Pubdate: Mon, 29 Nov 2010
Source: North County Times (Escondido, CA)
Copyright: 2010 North County Times
Contact: http://www.nctimes.com/app/forms/letters/index.php
Website: http://www.nctimes.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1080
Author: Suzy Ryan
Note: Suzy Ryan lives and teaches in Carlsbad.
Referenced: Previous Column http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n000/a062.html
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/opinion.htm (Opinion)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/Proposition+19

JUMPING OUT OF THE PAN

I confess that I braced myself for the backlash from my last column, 
on Proposition 19, the bid to legalize marijuana that was defeated 
Nov. 2 by California voters. While surveying other's opinions to 
legalize marijuana, I found mostly respectful dialogue.

One dissident, "Always Right" writes, "Demonizing marijuana as a 
'gateway drug' is humorous. And if you check with the private and 
public drug rehab facilities, you'll find that marijuana is way 
behind other drugs like heroin, meth and, the big winner, alcohol."

He's right about the alcohol. A pastor from Green Oak Ranch in Vista 
who ministers to drug and alcohol abusers said, "I've been to more 
funerals in the last nine years. And the majority of them were caused 
by alcohol."

"Always Right" further comments, "Alcohol is truly the gateway drug 
that is accepted in our culture and accepted by high school parents 
as a part of growing up (wink, wink). 'As long as my kid doesn't drive!'"

I emphatically agree. Parents are hypocritical to ignore their 
teenagers' alcohol use. Many turn a blind eye to this destructive 
drug of choice. Since I grew up in a family that used alcohol and 
drugs, I know liquor captures unsuspecting people of all ages. Mark 
Nordquist, former professional football player, argues, "Yes, alcohol 
is a bomb in the street for our children. But why would we throw 
marijuana, another explosive, into traffic for them to play with, too?"

Where "Always Right" and I part ways is about pot not being a gateway 
drug. I disagree. Unfortunately, I grew up dodging drugs because I 
saw what they did to my 18-year-old brother. I don't know if he 
started with alcohol, but he did smoke pot. Then he graduated to 
cocaine, and while high on it, killed himself. Were the drugs the 
reason he committed suicide? No, many other red-flag issues 
contributed to his self-destruction. But I know the drugs didn't do 
him any favors.

With my highly addictive family background, I decided never to put an 
illegal drug into my body. Unfortunately, friends and family members 
ridiculed me for refusing to take drugs. They even tried to sneak 
drugs into my food. It seems that many users want others to join them 
because it validates their drug use.

Hopefully, the public knows that the Prop. 19 sequel is a con. It's 
like placing a frog in tap water. If you slowly heat the water to a 
boil, the frog will won't hop out. He will boil to death and never 
even know he's dying.

With this subtle push to change public opinion about weed, 
Californians should jump out of the pan - before the water's too hot to escape. 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake