Altthough slightly 'off topic', I do wonder about the accuracy of the below:

(Quote) My Aunt told me today that babies are being born with Acid Reflux Disease! These are babies of well-to-do, loving happy women. The cause? All those ultrasound and other tests to "see" the baby before it is born. Apparently, these tests upset the fetus, by invading the uterus meant to be dark and nourished and peaceful during pregnancy. (Unquote).

I do wonder about safety to an unborn baby when one smokes 'grass' versus an ultrasound, surely. Nope, not changing my mind - still do think 'grass' should be legalized - but drinking, smoking or drugs while pregnant seems foolish indeed?

Hi 'Joy Green', I respect your opinion,but have difficulty understanding your Philosophy.
Why does a Person require Cannabis to cure Alcohol Addiction? In my opinion it makes no sense to use one drug to cure another.Personally I think It's all in the mind, to take this approach.
Ever heard of "WILLPOWER" to cure a drug problem,instead of looking for Crutches to lean on.
Anyone who indulges in these practices in the first place,I don't have sympathy for. Sorry.
Coke might cure my Smoking Habit.

I've noticed that a prolonged heart stoppage

will cure most addictions!


Just an observation.

In most cases I would agree with you, but I wonder if you have ever met A true alchoholic. Alchohol is by far the hardest thing for someone to quit. When an Alchoholic is talking with you face to face, they seem like they have not a care in the world. That is because the alchohol teaches them to suppress it. When that same person gets some time alone, however, it all starts getting to them. The drinking helps cover up the pain. I'm living with 2 right now. One of them, a Vietnam vet., has been kicked out of some of the best clinics in the country, and the rest of them wouldn't take him. It took about 10 years of AA and a great deal of willpower for him to quit. Here it is now another 10 years later and he still grumbles from time to time about how he still feels the need for a drink, but how he's so scarred to do so.

The other one is my Mother's boyfriend. What one might look at as complete disregard for those around them, I look at as A personal statement to those same people. When ever one of us in the house would catch him, he wouldn't say anything for the rest of the day, and I mean all day. He would just mope around with a depressed "you caught me" look on his face. Eventually he would say to himself "why do they even like me then...?", wander off, and grab some more to drink.

You should stop by an AA meeting (only about 30-60 minutes long) and hear some of what they have to say. You don't have to ask questions, don't have to say or do anything, just listen... and if what they say sounds all too ridiculous to handle... just remember: That too is what the alchohol does to someone. The difference is that in AA you can more clearly hear their call for help.

I could go on forever on this subject but I'm just going to leave it at that.




The thing with coke is that... although almost none of them want to admit it, most coke users have also done crack. Whether it be curiosity, or peer pressure using a quote along the lines of "its still coke", or "its not as bad as people make it look like". Trust me... its even worse. You have no idea what it does to you untill you do it. Sorry to say this but... The aggressiveness sounds more like a crack thing to me.

If you ever get a chance to go to a mental hospital ask the Bi-Polar and/or Skitzo (If the skitzo ones answer you) patients this one thing: "Have you ever done coke?" Then lean towards the crack a bit until you get that answer. Then answer me why it is that every one of those patients has done it?

Before someone tries to discredit that last statement I will say this with a grim feeling: I spent half a month in a mental hospital as an out-patient. As a matter of fact it was the best in my state: Shepherd Prat of Ellicot city. That was my experience of curiosity.... I was wondering if I was the only one. I'm glad I got in there as quickly as I did otherwise my addiction would of grown... It only takes one time people... even if you didn't know what it was.

Crystal Meth!,LSD,DXM,COKE etc.legalized!! As one who grew up in the age of "flower power, free love and drugs,sex and rock-n-roll I can tell you what I saw!! I saw too many people using just this kinda of sh!* and the after effects. LSD effects different people in different ways and not alwasy the same way twice, I saw too many having BAD TRIPS!! and frying their brains out on the stuff. Meth? My best friends son died for using Meth! he just couldn't get enough of the crap and he was no different from the rest of the users. DXM, legal for medical purposes in cough syrup but controlled amounts in larger illegal amounts "a speedy, and not always pleasant trip! Coke? you must be kidding?!!! You may as well legallize the the rest of what comes along with Coke--Crack!! On that stuff you are almost instantly addicted on just one try and end up ruining not only your life but the lifes of your entire family as the need to chase the higher high from using the stuff!! Marijuana? Possibly, it has useful properties when used for medicinal purposes and isn't much worse than alcohol, speaking of alcohol. Yes, it's legal but how many alcoholics does it create every year? To say that it isn't so bad is lack of experience and education. As alcoholism runs in my family I've seen alot. I had an aunt who could down a 5th of whiskey and you never know she had a drop to drink--she ended up dying in a nursing home with a fried brain. I had an uncle who died of cirrosis from drinking,and another who dyed from liver failure!! Yep, acohol isn't so bad, is it??
You may all wonder why I am so vehnement about legallization of so many of the drugs that has been spoken of in this forum. The truth be told I have lived thru He!! with the effects of drug addiction!!! I personnally was not an addict but I suffered right along with MY 2 SONS who both got addicted to drugs. Once addicted to one you end up trying just about anything and everything that you can get your hands on--one way or the other. I educated my boys about drugs, so it isn't that they didn't know about them and the effects but you never can predict what will happen to set a person off to try the stuff. My youngest got hooked on oxycontin to begin with by a pain management doctor he was seeing because he had broken his back! The doctor reassured us that properly monitored the drug was safe!! Sure it was, unfortunatly the "proper monitoring" never happened, he just kept raising the dosage. As it turned out every patient he had was on the stuff!!! Get'm hooked they have to continue to come back for more!! He lost his license thank God. Unfortunalty it was too late for my son, he was an addict and like all addicts he started looking around for anything he could get. At first it was for his pain but having been already addicted to the oxy's , there isn't much that he didn't end up trying. Even dying three times on a bed in the ER and having to have his heart shocked to bring him back didn't stop him!!!!! My other son got hooked while he was in Germany, I don't know all of the how's & why's I just know what happened when he got home and when we found out. Like his brother he tried it all. I died a little more each day for them both and the knowing that I couln't help them, they had to make the decision to quit themselves. Life was pure He!! then, if you haven't been thru it you have no idea what it's like. I thank God everyday that they both ended up seeking treatment and both have made it past the hardest years that follow treatment. At this point they both are doing well although my one son is having to go thru treatments for Hep.C and it isn't pleasant but he is just lucky that it was caught and he qualified for the treatment.
Sorry I got carried away but someone with alot of experience needs to speak up. Come to think of it I'm not sorry--If this helps save just one person from trying any of the illegal drugs then I have done well. Legal or not, like everything else that can be abused drugs will continue to be abused!!! Legal or not, when an addict runs out of money to pay for his/her habit the actions taken will be no different than they are today!

Although there are both physical and psychological aspects to addiction, I do think that the physical is the easiest to beat. Thus, the psychological is the more problematic of the two IMO. This would lead me to conclude that supplanting one addiction (or need) in favor of another is counterproductive to the extreme.

My reasoning for that is this:

1) If you are addicted to something, then you have already conditioned your mind into believing that your body must have 'something'.

2) This means that, if you perform addiction replacement, you are still acquiesing to your perceived mental need, regardless of form or substance.

3) When replacing one addiction with another, now you are introducing the body to a whole new health detriment. As an example; Alcohol = liver, atherosclerosis, dehydration, mineral deficiencies, etc...
?Heroine = esophogial erosion, infections at injection sites, body weight loss


I quit smoking recently. Physically I am fine, mentally it was a struggle for a time (about a week), but I made sure to not replace the now empty need with another.


Actually joygreen, whey is a complete protein and so is soy. However, peanut butter and legumes are not.


As for the topic at hand; again, I do think that drugs should be de-criminalized. That is not to say that anything goes, but to take the stigma away, thereby taking away the criminal element. Kids used to get beat up for their Air Jordan shoes. This was back when supply could not keep up with demand, and they became a status symbol. Now, rarely do you hear of someone getting jacked for their sneakers.

An ounce of weed weighs 28 grams. If someone possesses 25 grams, no problem. This way, people who are not dealing en masse, and your weekend warriors can just be free with their lives.

I believe that last part is what we need to highlight. Most teens will take that as an insult, seeing as they are seeking to be recognized as equals, but the thing is... you really don't. You hear stories all the time but the problem with the media is they exagerate so much its obvious. That doesn't help any, it just makes the problem look questionable. They preach and preach and preach but they don't realize how they are one the biggest reasons why teens end up doing it anyways.

I had a friend die once by taking one too many Oxy's. He took them right before he went to school (which is another thing I dissagree on.. if you "have" to do it... at least do it on a fri or sat if you know you have school). Personally it makes no sense to me. Why take something that just makes you feel tired and numb? Its an empty high. All it does is slow you down.

I'm sorry to hear about your Sons Iodine. I wish you and your family the best of luck.

Oh Iodine, how incredible you survived the horrible times because few things are worse that something horrible happening to our children - and being unable to prevent it. Gentle hug!

Wow! I thought I'd seen it all when I was in rehab - the sickest people were the alcoholics: I heard stories I could not believe. During that month, I saw people with needle marks in collapsed veins "recover" in a few days. "Recover" meant they could bathe and talk and walk. I was told I was in really bad shape when I got there thanks to the intervention bleep who encouraged me to take all the drugs I could on the flight. I got to enjoy seizures and sleepless nights but eventually I was well enough to attend the AA and NA meetings.

My heart breaks for the stories I have heard in here. I did have one doctor tell me I was trading one drug for another with the pot/alcohol "cure" i invented, but now that oxy's are so highly marketed and used for a fun drug, I wonder why the medical community is not respected when they find that pot is a much more benign pain killer than anything that is on the market. 4,000 Americans die from Tylenol (liver failure) every year in America. In 1972, a government study told Nixon it wasn't necessary to keep cannabis illegal but he ignored it.

After hearing your stories, I must side with keeping currently illicit drugs illegal, EXCEPT cannabis. If it were as available as alcohol, I think people might gravitate to it rather than junk and alcohol, and be able to stop using it without suffering physical withdrawals. Yes there are two kinds of addictions. And there are people without will power: mine is continued emotional attacks from people I thought loved me.

Young Americans see the failure of our government, the corruption, the illogical laws and failure to enforce some of them. They might have seen their parents lose their jobs to outsourcing and wonder how they will fare. The American Dream was axed in favor of the stock market; the Middle Class sacrificed in favor of China and India.

But when we make laws that criminalize our children while failing to enforce laws for political correctness, our children suffer and look for escapes. While the country pretends to look for alternative fuel sources, politicians strike fear about the need for water and fertilizer and higher prices for corn. Of course this makes no sense. They haven't even called on American scientists to come up with alternatives.

My heart goes out to all loving parents who have suffered for their children. But I suffer for the children who had dreams of becoming doctors, but have been arrested for using pot and other dumb teen stuff, and now are felons (because of the three strikes law) who will never be able to reach their dreams because of stupid, irrational racist laws. The word "marijuana" was invented to criminalize black and native American people who tended to use it. My dad, as a kid, made money in the 1930's to destroy cannabis/hemp weeds found growing wild around the neighborhood. The law to criminalize hemp/cannabis was passed by guess who? The liquor lobby at the end of Prohibition. I might have my dates wrong, but the story is true. And now, America is importing it to make a variety of products that would not be so expensive if American farmers were growing it. And please don't praise the FDA, they are in bed with the pharmaceutical companies...

BTW, the info about babies with acid reflux came from a family of doctors, and I did not say that pregnant women should endanger their babies .

This is not a subject that affects me personally, even a decent dose of paracetamol can make me a bit ga ga, but I would like put forward a different perspective on legalisation.

Controlled drugs are handled by corporations and their guardians. Illegal drugs are handled by gangs for profit and any way they can get more people addicted is good for their business.

Don't expect an answer from me because I don't have one, but I do think that the first priority should be to strip this power from the gangs. If legalisation in some form or other is a step in this direction, then I say go for it. I can't see this making things any worse than they already are.

Hmmm, quite an interesting subject considering it is being discussed by people from different parts of the world. Where in some countries they are legal, other countries illegal, and other countries where they can carry the death penalty.

1 Amsterdam - Caniabis legal, or so I beleive, rest of the world (mostly)not

2 Middle east (Saudi etc) - Alchol illegal, rest of the world no problem.

If you smoke canabis in the UK you are technicaly a criminal, but if you goto Amsterdam are you still a criminal if you smoke a joint (purely from a social not legal point of view)

I can only give it from a UK perspective, but who is the goverment to say I can or cant take drugs of my choice when they allow/tax 2 very dangerous dugs.

Prohibition doesnt work, it encourages an underground drugs movement where young innocent people are exposed to hardned criminal and hard drugs --- having smoked pot for 15 years or so and visiting different dealer I never came into contact with any hard drugs, must of the dealers were small time selling enough to cover their own use, so the only true thing about the statement is prohibition doesnt work.

On the cannabis side I found it the best thing when I was recovering from cancer, it beat the anti-sickness drugs hands down. My consultant didnt recommend it but she agreed it was better than the chemical anti sickness drugs. By the way the cancer was not smoking or drug related.

Maybe manmade/ processed drugs should be illegal.

By the way, i'm not a pothead anymore, and i rarely drink alcohol.

For interest.



For the full story

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6474053.stm


**** edit ****

while i do sympathise with the families whos live have been destroyed by drugs, do we ban cars because of the amount of people killed by them?????

Uh,

Cars don't kill people, drivers do.

Sorry, I just had to say that.

It's not the vehicle that kills someone, it's the impaired driver, or the distracted driver, or the reckless driver, or even the person that steps out in front of the vehicle that is to blame.

Heck, I can see my car out my window right now, and it is not doing anything aggressive or dangerous - it's just sitting there under the carport enjoying the shade.

Not a valid argument.

Drugs are harmless until you take them.

Read on in my post -



Cars are harmless until you drive them improperly.



Not a valid argument, either. See previous comment.


Drugs, properly used, probably don't kill any more people than vehicles used properly.

Just my opinion based on my observations.

To compare Vehicles to these types of Drugs is a no-brainer IMO
Vehicles are a necessary means of Transport, where as these drugs aren't necessary,except to destroy ones Soul either slowly or Quickly,as the person so chooses.

Ive never had a bad car driving addiction problem.

But thats just me.

Maybe bad example but still my point holds. People tend not to want to die when taking drugs, same as with driving.


Driving related: Deaths fell to 3,201 in 2005, a drop of 0.6%, with serious injuries down 7%.

source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5387568.stm

Drug related: Number of deaths in England related to drug misuse in 2004 - 1,339

source: http://www.nta.nhs.uk/areas/drug_related_deaths/trends.aspx

Regardless of reason for death by motoring, it kills as many people as death by drugs(however these stats arn't completly reliable as the driving is for the UK, and drugs for England only) Again it should be me choice to either freely drive or take drugs.(not at the same time.) Some people will probably argue that driving is not necessary as there is public transport but i wont argue that point as outside of the cities public transport is appaling.( I dont condone drug taking but it should be my choice)

PS

Hmmm, maybe there are supporters of the NRA - guns dont kill, people do. What a load of $$$$$$$$

The rules for selling/buying firearms are getting even more strict, and the amount of paperwork you have to fill out to own one is endless.

My room-mate works at a pawn-shop and tells me all about the idiots that come in expecting a firearm. He often has to call in the authorities. Most of the time he doesn't even have to though. When a firearm is sold the clerk has to call for a security clearance. Most of the time all you hear is "Can you hold please" and not even 5 minutes later a group of cops will enter the shop. He has declined service just because the person leaned over to sign the papers.

Alot of the guns used in murders were obtained illegally. Similar to drugs, if you outlaw guns what do you think is going to happen? There would be a surge of illegally imported weapons, thus making even more crime.

Just out of curiosity, how many of those accidents do you think are a result of drunken or impaired driving?

Not guns again.

Drink related: 560 in 2005, other drugs who knows??????

Sorry about the guns thing we just dont have the free access to them as in the states.

Bilko has hit the nail on the head. I am sorry you felt you had to qualify the nature of your cancer. Are we going to start condemning people because of how they got cancer???

There would be no Kennedy dynasty without Prohibition of the 1920's. The old man made his fortune running liquor. Cannabis was made illegal by the liquor lobby so it could keep its monopoly on how people can legally relax after work or get high. But liquor is hardly a benign drug, and unfortunately the wealthy gangsters who run drugs will not be donating to the politicians coffers to fight for people like Bilko who needed this drug. And since s/he is not using it anymore, I'll bet s/he will attest to suffering no withdrawals. Congratulations on your recovery, my friend.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in Kalifornia denied a woman with cancer the right to use her legal prescription for pot to ease her wasting disease. You see, although doctors can prescribe it in some states, the DEA can still arrest and jail these non-violent people. So, the American court system, in this supposedly Free country, will sentence a woman to an agonizing starvation death from cancer rather than stand up for the logical legal solution.

I tell you, my friends, pot is a natural herb, it is not addictive, grows like manna from heaven and can take care of so many of mankind's needs: fuel, protein, fiber, non-addictive medicine, a nice relaxation method after work, clean the air without need for water and fertilizer, and dammit, a cure for alcoholism!!!

And why make the bad guys rich when we can give up this failed war on drugs. When America declared its "War on Poverty", more people ended up in that classification. Somebody is getting those billions of dollars, but it certainly is not helping anyone. It's more like a war against the American people by the American government in favor of drug dealers. Prez Bush has pardoned 5 drug dealers. Now why is it still illegal? Remember: children want the whatever they should not have and drug dealers are helping them. Legal cigarettes are NOT sold to minors, what business will risk its license to sell to minors? Just think of the taxes that could be collected for teachers and rehab centers...

I often wonder what it is that makes these people believe so firmly that Marijuana is so horrible. Is it just that its been drilled into their heads all their lives or is it the fear of loosing their jobs? It seems to me that in this case the opinion of the very few is outweighing the opinion of the very many. I hope to see the day that the world opens its eyes to see why it was banned in the first place. Has there been a single valid statement on how weed is so "horrible" for you?

Sure there are a the few left field, oddball things. I've heard everything from how it gives you "bigger tits" (Can we say that here? I don't see it as innapropriate. I guess ill have to find out.), to "its addictive".

Have you ever heard of anyone growing a set due to marijuana? That just blows my mind. It would likely take longer than a lifetime of smoking to see that kind of an effect, and is that any worse than that huge beer belly? As for its apparent addictiveness, joygreen also hit the nail on the head: " And since s/he is not using it anymore, I'll bet s/he will attest to suffering no withdrawals. "

Also: I'm sure you can pull some dirt on every prescription drug out there as well, but you never here about those particular side effects.

In my case its "consuming anything to purposely alter the state of reality to escape circumstances."

I don't know enough about the medical aspects of pot to comment on that.

Addiction is bad. My mother suffered from chronic pain for 30 years (still does) and she has had many prescription drug addictions as well as alcohol. All to alleviate her pain.

Have a look at the Graph you yourself posted in Post #61.
This Graph tells me Cannabis is half as dangerous as Herion. Not Zero Danger.
Who is Kidding Who?
Or am I missing something.

A graph is what exactly? A way to sample and view data.
Where does data come from? People.

I don't know about you, but when I was in school I was taught about biased opinions being projected in such graphs.

And where would the prescriptions be on that list? Would you also agree that Ecstacy is LESS dangerous than weed? I think not.

Truth is relative....no facts can be gathered and presented. It is only unbiased if it agrees with my opinion.

It still proves my point. I bet If I decided to search I could find a similar graph that does agree with my opinion.

I think thats a good idea if you want to invest the time into it. I would actually like to see it, as I don't know much about this topic myself. (Only prescription crap.)

At some point though, you have to come to the conclusion of right and wrong....

Is it ok to alter your state of mind in order to escape your current circumstances? Or are there more responsible ways to deal with it? Those are the questions I ask myself. In my case, I say no, it is not correct to do so. But honestly, I come from the perspective of a man that wants to live a life pleasing to God. I understand the disagreements.

I would like to know where you pulled that from???? That sounds more like a drinking issue to me. When I was smoking marijuana I wasn't smoking it because I felt bad, I was just bored, or what ever the situation might be. I did it as an activity I enjoyed. As a matter of fact, I only did it on the weekends, and there have been many occasions where I said "No I don't feel like getting high today".

As for the graph:

So do you associate being bored with a "good" feeling?

What do you mean it seems like a drinking issue? Doesn't marijuana alter your state of mind?

I was reffering to the "in order to escape your current circumstances" part. And if you had read that correctly you would see that It was an example of the above.. I said I DIDN'T smoke because I was bored.

Well,

now that you mention it,

I'm not addicted to bad driving, either!



But, seriously, I've seen nothing that would imply that one must be an addict in order to be driving a vehicle while impaired. One doesn't have to be an alcoholic to be driving drunk. They just have to be drunk. Same would hold true with a person driving a vehicle while impaired from pot.

A large number of driving accidents and death, at least here in the US, are directly attributable to operating a vehicle while drug impaired - alcohol, an over the counter drug, or something illegal, etc.

I'm not saying that at all. I'm just saying that you are much more capable of driving after smoking marijuana than after drinking a few cold ones. I feel that if we could find a way to monitor how much you smoked before driving, similar to a breathalizer, it would work out. The problem with weed is that if you smoke alot of it, there are certain people, mostly kids, who don't seem to understand that ALL of your attention must be focused on the road. As for most of the adults I hang out with: Their maturity levels allow them to respect their condition while driving, thus they don't have that problem.

Who would do the monitoring? Technology that could be bypassed? Or a person that also likes to smoke weed?

Police, who knows, and Most police also like to drink... does this mean they shouldn't be a cop?

If they abuse alcohol and cannot exercise self-control....yes.

After a hard day at work, I suppose they deserve a longneck or two.

The advantage you have over me is that you have smoked. I have not. So you would know better what it is like, and what it does to you. The issue for me always comes down to the spiritual level. If there is an addiction present, then I attribute it to deeper heart issues. Smoking anything (for me) is simply an outward manifestation.

But not throwing "science" out the window, I think in most cases drugs will cause problems rather than solve them.

Your Mom is lucky to still be alive. She is using alcohol because the pain meds lose their effectiveness over time. I have been suffering chronic pain for 8 years. Recently, I bought some beer to see if I could avoid some of the meds I was using for sleep. It didn't work because, "dammit" I cured my drinking problem with pot. When I did have access to pot along with my narcotics, it sure gave 'em a kick, enough for me to want to get out of bed and take a shower or go outside to water my flowers.

My new pain management doctor takes random urine tests and if she catches me with pot in there she will fire me. She is the best doc I have ever had for this, she and my shrink. Antidepressants also help relieve CNS pain. Unfortunately, I often think about "checking out" but I do not think it is from the antidepressants. I have a daughter I love who needs and trusts her Mama, and that is what has kept me on this earth. Besides, as a Catholic, I want a chance to move on to a better place when it is my time.

Believe me, if I had access to Pot I would be using it to wean myself off the narcotics and benzo's. But the RX's are far cheaper than good Pot. Is that insane? a weed that requires no water or fertilizer is more expensive than Pharmaceuticals. Why? Those CEO's need their outrageous salaries and enough money to keep buying off the politicians; and those drug-runners don't come cheap.

All you need to know about pot has been documented in here by users and former users. It is a harmless but very practical herb that has many uses. It is NOT physically addictive. I am sorry about your Mother's illness. Not knowing the cause of her pain, but recommend she ask her doctor about Lidoderm patches. It is a topical anisthetic on a patch that is stuck to the source of pain and gives some additional relief.

Interesting stuff.

My mother has been through the ring of doctors. A bunch of quacks if you will. It all started when she was about 13, she was on her way down the street to the candy store with her friend, a grown man walks up to her and socks her in the side of the head and leaves. No rhyme or reason. She has suffered the majority of her life with jaw problems...TMJ, Fibromialgia (spelling), and various other things. Shes been addicted to all sorts of pain meds as well as alcohol...tried suicide a half dozen times (I had to carry her off of a train track once with a train less than a mile away), has had surgery. She made it through with the Grace of God though.

I suppose if Marijuana were legalized and was shown to be a legitimate medicine, I might see it differently. Its hard to keep up with all this stuff though, you know. I mean after-all...everything causes something bad to happen....(according to scientists/pharm companies)

Re: "I'm not saying that at all. I'm just saying that you are much more capable of driving after smoking marijuana than after drinking a few cold ones".

"As for most of the adults I hang out with: Their maturity levels allow them to respect their condition while driving, thus they don't have that problem".

I apologise if I've misunderstood the above but I don't quite understand how, when one is smoking grass, one can 'respect' their condition and drive accordingly - anymore than I can understand someone drinking in a bar and 'respecting their condition' and driving accordingly?

Would it not be that the person 'under the influence' of anything thinks they are driving safely - but rarely are?

Prescription meds, booze or 'grass' - best not to drive when under the influence of anything, perhaps.

I do have a general question about something, please ...

If one smokes pot to mellow out and/or 'escape', it would surely 'help' only short-term - with the problem still remaining? And the same with getting drunk or taking other things? And if one has a 'built-in' addictive personality, surely grass can be just as destructive for some?

Not saying it shouldn't be legalized - just saying that nothing that affects our brain is a good thing. (Not talking about prescription meds for people who truly need them for mental health).

I agree, MaraM.

One might be more capable to drive "after smoking marijuana than after drinking a few cold ones".

But, is "more capable" and "able to drive effectively" the same thing? I suspect not.

I, too, am not commenting directly on whether pot should be legal or not.

I mean no abuse but...

Should I not seek the comfort of my wife's arms after a hard day at work? I mean, when I do receive her touch, it leads to a waterfall of soothing dopamine and seratonine being released into my brain, giving me a warm comfortable feeling.

Or should I not go weight train to escape dwelling on worries over which I have no control (but after all I am human)? This does release testosterone and Human Growth Hormone, which affects my brain.

Do we stop people from driving when they are angry over something from earlier in the day? This anger can cause adrenaline and cortisol to be released into the body, causing them to make poor decisions regarding the intentions of others. Or if they are worried about being late?

My point is this; so many things affect our brains everyday. Every person must be taken on a case by case basis. I have smoked pot and driven, I have driven angry. The only time I ever had accidents was when I was worried about being late. I can say that after I smoked, i wasn't worried about being late, I was focused on driving to the best of my ability.

Can any of us drive effectively 100% of the time? Impossible! Cell phones, other drivers, worries, radio, food, etc... I have seen few statistics on the relationship between plain inattention and driving; IMO mostly because how do your prove it? Well, a drug test for pot can show if you smoked in the last 30 days. So if someone smoked 10 days ago, they are still counted in the study.

Who is going to admit, "Well, I was thinking about going to the beach with my friends later, when my phone rang, but I had a drink in one hand and a sandwich in the other. All the sudden I looked up and the light had changed." Not too many.


MaraM, yes, the escape is short term. The problem still remains. However, during your escape you might find a better way to deal with the problem, because you are mellowed out and can look at it more objectively. And people who are 'natural addicts' can be destroyed by anything in excess, as we all can. But should another's lack of self-control be a reasoning by which to judge all others?

What your implying BG04,every time we are faced with Life's Problems,we should light up a Joint and we may see the problem in a different Light. A different light,yes, but not Daylight.
I presume Mellowed means Stoned.
To reach for any mind altering Drug, whatever it is,is a 'Cop Out' IMHO.

No DSTM, I am not implying that every time we confront adversity we get mellowed/stoned.

I am merely stating that it may be a productive pathway towards a solution.

It is OK for people to have a cigarette when they are stressed? How is this in any way different? Or to eat some chocolate when they are depressed? So many things we ingest alter our body/mind-chemistry. Why is one acceptable and another is not?

And I agree, to shirk one's duty is a 'cop-out'. But if one wishes to take a step back for a time and clear their mind (before addressing their duty), where lies the difference between having a smoke, or a cup of coffee, or some ice cream?

I love these easy answers.Cigarettes and Chocolate are legal. Why are you advocating a drug which is illegal. Maybe you might be sending the wrong message to our Children.
Pass the Chocolates,Please.

Under what criteria is one deemed illegal and the others legal?

Part of our duty as Citizens is to question baseless laws.

I think I understand some of your personal motivations regarding this subject from earlier posts. You do have my compassion.

However, I have watched friends and loved ones suffer from the effects of 'legal' substances, such as cigarettes and alcohol and prescription meds from the doc. I do not champion increased regulation by Governmental bodies over these substances.

Maybe you are sending the wrong message to our children. Type II Diabetes is on the fast rise due to over-indulgence of refined sugars. Chocolate = Refined Sugar.

Moderation is the key. Besides, I have a tough time with authority, because I think I am a fairly intelligent capable person. Who are they to decide what is best for me?

Clearly the best thing to do is give another damaging substance equal opportunity to provide you with more opportunities to watch friends and loved ones suffer.

I guess that is one way to interpret what I said.

I believe in personal choice, free will if you please. When I face my Creator, noone will answer for the bad, as well as the good, but I.

I would rather die in the pursuit of freedom than live oppressed. And I see senseless regulation and legislation as oppression.

Ah,

but therin lies the problem -

what is senseless to one is sensible to another.

I am still young and have not done enough research or know enough about these substances to make the same claims....however I completely agree with your sentiment that FREEDOM is what I long for in life. Oppression sucks. This is certainly an interesting discussion...

The question I have is what is the point of the Government? What was the original intent of its creation? To protect the citizens that it governs? Would you say legalizing marijuana would be protecting or not protecting? They are there to protect our freedoms right? Where does it end though...I have the free will to kill someone I don't like....I know its exaggerating, but thats the point...where do you draw the line on the freedoms that we can have?