From: lacasse0296@rogers.com   
      
   I have had for a very long time a very strong desire to voice my opinions   
   on legalizing pot. Anyone out there that thinks pot is evil or criminal has   
   obviously never been stoned! I want to make a comparison...if you had   
   a room full of 50 people who's drug of choice was alcohol (yes...it is a   
   drug) and they were all getting drunk to have a good time...what do you   
   think you'd find in that room by the end of the night?   
      
    Well in case you have never been to a gathering of this sort...let me fill   
   you in. You'll have those who are crying on someone's shoulder telling there   
   sob story, you'll have those couples who get drunk and jealous and beat then   
   crap out of each other and you'll also have the testosterone filled males   
   who   
   decide that now that they're drunk everyone's looking at them funny and they   
   decide they want to pick a fight. I have to say though...that there are   
   quite a few that do stay happy...but they still don't act the same as when   
   their sober.   
   Typically even the happiest drunk can get too loud and overly friendly. Most   
   will drive away as drunk as they are and some of those will actually make it   
   home. Of those who do...there will be a good number of them that will go   
   home miserable and depressed and those who go home to beat on their wife   
   because some drunk guy hit on her. These are all possible scenarios...and   
   trust me...I've been there and I can promise you they're very common.   
      
   However...you take another group of 50 people who's drug of choice is   
   marijuana and they decide to get together to have a good time (no one here   
   is drinking). What do you think you'll see by the end of the night there?   
   Well again...let me educate those who've never been to a strictly smoking   
   party. You'll have those who are sitting in a corner paranoid because they   
   think everyone's in the place is staring and making comments. (These people   
   are rare...they're usually people who are paranoid about how they look to   
   begin with...pot can amplify the paranoia factor). I've also seen one or two   
   who may have a panic attack (usually self induced by their own paranoia).   
   However...the majority of those people will be huddled into groups laughing   
   and joking and telling funny stories...etc.   
      
   Fact remains...pot is merely a mood altering drug...makes you mellow and   
   giddy for the most part. Where as alcohol is a mood altering and in my   
   opinion   
   mind altering. I mean I've said and done things when I was drunk that I   
   never   
   would have done sober or even stoned. But yet...society still believes that   
   pot   
   is criminal....how? why? When you put it up there by itself for   
   analysis...of course   
   you can find a number of things about pot that you can criticize...sure you   
   may   
   not feel like doing house work and such after smoking and smoke itself is   
   harmful....but when you compare it to the other more socially acceptable   
   drug (alcohol)..well lets see we have:   
      
   *Organic complications involving the brain, liver, heart and other organs.   
   *Overdose, suicide, homicide, car accidents and other traumas.   
   *Digestive-system disorders such as ulcers, inflammation of the pancreas,   
   gastritis and cirrhosis of the liver   
   *Serious problems from physical and nutritional neglect, such as anemia   
   *Central and peripheral nervous systems damage, including blackouts,   
   hallucinations, tremors, alcohol withdrawal syndrome, delirium tremens and   
   death.   
   *Damage to unborn children (from even moderate drinking), including birth   
   defects, mental retardation, learning problems and fetal alcohol syndrome.   
   *Psychological and interpersonal problems, including impaired thinking and   
   judgment, changes in mood and behavior, marital problems, child abuse,   
   impaired     social relationships, scholastic problems, job problems, legal   
   problems, and financial problems.   
   *Last but not least...Hangovers.   
      
   However Marijuana:   
      
   *depersonalization   
   *changed body image   
   *disorientation   
   *acute panic reactions   
   *paranioa   
   *some cases of dilerium and hallucinations have been reported...however such   
   cases raise suspicion that may have been laced with something like   
     PCP perhaps.   
      
   Marijuana's effect is primarily behavioral because it affects the central   
   nerveous system. Many people use it because of its effects of euphoria,   
   feeling of relaxation, increased visual, auditory and taste perception. Why   
   based on all this have they not legalized pot yet? It's by far a lot less   
   harmful than alcohol. I'll tell you now...I would rather be married to a   
   "pot head" than an alcoholic any day! I don't think there's anything wrong   
   with drinking in moderation...that being said...I don't understand how   
   someone could choose to think someone who smokes weed deserves a criminal   
   record. Especially after you've compared it to booze!   
      
   I'm sure most people in this newsgroup agree with the above. I've just bee   
   dying to get that off my chest! Hope ya'll are flying high! :)   
      
   Melanie   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)