Obama to end the war on drugs?

[Eddie Teach]

It figures that two guy from Edmonton with brain cells being killed off by the cold would agree on this issue.

Hey, aren't you an avid skier? 

[OttoVonBismarck]

Never smoked pot, I was little scared off by how many people I know who do smoke pot claim almost with pride that their memory is shot.  My brain is my biggest asset, I try not doing things that would damage it.

I only smoked pot very occasionally in my youth, but I do not believe it is associated with permanent loss of long or short-term memory. Instead, while directly under the effects of marijuana and from the scientific literature, 1-2 days afterward, a poorly understood biochemical process causes degradation of short-term memory. It goes away completely after a day or two, and at least in my experience has never been noticeable more than 12-18 hours later so it must be mild after that.

I think a lot of former potheads just think it's funny to blame ordinary human forgetfulness on the fact they used to be potheads. And members of "pot culture" who generally get baked at least once a day probably do have persistent memory problems because they are never going more than 1-2 days without smoking.

FWIW I've never understood why people enjoy smoking it. I never got the physical pleasure/euphoria sensation that alcohol produces and many times when I was at parties or something smoking just made me very, very sleepy. I guess the mild cognitive changes it causes appeal to people whose idea of fun is to lay on the floor listening to music or watching cartoons...and in my partying days that was not at all what I considered a good time. I liked to be out on the town or at big house parties doing something, and being baked just isn't compatible with that.

[Razgovory]

Never smoked pot, I was little scared off by how many people I know who do smoke pot claim almost with pride that their memory is shot.  My brain is my biggest asset, I try not doing things that would damage it.

I've always considered my brain my biggest liability, though I don't think recreational disorientation will help that.

[KRonn]

I don't smoke pot myself, and I find most pot culture fairly unappealing. Still, legalizing it makes sense from my POV. In addition to the basic libertarian argument, which has some merit, I think removing a massive source of income for organized crime is very important. Transferring some of that income to the state in the form of taxation is good, even if it's as simple as the income tax generated from the now legal pot growing and distribution businesses. And, for the US, stopping the massive waste of human capital by incarcerating people for pot is a pretty strong argument as well.

That's pretty much my own point of view also. I don't use pot, never have except to try it out a couple of times so I'm not a supporter of it but have little issue about it. Also, too many people have been given felony records for personal use of pot that haunts them in job seeking and such for decades after.

[garbon]

FWIW I've never understood why people enjoy smoking it. I never got the physical pleasure/euphoria sensation that alcohol produces and many times when I was at parties or something smoking just made me very, very sleepy. I guess the mild cognitive changes it causes appeal to people whose idea of fun is to lay on the floor listening to music or watching cartoons...and in my partying days that was not at all what I considered a good time. I liked to be out on the town or at big house parties doing something, and being baked just isn't compatible with that.

One doesn't need to have a rager every night.

[Maximus]

Languish is full of squares, film at 11.

What are we, 15?

[Iormlund]

Languish is full of squares, film at 11.

No kidding.

[The Larch]

Languish is full of squares, film at 11.

What are we, 15?

Some people here seem to have been born already in their 40s.

[crazy canuck]

It figures that two guy from Edmonton with brain cells being killed off by the cold would agree on this issue.

Hey, aren't you an avid skier? 

Yes, and as noted many times I live where there is no snow and mild temperatures.  As Neil and BB demonstrate repeatedly in this thread, long term exposure to cold temperatures can have devestating impacts on one's cognitive abilities.

[crazy canuck]

Marti is full of it.  If he really wanted to experiment he lived how may minutes away from Amsterdam at one point?

Should I have taken a 2-hour train to Amsterdam on my own, to try a new drug

like I said, you are full of shit when you say that you want to try it...  You could have and I bet you could still easily do so.

[derspiess]

Languish is full of squares, film at 11.

What are we, 15?

Some people here seem to have been born already in their 40s.

[OttoVonBismarck]

I have no idea where you'd buy marijuana if you weren't acquainted with users or dealers.

[Grey Fox]

I have no idea where you'd buy marijuana if you weren't acquainted with users or dealers.

kijiji

[crazy canuck]

I have no idea where you'd buy marijuana if you weren't acquainted with users or dealers.

Its been said before and its apt to say it again.  It is revealing just how sheltered some Languishites are.  I dont know any dealers.  I know one person for sure who uses.  I have no idea how he gets his stuff.  But I could walk out my office and get some weed if I wanted it with no trouble at all.  All I would have to do is walk until I smelled someone smoking it, which happens several times on my afternoon walks out of the office, and ask that person if I can buy some from him or if he knows where I can get it.

For a guy who seems to know a lot you seem to be pretty naive when it comes to this.

[DGuller]

Languish is full of squares, film at 11.

What are we, 15?

Some people here seem to have been born already in their 40s.

It could also be due to differences between Southern European culture and Anglo-Saxon culture.  The former values hedonism, while the latter values having a civilized society that functions well.