Royale with Cheese Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 There's one thing that I keep thinking about when reading this thread: a client of mine (unfortunately) who went to college and studied physics. He was brilliant in high school and smoked pot. Great parents. While at college he continued to smoke weed but began to dabble in other things (smoking weed, then crack cocaine, then the heroin). Next thing I know, he crashes into a few cars one night because he is unconscious. The cops revive him and he goes to inpatient where he graduates and is discharged. I get a great deal for him all ready to go to court and I get a call that he crashed into another person's garage because he collapsed behind the wheel on heroin again (not two weeks after being discharged). Another client of mine smoked a lot of weed since high school...same idea. Arranged for a great deal for him on a reckless driving charge and took the plea. He moved out of state and just heard that he was arrested on a felony charge for distribution in NC. I guess I see the bad side of marijuana use more and more as opposed to the cool, chill, relaxed college kids enjoying it (which, again, I really don't mind and didn't mind when I was that age). The more cases I see, the more I'm convinced it is a gateway type drug that drives the user to find a better/more dramatic "high" (leading to heroin, crack, pills, etc). I understand not all recreational users will follow that gateway into bad drugs, but some do. Alcohol is more of a gateway drug than marijuana according to these studies. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/01/06/the-real-gateway-drug-thats-everywhere-and-legal/?utm_term=.39179c2e0bfc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 I'm not sure the percentage of people that try marijuana and then escalate is any greater than the percentage of people that pop a perscription drug and then escalate. In fact, I'd venture that the opposite is true. The percentage of people that experiment with OXY or Vicodin and then get into heroin is likely greater than the percentage of people that go from weed to heroin. You skipped a step...how did they get to Vicodin and Oxy? My point is, probably by starting with something less potent and wanting to increase that effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royale with Cheese Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 You skipped a step...how did they get to Vicodin and Oxy? My point is, probably by starting with something less potent and wanting to increase that effect. Yes like alcohol.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teef Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 You skipped a step...how did they get to Vicodin and Oxy? My point is, probably by starting with something less potent and wanting to increase that effect. people who have never taken an illegal drug in their lives often take opioids as their first narcotic. it's dangerous, and legally prescribed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatorbait Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 You skipped a step...how did they get to Vicodin and Oxy? My point is, probably by starting with something less potent and wanting to increase that effect. A doctor probably prescribed it to them. 50,000 people die a year from opiates in this country. Imagine if some of them could be prescribed cannabis for their pain instead of opiates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teef Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 Alcohol is more of a gateway drug than marijuana according to these studies. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/01/06/the-real-gateway-drug-thats-everywhere-and-legal/?utm_term=.39179c2e0bfc honestly, i've tried a lot of different stuff. almost always i was drunk, and figured it would be a good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWATeam Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 You skipped a step...how did they get to Vicodin and Oxy? My point is, probably by starting with something less potent and wanting to increase that effect. Their doctor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royale with Cheese Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 people who have never taken an illegal drug in their lives often take opioids as their first narcotic. it's dangerous, and legally prescribed. And extremely addictive. I hate pills....really hate them. When a doctors describes them for me for whatever my pain is....I just don't pick it up. I'll deal with the pain or might use something else to help ease it. Their doctor? This literally made me chuckle out loud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Jackson Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 You skipped a step...how did they get to Vicodin and Oxy? My point is, probably by starting with something less potent and wanting to increase that effect. Prescribed it for an injury? I've had those prescribed to me a few times. There are a lot of ways that you can end up with pain pills. They aren't hard to get your hands on. Alcohol is the other one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4_kidd_4 Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 people who have never taken an illegal drug in their lives often take opioids as their first narcotic. it's dangerous, and legally prescribed. Case in point, my father-in-law and his GF. Never drank a drop, never took a puff. Both prescribed opiods for pain a few years ago, they are now both hooked and both absolute messes. It's sad. He's a 'Nam vet, motorhead kinda guy. Was always working in the garage or the yard, or showing up at our place to randomly tune up the ride-on or some other such retired guy futzing. These days? It's scary how hooked they are. We didn't know what was happening at first, but started going down the checklist of addiction. They hit every bullet point. They are completely different people now. It all started with a legal prescription. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 I'm opposed to people getting high "because they can" and then effing up innocent people's lives. Eff up your own life, I don't care. I get tired of seeing the poor decisions of others destroy innocent people. Strengthen DUI laws, streamline testing procedures. ..you will have me on board. None of that is being advocated for by legalization proponents. They just want to get high, and damn everything else. It's a very a irresponsible perspective. Hiding behind medical mj just exacerbates the issue, to me. Fair enough, though smoking is not an automatic ticket to ruining your life. A lot of successful people use pot responsibly. Testing is tough because there is no no weed breathelyzer right now. The main reason for legalization is the billions of dollars going into the black market. Legal weed pulls that money back into the legal economy and allows for proper regulation. And legal weed has not created a rush of new smokers. The same people who smoke now are buying from stores and paying tax on it instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royale with Cheese Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 In my area growing up, the first drugs the kids would do was cigarettes, then alcohol, then pills....that's where it started. Pills got to become a little bit of a problem because the would crush them and snort it. We of course had the stereotypical MJ crowd but it wasn't as popular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheElectricCompany Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rant_and_go Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 You gonna kill Anheuser Busch and the Coors guy too ? If we're going to let adults make their own decisions to get high, and let adult make their own decisions to addict their friends and neighbors on drugs, we should let adults decide if they want to live with drug dealers. You can't claim oppression, then run and hide behind it when a lot of people come at you for ruining their lives. Bartenders getting rich ruining people's lives are not that much better. I wouldn't order anyone to do it, but I wouldn't get in the way of other people driving them out. A lot better than giving crack dealers free reign and letting police act as their bodyguards like some narco state. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royale with Cheese Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 If we're going to let adults make their own decisions to get high, and let adult make their own decisions to addict their friends and neighbors on drugs, we should let adults decide if they want to live with drug dealers. You can't claim oppression, then run and hide behind it when a lot of people come at you for ruining their lives. Bartenders getting rich ruining people's lives are not that much better. I wouldn't order anyone to do it, but I wouldn't get in the way of other people driving them out. A lot better than giving crack dealers free reign and letting police act as their bodyguards like some narco state. I was a bartender for about 5 years....I wasn't much better than a drug dealer? You're being for real about this too aren't you? Gambling also can ruin lives....I guess if you see a Jack Black dealer, it should be legal to put a bullet in their head? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teef Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 And extremely addictive. I hate pills....really hate them. When a doctors describes them for me for whatever my pain is....I just don't pick it up. I'll deal with the pain or might use something else to help ease it. This literally made me chuckle out loud. i've taken vicodin before, and it really doesn't do anything for me...for pain or recreational use. i just feel dopey and tired. when i've taken it for my back, i'm dopey and still in pain. i'd much prefer to take ibuprofen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 In my area growing up, the first drugs the kids would do was cigarettes, then alcohol, then pills....that's where it started. Pills got to become a little bit of a problem because the would crush them and snort it. We of course had the stereotypical MJ crowd but it wasn't as popular. You mean they weren't prescribed by a doctor? That's weird. How did those kids get them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4_kidd_4 Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 All them rich bartenders out there had better look out! "Just gimme a Miller Lite and a reason, 'Moneybags'!!!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royale with Cheese Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 You mean they weren't prescribed by a doctor? That's weird. How did those kids get them? It was either prescribed or they got it from someone illegally. They would crush Xanax as well that was prescribed. Since we're talking early teens, they illegally got alcohol and cigarettes too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teef Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 Case in point, my father-in-law and his GF. Never drank a drop, never took a puff. Both prescribed opiods for pain a few years ago, they are now both hooked and both absolute messes. It's sad. He's a 'Nam vet, motorhead kinda guy. Was always working in the garage or the yard, or showing up at our place to randomly tune up the ride-on or some other such retired guy futzing. These days? It's scary how hooked they are. We didn't know what was happening at first, but started going down the checklist of addiction. They hit every bullet point. They are completely different people now. It all started with a legal prescription. this really is too bad to hear. it's a massive problem. i can prescribe narcotics, so i recently had to take a mandatory 3 hour course. they opened the course by showing us a video from 20/20, where a girl states she became a hardcore addict after having her wisdom teeth out. she states the doctor gave her a month supply of percocet which caused her addiction. i have a couple of problems with that because there's zero reason to prescribe narcotics for a month for a procedure like that, and the girl was 16. where were her parents monitoring it. that being said, nys has done a pretty good job controlling how narcotics are prescribed. it's all electronic and recorded. to call something in over the phone is an act of god. on top of that, before the prescription is sent in, we have to reference a website where we can see if the patient was given narcotics anywhere else. this stops the classic pill shopping, and has greatly cut down on abuse. i've even heard of the state going after clinicians who have a history of heavy drug prescribing. they take it very seriously now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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