When pot is legal, how do you convince teens to abstain?

The Sacramento Bee ^ | August 2nd, 2016 | By Jeremy B. White

[CodeToad]

Parenting? What’s that? Dr. Spock has won. Biological providers are to only say encouraging words and ensure their little snowflakes have everything they demand.

[Paulie]

And I’m sure you’re none the worse off for it today.

People like us are incredibly fortunate we had parents that truly cared.

[gunsequalfreedom]

Parenting? What’s that? Dr. Spock has won. Biological providers are to only say encouraging words and ensure their little snowflakes have everything they demand.

Not to depress you further, but those snowflakes will be taking care of society in your old age.

[Mr. Douglas]

I own it on DVD. It’s hilarious.

[Mr. Douglas]

When my son was 12 or 13, I took him on a tour through a very trashy local trailer park.

I told him “all of these people smoke pot.”

---

Wow! That actually sounds pretty effective. Good age to do it, too!

[Ethan Clive Osgoode]

Well according to FR libertarian drug advocates, smoking weed is good for teenagers. Builds character, determination and problem-solving skills.

[SERKIT]

Teens need something to do while living in their parents’ basement until they are 30-something, so why not be chronically stoned? They will be easier to roll over as Shari’a Law kicks in, and it will all facilitate the MB plan to take over America. “What difference, at this point, does it make?”

[DungeonMaster]

I suffered from a case of “fear of dad.”

Me too and that is what has been removed from society!

[Jack Hydrazine]

Have them smoke ten cigarettes at once?

[Monty22002]

Too ingrained in western society. We don’t need another one added, which is what all this legalization movement is trying to do. Make a stupider populace. The politicians pushing this need to hang too.

[TigersEye]

Pot was illegal when I was in high school and it didn’t slow me or my friends down a bit.

[pfflier]

Good idea. I’ll relay that to my brothers.

[Wolfie]

Lots of bad things out there. Do we ban them all?

Only the ones we don't personally enjoy.

[Antoninus]

If you want to see what society is like with legalized pot, go to Denver. The promotion of pot downtown is now ubiquitous. Kids are impacted by that—it’s the “cool factor.” I’ve been to Denver before and after legalization and the number of homeless and panhandlers downtown has exploded. I don’t think it’s coincidental.

[GemStateConservative]

Why exclude alcohol and all its harmful effects on individuals and society?

Alcohol isn't inherently evil.

It is one of the many things God has given for our enjoyment, in moderation of course.

The harm that alcohol causes is not the result of some evil contained in itself. Rather, it is caused by the sinful lack of restraint in those who abuse it.

[gigster]

Growing up in Detroit, it was illegal, but everyone I knew smoked it. One story I have about weed is the time a bunch of us were partying at Stony Creek Metro Park north of Sterling Heights, Mi. in the early 80's. A large group of maybe 15 of us were on the beach drinking beer and listening to music when it started to rain. There was a gazebo about 50 yards away, and we decided to go there to get out of the drizzle. As we were moving over to the gazebo, my friend Mark was standing in the parking lot getting ready to go join our group. Another friend, Dave O. was holding a cooler while a joint hung from his lips. He looked at Mark and said: "Could you take this while I go over there? So Mark, being helpful, took the half joint and stood in the parking lot just in time for a Macomb County Sheriff's Department car to pull up next to him. The deputies confronted Mark about the smoldering roach and Mark explained it's presence by saying "I'm holding it for a friend." "Yeah, Right", said the deputy, and they wrote him up for possession of marijuana. I'm reminded of this story every time I read about weed.

[TigersEye]

No one knows if they’re going to be an alcoholic or not when the first start drinking. Those who are prone to be alcoholics will become alcoholics even if they drink moderately to begin with.

[gigster]

Perhaps you could watch Reefer Madness with them. Back in the 70's Reefer Madness was paired with The Groove Tube to make a stoner's double feature.

[Mariner]

I KNEW IT!!!

It was that demon whiskey that started us down this path to perdition!

And I'm only being semi-sarcastic.

I think it's safe to say alcohol has destroyed more lives than all the other drugs in the world, combined. And if you've ever known a hard core alcoholic, you know exactly what I mean.

I have 4 buddies from High School that didn't make it to 40yrs as a DIRECT result of drinking. And they caused nothing but misery and heartache until they took their last breath.

[mumblypeg]

One strategy, while not 100% guaranteed, is usually very effective.

Starting when your kids are very young, point out the bums, the losers, the potheads loitering on the streets. Ask them to describe what they see, and listen carefully, and discuss.
Point being, sure, it’s legal to be a loser. But why would you want to be?