My 4×10 schedule was a bust, Alex has been very up-and-down, and generally there’s been just a ton of chaos, especially with the new baby. There’s also just not a lot to say at this point. I still have no idea how to best help Alex other than keeping up on politics and trying to educate people who still think pot is dangerous.
I recently registered Republican in order to have a vote in the primaries. There are a lot of things about Ron Paul I don’t like, but if he ran against Obama I’d probably vote for him, and even if I didn’t, the debates would at least be interesting. Ron Paul is many things, but one thing he is that can be said for very few politicians is consistent about his stance on the war on drugs. He’s been opposed for decades. There are other things I like about him, and plenty I don’t like, but for the purposes of this blog, the anti-drug-war position is all that I need to mention.
I found another great talking point around medical marijuana. “It’s not a medicine – you get high or you don’t, there’s no medical non-high point you can reach”. Some people certainly do abuse the medical programs to get a free high, but the statement is ignoring a very important phenomenon:
- If you drink a glass of wine every day, it’s good for your heart and helps you relax. You generally don’t feel very intoxicated with this small a “dose”. Alcohol can be used in small, regular amounts for health benefits without being completely drunk.
- If you take Ativan for anxiety, small amounts don’t fog up your brain — they simply calm you down.
- If you drink coffee in the morning, small amounts wake you up and can even help headaches. Large amounts of caffeine get you jittery and make it hard to focus.
There are countless examples where a small, regular dose of something gives a very different effect than when you use it in excess to get a high, buzz, etc. This is also true of cannabis, and a lot of how you feel depends on the strain in addition to the amount.
Not a lot else to say. The last few visits with Alex have been very hit and miss. Even when he’s happy, he tends to get overly energetic and frantic, such that he’s a danger to himself and others.
My 4×10 schedule at work just didn’t work out because there’s too much going on. My mid-week Alex visits were canceled more often than not due to my needing to do something else or simply being too exhausted for the drive down and back.
I’ll try to avoid going another month before the next entry, but I can’t promise anything.