Weed

[Autumnlicious]

Pot is not 'harmless' for people with mental instabilities.

Then again, alcohol is not harmless for people with the same.

Pot withdrawal consists of being cranky and out of it.

Alcohol withdrawal consists of headaches to heart arrythmia and possible death in severe cases.

We can see so far for usage cases, pot can be seen/approached in the same light.


Now let's get to the real hard stuff -- addiction, which comes in emotional and physical forms.

Heavy pot use incurs emotional addiction and that's about it. Other than feeling extremely bored and sleepless for a few days, most heavy smokers can quit.

Heavy alcohol use incurs both emotional in both short and long term, with physical addiction in heavy users. Heavy drinkers can die quitting cold turkey. They'll also feel bored, sleepless, agitated and persecuted, with actual pain corresponding to the degree of the addiction.

So far, we see there is little in "red flags" in examining who shouldn't use it, withdrawal from heavy usage, addiction.

To contrast on addiction, let's look at heroin.

Heroin 'highs' dramatically drop in intensity per unit amount for users, starting from the first hit. Heroin is notable for building cross tolerance with other opiates, which prevents heavy users from receiving effective pain management in most surgical procedures (doctors actually prevent abusers from getting medicine in some cases or replace the drug with something barely usable, like acetaminophen).

Users of heroin are documented to descend into a spiral of usage, greatly increasing amounts of the drug to get the high they need.

Heroin addiction is physical and emotional, with withdrawal of opiate withdrawal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opioid_withdrawal). Heroin, like other opiates, changes the regulation of the endogenous opioid receptor system to crave the next dose upon attaining euphoria (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11264674).

From a cursory look at heroin, weed and alcohol and you can clearly see which one is clearly detrimental for the user, one that is not really detrimental (caffeine withdrawal is widely reputed to be worse than pot withdrawal), and one that is accepted, legal and so socially tolerated that drunk driving is not just a significant cause of death, but one of the top ones.

So, we're left with a quandary -- we know pot entails less harm, risk than alcohol yet alcohol is legal, yet it is illegal.

Hope I illustrated the world of drugs to you.

[MrSkeptic]

There is multiple criteria for deciding how harmful a substance is. A recent British study into the effects of the most commonly used drugs ranked cannabis way below tobacco and alcohol - incidentally the chief scientist David Nutt was sacked shortly afterwards as the government didn't like his findings!

You not only have to take into account damage done to the individual but to society as a whole. Its estimated something like 75% of all theft and burglaries are committed to fund serious drug habits like heroin and crack. Not to mention the damage done to families and friends of an addict.

Drug addiction really is a scourge on society, and just locking addicts up without dealing with the root causes is just dooming them to repeat the cycle. I've known people to spend their lives in and out of prison, they go in, forced to get clean them soon as they are released its back on the gear. Something needs to change! But as I said earlier, drugs (specially class A drugs like heroin/cocaine) have an immoral and evil image and no politician has the balls to stand up and suggest something radical for fear of being ostracised.

[Tiberius]

Indeed, whilst I think violent drug related crime should be punished, I am also a believer in rehabilitation, and part of that should involve drug addicts overcoming their addictions.

[Faith No More]

I know some of you may think less of me having said what I've said...

Not at all. I believe we have a few former drug addicts on this site, myself included. Sure, we can't be proud that we got ourselves into that situation in the first place, but we can be proud for getting ourselves out.

[thebigfudge]

I LOATHE the smell of the stuff, I really can't stand it. So i am happy for it to stay illegal

[Faith No More]

I LOVE the smell of weed, and if you don't, it's because you've been inhaling dirt weed smoke.

[thebigfudge]

I LOVE the smell of weed, and if you don't, it's because you've been inhaling dirt weed smoke.

I can't stand any of it. Few of my mates are quite prolific smokers of the stuff. I am sure it's decent stuff too. Can't stand it

Don't smoke it myself I have never liked drugs.

[Faith No More]

That's too bad. Drugs can be lots of fun. Of course they can also be a horrible scourge also. It's all in how you use them.

[thesummerqueen]

I'm with you, fudge, but I hate the smell of most smoke - cigarettes, cigars, weed, wood smoke, or pipe smoke that's too close. I'm allergic to any smoke, though, so to me it smells like pain. I like the lingering smell of pipe and incense, and really diluted wood smoke, but otherwise....nah.

[Erinome]

I LOVE the smell of weed, and if you don't, it's because you've been inhaling dirt weed smoke.

I can't stand any of it. Few of my mates are quite prolific smokers of the stuff. I am sure it's decent stuff too. Can't stand it

Don't smoke it myself I have never liked drugs.

Where I'm from, we call this sort of bullshit "fun free".

You want it illegal because it smells bad? I hope you're joking, because that's just... well, don't make me say it. I'm high, and I'll not have my buzz wasted.