<p>^XD wonderful point.</p>
<p>Firstly, i never said anything good about drug dealers.</p>
<p>Secondly, Smoking pot is not murder, robbery, etc. It doesn't kill anyone. </p>
<p>About your morals, it sounds like you're willing to ***** anyone over to achieve in your life. My issue is that when these kids cheat, it really doesn't effect you. For all you know, that kids family life isn't conducive to doing homework. </p>
<p>As for the thoughts i have about government, it didnt say it wasnt necessary- all i said was that it was evil. Hence the term "necessary evil". Laws are just the voice of the majority, but i believe that the majority of people are stupid. Therefore, why should i follow laws?</p>
<p>
[quote]
About your morals, it sounds like you're willing to mess anyone over to achieve in your life. My issue is that when these kids cheat, it really doesn't effect you. For all you know, that kids family life isn't conducive to doing homework.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>And you've deduced that about me from what? 2 posts maybe? Whatever buddy.You don't know anything about me. For all you know, MY home life isn't conducive to getting homework done. But I still do.</p>
<p>FYI, my mom hasn't been able to take care of me since I was 7 years old due to extreme Rheumatoid Arthritis. My dad stays holed up in his office all day working, and my sister just doesn't care and/or is never home. Like I said, you don't know anything about me or my morals.</p>
<p>Doesn't kill anyone? What about the guy who gets stoned and then goes and gets in his car? Or the guy who gets stoned and then goes to his work driving heavy machinery? Or operating on people? Or flying a plane?</p>
<p>What? What are you talking about.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Driving and smoking marijuana, no corrolation. Study done on it, somewhere in those links, go check.</p></li>
<li><p>Umm....I don't know anyone who would use heavy machinery baked.</p></li>
<li><p>What surgeon do you know that smokes pot? Don't you get tested as a doctor?</p></li>
<li><p>Flying a plane isn't that difficult, I've done it before.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Regardless, those are all absurd situations (except the driving thing), and you are taking things way to far.</p>
<p>To enderkin:</p>
<p>That's because you haven't seen how other people have to get by. When you realize how hard the world REALLY is to some people, even things like having a dad in an office all day is NOTHING compared to what some people go through, to some people selling gets them by. I didn't say it was good or bad, but you gotta survive...by any means necessary.</p>
<p>Really. You flew a plane. Without a pilot's license.</p>
<p>Yes, the world IS really hard to some people. But let me tell you right now, there are always other options. I know several people that have BEEN homeless and ON the street. In fact, Long Beach has one of the largest homeless populations in the COUNTRY. My senior class's Class Project is to eliminate homelessness in Long Beach (by teaming with the City Council, which already has a 10-year plan in place). But you know what? None of the people that I have known ever dealt. Like I said, you always have other options. It's just about how hard you're willing to work. Dealing drugs seems like such a cop-out to me.</p>
<p>Now you'll probably flame me, but that's my opinion.</p>
<p>Lol, all those poor people who fell victim to tragic pot related machinery accidents. There was actually some little segment on BBC I think that had a guy go through a driving course sober, and then later while high and his reaction time and overall driving ability were not imparied. (I'm not advocating that driving while high is without possible risks, but it certainly is not as bad as DARE wants you to think.)</p>
<p>I can't resist putting in my 2 cents. </p>
<p>I'm 22. I'm a pretty smart guy. I've done a lot of drugs, with marijuana being my favorite. It didn't work out too well for me. </p>
<p>Anyhow, this is how it works. Programs like DARE and TV commercials exaggerate the risks of pot. So once you experiment with it in your teen years, and realize it doesn't turn you into a blood thirsty zombie. For many, pot remains a controlled recreational activity and continue about their lives. However, others delude themselves into thinking that pot is completely harmless; in fact, some naive kids such as the OP start to think of marijuana as a virtuous activity. They become obssesed with defending marijuana. They smoke constantly, and during high school, many continue to do well. After a while it catches up. They realize that they are self-medicating. They loose interest in activities, their friendships suffer, and they have lower levels of energy. Their social circle is defined by one activity. They spend inordinate amounts of time seeking out connections and many, if not most, start to deal to support their habit. Their tolerance is so high that they don't get much of the original effect of marijuana. Yet they slave away just to support a silly habit. As they get older, they realize that smoking pot is immature. Sure, adults smoke pot, but short of guys who stock the shelves at Blockbuster, no well adjusted adult thinks smoking pot is cool or virtuous. </p>
<p>Trust me, I don't know a single pot head at my age who has an enviable life. It DOES catch up. Again, recreational use is one thing. But just as with alcohol, some are simply predisposed to form addictions, even if the addiction is just mental.</p>
<p>I think the lesson of this is that in moderation, pot obviously isn't that harmful.</p>
<p>Clearly, if you abuse something for years, it will catch up to you. Ask drinkers, smokers, or even people who eat too much about their experience abusing various substances.</p>
<p>I would never advocate driving/working under the influence, though i too agree that the effects of marijuana are less devastating to your driving skills than alcohol.</p>
<p>Marijuana is a DISTRACTION, just like talking on a cell phone- i wouldn't want my surgeon doing that either.</p>
<p>As for selling, there is a huge difference between selling crack or heroin and pot. The first two are highly addictive, and SHOULD be illegal. Once you start, you often don't stop. Dealing drugs is an easy way to make money,and</p>
<p>Also, its easier to fly a plane than to drive a car: there isnt anything to crash into in the air, whereas cars have plenty of things you need to avoid.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
Really. You flew a plane. Without a pilot's license.</p>
<p>Yes, the world IS really hard to some people. But let me tell you right now, there are always other options. I know several people that have BEEN homeless and ON the street. In fact, Long Beach has one of the largest homeless populations in the COUNTRY. My senior class's Class Project is to eliminate homelessness in Long Beach (by teaming with the City Council, which already has a 10-year plan in place). But you know what? None of the people that I have known ever dealt. Like I said, you always have other options. It's just about how hard you're willing to work. Dealing drugs seems like such a cop-out to me.</p>
<p>Now you'll probably flame me, but that's my opinion.
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>Yea, you aren't allowed to take off or land, but besides that you get complete control of the plane (obviously the pilot can shut you down whenever though). You can get like a day pass.</p>
<p>Some things seem like a cop out to you, but until you are IN those situations yourself you can't comment. It's like saying a woman who is a prostitute is worthless, yet you don't know her circumstances. I won't comment on this issue because its stupid to debate back and forth.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
I'm 22. I'm a pretty smart guy. I've done a lot of drugs, with marijuana being my favorite. It didn't work out too well for me.</p>
<p>Anyhow, this is how it works. Programs like DARE and TV commercials exaggerate the risks of pot. So once you experiment with it in your teen years, and realize it doesn't turn you into a blood thirsty zombie. For many, pot remains a controlled recreational activity and continue about their lives. However, others delude themselves into thinking that pot is completely harmless; in fact, some naive kids such as the OP start to think of marijuana as a virtuous activity. They become obssesed with defending marijuana. They smoke constantly, and during high school, many continue to do well. After a while it catches up. They realize that they are self-medicating. They loose interest in activities, their friendships suffer, and they have lower levels of energy. Their social circle is defined by one activity. They spend inordinate amounts of time seeking out connections and many, if not most, start to deal to support their habit. Their tolerance is so high that they don't get much of the original effect of marijuana. Yet they slave away just to support a silly habit. As they get older, they realize that smoking pot is immature. Sure, adults smoke pot, but short of guys who stock the shelves at Blockbuster, no well adjusted adult thinks smoking pot is cool or virtuous.</p>
<p>Trust me, I don't know a single pot head at my age who has an enviable life. It DOES catch up. Again, recreational use is one thing. But just as with alcohol, some are simply predisposed to form addictions, even if the addiction is just mental.
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>Erm... one of my best friend's mom is a dean of a high school (or principal whatever you call it where you are from), has a jaguar, and leads a highly active social life and she smokes almost daily. Anyone can make big claims, and for every claim you make I know another person who is just as successful who DOES smoke. The point? There is no corolation, taken in moderation a person can lead a perfectly normal social life.</p>
<p>Second, lol who are you to call me some naive kid? I've seen things you couldn't possibly imagine coming up in some suburbia somewhere. I've got a very hardboiled perspective on the world. Also, I don't run around defending pot, that's the point of this thread, to debate this topic. </p>
<p>By the way my social circle has only grown since I've started smoking (which it has nothing to do with, its called being outgoing!), and I've only become MORE motivated to do well and all, so no, I'm not "self medicating", whenever I feel bad or angry I work my problems out before smoking, smoking just complicates things as you then continuously think about it.</p>