*****drugs Warning*****

[Ripsaw]

I don't know how I can classify my parents as they were neither easy going or strict. I can recall making a lot of my own decisions about what I wanted to do and the direction I wanted my then teenage life to go.

 

My school taught me a lot about self disipline and responsibility. Achievement as an individual and as part of a team was very much in the forfront of of the schools methods, we wanted to do well, not to let ourselves and our friends down. Those who struggled were not passed over, but helped by staff and their fellow pupils.

 

Away from school, I had the chances to experiment with cannabis, alcohol, and solvents such as glue and lighter gas. One of my closest friends as I was growing up even injected neat vodka to get his highs. He did aknowledge that only the smallest of ammounts was needed as it wasn't diluted by passing through the stomach first. He was on the dole at the time so was finding ways to make stimulation last longer with his limited funds.

 

Everytime I was faced with the chance to join in his and other's "fun" I declined.

 

When faced with the choice of being what my school was making me into, or what I perceived my friends away from school were becoming, I opted for the former.

 

I saw many of my school friends develop and prosper, I saw many of my home friends become involved in crime, harder drugs and basically adopting a life of poverty and the in some cases the sort of despair and squaller that is usually only seen on the evening news.

 

One of the people who I used to hang about with occasionally in my formative years is now dead, murdered (belived to have owed serious money for drugs). Another basically sent himself crazy. I saw him when he was still in his early 20s and he looked in his 40s.

 

Despite these memories and images I still try and maintain an open mind when I heard the comments "Drugs should be legalised" and "Drugs are safe". As I said early in the thread, we on the Island have a good standard of comfort. Those who want to buy cannabis or Ecstasy and consume them can do so without affecting upon the lives of other people.

 

I don't support the "Gateway" theory even though I saw once friends search for bigger and better ways to get their kicks. They chose to seek the next level and at one time they had the choice to stop doing what they were doing.

 

Maybe Cannabis and Ecstacy are not major drugs when compared to ciggarettes, alcohol, heroin, cocaine etc.. but I choose not to partake, I choose not to glorify them, but I also choose not to be critical of those who do, whilst still not being happy when I hear or read that many are happy to partake in something based on it's "coolness".

 

I have friends now who I look up to, who smoke weed and pop the odd tablet now and again. I don't critisize them or judge them as I do consider them well informed and intelligent enough to weigh up the pros and cons of their actions.

 

We are pretty lucky living on this Island. Peer pressure may exist just as it does in "other places" but generally the social pressures don't.

 

Forgive me if you think I have rambled too much, I just wanted to say that not all lives are cheerful and rosey, not all lives are above falling through the floor.

[ans]

ans, i said doesnt do, not never has.

 

So what were you implying when you say "the ignorance of your views", "I will be prepared for it if it were to happen, which you will not", "you have no idea about the subject"? You haven't got a clue about me, my past or my own experiences.

 

a very informed decision? don't make me laugh.

 

Again, what puts you in the position that you think this is a laughable claim? When you actually know something about me, and the life I've lead, you might be qualified to dispute my claim.

 

But until then, you're nothing more than a misinformed berk.

[Minnie]

Sorry to go off thread for a minute...............but I was wondering if anyone's seen my dummy, I spat it out a while back and can't seem to find it. I'd really like it back cos I'm going straight to bed after my knitting club and can't get to sleep without it!

 

And BTW would anyone like to buy the lovely jumper I've been knitting? I've dropped a couple of stitches but I am only learning!

[Observer]

Thats a tad unfair Observer.

Reading through this thread it appears Minnie has argued her point very well (in my opinion).

 

I think post #145 could be the one Minnie is referring to where the implication is made, though I'm sure she'll let me know if I'm wrong!

 

I'm sure you have a contribution to make to the debate also, but it does appear that at times you are more concerned about trying to trivialise the opinions of others, and not for the first time, you have rounded on Minnie in a quite patronising manner.  That is getting boring too.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Yes, well you might not feel that way if you had received the rather unpleasant and direct Private Message she sent me, a lot earlier in the day than post 145 of this thread ..... anyway... whatever! I can't be arsed with it.

[WilDDog]

Mo Beats Wrote

 

no way, but if i had no choice like you wouldn't, Id at least make it so she could speak to me about it, which yours won't, they'll be down some back ally with a needle in their arm.

 

I don't think that comment was warranted at all do you? and please don't tell me it has to be taken in context.

[P.K.]

The problem I have with any unlicensed drug is the formation of the black market to make it available, the pushers. A lot of this very sincere and well-informed debate seemed to revolve around the vulnerability of the impressionable young and how it can be difficult to communicate effectively with them (so what else is new) and the fact that there are some who are well in control of their lives so they can puff the odd weed and drop the odd tab with no danger of becoming either addicted or criminalised. Yes I accept that there are problems with excessive alcohol and tobacco but in the main excessive most things will lead to trouble.

 

The problem for me is what happens in between. The person who supplies your weed or your tabs is also able to supply just about everything else. Now they don't want you taking the odd E. They want you on opiates which are highly addictive and have the largest margins ie they are the pushers best revenue stream. So when they supply your weed they do it as a loss leader to try and get you on something else. That is their game and you only have to see the number of addicts to know they are very good at it. "I haven't got any of X, why not try some of Y....." and so on.

 

So if you take ANY form of drug you are already dealing with scum who want you addicted. Of course, someone knows someone else who gets their supply from the vicar etc etc but surely it would be best to avoid the whole lot altogether?

[the mo beats experience]

QUOTE(the mo beats experience @ Jul 29 2004, 05:44 PM)

ans, i said doesnt do, not never has.

 

 

 

So what were you implying when you say "the ignorance of your views", "I will be prepared for it if it were to happen, which you will not", "you have no idea about the subject"? You haven't got a clue about me, my past or my own experiences.

 

 

QUOTE

a very informed decision? don't make me laugh.

 

 

Again, what puts you in the position that you think this is a laughable claim? When you actually know something about me, and the life I've lead, you might be qualified to dispute my claim.

 

But until then, you're nothing more than a misinformed berk.

nice.

ans don't mis-interpret what i say, and read it with the whole thread, not just the small portion that you want to to make me look bad, don't call names either, sure-fire sign ya onto a loser. what knowledge of the subject do you have to be so narrow-minded then, pray tell?

 

I've just re-read this topic and I don't particularly see these extreme views that you claim I have.

 

This post has been edited by Minnie: Today, 06:16 PM

that'll be because you've back-tracked and edited your posts that much that even you can't remember what you've said, anyway you are irrelevant, sick of your closed mind, i am.

 

QUOTE

no way, but if i had no choice like you wouldn't, Id at least make it so she could speak to me about it, which yours won't, they'll be down some back ally with a needle in their arm.

 

 

I don't think that comment was warranted at all do you? and please don't tell me it has to be taken in context.

 

perhaps, but worst case scenario and all that, not just his children, it could be mine or yours, i just don't agree with the dictatorial approach. i don't in any way hope or think that that would happen, i'm just taking it to the extreme, no offence meant, please don't take offence. you see what i'm saying though?

[the mo beats experience]

The person who supplies your weed or your tabs is also able to supply just about everything else. Now they don't want you taking the odd E. They want you on opiates which are highly addictive and have the largest margins ie they are the pushers best revenue stream. So when they supply your weed they do it as a loss leader to try and get you on something else. That is their game and you only have to see the number of addicts to know they are very good at it. "I haven't got any of X, why not try some of Y....." and so on.

 

sorry, but that is a myth, no truth in it, the suppliers of crack or heroin are frowned upon by dealers of E or weed. they are regarded as scum, much the same as anyone against E or weed on this thread.

[Cret]

So if you take ANY form of drug you are already dealing with scum who want you addicted.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Granted that's true when it comes to a large number of illicit drugs but it is not necessarily the case.

 

If people who smoked weed were allowed to grow their own then where would be the harm in that (aside from their possible memory loss/lung problems etc)? No dealer getting rich from it, no-one having to nick stuff to keep themselves stocked up etc.

Almost a similar thing with magic mushrooms. They grow out in the wild over here, cost nothing, and someone who scoffs a few in the privacy of their own home isn't doing any harm to anyone else and is fairly unlikely to do any harm to themselves assuming they aren't already in a poor mental state or eating them until the cows come home.

 

I agree with what you're saying in the main part, just pointing out it's not always the case.

[P.K.]

How very interesting that the two responses above are at such different ends of the spectrum. That leads me to believe that those posting don't know the full story. If they did then they should probably agree.

 

In MY experience the pushers are EXACTLY as I have described.

 

So your experiences are different. Lucky you.

[the mo beats experience]

sorry, i just don't agree with you, sorry yours were pushers.

[P.K.]

In MY experience the pushers are EXACTLY as I have described.

 

So your experiences are different. Lucky you.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

There you go. It is not really that you don't agree with me because it is not a point of view but an observation. Our experiences are different, that's all.

[the mo beats experience]

agreed.

[thebees]

Oh such strong debate. I don’t actually have any comment to make I thought I would have loads to rant and rave about but I guess I just grew out of it all. The pro'ing the con'ing - E's are great fun, no E's are great fun - I think 'pants to the laws' if that’s what you want to do - enjoy, if you don’t, just accept the whole drugs thing as a different way of life, like being a rock climber or diver perhaps.....

 

at his grans

 

Ha ha ha Mo, tickled pink, Sunday afternoons round Mrs C's having lovely cups of tea. Aye the good old days, how crazy they were.

 

It is wise to be informed as a parent, I hope my daughter feels she can approach me. It is also wise for drug users to be properly informed. A friend of a friend of a friend, collapsed on GHB (or whatever it is) one night, the police who attended didn’t know what GHB was, I thought they were supposed to control these things - how can they do that if they don’t know what they are controlling?

[Cret]

How very interesting that the two responses above are at such different ends of the spectrum. That leads me to believe that those posting don't know the full story. If they did then they should probably agree.

 

In MY experience the pushers are EXACTLY as I have described.

 

So your experiences are different. Lucky you.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Opposite ends of the spectrum how exactly? I don't think they really are, but aside from that I don't see it as all that interesting being as we've already seen a wide variation of experiences, theories & ideas on this subject already.....

 

And why would people who have been subjected to the same information necessarily share the exact same opinion or views on the matter?

 

I have to confess that I don't actually know any real 'drug dealers' or 'pushers' personally myself but it is my understanding that those who operate on a very large scale are perhaps as you describe with the harder, nastier, more addictive stuff, but quite likely as Mo Beats says not really the case when concerning the kind of drugs being discussed here largely. If I'm a little wide of the mark then forgive me but I don't have the kind of 'experience' directly of the people who pedal these things as you say you have from your comments.

 

Most of my comments were actually asking you where the harm would be in the situations I've described above, where the kind of 'pusher' you describe would be taken out of the equation.

Like I've said before I'm neither really pro nor anti drugs as such as I've been there/done that (as part of 'growing up' I suppose), enjoyed it but left it alone as it's not especially my cup of tea so it makes no difference to me whether they're legalised or not. I'd be interested to hear your comments about the situations I mentioned in response to your earlier post though.

 

I hope that doesn't sound like I'm being funny with you. I'm not, just thought your comments were a little, odd.