Is marijuana actually a drug?

Mickey Mouse said:Marijuana is definitely harmful, and there isn't any real upside to it. Still, I don't think it goes far enough for us to actually label it a drug.

So what is it then? Just some seasoning?

hrki123 said:Is weed worth debating? Should it be banned or legalized once and for all?
My buddies and I smoke so much every single day that we’re basically turning our brains into mush. We’ve gotten so spaced out lately that we actually had to sit down and pose this question about whether this relaxation tool should just be legal.
Stay high, hrki123🙂 🙂

I honestly don't get why you junkies care so much about whether weed is legal or illegal.??
...In fact, I have a hunch that if legalization actually happened, half of you would quit cold turkey immediately!!..It just wouldn't be part of the "lifestyle" anymore!

Kae, honey—are you telling me you haven't had any action in sixteen years?

velvetpilot212 said:Seriously, honey—you mean you haven't had any action in sixteen years?

And let me guess, you're one of those people who blames everything on a dry spell, right?😕

Morgan Cook10 said:Oh, so you’re one of those people who thinks everything is just a result of someone being frustrated in their sex life, right??😕

🙂 Yeah, exactly. 🙂
A true class act on this forum, wouldn't you say? 😁

velvetpilot212 said:🙂 Exactly! 🙂
A total pro at this forum game, wouldn't you say? 😁

Right!😁
I bet you're also gorgeous, a total knockout, and every guy in town is tripping over themselves to get a look. And if you were a dude? You'd probably be packing a massive twenty-five centimter monster!!🤣

25 just isn't enough... 😁 .

Let’s get back to the point.

The whole debate over whether marijuana is actually a "drug" or not is honestly just a waste of breath. Discussions about legalization are more relevant, but even though I personally smoke enough weed to fill a warehouse, I’m firmly against making it legal.
There’s nothing inherently scary about getting high, but the real issue is that it acts as a gateway to much harder stuff. Keeping it illegal won't stop people from buying it or lighting up, but it does serve one purpose: it creates hurdles that make it a lot harder for someone to stumble their way toward something like heroin.

Morgan Cook10 said:Making weed illegal isn't going to stop anyone from buying it or smoking it; if anything, it just creates extra hurdles that make it harder for someone to pivot toward something much worse, like heroin.

Give me a break!!! 🙄
Maybe in your little bubble... back where I grew up, people were tripping all the time without ever touching a joint, and honestly, that wasn't even out of the ordinary. Besides, nobody gets hooked on heroin just because they can find it easily. That’s just nonsense you're spewing. You honestly sound like one of those former smokers who suddenly turned around and started lecturing everyone about how cigarette smoke is a public health crisis and how unhealthy everything is...
Oh, just geeeeeeeeeeet real!
👋

velvetpilot212 said:Yeah, right!!! 🙄
Maybe back in your neck of the woods... where people were doing acid but skipping the weed, and that was just business as usual. But nobody gets hooked on heroin just because it’s easy to find. That's just nonsense. Honestly, you sound like one of those former smokers who now spends all day complaining about how much cigarette smoke bothers them and how "unhealthy" everything is...
Give me a break!
👋

In my hometown, out of maybe 150-200 guys my age, 50 to 80 of them have either been or still are using needles. People don't fall into heroin addiction just because it's accessible; they do it because it's damn good stuff. But I think we can both agree there's a massive difference between a 17-year-old kid trying it and a 23-year-old guy.
If someone wants to try hard drugs, nobody can physically stop them. But the whole point of society should be to make things difficult enough so that by the time they actually do, they're older and more responsible for themselves. You can make all the exceptions you want... but weed is just a stepping stone to the harder stuff. If someone skips that step? Well, that's on them.

And for the record, I'm not some reformed stoner—I still smoke today. And let me tell you, the fact that it's illegal doesn't bother me one bit. I can get it when I want and smoke when I want... legal or not, it makes no difference to me. What matters to me is making sure kids can't just stumble onto it easily. If guys have to hide from the cops, maybe that little bit of fear will actually make them think twice about the whole thing.

Morgan Cook10 said:In my small town, out of maybe 150 to 200 guys my age, at least 50 to 80 have either done it or are still hooked. They don't just stumble onto heroin by accident; it’s hard to get your hands on, sure, but mostly because it’s just damn good stuff. Though, I suppose we can all agree there's a massive difference between a 17-year-old kid trying it and a guy who's 22 or 23.
If someone really wants to experiment with drugs, I guess nobody can stop them. But honestly, the whole point of society should be to throw obstacles in their way so that when they finally do take that first hit, they're older and actually feel some sense of responsibility toward themselves.

As for me, I'm not some "former" stoner—I still smoke, plain and simple. And I'll tell you this: the fact that it's illegal doesn't bother me one bit. I can buy what I want and smoke whenever I feel like it... whether it's legal or not, it makes no difference to me.

A "slightly older guy" aged 22 or 23 in my hometown probably isn't going to TRY it. If he hasn't done it by now, he's not going to...
And besides—YOU're claiming it wouldn't be fun if it were legal. So why shouldn't we just legalize it then? Maybe that would actually help reduce the number of people using it in the first place.

Morgan Cook10 said:A "slightly older guy" in my small town won't even touch it if he's 22 or 23. If he hasn't started by then, he isn't starting...
Beyond that—YOU’re claiming it wouldn't be "fun" if it were legal. So why not just legalize it and shrink the user base that way?

That whole "fun" thing was mostly aimed at those hippies wearing "Legalize Cannabis" t-shirts, not at anyone actually being serious, so don't take it too deeply!

If we legalize weed, we'll end up with every sixteen-year-old smoking it like it's cheap cigarettes... after a year or two, they'll get bored and start hunting for something harder, and before you know it, they've moved on to heroin. Goodbye!
That’s the reality we face today. Sure, the system is completely ineffective and powerless to stop it, but at least we can tell ourselves we're trying!
But if we have a situation where kids are hiding from the cops, dealers are being careful about who they sell to, and everyone is living under this layer of tension... maybe, just maybe, we could delay that "transition" to harder stuff by a few years. The fact is, in places where weed is relatively hard to find and expensive, there are far fewer addicts than in neighborhoods where it's everywhere and totally accessible. It’s not just a city-wide thing; it happens block by block in major US cities too!

Personally, I don't think weed itself is inherently bad... really, it's not. But I still think legalizing it would be a massive mistake. Like I said... back in my hometown, weed was "practically legal." People were smoking it everywhere—in parks, at diners, in cars, on the street corners. Everyone was doing it, and nobody gave a damn about "just some light herb"... and the result was a total disaster!!

Yeah, Mickey Mouse, marijuana—both weed and hash—are hallucinogens.

But hey, go ahead, keep acting like you know it all. You're actually making me laugh.

ezra said:Yeah, Mickey Mouse, marijuana (both weed and hash) are classified as hallucinogens.

Oh, really? That's funny, because my American psychiatry textbook explicitly states that cannabis products belong to their own distinct category of drugs and aren't lumped in with hallucinogens at all.😁

s http://www.mayoclinic.org/?sec...ion_menu=drugs:

A drug is basically any substance—whether it’s a solid, liquid, or gas—that you take into your body and ends up altering how you function physically or mentally.

When we talk about psychoactive drugs, we’re referring to those specific substances that mess with your central nervous system, essentially rewiring a person's thoughts, moods, and overall behavior.

In terms of how they actually hit you, these psychoactive substances generally fall into four buckets: depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, or a mix of different effects.

Megan Reed said:A drug is any substance—solid, liquid, or gas—that changes how your body or mind works when you take it.

IMHO, that’s a pretty stupid definition. I mean, everything we consume changes our bodies... it's just a matter of scale. By that logic, a massive plate of ribs is a drug, since I definitely feel different once I'm full... physical and mental shifts included.

Mickey Mouse said:When did I ever suggest everyone should smoke weed just because it's "good" for you? It definitely has downsides, and there isn't much upside to it. But it's simply not harmful enough to warrant being labeled a drug.

We’re still on the same page regarding alcohol...
But when it comes to "labeling" drugs... hmm...

Man, if we follow your logic—"it doesn't hurt enough to be called a drug"—
then a woman gaining a little weight once every three months shouldn't be any reason to wonder if her husband is doing okay, right?

Buddy, even you have to admit that theory is a bit of a stretch...

Alexander Watson said:Hey El, you really need some fresh air.😉

What are you even talking about?..
Weren't we just at the Staples Center together?😉

Clearly, I'm making friends...😁

From what I understand, marijuana is classified as a soft drug. There’s definitely a reason why experts have categorized it that way.

As for legalization, I don't have any issues with it. Alcohol is perfectly legal, but that doesn't mean everyone is out there chasing it. It really comes down to how you're raised; parents are the ones who should be guiding their kids on the risks of alcohol, drugs, and even smoking.

Enchantress said:As far as I am aware, marijuana is categorized as a soft drug. There must be a legitimate reason why experts have classified it that way.

The sole reason for such a classification is sheer terror and profound ignorance.
Those moralizing hypocrites and complete idiots have never even touched weed, yet they sit there passing judgment based on absolutely nothing at all. They write utter nonsense. It really comes down to the fact that they are developmentally stunted; science has actually moved forward while they stayed stuck in the past.

These very same fools will insist on dividing drugs into "soft" categories—those that supposedly don't cause physical addiction—and "hard" ones that do, only to then pivot and claim that marijuana doesn't cause any addiction whatsoever.☕

New research clearly demonstrates that long-term cannabis use does NOT diminish intelligence. Furthermore, NEW DRUG DEFINITIONS indicate that certain substances can permanently alter the brain.

yeah Eric Wells3, marijuana (including hash) are hallucinogenic drugs.

Hallucinogenic, yet they don't produce hallucinations?😕 😕 😕

What on earth do you even mean by "hallucinogenic"???