Drugs

I have long been a supporter of drug use. I still don't believe it's immoral. I sitll believe most, if not all drugs should be made legal.
If people want to ruin their lives smoking crack then let them. Ensure only the gov sells it and sell it at a high enough price to provide a disincentive and but a low enough price to get rid of scummy drug dealers. The negative effects are financed by the money the gov. gains by selling it (at least). Note I am not saying that companies should sell it: the gov. only gets the tax from cigarettes whereas here it would get all the money on harder drugs.

Anyway. This isn't D&D. I could have put this in GD but the people who know the most about this and are most likely to have valid input hand about in here. So in the interests of vibrant, intelligent (!) discussion I put the thread in H&R.

OK. A month ago I had a heated argument about drugs with a friend which ended in him accusing me of touching "too close to home" and him leaving the pub. The subject was drug use. If as a young person one has fairly limited money, why would one spend the money on drugs? Drugs (Im including tobacco and alcohol but not things like sugar and caffeine in this argument) ruin your health in a number of ways? So why would you do this? Are there any positive aspects which outweigh the long term disadvantages (amnesia or whatever else)?
I was given the argument that it helps you to discover yourself. But whilst on drugs you experience another reality. An unreality. So you may well make lots of exciting voyages and feel very good, but unless you want to spend your whole time on drugs you are not really making any worthwhile discovery.

Drugs are fine to complement fun. A few pints down the pub or a spliff after a movie are fine. Fun will still be had and the nature of the fun is not changed but enhanced (at least in the eyes of those doing it - try being sober among a group of drunks/tipsy fairies. They are all having a laugh and you are pretty WTF?).

And herein is the argument against hallucinogenics (magic mushrooms and LSD) and most harder drugs (perhaps cocaine excepted). When on these sorts of drugs the drug itself is the fun. On ecstasy it is not dancing that is really the activity. It is the OMG LOOK HOW BRIGHT THE COLOURS ARE, HOW COOL IT FEELS TO BE TOUCHED etc. You could take ecstasy in prison and still have fun.

So yeh. Any comments on this (particularly from drug users - although all comments are of course welcome)?
Why do YOU take drugs (INCLUDING alcohol and cigarettes).

Prince Paul

Reply 40

halfoflessthan50p

12

sorry anon1 but you sound a little naive. Have you ever had any experince with drugs (or friends, family taking drugs?) Maybe you shouldnt be so quick to jump to conclusions

most 'normal' people you meet will think very little of you!

You must live quite a sheltered life if you think all 'normal' people scorn drug use. I think you'll find the majority of people (and hence... the norm) have tried some kind of drugs in their time.

The reason they made cannabis class C wasnt because people were complaining that they wanted to get stoned (it was because it wasted so much police time, the punishment didnt fit the crime, it drew attention away from more serious drugs etc) They wont do the same for hard drugs anytime soon (because you'd need a different justification and argument for it)

Reply 41

Helenia

20

Anonymous

Softer drugs in time lead onto harder drugs! Its a slippery slope once you start!

Do be so silly as to start, there is nothing clever about it, most 'normal' people you meet will think very little of you!

Think!

For a few people. Most occasional cannabis/ecstasy users won't end up killing their own granny to steal her pension for their next shot of heroin. The "slippery slope" argument is quite a weak one, IMO.

Personally, illegal drugs are not my thing. Partly because I don't want my career ****ed over on the off chance that I end up with a criminal record, but mostly because it just doesn't interest me.

At school, the kids who went off and smoked weed in the old squash courts were the "bad boys/girls" and the ones who didn't do so well academically (probably coincidence rather than causation). Of course, there are a lot of bright people who take drugs (a fair proportion of my Cambridge friends have at various points) but not at my school when I was growing up, so it got some negative connotations there.

Secondly, I've just always hated the idea of smoking - tobacco, weed, anything. My dad has smoked for most of my life and I've always hated the way it smells and how someone supposedly intelligent can do something so horrible. Also I have hayfever etc and combining smoke with that is just not pleasant. So while I wouldn't object if cannabis were legalised, I wouldn't do it myself for the same reasons I don't smoke tobacco.

As for stuff like ecstasy etc, partly the scare stories put me off (yes, I know if you take it "properly" you'll be fine etc) but the thought just doesn't appeal. I'm not really a hardcore clubber - I like a dance etc but taking drugs so I can stay up and rave all night doesn't really excite me. Finally, of course, as a medic who's specialised in pharmacology this year, I know quite a bit about how these things (and harder drugs like coke, crystal meth etc) act on the brain and what research there is into long-term use, and I don't fancy inflicting it on myself.

I don't think that hard drugs should be legalised, because even if supplies are controlled and taxed etc, these are still drugs that are addictive enough that people will turn to crime just to be able to pay for their next fix. That won't change if they're made legal.

However, I do drink a fair amount, like most normal students, and I get drunk fairly regularly. Why this rather than anything else? I don't know; the logic isn't really sound on that, as I know all that alcohol can do, I know it's no less bad for me than some illegal drugs etc, my main reason is probably just that it's legal and it's available easily.

Reply 42

naivesincerity

2

Helenia

For a few people. Most occasional cannabis/ecstasy users won't end up killing their own granny to steal her pension for their next shot of heroin. The "slippery slope" argument is quite a weak one, IMO.

It'd be interesting to compare the percentage of people who'd done MJ and E who went on to do Heroin and the percentage of people who'd done no drugs who went on to do Heroin.

In terms of the rest of your post, I have to say I always find something really odious about the likes of very priveliged people, doing drugs, moreso than underpriveliged people. Don't know why, but it seems so spoilt and 'I want it all'--like 'I want the respectability, and I'll get all the best things in society, yet I'm going to be seen to be wild and off the rails at the same time' Somehow it seems so vulgar. Any thoughts on that anyone?(its' probably just one of my mad theories no-one agrees with)

Reply 43

Helenia

20

naivesincerity

It'd be interesting to compare the percentage of people who'd done MJ and E who went on to do Heroin and the percentage of people who'd done no drugs who went on to do Heroin.

Or, more importantly, the percentage of people who take those drugs and then DON'T go on to heroin/coke.

In terms of the rest of your post, I have to say I always find something really odious about the likes of very priveliged people, doing drugs, moreso than underpriveliged people. Don't know why, but it seems so spoilt and 'I want it all'--like 'I want the respectability, and I'll get all the best things in society, yet I'm going to be seen to be wild and off the rails at the same time' Somehow it seems so vulgar. Any thoughts on that anyone?(its' probably just one of my mad theories no-one agrees with)

Which bit of my post are you referring to there?

Reply 44

Phonicsdude

OP

19

jeffers

That's fair enough. But if you're talking about freedom of choice, where do you draw the line? Would you Legalise murder, simply because there are people who want to know what it feels like to kill?

And the whole 'drugs complement fun' argument doesn't hold water, I'm afraid.

1) This would infringe upon someone's freedom to choose anything. As a law student I realise there are freedoms that have to be balanced. Im not an idiot. But the primary effect drugs have is upon the individual taking the drug. As I have said in other posts itt, the effects of drugs on society are minimal.

2) Why not? You never had a few beers at the park before?

Reply 45

Phonicsdude

OP

19

rosetinted

I am sensible with my drug use, know my limits and have done a lot of research.

2) I believe it can allow you to look at things in a new way. Sure this may just be stoned giggling at the tv sometimes, but you can also get a real insight into the people you are with when you are on drugs (especially ecstasy). Sharing a trip with someone can be an incredibly bonding experience.

1) Research is key, well done.
2) You gain insight into people whilst on E? Maaaaan why yo' trippin'?

Reply 46

Phonicsdude

OP

19

Anonymous

Softer drugs in time lead onto harder drugs! Its a slippery slope once you start!

Do be so silly as to start, there is nothing clever about it, most 'normal' people you meet will think very little of you!

Think!

Only because of the mental barrier crossed due to them being illegal.

Proof? Alcohol is a hardass drug and drinking alcohol does not seem to lead onto harder drugs (although I suppose you could say there are few sober junkies...)

Reply 47

tehjonny

8

Anonymous

softer drugs are fine but harder drugs lead to increased crime, huge costs to the NHS - it is impossible for the gov't to work out how much tax revenues need to be raised to fund people who take the drugs.

this argument has been about for yonks though

Errr, alcohol costs the government a hell of alot more than ALL drugs combined. They can work out how much alcohol costs them, they can work out the same for drugs. In fact they have done, and its a smaller number... :p:

Reply 48

tehjonny

8

Anonymous

Softer drugs in time lead onto harder drugs! Its a slippery slope once you start!

Do be so silly as to start, there is nothing clever about it, most 'normal' people you meet will think very little of you!

Think!

And I care about what they think why? Your right, there is nothing clever about it. Their is also nothing clever about preaching...

And anyways, most 'normal' people I've met have had dabbles. Drug use nowadays is much more wide-spread than you'd think. I know a bloke in his 60's who has a blaze two/three times a week lol, my mum will bun a spliff with me on rare occasions.

Reply 49

Joce

Anonymous

Softer drugs in time lead onto harder drugs! Its a slippery slope once you start!

Do be so silly as to start, there is nothing clever about it, most 'normal' people you meet will think very little of you!

Think!

OK so i indulge in a bit of weed from time to time. That means as time goes on of course i'll end up turning into a junkie who will go onto harder drugs. Get a grip!!!
Basically i enjoy smoking weed when the mood takes me. I have no interst in doing any harder drug...Not my thing at all. So stop generalising. Oh and btw most people are quite liberal to drugs...its not as taboo as it maybe once was. Seems to me you are not that well informed on the matter and just a bit naive.

Drugs

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