Little sister beginning to step away from ''the right (drugs)'' path.

[Joey Ray III]

it's your fault for being an idiot for asking yourself "why not"?

you should know weed is "ok"

but other drugs aren't and you should never try them unless like I said you can control but those shits are addictive

psychedelics are not physically addictive (shrooms, LSD). MDMA is, but the comedowns can be pretty nasty which keeps many people off. Biggest danger with pills these days is that, unless you test, you got no fucking idea what's in them. Binging every week doesn't help either, rule of thumb for MDMA is once every 3 months; every week is just fucking asking for serotonin syndrome. do not.

be smart about your drugs and they will not hurt you.

[Kasierith]

Ahh you see there are people who just don't want to try drugs, not because of media attention or negative stories but because it doesn't interest them. 9/10 these people are still quite drug tolerant though, they don't mind them and they are happy to let other people take them and enjoy themselves. Those people are at least honest and I respect that. It's the whole drugs are bad because x, y and z crew that generally are arguing a point that much scientific literature will either dismiss completely or is blown out of proportion i.e. MDMA makes wholes in your brain (when actually it doesn't, the images released with that campaign were of depleted serotonin in the brain that regenerates in a few days).

Than we are in agreement on this. I think this is a trend that is reversing, however, as more and more people drift away from tedious customs and instead on progress and self interest. The fact that two states have decriminalized marijuana is especially heartening, as does the federal government's response to this despite the fact that it is still illegal to possess marijuana there. If anything, legalization makes it significantly safer, as that way the presence of marijuana as a gateway drug is greatly hindered. The only worry that I have is that underground organizations will turn to harder drugs when it is cut off, although from everything I've observed they aren't particularly connected to the marijuana market to begin with.

As for things that are obscure or strong e.g. Krokodil (a drug only really seen in a junkie population in Eastern Europe), heroin, crack, PCP etc. are not exactly easy to come by. Hell I go out clubbing every weekend and do work for nights in underground clubs where drugs are rife, even if I asked dealers who I know sell hundreds of pills, coke, ket, acid, 2CB etc. I would be VERY hard pressed to find any sort of person who even knows a dealer for the highly addictive and heavy drugs out there. They simply aren't easy to come by for a reason, it's just common sense not to take it. Though as a side note, there are a shit load of people out there who take things like heroin and lead a normal life, just because junkies get all the attention and others are reluctant to admit they take them, doesn't mean they don't.

It's spread somewhat throughout the world, though luckily the media concerning it was immensely negative from the start, deterring people away from trying it once they heard of it. The scary thing about Krokodil, though, is how extremely easy it is to make; with my knowledge of sterile compounding and chemistry, I could probably make a highly purified compound with miscellaneous substances around my apartment. The states are very lucky that people heard of it first in a negative light, instead of a positive one. As for heroin and crack, ultimately it depends on where you are... an addicted population is one that pays you a lot, and so there are a number of underground organizations with a direct interest in distributing it. Overall, there are more cocaine dealers arrested than any other illicit drug distributor.

[Flaks]

psychedelics are not physically addictive (shrooms, LSD). MDMA is, but the comedowns can be pretty nasty which keeps many people off. Biggest danger with pills these days is that, unless you test, you got no fucking idea what's in them. Binging every week doesn't help either, rule of thumb for MDMA is once every 3 months; every week is just fucking asking for serotonin syndrome. do not.

be smart about your drugs and they will not hurt you.

Here's a better idea: Don't do drugs.

[Sheadeo]

Depends on the drug. Weed isn't bad so long as she doesn't smoke it every day and is somewhat responsible with it. Psychedelics are okay in my book so long as you don't abuse them either. Hard drugs like meth, cocaine, heroine, are a bad bad thing though.

I agree that meth, cocain, and heroine, are really bad things. but even if she smokes weed every day, as long as its not interfering with her life, then no worries.

I smoke weed every damn day to manage my ptsd, and to mange my daily nausea, and my chronic pain from nerve damage in my spine and hip. I was doing my finances last night high off my ass. and normally math fucks hard core with me. but I could unsderstand it last night just fine.

it also helps me when Im working out at the gym. alowes me to focus more. and it hels me push past what I normaly could not.

[Destruktion]

Marijuana is not disabling, and aspirin can kill you if you take too much, as well as interact negatively with other drugs. For example, I have to get an endoscopy next month and I can't take aspirin for a week beforehand because it could greatly increase the chance that the endoscope will perforate my esophagus and kill me. For someone with a blood thinning disorder, aspirin is a very dangerous drug. Are you saying sex isn't intoxicating?

All drugs have negative side effects. One major difference between marijuana and Aspirin is that one is meant to help a physical ailment, the other is (USUALLY; we are talking about recreational, not medicinal marijuana) taken to get fucked up.

I don't consider sex to be intoxicating in the same way that marijuana is intoxicating. Sex doesn't (usually) impair short-term memory, increase social isolation, impair mathematical/logical abilities, and generate paranoia.

[Paulosio]

If it's only Marijuana I really wouldn't worry about it. I know lot of people who started doing that around 14 and they all turned out fine with jobs and many of them are happily married with children now.

[Kasierith]

Here's a better idea: Don't do drugs.

Even as someone who dislikes taking harmless legal medicines like ibuprofen, much less significant mind altering substances, I have to ask.... why?

[Eliandal]

Even as someone who dislikes taking harmless legal medicines like ibuprofen, much less significant mind altering substances, I have to ask.... why?

Because harmless or not...gateway drug or not...unless you live in certain countries and/or have a medical certificate (and even that in some places doesn't help) it IS still illegal - and in many countries is a serious offence. Going through life is already difficult enough. Why add the stigma of criminal convictions on top of it!

[Fugus]

Here's a better idea: Don't do drugs.

I don't do the traditional drugs but you aren't getting me to stop eating chocolate till you pry it from my cold, dead hand.

FYI: Chocolate contains.
1. Anandamide: an endogenous cannabinoid found in the brain. Anandamide is a neurotransmitter that targets the same brain structures as THC, the active ingredient in cannabis.

2. Theobromine: a stimulant frequently confused with caffeine. Theobromine affects humans similarly to caffeine, but on a much smaller scale.

3. Phenylethylamine: earned the nickname 'chocolate amphetamine.' High levels of this neurotransmitter help promote feelings of attraction, excitement, giddiness and apprehension. Phenylethylamine works by stimulating the brain's pleasure centres and reaches peak levels during orgasm. Chocolate has the highest concentration in any food of phenylethylamine, which is the chemical produced in the brain when a person is in love.

& if its MILK CHOCOLATE, heres another:

4. Casomorphins: peptides, i.e., protein fragments, derived from the digestion of milk protein. The distinguishing characteristic of casomorphins is that they have an opioid effect.

which makes it a drug as well. So that statement of yours falls flat when you realize just how many foods you would have to stop eating just to accommodate that request.

[Austilias]

20 pages in and people are still peddling the myth that marijuana is harmless whilst accusing others of propaganda. At first I was considering watching an episode of Black Adder for some laughs but this thread continues to suffice.

[Deleted]

OMG stop making BS on weed if you don't know what you're talking about...............Weed doesn't lead to anything else then weed or hash. THAT IS ALL

I don't know why I'm bothering to reply to this, but I will.

I don't say it always does. I say it can. When you are purchasing cannabis you are exposed to other drugs. Either by your dealer suggesting them to you, your friends deciding to experiment and peer pressure to join in, being offered them at parties or plenty other methods. If you weren't smoking weed and moving in these circles the opportunity is much less likely to arise.

If anyone could pop down to the local supermarket or chemist to pick up some cannabis the "gateway" aspect would be greatly reduced. Certain people would still be looking for a bigger high but a much lower percentage of cannabis users would be exposed, or have an easy opportunity, to move on to other drugs.

I do not think the smoking of weed is the most hazardous part of smoking weed. The method to aquire it forced by it being illegal is the biggest issue. But since it is illegal I consider the danger I associate with aquiring the cannabis to be part and parcel of smoking it.

Perhaps it's more the terminology that is causing disagreement here. Rather than "Cannabis is a gateway drug" it should be "The illegality of cannabis creates circumstances which lead to an expsoure to other drugs causing more people to try them".

[Deleted]

If you really are concerned then warn her of the legal repercussions, but don't try to stop her as she is no longer a baby. If she get's in trouble she will hopefuly learn from her mistake.

[Fugus]

20 pages in and people are still peddling the myth that marijuana is harmless whilst accusing others of propaganda. At first I was considering watching an episode of Black Adder for some laughs but this thread continues to suffice.

No one is saying it is completely harmless (that I have seen) but it is more harmless than many stuff the world does not regulate or outlaw as it is deemed virtually harmless. More people have died from tap water overdose than marijuana overdose (FYI: Zero have died directly from weed use).

[ShimmerSwirl]

I moved away from home when i was 17 (Moved in with my girlfriend)
5 years later i am still together with her (everything is awsome)
I came home to visit my family together with gf, only to find that my little sister has begun experimenting with drugs.
How should i handle this? she is still a little baby (jsut turned 17) and i am 22.
- i am feeling sad -
Found out while teasing her (am her big brother after all) by taking her phone to see if there was something in there i could use to tease her, only to find that her and her best friend were planning to ''smoke'' this new year.

I like how you being 17 makes you an adult capable of moving out and her being 17 makes her a baby.

[Joey Ray III]

Perhaps it's more the terminology that is causing disagreement here. Rather than "Cannabis is a gateway drug" it should be "The illegality of cannabis creates circumstances which lead to an expsoure to other drugs causing more people to try them".

yap. makes sense to me.

[TheFNK]

It's not that marijuana is dangerous or addictive (you'd have to be really stupid/willfully ignorant to believe that tripe). It is just that at 17 you should be doing important stuff. And one thing that marijuana does do is destroy motivation. She's at a poor age to squash her motivation to better herself and at that age it is more important than ever to do so. It may not be physically addictive and it may not be harmful to your health but it is harmful to your long-term prospects on life. If you talk to her about it just don't bullshit her with the same War on Drugs garbage they pushed off on us. Tell her the truth. Not that bad but still a bad idea at that point in time.

[Boogar]

Damn, that derailed into pro-/anti-marihuana flame war quickly

This isn't the best place to go for an advise about such topic as you have both protagonists as well as opponents in this community, which is just gonna result in major disagreements

Go find out what she thinks about this topic and discuss, if she has at least some sense of responsibility and moral it should be just fine.

[Neazy]

Smoked weed for the first time when I was 13. Continued to smoke and do other drugs regularly in high school. My SAT score taken when I was 17, going on 18, was just shy of 2000. You can experiment and not have it ruin your life.

If you're concerned, say so, but leave it at that. You can't stop her. Fighting it will, at best, have no effect at all, and at worst you could push her into doing drugs just to spite you.

Edit: This thread isn't about how harmless weed is. People who abuse weed to the point of neglecting other responsibilities can end up in just as bad of a position as people who do real drugs. Sure, you won't die from weed, but having a shitty life because you chose to smoke weed instead of having goals and interests outside of drugs is a real possibility. There's nothing wrong with the OP being concerned.

[starkey]

Starts off as weed then she moves onto harder drugs then what? anyway she aint a baby anymore let her choose her path if she wants to be cool and smoke weed then its up too her.

[Sheadeo]

20 pages in and people are still peddling the myth that marijuana is harmless whilst accusing others of propaganda. At first I was considering watching an episode of Black Adder for some laughs but this thread continues to suffice.

I am saying physically it is completly harmless. you cannot physically take enough to do harm to your self beyound falling alseep. ive posted a few things in this thread trying to educate people.

now mentally, if you already have an addicting personality, then ya, it could potentially have an adverse effect. it still wont kill you, and its alot better to be addicted to weed, then alcohol. but the same thing would happen if you had run into say, alcohol, or meth, your first time around. but that addicting personality will fuck with you any way, no matter what you get addicted to. hell, you could get addicted to cheese.

as for it being a gate way drug. literally, the only reason its a gate way drug is because its illegale, and alot of the times the dealers are selling other drugs. not that you smoke the weed, and instantly want to try other things.

http://www.letfreedomgrow.com/cmu/Gr...istJan2012.pdf

educate your self.