oh great now pot causes teen pregnancy too

Pubin · Post by **Pubin** » January 27, 2003, 2:07 pm

I agree pot does not impair your judgement or make you extra horny, but sex is better high--something about increased sensivitiy.

Midnyte_Ragebringer · January 27, 2003, 2:09 pm

I'm not saying it isn't a side effect fuckwad. It's my fault you cannot follow the progression of a thread. You should start from the beginning and read slowly the flow of the thread. Follow the progression of the person you feel like arguing with. If you still are incapable of comprehending what I am saying then PM me. I will put my grammar school teacher hat on, and I will walk you through it.

Zamtuk · Post by **Zamtuk** » January 27, 2003, 2:14 pm

Midnyte_Ragebringer wrote:What a retard. Was the ad a ducmentary on pot and it's side effects? No, it was to get out the message that it impares judgement.

Listen scooter, while your taking me to grammar school, learn how to spell documentary. Back on topic re-read what you said earlier, then read what you just said. By now (hopefully) you will realize you just contradicted yourself. The "flow" of this thread is indeed discussing pot and its side effects, hence the theme of the commercial. Maybe you were better off not posting that, or for that matter posting in general.

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » January 27, 2003, 2:25 pm

Shaerra wrote:Pot is a gateway drug..

I disagree with the "gateway drug" idea.

People who are predisposed to regulary ingest illegal substances to alter thier reality are just as likely to try other/stronger ways to do it. It's the need for an escape, not the drugs themselves that start the circle going. If it wasn't drugs it would be booze. Once you hit a certain point stopping isn't an option, until you've beat yourself into the ground and have to stop or you die. Same with alchohol in that respect.

Midnyte_Ragebringer · January 27, 2003, 2:28 pm

Zamtuk wrote:Pot also sterilizes sperm. Kind of ironic that was left out huh?

This was the beginning of your stupidity. This wasn't the fucking point. The point was that pot causes a person's judgement to be impared. It wasn't to list all the fucking side effects of pot. Just one. Now you got it?

You know they left out that pot smells funny? Isn't that weird?
Why didn't they mention that you have to light it first? That could cause more accidental fires? Isn't that weird?

/slap

Sirensa · Post by **Sirensa** » January 27, 2003, 2:29 pm

Ok, so it's settled. The commercial was ghey.

Post by **Sylvus** » January 27, 2003, 2:40 pm

Midnyte_Ragebringer wrote:What a retard. Was the ad a ducmentary on pot and it's side effects? No, it was to get out the message that it impares judgement.

Hello? We play to win the game.

Speaking of retards, have you heard the one about the guy who didn't realize why people have a problem with the latest anti-drug campaigns?

No one is implying that it's a documentary, they dislike the half-truths and outright lies that are being presented to try and scare people into avoiding pot. Yeah, I smoke pot sometimes, but I certainly don't want to encourage anyone else to smoke it. I do, however, want people to become educated on the real dangers/benefits of anything - be it smoking pot, skydiving, becoming a born-again Christian, whatever - and then make an informed decision on what the right choice is for them. Thinking for yourself is a wonderful thing, try it sometime.

All of the recent commercials are completely ridiculous. Apparently if I smoke a joint I'm going to bankroll the terrorists, get pregnant, shoot my friend and run over a little kid on a bike. Did I miss any? Marijuana may impair judgement in some folks; I don't think it changes mine all that much. It usually leads me to order some pizza and watch a movie. I know for a fact that I am way more dangerous to myself and others when I have been drinking. That leads me to question why booze is legal and pot isn't. Was it an arbitrary thing? Is someone a lot less likely to have unprotected sex or run over a child when they are drinking? You would think so from the messages presented on the television, but I'd disagree with that.

Pot is legal some places, most notably Amsterdam, how can it be that bad? I don't see the Dutch dropping like flies, and they seem to make a good deal of money for their government off of it. If it were legal here, it would probably create jobs as well as increase revenue from taxation. You always hear about "medical marijuna", it obviously has some medicinal properties, legalization would make it widely available to the sick people who need it to improve the quality of their life, as well as well as those of us who just like to get perma-grin every now and again. Additional money would also be available to the government when they decreased the budget for the "war on drugs". And it would also cut off all that funding that goes to the terrorists!

Those are the reasons I think these commercials are bad. They don't give you any real facts, they just try to scare you into thinking pot is inherently evil. I disagree.

Ogbar · Post by **Ogbar** » January 27, 2003, 3:03 pm

Mid, I agree with you on who the target audience is, I just dont think this commercial will work, and in more cases, I think it will backfire.

I was an art major for four years, so I have seen my share of people who indulge in pot and other recreational drugs. I cannot even think of one anecdotal account of someone making a significant out of character decision (say, choosing to have sex) due to being high on pot (at the same time, I dont have enough fingers to count how many accounts of something like this happening due to someone being drunk). I think, in general, people don't have the anecdotal accounts to support such assertions about pot. As I dont buy the situation within the ad, perhaps the purpose of the commercial was to create an anecdotal account for parents to use to scare their kids away from pot. The problem is, as soon as the situation in the commercial is discussed between the child and his/her peers, it wont survive the inevitable laugh test. I think a lot of kids may end up poo-pooing the negative slant on drugs as a result.

I hope I am wrong about this commercial, but I am very skeptical about how effective it will be. If they focussed their energies on the slippery slope aspect, perhaps the ad money may have been better spent.

Midnyte_Ragebringer · January 27, 2003, 3:07 pm

I agree with OMGIAMRETARDEDCAUSEALOTISTWOWORDS of what you said. I myself am for the legalization of pot as well as all the other drugs. I think there are OMGIAMRETARDEDCAUSEALOTISTWOWORDS of benefits in doing so. My argument about the ad what that they just tried to put forth one tiny simple thought, that pot can impare the smokers judgement. I believe they were sucessful. All the other tangents everyone has expressed about alcohol being worse, etc. are good, but still doesn't take away from the integrity of the commercial.

Someday the religious right fanaticals who seem to rule the government will wake up to the fact that they cannot stop people from doing drugs. Drugs have been around forever and will be around forever. They need to stop waste billions of dollars stopping it, and instead, make billions regulating it.

Zamtuk · Post by **Zamtuk** » January 27, 2003, 3:20 pm

You stupid fucking asshole, read the title of the thread. ITS ABOUT TEEN PREGNANCY! Now read my first statement, its about sperm being sterilized while smoking pot. You see Midnyte, when a man and a women get together and share a loving moment (READ: Have sex), the man shoots of semen which is made up of proteins and sperm. The semen then searches for the egg which is inside the woman (am i losing you?). After the long journey the sperm finds the egg and fertilizes it. WHAM! The creation of life has just happened! Obviously your dad never gave you the birds and the bees talk. Hopefully now you see the relevence of my original post,and in doing so realize the sheer stupidity in yours. Though I'm almost certain that this chat is falling on your stupid fucking deaf ears from reasons indicated by your dumb ass avatar.

Cheers!

rhyae · Post by **rhyae** » January 27, 2003, 3:35 pm

causes divorce too

Midnyte_Ragebringer · January 27, 2003, 3:50 pm

Zamtuk wrote:You stupid fucking asshole, read the title of the thread. ITS ABOUT TEEN PREGNANCY! Now read my first statement, its about sperm being sterilized while smoking pot. You see Midnyte, when a man and a women get together and share a loving moment (READ: Have sex), the man shoots of semen which is made up of proteins and sperm. The semen then searches for the egg which is inside the woman (am i losing you?). After the long journey the sperm finds the egg and fertilizes it. WHAM! The creation of life has just happened! Obviously your dad never gave you the birds and the bees talk. Hopefully now you see the relevence of my original post,and in doing so realize the sheer stupidity in yours. Though I'm almost certain that this chat is falling on your stupid fucking deaf ears from reasons indicated by your dumb ass avatar.

Cheers!

ummmm yeah. Problem is the thread is about a commercial that ran during the super bowl. Again you are way off. Keep trying though. A for effort, F for comprehension.

Kylere · Post by **Kylere** » January 27, 2003, 3:55 pm

Pot is not a gateway drug, I know many who have smoked pot, but would never do anything else. An addictive personality will try everything, if they try pot along the way that is happenstance, and does not make them try another drug, they CHOOSE to try another drug. There is not one single instance of someone smoking a doobie, then being FORCED BY THE EVIL WEED TO GO SHOOT UP HEROIN/Snort Coke/Smoke Crack. If you cannot recognize this simple reality, then you need to play in a much shallower pool.

Marijuana does not impair judgement. Definition of this, there is nothing I would do straight that smoking a joint would cause me to do. I have never done anything drunk I would not do sober, and no one would either. People that say " I only did it because of the pot or booze" are LYING. They are using their drug of choice as an excuse, it DOES NOT make you do things you would not ever do. The lowered inhibition factor is socially created, there is not chemical backup to the concept at all.

I knew a girl that dated a guy who "was a really nice guy" "would never hit her sober" and it was "only because of booze", guess what people, the guy was a fucking loser who would hit her drunk or sober, he just knew he could pull the wool over her eyes by blaming booze. Just the same as I knew a girl that got stoned then slept the guy nearest to her, she would have slept with the nearest guy, the stoned part just let her sooth her low self esteem later.

Midnyte_Ragebringer · January 27, 2003, 4:00 pm

Kylere wrote: Marijuana does not impair judgement.

Oh. Well wtf then? Why doesn't someone tell these people who make these commercials this information? Boy they sure will look silly when they find this out. Egg on their face for sure.

Kylere · Post by **Kylere** » January 27, 2003, 4:10 pm

Midnyte_Ragebringer wrote:
Kylere wrote: Marijuana does not impair judgement.
Oh. Well wtf then? Why doesn't someone tell these people who make these commercials this information? Boy they sure will look silly when they find this out. Egg on their face for sure.

Truth has always been a victim in the "war on drugs"

rhyae · Post by **rhyae** » January 27, 2003, 4:14 pm

Well pot changes the way you act while your high. So it does affect your judgement. Alchohol is much worse in my opinion though I have seen some people (read ex husband and friends here) so stoned that I wouldn't trust them to butter toast by themselves.
But the "gateway" term is dated and wrong. Old timey scare tactic to brainwash the masses.
The Earth used to be flat and the atom used to be the smallest thing.
Bad Bad commercial /agree

Shaerra · Post by **Shaerra** » January 27, 2003, 5:18 pm

Smoking pot leads to other drugs, period. If you enjoy smoking pot, fine, goody for you, but trying to make it sound as harmless as paprika is bullshit. When my brother started smoking pot, I tried it. It wasn't my thing. No big deal. He kept smoking...he started hanging out with his "pot" friends instead of our "hang out, shoot some pool, go dancing friends". They introduced him to other friends who did X. He started doing X. He didn't have a problem. Perfectly harmless. They introduced him to other friends who id cocaine. No sweat. A little coke is ok, just don't over-do it. They introduced him to friends that did acid. What's a few less brain-cells? No big deal. Hey, have you tried Heroin? Good stuff!

So then he's partying with people who are smoking pot, snorting coke, dropping acid, shooting heroin, taking meth...Meanwhile, I was still just playing pool, going dancing, catching a hockey game, playing EQ.

Now he's dead.

Speculate all you want. I'm living in the reality that all this shit started with him smoking pot, and the ONLY difference between my brother and I is that I didn't keep smoking it. Prior to smoking pot, he didn't do coke. He didn't take X. He didn't take Meth. He didn't do heroin. He didn't drop acid.

Go ahead, continue to rationalize smoking pot as being harmless, just because you like it. I like cheescake, but I don't run around telling people that it won't make you gain weight. I don't even understand the logic, unless it makes you feel less guilty for using the drug yourself. All I know is that people telling my brother that pot was harmless hooked him in. The they told him the next drug was harmless, and so on. And now he's dead. And he's just one out of many that die each day from the hardcore drugs...know what? It fucking started with pot. You don't go from rum and coke to heroin, period.

And people who tell the youth of the world that it's ok to smoke pot are killing kids. Smoke it if you want, but don't fucking encourage others.

Midnyte_Ragebringer · January 27, 2003, 5:20 pm

I'm sorry for your loss Shaerra. I'm sure you don't think pot "always" leads to other drugs, but has the potential of doing so. I figured I'd throw that out there before these tards go off.

Shaerra · Post by **Shaerra** » January 27, 2003, 5:33 pm

Right, it's the potential. The problem is, it's a major potential, and it happens more often than not. And if you ask the hardcore druggies where it all started, you're going to have a HUGE percentage that say pot.

My point is, people shouldn't be telling the kids how harmless pot is. If you tell them that it's harmless, they may try it. If they try it, they may try other drugs. If they try other drugs, they may end up dead. Why gamble with some kid's life?

There is a wall that divides the way drug user's and non-drug user's live. If you don't believe me, quit smoking pot and watch your pot smoking friends slowly stop comming around. (This will be an INCREDIBLY easy test for you pot smokers, since there is nothing addictive about pot, and you can quit any time.

)

-Shae

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » January 27, 2003, 5:36 pm

Shaerra wrote:Smoking pot leads to other drugs, period.

No it doesn't, and you have nothing to prove this theory other than some anecdotal sob story about your brother.

There is no evidence of a direct correlation between the effects of marijuana and making any sort of decision about using harder drugs. People who use drugs like cocaine and heroin and their cousins make a choice to do so on their own free will. There is no insidious chemical in weed that manipulates you into doing harder drugs.

A lot of people who smoke pot are also more apt to try other drugs, this is true. This is because there are certain types of people who will experiment with drugs and there are certain types of people who will not.

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » January 27, 2003, 5:38 pm

Also nice to see Bluntman and Chronic in your avatar

Post by **Sylvus** » January 27, 2003, 5:42 pm

Shaerra wrote:Smoking pot leads to other drugs, period. If you enjoy smoking pot, fine, goody for you, but trying to make it sound as harmless as paprika is bullshit. When my brother started smoking pot, I tried it. It wasn't my thing. No big deal. He kept smoking...he started hanging out with his "pot" friends instead of our "hang out, shoot some pool, go dancing friends". They introduced him to other friends who did X. He started doing X. He didn't have a problem. Perfectly harmless. They introduced him to other friends who id cocaine. No sweat. A little coke is ok, just don't over-do it. They introduced him to friends that did acid. What's a few less brain-cells? No big deal. Hey, have you tried Heroin? Good stuff!

I by no means want to insult the memory of your brother, but the issue here sounds a lot more like one of peer pressure than something in the weed that created an insatiable appetite for harder and harder drugs.

Corona · Post by **Corona** » January 27, 2003, 5:45 pm

Shaerra wrote:Go ahead, continue to rationalize smoking pot as being harmless, just because you like it. I like cheescake, but I don't run around telling people that it won't make you gain weight.

Wait, so are you saying that cheesecake is a gateway dessert? So if you start eating cheesecake, it will eventually lead you to eating harder core desserts, such as French Silk Pie, Reese's Peanut Butter Sundaes and the like?

And don't try that "there's no medical use for cheesecake" bullshit!

Kilmoll the Sexy · Post by **Kilmoll the Sexy** » January 27, 2003, 5:46 pm

There have been some very recent studies involving identical twins that show that pot could well be a gateway drug. The study involved sets of twins where one was using marijuana in his teens and the other was a non-user. There was something like a 60% higher chance for the marijuana smoking twin to move on to harder drugs such as cocaine and heroin. I can probably dig up the link if needed.

I am not against the legalization of pot, but the only people who think it does not impair judgement are people who actually use it. I have known and been good friends with people who smoke more pot in a week than any of you would see in a years time. I am talking Cheech and Chong wouldn't have a prayer against these guys. I have also dated a couple of women in the past who have been very regular users. Some of them have said that smoking pot raises their desire to have sex. I didn't care if they smoked old tires as long as I was getting some.

Kylere · Post by **Kylere** » January 27, 2003, 5:49 pm

Shaerra, don't take this wrong, but if your friend jumped off a cliff, does that mean you have to? People make choices, if they choose to be a addict that is their choice, marijuana does not make you have fevered dreams advertising other drugs, nor does it make you hear voices telling you to get stoned on something else.

Seriously any action YOU take, YOU are responsible for, THC the active ingredient in Marijuana does NOT make you desire other drugs. To insist otherwise is simply insane.

Kylere · Post by **Kylere** » January 27, 2003, 5:50 pm

Kilmoll the Sexy wrote:There have been some very recent studies involving identical twins that show that pot could well be a gateway drug. The study involved sets of twins where one was using marijuana in his teens and the other was a non-user. There was something like a 60% higher chance for the marijuana smoking twin to move on to harder drugs such as cocaine and heroin. I can probably dig up the link if needed

Kilmoll all this proves is that junkies are more likely to be junkies. And straight people tend not to be. Even that study acknowledged this fact.

Mak · Post by **Mak** » January 27, 2003, 5:54 pm

Zamtuk wrote:I'm dumb? Then explain to me what impaired judgement is if it isn't a side effect.

The difference is only a question of semantics and in no way has bearing on the argument itself.

Sirensa · Post by **Sirensa** » January 27, 2003, 5:57 pm

Shaerra wrote:And if you ask the hardcore druggies where it all started, you're going to have a HUGE percentage that say pot.

Keyword "hardcore druggies".

But there are plenty of people who have smoked pot and never touched a harder drug.

Shaerra · Post by **Shaerra** » January 27, 2003, 5:58 pm

The thing is, I don't think it was peer pressure as much as it was curiosity and the increased availability of harder drugs. If you surround yourself with drug users, the chances of you saying "What the hell, I'll try it" increase.

Zamtuk · Post by **Zamtuk** » January 27, 2003, 6:04 pm

Midnyte_Ragebringer wrote:
Zamtuk wrote:You stupid fucking asshole, read the title of the thread.
ummmm yeah. Problem is the thread is about a commercial that ran during the super bowl. Again you are way off. Keep trying though. A for effort, F for comprehension.

What is the title of the thread you dumbshit? You see, titles tend to set the "flow" of the thread. Though that is usually not the case here at VV, one is still expected to stay on topic. The topic is about a commercial describing pot leading to teen pregnancy. Have you taken an American English course throughout your schooling days?

Kylere · Post by **Kylere** » January 27, 2003, 6:06 pm

Shaerra by that logic, hanging around with someone who could swim well, would make me a good swimmer. Hanging around with star trek geeks would make me a star trek geek, and hanging around with liberal canadians named kyoukan would make me a liberal canadian named Kyoukan.

If you are hanging around people taking drugs and it causes you to take harder drugs, would that not in fact make people the gateway, not the pot?

Zamtuk · Post by **Zamtuk** » January 27, 2003, 6:09 pm

I've never had the urge to snort a line of coke after getting high. Could be me though.

Shaerra · Post by **Shaerra** » January 27, 2003, 6:09 pm

Kylere wrote:THC the active ingredient in Marijuana does NOT make you desire other drugs. To insist otherwise is simply insane.

I think we're arguing two totally different points. I'm not saying that molecular make-up of pot makes people want to do other drugs. I'm saying that the people you hang out with are different, and these "different" people may do other drugs and offer other drugs. The person that tried the pot may say "Hey, pot wasn't as bad as everyone said it was. I'll try crack". Sure, they may say "No, I don't want to try crack", but to insist that surrounding yourself with drugs makes you less likely to die from a drug overdose than someone who doesn't surround themself with drugs is simply insane.

Fash · Post by **Fash** » January 27, 2003, 6:10 pm

Nonsense to the gateway bullshit. It's what the person makes of it.

I've been smoking for 7 years, I've never touched another drug, and I never will. Every other illegal drug can kill you in 1 dose, or has horrible withdrawal effects. Legal Pot is the clear solution.

noel · Post by **noel** » January 27, 2003, 6:12 pm

I understand pefectly. You're not (any longer) saying pot is a gateway drug.

You're now saying that people who smoke pot are the gateway to more serious drugs?

Kylere · Post by **Kylere** » January 27, 2003, 6:15 pm

Yeah what Aranuil said up there

Post by **Sylvus** » January 27, 2003, 6:15 pm

Shaerra wrote:If you surround yourself with drug users, the chances of you saying "What the hell, I'll try it" increase.

To me, that's pretty close to being peer pressure. The people around you (your "peers" if you will) doing something and it leading you into doing it yourself. Someone doesn't have to be forcing something on you, saying "Dude, try it!" for you to feel the pressure of wanting to be part of the crowd.

I just disagree with people using the term "Gateway Drug". I do not disagree that there is a pretty good chance that most people that use the more hardcore drugs have used or do use marijuana. But it's not a causal relationship by any means. If you're open to trying something that has a decent chance of killing you to get really fucked up, you're proably open to trying something that won't kill you and will get you a little less fucked up.

Chidoro · Post by **Chidoro** » January 27, 2003, 6:16 pm

Shaerra wrote:The thing is, I don't think it was peer pressure as much as it was curiosity and the increased availability of harder drugs. If you surround yourself with drug users, the chances of you saying "What the hell, I'll try it" increase.

I have to agree. I wouldn't say it's something inherent in the pot itself as Ky said, but rather, your increased exposure.

Like most everyone here, I've seen people who were regular users back in college. They do slow down over time. Lethargic really.

I would like it to be legalized though. Just tax it and clean it up so that what you purchase isn't such a mystery. Remove the stigma attached to it. I haven't tried it in over eight years. I wouldn't mind giving it a go again w/out the repercussions of potential job loss. Right now, it's just not worth it.

Zamtuk · Post by **Zamtuk** » January 27, 2003, 6:19 pm

Thread of the day!

Shaerra · Post by **Shaerra** » January 27, 2003, 6:27 pm

Aranuil wrote:I understand pefectly. You're not (any longer) saying pot is a gateway drug.

You're now saying that people who smoke pot are the gateway to more serious drugs?

No... You don't understand perfectly...

I'm STILL saying that pot is a gateway drug. I'm just saying that some (yourself and Kylere included, apparently) see the term "Gateway Drug" as meaning "A drug which forces you to take other drugs" (I fail to see the logic in this definition) and others see the term "Gateway Drug" as meaning "A drug which directly or indirectly leads to the use of other drugs".

Stop trying to bait flames just so you can call me an attention whore, it's getting old.

Shaerra · Post by **Shaerra** » January 27, 2003, 6:35 pm

Gateway:

1. An opening or a structure framing an opening, such as an arch, that may be closed by a gate.
2. Something that serves as an entrance or a means of access.
3. Software or hardware that enables communication between computer networks that use different communications protocols. Also called router2.

I'm using definition number two...I have absolutely no idea where you folks came up with your definition.

noel · Post by **noel** » January 27, 2003, 6:36 pm

Seriously, seriously... I have better things to do than bait you. I'm trying to discuss your assertion, and I don't think I've been rude about it.

You can use that gun analogy we've all heard, 'Guns don't kill people, people kill people.' I mean sure, if guns weren't available, there'd be no problem, but really it's guns getting into the wrong (irresponsible/malicious) hands that's the problem.

You could say the same thing about drugs, 'Drugs don't kill people, drug abuse kills people.' It has more to do with the individual involved, and their implementation. I know enough recreational users of marijuana that have not, and will not ever do another drug it's not funny.

As an interesting side note, I don't smoke, have never touched any kind of drug other than cold medicine, and drink to a state of drunkeness maybe 4-5 times a year. I have friends that do drugs, but I don't. Why would that be?

Edit: The point I think everyone's making is that it's not the drug that's the problem or 'gateway' if you will. What makes a person take drugs in the first place? What makes them stop hanging out with good people, and start hanging out with bad? What makes a person make the wrong decision when they know it's wrong? What makes a person abuse drugs, instead of just using them?

Personally, I think genetics plays a large part in the way different people can react to the same drug, but that's just me.

Shaerra · Post by **Shaerra** » January 27, 2003, 6:43 pm

Aranuil wrote:I have friends that do drugs, but I don't. Why would that be?

I didn't say pot smokers convert all of their friends and family to crack addicts with a 0% failure rate.

Zamtuk · Post by **Zamtuk** » January 27, 2003, 6:44 pm

Bullshit, I don't, and will never see pot as a gateway drug. I have smoked pot before, but nothing more. I know drugs--including pot--are bad, and I also know the extent of most drugs. I CHOSE not to do coke/crack/ecstacy/etc. and I believe everyone else has that same CHOICE. It's all in the minds of those who do it.

Kylere · Post by **Kylere** » January 27, 2003, 6:48 pm

There is a difference between bait and debate.

You still say that marijuana in fact as of itself causes one to move to other drugs, therefore it is a gateway drug.

If you do a positively controlled test in which peer pressure is removed, this is clinically impossible. Your definitions are flawed, and overwhelmed by propaganda rather than fact.

Shaerra · Post by **Shaerra** » January 27, 2003, 7:06 pm

Stop trying to defend him. He was sarcastically saying that I'm changing my story. That's not debating, that's being an ass.

And yes, I still say that people who smoke pot regularly have an enormously larger chance at getting involved in other drugs than people who don't smoke pot. I don't see how anyone could even think about challenging that fact.

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » January 27, 2003, 7:10 pm

Shaerra wrote:Stop trying to defend him. He was sarcastically saying that I'm changing my story. That's not debating, that's being an ass.

And yes, I still say that people who smoke pot regularly have an enormously larger chance at getting involved in other drugs than people who don't smoke pot. I don't see how anyone could even think about challenging that fact.

Because there is absolutely no medical or psycological evidence to support it? Or do you mean other than that?

Mak · Post by **Mak** » January 27, 2003, 7:14 pm

What she is trying to say- I think- is that if a person is of the mindset that smoking pot is ok, that same person will in all likelihood be more inclinded to do other drugs than a person that is not a pot smoker. It's not guaranteed, obviously, but it is more likely.

The 'gateway' would be acceptance of the idea of drugs in the first place, with pot being the first of several steps into that mentality.

Xzion · Post by **Xzion** » January 27, 2003, 7:15 pm

those commercials are fucking stupid, id move out of the US
god damn hypocrites

and POT IS NOT A GODAMN GATEWAY DRUG, i smoke pot on a regular basis, never tried any other drugs or had the desire too sides shit like wild daga etc, and most of the other pot smokers i know have never had the desire to touch any other drugs

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » January 27, 2003, 7:17 pm

Shaerra wrote:
My point is, people shouldn't be telling the kids how harmless pot is.

-Shae

Shaerra's point is a good one. While I think pot is on the same level as alcohol as a drug, how pot is introduced to kids is what's causing the potential harm. Kids are introduced to Pot by their friends saying it's harmless etc. A proper approach would be better educating the adult community and presenting pot as an alternative to alcohol with many of the same possible harmful effects as alcohol.

Be responsible. Treat pot like alcohol and get the message across that pot, like any mind altering substances, needs to be carefully monitored.

Of course that's only half the battle. The are a zillion reasons why people use drugs as an escape and no simple solution to putting a stop to abuse. Our approach to introducing and discussing drugs can be changed though.