Re: "It's just pot.": Double Standard?

"nimue" <cup_o_cakes@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:469b9d32$0$4728$4c368faf@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> tiny dancer wrote:
> snip
>
> > Certainly nothing to do with this particular issue, but some years
> > ago, when the nuclear power plant was being built in our area, two
> > families of workers resided in our neighborhood.  I met the wives
> > through my children, who became playmates of their kids.  Over time I
> > came to learn a lot about these *families*.  Way too much then I ever
> > wanted to know, about all of 'em.  One of the things I learned was
> > that the husbands/workers at the plant, were extreme pot heads.  I
> > wouldn't have called them *casual* or *recreational* users.  After
> > the plant was completed and they moved along, I got a call from
> > another nuclear plant in another area of the country, wanting a
> > *reference* on these guys.  WTF they gave me as a reference is beyond
> > me. But I politely refused to be a reference for them.  I told the
> > caller that 'in good conscience I could not be a reference for either
> > of these men.' 'That I knew nothing about these people, other than
> > they were casual neighbors.'
>
> You did the right thing, tiny.  You refused to be a reference, but did
it
in
> a way that didn't malign either person.  Well done.
> >
> > Did I think they should be working on the construction of a nuclear
> > power plant, hell no.  I wouldn't want them building my new home,
>
> Actually, I knew a FANTASTIC carpenter who was a real pothead.  His work
was
> amazing.  It just took a long time to do it!  I don't know if it was
amazing
> because he took his time or if it would have taken less time if he
hadn't
> been such a pothead.  We wound up recommending him to friends; his work
was
> that solid.  They loved his work, too.


What I was more concerned about was *code*.  A carpenter, to me anyway, is
much like an artist.  Their work can be magnificent.  A good carpenter,
now
days anyway, is really hard to find.  The way I, certainly not expert on
the
subject, understood the construction of a nuclear power plant, the work
had
to be very accurate and precise as to construction standards.  Whether it
be
the gauge of metals used, or other similar such matters.  I mean, you
don't
want to use the wrong strength of materials, wrong mixture of cement,
whatever else it entails.

And it was their wives who made references as to their *ability* an any
particular day.  That was how I learned their usage was far more than
recreational.  They would make comments as to 'how high' they were and
'hope
they didn't have anything critical to do that day.'  These comments
weren't
made in jest.  It sometimes scared the **** out of me, listening to them.
They all used, but it was the husbands who apparently were the heavy
users.
The wives I'd call recreational.

I'm all in favor of legalization of pot.  I don't have any hang-ups about
it.  I've found it beneficial for certain pain relief, when all else has
failed, and have recommended it to various people for either pain or
nausea,
especially related to serious illnesses.

Would I want my surgeon to be a bit *high* when operating on me?  Not a
chance.  I felt the same way about these guys, working on something like a
nuclear power plant.  My surgeon can toke on the week-end, but when he
steps
into that operating room, I want his full attention and quickness of
reaction time, to be focussed on me.  :-)   I'm *funny* that way.

Same way I'd prefer that my school principal not be picked up for pot
usage.
If he wants to toke in the privacy of his residence, fine by me.  I don't
think I'm being a hypocrite here.  When it comes to teenagers, at least
from
some I've seen, friends and acquaintances of my own kids, kids of friends
of
mine, etc., it seems like for certain teens, pot can be a precursor to a
wasted life.  I realize that certain personality types are more prone to
addictions.  And I also understand that in the accepted terms of
*addiction*, pot doesn't necessarily 'lead to' disaster.  This is just MO,
but I have seen certain kids of the teen age, to have real problems with
knowing when to stop and when they are getting themselves into really DEEP
****.   And I think that for this type personality in a kid, knowing that
ones teachers/principal uses, just can't be positive for them.

I'm thinking here of one friend in particular.  Let's see, their son must
be
around 30 by now.  He started out okay, but he's apparently one of those
kids who NEVER should have started anything, and certainly shouldn't have
had any sort of 'role models' around him that gave him the idea any of
this
was *okay*.  Oh, like the other kids, he started out on pot.  But he ended
up having an insatiable *need* for everything, including meth, heroin,
coke,
etc.  I've lost track of how many times he's been in and out of rehab. 
His
field of study had been 'working with kids'.  But now he has a number of
felonies on his record, so that seems unlikely that he will ever get a job
in his *field*.  And he has literally drained his parents future
retirement
monies.  In a way I feel for them, but then I want to smack the **** out
of
'em too, because they used to condone the usage of pot in their home. 
Would
toke up with their kids.  The daughter is fine, can remain a casual user,
but the son is a lost cause.  And he's caused them more heartache and pain
than I can even begin to describe.  He married last year around this time.
A big wedding, all the trimmings.  I talked to his mom a few weeks ago.
He's back in rehab, the new bride has had to move to a different
apartment,
as she couldn't afford the one they had on only her salary.  And I'm
guessing the *marriage* isn't going to be rekindled when he gets out of
his
latest half-way house.

So I have really sticky *feelings* about teens, pot, and how we as parents
both set examples and try to keep them out of certain *stuff* until
they've
had a few years to mature.  Sort of the same as we do with consuming
alcohol.  We know they are going to drink at a certain age.  And depending
upon the kid, we try to keep them *safe* long enough for their emotional
maturity to catch up to the crap they will inevitably get into, if that
all
makes sense?

td