Letters to the Editor
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Well, it depends.
I'm a recovering heroin addict (never got much out of pot, personally, but then, enjoying myself was never really my personal goal when it came to drug use) and the general rule of thumb in the recovery community, at least where I come from, is that use of a chemical substance becomes a problem when it has a negative effect on your life. If the mother in this situation is not experiencing any negative effects from her pot use (I mean, aside from her son bitching at her about her use), then there's probably not a problem with it.
That said, however, I have personally met and known many fellow, recovering addicts who ended up in detox, rehab, and NA/AA because of his or her addiction to marijuana. Yes, these people were in primarily because of good ol' Mary Jane. These weren't alcoholics or cokeheads who also just happened to toke up. People do get addicted to it, and people do suffer negative consequences in their lives as a result of its use. It's a chemical substance, and just like any other chemical substance, it can be abused. If people are not abusing it (which, as I've mentioned, mainly becomes a problem when one suffers negative consequences from its use), then no big deal, other than the obvious adverse health effects. But please don't suffer under the delusion that it's not addictive and that it doesn't possess the potential to ruin peoples' lives just like any other chemical substance taken for all the wrong reasons.
(And no, I was never a prostitute or a street kid. Well-educated people with university degrees, great careers, and who had a good upbringing by wonderful parents can become addicts too.)
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o l j b on Bob Saget
o l j b, Bob Saget did say 'I suck dick for coke' but it was a line from the movie "Half Baked".
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P.S.
My apologies if my response came off as preachy or condescending in any way (that's so not me). I don't think it did, but just in case....
Oh, and to those who mentioned the behaviors surrounding drug use as being key to whether one becomes addicted or not: I couldn't agree more. The substance itself is largely irrelevant.
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Hey MacK ...
All mental experiences are by their very nature subjective, whether intiated by cannabis or spinning around very fast. No experiences transcend their own subjectivity except in imagination, which is, of course, subjective.
Nothing really to say about the moralistic arguments pro-con going on here. Same old same old, really.
"We are such stuff
As dreams are made on and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep..."--Shakespeare, The Tempest (IV, i, 156-157)
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15 Year Old should get a grip
Well if MOM were a DC whore, or a crackpipe or line addict, or a whiskey sniffer, well then yeah-
But a little ole weed monkey?
Could be worse kid, could be much worse-
Maybe get her a vaporizer as a gift, and a few couch sessions alone, and with U
:♥)
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Selfish mom
I was compelled to write a letter, because I was in a similar situation growing up. From my experience I believe the kid is not being manipulative, the kid is scared for what may happen to the family if she is caught. The kid can not bring friends over because of the mothers habit. And when he finally worked up the courage to tell his mom he couldn't live like this anymore, she gave him the "big fuck off".
It hurts.
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What is she doing wrong?
The one thing that is not clear from the letter is what she is doing that makes her an irresponsible parent. Is it simply that she is doing something illegal? The legality of medical marijuana is pretty hazy (pun intended) and depends on where she lives. In Los Angeles there about a hundred stores that openly sell marijuana for medical use. Even if she is breaking the law, I don't think that necessarily makes her a bad parent. Sometimes the law is wrong.
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Well at least none of you actually give a shit about parenting
I mean as long as stoner mom gets to do whatever the fuck she likes no matter how pissed off it makes her kid. Hells yeah. Me? I don't give a crap how my behavior infuriates my kids either. Screw them. I wake up blaze up and you can shut up. Now get me some damn twinkees.
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Did *you* read the letter?
"Will people just read the god damn letter instead of projecting whatever life experiences they've had onto the LW and her situation!!
I'm sorry the greatest sign that she has problems is when she tells him to MOVE OUT!! RED FLAGS! RED FLAGS! Kicking your 15 yr old out is pretty extreme anyway - does anyone understand the reality of life for most runaways?"
Yipe. Did you read the letter? You've got this wrong here, and are probably hysterically pushing your own issues onto the story. The kid is the one who is threatening (with no small dramatic flair, I'm sure) to leave.
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This child has been brainwashed.
It's really a shame that we pour so much of our tax money into brainwashing children into becoming little footsoldiers for the War on Drugs. These DARE programs are lying to children about marijuana, and telling them to turn their parents into the authorities, and even shows them what to look for. It really angers me that the government wants to break-up families over something as harmless and marijuana. If Mom was snorting coke or shooting heroine, it'd be a different matter.
The marijuana is obviously helping the mother with her back pains, and she has good reason not to want to get started with the perscription pills. She's better off smoking pot for this, and unfortunately her kid is too far gone to consider this.
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A couple points...
1. I'm guessing this family is in California. Medical pot is legal under California law. It still isn't under federal, but the feds have zero interest in prosecuting simple possession. Even recreational pot is widely tolerated in California since it's only punishable by a $10 fine, which the cops don't bother with.
So, it's technically illegal, but not practically. All bets are off if she crosses state lines, particularly to Arizona. Same thing with driving under the influence.
2. Pot isn't pain medication. It may be useful for nausea, but not for chronic pain. Managing pain often involves harder drugs, but the overwhelming evidence is that they can be used as prescribed without addiction. Self-medication is not something people with health insurance should try. Get her to go to the doctor, preferable a pain specialist.