I think pot should be legal, regulated, and taxed, but I’ve never tried it–on purpose. Once a friend of mine lit up out of the blue in my car, and I got a contact high (a pretty decent one). I kindof got the giggles, I could see the appeal to a certain extent, but it didn’t spark my interest (no pun intended). I’ve had plenty of chances to try the drug for free in good conditions, but I have never been interested.
One class of drug I’ve tried is benzodiazepines. I had a benign heart arrhythmia (PVCs) that made it hard for me to sleep, and I was given one for that (it’s only available in Japan and is not well known outside). I took that stuff over a period of a few years. I seemed to get tolerant to it pretty quickly and I didn’t enjoy it. Certainly didn’t get addicted or anything, and it barely even helped me get to sleep.
I have had maybe five or so of my mom’s Xanaxes (Alprazolam) over the years when I was really stressed out. It helped kill the acute stress but was never anything I wanted to take for enjoyment.
Last year, I had panic attacks that were related to a stomach ailment, and I tried clonazepam (Klonopin). Nasty nasty stuff. By the way, what took care of the stomach ailment and the panic attacks was the OTC antihistamine chlorpheniramine (Chlor-trimeton). I was really lucky I discovered this by accident; it’s been a miracle drug to me.
The only drug that I’ve ever been interested in and done to any extent is alcohol. But my girlfriend has tried it, and it doesn’t do anything for her, and she doesn’t drink at all. I’ve had to give it up as it makes my stomach condition worse, but I do miss my Scotch.
So, I think you get the gist of this post. A lot of people try benzos and get addicted to them. I tried them and basically hated them or was indifferent to them, depending on the type. I’ve never gotten into pot, despite not being against it or anything. I’d be curious to hear from people who have tried even harder drugs like cocaine or heroin but found it just didn’t work for them.
I tried cocaine once, a long time ago, but I did not like it. It just made me feel like I’d had ten cups of coffee and I thought that if I wanted to feel that way then I’d just drink ten cups of coffee. Alcohol I do not like, either. I must not process it well or something, because any more than two drinks and I feel very, very unwell. Sick to my stomach, dizzy, tired yet insomniac, and just bad.
I too think marijuana should be legal in some reasonable form or another, but have zero interest in doing or even trying it.
I have zero interest in alcohol or other recreational drug use.
People find this strange and I don’t know why. Drug use is an interest like any other hobby or passtime in the other world that I have no interest in. I don’t want to learn to play any musical instruments, doing so just doesn’t appeal to me. Getting high off drugs or drunk off alcohol doesn’t appeal to me either. I’m not a furry and have no interest in such matters, but other people are. What’s the difference?
I had a friend who was just mad for angel dust (PCP). I tried it to see why it was so seductive for him but came away with no answers. It was a horrifying experience, one I would never choose to repeat. Mind you, I had considerable previous experience with hallucinogens, so it was not a case of being unprepared or naive. It was just a whole different class of nightmare than I was accustomed to.
I also think pot should be legalized but don’t have any desire to use it myself. I used it some back in my early teens and it just made me tired and hungry. I never did get why my friends loved it so much.
I tired pot once, a long time ago (50 years). It was grown in an apartment in Cambridge, Mass. without special grow lights or anything and I never felt a thing. I have never tried it since and have no real desire to do so. A good friend and fine mathematician basically destroyed his career from pot and other drugs (LSD, I think). Despite that, I agree that the drug laws do much much more harm than good. The people who defend the laws are simply not interested in the evidence. If it were half as bad as claimed, then this would become apparent and usage would gradually drop (cf. tobacco, which is very likely much worse). I do drink alcohol occasionally, but I get no high from it, just sleepy. I like a beer from time to time, especially with certain foods. I do drink a glass of wine from time to time, but basically just to be sociable. I have never tried any other drug.
I spent quite a lot of time and effort trying to like pot, in order to fit in with a group of friends for whom getting very stoned was the primary recreation. I never once enjoyed it - I was a smoker at the time, so it wasn’t the smoke - it was mostly the mental incapacity - I’m frustrated by the limitations of my brain at the best of times, damned if I want to cripple it further.
The cotton-mouth, time/speed dilation and paranoia aspects were not much fun either.
Eventually, I decided I was done trying to like the stuff. Shortly after, the group decided they were done with me. No great loss, on reflection.
I don’t care for weed. Hurts my throat to smoke, and I just don’t think it’s a good feeling. It’s kind of like being out of it from taking cold medicine. I’ve tried it quite a few times since everyone I know loves it so much and I figured there must be something to it that I’m missing, but no.
I’ve taken Ativan and while it did work for insomnia, I can’t see any appeal at all for recreational use. Pisses me off that people do use it that way because my doctors refuse to give it to me now and I really do need it for insomnia.
The only other drugs possibly-fun drugs I’ve tried are narcotic painkillers and alcohol, but I do like those for the most part.
I’ve never tried an illegal drug. Have never tried pot, coke, meth, LCD, etc. Have never had a desire. Have never tried a cigarette. Have never taken a prescription drug. Have never taken a pain killer or muscle relaxant. But… I love beer :), hence alcohol is my vice. I very rarely drink hard alcohol or mixed drinks, and don’t really care for wine. Just beer.
Well, I may not have the usual attitude about this, but I do think there is a pretty legitimate argument that avoiding drug experiences can significantly limit one’s experience of reality, emotion, and, well, the search for truth.
Our brain, with its deeply-rooted evolutionarily-derived premises, filters, biases, chemicals, etc, puts considerable constraints and biases on how we view of reality. Our brain is our only window into this crazy universe we find ourselves in, and that window is a cloudy maze of mirrors and misdirections. One frustrating thing is just how difficult it can be to convince some people of this who have not directly experienced how some of those biases can dissolve when using, for example, some hallucinogens. I think the ability to tweak my window into reality and gain insights through self-study is a crucial tool in my search for truth. This doesn’t apply to all drugs, to be sure; I don’t think cocaine or meth are particularly helpful. But I do think it is weird that someone might avoid marijuana, LSD, MDMA, without some legitimate reason, like panic disorder, or a history of mental illness.
I agree with Crafter_Man’s post up to this point. I’ve never had any desire to try any illegal drugs and probably wouldn’t try any of them even if they were legalized. I’m just not interested. I’ll gladly drink alcohol, but that’s for the tastes of the various drinks rather than for the effects of the alcohol itself (I never drink to the point of being full-on drunk and rarely drink enough for the alcohol to have any real effect on me.)
Back in the 70s I tried and liked weed. I had a vested interest in remaining employed with a security clearance so I just drank alcohol. It gave me the same effect and was legal.
Currently it is decriminalized for small amounts here in CT and I am hoping that a sensible medical use program shows up soon, it helps my body with pain and it helps me not to wake up from the segmented sleep.
Then around the same time I had a BF who liked coke. So one evening at a party with him I tried coke. My nose dripped slightly and my front teeth went numb. When it was time to leave the party he woke me up off the couch and asked if I liked the coke. I informed him that it didn’t do anything for me except make my front teeth numb. He informed me that it must have been cheap weak coke and he would get some of the ‘good stuff’ for me to try. So the next weekend he had some of the good stuff and he prepared me 2 lines, which I obediently snorfled up.
My nose dripped slightly and my front teeth went numb. No idea but I was apparently to feel energized and powerful.
If I want to blow almost $200 on something that makes my teeth go numb, I will go to a dentist and at least I might get a filling out of it. At least my teeth would be sparkling white and squeeky clean after $200 at a dentist…
As a teenager in the 70s I had plenty of experiences. But weed was the only illegal drug I continued to use after that period. None of them, including the marijuana had much affect on me. The weed from the 70s is often arguably considered weaker than the current cultivated strains, and some of the other things I tried may have been ‘stepped on’ several times. Oddly, I have problems taking a lot of prescription drugs with various bad reactions. I’ve known a variety of people who never had any interest taking any drugs, or even drinking. Nothing wrong with that IMO, freedom is about making choices.
I really like to drink, but getting drunk is something I consider a leisure time activity, and it’s hard to find the time to spend at the bar, then operating at half capacity the next day. I’m so sleep deprived most of the time that often turns into quarter capacity. Now here’s something interesting that occured to me while writing this, I’ve never had a drink by myself, always in the company of others. I even poured myself a drink at home one time and didn’t drink it. I suppose it’s just a pattern, but it doesn’t seem to make sense to drink alone.
I do hope I don’t come off like some hippy or anything but I WAS a hippy, so I guess it is to be expected.
I have and do use marijuana recreationally. I also enjoy beer and wine in moderation (especially with food). Sometimes, I indulge in a martini or other cocktails, but I don’t enjoy being drunk.
I have done several hallucinogens both separately and in concert with each other. I am very pleased that I did, but I see no reason to do so every again as I can quite easily remember the sensations and insights even now several years later.
I have smoked and/or ingested various other intoxicants including speed, cocaine, opium and heroin but I have never injected anything. Speed was useful but dangerous. Cocaine was fleeting and expensive. Opium was fun but difficult to find and heroin was dangerous to procure and left me quite depressed after smoking it.
I have never done any pills recreationally, though I was prescribed a particularly powerful benzodiazepine for anxiety (Ativan/lorazepam). It wasn’t particularly efficacious (in my situation) and the withdrawal symptoms from it were extraordinarily dangerous. That is to say, I almost died from withdrawal. NOTE: NEVER WITHDRAW FROM BENZOS COLD-TURKEY!
I have never voluntarily done illegal drugs. A guy once slipped me a loaded brownie as a joke. He didn’t think it was so funny after I finished kicking his ass for doing it.
Me, too. It’s the “smoking” part that kept me from ever trying it. I was also maybe the only New York Club Girl in the '80s who never tried cocaine–I am nervous and jumpy enough as it is*, *thank you.
Not necessarily directed at you, Clothahump, but when a brownie has pot in it, it tastes… well, quite strongly like pot. And if you don’t know what pot tastes like, you most certainly know what brownies taste like. I don’t understand how anyone could eat a pot edible by mistake. I’m not saying this didn’t happen to you, I’m just curious how someone could unknowingly eat an entire pot brownie. I would assume that it would be spit out on the first bite.
Done a bunch of illegal stuff at various times, but mostly alcohol now, and even then it’s almost always wine. For some reason, I’ve completely lost interest in pot in the last few years. Must be getting old.