Recreational drug use

[Mr. Ed]

During the 1960s, 70s, & 80s... the recreational use of drugs in the US became Public Enemy #1 and so the war on drugs occupied the minds of police and prosecutors alike for decades to come.

I started my college education in 2005 graduated with honors AAS Chemical Dependency Counseling. I worked at a drug/alcohol halfway house and 2 other drug rehab facilities. I worked as a Correctional Chaplain Aide and received my BAS in Human Services.

My philosophy is people have a right to make their own decisions even if those decisions are classified as harmful by the US government. Nowadays, marijuana is legal in the state I live in and psychedelics for medical purposes are near reality. These are just 2 examples of laws gone wrong. What's behind the mask?

 

[JonSR77]

During the 1960s, 70s, & 80s... the recreational use of drugs in the US became Public Enemy #1 and so the war on drugs occupied the minds of police and prosecutors alike for decades to come.

I started my college education in 2005 graduated with honors AAS Chemical Dependency Counseling. I worked at a drug/alcohol halfway house and 2 other drug rehab facilities. I worked as a Correctional Chaplain Aide and received my BAS in Human Services.

My philosophy is people have a right to make their own decisions even if those decisions are classified as harmful by the US government. Nowadays, marijuana is legal in the state I live in and psychedelics for medical purposes are near reality. These are just 2 examples of laws gone wrong. What's behind the mask?

Thank you for your service to this community. I have had many friends in AA and NA. And I have lost 5 friends to drug overdoses.

I definitely honor the work.

I think marijuana used to be not much worse than having a glass of whiskey. So, if someone had a hard day at work and wanted to sit down and have a shot of whiskey to calm down...I get that. If, they wanted, instead, to smoke a joint, I get that too.

But that was marijuana back in the 1970s. Today's version is entirely different. It is hardly a natural chemical substance from a naturally occurring plant. It has been highly manipulated and highly concentrated.

Anything that can alter your consciousness, is going to be hard on the body. On the nervous system and on the liver that has to filter out the drug. Plus, the history of marijuana is that it has been largely grown by professional criminals, not hippies who love the land. And that means, the long history of marijuana includes smoking product that has been exposed to dangerous levels of pesticides.

After all, no one was going out in the fields and making sure the Mob connected growers were obeying farming standards.

So, caution is always in order.

And, I do believe in marijuana for medical use.

Medically, I really don't believe in legalizing marijuana. Politically, so many people use it, it is probably better to legalize it and keep those people out of jail. And also, legalizing it, allows the product to be grown under supervision, where it is not "dosed" with more dangerous chemicals.

This idea that drug use is some pathway to utopia is also nuts. Sure, getting high can give you a break from the endless rat race of life.

But if you want real change, you need to go into counseling or a spiritual search. Try to meditate, do Hatha Yoga or get in top shape in some other way. Those are the things that ultimately can help your life. Just smashing your neurohumorals into some state of shock, is never going to be the best way to accomplish a better life.

 

[Mr. Ed]

Thank you for your service to this community. I have had many friends in AA and NA. And I have lost 5 friends to drug overdoses.

I definitely honor the work.

I think marijuana used to be not much worse than having a glass of whiskey. So, if someone had a hard day at work and wanted to sit down and have a shot of whiskey to calm down...I get that. If, they wanted, instead, to smoke a joint, I get that too.

But that was marijuana back in the 1970s. Today's version is entirely different. It is hardly a natural chemical substance from a naturally occurring plant. It has been highly manipulated and highly concentrated.

Anything that can alter your consciousness, is going to be hard on the body. On the nervous system and on the liver that has to filter out the drug. Plus, the history of marijuana is that it has been largely grown by professional criminals, not hippies who love the land. And that means, the long history of marijuana includes smoking product that has been exposed to dangerous levels of pesticides.

After all, no one was going out in the fields and making sure the Mob connected growers were obeying farming standards.

So, caution is always in order.

And, I do believe in marijuana for medical use.

Medically, I really don't believe in legalizing marijuana. Politically, so many people use it, it is probably better to legalize it and keep those people out of jail. And also, legalizing it, allows the product to be grown under supervision, where it is not "dosed" with more dangerous chemicals.

This idea that drug use is some pathway to utopia is also nuts. Sure, getting high can give you a break from the endless rat race of life.

But if you want real change, you need to go into counseling or a spiritual search. Try to meditate, do Hatha Yoga or get in top shape in some other way. Those are the things that ultimately can help your life. Just smashing your neurohumorals into some state of shock, is never going to be the best way to accomplish a better life.

Thank you very much for your insight. You seem well versed in the knowledge you share. However, I want to take psychedelics to address childhood trauma. I believe psychedelics will help come to terms with an incident that has plagued me for most of my life. I think it will be helpful.

 

[Nathan]

I want to take psychedelics to address childhood trauma. I believe psychedelics will help come to terms with an incident that has plagued me for most of my life. I think it will be helpful.

Yes, using psychedelics for mental health issues is becoming mainstream. I used psychedelics extensively for a few years late teens.early twenties, and am none the worse for wear.

 

[JonSR77]

Thank you very much for your insight. You seem well versed in the knowledge you share. However, I want to take psychedelics to address childhood trauma. I believe psychedelics will help come to terms with an incident that has plagued me for most of my life. I think it will be helpful.

I have a social worker friend who is getting involved in the medical use of psychedelics. I believe one of the areas that they are exploring is PTSD. I mean, that is how it was first developed, as a psychiatric medicine. I think Cary Grant not only took it, but had great benefit from it. That it seriously reduced his depression levels.

So, despite what the politics may be, it seems like psychedelics as a medication is a legitimate area of inquiry.

 

[Jan14]

I appreciate your service to help those with drug addiction. I think drug use is a choice also, and have no problem with marihuana. I’m not familiar with psychedelics, but if it will help with things like PTSD, that’s wonderful. Opioids are something altogether a different story. My son is a recovering heroin addict. I’ll tell you. It happened very fast , and started with the use of prescribed pain pills. It has caused a great deal of pain in his life, ruined his marriage and career path. He is clean now. However with these type drugs you never know for sure. The effects have been devastating.

 

[Alligatorob]

I do not like or approve of most recreational drug use, though I do have to confess to my occasional whiskey...

I am skeptical that outlawing drugs has resulted in reduced use. It has however created wealthy criminal organizations and a huge expensive and ineffective government bureaucracy. Not to mention the thousands of people incarcerated who should not be, and the destabilization of several Latin American and other countries.

I'd like to see a reasoned discussion of legalizing and perhaps regulating drugs. One based on facts and logic, not emotion or politics. It might be the best way to go for all, including users. It would at least help us find a better way than what we are now doing. If we put a small fraction of the cost of our war on drugs into treatment and rehab it might go a long ways.

 

[Don M.]

About all that the "War on Drugs" has accomplished is to create the Mexican Drug Cartels, and make them very wealthy. Similar actions were tried during Prohibition....and all that did was make the Mafia rich.

Many people will always feel they need "help" in being able to "cope"....be it drugs, or booze. The most logical approach, IMO, is to allow this Help, but try to control it such that doesn't create major issues. Marijuana will likely become as available as beer and whiskey in coming years, but stuff like Cocaine, and Heroin will continue to be a problem.

 

[Jeni]

I'd like to see a reasoned discussion of legalizing and perhaps regulating drugs. One based on facts and logic, not emotion or politics. It might be the best way to go for all, including users. It would at least help us find a better way than what we are now doing. If we put a small fraction of the cost of our war on drugs into treatment and rehab it might go a long ways.

The reality is there is very little reasoned discussion on most issues....all based on $$$$.

My state legalized after huge promises of a never ending huge flow of taxes ....
but the reality is ounce for ounce street prices are half of the Taxed versions...... guess who is selling more.... sure tourist from states that it is not legal or curious people wanting to try visit the stores but chronic users find a cheaper dealer....

So the reality is it only increased the street dealers as a small amount for personal use was OK....and driving while high has become a big as drunk in this area.

The idea of just because a few people have not had a problem it is all good ..... some people do have issues with it...

A former child celebrity notorious for drug offenses had said many times on his radio show ..... "Yes some people can become addicted and yes he feels it is a gateway drug...." .... he also admits he does not remember most of the 80s

As was mentioned above the potency has increased and it is not the same as the 70s......

 

[Alligatorob]

The reality is there is very little reasoned discussion on most issues....

You are right of course, but one can hope. Maybe it is all about money, I just don't understand why we are not better at it.

driving while high has become a big as drunk in this area

An important issue, just one but a good example. Do you know are their any statistics on traffic deaths or something that shows an increase with legalization? That is the kind of hard data we need...

a gateway drug

For me pot was a "gateway" to nothing but whiskey and beer, and I drank before trying pot. As a recreational drug I prefer alcohol. But I know its different for others.

 

[Jeni]

An important issue, just one but a good example. Do you know are their any statistics on traffic deaths or something that shows an increase with legalization? That is the kind of hard data we need...

This is a blurb about 2 of the first states who legalized

https://exclusive.multibriefs.com/c...ington-state/law-enforcement-defense-security

It's extremely troubling to me that so many marijuana users think that driving high is not a problem. It's a serious problem," Darrin Grondel, Washington Traffic Safety Commission director, told the Kirkland Reporter.

From 2009-13, more than 1,000 people died in impaired driving collisions in Washington. Impaired driving is involved in nearly half of all traffic deaths and more than 20 percent of serious injury collisions. The casual attitude coming from drivers using cannabis is even more concerning given that research demonstrates that the combination of cannabis and alcohol is more deadly than either alone.

Citizens of Washington should pay attention to reports from Colorado, one of the states experiencing the impact of medical and recreational cannabis use on driving fatalities. Once medical cannabis was available in 2009, the proportion of drivers in a fatal motor vehicle crash testing positive increased. Research has demonstrated that cannabis use increases accidents.

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission seems to support a growing body of literature regarding individuals who drive under the influence of cannabis. Marijuana users exhibit a general reckless style, and this may put themselves and others at greater risk for traffic crash.