From: lacasse0296@rogers.com   
      
   I have a hard time believing that no one has even responded to my post.   
   Doesn't anyone have an opinion on the subject?????   
   Mel   
      
   "Melanie Lacasse"  wrote in message   
   news:zorNb.31348$ZuL1.304@twister01.bloor.is.net.cable.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)