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How about the users you do not know? How many of them are not responsible, mature adults? How many of them are like Kayla Mendoza?
Those are the ones I worry about.
You won't believe me, so I don't know why I am typing this, but:
There are millions of users like us. Most are in the closet about it because of the threat of draconian laws that would cause their family to be torn apart, kids taken away, home forfeited, career ruined.
Where do you think the thousands of tons that are consumed every year goes? If you think most of it goes to irresponsible users then you wouldn't be thinking logically. No, in fact, for every irresponsible user you refer to there are thousands of responsible ones that use it every day.
Professionals. Parents. Artists. Musicians. Those are typical of the users I know.
You have the same jaded view as notmeofficer. You see just the visible surface, reinforcing the stereotypical "stoner" type image in your mind. But for every one of those types there are thousands of much more "normal" people that you don't know about.
So how many deaths due to drug wars are acceptable to you? How many homes forfeited and families destroyed are acceptable to you? How many careers ruined are acceptable to you? These things happen to thousands of people every day. I mean it. Thousands every day. Please do the research.
So again, the carnage caused by prohibition is absolutely staggering compared to the handful of incidents you cite.
I don't care if you are for non-jail sentences, the fact is much of the country is currently operating under draconian laws, laws so bad that we currently have people in prison for life without the possibility of parole for non-violent cannabis offenses. And I am not referring to major drug dealers. Please do the research.
This carnage will continue until this destructive war ends.
You're right, I don't have to worry about drug tests. I run my own businesses.
Here is a responsible approach. Notice he refers to 25 million users per month:
Nothing can convince me that there's anything responsible about using a drug to alter your brain chemistry for entertainment. Particularly when you are responsible for the care of children.
It's an incredible train of thought.
"They don't know. We do it after we put them to bed."
I know a woman in recovery who told me that after she quit using one night her daughter asked her, "Are you my real mommy or are you my other mommy?" Think about it.
Nothing can convince me that there's anything responsible about using a drug to alter your brain chemistry for entertainment. Particularly when you are responsible for the care of children.
It's an incredible train of thought.
What if I told you that as a computer programmer, it helps me focus and helps immensely with creativity, both of which is crucial when writing computer code. In fact, it turns the normal drudgery of computer programming into something that is actually fun. That, in turn, improves productivity considerably.
Nothing can convince me that there's anything responsible about using a drug to alter your brain chemistry for entertainment. Particularly when you are responsible for the care of children.
It's an incredible train of thought.
"They don't know. We do it after we put them to bed."
I know a woman in recovery who told me that after she quit using one night her daughter asked her, "Are you my real mommy or are you my other mommy?" Think about it.
That is certainly your right. You can avoid alcohol, cigarettes and Pot. I cannot imagine listening to rock music at the level the kids do which is, in my mind, certain to create a hearing loss.
On the other side I am not sure I want to send people to jail for a cigarette or a glass of wine or4 a toke or a Rock tune.
I would support suppressing driving at some level of impairment. Not sure where though. I am certainly impaired as a driver compared to where I was 30 years ago. I do however allow for it and manage to avoid accidents.
What if I told you that as a computer programmer, it helps me focus and helps immensely with creativity, both of which is crucial when writing computer code. In fact, it turns the normal drudgery of computer programming into something that is actually fun. That, in turn, improves productivity considerably.
Is that irresponsible use?
I've heard it a thousand times.
Meanwhile we have the first USA generation that is not going to live as long as their parents, divorce and mental illness at record levels. Young peoples' personal lives seem quite disordered.
I wish I could see the generational results of what individual users seem to think they see. I think unhealthy lifestyles have become so normalized most people can't see them.
That is certainly your right. You can avoid alcohol, cigarettes and Pot.
I wouldn't consider telling people to do that. Nor have I said I avoid those substances.
I believe in asking people to take a balanced view of their choices. Reading here it occurs to me that many have never considered the downside of mood-altering for recreation. I'm posting to provide it.
So, I take that to mean you don't believe me? If so thank you for proving my point.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lodestar
Meanwhile we have the first USA generation that is not going to live as long as their parents
That's news to me. Where did that come from? And what makes you think cannabis has anything do to with it anyway? Especially since the millions of long term users I refer to goes back 2 generations???
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lodestar
divorce and mental illness at record levels.
We also have a general population at record levels, so what's your point? And again, you are blaming cannabis for that?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lodestar
Young peoples' personal lives seem quite disordered.
That is related to cannabis how exactly?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lodestar
I wish I could see the generational results of what individual users seem to think they see. I think unhealthy lifestyles have become so normalized most people can't see them.
Well, in my case it kept me from becoming an alcoholic, which has run in my family since at least the 19th century. I am the first that I know of that has been able to break it, and to this day my daughter does not use alcohol. I consider that a major victory for my family's bloodline.
Is that irresponsible use? Is that another story you've heard a thousand times?
Meanwhile we have the first USA generation that is not going to live as long as their parents, divorce and mental illness at record levels. Young peoples' personal lives seem quite disordered.
I wish I could see the generational results of what individual users seem to think they see. I think unhealthy lifestyles have become so normalized most people can't see them.
I managed high tech groups for 30 years. I will agree with our programmer that his ilk think that Pot increases their productivity. I also am reasonably sure it does not. Does not degrade it either. Had a group in upstate NY that developed the first color copier. Big set of pot heads...very productive development team.
On the west coast it was so common that I doubt you can find a major software team that was not more than 50% stoned most of the time.
If you ran a party for Senior development types you could count on most of the attendees abeing stoned and worried about coke not pot,.
I managed high tech groups for 30 years. I will agree with our programmer that his ilk think that Pot increases their productivity. I also am reasonably sure it does not. Does not degrade it either. Had a group in upstate NY that developed the first color copier. Big set of pot heads...very productive development team.
On the west coast it was so common that I doubt you can find a major software team that was not more than 50% stoned most of the time.
If you ran a party for Senior development types you could count on most of the attendees abeing stoned and worried about coke not pot,.
They ended up running the places...and did OK.
^^^ THIS ^^^
I started my computer career in the 1970's and yes, cannabis use was widespread among the creative types.
Also, the FBI wanted to hire the best of the best computer geeks. They had to stop testing them for cannabis because the best ones could not pass it.
His accounts and mine are the exact type of real-world evidence that prohibitionists always ignore or assume is a lie. Instead they rely on government funded studies. Talk about brainwashed...
Meanwhile we have the first USA generation that is not going to live as long as their parents, divorce and mental illness at record levels. Young peoples' personal lives seem quite disordered.
I wish I could see the generational results of what individual users seem to think they see. I think unhealthy lifestyles have become so normalized most people can't see them.
I'm not sure where you live or who you hang out with but these statements, ie. not going to live as long as their parents, mental illness, lives disordered are not something I am seeing. I think there is much more focus on healthy living than there was 30 years ago, at least my friends and family all seem quite sane including the youngsters and without exception they all live very healthy focused lives. Maybe your outlook would change if you found new friends...
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