Originally posted by M5Power
I've heard these fairly sensible arguments several times, yet I still can't believe that anyone aside from nuts want to legalise a drug as bad as marijuana, especially because even small doses of marijuana can cloud judgement, as opposed to alcohol
"as bad as marijuana."
Marijuana does not cloud judgement. I think the notion that it does must come from the governments "war on drugs" advertising campaign which is the biggest, most convoluted lie I can think of at the moment, movies like "Reefer Madness", Cheech and Chong (who are funny but so ridiculously exaggerated), and the like.
About two years ago my wife and I were winding down for the night and the phone rang. He friend who was in the depths of Parkinson's disease committed suicide. I had smoked only a few minutes before. I was fully able to comprehend the gravity of the situation, drive to a mutual friend's house, and mourn with them all night. It was like I forgot I smoked. I'd like to see someone who drank a few shots pull that off.
I once was pulled over and taken to the police station because I didn't have my license with me (the reason I was pulled over was because my nearly dead Sirrocco could only switch gears if I jerked the wheel to the right wich qualified as "erratic" driving to the upscale suburb cop...). I had just dropped off the passengers I smoked with a short while before. I can tell you that sitting at the police station,
"peaking," as it were, was not fun, but nonetheless, nobody could even tell I was high. It amounted to nothing but a buzz kill.
In both of those situations my "judgement" was just fine... not to mention countless other, less serious situations.
I have to take issue with anyone who seriously believes alcohol is somehow a "softer" drug than pot. It quite simply is not. As with many things it boils down to the person using it. I've smoked with people who get idiotic afterwards. I generally don't smoke with them again. It's the same with drinking.
I've also heard that smoking pot can cause sterility in men. I can finaly attest to the fact that this, too, is totally false.
My memories of spending a night with friends at a bar are puctuated by memories of me or others praying to the porcelain God, sleeping on the bathroom floor, calling ex girlfriends (now there's some judgement for ya), etc... My memories of sharing a pipe with friends are punctuated by laughter, music, and the warm fuzzies...
and no hangover.
It's hypocritical that if I come home and drink a beer after work I'm within the bounds of legal , moral behavior. But If I come home and take a few hits off a bong I'm a criminal for preferring one buzz to another.
Maybe we should criminalize coffee, too. Some people get pretty edgy on the stuff. I mean, it's sad, they have to have it every day! They're addicts! Lock them up!
It boils down to personal choice. Smoke if you like it. Don't if you don't. I like plenty of people who don't smoke. I don't think the opposite is true. I guess their better "judgement" has made them more
judgemental.
I'm an adult. I can do whatever I want as long as I'm not hurting anyone, or myself. This is the case. I only wish this society's moralists (even those wearing pragmatist, logicist or scientist masks) would focus their efforts on real problems and stay out of my living room.
In closing I have to add that if you ever saw me and talked to me you would have no idea I smoke pot unless I told you. I get up and go to a professional job every day, do my household chores on the weekends, go to the inlaws for dinner on Sunday, and am a married, homeowning, expectant father driving around in a Grand Cherokee like a soccer mom.
"But you smoke pot! You're a criminal! You go to jail!"
Two thousand years ago
sugar was a drug.
So, I guess I'm a nut.
whell i cant say that my life sucks any more.
