Drugs, alcohol, etc. - Can you get by fine without them?

[CrystalLight]

I'm not a big drinker.

I've not smoked grass in quite awhile, but I think I could pick it up again around the right circumstances/people. I used to be a wake'n'bake smokin' mutha fuhka a few years back.

No hard drugs. Ever.

Cigarettes are my only vice.. & the more I hang around non-smokers/the kid, believe it or not, the harder it is to want to keep smoking.

The "get a hobby" comment reminded me of the song "Signs" by Tesla. Dunno why.

 

[chicago]

I'm not big on drinking. Got a lot of alcoholics in the family and I really don't like how it makes me feel. I'll do it sometimes socially though since not everyone's a pot head like me.

The biggest reason I smoke is because I have a really hard time relaxing and at the moment, affording real medicine ain't in the cards.

Can I get by without drugs and alcohol? Definitely. I'd rather not, though.

 

[Korastus]

I've never met a single person who hallucinated from smoking weed.

Just saying.

Nor have I. That said, there is an extremely rare genetic mutation that can make it more likely. (I swear I'm not making that shit up.)

 

[ShiningIce]

It's WAY too hot outseide now to smoke cigarettes. As for weed, I'd smoke it on the sun.

 

[TropicThunder]

I've known one person who had a bad experience with weed, and it turned out that she was just allergic to it.

My problem with your comments, Leo, is that you make it out like anyone who smokes weed is an addict who's out to get a fix. Yeah, I smoke weed. I also have alot of hobbies. I have a life. I worked in a management position for three years while I still smoked. I don't smoke weed because I have problems that weed will fix. I smoke it because I like it. I grew up in a town where more people smoked weed as casually as cigarettes, it was just the norm there. So yeah, I get a little defensive when people make comments like that.

It's weed. It's not fucking crack.

 

[Speedbump]

I'm not big on drinking. Got a lot of alcoholics in the family and I really don't like how it makes me feel. I'll do it sometimes socially though since not everyone's a pot head like me.

The biggest reason I smoke is because I have a really hard time relaxing and at the moment, affording real medicine ain't in the cards.

Yeah, I hear ya. I'm unhappy with almost every aspect of my life at the moment, so it's so hard to relax on my downtime. I actually don't think I can anymore, honestly. My mind is constantly racing with negativity and it almost makes me sick at times.

But hey, them's the breaks, I guess. At least there's something reasonably inexpensive that can chill me out a good bit. Gotta love it.

Happy times.

 

[chicago]

I've known one person who had a bad experience with weed, and it turned out that she was just allergic to it.

My problem with your comments, Leo, is that you make it out like anyone who smokes weed is an addict who's out to get a fix. Yeah, I smoke weed. I also have alot of hobbies. I have a life. I worked in a management position for three years while I still smoked. I don't smoke weed because I have problems that weed will fix. I smoke it because I like it. I grew up in a town where more people smoked weed as casually as cigarettes, it was just the norm there. So yeah, I get a little defensive when people make comments like that.

It's weed. It's not fucking crack.

This ^^

Weed is less addictive than caffeine and yeah it's illegal, but so are the songs on your iPod. I feel like the people who are so vehemently against it are the ones who have never tried it and really don't know what they're talking about other than the brainwashing bullshit they learned in the DARE program when they were 12. You don't like weed? Cool. But don't be an asshole because other people in the world smoke. Like relax kid.

 

[SlaverTickler]

Yes. Never used anything harder then Alcohol and I have gone months or even a year with out a drink. Most of the time when I drink it is mainly for social reasons, or a little crown when I have congestion from a bad cold. I've never done an illegal narcotic in my life.

 

[SlaverTickler]

This ^^

Weed is less addictive than caffeine and yeah it's illegal, but so are the songs on your iPod. I feel like the people who are so vehemently against it are the ones who have never tried it and really don't know what they're talking about other than the brainwashing bullshit they learned in the DARE program when they were 12. You don't like weed? Cool. But don't be an asshole because other people in the world smoke. Like relax kid.

The songs on my iPOD are all CD's I have bought, and in case you are wondering my DVD collection is 100% lawful as well. I am apposed to pot smoking for non medicinal use. Weed is a gate way drug that can (though not always) lead to the use of harder narcotics, especially as the body develops a resistance to the effect of the marijuana. Eventually you will need it just to feel normal, and since you are using it to get high, how normally feel must really suck. If it was made legal I wouldn't protest it, because like smoking pot, I have better things to do. Legal or illegal I wouldn't let anybody smoke it in my home, or anywhere on my property (backyard, balcony, whatever the case may be), and if I found out somebody came into my home with it on there person they would have to leave. It's called DOPE for a reason you know.

ST

 

[chicago]

The songs on my iPOD are all CD's I have bought, and in case you are wondering my DVD collection is 100% lawful as well. I am apposed to pot smoking for non medicinal use. Weed is a gate way drug that can (though not always) lead to the use of harder narcotics, especially as the body develops a resistance to the effect of the marijuana. Eventually you will need it just to feel normal, and since you are using it to get high, how normally feel must really suck. If it was made legal I wouldn't protest it, because like smoking pot, I have better things to do. Legal or illegal I wouldn't let anybody smoke it in my home, or anywhere on my property (backyard, balcony, whatever the case may be), and if I found out somebody came into my home with it on there person they would have to leave. It's called DOPE for a reason you know.

ST

The whole gateway drug thing is a myth. I respect your views on it and people smoking it/having it near your home, but there's no scientific/medical proof that marijuana leads to harder drugs.

 

[Korastus]

The songs on my iPOD are all CD's I have bought, and in case you are wondering my DVD collection is 100% lawful as well. I am apposed to pot smoking for non medicinal use. Weed is a gate way drug that can (though not always) lead to the use of harder narcotics, especially as the body develops a resistance to the effect of the marijuana. Eventually you will need it just to feel normal, and since you are using it to get high, how normally feel must really suck. If it was made legal I wouldn't protest it, because like smoking pot, I have better things to do. Legal or illegal I wouldn't let anybody smoke it in my home, or anywhere on my property (backyard, balcony, whatever the case may be), and if I found out somebody came into my home with it on there person they would have to leave. It's called DOPE for a reason you know.

ST

You do this thing where you pretend to be educated on things about which you obviously have little to no knowledge a lot.
The gateway drug theory is psuedo-scientific bullshit, first off. If someone makes a decision to do coke, they made that decision themselves, not because of weed. For every person out there who started doing hard drugs later, there are dozens more who are content with something that makes them feel good without doing ANY serious harm to their body. A person makes choices. A drug does not.
Marijuana is not a narcotic. It is a psychedelic. Big difference.
As for it changing how you feel normally, wrong again. Tolerance for marijuana can build and remain for some time, yes, but the tolerance degrades at a much faster rate than, say, nicotine or alcohol. THC is fat soluble, so that can influence it, but for a large majority, marijuana tolerance for a heavy smoker can degrade completely in as little as a few weeks, and withdrawal symptoms for THC for recreational smokers tend to be mild if they occur at all. I've smoked every day for a couple months and then quit cold turkey several times in the past, and didn't feel any mental or physical dissonance at all.

Does it have potential for abuse? Yes. Any controlled substance does. Caffeine can be abused. Does it give you the right to condescend to people who are enjoying themselves without harming you, themselves, or anyone else? No, it doesn't.

Also, it's called dope because some guy in the 1940s with a stick up his ass decided to insult people who engaged in an activity he didn't like. Sound familiar?

 

[chicago]

You do this thing where you pretend to be educated on things about which you obviously have little to no knowledge a lot.
The gateway drug theory is psuedo-scientific bullshit, first off. If someone makes a decision to do coke, they made that decision themselves, not because of weed. For every person out there who started doing hard drugs later, there are dozens more who are content with something that makes them feel good without doing ANY serious harm to their body. A person makes choices. A drug does not.
Marijuana is not a narcotic. It is a psychedelic. Big difference.
As for it changing how you feel normally, wrong again. Tolerance for marijuana can build and remain for some time, yes, but the tolerance degrades at a much faster rate than, say, nicotine or alcohol. THC is fat soluble, so that can influence it, but for a large majority, marijuana tolerance for a heavy smoker can degrade completely in as little as a feweeks, and withdrawal symptoms for THC for recreational smokers tend to be mild if they occur at all. I've smoked every day for a couple months and then quit cold turkey several times in the past, and didn't feel any mental or physical dissonance at all.

Does it have potential for abuse? Yes. Any controlled substance does. Caffeine can be abused. Does it give you the right to condescend to people who are enjoying themselves without harming you, themselves, or anyone else. No, it doesn't.

Boom!

 

[Speedbump]

The songs on my iPOD are all CD's I have bought, and in case you are wondering my DVD collection is 100% lawful as well. I am apposed to pot smoking for non medicinal use. Weed is a gate way drug that can (though not always) lead to the use of harder narcotics, especially as the body develops a resistance to the effect of the marijuana. Eventually you will need it just to feel normal, and since you are using it to get high, how normally feel must really suck. If it was made legal I wouldn't protest it, because like smoking pot, I have better things to do. Legal or illegal I wouldn't let anybody smoke it in my home, or anywhere on my property (backyard, balcony, whatever the case may be), and if I found out somebody came into my home with it on there person they would have to leave. It's called DOPE for a reason you know.

ST

I have very small lapses in short term memory on occasion, and its the only problem I have with weed. In a public setting, I can act like I'm sober and no one would be the wiser.

It's funny you say that weed is a gateway drug. Its not the weed that is the gateway, it's kinda like... My mind has expanded. My beliefs, fears, etc., when it comes to drugs have changed, and I am willing to go farther than weed if the opportunity more because I just don't really care anymore and I would rather have more lift experience with everything rather than live in ignorance.

But I would knock someone for living in ignorance - it IS bliss after all, so they say. If you're uncomfortable, you're uncomfortable, and I would never push my beliefs on someone. I simply just wish people would educate themselves better on these topics in many cases, rather than regurgitating (sp?) what they hear on tv, or on that one negative article they read back in the day.

Now, that's not to say everyone is the same. Some people get weird and just can't/shouldn't do it publicly, but that seems to be the exception rather than the rule.

Hm.. This is getting long-winded. Or so it seems to me. Anyway, none of this post was meant to be insulting or anything, sorry if anything comes off like that.

 

[TropicThunder]

As far as this whole "gateway drug" thing goes, I'm of the belief that alcohol is more of a gateway drug than marijuana. Most people I knew do things like coke when they're drunk and want to sober up quick. Don't take my word for this really, because I'm only basing this idea on what I've seen personally. The path I've seen taken goes alcohol > cocaine > crack > meth.

I don't ever see anyone living on the streets and sucking dick for pot.

 

[Bugman]

I stopped smoking marijuana in 1982, I just didn't enjoy it any longer. I do need my blood pressure medications, the only drugs I use. I don't even like taking aspirin. I like my beer but sure I could do without it. The one think I can't seem to kick is smoking. Nicotine is a drug, and very addictive.

 

[stroker]

The whole Marijuna as gateway drug theory is an example of how if something is repeated often enough it becomes truth . Its regulary churned out by politicians and the media who either fail to understand, or choose to ignore ,that Marijuana and Herion are two entirely different substances that have different appeals to different people . These same commentators also cannot or will not accept that alcohol is a dangerous drug. We have several T.V drink adds going here which carry the message " enjoy 'brand whatever' hard booze responsibly" .Our society buys this bullshit with a smile and yet would be outraged if anyone made an ad urging us to " Enjoy Afgani Black responsibly".

 

[smokinj]

Can I get by without smoking weed or drinking, sure, I've had to at times because finances dictated it but if I had enough money, I'd smoke every day. The world is a better place, more relaxing and mellow on weed. Hard to explain if you've never tried it. Oh, and I smoke cigarettes too. That is what I wish I could quit. Legalizing weed is coming soon, I just hope I'm around to enjoy it. That is, if it happens in my lifetime.

 

[Leo tickles]

I don't have an Ipod. But I do have an MP3 player for my car, and every single song on there is paid for in full. Try again.

I'm not going to say that pot smoking makes you a bad person, because it doesn't. Pot is a choice you make. In life, there are right choices, and there are wrong choices. It's your life, so I'm not going to tell you which one is right for you. But if I see it as a stupid choice, I'll tell you I think it's stupid. Why? It's illegal, and in some cases is a gateway to stronger drugs. You can be the exception to that, or you can OD on crack tomorrow. Either way, I'm sticking with what I believe just as you are.

Difference is, I don't need an illegal drug to keep my nerves in check.

 

[chicago]

I meant 'you' as a general term as an example of things that are illegal but not really a big deal.

I don't believe in everything being separated as right/wrong, good/bad. Things just don't work that way. Just how I see it. I also don't always have to comment on every thing that I think is stupid. I don't have this urge in me to spout my opinion on the way other people live their lives, as long as it doesn't affect me. I was a lot like that when I was younger, though. I just don't see how people care so much about what others do in their personal lives, but meh.

Again with the gateway drug thing.

Patterns in progression of drug use from adolescence to adulthood are strikingly regular. Because it is the most widely used illicit drug, marijuana is predictably the first illicit drug most people encounter. Not surprisingly, most users of other illicit drugs have used marijuana first. In fact, most drug users begin with alcohol and nicotine before marijuana — usually before they are of legal age.

In the sense that marijuana use typically precedes rather than follows initiation of other illicit drug use, it is indeed a "gateway" drug. But because underage smoking and alcohol use typically precede marijuana use, marijuana is not the most common, and is rarely the first, "gateway" to illicit drug use. There is no conclusive evidence that the drug effects of marijuana are causally linked to the subsequent abuse of other illicit drugs.

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I'm glad you don't need illegal drugs. I'm really happy for you. I think most people in this thread also said they didn't need drugs or alcohol, but that the enjoy the effects/benefits.

 

[Jagermeistered]

I'm mostly a Marlboro smokin', Bud Light sippin', and Jäger mass consumin' - SOB. I smoke weed socially, if a hot girl offers.

 

[Speedbump]

I used to smoke cigarettes casually. I was never able to smoke more than a pack every 2-3 days, because it made my lungs feel crowded, thick, and dry. It was more a reason to bond with friends and get away from my boss. Eventually, I realized I could still hang out with my friends during smoke breaks without partaking.

I find pot to be overrated. Do I want it to be legal? Perhaps, but my feelings regarding that are reflected in this article. People should be free to choose their poison.

Speaking of poison, the older I get, alcohol doesn't seem as fun as it used to be. The occasional beer at a friend's BBQ (SMALL social event!) is fine, but I don't enjoy alcohol in public, too much. The other night, we met some friends at a bar in Newport, and I had one bottle of beer, which almost cost as much as a 6-pack from the store! Not to mention, the music was so blaringly loud that I couldn't hear what anyone was saying. Then, there's putting up with drunk people, which was funny to me about 10 years ago. Now, thinking about 'OMG I'm SOOOO drunk LOL wine cooler-girl', or 'Overly-affectionate get in your face and whisper empty secrets with whiskey breath drunk guy' irritate the shit outta me. Don't even get me started on people who can't control it enough to be able to make it to the toilet before throwing up!

Okay, now that I'm done ranting about drugs and alcohol, I'll admit to a dependency: caffeine. When I was younger, I never thought much about caffeine's effects. Drinking coffee late at night out at a coffee shop or diner didn't keep me from sleeping, and I loathed (and still do!) people who act overly enthused about getting wired from coffee, soda, or energy drinks, making stupid maniacal laughs and feigning hyperactivity (Something that was funny to me about 15 years ago, when Cornholio was a new episode of Beavis and Butthead, and they were relevant.). Now, my body requires coffee, and in a very specific amount. Too much makes me nervous and very hungry, two things I don't like to be when I need to be alert BUT COOL at work, and too little makes me sluggish and gives me intense, unforgiving headaches, and forces me to constantly crack my jaw all day from tension.

I despise the dependency, because I can no longer enjoy coffee past a certain time of day, and the thought of having Starbucks, or going to a book-store coffee shop for a treat is simply out of the question, because it doesn't factor in with my 32-oz, four-serving coffee pot at home. I can't enjoy a cup of coffee just for the sake of enjoying it. I have to have it, kinda like a dose of medicine.

I agree with the older you get, the less alcohol is fun. I'm 26 and already I don't really enjoy it all that much anymore, 'cause it makes me feel terrible afterwards, and I prefer not to worry about that. Alcohol is fun, but not worth it in the end, imo. Plus, I kinda wanna focus on one so I don't waste ALL my money on substances, so I've made my choice.

CAFFEINE!! Honestly, Caffeine got me by until I got into smoking weed. Caffeine just boosts your overall mood and gives energy, which you just can't go wrong with. Hm.. it's hard to tell, but I think I would actually prefer caffeine over weed in the long run...

I actually don't drink coffee anymore and just pop a caffeine pill instead. I can get a bottle of one hundred 200mg pills (like 1-2 cups of coffee somewhere) for $10, which is much less expensive than coffee and saves me a good bit of money. I also prefer the instant energy rather than waiting like 20 mins while drinking a coffee.

The only time I have coffee anymore is if I'm out with a friend or something and just chatting over coffee.

 

[Myriads]

I've never smoked anything Pot or Tobacco, never used any other recreational drugs, and don't drink alcohol. I have a personal distaste for anything the alters my mind.

On the other side, I could care less what is legalized and used by people, so long as it is used in such a way as to not be a potential harm to others, or offload significant costs for the individuals future care on society.

Myriads

 

[Speedbump]

I've never smoked anything Pot or Tobacco, never used any other recreational drugs, and don't drink alcohol. I have a personal distaste for anything the alters my mind.

On the other side, I could care less what is legalized and used by people, so long as it is used in such a way as to not be a potential harm to others, or offload significant costs for the individuals future care on society.

Myriads

That's the way to be. I'm pretty much the same in the not caring what people do as long as it doesn't hurt anyone thing.

Oh, look, now everyone can check out my ghetto ass bong:

 

[Jagermeistered]

The bitching about drugs is about what?

Really?

Let's create laws that make it illegal! That's fine and beautiful! But, that's where the new drugs come from!

If a new drug is made illegal, it will drive the demand for a new drug! New drugs are national or regional. Did you know kids in Vegas dip their weed joint in embalming fluid?

 

[TropicThunder]

Did you know kids in Vegas dip their weed joint in embalming fluid?

Dude, that was just on that one episode of CSI.