<p>In the absence of a toxicology test, or any other fact-based report, I can tell you, these posts grate on the ears of the friends and family of this student who happen on to this thread.</p>
<p>I agree that Yale’s statement to the press, linking alcohol and drug use and this loss was possibly premature and insensitive, and may justifiy the discussion about their use at Yale and on other campuses, but not in the same breath with Andre’s name. Not yet, at least.</p>
<p>If you haven’t read the link in post 33, do it before you write a critical word about anything he might have done on Saturday night. He deserves a moment of grace.</p>
<p>Regarding pot being less lethal than alcohol. Pot today is a lot stronger than it was in the sixties. I don’t imagine a person is safe behind the wheel of a car if they are stoned on today’s pot. But what I want to say is this: I have known people who smoked pot on a daily basis, sometimes more than once a day. I’ve seen men in my practice whose wives dragged them in for couples counseling as a last resort. People who have smoked pot every day for many, many years, don’t think clearly anymore. I ask direct questions and they seem incapable of answering. I watch them when their wives say it’s the pot or the marriage and it’s clear that there is no contest. I’ve seen marriages ruined, children badly hurt, careers/work destroyed and a huge financial and, sometimes legal, cost. I realize that not everyone who smokes pot ruins their life. But for the person who becomes addicted, the cost is a lot higher than a case of the munchies. None of which has anything to do with the tragic loss of this young man, obviously, but I hate to see pot treated as an almost-safe alternative to alcohol, because not every young person reading this thread understands that it can be destructive.</p>
<p>I agree with mimk6. I am not a big fan of draconian efforts to curb either marijuana or alcohol, but I don’t see marijuana as “better” in any way than alcohol. I fully believe that if it were as available and as cheap as alcohol, it would be just as destructive. And I would add that, precisely because it is illegal in most places, the distribution system for marijuana causes a great deal of social harm right now. I am not a user, but even if I were I would have a lot of trouble supporting the gangs and drug cartels that deliver the goods to us.</p>
<p>riverrunner-- hopefully you, and anyone else who knew and cared for this young man will not actually SEE my post, but as I said in an earlier post, I’m terribly sorry for the loss of this promising young man. I am sure it is incredibly devastating for the family and the friends, as well, and you are right to say he deserves a moment of grace.</p>