I think they should make everything legal, including heroin, meth, etc. and let the people who are going to do it do it, but either take them out of society or make them forfeit their right to needed medical attention related to their substance abuse, including liver deterioration for those who consume alcohol and lung, throat, and mouth cancers for those who smoke. Make rehabilitation and support clinics government sponsored, but stop paying for people who've received new lungs after wrecking their old ones, but still smoke. Legalizing everything would take a lot of the crime off the streets, get the government what it cares about most (money). They could charge 150 bucks for a pack of cigarettes, and people would still buy them. Maybe if they taxed so much for booze and tobacco, the rest of us wouldn't have to pay taxes.

Everyone says marijuana isn't as bad for you as cigarettes, but it stunts your mental development, slowing and eventually stopping your ability to mature, which is why lots of potheads never grow out of their young punk/rebel without a cause phase. Also, joints have no filters on the smoke like cigarettes do, and you end up breathing in a lot more smoke, which is bad, but at least not as many chemicals.

I don't get why people lose respect for others when they do a drug.

Falling in love releases a chemical called dopamine which has the same effects on the human mind as cocaine. It is intensely pleasurable, and extremely addictive. Yet it is social okay to fall in love. In fact it is encouraged!

It's simply a matter of social acceptability that determines what it is okay to be addicted to.

flamingfuzzy : Maybe because falling in love is a natural human thing and crack is a deadly thing people choose to do?

metal572 : Yeah, I totally agree about the health risks. My point was more about the fact that people actively try to fall in love and become addicted to chemicals with the same effect.

In both cases people are actively going out and trying to get the same feeling. So losing respect for people on the basis of addiction is hypocritical most of the time.

"So losing respect for people on the basis of addiction is hypocritical most of the time."

I disagree.... I have no respect for addicts because addicts have no respect for anything but their next hit of whatever they are getting.

Love is not addictive.... it might have the same effect, but it doesn't require more and more of the same drug to produce the same effects. In fact love actually requires variety in order to keep it going.... drugs just need quantity.

To be honest, I'm against drugs and don't do them because I'm way too young anyway, but honestly I think the laws are a bit too strict. Recently I heard of getting 5 years of jailtime for each tiny hit of LSD you have. I personally think that's a bit crazy.

AS a marijuana smoker...I don't see anything wrong with it.It doesn't stop me from paying my bills...buying clothes...eating...and supporting myself. Where as being a hardcore alcoholic or a more severe drug addict will leave you in debt...personality changes...thieves and etc.

In fact, marijuana is used for some medical problems...what other drug or alcohol do you know of that is used in the medical field as a cure? You can't because there is none.

Also...unlike hardcore drugs and alcohol....marijuana doesn't make you fiend for more when you're done smoking it. Where as if you were so strung out of drunk you'd go do something as stupid as robbing a bank....

Marijuana isn't the most horrible thing you could possibly do..but I woulnd't recommend it, especially if you NEVER smoked before. ou're better off that way.

I think that drugs are bad for us and a waste of money because we are actually putting our lives in danger of mental impacts and other affects of drugs. Also, why do they still produce drugs anyway?

Drugs are bad mmkay?

Seriously, I will never touch a drug ever, I have lost man y a friend to the allures of drugs and the pain they "erase". I would rather keep myself aware of who I am and what I am doing.

As for alcohol, it's not my place to say, so someone else please tell us all what we all need to hear.

To me, I would never ever touch a drug. I will accept people who do since it's their choice, not mine. But I will not even get close to a drug. I have been scared out of my mind by the health risks. Have you seen pictures of hairy tongues? EW! Also, I've tasted wine before and I HATE HATE the taste. I felt like throwing up so I figure that when I grow up and people offer me wine, I'll just feel like throwing up after remembering my memory and say no.

Also in school before police officers would do this D.A.R.E. program teaching about why we should avoid doing drugs. And now that I've taken that program before I am afraid of every single health risk.

I HATE DRUGS!!!
people i know who do drugs let me down, it makes me not want to trust them
they tell they do it because there is nothing to do...
As for alcohol, it doesn't bother me as long as you don't try to mess with me when you're drunk like being an A-hole

Zack Ate A Baby : Here's my opinion on drugs:
Drugs are Bad, mkay.

Oddly enough as I learned about my friend's use of marijuana in college, this was the first thread when I pressed the "New Posts" option.

I was raised to think that drugs in general are bad. Even medicine, I try to avoid it. I feel uncomfortable around people who take drugs. They all seem to brag about it; I really hate that. The users that I know seem to just let the days waste away. One person, whenever he IMs me, it's always about what happened in his dorm. Just about every time it's about him getting drunk. One day he wakes up and there's mysterious blood on the floor, vomit in the trash can, clothes from an unknown guest, a cop shows up maybe, no one remembers what happened. That just makes me sad typing it. I wish that I was more open in this topic, but, it's just something that I never want to hear about.

My friend told me "it makes you feel great." Why can't your friends just do that? Why marijuana?

I'm sure that it does make people feel better. I'm sure that there are many medical explanations for why this is so. I'm sure that it would be better off being legal. But, why is it so good and okay to be dependent on it? Last I checked, too much of anything is bad. Why even bother in the first place? Other than maybe relieving nausea, headaches, etc. what long term effects will it have? At least video games improve your reflexes, problem solving capabilities (sometimes), and sometimes even people skills. What does pot teach us, rather what does it leave us with?

No drug story ever ends with... "They lived happily ever after."

Many end with:
*Knock on Door*
Police: Sorry Mr. and Mrs. ___. Your son/daughter is dead.

It's not worth it. My Dad's boss's son died in his early 20s because he was drinking too much one night. The momentary pleasure isn't worth the life-changing repercussions.

Im from Colorado and I am pro marijuana for its recreational and medicinal purposes. all things in moderation in mind tho!... im not about an every day stoner being lazy and using it like a drug! I dont agree with alcohol for many reasons! one being all the death is causes and is still legal! again all things in moderation!

Zack Ate A Baby : Well here i am the local drug guru so to speak, i am a habitual cannibis smoker and the occaisnal drinker and granted i use the chemicals i dont promote them except for medical use of cannibis, thats a whole nother can of worms i wont delve in to here. But chemicals like thc, alcohol and lsd, mdma, meth, etc they rot your brain im living proof of that. It's sad to say but 85% or more of america is addicted to some form of drug of pharmicutical, we as a nation need to change this, one way is to inform young adults such as yourself what these drugs can do and not church it up so to speak and go over the gray areas. Yes i smoke pot but do i drive when im high hell no, thats what a responsible stoner does stays at home and sleeps eats and farts. The life i live is no walk in the park i used to be addicted to Cocaine that ruined my life i lived on the streets stealing and lying just to get a fix, thankfully been sober from that for a while.

JUST DONT DO DRUGS PERIOD i dont want anyone having to go through life like i did

I don't like drugs. The only thing I don't mind is Medicinal Marijuana.
My opinion:
Drugs are bad, mkay. So you shouldn't do Drugs cuz they're bad. If you do drugs your bad so don't do drugs, mkay.

i really like to smoke lots of pot i get nice n baked and play these fantastic old games...there pretty fun especially stoned except for all the sports games they suck either way

Drugs are just pointless excuses to waste your time, unless it's medical marijuana. Seriously, I'm not going to risk my life in any way on that kinda of garbage.

Personally I think that the drugs the American government wants you to do like Alcohol are way worse than Marijuana, but that's just me. That being said anything can become an addiction that has a negative affect on your life. So it's not for everybody.