<p>Some seemingly benign substances, such as our common salt and refined sugar, are not 'harmful in small amounts' but the bad effects DO accumulate over time. Same is true of preservatives, food additives, environmental pollution, prescription and over-the-counter drugs, and, yes, pot.</p>
<p>For that matter, a single cigarette is not going to harm you, so you could say the same about cigarettes. But wait, what's wrong with this picture? We all know that cigarettes ARE harmful, and VERY harmful!</p>
<p>I think it is inaccurate to use the term 'in small amounts.' Even small amounts can be very damaging over time. And, what is a 'small amount'? It's very subjective. I've heard people say they didn't drink 'much' since they 'only' had 1 or 2 drinks every night. But that is more than enough to turn them into an alcoholic! Is a single pack of cigarettes a day 'much'? Some say it isn't much, but then watch them end up with lung cancer after many years. Is getting high every night using pot in 'small amounts'? Yet that is enough to impair judgment and make one less motivated. Some of these effects are difficult to quantify.</p>
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Why does everything have to be either/or?
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<p>The discussion was partly about how some people think pot is so awful and pot-smokers are scum, yet they drink. Hypocritical. So that led to some discussion about which was worse.</p>
<p>what I have observed in my experience is that the most harmful thing to come from the usage of either pot or alcohol is that it consumes people in the mindset that one or both of these things is needed to have a good time. I use neither and still manage to be a funky cool cat (if i may say so myself hehe). But, i have so many friends that have become convinced that using extraneous substances are necessary to have a good time.
AND people, when drinking or smoking pot don't realize how stuuuuupid they look from the outside. they really do. </p>
<p>i have a lot of friends who've been brainwashed by DARE. they're absolutely convinced that people who smoke pot are "stupid, stoner pot-heads" and are worthless to society. </p>
<p>personally, i think pot should be legalized. it has no serious side effects, it's not physically addicting, and it's NOT a gateway drug, despite what DARE and the like claim. i mean, sure, some marijuana users turn to more serious drugs, but the good majority don't.</p>
<p>"it's NOT a gateway drug, despite what DARE and the like claim. i mean, sure, some marijuana users turn to more serious drugs, but the good majority don't."</p>
<p>And the really dangerous part is actually when people who've gotten the wonderful DARE education, having "learned" that pot can kill from fifty paces, meet someone who's smoked pot (or smoke it themselves), find that they are still alive and unharmed, and start believing that the more legitimate arguments raised by DARE against alcohol and hard drugs are equally misleading. This has gotten a lot of people I know in trouble.</p>
<p>Very true! That's why I am against adults feeding their kids BS. And then they are surprised and oh so shocked when their nice kid is doing that horrible thing smoking pot. While they sip their drinks and revel in their hypocrisy and self-righteousness. I told my kid the truth about pot. It has enough bad things about it to stay away from it, without adding lies.</p>
<p>i love the last two posts and i agree completely. i feel slightly guilty in saying they look stupid because i dont want it to be misinterpreted as "stoners are stupid". most of the people i know that do pot are extremely intelligent and nice people. what i meant was more along the vein that when high or drunk, they act ridiculous. i'm slightly all for personal autonomy and that if you're going to do something stupid you should be able to remember it and have no substance take the blame or credit for what you did. i hope that clears some stuff up. i personally like to remember when i act crazy...and then have the bragging rights to say "yeah...i was totally sober... that's what i'm really like lol." </p>
<p>also, i think getting addicted (whether physically or psychologically) is based very much on addictive personalities. i know i'm addicted to gum. i chew gum because or else i am convinced i would be a chain smoker lol (smoking is baaaad!)</p>
<p>That's ok. When I smoked pot 25-30 years ago, it most definitely made me stupid. No one could tell, since I had a job as a computer programmer while going to school with a 4.0 GPA. But, I was stupid. Foggy. And I remember very little of it. What a waste.</p>