I disagree with the bolded part - alcohol is testable for under the influence while marijuana is not. How can we reasonably legalize a substance that we know impairs someone with no true way to test for under the influence?
There is a device in the uk just about to be used that will do just that
It uses cocaine and ecstasy as examples due to the fact that both metabolise like alcohol and leave ones system causing blood tests to be negative by the time they were processed.
Yup, I read your entire post - I'm an English teacher, so reading is no problem for me.Didn't infer at all, as I spoke directly to the issues that you mentioned.
As point of clarification, I will not pass judgment, nor question medical marijuana patients at all, as they are ill. I am only speaking about people who choose to do it for recreation, as it sounds like you do, from the info you have provided. All of the recreation people, are making it very difficult for the ill people to get the medicinal marijuana around here, and that is problematic. I don't believe that legalizing will make a difference in that respect, and that is why I voted the way I did.
We won't get into the differences between book smarts and life smarts...but in my world, there is no difference, as you still have chosen to put a recreational drug into your body.
I based my answer on exactly what you wrote. I never said you smoke everyday, as you particularly mentioned that you didn't. Despite you feeling otherwise, it is still problematic (you can argue with our public health nurses) that you feel the need to smoke up to "unwind" - regardless of whether it's daily (although that would be an addiction), or monthly, the reason/s you smoke up is what we deal with in our students.
I am not comparing you to my students who smoke up everyday either, in terms of how you may present cognitively as a marijuana smoker. I didn't say that it was related to a noticeable difference in intelligence, but you can refer to my above answer in regards to life smarts vs book smarts, in relation to your personal choice to smoke up. Daily smokers are burnouts, but you may never truly know what your brain is capable of, when there are drugs involved.
As an aside, you are lucky that you don't have paranoia or judgment issues either. And I absolutely would ask someone how their judgment is after consuming a glass of wine, as alcohol is a drug, just like marijuana is, so it affects your brain, plain and simple. Come on! That is why you smoke up in the first place. If it weren't, you woudn't waste your time. A hot fudge sundae does not affect your brain, by the way.
You have done whatever research you needed to, in order to justify what choices within yourself, and there is nothing that I, nor anyone else can say about that. Obviously, you did not read any of the links that I provided, but they really are good in terms of a non-lecturing style. They present evidence from a scientific angle, that is easy to understand, about what drugs do to our bodies and minds based on the active ingredients, and their ability to alter our minds. You feel that smoking marijuana occassionally is ok, and compare to other drugs, but my question is this: why do people need drugs (medicinal aside) in the first place? My students do the same thing - they try and convince us that it's ok to smoke up as it's natural, and cocaine or heroine are so much worse. Why are these the only choices?
This is what we teach our students. We teach them that you don't need drugs to alter your state of being, unwind from a long day at work, or to get over a breakup with their boy/girlfriend. You are an adult, so you can do otherwise, but in our world, we need to let them know that despite the fact that there are legal or illegal drugs available, it is not necessary to partake in them at all.
And, as related to the medicinal part of the question, all of the recreational users are making it very problematic for the medicinal users to get what they need. Canada is having huge issues with this, as people are selling their licenses, doctors are fudging documents, and medicinal users are giving it away to friends/family.
Thanks for the discussion, Tiger
So, basically you are also saying that ANYONE who has a glass of wine with dinner, a drink at a bar with friends, a beer while watching the football game is not life smart?????? 
Personally, I don't think that person needs to justify anything to anybody. They claimed that they do not operate vehicles or heavy machinary under the influence. They claimed they do it in moderation in the privacy of their own home. They claim they are an adult and a productive member of society. So why should anyone judge them for choosing to smoke a little pot to unwind in the privacy of their own home every once in a while???
The population you are working with sounds like night and day to the poster to described themselves. You are talking about CHILDREN who, from what it sounds like, have far greater issues than the pot they smoke and sound like they are utilizing the plant for different reasons than this poster. This poster is (I'm guessing) an adult.
I also don't understand why you immediately thought to infer that this poster has a problem just because they said that they do it to relax after a long week at work sometimes. It is SO common in our society for people to say "What a hectic day-I need a glass of wine to unwind" or "Come on and I'll buy you a drink to cheer you up" "Let's have a drink and celebrate!" I hear these phrases every week from my co-workers. Do I think they have a drinking problem for saying that? Absolutely not! They are grown ups who obsessionally drink and socialize with their friends to unwind.
I also disagree with your statement about the sundae. Virtually everything you ingest is going to change your brain chemistry, including the nutrients or artificial junk in foods that people ingest.
I do not think there is wrong with indulging in any of these things-pot, alcohol, caffeine, junk food-as long as it is done in moderation. Do you think everyone who eats a hot fudge sundae every once in a while has a deep rooted problem?? Or possibly just the ones who binge on 3 of them 5 days a week or as a method of soothing a life stressor?
& as for this statement:We won't get into the differences between book smarts and life smarts...but in my world, there is no difference, as you still have chosen to put a recreational drug into your body. I found that to be a very rude remark toward that poster. It sounded like you are saying that person is not smart....yet you also claim in your post that you are not judging them
Sorry, but I cannot find one thing wrong with a poster like that smoking a little pot in the privacy of their own home. Who are they bothering???
I am not afraid to say that I also smoke pot every so often. I am also a productive member of society and live a very fulfilling life. I choose to do these things because I am grown up and I have a very healthy attitude toward my life choices. I also indulge in a beer every once in a while. I do these things in the privacy of my own home while socializing with my friends and my significant other. I sometimes have a beer in a bar or a restaurant. I would never think to drive under the influence of anything. I would never go to work high, because of the simple fact that I am a mature adult. I also live in a state where marijuana is considered "decriminalized" (recreational or medical). Meaning, unless I am carrying a huge amount on me, I'm not going to get more than a fine if a police person were to ever find it on me. Some people at my workplace are aware that I smoke sometimes, but I work in an environment where I'm not going to be judged for what I choose to do in my own home. I can certainly understand why the other poster chooses not to tell their co-workers. Given your own assumptions of this poster, I'm surprised you do not understand why they would choose not to share that info either.
I think you are basing the use of marijuana on your own experiences and not on the real picture of how non-dysfunctional people (who are not children) occasionally use it. It is certainly possible to live a normal and productive life, smoking pot on occasion.
I am obviously for the legalization of this PLANT. To be allowed for ADULTS only, and in the privacy of your own home.
I wonder Tiger: Do you ever have a glass of wine? Occasional alcoholic drink? Do you ever indulge in a fattening dessert or junk food? What are the circumstances in which you decide to have one?
) have said. Both Dutch and foreign articles have clearly stated this. I really don't in my head say this person is so and so, or this person is x, because they have decided to do drugs. I'm more interested in why people choose to do the drug in the first place, especially when they know the risk associated with it. I live a very healthy lifestyle - one that does not include subtances or junk food; therefore, this a healthy and positive lifesmart choice. You won't find me saying that anyone who uses substances is living a healthy lifestyle, especially when the risks are known. I don't feel it's a smart life decision to make. I really don't care if it's once a day or once a month, as the decision to use the substance is at issue for me. Like I said, I knew terminally ill people who chose not to smoke marijuana, despite horrific pain, yet people on here are discussing the positive aspect to doing it recreationally. I don't know what articles you are reading, but every single one I have googled in the past day has said exactly the same thing. And it bears out what my cousins (my entire family is there
The bans are being put into place (against the Dutch citizen's wishes btw) due to the increased Tourist traffic to coffee shops and has absolutely NOTHING to do with the health aspects of marijuana.
And you are correct, there are other tourist groups such as the Belgians and the French. It is just that the British are the most well known as they the most prevalent tourist. Much like people here lament about the Brazilian tour groups in Disney, although they are just one of many different tour groups.
So, to use the Netherlands closing coffee shops to tourists as a support for your argument that marijuana has pyschological and health issues is incorrect.
It has to do with unruly tourists and nothing to do with the marijuana itself. If there were problems with the health aspects of marijuana, the coffee shops would be closed to Dutch citizens as well as tourists.
By the way, did you read the article I linked that Maastrict is actually adding coffee shops? There is also a coffee shop in Breda that has seen a 31% increase in business.
