“Coffee use is getting high in your world? Thanks for confirming that you aren’t really serious on this issue.”
Coffee is most certainly “getting high”, if you consider altering your mind “getting high”. It’s just a high you approve of... The “high” from cannabis is vastly different from that of opiates - the physical effects are vastly different as well.
“You are not a heroin addict. Have you talked to a heroin addict? The one I lived with said the problem started when he FIRST got HIGH smoking pot. I believe him.”
That’s your prerogative. The core fact is that at some moment in time, he decided to ingest heroin. The vast majority of cannabis users don’t do that. Anecdotal evidence is just about worthless.
Most of what the rest of what you wrote is either incorrect, or at least eclipsed by the negative effects of legal alcohol/tobacco.
Cannabis is one of the more benign drugs out there - it is not physically addictive, nor is it toxic. Drink enough alcohol and you will die. Not so with cannabis consumption.
Alcohol and tobacco both cause chronic, and in many cases fatal, diseases. Cannabis does not do so to anywhere near the same extent. (Smoking it can cause emphysema, but with rising potencies and lower doses that may not matter as much...then there’s vaporization/edibles. One amazing fact is that it’s not carcinogenic, and in fact even smoking it has an anti-cancer effect.)
One very misleading thing about your list is the reference to driving. Unlike alcohol, which impairs judgement leading to wild driving, marijuana generally induces caution in the driver. A study in Europe found drivers on a moderate amount of cannabis were safer drivers than straight drivers.
“Moderation in all things.”
Give it up. Drinking coffee is not getting high. The minor stimulation is not a high. Insisting it is makes you look foolish and argumentative.
Confirmed. You don’t know any heroin addicts. Real life experiences they share are not anecdotal.
Most of what you say I “wrote” I simply cut and paste from an article in Psychology Today. Here it is again. Please cite your sources, or are they from High Times, or are they just anecdotal?
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/all-about-addiction/201807/is-marijuana-gateway-drug
“How is marijuana potentially harmful?
Marijuana has potentially harmful effects in the short-term and long-term on physical and mental health.
Marijuana’s Potential Negative Short-term effects:
While intoxicated by marijuana, the following effects can be observed in users:
- Memory consolidation difficulties
- Anxiety, paranoia and panic attacks
- Increased probability of psychotic symptoms
- Hallucinations
- Decreased reaction time
- Increased risk of heart attack and stroke
- Coordination problems (impairs driving)
- Sexual dysfunction (mostly for males)
Marijuana’s Potential Negative Long-term effects:
Repeated use of cannabis over a longer period has been associated with longer-term problems that may include:
- Lower IQ (especially when use starts early)
- Poor school or work performance
- Impaired ability to perform complex tasks
- Lower life satisfaction
- Relationship problems
- Antisocial behavior (stealing money, lying)
- Financial difficulties and unemployment
- ADDICTION (Wow! An EXPERT says this!)
The verdict
On the one hand, research does support the positive effects of cannabis in treating chronic pain conditions (while not as strong a relief in the short-term for many, the probability of developing hypersensitivity to pain seems to be reduced with THC when compared to opioids).
On the other hand, the research on the potentially harmful physical and psychological effects of cannabis use is hard to ignore. Marijuana is damaging to the developing adolescent brain, and it can lead to Cannabis Use Disorder (or addiction).
However, the causal link between cannabis and ‘harder’ illicit drug use is still unclear....”
LeonardFMason, that doesn't sound like "no harm" to me.