What a Meth!

[Are_grits_groceries]

The unbelievable assault by the federal Government on marijuana growers and apparently everyone who has seen a pot plant is a waste of time, money, and resources. I don't know who they are listening to, but the feds need to get out of their hardened bubble in DC and visit the real world.

While they are busy chasing people involved in any aspect of the marijuana trade, there is a much bigger danger at the front door, and it is committing home invasions. That drug is meth. It is a danger on many levels.

It is one of the hardest drugs to break the habit of using if it can ever really be broken. If you have seen before and after pictures of people who are on meth, they look like death warmed over. In addition, if somebody grows a few pot plants or sets up a hydroponic farm in their basement, all I have to fear is law enforcement knocking my door down by mistake. If they are using or making meth, my whole neighborhood may be blown to hell and back.

If you inhale, you will probably act stupid and add to the profits of the snack companies. If you take meth, gawd knows what you will do. Give me pot growing neighbors or users any time.

The Mexican cartels are deeply into the meth trade. They know that once hooked, they will have a customer for a looooooooooooong time. This gives them a lot of power in many ways. They do traffic in marijuana, but the really dangerous part of their empire is meth. Not to mention that as long as marijuana and other drugs are illegal, their will always be obscene profits worth pursuing. Mexico has basically become a lawless country with fear ruling the day.

If the feds were to poll law enforcement people in all areas from small towns to the biggest cities, marijuana wouldn't be high on their list unless directly related to Mexican cartels. They really need help in dealing with meth. Their already thin resources are stretched by trying to keep up. The local governments are also stretched by trying to clean up places where meth has been made. It is a costly process.

So while we watch the Keystone Kops try to nail weed whackers, the Methmen are wreaking havoc.

[coalition_unwilling]

1. Give me Librium or give me Meth! :) - n/t

[flamingdem]

2. Why do you think Meth is being ignored

or rather overshadowed by pot as a danger?

[Incitatus]

4. The greatest danger marijuana poses is to the profits of pharmaceutical companies.

Of course, there will be recreational users, but the drugs marijuana can replace for those that need them are very expensive.

[saras]

3. Yes, but methheads tend to be more right-wing so who cares about the rest?

[waddirum]

5. I don't agree

Methamphetamine has been manufactured by pharmaceutical companies for decades. It is a well studied drug, taken by many people over the years.

The problems you state (meth mouth, severe addiction, etc.) are the result of illicitly manufactured crystal methamphetamine. People are smoking, snorting, and injecting crappy product made in someone's garage. The precursor ingredients are nasty too. If users were able to get pharmaceutical quality methamphetamine pills, under medical supervision, then many of these "faces of meth" problems would be alleviated.

Pharmaceutical methamphetamine is FDA approved for ADHD, obesity, and other uses. It is a legitimate medicine, and does not need to be denigrated in order to promote medical marijuana. Much like MJ, methamphetamine needs to be decriminalized and made available under a medical setting.

[Are_grits_groceries]

8. But I am talking about illicitly manufactured

meth. That is the drug and problem that the Feds need to concentrate more on than pot. People who become addicted to illegal meth aren't going to find the government on their doorstep offering 'medical supervision' or rehab. Money to use for rehab is disappearing.

In addition, I didn't utter one word about viable uses for meth as a medicine. Cannabis also has proven, legitimate uses in treating diseases or side effects of treatments. I wasn't arguing that medicinal meth be thrown out in favor of medicinal marijuana.

A lot of drugs are well studied. The CIA used human guinea pigs without their consent when studying LSD. they can find out every single thing there is to know about a drug, but their use of this knowledge is the crux of the matter.

IMHO there are many, many drug problems that need to be addressed. Medicinal marijuana and marijuana in general is not one of them.

[reggie the dog]

11. totally agree, meth here in france is in pill form mostly

not the horrible "bathtub" crap found on the street in most places.

[Occulus]

6. If you want a REAL shock

go Google Desoxyn.

That blew my mind.

[reggie the dog]

12. if people could just get pills instead of the shit that passed for

meth on the street their health would be much better.

[Rabblevox]

7. I used to be a "meth-head"...

fortunately, with the help of medical marijuana I was able to "kick" six years ago.

Forget the romancing in "Breaking Bad", the reality is someone who used to have a job and a family and a home, now filthy and up for 3 days, desperately trying to get one more hit out of the pipe.

Speed and Opiates are the killers. Leave my pot alone!

[Lionessa]

9. Mexico is essentially lawless??? Can you back that up?

I don't personally know, but seems I've read quite a lot that blanketing all of Mexico with that comment is an issue with Mexico/Mexicans as most of the problem areas of are along the border and in Mexico City, but that most of the country is peaceful and reasonably lawful.

[Are_grits_groceries]

10. I didn't mean to disparage all of Mexico.

However, while the drug cartel madness may be confined to certain areas, I believe that is a choice of the cartels. Bringing them under any kind of control is not getting very far. If they choose to expand to another area or take action in a new place, they will go right on and do it. The fact that there are peaceful and lawful places is a function of the size of the cartels and what their plans are.