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People Who Smoke Marijuana Are...

People Who Smoke Marijuana Are...

  • Total voters
    97
reefedjib said:
"Civil Disobedience" by Henry David Thoreau says it all about the correct response to the injustice of criminalized marijuana.
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Of all the issues in the world, all the things wrong with society and government, to focus on marijuana laws is one of the stupidest things ever.
 
Redress said:
Of all the issues in the world, all the things wrong with society and government, to focus on marijuana laws is one of the stupidest things ever.
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But it is also one of the clearest issues to resolve.
 
Redress said:
Of all the issues in the world, all the things wrong with society and government, to focus on marijuana laws is one of the stupidest things ever.
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Then, why are you here discussing it?
 
Redress said:
She did not say "no moral distinction". He did not say "no moral distinction". I am responding to what they said, not what you imagine their point was.
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It was implied. You're being obtuse.
 
Redress said:
Of all the issues in the world, all the things wrong with society and government, to focus on marijuana laws is one of the stupidest things ever.
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I agree with you.

The police and DEA have much more serious things to focus on.:2razz:
 
reefedjib said:
Ignoring the smoking issues, what is the addiction issue with marijuana? I don't believe it is addictive.
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It is addictive in some cases, though the incidence of addiction is far lower than other drugs, such as heroin. Opioid receptors are receptors in the brain that both make us feel good and, when excited by opiates, create an addictive attraction. People also have canaboid receptors in the brain that operate the same way with marijuana.

Problems with marijuana causing issues with memory, concentration and other brain functions are all temporary. These issues only last as long as you are high, then return.
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With prolonged use, brain function issues can become permanent.
 
reefedjib said:
I don't like your casino example, as it varies the outcome, time after time. I think we can say the the response of an individual to smoking weed is more consistent.
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Not as much as you would think. The casino example illustrates the fallacy of the anecdotal story.

Yes, it causes impairment. And that is the point, you are right. But impairment is not all a bad thing is my point. There are benefits to smoking and getting high. The altering of brain chemistry to give an altered mental state is not a negative thing. It is really disturbing how the puritanical thread in America denies that.
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Impairment being good or bad is dependent on the individual, the effects the impairment have on that individual, and the activity the individual is engaging in during the impairment.
 
rivrrat said:
Who ever does any of that to 'feel good about themselves'?

Anyone? Anyone?

Beuller?

That's what I thought. No one.

Just burned your strawman for ya there, bud. You're welcome.
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Actually, you are incorrect here, rivrrat. I've worked with plenty who did these things for just that reason.
 
Yes, I am a stupid loser, but since I refuse to blame anybody but myself for my failings, I fail to see how this is anybody else's concern.
 
CaptainCourtesy said:
It is addictive in some cases, though the incidence of addiction is far lower than other drugs, such as heroin. Opioid receptors are receptors in the brain that both make us feel good and, when excited by opiates, create an addictive attraction. People also have canaboid receptors in the brain that operate the same way with marijuana.
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I believe there may be a psychological addiction, if I am using the term correctly, to refer to the "habit" one can form smoking pot regularly. There seems to be no physical addiction.

My anecdotal story is that I had stopped smoking repeatedly for periods of time (1 - 2 months) up to the last time I stopped 3 years ago. There were zero withdrawal symptoms that I noticed.

With prolonged use, brain function issues can become permanent.
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What types of issues? The ones I listed?
 
CaptainCourtesy said:
Actually, you are incorrect here, rivrrat. I've worked with plenty who did these things for just that reason.
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Certainly not going to call you a liar, but I've been around a LOT of drug users in my life, and never met one who used drugs to 'feel good about themselves'. That's about the most retarded thing I've ever heard.
 
If drugs make you feel better about yourself then why not legalize them for depressives? :mrgreen:
 
rivrrat said:
Certainly not going to call you a liar, but I've been around a LOT of drug users in my life, and never met one who used drugs to 'feel good about themselves'. That's about the most retarded thing I've ever heard.
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Feel good about themselves is a blanket term for people who use drugs for self gratification or deal with their problems. And a lot of people do use drugs to deal with their problems.
 
But is not the purpose of most drug use, just as most people do not drink alcohol to self medicate.
 
Hatuey said:
Feel good about themselves is a blanket term for people who use drugs for self gratification or deal with their problems. And a lot of people do use drugs to deal with their problems.
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Of course people use them for self-gratification. That goes without saying. That's why we do *anything*.

And some people may use some drugs to 'drown their sorrows' away (same reason people do many things - read, play video games, eat, post on forums, etc), but that is, in no way, the same as using them to "feel good about themselves".
 
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Two points:

1. There are many reasons that people use drugs.

When a person is using drugs in a fashion to escape their problems or feel better about themselves, they are abusing drugs. It doesn't matter if the drug is legal or illegal.

This is going to have negative psychological ramifications regardless of the legality of the drug.

At the same time, there are also people who use drugs without abusing them. These people can be occasional drug users who do it for the enjoyable physical effects, but also use them in a self-controlled fashion.

One of the most important factors to look for when discussing drug use is whether the person uses the drugs as a coping mechanism. If they do this, they are abusing the drug.

2. Everyone has a different perspective regarding the potential physical harm of some behaviors. Some people will argue that tobacco use is stupid because it can cause cancer, emphysema, etc.

To explain, some people do not care if something may decrease their life by X amount of years for various reasons. For me, the lack of belief in an immortal aspect of the individual leads me to the conclusion that an infinite number of years of nonexistence is equal to an infinite number + 30 years of nonexistence.

If I die 30 years earlier because of some enjoyable behavior I engage in now, there is no discernible difference. In the grand scheme of things there is no difference between the possibility that I die tomorrow and the possibility that I die 60 years from now.

And the ultimate result is inevitable. So, while I don't engage in immediately risky behaviors, and I take steps to prevent immediate death, I do not worry about potentially shortening my life by a relatively small time span.

As such, I don't see the arguments about increased risks for cancer and other life-threatening illnesses years down the line as persuasive.

In fact, you could say that I find these arguments to be somewhat stupid because of their rigid adherence to a subjective perspective of time.

Essentially, the argument is that not engaging in a behavior can make you live longer, but this perspective fails to realize that nothing exists that can prevent you from being dead longer.

A person who died in 1000 AD will be dead for just as long as a person who will die in 2100 AD.

An infinity + 1100 = infinity no matter how you slice it.
 
Tucker Case said:
Two points:

1. There are many reasons that people use drugs.

When a person is using drugs in a fashion to escape their problems or feel better about themselves, they are abusing drugs. It doesn't matter if the drug is legal or illegal.

This is going to have negative psychological ramifications regardless of the legality of the drug.

At the same time, there are also people who use drugs without abusing them. These people can be occasional drug users who do it for the enjoyable physical effects, but also use them in a self-controlled fashion.

One of the most important factors to look for when discussing drug use is whether the person uses the drugs as a coping mechanism. If they do this, they are abusing the drug.

2. Everyone has a different perspective regarding the potential physical harm of some behaviors. Some people will argue that tobacco use is stupid because it can cause cancer, emphysema, etc.

To explain, some people do not care if something may decrease their life by X amount of years for various reasons. For me, the lack of belief in an immortal aspect of the individual leads me to the conclusion that an infinite number of years of nonexistence is equal to an infinite number + 30 years of nonexistence.

If I die 30 years earlier because of some enjoyable behavior I engage in now, there is no discernible difference. In the grand scheme of things there is no difference between the possibility that I die tomorrow and the possibility that I die 60 years from now.

And the ultimate result is inevitable. So, while I don't engage in immediately risky behaviors, and I take steps to prevent immediate death, I do not worry about potentially shortening my life by a relatively small time span.

As such, I don't see the arguments about increased risks for cancer and other life-threatening illnesses years down the line as persuasive.

In fact, you could say that I find these arguments to be somewhat stupid because of their rigid adherence to a subjective perspective of time.

Essentially, the argument is that not engaging in a behavior can make you live longer, but this perspective fails to realize that nothing exists that can prevent you from being dead longer.

A person who died in 1000 AD will be dead for just as long as a person who will die in 2100 AD.

An infinity + 1100 = infinity no matter how you slice it.
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The greatest drug used as a coping mechanism is money.
 
Redress said:
But, and this is important, he was responding to some one who said the difference was in legality, and calling her close minded for seeing this distinction.
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I called her close-minded because of the apparent prejudice evident in her post. Try again.
 
Ethereal said:
What is your personal opinion of people who smoke marijuana?
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...supporting a lot of ruthless, lethal traffickers.

Of course I assume most smokers do this with a considerable level of ignorance. And not to be confused with those who grow their own.

(I voted Other)
 
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I smoke Marijuana once or twice a month if I go to a get together with some friends on the weekend. I know plenty other smokers and alcohol users. The ones who I have come in contact with are normal and use it responsibly. The same thing goes with alcohol, it's okay to use it every now and then so long as you are responsibly... But you have to be careful with alcohol and know your limit because you could overdose or get drunk and piss your pants :shock:

I have a common principle with this issue. As long as you are not hurting someone else, you are okay to have your fun.
 
Telecaster said:
...supporting a lot of ruthless, lethal traffickers.
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You are pointing your finger in the wrong direction. If you know your history, blame FDR and Nixon for the ruthless traffickers.

Of course I assume most smokers do this with a considerable level of ignorance. And not to be confused with those who grow their own.
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I'll tell you what's really ignorant. The Republican party and some conservatives who defend FDR's (a Democrat) war on Marijuana from the 1930's. Keep giving lip service to smaller government and personal freedom while you continue to be exposed as a hypocrite on this issue.
 
Telecaster said:
...supporting a lot of ruthless, lethal traffickers.
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That's what happens when you criminalize something. It creates a black market. Naturally, legalizing said acitivity would result in the black market going away.
 
Phantom said:
You are pointing your finger in the wrong direction. If you know your history, blame FDR and Nixon for the ruthless traffickers.



I'll tell you what's really ignorant. The Republican party and some conservatives who defend FDR's (a Democrat) war on Marijuana from the 1930's. Keep giving lip service to smaller government and personal freedom while you continue to be exposed as a hypocrite on this issue.
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WOW!:lol: You really take things out there!?!:roll::mrgreen:

So let me get this straight...two past presidents created the environment for murderous traffickers? Okay, I got that. But now, decades later, as a result, social smokers are forced to purchase pot that will help the trafficker thrive.

You know, in my younger day I smoked a fair amount of pot. Then, as I aged I only occasionally smoked if a friend offered. But now for the past half decade or so, I decided to quit entirely due to my realization of my point above.

So now how is it that I am a hypocrite? Are you saying I am guilty by association with conservatism?!?!

What a strange argument.:confused:
 
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