Razomka said:
I'll link a website and this is basically why I don't do them.
http://www.talktofrank.com/ = look up your drug of choice.
I tried weed once or twice and it was kind of weird and horrible. Made me light-headed and out of control, so basically I rather get drunk without the horrible sick feeling. Alcohol isn't the worst drug. It has no real long time affects, all the other drugs do and that's is why I really don't like them. I have friends who are *far-out maaaaaan* even when they aren't stoned, times to many I asked if they were stoned and they weren't just been affected by the drug damaging thier brain.
I might come across harsh and I really don't want to
I personally wouldn't and I don't think that you should stop, it's your choice. ^^
Judging by the literary quality of your post, I'd say alcohol has done much more damage to your brain than you assume. Do I sound harsh? Well, think of it as a heated, frustrated response to your superficial judgement and assumption that these "far-out" friends of yours were "brain-damaged" through smoking weed. There is no difference between my above assumption, and the crude assumption you make of your friends.
Alcohol is one of the most damaging drugs you can put in your body. My mother is a chronic alcoholic. Even after a year of sobriety, she can barely function in society. Her memory is riddled with holes, her coordination skills are non-existent and even now, she'd still do anything to get her hands on a drink. She has stolen money from my friends and family, and abused my father and sister, all because of your lovely, innocent, LEGAL alcohol.
Weed, on the other hand, to my (well-researched) knowledge, has never hurt a living soul.
I'm a recreational and anthropological-shamanic drug user, with an avid interest in natural hallucinogens, such as shrooms and peyote. I have tried almost every single commonly known psychoactive substance, including alcohol, and I can honestly say that I have NEVER been as fucked up on any substance as I have been on alcohol.
I use weed regularly. I have never experienced any problems related to memory, speech, learning or any other cognitive functions from this use. This applies to my more exotic experimentations as well.
As for the website you mentioned, I'm well aware of the anti-drug propaganda being propagated throughout education systems worldwide. "Just Don't Do It", "Kids! Don't Try Drugs" etc.
In today's drug propaganda, the facts presented are often correct, BUT, they stem from extreme studies (forcing a group of monkeys to inhale marijuana smoke 24 hours a day), or a rare, one-time occurence (a boy with an obscure allergy to THC, or with a family history of schizophrenia, has long term health problems from repeated use). I mention these only for illustrative purposes, they are not necessarily based on fact, but the concept remains true.
Have you ever opened up a package of over-the-counter aspirin, and read the little pamphlet inside?
You may be surprised by the long list of potential health problems aspirin may cause you. "May Cause Death" is often included as well.
As a counterpoint to the website you mentioned, I recommend those of you ignorant in these matters to visit a little site called...
www.erowid.org
... and educate yourselves on the relationship between humans and psychoactives without being tainted by biased pseudo-scientific propaganda.
Remember, everything with a psychoactive effect on your brain is a drug (coffee, aspirin, alcohol, tobacco, marijuana). Everything should be used responsibly, and in moderation. I am a firm believer that if only children were educated from a stance of "if you must use, then here's some reliable information on how to use responsibly" rather than the scare tactic of "Don't Use! You'll get brain damage and DIE!", there would be significantly fewer tragic accidents in relation to common recreational drugs these days.
Not to mention that a lot of responsible, educated users, such as myself, would no longer have to bear the social stigma associated with this one particular aspect of our recreational activities.
Learn first, then judge. Question all your sources. Question me. Question Erowid. Question Razomka.
In the end, the decision you make is your own. If you simply have no curiosity towards this particular subject, then don't force yourself to pretend that you do. If, however, you are curious/have been curious, but have been scared away by parents, teachers and MTV adverts... then don't let that stop you from pursuing your curiosity. Life is about learning, every new experience helps you become wiser. There was once a time when alcohol was prohibited in several countries (including my own, I'm not American). There was a large propaganda campaign against it too. There still is. Tobacco was once socially acceptable. Today it is becoming increasingly frowned upon. One day, I believe marijuana will be legal in this country. A few years ago, shrooms were legal, they have been used here in shamanic rites since the dawn of our culture. Now you can get penalized for the possession of something that grows wild in the autumn fields.
Attitudes shift, propaganda is disproved or re-written, our view of what is, and what is not a drug is malleable by the forever changing paradigm of our current culture.
So the next time you come across someone who simply states "Drugs = Bad", question them, demand concrete evidence, question their sources, research the history of the drug and its use in human culture, question the bias of the speaker, research all the available perspectives, and most important of all, THINK. It may sound like a lot of work, but by the end of it, you will be a little less ignorant, and a little more capable of defending yourself in a potential future debate.
I'll end my rant here. I'll be curious to hear what other people think about this topic.
