Roger

You are more political that I am.... "not STRICTLY accurate" .... LOL

ZERO correct!

It may sound like I am a pot smoker myself.... Been there done that back in my 20's..... no desire to make my youth come to life again as I am happy with who and where I am today!

As per your comment "over time pot causes Paranoia" .... I personally differ with you. There ARE those who "show" their pararoid tendancies when they are high..... but looking back at the many people I partied with in my 20's - it is clear that the ones who became paranoid when using pot were in fact paranoid before they did too.

I can think of more than one example of that.....

You may be correct that there are those that become paranoid..... but I venture to state that they had those tendancioes before pot use too. As you councel them and help them quit pot smoking - they also become stronger people in general and you may see the paranoia dissapear after they kick the habbit...... the question is - "did the fact they stood up to make a personal change end their paranoia problem..... or was the quiting the pot that caused the end to their paranoia". I venture to guess it was your conselling made them stronger people.

Some people can not drink coffee and go to sleep.... Me I can have 3 cups and go to bed and sleep well. Some people get hyper after sweets.... others don't.

Looking back at my party friends from my 20's - there are some that got into chemaical drugs heavy and stayed there.... some who quit and live a happy healthy productive life. Some have quit pot.... while some still smoke it daily and they lead normal productive happy healthy lives.

As you can see.... I neither condone nor condemn pot use. The main thrust of this forum was "should it be legalised".

Even though I doubt it will be legalised - I think it should be. The side effects of so many pharmecuticals are much worse and much more addicting than pot.

The drug trade is larger and more violent in the chemical drugs than it ever was when pot was the main drug in the underground movement..... in fact pot is not even part of the drug underground as it was. Grow ops are every where and most of the growers today only grow for a few friends..... there are very few HUGE ones any more.... and imports from Columbia etc. are now Cocaine and Haroine (mostly) and others along that line.... chemicals.

All in all - the war on drugs is serious when it comes to chemical drugs. The victoms of addiction to chemicals is a huge burden on society both in policing and in rehab...... and even greater to the family structure and harmony in society.

Pot - simply does not fit into that "dangerous zone" as the chemicals do....

 The saddest part of this issue to me is many of those addicted to chemicals started their addiction with doctor perscribed drugs.. the so called safe and legal ones. CRAP!!!

That is my main beef shared with this thread.....

Behavior problems you speak of - we will never really know if they we caused from pot use - or if pot use simply weakened their ability to hide a problem that was already there.

I'm glad I personally left that "party life" behind, but that does not mean I condemn pot use at all.

Love Light and Laughter

Neil Sperling

Neil,

We agree to differ.

My aim in life is to see everyone fulfill their potential and I feel that, to do that we need to be completely in control. Our potential is huge and if only everyone knew that.

We so often start out by being liberal and understanding and then end up by promoting rather than being seen publicly to be bigotted.

You are a balanced and intelligent man and I no more claim to be right than you do. I would just love to know what it is in mankind that needs to turn to substances to cope with living.

Man always has, and probably always will, looked for ways to numb or lift or distort his decisions and responsibilities, I just wish I knew why.

Roger

Roger

You and I are not that much different.

"My aim in life is to see everyone fulfill their potential and I feel that, to do that we need to be completely in control. Our potential is huge and if only everyone knew that."

I think and feel the same way as you on that statement.

To understand why mankind searches outside themselves as you say to numb, lift or distort life may be a surprise for us to know.

I've read a number of Carlos Castaneda's books..... and there might in fact be a key to answer your question "why?" in his books.

I'm fortunate to have been exposed to meditation and through practicing meditation and fasting for spiritual reasons, I've experienced awareness expansion and moments of divine bliss that can not be explained.

I believe that mans search for the deeper spiritual meaning to life may be one reason why some seek to escape/numb/ignore their life..... but they do so not conscious as to why.

This could be a topic without end......LOL

In Castaneda's books - his final book explains that the student of Don Juan (Carlos) had experienced highs through Peyote Buttons (Mescaline I believe)  only to show him that there is another level of consciousness ..... but that continued use of the Peyote  Buttons would hamper rather than enhance his growth.

There may be some truth to that......

I too - wish I knew the answer to WHY?.

I CAN tell you, that I have experienced moments in meditation that gave me a much higher high than I ever experienced in my years of partying like a rock star.

Thus - I end most of my posts with the statement "Love Light and Laughter" for a much deeper reason than just a greetings end.

"To go within, to touch unconditional love, to experience a moment of ineffable light and laugh at life ---is a new beginning I pray everyone has the chance to experience!"

So...... I say to you Roger my friend

Love Light and Laughter

Neil Sperling

Sorry Rodger but i think Neil has had some of those same experiances as i have in my 20s and even earlier like around 10 years of age, but i dont blame my family for my enititives that turned out to be bad vices and all of then turned into health reasons now being 41 i have the body of a 50 year old, so im paying for my mistakes and you want to know why we feel so strongly about our ideas and conserns about canibus or any other "so called" drugs plus the ones prescribed by Dr. Feelgood? No skin of my nose if one cant see what this does to us as a society, with the taxes and sertintly with the familys, i posted somewhere else about this subject and i think i will stand with my position too. Thank you for your reading into this Guys. God_bless you. Happy Holidays. Thomas

Bless you guys,

THIS IS AWESOME and so enjoyable to read!  Thank you!

Being the coward that I am, I think I will divide myself and stay in all 4 corners of the ring.  lol

I read truths in each of your points of views, and since I firmly believe we are all at different levels of truths, I learn from each and respect them all.  I have never walked in your shoes, nor you mine.

I just LOVE you guys...........now, back down the rabbit hole.  hehe



Merry Christmas and Hugs,  Jill