I am not smoking cannabis anymore, nor tobacco, nor the other drugs or alcohol.

And I consider myself very lucky and i enjoy my abstinence.

Life has enough bad difficulties and complications. Drugs to me are more than superfluous for 'recreational' (how gross and cynic) use.

But life has even more good to offer than intoxication. Latter might feel enjoyable but I must all in consider harmful and lame.

What is worrying is that those consumers have to buy 1) toxic waste for 2) a lot of money and then let it inside theirselves. That is very bad and does in a way more damage than drugs themselves. Because of that I am for thoughtful public control and de-criminalization. Or maybe it should stay illegal, but people should not be punished.

Life is a drug. I would shun people from rage, power or overeating\under-exercising (*) but not moderation with trying many new things, within reason; that's a bigger problem you cant teach reason with control and hypocrisy or by just shouting no.

I maybe use my vaporizer once or twice a month (and caramels a few times a year) socially (or for flu seasons) but as a drug that won't kill me have to ignore the "opinion$," "law$" &c... don't care for poisons plus am trying to cut coffee to one cup a day.

I think alcohol is the "legal" opinion to help keep the herd thinning and\or thoroughly brain washed..? (!redrum nuP)

The related resemblances of many psychoactive substances do occur in the brain. And in very specific situations, types and doses. Inserting fake neurotransmitter by chance into the brain basically is bad news.

We know to handle alcohol from our culture, tobacco I don't find so harmful mentally, rather to the lung, vessels, etc.

If a grownup smokes a spliff occasionally, or drinks or (even) smokes temperately I think no (big) harm done.

Drugs like LSD, mushrooms and several dangerous 'natural' poisons I think are a menace to mental health from 1st trip.

Also ecstasy, speed, tranquillizers and the hard drugs belong to the pharmacy and to the anesthetist. 'Recreational' use has potential for harm. Chances from random use? I cannot see.

Most likely they will trigger addiction sickness I guess.

Same with habitual marihuana smoking. Also alcohol. Then it's also definately a menace to mental (and physical) health, especially for young people.

Many of these so called "diseases" (perhaps to varying degrees) like "alcoholism" are learnable therefore unlearnable(, placebos and subconscious come to mind for some reason.) Ironically the safest recreation drug (besides fun) would likely close the so called "gateways" to more dangers drugs, why do them if (pu'n) weed have safer alternative?

I think it was in the development of a large fragment of healthy youths that they smoked weed occassionally and then lost interest or abandoned that and moved on in life.

Worrying are those being like I was. Fascinated about drugs before I ever saw them,and unstable. Ironically what sparked up my interest even more was a information brochure from the police with pictures from every drug.

Weed is not safe for habitual use. It does trigger psychosis and developmental disorders. Maybe not in every individual, I don't know and I don't care. I surely am affected.

As far as mental health goes you don't need any drugs to be doing poorly but they may prescribe some that have only been around a short while?

Hahaha!

True. And I just think life has enough dangers. It's lucky if someone leaves drugs out.

Reminds me of a show where a guidance counselor passed around a bag of weed to the class so they know what smell to avoid, it never makes it back and he loses his job.

We went to Amsterdam as a school excursion when I was 16.

I would not consider it a lucky choice if I were a teacher, but I don't think it was decisive.

I divide the addictive drug problem into two parts. We have the problem of addicted people and all of the misery that produces. We also have the problem of the illegal addictive drug industry which operates outside the law (oxymoron) with all of the violent crime, money laundering, and tax evasion inherent in an illegal industry.

I am in favor of legalizing all addictive drugs and allowing legitimate businesses to produce and sell what are currently illegal drugs. That should end the crime wave associated with the illegal addictive drug industry just as ending prohibition ended the crime wave created by the Volstead act making alcohol illegal.

Legalizing addictive drugs will do nothing to solve the addiction problem. I don't know how to solve the drug addiction problem but making addictive drugs illegal definitely has not solved the problem either.

So I suggest that we half solve the addictive drug problem by legalizing the production and sale of addictive drugs.

---------------------------------
Steve Stites

P.S. My personal experience with addictive drugs is this: I have never tried any addictive drug and I cannot comprehend why anyone would do so. I have had bad experiences which stretched out for years dealing with friends and relatives who were or are addicted to heroin, methamphetamine, or marijuana (marijuana may or may not be addictive but long term use noticably affects peoples mental capabilities). As far as I can recall I have not known anybody who was addicted to crack or cocaine.

+1

Misplaced resources (go figure; ) it should start with education and if they must, punish with education.

Oddly enough almost all advisers to the UK government have suggested decriminalisation of currently illegal drugs to some extent. Some may just have suggested the decriminalisation of cannabis but some have gone a lot further. The UK government's reaction to the advice of these experts? The sacked them.
That leads me to believe that drug criminalisation is choice based in politics and not in common sense. That, unfortunately, means that things aren't likely to change in the near future.

It is based on Common Sense . Incarcerating folks is good business and helps the economy.

Twisted common sense though. Greedy expletive inserted here, on both sides of this issue.
The dealers and the lawmakers who benefit from leaving everything as is.

Right, money can make loopholes (or at the least slow progress.)

I understand we can't fix everything, like needing a new teacher every split second but then again the root of the problem?

To me this is many the same issues as big parts of free-trade, politics or religions; people may (or not) think they're helping but with opinions.!? and, there's mine.

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