Sex, Drugs and the Law?

Who knew that legalizing marijuana and taking erectile dysfunction ads off TV would prompt such a response from our Health Watch listeners? Go figure. It just goes to show that sex and drugs really are lightening rods for many of us. Both topics definitely made for lively discussion last night.

In case you missed Health Watch last night (5/7/09), here are some highlights:

Making Pot Legal

A California assemblyman recently proposed legislation to legalize the cultivation and sale of marijuana for recreational use. Earlier this week (5/5/09) Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California suggested that a large scale study, including international case comparisons, should be conducted to determine the economic and social impact of legalizing marijuana. Why is legalizing pot once again a matter of public debate? It is because of the economy, of course.

California is facing a huge budget deficit and legalizing marijuana might be one way to offset some of this debt. Just how much revenue could be generated from legalizing marijuana in California? According to some estimates it could be as much as $1.34 billion dollars annually. Who knew pot could be so lucrative?

Among our Health Watch listeners, there was quite a bit of support for marijuana legalization. Some of the noted reasons in favor of marijuana legalization included:

Ø As a way to reduce the number of African American men involved the criminal justice system for recreational use of marijuana; and
Ø Pot does not produce the same kinds of harmful and/or destructive effects as alcohol misuse (e.g., DUIs).

Those against legalizing marijuana offered the following reasons:

Ø Government involvement in taxing marijuana will cut into profits of those growing and selling marijuana;
Ø Legalization of marijuana might serve as a gateway to legalize and tax other drugs; and
Ø Excessive marijuana consumption slows down coordination and affects brain functioning. Allowing people more access to marijuana will only make matters worse for those who regularly use.

If you want to read more about this subject, check out this link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/07/us/07arnold.html?ref=us


That’s what some Health Watch listeners are thinking. But, what do you think? Check out this week’s Health Watch POLL QUESTION: Should marijuana be legalized? (Tell us what you think!)


ED Ads No More

You have seen the commercials on television, couples lounging in twin bathtubs, smiling and looking at the horizon. They are made all the happier by a little blue pill touted as the remedy to erectile dysfunction (ED). Even though the couples in those ads look content, everybody is not, especially not Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA).

Fed up with these commercials, Rep. Moran introduced H.R. 2175 in the U.S. House of Representatives last month. The bill prohibits any ED commercials from airing on broadcast radio and TV between 6 AM and 10 PM. The bill further advises the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to treat these ads as “indecent” and instruct stations to restrict broadcasting to late night or overnight hours.

Health Watch listeners had a lot to say about ED, those little blue pills, and airing these commercials. Respondents shared everything from -- these pills make sure men regularly “clean out” their prostates; women want more than just sex from their partners; to the fact that men take them to please their partners. Obviously, ED and ED medications are on a lot of folk’s minds. What do you think?

If you want to read more about this subject, check out this link:
http://amfix.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/07/erectile-dysfunction-ads-too-hot-for-tv/


Well, that’s it for this entry. Remember, “When we know better, we should do better. So pass it on.”



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