Sherye - Do ALL drugs harm the users? I mean, come on - sure there are abusers, just as there are people who abuse alcohol, who are chronic gamblers, who are addicted to sex or risky behavior (such as riding bulls). It seems to me the approach in the last couple decades is a lot like making all those potentially abusive activities illegal.
Wouldn't we be better off educating people to the "true risks" (instead of the phony hype) and gradually phase out the laws which have pointlessly made benign substances such as marijuana illegal? So what if grandpa wants to grow some weed and smoke a few blunts with his buddies and reminisce about the good old days?
BakerStreet - Getting high is as old as human culture, by a variety of means. I'm sure opium use in China pre-dates Christ. Everyone doesn't drink alcohol SOLELY for it's intoxicating effects, but it is certainly one of the primary desirable affects - if you are serious about that argument you hang out with some unusual people (IMO). And you must not have paid attention to driver's ed - one drink can affect your judgement! There are a great deal of similarities - the social aspect, the ritual (sniffing the your glass, swishing it around), etc. Intoxication as you say is one aspect.
Some of our great artists were avid recreational drug users. Familiar with
Absinthe ? Cool stuff! I have a different view - that supplementing one's reality with anything is the pinnacle in creativity. It requires getting out of your box, finding something outside the box that you use on the box itself, which in effect modifies the box, changing your perception of what is inside and outside. It's a very natural desire. Some would say - it is what humans were designed for. Geez, are we going to next outlaw action movies because it causes a chemical reaction of heightened endorphin release?? (not to mention skydiving, etc, etc)
deidoll - I think you have the right idea - too bad it's not as easy to implement as typing the words, eh? And what do we do about the horrific drugs like heroin?
