Marijuana.

I just have to touch on this really quick- to compare marijuana usage HOWEVER indirectly to pedophilia is completely out of line. Marijuana usage is a PERSONAL decision. Pedophilia hurts ANOTHER party without said party's consent. To argue that the same people who use marijuana might also make a "moral leap" to deciding that pedophilia is okay not only beyond harsh, but undermines the point you're trying to make.

I've never used marijuana myself, but I know people that do, and they're hardly pedophiles. No- they're good students (3.5 GPAs and above) at a challenging private university, who happen to use it recreationally every once in awhile.

Thanks for pointing that out... it's a VICTIMLESS "crime". Like gambling, suicide, prostitution, etc...

As I have already stated in a PM to another person, the part about the pedophilia was a large leap and should have been left out. But I believe everything else in that paragraph has its right to stay.

My only question is this: is it *really* victimless? My mother smoked both marijuana and cigarrettes with my oldest brother. He came out very small. He was a tiny baby. He did not grow correctly at all, and to this day he's got a horrible immune system. My brother is literally sicks for months at a time when he does get sick, and he's had pneumonia twice. I have no proof stating that it was the marijuana that did it, or even the marijuana alone. But the rest of us three kids came out without the reduced immune systems.

Keeping in mind that I am sure you mean it is victimless when used in moderation and while probably not pregnant, what happens if you have kids and your kid gets hurt while you are stoned? If the responsible thing to do is not drive, how are you going to get your kid the help they need if they need a doctor? I would never want to do something that might hinder the possibility of reacting properly and needingly in an emergency situation, or any situation for that.

I have seen people high. I have been around friends that did it. Sure, it seems harmless.. but is it really? IMO, it not only harms and burdens yourself, but it does to others as well.

I can't control others. I can't tell them they can't do it. All I know is that *I* will never drink alcohol, I will never do drugs because I refuse to use a substance that hinders my ability to think and be in control of my own actions.

I think, Tessa, the problem isn't so much the substance as much as it is the person(s) using it. I knew a couple of people in high school (rather good pun, too ) who would buy cough syrup because they were looking for a buzz. I knew a person whose motto should have been "if I can roll it, I will smoke it" - which included some regular household items like tea and a small sampling from the spice-rack. In the end, whether pot is legal or not, there are going to be those who will abuse it, same as any other substance that can be had.

If marijuana is legal, then channels of distribution become more respectable, the product is subject to regulation beyond what the local grow-op specifies and people who could be using it as a legitimate treatment can be sure of the product they're getting.

EDIT: Laughably, I just noticed the title by my avatar (it doesn't apply though )

Hah!:lol-sign:

Some people will argue that psychedelics like pot and LSD do quite the opposite.

More that they open the mind and give you the ability to see things and the world in a light you never realised existed.

Personally, I think we live once. Treat those how you want to be treated, and respect the planet. Other than that just enjoy living.

Smoking the odd joint hurts noone. Smoking all day every day is going to affect people around you - and therefore in my books is a slippery road.

See my thinking?

I can introduce you to people who hold full time jobs, have kids, cars, families, full happy lives, care for their environment, enjoy the arts, give to charity, help kittens, I know people who have travelled the world, people in vietnam as we SPEAK teaching english to kids, who......... woah... like to get messy once in awhile....

Says nothing about someones moral stance smoking the odd joint.

Dizzy, you and I will just have to agree to disagree. You and I certainly hold very different opinions on the purpose of living.

This is what I live by, or at least make an effort to:

The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate; to have it make some difference that you have lived, and lived well." --Emerson

As Melissa and Tempura have pointed out, smoking marijuana won't harm others. Underage drinking won't harm others. Stealing hurts the person you steal from. Breaking and entering hurts the homeowner. Pedophilia hurts children. There is a BIG difference and IMO these "crimes" like smoking pot and underage drinking don't compare to things like stealing and rape.

As for the message this thread is sending to young people . . . If the kid is browsing a marijuana thread on a dog forum, chances are they're old enough to hear things like this. It's THEIR decision, and I didn't see anyone here telling them "go ahead kiddies, take a few hits, it's fun!".

People aren't perfect, Tessa. Some of us have done things that you wouldn't approve of. Sharing experiences doesn't mean that anyone is telling someone else to go do what they did. :-/

And I'm very impressed that at 16 you know the purpose of life! I beg to differ with you (and Emerson) on this one, though. Yes, that is important, but so is self-fulfillment and happiness. If you get that from helping others, wonderful. But some people need to pursue different paths to happiness, and more power to 'em if they do.

RD, I have already addressed the pedophilia comment in an above post.

I don't expect people to be perfect. I only expect them to try to be the best person possible, to make something of themselves, to want to make a difference, and reach towards that goal.

Success doesn't make you and failure doesn't break you. -Zig Ziglar

God knows that I make more than my share of mistakes. And I know that I will continue. I know that I am not perfect, I know my past and I know what a horrible person I used to be. I know that others are given that same right to have had made mistakes in the past, and I give them the same forgiveness I give myself. I don't expect people to be perfect, I only expect them to try to be better.

What are your guys' views on it?
Like most others have said, I don't see any problems if it's done in moderation.

I was involved in a debate in an english class in college and learned a lot of things about the drug. I was on the side for legalization.

Here are the positive sides: There are tons of medical uses for it. Glaucoma, constipation, diarhea, womens monthly cramps, eases nausea (which is why it benefits cancer patients going through kemo), not PHYSICALLY addictive (only psychologically), cannot overdose on it, among other things....

Here's the negetive side: Slows reaction times, one joint does the same amount of damage to your lungs as a whole pack of cigarettes, makes ya paranoid, causes anxiety (most people diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder are heavy smokers so they just get pills to use with the pot), makes you lazy........among other things.


Do you think it should be legalized?
Yes. Make more room for real criminals in the jails and also be able to concentrate more on finding the harder drugs such as coke, meth, LSD, etc........and getting rid of those.
If it were legalized, it should have the same laws as Alcohol. Have to be 21, can't drive while under the influence or have it in the car unopened, etc.....

Do you smoke it?
Occasionally (couple of times a year)

Have you tried smoking it?
Uh, yep.

I think alcohol is by far worst....
Ever heard of someone being a mean "high"? Doubt it, makes people lovers, not fighters, ha...
A drunk will drive right through a Stop sign. A pot head will stop, look both ways 20 times, then drive through it.
A drunk will drive 100 miles per hour for fun....
A pot head will drive 5-10 miles under the speed limit.
Alcohol causes people to loose control and black out......
Alcohol is physically addictive, pot is not.

Also, something else I learned in the debate I mentioned ealier. Smoking pot itself does not kill brain cells......It's the process of taking a hit and holding it in as long as you can. Holding your breath for extended times kills brain cells. This has been proven. It's also been proven that when someone takes a "hit", all of the THC (which gives the high) that is absorbed with the hit happens within a second of it hitting your lungs, so the holding it in does not make people higher......
It's also been proven that THC does no long term damage. There is a type of smoking device, can't remember what it's called, but it basically heats the pot to kind of a boiling point where the THC is released, but it's not heated enough to smoke. The smoke is where all the damage comes from, not the THC which is what people are after.


This smiley sums it up......opcorn:
And will actually make you eat.......:spam: (the real stuff, haha)

I never said that I knew the purpose of life. I only said that I have an opinion on what it is. And that is my(and Emerson's) opinion. And well, I have no intent on changing that opinion any time soon.

All I have to say, is that if a person must rely on substances to make them happy, they are missing out on real happiness. Real happiness cannot be bought by how much drugs you use. And while on the subject, I will also say that real happiness cannot be brought on by others either. You cannot depend on drugs or other people to make you happy. you must first learn to make yourself happy.

Real happiness is very rarely found and I believe that people she have a full spectrum of life experiences. Most people don't rely on pot to make them happy. They use it for fun. Maybe like bungee jumping or drinking. People don't need those things to make them happy but I have found the only way to discover myself is to open up to new experiences and possibilites.

However, I have only tried pot two or three times. Don't like it. Made my throat very sore and the only time I got high it was horrible and Steve had to take care of me all night. lol

Not wanting to get in the middle of this, but at 16, I had a lot of opinions that I thought I would stick with too......I'm totally different now at 30 and laugh at my opinions when I was your age. Your opinions on things will change......No offense.

Oh and yes I'm all for legalizing it. It doesn't mean that people will smoke it more it just means it will be more controlled and taxed! lol

That is where a sense of personal responsibility has to come in. Of course you shouldn't drink or smoke while pregnant, you shouldn't drive under the influence... But no government law can make everyone act responsibly. It's a parents job to try to teach children how to act responsibily.

No offence, but that's because I've had 10 years on you... And I used to be just as anti drugs, anti smoking, anti anything "enhanced"....

And my life does encompass that quote perfectly, perfectly well.... I am studying to be one of the more useful people in this world, I give my time to whoever needs it.

I just know how to have fun too

Why not have my cake and eat it?

For right NOW, I am confident in my opinion. I am confident in it not only because *I* know that it is the right one for me, but because some of the most respectable and good adults I know hold the same opinion.

So, although I'm more than welcome for change when it is NEEDED, I don't think I need to change my opinion on the purpose of life.

My motherly opinion.....

Prostitution is not a victimless crime, tell that to the innocent wife whom contracted a deadly disease from her husband, John.

Underage drinking is not a victimless crime. Tell that to the drunk teenager that hit an old lady head on.
Tell that to a mother wondering where her teenage son is and finds he has been drinking again....and leads to alcoholism and never leads a productive life.
Tell that to the drunk teenager that had sex with a guy at a party, and shouldn't have... and now has ruined her life and also has a baby to take care of.

Smoking dope is not a big deal IF it is used as an occasional recreational drug. But I have seen people that ruin their families from daily pot smoking.
Some kids of these parents go to school smelling like marijuana and their teachers actually smell it on their clothes. The teachers have asked if Rocket will attack those kids because they smell of pot, before they let Rocket in the classrooms......has happened more than a few times all with different teachers.

I do believe in alot of instances pot is a starter drug. Not always, but ask a herion addict, or a coke head what the first drug they ever used was. Ask the guy putting an acid stamp in his eyeball what his first drug was.

If I could make a choice for my children....It would be to Never even try it.
But that is unrealisitic, so I try to give my kids the information they need to make educated decisions. I expect they will at one point try it, but I hope they will be strong enough not to make it a part of their lives.

Yes, I have tried it a few times, luckily I don't like it much. But I would rather have a few beers. Moderation is really the key.....
Hey... I like to have fun too! But I don't like to see families ruined when things get out of hand. And I hear about these stories all to often.

And usually the cops around here don't do much about "pocket dope". The popular drugs with some teens and adults is now heroin, meth, coke, and all kinds of pills.

If there is a "starter" drug, it's alcohol. Drinking leads to smoking pot, smoking pot leads to some harder drugs in some cases.....

Maybe everyone doesn't have the same life philosophy as you. Morality is relative. I think it's unfair to expect everyone to try to reach your standards. Maybe they are content with where they are at. Don't expect so much from other people, don't waste time trying to change others so much. Just surround yourself with those who see the world the same way you do.