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What Path will Chace Crawford Choose?
Chace Crawford has an opportunity that few people have in life...
Many people would say that his possession of an unlit marijuana joint is a rediculous arrest and it would only happen in Texas... perhaps it wouldn't happen in Malibu, but Chace is a Texan and he comes from the values of Texas, so it is fitting that he was arrested for illegal possession. What he does now is what's important.
It would be very surprising that he would adopt the attitude of Bill Maher and others and become an outspoken proponent for the legalization of marijuana in Texas.
It is our guess that his family is as disappointed as most Texas families would be if their son was arrested for a similar charge. Chace Crawford's father is a doctor and his mother a teacher. He comes from Lubbock and went to high school at Trinity Christian Academy in Dallas. From this history, we can assume that he is one of us... a values minded young man that has made a mistake. He now faces a maximum 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine. Will the courts go easy on Chace or will they do enough to cause him to take this seriously?
The real significance lies in the fact that there are tons of young fans, many impressionable young girls, that will mindlessly follow his response to this arrest.
So what should Chace do that would be the "greatest good for the greatest number of considerations"? How can Chace use this situation as an opportunity to move from being another young actor with a possible drug problem; to being influencial in helping many young Texans better their lives?
I would advice Chace to first educated himself in the truth about marijuana and to get rid of the myths that surround this drug. There is more false data about marijana in our society than there is TRUTH.
You can assume that his living in California and running with the acting crowd has led him to many, like Bill Maher, that are self-made authorities on marijuana and drugs in general and have influenced him with arguements like..."It is far less dangerous that alcohol"... as if we all need alcohol, so choose the least harmful.
After getting the truth about marijuana (for those that are reading this comment, Texas Drug Rehabs has videos on the truth about marijuana and how it is being marketed to our youth... call us and we will help you...)
...or let Chace know that we can help him., We believe that Chace should come out publicly and let his fans know that he is thankful for the wakeup call and that he has learned that marijuana is not anything to be taken lightly. That he regrets how this publicity might influence others to use marijuana and that he has learned that it isn't anything that should be taken lightly, or taken at all.
We would advice him to put together a campaign headline telling his fans, at many different venues, about the joy of being clean and the real dangers of using drugs, including marijuana.
He should confront the mistake he has made and recognize the opportunity to do tremendous good from this negative publicity.
This is an opportunity for Chace... let's see what he does with it.
This isn't a picture of Chace Crawford, but it depicts shows us a typical person that is introverted and somewhat lost. Marijuana causes many to go inward and retreat to this lonely and lost existence. Marijuana is very seductive because it will release you from your worries and it can enhance your ability to laugh and give-a-damn, but continued use winds up in the same place.
Health Hazards..Do You Ever Question Why "Man" Feels Entitled to Get Substances, like marijuana, into His Blood Stream...Shouldn't this be considered strange and not acceptable at the level of becoming legal? Should Texans make it easy for our youth to run from life, or should we encourage strength, courage and embracing all that life can give us?
The Truth about Marijuana
Marijuana abuse is associated with many detrimental health effects. These effects can include respiratory illnesses, problems with learning and memory, increased heart rate, and impaired coordination. A number of studies have also shown an association between chronic marijuana use and increased rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and schizophrenia. Long-term marijuana abuse can lead to addiction. Studies conducted on both people and animals suggest marijuana abuse can cause physical dependence. Withdrawal symptoms may include irritability, sleeplessness, decreased appetite, anxiety, and drug craving.7
Look seriously at this paragraph and ask yourself if the risk of having any of these conditions is worth smoking marijuana.
Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers do, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illnesses, a heightened risk of lung infections, and a greater tendency toward obstructed airways. Cancer of the respiratory tract and lungs may also be promoted by marijuana smoke. Marijuana has the potential to promote cancer of the lungs and other parts of the respiratory tract because marijuana smoke contains 50 percent to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke.8
Marijuana's damage to short-term memory seems to occur because THC alters the way in which information is processed by the hippocampus, a brain area responsible for memory formation. In one study, researchers compared marijuana smoking and nonsmoking 12th-graders' scores on standardized tests of verbal and mathematical skills. Although all of the students had scored equally well in 4th grade, those who were heavy marijuana smokers, i.e., those who used marijuana seven or more times per week, scored significantly lower in 12th grade than nonsmokers. Another study of 129 college students found that among heavy users of marijuana critical skills related to attention, memory, and learning were significantly impaired, even after they had not used the drug for at least 24 hours.9
Of an estimated 113 million emergency department (ED) visits in the U.S. during 2006, the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) estimates that 1,742,887 were drug-related. DAWN data indicate that marijuana was involved in 290,563 ED visits.10 If yo need a marijuana rehab in Texas, call our counselors and we will help you locate the most effective marijuana treatment in Texas.
Texas Group Wants to Legalize Marijuana as Medicine..an article about medical marijuana in Texas can be found at this link. There is a concerted effort in every state to start convincing the public that marijuana is a "good medicine".
Ask yourself if Texans want to legalize a drug that causes these types of conditions? If you are against the legalization of marijana at any level, contact your state representative and let them know that you care too much for your state to allow this to happen.
Effects of Heavy Marijuana Use on Learning and Social
Behavior
A study of college students has shown that critical skills
related to attention, memory, and learning are impaired among people who use marijuana heavily, even after discontinuing its use for at
least 24 hours. Researchers compared 65 "heavy users," who had smoked marijuana
a median of 29 of the past 30 days, and 64 "light users," who had smoked a
median of 1 of the past 30 days. After a closely monitored 19- to 24-hour
period of abstinence from marijuana and other illicit drugs
and alcohol, the undergraduates were given several standard tests measuring
aspects of attention, memory, and learning. Compared to the light users, heavy marijuana users made more errors and had more difficulty
sustaining attention, shifting attention to meet the demands of changes in the
environment, and in registering, processing, and using information. These
findings suggest that the greater impairment among heavy users is likely due to
an alteration of brain activity produced by marijuana.
Longitudinal research on marijuana use among
young people below college age indicates those who used marijuana have lower
achievement than the non-users, more acceptance of deviant behavior, more
delinquent behavior and aggression, greater rebelliousness, poorer
relationships with parents, and more associations with delinquent and
drug-using friends.
Research also shows more anger and more regressive behavior
(thumb sucking, temper tantrums) in toddlers whose parents use marijuana than
among the toddlers of non-using parents.
Effects on Pregnancy
Any drug of abuse can affect a mother's health during
pregnancy, making it a time when expectant mothers should take special care of
themselves. Drugs of abuse may interfere with proper nutrition and rest, which
can affect good functioning of the immune system. Some studies have found that
babies born to mothers who used marijuana during pregnancy were smaller than
those born to mothers who did not use the drug. In general, smaller babies are
more likely to develop health problems
A nursing mother who uses marijuana passes
some of the THC to the baby in her breast milk. Research indicates that the use
of marijuana by a mother during the first month of
breast-feeding can impair the infant's motor development (control of muscle
movement).
Addictive Potential
A drug is addicting if it causes compulsive, often
uncontrollable drug craving, seeking, and use, even in the face of negative
health and social consequences. Marijuana meets this criterion. More than
120,000 people enter treatment per year for their primary marijuana addiction. In addition, animal studies suggest marijuana causes physical dependence, and some people report
withdrawal symptoms.
Extent of Use
Monitoring the Future Study (MTF)6
The NIDA-funded MTF provides an annual assessment of drug use
among 12th, 10th, and 8th grade students and young adults nationwide. After
decreasing for over a decade, marijuana use among students
began to increase in the early 1990s. From 1998 to 1999, use of marijuana at
least once (lifetime use) increased among 12th- and 10th-graders, continuing
the trend seen in recent years. The seniors' rate of lifetime marijuana use is
higher than any year since 1987, but all rates remain well below those seen in
the late 1970s and early 1980s. Past year and past month marijuana use did not
change significantly from 1998 to 1999 in any of the three grades, suggesting
the sharp increases of recent years may be slowing. Daily marijuana use in the past month increased slightly among all
three grades as well.
National Household Survey on Drug Abuse
(NHSDA)2
Marijuana remains the most commonly used illicit
drug in the United States. There were an estimated 2.1 million people who
started using marijuana in 1998. According to data from the 1998 NHSDA, more
than 72.0 million Americans (33 percent) 12 years of age and older have tried
marijuana at least once in their lifetimes, and almost 18.7 million (8.6
percent) had used marijuana in the past year. In 1985, 56.5 million Americans
(29.4 percent) had tried marijuana at least once in their lifetimes, and 26.1
million (13.6 percent) had used marijuana within the past
year.
Medical Marijuana is quickly becoming the front for legalizing marijuana and giving it a legitimate place in our culture. Colorado and California are both having to re-evaluate their marijuana laws since there are now more medicinal marijuana parlors in Los Angeles County than there are coffee shops.
Marijuana Availability
Commercial-grade marijuana prices have remained relatively stable during the past decade, ranging from $400 to $1,000 per pound in Southwest border areas and $700 to $2,000 per pound in the Midwest and Northeast. The national price range for sinsemilla,
a higher quality of marijuana, is $900 to $6,000 per pound. BC Bud, a type of marijuana produced in Canada, sells for $5,000 to $8,000 per pound in most major U.S. metropolitan areas. Variables such as buyer/seller relationships, quantities purchased, fre- quencies of purchase, and purity affect drug prices.
According to the Marijuana Potency Monitoring Project, the average potency of samples of all cannabis types increased from 3% in 1991 to 5.2% in 2001. The poten- cy of commercial-grade marijuana increased from 3.1% to 5% during the same period. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, commercial-grade marijuana purity levels were less than 2%. The potency of sinsemilla was approximately 6% in the late 1970s and early 1980s, 10.5% in 1991, 5.8% in 1993, 13.4% in 1999, and 9.1% in 2001.
SOURCES
1 National Institute on Drug Abuse, Marijuana Facts Parents Need to Know, September 2004, What is Marijuana, How is Marijuana Used?
2 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Results from the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings, September 2009
3 Ibid.
4 Ibid.
5 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, Initiation of Marijuana Use: Trends, Patterns and Implications, July 2002.
6 National Institute on Drug Abuse and University of Michigan, 2008 Monitoring the Future Study Drug Data Tables, December 2008
7. National Institute on Drug Abuse, InfoFacts: Marijuana, June 2008
8. National Institute on Drug Abuse, Research Report Series—Marijuana Abuse, October 2005.
9. Ibid.
10 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Drug Abuse Warning Network, 2006: National Estimates of Drug-Related Emergency Department Visits (PDF), August 2008
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