T-Bill has it figured out, it’s about the money. I wonder how many people would quit cigarettes if pot was legal? I wonder how many would moderate their drinking if pot was legal?
2004 expenditures on pharmaceutical anxiolytics, sedatives and hypnotics totaled about 2.1 BILLION dollars, these are the drugs that marijuana would most likely be a direct replacement for. These are your valium, xanax type of drugs, marijuana also has possible applications in the replacement of many classes of anti-depressant and psychotherapeutic drugs, we spent 32.1 billion on these drugs in 04’
http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_f ... tat163.pdf
Throughout history, humans have sought chemical agents to ameliorate the effects of stress and attenuate feelings of discomfort, tension, anxiety, and dysphoria.
However, the toxic effects of these drugs have also been established, including various withdrawal syndromes, dependence, and tolerance.
Approximately 12.5% of the adult population uses a prescribed anxiolytic in the course of a year, while about 2% of the population takes one on any given day. More than half of these drugs, especially benzodiazepines, are prescribed by primary care physicians. In 1988, approximately 88 million prescriptions were written, most for emotional distress. Benzodiazepines are one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in this country.
High-dose withdrawal:Symptoms include anxiety, insomnia, postural hypotension, nausea, vomiting, tremor, incoordination, restlessness, blurred vision, sweating, hyperpyrexia, anorexia, seizures, and delirium. Severe dependence confers increased risk for medical complications, including death.
Other Problems to be Considered
Withdrawal syndromes
Delirium tremens and other alcohol-related syndromes
Pheochromocytoma
Thyrotoxicosis
Anxiety disorders
Psychotic illnesses
Anticholinergic or sympathomimetic drug overdoses
Schizophrenia
Seizure disorders
Mood disorders
Toxicity syndromes
Electrolyte, metabolic, or endocrine derangements
CNS structural or degenerative disorders
Cerebellar disease
Vasculitic or infectious disorders
Posttraumatic stress disorder
http://www.emedicine.com/MED/topic3119.htm
Who would self-prescribe a safe, natural sedative ( that would be dirt cheap or free), when you can pay a doctor and then a pharma. company big bucks for some chemicals that may seriously mess you up? This country is insane, and I’m fuckin’ losin’ my mind.
Perhaps the population would be less swayed to socialism if we had fewer examples of socialism from our "Free Market Capitalists". -----fiddler dave