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

[Leo tickles]

I feel like you're kind of stretching there. People say they use it to calm down or relax because it's one of the most prominent effects of THC. I don't think you can take that single statement and turn it the answer to whether or not a person is addicted. Just as many people have described quitting, either permenantly, temporarily, or regularly, with no ill effect.

Sure, but why do they use IT instead of proper medicine? LEGAL medicine? Because it's an easy way out. Sure there are people who quit with no ill effects. And then there are people who quit and are always bummed about something or other without THC in their system. So stretch or not, I can hold onto the opinion that without weed, at least SOME of it's users, would be worse off mentally than they are now. And if we look at it like that, it's a dependent, and that is usually addictive.

So while not all weed users are addicts, I'm not going to be the one filtering through the substance control on people's life. They'll know soon enough if they're fucking up all by themselves.

 

[TropicThunder]

Sure, but why do they use IT instead of proper medicine? LEGAL medicine? Because it's an easy way out. Sure there are people who quit with no ill effects. And then there are people who quit and are always bummed about something or other without THC in their system. So stretch or not, I can hold onto the opinion that without weed, at least SOME of it's users, would be worse off mentally than they are now. And if we look at it like that, it's a dependent, and that is usually addictive.

So while not all weed users are addicts, I'm not going to be the one filtering through the substance control on people's life. They'll know soon enough if they're fucking up all by themselves.

I'd rather smoke a joint out than pump my body full of pills prescribed by doctor. When they do things like recall Tylenol because there's potential harmful drugs in it, like they did last year, I question what exactly is "proper medicine" =/

And its easier to get pills than it is to get weed. Pills come free with a note.

 

[Speedbump]

Sure, but why do they use IT instead of proper medicine? LEGAL medicine? Because it's an easy way out. Sure there are people who quit with no ill effects. And then there are people who quit and are always bummed about something or other without THC in their system. So stretch or not, I can hold onto the opinion that without weed, at least SOME of it's users, would be worse off mentally than they are now. And if we look at it like that, it's a dependent, and that is usually addictive.

So while not all weed users are addicts, I'm not going to be the one filtering through the substance control on people's life. They'll know soon enough if they're fucking up all by themselves.

It's funny, you say "without weed, some people would be worse off mentally than right now", and you say that like it's a bad thing. The thing about weed, is that it's gonna be addictive as you use it, and for a couple days after stopping you'll be a little pissy, but there's no long term addiction. You're not gonna be going nuts after a day or two looking for the next hit. It's not like nicotine or anything.

Also, the problem with LEGAL medicine is that it's gonna end up being more expensive and likely not even give near as much of a benefit as weed (especially in the US, since its more expensive generally for everything medical over there, I hear). In fact, it'll likely have other more severe side effects than weed could ever have.

 

[Bothersome]

Weed is less destructive(mentally and physically) than alcohol, yet alcohol is not illegal.

Laws are subjective things that change depending on who makes them. The negative effects of both substances are objective things that don't differ from person to person (aside from allergies and that sort of thing, but that's irrelevant). Determining the moral standpoint of something based on it's legality is a logical fallacy; just because it's legal doesn't mean it's right, and just because it's illegal doesn't mean it's wrong. All it means is that whoever implemented the law approves/disapproves of it.

The mental addiction argument is perfectly valid, but if we're going to take this road, then we may as well illegalize every pain medication that isn't being used strictly for surgical/serious medical procedures as well.

 

[Jagermeistered]

Making something illegal only causes the price curve to skyrocket upward. It also causes demand to artificially grow. Basically, it's simple economics...

We can argue moral valuations all day long. At the end of the day, their are only two winners: 1. The government/police, etc.. 2. The "criminal" that succeeded in his - "crime"!

 

[Bohemianne]

So does anyone around here get along fine without any sort of substance? I honestly have no idea how you do it, but I commend you for it if you do.

Commend me. 😉

 

[chicago]

Gotta agree with Bothersome on the whole basing your moral standpoint on whether something is legal or illegal. Kinda retarded.

As far as medicine goes, I sure wish I could get back on the Prozac I was prescribed back in the day, but alas, I have no insurance and it's hard enough to make ends meet without worrying about paying out the ass for the lowest prescribable dose of it.

I'm not saying people have to agree with me and it's cool if you're not into it/don't want to be around it, etc, aside from that, I really don't get the whole crusade on drugs thing.

Also, you can have a mental addiction to just about anything, including video games. I haven't seen an Intervention episode about marijuana addiction (there might be one, I dunno, just haven't seen one) but I have seen one on video game addiction. As far as any physical addiction, there are reports that say some people feel minor withdrawal symptoms for up to a week or two after quitting marijuana, but these people are rare and the side effects are minor: sleeplessness and irritability being the main ones. Nothing compared to the average hangover and I'm not sure how scientific/provable those reports are

 

[Leo tickles]

If you "know the right" people, weed is easier to get. Medicine comes from a licensed clinical expert. Hmmm, sounds like the person I'd go to if I had a medical condition, mental or otherwise.

Yes it's a bad thing. Abusing an ILLEGAL drug to get through your day? Which goes right into my next point. Anybody can abuse legal medication, which makes the abuser an assclown. BUT, the difference is, it was prescribed by a medical doctor with the intent to help you get over an illness/through depression/whatever. Weed? Anybody can buy it off the STREET, ILLEGALLY, for WHATEVER reason. And if the reason is for it to help them get through the day, they need legal medicine, which they can use to consume in proper doses or abuse.

Also, anybody can argue that I use cigarettes to help me get through the day, but once again, it's a mental addiction for me, much like weed is to others. Difference, again, is that mine is LEGAL.

 

[Bothersome]

The only difference between abusing a legal substance and abusing an illegal one is the fact that one is legal, and the other is illegal.

The fact that's legal or illegal does not specify how you obtained it, or if it's bad for you. For instance, it would be illegal for me to drink alcohol in the United States, but not in Canada. Does that mean that Canadian alcohol is better for me? (Well, probably, but that's irrelevant) No.
Also, just because it's legal and Canadian does not mean that I bought it from the liquor store. I could have stolen it, or bought it in an alley somewhere.

 

[chicago]

Weed is illegal? No...

So is gay marriage in some states, and yet it's legal for 14 year old cousins to get married some places.

Not to mention all the laws made in the past that were fucked up.

But it's illegal!!!!!!!

I'll take my chances.

 

[Leo tickles]

No matter how stupid or insignificant the law is to you, it's still the law. 🙂

 

[3xPIN]

See, that's the thing, if you have an interesting and somewhat exciting life, there's no major need for anything. Caffeine, yes, 'cause you're still gonna get tired, and it's a mood lifter in bad times, but if you're happy, there's definitely no need. I actually envy people in your position. 😛

Glad to hear you're doing well for yourself.

Doing well for myself? I guess. I'm always broke, I live with my Mother because she needs help raising her adopted daughter, I have no girlfriend, I play DnD, I hate my future step-dad... I could go on. I am very rarely 'happy'. And in 'bad times' when I need a mood lifter, I do things. I read, play video games, do for a drive, talk to strangers, write, go see a movie, learn how to cook something new or something else to spice my life up. If Nothing good is happening, I try and make it happen. Even if I don't at least I have passed the time. I make my life exciting.

My parents smoke pot. They have both said I should. Maybe it's a rebellion thing. I don't know.

I drink caffeine cuz I get headaches when I stop.

I just wish your life wasn't so downer bummer bombshit all the time. As for being envious of me, don't be. Anyone can be like me. The problem is, they don't know how. Hell, I don't know how I do it. One of my hobbies is when I hear a word I don't know, I make a note and then look it up later. I heard the term 'campy' and looked it up. Found out lately, I'm a bit of a camp. I try to learn something new everyday. I guess I just don't see how using pot can help me with that.

 

[3xPIN]

Not to mention all the laws made in the past that were fucked up.

Does that include the ones about murder and rape?

 

[Bothersome]

No matter how stupid or insignificant the law is to you, it's still the law. 🙂

Oh, no doubt. I never argued that it wasn't.

I argued that implying that someone is inferior to you in any way, shape or form based on a law of all things is a logical fallacy. The law doesn't matter in regards of whether using a substance is 'good' or 'bad', and trying to argue otherwise is silly at best. There are almost always motivations behind a law, but you can never guarantee that these are valid motivations. A drug could be illegal in one country because of negative health effects, and illegal in another country because the dictator thought it smelled bad.

Laws do not dictate moral standpoints.

 

[Leo tickles]

Oh, no doubt. I never argued that it wasn't.

I argued that implying that someone is inferior to you in any way, shape or form based on a law of all things is a logical fallacy. The law doesn't matter in regards of whether using a substance is 'good' or 'bad', and trying to argue otherwise is silly at best. There are almost always motivations behind a law, but you can never guarantee that these are valid motivations. A drug could be illegal in one country because of negative health effects, and illegal in another country because the dictator thought it smelled bad.

Laws do not dictate moral standpoints.

Nope, law doesn't dictate moral standpoints. But to make a conscious choice to smoke an illegal street drug over getting actual help with your problems will always get a laugh from me. Self centered and it's not my place, I know, but that's how I react to drug addicts. I already said that I consciously understand that putting myself above somebody who smokes weed is pretty dumb. I stand by that, but at the same time, I will cut such people out of my life, except for the net, which doesn't matter. 😀

 

[Speedbump]

Nope, law doesn't dictate moral standpoints. But to make a conscious choice to smoke an illegal street drug over getting actual help with your problems will always get a laugh from me. Self centered and it's not my place, I know, but that's how I react to drug addicts. I already said that I consciously understand that putting myself above somebody who smokes weed is pretty dumb. I stand by that, but at the same time, I will cut such people out of my life, except for the net, which doesn't matter. 😀

Dude,guess what? This 'actual help' you speak of doesn't exist. There's medication, which might as well be weed in the end, 'cause the fucking 'real help' is fucking bullshit. Just like supplements for working out. If it's not steroids, you're wasting your time and your money.

 

[Bothersome]

Nope, law doesn't dictate moral standpoints. But to make a conscious choice to smoke an illegal street drug over getting actual help with your problems will always get a laugh from me. Self centered and it's not my place, I know, but that's how I react to drug addicts. I already said that I consciously understand that putting myself above somebody who smokes weed is pretty dumb. I stand by that, but at the same time, I will cut such people out of my life, except for the net, which doesn't matter. 😀

Perhaps I'm misinformed, but didn't you mention in another thread that you smoked cigarettes?

Weed is generally not physically addictive. Nicotine is highly addictive, and you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't develop an addiction.
Cigarettes have been directly linked to lung cancer. The controversial link between weed and lung cancer has people on both sides of the fence. No general consensus seems to have been reached.
Cigarettes are easily as mentally addictive as weed.

Weed is healthier in nearly every way. The only difference between the two is that cigarettes are legal, and marijuana is not. Clearly you're not laughing at people with addictions, or else you'd be laughing at all cigarette smokers. No, you seem to be just laughing at people who break the law. That's perfectly fine, by the way; they are breaking the law, after all.

If you do not smoke cigarettes, then feel free to ignore this.

 

[me4o]

I've tried weed once- didn't like it. Had absolutely no effect whatsoever. I drink alcohol like all normal people do, I can control myself(most of the times😀), and I enjoy it. I smoke cigarettes, not a lot, but still do. I know it's not good for my health, but I enjoy a smoke with my morning coffee or after eating. In the end, we live one life and each and every one of us can choose how to live it. For now, I'm pretty happy with my choice 🙂

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Leo, you're totally addicted to smokes, dude. There's no such as thing as a "mental" addiction to nicotine; trust me, I know. The shit has me by the soul.


Sure, I see where you're coming from, man. To some, the idea of taking a substance or chemical recreationally is abhorrent... in this regard, one must admit there can be no argument here; either you're with it, or you're not.

Just be careful not to read into drug use too much (at least in others) or prematurely judge those that inhale, imbibe or inject: you'd be surprised how varied the user base is, and how just a smidge of research will dispel 75% of the anecdotal horror stories the average person hears.

 

[Speedbump]

I've tried weed once- didn't like it. Had absolutely no effect whatsoever. I drink alcohol like all normal people do, I can control myself(most of the times😀), and I enjoy it. I smoke cigarettes, not a lot, but still do. I know it's not good for my health, but I enjoy a smoke with my morning coffee or after eating. In the end, we live one life and each and every one of us can choose how to live it. For now, I'm pretty happy with my choice 🙂

You have to try weed more than once. Most people don't feel anything off their first time. It took me about three separate occasions of smoking before I really felt it, and now I'm never going back.

Personally, when it comes to alcohol, I think I'm done for a while. Last night I got really drunk and it was like an angry drunk and I was telling people off left and right and wanting to get into fights, and I've never been that kind of person in my life. Also I was kicked out of the bar and had to wait like an hour for a cab to pass by that actually stopped. And now hungover and feel like shit! It's definitely not worth it.

 

[TropicThunder]

We can argue moral valuations all day long. At the end of the day, their are only two winners: 1. The government/police, etc.. 2. The "criminal" that succeeded in his - "crime"!

This pretty much sums things up right here, eh?

 

[emilyemilyemily]

i used to smoke weed regularly, but i stopped because i couldn't think clearly anymore. i no longer hang out with most of the regular smokers i used to be friends with because they act like smoking makes you cooler. i'm not into that lifestyle.

 

[Jagermeistered]

i used to smoke weed regularly, but i stopped because i couldn't think clearly anymore. i no longer hang out with most of the regular smokers i used to be friends with because they act like smoking makes you cooler. i'm not into that lifestyle.

I can understand this...

You should only partake in activities that you enjoy! And, not what your "friends" enjoy!

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

I always thought it both juvenile and irritating when drug users attribute more to their use then they should, or are unnecessarily proud of their "choice".... One must always keep such uncouth activities under the rug!


Look at it this way. If someone drinks coffee every day when they awaken, would you consider that a "lifestyle"? This is how I view my marijuana consumption; everyday, not in excess, purely beneficial.

 

[NonConTickler]

At 38 I've never tried drugs or cigarettes. I tried alcohol when I was a teenager (I was in Italy for spring break and there was no drinking age there) and I'm not proud of it. It was because I buckled to peer pressure and it came from a teacher if you can believe it. I was in Italy for a school trip over spring break that our religion teacher put together, I was at a restaurant in Rome with the teacher and some of the other kids who went on the trip and he was like "try something for once in your life". Yes I said he was the religion teacher. He also told us he sometimes smoked pot between classes so yeah, looking back now, he was a total degenerate. I never should have listened to him, just because I'd love to be able to say that I've never tried any of those things, but most of them I've never tried and I am very proud of that.

At 38 I really believe that most high school kids have lived more, experienced more than me. And I'm proud of that because it means I'm innocent. Something not a lot of people can say these days.