ALCOHOL VS. MARIJUANA

Different Attitudes Mark Debate For Casual Users

In most parts of mainstream American society, the social drinker is
perfectly acceptable. Most people don't see anything wrong with responsible
adults having some wine over dinner if they don't drive or put others in
danger.

But mainstream America is not as ready to accept a person smoking pot, even
in moderation. Why is it that any amount of pot is viewed as bad?

Granted, it's illegal. Even minor misdemeanor incidents mar a person's record.

According to National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), a
person caught with one joint can lose his or her driver's license for six
months. If the person is a college student, federal loan monies are
instantly revoked.

But how'd it get that way? What's the difference between the buzz from a
couple of legal beers and the buzz from a few drags on a pot pipe?

"The Food and Drug Administration has taken the position over the years
that drugs need to be regulated in terms of safety and effectiveness, but
Treasury Department has taken the view that use is bad and users are bad
people," said Dr. Jonathan Nicoud, professor of psychology at Marian
College. Nicoud said he thinks marijuana got a bad reputation in the 1930s,
when it was associated in the media with violence among blacks and Mexicans.

Nicoud said drugs should be looked at on a case-by-case basis and not
automatically categorized as bad or illegal. He said drugs are not the
problem. People with addictive tendencies are the problem. But not everyone
is prone to addictions.

"If alcohol was the reason for alcoholism, it would stand to reason that
all people who drank would have a problem," Nicoud said. "Drug use, in many
ways, is like sexual behavior; it's not good or bad by itself, but you have
to take into consideration who is doing it and when, why, how often and
where they are doing it."

The question of moderate marijuana use is one that St. Agnes Behavioral
Outpatient Services psychotherapist Mary Arndt gets asked often.

She said many people ask her if there is such a thing as a "social
marijuana smoker," just as there are "social drinkers." She said she
doesn't have an answer to that question.

"A person who is addicted can no longer safely predict how much they will
use, when they use, or what will happen when they do," she said.

On the other hand, she said, "A social drinker is able to predict when they
drink, how much they will consume and what happens when they do.

"An addict will continue to use despite repeated negative consequences,
whether they be physical, social, emotional or financial."

She said addiction tends to run in families and that, with any
mind-altering substance, there's a potential for addiction.

"But even a social user is going to experience the physical and
psychological effects (of marijuana). There are occasions when social users
get picked up for driving under the influence. Not every one of them is an
addict, but when they are referred to me, I am able to determine the
severity. Based on the severity, I recommend a level of care that meets
their needs."

Nicoud believes there can be such a thing as a moderate drug user.

"Most people are moderate drug users. There is always some fraction of
people which is immoderate," he said.

"The difficulty is, if drugs can take over your life, it can become the
focus of your life. That is a problem. Any time we focus on one thing that
leaves other things undone. A lot of people in Fond du Lac can play
softball, and that becomes the focus of their lives. Is softball a good
thing or a bad thing? I know some people who like to compulsively clean,
and that is their whole focus in life. Anytime anything becomes a focus, to
the exclusion of everything else, it is a problem. Drugs can be a problem
when it becomes such a focus in life that everything else gets thrown out
the window."

Nicoud said he thinks kids should grow up drug-free.

"They (drugs) are not a good solution for solving problems and developing
good people-skills and coping skills," he said.

More information on the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws
may be found at www.norml.org.