Posted by Marcus on April 12, 2002 at 15:09:08:
In Reply to: Re: To continue posted by MH on April 11, 2002 at 14:06:36:
>It's not the 'addictiveness' that would change, it's the availability. You would see the same phenomenom if they were to lower the drinking age to 18. You would end up with a generation of young people who were alcoholics only because they could now do something legally that had always been frowned upon. It wouldn't be the overall number of users, it would be the excesses of use.
Legalizing drugs doesn't mean promoting them. Just because Tobacco is legal doesn't mean it isn't frowned upon. Negative ad campaigns are a contributing factor in the decline of tobacco usage.
> Again, to my first point, drug use isn't that big of a deal within these societies, therefore there isn't such a 'glamour' associated with use. Just look at Germany with beer - kids drink it but it's not a big deal to them, therefore they don't overdo it.
Our society isn't that much different from the other civilized societies of the world. Drug use wouldn't be so glamorous if it was legal. Much of the glamor of drug use in kids is that fact they are rebelling by doing an illegal activity.
> The argument that has always cracked me up is that pot isn't an addictive substance yet most of the people I know who use the drug, use it on a daily basis.
Most of the people I know who smoke pot either no longer do or do so very infrequently. I myself haven't pot in 6 or 7 years. I think the reason you only see the "potheads" is because those are the most visible drug users. The professional consensus of the medical community is that pot is much less addictive than alcohol
>I've seen many a 'report' with claims about the wonderfulness of pot vs alcohol. But reports, surveys and the like can all be manipulated in many ways to either prove/disprove different theories. Many of these reports/arguments are just attempts for potheads to give themselves a 'pat on the back' because they are doing what they 'believe' is right.
No question, stats and polls and can be bended any way you want them, but most are done in a scientific manner by very serious and educated people.
> Recreational marijuana use is currently against the law. If you use it, you are breaking the law. You may not agree with it but you are going against society.
Yes, it is against the law but that doesn't mean it is against society. You yourself linked to a report that showed nearly half of all high school seniors have tried pot. I've see similar studies showing more than 50% of the U.S. has tried pot. I think in this case the law is against society.