Drugs

[OptOut | 8,881]

Weed is great, but I can't smoke it anymore because I live in Taiwan and it's super illegal here. I hope one day that it will be legalised worldwide.

I used to smoke it pretty regularly in the UK, where it is also illegal, but not heavily policed. When I moved to Taiwan I was able to quit no problem cold turkey, because as mentioned above it's not actually chemically addictive. I sometimes feel like I would like to smoke some, much as you sometimes get the urge to partake in any other pleasurable activity, but frankly it's not really something I often think about.

When I go back to the UK I usually make sure to take advantage and grab an 8th to smoke up while I'm back, so that's always a nice little treat!

 

[BortLicensePlate | 652]

8 hours ago, Estil said:

I'm a bit puzzled though as to why pot legalization has become so fashionable over the past ten years even though we've spent the past few decades or so pounding "Big Tobacco" mercilessly by all the anti-smoking groups.   I mean since you smoke both kinds doesn't marijuana blacken your lungs over time with smoke just as much as cigs do?  I know pot doesn't have nicotine in it like cigs do but surely it too can be addictive in its own way?  I even remember years ago being asked in a phone survey about whether pot is a "gateway drug".  At the time I said that I suppose it could be but it depends on the individual.

So we made every effort to make smoking cigarettes as shameful as possible yet all of a sudden legalizing pot has become so fashionable?  I just don't get it.  And back during the golden age of pot (60s) wasn't the fact that it was illegal gave it such a great appeal?  You know, rebellion, forbidden fruit and all that?

 

8 hours ago, Gloves said:

Nicotine itself is highly addictive; main difference being that smokers will suffer from withdrawal because of this. People could start to mentally depend upon marijuana as a crutch, thinking perhaps it's the thing keeping them happy/sane, but they will STILL be able to quit cold turkey once they decide to do so. Nicotine however will actually make you physically ill with its absence. With nicotine it is a genuine physical reliance. Very different. 

Read this for a bit of extra detail, from Harvard: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/pot-smokers-can-maybe-breathe-a-little-easier

I mean, everyone's experience is different I suppose. But as someone who was quite dependent on both (cold turkey after 10ish years), I found the quitting experience to be quite similar. It was an awful experience for both haha.

Estil, teens will still think smoking pot is cool and rebellious just like smoking cigarettes or drinking underage. However there are many other ways to consume cannabis that are much less harmful, like cooking with it or taking supplements or vaporizing. I think those are the methods that are more fashionable for responsible adults. Not that adults wont smoke it too, but that's how cannabis gets around the "smoking is bad" stigma.

[CodysGameRoom | 2,008]

12 hours ago, Estil said:

I know pot doesn't have nicotine in it like cigs do but surely it too can be addictive in its own way? 

There are no addictive substances in pot. It's also a natural product (well, depending your methods I guess), where as cigarettes are filled with chemicals, tar, etc. 

So yea, comparing them is a pretty big stretch to me. Pot is much better for you than cigarettes. There's still smoke and it's still not good for lungs, but it's a tough comparison in my opinion.

Also, I don't think it's about being "fashionable" as you suggested. I don't personally smoke but I think it should be legalized and taxed. Nothing about it being cool, I just want the money to go to our schools, infrastructure etc, instead of wherever it's going now. 

[docile tapeworm | 4,196]

@Estil @Gloves @BortLicensePlate

pot has no physical addiction imo. i have been smoking everyday of my life since i was 15. from then till now there have been several times i needed to cut it out cold turkey. its not a big deal, i will admit a little cranky the first 24 hours but it aint shit. just mental, still wanna blaze...

@CodysGameRoom lol

Edited July 30, 2020 by docile tapeworm

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

21 minutes ago, ChickenTendas said:

In terms of drinking age, I think it should be 18. If you can lay down your life for the country you should a least be able to have a drink. But who knows, I'm just a dumbass 9th grader I'd be interested hearing what Europeans think on this topic though, the culture there is just completely different.

 

It has been awhile since I've read the detailed discussion of it, but part of why the age for cigarettes was moved to 21 was based on evidence that the higher drinking age DID, in fact, reduce youth access to alcohol, versus a younger drinking age of 18. Part of the difference with Europe, is they tend to not also be populated by inexperienced 16-year-old drivers, and even villages are generally more walkable, so they aren't going to be dealing with youth DUI in the way we have to consider.

 

And 18 year olds that join the military are allowed to have access to at least beer at certain base facilities. (harder alcohol is still restricted)

 

Edited August 2, 2020 by arch_8ngel

[Kguillemette | 1,543]

It is unnerving to see kids you were friendly with in high school get nabbed for heroin/fentanyl possession and see their strung out faces pop up on my Manchester, NH alert feed as a recent arrest.

It is baffling how common opioids are in my hometown now. It's as bad here as anywhere else in the country. 

[Estil | 1,261]

On 7/30/2020 at 5:59 AM, BortLicensePlate said:

Estil, teens will still think smoking pot is cool and rebellious just like smoking cigarettes or drinking underage. However there are many other ways to consume cannabis that are much less harmful, like cooking with it or taking supplements or vaporizing. I think those are the methods that are more fashionable for responsible adults. Not that adults wont smoke it too, but that's how cannabis gets around the "smoking is bad" stigma.

Yes it is cool and rebellious because smoking/drinking underage is ALSO illegal!  And can get you suspended or possibly expelled from school if you do it there!  That was my point, youth (especially) find it cool and rebellious to do stuff that the law and society frowns upon.  So pot legalization (for people of age of course) would in fact take away that appeal.

[G-type | 2,479]

 

I haven't ever tried shrooms, acid, ecstasy, or cocaine but I'm a bit curious. I feel like probably I missed my chance with that stuff, back when I was younger and going out to concerts and hanging out with friends. Now I'm a middle-aged dad, what the hell am I going to do? Wait til my kids go to bed and trip out while sitting on my couch watching TV?

[CodysGameRoom | 2,008]

6 hours ago, G-type said:

 

I haven't ever tried shrooms, acid, ecstasy, or cocaine but I'm a bit curious. I feel like probably I missed my chance with that stuff, back when I was younger and going out to concerts and hanging out with friends. Now I'm a middle-aged dad, what the hell am I going to do? Wait til my kids go to bed and trip out while sitting on my couch watching TV?

Actually I think the opposite. I think being older and wiser is a way better time to experiment. Have the kids on a sleepover somewhere for the weekend and try some stuff, see what you like!

[PII | 1,883]

I just tried to post a hundreds-long list of toxic substances that can be found in cigarette tobacco and the thread/page conked out and locked up.  

Just a reminder that the powers that be allow those substances to be produced and included in tobacco, then distributed, sold, bought and consumed.  That's the same power that didn't want too many of us smoking weed before and totally wants us all to smoke it now for some reason.  

Nothing weird about any of that.

[fcgamer | 4,719]

On 8/3/2020 at 1:28 AM, arch_8ngel said:

It has been awhile since I've read the detailed discussion of it, but part of why the age for cigarettes was moved to 21 was based on evidence that the higher drinking age DID, in fact, reduce youth access to alcohol, versus a younger drinking age of 18. Part of the difference with Europe, is they tend to not also be populated by inexperienced 16-year-old drivers, and even villages are generally more walkable, so they aren't going to be dealing with youth DUI in the way we have to consider.

 

And 18 year olds that join the military are allowed to have access to at least beer at certain base facilities. (harder alcohol is still restricted)

 

Kids must be really, really stupid if this honestly reduced their access to alcohol. Unlike smokes, all one needs is sugar, a packet of bread yeast, and some liquid and alcohol can be made. I've made some delicious-tasting dragon fruit wine with just bread yeast, not even wine yeast, and it turned out amazing. Dumbos, if this is really keeping people from drinking.

[CodysGameRoom | 2,008]

8 hours ago, fcgamer said:

Kids must be really, really stupid if this honestly reduced their access to alcohol. Unlike smokes, all one needs is sugar, a packet of bread yeast, and some liquid and alcohol can be made. I've made some delicious-tasting dragon fruit wine with just bread yeast, not even wine yeast, and it turned out amazing. Dumbos, if this is really keeping people from drinking.

No normal kid is gonna make alcohol drinks like that, lol. They are just gonna nick it from their parents of their friends parents.

[fcgamer | 4,719]

12 minutes ago, CodysGameRoom said:

No normal kid is gonna make alcohol drinks like that, lol. They are just gonna nick it from their parents of their friends parents.

Totally disagree, know tons of kids that were making beer back in HS, they went on to start microbreweries in the area.

The point still stands, whilst beer and spirits requires more effort, making wine is simple, and in this day and age of the internet, it astounds me how the 21 age would even deter anyone from obtaining alcohol.

 

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

13 minutes ago, fcgamer said:

Totally disagree, know tons of kids that were making beer back in HS, they went on to start microbreweries in the area.

The point still stands, whilst beer and spirits requires more effort, making wine is simple, and in this day and age of the internet, it astounds me how the 21 age would even deter anyone from obtaining alcohol.

 

Even a modestly attentive parent is going to notice wine production.

And if the parents don't care, those same parents would probably buy their kids alcohol anyway.

Edited March 30, 2021 by arch_8ngel

[fcgamer | 4,719]

3 minutes ago, arch_8ngel said:

Even a modestly attentive parent is going to notice wine production.

Again disagree. A jug of juice in a basement corner or inside a closet is hardly noticeable. Much more simple than what you seem to be making it out to be. Totally different league than growing weed or something.

[Hammerfestus | 3,824]

Making your own booze as an under 21 is a bit much.  When I was under 21 I drank pretty heavily and we just had a couple buddies that were 21.  Kids tend to have a pretty wide and frequently accessed social network.  I mean someone you know at the very least has an older sibling. I can’t really speak to drinking while still in high school as I can count the number of times I drank in high school on one hand.  

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

39 minutes ago, fcgamer said:

Again disagree. A jug of juice in a basement corner or inside a closet is hardly noticeable. Much more simple than what you seem to be making it out to be. Totally different league than growing weed or something.

I agree that it isn't as obvious as growing weed, but you must only know some really inattentive parents.

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

40 minutes ago, Hammerfestus said:

Making your own booze as an under 21 is a bit much.  When I was under 21 I drank pretty heavily and we just had a couple buddies that were 21.  Kids tend to have a pretty wide and frequently accessed social network.  I mean someone you know at the very least has an older sibling. I can’t really speak to drinking while still in high school as I can count the number of times I drank in high school on one hand.  

If I recall the context of the old quote that Dave dug up -- the point of the study I read about was that the 21-and-up is less about successfully having a hard-limit on alcohol access and more about taking measures to mitigate access in high school and lower.

Obviously under-21's in college will have access from their near-peers.

But there are a lot fewer college-aged kids willing to  provide regular access to high schoolers, and it is way less likely that a high schooler can pull off a plausible fake ID to say they are 21 vs 18.

 

 

And I agree with you that making their own alcohol is pretty unlikely.  I think I knew ONE person in high school that attempted closet-wine, and by all accounts it was terrible.  It was way easier for someone to just pilfer from a well-stocked beer fridge or liquor cabinet if they had parents that were buying in quantities where it could go unnoticed.  Hell, I knew more people that were synthesizing psychadelics than were going through the effort of manufacturing alcohol -- though not saying much, because it was basically the one guy with terrible closet-wine and 2 guys cooking drugs in their kitchen  (but I probably knew of at least a few more people growing weed).

But all that aside -- I can guarantee you that we had way less access to alcohol than if 18-year-olds could legally buy (i.e. most high school seniors by the time graduation rolls around).

 

Edited March 30, 2021 by arch_8ngel

[G-type | 2,479]

I got some edibles that I don't really want to finish. When I take them, I just feel tired, light-headed, and slightly nauseated. Not enjoyable.