I am in that line with mcpapa if it becomes legal.

 

Why?

 

Right now it is illegal therefore I no longer partake like I did when I was much younger. And skinnier(that was for you, Randy). I have responsibilities at work and also volunteer coaching so I am very conscious of my actions as a leader at work and as a role model for children in the community. I would not want to jeopardize my standing with anyone just so I could toke on a joint that is ruled illegal. I've workedtoo hard to get where I am now and being caught breaking the law over weed is not worth the trouble. If it were legal then it would be no different that people seeing me sitting at Guadalajara on Thirsty Thursday enjoying ice cold 32 ounce Bud Lights at 2-for1 prices.

 

Ok, I get that. That's kind of the line of thought I had when asking mcpapa.

And why would that be? Just wondering.

 

I did plenty of it in the halcyon days of my youth. I liked everything about it.

 

Except the fact that it wasn't legal. As I grew older and started a family, it just seemed that the negatives outweighed the positives.

If legal it would be my hangover remedy of choice. Nothing like using one vice to fix another.

If someone is getting drunk 3-4 nights a week...that person has a drinking problem. Do you not agree? And I'm not talking about an after work martini to relax and take the edge off. I'm talking about getting drunk which is what the original post referred to.

 

I'd say they know how to have a good time.

True, it does harm your body...but I don't think comparing aleve to someone actually getting drunk is comparing the same things. I can take 4 or 5 aleve and function normally, drive to work, etc.. may be tearing my liver up, sure. I take 4 or 5 shots of bourbon and get behind the wheel of a car...then I am endangering other people, not just myself.

 

A problem is a problem.

 

And think of it this way, pot can probably give someone all the benefits of Alcohol and Aleve put together with almost none of the side affects.

 

I am not endorsing pot, I am just trying to put everything in perspective.

I'd say they know how to have a good time.

 

I...well...I guess we will just have to disagree on this one.

A problem is a problem.

 

And think of it this way, pot can probably give someone all the benefits of Alcohol and Aleve put together with almost none of the side affects.

 

 

Ahhhhhh...that could be true...but I don't think you can say pot has NO side effects...just different ones and probably not as bad as someone who is drunk, and especially "overly" drunk.

If this is the case, wouldn't this be considered a problem? I mean, if someone goes home and gets drunk 3 or 4 nights a week, we call that person an alcoholic and they need help. If someone is going home and getting "high" 3 or 4 nights a week, wouldn't the same idea be applicable here?

 

Just a silly comparison off the top of my head.

 

We all need to eat to survive. Of course no one needs to smoke pot to survive. When we are hungry, not only do we feel the need to curb that hunger by eating, but we also like the "Buzz" if you will, of eating something that pleases us while satisfying our hunger and nourishing ourselves. Now certainly we could just approach eating as a necessity and fulfill this necessity with the exact same meal daily, and one that is dull to us, but gets the job done, or we can give ourselves a variety of things that we've come to really enjoy while serving its purpose. What I'm getting at is that we as humans also want to enjoy life as we go through it, not just get through it. We don't need to have pleasurable meals to survive, but it sure makes eating more enjoyable if we do.

 

Different people enjoy life in different ways with different interests and hobbies. I'm assuming that we all can be in agreement that enjoying life is something every human has hopes and aims for. Life for most is full of responsibilities that can really make us "hunger" if you will, for the moments in our lives where we can feel a sense of pleasure and joy after a long days work, or whatever occupies us from getting to the things we enjoy.

 

While many may have the chance to fulfill interests with an assortment of activities depending on what pleases us, I'm guessing that daily access to every fun activity we partake in is not always practical or doable, so we do these things when we can. If an average persons likes to camp, ski, hike, bike or the countless other fun activities that one might enjoy, most probably can't do these things daily, and try to fit them in whenever they can. Of course there are enjoyable things, depending on your allotment of time, that you can do more frequently. For example, if you're a sports junkie, there's rarely a day that goes by that this love of sport cannot be fulfilled on your large screen TV.

 

Anyone that enjoys the pleasure of partaking in the buzz that marijuana gives has probably enjoyed countless times of chilling at home with their feet up and winding down, watching on the TV whatever interests them, and having a feeling inside that, although they could certainly enjoy relaxing with their program not high, that the Marijuana has heightened their pleasure of doing so. If they are sharing this time with others, it normally helps create an abundance of laughter in discussion and rapid fire creative humorous thoughts that keep that laughter rolling. Can we as humans have fun without Marijuana? Absolutely, but for those that enjoy it, it can be the difference between an average meal, or one that brings pleasure.

 

Since those that partake have come to realize that they have little if any bad side effects from doing so, it can be added enjoyment into their lives, considering that enjoyment is what we're all aiming for, and partaking in it 3-4 nights a week for some is not anything that creates any problems for them, and just enhances the fun that they want to have. If it feels like marijuana is creating certain issues if done too frequently, then the individual should recognize that and maybe not do it so much. Not all Marijuana is created the equally, as some strains can be stronger than others. It's always advisable to just see how a couple of hits effect you before sucking down that whole joint in one sitting. Some can make you sleepy before long, and some maybe a bit too anxious, or a bit too zoned out than you want to be. With that said, I've never known usage of it to be like alcohol, where the more you drink the drunker and drunker you become. it's typically going to effect someone in it's intended way for a couple of hours and then it's bedtime. Nighty night.

 

I'm not a big prude about alcohol, but it's certainly a problem for some and can be additive, and not so much for others. I guess that we've all heard the term "functioning alcoholic"? Some alcoholics can actually have a drink or two a day without it really plaguing their life. Some of these folks may choose to wind down at home on a nightly basic with a beer, wine, or something stiffer. Some can do it but not be addicted, while others pretty much have to do it, while it still might not really ruin their lives. If it is ruining their lives, then they really probably should address that. Of course there's always that concern that daily alcohol use can ultimately damage the body. I'm betting that daily marijuana use can ultimately damage the lungs, so in that case daily users of it should probably consider other less harmful ways to ingest it.

 

This in no way is an advertisement for using any substances, but just pointing out that we all just want to enjoy life, and someone chilling at home 3-4 nights a week reading a book, watching TV, listening to music, creating music, creating art, gabbing with friends, playing video games, blogging or whatever, doesn't sound to me like a problem, or much different than someone enjoying fun meals pretty regularly instead of lame tasteless ones.

 

We're all just trying to enjoy this life one way or another as we go, and for some, they've found that marijuana enhances and helps fulfill that.

 

All I could hope for anyone is that they're enjoying their life in whatever way works for them just as long as they're not hurting anyone.

 

Somehow, hedonism has been made to sound like a bad word, but let's admit it, a Hedonist (although I'm not big on labels) to some degree, is exactly what we all are.

 

We all just want to enjoy life...

 

So have fun people, relax, and chill.... It's all good.

If it was legal, I'd first in line.

 

But it's not, so I'm not.

 

:thumb:

 

Agreed.

 

Honestly, it being legal or not doesn't bother me, the fact that I am drug tested at work is the only thing that keeps me from smoking one on the weekends.

If this is the case, wouldn't this be considered a problem? I mean, if someone goes home and gets drunk 3 or 4 nights a week, we call that person an alcoholic and they need help. If someone is going home and getting "high" 3 or 4 nights a week, wouldn't the same idea be applicable here?

 

Not at all.

 

An addict is someone who can't function without his or her vice. An addict is someone who lets a substance control them.

 

Millions of people drink coffee every morning. We don't tell them they need to seek help for their caffeine addiction because with most, it isn't affecting their daily activities...They have jobs, happy families and are able to function without it.

 

Smoking weed 3 to 4 times a week would be considered recreational to me. We only look at it as a problem because it's a "drug". No different than the guy who plays golf 3 to 4 times a week. Or the lady who enjoys a 5 dollar cup of Starbucks every morning on her way to work.

Not at all.

 

An addict is someone who can't function without his or her vice. An addict is someone who lets a substance control them.

 

Millions of people drink coffee every morning. We don't tell them they need to seek help for their caffeine addiction because with most, it isn't affecting their daily activities...They have jobs, happy families and are able to function without it.

 

Smoking weed 3 to 4 times a week would be considered recreational to me. We only look at it as a problem because it's a "drug". No different than the guy who plays golf 3 to 4 times a week. Or the lady who enjoys a 5 dollar cup of Starbucks every morning on her way to work.

 

Well said. I said essentially the same thing, but took a billion words to do it. Sure wish that I could learn the art of brevity. :idunno:

Well said. I said essentially the same thing, but took a billion words to do it. Sure wish that I could learn the art of brevity. :idunno:

 

And the same to you sir.

 

I didn't read yours until after I had posted my reply.

The Bettis/pot thread got me to thinking. I saw several people mention the fact that the # of people who smoke pot, evidently somewhat regularly, is much higher than some would think. If so, what would that percentage be? I mean, I'm thinking far far more people DON"T smoke pot than do, but maybe I just live in Dan's dreamworld where I think it's the 1950's and most people just don't do that. I dated a girl in the late 90's who turned out was a regular user. That was so far out in left field for me that I just couldn't perceive there were that many people who sat on their couch and rolled a couple of joints for "happy hour" multiple nights of the week. I STILL can't fathom that many people do it. And I know there is a huge drug problem in our society, I know about the violence, etc. going on in the world, I don't live with my head in the sand...but as far as the "regular everyday Joe and Jill"...are they actually firing one up more than I ever thought? I can tell you it don't happen in my house, but the more I hear it talked about...am I maybe the ONLY house in the neighborhood not doing it?

 

 

I have the same perspective as you. Perhaps I'm Mayor of La La Land.

I agree with PP2 it's not worth it to lose what you have worked hard for and growing up in the 60's I had a ton of friends who smoked the stuff but I never ever did. It just never seemed worth the trouble to me.

 

BTW Guru, I at the moment take four Aleve a day on the advice of my Family Doctor for a muscle strain in my neck that is indeed rather painful and I indeed passed the drug test that the Commonwealth requires those of us in my line of work to take yearly, two week ago and I wasn't a bit concerned about doing it either!