(Hi Erica! Thanks for being my one remaining reader! :) This one's for you haha.)
Today is about: My Views on Drugs and Alcohol
*Disclaimer: These opinions are mine alone..for Daniel's, you will have to ask him.
I grew up in a house that was strongly against all drugs and alcohol. It wasn't just because I grew up in an LDS household, but also because my parents had personal backgrounds with both substances. My dad was a recreational drug/alcohol user in his high school days (that's what those stake presidents sons get themselves into). He started dating my mom shortly after high school and she told him she would not marry him or continue dating him unless he cut out everything and became the man to take her to the temple. He did, and obviously, they did.
My mom's experiences are much different. She grew up with an abusive, alcoholic father and from the effects of that, she never got involved with it in her own life. She is the most anti drug/alcohol person I've ever met.
The reason I give those backgrounds is so that you understand how I was raised to view these things. I think the only downfall to being raised in a house that was so passionately against it was that it made me more curious about it. You would think that it would make me never want to touch the stuff, but I think it had the opposite effect. In high school I lived kind of a double life. With my closest girlfriends, I went to young women activities and stayed clean. With a few other friends who didn't cross groups, I experimented with drinking and mild drugs. It wasn't much because I had a constant feeling of guilt associated with what I was doing. I think the main reason I even did it at the time is because I was running from other parts of my life and trying to cover up the problems.
After high school I stopped any drugs altogether, but drinking became something I played around with more. I went to parties and Vegas with friends far too many times.
The thing is, I come from alcoholic blood. It takes A LOT of alcohol to get me drunk. I have never understood why people drink just to get drunk. First of all, most alcohol tastes disgusting. Why force yourself to drink crap just to get sloppy and not know whats going on around you? That's not to say I didn't do exactly that, but everytime I thought it was ridiculous myself. It didn't really take me long to realize I was over it.
So now, I don't drink. I see no need for it in my own life. I don't judge those that do (obviously I can't), but I just don't need it. I will admit to the rare occasion of having a margarita with good Mexican food, or a glass of wine at a dinner party, but beyond that I'm just not interested.
I will say this about drugs. I am 100% against drug use, with the exception of marijuana. Just to clarify, I DONT SMOKE POT. But, I see less problems with that than addictive and harmful cigarettes. I believe one day marijuana will be legal and I think it should be so it can be taxed and regulated.
So that's that. my long ramble about my own experiences with drugs and alcohol. We are still friends, right? :)
9 comments:
Were you drunk you wrote this ;) I like that you are updating your blog now. And I like the honesty...very refreshing.
Really, leagalize marijuana? Its a gateway drug. But we can still be friends.
Look, 3 readers! Sometimes I want to drink (I don't, probably because of the guilt issue), but drugs, marijuana...no thanks. Legalize it? NO WAY. I'm with Rachel on that one. I guess we can be friends. Just kidding! I love your guts!
4 readers!! I feel the same way with alcohol... With my Mom abusing it, you would think I wouldn't want anything to do with it, but it's the opposite. I guess I can be lucky I got pregnant and am nursing, because I haven't touch it and don't feel the need to anymore.
Look at all your readers Lizbit!! Love it! Excellent post. I, like Becca, appreciate the honesty. I'll always be your friend, no matter what you say or what you believe. I also believe in legalization - AND I DON'T SMOKE IT EITHER. I'm proud to say I've been completely sober of all substances for almost 10 months! (Thanks to the alcoholics & abusers in my life.) Now to get Joe on the same track...
I love you and I'm so pumped for this blog challenge thing!!! Can't wait for tomorrow.....
I'm all for legalizing marijauna and taxing it. Because it being illegal isn't stopping anyone from using it. And I'm sorry, but is it really a gateway drug? I have a husband who smoked pot quite regularly for a year or so of his life and he never even thought about doing harder drugs. So you can't say generalize it as a gateway drug.
I would have to agree with Emily on this one. I used it and NEVER had the urge to use any other kind of drug. Beyond that though, the reason I want it legal is so that it CAN be taxed and regulated. Right now, even in Utah, besides pills, it is by far the easiest drug to get your hands on. If a certain jobless, 16 year old kid living in the heart of Sandy can get it anytime he wants, anyone can. If you want it, you can literally have it in your possession in minutes. The scary thing about that is who knows whats really in the marijuana those kids are getting? So many people add crap to weed to bulk it up and who knows what they end up putting in their bodies. If its legalized, there will be rules and regulations about it, just like there is with tobacco. I know most people think that will encourage more people to try it, but I swear that those that have no interest now still wont when its legal, because its so easy to get illegally anyways.
I know this is one of those debates that will never be over. :) Just know that I dont want it legal so that I or anyone else can START using it, but so that the people who will use it regardless will have to pay taxes on it. Thats all.
The way I see it, alcohol is as much a drug as marijuana, but possibly more destructive. You never hear stories about the man who beat his wife because he was high, or the stoned driver that ran someone over on his way home from the smoke shop. I'm sure it happens, but it affects and impairs people differently than alcohol does, yet people have the choice to use alcohol if they are of the legally mandated age. Billions of dollars are made on alcohol sales, why not make billions of dollars on marijuana legally, rather than putting all that money in the pockets of people selling it and other life destroying drugs illegally. More money for education, more money for roads, more money for working towards getting out of the huge deficit this country has. The money is being spent on pot, not regulating it is like ignoring it in hopes that it will go away.
The way I see it, alcohol is as much a drug as marijuana, but possibly more destructive. You never hear stories about the man who beat his wife because he was high, or the stoned driver that ran someone over on his way home from the smoke shop. I'm sure it happens, but it affects and impairs people differently than alcohol does, yet people have the choice to use alcohol if they are of the legally mandated age. Billions of dollars are made on alcohol sales, why not make billions of dollars on marijuana legally, rather than putting all that money in the pockets of people selling it and other life destroying drugs illegally. More money for education, more money for roads, more money for working towards getting out of the huge deficit this country has. The money is being spent on pot, not regulating it is like ignoring it in hopes that it will go away.
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