I used to smoke pot...like a GOD! I started when I was about 14 and quit when I was 20, some 15 years ago. I agree with cthree, the US drug laws are far too draconian and I think the war on drugs has been mostly a useless exercise and a GIANT money pit. Pot is relatively harmless, IMO. It just makes you lethargic. At least that's what it did for the years that I smoked it. That said, it's not my gig, but if it helps your friend, go for it. I actually don't think most drugs should be illegal. I don't have all the answers, but I think that pot, at least, should be legalized or made less illegal. That is certainly the case for medicinal cases...I'm all for whatever makes a person with a chronic and painful condition to be able to do whatever it is that makes them feel better - be that pot or whatever.

It's funny, tho, to watch the Hemp crowd, like NORML (notice they couldn't spell the name of the organization correctly...too much gonja, perhaps?! ) .. they always try to make the case that all these benefits can be derived from legalizing weed. That may be true, but c'mon, be honest...it's just cuz they wanna get STONED! I don't care if hemp makes nice tshirts or strong rope, they just want to get a buzz on...!

Smoke your head off, it's your life...live it as you see fit. Just don't wreck into me on the road. But pot, I think, has such a different effect on a person than does alcohol. I think a drunk person is impaired more profoundly than a stoned person is. I'm certainly not suggesting that a stoned person should drive. But I am saying that the nature of the buzz is quite different.

Anyway, I'm rambling...

Smoke 'em, if ya got 'em!

 

Interesting thread.

i consider myself a fiscal conservative and social liberal. As a 29 year old college graduate having lived all over the world and having partied pretty hard in my day, i think i am an anomoly in that i have never smoked pot. honestly, it hasn't held much allure to me. i'm not sure if it's because readily available alcohol has provided the "social lubricant" when I was young and needed it or what, but i just never have wanted to do it.

with that in mind, i am conflicted on this topic.

i have seen fraternity brothers that started smoking pot on a social basis really fall apart when pot became the focus of their lives. yes, they were young (20-22) and consequently not too mature. and yes, i have seen friends develop similar problems with alcohol. however, images linger...

to be sure, it is unforgivable that we don't allow those suffering with terminal diseases some relief when it is readily available. i don't think any level headed individual can argue that.

however, i am not sure of the merits of legalizing dope or any other drug. you can make the argument that dope is no worse than booze all day long, imo. so what? two potential wrongs do not make a right.

like i said, this one ain't easy. i still love the occassional drink. i cringe at the thought of someone taking that pleasure away from me. but, i'm not sure if the pleasure i get from a good glass of wine with dinner outweighs the damage caused by the moron who gets in his car when he's plowed and kills the innocent.

i'd like to say we legalize drugs and trust people to act like adults. however, i think that's just wishful thinking. i don't feel comfortable letting some of my fellow americans drive, vote, or pick out their own wardrobe ( ) . I am not sure how i get comfortable with them having legal access to mushrooms or heroin or even pot.

keep posting your thoughts. i think i'm probably a little more conservative than most here and i think this is a great forum for discussing ideas and learning from one another.

 

For me, the most interesting thing about this thread is how the comments in no way mirror what any survey says are U.S. use habits or legalization opinions. In addition, Virtually everyone I know or meet has marijuana experience (which also doesn't mirror the surveys.) BTW, I'm 46 this week so I'm no campus rat.

Is it possible that a large segment (and perhaps a majority) of our population is now afraid to speak up honestly on this issue. Land of the Free? 1st Amendment? Hmmm...

 

That is because the government is driven to make money. Money money money. Not to turn this into a political thing but if the government doesn't make any money off of it then they will turn the numbers so that nobody else does either. It's the same with all industries. They recently REJECTED a bill that would make auto manufactures adhere to the fuel effiency standards of cars when they are making SUV's. Why? Because the government makes a lot of money on oil, and owns at least a percentage of the oil companies. I know for a fact that the american people want their SUV's to save them money on gas and mother nature would probably appreciate it too. I don't want to start a political thread here, just pointing out that the government is greedy, and we are not free. More free than other countries yes, but the decisions that they make to affect our lives, we have absolutely no say in, and it doesn't matter what we want, only what makes the government more money.

Please remember when responding, no politics!

 

don't get me started on the police-state....

 

Marijuana should be "officially" legalized. There are many people out there that are taking a risk buying marijuana from shady people on the street. They don't know these people and they most importantly don't know what is in the dank; therefore, they could actually worsen their condition even more so. I personally buy mine from close friends of mine, but many other people do not have the pleasure of calling up a homey and asking him for a bag of chronic. As for driving dangerously on mary jane, I personally drive WAAAAYYYY slower when I'm high than when I'm sober. I just get really mellow and kind of paranoid about getting another ticket. By the way, marijuana can fix many other problems, like: stomach related pains, headaches, eating disorders, and most importantly your well-being. I say well-being because when your high you get very self-conscious. You start seeing yourself (and other things) in a different perspective. This is a great way to reflect on your life and see your problems and "fix" em'. By the way.....where's da bomb at?!?!?!?!?!

 

A while back, there was a ballot measure in CA to leaglize medicinal marijuana. I voted for that and so did a lot of other people since it won. I think the Supreme Court overturned it though.

If the pot is helping your friend deal with the pain, then I see nothing wrong with taking it.

Just like Da Hapa, I have seen many of my fraternity brothers get messed up by drugs and alcohol. Abuse is never a pretty thing to see. luckily, everyone turned out alright in the end for my friends.

 

I'd be interested in hearing you expound upon that thought, S2K Fan. Personally I think marijuana is in a totally different ballpark from other "harder" drugs like cocaine, heroin, LSD, etc. For one, it's not physically addicting...maybe psychologically addictive though. Furthermore, in my (admittedly limited) experience, there is no "crash" after getting high...you just stop being high and start craving some munchies . It never ceases to amaze me that the government hasn't gotten around to legalizing the stuff. The cash potential is immense (regulation, hemp products, etc.), the stuff is less dangerous than alcohol and tobacco, and it can actually be used for medicinal cases. And when was the last time you saw an angry stoned person? People on pot don't tend to get in fights. Maybe the government just doesn't want to damage the paper, textiles, and tobacco companies...all of which would get hammered by legalized hemp/marijuana. Our jails would be less crowded, and maybe road-rage would be much reduced .

The only part that makes me a little bit nervous is the "gateway drug" phenomenon. I've heard it argued many times that if marijuana were legalized, many people would move on to more harmful drugs like cocaine or heroin. Personally I disagree...I think most of the gateway phenomenon is simply a result of the fact that the smoker is already doing something illegal, so why not try something else illegal too? On the other hand, if one could get nice and stoned on pot, why bother sticking yourself with a needle? Still, I suppose it's a possibility that pot smoking would be a slippery slope for some people. But hey, alcohol and tobacco are the same way...some people can handle occasional use without letting it get out of hand, some can't. Legalized pot would undoubtably be the same. IMO, the pros of legalization outweigh the cons. Funny though, I wrote an essay for a philosophy class several years ago that opposed the legalization of marijuana...funny how time changes things . Whew...[/rant]

 

Tedow-

I have known folks who have become addicted to pot. I have also known folks who can and do use it only as a casual or recreational high. Is it more addictive than booze? I don't know, but as I stated earlier I am at least put off a bit by legalizing something that is also addicitve.

I have also known folks (admittedly more often the guys who end up addicted) that have had pot be their "gateway" drug. Maybe it's something in their DNA? Maybe it's something in their psyche? Maybe it's just the drug? I honestly don't know but the potential problems for folks who maybe genetically predisposed to being addicted certainly needs to be considered when we argue whether or not drugs should be legalized.

Again, I have no answers... I just think this is an interesting discussion topic.

S2Sav-

I almost didn't respond to your post because I don't want to start a flaming war, single you out, or get this thread moving in a negative direction. However, if you are driving around while under the influence of anything you are stupid. Stupid and selfish.

I am not going to tell you that you shouldn't smoke out. What you do in the privacy of your own home is your business. However, when you take that out on the public roads with me and the people that I love, it becomes my business. The fact is that whether you recognize it or not, pot affects you. I am not going to argue with you about whether it "opens your mind" or any other psychological benefits because that is an arguement which has no end. However, nobody can dispute that pot affects your motor skills. Consequently, you have no business operating that car. Simple. Period. End of Story.

I sincerely hope that you don't simply dismiss my rantings and you take a moment to think about it. You have the right to do whatever you want with your life. You do not, under any circumstances have that right when it comes to anyone else's life.

Off of my soapbox now...

 

*cough* *cough* *cough*
I think that . . . uh . . . that . . . what charlie was saying was . . . that . . . uh . . .

oh, thank's man . . . blub, blub, blub