Likewise here. Learned plenty more than I thought I would, and more. Even about myself.
Thanks to the "Just be nice" bunch.
Harvey
SleepyC:moon
Yup. This has been interesting. My personal feeling, and what I'm seeing play out here in AK as this issue comes to a head, is that there are regular users in every part of society who are now, and have long been partaking. It's just that before they were in the dark, and are now shedding the stigma and able to be a bit more open, if only in discussions.
What I once assumed was used scarcely, is used all over, regularly, and the people who I've learned have been regular users have intelligence, make meaningful contributions to their careers and communities, and simply do not fit the mold I had created in my mind.
I make no assertions of bad or good here. Just of what I hope are my objective observations.
Further, what has become clear is that, where prohibited, underage users have very easy access to cannabis via black markets and have no trouble getting any, vs. alcohol, which they have much more trouble accessing due to the legal market, and age requirement. So the same type of black market for alcohol is not there, and so kids can get cannabis, but not alcohol (generalizing here, I know).
Further, I think there is a lot to be said for a consistently safe product. The Black Market provides no accountability, nor means of redress for negligence on the part of grower and/or seller.
The take home message for me is that I'm surprised how mainstream and commonplace some level of cannabis use is among the general public, which has caused me to question whether the drug causes people to be brain dead, couchlocked waste of life "Pot Heads," (to use the OP's term) and actually is enjoyed by probably half of us.
This thread has been directly involved in this adjustment to my perspective on things, and has brought me to a much more open-minded and objective opinion after realizing that many of my basic assumptions regarding cannabis use were wrong.
Thanks Brats. Sorry if this thread has been tense for anyone.