HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013 - SO THE WORLD DIDN'T END?

Yeah, okay.. another fizzled plan.

So, yeah, here unexpectedly... given I thought it was The END:

Happy New Year from BobKat!

I just woke up... actually.

So gone is 2012. President Obama got his 2nd term, wow. So did we, hmmm? Well, given the alternative, ex-governor of Massachusetts, where I lived for 6 years in and around Boston, Mitt Romney, to me it was a slam-dunk; wouldn't you agree:>? Well, so maybe not... but for me I could not figure out what skills or benefits he might reap on us pheasant Americans. He passed a Health Care Law, yeah, and turned around and put down his own law!? Disowned it essentially.  So what's up with that?

Well it's history, and speaking of history, 2012 brought about a rather surprising and encouraging new set of laws. No, prostitution isn't legal in New York, a nod to Elliot Spitzer. But cannabis is legal in Washington State and Colorado. Recreational Cannabis!!!

Ahem; by recreational I don't mean to imply Reefer Madness has set in and those states lost all control over governance or sanity. Before I continue with a post I consider to be light hearted,  considering past violent acts that have shaken the nation, and the fact that a little fun right now might actually be good medicine, I should take a moment to put myself in the shoes of many people who have never tried cannabis, or know it's street-name is marijuana. Educators have been telling the public for years, since 1982, to "Just Say NO!" A highly ingenious phrase first coined by then, First Lady, Nancy Reagan.

SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA LINK

Facts First: Abusing "DRUGS" can be very bad for your health and well-being! But the"Just Say No" approach was honestly pointed and directed at the wrong drug. The believe was, and is still believed by many that marijuana, a Mexican term for cannabis, is the stepping stone to hard drugs like heroin and crack cocaine. There is absolutely no evidence for this claim.

Granted the laws in many states and the federal government place access to any of these substances all together... as they're all illegal. One buys them, whether as an adult or a kid, from similar sources, all black-market. If tobacco were illegal that's where people would be buying it, and as it is seriously addictive, to which I can attest, it is legal and taxed.

Cannabis is nowhere near as addictive as tobacco, and hardly as dangerous, in practical terms as most other "drugs". It does have disadvantages for some people, like a potential link to schizophrenia in some individuals and some people just seem to want to smoke a lot of it, but the thing is, unlike alcohol, one doesn't keep getting higher and higher. They just want to smoke a lot. The tars in cannabis are not the tars found in tobacco. No comparisons can be drawn. It's been said one "joint" (cannabis cigarette) is equal to 20 tobacco cigarettes; this is the kind of scientific information that discredits true scientific people. They are two totally different plants. Carbon monoxide is present in both, if smoked, as is any substance that's burned. Cannabis can be consumed where tobacco cannot - as the latter is actually toxic.

And there's actually a counter component in cannabis to those suffering schizophrenia; it is (WIKIPEDIA LINK): cannabidiol. The higher the ratio of it to THC the less the user will likely incur problems and they may actually benefit. The science and medical profession are still at odds on this, and I'm no expert. That's just what I've learned in the past 40 years of research into cannabis, there is a balance a user would like to achieve. With alcohol that is difficult, with tobacco impossible, in most cases.

Cannabis is as unique as having a beer, only safer. You might read a recent book by Steve Fox, Paul Armentano, Mason Tvert, entitled: "Marijuana is Safer, So Why Are We Driving People to Drink?" It really is insane, in my opinion, the misinformation and propaganda surrounding cannabis use. The most preposterous is there is zero medical value, and is so addictive as to warrant it classification as a Federal Schedule One drug. The worst of the worst. And yet way to many people know that's not true, yet the official stance is that it is. Stubborn. Yet two states have said enough and over 15 have said there's enough medical evidence ascribed to cannabis that it's legal as a medicine.

For those of you shaking your heads and thinking it's the beginning of the end, consider that no one has ever died as a result of cannabis use, and most violent crimes are comitted by drunks and straight people.

Cannabis users simply enjoy unwinding at the end of the day with a small amount of weed (cannabis). Recreation to them is more likely eating junk food

and watching TV, or having a serious, philosophical discussion about Mars.They're not plotting the destruction of the world, or other terrible things.

Maybe fried eggs: 

Hello 2013... 

If you want to have some fun, learn more, peruse some cannabis stories, enjoy the following link:

 HAIL MARY-JANE.com

Happy New Year to YOU!

Meow...

ABOUT THE MASSACRE AT SANDY HOOK, CT: MY OPINION

I am torn up over the senseless slaughter at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. 20 kindergarten students and 7 or more adults were shot and killed by a single assailant who it now appears suffered from an emotional/psychiatric disorder. Something snapped.

The work I do, the victims could well have been clients of mine - so imagine finding out someone, or several persons you work with often were gunned down. I've also worked, 10 years at an elementary school between 1988 - 1998. I know the kind of children that were murdered viciously. I would have been the first to throw myself at the gunman had I been working such a job now. The new school principal died doing just that; Ms. Dawn Hochsprung, who started in 2010. A Link from Today.com heard the shooting and tried unsuccessfully to jump the 20 year old assailant.

She had just implemented a whole new system for school security. The assailant, a former student by-passed that security by breaking a window, if my sources are correct. Which means he either discovered upon arrival or already knew there was a buzz-in policy.

He went to the office first, which I find odd. If he broke in, why go to the main office? But that is how I've read it happened. By coincidence morning announcements were going on, so rifle fire and screams could be heard over the loud-speakers. Somehow a lock-down order ensued, so the first classroom the shooter arrived at the door was locked, but the second classroom wasn't. Why?

It's history now. But history in the making also. As a result of the killings many people are angry, upset and demanding answers. I am too. But among the answers I'm hearing are taking all guns away from Americans - something akin to a military action. Also, anyone, with any history of a mental health disorder will not be able to possess a gun.

Think about it... Personally, you have a mother that bullies you to the point you seek psychiatric help, as she certainly won't. So you can'r possess a gun yet she can. Or, you're sexually abused and you seek treatment... again, not allowed to possess a gun.

How about we take a different look at this. I think we all know someone who would benefit from psychological help. If I can quote my mother - "Only SICK people seek help". Now my mother is in her 70's... so I don't expect she'll change her mind. But the fact is I know or have known many people like her where seeking mental health assistance is akin to admitting one is mentally ill. Not only admitting to it, but the talk is documenting such persons as such.

What we need is the exact opposite. We need to accept mental health assistance on par with regular physicals and MD visits. I've heard the number 20% tossed around as the number of Americans afflicted with a mental health disorder, and that includes me and the formerly mentioned sexual abuse victim. I hardly think that is an accurate percentage. Myself, I'd put the percentage more around 80%... as few people are actually considered to be NORMAL. Neurosis is common in America.

I've heard the argument America is unlike any other country in the world... we enjoy the 2nd Amendment, as as such the violence in America is unlike any other country. Hardly true... gun violence in the world is obvious. And it's true. But to target American's is wrong. The majority of gun owners do not go out and shoot people. A tragedy like that at Sandy Hook may imply otherwise, but it's an isolated event... one gun control is not the answer to.

There needs to be answers, like why wasn't the second classroom locked. Like why is going for therapy only "for sick people"? Why don't we use the money, resources, and law enforcement wasted on cannabis laws and secure public schools and malls instead? We target cannabis users as the pariahs of violence, yet under our noses the real violence is often a result of seemingly perfectly straight adults. We look for the Charles Manson's in violence and it's often simply not present.

President Obama/the White House e-mailed me the statement made by the President in regards to the shootings, and other shootings that seem to be becoming epidemic in the US society. I appreciate his words, grief and concern, but take offense when he say's: "We've endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years. And each time I learn the news I react not as a President, but as anybody else would -- as a parent."

I agree, too many. But the answer is not in "gun-control", as we already have gun-control. Some might say not enough, but any gun is still a gun, even if it's a black powder revolver as used in the old west. We have many methods we use to kill... many animals are being wiped to extinction because recipients believe in magical properties for elephant/rhino tusks, shark fins, tiger balls. This is the world we live in. It's violent and deadly.

And all the while that we tolerate the belief that seeking counseling in life is akin to being mentally sick, we perpetuate the problem. We live in a Hollywood, yet sterilized society - a Puritan society where violence as art is common in movies and on television, yet when a death occurs from a drunk driver we don't see the consequences. We're given a purified version of events. So on the one hand we're presented with fictional blood and gore, yet in life, we're provided a clean, violence free report of a real event. That goes for many things considered unlawful and harmful... sex, drugs, rock n' roll. Okay, maybe not unlawful all, but I hope you get my point.

I suggest we don't live reality in this country and it may be time that we do.

18 YEARS OR OLDER - FAMILY SHAME OR GUILT.

40 years or so ago I was sitting on my couch, in my first apartment - living on my own. I was around 18. I was optimistic, but scared. Scared because I hadn't really wanted to move away from home, but living with my parents wasn't working out so I did the bold thing and moved out. I'd been raised knowing the day would come anyway.

A couple of days after I moved out I was enjoying my space when the phone rang. This was around 1972 so there were no answering machines yet, or at least ones I knew about. When the phone rang, you answered it.

Who?

'Tis the Season now... and for many people the "who" is important. This is not a good time of the year for a lot of people. We hear a lot of hoop-la about how great this time of year is, but for many that simply not true. This post is maybe for you.

You might be any age over 18. But I'm thinking whatever age you are, you're still living the life you almost had between 18 and 29. Or you're in that age group and you need a little guidance.

The age 18 to say 28 is little understood. It is a critical part of our maturity. For some it begins before age 18, for others later and may last into the early 30's. But eventually our brains solidify and we become us. Complex mess when you add children and/or a lousy childhood. By your early 30's you want to be mobile, successful, enjoying life.

You don't want to be fighting with family, or in a compromised position.

When I answered the phone that day it was my mother... a day of destiny formed for which I felt I had no control over. And I didn't, back then, but in hindsight I had many easy options.

Following are three articles - difficult to find I might add, I've been searching for years and only now do i seem to have found a few. I hope that they might be of help with the choices you must make. With understanding how you feel and what choices you begin to have.

1) "Family Blues - Leaving it behind..."

2) "Shame and Guilt..." as it refers to family.

3) "Induced Relaxation Anxiety". Imagine if relaxing brought about your anxiety? It's a fact, it can.


Where I made my mistake 40 years ago was not getting mature fast enough, beyond my control, but I could have been more forthright in establishing my out perimeters. I allowed to much in...

I had 4 years of great success as a human being... perhaps 4 years that many never have, so I'm grateful. But it strikes me that my success was hinged on communication. Part of the problem with being shy is fear of communication. The trick is, is to understand communication breaks the veil of shyness rather quickly, after the awkward moments.

How did I learn this? I learned through a friendship with a college professor. I had expressed my profound frustration with being shy, and being interested in women, meeting someone special. I thought it was a game. A game only the players knew. But it wasn't. The reality was plain and simply talk. Being able to listen to the other person.

That was however contrary to the views my family had, expressly my mother. So take a cue - ignore that abusive person and walk away. Hang-up the phone. Live your life. Set your boundaries and don't allow anyone to impede, unless it's someone you trust.

Life on Earth is where heaven is... whether you find it, well, that's the question... many simply can't, or make heaven out of a firefly for ten minutes of their life.

Be aware as my mentor warned... with success comes enemies, people who resent who you are. Recognize them and keep your distance. Easy to say unless it's family. Even then, i know now I could have controlled my own life, my own world, and prevented many of the unforunate situations that I would later blame as defining my demise.

While there's life there's hope. Even I'm not too old to make a new beginning. To learn from my mystakes and those of others.

Happy Christmas... stay safe...

COMMONSENSE CANNABIS REFORM - CANNABIS 101

Wow... the overwhelming interest in my last post leaves me breathless.  Zero comments, although I get viewed by up to one thousand vistors on average for a post. So curious about that.

Well hope all having a wonderful Thanksgiving!

If you get enough of the relatives and family, there are two links here to two articles published on CNN today. If you're interested please read them.

To me, they are two distinctly diverse points of view, stemming from the same concern. The "Drug War/Problem" in America.

LINK: Kevin Sabet served as a senior drug policy adviser in the Obama administration. He is an assistant professor and director of the Drug Policy Institute at the College of Medicine, University of Florida.

LINK: Joy Strickland, founder and CEO of Mothers Against Teen Violence, is an Op-Ed Project Public Voices Fellow at Texas Woman's University.

***

My basic thoughts about the articles:

Joy Strickland is speaking from her heart, and knows the facts.

Kevin Sabet on the other hand, is still hiding behind the facade that, "marijuana is the destroyer of youth". His article fails to describe the problem or if marijuana really IS the problem? He sites lower IQ in youth, health problems from smoking, youth drug addiction and the advertizing he suggests is based on former alcohol and tobacco ads, designed to appeal to youth, but it doesn't have to be like that. Regulation can control advertising, and he fails to consider that. What's worse, is the idea that the tobacco industry is ready to "pounce" on the marijuana industry.

Sorry... Big Tobacco had it's chance during the 1970's and turned tail. I guess Richard Nixon was too scary for them.  But, fact is, cannabis is NOT tobacco. It doesn't need proprietary chemical infusements... it doesn't need to be sold in "packs", and it's not addictive like tobacco or alcohol is addictive. Big tobacco would most likely not be welcome in the cannabis culture today - they blew it in the 1980's when Reagonomics became the fashion of the day. Bluemoon friends. Yeah. No one wants to buy cannabis that's been processed by Big Tobacco.

Point is: Mr. Ex-Senior drug policy director, you seem to me to be playing the same old broken record about "Save our youth", do not say in what direction you would change the laws, keeping cannabis illegal, and ad naseum, incarcerating people for possession, growing it, using it... why didn't you do a better job when you had the chance as a policy director? Why do you feel adults should be punished for lack of realistic regulations regarding cannabis. Why do you combine youth drug abuse with the rights of adults?

Incarcerating the number of adults that we have done for the past 50 - 75 years for cannabis, isn't a solution at all. 1/4 of the world's incarcerated individuals are in the US.

And in case you simply don't know - the stronger the cannabis - it doesn't mean the more one needs/wants to use it, or make it more dangerous, what it does mean is less is possible than in the 1970's... in the 70's one may have smoked 2 joints and now they may only need three puffs.  It's not alcohol. It's not tobacco. For those who do use a lot of cannabis, it's not the "high" they're increasing, the more you use doesn't mean the higher one gets - it's not alcohol. Those people simply like to use a lot of it - but the high is the same as for that of the person who may need only three puffs.

Regarding one's IQ: Again you, Mr. Sabet, refer to youth, not adults. I gather you have proof also that cannabis use by adults causes lower IQ too? I doubt it.

This whole cliche of an idea that marijuana makes people unmotivated and stupid is so bias and  unproven. Everyday evidence if one were to look around exists to prove otherwise.

To Joy Strickland, my condolences and thank-you for a very well thought out and poignantly well written letter to President Obama.