Day: February 28, 2013

Many residents of the state of Washington are wondering about the new law to make Washington state the supplier of marijuana. Not only is it now legal to possess it and smoke it for recreational uses, but the state will be the number one supplier or so it appears.

Nothing shows my age more than my views on this new law voted on by the people of Washington state. I feel a bit uneasy about the fact that cannabis is on the Single Convention narcotics drug list as a schedule one drug.

I have never smoked and/or ingested this drug…how about that for old fashioned?  It was  consumed by my mentally challenged son on a military fort,  however. By age 19, he had committed suicide. So, I suppose I carry a bias against the plant.  While I was carrying this child, I saw the “pot heads” having a ball in California in the 1960’s.  I still remember thinking I’d rather be in possession of my wits, then dancing around high on a  drug. Silly me, I was too into Women’s liberation and children, rather than drug use and/or exploration.  Since in my twenties I had five children to care for, drugs were not in the picture.

Once I hit the ripe old age of thirty-three, I found myself in a university that did not allow alcohol or drugs on campus. As an honor student and a U.S. Army officer’s wife, I was against drugs, as was my husband who was the alcohol and drug control officer for the U.S. Army. That, however, did not stop my youngest son from obtaining drugs on the fort and in the school he attended in Salt Lake City. Eventually, as stated earlier, he took his own life while dealing with various problems, after we were reassigned to another fort.

While all this was happening, I was working on a degree in sociology with a criminology emphasis and working on my internship at the Salt Lake City Police department.  I was deeply involved in the international studies of narcotic drugs and the institutions established to stop the flow of the narcotics on the International Narcotics Schedule. Having done everything I could to help my son, I was greatly saddened by the communities inability to assist him. Since he had limited intelligence capabilities, he was not fully aware of the consequences of his behavior.  Most of the helping agencies at the time did not have the programs we have today.

Fast forwarding to 2013, I cannot help but wonder why you would want to eat the foods one can make from this drug.  Even worse, smoking the substance does terrible things to a users lungs. Watching my oldest boy wander into the drug scene and become addicted to crack while serving in the U.S. Military, I still cannot understand why the people of Colorado and this state would legalize the narcotic and/or why the federal government has not stepped in.

Just because the president of the United States has never been addicted to marijuana, does not mean children with various challenges will not be.  That being said, once we declared marijuana was okay by voting to legalize it…minors will get the substance and the “dumbing down” of our children will have begun. I think there is enough research out there to show the world that using marijuana tends to hinder the mental abilities of younger children and those with learning disabilities.

I do not want to work with anyone who is going outside to smoke a joint or eat a marijuana laced food.  I am becoming concerned about driving on the Washington roads, knowing there will be adults on the road who are high from the drug.  I suspect there will be more incidents related to this drug then we have now. Worse yet, I dislike the smell of the drug and cannot imagine working next to someone who smells from smoking pot. I guess I am in the minority on this one.

As far as the cartels selling illegal substances in the state, once marijuana is no longer a “cash cow” for them, they will simply sell to minors or find something worse to distribute. At least that is what they have done in the past. In the past, our children were the targets of other nation-states hoping to ensnare our youth and destroy this resource, so researchers and politicians told us. What better way to  harm our youth than making drugs available to children as young as grade school.

Furthermore, I have an intimate knowledge of chemo and the effects it has on the digestive system. I do not condone the use of this drug for medical purposes either.  I think there are other natural drugs like ginger that can help with the effects of chemo therapy. But ultimately the decision is not mine to make. The only choice I had was to vote against the bill. Should I ever have to make another decision about the use of marijuana to counteract the chemo drugs, I will choose other natural drugs over marijuana.  Why?  Old as I am, I still like my wits about me and my brain functioning without the effects of drugs working in my system. This is not to say, I would take away your choice to make those decisions for yourself.

Valentine’s day is almost upon us!  I have a new blog and have abandoned my WordPress for the time being.  I have begun a new phase in the world of Joy.  My schooling is done and my certificate has been earned.  I no longer have to report to my instructor and internship coordinator on a weekly basis.  I am searching for jobs in the field of online eLearning; but think without experience, I will have a very hard time trying to find work.

I quit my job at the college in September and have been working for Manpower Inc.(MP), Bellevue, Washington.  I am currently assigned to a high tech company in Kirkland, Washington.  It is a most interesting place to work.  I began in Seattle; but was moved to Kirkland a few months ago.  I work only a few hours a week.  Nevertheless, I love the job as a human resources assistant.

During the time I have not been in school, I found myself watching television and following the issues of the day.  As many of you know I have a masters degree in political science from the University of Utah and finished the course work in my doctoral degree program at the University of Wisconsin, in Madison.  My interest are in the field of criminology and international relations and politics.  I did not finish my doctoral degree, because I really wanted a degree in Criminology.  By the time I had it all figured out, it was just my orals that needed work.

My captured interest has revolved around the gun control issue and the second amendment of the United States constitution.  Being a student of the Supreme court and Constitutional law, I have been pondering the issue ever since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary school.

In 1995-1997 the company I was working for Sagem Morpho Inc, in Tacoma, Washington, won a contract with a federal agency in Clarksburg, West Virginia.  We were to train the people in West Virginia to capture fingerprints off of finger print cards to update the federal agencies files. Unfortunately, the West Virginia militia thought we were part of the New World Order and they were determined to blow us up!  Militia groups like this are scattered throughout the country.  I can understand their concerns and know how much it means to them to keep their weapons for protection against the government, if need be, and for hunting.

I have been trained in the use of firearms by the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy while going to the University of Utah and St. Cloud State University.  I shot competition in the university with ROTC.  I have belonged to the National Rifle Association and believe I have the right to bear arms and have them in my home for protection.  The fact is, I do not have them in my home.  What I have is pepper spray and years of training in the martial arts and hand-to-hand combat.  I have never served in the U.S. military; but I have been a family member.  I hate violence and war.  I respect firearms and I uphold the constitution.

I think Americans have every right to their weapons of choice.  That being said, I cannot help but wonder about assault weapons.  I think it is wise to have them for protection, should our government ever turn against it’s people.  I think there are enough scenarios out there to scare us about take overs and the confiscation of firearms and weapons.  I believe the problem doesn’t lie in the bearing of arms and the holding of assault weapons; but rather, it is the people who have guns and assault weapons and have severe mentally challenging issues, as well. It makes more sense putting our money into mental health care for those that need it. I believe prevention is worth a pound of cure.