sarah_is_happy said:
I'd appreciate it if people like yourself weren't so judgemental. My decision is exactly that - my conscious decision, and it doesn't involve you. People like you grow up to be old and bitter, simply because you somehow manage to find offence in other people's decisions, especially ones that don't effect you, and have nothing to do with you.
So unless I 'beat you up' on some 'drug-induced violence spree', then keep your judgement to yourself. It just adds tension to the world.
And in the remote possibility that you were serious, then thanks. I do hope it is a positive experience for me.
Luke_D said:
But why do you feel the need to experiment in the first place?
The only benefit I can possibly think of (and trust me it was hard) for taking drugs of that sort are the social benefits with the people that would most obviously be doing it with you.
Personally, I wouldn't put myself in that situation/environment in the first place to feel the need to do it because other people are.
I feel the need to experiment because I live by the philosophy of achieving as much as you can in life; having as many new experiences as you can. We are only down here for a relatively short period of time, you may as well make the most of it.
The benefit of taking a drug for recreational purposes is to induce a new perspective on the world around you, to try something new. Take a break from reality, so to speak. It may or may not be your cup of tea, but I believe that if drugs are used in an appropriate setting, at an appropriate time, with harm reduction as the basis of your experiment, then they are enjoyable. I am basing this on alcohol - I was cynical at first, but after trying it, I really enjoyed it. Apparently, using a substance to enjoy a different feeling isn't limited to alcohol, and I'd be willing to give other things a chance, provided they are done safely.
I find people who drink yet look down upon people doing other drugs very hypocritical. They do the same thing - intoxicate the subject, and alter reality for that subject. The only difference between alcohol and say, marijuana, is that marijuana appears to produce a more mellowing effect, and is used more in quieter social settings. Not to mention that it is much safer. Simply because a government or media outlet portrays something as 'bad', as a human, you have no right to judge a user of, say, a drug, unless you have tried the substance in question, or are directly negatively effecting you (in which case it is the person's fault, not the drugs). Getting drunk, in terms of what you are doing (using a substance to promote a sense of altered perception), is no different to taking an Ecstasy tablet, smoking marijuana, or shooting heroin. Once again, I'm not promoting drugs and their use (
particularly not heroin), but I am illustrating that those who do drink and yet judge those who are on a different drug are extremely hypocritical.
Finally, if I end up trying marijuana (which I'm definately NOT going out of my way to do), it is the result of my own decision, which has not been influenced in any way by others. Presuming I try it, it will be with a friend who has used it before, who is able to identify and help me through understanding the altered perception I will presumably be experiencing. It is meant to be an experience, as opposed to an impulsive, peer-pressured decision. I don't care less if it makes me a more or less sociable person, as I'm not going to be taking it in an environment where I will be required to be sociable. I have no interest in expressing my state to others, unless they enquire about it post experience, and as far as I'm concerned, this will be private, controlled, safe experiment involving my psyche, perception, and marijuana.
I don't care whether people take drugs or not. It's your life, do what you want with it. However, I am opposed to misinformed, opinionated ignorance, and the judgement of others without any sort of consideration of what their attitudes and perspectives on a certain situation/substance might be. So before you go on a witchhunt for the sub-human evil that are drug users, consider the fact that they are normal people, who have differences in attitude and decision making to what you do. And before you start pulling generalised or embellished 'information' from Today/Tonight, a Current Affair (etc.), or yourself, take time to read up on the SCIENTIFIC FACTS regarding the issue. They aren't diluted with agenda and perspective. They tell the truth, with as little bias as possible.
If you are considering actually making your own assumptions about drug use and drugs in general (as opposed to 'learning' from many of the notorious sources I have previously mentioned), try places like
www.newscientist.com , which makes non-biased, scientifically based reports, that have REAL evidence to back them up, and
www.erowid.org , which is a non-profit web institution designed to educate the public on the truths of psychoactive substances and their use, with case studies, scientific report and analysis, and user comments and experiences as the basis for informing those who wish to learn.