Teens Huffed Inhalants Before Other Drugs

A study shows that twelve year-olds are more likely to have tried huffing than any other drug. The National Inhalant Prevention Coalition published startling results, finding that more 12-year-olds have huffed dangerous inhalants than have used marijuana, cocaine and hallucinogens combined. Teenagers have been known to huff, will breathe in the fumes of just about any chemical solvents or condensed gases to achieve the desired euphoria and disorientation. Getting one's hands on solvents like Dust Off are as easy for teenagers to acquire as it is for the chemicals to kill them. In many cases parents never expect that their children would be consuming these household chemicals that it often goes undetected, inevitably ending with the death of a child.

There is no way to drug test your kids to find out if they have been huffing. "Parents can't see the signs," said Rachelle Gardner, Fairbanks' director of adolescence. "It's not a long-lasting affect like with marijuana or alcohol. You can't see them drunk and you can't see them stoned". You have to be 18 to buy keyboard cleaners and other inhalants like them, which does have some effect and prevents some kids from getting their hands on the potentially dangerous chemicals. Kids still find a way and keyboard cleaner around the house should be locked up or at least out of sight.

Here are some signs that your child might be huffing:

• chronic sore throat
• runny nose
• moody
• exhausted

Huffing is extremely dangerous and every parent should be aware of the dangers. Teenagers are curious people, it would be a shame if their curiosity brought them harm. Legal household substances including: aerosol sprays, nail polish, gasoline and air conditioner refrigerant should be closely monitored according to 6News. Huffing is the most popular in the Mid West but it happens all over the country by countless teens who are not aware of the inherent dangers.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Mexican Cartels Are Not Playing Around and They Will Stop At Nothin

Mexican cartels have been ravaging the pristine forests that cover the vast state of California. Unlike anything that has ever been seen, the size of the cartels marijuana fields dwarf any fields planted by the residents of California. As the medical marijuana movement sweeps across the country the cartels have found a way to exploit the relaxed marijuana laws. Plant numbers are of no concern to the cartels who smuggle illegal immigrants into the country to tend 70,000 plant crops on public lands, which end up yielding 35 to 75,000 pounds of marijuana in one harvest. At the end of the day it makes financial sense for the cartels to grow marijuana in the United States, having the product already on this side of the border saves millions in transportation costs. When the marijuana is harvested the cartels can easily move the drug to every major city in the United States. California is finding that it simply does not have the manpower to police these activities.

Brent Wood, a supervisor for the California Department of Justice's Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement, said to the AP; "just like the Mexicans took over the methamphetamine trade, they've gone to mega, monster gardens". Methamphetamine production shifted across the border into Mexico a few years back when the United States cracked down on the availability of Pseudoephedrine, the main ingredient in Meth. The meth labs created in Mexico were larger than any ever attempted before, reminiscent of the scale of the guerrilla marijuana operations taking place in the States. The cartels are not playing around and they will stop at nothing to get what they desire - billions of dollars.

On top of trashing public lands, the cartels have been holding people hostage on the farms to work the land. The cartels find out where their workers' families are back in Mexico and use their loved ones as leverage to keep them working. "Many of the plots are encircled with crude explosives and are patrolled by guards armed with AK-47s who survey the perimeter from the ground and from perches high in the trees", according to an AP report. How are local authorities supposed to combat this growing threat?

L.A. City Council Passed Ordinance Restricting Dispensaries

The day of reckoning is upon the Los Angeles, California medical marijuana dispensaries. The L.A. City Council, after four years, has voted on and passed an ordinance mainly restricting the number of dispensaries in the area as well as requiring them to be located in industrial areas. "The ordinance caps the number of dispensaries at 70, but makes an exception for those that registered with the city clerk in 2007 and remain in their original locations or moved just once after their landlords were threatened with federal prosecution. City officials believe there are about 150 such dispensaries", according to the LA Times. Every action, as we know, has a reaction and that is exactly what advocates of medical marijuana had. The new ordinance will mark the beginning of years of lawsuits and red tape; which will inevitably turn into more chaos than before. People feel as though their rights are being violated and they're are being restricted from getting their "medicine".

The City Council has also placed restrictions that will end L.A.'s late-night pot scene. Dispensaries will now be required to close their doors at 8 p.m., no more consumption of marijuana will be allowed inside the "pot shops". One other interesting change will be where patients can acquire their "medicine", now patients will be designated to one collective; you will no longer be able to go to any dispensary you want. City Council hopes that the new controls will prevent dispensaries from making a profit. People in Los Angeles are concerned about the crime that dispensaries could potentially bring to their neighborhood. It is interesting that pharmacies, like Rite Aid and CVS, who have much stronger narcotics and are robbed regularly, are not restricted to industrial zones only. But, not much of anything related to medical marijuana makes much sense, perhaps it never will.

The next six months in Los Angeles County will be nothing short of a free-for-all. Dispensary owners will be scrambling to move their shops to designated safe zones, while other owners who will be forced to close their doors will be forced underground. The new ordinance may backfire on the city, when it finds that many people go back to selling marijuana illegally with no restrictions at all - like it was before the medical marijuana debate ever existed. We will certainly be following this story closely as the debate progresses - or digresses.

Here is an interesting video with Kevin Pereira interviews the Executive Director of Harborside Health Center regarding medical marijuana dispensaries and the Los Angeles City Council's new regulations.

Los Angeles City Council Voted Tuesday To Close Roughly 800 Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

Los Angeles has been at the forefront of the medical marijuana movement, with more dispensaries in one area than any other city or even state. People have become outraged by the plethora of dispensaries that have over taken their neighborhoods, popping up not far from where children are playing. California has been associated with having the most relaxed laws and being the easiest state to acquire a medical marijuana card - one only need say they require it and Voilà! The so-called "wild west" days of medical marijuana may be coming to an end here real shortly, the Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to close roughly 800 medical marijuana dispensaries throughout the city by passing the first reading of an ordinance which would force 75% of remaining dispensaries to relocate. There will be another vote on Tuesday because this week's vote was 11-3, which fell short of the 12-0 result that an ordinance needs to pass on the first reading.

"The ordinance sets new rules for dispensaries that council members hope will curtail the anything-goes environment that made Los Angeles the vivid epicenter of the money-fueled Green Rush that erupted when the Obama administration announced last year that it would no longer prosecute dispensaries adhering to California's medical marijuana laws", according to the LA Times. Not only will there be fewer dispensaries in LA, but, there will be much stricter laws regarding medical marijuana all together. The new law will put a stop to the late-night pot club scene and will require the dispensaries to close their doors at 8pm. No more smoking or consuming marijuana based products inside the dispensaries. On top of the new rules, dispensary owners will have to keep extensive records on their operations and are not allowed to make a profit; special police units will be put into place to force compliance.

The ordinance will limit the number of dispensaries to only 70. Exceptions will be made but there will surely be many dispensary owners who will try and fight back for their investment. Any dispensary registered under the moratorium and is still in business will be allowed to keep their doors open. It will be interesting to see the battle that ensues in the coming weeks regarding LA's dispensaries, after all, so goes Los Angeles so goes the nation with this debate - or so it seems.

"Thank You, and Some Corrections"

On December 17th, our post dealt with the State of Maine setting up their medical marijuana program. A few days later we received a comment on our post via Live Journal from Becky DeKeuster of Berkeley Patients Group. We would like to share her thoughts with you as we close out 2009. Next week we will be back to respond to Becky's comments.

Thank you, and some corrections
Greetings, and thank you for addressing the important work that Maine's medical cannabis task force is undertaking to ensure that qualified patients have safe access to medical cannabis there. In the interest of an open exchange of ideas and facts, I write to address some of the concerns you express in this posting, and to clarify certain inaccuracies therein.

First I must correct your statement that "The same people who are helping Maine set up a medical marijuana program are also trying to have full on legalization voted on in the next year in California." Berkeley Patients Group takes no official stand on legal or recreational use of cannabis, and has not contributed to the ballot initiative that California voters may vote on in 2010. To do so would in no way advance our mission, which is as follows:

"The mission of the Berkeley Patients Group is to provide the purest, most effective, and affordable medical cannabis along with integrated holistic health services. We create and maintain the standards of excellence for medical cannabis in all that we do. We foster a compassionate community that advances understanding and inspires action."

As we enter our second decade of operations, BPG is still guided by the vision of our founder Jim McClelland, who died of AIDS-related complications in 2000. To blur the bright line between legalized medical use and legalized adult use would be to do a disservice to Jim, and to the patients who rely on us for medicine, services, and support. We are expert at successful, legal dispensary operations. Legalization is not on our agenda.

My second point refers to the perception that "the west is a mess." If I had a do-over button I would not have used the "Wild West" metaphor in that media interview. It's an easy shorthand, but it paints an inaccurate picture of what is actually happening in western states with medical cannabis laws. (These include Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, Montana, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico.) Each of these states is dealing with implementation in its own way and each is facing various complexities.

It is important to keep in mind that these states are working separately because our federal government has so far refused to accept the findings of its own DEA Chief Administrative Law Judge Francis Young, who ruled in 1988 that "marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known." He further stated that "the provisions of the Controlled Substances Act permit and require the transfer of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II," and that "it would be unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious for the DEA to continue to stand between those sufferers and the benefits of this substance."

That being said, for the purposes of this comment I will limit my focus to California, which I suspect is the true target of the "wild west" concerns. Of course, the issues that L.A. is facing make for great media and so, unfortunately, those are the reports that the nation hears.

What is less often reported is that there are cities and counties in California where medical cannabis cultivation, dispensing, and use happen with reasonable oversight and without negative impact on local communities or patients. Oakland, San Francisco, Sebastopol, and Berkeley all come to mind as examples. These local governments early on implemented sensible regulations that allowed for, and put reasonable checks on, how patients, dispensaries, and communities can co-exist. And in the case of Berkeley, voters last year authorized a city commission to oversee dispensary operations and safety standards. In short, locales that allow for dispensary operations within clear, fair guidelines simply do not have the proliferation issues that we are seeing in the southern part of CA today. Because their programs are successful, because they work for their communities and don't make waves, they are not sensationalized in the media. The last media BPG received before this past Tuesday was an article in the Oakland Tribune about the City Council of Berkeley unanimously proclaiming our 10th birthday as "Berkeley Patients Group Day" in our city this year. [here is a link to the city's proclaimation "Berkeley Patients Group Day CA 2009" ]

I understand your call for cannabis to be treated as other pharmaceuticals. We have heard it again and again here in California--why can't they just have it in pharmacies? You can get synthesized THC in your local pharmacy, with a prescription. It's called Marinol, or Sativex. Patient responses, though, indicate a strong preference for the natural herbal form of the medicine, which can be self-titrated, and which offers a plethora of strains for the patient to choose from--and yes, scientists here, in Holland, and elsewhere are working hard to match specific strains to relief from specific ailments, and why. We know from our patients' anecdotal experience that various strains work best for different illnesses, but are currently working to link chemical components of each strain to the types of health issues that respond best to each strain. (Again, such research is taking place on a self-regulated basis and under considerable legal restraints, due to the federal government's refusal to address this important concept.) There are even four patients in the U.S. who receive 300 pre-rolled joints a month from the federal government itself, which operates a grow facility at a university in Mississippi.

So. Why can't we dispense it in pharmacies? Well, the folks who make Marinol would like that very much, but the patients say that THC compounded synthetically in a lab doesn't approach the efficacy of using whole plant medicine. Furthermore, cannabis is proven to be less lethal than aspirin. Yes, over the counter aspirin. In terms of patient needs, and taking into account societal impacts, this is not a medicine that requires Schedule I handling (also on Schedule I: heroin and fentanyl. Cocaine and meth are both Schedule II).

Finally, I want to say that I personally appreciate the work you do to help those with addictions to various substances. Your concerns about Maine's implementation of this law are understandable. However, it is especially vital for those in your profession to fully understand the facts about medical cannabis, and to consider Maine's law, and our advisory role, not as a threat but as an opportunity to learn more and to help debunk damaging myths about this substance. I would invite you to research more on the issues I have stated above, and to also consider the emerging role of medical cannabis as a valuable harm reduction tool.

Again, thank you for taking up this issue. I look forward to continued conversation with you as Maine crafts regulations that encourage safe access and sensible medical use standards.

Be well,

Becky DeKeuster
Berkeley Patients Group

Maine has Turned to California for Help Setting up a Medical Marijuana Program

Maine has turned to California for help setting up a medical marijuana program; the hope is that they will be able to implement what has worked well in the past. With over 10 years of experience in California they have had plenty of time to make mistakes and to have hopefully learned from them; considering that we are on the edge of what appears to be full on legalization in the next five years. Maine proceeds cautiously into this new territory, hopes to figure out a system that addresses both public safety and the needs of those recommended patients for marijuana. Maine is trying to avoid the craziness that exists out west, dispensaries opening and closing daily and it doesn't seem like any one really understands what is happening - in short the west has become a mess. A task force has been set up, "figuring out how many medical marijuana patients there are in Maine and how many distribution clinics or dispensaries are needed to serve them. At least one member of the panel said he's not sure if the state needs one, 10 or 50", according to ABC News. The task force is composed of 14 members, they will determine rules effective within 120 days; the task force hopes to be able to take every factor into account in order to give the voters exactly what they voted for. Becky DeKeuster, of the Berkeley Patients Group said, "This should not have a negative connotation. This is a medicine. This is essentially a pharmacy with a community center component in our model".

If marijuana is going to be considered a medicine then it needs to be held to the same standards as every other pharmaceutical, the same laws and restrictions should apply to weed as they do to Vicodin. There is no other way to make this a legitimate program, therein lies a huge problem with the legality of marijuana; some are trying to have a medicine and others are trying to have a recreational drug, like alcohol. The same people who are helping Maine set up a medical marijuana program are also trying to have full on legalization voted on in the next year in California. It is noteworthy that Maine is taking the time to create a successful program, but it seems like all of this is a slippery slope and no matter what, all the factors present cannot be addressed. "This task force is not going to be able to accomplish the dotting of every 'I' and the crossing of every 'T', but addressing the issues ahead of time is crucial so that you don't end up with a wild-west situation", DeKeuster said.

Measure To Legalize Pot May Be On California's November Ballot

California residents may find that they are casting their vote in November regarding the legalization of marijuana. The original consensus was that marijuana advocates would wait until 2012 to put it on the ballot, but, 680,000 people signed a petition in favor of legalization causing the timeline to speed up. Marijuana buzz is sweeping the country, as more and more states tarry with the idea of medical marijuana programs; it seems like with every passing month the snowball increases it size and moves faster towards all out legalization. These are big times in the United States, nothing like this has happened since Roosevelt's New Deal; when a country hits hard financial times then it is time to legalize something in order to bring in revenue. Or at least that has been the American way in the past, to make money on the addiction and suffering of others. On the surface it seems like California and America are heading in the right direction: smaller prison populations, less crime, generates tax revenue, pharmaceuticals, hemp, oil, paper, etc... The pros listed are certainly worth agreeing with, it is clear that marijuana does have benefits and could be utilized in number of ways. However, California may be heading down a slippery slope and could possibly bring the whole country with it.

Richard Lee, the measure's main proponent, said to the LA Times, "It was so easy to get them, People were so eager to sign". Richard Lee has already invested over a million into the campaign, he owns a dispensary and a marijuana college called Oaksterdam in Oakland, California. "The initiative would allow cities and counties to adopt laws to allow marijuana to be grown and sold, and to impose taxes on marijuana production and sales. It would make it legal for anyone who is at least 21 to possess an ounce of marijuana and grow plants in an area of no more than 25 square feet for personal use", according to the LA Times. Medical marijuana has completely shifted how we look at marijuana in the United States, opening the door to all out legalization talks such as this; it appears at this point that the pro-marijuana campaign is having more success than those against it.

We are still a year out from the polls and naturally a lot will take place between now and then. It is still anyone's guess! What we can be certain of is that money will end having the final say in this debate. As with most political battles, those who spend the most have the best chance of passing something - even if it is the worst possible thing. In many people's eyes marijuana is already legal because it is so easy to get a recommendation to use cannabis. If this trend keeps up, marijuana and alcohol will be in the same class. My only hope is that addiction is considered in the debates and the public is made aware of the implications of legalizing an illicit drug.

California Medical Marijuana Is Doping Our Youth

Marijuana is being used to help treat Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with children in California, has medical marijuana gone too far? This is one of those things that is a question of ethics and certainly needs to be addressed before there is a catastrophe. In 1999 California voters passed a law which allowed doctors to recommend cannabis for medical use, including minors. A seventeen year old with leukemia is a far cry from a twelve year old with ADHD. In California Marijuana can be recommended "for any ... illness for which marijuana provides relief". It has been known for a long time that marijuana inhibits focusing and motivation, how marijuana could be considered useful for ADHD is beyond me; the Washington Times reports, "ADHD is described as a neurological disorder that prevents children from focusing on a specific task. In essence, people with ADHD have difficulty with self-regulation and self-motivation, owing to problems with distractibility, organization and prioritization".

In the United States we are guilty of over-medicating our children and as a result our children suffer. With 14 million Adderall prescriptions last year it is obvious that we are too quick to medicate. Now we are drifting into the world of alternative medications like marijuana to fix our problems with out doing all the research. There needs to be a certain level of digression by doctors when recommending marijuana, otherwise we will be fueling addiction throughout our youth. "What they don't realize is that marijuana use during childhood and the early-teen years produces significantly different effects than marijuana use later in life. The behaviors exhibited by introducing tetrahydrocannabinol -- the active ingredient in marijuana -- to the brain are similar to those demonstrated by alcohol consumption", reports the Washington Times.

We need to start getting real with ourselves regarding the benefits of medical marijuana. Its uses are limited and do not apply to everyone, it has side-effects that have no place in a child's life. If marijuana is going to be legal it needs to be treated like every other prescription drug and be held up to the same scrutiny. We wouldn't give Oxycontin to a child for a hang nail!

Cannabis Could Help Combat Substance Abuse

A new study at the University of California, Berkeley showed interesting results regarding marijuana and what it could be used for. The study showed that many people are using marijuana to keep themselves from drinking alcohol or doing other illicit drugs. It seems counter intuitive to use a drug to stay off other drugs, but, in these studies researchers have found that cannabis could help combat substance abuse. The study consisted of a 350 cannabis users at a cannabis dispensary the Berkeley Patient's Group. Out of the 350 patients, 40 percent claimed that marijuana helped control their alcohol. 66 percent of the group used cannabis as an alternative to prescription drugs and 26 percent used it to replace hard drugs like heroin and cocaine. These findings are rather alarming but not surprising, addicts have been substituting one drug for another for a long time; marijuana may be less harmful than other drugs but the disease is still present and thriving.

There is no question that marijuana is a better alternative than a lot of different chemicals out there, but, the disease of addiction is being fed by smoking weed and a person's problems are far from being dealt with. Amanda Reiman heads up this study and feels that marijuana could be an effective treatment for other addictions; she may be right, as far as the detoxification process goes. However, this proposed treatment method will not show the addict a better way of life, just another way to blanket one's problems. Marijuana may be an effective medication for certain ailments, I'm not sure that the disease of addiction is one of them.

We can be sure that all the new studies that are taking place will generate the need for more research into the medical benefits of cannabis. The times are changing with regard to marijuana and its new found acceptance, according to Reiman, The Independent reports: "The economic hardship of the Great Depression helped bring about the end of alcohol prohibition. Now, as we are again faced with economic struggles, the US is looking to marijuana as a potential revenue generator. Public support is rising for the legalization of recreational use and remains high for the use of marijuana as a medicine".

Is Marijuana an Illegal Drug or a Medicine?

Iowans have been turning to marijuana for their medical ailments despite their Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley's opinion. Grassley, who recently is working to prohibit all discussion regarding medical marijuana in a bill to amend drug policy. However, the citizens of Iowa have a different opinion and many are pulling to have medical marijuana legalized. According to the Iowa AP, "opponents claim marijuana is already the state's most abused drug and the problem will only worsen if it's allowed for medical use". A lot of people still hold on to and are not willing to let go of the idea that marijuana is the gateway drug that leads to the abuse of all other drugs. However, that idea has come under serious debate in the last few years and doctors are professing the medical benefits of marijuana; alcohol is generally considered more damaging then marijuana these days.

"The Iowa Board of Pharmacy has held four hearings in recent months to seek scientific evidence and testimony on the topic. That review could lead to a recommendation to state lawmakers whether to change Iowa laws", stated the Iowa AP. More people in Iowa are speaking out for legalization than there are against it; very few people have expressed their opposition which is kind of surprising to many people. Thirteen states are now allowing the use of medical marijuana, very few states have set up dispensaries as of this point but more are expected to pop up in the near future.

The fact still remains that marijuana is addictive and affects the brain and lungs in a negative way. Will legalizing medical marijuana send out the wrong message to young people? Medical marijuana use could very possibly spike addiction rates in the coming months and that data will give people a better idea of the societal effects of medical marijuana. Before any kind of decision in Iowa is made, Dr. Ron Herman the director of the University of Iowa's Drug Information Network said, more research is needed.

2008 Zogby Poll - Three Out of Four Americans said the War on Drugs is Failing

Is it time to reform our criminal justice system and how we fight the war on drugs? Let's face it, our criminal justice system has a fatal flaw and as a result people are imprisoned needlessly all in the name of America's "War on Drugs". It is unacceptable that the United States has 5 percent of the world's population, but houses 25 percent of the world's prisoners. The majority of those prisoners are low level offenders generally incarcerated because of drugs; half of federal prisoners and 21 percent of state prisoners are locked up because of something drug related. Perhaps it is time for rational debate on drug policy, that's what the Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) seek. In a 2008 Zogby poll, three out of four Americans said the war on drugs is failing.


Overall, Congress is afraid to address the drug war subject because it can be political suicide; the lack of involvement has allowed this problem to fester and now we have a criminal justice nightmare. "Sen. Jim Webb, a Virginia Democrat, and 35 other senators are sponsoring the National Criminal Justice Commission Act (NCJCA) to establish a blue ribbon commission to review our criminal justice system", reports the Desmoines Register. Sen. Chuck Grassley wants, regarding the bill, to prohibit any discussion or examination of the possibility that drugs, including medical marijuana, should be decriminalized or legalized despite there being evidence that removing prohibition could help out the criminal justice system and help fight the cartels.


More and more people are arguing that if any real change is going to happen with the criminal justice system in America it will start with changing how we fight the war on drugs. We have to ask ourselves what the cost of this war is, and why people who belong in drug treatment are ending up in prison. Prison is no place for a low level drug offender, and those are the people the war on drugs is targeting. If we spent as much time on going after the cartel as we did individual drug addicts perhaps we would see some positive developments. It does not seem like we can afford to ignore any suggestions, even if they involve some form of legalization, as long as it can help.

Senator Webb Introduces Bill to Overhaul America's Criminal Justice System Video. While this video is almost 10 minutes long, Senator Webb eloquently addresses the issues discussed above.

More Young Teens are Using Alcohol and Marijuana

The California Healthy Kids Survey was released on Monday showing that more young teens are using alcohol and marijuana in Santa Cruz County. More young people believe that alcohol is harmful but that is not deterring them from drinking; teens are smoking more pot believing that it is not harmful, how could it be - it's medicine. The laws in California and fourteen other sates allowing the use of medical marijuana have created an ideology that marijuana is in no way harmful. There is evidence that there are medical benefits to weed, there needs to be a way to produce and distribute the drug without sending out the wrong message to the young and impressionable. "Bill Manov, the director of Alcohol and Drug Services for the county's Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, thinks it's good news that more teens are perceiving alcohol as dangerous because it could lead to a decrease in future drinking habits. And although he said there's a pretty widespread acceptance of marijuana in Santa Cruz, he said he is still alarmed at the upward trend of use among children", reports San Jose Mercury News. Here are the reported statistics:

• Thirty-six percent of high school freshmen countywide who were surveyed in February say they've been very drunk or sick from alcohol, up from 29 percent in 2005. Sixteen percent of seventh-grade students report binge drinking, up from 10 percent in 2005.

• More freshmen report thinking that alcohol is harmful or extremely harmful, which is up seven percent from 2005.

• Twenty-six percent of freshmen who took the survey report having used marijuana in the last 30 days, as opposed to 18 percent in 2005. Half of juniors say they've tried the drug.

• Cigarette use increased three or four percentage points for high school students since 2007.

• Six percent more said they think frequent use of cigarettes is harmful.

• About a third of seventh grade students are overweight or at-risk, though those numbers drop to 29 percent in ninth grade and 23 percent in 11th grade.

• More than 75 percent of seventh- and ninth-grade students still break a sweat for 20 minutes three times a week.

Fewer teenagers are exercising and more of them are partying. Habits in all different forms are popping up at alarming rates; young people are not as healthy as they were in the past for a number of reasons. About two hours of every young person's day is spent in front of the television. "Idle hands are the devil's workshop", the message is being sent that it is alright to get high and drink. Alcohol and marijuana may be sitting next to each other at the store one day very soon. America needs to tread lightly in figuring out the best way to implement medical marijuana.

The War on Drugs Conference is Leaning Towards Legalization

If the United States were to legalize marijuana it would cripple the Mexican drug cartels severely. At least that is the hope and belief of the panelists at the War on Drugs conference last Tuesday. This idea is not a new one, and there are a lot of people who concur that the legalization of marijuana would financially devastate the cartels. The conference lasted two days and was held in El Paso, Texas. El Paso has now become the front line in this war due to its close proximity to Juarez. They evaluated America's War on Drugs over the last four decades; the major topic of discussion was regarding the pros and cons of legalization. William Martin, a sociology professor at Rice University who studies drug abuse and government policy believes that if marijuana were sold legally, as a controlled product, it might keep smokers away from other harder drugs. "If you are not going to a dealer to buy marijuana, you are less likely to go after harder drugs," states Martin. The War on Drugs conference is leaning towards legalization.

There was a reoccurring theme throughout the entire conference, panelist after panelist stated that America was as much to blame for the violence in Juarez as the Mexican government. The war being fought is over keeping Mexican drugs out of the United States, but, the majority of blood being spilled is Mexico's. According to the El Paso Times, "now that Mexico is trying to rid itself of the drug cartels that have killed thousands of people in the past 20 months, the United States should have an honest debate about drug policies that have done nothing to lessen demand, panelists said". We cannot continue to pretend that the U.S. is in anyway stemming the tide. Many politicians do not even want to broach the subject of legalization for the fear of their voters who are against it.

Nevertheless, drastic action needs to be taken if the killings are going to stop. Maybe, legalization would help? Maybe not? The United States and Mexico have a common enemy. It will take a joint effort to defeat this monster; cartels have become too powerful for the Mexican government to tackle this problem - they have tried and failed at the cost of many lives. In the past eight years the United States has devoted itself to foreign affairs, perhaps it is time to do some work at home. Marijuana is an addictive drug with negative side effects, but, we have to ask ourselves if prohibition is doing more harm than good. The Mexican border is becoming like Chicago in the 1930's and that is unacceptable on so many levels. When the War on Drugs conference is saying "Legalize", perhaps they have figured out something that might work - nothing else has.

The Battle Continues over the "Marijuana Question" in California

The battle continues over the "Marijuana Question" in California, which will decide whether legalization will do more harm than good. Next year's election in California will be centered on whether a 14 billion dollar a year black market drug will be legalized. Ballot measures are already being put forward by different groups as well as a bill by Assembly Member Tom Ammiano, a San Francisco Democrat, that would legalize and tax the drug. In the coming months there will be a heated battle between the "right" and "left"; there is a good chance that the Mexican cartels will not stay out of the fight for the fact that they have a lot to lose if marijuana is legalized.

Federal drug czar Gil Kerlikowske, who is against legalization, said a few weeks ago, "We will wait for evidence on whether smoked marijuana has any medicinal benefits - those aren't in." Just last week in Fresno Kerlikowske made the statement that, "Marijuana is dangerous and has no medicinal benefit." It would seem that the drug czar has more of a complaint regarding the method in which marijuana is used, rather than whether it is used at all. This brings up an important point, how marijuana in used makes a big difference with regard to heath risks; anything foreign that human beings inhale will have negative side effects. I do not think it is possible for the state to regulate the manner it which weed is used!

Medical marijuana started about ten years ago in California for people with disorders and sicknesses, now, pot-activists want it to be legal for everyone in the state. All of this is starting to look like a recipe for disaster; if marijuana is legalized for adults over the age of twenty one what will be in place to stop children from getting the drug? It will be easy to get for children and teenagers, which without a doubt will ultimately lead to a rise in drug addiction state-wide. It does not seem like this problem can be helped, if 14 billion is being made under the government's nose already, it's pretty clear that once they legalize it they won't be able to control it. Sure some extra money might be made in taxes which obviously wouldn't hurt, but, it seems that everything is moving too quickly for this plan to be put into practice effectively. The country is in need of revenue and this has led to a number of poorly thought out plans to make that happen. I am looking forward to seeing which way this battle goes and I am curious about your thoughts regarding the subject.

If Marijuana Is Legal, Will Addiction Rise?

Marijuana legalization has been a hot button topic for many years and is one that has serious implications. America's prohibition on "Weed" has many people wondering if legalization would do more good than the current laws have done. If Marijuana is legal, will addiction rise? I have found many great arguments on both sides of the table, this topic is one that should be discussed in depth for the fact that the question at hand is an American problem; more Marijuana is consumed in the US per capita than any other country. I can see positives and negatives for the legalization of Marijuana, I am attempting to get the conversation started on this delicate subject.

I do believe the question at hand is one that most adults have asked themselves at one point or another, whether or not legalization would do more good than criminalization has? The argument that "Pot" is just like every other illegal drug does not hold as much water as it used to. That is the danger with putting all illegal drugs in the same category for the fact that it is simply illegal raises social stigmas with the uninformed; which, in turn, has impacted how the government treats people who have dealings with Marijuana. The writing is on the wall and whether or not we choose to read it greatly affects us as a nation. In many cases trying Marijuana in America has been a right of passage since the 60's, the amount of people who continue to smoke marijuana is very low. A very small percentage of all that have tried "weed" continue smoking it on a regular basis; most people become social smokers, meaning they can take it or leave it. The small group of people that smoke daily are more than likely people with addictive personalities and perhaps the disease of addiction. Norm Stamper, who was Seattle's police chief from 1994 to 2000 said in a New York Times Article, "Any law disobeyed by more than 100 million Americans, the number who've tried marijuana at least once, is bad public policy. As a 34-year police veteran, I've seen how marijuana prohibition breeds disrespect for the law, and contempt for those who enforce it... Let's make policy that helps, not handcuffs, those who suffer ill effects of marijuana or other drugs, a policy that crushes the illegal market - the cause of so much violence and harm to users and non-users alike."

With the economy spiraling out of control and doctors stating that Marijuana is no more harmful or addictive than alcohol, many people argue that legalization could be one of the answers to boosting the economy. People have been growing, selling, and smoking Marijuana despite strict laws right here in the United States; legalizing it and putting government control over the substance would allow it to be taxed, thus decreasing the black market activity exponentially. Is it a coincidence that the many of the banks in America with liquid money are in Northern California? A professor at the University of Washington, Roger Roffman, believes this could be done one of two ways. "Surveys indicate increasingly positive attitudes in the U.S. for liberalizing marijuana policies. Two ways of doing this are: (1) legalization, which would involve lawful cultivation and sale of marijuana, and (2) decriminalization, which would retain criminal penalties for cultivation and sale while removing them for possession of small amounts."

Many who have experimented with Marijuana have suffered greatly, but not necessarily regarding their health. Legal policies have, in some cases, done more damage to a person's life than the side-effects of the drug. "I support finding alternatives to criminal penalties for marijuana possession. Those penalties have costs (being jailed, having a criminal record, barriers to employment, loss of scholarships, to name a few) and may accomplish little in deterring use."(Roger Roffman) Justification for this level of punishment has yet to be seen, nor has any good argument been clearly stated for why Marijuana is illegal and not Alcohol or Cigarettes. Why?

In this post I have tried to present a non-biased view of a subject that is at the forefront of social politics. I am not sure what the right answer to this problem is, if any at all; what I do know is that change needs to be considered regarding Marijuana policy in America. If legalization does come to fruition, policy makers need to be careful in the way it is done; there would need to be stringent rules in the way it is marketed and the way it is distributed. I do believe Americans can find a way to meet in the middle on this subject but it will take people on both sides being honest and realistic in the way we proceed. The idea is to lower drug related crimes and keep our children educated and informed of the possibility of addiction with Marijuana and all drugs for that matter. What we don't want is people getting rich off "pushing" the disease of addiction, that is promoting a product that can be addictive, as the cigarette marketers did for so many years. "Telling marketers they can get rich by creating disease is dangerous." - Mark A.R. Kleiman, Professor of Public Policy at U.C.L.A.

Our Whiteside Manor Blog seeks to be topical in the areas of addiction and recovery. As California considers new law, let us know your thoughts on this important subject...

In the meantime, I invite you to watch Dr. Nancy Snyderman of NBC News, as she discusses with a panel "Should Marijuana be Legal?"

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