James Lambert
Former 17 year pot addict urges Californians to vote NO on prop 19
By James Lambert
Last month I had the privilege of being interviewed on Virginia radio station WINA regarding my commentary I wrote last summer about Calif. Pastor's reluctance to condemn a controversial state ballot measure, Proposition 19. Prop. 19 is an effort by Northern California marijuana activists and pot users alike to fully legalize the use and commercial development of recreational marijuana throughout our state. More detail of the ramifications of this terrible proposition is explained in a recent TBN interview I participated in along with the Chaplin for the San Diego Chargers, Shawn Mitchell.
When radio host Rob Shilling opened up his phone lines for calls that morning, Chris was one first callers on the line who wanted to inform the radio listeners of his past involvement with marijuana use. He told a very moving story about his own struggle with marijuana addiction that lasted for over 17 years.
Chris told the audience that "as a drug addict I was dependent on daily, multiple uses of pot. I missed many opportunities to mature by relying on marijuana to solve difficulties in my life as well as forfeiting my human potential. I would get high to divert any unpleasant thoughts and feelings of inadequacy and self doubt. Eventually, my frustrations would lead to more marijuana use, hence starting the endless cycle again and again... At the end of seventeen years of marijuana use, I wanted to die."
He went on by saying that during "the past twenty years, I have been healing my addicted personality and character by living life on its own terms, not my terms...This process has taken the power of years of intense effort to find the maturity that this powerful and insidious drug enabled me to deny."
Chris was happy to say he is drug free but it came after years of struggle. Chris concluded by urging all Californians to vote No on proposition 19. He also urged Pastors and Christians throughout the golden state to not be timid in declaring their support for a No vote too.
Perhaps you know of others like Chris' that are in your life right now. They also struggle with a drug that pot promoters say is 'not addictive.' Funny but even the Office of Drug Control Policy informs us that there are over 1.23 million people who are currently in some sort of 'marijuana addiction' counseling.
As for myself, I have had a number of friends who have started their own downward cycle of drug abuse by their introduction to marijuana. What do these five have in common? They all have died from drugs. Tragedies like this have played out throughout the country. Hopefully the voters in California will realize that we cannot afford to make the mistake of saying yes to marijuana (Prop 19) — like Chris would have before he escaped his addiction to pot more than 20 years ago.
© James Lambert
October 25, 2010
Last month I had the privilege of being interviewed on Virginia radio station WINA regarding my commentary I wrote last summer about Calif. Pastor's reluctance to condemn a controversial state ballot measure, Proposition 19. Prop. 19 is an effort by Northern California marijuana activists and pot users alike to fully legalize the use and commercial development of recreational marijuana throughout our state. More detail of the ramifications of this terrible proposition is explained in a recent TBN interview I participated in along with the Chaplin for the San Diego Chargers, Shawn Mitchell.
When radio host Rob Shilling opened up his phone lines for calls that morning, Chris was one first callers on the line who wanted to inform the radio listeners of his past involvement with marijuana use. He told a very moving story about his own struggle with marijuana addiction that lasted for over 17 years.
Chris told the audience that "as a drug addict I was dependent on daily, multiple uses of pot. I missed many opportunities to mature by relying on marijuana to solve difficulties in my life as well as forfeiting my human potential. I would get high to divert any unpleasant thoughts and feelings of inadequacy and self doubt. Eventually, my frustrations would lead to more marijuana use, hence starting the endless cycle again and again... At the end of seventeen years of marijuana use, I wanted to die."
He went on by saying that during "the past twenty years, I have been healing my addicted personality and character by living life on its own terms, not my terms...This process has taken the power of years of intense effort to find the maturity that this powerful and insidious drug enabled me to deny."
Chris was happy to say he is drug free but it came after years of struggle. Chris concluded by urging all Californians to vote No on proposition 19. He also urged Pastors and Christians throughout the golden state to not be timid in declaring their support for a No vote too.
Perhaps you know of others like Chris' that are in your life right now. They also struggle with a drug that pot promoters say is 'not addictive.' Funny but even the Office of Drug Control Policy informs us that there are over 1.23 million people who are currently in some sort of 'marijuana addiction' counseling.
As for myself, I have had a number of friends who have started their own downward cycle of drug abuse by their introduction to marijuana. What do these five have in common? They all have died from drugs. Tragedies like this have played out throughout the country. Hopefully the voters in California will realize that we cannot afford to make the mistake of saying yes to marijuana (Prop 19) — like Chris would have before he escaped his addiction to pot more than 20 years ago.
© James Lambert
The views expressed by RenewAmerica columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of RenewAmerica or its affiliates.
(See RenewAmerica's publishing standards.)
