Opinions on recreational drug use?

[kiwi_2005]

I would say LSD is harmful the user can become psychotic in longterm use. Cannibis, well i think the worse thing to come out of cannibis is to end up like a type of Cheech & Chong, short term memory, bouts of daydreaming with a strong desire to eat alot :rotfl:

[antikristuseke]

While LSD isnt addictive i would call it safe by no means, though i have no problem with alcohol, nicotine or marihuanause.

[Letum]

"Drugs are a health risk."

However, there are some drugs that carry less risk of physical or mental injury than rugby does.

I find it hard to condemn drugs on the basis that they cause physical and /or mental damage
with out condemning rugby, rock climbing, DIY or extreme sports.

"Drugs are linked to crime."

However, just because one takes drugs does not mean that you will commit crime.
The vast majority of drug users are not criminals.
There is also a link between being male and committing crime.

I find it hard to condemn drugs on the basis that they are linked to crime with out
condemning my gender.

"Drugs may cause you to sit at home all day, unwashed doing no work."

Well, yes, I have seen that often enough. However, you can do that with or
without drugs.
I'm told the Internet has similar effects.

"Drugs can be enjoyable."

Can't really argue with that, that's why they are so popular.

"Drugs can be very un-enjoyable."

Can't argue with that either!



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I don't take drugs for the same reason I don't take part in extreme sports; for me the
benefits do not out weigh the risks.

If someone else wishes to take drugs then I don't see any logical reason to condemn or stop them.

[Skybird]

Talking as an ex-psychologist here. Marihuana can get you into problems if used too much. It is not justified to call it allout safe, just becasue it does not create damage so quickly like heroin. whereas the occasional glas of beer, wine or even hard stuff like whisky does you no harm if not being turned into a regular habit. Fanatic teetotallers for ideologic reasons are doing more harm to their mind. The ideology of totally rejecting alcohol. So the problem is too excessive use, and that is a criteria different for every drug.

The state obviously supports alcohol and tobacco, since he creates a not small tax income by these two. Both also have a very strong industrial lobby.

LSD is not unaddicitve, btw. It can lead you into serious psychological craving, and derange your mind for the rest of your life. "Not damaging physical or mental health of the user" - that is simply wrong, Red Menace. I agree only in so far that with the assessement of such drugs a subtle approach is needed. But always and under all circumstances harmless is none of them. It is a very good idea to make regular consummation of them not a socially agreed norm of life. They should remain to be exceptions.

concerning the often heared argument that things like LSD eventually can "free your mind", I have almost a policy on that, as a former meditation teacher. Even Stanislav Grof, who experimented a lot with LSD and according visions, has replaced the drug with relaxation meditation based on excessive ventilating techniques. No drug ever frees your mind. It may show you things, and you may regard them to be of more or less value, but never does a drug free your mind. For that, you need to choose the other path, so to speak. Granted, it is not as easy as taking a pill, but that is due to lacking knowledge. In truth, it is even easier than swallowing a pill, becasue there is nothing that is to be acchieved. Well, this only as a rejection of that "spiritual" argument on certain drugs, in case it would show up here. There is nothing like a "holiness-pill."

I leave out social context issues of drug consummation, that play an important rule especially amongst young people, and nthat could lead from soft drugs to hard drugs so easily. Which also is a danger factor, of course.

[baggygreen]

Oh yeh, marijuana is perfectly safe. Just ask a friend of mine from back in my school days. Oh thats right, you cant, he's locked away for his and everyone elses safety. Cos marijuana is saaaafe.

He believed all the hype about it being so cool and awesome and no risk whatsoever. problem was he didnt look at the facts. He hasnt socialised with 'normal' society for years because one joint has screwed him up for life.

You want my opinions on recreational drug use... it took the life of a good mate away. I cant express the disgust i feel towards that rubbish. LSD safe??? Mescaline safe??? No friggin drug is "safe". that includes alcohol!

There are risks associated with using anything, just like there are risks associated with doing anything at all in life. But there are genuine reasons why so many governments ban "recreational" drugs, why they go to such lengths to catch the criminals who traffic them and sell them.

Redmenace, as far as driving while using cannabis not presenting a worry, of course its a worry - driving too slowly can be just as likely to cause a smash as driving too fast!

Im afraid i really dont see where you're coming from with this whole topic... saying marijuana and acid dont destroy your mind and body??

[Skybird]

BTW, the drug that turns you into an addict the fastest, and for which your body has even physically specialised in enjoying, but which nevertheless does the most severe health damage in Western societies and costs the system more money than aclohol or tobacco - is refined white sugar, and sweets. Think about food habits, and civilisational diseases, to see the danger and hidden costs. They rank in the x dozens of billions.

[DeepSix]

I had a friend in college who smoked a lot of weed. He's probably there still....

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Letum

"Drugs are a health risk."

However, there are some drugs that carry less risk of physical or mental injury than rugby does.

I find it hard to condemn drugs on the basis that they cause physical and /or mental damage
with out condemning rugby, rock climbing, DIY or extreme sports.

"Drugs are linked to crime."

However, just because one takes drugs does not mean that you will commit crime.
The vast majority of drug users are not criminals.
There is also a link between being male and committing crime.

I find it hard to condemn drugs on the basis that they are linked to crime with out
condemning my gender.

"Drugs may cause you to sit at home all day, unwashed doing no work."

Well, yes, I have seen that often enough. However, you can do that with or
without drugs.
I'm told the Internet has similar effects.

"Drugs can be enjoyable."

Can't really argue with that, that's why they are so popular.

"Drugs can be very un-enjoyable."

Can't argue with that either!



___________________________



I don't take drugs for the same reason I don't take part in extreme sports; for me the
benefits do not out weigh the risks.

If someone else wishes to take drugs then I don't see any logical reason to condemn or stop them.

Hey Letum, we agree on something!

I'm not as up on arguments for or against drugs as I'd like to be, but I completely agree that any argument that can be made against marijuana can be made against alcohol and tobacco as well. More safe? Less safe? Nice to argue, but making something illegal because it's dangerous to the user is a fool's game.

[Hitman]

I might be a bit radical in this, but IMO anyone who needs drugs to have fun ("recreational use") has a psychological/psychiatric problem. Drugs are just that, drugs, i.e. "soft" poison that doesn't kill you but intoxicates your brain and nerves, changing your perception of joy, risk, pleasure and pain. If you need drugs to really really enjoy being with friends, having sex with your wife/girlfirend/whoever, or simply stop being shy, you have a BIG problem. Sport -though not in excess- and healthy diet as care for the body, and meditation/philosophy, plus intense, non-egoist and sincere family and friendship relations plus mental games for the mind are what will provide you the best balance and more intense satisfaction. Drugs are just the easy way, the way for cowards or subjects with a lack of personality and will. A bad remedy to enjoy life during their effects and just feel miserable later.

As for the difference between "legalized" drugs and "illegal" drugs, I must say that I personally don't smoke and hate cigarretes, while I drink only in weekends beer and ocasionally wine. Rarely, a glass of whisky or preferably Armagnac. Those drinks I enjoy for their taste and not for the alcohol effect, which is very mild if taken with moderation. In turn, it is well documented that beer and wine have healthy properties (A daily glass of Red wine reduces your chances of heart attacks) and help your stomach make the digestion of the meals (Also the Cognac/Armagnac). Plus beer has lots of nutritive elements.

Thus, taken with moderation, beer, wine and some spirits are a healthy thing that comes with a small non-healthy part (The alcohol), which is not different than some meal (F.e. you can eat things that have good properties but come with some cholesterol). Moderation is the key to enjoy their benefits while not suffering from their drawbacks.

That is WAY different than smoking ordinary tobacco or Marihuana, not to mention LSD and harder things. All those substances do anything good for your body but instead just produce an intoxication. The joy of that intoxication is artificial and temporary, and produces no benefit. Instead, it will just leave you with a stronger desire to have it back, as you body gest used to feeling well and relaxed only by using them.

I know I'm preaching in the desert, but everybody should experience at least once in his life what a healthy body and mind feels like. I know it's a hard way, but if you persevere and discover it, you will never like anything else.

My 2 cents

[Letum]

Originally Posted by Hitman

I might be a bit radical in this, but IMO anyone who needs drugs to have fun ("recreational use") has a psychological/psychiatric problem

[...]

never like anything else.

My 2 cents

whilst much of that may be true to some extent, for some people it is worth the price.


Like the extreme sportsman who risks his life for the feeling of achievement, the drug user
risks his sanity for the dizzying highs of intoxication.

[Jimbuna]

I smoke tobacco and and enjoy alcoholic drinks from time to time. I AM ALSO TOTALLY ANTI DRUGS, so I guess in some peoples eyes that would make me a hypocrite.
I maintain my belief based solely upon the totally unnecessary destruction and human carnage I often see it cause.

Drugs are just the easy way, the way for cowards or subjects with a lack of personality and will.

Mmmmm.....worrying oppinion that, I think I detect an element of extremism in you old man. i suggest a good spliff to calm your radicalism.

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by kiwi_2005

I would say LSD is harmful the user can become psychotic in longterm use. Cannibis, well i think the worse thing to come out of cannibis is to end up like a type of Cheech & Chong, short term memory, bouts of daydreaming with a strong desire to eat alot

Not exactly what one would call a productive member of society.

LSD is terrible, causing people to jump from skyscrappers, so I can't believe this was even brought up. It makes me question the intentions of the original poster.

Cannibis is also bad. I swear it screws up people minds permanantly. I've seen smart people go dumb on that stuff (no better way to describe it), and it never gets any better, even when they are off of it. Some sort of permanent change in their memory storage. Bad stuff. You could never get me to even try it after what I've seen. As for medical use, I have a different opinion. ANy drug that can help a serious medical condition, regardless of its possible negative effects, should not be banned from doctors prescribing it to treat that condition, period. With this banning mentality, they should ban morphine.

Alc, well, alc has some redeeming properties if you drink beer or wine, but nothing good comes of hard alc. FOr beer and wine, these include restoritive qualities for your colon and longer life! Move on the hard alc, and they can do away with it in my opnion. Seen too many people get screwed up and addicted to the hard stuff.

ANyway, just my 2 cents again, for what it's worth.

-S

[RedMenace]

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

LSD is terrible, causing people to jump from skyscrappers, so I can't believe this was even brought up. It makes me question the intentions of the original poster.

-S

What are my intentions then?

While I have heard some gnarly stories about bad LSD trips, including suicides, one must remember that alcohol is responsible for an almost unfathomable amount of death and destruction. Suicide, fatal falls, fights, overdoses. Compared to alcohol, I'd say LSD sounds pretty darn safe.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by RedMenace

Compared to alcohol, I'd say LSD sounds pretty darn safe.

What is your professional qualification to assess that? You see, I have a huge problem with such statements, for I have seen in a clinical context people who had so-called horror-trips, or were suffering longterm mental problems after having consumed LSD and/or according drugs. not my main interest at that time, admitted, but I couldn't avoid to come into touch with this theme as well when working in hospital. Not every trip is a bad trip, and not every consumer turns into a zombie. But there is a risk. and it is greater than just drinking half a bottle of whiskey. Some people are haunted by just one bad trip for the rest of their lives. That is no panic-making, but a medical fact.