it is widely known that smoking pot is quite popular in many regions of the world.
i assume many of you have tried this and maybe still do it.

i can say for sure, that consuming this stuff is popular in germany. many friends
of mine do it, and some years ago i also felt attracted by this "hobby".

what i can also state is the fact that (at least in germany) consumers are tending
to be younger than they used to be years ago. the psychical results, which are
mostly negative, are becoming very obvious, as recent scientific studies prove.

as there are many users from different countries in this forum, i would like to
know how this issue is developing in their countries?

furthermore, i'd like to have your personal opinions about doing drugs (respectively
cannabis)?

where's the border between consuming as pleasure and consume as abuse?
why are people so fond of getting in touch with such substances?

i know this is a complex and censorious topic, but nevertheless it would be
interesting to get an overview on it in this thread.

I've tried , it hit me, it didn't impress me...

I don't know anything about this in Iceland (ask Puffin, she may know :D) but I can express my opinion:
I don't like drugs or cigarettes, only alcohol :cheers:
:D

I'm for legalising softdrugs. We allow alcohol and nicotine (and they are SERIOUSLY addictive and proven sources of many illnesses), so why make all this fuss about a bit of pot!? By legalising cannabis it can be taxed by governments and is pulled out of the criminal circuit. You don't have to go to some flaky dealer who lives in a 'bad part of town' where you could be tempted to try some of the heavier stuff (i.e. heroine, cocaine, XTC, crack you name it). It will also save the law enforcers a lot of time since they don't have to track down al these minor criminals. Large criminals will lose a lot of their interest in the stuff.
In the Netherlands there is a peculair policy regarding softdrugs. Contrary to popular believe weed is NOT legalised here. It's 'tolerated'. That means you can purchase a couple of grams for personal use and it can only be sold by registered 'coffeeshops' that get a permit from the municipality. There are many regulations (about amount of stock). This whole set of rules could -by legalising the stuff- be greatly simplified.
I think people should be free to experiment with all drugs they like, be it nicotine, alcohol, weed, mushrooms etc. but public health is at stake, so the government should be carefull!
I'm not the one to decide wether a person is an addict or just a joyful user. I myself am quite fond of alcohol but would not consider myself an addict. There are certain tests that state I am based on my drinking behaviour. It's rather tricky, because some drugs have nastier side-effects then others. If you're an alcohol addict, you can probably function quite a long time in society... cannabis tends to make you lethargic and lazy, so these things would be noticed sooner... So people would more often associate a negative emotion to the weed-addict...

fff. i'll stop rambling now :whistle:

Medical opinion (i studied these last semester) :
Pot (hach or MJ ) has absolutely NO addictive factors whatsoever the only thing u get addicted to is the tabacco of the cigarettes u roll it with .Its side effects are not really worse than smoking cigaretes .And MJ has actually medical advantages it blocks Histamine cells in the nervous system (in other words its an analgesique in another words pain killer)
while stronger products create chemical dependance in ur body which will crave for it and that's BAD.

Anyway i read that pot is really bad for people that are under 15 :whistle:
and they shouldn't try it unless they are like 16 and more

As you may have guessed from my other political views I am against drugs, completely.
Many people I say this to instantly go "even soft drugs?". "even soft drugs?" , bah! I'm against all kinds of drugs, nevermind the pretty word they put in front of it to make it sound less heavy.

However I let others live their life, most if not all guys in my class smoke Marijuana on a regular basis, these people are my friends. I have made it obvious to them that I do not wish to get involved in any of their habits.

I have never had any drugs. Ok, I mad a sip of champagne or wine here and there... UGHHH HORRID STUFF! tastes like bottle corks. or maybe it's just bottle corks taste of wine.. I wonder which :P But I'm a good boy. I can't say I know anyone on 'illegal' drugs, but I heard a few weeks ago that a student tried to sell some in the school. But I hear alot of stuff..

many people share the opinion that "soft drugs" should be legalized.
but even in their forbidden status their doing great harm. let's be realistic.
in many countries, it's no problem to get some grass or hash if you're willing
to search! be it legal or not. but the question is, if people are realizing all the
negative side effects this consume is resulting in (if done on regular basis...).

most of all it is very dangerous if started at an early age! that's for sure!
but even when consumers are older, a certain frequency of consumption is
leading to psychical problems. it may not affect the body as strong as alcohol
or heroin does it, but nevertheless, many people underestimate the sideeffects!

politically it is very difficult to control it, if legalized! ok, you might raise taxes
about it, which could contribute to national financial issues. but then the rate
of abuse could explode, nonetheless.

I say if marijuana is forbidden both alcohol and smoking should be too, people know it's bad for their health but that doesn't stop them from using it...

I have used drugs. I haven't for 8 months now, simply because I can't afford it. First I really missed it, but now I don't think about it. If anybody would offer me a joint right now, I'd probably say no.
I also used to smoke, quit couple of times. I didn't start because I needed it, I never felt that strong urge to smoke. I just started because I wanted to. Untill two months ago, I smoked when drinking, but my boyfriend asked me to quit that.
I drink alcohol, but for the past couple of weeks, just the mere thought of it discusses me, after a pretty nasty experience. So I'm not drinking that much at the moment.

It doesn't bother me that other people do drugs (then I'm talking about soft ones), it's up to them what they do. Doesn't matter to me.
But when a friend gets really down on stronger stuff, I start to worry.

What many people don't know, is that painkillers can be dangerous. I know a bad example of it. It's an actual addiction. And legal.
Here in Iceland you have to be 20 or 21 to drink (even beer), 18 to smoke tobacco, and no other drugs are allowed. I don't really notice much drug using around me, even though my school is supposed to be famous for potheads. It wouldn't surprice me if it's true, but I don't really notice it. Actually, most of the people I used to smoke with weren't Icelandic.

A lot of anything can be bad try eating a lot of apples and bananas and ull see how many hours ull have to spend in WC.
Its the same with sofdrugs there is absolutely no harm in a few joints every couple a days but just dont overdo it

My personal opinion -

If you want to smoke cannabis/marijuana, go for it, it's your choice!

However, I smoked a lot of it when I was at university and ever since I have had short-term memory problems. Most the time I have to be asked a question twice because by the time I've thought of the answer I can't remember the question. Also, I often forget what I'm talking about. Fairly common I know, but I do it in about alternate sentences. I had neither of these problems before I smoked cannabis and while I cannot be certain that they are connected, it would seem the most likely reason. I must say that I smoked A LOT of it. Casual use is not likely to cause these results but it is worth considering that cannabis abuse is as bad as alcohol abuse.

Personally, I won't touch the stuff again but I don't really have a problem with other people doing it. I don't think it's any more dangerous than alcohol and I think legally the two should be treated similarly.

Never used it and I never will.

Could u plz send me a mail in 5 years i d really like to c how long ull hold out

I'm also on the never tried it and never will wagon, ditto with tobbacco. My friends have offered me cannabis and encourage me to smoke a joint, it's tempting sometimes but I'm OK so far and I don't intend to smoke anything.

Well, not to discourage you guys, or anything, but that's exactly what I said.
Not much more than a year ago, I said I would never smoke, do drugs or anything.

I have a stronger will power than u think. I haven't cussed, smoked, drank liquor(except for a small sip once, then there was that time my dad taught me not to drink out of other peoples cups when I was 5 by tricking me into taking a sip of his beer), or had sex yet. And I'm already 15. Yay!! My no bad stuff for me streak has gone on a long time.

Good for you! but i have to support Puffin on what she said coz i think that is the case for most people

I was 15 going 16 when I started drinking.

But good for you, Faw, stay on the straight line ;)

I'll just do my best.

Some people justify smoking weed by saying that it's not as bad for you as tobbacco, the point is though that it is bad for you, so I stay away. I don't stop people from smoking cannabis though, it's their choice.

Hah, yeah, thats what my friends always try to convince me of.

I don't some tobacco either, I tried it for a few weeks but I didn't see what made it so great. It wasn't that I couldn't smoke (I could, never coughed once :) ) but it didn't have any effect on me. Plus I had this terrible taste in my mouth, and my fingers smelled of cigarettes, it was terrible.

The onlything I do once in a while is drink. Almost each sunday (when we eat fish) my dad brings up the bottle of Vodka, and even then its just one of those tiny glasses.
Mind you what else can you drink with cold fish, except for water.

So why not make smoking cigarettes illegal?

And didn't you forget the effect it has on your kidneys? Just how do you think a test can show if you smoked pot in the last month? The effect is felt on the kidneys for a month. So if you only smoke it once, it takes the body a whole month to get rid off al the toxins (it takes only a day with alchohol). So if you are regularly smoking pot - well bye bye kidneys, but that pain would probably be awfully funny :whistle:

I heard somewhere that it takes pot actually cca 6 months to disappear from the body. So if you smoke in January, then have a blood test in June, it can be detected :blink:

Sorry sebastianos but i have to say ur WRONG :D :cheers:
man it takes 2 months to metabolize the molecule into its oxydative state so it can be extracted and solubilized in urine
anyway the molecule in itself have NO bad effect whatsoever
give u an example if ur metabolism is slow a doctor car find out if u drank coffe one month after u actualy drank it once!

:D I am starting to like med school

I don't drink coffee either :bleh:

Real men drink tea! :karate: :boxing:

Anyway, 2 months is still a long time.

:blink: Well :blink:
That's new
Tea why tea? i hate tea !!!
Well prove it!! :evil:

You are aware that tea contains caffeine, too.
But indeed tea is a fine drink,... but if anyone were to take away my coffee, make no mistake, I'd hang them upside down by the Beit-moazat ha'ir (Heb, lit: Town Hall)

I drink tea too. Its the only caffeinated beverage and the only stimulant I drink.

Well coffie isn't good for you either.

But all that is actaully beside the point.
People will always do things they enjoy. The real problem is, that some things they feel like they must enjoy, otherwise they won't fit in the society. That's peer preasure. That's much worse that any addiction. You can't get addicted to anything just by trying it once. But if you are under the preasure to try something again and again and again you will get addicted to it - maybe the organism won't, but the brains will.

Ever hear someone say they need a drink to calm down? Or they just had to smoke that cigarete? Or they just had to get that shot? Or they just had to cut their wrists?

It's the programing - brain washing. The society (and media) makes you think you need to do something and after a while you just start copying something you see. You stop thinking about it - and then you're addiceted - to anything.

This goes for all things. That's how anorexy starts... And this goes even for exercise. I know a guy who wouldn't go to the doctor, because he just had to run 3 miles daily - even with a broken leg. He didn't know it was broken - it just hurted really bad after he fell on ice. But he said: "the doctor would tell me to stay off my feet for a while and I couldn't run anymore. But I have to run to stay in shape." He was luck they could save hit leg. It got really ugly after a few days. He almost had a nervous brake down when he had to lay in the hospital for two weeks and couldn't even walk - let alone run.

That reminds me of a doctor I once knew.
He was this really athletic guy and would go ride on his bicycle each morning.
And he was always mocking my brother, saying he should loose weight and exercise.
One day the poor guy got a hearattack while riding his bicycle along the highway and got run over by a truck carrying boxes of Ice Cream.

But anyway I'm straying off topic.

Everything is bad when you are addicted to it not just objects but other stuff too, like religion. Athe?sm too, because if you become to righteous in your athe?sm you become a downright jerk (like my teacher french from last year... he was a depressing jerk)

I'm so pleased you asked this question, and I'm sorry I missed it when it was originally posted... :whistle:

[begin rant]

I personally feel that drugs are quite possibly the worst thing to happen to the world.

I never tried drugs other than the occasional pot-smoking at a party until last year. Before my experiences in the last year, I felt simply that drugs were okay as long as the person who did them wasn't addicted. I had lots of friends who used them occasionally as "party-favors."

I still actually feel that drugs themselves are not bad. I've done a lot of different kinds in the past year, and I never got out control, myself. Part of that, I'm sure, was that I was so scared that I would do something crazy that I kept myself focused enough not to.

People on drugs, however, I feel are horrendous. They rationalize that they're only doing it for fun, and yet if you suggest that they're better off without it, they get mad at you. I've been screamed at for no reason, babysat people who were so messed up they couldn't move and were puking all over themselves, tried to prevent some of my female friends from practically being raped, had one of my friends get beaten by her drugged-up boyfriend, been robbed, and a ridiculous list of other awful things. All of this from people who insist they aren't addicted.

As soon as I told them that I was tired of it, and didn't see the point, and didn't want to do any more, I was shunned as a leper. Nobody wanted to have anything to do with me anymore.

My boyfriend, who stopped doing everything too, except weed, was still accepted, and so they constantly were trying to get him to break up with me (which, obviously, he eventually did). I tried so hard to get him to see that they were trouble, that he was only going to be dragged down to their level, but I was just told I was being critical.

Because he still smoked weed daily, it was impossible to have an actual conversation with him, since I was sober. I was told often that I talked too much, that he couldn't understand what I was trying to say, or he would just stare at me with his eyes glazed over.

It was awful. I started actually believing something was wrong with me, that I was the only person who seemed to have a problem with the whole situation, and yet I knew deep down it wasn't right.

I think that if people could use drugs without becoming twisted shells of the people they once were, it would be okay. Like alcohol, I think some people can use them responsibly, because I did. There's a line that should not be crossed when using substances as entertainment, and unfortunately, people using those substances often fail to see that line, and cross over it and then some.

[end rant]

Even thinking so, and having been responsible myself, I don't think I will ever touch them again. It was the most miserable experience I have ever had.

That's what scares me most about stoned people, the way they just stare for long peroids of time, barely moving, it's one of the things I use to remind myself not to smoke weed.

weed doesnt do anything for me anymore. i had it a few times when i was younger (ate it) but its overrated.
i knew a dutch girl who smoked it 24/7 - she had it growing in her garden - but she quit it because it made her paranoid in the end.

abusing alcohol is probably the biggest problem, people here in the uk think its clever to get s***faced drunk every week

well, cannabis has its medical uses (MS sufferers when needed) but otherwise i think that if you want to take drugs, do it but don't get me involved. i'd rather not screw up my life by taking drugs and it becoming a habit so i have no inclination to try drugs (or cigarettes for that matter)

it's great to have so many (partly different) opinions gathered here.

i for myself, have smoked pot over several years, and that not only occationally!

but after having noticed how my friends, who have done it even more intense,
have changed in many ways - character, behaviour, etc. - it was a clear decision
for me to quit it!

of course, alcohol and tobacco are no better! making them illegal would be a
good start, but after this has been accepted by society for so many years, it
will be quite hard to get this change going.

in my opinion, ppl underestimate the negative effects of pot, alcohol and cigarettes
(harder stuff is even worse, of course!). and seeing that consumers are getting
younger and younger makes me feel sad!

but it's good to hear, that most of the users here are not so keen on such stuff,
making me confident about the future, and that people maybe will be more responsible
about their health and their soul! keep abstinent, folks! you won't regret it for sure!!!

Excuse me but drugs is far from a recent thing, the use of drugs goes back thousands of years.

I was using a lot of stuff until not long ago. Alcohol, cigarettes, marihuana and pies are just harmless examples. But I decided to stop with that. When I'll have children, I want them to be healthy and strong, not weak and ill "badgrownies" that many teenagers in schools are.
I still feel strong call to fall back at times, as it's not that long ago that I stopped. But now I have someone to help me with that. And after Freddy told me one quite shocking story, it helps me also a lot to stay away from drugs...

I tried both heavy stuff and light stuff, but in the end beer is the best.Of course if you want to get high, there are other stuff....

i think the reason lots of kids start smoking drugs is because it's easier to get than alcohol. it's also because the dealers don't care about the ethics of selling to kids, as it's illegal anyway and they still get money. usually more money from inexperienced users.

Drugs are easier to get then alcohol? Wtf? In which country is this the case? They don't have drugs in my supermarket... lot of alcohol though...

I don't mind the whole weed thing. It's legal here so it's not 'cool' or anything to use it. I know some friends here use it occasionally, but they don't bother me when they do. I have a very busy friend, so when he uses some weed I can actually talk with him :P

Just like cigarettes aren't cool because they are legal? :blink:

It's MUCH easier for me to buy drugs than alcohol or cigarettes.
Dealers don't care how old you are. I'm ID'd (almost) every time I try to buy alcohol or cigs. (nota bene that the drinking age in Iceland is 21. Still 3 more years for me.)

That is really f**ked up. Another good reason to legalize cannabis. That way, if a government wants to put a minimum age on smoking pot, they can just ask for ID's and people don't have to go to a dealer...

smoking cannabis is good for your lungs, and generaly health...mon!!

They are still lots of other drugs that government will most surely never legalize.

good weed gives no chance to other drugs :ok:

cause you are too lazy to go out anymore :yawn:

the only reason why they forbit it is, that it is not compatible
to different kinds of poison in food and TV brainwash

so better drink alcohol and start to hate each other while you are drunk
(dont want to corrupt alcohol, but it makes you carry things easier)

so you are buzy and dont think to much :not_ok:

humans are not robots.....yet :max:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4255741.stm

weed makes you murderous LOL

as well as playing shooters :ph34r:

I think drugs are not that bad, they just make you incompatible to capitalism

nevertheless as long you dont become addictive its good

i think the worst problem is, that you wont get support by anyone who dont
knows anything about drugs

so you like drugs, but everybody tells you that you doing evil :crazy:

that the only choice you have is to hang around only with druged people

brake contact to all your old friends and isolate yourself and are stucked

to take drugs

this makes it hard not to be addictive (to say nothing of special kind of drugs
like kokain and H)
so far....

bye :bye: bye

one of the main arguments of people who do drugs is:
"as long as i don't get addicted..."

no offense, but in my view this is an excuse for many of them (not all, though).

let me explain this. there are two dangerous aspects about this statement.

first, drug consumers often lose the relation between addiction and pleasure.
many people, including myself, don't realize how thin the line between those two
states of consum can be. you can think of yourself "hey, i'm just enjoying this
stuff and i can stop taking it whenever i want. but as i have no problem with it
then why should i quit taking it?"...that's dangerous. it's hard to admit to oneself
that there actually IS a problem with consuming stuff.

second, even if there's no regular or abusive frequency of doing drugs, these
substances can nevertheless do serious mental and physical harm. i've heard
of several persons who went crazy of one single joint (or pill, or trip). of course
there are differences in the "power" of certain drugs. lsd and exctacy are for
sure much more dangerous than pot is. but anyway, noone can tell for sure
what sideeffects may be caused by what we call harmless consume...

I think smoking anything is stupid, but that's just me personally, because I am relying on my voice to make my living, and I have no intention of screwing with it in any way.

No wonder I am not that popular here - it seems that I am one of the rare females, if not the only one, who never did or tried any drogs, I don't smoke - The only alcohol drink that I did try for some time was Malibu and even that with Coca-Colla.

You have my respect than :ok: (not that you didn't already)

You have my respect than :ok: (not that you didn't already) [/b][/quote]
Thank you - it means a lot to me!

wow this is such a old topic to hard to pass up hmm it ended on feb 11 MY BIRTHDAY LOL

first off drugs kill or hospitalize ppl that that would be the serous ones like cocaine and what not

but i am completely against all drugs dont do them arround me ever or even ask me to do them :Titan: but i dont really care what you do by yourself (drugs)

I don't do any drugs really though I will drink socially and have a cigar/cigarette socially too. I don't really see MJ any worse than some of the legal vices such as Alcohol, Tobacco, and Perscription medicines like Vicodin.

However if its abused it's a problem, but most things are. I have no interest in MJ but I don't care what other people do as long as it doesn't effect me.

One of things that bothers me the most about MJ addicts is that they tend to speak to me alot about Philosophy. Cigs leads to cancer..and weed leads to people explaining how they can solve all the worlds problems if they just had a little more weed and could remember how to write so they could solve the problems when they come down from the high.

Weed also leads to crowds at Dennys at 3 in the morning.

from christian/conservetive anti drugs litriture im guessing. if someone goes *mad* after one spliff then they were already mad.
ganja doesnt make you crazy unless you use it day in day out for years. however it can bring out a latent disorder.
however latent disorders can be bought out by a lot of things. not just ganja.
and ganja can be very helpfull to people who have certain mental disorders. particurly violent people.
its the same with pills. mdma was originally devolped to be used for violent schizophrenics, and i have heard old boys state that scince pills hit the scene and replaced speed theres a lot less violence on the streets (good clean mdma that is)

That's what scares me most about stoned people, the way they just stare for long peroids of time, barely moving, it's one of the things I use to remind myself not to smoke weed. [/b][/quote]
I once heard a story about a security guard, (this is true) that saw a guy walking in a real slow dragging manner, and then the guy heard the guard move, and the guy moved toward the guard and looked at him for a second, and there was nothing there, no pupils, nothing, and then the guy walked right through a nearby lake up to his head for a few seconds and then to the other side. Another security guard had seen a guy literally walk across the hood of a car, and I was wondering if these might be some effects of weed or another drug? The rule with the security guards at that place, since they had seen this type of thing around there a lot, was if you wanted to stay all right from these wierd dragging almost zombielike guys, just don't make a sound and they won't approach you. So I was wondering if this was some sorta drug effect. Based on what tai and havell said here about the glazed eyes thing. :ph34r:

this story is a bit odd and im gussing has been enhaced by the teller in order to get more effect. ie: no pupils? some people have black coronas anyway. altho all drugs have an effect on the pupils. ganja makes your pupils expand massivley wheras heroin makes them contract. into tiny pin pricks, the zombie thing, , well ketamine can make people act like that, but genreally they dont go walkies for long distances. crack can make people pretty f'd up as well. but this is sounding a bit like an urban myth to be honest.

Acid makes you f'd up. This guy wanted to jump out the window because he thought his tv was on fire.

Since I didn't contribute the first time this thread went around, I guess I'll throw in now. I don't do drugs, don't drink, and don't smoke. Just never wanted to. As far as drugs and alcohol are concerned, I've been around plenty of people in various stages of inebriation, and quite honesty I have to say that, to a person, their likability was inversely proportional to their level of intoxication. Perhaps this was because I was sober, though; maybe intoxicated people become more likable to other intoxicated people. I don't know, and I don't have much interest in researching that further. And as far as smoking (tobacco) goes, it takes about one cigarette to go from Normal Guy/Girl to Otherwise Normal Guy/Girl who Smells Like a Gas-Station Restroom. Blecch, you can keep that.

I don't smoke, drink, or do drugs either. If you want knowledge about them, I can help you there. I am the designated designated driver by default. Its a crappy job, but somebody's gotta be responsible LOL

I have drunk when I was home alone once caring for my dog during lunch time for school because I was In trouble at school but they were letting me off to feed me dog. So i went and got a lil vodka and downed it. My lips burned like hell and I felt Horrible! well i guess that showed me not to be doing that. Other than that I love beer and wine when i can get my hands on it. (not oftne because I dont want to become addicted I just love the taste)