My grandfather worked in a mental hospital. He had patients there who were vegetables, schizophrenic or with a whole host of issues from drug use. There were people who were long term users of all the drugs mentioned here, there were people had had their minds permanentaly ravaged after one round, either from allergic reaction or using a drug cut with something strange.
A guy i used to know is currently in juvenile detention for violent assault. He was on the down side of an ice high. He was selling some drug (valium?), the guy who was buying took the money and wouldn't pay. The guy I knew went and stole a meat cleaver, found the thief and cut off half his hand. His life is now irreversibly changed.
If people want to use drugs it is their choice and I won't grudge them that. But it scares the hell out of me when people say "drug x has no long term effects" or "i know a guy who does drug x all the time and he turned out fine".
I'm not negating the fact that even one hit of a drug can have irriversable life changing concequences.
If you'll read one of my earlier posts I said that it's the individuals fault, not the drugs, if their drug use gets out of hand.
Every persons mind is differant, some people can push theirs further than others.
I know what I can handle and if one day I choose to push it too far then I will glady bear the consequence.
In a perfect world people would be trustworthy enough to enjoy drugs and not use their drug induced super human abilities for evil.
Marijuana is a peaceful drug, the path to peace with pot is acceptance, not abolishment. However I am for the abolishment of all or most kitchen drugs-that's not to say I dont enjoy them, but they do lead to a lot of fucked up things.