Reply #15: I was able to drink with my father [View All]

(who has never been a model of moderation) from the age of about 14 on. These days I only drink occasionally, when it suits me, and a six pack may languish in my fridge for weeks. Maybe it's that I'm not personally prone to alcoholism (though certain surveys from treatment centers might say otherwise, but I trust them as far as I can throw them for obvious reasons), but I just don't see an issue with supervised consumption of intoxicants. Better supervised exposure than the alternative, I think.

Pot's another thing, in a way. The most notable thing about marijuana is the vast majority of people from my teenage years who smoked like fiends back then no longer do. This is more or less true of myself, though I reserve the right to do so if I so choose. People simply lost interest, except for the few that got so wrapped up in other things that they lost themselves entirely.

The argument that pot's a "gateway" to other things is a bit deceptive, as far as I'm concerned, since prohibition is the reason it serves this function. Having to acquire the substance from the black market puts a user in contact with people with a vested interest in increasing their profits by turning them on to more dangerous stuff.

My wife's argument has always been that she believes that early consumption of pot causes nerve damage and slows the reflexes. I certainly never found that to be the case, but it might be something to do with my own genetics and the fact that quick reflexes runs in the family. Even being stoned didn't seem to affect them to any particular degree...then again, pot is to some extent a relaxant, and, as Bruce Lee suggested, relaxed muscles respond more quickly.

This is a complex subject. :shrug: But an interesting one.