[robertpaulsen]

"But drug use is not normal now."
"You can't be serious."

You're looking at around 5% of the population smoking marijuana and another 1-2% doing hard drugs. That ain't "normal" behavior.

Unless you have a totally different definition of 'normal'.

[Protagoras]

99% of the people take drugs. I take about 10 each morning and 6 each night.

As far as your 5% number is concerned, it's not even close. You mean 5% this very moment? Today? This week? This year? Ever?

Statistics can be manipulated any way you want.

People all over the world use "drugs" regularly. Alcohol and various other mood altering substances have been used since humans discovered them. Even if the percentages don't represent a majority in any particular society, it is not abnormal behavior.

How many people do you know who have NEVER, EVER, used any mood altering substance? Alcohol seems to be the favorite, but coffee and cigarettes could also be counted.

Your statistics tell the story you want to tell, nothing more.

[LowCountryJoe]

You're looking at around 5% of the population smoking marijuana and another 1-2% doing hard drugs. That ain't "normal" behavior.

What percentage of people in America spend time on Free Republic kicking around the political and social issues of the day? Is this "normal" behavior?