Simo...if that was indeed what you were meaning, I'm with you 100%. My apologies if my post appeared to be inciting an argument.
No worries, I'd already typed my reply and everything
But I hope NOONE is disputing that someone getting stoned (or drunk or otherwise intoxicated), getting in a car, and killing someone is a problem.
Nope, simply trying to point out that when there is an accident involving an intoxicated driver, it is not the fault of the intoxicant anymore than it is the fault of the car itself.
It is the fault of the individual who gets in the front seat, and makes the decision to turn the key when they really shouldn't, and they know they shouldn't.
I know that you do not WANT to believe this, but I see pot smokers pick fights all the time.
Let me make this clear, so you understand. Bloodshot eyes+ stinking of marijuana= stoned pot smoker. That is not just something that works out occasionally, but all the time. I have been bouncing in bars for longer than some members here have been alive, and after a while picking out drug users is as easy as picking out who uses some type of hair product
It is not a case of not wanting to believe it, it is simply a case of something seeming so far fetched and ludicrous that I cannot even fathom it, and I am moving through a logical process to try and decipher some sort of explanation for the behaviour you have described.
Yes, Bloodshot eyes + Stinking of marijuana = pot smoker.
Now, how do you tell if said pot smoker is drunk? How do you tell if he has taken speed, or meth, or LSD aswell? How do you tell what their background is, whether they are a generally violent person or not? What other issues are going on in their life? What potential psychological disorder they could have?
Do you know where all the normal stoned pot smokers are?? All manner of places, mostly at home, on the couch, playing video games. Not in bars beating up their girlfriends. The people you are talking about sound like the type of people who engage in this sort of behaviour already, and also happen to smoke pot. You are telling me they are either drunk, or trying to sell drugs in order to make enough money to get drunk. This doesn't sound like the average working class citizen.
Now if you claim that pot smokers become violent because of other substances you lose a certain degree of validity. Either marijuana is a gateway drug, and leads to other intoxicants, Pot smokers are prone to mixing intoxicants, or everyone is effected the same, and the idea that it effects everyone differently is invalid. You decide which, but each is a trap
Pot is often heavily mixed with other drugs, do you know why? Because it is practically harmless. It doesn't conflict with many other drugs, and it is a readily accessable drug that a lot of people are familiar with. Most people use it like salt, or spices, add a little bit (or a lot) to your experience for flavour, whether it be LSD, Heroin, MDMA, Benzos whatever, nearly anything you can smoke a joint with and all that will happen is things will get a little more chilled and generally psychedelic.
It isn't pot users who take up other drugs, it is other drug users who smoke pot. And as I said, they mix it because it is safe. Down a few shots while you are on quite a lot of drugs and you'll wind up in hospital at the very least, but you could smoke a whole ounce and chances are you'd still be fine (and probably fall asleep).
I see very little validity to the gateway drug theory other than two reasons, both of them induced by the illegal state of marijuana. One: You buy it from a drug dealer, drug dealers sell other drugs. Thusly, you are exposed to other drugs, and Two: You are lead to believe marijuana is dangerous, will make you crazy, and it sent from the devil, then you smoke it and have a great time. Makes you wonder, what else has the government being lying to you about?
Personally, the gateway drug idea makes no sense to me, mainly because I don't see anything detrimental with responsible use of other drugs either.
Also, for some reason it would appear you are taking the demographic you work with to be somewhat representative of the entire human population. Like I said, most stoners I know don't even go to bars, unless they are gigging.
Can you use marijuana and not get high? Sure I'll look up some info online, just wondering what you all have to say.
Yep. Many first time users get next to no effects, and for a lot of people it takes a fair while for some of the effects of the drug to be noticeable. Like with many other drugs, as your brain learns to recognise the effects (both automatically, and you personally recognising them), it is easier to pick them out.
Another honest question for those in support of legalizing marijuana....are you in favor of production being regulated and standardized? My general sense for most is no.
Yes, definitely. I think you should be able to grow it at home, and even sell it to friends in small quantities just like you can grow your own vegetables and sell them, however it should be produced to quality standards set by the government, and have some sort of standardised dosage information on the packaging.
I think the same for all other drugs. People are dying every day because the drugs they get sold are not what they thought they were, or were not as potent as they should have been, or were cut with god know what. There are two major risks with a lot of drugs in my opinion: 1. You don't know what you are buying, and 2. You might get caught.
Legalising them removes both those risks, and pretty much all it comes down to in order to remain safe after that is to educate yourself on the effects of the drug before you make the decision to take it, which would be printed on the packaging as well as available online etc. take the drugs in a safe environment that you are comfortable with, and be responsible. Don't do anything stupid, or at least don't do anything you wouldn't normally do, and have fun.
