Celebrity going to Jail for DUI of Marijuana

There is a report today that a celebrity in England, with a history of addiction treatment, has been found guilty of driving under the influence of Marijuana when he crashed into a storefront. He was sentenced to prison and will end up spending at least four weeks in jail.

I had a recent discussion with my brother in law about Marijuana use and it’s affects on young people. He was adamant that MJ is not detrimental to anyone and it should be legalized. The legalization of MJ is not the question, the question should be “Is MJ detrimental to people?”

MJ is detrimental to people who are notably impaired when they smoke it. MJ does impair judgement, reflexes, and often impairs motivation. I know people who smoke MJ daily and function at a high level, both in their work area and in their interactions with others. I also know people who smoke Pot and become zombie like. They have difficulty in physical movement, verbalizations, and following discussions. Their reaction time is slowed. As a side note; MJ is also detrimental to those that suffer from a lack of motivation when they are stoned.

The comparison of MJ to alcohol is inevitable. Many people can manage alcohol. They can drink it daily, one or two drinks, and function at a high level. Conversely many people have trouble with any alcohol intake. One drink causes a spiral downward and negatively affects their everyday lives. So it is with Marijauna.

Many clients ask “Can I continue to smoke MJ if I am detoxing from Alcohol, Oxy’s, Benzodiazepines, or other opiates? Ideally, I believe abstinence from mind altering substances is the best direction for overall health. However, I also believe in risk reduction. If the client engaged in an Alcohol Detox or Opiate Detox is adamant about using MJ while detoxing from other substances, I will counsel them about risks and benefits, but will not mandate the abstention.

Executive Home Detox has a goal in mind with every client; EHD wants to leave the client in a healthier state than when we found the client.