I'm probably for it. Although "responsible" use when it comes to extremely addictive substances such as opiates is incredibly hard to quantify.

Incredibly addictive opiates are prescribed every day by doctors. Ask them what constitutes "responsible use".

Regulation is necessary. Responsible drug use is one of the most conflicted terms one can use with a straight face. The entire idea of ingesting addictive substances, in a responsible manner, is probably an impossibility to the vast majority of people. There is a basis of irresponsibility inherent in the actual addiction itself. If one can avoid that addiction, and avoid harming those around them while under the influence of said drugs, then I really don't see a problem with it. The real problem is what it can do to any given individual. While it might be harder to come across stories of responsible drug use, it's most likely because not as many of them exist as the more common, after-school-special material we typically here about.

My personal experience with drugs has been limited and, in two cases, extremely addictive. Marijuana and Hydrocodone are the strongest things I've ever dabbled with. Marijuana lasted for about 4 years and culminated, along with genetic predisposition and a bad case of hypochondria, with intense panic attacks and general anxiety while high that basically forced me to stop smoking altogether. Since then, the only recurring issue is the fact that I am genetically predisposed and therefore will always live with anxiety and the occasional panic or near-panic attack. I've since overcome the desire to smoke, and the hypochondria.

Hydrocodone, or Vicadin in my case, was a bad experience. When I was 18, I completely damaged about 80% of my left knee playing football. The injury was incredibly severe, and the manner in which it took place caused nerve damage down my shin and foot and nearly severed the main artery that runs down your left leg. After spending a week in the hospital, and undergoing 6-hour reconstructive surgery, I was ill prepared for the year of physical therapy I had in front of me. It took me awhile to get in the groove of it, but gradually I improved until I was able to walk again without crutches. During that time I became dependent and wholly addicted to Vicadin, to the point where I was lying about pain that no longer existed to keep the supply coming. After my rehabilitation was complete, I was told that I would be getting Tylenol with Codeine until I was able to have another follow-up surgery to clean up the previous one and to replace my ACL. This never happened. At that point, I pretty much withdrew from society for 6 months, found a way to get the pills without a prescription, and became a miserable and depressed person. How this changed was more or less an intervention by my family and friends, of whom I can never pay back for perhaps saving my life.

All of that leads me to believe more strongly in the idea that responsible drug use is not something I personally can maintain. I smoke cigarettes, and have no intention of ever quitting so long as I can do so comfortably and without hurting my finances. I may have somewhat of an addictive personality, but my experience with a wide cross-sectioning of different people, from family to friends to people I really never cared for, leads me to believe that "addictive personality" is just another way of saying "most people". A chemical addiction may form at varying speeds depending on both the chemical and the individual ingesting it, but I would like to see some sort of statistic that says we're less likely to become addicted to addictive chemicals and not the other way around. Generally speaking, that in and of itself answers the question of responsible drug use. It doesn't exist in a wide enough demographic to consider it the norm. Ergo, drugs in general should continue to be outlawed so long as they are chemically addictive. And, something that won't ever happen but really should, producers of addictive medications should be held fully responsible for screening and warning their patients (customers) of the dangers of prolonged usage, and partially responsible for all cases prior to taking this generalized step towards addiction prevention where their products caused addiction.

THAT is responsible drug use. Anything else is either ignorance, a sign of a deeper mental illness, bad judgement or a desire to die a slow death. But who the hell would want to do that?

It is dependent on the individual, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist or can't be espoused as a legitimate possibility. I don't know if your anecdotal evidence based on people you know is much to go on. I would probably agree that the majority of drug users aren't responsible, but there may also be something to the notion that the truly reckless and irresponsible ones are the ones who get all the attention.

I've screwed around with both addictive and nonaddictive drugs. I prefer nonaddictive because I like their effects better long-term and because I've always been extremely wary and cautious regarding addiction. If I do an addictive drug I make sure that I don't have access to more of it than I need for my brief flirting/experimentation. Opiates especially, because if I have em I'll do em. So I never have them, on purpose. And it's funny you say drugs should be outlawed, because probably my closest dancing with addiction was also legitimately prescribed vicodin. Luckily I had the good fortune/presence of mind to decide not to seek any more out once I was finished with what I had (I may not have taken as much as you did, but no offense, I really think you could have decided early on, before you were dependent, that you should slow down, try non-narcotic painkillers etc).

Addictive and nonaddictive aren't absolutes though. Where does mdma fall? Some people get addicted and some don't consider it addictive. I've done it a couple times spaced out over several months and it hasn't had addictive appeal to me. I certainly think it's awesome, but I know that it's less awesome the more frequently you do it and may cause brain damage if done often because of its fairly significant neurotoxicity.

Responsible drug use may not be the norm, but abuse doesn't rule out use, and I still would debate that many people can and do use them responsibly.

Most of my comments regarding "use vs abuse" and that whole deal come from my anger towards people I've known who feel it an injustice that things like cocaine and heroin are illegal. Without this legal oversight, the rate of addiction would increase dramatically, it doesn't take a genius to realize that. I am a major proponent of regulating and outlawing such things simply for the that fact, that too many of us are far too impressionable and ignorant to the short and long-term effects of addictive substances. Knowing what I know about myself is one thing, but I can easily look at this objectively enough to know the things deemed "hardcore" should be (in a perfect world, mind you) totally erased from existence and those things that do more good than harm (medicines and the like) should be controlled in as strong a fashion as possible while never allowing them to be refused to anyone seriously needing them. On a case-by-case basis, of course. This is the ideal, but it will never happen.

I admit to not being exceptionally educated on the subject, but from what I've heard, countries in South/Central America that have legalized all drugs HAVEN'T had an increase in addiction.

I.e.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article ... 46,00.html

So no, outright banning things and punishing people who don't obey isn't necessarily the best approach to reducing drug addiction and hardcore drug usage that harms lives.

In my opinionit seriously depends on the individual, I'm addicted to cigarettes and alcohol. I'll use both substances on a daily basis and I'm fine with that.
I also like marijuana but I have never needed it on a regular basis, if it is there and friends are around then I will smoke it.

I'm going to use two friends for an example for this though.
Friend A used didn't drink alcohol much but he smoked weed and cigarettes on a daily basis, it seemed he needed both substances at many times of the day. I would say that he had an addictive personality. Recently he has given up both substances cold turkey one day with no problem. The thing about it is that he has gone onto another substance, steroids and muscle gain supplements because he wants to become a body builder.

Friend B is an ex alcoholic before he met me. It wasn't until recently I found out this and we also get together for alcohol. He now drinks and would be a borderline alcoholic but he never smoked cigarettes until he met me and he now does.
He's also smoked weed with me but he isn't addicted to it. He doesn't have an addictive personality however.

So I think it really depends on the person but I don't ever think responsible drug use could really work.

There is actually little evidence to support this. The percentage of narcotic addicts did not change much after they were outlawed in the US. Let us not forget, there was once a time where heroin syrup was as easy to obtain as benadryl. Or take Portugal, which we can think of as an experiment in decriminalization. Since decriminalizing personal possession of all drugs, addiction rates have gone down.

I'm working on a time machine with this goal in mind; who is with me?

Another interesting fact of history is that in the 19th century doctors would give alcoholics morphine. Not because they thought it was a "cure" (as with the misguided use of heroin when it was first synthesized), but because narcotics addicts were considered better off than alcoholics, socially.

Each and every time I wonder about responsible drug use (which is perplexing as I can't recall the last time I used drugs to be responsible), I always ask the nearest American about it, and so should you, lest we forget, it was America that made all these wonders of nature and the scientific mind illegal, as they did to that prostitution 'palace' in Japan post-WWII, and other such wonderful things in the name of freedom. But hey, they can still vote for one of two parties, right? That's freedom on a plate right there.

Quite shocking how that has changed.

I own a designated driver business here in Detroit. Not only does it shock me how many clients I have on a nightly basis, but how many people drive home absolutely plastered without calling a cab/service, and how nobody thinks ill of it.

There have been studies done that show MDMA is not addictive in itself. People who do it a lot just...like doing it a lot.

I've heard of folks binging/doing it really really often, but yeah, I suppose that doesn't automatically make it addictive. I suspect some do become emotionally/psychologically dependent on some level though.

Well people like to keep the good times coming and MDMA is basically a good time in a pill, so it's not surprising people do it a lot if given the opportunity. The thing is, people also don't seem to have much trouble quitting, even after long-time use.
http://www.maps.org/w3pb/new/2002/2002_ ... 1341_1.pdf

Read that if you're interested.

Responsible drug use? What is this

Is it really so hard to imagine?

Also, can anyone tell me why illicit drugs must be used responsibly? This is certainly does not seem to be the case for stuff like cigarettes (Which are arguably as addictive as heroin) and alcohol. The only reason I can think of is the violence associated with them, but that is more the result of prohibition then drug use.

Use drugs responsibly so that you:

Don't hurt other people, such as lovers, family members, friends
Don't hurt yourself, not being able to hold a job or going to jail or whatever
etc

That's how I would define it. I might throw something in about maintaining emotional health, but I think that falls under not hurting yourself and other people, which you will do if you get addicted to shit and start being an asshole and all that. And there's probably things I've missed as well, these just came to mind.

It's hardly any different from responsible alcohol use. In fact, I would say that for many people drugs can be used responsibly much more easily than alcohol. Alcohol must be taken a little at a time over a long time for the most desirable effect, and due to increasing inebriation taking the right dosage becomes increasingly hard. Also, the effects of many drugs are more powerful than alcohol's, and the amount of alcohol it takes for the user to feel really good also increases the risk of harmful behaviour greatly, whereas with many drugs this is not the case.

Certainly those are good things to keep in mind and I do agree with them, but what I don't get is why its almost (Is?) viewed as mandatory, some won't even consider ending prohibition before they are satisfied with drugs being used responsibly. And for self-destructive lifestyles, how do you save someone from themselves when they don't want to be saved? Even with alcoholics, nicotine, and caffeine addicts, finding resistance to the idea of cutting down is common.

Irresponsible drug use: spilling the bong-water all over your college dorm floor (hey, I have a huge water bong)
Responsible drug use: doing mushrooms with some good friends in the heart of the forest (don't laugh, I have literally done this around fifty or so times in Northern British Columbia spending 1-4 hours in the woods, and it is a life changing experience for the better, a true connection to nature)
Seriously though, legalization and regulation of all "moral" crimes such as drug use, prostitution etc is the only way to treat other adults as human beings and not as little children. To Helvete with your damn "Nanny State."

Amen. ^^

Double aye!

DMT is actually the chemical that's released in trace amounts when you sleep, to increase dream visuals. While its not the chemical that causes us to dream, its a very mild dream enhancer

You sure about that?

http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/dmt/dmt_article2.shtml

Conjecture.

But SPEAKING of DMT, I'm going to be trying it soon. Can't. Wait.

In related news, I'm doing a research project in a psychology course over the therapeutic potential of psychedelics. Fun.

I would very much like to smoke DMT. I smoked it a few times three years ago, but never broke through.

Keeping this thread on topic:

The "designer drug" scene is an interesting one to look at, to see how people behave with respect to drugs. Many compounds (many of which have since been scheduled) were at one point easily attainable online and, towards the end, even in headshops and the like. Most UK posters have probably read about mephedrone (4-mmc, 4-methylmethCAThinone, meow) in the media, even people who would otherwise have no contact with that "scene." Many, many people are able to use these drugs responsibly; it isn't until some fuckwits (usually teenagers) do something stupid with it, like those kids who blew 2C-E like it was coke and surprise, surprise, 11 hospitalized, one dead. But the way to prevent that is harm reduction which the current fear-based model does not address. People need to be educated about drugs--the ignorance is at times depressing. Even something like snorting a benzo--snorting any pill is bad for your nose, especially if done chronically. But benzos actually have a HIGHER bioavailability, so you're getting less of the drug and doing it in a way that is harder on your body.

My point is, regulate drugs, educate people about how they really work and what the real dangers are, and you will see responsible use become the norm.

Any sources on the addiction thing? It doesn't seem that obvious to me...

So what is your guys' opinion on Speed use for studying? (Adderal) mostly.
Is it an abuse for the people who actually need it, or does it have benefits that improves education in the whole? I have a minor case of ADHD, but not enough in the way that I need medication. Lately I've been craving better grades in classes, so that is why I'm asking.

I took this a few times before playing shows. It is fun at first but believe it or not the come-down is rougher than I thought (coming from someone with 0 tolerance who used it ~6 times total); I get real sick to my stomach afterward.

Drug laws are lame. Arrest me if I kill someone or do something stupid like that which actually effects someone other than myself, but if I wish to ingest certain substances into my own body that should be my choice and mine alone.

I think I lean more towards "irresponsible"

I'm a working musician and I NEVER smoke weed during the day or when I'm working. I only smoke when it's late and time for bed.

Or time to eat seventeen Fig Newtons.

^^ Haha I used to keep it that way as well until I got busted.

Now when I get high I get more paranoid than ever. It's been over a month now and I really like not being hazy, waking up with weed hangovers etc. etc. I used to smoke near eighths a day before I stopped because I sold and had basically free buds. The only thing I really miss about burning is twisting up a fat blunt, smoking it between my closest friends and the bullshiting that follows.

Responsible drug use I feel can be difficult because in the end you can end up hurting people unintentionally. If you feel you can pull it off then fine, but I'd rather not take the risk.

Responsible drug/alcohol use is not smoking the entire ounce and/or drinking the entire fifth in one night.

I think being responsible is the only way to do drugs properly. Otherwise someone might get hurt.

Excuse me but what the hell is a 'weed hangover'? I've been blazing for 5 years and never experienced such a thing.

pff .. i'm sorry I know the answer to this. A 'weed hangover' is the groggy, stupefied fog one stumbles around in during the all-too-soon morning after smoking bong loads far too long into the night, usually exacerbated by too little sleep and generally accompanied by grumpy shuffling. It is a sign of distinctly IRresponsible drug use.

Yeah, except the number of people falling victim to prescribed drugs these days is considerable. I'm growing more & more wary of doctors who prescribe without really knowing what they are doing.

Unfortunately being a doctor doesn't remove one from being a fallible human being, just like everyone else. And people who are prone to losing their minds over a drug that feels good, and they can't handle it, find a very dangerous combination when a doctor says "it's OK to take this."

Yeah, the number of people falling victim to prescribed drugs these days is considerable. I'm growing more & more wary of doctors who prescribe without really knowing what they are doing.

Unfortunately being a doctor doesn't remove one from being a fallible human being, just like everyone else. And people who are prone to losing their minds over a drug that feels good, and they can't handle it, find a very dangerous combination when a doctor says "it's OK to take this."

If anyone who is still experiment with drugs reads this, let me give you some advice.

If you take a drug and it immediately becomes your new favorite high/drug/feeling, and it's NOT weed or a psychedelic, don't ever do it again.

Oh and I probably don't need to even say this on this board, but if one person reads it and thinks twice it will be worth it: stay away from needles.