Skeptic Friends Network

Username:
Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?
Home | Forums | Active Topics | Active Polls | Register | FAQ | Contact Us  
  Connect: Chat | SFN Messenger | Buddy List | Members
Personalize: Profile | My Page | Forum Bookmarks  
 All Forums
 Our Skeptic Forums
 Health
 The Facts About Marijuana
 New Topic  Reply to Topic
 Printer Friendly Bookmark this Topic BookMark Topic
Next Page
Author Previous Topic Topic Next Topic
Page: of 3

Ebone4rock
SFN Regular

USA
894 Posts

Posted - 05/17/2010 :  04:20:29  Show Profile Send Ebone4rock a Private Message  Reply with Quote
The other night at band practice my bass player found this little book from when he was in high school. I tried to find it on this new fangled internet thing but to no avail. It is filled with confused facts. Here is my favorite excerpt.

From "The Facts About Marijuana" by Mark S. Gold, M.D. 1992
The Gateway Effect
While all the evidence is not in on marijuana's long term effects, its continued use is a "hight risk factor" for other drug abuse.
Marijuana is now considered a classic "gateway drug," especially for teenagers. This means that its use, like the use of cigarettes, does lead to the use of other drugs. Recent nationwide polls revealed that 98 percent of all people who have tried cocaine have used marijuana; 92 percent of all people who have tried cocaine used marijuana first; 74 percent of adults who have tried marijuana one hundred times have tried cocaine; and 35 percent of cocaine useres, when polled in 1984, tried marijuana and cocaine together. (here comes my favorite stat) But 100 percent of non-marijuana users had not used cocaine in the month preceding the survey.


This book is hilarious.

Haole with heart, thats all I'll ever be. I'm not a part of the North Shore society. Stuck on the shoulder, that's where you'll find me. Digging for scraps with the kooks in line. -Offspring

Ricky
SFN Die Hard

USA
4907 Posts

Posted - 05/17/2010 :  04:47:49   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Send Ricky an AOL message Send Ricky a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Amazon has no record of him writing that book.

Why continue? Because we must. Because we have the call. Because it is nobler to fight for rationality without winning than to give up in the face of continued defeats. Because whatever true progress humanity makes is through the rationality of the occasional individual and because any one individual we may win for the cause may do more for humanity than a hundred thousand who hug their superstitions to their breast.
- Isaac Asimov
Go to Top of Page

Ebone4rock
SFN Regular

USA
894 Posts

Posted - 05/17/2010 :  05:38:13   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Ebone4rock a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by Ricky

Amazon has no record of him writing that book.

It was from when my bass player was in the D.A.R.E. program in high school. I found some newer thing by Mark S. Gold, MD doing a google search but not this particular one. It is more of a large pamphlet than an actual book.
I swear it is on my desk at home! I had to copy that excerpt the old fashion way....by typing it!

Haole with heart, thats all I'll ever be. I'm not a part of the North Shore society. Stuck on the shoulder, that's where you'll find me. Digging for scraps with the kooks in line. -Offspring
Go to Top of Page

Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend

Sweden
9688 Posts

Posted - 05/17/2010 :  09:52:30   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Send Dr. Mabuse an ICQ Message Send Dr. Mabuse a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by Ebone4rock

This book is hilarious.

In what way?

If the numbers aren't falsified, it makes sense that marijuana could be considered a gate way drug. The number of cocaine users are much less than the number of marijuana, so it's not surprising, but rather extpected. If you don't feel you get enough buzz, you step up.

I read about a survey (this has to be anecdotal evidence, since I cannot verify its correctness) that only 10% of all narcotics are used by people who abuse it, and are addicted to it. The remaining 90%, the bulk of the narcotics are used by people who don't get trapped in addiction.

If all those users who can quit without a problem did so, the narcotics market would collapse, making it nearly impossible for the abusers to feed their addiction.

Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3

"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse

Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder.
Go to Top of Page

Ebone4rock
SFN Regular

USA
894 Posts

Posted - 05/17/2010 :  10:17:56   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Ebone4rock a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by Dr. Mabuse

Originally posted by Ebone4rock

This book is hilarious.

In what way?

If the numbers aren't falsified, it makes sense that marijuana could be considered a gate way drug. The number of cocaine users are much less than the number of marijuana, so it's not surprising, but rather extpected. If you don't feel you get enough buzz, you step up.

I read about a survey (this has to be anecdotal evidence, since I cannot verify its correctness) that only 10% of all narcotics are used by people who abuse it, and are addicted to it. The remaining 90%, the bulk of the narcotics are used by people who don't get trapped in addiction.

If all those users who can quit without a problem did so, the narcotics market would collapse, making it nearly impossible for the abusers to feed their addiction.


It is hilarious because the book is filled with things like this
But 100 percent of non-marijuana users had not used cocaine in the month preceding the survey.


I really wish I could have found it somewhere on the internet so that you guys could read the whole thing. I'm all for keeping kids off drugs...but damnit...give'em straight facts.

Haole with heart, thats all I'll ever be. I'm not a part of the North Shore society. Stuck on the shoulder, that's where you'll find me. Digging for scraps with the kooks in line. -Offspring
Go to Top of Page

astropin
SFN Regular

USA
970 Posts

Posted - 05/17/2010 :  10:29:23   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send astropin a Private Message  Reply with Quote
In my experience it is not a gateway drug......then again my experience is limited.

I know plenty of people who use marijuana regularly but have never moved to anything "harder"

I would rather face a cold reality than delude myself with comforting fantasies.

You are free to believe what you want to believe and I am free to ridicule you for it.

Atheism:
The result of an unbiased and rational search for the truth.

Infinitus est numerus stultorum
Go to Top of Page

BigPapaSmurf
SFN Die Hard

3192 Posts

Posted - 05/17/2010 :  11:38:09   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send BigPapaSmurf a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Laughable as always, the one point they always ignore...92% coke users tried M first, how about ALCOHOL? 99.9% I'd bet.

"...things I have neither seen nor experienced nor heard tell of from anybody else; things, what is more, that do not in fact exist and could not ever exist at all. So my readers must not believe a word I say." -Lucian on his book True History

"...They accept such things on faith alone, without any evidence. So if a fraudulent and cunning person who knows how to take advantage of a situation comes among them, he can make himself rich in a short time." -Lucian critical of early Christians c.166 AD From his book, De Morte Peregrini
Go to Top of Page

Fripp
SFN Regular

USA
727 Posts

Posted - 05/17/2010 :  12:27:26   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Fripp a Private Message  Reply with Quote
IMO, the only reason that marijuana may be considered a "gateway" drug is that once someone breaks the law and buys pot, buying coke isn't that big a deal. Plus, people who buy/sell/use pot will most likely also have access to other drugs. When I was growing up, it was MUCH easier to buy pot, LSD, coke, etc... Ummm, at least that's what "someone" told me

Anyway, it was harder to get beer or liquor. Plus, it's far harder to transport/hide alcohol than a bag of pot, coke, LSD, mushrooms, etc.

"What the hell is an Aluminum Falcon?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought my Dark Lord of the Sith could protect a small thermal exhaust port that's only 2-meters wide! That thing wasn't even fully paid off yet! You have any idea what this is going to do to my credit?!?!"

"What? Oh, oh, 'just rebuild it'? Oh, real [bleep]ing original. And who's gonna give me a loan, jackhole? You? You got an ATM on that torso LiteBrite?"
Go to Top of Page

Ebone4rock
SFN Regular

USA
894 Posts

Posted - 05/17/2010 :  12:38:25   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Ebone4rock a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Heres what I want to know that they never tell you. What is the percentage of people who have tried marijuana that have also tried coke? They always go the other way around...No shit if you use coke you most likely tried pot. Duhhhhhhh........
They also never go into the fact that pot and coke are two very very different intoxicants.

Haole with heart, thats all I'll ever be. I'm not a part of the North Shore society. Stuck on the shoulder, that's where you'll find me. Digging for scraps with the kooks in line. -Offspring
Go to Top of Page

Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend

Sweden
9688 Posts

Posted - 05/17/2010 :  12:46:45   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Send Dr. Mabuse an ICQ Message Send Dr. Mabuse a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by Ebone4rock

Heres what I want to know that they never tell you. What is the percentage of people who have tried marijuana that have also tried coke? They always go the other way around...

Which was part of the point I tried to make in my post.

Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3

"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse

Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder.
Go to Top of Page

Ebone4rock
SFN Regular

USA
894 Posts

Posted - 05/17/2010 :  12:55:58   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Ebone4rock a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Did you know that 100% of heroin addicts have eaten a sandwich sometime in their lifetime. Eating sandwiches is the gateway to heroin addiction.

Haole with heart, thats all I'll ever be. I'm not a part of the North Shore society. Stuck on the shoulder, that's where you'll find me. Digging for scraps with the kooks in line. -Offspring
Go to Top of Page

Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend

Sweden
9688 Posts

Posted - 05/18/2010 :  09:07:50   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Send Dr. Mabuse an ICQ Message Send Dr. Mabuse a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Sandwiches aren't illegal mind-altering narcotics.

Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3

"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse

Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder.
Go to Top of Page

Dude
SFN Die Hard

USA
6891 Posts

Posted - 05/18/2010 :  10:00:34   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Dude a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by Dr. Mabuse

Sandwiches aren't illegal mind-altering narcotics.


Same can be said about marijuana.


Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson

"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin

Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth
Go to Top of Page

Ebone4rock
SFN Regular

USA
894 Posts

Posted - 05/18/2010 :  10:11:21   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Ebone4rock a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by Dr. Mabuse

Sandwiches aren't illegal mind-altering narcotics.


My point being that the use of statistics like
Recent nationwide polls revealed that 98 percent of all people who have tried cocaine have used marijuana

is exactly the same as my sandwich analogy.

If these people want to be more effective in their task of keeping kids off drugs they have to stop the bullshit. The only evidence for or against weed being a gateway drug would be to survey people and find out how many people who have used pot have also used coke. Maybe they did do that type of survey but they didn't get they answers the wanted so they used bullshit instead.

They shouldn't need to use bullshit. Obviously smoking weed is not the most healthy thing to do. Can't they gets real statistics on the adverse health effects?

Haole with heart, thats all I'll ever be. I'm not a part of the North Shore society. Stuck on the shoulder, that's where you'll find me. Digging for scraps with the kooks in line. -Offspring
Edited by - Ebone4rock on 05/18/2010 10:16:02
Go to Top of Page

astropin
SFN Regular

USA
970 Posts

Posted - 05/18/2010 :  10:25:26   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send astropin a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Originally posted by Ebone4rock

Heres what I want to know that they never tell you. What is the percentage of people who have tried marijuana that have also tried coke? They always go the other way around...No shit if you use coke you most likely tried pot. Duhhhhhhh........
They also never go into the fact that pot and coke are two very very different intoxicants.


I've tried marijuana....on many occasions. I have never tried coke.....or anything traditionally considered "harder" than marijuana.

I drink socially and keep beer in the fridge but I can't remember the last time I was drunk. In college I was drunk all the time but since leaving, it has been extremely rare.....could probably count the number on one hand. Graduated 20 years ago.

I would rather face a cold reality than delude myself with comforting fantasies.

You are free to believe what you want to believe and I am free to ridicule you for it.

Atheism:
The result of an unbiased and rational search for the truth.

Infinitus est numerus stultorum
Go to Top of Page

Ebone4rock
SFN Regular

USA
894 Posts

Posted - 05/18/2010 :  10:30:33   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Ebone4rock a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I've tried marijuana....on many occasions. I have never tried coke.....or anything traditionally considered "harder" than marijuana.

I bet that is what they found out in most cases so they had to twist the stats.
Ha! I am a conspiracy theorist now!

Haole with heart, thats all I'll ever be. I'm not a part of the North Shore society. Stuck on the shoulder, that's where you'll find me. Digging for scraps with the kooks in line. -Offspring
Go to Top of Page
Page: of 3 Previous Topic Topic Next Topic  
Next Page
 New Topic  Reply to Topic
 Printer Friendly Bookmark this Topic BookMark Topic
Jump To:

The mission of the Skeptic Friends Network is to promote skepticism, critical thinking, science and logic as the best methods for evaluating all claims of fact, and we invite active participation by our members to create a skeptical community with a wide variety of viewpoints and expertise.


Home | Skeptic Forums | Skeptic Summary | The Kil Report | Creation/Evolution | Rationally Speaking | Skeptillaneous | About Skepticism | Fan Mail | Claims List | Calendar & Events | Skeptic Links | Book Reviews | Gift Shop | SFN on Facebook | Staff | Contact Us

Skeptic Friends Network
© 2008 Skeptic Friends Network Go To Top Of Page
This page was generated in 0.14 seconds.
Powered by @tomic Studio
Snitz Forums 2000