Personally perhaps, but I'm talking bigger picture, and you knew that.

 

Another question. For those who drank in high school, did you drink more when you were 21 and legal? My theory is that there will be an enormous increase in recreational use obviously if it's not prohibited. If that premise is correct, how many more impaired drivers, etc. will there be?

 

The same as there are now. No one is going to start smoking weed and driving just because it is legal. If so, that number will be a very small number of people. It's the same theory that there will be more drunk drivers in a county after it goes from dry to wet and I haven't seen or heard of Boyle County having more DUIs now that we are wet. Those that are going to smoke and drive will do so whether weed is legal or not.

I drank more from 19-21. A whole lot more.

I know, but my answer remains the same. The government isn't handing out weed...

 

I definitely drank in excess a lot more before I was 21 (or shortly after turning 21) than I do now. Now that it is legal, I drink recreationally and responsibly. Initially I agree that there will be an enormous increase in recreational use but I do think it will taper down to something similar to it's current use. Going back to the premise of this thread, weed is here and it's much more prevalent than it used to be. The responsible thing to me is to regulate it and try to cut down on the trafficking violence associated with it's illegality.

 

I drank more from 19-21. A whole lot more.

 

Same here.

Did you guys smoke more or drink more when you were 19?

Go to the library of a public university on finals week. The rate of Adderall use will blow you away.

 

The kids that are prescribed adderall usually get excited for finals week. They stock up in November and December so they can raise their Adderall price for mid-december.

I went to high school and college in the 70's. Herb was not overly prevalent in high school (maybe 10% of kids occasionally got high.) Pot was very common in college (I would estimate 50% or more occassionally imbibed.) I saw many more kids get in trouble, fights, wrecks and generally do stupid things to mess up their lives on alcohol than on pot.

 

I think that line of reasoning and sentiment plays a part in it, just like the point about it being easier to get is valid.

 

I think people see the difference in how marijuana makes them act vs. alcohol, then they see how one is totally acceptable, while the other is viewed as horrible by society and it doesn't compute.

 

I'm guessing it will be legalized at some point in the future. I'm not saying that is right or wrong or that I'm for or against. I just think it is inevitable at some point. The generation coming, when they are the ones in power, will have a totally different view on the subject.

Agreed. I'm pretty sure a lot of my former co-workers would take me to task for this stance; but I always thought that the whole "marijuana is a gateway drug" thing was little more than a scare tactic.

Of course, the only real experience I can draw upon is my own. I was never tempted to try anything else; but as we know, studies with an n of 1 may not be especially valid or reliable.

 

I'm sure there are people who truly believe that it is a gateway drug, but I agree. I think it is primarily a scare tactic. And, for that reason, I think it makes it more likely to be a gateway drug.

 

A kid tries pot and then realizes it doesn't make you go nuts like Reefer Madness. IMO, it is quite possible that they suddently think to themselves, "Well, they've probably lied about every drug. None of them are as bad as they say."

 

I think we'd be better served being honest about drugs instead of going overboard to scare people away from them.

Weed is considered a gateway drug because all of the idiots in the media and people teaching it in schools and people that created laws against it group it together with cocaine, LSD, meth, etc. People try weed, realize it's not that bad, then go ahead and try the other drugs. If people would stop grouping weed with hardcore drugs, younger people would be less likely to try them all.

Weed is considered a gateway drug because all of the idiots in the media and people teaching it in schools and people that created laws against it group it together with cocaine, LSD, meth, etc. People try weed, realize it's not that bad, then go ahead and try the other drugs. If people would stop grouping weed with hardcore drugs, younger people would be less likely to try them all.

I don't buy that logic for one second.

I don't buy that logic for one second.

 

You don't think the media and the way people associate pot with other drugs makes it seem more harmful? I don't buy that logic.

I don't believe in the whole "gateway" drug theory. Some people have more addictive personalities and that's what leads them to try harder stuff.

 

Bingo.

You don't think the media and the way people associate pot with other drugs makes it seem more harmful? I don't buy that logic.

 

You're absolutely correct. Growing up, I would have thought if I took a hit of marijuana that I'd be driving into people on the highway, sitting on the couch all night, losing my friends, fighting with my parents, and getting bad grades. Entirely misleading...Alcohol has gotten me into fights, made me sick for days, and caused me to miss class and work more than a few times. I can't say the same for pot. It's unbelievable to me that alcohol is legal and marijuana isn't. I'm not trying to say alcohol should be illegal by any means, but if marijuana isn't legal, alcohol shouldn't be, either.

You don't think the media and the way people associate pot with other drugs makes it seem more harmful? I don't buy that logic.

No, perhaps I misunderstood his post then, because I absolutely think that. However, you can sugar coat all you like, pot leads to other drugs. Whether or not that is psychological, chemical, or something else doesn't matter. Let's poll some addicts and ask if they just started out with cocaine, heroine, or their hard drug of choice.

No, perhaps I misunderstood his post then, because I absolutely think that. However, you can sugar coat all you like, pot leads to other drugs. Whether or not that is psychological, chemical, or something else doesn't matter. Let's poll some addicts and ask if they just started out with cocaine, heroine, or their hard drug of choice.

 

That's because those aren't as available.......That holds little-to-no weight in the argument, IMO. I knew about 10 people I could have asked for pot in high school. Until this day I don't where to get cocaine, heroine, or another hard drug. People that attempt to get drugs like extacy and mushrooms usually have to drive an hour or wait months to get them. Weed is right next door for a lot of people. That's reality..

That's because those aren't as available.......That holds little-to-no weight in the argument, IMO. I knew about 10 people I could have asked for pot in high school. Until this day I don't where to get cocaine, heroine, or another hard drug. People that attempt to get drugs like extacy and mushrooms usually have to drive an hour or wait months to get them. Weed is right next door for a lot of people. That's reality..

No different than your assumptions. Not one iota. Let's see the stats to back up your assertion. And my point has nothing to do with the availability of weed, illegal or not.