Pot smell in hallway one night

[Potstech]

I checked with the public safety agency I work for. They said any trace what so ever of a controlled substance is ground for immediate dismissal unless there was an approved reason. If I smelled pot use on a my cruise I would report it to security right away so I am covered. I would not take the chance of someone just saying that it will not happen. Sorry guys I will not lose my job over some one doing something illegal whether you approve of it or not. I smell it, I will report it and let the dust fall where ever it does but I would have my name on a report some where.

 

Each of us must do what we think is right. So I do not begrudge any of you your opinion but I will stand on my actions. Hopefully I will not be forced into that kind of situation but things do happen.

[shepp]

Each of us must do what we think is right.

 

Well, since traces of cocaine are found on half of US paper money, and since I don't have a job that drug tests, if you PM me for my address I'd be happy to take all that contaminated money off your hands. :)

[Glaciers]

This is an interesting article about a guy on RCCL that decided to sell drugs from his cabin. Really takes it to another level.

 

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/accent/travel/cruise-ship-drug-dealing-alleged-in-virgin-islands-1248067.html

[Pam in CA]

Why are all these drugs against the law? They do no harm? After 30 years of working with kids and watching family tragedies because of Pot, the stepping stone to hard drugs, I understand the reason for the laws.

 

My relative thumbed his nose at pot laws, moved on to coke and died at 43.

 

If anyone was breaking the law on the ship, i would report it.

I agree with you, having had my family destroyed by pot. It's not as harmless as so many think. Until it's legalized under federal law, I would report it. I couldn't look the other way. It would be up to the authorities to decide what to do next.

[morriscats]

I don't get this thread. Has no one here ever had a friend or relative graduate from pot to LSD, coke, heroin or assorted pills to get high? Has no one here ever had a friend , family member or know of someone's kid who died from using illegal drugs?

 

Why are all these drugs against the law? They do no harm?

After 30 years of working with kids and watching family tragedies because of Pot, the stepping stone to hard drugs, I understand the reason for the laws.

 

My relative thumbed his nose at pot laws, moved on to coke and died at 43.

 

If anyone was breaking the law on the ship, i would report it.

 

I agree with you - my beautiful sister started at age 16 with Pot and after many years of drug and alcohol addiction she died at age 41 leaving 4 young girls, 3 of which I raised. You would think that would have been a learning experience for the girls but 1 is now in the throes of addiction and 1 has beat it. Maybe for some it is harmless but this has not been my experience.

[Mom33]

Perhaps a better question to ask is why, if the laws against drug use seem to be an abject failure, immense resources are spent on imprisonment that might better be devoted to counseling and treatment. (The US has the highest rate of imprisonment in the entire world, and over half of federal inmates are in prison on drug-related charges.) There are also the immense social costs caused by criminal activity related to the illegality of drugs...remember Chicago in the 1920s?

 

While your relative may have "moved on" from pot to coke and died, many of people of my generation know lots of folks who've smoked grass for decades and are doing just fine, thank you. And...did your relative also drink? Why not say he took advantage of the legality of alcohol laws, then moved on to cocaine and died? You said it yourself: marijuana prohibition mattered not a whit in his case. In any case, despite your anecdotal evidence, the whole "gateway drug" theory is far from scientifically settled; I'd suggest you do some research on just how debatable it really is.

 

Vast numbers of people will die prematurely from illnesses related to drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, and eating too much food - collectively, over 50 times the number of deaths tied to illicit drugs, essentially none of which are related to marijuana use. Yet these are activities that are not only tolerated but encouraged on each and every Princess ship.

 

Lecture over.

 

Is there a reason it is referred to as "dope"? I am most likely from your generation and I don't think pot smokers are doing as fine as they think they are. I see them with clear eyes and mind, not from a high.

[morriscats]

Is there a reason it is referred to as "dope"? I am most likely from your generation and I don't think pot smokers are doing as fine as they think they are. I see them with clear eyes and mind, not from a high.

I want to tell a true story. The girls I raised for my sister decided it would be a "cool joke" to see if they could get me high. One of them baked brownies for a family get together. I ate one. One hour later I felt so wierd. I was able to sit on the couch where I sat smiling like a clown trying to remain calm. I could not get up, much less drive. I finally figured out what happened and called my husband to come get me. I spent the rest of the evening promising God I would never get caught like that again if he would only return my brain to me normal. It was scary. I don't see how anyone could be "fine" after ingesting this.

[shepp]

I know this is getting heavy, but since that's where the thread has headed...once again...not discount anyone's personal tragedy, but IMHO scientific research supersedes anecdotal evidence.

 

While there is some research to point to marijuana as a gateway drug, there's plenty of evidence on the other side, too. The prestigious RAND Corporation concluded, "We've shown that the marijuana gateway effect is not the best explanation for the link between marijuana use and the use of harder drugs ...While the gateway theory has enjoyed popular acceptance, scientists have always had their doubts. Our study shows that these doubts are justified." And a 12-year study of adolescent boys conducted by the American Psychiatric Association likewise concluded that the supposed "gateway" effect of marijuana was not supported by their research.

 

I'm not lobbying for illicit drug use here, or even for the legalization of pot, just for the use of actual facts, and distinguishing "coincidental" from "causal." For instance, reputable studies do show that smoking a lot of pot when you're young is likely to lead to decreased achievement later in life, and that smoking rather than ingesting it is bad for your lungs.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gateway_drug_theory

[S&M in Pgh]

Good thing there are lots of cookies available.

 

:):D

[shepp]

Is there a reason it is referred to as "dope"? I am most likely from your generation and I don't think pot smokers are doing as fine as they think they are. I see them with clear eyes and mind, not from a high.

 

Hmmm...I think it's referred to as "Mary Jane" because it wears those cute little shoes...

 

So, basically, you're judging the well-being of people you don't know? "You're not as happy as you think you are"? Fine, go ahead. Your choice. You apparently know better about their lives than they do themselves...a psychic byproduct of sobriety, perhaps? Certainly, some people do have problems with their pot use...or overuse pot because of their problems. But since over half of Americans have used marijuana, that must mean there are a lot of screwed-up folks out there.

 

And, of course, if some smoker gets reported and thrown in jail, their life will certainly be better, huh?

 

On the other hand, speaking of self-deception...a study showed that a third of overweight people thought of themselves as normal-sized, and 40% of morbidly obese people think they're not even obese, much less grossly so. So since almost 300,000 Americans will die this year from the effects of obesity and approximately zero will die from the use of marijuana, should I have reported that really fat woman in the Horizon Court whom I saw loading her plate with half a dozen desserts?

 

BTW, I feel like I'm getting over-combatative in this thread, so I'm gonna take a break from it...

[DurhamRegion]

I can't imagine anyone taking such a risk.. i would have been sweating bullets going through security trying to bring anything on board. How can you keep your cool knowing you could be busted at any minute?? Something like that could literally ruin your life. I know for one my husband could lose his job for something like that on his record.

 

Not to mention throwing away your entire vacation. People who can't abstain for one week should highly consider a vacation in Jamaica.. just sayin'

[Mom33]

Hmmm...I think it's referred to as "Mary Jane" because it wears those cute little shoes...

 

So, basically, you're judging the well-being of people you don't know? "You're not as happy as you think you are"? Fine, go ahead. Your choice. You apparently know better about their lives than they do themselves...a psychic byproduct of sobriety, perhaps? Certainly, some people do have problems with their pot use...or overuse pot because of their problems. But since over half of Americans have used marijuana, that must mean there are a lot of screwed-up folks out there.

 

And, of course, if some smoker gets reported and thrown in jail, their life will certainly be better, huh?

 

On the other hand, speaking of self-deception...a study showed that a third of overweight people thought of themselves as normal-sized, and 40% of morbidly obese people think they're not even obese, much less grossly so. So since almost 300,000 Americans will die this year from the effects of obesity and approximately zero will die from the use of marijuana, should I have reported that really fat woman in the Horizon Court whom I saw loading her plate with half a dozen desserts?

 

BTW, I feel like I'm getting over-combatative in this thread, so I'm gonna take a break from it...

 

If someone needs to break the law to feel good, then they are in need of help.

[Pam in CA]

If a pot smoker gets thrown in jail or gets a very heavy fine, whose fault is that? There's only one reason why that would happen.

[musicgal]

As a child of the late '60's, I can't say that I am totally unfamiliar with the smell of pot. As long as it is illegal, I will not partake- but as I sit here with my glass of relaxing evening wine, I can't help wondering if edible cannabis products would not have been kinder to my liver. I don't smoke- any kind of smoke bothers me. And I believe that a single joint is worse as far as carcinogens than one cigarette. But it does seem to me that marijuana has been kept illegal mostly due to its legal competitors... big tobacco and the liquor industry. So, I would not report an offender unless they were bugging me- but I think I wouldn't feel sorry for then either if I saw them in handcuffs (they should accept the results of their risk-taking). Today, I had a doctor's appointment and it was nice at 54 to tell them that I do not take any meds except for cholesterol. No Xanax, antidepressants, muscle relaxers, etc.- not that all these things aren't valuable in their season... been there, done that. But it is nature's way to keep our bodies clean (it rebels when we abuse it)- how many folks do you know whose vices include prodigious amounts of food, liquor, sloth, tobacco and prescription meds... who get very upset with someone smoking something else in private?

[shepp]

If someone needs to break the law to feel good, then they are in need of help.

 

OK, so does that mean that users in Amsterdam - where consumption is tolerated - don't need help? Or that folks in San Francisco, where a joint will be overlooked by the cops or, at worst, cost about the same as a parking ticket, need very little help compared to Floridians, who face a year in the slammer? What about medical marijuana users in states where it's legal, but live in a nation where it isn't? Help or no help? And how about a Saudi who sneaks a glass of wine with dinner?

 

What, really, is the problem? Smoking an occasional joint in one's living room is clearly a victimless crime (except in Peru or Uruguay, where it's not a crime at all.) Is it the "illegal" that bothers you? Or the "feel good?" Or both?

[RickEk]

OK, so does that mean that users in Amsterdam - where consumption is tolerated - don't need help? Or that folks in San Francisco, where a joint will be overlooked by the cops or, at worst, cost about the same as a parking ticket, need very little help compared to Floridians, who face a year in the slammer? What about medical marijuana users in states where it's legal, but live in a nation where it isn't? Help or no help? And how about a Saudi who sneaks a glass of wine with dinner?

 

What, really, is the problem? Smoking an occasional joint in one's living room is clearly a victimless crime (except in Peru or Uruguay, where it's not a crime at all.) Is it the "illegal" that bothers you? Or the "feel good?" Or both?

 

Hey Shepp... I agree with your viewpoint. But it's a no-win situation here... :rolleyes:

 

I think this thread needs to be closed. :(

[oratheeexplorer]

I don't get this thread. Has no one here ever had a friend or relative graduate from pot to LSD, coke, heroin or assorted pills to get high? Has no one here ever had a friend , family member or know of someone's kid who died from using illegal drugs?

 

Why are all these drugs against the law? They do no harm?

After 30 years of working with kids and watching family tragedies because of Pot, the stepping stone to hard drugs, I understand the reason for the laws.

 

My relative thumbed his nose at pot laws, moved on to coke and died at 43.

 

If anyone was breaking the law on the ship, i would report it.

 

 

 

At last, someone who understands exactly how I was feeling.....I have a niece that started with pot at 13, went to everything else and now has been a heroin addict for years. She is 32 years old and has brought 4 beautiful innocent children into this hell of a world she has made for them. My sister and her husband have just obtained guardianship ship of 2 of the children.....I've seen first hand what starting with "pot" can do to someone and what addiction can do to an individual and their families.

 

I guess this was my concern.....do we report it or don't we? We didn't.....and I am still questioning myself as to did I do the right thing.

[oratheeexplorer]

I agree with you - my beautiful sister started at age 16 with Pot and after many years of drug and alcohol addiction she died at age 41 leaving 4 young girls, 3 of which I raised. You would think that would have been a learning experience for the girls but 1 is now in the throes of addiction and 1 has beat it. Maybe for some it is harmless but this has not been my experience.

 

 

I know where you are coming from, and am very sorry that your family has experienced this. You can read my reply on another one's post on this thread about my families experience with starting with pot. It has been devastating to soooo many families. My sympathy to you and yours.

[oratheeexplorer]

Well I sure didn't mean to open up a can of whatever all of you would like to call this. All I did was state that we smelled pot in our hallway and was wondering if someone would get kicked of the ship if caught.

 

I have a relative that started with pot at the age of 13. She is now a 32 year old heroin addict......and told me it all started with the pot......that it got to the point it wasn't enough, and she went from drug to drug......

 

She has brought 4 innocent children into this life that she leads. My sister and brother-in-law have just obtained guardianship of 2 of the children. It has been year after year of hell for our whole family.

 

This is why I was concerned and really questioned what I should do, do I report them or not. We didn't, and I am still questioning myself as to if I did the right thing or not. It's not that I wanted to "tattle" on anyone.....just very personal to me.

 

So I think it's best to just close this thread.....I have found out what I wanted to know.

 

Thanks to all who gave replies without being sarcastic and rude.

[shepp]

Hey Shepp... I agree with your viewpoint. But it's a no-win situation here... :rolleyes:

 

I think this thread needs to be closed. :(

 

Well, I don't think it needs to be closed, though we do seem to be going around in circles.

 

For the record, I wasn't trying to "win," just to approach the matter in a way that's evidence-based rather than anecdotal. ("My grandpa smoked three packs of cigarettes a day and lived till he was 98.") While I was researching this, though what I found increased my skepticism about the "gateway drug" model, it actually hardened my attitude against adolescents using marijuana, so things cut both ways. It's not even a matter of being pro-pot or anti-pot, just pro-reason.

 

(Since anecdotal evidence seems to be the order of the day, though: a close friend of mine is a talented architect in his mid-50s - with a good business, good health, and a stable marriage to a good woman - who gets stoned at least several times a week, has been doing so for at least the past decade of our acquaintance, and never uses other drugs, hardly even drinks. Should I turn him in "for his own good?")

 

I suppose I do get a little stroppy when I find people passing judgment on people they don't know and really know nothing about, and I apologize for that. Anyway, yeah, as with everything else, most people will believe whatever they want to, so I'm outta here and on to complain about kids in the adult pool, jeans on formal night, or whatever pressing issue is currently on the front burner. :)

[Dudeagain']

Why do people ask for threads to be closed....just don't open it anymore and it will be just as good as closed to you but not imposing you views on others....

[kymbakitty]

At last, someone who understands exactly how I was feeling.....I have a niece that started with pot at 13, went to everything else and now has been a heroin addict for years. She is 32 years old and has brought 4 beautiful innocent children into this hell of a world she has made for them. My sister and her husband have just obtained guardianship ship of 2 of the children.....I've seen first hand what starting with "pot" can do to someone and what addiction can do to an individual and their families.

 

I guess this was my concern.....do we report it or don't we? We didn't.....and I am still questioning myself as to did I do the right thing.

 

I am very, very sorry to hear of your loss. But I do want to share something with you and anyone else that still believes that pot is a "gateway" drug to bigger and better (worse) drugs.

 

It is just not true. Substitute "pot" with "vodka," or "Boonesfarm," or "mom's codeine pills." It doesn't matter....pick your poison.

 

If a young person has the propensity to be an addict, it doesn't matter if the first thing they have access to is pot or a beer, the end result is the same (sorry....but it's true....I know people want to say it's all the fault of "pot," but they just have to look at the bigger picture).

 

I was an investigator for a department in the state for alcohol/drugs. I interviewed over 500 residents of alcohol/drug programs over many years...same story--nearly every time. It was probably the most interesting work I had done up to that point in my career. It's not pot....it is the addictive genetic component that will take a young person to the next level, whatever that level is...if they start with pot, then they will move to the next level.

 

Do you really (stop to consider this for just a second) think if "pot" was out of the picture, that these young addicts would never venture on to the next level?

 

I knew a fellow that was clean and sober for 7 years. He was a heroin addict and his wife never even knew about his drug abusing years. One day she came home to an empty bottle of medicine for the dog (had codeine in it) and followed the trail to the ATM and he fell back so fast into a heroin addiction it blew her mind. The trigger? Yep....Fido's codene. It doesn't have to be pot...it is ANY MIND ALTERING DRUG which can even be cigerettes. Take pot out of the equasion and the drug addicts that used this drug are still the same drugs addicts that moved on to more powerful drugs.

 

Again, every time I hear a story of this nature, it is nothing less than a tragedy. But I'm afraid that if pot was not involved, the outcome would still be the same. The addict will seek a higher high, no doubt about it, but pot doesn't play into that role (alcohol is quite often the true "gateway" to drugs....but people never like to openly state that because of their own personal use so it makes it sounds better if they can point to something illegal, like pot as being the instigator of the nightmare).

[toberman]

I do want to share something with you and anyone else that still believes that pot is a "gateway" drug to bigger and better (worse) drugs.

 

It is just not true. Substitute "pot" with "vodka," or "Boonesfarm," or "mom's codeine pills." It doesn't matter....pick your poison.

 

If a young person has the propensity to be an addict, it doesn't matter if the first thing they have access to is pot or a beer, the end result is the same (sorry....but it's true....I know people want to say it's all the fault of "pot," but they just have to look at the bigger picture).

 

I'm afraid that if pot was not involved, the outcome would still be the same. The addict will seek a higher high, no doubt about it, but pot doesn't play into that role (alcohol is quite often the true "gateway" to drugs....but people never like to openly state that because of their own personal use so it makes it sounds better if they can point to something illegal, like pot as being the instigator of the nightmare).

 

Great post - thanks.

 

I didn't want to re-post all that you said... One of my pet peeves. :)

[Pam in CA]

The bottom line is that we can discuss the merits or horrors of pot, whether it should be legalized or not, all day (and night) long and no one is going to change anyone else's mind. As long as it's illegal and a federal crime when brought on and used on a cruise ship, there can be consequences. You may not like that, but that's the way it is.

[shepp]

The bottom line is that we can discuss the merits or horrors of pot, whether it should be legalized or not, all day (and night) long and no one is going to change anyone else's mind. As long as it's illegal and a federal crime when brought on and used on a cruise ship, there can be consequences. You may not like that, but that's the way it is.

 

I don't think anyone here denies there can be consequences, or that letting pot fumes waft out of your cabin is Very Very Stupid. What's caused the heat, I think, is the question of whether to turn someone in, and whether or not that serves some greater good.

 

I do find depressing your notion that facts and logic will never change anyone's mind (about this, or anything).

 

I also find it depressing that I can't seem to stay away from this thread. Clearly, an addictive personality. ;)