Drug Addiction is it a CRIME or a disease

[excracked]

I smoked pot for 15years even been banged up for it. But is smoking a crime or a disease.
more than 150000 Americans Die every year from alchol abuse each year.
10000 years of cannabis use and no one is dead.(other than carelessness related incidents)Aside from that it is a plant and it was put on this earth for us to use.Check Link

[kljs]

Both.

[Bilbo Baggins]

Addiction is neither a crime nor a disease. It is especially not a crime.

[papadoc]

This is an easy one to answer.
The act of smoking pot is a crime where it's illegal.
The act of smoking pot is NOT a disease.
The act of drinking alcohol is a crime if your under age or where it's illegal.
The act of drinking alcohol is NOT a disease.

Drug addiction is NOT a crime.
Drug addiction is a disease.
Alcoholism is NOT a crime.
Alcoholism is a disease.

Here's why I say that:
I have the disease of addiction that will never be cured.
It'll be with me till the day I die.
But as long as I follow a simple daily prescription,
I'll have a daily reprieve from it.
If I get off that prescription...well...I'm in trouble.

An analogy:
A diabetic has the disease of diabetes...right?
As long as he follows his daily prescription of insulin or whatever,
he'll be fine.
But forget to take that shot, alter his diet,
and he's in trouble.

It works for me...

[Hunter]

posted by Papadoc
The act of smoking pot is a crime where it's illegal

"smoking" weed is not illegal here in Canada but the possession of marijauna is, go figure




A disease! When you are an addict you don't have much choice in the matter, it just happens. I went out one day and happened to get high, I didn't decide to become a junkie or a burnout. It's the same as being ADD or bipolar, you can't change the fact that this is what you are but you can however control it. The same goes for someone that's an alcoholic, they're still an alcoholic even though they don't drink, but the difference again is to control it.

I don't think and addiction can be classified as a crime, my father is having a hard time quitting smoking but that shouldn't make him a criminal

[Huehuetenango]

drug addiction is not a crime
it is a disease, as was so eloquently stated earlier, and it's a shame that so many ppl these days appear to have it

ppl who are addicted should be helped, they should not be made into pariahs by the government, scapegoated for all of society's ills

[Sandman2012]

Personally I think addiction is a disease, but there is a big difference between someone with the disease of addiction and a casual user. I even feel that there is a difference between somebody who may abuse drugs and/or alcohol but can stop on his own, and an actual addict, who cannot stop on his own. In my mind, this is where that subtle grey line is drawn.

In any case I do not believe that the use or possession of drugs should be illegal. If someone can use them responsibly (and I admit that many people don't) they should not have to deal with criminal charges. If someone cannot use them responsibly let the law hold them responsible for whatever actions they take, not the use itself. And if somebody has a problem with drugs or alcohol, and wants to stop, they should be able to come forward for help without having to face criminal accusations.

[edit] fixed typos

[BMWboy]

it's both, however, i'm all for the legalization of drugs, if you choose to remove yourself from the gene pool by overdosing, good, it's for the better anyway.

[Huehuetenango]

Originally posted by BMWboy
if you choose to remove yourself from the gene pool by overdosing, good, it's for the better anyway.

how is it good for someone to die?
some of the greatest of our era have been addicted to drugs
just look at musicians
kurt kobain
jimi hendrix

[BMWboy]

if someone dies, i am sad, but, if they chose to do something to kill themselves, it's better off that they didn't pass their genes on. I don't like the fact that one of my great uncles died due to a drug overdose, but because he used drugs, it's better off that he didn't pass on his genes.

This is my opinion, and if you don't like it, that's great. Differing opinions usually bring about the best solutions. I'm not going to defend myself further, because I don't feel like it. I'm off to go see Spiderman.

[papadoc]

It's never been medically proven that addiction is hereditary.
Although the likelyhood of a son becoming addicted,
because his father was, is greater,
it's never been linked to a gene.
This is an unsolved myth of addiction.

[excracked]

The one of the main contributing factors for both these artists
Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain was acceptance
Jimi Thought that everyone was there to see him be a loon on stage not listen to the musical genious he was.
I think if you are a creator you are constantly after gratification from whatever you are creating. If youre all messed up on L.S.D
then you are (especially on Jimi's doses) gonna be para.
I managed to get hold of my downward spiraling crack habit and f it off a year and a half ago (I Will Never Do It Again) That came from a self acceptance problem.
most people that get into drugs either have a self acceptance problem or thay are looking for a (religious experince),or just out for kicks.
I started out like any other in 1987 acid house partys etc just having a laugh and you always say u wont do anything harder but you get weaker the more drugs you do. Until one day a problem you cant face gets in your way that you dont know how to deal with and bam there it is. Just say no.

[Huehuetenango]

Originally posted by excracked
I started out like any other in 1987 acid house partys etc just having a laugh and you always say u wont do anything harder but you get weaker the more drugs you do. Until one day a problem you cant face gets in your way that you dont know how to deal with and bam there it is. Just say no.

ok, this is scary
what you said really struck me b/c it's what i say
ever since the first time i smoked up w/ my friends, i've been saying "i'll never do anything harder than pot"
but several times i've been offered something harder, acid, shrooms, peyote, and i'll accept
thankfully, none of the times when i was supposed to do those have i been able to make it
but what you're saying is true, i keep on redrawing the boundaries

another reason why i chose to give it up

[excracked]

Like with anything addictive:- Booze, Girls, Drugs of any discription
except heroin (That your body needs) the rest is all in one's own mind ie;- coz its nice i want more.
so provided you can moderate your drug intake accordingly to how much is "acceptable without being abusive" ie:-do you take drugs on your own or with people or as well as.
if your doing them socially probally not a prob unless competition to "see who can take the most" arrises
if you do them day in day out you have a problem (and it will cost you, Believe)
If you dont think you have a problem with taking drugs every weekend or every night with your mates then more than likely you will develop a problem in years to come if you don't keep a lid on tings.
if you want to know more about drugs in general check this.. http://www.erowid.org

[GoldenSphynx]

i have never used drugs or smoked or drunk anything...call me wat u will...but i think that doing those things is just plain STUPID!!!

[Hunter]

I can say using drugs is stupid because I have been there, done that and recovered now. I started using drugs because it made me feel good, "normal" The problem is by using these drugs you're creating what you think normal should be and you need more and more everytime just to get to that "normal" place.. I do however still drink a few beers a couple times a week but the difference is I'm in control now and I'm responsible about it. If someone is out of control then using or abusing drugs and alcohol just makes things a lot worse.

[excracked]

The use of stimulants ie coffee beer mary jo gives you a slightly indifferent either way reaction ie if u r in a good mood it will indefinatly put u in a better one and vice versa.
With crack cocaine the instant you lick that pipe all the dopamines in your brain get flushed giving you that massive high the thing with a massive high is you get nearly twice the adverse after doing it (15 20 mins after) especially if you dont feel to great about doing it.
on the one hand you want it coz it makes you feel good then the second after you hate yourself for being such a cu/t.
DONT DO IT!!!!!

[Sandman2012]

Originally posted by GoldenSphinx86
i have never used drugs or smoked or drunk anything...call me wat u will...but i think that doing those things is just plain STUPID!!!

The only thing I will call you is judgemental. Obviously some drugs have something to offer, otherwise why would so many great minds be interested in them. Certainly there is the problem of addiction, but to say that all drug and alcohol use is stupid is not seeing the whole picture.

I might point out that if someone were to were to indicate the actions of a few misguided Muslims and make the generalization that Islam is a dumb religion you would probably be offended.