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veggie
Registered: 07/25/04
Posts: 17,504
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Boston, Boulder lead nation in marijuana use 1
#4304845 - 06/16/05 05:50 PM (18 years, 9 months ago) |
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U.S. Finds Highest, Lowest Marijuana Use June 16, 2005 - rapidcityjournal.com
WASHINGTON - Both college towns, Boston and Boulder, Colo., share another distinction: They lead the nation in marijuana use. Northwestern Iowa and southern Texas have the lowest use. For the first time, the government looked at the use of drugs, cigarettes, alcohol and various other substances, legal as well as illegal, by region rather than by state for a report Thursday.
Regions could be as specific as Riverside, Calif., or as broad as all of the state of New York (minus New York City). Federal officials say the information will help states decide where they should spend money for treatment and prevention programs.
For marijuana, 5.1 percent of people around the country reported using marijuana in the previous 30 days. In Boston, the home of Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern and several other colleges, 12.2 percent reported using marijuana in the previous 30 days.
In Boulder County, the home of the University of Colorado, 10.3 percent reported using marijuana during the same time period.
John Auerbach, executive director of the public health commission for the city of Boston, said the survey might not reflect current marijuana use in Boston because the data came from 1999-2001 national surveys.
"All that said, we're not surprised that substance abuse is a serious issue in the Boston area," Auerbach said. "The mayor and the health department have made the issue of substance abuse a top public health priority."
Auerbach also acknowledged that the data may reflect the city's significant 20-something population.
"College students in general have a more relaxed attitude about marijuana than other age groups. But in general, I don't think Boston has a markedly differently perspective on marijuana than other parts of the country."
Federal officials said they highlighted the marijuana report because it's the most commonly used illicit drug. But the survey also measures 11 other categories.
For example, the survey measures binge drinking _ defined as five or more drinks in one setting.
Nationally, 20 percent of people age 12 and older reported one or more episodes of binge drinking during the previous month.
Boston scored high in that category, too, with nearly 30 percent of respondents acknowledging binge drinking. But the Northeast and Southeast regions of North Dakota reported binge drinking among 32 percent of residents of that age group. Overall, North Dakota had the highest rate of binge drinking when compared with other states _ 29.2 percent.
"The further north you are, typically, the more alcohol is consumed," said Douglas Wright, a mathematical statistician with the federal government who helped put the report together.
-------------------- Go Buffs!
Edited by veggie (06/17/05 06:04 AM)
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sander
learning
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Re: U.S. Finds Highest, Lowest Marijuana Use [Re: veggie] 1
#4305815 - 06/16/05 10:10 PM (18 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
veggie said: In Boston, the home of Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern and several other colleges, 12.2 percent reported using marijuana in the previous 30 days.
how can we keep this illigal when one in eight people from the entire population (imagine what the 16-26 age group must be doing to compensate for the -10 who probably dont smoke weed, and the 75+ who probably dont smoke a whole lot either) of a region report having broken that law in the last month. what is the stat for the past year? life time?
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CptnGarden
fuck this site
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Re: U.S. Finds Highest, Lowest Marijuana Use [Re: sander] 1
#4306069 - 06/16/05 11:08 PM (18 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
All that said, we're not surprised that substance abuse is a serious issue in the Boston area
I wish people wouldn't call it substance abuse, it makes something so natural sound dirty. Wasn't the government originaly created to enforce what the majority of the people agree on? Goes to show just how much of a "police state" most of the world is.
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Twirling
Barred Spiral
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Re: U.S. Finds Highest, Lowest Marijuana Use [Re: CptnGarden] 1
#4306231 - 06/17/05 12:03 AM (18 years, 9 months ago) |
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As usual, the terminology of this article shows the bias and prejudice over marijuana. The fact that 12% of the population apparently smokes at least once a month is an indication of a substance abuse problem, and that whole 12% are all labled substance abusers.
I really can't understand how the media constantly portrays this huge misconception. It is truly discrimination and prejudice.
I never trust those poll numbers anyway, although I think it does show a relative change in use moreso than an actual portrayal of how many people use.
-------------------- The very nature of experience is ineffable; it transcends cognitive thought and intellectualized analysis. To be without experience is to be without an emotional knowledge of what the experience translates into. The desire for the understanding of what life is made of is the motivation that drives us all. Without it, in fear of the experiences what life can hold is among the greatest contradictions; to live in fear of death while not being alive.
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Ravus
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Re: Boston, Boulder lead nation in marijuana use [Re: veggie] 1
#4307312 - 06/17/05 11:15 AM (18 years, 9 months ago) |
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That's pretty surprising. I've gone to Boston, and never noticed it as a huge stoner town. If anything, I'd think California or Oregon would have the cities or towns that were highest in marijuana use, like Eugene, not Boston.
-------------------- So long as you are praised think only that you are not yet on your own path but on that of another.
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sander
learning
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Re: Boston, Boulder lead nation in marijuana use [Re: Ravus] 1
#4309661 - 06/17/05 11:24 PM (18 years, 9 months ago) |
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boston, boston, boston. yeah you'd be suprised, boston is actually a very resposible city about its extensive marijuana use, i would say. its not like hippies (to use the parlence of our times) smoke ganja on the streets its just that some nights you go to a bar and have a few beers, or some nights you smoke a blunt on the back porch, it has really prevaded the culture around here.
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k3State/toc.htm shows some national data, which looks like was used for parts of this article
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k3State/ch2.htm#fig2.3 yeah new england looks pretty solid.
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veggie
Registered: 07/25/04
Posts: 17,504
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Re: Boston, Boulder lead nation in marijuana use [Re: veggie] 1
#4365053 - 07/03/05 12:37 AM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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Boulder came in second in pot use...shooting for No. 1 July 1, 2005 - boulderweekly.com
Pot City, USA by Wayne Laugesen
They don't smoke marijuana in Muskogee, but we smoke it by the bushel in Boulder. And here's a statistic anyone can believe: Boulder County ranks second in the nation for per capita pot smoking, falling in just behind Boston.
Who, with a straight face, can challenge the high believability factor of this new statistic? If anything, the survey's in error for ranking us second rather than first. Yet, here's what the lead paragraph in the Rocky Mountain News said:
"Boulder County showed the second-highest rate of marijuana use in a federal report that left some local officials scratching their heads Thursday."
They scratched their heads? We have hydroponics stores that thrive, and it's not so people can grow tomatoes in the basement. We have citizens getting wealthy blowing glass pipes and crafting colorful bongs. We have unemployed hippies in million-dollar homes equipped with grow lights-people who scratch their heads when asked: "So what do you do for a living?"
We're a pot-smoking party town, and the only shame is in ranking second rather than first.
The report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows that 10.33 percent of Boulder County respondents admitted to pot use in the past month. Boston was at 12.16 percent. Locations with the least pot smoking are likely suspects: Northwest Iowa, at 2.28 percent; northeast Iowa, at 2.53 percent; southeast Texas, at 2.59 percent; and central Iowa at 2.63 percent. The Muskogee area came in just below average, with 3.46 percent of respondents admitting to recent marijuana use.
If Boulder Mayor Mark Ruzzin really scratched his head in response to the drug report, he did so skillfully. He told News reporter Berny Morson that the city and the University of Colorado probably have a better idea of actual drug use in our community than the feds do. It was a comment that allowed readers to believe that the federal report may be wrong, whether ranking us high or low.
I asked the mayor if he truly questioned the validity of the report.
"My real point was that between Boulder County, CU and the school district we have a pretty good sense of what's going on in terms of alcohol and drug abuse," Mayor Ruzzin said.
I told him that despite my frequent criticism of Boulder, it's an enviable place that attracts visitors and new residents from all over the world. I said property values and prosperity are high, our streets are clean and we're not overrun with crime.
"If Boston and Boulder-two very well-educated, enviable locations-are number one and two, then perhaps this survey tells us that pot isn't so bad," I argued.
"I wouldn't disagree with you at all," Mayor Ruzzin said. "We're not likely to form a task force or a committee to address the marijuana issue."
I called former Mayor Paul Danish, who moved to Boulder in 1960 and spearheaded our slow-growth and open-space initiatives. I told Danish, who's also a former county commissioner, that local officials reportedly "scratched their heads" upon hearing that Boulder ranks second in pot smoking.
"Give me a break," Danish said. "We're number two because we try harder."
"Do you have a history of using marijuana?" I asked.
"I have smoked marijuana, and I've smoked enough of it that I can comment intelligently about it, and that's as far as I care to go on that subject."
Danish has a long history of fighting an intelligent and articulate battle against the drug war. I told him that perhaps this new government survey will be a good thing in his efforts, as some of the most productive and enviable places on earth seem to have the highest percentage of pot smoking.
"Yes, we're number two, and we seem to be producing a lot of wealth in this community by our own creativity," Danish said. "If you drive on the east side of 47th street and knock on any door, you'll see the 21st century being invented. That's not bad for a town that's number two in marijuana use. It makes you wonder: How would we be doing if we weren't high on pot? Probably not as well."
In early June, just before the first-ever pot ranking was released, USA Today pointed out that Boulder-Longmont took first place on another list: We're the most educated metro area in the United States, with 52.4 percent of the population holding at least a bachelor's degree. Danish said knowledge and education may go hand-in-hand with our high number of pot smokers.
"We're a very tolerant, highly educated community, and it's a fairly widely held understanding in Boulder that the most dangerous thing about marijuana is the fact you might get arrested for it," Danish said.
"We know that 10 percent of those who use alcohol are clinically addicted, but the government has spent 60 years arguing the question of whether it's even possible to get addicted to marijuana," Danish said. "If we ask the question 'which drug is likely to lead to violent behavior?' we know that alcohol wins the gold medal. We know that alcohol figures into at least half the violent crime in this country, and more if you look only at the domestic-violence statistics. So why are we having this argument?"
The new pot report was intended to send shock waves through the communities that top the list, causing mayors and health directors to form committees and throw money at the problem. It'll backfire, because the top 10 comprise a who's who of America's most literate, functional and productive places.
But we do need a task force, Mayor Ruzzin. The task? How to beat Boston in 2006.
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Go Buffs!
Edited by veggie (07/07/05 02:55 AM)
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SuperD
Cacti junky
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Re: Boston, Boulder lead nation in marijuana use [Re: veggie] 1
#4365208 - 07/03/05 01:16 AM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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<<southeast Texas, at 2.59 percent>>
Haha, those numbers were starting to look believable until I came across the percentage for my area. I'd say the percentage of pot smokers is closer to 25.9%. Nudge that decimal over one spot and the truth is revealed!
-------------------- D Manoa said: I need to stop spending all my money on plants and take up a cheaper hobby, like heroin. Looking for Rauhocereus riosaniensis seeds or live specimen(s), me if you have any for trade
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freddurgan
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Re: Boston, Boulder lead nation in marijuana use [Re: SuperD] 1
#4367766 - 07/03/05 10:48 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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Texas is a big state whether you define it to SE or not.
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SuperD
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Re: Boston, Boulder lead nation in marijuana use [Re: freddurgan] 1
#4368033 - 07/04/05 12:17 AM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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Very true indeed, and I was somewhat joking / sarcastic in my previous post as I am with almost all posts I make in this forum. But seriously, I don't trust polls because all they can do, at best, is get a general estimate. You can't and never will be able to poll 100% of the population, especially concerning something that's not even legal in our country. Therefore the numbers they showed in that article mean next to nothing to me.
-------------------- D Manoa said: I need to stop spending all my money on plants and take up a cheaper hobby, like heroin. Looking for Rauhocereus riosaniensis seeds or live specimen(s), me if you have any for trade
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lowdominion
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Re: Boston, Boulder lead nation in marijuana use [Re: SuperD] 1
#4372318 - 07/05/05 01:24 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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aahh boston still the greatest city in the US
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Dreamer987
The VerbalHerman Munster
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Re: Boston, Boulder lead nation in marijuana use [Re: SuperD] 1
#4372397 - 07/05/05 01:48 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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For real. Texas is flooded with ganj
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Liz
Owl Lady
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Re: Boston, Boulder lead nation in marijuana use [Re: lowdominion] 1
#4372484 - 07/05/05 02:31 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
lowdominion said: aahh boston still the greatest city in the US
-------------------- Remember, remember the fifth of November The gunpowder treason and plot. I see no reason why gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot.
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Suffer
puter dork
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Posts: 1,090
Loc: MA
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Re: Boston, Boulder lead nation in marijuana use [Re: SuperD] 1
#4372511 - 07/05/05 02:41 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
SuperD said: You can't and never will be able to poll 100% of the population, especially concerning something that's not even legal in our country. Therefore the numbers they showed in that article mean next to nothing to me.
The numbers are still important... just think of it as that high a percentage being comfortable enough to admit use... thats a good thing too
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kake
The answer to1984 is 1776.
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Re: Boston, Boulder lead nation in marijuana use [Re: veggie] 1
#4373154 - 07/05/05 06:14 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
"If Boston and Boulder, two very well-educated, enviable locations, are number one and two, then perhaps this survey tells us that pot isn't so bad," I argued.
I like this reporter.
-------------------- The answer to 1984 is 1776.
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SuperD
Cacti junky
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Re: Boston, Boulder lead nation in marijuana use [Re: Suffer] 1
#4373669 - 07/05/05 08:51 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
Suffer said:
Quote:
SuperD said: You can't and never will be able to poll 100% of the population, especially concerning something that's not even legal in our country. Therefore the numbers they showed in that article mean next to nothing to me.
The numbers are still important... just think of it as that high a percentage being comfortable enough to admit use... thats a good thing too
That's exactly my point, Suffer. The actual numbers are far far higher than what they're showing us, I never said it was a bad thing.
-------------------- D Manoa said: I need to stop spending all my money on plants and take up a cheaper hobby, like heroin. Looking for Rauhocereus riosaniensis seeds or live specimen(s), me if you have any for trade
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Suffer
puter dork
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Re: Boston, Boulder lead nation in marijuana use [Re: SuperD] 1
#4374810 - 07/06/05 05:00 AM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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coincidentally, I'm from Boulder, CO and I live near Boston now...
I feel fairly confident that Boulder is number 1... but then again, maybe that's just hometown pride.
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