The opioid epidemic is addressed in the media as if both doctors and patients are unaware of how harmful opioid pain relievers like Vicodin, Oxycontin and Percocet are. Use of these substances has suddenly “exploded”(media term) in recent years with no sensible causes put forth for the sudden increase. After all, these drugs have been around for a good while and their abuse is suddenly out of control as if people have suddenly forgotten how to avoid doing things that cause physical pain. It’s not as if there is a sudden dearth of modalities for physical pain relief or management. A host of specialized pain management centers have been around for about 50 years now. Once ostracized pain relief modalities have been gradually accepted as effective such as chiropractic, acupuncture, homeopathy, osteopathy, yoga, herbal treatments, physical therapy, and a host of “holistic” modalities are being employed.
Unfortunately, the pain being experienced is not so much physical as emotional and stress related(more like anguish). The opioid problem is primarily one associated with Whites, and lower and middle class Whites at that, which leads us to the crux of the problem. The lower and middle class Whites are the groups most shunted, left behind, and disrespected in our politically correct society. They are the ones most affected by the loss of manufacturing and technical jobs as whole industries and large companies have moved offshore. Domestically, Whites, including recent college grads, have had no increases in jobs in many years since all the new jobs have gone to immigrants, and to a lesser extent domestic non-whites through affirmative action and diversity policies. Disillusionment, disappointment, and mental/emotional anguish then are the primary root causes of the opioid epidemic.
The areas most affected by the opioid crisis are the Appalachian region and the “heartland” areas characterized by rural areas and small towns embedded within or adjacent to the farm areas. These are largely white “blue-collar” and white lower middle-class areas that have never caught up to the rest of the US economically to start with, especially in the South. Many of these areas have been decimated by the drastic decline of the manufacturing base which used to provide steady, decent paying
jobs, many providing for pensions for longevity on the job which have now been lost as the larger companies absconded or the smaller ones were absorbed by larger entities. Some of these geographical areas are almost literally ghost towns or shells of their former selves. These are bleak reminders of what once was and are very depressing psychologically to the remaining population who don’t want to move or don’t know what to do with themselves, and so seek solace in drugs.
Now comes marijuana which is increasingly being used and legalized as a recreational drug and suddenly and questionably accorded new medical benefits,, while its many established and very harmful attributes are glossed over. The new benefits are dubious since too little time–just a few years–has elapsed to demonstrate them conclusively. However, the harmful affects have been known for a long time. It has repeatedly been noted over the years that marijuana consumption leads to abuse of “harder” drugs. How about finding out if marijuana use will lead to increasing, already catastrophic opioid use? What if blue-collar whites (in addition to the educated types) suddenly start getting on the marijuana kick? It is no secret that marijuana has been implicated in almost as many auto accidents as alcohol abuse. What if people become addicted to all three–opioids, marijuana and alcohol? Detrimental affects of marijuana include memory loss, impairment of judgement, schizophrenia, psychoses, and even death. Now, synthetic marijuana is starting to be produced in laboratories with the same baleful affects ensuing.
Lo and behold, marijuana use is most prominent among Whites, especially the baby boomers and their offspring. Statistics on marijuana use, like opioid abuse, by race, are not well known or publicized, which tends to be the case where whites are the ones most affected by a phenomenon.
As a foretaste of things to come, we can already see the havoc that widespread use of marijuana will create everywhere by examining what has happened in and to Colorado since “grass” was legalized in 2012. That state is increasingly coming under the influence of the drug cartels, as the Hispanic proportion of the population increases. The drug cartels are sponsoring the spread of a new variety of marijuana that has much higher levels of THC, the plant’s main psychoactive ingredient. This is generally making the “pot” in Colorado much more addictive and harmful than run-of-the-mill marijuana. The new plant is indistinguishable from the “regular” plant in looks, smell, and taste.
The number one problem in Colorado schools is student pot smoking. At lunch breaks, the kids pile into cars, roll up the windows, and smoke away. Re-inhaling the trapped smoke is called “stove piping” and is causing truly intense “Rocky Mountain Highs”. When the students return to class, they become hopelessly unable to learn anything new.
States bordering Colorado are suing the Rocky Mountain State for damages caused by marijuana smokers coming across their borders, engaging in crime, and depleting their law enforcement resources. Legalization has not reduced crime as was promised. Black market pot is actually cheaper than subsidized marijuana. There are more pot shops than liquor stores in lower income areas. Burglaries, robberies, and other crimes have increased.
“Synergise” all of this with the opioid epidemic and you have an exponential increase in crime. Half of all babies admitted to the Pueblo, CO hospital are addicted to marijuana related to their mothers being addicted to pot. Combining alcohol with pot also has synergistically harmful consequences.
These are only the beginning of the pot woes. Recreational marijuana can lead to testicular cancer. High humidity is a side affect of growing pot in homes, resulting in damage from mold. Inordinate amounts of water required to grow pot are draining the state’s water resources, and since ecosystems cross state lines, are draining the water resources of the generally arid surrounding states. A task for the future will be to determine how much pot can be consumed before one can be considered legally impaired for driving purposes. Pot residues linger in the body for days whereas alcohol residues are eliminated within hours.
If many of the other states that have not yet legalized pot follow suit, (which the federal government is recommending that they do not do) the entire country will eventually “go to pot”.
The Trump Administration is increasingly criminalizing drug abuse, so unless incarceration is accompanied by new rehabilitation programs, overcrowding in already overcrowded prisons will increase. The White segment of the prison population is already the one most mistreated and discriminated against, and a new influx of Whites will just exacerbate their problems. Of course, increased incarceration means removal from the workforce, which just increases the economic problems Whites face.”
© 2018 Sidney Secular – All Rights Reserved
E-Mail Sidney Secular: sidsecular1@aol.com
