Drinking/Drugs

[Noxx]

I don't do either. I don't mind casual drinking but I personally disapprove of heavy drinking and drug use. Not necessarily saying that either should be illegal (or legal), but I disapprove of them. I don't need to alter my mental state to have a good time :P

Yeah. . . The last part isn't really something i can agree on. Makes it seem like people ONLY drink to "have a good time" or to "alter they mental state". This, i can assure you, is not the fact. Why do i drink alcohol and not just Soda/Fruit Juice/Etc.? Have you ever tried going out, partying it up for 10 hours on JUST coke? That is insane! I've done it moe than once and the sugar rush it gives you is enough to kill you. I would take the worse hang over in the world rather than that. Same happens wheny you drink Frui Juice. The sugar is enough to keep you up for days. Why not just water? It gets a bit dull, after a while. I've also tried that a few times and to be honest i couldnt make it through the night most of the times. Why not drink non alcoholic beer? To put it straight: It tastes like [cabbage].

 

So what am i really saying? Many people, like myself, choose to drink not for the affect but as i've said for the taste. I'm not a person who enjoys sweet tastes all the time. 1 Coke and i've had enough for a few hours. Beer has a nice taste to it. Its not sweet, but its not bitter. Its also not bland. Its awesome :D

[Furah]

Cannabis is easier to make, just need seeds and some soil. It is a weed after all.

Not really, you can brew your own beer extremely easily. I'm not sure on making hard alcohol, but it doesn't seem overly complex. Growing cannabis is extremely tricky (not from experience). If you go into the process with the "just need some seeds and some soil" mindset, you're going to get crappy ditchweed that will just give you a headache and a dry mouth. I don't want to take this any further as discussing illegal substances is a fine line in the first place, I just wanted to make a point.

You can also end up make shoddy alcohol. Of course you need to take proper care of it.

[Jeffwilson99]

Yeah if you've ever drunk some home brew, you'll know that it's not as easy as it sounds.

[Ginger_Warrior]

I have two viewpoints on alcohol, because I've seen it from both sides of the spectrum. I've been the one getting drunk and the one having to deal with the various medical problems of others getting drunk. My attitude was actually epitomised yesterday when my brother came in drunk at 6pm because him and his college mates had been out during the afternoon. He was just sat on the bathroom floor falling asleep, clearing needing water and some food to replinish salts, but I actually took the attitude of, 'If he's mature enough to make the decision to get drunk, then he's mature enough to deal with the consequences as well.'

 

Every Saturday, A&E wards are filled with people who aren't actually ill, they're suffering from a self-inflicted condition that makes them nauseous. How can anyone claim that that's what Nye Bevan had in mind during the late 1940s?

 

On the other hand, I like getting drunk with friends once in a while. It helps people socialise (lowering guards, disinhibition) and helps 'forget' problems for a few hours. I just know where my limit is and I know how to look after myself once I get there. If only everyone did that, we wouldn't have such a problem with binge drinking, and we could focus on alcoholism instead, ie people who are actually suffering from psychological illness.

 

Drugs - Erm, no. Just no.

[Wisp]

 

Drugs - Erm, no. Just no.

What makes alcohol special? It's a drug, just like any other mind altering substance. And not even a safe one, comparatively.

[Ginger_Warrior]

If you're going to throw the oft-misused chart from The Lancet, then don't bother. I know what dependence and physical harm means. What that charts fails to consider (and the GMC don't exactly hide this fact) is that the chart doesn't equate to an analysis of the risks and relative safety of certain drugs. Ecstasy, for instance, is put in the same 'low risk' category as cannabis, but ecstasy can lead to heat exhaustion, sunstroke and if not treated, death, which isn't really my definition of 'low risk'. If you're using ecstasy with other people who have taken it before and know what to do in an emergency--rest, support blood flow to brain, replenish water and salts, observe vital signs (pulse, responsiveness, breathing), call 999 if needed--you are much safer than if you're taking it on your own with no prior experience and no knowledge of how to nurse yourself better.

Context is key, which is why doctors have been so hesitant to refer to that chart. When I drink, I'm with friends who can look after me if needed, and because of prior experience, I know what the limits are and I know what to do once I've hit that limit. I don't know any of this information with drugs, so as far as I'm concerned, I'm at much greater risk for not knowing what to do if my body for whatever reason reacts to them.

 

It's not as simple as saying:

* Cannabis is 'safer' than alcohol;

* I take alcohol;

* There is no harm in taking cannabis.

[No_M0re]

I love most drugs.

 

They should all be legal, right now they're just making all the problems worse.

 

The fact weed is ilegal is an absolute sham and the absence of attempts to address it make me think there's something evil happening.

 

Only drugs I don't like seeing people do is K, because it's made a generation of mongs. And smack, because it's a horrible thing to do.

 

Oh and obviously crack/meth.

 

But I still think they should all be legal unless we want to segregate society forever.

 

To the above psot ^^^

 

That is excactly why they should be legal :unsure:

 

 

I don't do either. I don't mind casual drinking but I personally disapprove of heavy drinking and drug use. Not necessarily saying that either should be illegal (or legal), but I disapprove of them. I don't need to alter my mental state to have a good time :P

Yeah. . . The last part isn't really something i can agree on. Makes it seem like people ONLY drink to "have a good time" or to "alter they mental state". This, i can assure you, is not the fact. Why do i drink alcohol and not just Soda/Fruit Juice/Etc.? Have you ever tried going out, partying it up for 10 hours on JUST coke? That is insane! I've done it moe than once and the sugar rush it gives you is enough to kill you. I would take the worse hang over in the world rather than that. Same happens wheny you drink Frui Juice. The sugar is enough to keep you up for days. Why not just water? It gets a bit dull, after a while. I've also tried that a few times and to be honest i couldnt make it through the night most of the times. Why not drink non alcoholic beer? To put it straight: It tastes like [cabbage].

 

So what am i really saying? Many people, like myself, choose to drink not for the affect but as i've said for the taste. I'm not a person who enjoys sweet tastes all the time. 1 Coke and i've had enough for a few hours. Beer has a nice taste to it. Its not sweet, but its not bitter. Its also not bland. Its awesome :D

 

 

Lol!!

 

Obviously it wasn't 100% pure, but yeah I've been raving for 10hours straihgt on just coke lol ;!!

 

LOL!

[Ginger_Warrior]

I'm sorry, you'll have to run that past me again.

 

They should be made legal because doing otherwise would 'segregate society forever'?

[No_M0re]

It seems that I lack the knowledge of these drugs as I've never tried them before.

 

One of the problems with making alcohol illegal would be that it's so easy to make. I think it only requires yeast, hops/barley/grapes and water to make wine/beer.

 

Legalization of marujana - The amount of positive/negative effects aren't important to me. If you were to 'weigh' the sides up, which one would have more? And does the benefits of smoking marujana outweigh the costs?

 

What are the costs of it being legal??

 

A slightly increased ammount of schizofrenics possibly, but it's generally agiven that those who have schizophrenia are A, more like to end up doing drugs because of how they are and then going mad, or B going to get it from somethign else anyway, weed just speeds it up loads.

 

Anyaways that's all I can see as costs when legal..

 

The costs right now?

 

Gangs, does anyone know how easy it is to sell weed? I have mates making 1k a week just sitting at home and answering the door. It makes a load of lazy workers basically. Also in places that arn'#t ass timid as my town it leads to violence.

 

Encourages people to stay on the wrong side of the law, basically because people try weed, realise they've been lied to and can't look at the laws the same again.

 

Encourages hatred towards police. I as a smoker hate seeing police because I almost always have weed with me. That's [cabbage], that should not happen..

 

Is easier to get than alcohol when under 18. It's a bad habit to get into under 18 (16 maybe), from experience.

 

It's created a huge subculture of people who hate the law/police, the mainstream, whatever.

 

Hard to use a medicine. I used to pick up off of a guy who had MS, he had to grow because it was difficult for him to go out and get it. All he did was chill and smoke, no harm, no worries. But he's a criminal apparently.

 

Money costs.. Untaxed etc.

 

All I can think of right now but there's definately more..

 

 

EDIT:

 

I'm sorry, you'll have to run that past me again.

 

They should be made legal because doing otherwise would 'segregate society forever'?

 

Already has. Have you ever seen the druggy scene? There's a lot of them (us??) and I feel like it's me against people who criminalize me.

 

Example, used to work in pub. Local finds out I smoke weed, has a massive go says it's not moral. That's me being segregated because of a law that makes people think drugs are immoral. And there's tons of people out ther. For me there's two people in the world, those I can be honest and chat to about anything and those who I know I have to hold back certain things from.

 

I call that segregation..

[Ginger_Warrior]

No, segregation has nothing to do with lifestyle choices. If you choose to do drugs, you have every opportunity to stop taking drugs if other people require you to do so.

[No_M0re]

No, segregation has nothing to do with lifestyle choices. If you choose to do drugs, you have every opportunity to stop taking drugs if other people require you to do so.

 

Well what if I see no problem with doing drugs?

 

It has nothing to do with other people, it's 100% my choice and effects noone else.

 

Unless of course you count the many people killed over drug wars to supply drugs, which is caused by it being illegal.

 

It's almost the same as saying there's nothing wrong with judging people by religion, it's a choice aswell and it also effects noone but the person who chooses to believe (unless they force their opinion on others)/.

[Ginger_Warrior]

Segregation:

a social system that provides separate facilities for minority groups

You're not telling me drug users constitute a modern day 'minority group' are you?

[No_M0re]

Segregation:

a social system that provides separate facilities for minority groups

You're not telling me drug users constitute a modern day 'minority group' are you?

 

I hate know it alls. Just cos I don't know the exact meaning of a word??

 

The way I've heard segregation being used is to imply a separation of society.

 

That's what I mean.. :roll:

[Range_This11]

Context is key, which is why doctors have been so hesitant to refer to that chart. When I drink, I'm with friends who can look after me if needed, and because of prior experience, I know what the limits are and I know what to do once I've hit that limit. I don't know any of this information with drugs, so as far as I'm concerned, I'm at much greater risk for not knowing what to do if my body for whatever reason reacts to them.

 

It's not as simple as saying:

* Cannabis is 'safer' than alcohol;

* I take alcohol;

* There is no harm in taking cannabis.

You didn't know the effects of drinking before you tried it either, that's a poor excuse for non-drug use. I'm not purporting that you must try drugs because you've tried alcohol--which by the way is a drug and anyone who convinces himself otherwise is delusional--but I know my limits with cannabis and I know my limits with alcohol and both drugs can be used safely.

[h3art]

I'm all for selective legalisation based addictive/harm properties. As a regular (tobacco) smoker and alcohol user, along with the odd recreational drug, I see no real issues.

[Noxx]

I love most drugs.

 

They should all be legal, right now they're just making all the problems worse.

 

The fact weed is ilegal is an absolute sham and the absence of attempts to address it make me think there's something evil happening.

 

Only drugs I don't like seeing people do is K, because it's made a generation of mongs. And smack, because it's a horrible thing to do.

 

Oh and obviously crack/meth.

 

But I still think they should all be legal unless we want to segregate society forever.

 

To the above psot ^^^

 

That is excactly why they should be legal :unsure:

 

 

I don't do either. I don't mind casual drinking but I personally disapprove of heavy drinking and drug use. Not necessarily saying that either should be illegal (or legal), but I disapprove of them. I don't need to alter my mental state to have a good time :P

Yeah. . . The last part isn't really something i can agree on. Makes it seem like people ONLY drink to "have a good time" or to "alter they mental state". This, i can assure you, is not the fact. Why do i drink alcohol and not just Soda/Fruit Juice/Etc.? Have you ever tried going out, partying it up for 10 hours on JUST coke? That is insane! I've done it moe than once and the sugar rush it gives you is enough to kill you. I would take the worse hang over in the world rather than that. Same happens wheny you drink Frui Juice. The sugar is enough to keep you up for days. Why not just water? It gets a bit dull, after a while. I've also tried that a few times and to be honest i couldnt make it through the night most of the times. Why not drink non alcoholic beer? To put it straight: It tastes like [cabbage].

 

So what am i really saying? Many people, like myself, choose to drink not for the affect but as i've said for the taste. I'm not a person who enjoys sweet tastes all the time. 1 Coke and i've had enough for a few hours. Beer has a nice taste to it. Its not sweet, but its not bitter. Its also not bland. Its awesome :D

 

 

Lol!!

 

Obviously it wasn't 100% pure, but yeah I've been raving for 10hours straihgt on just coke lol ;!!

 

LOL!

Let us in on what you find so funny. Cause i must have missed it.

[Ginger_Warrior]

You didn't know the effects of drinking before you tried it either, that's a poor excuse for non-drug use. I'm not purporting that you must try drugs because you've tried alcohol--which by the way is a drug and anyone who convinces himself otherwise is delusional--but I know my limits with cannabis and I know my limits with alcohol and both drugs can be used safely.

I'd been around people who had got drunk throughout my whole childhood, mostly close relatives at Christmas or New Year's time, so I had some fair idea of what 'the limit' was even if I hadn't experienced it personally myself, and I knew in general what adults did when they arrived at that point.

 

By comparison, one of my few experiences with people who've taken cannabis is being called out by one of my friends to the park because one of her friends during a session had smashed his head on a rock after losing balance, and was so off on drugs he couldn't actually feel the pain from a pretty wide gash on his skull that was literally pouring blood. Oh, by the way... did they know their limits? Nope, because when I tried persuading them to take him to hospital since I had no first aid equipment on me and there wasn't much I could do anyway, they told me they shouldn't because the police would be on to him. Is this safe use of cannabis?

 

My other experience with a cannabis user was my housemate and his two friends starting a racist assault on two of my other housemates whilst under influence (admittedly with copious amounts of alcohol also), in which they smashed the door of one housemate through and ripped up several religious texts, including one of their Korans, then turned to the other housemate's room and threatened to knock the door through and--I exaggerate not--kill him. He ended up being charged for racist assault, fined the bill by our landlord, and thrown out of university.

 

And no, strangely enough, my parents didn't smoke ganja round the Christmas tree.

 

I'm not suggesting all cannabis users are like that, but when that's my experience of cannabis users, is it really any surprise I've taken the option not to go anywhere near the stuff?

 

See, those are the kind of things that one frequently misinterpreted study in The Lancet doesn't account for.

[sees_all1]

I'll drink a few bears here and there. On the drinking age (21 in the states), my coworker puts it best - "At the age of 18, you're allowed to go die for your country, but you're not allowed to enjoy a nice cold one after?"

 

The problem with other drugs in general is there is no way to get a good measurement of how impaired someone is - someone could be high as a kite, but unless you saw them shoot up you'd have no idea. Other than alcohol, I don't know of any drugs that have tests that can provide immediate feedback on how much someone has used/consumed, in a very accurate way. This is especially important for people operating motor vehicles - if drugs were legal, how dangerous would it be to drive a car?

[sohkmj1]

I'll drink a few bears here and there.

Badass. :thumbup:

 

You get the noose if you are caught with a sliver of that stuff here, so no, not going to gamble with my life for a trippy moment.

 

I've never really liked the taste of alcohol though. Maybe it's an acquired taste..?

[Star_Fox]

I never smoked, never will. I don't see what's so good about it....

 

I've drinked a few times, and the taste was unlike anything because the ethanol tasted and smelled REALLY strong.

I would never drink until I'm intoxicated because I'm against it and like smoking, I don't see anything good about it.

[Range_This11]

You didn't know the effects of drinking before you tried it either, that's a poor excuse for non-drug use. I'm not purporting that you must try drugs because you've tried alcohol--which by the way is a drug and anyone who convinces himself otherwise is delusional--but I know my limits with cannabis and I know my limits with alcohol and both drugs can be used safely.

I'd been around people who had got drunk throughout my whole childhood, mostly close relatives at Christmas or New Year's time, so I had some fair idea of what 'the limit' was even if I hadn't experienced it personally myself, and I knew in general what adults did when they arrived at that point.

 

By comparison, one of my few experiences with people who've taken cannabis is being called out by one of my friends to the park because one of her friends during a session had smashed his head on a rock after losing balance, and was so off on drugs he couldn't actually feel the pain from a pretty wide gash on his skull that was literally pouring blood. Oh, by the way... did they know their limits? Nope, because when I tried persuading them to take him to hospital since I had no first aid equipment on me and there wasn't much I could do anyway, they told me they shouldn't because the police would be on to him. Is this safe use of cannabis?

 

My other experience with a cannabis user was my housemate and his two friends starting a racist assault on two of my other housemates whilst under influence (admittedly with copious amounts of alcohol also), in which they smashed the door of one housemate through and ripped up several religious texts, including one of their Korans, then turned to the other housemate's room and threatened to knock the door through and--I exaggerate not--kill him. He ended up being charged for racist assault, fined the bill by our landlord, and thrown out of university.

 

And no, strangely enough, my parents didn't smoke ganja round the Christmas tree.

 

I'm not suggesting all cannabis users are like that, but when that's my experience of cannabis users, is it really any surprise I've taken the option not to go anywhere near the stuff?

 

See, those are the kind of things that one frequently misinterpreted study in The Lancet doesn't account for.

I saw plenty of people drunk before I ever had a taste of liquor, but when I first got drunk it was a lot different than I thought it would be. You expected certain things, but you had absolutely know way of knowing how they would affect you until you tried it--it's different for every person.

 

If you use cannabis it should be in a very controlled environment (preferably a basement with dim lighting) until you are comfortable with yourself to go out in public. Most importantly, it should be with people you trust, the same goes for drinking. It sounds like the stupidity of your friends is what got them hurt and in trouble, not cannabis or alcohol. While I admittedly smoke and drink a lot, I will never let either affect my relationships, my studies, or my family and I don't support copious and irresponsible use of either. Like I said, you should experiment with small amounts before you try to get "high as a kite" and it should be with people you trust, not at some random party where you get too [bleep]ed up to function. I understand your hesitancy towards cannabis and I know that for some people cannabis just doesn't fit them, and that's okay, but don't let a handful of people's irresponsible use turn you away from it.

[Furah]

It seems that I lack the knowledge of these drugs as I've never tried them before.

 

One of the problems with making alcohol illegal would be that it's so easy to make. I think it only requires yeast, hops/barley/grapes and water to make wine/beer.

 

Legalization of marujana - The amount of positive/negative effects aren't important to me. If you were to 'weigh' the sides up, which one would have more? And does the benefits of smoking marujana outweigh the costs?

A slightly increased ammount of schizofrenics possibly, but it's generally agiven that those who have schizophrenia are A, more like to end up doing drugs because of how they are and then going mad, or B going to get it from somethign else anyway, weed just speeds it up loads.

Cannabis does not cause schizophrenia. It does, however, aggravate the symptoms if someone does have it.I would recommend people who do have it, and other similar mental conditions, to not take it. I'd say schizophrenics being more likely to do drugs is a by-product of them being used to cope with things.

 

It's not as simple as saying:

* Cannabis is 'safer' than alcohol;

* I take alcohol;

* There is no harm in taking cannabis.

Wisp did say comparatively. There's nothing you can intake that wouldn't do your body harm if you ingested enough of, what matters is how much damage it does.

[marcustullius]

 

My other experience with a cannabis user was my housemate and his two friends starting a racist assault on two of my other housemates whilst under influence (admittedly with copious amounts of alcohol also), in which they smashed the door of one housemate through and ripped up several religious texts, including one of their Korans, then turned to the other housemate's room and threatened to knock the door through and--I exaggerate not--kill him. He ended up being charged for racist assault, fined the bill by our landlord, and thrown out of university.

 

It wasn't the weed, your friends are just racist [puncture]s. Shocking, I know.

 

 

Weed is safer than alcohol.

[SirHartlar]

I'm not a big fan of really heavy drinking, but I'll have a drink if I'm watching football etc and getting drunk at a party isn't really a big deal. I've always been a bit wary of things like cannabis and I don't see myself ever trying it, but I don't have a problem being in an environment where others are using it really. If you are responsible then drink/drugs are fine imo.

[Kenshinjapan]

I've only drank a few beers in my life, it's not my thing. I felt out of control and just personally don't like seeing people drunk. Not that there's anything wrong with alcohol, but people my age (180ish) tend to go overboard.

 

That said, I'm a somewhat daily marijuana smoker. I find it to be one of the best decisions I've ever made simply because it has changed my outlook on life for the better. I've never hurt anyone nor have I ever seen anyone get hurt under the influence of marijuana so I have no reason to fear it. Also, I've taken several long brakes from marijuana to test if it was truly addictive for myself. Never had a single withdrawal symptom. At this point in my life, I plan to keep using cannabis whether or not it ever becomes legalized.