34 replies to this topic

[Gerard]

Oh my. So much confusion.

The softer drugs are banned for a variety of reasons. Not because one joint will kill you, but because long-term is likely to have detrimental effects on your mental capacity, memory etc. (Yes, your uncle might have smoked it for 30 years and be fine, but that's not true for everyone) It's also a step-up to much harder drugs, and due to its illegal status, buying it generally funds criminal activity. I personally don't think it's the end of the world if you try a joint at a music festival as a teenager - however making a habit of it, or trying harder drugs, will not end well. I'm sure some people here will disagree, but you guys aren't the ones who have to clean up the mess this shit causes.

As for natural remedies having magical mystical aids-killing powers - what do you think is in western medicines? Alien goo? It's almost all natural chemicals extracted from real plants. They can then narrow it down to find the specific chemical responsible for the medicinal effect, produce tons of it in a lab, and make it many times more effective than chewing the bark of a cedar tree on the passover when there's a full moon, whilst facing north and chanting the karma sutra to the tune of 'we will rock you'. Just because something is produced in a lab does not 'taint' it or make it worse than the natural form. The problem with 'artificial' chemicals, colours, and flavourings is not the fact that they're artificial, it's just that they're unhealthy chemicals compared with the less-effective more-expensive plant extracts.

And for cloned food? Cloning animals and crops just makes them identical to the previous crop. All they do is copy the DNA of a perfect plant, and put it into 1000 seeds, so that they grow identically to the previous crop (depending on the environment etc). They don't grow it in a test tube. The same goes with animals - they put the DNA of a perfect cow into the eggs of some pregnant cows, so that the calves they have are identical to the copied one. They aren't grown in a test tube - they live completely natural, healthy, normal lives - just happening to have the same DNA as a previous cow. Don't forget that DNA replication is a completely natural process - it's now bacteria and amoebas and suchlike replicate asexually. All they do is manually apply the same principles to bigger animals and plants.


So stop freaking out about 'artificial' crap and just give your body what it needs, whether that is fruit&veg, a nice meaty dinner, or a couple of pills to fix a problem. But if you pollute your body with shit like drugs, cigarettes and alcohol, all in the name of emotional support, don't expect it to respond positively. Take everything in moderation, stay away from the hard stuff, and eat healthily, and you'll be pretty awesome.

[MrLlamaLlama]

Not to play devils advocate or whatever... also as I write I realise this is gonna get a bit wall-of-texty.

On the subject of soft drugs, etc... I know it's a bit of a de facto response but if you spent a large portion of your day drunk over a long period of times there would definitely be some adverse effects, as there would be with if you were high. The problem most people have, I find with the 'it can lead to health problems' argument is that so does everything. Run too much and it'll fuck your knees up eventually, drink too much and you get liver cancer, and so on. People can choose to drink excessively and legally knowing these health problems are going to beset them, and the government can let them and pay for their healthcare (in the UK) - why can't people who want to take cannabis do the same? Also I will admit that cannabis does provide a gateway to harderillegal drugs, without a shadow of a doubt. However, tobacco and alcohol are providing a gateway to cannabis. How many people who have never smoked nor drank before would wish to indulge themselves with the vices of life start with cannabis? True, once you take cannabis, find someone willing to provide who's not a pain in the ass, find somewhere to go / some company who share your interests it can provide a sense of security that would quell most of the fears surrounding taking harder drugs as far as intervention of the law is concerned. I'm aware, certainly of people who take hard drugs habitually and it's not pretty, by any means, but the question will always be where to draw the line. Also prohibition of alcohol basically netted criminals a shitton of money, as are drugs now. If you ban something, it just means the people willing to circumvent those bans start making money.

I'll keep this next bit short - do you know what they call alternative medicine that's been proven to work?

Medicine.

[Gerard]

I agree with you MLL - alcohol and tobacco also have negative effects. However, there's a difference.

Alcohol in smaller quantities, even regularly, is beneficial for your health. It's also beneficial socially, and an important part of many cultures - that's all fine. It's when british teenagers binge drink 3 times a week that it becomes a social problem, and when older people are drinking a bottle of whisky a day just to feel normal it has a huge effect on their health. Even teenagers in other countries manage to moderate their alcohol intake - for example in the Netherlands it's normal for teenagers to have 1 drink in the evening with their parents, but never 30.

In the UK, it's illegal to sell alcohol to anyone that's drunk. I think that should become enforced again. Yes, go out and have a drink or two; yes, have a party, but don't get plastered. Yeah okay once or twice a year to celebrate leaving school or something is fine. But don't forget, if you drink less often, your tolerance to alcohol will be much lower, and you don't need to poison your body with 30 drinks to be able to have fun. Just a couple is adequate - which reduces the health risks considerably.

As for smoking, it's awful for other people, and has a shit effect on your health. Yeah it calms you down perhaps, but you don't need it 40 times a day. If you're particularly stressed, go away, chat to a friend, have a wank, that all works for me. I think smoking should be banned completely (over time). I know there are quite a few smokers here, and a few of my friends are, but there's just no point, unless you're already hooked.


I manage to survive without smoking, without taking any drugs, and only drinking once every few weeks. Not because I've had an easy life (some of you know how I've been parentless, homeless, jobless etc at various points) - and I know this is going to sound cheesy - but because I take responsibility for my problems and do something about them. Crying in a corner, drinking myself into oblivion, never ever helps, not even a bit.

[Red_Squirrel_UK]

lmao, if I can't drink smoke and swear then im fucked

[Ivan]

Do you have anything revelant to say or are you going to continue to play the "cool kid" part? We get it, you do drugs, awesome.

On the subject of soft drugs, I think the problem that most kids are facing is that the drugs they buy aren't natural. It's one thing to smoke completely pure weed, another to smoke this shit that's been infested with other crap. No to mention dealers sometimes slip harder drugs in soft drugs, it's happened to me.
Having gone through a hard time because of soft drugs, I can't help but agree with Gerard. It's not like I even smoked all that much, sure it was most weekdays but the quantity wasn't huge. However, it left me some serious scars, anxiety issues, insomnia, a bunch of things. It's because I suffered though that I managed to stop, maybe if none of this happened, in a few years it could be a lot worse.

I smoke a couple of cigs a day and a few drings friday nights but no drugs anymore or anything like it. Even moderatly, smoking has also affect me a bit, my physical shape has been worse.

Bottom line, I don't blame people who do soft drugs, however keep in mind that the risk is not worth it. I know for a fact, for example, that 17-20 years old who don't even smoke all that much drugs, can suffer from a mental problem. You do not want that. Sure you see those rastafari dudes who have been smoking for 50 years and are okay, but the same might not happen to you. And like I said, the risk is far too big.

[Dirty Harry]

Not to mention that most kids or people my age don't see drinking or smoking as things you do with moderation. No one has a drink to cool down anymore, most of the people I know, these being young people, drink to fall down. They push it because they don't understand it.

[Red_Squirrel_UK]

I smoke a couple of cigs a day and a few drings friday nights but no drugs anymore or anything like it. Even moderatly, smoking has also affect me a bit, my physical shape has been worse.

Lol I bet you used to tell people you used to be addicted to drug's.. When really, its just abit of puff haha and whats with the kid comment eh? I'm not the 17 year old who can't even legally move out his parents house, you are. Maybe you shouldn't put your real age on ur profile page before calling people kid's! Secondly, I was acctually quoting one of my favorite TV show's if you must know *face palm*

Hemp has some pretty good use's as well, it would make a great alternative to cutting down tree's

Drinking is over rated tbh.. Sure you feel great when you are drunk, but you always regret it the next day when you've got a hang over, or even worse and you give urself alcohol poisoning. You can over dose on alcohol, but you sure as hell can't over dose on marijuana! Although like some of you have already pointed out, the drug has different effect's on different people.

I'll keep this next bit short - do you know what they call alternative medicine that's been proven to work?

Medicine.

Zing!

Edited by Red_Squirrel_UK, 29 November 2011 - 11:10 PM.

[Dirty Harry]

I smoke a couple of cigs a day and a few drings friday nights but no drugs anymore or anything like it. Even moderatly, smoking has also affect me a bit, my physical shape has been worse.

Lol I bet you used to tell people you used to be addicted to drug's.. When really, its just abit of puff haha and whats with the kid comment eh? I'm not the 17 year old who can't even legally move out his parents house, you are. Maybe you shouldn't put your real age on ur profile page before calling people kid's! Secondly, I was acctually quoting one of my favorite TV show's if you must know *face palm*

Hemp has some pretty good use's as well, it would make a great alternative to cutting down tree's

Drinking is over rated tbh.. Sure you feel great when you are drunk, but you always regret it the next day when you've got a hang over, or even worse and you give urself alcohol poisoning. You can over dose on alcohol, but you sure as hell can't over dose on marijuana! Although like some of you have already pointed out, the drug has different effect's on different people.

If you really are above 17 why do you continue to portray the online image of a 14 year old?

[Red_Squirrel_UK]

I smoke a couple of cigs a day and a few drings friday nights but no drugs anymore or anything like it. Even moderatly, smoking has also affect me a bit, my physical shape has been worse.

Lol I bet you used to tell people you used to be addicted to drug's.. When really, its just abit of puff haha and whats with the kid comment eh? I'm not the 17 year old who can't even legally move out his parents house, you are. Maybe you shouldn't put your real age on ur profile page before calling people kid's! Secondly, I was acctually quoting one of my favorite TV show's if you must know *face palm*

Hemp has some pretty good use's as well, it would make a great alternative to cutting down tree's

Drinking is over rated tbh.. Sure you feel great when you are drunk, but you always regret it the next day when you've got a hang over, or even worse and you give urself alcohol poisoning. You can over dose on alcohol, but you sure as hell can't over dose on marijuana! Although like some of you have already pointed out, the drug has different effect's on different people.

If you really are above 17 why do you continue to portray the online image of a 14 year old?

Well why do you and ur buddy ivan live in a third world country guy? So maybe I didn't have anything relevant to say, and so instead just posted a once sentanced post.. Wtf does it matter? Obvoiusly it matter's to you and ur friend, other wise he'd of left the sarcasm out, because right now. This isn't relevant. Is it?

Edited by Red_Squirrel_UK, 30 November 2011 - 06:17 AM.

[Spaz The Great]

First and foremost, the gateway drug theory is mostly BS. Part of the problem with the gateway aspect? It's legal status, and the exceedingly false information passed around about it. Knowing one person react one way is no proof that people can habitually ingest cannabis and live a "normal" life. Knowing a larger amount of people who DON'T fit the stereotype? Decent proof, if you ask me. Well, at least, better proof than most people can come up with to support cannabis being some dangerous substance. It does not kill brain cells, as rather commonly cited. The study that "proved" that, had monkeys attached to gas-masks inhaling massive amounts of cannabis smoke. The cannabis didn't kill the brain cells, the massive loss of oxygen is what did it.

I'm kind of perplexed at how people can deny the medicinal uses with such a large amount of people who use it to treat a decent range of health problems. Pain, appetite, mood, sleep, etc. Yes, we have pharmaceuticals for all of these, but you don't seem to know a whole lot about pharmaceuticals and lab-made chemicals. A majority of them do not exist in nature, any where, in any form. Maybe small parts of naturally-occurring chemicals, but that doesn't mean they are as safe as these chemicals. Hell, a few perfectly safe chemicals mixed can become very unsafe!

Of course you can talk about smoking being bad. But we all know that. You don't have to smoke cannabis to enjoy it's benefits((whatever the reason you use it)). You can vaporize it, cook with it, or even soak it in that alcohol you speak of, and make a tincture. Baked goods, candies, drinks, smokes, vapors, topical cream/lotion, etc. It's decently versatile.

And I won't even get into the industrial part of hemp. With all the uses it has, the products it can/could make, the jobs it'd create, the companies and markets that would flourish.... Where is the greed at? I've always seen humans as blinded by the damn money.

[Spaz The Great]

You know what? I'm not done yet. I'm curious to know what you believe to be harder drugs? Everything that isn't cannabis? I don't believe anyone who has not had personal experience with the hallucinogens should ever try to understand or form an opinion on them. Psychedelics have made quite some progress in helping us understand and treat a range of unpredictable, inexplicable mental disorders. Yes, I've seen people FUCK themselves up on hallucinogens of all sorts, but it was almost always the same story. Either they were simply trying to get as fucked up as possible, or they wanted to drive themselves insane to excuse them from life responsibilities. No matter what you believe hallucinogens to be or do, how you believe the effects come about, or what any of it even means..... The point still remains, there has been plenty of positive outcomes to believe that there is potential there. Potential for something great.

[Dirty Harry]

I smoke a couple of cigs a day and a few drings friday nights but no drugs anymore or anything like it. Even moderatly, smoking has also affect me a bit, my physical shape has been worse.

Lol I bet you used to tell people you used to be addicted to drug's.. When really, its just abit of puff haha and whats with the kid comment eh? I'm not the 17 year old who can't even legally move out his parents house, you are. Maybe you shouldn't put your real age on ur profile page before calling people kid's! Secondly, I was acctually quoting one of my favorite TV show's if you must know *face palm*

Hemp has some pretty good use's as well, it would make a great alternative to cutting down tree's

Drinking is over rated tbh.. Sure you feel great when you are drunk, but you always regret it the next day when you've got a hang over, or even worse and you give urself alcohol poisoning. You can over dose on alcohol, but you sure as hell can't over dose on marijuana! Although like some of you have already pointed out, the drug has different effect's on different people.

If you really are above 17 why do you continue to portray the online image of a 14 year old?

Well why do you and ur buddy ivan live in a third world country guy? So maybe I didn't have anything relevant to say, and so instead just posted a once sentanced post.. Wtf does it matter? Obvoiusly it matter's to you and ur friend, other wise he'd of left the sarcasm out, because right now. This isn't relevant. Is it?

The fact you said Portugal is a third world country tells me that any further attempt at talking to you will not be a fruitful endeavor. You are right though, this isn't relevant, let's get back on topic.


Spaz, I think you speak about drugs with a certain seriousness most users of drugs don't have. I do agree that things like hemp could bring great things, like you said, but drugs is still a subject people (especially the young) need to be educated on, in order to avoid stupid shit happening. WHen I say educate I'm not talking about some "don't smoke weed" whatever speech, I mean actual education, to tell people what these things are, what they do (I dunno the situation in other countries, but this type of thing doesn't happen too much here).

I also think the use of drugs should be a personal freedom, especially with lighter things.

[Ivan]

I smoke a couple of cigs a day and a few drings friday nights but no drugs anymore or anything like it. Even moderatly, smoking has also affect me a bit, my physical shape has been worse.

Lol I bet you used to tell people you used to be addicted to drug's.. When really, its just abit of puff haha and whats with the kid comment eh? I'm not the 17 year old who can't even legally move out his parents house, you are. Maybe you shouldn't put your real age on ur profile page before calling people kid's! Secondly, I was acctually quoting one of my favorite TV show's if you must know *face palm*

Hemp has some pretty good use's as well, it would make a great alternative to cutting down tree's

Drinking is over rated tbh.. Sure you feel great when you are drunk, but you always regret it the next day when you've got a hang over, or even worse and you give urself alcohol poisoning. You can over dose on alcohol, but you sure as hell can't over dose on marijuana! Although like some of you have already pointed out, the drug has different effect's on different people.

I'll keep this next bit short - do you know what they call alternative medicine that's been proven to work?

Medicine.

Zing!

I never said I was an addict, because I wasn't. Maybe I was in a sort of emotional way, but not physically if I'm making myself clear.
Aside from 3 close friends, this is the first time I speak about this. I didn't even want to talk about it online since it's hard for me, but I figured I could offer my limited experience, so other people wouldn't get fucked. But thanks for making this real easy, douche.

I may live in a shitty country, but that says nothing about me or DH. You live in a cool country and you're a racist ignorant. Kind of destroys you whole argument, eh?
Didn't mean to continue the off topicness, but I didn't want to leave you unanswered.

[Gerard]

Well why do you and ur buddy ivan live in a third world country guy?

Your continued racism is totally unacceptable. Come back after your 1-month suspension if you fancy being a positive member of this community. Otherwise, go away.

[Spaz The Great]

Well why do you and ur buddy ivan live in a third world country guy?

Your continued racism is totally unacceptable. Come back after your 1-month suspension if you fancy being a positive member of this community. Otherwise, go away.

Bazinga!

And I take drugs very serious. Because they are very serious things. I mean, they've saved lives, destroyed lives, created lives, ended lives, etc. That's, uh, rather serious. And I've been down the dark and ugly road of drugs. I've come face to face with HEAVY addicts, with seemingly incurable addictions. I've had to physically stop someone from unintentionally killing themselves, being far from sober myself. Do I hold myself in high regard when it comes to this area of discussion? I sure as hell do. I've also spent countless sleepless nights researching the hell out of this subject. Picking apart the vast amount of information on the internet and deciphering fact from fiction is a hefty task in almost any topic. But it's damn near hell in the area of drugs.

But chemistry is my passion, so I find the research, the studies, the information both good and bad, all to be beyond fascinating. Indescribably.