Althouse: "With all the injuries people get skiing up here, instead of popping pills, they should just be doing this. It's a lot more natural."

November 4, 2009

"With all the injuries people get skiing up here, instead of popping pills, they should just be doing this. It's a lot more natural."

Breckenridge, Colorado repeals the local marijuana ordinance.

24 comments:

TMink said...: Now it has been awhile since I smoked pot, but it seems to me that more smoking at a ski resort my actually increase ski related sprains and strains! Another one of those marijuana related injuries you hear so much about.

Trey; 11/4/09, 8:55 AM
Anonymous said...: People will be too busy eating Twinkies and pizza to ski, so they won't be getting injured.

Peter; 11/4/09, 9:04 AM
traditionalguy said...: The Hot Tub drownings every night may increase. Who needs skis when the party is going down at the Inn? Health care speaking, the Orthopedic MDs will lose income and the Abortion MDs will get rich.; 11/4/09, 9:05 AM
Anonymous said...: Note to self: stay off Breck slopes on weekends.; 11/4/09, 9:16 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: Nothing about the "medicinal" nature of pot was in there? You mean actual honesty won?

Wild.; 11/4/09, 9:19 AM
Tibore said...: "With all the injuries people get skiing up here, instead of popping pills, they should just be doing this. It's a lot more natural..."

Well, I was about to go on a rant sarcastically bitching about marijuana's known anti-inflammatory properties... then discovered that two of the cannaboids in weed does in fact have anti-inflammatory properties. The well known THC does, and so does beta-caryophyllene.

So, huh. Imagine that. Thank goodness I looked that up before firing off my rant and looking dumb.

But, I still have a point to make, it's just a different one now:

1. Is there enough of those cannaboids present in weed to make a real difference compared to, say, ibuprofen? Because if you gotta refill the bong say 10 times, you're really not doing yourself that much more good compared to swallowing one pill.

2. "More natural" does not necessarily mean "better". Keep in mind that the NSAID ibuprofen was derived from Propionic acid, which itself was derived from sugar. And lets remember that anti-inflammatory steroids are the epitome of "natural" compounds; you still want to monitor your use of those rigorously. The whole "more natural" meme may sound good, but it's far from being a guarantee of being somehow "better" than a well studied pharmecutical.

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Off topic - Word Verification: carqaxe. When you buy a car, you ask for the Carfax. When you're done with it and wanna chop it up for the junkyard, you use the carqaxe.; 11/4/09, 9:25 AM
Christy said...: I'm torn. While I support the concept of decriminalization, I don't want one of my favorite resorts to become a magnet for potheads. Oh the shame to discover I'm a NIMBY kind of gal.; 11/4/09, 9:31 AM
Paul said...: Here we go. This is the one topic where the conservatives look like ignorant fools.

I think many of you people would be shocked to find out how many skiers, and particularly snowboarders, are potheads who regularly toke on the slopes.

And ski their butts off.

As an avid technical mountain biker I ride with many expert riders who smoke weed when they ride and perform extremely skillful maneuvers with no discernible difference in their performance.

This insane war on drugs can't end fast enough. Good for you Breckenridge.; 11/4/09, 9:55 AM
Michael Haz said...: Breckenridge has roughly 3,300 voters.

Some of whom will get to experience the joy of raising middle and high school aged children who are stoned most days, and unable to compete basic homework assignments, carry on a coherent conversation, etc.

All because a few potheads think it will be cool to toke without getting busted before going boarding.

Morons.

In the green, leafy suburb where my wife teaches in a very good high school, the "harmeless" use of marijuana has morphed into a hellacious heroin problem that has destroyed lives, ruined families and taken the lives of people in their teens and twenties. This week's loss was a 19 year old, found dead in a park where persons unknown dumped his body after he overdosed somewhere else.

The heroin is sold by the same people who sell pot, for the most part. Higher profit margin, more return purchases.

This is a well-written story about heroin use in a wealthy suburban Chicago community.

Good luck Breckenridge.; 11/4/09, 10:25 AM
Michael Haz said...: This insane war on drugs can't end fast enough.

You haven't spent much time around crackheads, heroin addicts, meth heads, etc. have you?; 11/4/09, 10:27 AM
Paul said...: "You haven't spent much time around crackheads, heroin addicts, meth heads, etc. have you?"

I'm the only white guy you know who works with immunity in all black neighborhoods so you're wrong. Those substances being illegal has zero effect on their availability and popularity and everything to do with promoting a vast criminal empire rife with bloodshed and the ruined lives of NON-USERS.

Try again.; 11/4/09, 10:51 AM
Michael Haz said...: @Paul - So you're okay with babies born addicted to opiates, brain damaged, etc.; and want to stop law enforcement efforts against "a vast criminal empire rife with bloodshed"?

Nonsense. You just want to keep the dope flowing in the streets and the criminals free from prosecution.

Clever introduction of race into the discussion, by the way. Fail.; 11/4/09, 11:05 AM
Paul said...: Bullshit Michael. Your war on drugs has done nothing to curb the incidence of babies born to addicted mothers. It has done nothing to curb the availability of drugs. Worse, it has added the incentive of economics that are there only due to it's illegality.

The war on poverty and the war on drugs has destroyed the black community. The former due to a perpetual grievance and entitlement mentality and the destruction of the family. And the latter because it teaches that the best if not only way to economic advancement is through crime.

But knee jerk reactionaries like you don't care. Not my neighborhood. You are the rightwing equivalent of the lefties and their emotional attachment to government run health care. You are both statists looking to have a nanny state to impose on others free will because it fits your agenda.

It would be one thing if your stupid war on drugs was any more successful than prohibition was. But it's not. And alcohol is still the most destructive substance abuse problem but I'll bet you're not clamoring to have it outlawed and drinkers thrown in jail.

Milton Friedman said it best:

Drug prohibition takes what is a personal tragedy and turns it into a catastrophe for society.; 11/4/09, 11:27 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: Now, now, boys, there's no reason for you to fight over little ol' me,...; 11/4/09, 11:30 AM
TMink said...: Paul wrote: "This is the one topic where the conservatives look like ignorant fools"

Do you know many conservatives Paul? I am a conservative and oppose decriminalization of marijuana because it makes no sense and causes more problems than legalization and taxation. LOTS of the conservatives here favor legalization.

And my first post was satirical. Having smoked pot, I know it is different than alcohol and does not cause gross motor control problems. Also, many if not most people involved in extreme sports have ADHD and use pot to chill their hyperactive brains. For some, engaging in the sport causes them to hyperfocus, and they are in the zone. Others smoke pot to get in the zone then do the activity.

It is straightforward brain science. If you can trust what I am saying because I am a conservative and we can see how you think about all of us.

Trey; 11/4/09, 11:33 AM
Andrea said...: Marijuana stinks worse than cigarette smoke. I'd rather take a pill.; 11/4/09, 11:36 AM
Michael Haz said...: Ah, so the war on drugs has destroyed the black community.

Wrong. It's the fucking drugs that have done it.

A compassionate guy like you, though, you want to make your neighborhood better by providing your neighbors with the free flow of drugs, available without the worry of criminal sanction.

You know that your argument is weak, don't you? That's why you had to introduce race and name-calling into the conversation.; 11/4/09, 11:44 AM
Paul said...: Trey;

Of course I know conservatives. I am one in terms of politics (conserving the liberties enshrined in our founding documents) and economics.

I am more specifically a Western Libertarian.

You obviously are not included in my broad brushed declaration, but in general I believe it's the right that is on the wrong side of this issue.

I would like to state that my line of work and life has given me an usually broad exposure to different demographic groups, so there is almost no group of people, from Arkansas rednecks, inner city blacks, Hollywood celebrities, upper class white Republicans, conservative Christians, wacked out Marin County new agers, hippies, yuppies, etc., etc., that I have not mingled with.

I never comment on topics that I don't have hands on experience with.; 11/4/09, 11:53 AM
Paul said...: "Ah, so the war on drugs has destroyed the black community.

Wrong. It's the fucking drugs that have done it."

You just don't get it. And you never will. The drugs ruin the addicts. The crime ruins the community.

For the last time your war on drugs has done NOTHING to lessen the availability of drugs. Nothing.; 11/4/09, 11:58 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: This is going to be quite humorous. First, the sheriff's deputies in the county are red neck Nazis. And, they are not going to be the least bit swayed by a silly city ordinance, when they have state and federal laws they can enforce.

Secondly, yes, being high on pot is little different for most skiers than being a bit high on alcohol. Notably though, this may not be true for really good skiers (which may be why they thought this to be ok - except that the ski area is outside the city limits). Back in HS, I remember one downhiller from Aspen who was pretty good, but needed pot to stay loose. And one friend of mine has several thousand days on skis a little stoned.

Finally, I am not surprised at one level. I think for the last 40 years (with likely a couple of exceptions when the heat was too high), you could get pretty much whatever drugs you wanted at the Gold Pan on main street. At least if they knew you. And, I have no doubt there are plenty of other places too in town where you could. There have always been a lot of drugs in Breck, at least for the last 40 years. Probably the most of anywhere in the county. It is a resort community, and people come to play, and many who stay do so so that they can continue playing.; 11/4/09, 12:39 PM
Sigivald said...: Ah, the naturalistic fallacy.

I suggest they eat whole puffer-fish, then. After all, their toxic livers are 100% natural.

(Seriously, pot is mostly harmless for most people, just like alcohol is for most people.

But that it's somehow better for injuries than a "pill" because it's "natural"? That doesn't remotely follow.)

Paul: Why do you imagine that "conservatives" are against smoking pot or for the war on drugs? Conservatives don't approve of giant extensions of state power to criminalize things that were only criminalized in living memory due to a moral panic episode, as a general rule.

If the late William F. Buckley could be pro-legalization, I don't think you get to tar "conservatives" with that.

Michael: Non-sequiturs. Most pot sellers don't sell heroin, according to any research I've seen.

And legalizing it for adults doesn't mean that somehow high-schoolers would be stoned all the time (any more than they're drunk all the time now... are they? Does that thus mean that we need Prohibition again?).

High-school kids sometimes smoke pot illegally now. Making it legal for adults to possess isn't going to make those that choose not to break the law now suddenly become pothead lawbreakers, is it? I don't see the mechanism there, any more than I do for alcohol, which is also widely available, illegal for people under 21, and yet somehow not everyone in high school is drunk all day.

The mind boggles as to how this could be!; 11/4/09, 12:49 PM
traditionalguy said...: Aldous Huxley's Brave New World required a drug to anesthetize the drones. So why not? Drones can be useful for...???; 11/4/09, 1:05 PM
NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...: Good. Government, leave people alone.; 11/4/09, 6:55 PM
Paul said...: "Paul: Why do you imagine that "conservatives" are against smoking pot or for the war on drugs? Conservatives don't approve of giant extensions of state power to criminalize things that were only criminalized in living memory due to a moral panic episode, as a general rule."

Libertarian conservatives are not for the war on drugs, but social conservatives are. Just look at the responses of many of the commenters on this blog in the recent threads concerning the topic. Or the irrational Michael in this thread. As emotional and foolish as any lefty.; 11/5/09, 1:36 AM