Mezmer said:
So I've been sick for the past two days, forcing me to pretty much ignore the all the stress in my life, which, actually is probably something I needed. Anyway, I've been reflecting on how much I enjoy having good friends, and I recently found out one of my old friends who I used to date, and was vehement about not doing drugs, now smokes pot regularly. "I'm just doing it because it's relaxing."
It's an excuse I've heard only one too many times. Now, I'm not here to make the argument whether or not pot is addictive/bad for you/whatever. I know the facts, I know that it isn't and I know it's not necessarily going to ruin your life. But on the other hand, I know other people who've gone down that similar path just "trying" it once, and now they're complete burnouts, and I hardly recognize the person they used to be anymore.
I've been pretty adamant about not doing drugs my entire 17 years of existence, because I don't think downside is worth the up, and I'm enjoying my life enough where I don't need it to be happy. I'm content with just...living, even if it is a bit "boring" sometimes.
I think what bothers me the most about it, is how someone I thought I knew, completely compromised one of their values. And I don't know why, but when I find out someone is using drugs, my respect for them does diminish somewhat. I know it's wrong to judge people, but I can't remake how I feel about the whole damn thing.
TLDR:
So, even though this thread has probably been made before, I'm wondering what your guys' opinions are on drugs, I'm curious to hear other people's views on it. Maybe it can help me expand my way of viewing the subject.
My motto is "most things in moderation" - I've had some great times with psychedelic drugs, marijuana, and alcohol. Of those three, I'd say alcohol is the most harmful - moreso than LSD or marijuana, certainly.
A great, science-filled book on the subject is "From Chocolate to Morphine: Everything You Need to Know About Mind-Altering Drugs" written by the famous Dr. Weil. It explains in great detail what drugs are doing to your system and takes neither an anti or pro drug approach; just gives the facts.
That having been said, spending your entire life high on marijuana probably isn't a good idea. Worse, though, is spending your entire life drunk on alcohol - which is a perfectly legal drug. Of all the drugs, two of the most dangerous - tobacco and alcohol - are legal, and they count for more deaths than all the other "illegal" drugs combined.
People enjoy altering their consciousness and have enjoyed this since the beginning of time. Some of the first technologies people developed were fermentation technology to make alcohol, and many, many anthropologists and scholars of religion think the earliest religion - even Moses's "visions" from "God" were the result of ingesting psychedelic drugs like certain molds and fungi. The "oracles" of Roman/Greek fame were thought to get their visions from gases coming up out of the Earth which will indeed get you high as a kite.
Drugs can destroy lives but they can also enhance them, they have provided us amazing music, art, and creative thought through the generations. Psychiatrists have "cured" diseases like panic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder through the careful and physician guided use of drugs like LSD and MDMA. Reading Timothy Leary's early books on the subject - Harvard university undergrads who used LSD and experienced mind-blowing religious/spiritual visions that changed lives for the better - are well documented.
I wouldn't judge somebody for using a drug; that's silly. I would judge a person for how they use the drug and how they act on the drug. Somebody who smokes pot on the weekends or uses it for pain relief might have no issue with the drug at all; somebody who smokes it every day and loses their job because of it probably has a problem.
Same with alcohol use. The wife and I had a friend over last night and enjoyed sampling some very good, very expensive Greek Metaxa (brandy) that was aged for 12 years and to which spices were added; it was excellent. Then we sampled some German Kirschwasser; a style of brandy made from black cherries.
Having a couple of drinks with friends in a social situation can be fun, release inhibitions, and even provide heart-health benefits. Drinking more than 3-4 drinks in a sitting (binge drinking) can cause heart-problems and a whole slew of other health issues.
As for certain other drugs, like methamphetamine and cocaine, I have issues with them simply because they can be so dangerous and I had a very bright friend who had a full scholarship based on his innovative work in Physics; he died at age 25 because cocaine stopped his heart. he was otherwise in perfect health. Still, I don't think cocaine should be illegal - I just think it should come with a VERY sternly worded warning like "One-time use of this drug may kill you" - making drugs illegal just puts the business of drug regulation and distribution in the hands of criminals.
So no, I think judging somebody based on drug use is a bad idea. If I did that throughout my life I would have lost some cherished friends that have enriched my life in countless ways. However, if somebodies drug use starts to harm them or others, it's a good idea to try and back away from the relationship, methinks.