Actually, not. Addiction physically changes the structure of parts of the brain related to impulse control and pleasure seeking, and is entirely independent of any physiological effects caused by chemical disruptions of metabolic pathways. What I was pointing out is that chemical dependencies are not necessary for addiction to occur. People *do* become addicted to non-chemical activities like gambling, and the damage they cause with those addictions is every bit as bad as the damage caused by addiction to chemicals (whether those chemicals also disrupt other biochemical pathways or not). When someone decides against doing productive activities like going to class, writing a resume, etc., in favor of getting high, they display characteristics of addictive behavior.
My editing points out you hypocrisy. Wouldn't want anyone taking away your alcohol would you?! ... Cannabis smokers are not crawling off to die...what utter nonsense...like we would buy that bs!
Once again, straw man.
Marijuana use must be considered on its own characteristics, not the characteristics of any other substance. I realize that a large part of the push towards marijuana legalization is based on the premise that marijuana is perfectly safe, and that organizations like NORML routinely publish propaganda pieces supporting that narrative. I am also very aware of the fact that people want to get intoxicated, and want to believe that the intoxicant of their choice is perfectly safe. But this is not true. (Hint: the word intoxicate has as its root the word "toxic"--intoxicants of any type actually do poison you, and for some biological reason, the sub-lethal effects of some toxins are perceived as pleasurable.)
Personally, I think that we are making a big mistake by rushing to legalize marijuana on the basis of false claims of harmlessness. If there is a case to be made to legalize marijuana, it needs to be made on the basis of factual and honest discussion of the effects of marijuana, and on the likely outcomes of legalization, which can be predicted based on the known characteristics of marijuana.
Marijuana use most often starts during the teen years, at a time when the brain is extremely sensitive to its effects because it is still developing. The disruption of normal brain development is permanent--the effects won't go away just because the user stops using. How many kids are going to end up permanently impaired because of short-sighted pushes to legalization without first honestly considering the consequences? As a society, are we really willing to throw those kids away and make them permanent burdens on society?
You say the thread is on marijuana and therefore you won’t address alcohol and it’s problems, YET you keep using the term drug addicts and the destructive results of drug addiction in this thread which is on marijuana, not drug addiction. Heroin or Crack Cocaine or Crystal Meth or Alcohol addicts are sometimes as you describe, but not users of cannabis.... that is of course why you use the term drug addicts and not marijuana users. What a bunch of distorted crap! You don’t want to have a honest discussion on cannabis that is fine stop wasting our time with your Strawmen replies.
Nor do you understand what chemical addiction is. You write a bunch of psycho babble when you know full well no one is chemically addicted to cannabis as they are to say heroin or alcohol.
You want to remain ignorant on the subject so be it, but soon the whole country will have some form of decriminalized cannabis use and it will be treated much like alcohol is commercially and legally. Medically we will benefit and the jackboots and profiteers of the WOD will lose their power you endorse.
Teens and even kids can get cannabis now easily, easier than they can get alcohol which is legally sold nationwide. The status quo which you fav doesn’t prevent teens from getting cannabis AND it makes them criminals ruining their lives in some cases. So save the “save the kids” ploy! If you really cared and wanted to help teens and kids regarding cannabis use you would be pro-decriminalization or pro-legalization. Legal regulated pot would make it harder for teens and kids to get and wouldn’t make them criminals.