hemp a direct competitor of oil, it was cheaper to refine, cheaper to produce, and cheaper to maintain. However, it did not call for the excessive profits because hemp can be grown nearly anywhere in the world by anyone who had soil, water, and light.

Not only did hemp compete with oil, it also competed with cotton. This is because hemp fibers are far stronger and robust than cotton or even wool fibers. Therefore hemp fibers (clothing, ropes, etc.) were more durable and less likely to rot.

However over the years and during the 50’s and 60’s studies were done by the government who made attempts to use Cannabis as a mind altering drug. What did this lead to….LSD! Why, because Cannabis does not contain enough THC to alter the human mind. In fact it has many medical benefits.

Society has been brainwashed over the decades with claims that Cannabis will cause you to go crazy, become lazy, memory loss, etc. None of which have been able to be proven with scientific studies. In fact, studies have shown that Cannabis does none of the above, nor any of the other bad effects.

Now, smoking Cannabis can lead to lung cancer. But smoking or in hailing any foreign substance can lead to cancer. Firefighters even sign a waiver due to the smoke inhalation they may come in contact with. Of course now the use of “vaporizers” have solved that problem because they heat the weed rather than burn the weed. This prevents the carbons from even entering your system, rather one gets a nice clean smoke. Further, cancer patience among others use Cannabis for cooking and baking. The high is a bit different….as I am told…but it helps ease the pain and nausea that comes with cancer treatments.

You can put Cannabis side by side against just about any legal prescription pain med, depression med, anti-inflammatory med, etc. and Cannabis will blow them out. The worse side effect that one might receive with Cannabis use is that of the much discussed “munchies.”
Further, Cannabis have been proven scientifically that it does not contain the addictive properties as believed for years and it is not a gateway drug of any sort.

Studies have shown that alcohol is the leading “gateway” drug in America. So those of you who preach against Mary Jane, yet go into your kitchen and grab a cocktail or beer, or pop that Xanex, or Vicodin, or smoke that cigar or cigarette have have a 99.999999% chance of becoming addicted or dying than you would if you toke one up.

If pot is legalized, not only would the use drop (things aren’t cool when they are legal), the money and benefits from the tax and regulations would create jobs and additional resources for education and law enforcement that would fight real drugs like Coke, Meth, the new prescription drug addiction craze, and alcoholism. Plus, 33% of inmates in the US are in prison for Marijuana related crimes. Those same inmates cost Californian tax payers $38,000 per year for their incarceration.

A lot of money could be saved and made along with thousands of jobs for the cultivation and processing of Cannabis. Not only that, it is just another way to slowly get away from our thirst for foreign oil.

I forgot to add that the prohibition of alcohol during the 20’s and 30’s is what led to organized crime. How do you think Capone made is mark, or how the hell do you think the Kennedy’s made their money. JFK’s father made his fortune by running moonshine.

Dam people are stupid and ignorant! They call stoners stupid, my lord!

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Patti has been an excessive drinker for about fifteen years.  One Wednesday evening while flipping through the TV channels with her remote, she stumbled upon a special program  that discussed alcohol poisoning symptoms.

Due to the fact that Patti was a heavy drinker, she was quite interested in watching the rest of this program.  At one point, Patti was shocked to find out that alcohol poisoning can result in a fatality even if the drinker doesn’t drink excessively on a daily basis.  Stated differently, over time hazardous and excessive drinking can weaken an individuals’ organs and overall system and lead to an alcohol overdose.

Here’s another fact that didn’t make a lot of sense to Patti.  Let us focus on an individual who only drinks once per year.  For the sake of our discussion, let us assume that this person only drinks on his or her birthday but when he or she drinks, he or she gets drunk.

This individual, although he or she only drinks just one time per year, by definition, has involved himself or herself in alcohol abuse.  What is more, if this individual gets extremely drunk on his or her birthday, for instance, the result can be a fatal alcohol overdose.

Does the presence of alcohol poisoning symptoms always mean that the individual is suffering from alcohol poisoning?  Are there any other reasons why an individual might exhibit symptoms of alcohol poisoning?

In fact, there actually more than a few medical conditions and illnesses that have symptoms that are similar to what an individual experiences during an alcohol overdose.  Illustrations include the following:  food poisoning, the flu, a heart attack, and a stroke.

To answer the question that was asked above:  no, the presence of alcohol poisoning symptoms does not necessarily mean that a person is suffering from alcohol poisoning.

Here’s the bottom line when discussing alcohol poisoning or any of the above mentioned medical problems and illnesses:  call 911 and ask for immediate emergency assistance.  In a word, why be concerned with a precise medical diagnosis when the key task at hand is getting the individual to a hospital for prompt medical treatment?

It was 1:00 PM, just after lunch at a large jeep assembly plant.  When Mitch fell to the floor, everyone on the assembly line figured that he must have slipped and fallen while doing his job.

Ralph, Mitch’s boss, however, had already noticed something peculiar about Mitch.  He was extremely lethargic and looked extraordinarily pale.  Then when Mitch fell to the concrete floor and Ralph performed CPR on him, Ralph noticed the strong smell of alcohol.

Ralph knew immediately that Mitch’s behavior and actions could be due to symptoms of alcohol poisoning and immediately called 911 for emergency medical assistance.  When Ralph visited Mitch in the hospital after work, he learned that Mitch did in fact suffer from an alcohol overdose, that he received alcohol poisoning treatment, and that calling for help probably saved Mitch’s life.

Now, however, Ralph has to find out why Mitch was drinking on the job and inform him that to save his job, he would be required to get an thorough alcohol appraisal and may need to get alcohol treatment.

Some of the workers from the trauma center emergency room were talking during a break one day when Gloria, one of the emergency room nurses, made the following statement:

“Why do some individuals who experience alcohol poisoning symptoms begin drinking in an abusive manner sometimes as soon as they get out of the hospital?

Wouldn’t you believe that a near-death experience like an alcohol overdose would send a message that the individual needs to substantially reduce the amount of alcohol he or she consumes?

On the one hand it makes sense when the patient is alcohol dependent and can’t think about drinking in a responsible and logical manner.  On the other hand, what about various individuals who get intoxicated perhaps one or two times per year, go to the ER for alcohol poisoning treatment, and then continue to get inebriated once or twice year after year?  There are some things in life that I will never understand.”

Why does binge drinking so frequently lead to alcohol poisoning?  Binge drinking is defined as having 4 or more drinks at one sitting for females and consuming 5 or more drinks at one drinking episode for males.

In truth, binge drinking and alcohol poisoning make a lot of sense from a logical point of view.  To be more specific, when a person drinks more alcohol than his or her body can process, he or she frequently experiences symptoms of alcohol poisoning such as nausea, seizers, irregular breathing, confusion, and vomiting.

By definition, binge drinking means that the drinker has had at least four or more drinks at one sitting.  Due to the fact that the binge drinker has ingested a relatively large amount of alcohol, it is probable that he or she may have consumed more alcohol than his or her liver can metabolize.  Unfortunately, when this happens the individual experiences an alcohol overdose and needs immediate medical attention.

Sandra has been an executive assistant with a major painting manufacturer for twelve years.

She had a reputation as a kind of person who thought through every decision she made, someone who wasn’t much of a party person, and someone who called off work just once or twice every year.

It was therefore odd to see her empty chair on a Wednesday morning at the office.  In fact, all the people in the office were wondering where Sandra was until the CEO of the company received a phone call from a hospital administrator who said that Sandra was hospitalized for an alcohol overdose and wouldn’t return to work until Monday or Tuesday of the following week.

Apparently Sandra went out drinking with some friends, engaged in binge drinking, started exhibiting alcohol poisoning symptoms, and was rushed to the hospital for alcohol poisoning treatment.

The CEO of the company didn’t want to broadcast the fact that Sandra had been hospitalized for an alcohol overdose, so he simply said that he received word that Sandra would be out of the office until the following Monday or Tuesday morning.

This was getting old. Jasmine was admitted to the local city hospital for the third time this year because she experienced an alcohol overdose.  When Carolyn, Jasmine’s sister, heard about this she went to the hospital as quickly as possible to visit Jasmine.

When Carolyn walked into Jasmine’s hospital room, the first words out of her mouth were the following:  “I am grateful that you are OK but when are you going to figure this excessive drinking thing out?  Time and time again you drink yourself silly and then end up in the hospital for alcohol poisoning treatment.  If you can’t drink responsibly and in moderation, then stop drinking altogether.  And if you can’t stop drinking for yourself, then quit drinking for the people in your life who honestly care about you.”

Emily’s family was stunned.  Emily was enrolled in a MBA program in graduate school and had a reputation as an excellent student who had a few drinks just once or twice per year.  In other words, Emily was anything but a person who engaged in abusive drinking.

On her twenty-second birthday Emily decided to go out with some of her college friends to celebrate her “special day.”  According to her friends, Emily drank just about as much as everyone else.

In spite of Emily’s infrequent drinking, the reality of the situation was this.  On her twenty-second birthday, Emily drank far more than her body could metabolize.  By the time her friends realized that Emily was truly sick from drinking and that she was exhibiting alcohol poisoning symptoms, Emily died from an alcohol overdose.  The moral of the story is this:  getting drunk even once can lead to alcohol poisoning, which in rare circumstances can be fatal.

I wonder how many bar maids, bartenders, bouncers, and bar owners are able to recognize the symptoms of alcohol poisoning and know what to do if they think that one of their customers is experiencing an alcohol overdose.

I also wonder how many vendors and ushers at sporting events can identify alcohol poisoning symptoms and are instructed to call 911 for emergency medical assistance.

The bottom line:  if people are in business to sell alcoholic beverages to their customers, then the employees and the business owners should be able to determine whether a customer is possibly experiencing an alcohol overdose and they also need to know what to do in such circumstances so that the customer receives prompt alcohol poisoning treatment.

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When an individual drinks, the alcohol is metabolized by the liver and then is eliminated from the body by urination, exhaling, and by perspiration.  Sometimes a person drinks more than his or her body can process.  Basically what this means is that the individual consumed more alcohol than his or her liver can metabolize.  When this happens, a number of individuals are tempted to go home and “sleep it off.”  This can be extremely dangerous for the following reason: if the individual is experiencing an alcohol overdose, letting him or her “sleep it off” can, in rare instances, lead to complications that can result in a loss of life.

How does a person know whether he or she is experiencing alcohol overdose symptoms?  The following alcohol poisoning symptoms frequently manifest themselves when an individual is experiencing an alcohol overdose: slurred speech, confusion, vomiting, irregular breathing, absent reflexes, unconsciousness, and blue-tinged skin.

The correct response for dealing with a person who may be experiencing symptoms of alcohol poisoning is this:  call 911 immediately and ask for emergency medical assistance.  When the person is taken to the hospital, he or she will receive the appropriate alcohol poisoning treatment.

Apparently a lot of individuals are unaware that if they drink too much too quickly, they can experience symptoms of an alcohol overdose.  What is more, many individuals are also unaware that in certain instances, people can die from alcohol poisoning.

There are, however, several people who are very aware of the dangers of alcohol poisoning.  Question:  why do these “more knowledgeable” individuals get inebriated and do so on a fairly regular basis?  Do these individuals think that drinking deaths only happen to someone else?  Do they think that because they are in relatively good physical condition that hazardous and abusive drinking cannot kill them?  Are they in denial about their own mortality?

Whatever the reason, every year thousands of alcohol abusers in the U.S. suffer from an alcohol overdose and approximately once per week, someone needlessly dies from alcohol poisoning.

What is the most relevant and important alcohol information that an individual can apply to his or her life?  Is that alcohol abuse can and does eventually transition into alcoholism?  Perhaps it is the fact that the earlier an individual begins to drink the more likely he or she will engage in excessive and abusive drinking.

On the other hand, some would argue that the most important bit of alcohol information is knowing the difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency.  In a somewhat different way, while some individuals might claim that the most significant alcohol information is knowing about fetal alcohol syndrome, others might argue that it is knowing that one instance of binge drinking can result in an alcohol overdose.

While all of these topics are significant and pertinent, I believe the most important and relevant bit of alcohol information that we can apply to our daily lives is this:  drinking in an abusive and excessive manner, even if it is one time, frequently results in damaging and unhealthy consequences.

Last night the TV news anchor reflected on the death of a fifteen-year-old girl who died from alcohol poisoning and then asked the following questions: “How can we teach our teenagers more about alcohol abuse and binge drinking so that they do not kill themselves from an alcohol overdose?  Do we need to overhaul our educational system so that our students can better learn how to avoid the risks of hazardous and abusive drinking?

In a similar manner, what part do parents play in substantially reducing the incidents of teenage alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency in our society?  Is it possible that many of our pre-teens and teenagers gravitate to alcohol when they face difficulties because they lack the coping skills that are needed to deal with their problems?”

Let’s face facts:  one of the most obvious alcohol effects is drunkenness or intoxication.  Depending on whether or not the person has consumed alcohol on an empty stomach, the strength of the alcoholic drink, how quickly the alcohol has been consumed, the person’s metabolism rate, and the weight of the person, an individual can experience intoxication with as little as a few drinks or as much as several alcoholic beverages.

The bottom line, however, is this.  No matter how many drinks it takes for an individual to get intoxicated, once that individual is drunk he or she can then suffer from various alcohol effects such as reduced coordination, an alcohol overdose, a hangover, diminished decision-making skills, an alcohol-related headache, and/or alcoholism if the person continues to get intoxicated over time.

Whenever a person goes out to drink, he or she should NOT drink on an empty stomach. Alcohol poisoning occurs when a person has had significantly more alcohol than the person’s liver can process (or metabolize). This really means that a person should NOT drink abusively or excessively at ANY time.  In other words, a person should drink in moderation and responsibly or not at all.

Any time a person drinks irresponsibly, he or she is engaging in alcohol abuse.  And if a person’s abusive drinking is excessive, then he or she can experience alcohol poisoning (also called an alcohol overdose).

I know it sounds easy and may seem like a cop-out, but the best way to avoid an alcohol overdose is:  1) Do not drink on an empty stomach and 2) Always drink responsibly and in moderation.

Apparently a number of people do not realize that alcohol poisoning doesn’t only happen when a person involves himself or herself in one heavy drinking incident but that it may also happen from a constant infusion of alcohol in the blood stream.

In other words, while most instances of alcohol poisoning probably occur after a person has consumed significantly more than his or her body can metabolize during one drinking situation, it is also possible for a person who is a chronic alcohol abuser or an alcoholic to also experience an alcohol overdose due to excessive drinking over a period of time.

Alcoholism is a very hard disease from which to recover and it almost always requires treatment from professionals trained in alcohol dependency.  While some alcohol addicted individuals attempt to quit drinking on their own, try to go through the detox process at home, and try to get through the alcohol withdrawal symptoms at home, most of these alcoholics will be unsuccessful.  Serious diseases call for serious treatment and the best treatment for alcohol dependency is provided by professionals who are experts in the field of alcoholism.

The alcoholism and alcohol abuse research findings substantiate the fact that in rare situations, alcohol poisoning can be deadly.  Alcohol poisoning can be particularly problematic for adolescents who have a strong need to impress their friends with their drinking ability but who, because of their inexperience and youth, do not realize how hazardous and abusive drinking will affect their behavior, their mind, and their body.

And the part about an alcohol overdose that is most unfortunate is that all instances of alcohol poisoning are preventable if people could refrain from unhealthy and excessive drinking.

Apparently a lot of people do not realize that alcohol poisoning can happen to someone who gets intoxicated only once or twice per year.  In other words, if a person only gets drunk on his or her birthday, for example, he or she is still engaging in alcohol abuse.  And if the person has had significantly more alcohol than his or her liver can metabolize, he or she can experience an alcohol overdose.  And the worst part of this is that in rare circumstances, an alcohol overdose can be fatal.

The bottom line is this:  in order to avoid alcohol abuse or alcohol poisoning, a person needs to always drink in moderation or not al all.