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Originally Posted by Rodney
I have the experience of living in a town where you can smoke a joint in full view of a police officer. And not get arrested. I have seen it on numerous occasions. Where so much marijuana is sold on the streets that the cops don't bother to bust dealers unless they try to "take over" a particular stretch of sidewal, which has happened. Where not only is "medical marijuana" freely distributed, but there is a special bed and breakfast inn for for sufferers of illness who use marijuana to amerliorate their symptoms. Where the city council essentially declared marijuana for private use decriminalized and so instructed the police and, in a public ceremony lighted up joints (several of them, anyway) on the steps of city hall. Why not? They all do it at home...
In short, I live in a town where smoking dope less serious a crime than letting your parking meter run out.
And what kind of users are doing the serious crimes? Crystal meth users -- and drunks. You see to embrace some kind of treatment philosophy that puts everything on the individual and ignores the specific qualities of the drug. You seem to deny that the drug has any real behavior-modifying effect at all, except as an excuse. So, there's no difference between someone on crystal meth, alcohol, and marijuana? It's all the same? From my personal experience, I can't accept this.
And if that was the case, legalize all drugs and be done with it.
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Cool, if that's where you live and that's the way it is there..... then everyone should be happy campers.
I answered most of this in the previous post. I just wanted to clarify the portion of your post I highlighted.
No, if I felt that Marijuana was as dangerous as Meth, Coke, Opioids, I wouldn't be for legalizing it. And regardless of how it may look or how I may sound (it is hard to convey the exact tone or my point on the internet because I am lousy at that conveying those at times), I am very much pro legalizing marijuana, especially medicinal. And I would have no problem with clubs one could smoke it legally in. Who knows I may even be seen in one occassionally with a date.
But I also believe, legalization would increase use enough to where crime and fights and what not would be blamed on it as they blame alcohol.
Now, I'll explain my philosophy.
I am not of the belief that all addicts are deep down good people. Assholes are assholes, and some people choose to believe that they can blame their addictions for being the way they are. To some degree, the physicality maybe true. The mentality and actions to some degree maybe the addiction.... However, addiction will only take you as far as you allow it to.
I am a firm believer that the only way you can get an addict to truly recover is to make them face responsibilities for their actions, to admit that they allowed their addiction to take them where they did and that THEY not the drug are accountable for their actions.
I do not buy into the excuse that "alcohol made me hit my wife the past 5 years" or that "heroin made me rob that 7/11". People who drink and get violent and know they get violent have a choice.... don't drink seek help if you can't stop. The heroin addict has the choice, seek rehab to help physically get off the stuff, seek counseling to understand why the psychology of the need is there and find a better way of life.
I am just stating the fact that by legalizing Marijuana or any drug you will have those excuses. With Marijuana legalization, the demand will go up, more people will use and thus more crimes will be attributed to it because more people will use it as an excuse. Including DUIs...... you chose to smoke and drive. Not the pot's fault.
Now, I do believe people can change. That the Asshole can become a better person. Yes, first they have to face their addiction, but then they have to make life changes.
It's pretty much what the 12 step programs teach. The reason some people don't like them is that they do not want to change their life. That is why you will have "dry drunks" , and we all know those people who stopped drinking or drugging but pretty much are the same assholes now that they were when practicing their addiction.
My belief and the way I treat my clients is this: you can't change the past but you can change your future. Own up to your addiction, own up to your actions, accept responsibility in your life for those actions and let's work who you are and find ways to better who you want to be.
People who allow themselves or others to blame the drug and not see that they allowed themselves to go there to begin with, are people who will relapse, who will always look for the "easy way out", will always look for someone or something else to blame for their problems. These people will never truly recover and reach their full potential. If they stay clean and sober, they will most likely stay who they were when they used.
That is my philosophy, and my belief. It seems to work for quite a few people I have dealt with either professionally as clients, as a sponsor, as coworkers who have reached the same conclusion or true 12 step successes.