Go into a drug re-hab and ask everyone you see what was the first drug they did. 90% will say marijuana. It is a gateway drug. And it is very addictive. Not for all but for most drug addicts it was addictive. And again, addition is a two fold disease. A physical addiction/allergy of the body and an obsession of the mind. Take any steady pot smoker and take weed away from them and there will be some time of withdrawal. Now they may not act like a heroin addict without their fix but they will have mood swings and physical cravings. But you can bet most of them will never admit that. Because to them they dont see it an addition as you yourself have said. Yet they need it in order to cope with life or enjoy life. Think about that.
And yes that man you speak of was a broken man before he ever did drugs. Drugs made him worse.
Steelers 2015 Draft???....Go Freak! As in....
1-Bernardrick McKinney MLB Mississippi State 6 ft 5 250 4.5 40 yard dash
I personally don't see it as a 'gateway drug' but rather the first drug that was available to them other than booze. If crack or coke was cheap and as readily available as weed is that would be their 'gateway drug'. Those people are looking to escape life which is a mental health issue. This country seriously needs to address mental health in a more serious manner. Our country is seriously broken. Our government has flip flopped its intended power. County government should be the most powerful form of government where the issues can be more directly addressed and you could look your elected official in the eye on a more consistent basis. Those in need of true help could be identified, as could those bilking he system to sit around and be lazy phucks living off your hard work.
@_Hellgrammite
I had a classmate who was brilliant, really almost a genius...then he started smoking weed. He lost his ambition. It was sad...all he wanted to do was stay in his room and get stoned all the time. Started flunking classes because he was never there. Then, after awhile, pot wasn't doing it for him any more. Like the man you talked about, he then moved on to stronger drugs. His life has been wasted (literally), and he's become another government dependent. Sad, sad story. And I know of quite a few others with similar histories. So much for pot being a "victimless" drug.
I understand that there are some people who only toke occasionally, that not every pot user becomes an utter waste...But I think it's a way more common outcome of marijuana use than legalization proponents want us to think it is. And if more citizens become unproductive through pot use, guess who gets to pay their way? Those of us who are productive, working taxpayers.
Besides that, I suspect regular pot use has adverse physical effects. They really haven't done that many long-term studies, but I can't believe that inhaling all that tar into your lungs can be a good thing (not to mention what THC does to your brain with heavy, long-term use). So we're going to demonize cigarettes and legalize marijuana? What kind of a message does that send? And then, once pot is legalized, and half the population is using it regularly, they'll come out with studies showing that it's harmful to your health and they'll demonize the companies that sell it and tax them to death, like they're doing with the tobacco companies. Insane.
We're all broken in some way.
Not all broken people get addicted to drugs, but I've always gone by the motto "If you never start using, then you won't get addicted."
People who are addicted can get help, but most of them don't. Such a sad, needless, senseless waste of lives.
There but for the grace of God...I'm thankful to have Christ in my life, or who knows where I'd be?
I had a fraternity brother that was also on a genius level that smoked pot from the time he woke up until the time he went to bed. He graduated with his 4 year undergraduate in 3 years, flew through medical school, and is currently happily married with a beautiful family and he still smokes pot once his kids are asleep to relax just as you might have a Beer or two.
You know how beer effected you when you had your first couple beers? Maybe had one or two and you were drunk as a skunk. But as you more regularly have one or two beers, it hardly effects you? Weed is very much the same. So if you tried it once or twice and got royally messed up that is not a true indicator of pot. I know plenty of hard working professional adults that could have a joint handed to them from Snoop Dogg himself, take a few puffs off of that, and their demeanor hardly changes at ll to the point you would have no idea they took a puff.
i think most people would be very, VERY surprised how many high level professionals in all fields smoke pot. You just don't know who they are because it is illegal and they are nothing like the folks you guys mention that have life issues regardless of the drug they choose to try and escape reality with.
Last edited by Mister Pittsburgh; 02-26-2013 at 09:50 PM.
@_Hellgrammite
More often than mental illness causes drug use, I think drug use causes mental illness. I can think of a friend whose mind used to work right, then he started doing drugs (pot first, then someone slipped him some LSD at a party)...he's become paranoid and delusional. He wasn't that way before he did drugs.
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