EconomistDon wrote:
Alcohol is far worse than pot. I've seen many lives destroyed by alcohol, from broken marriages, damaged livers, heart attacks, wasted paychecks. ........... I've also observed that it is genetic. Some people have trouble with alcohol and others don't. Those who do, start drinking and can't stop until they pass out. Others can stop any time they want and usually do. I luckily never inherited the bad alcohol gene, I have a vineyard and produce over 200 gallons of wine each year. Dry red wine helps keep my heart healthy; I very rarely actually get drunk. For those with the bad gene, they can't do this. If they drink at all, they become effectively addicted and must drink every day to excess.
Pot is different. Pot is not addictive, but it does does interact with people differently based on their genetics. If someone is predisposed to drugs, they will do pot and then move on to harder drugs, just as reefer madness warnings of the 1950s claimed. Those not predisposed genetically will not move on to harder drugs and will smoke pot as often or as little as they want without negative consequences. Those with the bad genes will get wasted and stay wasted, accomplishing little, but not damaging their health. Those with the good genes will enjoy and potentially benefit from the drug. I have children now so I don't get high anymore, but I must say that I had my most brilliant flashes of insight while high. By that, I mean that I was an innovator on the job. I made many leaps of logic that resulted in new development, moving my organization and me forward. Those leaps of logic were almost always from flashes of insight while high.
Good or bad results from alcohol or pot are dependent on the individual and his genetic makeup. I am fortunate to have good genes.
Alcohol is far worse than pot. I've seen many liv... (
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It's a store, if you will. Those selling the "pot" will also have access to all the other drugs. This is the REAL reason it becomes the "gateway" drug. Yes, I know there are those that become dissatisfied with the pot high and move on. Hell, I tried just about any drug that was passed under my nose. Marijuana however, was the only one I sought after.
I was raised by a hateful angry hurting alcoholic mother, after my father died, the "buffer". About 15 years later, I married an alcoholic (the "mechanic" and 1st generation German too!). When I meant him, he was a happy drunk. By the time I was done, 7 years later, he was an angry drunk.
One year into the marriage, I demanded a divorce (my mistake, he was a good man) and started drinking myself. Up to that point, I knew not life without alcohol in it. Alcoholic chaos was all I knew. How does the non-drinker cope? What choice did I have? Well, after swimming around in the bottom of a variety of bottles (once one made me puke, I'd move to another flavor) for not quite five years, it stopped numbing the pain. At that point, there was simply no reason to drink. That all ended over 25 years ago.
I still haven't fully recovered from all the destruction alcohol has caused in my life. I overcame it, but getting "over it" is a daily process. I caused a lot of pain and destroyed at least two lives, one being my own.
Having said all that, I still enjoy a good Margarita, while out to dinner, but that doesn't happen but rarely. Or a glass of good red wine at Christmas, usually of a variety served through desert!
To my understanding, alcohol, heroin (Opiod) and nicotine are the only truly addictive drugs. Methamphetamine may belong in that category as well. But, there is nothing "herbal" (naturally grown) used to produce Meth.
Just today I listened to a report about the "hemp seed" having the properties to boost our bodies ability to heal itself (I can't recall the biological term... Endocrine maybe?). That we need to eat them, as well as in FRESH plant form, the younger the plant, the better. This property is transformed when the plant is cut to be dried for smoking, when it then becomes "toxic". If I recall correctly, this "discovery" was made by Israeli scientists.
Anyway, probably more than two cents worth, but since you asked.